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Oxford University Press's Academic Insights for the Thinking World

The top 10 science blog posts of 2021

Explore the OUPblog Science & Medicine Archives

• By OUPblog team
• December 20 th 2021

From the evolution of consciousness to cosmic encounters, the Brain Health Gap to palliative medicine, 2021 has been a year filled with discovery across scientific disciplines. On the OUPblog, we have published blogs posts showcasing the very latest research and insights from our expert authors at the Press. Make sure you’re caught up with the best of science in 2021 with our top 10 blog posts of the year:

1. Why did evolution create conscious states of mind?

“When we open our eyes in the morning, we take for granted that we will consciously see the world in all of its dazzling variety. The immediacy of our conscious experiences does not, however, explain how we consciously see.”

Read the blog post from Stephen Grossberg, author of Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain: How Each Brain Makes a Mind , to learn how—and why—we have evolved to consciously see.

Read the blog post ->

2. The neuroscience of human consciousness

How can the study of the human brain help us unravel the mysteries of life? Going a step further, how can having a better understanding of the brain help us to combat debilitating diseases or treat mental illnesses?

On this episode of The Oxford Comment, we focused on human consciousness and how studying the neurological basis for human cognition can lead not only to better health but a better understanding of human culture, language, and society as well.

Listen to episode 63 on The Oxford Comment ->

3. 10 books on palliative medicine and end-of-life care

Each year an estimated 40 million people are in need of palliative care, 78% of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. This reading list of recent titles can help you to reflect on palliative medicine as a public health need.

Explore the reading list ->

4. Can what we eat have an effect on the brain?

Food plays an important role in brain performance and health. In general, the old saying, “a healthy mind in a healthy body,” is still very valid, and the overall positive results on cognitive ability of entire diets can be summarised with: “what is good for your heart, is also good for your brain.”

This blog post from review co-author Bo Ekstrand discusses the role of diet in key areas of brain development and health from the findings published in the journal Nutrition Reviews .

5. What can neuroscience tell us about the mind of a serial killer?

Serial killers—people who repeatedly murder others—provoke revulsion but also a certain amount of fascination in the general public. But what can modern psychology and neuroscience tell us about what might be going on inside the head of such individuals?

Read the blog post from the John Parrington, author of Mind Shift: How Culture Transformed the Human Brain , to learn more about recent neuroscience studies investigating serial killers’ minds.

6. Does “overeating” cause obesity? The evidence is less filling

The usual way of thinking considers obesity a problem of energy balance. Take in more calories than you expend—in other words, “overeat”—and weight gain will inevitably result. The simple solution, according to the prevailing Energy Balance Model (EBM), is to eat less and move more. New research shows that viewing body weight control as an energy balance problem is fundamentally wrong, or at least not helpful, for three reasons.

Discover the three reasons in this blog post from David S. Ludwig, co-author of new research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition .

7. Earth’s wild years: the creative destruction of cosmic encounters

Contrary to common sense, cosmic collisions are not all about destruction and death. It appears entirely possible that collisions could have been beneficial to the development of conditions suitable for the formation of first organisms—our distant relatives—on Earth. What do we know about these early cosmic catastrophes?

Learn about the innumerable challenges facing the research of early cosmic events by reading the blog post from Simone Marchi, author of Colliding Worlds: How Cosmic Encounters Shaped Planets and Life .

8. What if COVID-19 emerged in 1719?

We’re often told that the situation created by the attack of the new coronavirus is “unique” and “unprecedented.” And yet, at the same time, scientists assure us that the emergence of new viruses is “natural”—that viruses are always mutating or picking up and losing bits of DNA. But if lethal new viruses have emerged again and again during human history, why has dealing with this one been such a struggle?

In this blog post, Lesley Newson and Peter Richerson, authors of A Story of Us: A New Look at Human Evolution , consider what makes our “cultural DNA” unique and how the story of COVID-19 would have been very different had it emerged 300 years ago.

9. Closing the brain health gap: addressing women’s inequalities

There is a clear sex and gender gap in outcomes for brain health disorders across the lifespan, with strikingly negative outcomes for women. The “Brain Health Gap” highlights and frames inequalities in all areas across the translational spectrum from bench-to-bedside and from boardroom-to-policy and economics.

Read the blog post to learn how closing the Brain Health Gap will help economies create recovery and prepare our systems for future global shocks.

10. The case for readdressing the three paradigms of basic astrophysics

A long-held misunderstanding of stellar brightness is being corrected, thanks to a new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society based on International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly Resolution B2.

Learn about the key findings in this blog post from Zeki Eker, lead author on the study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society .

Collated by the OUPblog team .

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Recent Comments

All of the given blogs are amazing, but blog number 4 (foods which is important for our brain) is really good, I will suggest it to others also.

Thanks for sharing! Nice content

It was a very good article on clinical Trial. Can you please suggest few other similar articles that I can go through and expand my understanding on the same.

Without any doubts, science is an integral part of our life and it is really important to delve into this, expanding your horizon and knowledge about the world. I’m so glad that I came across this article because I was looking for some interesting and informative posts connecting with scientific disciplines. It is so cool that you shared articles which reveal such considerable topics and deepen us into such vital issues. I can say that I have always been interested in neuroscience because I think that our brain is a complex system and awareness of different functions of your own brain is a necessary thing which will give you a lot of opportunities. I really like the message of the second post because I’m certain that we should try to delve into learning our brain which has remarkable abilities and understanding of which can change our life to a huge extent.

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Chemical Science Blog

Chemical science reviewer spotlight – march 2024.

To further thank and recognise the support from our excellent reviewer community, we are highlighting reviewers who have provided exceptional support to the journal over the past year.

This month, we’ll be highlighting Professor Anna Pasternak, Dr Joshua Barham and Professor Abhishek Dey. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

Professor Anna Pasternak, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences. The research of Professor Anna Pasternak’s group is focused on development of novel, nucleic acid based therapeutics, such as ASOs, SSOs, aptamers, triplexes and G-quadruplexes, targeted towards cardiovascular and cancer diseases. The particular interest includes not only their biological activity but also structural aspects which are crucial to understand their action within living cells.

Dr Joshua Barham, University of Regensburg. Dr Joshua Barham’s research uses emerging technologies for chemical synthesis that are powered by safe, sustainable energy sources like visible light and electricity. His research group develops catalysts that harness these energy sources to access highly reactive chemical intermediates under very mild conditions. Their vision is to valorize this technology to streamline the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients, utilize biomass feedstocks, and recycle persistent pollutants.

Professor Abhishek Dey, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science. Professor Abhishek Dey is interested in understanding and facilitating chemical reactions involving multiple electron multiple electron reductions of small molecules.

What encouraged you to review for Chemical Science?

Dr Joshua Barham: Chem. Sci. is the RSC’s flagship journal and it is diamond open access. It is rare for a Chemistry journal with international visibility and impact as high as Chem. Sci. to be open access, and I strongly support this principle. Therefore, I want to contribute to maintaining the high standards of Chem. Sci. by providing an appropriately high level of scrutiny and thoroughness during the peer-review process.

Professor Abhishek Dey: It’s one of the top journals in chemistry where I enjoy publishing. I feel responsible to ensure that the scientific quality of the article and inclusive nature of this journal is maintained. Hence I review for Chemical Science.

What do you enjoy most about reviewing?

Dr Joshua Barham: I particularly enjoy when authors take critical reviewer comments seriously and approach the response in a collaborative rather than combative way. For example, I have reviewed papers where the proposed mechanism was initially surprising or key control reactions were missing, and once authors addressed this it changed the story of the manuscript in a major way. Such experiences show the crucial importance of peer review. It was highly satisfying for me as a reviewer to see the value and impact that my comments had on the final manuscripts.

Professor Anna Pasternak: The possibility to verify quality of the research and improvement of the articles, if necessary, is the most satisfying for me.

Professor Abhishek Dey: Being able to contribute to the scientific thinking of peers across the world.

What advice would you give a first-time author looking to maximise their chances of successful peer review?

Professor Anna Pasternak: Do not rush, make a story – write in such way that the reader will be interested in the article, use logical interpretation of the results, never over-interpret the data, support discussion with already published facts, and last but not least – ask a friend to read the draft critically and give you advice before submission – another point of view is invaluable.

Tune in next month to meet our next group of #ChemSciReviewers !

If you want to learn more about how we support our reviewers, check out our Reviewer Hub .

Interested in joining our ever-growing reviewer community? Apply here now!

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Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – February 2024

This month, we’ll be highlighting Dr William Unsworth, Professor Kara Bren, Professor Grace Han and Professor David Harding. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

Dr William Unsworth , University of York. Dr William Unsworth focused on the development of new method in organic synthesis, with a particular focus on ring expansion reactions, large ring synthesis, spirocycle synthesis and biocatalysis.

Professor Kara Bren, University of Rochester. Professor Kara Bren’s group is developing systems for artificial photosynthesis. In particular, we focus on creating and studying biomolecular and bioinspired fuel-forming catalysts as well as biological modules for charge transfer.

Professor Grace Han , Brandeis University. Professor Grace Han’s research centers on the interaction of light with organic molecules including photoswitches in condensed phases with the goal of promoting sustainable solar energy storage and efficient industrial chemical recycling.

Professor David Harding, Suranaree University of Technology. Professor David Harding’s research is concerned with the design and discovery of molecular magnetic switches with applications in sensing and next generation data storage.

Professor Grace Han: First off, I enjoy reading and publishing papers in Chemical Science because of its interdisciplinary nature and strong emphasis on novelty, so I also value contributing to the review process as a member of the community.

Professor Kara Bren: When I receive a paper well within my expertise, I am motivated to provide comments that I hope will yield the best possible final publication. I appreciate it when I get constructive comments on my manuscripts from reviewers, and I hope to provide the same to others.

Professor David Harding: Chemical Science publishes insightful studies and has a great reputation for robust, but fair peer review. As it’s Diamond Open Access this really helps those of us who work in developing countries to showcase our work.

Dr William Unsworth: I do my best to review papers for as many journals as I am able, as good peer review is so important across the sciences. Also, as a long term RSC member and elected member of the RSC Organic Community Committee, I always am especially happy to be invited to review for the RSC’s flagship journal!

Professor Grace Han: Many times I get inspired by the cool ideas and techniques that are illustrated in the manuscripts, and I also have learned a lot by observing how professionally authors respond to the reviewers’ requests by improving the quality of their work.

Dr William Unsworth: Taking the time to read a paper in detail – something I find I have frustrating little time to do outside of reviewing. Having an early preview of exciting new results before they are published is nice too, and it can be very satisfying to see first hand the improvements made to papers as a result of the peer review process.

Professor David Harding: This might sound odd, but I’d say being helpful. I often read papers where there’s a good story there, but it’s hidden. I see it as my job to help the authors tell it, even if I end up recommending against publication in Chemical Science.

What are you looking for in a paper that you can recommend for acceptance in Chemical Science?

Professor Grace Han: I consider two main factors. (i) Novelty of the research work. (ii) Quality of the research work.

Dr William Unsworth: A good idea, that has been well executed and is well described. I also really value balance in a paper – I am far more likely to accept a paper in which the strengths AND limitations of the research are explained in a clear and open manner.

Do you have any advice to our readers seeking publication in Chemical Science on what makes a good paper?

Professor Grace Han: I believe that a good paper tells a story that is not only technically rigorous but also inspirational to readers from various backgrounds.

What makes a paper truly stand out for you when reviewing a paper?

Professor Kara Bren: My favorite papers report results that make me say, wow, how did we not think of that before? I especially appreciate work that yields important fundamental advances by taking a creative new approach.

Professor David Harding : The best papers are those that provide new directions in chemistry telling the story of the work in a clear and accessible manner. All too often authors, and reviewers, get lost in the technical details of the study, such that the key findings are lost.

How do you balance reviewing with your other activities?

Dr William Unsworth: With difficulty – the polite reminders sent by patient editorial staff when deadlines are approaching/have been missed certainly help!

What single piece of advice would you give to someone about to write their first review?

Professor Grace Han: I would suggest keeping an open mind when reviewing science that departs from a traditional approach or method. I believe that it is an important role of reviewers to promote innovations.

Did reviewing for Chemical Science affect how you approached preparation of your recent publication with us?

Professor David Harding: Absolutely! I’ve found that reviewing for the journal causes me to more critically assess what I write and ask questions like “Is the data convincing? Are there other interpretations? Is this the clearest way that I can say that?”

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Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – January 2024

This month, we’ll be highlighting Dr Clara García Astrain, Professor Phil Yates, Professor Jianfang Wang and Prof. Dr. Katja Heinze. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

Dr Clara García Astrain, CIC biomaGUNE . Dr Clara García Astrain specializes in the development of polymer-based materials, with a particular focus on hydrogels designed for sensing and imaging applications, particularly within the context of 3D cell models.

Professor Phil Yates, Oregon Health & Science University. Professor Phil Yates’s research focuses on two main areas: 1) Developing genome-scale genetic screening platforms for Leishmania parasites, which cause a suite of Neglected Tropical Diseases in humans; and 2) Understanding the roles of long noncoding RNAs and RNA binding proteins in chromosome replication and stability in humans.

Professor Jianfang Wang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Professor Jianfang Wang’s research currently focuses mainly on the use of localized surface plasmon resonance to control the light emissions of two-dimensional materials and to drive the artificial photofixation of nitrogen.

Prof. Dr. Katja Heinze, Johannes Gutenberg-University. Prof. Dr. Katja Heinze’s group develops and investigates novel photoactive or luminescent metal complexes, preferably made from abundant elements. They use state-of-the-art synthesis procedures, ultrafast spectroscopy and high-level quantumchemical calculations.

Professor Jianfang Wang: There are three main reasons. (i) Chemical Science is a decent journal. It publishes high-quality works. Many of its published papers are related to my own current research interests. (ii) The editors of the journal are very professional. They always send me manuscripts whose topics are highly relevant to my current research interests. (iii) I can learn the newest developments in the research fields that are related to my current research interest.

Professor Phil Yates: I was approached by a Chemical Science editor that was aware of my research interests to review a paper particularly congruent with my expertise. Given the excellent reputation of Chemical Science, and the fact that I routinely scan new issues to learn about cool new chemical biology tools, I was happy to serve as a reviewer.

Prof. Dr. Katja Heinze: The highly interesting topics of the manuscripts and my curiosity to learn more about the latest developments in my field.

Dr Clara García Astrain: Reviewing for Chemical Science allows me to keep up to date with the latest developments not only in my field but also in other research fields and contribute to the advancement of knowledge. Reviewing also enhances my analytical and critical thinking skills, contributing to my growth as a scientist.

Professor Jianfang Wang: I can learn the newest developments in the research fields that I am interested in.

Dr Clara García Astrain: I like contributing to the scientific community by playing a role in maintaining the quality and integrity of scientific literature. Reviewing also exposes me to diverse methodologies and perspectives, expanding my understanding of different approaches to research. I also find rewarding to guide authors towards improving their work.

Professor Phil Yates: I really enjoy learning about new science and taking a deep dive into a topic that is not my own research for a change. Like many researchers, I don’t necessarily have time to thoroughly digest every paper I read. However, when I’m reviewing a paper I carefully read every section (often several times), dissect every figure, and explore multiple background papers. I always learn something new as part of the review process.

