What is open science?

According to UNESCO, ”Open science is a set of principles and practices that aim to make scientific research from all fields accessible to everyone for the benefits of scientists and society as a whole.” Open science encompasses practices such as open and immediate publication, data and code sharing, broader research dissemination, and greater collaboration at all levels.

Open science includes both top-down and bottom-up relationships between scientific researchers and interested citizens and their communities. The traditional research model exemplifies the top-down approach with trained scientists conducting studies and disseminating the results through journal publication. The worldwide trend toward open access in science is highlighting the bottom-up model, in which the research study originates within the community from citizens who may or may not be trained scientists.

What is community science?

Community science is a bottom-up approach to research that emphasizes collaboration and is driven by community members. The Association of Science and Technology Center’s (ASTC) Community Science Initiative is one of the growing number of organizations working to advance community science. As stated on their website, “With community science, community members collaborate to conduct and leverage scientific research and technological innovation to advance community priorities and benefit from knowledge and advancements of science and engineering, often in collaboration with scientists and science-engagement practitioners.”

Although the term community science is frequently used interchangeably with citizen science, some publications differentiate between the two. For example, GVI, which offers nature conservancy programs, believes the difference is in the levels of involvement and leadership. “Citizen science mainly draws on the participation of a layperson, usually offering minimal training or instruction. In contrast, community science relies on experts and specialists to provide guidance and assistance during data collection and analysis. Citizen science projects can often reach a broader population and gain more public awareness, while community science projects tend to be more specialized.”

Whatever these research projects are called, they provide almost limitless opportunities for laypersons to become involved in helping to address issues occurring in their communities and the world. This involvement can lead to not only the development of future scientists but also to greater scientific literacy for all.

Examples of community-driven open science initiatives

Community and citizen science projects are proliferating worldwide. A few examples of the many recent community-driven open science initiatives are as follows:

• In the Aso-Kuju National Park in Japan, invasive plants have been negatively affecting the park’s biodiversity. To address this issue, a researcher worked with local participants to collect geospatial data for the plant species. Using this information, a management plan was created to lessen the plant’s impact. The initiative results, along with the data, were published in a scholarly journal. This project was made possible by the collaboration of non-expert participants with expert researchers.

• Another ecological monitoring project, Public Lab, which is under ASTC, was created in response to the 2010 BP Oil Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. According to their website, “Public Lab launched an open source platform to collect data and maps of changes in the coastline over time. This effort has since transformed into a strong community-created and -driven environmental monitoring and assessment program.”

• Ottawa Riverkeeper, a charitable organization dedicated to protecting the ecological health of the Ottawa River in Canada, is involved in several investigations of the river’s watershed health. For some of these projects, volunteers are relied on “to collect data from a much broader swatch of the watershed than we could investigate on our own.”

• The Singapore government sponsors numerous opportunities for citizens to engage in scientific research, which are published on their national parks website. For example, one such investigation involves an intensive field study to document the park’s flora and fauna diversity to which the public are invited to participate in collaboration with expert naturalists.

• In South Africa, citizens were invited to join the Snorkel for Science Initiative, with over 1,000 snorkelers participating in the past year. These citizen scientists joined a marine biologist in a guided snorkel to document the range of benthic sharks in the area. Photos taken of the sharks are used to monitor the animal’s population and health of its environment.

• Community science initiatives are also being introduced into education, where most programs have traditionally used top-down approaches. In Chile, a study was conducted in which bottom-up approaches were used to engage students in educational institutions. These citizen science investigations were based on students’ interests and developed by students in collaboration with teachers and scientists. The results of the study indicated that such an approach yields quality research and promotes scientific skills and learning in the participating students.

• The European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) was established in 2013 “to encourage the growth of citizen science in Europe, and to support the participation of the general public in research processes – across science, social science, humanities and the arts.” The organization studies the influence of citizen science on research and scientific capacity-building, along with sponsoring and coordinating citizen science projects, such as the following example.

