299 research outputs found

    The 100,000 most influential scientists rank : the underrepresentation of Brazilian women in academia

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    Despite the progress observed in recent years, women are still underrepresented in science worldwide, especially at top positions. Many factors contribute to women progressively leaving academia at different stages of their career, including motherhood, harassment and conscious and unconscious discrimination. Implicit bias plays a major negative role in recognition, promotions and career advancement of female scientists. Recently, a rank of the most influential scientists in the world was created based on several metrics, including the number of published papers and citations. Here, we analyzed the representation of Brazilian scientists in this rank, focusing on gender. Female Brazilian scientists are greatly underrepresented in the rank (11% in the Top 100,000; 18% in the Top 2%). Possible reasons for this observed scenario are related to the metrics used to rank scientists, which reproduce and amplify the well-known implicit bias in peer-review and citations. Male scientists have more self-citation than female scientists and positions in the rank varied when self-citations were included, suggesting that self-citation by male scientists increases their visibility. Discussions on the repercussions of such ranks are pivotal to avoid deepening the gender gap in science

    Language practices for knowledge production and dissemination : the case of Brazil

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    O uso do inglês como língua global para comunicação acadêmica e científica tem se tornado central para acelerar o progresso científico. Um número crescente de estudos no campo do Inglês para Fins de Pesquisa e Publicação (Cargill & Burgess, 2008) tem abordado uma variedade de temas relacionados a pesquisadores e acadêmicos cuja primeira língua não é o inglês (Burgess et al, 2014; Li & Flowerdew, 2009; Hanauer & Englander, 2011). No entanto, investigações sobre o contexto brasileiro ainda são escassas. A presente pesquisa aborda tal lacuna ao examinar (1) o uso das línguas portuguesa e inglesa entre as oito comunidades científicas conforme a classificação adotada pelas agências de fomento brasileiras em i) publicações (artigos em revistas acadêmicas, livros completos, capítulos de livros e artigos completos em conferências), ii) apresentações em eventos acadêmicos e iii) colaborações internacionais de pesquisa; e (2) a proficiência em língua inglesa dos acadêmicos e sua possível relação com a língua escolhida para produzir e difundir conhecimento. Duas extensas bases de dados coletadas foram analisadas através de um paradigma quantitativo: um questionário eletrônico de larga escala (Questionnaire study) e Currículos Lattes de acadêmicos que trabalham em instituições de ensino superior no Brasil (CV study). Os resultados apontaram as seguintes tendências em comum entre os dois estudos: (1) acadêmicos nas áreas de conhecimento que integram as ciências mais ‘duras' (Ciências Agrárias, Ciências Biológicas, Engenharia, Ciências Exatas e da Terra e Ciências da Saúde) tendem a usar inglês para produzir e difundir conhecimento em uma escala muito maior do que aqueles ligados às ciências menos ‘duras’ (Ciências Sociais Aplicadas, Ciências Humanas e Linguística, Letras e Artes); (2) acadêmicos de três das cinco áreas que constituem as ciências mais 'duras' (Ciências Biológicas, Engenharia, e Ciências Exatas e da Terra) têm maior proficiência autoavaliada em língua inglesa em relação àqueles das outras áreas de conhecimento, e acadêmicos na área de Ciências Humanas têm menor proficiência autoavaliada em língua inglesa em comparação àqueles de todas as outras 8 áreas de conhecimento. Portanto, a preferência do inglês em relação ao português por acadêmicos de Ciências Biológicas, Engenharia e Ciências Exatas e da Terra poderia estar associada ao fato de apresentarem uma autoavaliação mais alta na proficiência dessa língua, entre vários outros fatores que influenciam as práticas linguísticas para produção e difusão de conhecimento. Os resultados obtidos podem fornecer elementos para a implementação de políticas nacionais e institucionais, bem como investimentos no ensino superior brasileiro, visando fornecer apoio linguístico para atender às necessidades de diferentes comunidades disciplinares e melhorar a proficiência em língua inglesa de seus membros.The use of English as a global common language for academic and scientific communication has become central to accelerate scientific progress. This has stimulated a growing number of studies in the field of English for Research and Publication Purposes (Cargill & Burgess, 2008) focusing on non-anglophone scholars (Burgess et al, 2014; Li & Flowerdew, 2009; Hanauer & Englander, 2011). However, investigations about the Brazilian context are still scarce. The present research addresses this gap by examining (1) the use of the English and Portuguese languages in the eight disciplinary communities according to the classification of Brazilian funding agencies in i) publications (articles in academic journals, full books, book chapters, and full papers in conference proceedings), ii) presentations given in academic events, and iii) international research collaborations; and (2) scholars’ English proficiency and its potential relationship with the language used to share knowledge. Two large datasets were analyzed under quantitative paradigm: a large-scale online questionnaire (Questionnaire study), and Lattes CVs of scholars working in Brazil’s higher education (HE) institutions (CV study). Common trends were identified in the results of both studies: (1) scholars in the fields that integrate the ‘harder’ sciences (Agricultural Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, Exact and Earth Sciences, and Health Sciences) tend to use English to produce and disseminate knowledge to a much greater extent than those in the ‘softer’ sciences (Applied Social Sciences, Human Sciences, and Linguistics, Literature, and Arts); and (2) academics from three of the five fields that integrate the ‘harder’ sciences (Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Exact and Earth Sciences) have higher self-rated English proficiency than the other fields, and scholars in the field of Human Sciences have lower self-rated English proficiency in comparison to all other fields. Therefore, the preference of English over Portuguese by Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Exact and Earth Sciences scholars might be associated with their higher self-rated English proficiency, among various other factors that influence 10 knowledge production and dissemination language practices. It is hoped that the results obtained can inform national and institutional language policies and investments in Brazilian HE institutions, so as to provide language support to meet the needs of scholars from different disciplinary communities and to improve their English proficiency