Prof. Dr. Katja Heinze: Personally, I like most to deeply dive into a novel aspect of research, to learn about novel results and to follow the author’s line of arguments.

Prof. Dr. Katja Heinze: Identify a problem and then try to describe the way how the problem was solved in clear concise fashion.

Professor Jianfang Wang: I consider two main factors. (i) Novelty of the research work. (ii) Quality of the research work.

Dr Clara García Astrain: I prioritize assessing the novelty and significance of the work, ensuring its relevance to the Chemical Science readership. The paper should be original and contribute to the field of research. Then, I also consider the way the study was carried out in terms of methodology and the strong alignment between data and results. Lastly, clarity is a must to effectively communicate the results and their implications to the audience.

What would you recommend to new reviewers to ensure their report is helpful?

Professor Phil Yates: I would advise new reviewers to follow the “Reviewer’s Golden Rule”: critique others as you would like others to critique you. An important part of this, at least for me, is to try to provide constructive criticism rather than simply point out weaknesses. For example, if a conclusion made by the authors is not sufficiently supported by the data, clearly explain why not and provide examples of the types of data or experiments required. It may seem obvious, but we’ve all had vague and unhelpful reviews. Strive to be the kind of reviewer that makes papers better; don’t just look for reasons to reject a manuscript.

What has been your biggest learning point from reviewing?

Dr Clara García Astrain: I think by biggest learning point from reviewing is to develop critical evaluation skills and identify strengths and weaknesses. I have also learned to improve my communication skills to provide constructive feedback to authors in a clear and supportive manner.

Professor Jianfang Wang: I turn down manuscript review invitations from journals to which I have never submitted any manuscripts. I ask for the extension of the report due date when I am busy with my other duties.

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Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – December 2023

This month, we’ll be highlighting Professor Haoxing Wu, Dr Jennifer Garden, Professor Kanyi Pu and Dr Patricia Rodríguez Maciá. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

Professor Haoxing Wu, Sichuan University. Professor Haoxing Wu’s research focuses on developing bioorthogonal tools and applying them to theranostic applications.

Dr Jennifer Garden, University of Edinburgh. Dr Garden’s research uses chemistry and catalysis to improve the sustainability of polymers and plastics. This ranges from investigating renewable feedstocks to making new materials, and is underpinned by the development of catalytic processes.

Professor Kanyi Pu, Nanyang Technological University. Professor Kanyi Pu’s research interests involve creating special molecular spies that give out specific signals to help doctors spot diseases early and treat them in a personalised way, tailored specifically to each patient.

Dr Patricia Rodríguez Maciá, University of Leicester. Dr Rodriguez-Macia’s group focuses on studying how energy-conversion reactions such as H 2 production and CO 2 reduction happen in nature to develop new and more efficient bioinspired catalysts and artificial metalloenzymes for sustainable chemistry.

Dr Jennifer Garden: I very much enjoy reading articles in Chemical Science, and the review process is an excellent way to find out about cutting-edge developments in my field. Reviewing manuscripts is also a way to contribute to the chemistry community, and the review process helps me to think about the science from a different perspective.

Professor Kanyi Pu: I am motivated to review for Chemical Science because (a) it is a reputable journal known for publishing exceptional research, spanning both fundamental and applied chemistry; and (b) I wanted to contribute to the scientific community by sharing my expertise and insights in the field of chemistry.

Professor Haoxing Wu: Chemical Science is a comprehensive journal in the field of chemistry, showcasing cutting-edge research findings.

Dr Patricia Rodríguez Maciá: I believe that as a researcher of today, reviewing papers is an important duty to the scientific community. It also allows me to be up to date with the literature, and to be exposed to different scientific perspectives.

Professor Haoxing Wu: During the review process, I not only get to stay updated on the latest research findings, but also take pleasure in witnessing the improvement in paper quality.

Professor Kanyi Pu: What I find most fulfilling in the reviewing process is the chance to explore cutting-edge research in my field and the satisfaction of contributing to the scholarly community by providing valuable feedback to enhance the quality and impact of authors’ work.

Dr Patricia Rodríguez Maciá: To be able to read and enjoy the latest scientific advances and to provide constructive feedback on the work. I particularly enjoy seeing that my feedback is implemented and helps to improve the quality of the paper. It is a truly rewarding experience!

Dr Jennifer Garden: In addition to good quality and innovative science, I think it is important to carefully consider what your most impactful results are, and to write the narrative in a way that emphasises their importance within the context of your work, your field and the broader chemistry community.

Dr Patricia Rodríguez Maciá: To ensure that the presented work is original and cutting edge, and very importantly, that it is a solid piece of work and well-reproducible. I find that it is key to explain your findings in a non-specific language easy-to-follow for the general chemistry audience. In this way researchers outside your immediate field can also clearly understand the work, thus reaching a wider audience/readership.

Professor Haoxing Wu: I look for papers that present groundbreaking discoveries in the field of chemistry while also demonstrating a systematic and rigorous approach in their research.

How has your approach to peer reviewing changed over time?

Professor Kanyi Pu: Over time, my peer review approach has evolved. Initially, I emphasised finding flaws, but now I focus on constructive feedback, balancing positives and areas for improvement. I’ve grown more empathetic toward authors, aiming to help them understand strengths and opportunities for manuscript enhancement.

Dr Jennifer Garden: Read the paper with a focus. I try to write a summary of the paper as I read it, to think about whether the topic and level of novelty is suitable for the journal, and to consider whether the scientific evidence fully supports the claims made in the paper. When I first started, I felt a little nervous about reviewing but it gets quicker and easier with experience.

Reviewer Spotlight --> Comments Off on Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – December 2023

Chemical Science HOT Articles: November 2023

We are pleased to share a selection of our referee-recommended HOT articles for November 2023. We hope you enjoy reading these articles, congratulations to all the authors whose articles are featured! As always, Chemical Science  is free for authors and readers.

You can explore our full  2023  Chemical Science  HOT Article Collection here !

Browse a selection of our November HOT articles below:

Use of pyridazinediones for tuneable and reversible covalent cysteine modification applied to peptides, proteins and hydrogels Léa N. C. Rochet, Calise Bahou, Jonathan P. Wojciechowski, Ilias Koutsopetras, Phyllida Britton, Richard J. Spears, Ioanna A. Thanasi, Baihao Shao, Lisha Zhong, Dejan-Krešimir Bučar, Abil E. Aliev, Michael J. Porter, Molly M. Stevens, James R. Baker and Vijay Chudasama Chem. Sci. , 2023, 14 , 13743-13754

Ligand-centered to metal-centered activation of a Rh( iii ) photosensitizer revealed by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations Iria Bolaño Losada and Petter Persson Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 13713-13721

Photoinduced cerium-catalyzed C–H acylation of unactivated alkanes Jing Cao, Joshua L. Zhu and Karl A. Scheidt Chem. Sci. , 2024, Advance Article

Controlling primary chain dispersity in network polymers: elucidating the effect of dispersity on degradation Takanori Shimizu, Richard Whitfield, Glen R. Jones, Ibrahim O. Raji, Dominik Konkolewicz, Nghia P. Truong and Athina Anastasaki Chem. Sci. , 2023, 14 , 13419-13428

A single phosphorylation mechanism in early metabolism – the case of phosphoenolpyruvate Joris Zimmermann, Robert J. Mayer and Joseph Moran Chem. Sci. , 2023, Advance Article

Submit to  Chemical Science  today!  Check out our  author guidelines  for information on our article types or find out more about the  advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal .

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Hot Articles --> Comments Off on Chemical Science HOT Articles: November 2023

November 2023 Chemical Science Reviews & Perspectives

Welcome to November’s Perspective & Review round up!

Our on-going  2023  Chemical Science  Perspective & Review Collection  showcases all of the Perspective and Review articles published in  Chemical Science  in 2023. You can find our  2022 collection   here .

We hope you enjoy reading and as always, all of our articles are open access so you can easily share your favourites online and with your colleagues.

Explore the full collection!

Browse a selection of November’s Perspective & Reviews:

Interfacing metal organic frameworks with polymers or carbon-based materials: from simple to hierarchical porous and nanostructured composites Khaled Dassouki, Sanchari Dasgupta, Eddy Dumas and Nathalie Steunou Chem. Sci. , 2023, 14 , 12898-12925

Frontiers of molecular crystal structure prediction for pharmaceuticals and functional organic materials Gregory J. O. Beran Chem. Sci. , 2023, 14 , 13290-13312

Recent advances in electrospinning nanofiber materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries Sinian Yang, Shunshun Zhao and Shimou Chen Chem. Sci. , 2023, 14 , 13346-13366

Electrocatalysis with molecules and molecular assemblies within gas diffusion electrodes Hossein Bemana, Morgan McKee and Nikolay Kornienko Chem. Sci. , 2023, 14, 13696-13712

Recent developments for intermolecular enantioselective amination of non-acidic C(sp 3 )–H bonds Heng-Hui Li, Xuemeng Chen and Søren Kramer Chem. Sci. , 2023, 14 , 13278-13289

Recent advances in the utilization of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) as electrode materials for supercapacitors Shen Xu, Jinghang Wu, Xiang Wang and Qichun Zhang Chem. Sci. , 2023, 14 , 13601-13628

Advances in CO 2 activation by frustrated Lewis pairs: from stoichiometric to catalytic reactions Md. Nasim Khan, Yara van Ingen, Tribani Boruah, Adam McLauchlan, Thomas Wirth and Rebecca L. Melen Chem. Sci. , 2023, 14 , 13661-13695

Perspectives & Reviews --> Comments Off on November 2023 Chemical Science Reviews & Perspectives

Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – November 2023

This month, we’ll be highlighting Professor Mariateresa Giustiniano, Professor Malcolm Halcrow, Professor Marina Petrukhina and Professor Ken Tanaka. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

Professor Mariateresa Giustiniano, University of Naples Federico II. Mariateresa’s research interests involve the development of green multicomponent synthetic methods mainly involving isocyanides, the study of their reactivities in visible light promoted reactions, and their application to identify new anticancer therapeutics.

Professor Malcolm Halcrow, University of Leeds. Malcolm is interested in switchable metal complexes and materials derived from them. Crystal engineering of spin-crossover compounds is a particular focus.

Professor Marina Petrukhina, University at Albany. Professor Marina Petrukhina’s research interests span from synthetic and structural inorganic chemistry of transition metals and main group elements to coordination, organometallic and supramolecular chemistry of novel curved and twisted molecular nanographenes with different carbon frameworks.

Professor Ken Tanaka, Tokyo Institute of Technology. Tanaka’s research is focused on the development of novel transition metal catalysts and synthetic organic reactions and their application to the construction of beautiful novel structures.

What encouraged you to review for Chemical Science ?

Professor Ken Tanaka: Peer review is part of my service to the community, and I hope it helps to improve the quality of the papers. I, myself, have received many useful suggestions from reviewers and have been able to improve the quality of my papers.

What are you looking for in a paper that you can recommend for acceptance in Chemical Science ?

Professor Marina Petrukhina: I look for a full package: new and exciting results, solid justification, great scientific storytelling, quality illustrations, and broad outcomes…Adding some edge to the discussion of results which could stimulate further thinking and open new research directions is always a plus!

Professor Malcolm Halcrow: If you set out an interesting problem in the Introduction, make sure your results address that goal logically and thoroughly. Present your work clearly, so the reader doesn’t have to work hard to see the experiments worked as you describe.

Are there any steps that reviewers can undertake to improve the quality of their review?

Professor Malcolm Halcrow: Look at the prior literature, to see if the authors have put their work properly in context. Look beyond errors in the text or the details, if the underlying concept is original and interesting. Where criticism is necessary, make sure it’s constructive.

Professor Marina Petrukhina: I try to allocate sufficient time to act as a critical scientific reviewer first and then switch and read/refine my review from the author perspective; the stepped approach helps to make sure that all recommendations are constructive and useful for the authors .

What do you most enjoy about reviewing?

Professor Ken Tanaka: Peer review gives me first-hand access to the world’s most cutting-edge research.

Professor Mariateresa Giustiniano: Reviewing a manuscript makes you one of the first people to read about a new discovery. That’s exciting but also a great responsibility. I most enjoy trying to understand the story behind the new findings, how the authors reasoned to get there, how hard, and how long it was. I have a deep respect for the time and the efforts of the human beings behind the authors’ names.

Professor Mariateresa Giustiniano: Reviewing helps you to never stop learning!

Check in next month to meet our next group of #ChemSciReviewers !

Reviewer Spotlight --> Comments Off on Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – November 2023

Chemical Science HOT Articles: October 2023

We are pleased to share a selection of our referee-recommended HOT articles for October 2023. We hope you enjoy reading these articles, congratulations to all the authors whose articles are featured! As always, Chemical Science  is free for authors and readers.

Browse a selection of our October HOT articles below:

Fluorescence-readout as a powerful macromolecular characterisation tool Xingyu Wu and Christopher Barner-Kowollik Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

New insights into controlling radical migration pathways in heme enzymes gained from the study of a dye-decolorising peroxidase Marina Lučić, Michael T. Wilson, Jacob Pullin, Michael A. Hough, Dimitri A. Svistunenko and Jonathan A. R. Worrall Chem. Sci. , 2023, Advance Article

A role of intermolecular interaction modulating thermal diffusivity in organosuperelastic and organoferroelastic cocrystals Subham Ranjan, Ryota Morioka, Meguya Ryu, Junko Morikawa and Satoshi Takamizawa Chem. Sci. , 2023, Advance Article

Expanding the chemical space of enol silyl ethers: catalytic dicarbofunctionalization enabled by iron catalysis Dinabandhu Sar, Shuai Yin, Jacob Grygus, Ángel Rentería-Gómez, Melanie Garcia and Osvaldo Gutierrez Chem. Sci. , 2023, Advance Article

Hot Articles --> Comments Off on Chemical Science HOT Articles: October 2023

October 2023 Chemical Science Reviews & Perspectives

Welcome to October’s Perspective & Review round up!

Main group metal-mediated strategies for C–H and C–F bond activation and functionalisation of fluoroarenes Neil R. Judge, Alessandra Logallo and Eva Hevia Chem. Sci. , 2023, Advance Article

Strategies for chiral separation: from racemate to enantiomer Jingchen Sui, Na Wang, Jingkang Wang, Xin Huang, Ting Wang, Lina Zhou and Hongxun Hao Chem. Sci. , 2023, Advance Article

Quantum chemical calculations for reaction prediction in the development of synthetic methodologies Hiroki Hayashi, Satoshi Maeda and Tsuyoshi Mita Chem. Sci. , 2023, Advance Article

Polymeric materials for ultrasound imaging and therapy Roman A. Barmin, MirJavad Moosavifar, Anshuman Dasgupta, Andreas Herrmann, Fabian Kiessling, Roger M. Pallares and Twan Lammers Chem. Sci. , 2023, Advance Article

Rejuvenation of dearomative cycloaddition reactions via visible light energy transfer catalysis Angshuman Palai, Pramod Rai and Biplab Maji Chem. Sci. , 2023, Advance Article

Catalytic, asymmetric carbon–nitrogen bond formation using metal nitrenoids: from metal–ligand complexes via metalloporphyrins to enzymes Alexander Fanourakis and Robert J. Phipps Chem. Sci. , 2023, Advance Article

A breath of sunshine: oxygenic photosynthesis by functional molecular architectures Thomas Gobbato, Giulia Alice Volpato, Andrea Sartorel and Marcella Bonchio Chem. Sci. , 2023, Advance Article

Perspectives & Reviews --> Comments Off on October 2023 Chemical Science Reviews & Perspectives

Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – October 2023

This month, we’ll be highlighting Dr Elisabeth Prince, Professor Ulf-Peter Apfel, Dr Manuel Nappi and Professor John Murphy. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

Dr Elisabeth Prince, University of Waterloo. In Dr Elisabeth Prince’s lab, they study the interplay between the architecture of polymer networks and their functional properties. They leverage their knowledge to improve the recyclability of polymer networks and to create biomimetic hydrogels for healthcare.