• COMPIR, a program under the ECSA, focuses on local air quality across Europe. Citizen participants, even those without a science background are “invited to analyze the data and use it to co-create new climate friendly behaviors and policies that address sustainability both at home and across the continent to improve the quality of the air for all.” This effort involves 15 different organizations from six different European countries.

As can be seen from just these few examples, numerous opportunities exist for citizens to participate in research designed to investigate the issues affecting their communities. In addition to improving lives and environments locally, these projects expand scientific literacy and encourage further involvement in research activities.

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To take advantage of the unique strengths of neurodivergent individuals, it is important for conference planners to offer accommodations that embrace all the diversities of their organizations’ members. Inclusion creates belonging, which allows everyone to feel they have a voice. The inclusion of different perspectives and experiences strengthens creativity and limits groupthink, which enhances the event, increases learning for everyone, and leads to new ideas and opportunities. In addition, embracing diversity empowers the affected individuals, builds communities, and creates ambassadors for the organization.

With all of these advantages, why wouldn’t conference organizers want to accommodate everyone? Making an event neuro-inclusive doesn’t have to be complicated.

Practical tips on making an event/conference neuro-inclusive

Here are a few simple ways conference organizers can make their events more neuro-inclusive.

• Create a safe space: This is the most essential accommodation for planners who want a neuro-inclusive event. Safe spaces are respite areas that are quiet and spacious with dim lighting and no strong smells. For example, the International Communication Association (ICA) designates a quiet room during conferences “for use by attendees requiring a respite from the overstimulation of meeting activities. Please note that this room is not to be used for meetings, conversation, typing correspondence, or phone calls.” Microsoft also makes a quiet space available as part of their events.

• Offer hybrid events: Hybrid events, such as those that provide virtual options, allow individuals to decide how to attend based on their own specific needs and comfort levels. The American Chemical Society (ACS) is offering hybrid and virtual registrations for its spring 2023 conference.

• Create predictability and communicate directly: Neurodivergent individuals frequently prefer predictability over uncertainty. Therefore, according to the Skift Meeting’s article “How to Accommodate Event Attendees With Neurological Needs,” agendas should be clear and include direct language. In addition, signage and venue plans should be highly visible.

• Provide an environment that avoids sensory overstimulation: Loud noise, bright lights and colors, and strong odors can be challenging to neurodiverse individuals. Being aware of this and controlling for it can go a long way in improving the satisfaction of conference attendees. For example, ICA “requests that all participants refrain from wearing strong perfume, cologne, or other fragrances for the benefit of attendees with multiple chemical sensitivities.” Issuing noise-canceling headphones can also help create a comfortable environment for neurodivergent conference attendees.

• Ensure trained staff is available: It is always helpful to have people at the event who understand the needs of neurodivergent individuals. The Neu Project, a global community that began at Google, has published an Event Professional’s Guide to Neuroinclusion that provides a wealth of information about neurodiversity and tips for creating neuro-inclusive events. Becoming familiar with this guide can prepare staff to help all attendees enjoy a productive conference.

With the large number of neurodiverse individuals in the world and especially in scientific research fields, creating inclusive conference environments can only increase the value of those events for everyone. Taking a few simple steps can result in a positive conference experience for participants, sponsors, and organizers.

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During the covid pandemic, the immediate sharing of research became much more important, and major funders encouraged researchers to publish their work initially as preprints. This openness undoubtedly led to the quicker development of treatments and policies; however, some researchers are concerned that preprints are being rushed to publication without any vetting.

NIH Preprint Policy

On December 14, 2022, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) announced plans to extend the NIH preprint pilot to cover non-covid-related preprints. Phase II launches in January 2023 and includes all  preprints that acknowledge direct NIH support or have an NIH-affiliated author and are posted on an eligible preprint server on or after January 1, 2023. Preprints that meet these criteria are made discoverable in PubMed Central (PMC) and receive a citation in PubMed.

