Reporter, Science magazine. I write about scientific publishing, peer review, open science. jbrainard[[at]]aaas[[dot]]org. ... Signal: JBrainard.19 ... NewsScience[[at]]proton.mehttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3mkkt4ookfk2x#papermill ads: Not very shy. (The preprint on this new study was posted this week.) #sciencepublishing #researchintegrity https://www.science.org/content/article/thousands-shady-ads-sell-paper-authorship-cash-large-scale-investigation-finds28 Apr 2026 14:44 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkt4ookfk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3migylnztq22zThe credibility of scientific journal articles might be bolstered if they carried a score capturing their rigor, such as whether the findings could be replicated. But constructing a telltale indicator of replicability remains a challenge. #openscience @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/across-social-sciences-half-research-doesn-t-replicate01 Apr 2026 15:21 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3migylnztq22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3mhqotutkfs2g#AIagents promise to speed up ordinary online tasks, but they can also share private files publicly, delete others, and libel people. A new study examines these #AIsafety vulnerabilities. #OpenClaw #AIgovernance @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/ai-algorithms-can-become-agents-chaos23 Mar 2026 18:28 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhqotutkfs2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3mhejg3kzj22y#arXiv, the granddaddy of #preprints servers, has announced it’s splitting from Cornell U., its long-time host institution. Leaders there explain why. #OpenAccess #ScholComm @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/arxiv-pioneering-preprint-server-declares-independence-cornell18 Mar 2026 22:19 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhejg3kzj22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3mgi32bhhsk2s#preprints are seen as accelerating science – but do they accelerate #researchcareers? @science.org @sciencecareers.bsky.social #scientificpublishing #scicomm https://www.science.org/content/article/career-effects-preprints-get-mixed-reviews-biomedical-researchers07 Mar 2026 14:47 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgi32bhhsk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3mfncdkj2ok2wAre #openaccess fees that some journals charge authors too high? The Chinese Academy of Sciences, the world’s largest research institution, reportedly thinks so and plans to stop funding some, a move that could shake up #scientificpublishing. @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/major-china-funder-plans-curtail-spending-pricey-open-access-fees24 Feb 2026 23:16 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfncdkj2ok2whttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3mfc5imzhwk2yCan researchers effectively use artificial intelligence to develop better understanding and insights into the rising number of scientific research papers if the content searched is siloed by publisher? #scicomm #scientificpublishing @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/journal-giant-elsevier-unveiled-ai-tool-scans-millions-paywalled-papers-it-worth-it20 Feb 2026 12:50 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfc5imzhwk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3me2kazuaw22eMany want to use AI to accelerate science, and utilizing it to explore the growing tsunami of research articles is getting lots of attention. Measuring the quality of AI answers to questions about science is a challenge. @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/open-source-ai-program-can-answer-science-questions-better-humans04 Feb 2026 18:52 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3me2kazuaw22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3mclju5qobk2q#SpecialIssues have fueled the growth of some of the largest #OpenAccess publishers. Does a journal that allows a #GuestEditor to both plan a special issue and write many articles in it have a conflict of interest? #scicomm #peerreview @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/some-guest-editors-pack-special-issues-their-own-articles17 Jan 2026 02:09 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mclju5qobk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3mba65u7wpc2v#OpenScience costs money - think author fees/ APCs - but is assumed to provide benefits for academe, the public, and the economy. The PathOS study explored new ways to measure that. But proving a direct effect is tricky. #scientificpublishing #scicomm @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/open-science-delivering-benefits-major-study-finds-proof-sparse30 Dec 2025 20:16 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mba65u7wpc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3maejxcv4sk23@science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/u-s-senator-asks-science-provide-its-coronavirus-manuscripts-emails19 Dec 2025 20:32 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3maejxcv4sk23https://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3m5gvvcif5s2eA sequel to #Plan_S -- the carrot, not the stick. Will that approach improve what ails #scientificpublishing? #ScholarlyComm #openaccess @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/after-coalition-s-disrupted-scientific-publishing-new-plan-retreats-strict-requirements12 Nov 2025 14:56 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5gvvcif5s2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3m4qo7vmpbc2xA rapidly growing share of letters to journals may be drafted by machines, undetected by editors. Study quantifies recently ‘prolific debutante authors’ who had published no letters before 2022, when ChatGPT debuted. #academicjournals #peerreview @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/letters-scientific-journals-surge-prolific-debutante-authors-likely-use-ai03 Nov 2025 18:40 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4qo7vmpbc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3m3uzpgck222hA human