Dr Manuel Nappi, University of Santiago de Compostela. Dr Manuel Nappi’s group is dedicated to the invention of new sustainable chemical transformations at the interface of synthetic chemistry, biochemistry, and material science. Currently, they are working on the metal-free conversion of simple organic feedstocks into valuable molecules using visible light.

Professor Ulf-Peter Apfel, Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Professor Ulf-Peter Apfel’s group focuses on the development of electrochemical processes for water splitting, CO 2 reduction, and bio- as well as organoelectrochemical processes, spanning from catalyst development to establishing pilot plant systems.

Professor John Murphy, University of Strathclyde. Professor John Murphy is interested in organic reaction mechanisms and particularly those related to radicals and radical ions.

Dr Elisabeth Prince: Reviewing is important service to the scientific community, and it’s always more enjoyable to do that service when the articles are at the cutting edge. The articles I’ve read and reviewed in Chemical Science have been interdisciplinary, innovative, and very engaging, which makes my job as the reviewer fun.

Dr Manuel Nappi: Chemical Science is the flagship journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, publishing cutting-edge science. As reviewer and author, I am happy and honoured to help maintain and improve this exceptional level.

Professor Ulf-Peter Apfel: I understand reviewing to be an essential part of my duty to the community. Moreover, it provides me with the opportunity to collaborate with authors, enhancing the quality of their work, and it also helps me develop the skills needed to write excellent research papers from different perspectives.

Professor John Murphy: The relevance of the papers to my interests and the quality of papers published by the journal.

Professor John Murphy: The ability to see the very latest advances and, hopefully, to provide helpful feedback to the authors.

Dr Elisabeth Prince: I love seeing my feedback improve the quality of an article, whether it be by improving how its communicated or by clarifying the results. It’s very rewarding to help make the author’s work shine. 

Dr Manuel Nappi: The most exciting part of reviewing for Chemical Science is the opportunity to read groundbreaking science before publication and contribute for its improvement.

Dr Manuel Nappi: Originality and novelty are the keystones for a publication in Chemical Science. The authors should clearly explain how the chemistry differs from the state of the art, highlighting the innovative aspects of their work.

Dr Elisabeth Prince: Reviewing reminds me to think like a reviewer when writing my own papers. I always try to take a step back from my paper and think about what I would bring up as the reviewer.

Professor Ulf-Peter Apfel: Ensure that your scientific work presents robust evidence through well-reproducible experiments, while maintaining an easy-to-follow narrative that showcases your enthusiasm without exaggerating the significance of your findings.

Reviewer Spotlight --> Comments Off on Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – October 2023

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Google Research, 2022 & beyond: Natural sciences

It's an incredibly exciting time to be a scientist. With the amazing advances in machine learning (ML) and quantum computing, we now have powerful new tools that enable us to act on our curiosity, collaborate in new ways, and radically accelerate progress toward breakthrough scientific discoveries.

Since joining Google Research eight years ago, I’ve had the privilege of being part of a community of talented researchers fascinated by applying cutting-edge computing to push the boundaries of what is possible in applied science. Our teams are exploring topics across the physical and natural sciences. So, for this year’s blog post I want to focus on high-impact advances we’ve made recently in the fields of biology and physics, from helping to organize the world’s protein and genomics information to benefit people's lives to improving our understanding of the nature of the universe with quantum computers. We are inspired by the great potential of this work.

Using machine learning to unlock mysteries in biology

Many of our researchers are fascinated by the extraordinary complexity of biology, from the mysteries of the brain, to the potential of proteins, and to the genome, which encodes the very language of life. We’ve been working alongside scientists from other leading organizations around the world to tackle important challenges in the fields of connectomics , protein function prediction , and genomics , and to make our innovations accessible and useful to the greater scientific community.

Neurobiology

One exciting application of our Google-developed ML methods was to explore how information travels through the neuronal pathways in the brains of zebrafish , which provides insight into how the fish engage in social behavior like swarming. In collaboration with researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence , we were able to computationally reconstruct a portion of zebrafish brains imaged with 3D electron microscopy — an exciting advance in the use of imaging and computational pipelines to map out the neuronal circuitry in small brains, and another step forward in our long-standing contributions to the field of connectomics.

The technical advances necessary for this work will have applications even beyond neuroscience. For example, to address the difficulty of working with such large connectomics datasets, we developed and released TensorStore , an open-source C++ and Python software library designed for storage and manipulation of n -dimensional data. We look forward to seeing the ways it is used in other fields for the storage of large datasets.

We're also using ML to shed light on how human brains perform remarkable feats like language by comparing human language processing and autoregressive deep language models (DLMs). For this study, a collaboration with colleagues at Princeton University and New York University Grossman School of Medicine , participants listened to a 30-minute podcast while their brain activity was recorded using electrocorticography . The recordings suggested that the human brain and DLMs share computational principles for processing language, including continuous next-word prediction, reliance on contextual embeddings, and calculation of post-onset surprise based on word match (we can measure how surprised the human brain is by the word, and correlate that surprise signal with how well the word is predicted by the DLM). These results provide new insights into language processing in the human brain, and suggest that DLMs can be used to reveal valuable insights about the neural basis of language.

Biochemistry

ML has also allowed us to make significant advances in understanding biological sequences. In 2022, we leveraged recent advances in deep learning to accurately predict protein function from raw amino acid sequences. We also worked in close collaboration with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) to carefully assess model performance and add hundreds of millions of functional annotations to the public protein databases UniProt , Pfam/InterPro , and MGnify . Human annotation of protein databases can be a laborious and slow process and our ML methods enabled a giant leap forward — for example, increasing the number of Pfam annotations by a larger number than all other efforts during the past decade combined. The millions of scientists worldwide who access these databases each year can now use our annotations for their research.

Although the first draft of the human genome was released in 2003, it was incomplete and had many gaps due to technical limitations in the sequencing technologies. In 2022 we celebrated the remarkable achievements of the Telomere-2-Telomere (T2T) Consortium in resolving these previously unavailable regions — including five full chromosome arms and nearly 200 million base pairs of novel DNA sequences — which are interesting and important for questions of human biology, evolution, and disease. Our open source genomics variant caller, DeepVariant , was one of the tools used by the T2T Consortium to prepare their release of a complete 3.055 billion base pair sequence of a human genome . The T2T Consortium is also using our newer open source method DeepConsensus , which provides on-device error correction for Pacific Biosciences long-read sequencing instruments, in their latest research toward comprehensive pan-genome resources that can represent the breadth of human genetic diversity.

Using quantum computing for new physics discoveries

When it comes to making scientific discoveries, quantum computing is still in its infancy, but has a lot of potential. We’re exploring ways of advancing the capabilities of quantum computing so that it can become a tool for scientific discovery and breakthroughs. In collaboration with physicists from around the world, we are also starting to use our existing quantum computers to create interesting new experiments in physics.

As an example of such experiments, consider the problem where a sensor measures something, and a computer then processes the data from the sensor. Traditionally, this means the sensor’s data is processed as classical information on our computers. Instead, one idea in quantum computing is to directly process quantum data from sensors. Feeding data from quantum sensors directly to quantum algorithms without going through classical measurements may provide a large advantage. In a recent Science paper written in collaboration with researchers from multiple universities, we show that quantum computing can extract information from exponentially fewer experiments than classical computing, as long as the quantum computer is coupled directly to the quantum sensors and is running a learning algorithm. This “ quantum machine learning ” can yield an exponential advantage in dataset size, even with today’s noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers. Because experimental data is often the limiting factor in scientific discovery, quantum ML has the potential to unlock the vast power of quantum computers for scientists. Even better, the insights from this work are also applicable to learning on the output of quantum computations, such as the output of quantum simulations that may otherwise be difficult to extract.

Even without quantum ML, a powerful application of quantum computers is to experimentally explore quantum systems that would be otherwise impossible to observe or simulate. In 2022, the Quantum AI team used this approach to observe the first experimental evidence of multiple microwave photons in a bound state using superconducting qubits . Photons typically do not interact with one another, and require an additional element of non-linearity to cause them to interact. The results of our quantum computer simulations of these interactions surprised us — we thought the existence of these bound states relied on fragile conditions, but instead we found that they were robust even to relatively strong perturbations that we applied.

Given the initial successes we have had in applying quantum computing to make physics breakthroughs, we are hopeful about the possibility of this technology to enable future groundbreaking discoveries that could have as significant a societal impact as the creation of transistors or GPS . The future of quantum computing as a scientific tool is exciting!

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank everyone who worked hard on the advances described in this post, including the Google Applied Sciences, Quantum AI, Genomics and Brain teams and their collaborators across Google Research and externally. Finally, I would like to thank the many Googlers who provided feedback in the writing of this post, including Lizzie Dorfman, Erica Brand, Elise Kleeman, Abe Asfaw, Viren Jain, Lucy Colwell, Andrew Carroll, Ariel Goldstein and Charina Chou.

Google Research, 2022 & beyond

This was the seventh blog post in the “Google Research, 2022 & Beyond” series. Other posts in this series are listed in the table below:

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Collection  12 March 2023

Journal Top 100 - 2022

This collection highlights our most downloaded* research papers published in 2022. Featuring authors from around the world, these papers highlight valuable research from an international community.

You can also check out the Top 100 across various subject areas here .

*Data obtained from SN Insights, which is based on Digital Science’s Dimensions.

mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies more effective than natural immunity in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and its high affinity variants

• Dominic Esposito

Cats learn the names of their friend cats in their daily lives

• Saho Takagi
• Atsuko Saito
• Hika Kuroshima

Metformin administration is associated with enhanced response to transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma in type 2 diabetes patients

• Woo Jin Jung
• Sangmi Jang
• Jin-Wook Kim

The impact of digital media on children’s intelligence while controlling for genetic differences in cognition and socioeconomic background

• Bruno Sauce
• Magnus Liebherr
• Torkel Klingberg

Life tables of annual life expectancy and mortality for companion dogs in the United Kingdom

• Kendy Tzu-yun Teng
• Dave C. Brodbelt
• Dan G. O’Neill

Bioarchaeological and palaeogenomic portrait of two Pompeians that died during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD

• Gabriele Scorrano
• Serena Viva
• Fabio Macciardi

Reading on a smartphone affects sigh generation, brain activity, and comprehension

• Motoyasu Honma
• Yuri Masaoka
• Masahiko Izumizaki

Principal Component Analyses (PCA)-based findings in population genetic studies are highly biased and must be reevaluated

• Eran Elhaik

The determinants of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality across countries

• Dianna Chang
• Kelvin Jui Keng Tan

Birdsongs alleviate anxiety and paranoia in healthy participants

• J. Sundermann

Identification of ADS024, a newly characterized strain of Bacillus velezensis with direct Clostridiodes difficile killing and toxin degradation bio-activities

• Michelle M. O’Donnell
• James W. Hegarty
• Laurent Chesnel

Multiple sclerosis genetic and non-genetic factors interact through the transient transcriptome

• Renato Umeton
• Gianmarco Bellucci
• Giovanni Ristori

The effect of metformin on the survival of colorectal cancer patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

• Zeinab Tarhini
• Kamelia Manceur
• Niki Christou

Chemical characterisation of the vapour emitted by an e-cigarette using a ceramic wick-based technology

• M. Isabel Pinto

Large-magnitude (VEI ≥ 7) ‘wet’ explosive silicic eruption preserved a Lower Miocene habitat at the Ipolytarnóc Fossil Site, North Hungary

• Dávid Karátson
• Imre Szarvas

Far-UVC (222 nm) efficiently inactivates an airborne pathogen in a room-sized chamber

• Waseem Hiwar
• Kenneth Wood

Low dose aspirin associated with greater bone mineral density in older adults

• Hongzhan Liu
• Xungang Xiao

First direct evidence of adult European eels migrating to their breeding place in the Sargasso Sea

• Rosalind M. Wright
• Adam T. Piper
• David Righton

Infections with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant exhibit fourfold increased viral loads in the upper airways compared to Alpha or non-variants of concern

• Christian J. H. von Wintersdorff
• Jozef Dingemans
• Paul H. M. Savelkoul

Inappropriate sinus tachycardia in post-COVID-19 syndrome

• Júlia Aranyó
• Victor Bazan
• Roger Villuendas

The microstructure and the origin of the Venus from Willendorf

• Gerhard W. Weber
• Alexander Lukeneder

COVID-19 reinfections among naturally infected and vaccinated individuals

• Sezanur Rahman
• M. Mahfuzur Rahman
• Mustafizur Rahman

Lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic strongly impacted the circulation of respiratory pathogens in Southern China

• Heping Wang
• Yuejie Zheng
• Wenjian Wang

Alzheimer’s disease large-scale gene expression portrait identifies exercise as the top theoretical treatment

• Mason A. Hill
• Stephen C. Gammie

COVID-19 symptoms are reduced by targeted hydration of the nose, larynx and trachea

• Carolin Elizabeth George
• Gerhard Scheuch
• David A. Edwards

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induces cognitive deficit and anxiety-like behavior in mouse via non-cell autonomous hippocampal neuronal death

• Junyoung Oh
• Woo-Hyun Cho
• Sung Joong Lee

Abdominal pain patterns during COVID-19: an observational study

• Alexandre Balaphas
• Kyriaki Gkoufa
• Christian Toso

Detection of human pathogenic bacteria in rectal DNA samples from Zalophus californianus in the Gulf of California, Mexico

• Francesco Cicala
• David Ramírez-Delgado
• Alexei F. Licea-Navarro

Industrialised fishing nations largely contribute to floating plastic pollution in the North Pacific subtropical gyre

• Laurent Lebreton
• Sarah-Jeanne Royer
• Matthias Egger

Hypertension and diabetes including their earlier stage are associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest

• Seung Young Roh
• Young-Hoon Kim

Utility of an artificial intelligence system for classification of esophageal lesions when simulating its clinical use

• Ayaka Tajiri
• Ryu Ishihara
• Tomohiro Tada

Prevalence, age of decision, and interpersonal warmth judgements of childfree adults

• Zachary P. Neal
• Jennifer Watling Neal

Acute and protracted abstinence from methamphetamine bidirectionally changes intrinsic excitability of indirect pathway spiny projection neurons in the dorsomedial striatum

• Sanghoon Choi
• Steven M. Graves

Indeterminacy of cannabis impairment and ∆ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (∆ 9 -THC) levels in blood and breath

• Gregory T. Wurz
• Michael W. DeGregorio

High rates of plasmid cotransformation in E. coli overturn the clonality myth and reveal colony development

• Delia Tomoiaga
• Jaclyn Bubnell
• Paul Feinstein

Metformin sensitizes leukemic cells to cytotoxic lymphocytes by increasing expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1)

• Nerea Allende-Vega
• Joaquin Marco Brualla
• Martin Villalba

Incorporation of machine learning and deep neural network approaches into a remote sensing-integrated crop model for the simulation of rice growth

• Seungtaek Jeong
• Jong-min Yeom

Perceiving societal pressure to be happy is linked to poor well-being, especially in happy nations

• Egon Dejonckheere
• Joshua J. Rhee
• Brock Bastian

The earliest Pleistocene record of a large-bodied hominin from the Levant supports two out-of-Africa dispersal events

• Alon Barash
• Miriam Belmaker

Generation mechanism and prediction of an observed extreme rogue wave

• Johannes Gemmrich

Fitness tracking reveals task-specific associations between memory, mental health, and physical activity

• Jeremy R. Manning
• Gina M. Notaro
• Paxton C. Fitzpatrick

Domestic dogs ( Canis familiaris ) grieve over the loss of a conspecific

• Stefania Uccheddu
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Scientific Research Blogging: Tips for Researchers!