Phase I of the NIH preprint pilot was initiated in June 2020 and focused on increasing the discoverability of covid-related research. According to the NLM, from June 2020 to June 2022, more than 3,300 preprints were indexed in PMC and PubMed. In Phase II, the NLM will continue to add eligible preprints to PMC on a weekly basis.

An evaluation of Phase I of the NIH Preprint Policy posted as a preprint on bioRxiv found that the addition of these NIH-supported preprints was able to accelerate the dissemination of research without reducing the trust users had in NLM literature services. In addition, the study’s authors indicated that nearly 25% of the preprints posted under the NIH policy were not associated with a peer-review published journal article. Therefore, the policy has resulted in more research being available in a timelier manner.

Based on the limited reactions posted online and on Twitter about the Phase II extension, scientific researchers and publishers seem to not have any issues with the expansion. As some fields, such as physics, have been using preprints extensively for a long time and with the openness of the covid-related research, Phase II of the NIH Preprint Pilot may not seem to be a significant change.

According to an article in Science, “Preprints now represent 7% of all articles in the U.S. National Institutes  of Health’s PubMed database, up from 0.2% in 2015.” The main concern researchers have about preprints in general is the lack of any rigorous review. Although the preprint servers allow for the critique of papers, few reviews are posted. Only 5% of ~180,000 preprints posted on bioRxiv have comments from other researchers.

Implications for scholarly publishers and journals

In general, scholarly publishers and journals have encouraged the posting of preprints and only require that authors disclose where the preprint was posted and any changes made to the article prior to submission. Some journals require verification that the preprint was not previously peer reviewed.

The NIH preprint policy specifies that preprints must be posted on eligible servers to be included in PMC and PubMed. The eligible servers do not include journal-based preprint servers. This will affect where NIH-sponsored researchers chose to post their preprint research.

As part of the trend toward opening up access to scholarly research, the new NIH preprint policy extension will continue to put pressure on the traditional journal publishing model.

In announcing the new pilot phase, NLM stated that they “will monitor progress with the Phase 2 pilot to determine by the end of 2023 whether the success with preprints for COVID-19 translates to the broader scope of NIH-funded research and merits ongoing efforts.”

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Mentoring is an important activity in academia for several reasons. It not only builds the skills and confidence of early career researchers but also provides leadership experience for the mentors. With the proper focus and targeting, research societies can use their mentoring programs to increase diversity and extend outreach to underrepresented populations, thus growing their membership and increasing participation in the sciences. The ultimate result of successful mentoring is the promotion of quality research in all disciplines.

See also: The Role of Research Societies in Combatting Bullying in Academia

Strategies to build awareness of the mentorship program

The first step in marketing a mentorship program is to build awareness. This can take many forms, and organizations that are successful in this will use several avenues. Here are some examples that a research society might consider:

• Crafting a compelling announcement email that includes the relevance of the program and a call to action;
• Highlighting the program during the annual conference;
• Encouraging society influencers to talk about the program;
• Placing program information prominently on the society website;
• Featuring the program in the society newsletter;
• Creating mentorship programs targeted at members from underserved groups (e.g., racial or gender minorities).

Strategies to build a solid pool of mentors

Strong mentoring programs require strong mentors. Research societies have used various strategies to attract a solid pool of mentors. Several of these strategies are briefly described here.