reviewer's take on an AI-written paper: 'Technically correct but neither interesting nor important.' Yesterday's first-of-its-kind #Agents4Science conference, where all papers were written and reviewed by #AI, considered their promise, limitations @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/futuristic-meeting-ais-took-lead-producing-and-reviewing-all-studies23 Oct 2025 18:51 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3uzpgck222hhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lzjjcncs7k2kThe journal Science’s editorial reviews came under the microscope in a rare study using internal data it supplied. #peerreview #scientificjournals #scientificpublishing @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/whose-papers-have-edge-em-science-em-unusual-study-journal-looks-mirror23 Sep 2025 18:08 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzjjcncs7k2khttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lyo6okjrfk2tTrust but verify? #mlsky #scientificpublishing #sciencejournals @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/far-more-authors-use-ai-write-science-papers-admit-it-publisher-reports12 Sep 2025 21:15 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyo6okjrfk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lxfpfunmnk2qCan AI help identify high-volume, low-quality, “questionable” scientific journals (which some, controversially, call #predatoryjournals )? Authors of this new study emphasize aiding not replacing human evaluators of these journals. @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/ai-tool-labels-more-1000-journals-questionable-possibly-shady-practices27 Aug 2025 18:56 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxfpfunmnk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lxalejf43s2dThe idea that AI-as-scientist will replace human researchers, or augment their creativity and productivity, is drawing attention. But how soon? @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/ai-generated-scientific-hypotheses-lag-human-ones-when-put-test25 Aug 2025 18:00 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxalejf43s2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lvoqc6ydsc2iCan authors afford APCs for #openaccess publishing if NIH caps its payments for them? Institutional read-and-publish deals offer an APC-free alternative, but NIH also wants to lower the indirect cost rate to 15%, which could squeeze money for such deals. @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/nih-details-options-limiting-its-payments-open-access-publishing-fees05 Aug 2025 22:15 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvoqc6ydsc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lu4aifo7k227Are scientists citing papers without reading them? #scientificpublishing #AcademicChatter #peerreview @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/lazy-authors-one-six-scientific-papers-mischaracterize-work-they-cite16 Jul 2025 20:19 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lu4aifo7k227https://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lt3pmi72j22f#researchfraud #papermills #academicpublishing @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/journal-plagued-problematic-papers-likely-paper-mills-pauses-submissions03 Jul 2025 21:52 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt3pmi72j22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lswsjhzock2aIf getting a research grant required scoring applications from your competitors, would you apply? New evidence on this novel method, “distributed #peerreview,” at #Metascience2025. @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/should-grant-applicants-judge-competitors-proposals-unorthodox-approach-gets-two-real01 Jul 2025 23:01 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lswsjhzock2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lsckkuddik27Under a new NIH rule, the number of journal articles with #CreativeCommons licenses may soon grow. Many authors say they don't understand how CC licenses do - and don't - protect #intellectualproperty. A copyright lawyer explains. #openscience @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/what-scientists-need-know-about-sharing-and-protecting-their-published-work23 Jun 2025 21:45 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsckkuddik27https://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lr7d5tl3f22wAs AI presents new costs for scientific-society publishers, their revenues are strained. #openscience #publishingmodels #scholcomm @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/many-scientific-societies-are-losing-publishing-revenue09 Jun 2025 21:29 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lr7d5tl3f22whttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lpn36t4oyk26Is science becoming less innovative? A 2023 paper suggested many fields are. But a new study finds evidence that a growing subset of papers catalyze enduring new paths in research. #ScientificInnovation #bibliometrics @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/research-may-be-increasingly-incremental-studies-making-lasting-paradigm-shifts-are20 May 2025 21:54 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpn36t4oyk26https://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lkm7ido2j22yDOGE-driven journal cancellations at USDA's National Agricultural Library: '[like] burning down the Library of Alexandria.' #scientificpublishing #libraryscience #academiclibraries @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/doge-order-leads-journal-cancellations-u-s-agricultural-library17 Mar 2025 22:32 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkm7ido2j22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/jeffreybrainard.bsky.social/post/3lk45m3xbtk2x#bioRxiv and #medRxiv strike out on their own, as #medRxiv's preprint volume approaches its COVID-era peak. #peerreview #openscience #scientificpublishing @science.org https://www.science.org/content/article/bid-expand-biorxiv-and-medrxiv-preprint-servers-move-newly-formed-nonprofit11 Mar 2025 13:16 +0000at://did:plc:555a7lpb4g63meewg4i4gfq7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lk45m3xbtk2x