Are you interested in writing scientific research blogs? As a researcher, you should be interested in both reading and writing scientific blogs. There are many types of scientific blogs including science news blogs, blogs for scientific associations, research blogs, and educational blogs. These blogs are a platform for sharing and critiquing science. Here, we will describe why blogging can be good for your research career and how you can get started. Although this article focuses on scientific research blogs, these principles apply to all types of blogging.

In a scientific research blog , you discuss your own work or a peer-reviewed paper. Its purpose could be anything from talking about new research, debunking myths, calling up forgotten science, or explaining a difficult concept. As a scientist with in-depth knowledge in a certain field, you are better equipped to doing this than someone else such as a journalist who may not be familiar with the concepts. You also have hands-on lab experience and will have a deeper understanding of the experiments. This puts you in a good position to discuss a paper’s strengths and weaknesses and talk about its wonders.

Why Scientific Blogging Can Help You

Time is often a constraint for researchers, and you may wonder whether you have the time to pursue – science blogging. However, if you do make the time, you will acquire several benefits such as:

• Refining your writing skills.
• Promoting your work and yourself.
• Educating the public (and your students).
• Networking with others in your field.
• Initiating collaborations.
• Receiving feedback on your ideas in an informal setting.

How to Start Writing Research Blogs

Here are a few guidelines to start writing your research blog-

• Before you hit the keyboard with your ideas, read, and comment on other science research blogs . This will help you gain recognition in the blogging community.
• Find a blogging platform : Have a look at WordPress, Warwick blogs, Tumblr, and blogger.com to mention a few. Most of these offer a free domain.
• Find an interesting peer-reviewed article or identify a topic from your work to discuss and share your views.

 Considerations for Effective Blogging

Have a plan. Decide on the purpose of your blogs and set yourself a few guidelines. You should decide on the word count, format, and frequency of your blogs. Also, you may want to consider your privacy and how much of your research you should reveal.

Some points to consider include:

• Target audience : Who are they and how will you reach them?
• Discoverability : How will you promote your blogs? Will you make interesting comments with a link to your blog using social media?
• Tone: Blogs are informal; therefore, your tone should be conversational and should address the reader directly.
• Shorter blogs are preferable to long essays.
• Use strong and entertaining keywords that will help your blog pop up in web searches.
• Will you add videos and images?
• Be patient : People tend to comment more frequently on platforms such as Twitter compared to a blog. It will take time to build an audience.
• Guest blogs : Writing for well-known bloggers can help you become established.

Learn from the Experts

Have a look at a well-known scientific research blog called ScienceDaily . This scientific blog is written by a husband and wife team (Dan and Michelle Hogan). They are active members of the scientific community and are also involved in editing and teaching science. ScienceDaily features discoveries from around the globe on various scientific topics. This site has become well-known and is supported by the world’s leading universities.

Scientific research blogging can enhance your career as well as encourage young people to take an interest in science. To be effective, you need to be discoverable and social media can help you with this. Would you be interested in giving this a try? Let us know in the comments section below!

Thanks for sharing such a wonderful Writing tips which wil, surely be a big help to the students who are creating a thesis or working on dissertation work

A specialized paper requires plenty of skills and knowledge. And if you are not interested in writing it by yourself, then you will really get bored and irritated by such a difficult task.

A specialized paper requires plenty of skills and knowledge. Therefore, in order to evade pressure and wastage of time, one can take help from one of most skilled dissertation writers.

Thanks for writing such an information blog which will surely be a great help for the students as well as the intitutions.

Amazing Content you have shared.

Thanks for this. May I ask a question? Does research blogging violate any copyright laws? Like is it fine to make a blog about a scientific paper and then citing it, and not encounter any copyright strikes? Thanks for the answer.

Thank you! Keeping some blogs or blog posts scientific can also help the authenticity of knowledge on the internet.

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Research Blogs and the Discussion of Scholarly Information

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation Department of Information Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel

Affiliation Statistical Cybermetrics Research Group, School of Technology, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

• Hadas Shema, 
• Judit Bar-Ilan, 
• Mike Thelwall

• Published: May 11, 2012
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869
• Reader Comments

The research blog has become a popular mechanism for the quick discussion of scholarly information. However, unlike peer-reviewed journals, the characteristics of this form of scientific discourse are not well understood, for example in terms of the spread of blogger levels of education, gender and institutional affiliations. In this paper we fill this gap by analyzing a sample of blog posts discussing science via an aggregator called ResearchBlogging.org (RB). ResearchBlogging.org aggregates posts based on peer-reviewed research and allows bloggers to cite their sources in a scholarly manner. We studied the bloggers, blog posts and referenced journals of bloggers who posted at least 20 items. We found that RB bloggers show a preference for papers from high-impact journals and blog mostly about research in the life and behavioral sciences. The most frequently referenced journal sources in the sample were: Science, Nature, PNAS and PLoS One. Most of the bloggers in our sample had active Twitter accounts connected with their blogs, and at least 90% of these accounts connect to at least one other RB-related Twitter account. The average RB blogger in our sample is male, either a graduate student or has been awarded a PhD and blogs under his own name.

Citation: Shema H, Bar-Ilan J, Thelwall M (2012) Research Blogs and the Discussion of Scholarly Information. PLoS ONE 7(5): e35869. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869

Editor: Christos A. Ouzounis, The Centre for Research and Technology, Hellas, Greece

Received: November 3, 2011; Accepted: March 27, 2012; Published: May 11, 2012

Copyright: © 2012 Shema et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Funding: This work was supported by a European Union grant by the 7th Framework Programme. It is part of the Academic Careers Understood through Measurement and Norms (ACUMEN) project (contract 266632) ( http://research-acumen.eu/ ). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction

The Web has given rise to new forms of scientific discourse. Web 2.0 tools provide scientists with faster, less formal ways for conversation inside and outside the scientific community. Unfortunately, most scientific output created on the Web goes unnoticed by current academic metrics, which measure scientific work published in “conventional” academic literature [1] .

Traditionally, evaluation of scholarly work has been often done by citation analysis. Citation indexes work under the assumption that a citation indicates a connection between document A and B, though it does not indicate the nature of the connection [2] . The normative theory of citations, suggested by Merton [3] , claims that citations are the scientist’s way of acknowledging an intellectual debt to other scholarly works. The social constructivist view on citing behavior argues that works are cited for a variety of factors, some of them have nothing to do with intellectual debt (See [4] , [5] , [6] for a detailed review). For example, open access papers may receive more citations than those behind a paywall [7] . Mentions of academic papers in Web pages are considered Web citations [8] , [9] . However, academic Web citations are not necessarily part of the scientific discourse, since they can also be used for other purposes (e.g., navigation aids, self-publicity) [10] .

One of the many ways of spreading scholarly information throughout the Web is the research, or science blog. Unfortunately, there has been little research about the way blogs are used by scientists. Most papers dealing with science blogging so far are either opinion pieces [11] , [12] , interviews with a number of selected bloggers [13] , [14] ), descriptions of personal experiences as a blogger [15] or content analyses of a relatively small blog sample [16] , [17] . There seem to be many different motives behind science blogging: to share content and express opinions, to improve writing skills, to organize thoughts and ideas and to interact and create relationships inside and outside of the author’s home discipline. Science blogging can give the blogger room for creativity and the feeling of being connected to a larger community. It is a means of establishing an online reputation [14] . These motives have much in common with those of medical bloggers: in a survey study [18] 74% of medical bloggers listed “To share practical knowledge and skills” as a motive for blogging and 53% listed the expression of creativity.

Science blogs can add to the transparency of the scientific process by reviewing and discussing the science culture in general and scientific research in particular. They allow informal post-publication peer-review, as well as reviews from people who usually would not be considered “peers”. Organized by two medical writers, Retraction Watch is a blog which covers in detail why peer-reviewed papers are retracted from journals [19] . While journals and authors release announcements regarding retracted papers (which can be as short as “This article has been withdrawn by the authors”) the blog illustrates and adds insights to retractions beyond those found in formal discourse.

Science blogs may influence mainstream science: On December 2, 2010, Science published an online paper [20] of NASA scientists claiming to have discovered arsenic-based bacteria. Science bloggers were deeply skeptical about the findings (a collection of blog posts can be found in [21] ). Scientists tweeted extensively about the subject under the hashtag #arseniclife. The criticism made its way to articles in mainstream [22] – [24] media outlets, which quoted various blogs. By the time Science published technical comments (including one from a blogger [25] ) the scientific community online had thoroughly commented and criticized the paper.

Despite the less formal format of blogs, blogging researchers express a desire to refer to papers in their blogs in a scholarly manner [14] . Researchblogging.org (2008), an aggregator of science blogs, allows bloggers to refer to peer-reviewed research in an academic citation format. Bloggers discussing peer-reviewed research can register with the aggregator, and when they mark relevant posts in their blog, these posts appear on the aggregator’s site, allowing one-stop access to research reviews to interested readers. The site’s editors ensure that posts follow the guidelines and are of appropriate quality. Past research found that researchblogging.org (RB) bloggers in the field of chemistry prefer to post about research published in high-impact journals [26] . In the current study, our objective is to learn about RB bloggers in all fields and the type of research they choose to review in order to get insights about scientific blogging in general.

Following Groth and Gurney [26] we based our study on data from the science blogs aggregator ResearchBlogging.org. Blogs chosen for the study were non-commercial, written by 1–2 individuals and had a minimum of twenty entries posted at the RB aggregator between January 1, 2010 and January 15, 2011. Twenty posts aggregated in RB ensured that the blogger had a fairly established blog and wrote in an academic manner. A total of 135 bloggers in 126 blogs satisfied our criteria (two bloggers had two blogs each and 11 blogs had two authors each).

We collected the data from the blogs and bloggers’ RB pages as well as the “About” and “Profile” parts of the blogs themselves. If the “About” or “Profile” parts were unclear we searched the Internet for mentions of the blogger’s name in different contexts. The publicly available parts of profiles from LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, as well as interviews and home pages were used as additional sources of information on the bloggers. All data were manually collected to ensure maximal accuracy. Connections between Twitter accounts were visualized using NodeXL [27] , a Microsoft Excel add-on which uses the Twitter API.

We characterized reviewed journal articles in the blog posts based on the bloggers’ last five posts appearing on RB at the time of the data collection in March, 2011. Since almost all of these journals appeared in Thomson-Reuters Journal Citation Reports (JCR), we were able to utilize the JCR categories assigned to these journals. The JCR categories were collated into seven main categories defined by us: life sciences, sciences, medicine, behavioral and neurosciences (incl. psychology and psychiatry), computer science and engineering, social science & humanities and multidisciplinary journals. In a few cases a journal was classified into more than one main category.

The blogs were characterized based on the journals in which the last 10 reviewed papers were published, from July 1, 2011 and backwards. Only papers published in journals indexed by the JCR were taken into account, thus non-indexed articles were skipped and the data collection continued until there was information from 10 items. Papers from multidisciplinary journals were classified according to their title, abstract and key terms used by their journal and/or their repository (e.g. PubMed). One author (JBI) classified papers according to their JCR categories and created the main categories mentioned above. The blog classification was done by another author (HS) with JBI blindly classifying 15% of the blogs as a reliability check. Disagreements were discussed after the primary check until the researchers reached agreement.

Results and Discussion

Blog classification.

The blogs were classified in order to map out the most popular blogging fields ( Table 1 ). Life Science blogs were the most popular in our sample, followed by the Psychology, Psychiatry, Neurosciences & Behavioral Science blogs. Blogs about Social Sciences & Humanities and about Computer Science & Engineering were the least represented in our sample.

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869.t001

RB has its own tagging system, which allows bloggers to classify their posts into one category or more. The biology tag had been found to be the most popular tag in the RB aggregator by a previous study, with 32% of the posts, followed by psychology (13%) and health (12%) [28] . The psychology tag (13%) and the neuroscience tag (8%) amount to 21% of the tags, the same as the Psychology, Psychiatry, Neurosciences & Behavioral Science category in our sample (21%). Our categories and the RB tags are not identical, but overlap enough to give us a crude indication of the resemblance between our sample and the general RB population. In September 2011 the RB aggregator contained around 20,600 posts and about 9,000 of them were tagged “biology”, making it by far the most popular tag.

RB’s tagging system focuses mainly on the life and natural sciences. For example, astronomy has 10 subtags, psychology 21 and biology 28. History, economics and sociology, on the other hand, are represented only as subtags of the “social science” tag. It is possible that the tagging system is a factor in bloggers’ decisions about whether to aggregate in RB, or that the lack of tags shows either a lack of interest of bloggers from those disciplines to aggregate in RB or that they are not familiar with it. Other blogging aggregators (many aggregators are aggregated themselves at http://scienceblogging.org/ ) might also cater better to those bloggers’ needs. Another possibility is that the RB tagging system merely reflects a reality in which most of the blogging about peer-reviewed research is done in certain fields. The NSF Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities report [29] concluded that the number of life science doctorates awarded was rising, which could serve as a partial explanation for the dominance of life sciences blogs and life science papers in our sample. Moreover, according to Bora Zivkovic, Scientific American’s blogs editor “[Blogs are] written by graduate students, postdocs and young faculty, a few by undergraduates and tenured faculty, several by science teachers, and just a few by professional journalists” [30] . Since more than two-thirds of the academic post-doctoral appointments in the U.S. were in the life and medical sciences, it could be that the high number of post-doctorates affects the number of science blogs in those fields [31] .

