Research

71 per cent went to 31 universities because of ‘narrowed’ definitions of excellence, claims report

Public support for animal experimentation has fallen again, according to a new survey.

A new history of the elevator prompts Sally Feldman to consider life’s ups and downs

Lawsuit led by 200 universities over regulations allowing hobbyists to keep rights while academics face virtual no-fly zone

Nicholas Till acknowledges his debt to Margaret Thatcher and explains why he regrets his Cambridge degree

What could be easier than adding audio-visuals to your conference paper? John Corner on waiting for the gift of sound and vision

Negotiations on the European budget could result in cuts to Horizon 2020, the European University Association has warned

Hackney is one of the most highly-researched places in the UK, a conference has heard

US scholar says he was sacked after speaking out at National University of Singapore institute

First female president of the Royal Academy of Engineers hopes to change UK’s ‘sniffiness’ about applied research

Social scientist mulls the perks and pitfalls of using personal networks in research

Fred Inglis on the obligation of academics to speak truth to power

After almost 80 years, a woman has won the Fields Medal. Caroline Series on female mathematicians coming of age

Swansea University has defended a new BP-funded research institute that anti-fracking protesters claim will hasten dangerous climate change

Fears about how much research funding is being wasted on fraudulent projects may be overstated.

The open access journal eLife has launched a new type of article that will allow authors to report significant additions to their original research.

Academic criticises ‘inadequate nature’ of free public open access service

Five students on how doctoral study changed them and their futures

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council aims to accelerate both scientific breakthroughs and social and economic impact.

Scientific publishers producing model copyright licences will make it harder for academic research to be a “first class citizen of the web”.

The Wikimedia Foundation has spoken out against “the right to be forgotten” enshrined in European law, likening it to removing an index from a book.

Survey of 400 academics reveals almost all admit involvement in at least one unacceptable research practice

We must change the way we educate students to counter rising scientific misconduct, say Tim Birkhead and Bob Montgomerie

John Allen, who wrote to The Lancet about the role of metrics in redundancies, has been dismissed for refusing to teach a course

Dame Ann Dowling warns that universities that put too high a price on their intellectual property may hamper a spin-off’s success

Paper turned down for plagiarising surfaces in another of publisher’s journals

Anger as funding for scientific researchers fails to materialise

University libraries join project to extend UK Medical Heritage Library online resource

An influential core of scientists are citation superstars

Cancer research could become impossible in Europe if a proposed data protection regulation is adopted, according to a medical research body.

Four research councils report lower success rates for curiosity-driven funding

John Green is the man behind a researcher-led effort to cook up sound institutional comparisons

Move follows critical report and ‘discussion’ with minister

150 years of the satirical magazine is now available to researchers

Academic weekender in Brighton explores youth subcultures and theory

Crowdsourcing advocate Andy Hudson-Smith discusses the funding and social-media mining potential of mass appeals

Maintenance and upgrading should not be overlooked when budget allocations are made

Imperial College London broke animal welfare rules “on an unacceptable scale”, creating an “unacceptable risk” of “appreciable” harm to animals.

Academics have ultimate responsibility for the ethics of their project, says Ron Iphofen

What happens to scholars’ papers and unfinished works when they die? Matthew Reisz on the guardian’s dilemma

Matthew Reisz talks to Annabel Tremlett, an academic whose work challenges common perceptions of Romani life

The Institute of Physics has announced the winners of its annual awards in the discipline

Accurate scientific translation is vital, say Meredith Root-Bernstein and Richard Ladle

Sovietised REF blocks progress. Innovation comes when universities encourage risk-taking, says Andrew Oswald

Cardiff University’s CAER Heritage Project announced as overall winner for engagement with the public

Dame Judith Rees, former LSE interim director, warns of problems as students’ awareness of value increases

Collection could be broken up in legal action over 1944 deed of trust

The power of immersive research, and what it is like to be an academic who spends months at sea

Thrill-seekers or pioneers? Scholars operating close to legal boundaries attract both labels

As researchers commit to greater openness, the media has an important role to play, says Adrian Deeny

Shield laws could help protect confidential sources, but most vital is university support, say Ted Palys and John Lowman

Universities and science minister David Willetts has announced a £48 million investment in biomedical research.

New UCL professor Graeme Reid, formerly BIS’ head of research funding, points to public support for science investment

Unesco report suggests that institutions’ research ‘does not yield large financial payoffs’

Bradley Garrett, whose fieldwork was seized and used in court against the urban explorers he studied, says researchers need clear support

While a legal fight led to the unravelling of promises of confidentiality, some researchers argue that there is a silver lining

British Academy event details potential in faster, better routes to statistical analysis

Why are undergraduates still kept at arm’s length from the world of research? asks Stuart Hampton-Reeves

The capital’s lure is irresistible, but with its unique attractions come unique challenges

Craig Brandist on the parallels between Stalin’s Russia and the operation of today’s universities