Univ. of Bern's project rewards close to 3000 euros for finding important errors in papers

 

https://19-pacheco-torgal-19.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-sad-story-of-super-scientist-who.html

Building on previous posts addressing scientific integrity (such as the one linked above), it is timely to spotlight a project (called ERROR) led by the University of Bern that offers financial rewards to individuals who successfully identify errors in scientific publications. 

Reviewers can earn up to one thousand euros per article, with additional bonuses depending on the severity of the errors uncovered—significant errors result in higher bonuses. In cases involving fraudulent errors that lead to an article's retraction, the total compensation can reach nearly 3000 euros.

It is both surprising and ironic that this project focuses on psychology papers, even though a Scopus search reveals that Medicine tops the list of fields with the most retracted papers, followed by Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology—together accounting for over 50% of all retractions. In stark contrast, psychology ranks 23rd, accounting for only 1.4% of retracted papers

It is worth noting that the issue of scientific integrity and the necessity for rigorous curation have become increasingly urgent, given the rising threat of misinformation and manipulation enabled by Artificial Intelligence, as highlighted in an article by The Economist. https://19-pacheco-torgal-19.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-economistai-generated-content-is.html

PS - In this context, the foresight of Professor Terry Young, which I had previously discussed, is now much clearer. https://pacheco-torgal.blogspot.com/2021/10/universities-should-stop-producing.html

Projecto da universidade de Berna paga até 1000 euros por erros em artigos científicos e 2650 euros no caso de erros muito graves

https://19-pacheco-torgal-19.blogspot.com/2024/03/catedratico-da-universidade-de-lisboa.html

Na sequência de posts anteriores sobre artigos "despublicados", nomeadamente aquele último do passado mês de Março de titulo "Catedrático da Universidade de Lisboa consegue reforçar ainda mais a sua maioria absoluta de artigos "despublicados", acessível no link supra, faz todo o sentido divulgar o interessante artigo do jornal Público, sobre um projecto liderado pela Universidade de Berna, que paga a quem consiga descobrir erros em artigos científicos:

“Por cada artigo verificado, os revisores recebem até mil euros, e um bónus consoante o tipo de erros encontrados – erros maiores dão bónus maiores. Se for um erro fraudulento que origina, por exemplo, a retirada de publicação do artigo, este valor pode chegar aos 2650 euros" https://www.publico.pt/2024/09/10/ciencia/noticia/apanhar-erros-ciencia-nao-precisa-parttime-ha-pague-2102378

No contexto supra, percebem-se agora muito melhor as premonitórias palavras do catedrático Terry Young, que eu já tinha comentado neste post aqui https://pacheco-torgal.blogspot.com/2021/10/universities-should-stop-producing.html

PS - A questão da integridade e da curadoria ganhou recentemente importância acrescida por conta da facilidade de desinformação e manipulação geradas pela Inteligência Artificial, vide artigo publicado na conhecida revista The Economist https://19-pacheco-torgal-19.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-economistai-generated-content-is.html

Recalling my past clash with German MP Hans Olaf-Henkel

"...if Europe was able to cut tax evasion by half that would mean an annual revenue of around 500 billion which is more than the annual total net income of 15 Google champions...."

https://pacheco-torgal.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-irritacao-do-eurodeputado-alemao-hans.html

The excerpt above is from an email I sent in 2019 to several thousand colleagues, including dozens of Members of the European Parliament-MPs. One of the recipients, Hans Olaf Henkel, was displeased with its content and expressed his frustration in a reply. 

Nonetheless, that email is only mentioned here as an introduction to the European Commission's important legal victory in a €13 billion tax dispute with Apple. Now, EU officials must continue their pursuit of the rest of the tax evaders, who cost the EU budget €1 trillion annually. This revenue is urgently needed, especially following the recent Draghi report, published yesterday, which calls for an €800 billion annual boost in European investment https://commission.europa.eu/document/97e481fd-2dc3-412d-be4c-f152a8232961_en

In Part B, "In-depth analysis and recommendations" on pages 240 and 241, it is stated that while Europe struggles to attract and retain top research talent, partly due to bureaucratic hurdles. In contrast, US universities, with concentrated financial resources and a clear focus on leading global rankings, consistently produce high-impact research. Of course, this depiction does not fully capture the broader scientific landscape in Europe. While it's true that many institutions are burdened by bureaucracy, others have significantly reduced it. A prime example is Germany’s SPRIND innovation agency, where minimizing red tape is a priority. Successful teams, for instance, are not required to provide detailed proof of how they spend their funds. https://sciencebusiness.net/news/r-d-funding/inside-germanys-sprind-innovation-agency-anti-horizon-europe

On page 214, it is also stated that in Europe 'researchers have few incentives to become entrepreneurs.' This reminds me of something I wrote several months ago when I argued that, to foster innovation in European universities, the most effective strategy is to emulate Sweden's model and reinstate the professor's privilege. The evidence clearly shows that abolishing this so-called 'privilege' was not only harmful but also counterproductive. https://pacheco-torgal.blogspot.com/2020/03/new-evidence-shows-that-abolishment-of.html

Furthermore, a crucial solution lies in the European Union introducing strict and transparent minimum standards for appointing full professors at public universities. Such measures would safeguard the integrity of academic appointments by eradicating nepotism and preventing promotions based on political influence or personal connections. It is evident that professors who have ascended the academic ladder through corrupt practices are unlikely to maintain high ethical standards.  For the European academic community to achieve global competitiveness, it must first ensure the integrity of its research. This is essential because, without a steadfast and unwavering commitment to ethical principles, genuine academic excellence will remain perpetually out of reach.