Note that this distribution does not coincide with the distribution of the items published in 2010 and indexed by Elsevier’s Scopus, as can be seen from Table 2 . Especially notable are the much higher occurrences of behavioral science and multidisciplinary articles in the blog posts. Due to the limitations of our sample we cannot draw definitive conclusions about whether the general science blogs’ distribution is significantly different from the Scopus items’ distribution.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869.t002

Gender Distribution

In 2009, about 47% of the research doctorates in the U.S. were awarded to women. The percentage of women who were awarded doctorates in the Science & Engineering (S&E) fields went up from 29% in 1989 to 42% in 2009 [31] . Despite the large percentage of doctorates earned by women, men dominate science blogging ( Figure 1 ). About two-thirds of the blogs had one male author, 18% had one female author, 5% had two male authors and 4% had one female and one male author.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869.g001

The gender disparities in science blogs authorship seem similar to those found in studies of Wikipedia contributors. Glott et al. [32] found that only 12.64% of the contributors to Wikipedia are women. Lam et al. [33] found that the initial percentage of women contributors in their sample was 16.1%, but dropped to around 6% for contributors who have made more than 500 edits. It is possible that our choice of established science blogs has lowered the percentage of women bloggers in our research, since in Wikipedia women’s tenures as editors were shorter than men’s [33] . Our findings are in line with those of Munger [34] who studied the general gender ratio of RB and found that “male bloggers outnumber female bloggers by over three to one.”

Blog Networks

A scientific blog can be an independent venture, or part of a larger group of science blogs. Though these blogs may vary in their subjects and have different authors, they all blog about scientific subjects under one general domain (e.g. http://blogs.plos.org/ ). Each network has a main portal page featuring various posts from the network’s blogs, as well as links to all the blogs. The British newspaper the Guardian launched its own science blogs network in August 2010 [35] and the PLoS Journals, Wired Magazine and Scientific American subsequently followed suit [36] , [37] , [38] ). The blog networks in our sample, other than Field of Science, were by invitation only. Invitations are usually extended to bloggers already of good standing (the tagline of the Wired science blogs network is “A new network of all-star sciencebloggers.”) [37] .

In our sample 87 (69%) were independent blogs and 39 (31%) were part of a bigger group of blogs. Out of the 39 blogs, 15 (38%) belong to one of the three networks run by Seed Magazine (in English, German and Portuguese).

Disseminating scientific knowledge can take place in different Web 2.0 channels. The microblogging service Twitter had 100 million active users by mid-2011 [39] , and is being used by some academics for spreading scientific research [40] . Out of the 126 blogs in the sample, ninety (72%) had at least one active, unprotected Twitter account. Blogs which linked to more than one account (in cases of two authors) were counted as one account per blog. The Highly Allochthonous ( http://all-geo.org/highlyallochthonous/ ) blog linked to a combined list of its two authors’ accounts which we counted as a single account. We also found three (2%) protected accounts and six (5%) inactive accounts (tweeted last more than three months before we visited them, on June 2011).

Twenty-seven blogs (21%) did not have a Twitter account. The Cognitive Daily blog ( http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/ ) was closed a short while after we started our research (January 2010). Hence, even though one of its authors continues to be active on Twitter, we classified Cognitive Daily as having no Twitter account. The blog Dinosaur Tracking ( http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/ ) had no Twitter account, but its author, Brian Switek, had an account for his other blog (also in our sample) Laelaps ( http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/laelaps ; @Laelaps) (See Figure 2 ).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869.g002

We identified 101 Twitter accounts. The Twitter accounts were interconnected as can be seen in Figure 3 . Only ten accounts did not follow any account from the sample, and only 18 accounts had no followers from the sample. The most followed account belonged to Ed Yong, who described himself as: “Science writer, creator of Not Exactly Rocket Science, freelance journalist” ( @edyong209 ). He had 51 followers in our dataset, and he followed 24 of the bloggers in the sample. He had 11,638 followers and follows 778 Twitter accounts altogether. The maximum number of twitter accounts followed from among the sample was 39 by Peter Janiszewski ( @Dr_Janis ), co-founder of ScienceOfBlogging.com and ResearchBlogging.org editor. He followed 31 accounts in our sample. Altogether he followed 1,543 accounts and was being followed by 2,370 followers (as of October 2 nd , 2011). In Figure 3 only the Twitter account names of users that were followed by 10 or more followers from our sample are displayed (38 accounts), the size and color of the nodes are proportional to the number of followers. The directed edge from node A to node B represents that A follows B. Thirty-eight accounts were being followed by ten or more bloggers from the sample. There were 28 accounts that both followed and were being followed by ten or more bloggers from our sample.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869.g003

Note that blogs which are part of a network (e.g. Scientific American blogs) can spread their posts through the network’s Twitter account, which usually has a larger number of followers than an individual blogger (Science Blogs, @ScienceBlogs, have about 7,600 followers, Wired science blogs, @wiredsciblogs, have about 4,000 and Scientific American blogs, @sciamblogs, about 1,200). The RB Twitter account, @ResearchBlogs, (about 4,000 followers) automatically tweets every new post aggregated in RB (All network accounts were checked on October 2 nd , 2011). The Technorati (Technorati.com) ranking showed that on October 2 th , 2011 five of the blogs in our sample (Gene Expression, Not Exactly Rocket Science, Uncertain Principles, Pharma Strategy Blog and Greg Laden’s Blog) were ranked among the top 100 science blogs. All of these blogs have Twitter accounts. Gene Expression ( @razibkhan ) had 1,523 followers, Not Exactly Rocket Science ( @edyong209 ) had 11,638, Pharma Strategy Blog ( @MaverickNY ) had 6,187, Uncertain Principles ( @orzelc ) had 830 and Greg Laden’s Blog ( @gregladen ) had 2,941 followers. While the numbers of followers vary widely, it seems all of the top bloggers in our sample also disseminate information via Twitter to a relatively large number of followers.

English is the dominant language of the science blogs in the study. Out of the 126 blogs in the sample 108 (86%) were written in English, 6 (5%) in Spanish, 5 (4%) in Portuguese, 4 (3%) in German, 2 (1%) in Polish and one (1%) in Chinese.

The references appearing in the last five blog posts up to March 1 st , 2011 in each of the 126 blogs were extracted. This resulted in 913 references to articles appearing in 429 journals, 9 references to articles uploaded to arxiv.org, 3 references to conference proceedings and 2 references to books. The distribution of the number of times journals were referenced appears in Table 3 .

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869.t003

Subject Categories

For each of the journals that was referenced twice or more we identified the JCR subject category/categories they belong to (601 articles). Only 4 journals were not in ISI’s JCR for 2010. Based on the JCR journal categorization, the articles were classified into seven main classes (see Table 4 ). In a few cases the journal was categorized into more than one main category.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869.t004

We manually classified multidisciplinary papers according to the same categories, based on their titles, abstracts and key words assigned to them by the journals (if any) and added their relative proportion to each category ( Table 4 ). The distribution of the subject categories of the reviewed articles more or less coincides with the blog categorization, which is not surprising (see Table 1 ). Still, there are several differences, for example the percentage of social science papers that are reviewed (4%) is lower than the percentage of social science blogs (5%), and the percentage of life science papers (43%) is slightly higher than the percentage of life science blogs in the sample (39%).

Most Blog-cited Journals

Science, Nature and PNAS are the highest-placed journals in the JCR multidisciplinary category and the most indexed in the online scientific reference manager Mendeley. These journals are the most “blog cited” in our sample as well (see Table 5 ). All the most cited journals in the sample were in the first quartile of their JCR category, thus there seems to be a clear trend toward reviewing papers appearing in high impact journals. This could be viewed as the rich-get-richer phenomenon; papers in high impact journals get more attention in the scientific blogosphere. The difference between publication volumes might also be an advantage for journals which publish more items. Another possibility is that RB bloggers read papers from lower impact journals as well, but review papers from higher impact journals because they consider these papers more “deserving” to be reviewed and exposed. Another hypothesis is that since mainstream media often report on papers from high-ranking, reputable journals [41] – [42] bloggers might focus on the same papers in order to offer their own analysis and interpretation. The findings further validate those of a previous study [26] which showed a preference for citing papers from top-ranking journals in RB posts about chemistry.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869.t005

In order to find out the bloggers’ level of education we searched for their personal information on the Web in the manner described in the methods section. In addition, we sent emails to those bloggers we had not been able to extract their education level from information publicly available on the Web. Seven bloggers did not have an email address, and therefore we were only able to send email to sixteen of our unknown bloggers, and received seven answers. Some of the bloggers might have wanted to preserve their anonymity and therefore did not reply to our emails.

The science bloggers in our sample were highly educated. Five bloggers (4%) were undergraduates, another 5 (4%) were Medical Doctors (MD), 8 (6%) had a BA or a BSc, 15 (11%) had an MA or an MSc, 36 (27%) were graduate students, 3 (2%) had both a medical degree and a PhD., (MD/PhD.) 44 had a Ph.D. (32%), 4 (3%) had other degrees and 15 (11%) remained unknown ( Figure 4 ).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869.g004

As Figure 5 shows, most of the bloggers (59%) were either students or researchers in an academic institute. Less than a third (30%) were not affiliated with an academic institute, and 10% remained unknown. It is possible that the bloggers, due to their involvement in the academy, see the citation as a valuable mechanism even when writing in social media.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035869.g005

Bloggers who do not supply a name or only supply a nickname or first name were referred to as anonymous. It must be noted that we have not made inquiries about the authenticity of names; therefore, it is possible that names which appear to be authentic were pseudonyms. If bloggers linked to another page under their full name (such as an article they wrote or their Twitter account) we considered the blogger to be non-anonymous. Most bloggers chose to blog under their full name. Out of the 135 bloggers in our sample only 22 (16%) blogged anonymously.

Limitations

Our study has several limitations: blogs are dynamic by nature. They open, close, join a network or leave it, add authors or lose them at a rapid pace. Hence our blogs may have changed since they were assessed. Moreover, we assumed the bloggers’ profiles to be authentic and up-to-date, but could not fully verify this. We focused on non-commercial blogs from one aggregator with 1–2 authors, and chose fairly established blogs. Our sample included only blogs which cite their sources in an academic style and post to the RB aggregator. Our characterization might therefore only be true for the blogs in our sample, rather than the general science blogs population. In particular, our sample may have biases towards disciplines in which RB is well known and towards bloggers that promote their blogs by submitting them to RB.

Summary and Conclusions

Our aim was to characterize blogs and bloggers who write about academic, peer-reviewed research. Given the familiarity of the bloggers in our sample with bibliographic citations, it is no wonder that over sixty-five percent of them are graduate students, PhDs, MDs or MD/PhDs and that 59% are currently affiliated with an academic institute. The bloggers regularly cite well-known, high-impact journals which publish multidisciplinary science (Science, Nature and PNAS) and leading niche journals, (e.g. New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Neuroscience). This confirms and adds to Groth and Gurney’s findings [26] that RB posts about chemistry often cite papers from high-impact journals either because of these papers’ scientific importance or because of the reputation of the journals. In addition, the bloggers might be reflecting the mainstream media’s tendency to cover papers from leading journals in order to criticize media coverage of scientific issues. In a post called “Dear Newspapers: Individual Studies Do Not Exist In A Vacuum” the blog Obesity Panacea ( http://blogs.plos.org/obesitypanacea/ ) cited papers from PLoS One and BMC Public Health with contradicting conclusions, in order to make the claim that the media’s tendency to report a single study at a time can cause public confusion [43] . Life science is the most popular blog category (39%) as well as the biggest subject category (43%), much like in the current RB post population (about 9,000 of 20,600, or around 43% of the posts, were tagged under “biology” in September 2011), confirming a previous analysis showing that the “biology” tag comprised 32% of the RB tags [28] . This high number of life science blogs and posts may be connected to the high number of post-doctorate positions in life science and medicine [29] , as well as to the rising number of life science doctorates awarded [31] . Authors and readers from other disciplines may also not be as familiar with RB as those from the life sciences.

Most (84%) bloggers apparently blog under their real name. This high percentage suggests that science bloggers see their blog, if not as a career enhancer, then at least as career-neutral. RB aggregates blogs in several languages, but the bloggers mostly (86%) blog in English. Seventy-two percent of the blogs have active Twitter accounts. In comparison, only 2.5% of the academics studied by Priem and colleagues [44] had active Twitter accounts. The high percentage of Twitter accounts belonging to blogs and the number of accounts following popular blogs show that many of the bloggers are information disseminators in more than one social medium. Twenty-eight Twitter accounts belonging to bloggers in our sample both follow and are being followed by ten or more bloggers from the sample, showing that there is a core of quite well connected bloggers. Moreover, since 90% of accounts followed another account from the sample, and 82% of accounts had a follower from the sample, it seems reasonable to view the Twitter accounts as at least loosely interconnected.

We found a lack of gender balance in the science blogging gender distribution, with 72% of the blogs being written by one or two male authors. This is in line with studies of Wikipedia [32] – [33] and about the general distribution of RB bloggers [34] . While RB is open to any kind of blogging which refers to peer-reviewed research, its highest tagging coverage is mostly in the science & engineering fields, in which women made up in 2006 only about 40% of the PhDs and 29% of the full-time doctoral faculty [31] , [45] . Fields such as education, history and literature are only represented as subtags.

In conclusion, the sample’s science blogs share characteristics with other means of scientific discourse. We believe that tracking and recording this communication will become a part of future research evaluation metrics.

Author Contributions

Analyzed the data: HS JBI MT. Wrote the paper: HS JBI MT.

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Science blog writing vs journal article writing: How do styles vary?

Table of Contents

Patrick Wareing, freelance science writer at Kolabtree, outlines the difference between research paper writing and science blog writing. 

Over the last few decades, the way in which information is shared has transformed tremendously. Moving from traditional print to online media has made it easier for anybody to create and share information, whether that be via blogs or social media.

One of the industries that has seen the biggest shift in communication methods has been the scientific community. Days are gone where research and new information are shared amongst experts solely through research papers and journals, to mass online media where anybody can share data, draw conclusions or convey their own opinion.

Saying that, I want to discuss how sharing scientific knowledge via peer-reviewed journals and blog posts compare and contrast, and how scientists can convert their ‘traditional’ content to a mass audience.

What is a peer-reviewed article?

A peer reviewed article is a formal article that details cutting-edge scientific research written up by one or more scientists. For these articles to be considered for journal publication , an editor will review the article and send it out to scientists with similar expertise, to ensure quality data that meets high scientific standards before publishing .

What is a blog post?

Blog is the short term form of ‘weblog’. Blogs typically started off as online diary-style content, but have since evolved to include a wider range of content forms, including short and long-form articles, usually written in an informal or conversational style. Regardless whether the topic is scientific or not, the structure generally stays consistent.

Whilst both might seem fairly obvious definitions, I have included them to clearly compare styles and formats in the sections below.

In this article, I will discuss how you – either as a scientist or for a business – can convert journal articles into web-friendly content for all.

One of the biggest variations between the two publishing formats is the audience you write for.

Journals are highly-specialised publications that are shared amongst experts in their field, tending to use highly technical jargon and specialised acronyms. 

Scientific blogs on the other hand, tend to be more relaxed in style and are written to attract and explain to a much wider, less informed audience. Science blogs are popularly used by scientists to share thoughts about their research, discuss topics of interest, advocate for causes like better funding or policies, or to provide advice to younger scientists. Science blog writing draws from reliable, peer-reviewed sources and simplifies the content for a wider audience. 

