Registered Reports: tackling conflicting incentives and publication bias

Registered Reports: tackling conflicting incentives and publication bias

What is best for science does not always correspond to what is best for scientists. In academia, researchers are almost exclusively evaluated by the number of papers they publish and in which journals. One of the tokens of success that helps researchers climb the career ladder of academia is publishing in prestigious journals with a high impact factor (how meaningful this metric is has been questioned, for example see here). However, publishing in these journals usually requires novel and exciting results that will significantly impact the field. ...

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NeuroCamp: a summer school for budding neuroscientists

NeuroCamp: a summer school for budding neuroscientists

Are you a Gymnasium student in the Munich area with an interest in neuroscience? Or do you know someone who fits that description? NeuroCamp is a neuroscience summer school for Gymnasium students from schools in the Munich area who are in their penultimate or final year.

What's offered?

If you think neuroscience sounds pretty interesting but you would like to know more about what it involves on a day-to-day basis, apply! This is a great opportunity to explore ...

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Open research and data sharing: examples of success

Open research and data sharing: examples of success

In my last post, I wrote about some of the basics of open research: how it can address reproducibility issues in science, and some of the challenges researchers face. This post highlights some initiatives that promote or make full use of open research practices.

The Allen Institute for Brain Science & Janelia Research Campus

These institutes generate datasets, tools and resources and make them available to the scientific community for the acceleration of new discoveries. The Allen Institute for Brain Science based in Seattle is generating large datasets on the mouse and human brain, which are shared with other researchers according to an open science model. Databases include gene expression profiles, connectivity maps, electrophysiological characteristics and single cell morphology. Besides these datasets, the Allen Institute ...

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Openness in science

Openness in science

This is the first post in a series on open research in science, with a focus on neuroscience. The aim of this series is to explore what open research is, why it is important, what tools are available, and how it can benefit researchers, as well as society, more generally. If you have any suggestions or would like me to cover specific topics, feel free to leave a comment.

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Summer schools not to miss in 2018

Summer schools not to miss in 2018

You're back from the Christmas holidays, slowly getting back to work. While you're at it, you may want to note some of these summer schools down in your calendar (particularly if you have a knack for finding out about interesting summer schools 1-2 days before the deadline). Below are some of the neuroscience summer schools taking place this year, and importantly, the key dates not to miss. Note that some applications already close in January.

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My experience at the Neurobiology Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole

My experience at the Neurobiology Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole

When I first read about this summer school, I realised two things: that it would be incredibly intense and demanding, and that it would fundamentally shape the way I see science. I remember hesitating whether to apply, but I had previously taken part in an 8 week summer school in Switzerland and it was an amazing experience. So why not do it again? ...

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