Proposed Revisions to the Common Rule

Proposed Revisions to the Common Rule for the Protection of Human Subjects in the Behavioral and Social Sciences

It examines how to update human subjects protections regulations so that they effectively respond to current research contexts and methods. With a specific focus on social and behavioral sciences, this consensus report aims to address the dramatic alterations in the research landscapes that institutional review boards (IRBs) have come to inhabit during the past 40 years. The report aims to balance respect for the individual persons whose consent to participate makes research possible and respect for the social benefits that productive research communities make possible... (full text)

How to organizing a scientific meeting

How to organizing a scientific meeting

• Goldberg (2001). Another thing they never taught you in grad school: How to organize a scientific meeting
• Corpas (2008). Ten Simple Rules for Organizing a Scientific Meeting.
• IAPSS. How to organize a conference step by step manual (pdf)
• Rivlin (1995). Guide to organizing an international scientific conference (Google Book)
• Brett (2009). How to run a meeting
• What is the best way to start a meeting?
• Beare. Useful English phrases for participating in a business meeting. Phrases for performing well in busines meetings.
• EnglishClub. Meetings in English
• Reinhart (2013). Giving an introduction speech
• Reeves. How to close a meeting
• Robert (1876): Robert's Rules of Order for fair and orderly meetings & conventions
• The Robert's Rules Process for Handling a Main Motion
• Parliamentary Procedure for Meetings

Impact Factor Distortions

Impact Factor Distortions by Bruce Alberts
Source: Science

"This Editorial coincides with the release of the San Francisco declaration on research Assessment (DORA), the outcome of a gathering of concerned scientists at the December 2012 meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology. To correct distortions in the evaluation of scientific research, DORA aims to stop the use of the "journal impact factor" in judging an individual scientist's work. The Declaration states that the impact factor must not be used as "a surrogate measure of the quality of individual research articles, to assess an individual scientist's contributions, or in hiring, promotion, or funding decisions." DORA also provides a list of specific actions, targeted at improving the way scientific publications are assessed, to be taken by funding agencies, institutions, publishers, researchers, and the organizations that supply metrics. These recommendations have thus far been endorsed by more than 150 leading scientists and 75 scientific organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science (the publisher of Science). Here are some reasons why: "

Janelia Automatic Animal Behavior Annotator

Janelia Automatic Animal Behavior Annotator

The Janelia Automatic Animal Behavior Annotator (JAABA) an open-source program, is a machine learning-based system that enables researchers to automatically compute interpretable, quantitative statistics describing video of behaving animals. It may be a good tool for low-cost science projects of middle/high school students.

More information:

• Website of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
• Branson lab at HHMI Janelia Farm.
• Kabra (2012). JAABA: Interactive machine learning for automatic annotation of animal behavior.

Revolutions: The role of Statistics in the Higgs Boson discovery

The role of Statistics in the Higgs Boson discovery
Source: Revolution Analytics
News is starting to leak that the Large Hadron Collider may have accomplished its primary mission of confirming the existence of the hypothesised and heretofore elusive subatomic particle, the Higgs Boson. And sure, billions of Euros worth of state-of-the-art high-energy machinery and an army of experimental and theoretical physicists probably had something to do with the discovery. But did you know Statistics played a part as well? Check out this explainer video from PhD comics, below (an R chart even appears at the 00:27 mark):
Full text: here

What's in the world is a Higgs Boson? Source: NYTimes.com


The Higgs Boson Explained from PHD Comics on Vimeo.

The art of scientific investigation (1957)

The art of scientific investigation (1957)

By: Beveridge, W. I. B. (William Ian Beardmore)

 

I read a Chinese version of this book (科学研究的艺术 or 科学之路) when I was a medical student. I cannot remember the exact content, but I thought it has affected my way of thinking so much in research. I'm always trying to find an English version to refresh my memory; it’s great to find it on the archive.org website for free.

“In The Art of Scientific Investigation, originally published in 1950, W.I.B. Beveridge explores the development of the intuitive side in scientists. The author's object is to show how the minds of humans can best be harnessed to the processes of scientific discovery. This book therefore centers on the "human factor"; the individual scientist. The book reveals the basic principles and mental techniques that are common to most types of investigation. Professor Beveridge discusses great discoveries and quotes the experiences of numerous scientists.” – Amazon.com

“The virtue of Mr. Breveridge’s book is that it is not dogmatic. A free and universal mind looks at scientific investigation as a creative art. This well written book deserves a wide audience. Manu of the author’s statements deserve to be quoted in every treatise on the psychology and practice of research.” –The New York Times

“It is altogether gratifying when a scientific researcher undertakes to raise the mysterious certain of science... exposing his research activities and those of his fellow-scientists. The book is well worth reading.” –The Scientific Monthly

“The author has a knack of putting into words what most experimenters sooner or later come to realize in a dim way, and it is extraordinarily interesting to see so much of the lore of research set down in print…The research worker - of whatever vintage - cannot do better than read this book, and, having read it, read it again.” – A. S. Parkes, F.R.S., in Nature