Knowing what the limitations are your target audience are is crucial for this to succeed. Ensure that when it comes to converting journals to blogs posts, that highly specialised and technical topics are re-written to suit your new audience, without losing the rigour that science deserves,

Closely related to the your audience needs, is the way in which they understand the content in your blog posts.

Content in journals are usually restricted to text, technical graphs and charts. Data is usually restricted to complex formats that only make sense to experts; consider a chromatogram for example.

Science blogs are written in an informal manner that uses additional media and other elements to keep the content engaging and exciting throughout. Not only should your written content refrain from using technical jargon or complex sentence structures, but making the most of elements such as images, video or infographics is highly advantageous. 

But just because your content contains more images or videos or whatever you choose to use, doesn’t mean that the quality should drop. Consider creating (or outsourcing) your own graphical content that supplements the text, rather than re-using low quality or relevancy content from another source.

Writing a scientific article usually follows a rigorous structure; an abstract, introduction, method, analysis, discussion and conclusion. All scientists are trained to this standard to ensure consistency, regardless of the language or discipline they are writing for.

Blogs couldn’t be more different. The informal nature of science blogging means you have total flexibility to structure content as you wish. Adding other media – as mentioned in the previous section – means that you can increase engagement and include a host of external resources.

Regardless of this, content should always be well-structured. Consider using an introduction to explain what you are going to talk about, the main body of text to explain the concept and then a final section to recap what you have written about, why it is important and where readers can go to learn more.

When scientists are writing about a topic, the topic they are writing about is usually particularly niche which makes the potential audience size incredibly small. Most of the time, researchers will know each other in a particular field which makes it easy for content to be shared via word-of-mouth or via particular journals.

With blog posts hosted on websites, there is suddenly a much larger potential audience, which means increased online competition.

One of the ways that you can turn scientific journals into popular blog posts that can be found on the internet, is by including scientific keywords. Keywords are an aspect of SEO (search engine optimization) which is used by writers wanting to be found on the internet through search engines.

This means that relevant keywords related to your blog content should be included within the article, in particular, the blog title and throughout the headers. Although SEO is not difficult to learn, having a writer with experience researching and writing for relevant keywords will ensure that your blog content will reach a wider audience in the long term.

Read also: How to hire a freelance scientific writer 

Plagiarism & Fact Checking

Scientific journal papers are called peer-reviewed articles for a reason; they are checked by other scientists to make sure they are scientifically sound, using relevant data, references and come to realistic conclusions.

One of the negative preconceptions that blogs get associated with is the credibility and validity of data. This doesn’t mean that all blog posts are spreading fake news, but something to be aware of.

Saying this, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to use scientific journals as references. But anytime you cite external data or media, ensure they are high quality and reference the source of the data. You can also consult a scientific expert to get your content verified and fact-checked. This is especially important for medical content, which is now governed by Google’s Medic update and E-A-T guidelines. 

Make sure that the writer of your science blog is not plagiarising content from elsewhere on the web to ensure credibility throughout. If you are rewriting your own content, this shouldn’t be an issue, but if you are using a freelance writer, using a tool like Copyscape is an affordable way to check you are paying for original content.

Credibility of new scientific journals is often attributed to the authors or the research group that published the content. After all, if authors have published multiple articles around the same topic, they tend to add more authority to the subject matter.

Blogs can be written by anybody and they are not always attributed to a specific writer. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this, adding author details to blog posts will help with credibility of the topic they are writing about.

Having an author include a short bio at the beginning or end of a post will instantly demonstrate their scientific knowledge and experience. If you are not a subject matter expert in the blog post you are wanting to write, considering hiring somebody that is, and is willing to have your content attributed to them.

Although I’ve compared journals and blog posts throughout this article, the two don’t need to be mutually exclusive. There are ways in which you can incorporate the two different content styles to produce high quality content.

Converting real, published peer-reviewed journals into a blog style has many benefits. 

Firstly, rewriting these articles into a blog-friendly format makes it easier for the layperson to read and understand. This can be done many ways, with examples including using less technical jargon, explaining complex concepts thoroughly or presenting data in a highly visual and exciting way. 

Secondly, if you are writing a blog post from scratch, approaching a blog post using your scientific writing experience can help produce top quality content. Having a clear structure; an introduction, method, analysis, conclusion section etc, makes content easy to read and understand. Using proper, regulated references throughout adds credibility and demonstrates quality to your writing.

Neither writing format will be disappearing anytime soon, but if you are aware of the differences and similarities, you can use your knowledge of both to create content that is high quality, informative and exciting to read.

Need help communicating scientific information in the form of a blog post? Contact freelance scientific writers on Kolabtree and get quotes for free. 

Hire the author Patrick Wareing is a UK based digital marketer specialising in life science marketing. He spent 5 years working as an analytical and formulation chemist , before making the career change into a digital marketing role. With experience in companies like Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser, he helps companies with science blogging and SEO content writing . He writes about science on his personal website . CONTACT PATRICK NOW

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Ramya Sriram manages digital content and communications at Kolabtree (kolabtree.com), the world's largest freelancing platform for scientists. She has over a decade of experience in publishing, advertising and digital content creation.

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Research Blogs and the Discussion of Scholarly Information

Hadas shema.

1 Department of Information Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel

Judit Bar-Ilan

Mike thelwall.

2 Statistical Cybermetrics Research Group, School of Technology, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

Analyzed the data: HS JBI MT. Wrote the paper: HS JBI MT.

The research blog has become a popular mechanism for the quick discussion of scholarly information. However, unlike peer-reviewed journals, the characteristics of this form of scientific discourse are not well understood, for example in terms of the spread of blogger levels of education, gender and institutional affiliations. In this paper we fill this gap by analyzing a sample of blog posts discussing science via an aggregator called ResearchBlogging.org (RB). ResearchBlogging.org aggregates posts based on peer-reviewed research and allows bloggers to cite their sources in a scholarly manner. We studied the bloggers, blog posts and referenced journals of bloggers who posted at least 20 items. We found that RB bloggers show a preference for papers from high-impact journals and blog mostly about research in the life and behavioral sciences. The most frequently referenced journal sources in the sample were: Science, Nature, PNAS and PLoS One. Most of the bloggers in our sample had active Twitter accounts connected with their blogs, and at least 90% of these accounts connect to at least one other RB-related Twitter account. The average RB blogger in our sample is male, either a graduate student or has been awarded a PhD and blogs under his own name.

Introduction

The Web has given rise to new forms of scientific discourse. Web 2.0 tools provide scientists with faster, less formal ways for conversation inside and outside the scientific community. Unfortunately, most scientific output created on the Web goes unnoticed by current academic metrics, which measure scientific work published in “conventional” academic literature [1] .

Traditionally, evaluation of scholarly work has been often done by citation analysis. Citation indexes work under the assumption that a citation indicates a connection between document A and B, though it does not indicate the nature of the connection [2] . The normative theory of citations, suggested by Merton [3] , claims that citations are the scientist’s way of acknowledging an intellectual debt to other scholarly works. The social constructivist view on citing behavior argues that works are cited for a variety of factors, some of them have nothing to do with intellectual debt (See [4] , [5] , [6] for a detailed review). For example, open access papers may receive more citations than those behind a paywall [7] . Mentions of academic papers in Web pages are considered Web citations [8] , [9] . However, academic Web citations are not necessarily part of the scientific discourse, since they can also be used for other purposes (e.g., navigation aids, self-publicity) [10] .

One of the many ways of spreading scholarly information throughout the Web is the research, or science blog. Unfortunately, there has been little research about the way blogs are used by scientists. Most papers dealing with science blogging so far are either opinion pieces [11] , [12] , interviews with a number of selected bloggers [13] , [14] ), descriptions of personal experiences as a blogger [15] or content analyses of a relatively small blog sample [16] , [17] . There seem to be many different motives behind science blogging: to share content and express opinions, to improve writing skills, to organize thoughts and ideas and to interact and create relationships inside and outside of the author’s home discipline. Science blogging can give the blogger room for creativity and the feeling of being connected to a larger community. It is a means of establishing an online reputation [14] . These motives have much in common with those of medical bloggers: in a survey study [18] 74% of medical bloggers listed “To share practical knowledge and skills” as a motive for blogging and 53% listed the expression of creativity.

Science blogs can add to the transparency of the scientific process by reviewing and discussing the science culture in general and scientific research in particular. They allow informal post-publication peer-review, as well as reviews from people who usually would not be considered “peers”. Organized by two medical writers, Retraction Watch is a blog which covers in detail why peer-reviewed papers are retracted from journals [19] . While journals and authors release announcements regarding retracted papers (which can be as short as “This article has been withdrawn by the authors”) the blog illustrates and adds insights to retractions beyond those found in formal discourse.

Science blogs may influence mainstream science: On December 2, 2010, Science published an online paper [20] of NASA scientists claiming to have discovered arsenic-based bacteria. Science bloggers were deeply skeptical about the findings (a collection of blog posts can be found in [21] ). Scientists tweeted extensively about the subject under the hashtag #arseniclife. The criticism made its way to articles in mainstream [22] – [24] media outlets, which quoted various blogs. By the time Science published technical comments (including one from a blogger [25] ) the scientific community online had thoroughly commented and criticized the paper.

Despite the less formal format of blogs, blogging researchers express a desire to refer to papers in their blogs in a scholarly manner [14] . Researchblogging.org (2008), an aggregator of science blogs, allows bloggers to refer to peer-reviewed research in an academic citation format. Bloggers discussing peer-reviewed research can register with the aggregator, and when they mark relevant posts in their blog, these posts appear on the aggregator’s site, allowing one-stop access to research reviews to interested readers. The site’s editors ensure that posts follow the guidelines and are of appropriate quality. Past research found that researchblogging.org (RB) bloggers in the field of chemistry prefer to post about research published in high-impact journals [26] . In the current study, our objective is to learn about RB bloggers in all fields and the type of research they choose to review in order to get insights about scientific blogging in general.

Following Groth and Gurney [26] we based our study on data from the science blogs aggregator ResearchBlogging.org. Blogs chosen for the study were non-commercial, written by 1–2 individuals and had a minimum of twenty entries posted at the RB aggregator between January 1, 2010 and January 15, 2011. Twenty posts aggregated in RB ensured that the blogger had a fairly established blog and wrote in an academic manner. A total of 135 bloggers in 126 blogs satisfied our criteria (two bloggers had two blogs each and 11 blogs had two authors each).

We collected the data from the blogs and bloggers’ RB pages as well as the “About” and “Profile” parts of the blogs themselves. If the “About” or “Profile” parts were unclear we searched the Internet for mentions of the blogger’s name in different contexts. The publicly available parts of profiles from LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, as well as interviews and home pages were used as additional sources of information on the bloggers. All data were manually collected to ensure maximal accuracy. Connections between Twitter accounts were visualized using NodeXL [27] , a Microsoft Excel add-on which uses the Twitter API.

We characterized reviewed journal articles in the blog posts based on the bloggers’ last five posts appearing on RB at the time of the data collection in March, 2011. Since almost all of these journals appeared in Thomson-Reuters Journal Citation Reports (JCR), we were able to utilize the JCR categories assigned to these journals. The JCR categories were collated into seven main categories defined by us: life sciences, sciences, medicine, behavioral and neurosciences (incl. psychology and psychiatry), computer science and engineering, social science & humanities and multidisciplinary journals. In a few cases a journal was classified into more than one main category.

The blogs were characterized based on the journals in which the last 10 reviewed papers were published, from July 1, 2011 and backwards. Only papers published in journals indexed by the JCR were taken into account, thus non-indexed articles were skipped and the data collection continued until there was information from 10 items. Papers from multidisciplinary journals were classified according to their title, abstract and key terms used by their journal and/or their repository (e.g. PubMed). One author (JBI) classified papers according to their JCR categories and created the main categories mentioned above. The blog classification was done by another author (HS) with JBI blindly classifying 15% of the blogs as a reliability check. Disagreements were discussed after the primary check until the researchers reached agreement.

Results and Discussion

Blog classification.

The blogs were classified in order to map out the most popular blogging fields ( Table 1 ). Life Science blogs were the most popular in our sample, followed by the Psychology, Psychiatry, Neurosciences & Behavioral Science blogs. Blogs about Social Sciences & Humanities and about Computer Science & Engineering were the least represented in our sample.

RB has its own tagging system, which allows bloggers to classify their posts into one category or more. The biology tag had been found to be the most popular tag in the RB aggregator by a previous study, with 32% of the posts, followed by psychology (13%) and health (12%) [28] . The psychology tag (13%) and the neuroscience tag (8%) amount to 21% of the tags, the same as the Psychology, Psychiatry, Neurosciences & Behavioral Science category in our sample (21%). Our categories and the RB tags are not identical, but overlap enough to give us a crude indication of the resemblance between our sample and the general RB population. In September 2011 the RB aggregator contained around 20,600 posts and about 9,000 of them were tagged “biology”, making it by far the most popular tag.

RB’s tagging system focuses mainly on the life and natural sciences. For example, astronomy has 10 subtags, psychology 21 and biology 28. History, economics and sociology, on the other hand, are represented only as subtags of the “social science” tag. It is possible that the tagging system is a factor in bloggers’ decisions about whether to aggregate in RB, or that the lack of tags shows either a lack of interest of bloggers from those disciplines to aggregate in RB or that they are not familiar with it. Other blogging aggregators (many aggregators are aggregated themselves at http://scienceblogging.org/ ) might also cater better to those bloggers’ needs. Another possibility is that the RB tagging system merely reflects a reality in which most of the blogging about peer-reviewed research is done in certain fields. The NSF Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities report [29] concluded that the number of life science doctorates awarded was rising, which could serve as a partial explanation for the dominance of life sciences blogs and life science papers in our sample. Moreover, according to Bora Zivkovic, Scientific American’s blogs editor “[Blogs are] written by graduate students, postdocs and young faculty, a few by undergraduates and tenured faculty, several by science teachers, and just a few by professional journalists” [30] . Since more than two-thirds of the academic post-doctoral appointments in the U.S. were in the life and medical sciences, it could be that the high number of post-doctorates affects the number of science blogs in those fields [31] .

Note that this distribution does not coincide with the distribution of the items published in 2010 and indexed by Elsevier’s Scopus, as can be seen from Table 2 . Especially notable are the much higher occurrences of behavioral science and multidisciplinary articles in the blog posts. Due to the limitations of our sample we cannot draw definitive conclusions about whether the general science blogs’ distribution is significantly different from the Scopus items’ distribution.

Gender Distribution

In 2009, about 47% of the research doctorates in the U.S. were awarded to women. The percentage of women who were awarded doctorates in the Science & Engineering (S&E) fields went up from 29% in 1989 to 42% in 2009 [31] . Despite the large percentage of doctorates earned by women, men dominate science blogging ( Figure 1 ). About two-thirds of the blogs had one male author, 18% had one female author, 5% had two male authors and 4% had one female and one male author.