• Articulate the value of mentoring for mentors. The International Society for Third-Sector Research includes reflections by both former mentors and mentees on their website.
• Get all society leaders on board and encourage them to leverage their professional networks
• Provide training resources (including soft skills) – For example, on a webpage dedicated to mentoring resources, the American Society of Nephrology offers links to presentations, case studies, and activities for both mentors and mentees. The Academy of Medical Sciences offers free masterclasses for those interested in mentoring, and the American Psychological Association includes links to a number of resources related to mentoring on their website.
• Set up different types of mentoring programs to allow mentors to commit to different time requirements – For example, the American Society of Transplantation has both short-term and long-term mentoring programs: a short-term program consisting of one meeting during the annual conference and a more traditional long-term program which includes 5 or more years of communication and constructive criticism on the mentee’s research and manuscript submissions. The mentor and mentee are also expected to have at least one face-to-face meeting annually, and the mentee may be invited to assist with the mentor’s research, if suitable.
• Provide rewards and recognition for mentors – The American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology recognizes their mentors at their annual scientific meetings. The American Association for the Advancement of Science honors ”individuals who during their careers demonstrate extraordinary leadership to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in science and engineering fields and careers” through lifetime mentor and mentor awards. The recipients of both annual awards receive a monetary prize, commemorative plaque, and expense reimbursements for attending the annual meeting.

Strategies to build a solid pool of mentees

Finally, strong mentors need interested and enthusiastic mentees to create a successful mentoring program. Some strategies to build a solid pool of mentees are briefly described here.

• Clearly outline potential benefits of having a mentor and the opportunities for careeradvancement your program will offer.
• Identify the social media platforms/forums used by early career researcher members of your society –  Post information about your mentoring programs in the identified platforms, perhaps posts written by current or past program participants.
• Include details about mentorship in onboarding emails
• Share success stories (especially through rich content formats like videos) – The Academy of Medical Sciences has a number of case studies posted on its website that describe the experiences of mentees in its programs.
• Offer different types of mentoring programs that allow mentees to choose the amount of support they need. For example, the System Dynamics Society offers four different mentoring programs, including peer mentoring, one-on-one mentoring, short-term modeling assistance, and publishing assistance.
• Offer mentorship as a reward specifically for student/graduate student members – For example, the American Society of Hematology presents mentorship opportunities as awards to medical students, residents, and graduate students.

See also: How Academic Societies Are Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Researchers

To build a strong, active, and successful mentoring program, research societies may want to consider creating a public relations plan that is designed to promote the program through various channels. Communications sent at various times, such as when the application period opens and closes, can be useful, as can sending frequent messages to members about the benefits of participating in a mentorship program for both mentors and mentees.

The success of a mentorship program depends partly on how well it meets the needs of early career researchers. Find out more about their communication preferences, information behaviors, and other needs in this whitepaper.

The post Building Awareness of Your Mentoring Program: Tips for Research Societies appeared first on CACTUS.

The missions of universities frequently include the economic development of their service area and country through research and the dissemination of information. One way to accomplish this is by applying for and being issued patents for new inventions and technology. In addition, universities can increase their funds by licensing patents to outside companies or by sharing in start-ups launched by their employees based on the university patent.

The opportunities for universities and other research institutes related to patents are numerous. However, to take advantage of these opportunities, universities have to attract the required attention to their research. The remainder of this article will provide some tips and examples that may help universities effectively communicate information about their patented products or technology to investors, corporates, and the general public.

Target audiences

An effective patent communication strategy involves getting the appropriate information to various targeted audiences.

• Investors – One of the ways that universities can profit from their patents is for the patent holder or other institution employee to create a start-up to commercialize the invention. To do this, investors are needed to provide the required funding.
• Corporate partners – Traditionally, universities license the patent information to corporate partners to commercialize, with the university receiving the license fee. For this to occur, the invention needs to be marketed to appropriate potential corporate partners.
• General public – Universities also promote their acquired patents to the general public for the purposes of gaining prestige and attracting future students and researchers.

See also: Patents and the Intellectual Property Rights Ecosystem at Indian Universities

Communication formats

Many different communication avenues are available for universities to introduce and explain the inventions patented by their researchers. Universities should consider using more than one of channel so as to reach the greatest possible audience. Here are a few of the most commonly used formats.

