Nature Wants Your Input on Scientific Metrics

Nature is running an Opinion piece from Julia Lane, the Program Director of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Science of Science and Innovation Policy.  Nature‘s editorial staff is keeping it available for free online to facilitate discussion and response to the piece.

The main thrust of the article is that steps need to be taken to move beyond the current flawed metrics for measuring and assessing scientific productivity.  Acknowledging the good efforts of many groups in this area, Dr. Lane argues that a main challenge is making all of these new measures interoperable – easily accessible to researchers in the area of science metrics regardless of software or proprietary information.  That could be as big of a hassle as figuring out new, more effective measures of determining what scientific work (and researchers) need more support and encouragement.

The benefits of standardization and openness in the collection and distribution of new research metrics can be time and money savings.  Unfortunately, the article suffers from the same problem as the Science of Science and Innovation program – a noted disconnect from better information about science and better information about science policy.  But I’m used to that by now.

Nature will keep the article available for the next several days for comments.  You will need to register to post comments, and I hope that you do post.