The gender disparities in science blogs authorship seem similar to those found in studies of Wikipedia contributors. Glott et al. [32] found that only 12.64% of the contributors to Wikipedia are women. Lam et al. [33] found that the initial percentage of women contributors in their sample was 16.1%, but dropped to around 6% for contributors who have made more than 500 edits. It is possible that our choice of established science blogs has lowered the percentage of women bloggers in our research, since in Wikipedia women’s tenures as editors were shorter than men’s [33] . Our findings are in line with those of Munger [34] who studied the general gender ratio of RB and found that “male bloggers outnumber female bloggers by over three to one.”

Blog Networks

A scientific blog can be an independent venture, or part of a larger group of science blogs. Though these blogs may vary in their subjects and have different authors, they all blog about scientific subjects under one general domain (e.g. http://blogs.plos.org/ ). Each network has a main portal page featuring various posts from the network’s blogs, as well as links to all the blogs. The British newspaper the Guardian launched its own science blogs network in August 2010 [35] and the PLoS Journals, Wired Magazine and Scientific American subsequently followed suit [36] , [37] , [38] ). The blog networks in our sample, other than Field of Science, were by invitation only. Invitations are usually extended to bloggers already of good standing (the tagline of the Wired science blogs network is “A new network of all-star sciencebloggers.”) [37] .

In our sample 87 (69%) were independent blogs and 39 (31%) were part of a bigger group of blogs. Out of the 39 blogs, 15 (38%) belong to one of the three networks run by Seed Magazine (in English, German and Portuguese).

Disseminating scientific knowledge can take place in different Web 2.0 channels. The microblogging service Twitter had 100 million active users by mid-2011 [39] , and is being used by some academics for spreading scientific research [40] . Out of the 126 blogs in the sample, ninety (72%) had at least one active, unprotected Twitter account. Blogs which linked to more than one account (in cases of two authors) were counted as one account per blog. The Highly Allochthonous ( http://all-geo.org/highlyallochthonous/ ) blog linked to a combined list of its two authors’ accounts which we counted as a single account. We also found three (2%) protected accounts and six (5%) inactive accounts (tweeted last more than three months before we visited them, on June 2011).

Twenty-seven blogs (21%) did not have a Twitter account. The Cognitive Daily blog ( http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/ ) was closed a short while after we started our research (January 2010). Hence, even though one of its authors continues to be active on Twitter, we classified Cognitive Daily as having no Twitter account. The blog Dinosaur Tracking ( http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/ ) had no Twitter account, but its author, Brian Switek, had an account for his other blog (also in our sample) Laelaps ( http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/laelaps ; @Laelaps) (See Figure 2 ).

We identified 101 Twitter accounts. The Twitter accounts were interconnected as can be seen in Figure 3 . Only ten accounts did not follow any account from the sample, and only 18 accounts had no followers from the sample. The most followed account belonged to Ed Yong, who described himself as: “Science writer, creator of Not Exactly Rocket Science, freelance journalist” ( 902gnoyde@ ). He had 51 followers in our dataset, and he followed 24 of the bloggers in the sample. He had 11,638 followers and follows 778 Twitter accounts altogether. The maximum number of twitter accounts followed from among the sample was 39 by Peter Janiszewski ( sinaJ_rD@ ), co-founder of ScienceOfBlogging.com and ResearchBlogging.org editor. He followed 31 accounts in our sample. Altogether he followed 1,543 accounts and was being followed by 2,370 followers (as of October 2 nd , 2011). In Figure 3 only the Twitter account names of users that were followed by 10 or more followers from our sample are displayed (38 accounts), the size and color of the nodes are proportional to the number of followers. The directed edge from node A to node B represents that A follows B. Thirty-eight accounts were being followed by ten or more bloggers from the sample. There were 28 accounts that both followed and were being followed by ten or more bloggers from our sample.

Note that blogs which are part of a network (e.g. Scientific American blogs) can spread their posts through the network’s Twitter account, which usually has a larger number of followers than an individual blogger (Science Blogs, @ScienceBlogs, have about 7,600 followers, Wired science blogs, @wiredsciblogs, have about 4,000 and Scientific American blogs, @sciamblogs, about 1,200). The RB Twitter account, @ResearchBlogs, (about 4,000 followers) automatically tweets every new post aggregated in RB (All network accounts were checked on October 2 nd , 2011). The Technorati (Technorati.com) ranking showed that on October 2 th , 2011 five of the blogs in our sample (Gene Expression, Not Exactly Rocket Science, Uncertain Principles, Pharma Strategy Blog and Greg Laden’s Blog) were ranked among the top 100 science blogs. All of these blogs have Twitter accounts. Gene Expression ( nahkbizar@ ) had 1,523 followers, Not Exactly Rocket Science ( 902gnoyde@ ) had 11,638, Pharma Strategy Blog ( YNkcirevaM@ ) had 6,187, Uncertain Principles ( clezro@ ) had 830 and Greg Laden’s Blog ( nedalgerg@ ) had 2,941 followers. While the numbers of followers vary widely, it seems all of the top bloggers in our sample also disseminate information via Twitter to a relatively large number of followers.

English is the dominant language of the science blogs in the study. Out of the 126 blogs in the sample 108 (86%) were written in English, 6 (5%) in Spanish, 5 (4%) in Portuguese, 4 (3%) in German, 2 (1%) in Polish and one (1%) in Chinese.

The references appearing in the last five blog posts up to March 1 st , 2011 in each of the 126 blogs were extracted. This resulted in 913 references to articles appearing in 429 journals, 9 references to articles uploaded to arxiv.org, 3 references to conference proceedings and 2 references to books. The distribution of the number of times journals were referenced appears in Table 3 .

Subject Categories

For each of the journals that was referenced twice or more we identified the JCR subject category/categories they belong to (601 articles). Only 4 journals were not in ISI’s JCR for 2010. Based on the JCR journal categorization, the articles were classified into seven main classes (see Table 4 ). In a few cases the journal was categorized into more than one main category.

We manually classified multidisciplinary papers according to the same categories, based on their titles, abstracts and key words assigned to them by the journals (if any) and added their relative proportion to each category ( Table 4 ). The distribution of the subject categories of the reviewed articles more or less coincides with the blog categorization, which is not surprising (see Table 1 ). Still, there are several differences, for example the percentage of social science papers that are reviewed (4%) is lower than the percentage of social science blogs (5%), and the percentage of life science papers (43%) is slightly higher than the percentage of life science blogs in the sample (39%).

Most Blog-cited Journals

Science, Nature and PNAS are the highest-placed journals in the JCR multidisciplinary category and the most indexed in the online scientific reference manager Mendeley. These journals are the most “blog cited” in our sample as well (see Table 5 ). All the most cited journals in the sample were in the first quartile of their JCR category, thus there seems to be a clear trend toward reviewing papers appearing in high impact journals. This could be viewed as the rich-get-richer phenomenon; papers in high impact journals get more attention in the scientific blogosphere. The difference between publication volumes might also be an advantage for journals which publish more items. Another possibility is that RB bloggers read papers from lower impact journals as well, but review papers from higher impact journals because they consider these papers more “deserving” to be reviewed and exposed. Another hypothesis is that since mainstream media often report on papers from high-ranking, reputable journals [41] – [42] bloggers might focus on the same papers in order to offer their own analysis and interpretation. The findings further validate those of a previous study [26] which showed a preference for citing papers from top-ranking journals in RB posts about chemistry.

In order to find out the bloggers’ level of education we searched for their personal information on the Web in the manner described in the methods section. In addition, we sent emails to those bloggers we had not been able to extract their education level from information publicly available on the Web. Seven bloggers did not have an email address, and therefore we were only able to send email to sixteen of our unknown bloggers, and received seven answers. Some of the bloggers might have wanted to preserve their anonymity and therefore did not reply to our emails.

The science bloggers in our sample were highly educated. Five bloggers (4%) were undergraduates, another 5 (4%) were Medical Doctors (MD), 8 (6%) had a BA or a BSc, 15 (11%) had an MA or an MSc, 36 (27%) were graduate students, 3 (2%) had both a medical degree and a PhD., (MD/PhD.) 44 had a Ph.D. (32%), 4 (3%) had other degrees and 15 (11%) remained unknown ( Figure 4 ).

As Figure 5 shows, most of the bloggers (59%) were either students or researchers in an academic institute. Less than a third (30%) were not affiliated with an academic institute, and 10% remained unknown. It is possible that the bloggers, due to their involvement in the academy, see the citation as a valuable mechanism even when writing in social media.

Bloggers who do not supply a name or only supply a nickname or first name were referred to as anonymous. It must be noted that we have not made inquiries about the authenticity of names; therefore, it is possible that names which appear to be authentic were pseudonyms. If bloggers linked to another page under their full name (such as an article they wrote or their Twitter account) we considered the blogger to be non-anonymous. Most bloggers chose to blog under their full name. Out of the 135 bloggers in our sample only 22 (16%) blogged anonymously.

Limitations

Our study has several limitations: blogs are dynamic by nature. They open, close, join a network or leave it, add authors or lose them at a rapid pace. Hence our blogs may have changed since they were assessed. Moreover, we assumed the bloggers’ profiles to be authentic and up-to-date, but could not fully verify this. We focused on non-commercial blogs from one aggregator with 1–2 authors, and chose fairly established blogs. Our sample included only blogs which cite their sources in an academic style and post to the RB aggregator. Our characterization might therefore only be true for the blogs in our sample, rather than the general science blogs population. In particular, our sample may have biases towards disciplines in which RB is well known and towards bloggers that promote their blogs by submitting them to RB.

Summary and Conclusions

Our aim was to characterize blogs and bloggers who write about academic, peer-reviewed research. Given the familiarity of the bloggers in our sample with bibliographic citations, it is no wonder that over sixty-five percent of them are graduate students, PhDs, MDs or MD/PhDs and that 59% are currently affiliated with an academic institute. The bloggers regularly cite well-known, high-impact journals which publish multidisciplinary science (Science, Nature and PNAS) and leading niche journals, (e.g. New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Neuroscience). This confirms and adds to Groth and Gurney’s findings [26] that RB posts about chemistry often cite papers from high-impact journals either because of these papers’ scientific importance or because of the reputation of the journals. In addition, the bloggers might be reflecting the mainstream media’s tendency to cover papers from leading journals in order to criticize media coverage of scientific issues. In a post called “Dear Newspapers: Individual Studies Do Not Exist In A Vacuum” the blog Obesity Panacea ( http://blogs.plos.org/obesitypanacea/ ) cited papers from PLoS One and BMC Public Health with contradicting conclusions, in order to make the claim that the media’s tendency to report a single study at a time can cause public confusion [43] . Life science is the most popular blog category (39%) as well as the biggest subject category (43%), much like in the current RB post population (about 9,000 of 20,600, or around 43% of the posts, were tagged under “biology” in September 2011), confirming a previous analysis showing that the “biology” tag comprised 32% of the RB tags [28] . This high number of life science blogs and posts may be connected to the high number of post-doctorate positions in life science and medicine [29] , as well as to the rising number of life science doctorates awarded [31] . Authors and readers from other disciplines may also not be as familiar with RB as those from the life sciences.

Most (84%) bloggers apparently blog under their real name. This high percentage suggests that science bloggers see their blog, if not as a career enhancer, then at least as career-neutral. RB aggregates blogs in several languages, but the bloggers mostly (86%) blog in English. Seventy-two percent of the blogs have active Twitter accounts. In comparison, only 2.5% of the academics studied by Priem and colleagues [44] had active Twitter accounts. The high percentage of Twitter accounts belonging to blogs and the number of accounts following popular blogs show that many of the bloggers are information disseminators in more than one social medium. Twenty-eight Twitter accounts belonging to bloggers in our sample both follow and are being followed by ten or more bloggers from the sample, showing that there is a core of quite well connected bloggers. Moreover, since 90% of accounts followed another account from the sample, and 82% of accounts had a follower from the sample, it seems reasonable to view the Twitter accounts as at least loosely interconnected.

We found a lack of gender balance in the science blogging gender distribution, with 72% of the blogs being written by one or two male authors. This is in line with studies of Wikipedia [32] – [33] and about the general distribution of RB bloggers [34] . While RB is open to any kind of blogging which refers to peer-reviewed research, its highest tagging coverage is mostly in the science & engineering fields, in which women made up in 2006 only about 40% of the PhDs and 29% of the full-time doctoral faculty [31] , [45] . Fields such as education, history and literature are only represented as subtags.

In conclusion, the sample’s science blogs share characteristics with other means of scientific discourse. We believe that tracking and recording this communication will become a part of future research evaluation metrics.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Funding: This work was supported by a European Union grant by the 7th Framework Programme. It is part of the Academic Careers Understood through Measurement and Norms (ACUMEN) project (contract 266632) ( http://research-acumen.eu/ ). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Stephen Ornes

Large Language Models’ Emergent Abilities Are a Mirage

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine .

Two years ago, in a project called the Beyond the Imitation Game benchmark , or BIG-bench, 450 researchers compiled a list of 204 tasks designed to test the capabilities of large language models , which power chatbots like ChatGPT. On most tasks, performance improved predictably and smoothly as the models scaled up—the larger the model, the better it got. But with other tasks, the jump in ability wasn’t smooth. The performance remained near zero for a while, then performance jumped. Other studies found similar leaps in ability.

The authors described this as “breakthrough” behavior; other researchers have likened it to a phase transition in physics, like when liquid water freezes into ice. In a paper published in August 2022, researchers noted that these behaviors are not only surprising but unpredictable, and that they should inform the evolving conversations around AI safety , potential, and risk. They called the abilities “ emergent ,” a word that describes collective behaviors that only appear once a system reaches a high level of complexity.

But things may not be so simple. A new paper by a trio of researchers at Stanford University posits that the sudden appearance of these abilities is just a consequence of the way researchers measure the LLM’s performance. The abilities, they argue, are neither unpredictable nor sudden. “The transition is much more predictable than people give it credit for,” said Sanmi Koyejo , a computer scientist at Stanford and the paper’s senior author. “Strong claims of emergence have as much to do with the way we choose to measure as they do with what the models are doing.”

We’re only now seeing and studying this behavior because of how large these models have become. Large language models train by analyzing enormous data sets of text —words from online sources including books, web searches, and Wikipedia—and finding links between words that often appear together. The size is measured in terms of parameters, roughly analogous to all the ways that words can be connected. The more parameters, the more connections an LLM can find. GPT-2 had 1.5 billion parameters, while GPT-3.5, the LLM that powers ChatGPT, uses 350 billion. GPT-4, which debuted in March 2023 and now underlies Microsoft Copilot , reportedly uses 1.75 trillion.

That rapid growth has brought an astonishing surge in performance and efficacy, and no one is disputing that large enough LLMs can complete tasks that smaller models can’t, including ones for which they weren’t trained. The trio at Stanford who cast emergence as a “mirage” recognize that LLMs become more effective as they scale up; in fact, the added complexity of larger models should make it possible to get better at more difficult and diverse problems. But they argue that whether this improvement looks smooth and predictable or jagged and sharp results from the choice of metric—or even a paucity of test examples—rather than the model’s inner workings.

Lauren Goode

Karen Williams

William Turton

Three-digit addition offers an example. In the 2022 BIG-bench study, researchers reported that with fewer parameters, both GPT-3 and another LLM named LAMDA failed to accurately complete addition problems. However, when GPT-3 trained using 13 billion parameters, its ability changed as if with the flip of a switch. Suddenly, it could add—and LAMDA could, too, at 68 billion parameters. This suggests that the ability to add emerges at a certain threshold.

