Blogs

The UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee has just launched an inquiry into peer review with a deadline for evidence of 10 March 2011. This is regularly raised in the context of research funding - RCUK and RAE - but this seems to be linked in part to the controversy on climate science, although the scope is very much wider. /...more

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The inquiry is into "the operation and effectiveness of the peer review process used to examine and validate scientific results and papers prior to publication" and is interested in particular in:

1. the strengths and weaknesses of peer review as a quality control mechanism for scientists, publishers and the public;measures to strengthen peer review;
2. the value and use of peer reviewed science on advancing and testing scientific knowledge;
3. the value and use of peer reviewed science in informing public debate;
4. the extent to which peer review varies between scientific disciplines and between countries across the world;
5. the processes by which reviewers with the requisite skills and knowledge are identified, in particular as the volume of multi-disciplinary research increases;
6. the impact of IT and greater use of online resources on the peer review process; and
7. possible alternatives to peer review
   

There will obviously be a lot of discussion on the overall approach in funding and publication, where there has been a lot of change in the past decade - peer review colleges, research assessment in HE, electronic publication and pre-publication, and so on.  Would also be interesting to think about the way in which peer review operates into policy areas - the IPCC and possible development of IPBES will be interesting, where there is development of expert consensus for large assessment exercises that involve wide multidisciplinary groupings.

The Science Media Centre after ten years: article in the Lancet. International network in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Japan.  Australia and NZ seem to have a more active approach to online news and blogs.

The UK House of Commons committee on Science and Technology has decided to hold an inquiry into the Forensic Science Service, which the UK government has decided to wind down.  Written evidence by 14 Feburary in response to the following questions: /...

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1. What will be the impact of the closure of the Forensic Science
   Service on forensic science and on the future development of forensic
   science in the UK?
2. What will be the implications of the closure on the quality and
   impartiality of forensic evidence used in the criminal justice system?
3. What is the financial position of the Forensic Science Service?
4. What is the state of, and prospects for, the forensics market in the
   UK, specifically whether the private sector can carry out the work
   currently done by the Forensic Science Service and the volume and nature
   of the forensic work carried out by police forces?
5. What are the alternatives to winding-down the Forensic Science Service?
6. So far as they are known, are the arrangements for closing down the
   Forensic Science Service, making staff redundant and selling its assets
   adequate?

There is current interest in rare earth and strategic metals in UK policy circles - I made a post on this in December.  The UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology has just issued a briefing note for parliamentarians to tie in with the Select Committee inquiry.  Covers the basics, but not much reference to other international policy initiatives.

New delivery plans for UK research councils are available. BBSRC: 10-year vision; strategic plan (2010-15); delivery plan.  NERC: Strategy (2007-12); delivery plan.  BGS strategy and delivery plan. Links to EPSRC, ESRC, STFC, MRC and AHRC  available from via RCUK site.