• White papers – This format can provide the detailed information needed by potential investors and corporate partners and can be published on the website as well as promoted through social media.
• Video summaries – Videos can be effective in introducing new inventions as visually showcasing the product can create a bigger and more dramatic impression.
• Explainer infographics/presentation decks – This format also has the advantage of being visual and can be used to effectively present quantitative information about the product.
• Official websites – The most accessible format, information published on the university or research institute’s website will be seen by the largest audience. This format is best for reaching the general public and prospective students.

Patent communication examples

• Patent list on website – Many universities will provide a list of their patents on their general or departmental website, frequently to attract new students.
  • As an example, the Chandigarh University Department of Civil Engineering website lists patents applied/granted to faculty and includes the patent title, faculty member(s), and a short description for each patent. Similar lists exist for other departments in the university.
• Press releases – The public relations department of a university will often put out press releases announcing the granting of a patent to their researchers.
  • For example, a press release issued by Northeastern University announced the awarding of a South Korean patent for Autonomous Impedance Calibration on Semiconductor Devices. The press release includes a diagram of the device and a QRC code to guide the interested reader to more information.
• News stories – Patent inventions that are of local interest or are particularly interesting are sometime covered by general news agencies. The university public relations department can facilitate this coverage.
  • For example, a Reuters story was published about a Japanese professor’s invention of a lickable television screen. Similarly, the Times of India published a story on new patents filed by Andhra University
• University news articles – News articles can also be published on the institution’s website.
  • Examples of news stories published by universities include the NC A&T University story about a professor’s patent relating to a defense communication device and the Keene State University story about a patent for a communication device arising out of a collaboration between a college professor and a world-renowned concert pianist.
• Blogs – Similar to university news articles, blogs can be used to announce and promote university patents.
  • Bennett University published a blog announcing the granting of a patent to the university for a mechanized programmed plating apparatus for distributing microbial suspension. The invention has been described as “an advanced automated instrument that has been designed and implemented for microbial plating of samples, applicable in Microbiology/Biotechnology.” This blog was used to promote the university program.
• In-person events – Some institutions will use conferences, exhibitions, and trade shows to introduce and promote their patented inventions to potential partners and investors.
  • For example, Keio University conducts events throughout the year to showcase their research. One such event is the Open Research Forum. As stated on the event website, “This forum introduces the current status and future planning of research projects at the Keio Research Institute at SFC to business, government and other public offices, municipalities and academia.” Another example is the Keio Tech-Mall event, which includes exhibitions, demonstrations, and symposiums.
• Setting up university technology commercialization departments or partnering with intellectual property transfer companies – These organizations often serve as intermediaries between the university researcher and potential partner companies or investors.
  • Stanford University Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) – The OTL serves as a conduit between the college inventor and industry.  “Through marketing, OTL works with the inventors to prepare a non-confidential abstract that is made available through OTL’s website and sent directly to targeted companies.”
  • Japan Technology Group –  This technology-based intellectual property transfer company facilitates communication and collaboration between university researchers and industry.

With the increasing number of patents being granted and the decreasing government funding, utilizing patents can be an effective way for universities to expand partnerships with industry, open up new funding avenues, and increase university prestige and enrollment. Creating an effective communication plan for promoting these patents is a good first step to accomplishing these positive outcomes.

The post Crafting a Patent Communication Strategy: Tips for Universities appeared first on CACTUS.

See also: How Academic Societies Are Reinventing Membership Experiences

In response to this declining membership and other revenue pressures, societies have been offering more customized benefits and innovative programs to members. One area in which academic societies are increasing their focus is mentorship programs.

Mentoring can be an extremely beneficial partnership for both parties. Mentors gain skills in a leadership role, and mentees have a connection with an experienced researcher who can offer support and career advice. Mentorships also play an important part in the formation of a scientific identity in researchers.

Benefits of mentorship programs for societies

In addition to being beneficial for researchers, mentorship programs can also be very advantageous to the academic societies that offer them to their members.

