June 6, 2008

 

The scientific journal Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics (ESEP) is pleased to announce the publication of a Theme Section that will be of particular interest to anyone working in a research environment:

 

'The use and misuse of bibliometric indices in evaluating scholarly performance', edited by: Howard I. Browman and Konstantinos I. Stergiou.

 

Bibliometric indices (based mainly upon citation counts), such as the h-index and the journal impact factor, are heavily relied upon in assessments of the relative performance of individual scholars, groups of scholars, departments, institutions, provinces/states/regions and countries. They have become an integral part of decision-making over research policy, funding allocations, the awarding of grants, hiring of faculty, and claims for promotion and tenure. There is a growing consensus, and a deep concern, that these indices are used as a replacement for the informed judgment of peers, are misunderstood and are, therefore, often misinterpreted and misused. The articles in this ESEP Theme Section present a range of perspectives on these issues, including alternative approaches that will hopefully lead to a more balanced role for these instruments.

 

All of the articles in this thematic grouping are freely available for download, as open access documents, at the following URL

 

http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esep/v8/n1/

 

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November 30, 2007

 

Inter-Research Science Center essay contests on the Ethics of Climate Change: winning essays announced

 

Major consequences of climate change are now predictable to a reasonable degree of scientific certainty. These changes will impact the globe, geographically, socially, politically and economically. Leaders of institutions concerned with law, business, medicine, science, sociology, politics and religion will face the brunt of these changes. In the face of these challenges, their actions must be honorable, moral and ethical.

 

To stimulate discussion of these issues, Inter-Research Science Center has sponsored seven essay contests. The subject areas which received winning entries are as follows:

 

Economics/Business

Winner: Seth Baum from Penn State University, USA.

 

Environmental sciences

Winner: Sarah Jordaan from the University of Calgary, Canada.

 

Philosophy/Religious studies

Winner: Paula Posas from the University of Liverpool, UK.

 

Please click here for more information.