Could Distributed Peer Review Better Decide Grant Funding?
The landscape of academic grant funding is notoriously competitive and plagued by lengthy, bureaucratic processes, exacerbated by difficulties in finding willing reviewers. Distributed […]
How Social Media Was Cited in Impact Case Studies?
In their previous Impact Blog post, Katy Jordan and Mark Carrigan considered whether institutions have invested too much hope in social media as a solution to the problem of demonstrating research impact. Here they report on research analyzing how social media was cited in impact case studies submitted to the UK’s REF 2014.
Social Media Used in Role its Not Equipped For
In a rapidly changing higher education landscape, where the meaning of “impact” are continually developing, benefits of social media seems obvious. Increasing numbers of institutions are encouraging researchers to take up social media to communicate to wider society. However, as Katy Jordan and Mark Carrigan explain, the possibilities social media offers may lead to foreseen problems.
How to Get Most from an Academic Conference- A Checklist
Going to an academic conference is an exciting opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and exchange stimulating ideas. However, to make the most of a conference requires a lot of hard work before, during, and after the meeting itself. Marta Teperek provides a checklist of things to do at each of these stages.
Benefits of Transdisciplinary PhD Programs
Anna-Sigrid Keck and colleagues designed a structured doctoral program focused on transdisciplinary research and compared students’ publication patterns to students in traditional programmes. While rates of productivity were broadly similar, citation rates were found to be higher for transdisciplinary students, as were indicators of collaboration such as co-authorship.
Nick Seaver on Dissecting the Algorithmic Organism
When discussing the nexus of computer science and social science, the transaction is usually in one direction – what can computer scientists do for social scientists. But a recent paper from Tufts University anthropologist Nick Seaver reverses that flow, using the tool of ethnography to interrogate the tools of engineering.
Archived Webinar: Tom Chatfield and Mark Kingwell Discuss Critical Thinking
Tom Chatfield, author of the new SAGE Publishing book Critical Thinking, and Mark Kingwell, the University of Toronto, held a lively conversation on the import of technology on how we think and act ‘critically.’ Chatfield, described as a ‘tech philosopher,’ and Kingwell, a more traditional professor of philosophy, traded perspectives, insights into the digital, and purportedly post-truth, era in this one-hour webinar.
Ziyad Marar: Building Bridges Between Big Data and Social Research
In a keynote address delivered to the London Info International conference, Ziyad Marar, president of global publishing for SAGE Publishing, outlines the intersection between big data and social science research. He notes that social and behavioral researchers have seen some opportunities as beyond their grasp, and that SAGE is working to bridge that gap.
Archived Webinar: Understanding America’s Rural-Urban Interface
America’s rural-urban divide, it seems, has never been greater, a point reinforced by large geographic disparities in support for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. But it is also the case that big cities and rural communities are more tightly integrated than ever and are increasingly interdependent, both economically and socially. That was the starting point for a recent webinar which is archived here.