• Improve member experience – Societies can attract more members and improve member satisfaction through a quality and successful mentorship program.
• Increase intra-society collaboration – Connecting experienced researchers with those in the early stages of their careers can increase collaboration between members of different demographics, thus increasing collegiality and a sense of community in the society.
• Increase diversity and outreach – Successful and innovative mentoring programs will attract more diverse members. Strong mentorship in STEM disciplines has been shown to enhance the recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups.
• Strengthen the discipline – Quality mentoring leads to increased productivity and career satisfaction for early career researchers, increasing retention and research quality.
• Enhanced brand image – As successful mentorship programs become more well-known, they will attract more participants and enhance the brand image of the offering society.

See also: Five Ways Research Societies Can Boost International Membership

Examples of innovative approaches to mentorship programs

Many research societies have started offering innovative approaches to mentorship programs. Let’s take a look at some examples of these innovations.

Varying durations

The American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) offers two mentorship programs, a short-term program that provides mentees with feedback on grant proposals and a more traditional program that establishes mentor-mentee relationships.

The traditional ASPN mentorship program is aimed at pairing early career researchers with experienced mentors at a different institution to not only support the junior researcher in career development and academic pursuits but also to provide training to the mentors.

The more innovative ASPN grant review program takes the form of an in-person grant review workshop held during a large national meeting. These workshops consist of 3–4 mentors serving as grant reviewers for 2–3 mentees who orally present their proposals. The mentees submit drafts of their applications prior to the workshop, and mentors provide written reviews using a standard review template. All workshop proceedings remain confidential.

According to the ASPN website, the “mentorship program experience demonstrates participant satisfaction, mentor-mentee stability, programmatic improvement over time, and notably a high yield of NIH grants during the project implementation period.”

Travel support for mentees

The Sleep Research Society(SRSF)offers financial support for mentees to travel to their mentor’s lab. The aim of the SRSF mentoring program award is to give early career researchers an opportunity to learn state-of-the-art research techniques which may not be available at their home institutions. SRSF grants four awards at up to $3,500 each for travel-related expenses. The program is designed to last for one year, including a minimum of one week spent at the mentor’s site, and a traditional mentor-mentee relationship is expected to continue for the remainder of the year through monthly phone or video contact.

Socialization during the society conference

The American Society of Biomechanics’ (ABS)mentorship program includes a private meal together during the annual conference. In this program, mentees are matched with mentors according to the mentee’s educational and professional goals. Opportunities are then created for them to interact face-to-face while attending the annual ASB conference. In this way, the mentorship program is intended to optimize the mentee’s educational and professional experiences at the conference. In addition to a private meal together to discuss educational or career goals, the mentor is expected to introduce the mentee to colleagues so as to help the mentee establish a professional network, and the mentor may attend and review a presentation given by the mentee.

Conclusion

Through the above and other innovative mentorship programs, research societies can help recruit, engage, and provide critical support to early career researchers. By offering meaningful and strong mentorships to their members, these societies will reap the benefits of increasing membership and enhanced brand image.

Early career researchers are an important part of any research society. Find out more about how to engage and retain such members in this whitepaper.

The post How Mentorship Programs Benefit Research Societies: Innovative Approaches to Mentoring appeared first on CACTUS.

A great amount of literature published in the past few years discusses mental health issues of PhD students and academic researchers. However, well-researched suggestions for alleviating the problem and specific programs designed to support the wellbeing of researchers are few.

See also: The Role of Research Societies in Combatting Bullying in Academia

Universities and other academic institutions have been working individually to help reduce the stress experienced by researchers and to support their students and staff through policies, education, and resources. However, research societies can also play a major role in supporting the mental health of their members because they reach across multiple institutions and disciplines. A few of the ways some societies are providing this support are briefly described here.

