Learning to do Science – Page 33 – ORGANIZING CREATIVITY

Data Sharing in Science: A Job for Journals

2014-01-18

There are companies offering to keep scientific data, and there are universities who want to have the infrastructure in-house. Realistically, only journals can ensure that data is shared. Here's why.
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Interesting TED Talk: Ben Goldacre: Battling bad science

2014-01-16

Another TED talk recommendation. A real TED talk, you know, the good ones, this time about bad science and a few common problems.
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Making sense of scientific news stories

2014-01-15

If you stumble upon a report of a scientific study, e.g., in the news or on a blog -- can you trust it? Here are some criteria to evaluate news studies, esp. when they contain assertions about human behavior. Based on an one-page I wrote for another blog (image left) and translated into English. Highly recommended.
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Interesting series on writing tips in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

2014-01-14

A great series of one-pagers about scientific writing. Highly recommended no matter the discipline.
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The Responsibility of Using the Academic Title of Doctor

2014-01-13

Some people use their title on Twitter and other social media. It comes with responsibility -- here's why (and why I do not use my title online but have it in my passport).
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Better Surveys

2013-12-27

A great two-pager showing common mistakes in surveys on gender equality. I can't believe people actually do such bad surveys, but yeah, they do. Worst thing: They sacrificed the chance to find out what children actually need and improve their lives in order to foster their ideology. They want to be right, no matter how many children -- boys and girls -- have to suffer for it.
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Can Mavericks’ Finder Replace DEVONthink?

2013-12-21

Short answer: Probably not. Explanations why in this article.
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Career in Academia vs. Burn out in a Business Consultancy Job: Hey Academia, maybe you’re doing something wrong, too!

2013-12-11

A short recap of a depressing but realistic conversation and why quitting Academia is completely understandable. Also, if you think business consultancy burns people out, you have seen nothing yet.
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Is Homosexuality still an issue in Academia?

2013-12-09

A comment by a colleague about homosexuality being a black mark -- akin to having a PhD student die on a field trip -- left me a bit ... speechless. Never noticed it, but apparently some people in Academia are extremely homophobic. Also a suiting scene from "The West Wing" (image left).
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Software cannot replace an author, but it can assist an author tremendously

2013-11-30

Using computer technology is writing is strangely underdeveloped. In many cases, you could replace the keyboard with a quilt. However, technology can massively support writing and make it possible in the first place. Here are some examples and links to relevant postings.
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This is a private blog showing my opinions. If you have an issue with what I write here, either don’t read it or talk to me directly. Don’t waste your time — or mine — dragging my employer into matters where they hold no authority.

The institution I work for, or rather the people officially representing it, have already distanced themselves from this blog. I find this unnecessary, as I’ve clearly stated in the «About this Blog» section that this is a personal blog.

Frankly, I have nothing but contempt for those who lack the backbone to address their concerns directly and instead resort to passive-aggressive tattling to others. Such behavior strikes me as not only cowardly, but also spineless, gutless, and wholly unprincipled. Moreover, these efforts are as pathetic as they are futile.

That said, I might listen if you present compelling arguments and evidence, as constructive feedback is always welcome. Who knows? We might even both gain something valuable from the interaction.

A comment for those seeking to use this site for personal gain: Given the increase in requests, let me be clear. I write on this blog because I want to. It’s my hobby, my playground. Sometimes people point me to interesting products/services and I write about them. But any request regarding ads or sponsored placements ends up the trash without a reply. And if you think something would be of interest, differentiate yourself from the spammers by referring to a posting — in an intelligent way. (I get enough auto-generated mails to identify them immediately.)

BTW, posts can get updated after I published them if I spot spelling errors (not a native speaker) or think a different wording might improve precision and clarity.

This blog is not focused on a single topic, or method. As long as it is relevant to improving creativity (or allowing it in the first place), it's fair game.
Some postings on this blog deal with freedom, as I think that we need freedom of thought, of speech, of association, etc. pp. to solve mankind's problems. Thus, some postings may seem a bit remote when it comes to organizing creativity. Freedom is, however, the bedrock of creativity.
The heterogeneity of the postings can make reading this blog a bit cumbersome, at least if you are only interested in one topic. You can either use the search function (above), or use the categories or the tags to narrow down the postings you see.