But the Stanford researchers point out that the LLMs were judged only on accuracy: Either they could do it perfectly, or they couldn’t. So even if an LLM predicted most of the digits correctly, it failed. That didn’t seem right. If you’re calculating 100 plus 278, then 376 seems like a much more accurate answer than, say, −9.34.

So instead, Koyejo and his collaborators tested the same task using a metric that awards partial credit. “We can ask: How well does it predict the first digit? Then the second? Then the third?” he said.

Koyejo credits the idea for the new work to his graduate student Rylan Schaeffer, who he said noticed that an LLM’s performance seems to change with how its ability is measured. Together with Brando Miranda, another Stanford graduate student, they chose new metrics showing that as parameters increased, the LLMs predicted an increasingly correct sequence of digits in addition problems. This suggests that the ability to add isn’t emergent—meaning that it undergoes a sudden, unpredictable jump—but gradual and predictable. They find that with a different measuring stick, emergence vanishes.

Brando Miranda (left), Sanmi Koyejo, and Rylan Schaeffer (not pictured) have suggested that the “emergent” abilities of large language models are both predictable and gradual.

But other scientists point out that the work doesn’t fully dispel the notion of emergence. For example, the trio’s paper doesn’t explain how to predict when metrics, or which ones, will show abrupt improvement in an LLM, said Tianshi Li , a computer scientist at Northeastern University. “So in that sense, these abilities are still unpredictable,” she said. Others, such as Jason Wei, a computer scientist now at OpenAI who has compiled a list of emergent abilities and was an author on the BIG-bench paper, have argued that the earlier reports of emergence were sound because for abilities like arithmetic, the right answer really is all that matters.

“There’s definitely an interesting conversation to be had here,” said Alex Tamkin , a research scientist at the AI startup Anthropic. The new paper deftly breaks down multistep tasks to recognize the contributions of individual components, he said. “But this is not the full story. We can’t say that all of these jumps are a mirage. I still think the literature shows that even when you have one-step predictions or use continuous metrics, you still have discontinuities, and as you increase the size of your model, you can still see it getting better in a jump-like fashion.”

And even if emergence in today’s LLMs can be explained away by different measuring tools, it’s likely that won’t be the case for tomorrow’s larger, more complicated LLMs. “When we grow LLMs to the next level, inevitably they will borrow knowledge from other tasks and other models,” said Xia “Ben” Hu , a computer scientist at Rice University.

This evolving consideration of emergence isn’t just an abstract question for researchers to consider. For Tamkin, it speaks directly to ongoing efforts to predict how LLMs will behave. “These technologies are so broad and so applicable,” he said. “I would hope that the community uses this as a jumping-off point as a continued emphasis on how important it is to build a science of prediction for these things. How do we not get surprised by the next generation of models?”

Original story reprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine , an editorially independent publication of the Simons Foundation whose mission is to enhance public understanding of science by covering research developments and trends in mathematics and the physical and life sciences.

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300 Cutting-Edge Science Research Topics to impress Your professor

Science research forms the foundation of human knowledge and drives innovation in every aspect of our lives. Through rigorous investigation, experimentation, and analysis, we gain a deeper understanding of the world around us. That being said, it is always challenging to get started with your science research paper, but beginning with a good topic works as a stepping stone. As professional paper writing solutions  providers, we took it upon ourselves to inform you about a few topics to help you craft an impressive piece. Let’s get to read them all.

Table of Contents

Why is Science Research Important?

Before we begin reading the lists of a few science topics to research on, let’s first try to understand the importance of a scientific paper. 

Advances Our Knowledge

• Science research expands our understanding of the natural world.
• It uncovers new insights, theories, and principles.

Drives Innovation

• Scientific research leads to the development of new technologies, products, and solutions.
• It fosters innovation across various industries and sectors.

Solves Problems

• Science research tackles complex problems and challenges.
• It offers evidence-based approaches to finding solutions.

Improves Our Lives

• Scientific research contributes to advancements in healthcare, medicine, and treatments.
• It enhances the quality of life by addressing societal issues and improving living standards.

Addresses Global Challenges

• Science research is crucial in understanding and mitigating global challenges like climate change, pollution, and resource depletion.
• It helps inform sustainable practices and policy-making.

Creates a Better Future

• Scientific research contributes to creating a better future for humanity.
• It enables progress, fosters critical thinking, and paves the way for a more sustainable and innovative society.

300 Interesting Science Research Topics You Are Looking for

Opting to go with a new or unique topic will always give you an edge in writing an impressive paper. Fortunately, we have huge lists filled with such topics. So, let’s get to reading our first one without further ado. 

Science Research Paper Topics Related To COVID-19

Be prepared to dive into an interesting look at science studies related to COVID-19. Discovering essential information about the virus, its consequences, and the continuous attempts to fight and reduce its effects.

• Role of scientists in developing SOPs to control the spread of COVID
• How did science help us create the vaccine for COVID-19?
• Is it necessary to understand science when protecting residents and staff of long-term care homes from COVID-19?
• Science of mental health and Addiction in the Country during the Pandemic
• Is Covid19 more dangerous to addicts?
• Experiences of Native American communities surrounding COVID-19
• China’s Coronavirus Epidemic: what are its consequences
• After the Pandemic, China faces a new challenge: regaining control of its image and discourse
• Using the Digital Fence system in epidemic prevention is crucial
• Management of the Covid-19 epidemic by China’s social credit system
• Research projects in the humanities and social sciences for COVID 19
• Research projects related to COVID-19 in the basic sciences
• Evaluating epidemiological research projects
• in diagnostics, clinical trials, and therapeutics
• Bats in China are factories for new Coronaviruses
• Epidemiology-related research projects in the humanities and social sciences
• Are we on the brink of a novel wave of infectious disease outbreaks?
• The Covid-19 Pandemic: questions about the ability of the World to Cope with a global health crisis
• Preventive measures to ensure our collective safety
• Distribution of Victims: quality of Service and Behavior
• Mental Health Issues of patients cured of the Coronavirus Covid-19
• Distribution of respondents according to history before COVID-19 diagnosis
• COVID-19 before diagnosis
• Epidemiological comparison between the different viral respiratory infections
• Elucidating the epidemiological outbreak in the world
• Evaluation of the health of COVID19 Victims: the possibility of monitoring using technological tools
• Patients Cured of the “Covid-19” Coronavirus: Care and Evaluation
• The viral cycle of SARS-CoV-2, the molecular structure of the virus, and host factors
• Global evolution of the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19
• A study of the applications on a mobile phone that helped combat the Coronavirus
• AI Detection Software to Detect and Analyze the Epidemiology of Coronavirus: A case study
• Scientific and Medical  Achievements Related to Covid-19

Science Research Topics for High School Students

Here’s another list of intriguing scientific research paper topics to help you with writing a good piece. 

• Recent scientific successes on the front of climate change
• A research paper on the basics of astronomy
• Harnessing the seismic potential of white dwarf stars
• Research Paper on Representations and Fusion
• Search and analysis of chemically stratified white dwarf stars
• Search for dark matter using super-heated liquid detectors
• Is dark matter natural? Have there been any solid proofs, or is it hypothetical?
• Contribution to the study of the inactivation of microorganisms by plasma
• Process improvement and the creation of experimental simulators
• Research Paper on Methods for Detecting and classifying brown dwarfs
• Research Paper on Numerical Study of self-organized Systems
• Calculations of the electronic properties of carbon compounds
• Research Paper on Survey of giant planets around nearby stars
• Molecular evidence related to human behaviour and human speech development

Unique Science Research Topics

Choosing a topic from this list will take you on a captivating journey through various science research topics encompassing cutting-edge advancements and breakthroughs.

• Determination of the structure of self-assembled peptide nanofibers
• Stress correlations in glass-forming liquids
• Research Papers Topics on the Physics of drying colloidal suspensions
• Mechanics of a sliding contact on polymer surfaces
• Nuclear observables for nucleosynthesis processes
• Synthesis and spectroscopy of boundary superheavy nuclei
• Intelligent system for neutron radiation protection at accelerators
• Conducting nanofibers from organic semiconductor polymers
• Research Paper on Photosynthesis at the Nanoscale
• How can science help us grow more and help terminate hunger with just a few crops?
• Famous science research initiatives made related to environmental sciences
• Study of charge transfer in molecular assemblies by numerical simulation
• Development of hydrogels and sourced antibacterial films
• Sustainable Manufacturing Labs with an interdisciplinary approach
• Near-surface and near-interface materials and fluids
• Morphological analysis at ranges ranging from nanometers to decimeters
• Ultrasonic wave characterization of materials at the near surface
• Create fresh implementation plans and take recycling into account

Good Science Research Topics

Here’s another collection of good scientific research topics to captivate your curiosity.

• Coefficients of the super-algebra
• Hepatic tumors applied to stereotactic radiosurgery
• Interesting research papers topics on stem cells
• Role of science museums in the Motivation for scientific efforts
• Ultrasound elastography after endovascular repair of an aneurysm
• Detection and characterization of new circumstellar disks around low-mass stars
• Research and characterization of large-separation exoplanets
• The Effect of elastic stresses on phase separation kinetics in Alloys
• The search for brown dwarf stars in the solar neighborhood
• Study of the variability of massive stars
• Photometric study of white dwarf stars
• A brief history of science museums
• Is space exploration a viable commercial idea
• Organic farming on Mars with genetically modified crops and ideas to finding a food distribution system
• Commercial space flights: A new step towards evolution

Biology Science Research Topics

Step into the captivating realm of  biology  as we delve into a diverse array of science research titles.

• The discovery and cure of medical breakthroughs
• Analyzing the interactions between the mineral and organic worlds
• A list of human biology research topics in the trending literature
• Biological and Scientific Debates on Ethics
• Was there any molecular evidence ever found on Mars to assure the existence of life?
• The ethical dilemmas associated with biological research
• What is the importance of studying biology?
• Geological storage and deposit system that is deep in the Earth
• Research Paper: What will be the most promising topics in biology shortly?
• Earth’s primordial state and the emergence of life
• A process of mineral nucleation and growth
• The relationship between geochemistry and seismic activity
• Budget of chemicals in subduction zones
• Amorphous precursors: a strategy for the future
• Research Paper: What is space biology, and how does it relate to Mars exploration?
• Medical, cosmetic, and industrial nanotechnology Its rapid development.
• Biological constituents of soils and aquatic environments
• A central volcanic area and a climatic and biological crisis
• An investigation of the reactivity and kinetics of nucleation, growth, and dissolution of solid phases
• Famous science research projects of 2022 related to human biology
• Why are stem cell research papers important?
• Research papers ideas on stem cells
• Can artificial intelligence help diagnose human patients of cancer fast?
• What is the most effective science program for genetic abnormalities in the human body
• How animal biology made a permanent spot in modern sciences
• Cool science topics related to cancer research and genetic abnormalities
• A survey of the scientific research topics on evolutionary biology

Chemistry Science Research Topics

Pick a science best topic from this list and join us on a journey that delves into the realm of chemical reactions, materials, and the intricate workings of the microscopic world

• Study of the thermal evolution of implantation damage in silicon
• Radiation effects on pixel silicon detectors
• Scope of the chemical research in 2023
• Chemistry of the chemicals found in space resources
• Plasma spectroscopy for real-time characterization of nanomaterials
• Implants with bioactive properties for intracranial use
• What is the role of chemists in alternative energy companies?
• Catalyst supporting carbon with electroactive properties
• Evolutionary study of chemistry
• Physiology and chemistry of substances
• The Role of Islamic Scientists in the Development of Chemistry
• The life and contributions of Jaber Ben Heyman, the father of chemistry
• Protecting heritage cuprous metals
• The capture of atmospheric carbon dioxide using nanofluids
• Polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte-based solid-state batteries
• The use of CO2 gasses to synthesize molecules of high value
• Triple mesoscopic perovskites: stability and reactivity
• The age-related chemical reactivity of polymer matrices
• The relationship between mechanochemistry and biology
• The structure-property relationship of graphene nanoparticles
• Chemical engineering, chemistry, and related research tools
• Analyzing and applying chemical processes to the environment
• A molecularly imprinted polymer membrane is used to detect toxic molecules
• An organic semiconductor synthesized by electrosynthesis and chemical modification
• Characterization of acid-base interactions electrochemically

Zoology Science Research Topics

Embark on a captivating adventure into the world of zoology as we explore an array of scientific research topics dedicated to the study of animals.

• Veterinary medicine is the study of the biomedical and clinical sciences
• Detection and analysis of wildlife forensic evidence
• Scientists are studying toxicogenomics to determine how toxic substances affect the body
• Wildlife is at risk from a variety of industrial chemicals, drugs, effluents, and pesticides
• Analyzing biological samples through the development of test methods
• Using animals in research is fraught with controversy
• A study of the relationship between agriculture, land use, and ecosystems
• A study of the evolution of biology and ethology
• Veterinary science, particularly food pathologies and epidemiology, is studied in zoos.
• Can zoology research help treat cancer patients?
• Can commercial space flights help trigger an extraterrestrial migration for humans?
• Involvement in reproductive physiology research
• Genetically and taxonomically-based research

Medical Science Research Topics

Delve into a vast array of medical science by choosing a captivating topic from this list of  medical research topics .

• Promising malaria protocol to reduce transfusion-related transmission
• Treatment of cancer with cognitive behavioral therapy
• Developing, rehabilitating, and managing chronic diseases throughout life
• The reprogramming of skin cells
• How artificial intelligence can help discover and cure genetic abnormalities in humans
• Use of space resources in preparation for medicine
• Resurgent infectious diseases as a significant health threat worldwide
• How can we treat cancer patients by studying human evolution and genetic engineering?
• Using ultrasound to permeate the brain for the treatment of cancer
• The link between neuroscience and mental health
• Premature death caused by cancer is among the leading causes.

Physics Science Research Topics

Prepare to be captivated by the awe-inspiring realm of physics as we journey into diverse research topics.

• White dwarf stars studied photometrically in the infrared
• Detectors based on silicon pixels and radiation effects
• An approach to molecular dynamics based on tight-binding approximations
• Quantum Hall effect and non-commutative geometry
• Physicochemical etching of high-density plasma: a fundamental study
• At high energies, vector boson scattering occurs
• How to use space resources effectively and end the energy crisis
• Electrolytic cells and magnetohydrodynamic stability
• Molecular crystal charge transport studied from energy bands
• The study of energy transfer mechanisms from a theoretical perspective
• Research Paper on Molecular crystals and their electronic properties
• AFM imaging based on atomic force microscopy
• Performing a transient absorption experiment at femtoseconds
• Research Paper on Detector Response to Neutrons of deficient energy
• Managing phase separation in active systems
• Active materials: topological defects and many-body physics

The first step of writing a good research paper is to pick a good topic. Ensure the one you choose must have relevant data available that is both credible and supportive with evidence. This interesting article was all about letting you know about scientific topics for research. If you still need help picking up a topic or writing your science research paper, don’t hesitate to count on  our writers .

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