Webinars and Workshops

One way in which research societies are providing support to their members is by offering webinars and workshops. For example, some years ago, the Royal Society of Chemistry held a workshop to investigate ways the Society might better support the mental wellbeing of early career researchers. More recently, the American Chemical Society offered an interactive webinar to STEMM graduate students that provided suggestions for self-managing the members’ mental health. The webinar was cohosted by numerous other research societies across such disciplines as physics, biology, and chemistry.

Similarly, the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine organized a series of free webinars dealing with topics like burnout and stress management.  Meanwhile, the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy included mental health among its webinar topics for 2022.

Collaboration with External Services

Sigma Xi, a research honor society, has partnered with Happy, a mental health platform, to offer various mental health services to their members. These services include workshops, a network of peers with healthcare/caregiving backgrounds with whom members can connect and a state-of-the-art communication platform.

Likewise, the American Medical Association also created specific resources to reduce burnout and improve practice sustainability among physicians, through collaboration with Mathematica, a global research and policy organization. 

Workplace Environment Initiatives

Workplace environment plays a large role in the mental health and wellbeing of academic researchers. Some society-led initiatives developed to decrease bullying and harassment in the academic workplace include mentoring, continuing education, and legal support.

For example, the American Society of Gene + Cell Therapy set up a mandatory anti-harassment and non-discrimination policy for all their events. The American Society of Mammologists also has a similar policy that applies to all employees, members, and volunteers whenever they are conducting society business or participating in society events or activities. Similarly, the European Society of Surgical Oncology and British Association of Surgical Oncology have pledged to combat all forms of discrimination, bullying and harassment.

These activities, especially if expanded to include more aspects of mental health, can provide much-needed support for struggling academic researchers.

Other Resources

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) offers a wellbeing and listening service to its members, which allows them reach out for confidential support when they are feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed. The service is provided by the Chemists’ Community Fund, the benevolent fund for the RSC. The website also provides links to other mental health resources that are available to members.

The American Society for the Advancement of Science also recognizes the importance of good mental health for science practitioners. The association’s website includes numerous articles and blog posts related to the issue and possible institutional responses. Recognizing clinicians’ growing need for mental health support during the Covid-19 pandemic, the South African Medical Association included a special issue on mental health in their society newsletter. On similar lines during the pandemic, the American Society of Anesthesiologists compiled various resources for members that included free or low-cost mental health support services.

Conclusion

Mental health support is gaining in prominence among the various resources that societies offer to members. This is a positive trend as societies are recognizing the various stressors of academic life and are attempting to enhance the overall well-being of their members. The mental health crisis in science is a serious issue with potentially severe consequences for the future state of research. Consequently, it is increasingly important for societies to respond to their members’ mental health needs.

Cactus Communications has launched THINK Academia – a global initiative against bullying in academia. THINK is an acronym that stands for what we believe an ideal academia should be: Thoughtful, Humane, Inclusive, Nurturing, and Kind. Click here to learn more.

The post How Academic Societies Are Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Researchers appeared first on CACTUS.

This followed a similar announcement in May by Wiley, who also agreed to provide access to the material in their journals. The experienced editors chosen to receive complete and unlimited access will be determined based on the frequency, volume, and quality of their updates.

In entering into these partnerships, both SAGE Publishing and Wiley expressed a desire to increase the accuracy of the information found on Wikipedia and allow that information to be more available to scholars and policy makers. Wiley also expressed an interest in combatting the misinformation that has been so prevalent on the internet.

What could such partnerships mean to these and other academic publishers? Allowing Wikipedia unlimited access to their journals will increase the visibility of the publishers’ journals and articles, thus building the publisher’s brand. Wikipedia is frequently used by researchers as a source for initial topic reviews, and many scholars and students then utilize the citations and references in the Wikipedia article as a starting point for their own literature searches. If an increase in the number of times a journal’s articles are cited in other published articles occurs, the journal’s impact factor will be improved, which again goes to building its brand.

See also: How Do Journals Stand Out in an Increasingly Cluttered Digital Space

The above agreements may also improve Wikipedia’s reputation in research circles. In general, Wikipedia does not have a good image in academia, and citations of its website articles are discouraged and often prohibited by universities. This is because the articles are user-generated and not peer reviewed as are articles published in scholarly journals. Although Wikipedia does have featured articles, which are peer reviewed, the process is not as rigorous, and changes to the article can be made later. These differences lead to a distrust of the information by academic scholars. By positioning articles as based on peer-reviewed research, Wikipedia stands to gain credibility in the scholarly community.

A marriage between Wikipedia and these and other respected academic publishers may also help to decrease the mistrust the general population currently has in science. Allowing their research content to be more transparent and “available” may calm some fears about possible hidden agendas and take away some ammunition used by conspiracy theorists. However, unless the public also has access to this research, much public distrust in science will remain. Publishers will therefore need to continue exploring alternatives to make science accessible to lay audiences.

The partnerships between academic publishers and Wikipedia are part of an ongoing trend to increase the general population’s interest in and access to scientific research, as reflected by the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act in the US and the upcoming opening up of access for publicly funded research. These actions may help to alleviate the mistrust of the general population in science and increase interest in research.

The post How Wikipedia Partnerships Can Strengthen Publisher Brands and Improve Research Accessibility appeared first on CACTUS.

Impact on the US research landscape

Of the two parts, the Science Act will have a greater impact on research in the US. In addition to the general advancement of research, other goals of this act include the following:

1. Establishing technology hubs
2.  Increasing participation in STEM fields by underrepresented populations
3. Geographically diversifying research activities
4. Bolstering intellectual property security.
5. Creating new funding opportunities contractors and grant recipients.

Some organizations, in particular, stand to benefit significantly as a result of this act.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) will see the largest portion of the potential increase in funding, with an additional authorization of $81 billion over the next five years. The NSF priorities for this funding include STEM education, rural diversification, research security, and various other research initiatives.

The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) will also see its authorized budget increase significantly. This funding will go mostly toward standards research, and the Act encourages other groups, such as universities and non-profits, to participate in the standard-setting process. Other funds were authorized to go to the Department of Energy (DOE) for various energy-related programs.

However, these organizations may not see this money anytime soon. Most of the additional funding was only authorized by the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, not appropriated. It will be up to current and future congressional actions to make the funds available.

Impact on publishers and research societies

For publishers and research societies, the CHIPS and Science Act should increase general interest in research, thereby potentially increasing research study submissions, membership, and website traffic. Most of the increased emphasis on innovations will focus on emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and on green technologies. In addition, institutions receiving federal funds will be required to provide staff and faculty with training on security issues.

If the CHIPS and Science Act is fully funded, or even if it’s partially funded, opportunities for publishers and research societies will be created, including the following:

• Increased grant-funded research studies – more submissions, greater interest in previous publications, and increased impact factors will lead to greater journal exposure and increase the total amount of publishing fees/contracts generated.
• Increased need for discipline specific training programs – in addition to the required training on research security, societies might find opportunities to provide more training programs specific to their discipline, as a more geographically and socially diversified population will be drawn to the field.
• More Special issues – more studies will need to be disseminated on the topics prioritized in the Act.
• Increased revenue from conferences – opportunities to organize additional conferences on the topics prioritized in the Act, which can increase society income.
• Increased financial security– selling training programs, special issues, or other discipline-specific content will help decrease dependency on membership dues, thus increasing a society’s financial security.

The CHIPS and Science Act seems to be part of a growing trend to increase interest and participation in scientific research. This may be accompanied by increased access to research results for the general population. Research societies and publishers need to stay alert to these developments and be proactive in taking advantage of opportunities this shift may provide.

The post The CHIPS and Science Act: Implications on the US Research Landscape and a Look at the Opportunities It Will Open Up for Research Societies and Publishers appeared first on CACTUS.