    Gender, race and parenthood impact academic productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic : from survey to action

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    The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is altering dynamics in academia, and people juggling remote work and domestic demands – including childcare – have felt impacts on their productivity. Female authors have faced a decrease in paper submission rates since the beginning of the pandemic period. The reasons for this decline in women’s productivity need to be further investigated. Here, we analyzed the influence of gender, parenthood and race on academic productivity during the pandemic period based on a survey answered by 3,345 Brazilian academics from various knowledge areas and research institutions. Productivity was assessed by the ability to submit papers as planned and to meet deadlines during the initial period of social isolation in Brazil. The findings revealed that male academics – especially those without children – are the least affected group, whereas Black women and mothers are the most impacted groups. These impacts are likely a consequence of the well-known unequal division of domestic labor between men and women, which has been exacerbated during the pandemic. Additionally, our results highlight that racism strongly persists in academia, especially against Black women. The pandemic will have long-term effects on the career progression of the most affected groups. The results presented here are crucial for the development of actions and policies that aim to avoid further deepening the gender gap in academia

    The Rationale for Sponsoring Students to Undertake International Study: An Assessment of National Student Mobility Scholarship Programmes

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    This research, driven in partnership by the British Council and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), looks at the reasons why some national governments invest in supporting outward mobility scholarship programmes. The study aims to improve our understanding of why governments sponsor these programmes; how they are designed, administered, and funded; who participates and where they study; and what impact the programmes are having.The report contains detailed case studies of 11 countries and their approaches to national outward mobility scholarship programmes, with comparative case study analysis and recommendations for countries looking to establish or develop outward mobility scholarship programmes

    Metainterpretação: Quinze Anos de Pesquisa com o Relatório da Administração

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    This paper deals with Brazilian empirical research published in journals between 2000 and mid-2015 that used, as a source of data, the Management Reports (MRs) released by publicly-traded companies together with their financial statements. MRs differ from each other, both in form as well as in substance, and due to this as well as to their other characteristics, they prove attractive for academic studies interested in official company discourse, more so because they involve documents that are public and retrievable over time, covering a substantial range of typically larger companies from different economic sectors. Driven by these characteristics, the goal of this study was to understand the way the academic world understands and uses the MR. The paper favored an interpretivist viewpoint, but used the triangulation allowed by the use of qualitative (content analysis) and quantitative (statistical, sociometric, and bibliometric analyses) methods. It was concluded that, for the core group of experts who dealt with the document, the MR is biased, incomplete, questionable, unclear, laborious, uncertain, but also useful - in the absence of another -, comprehensive, available, and retrievable over time. And it lends itself to the interest of company directors by increasing their value and at the same time legitimizing their companies, incorporating into discourse the use of contemporary management practices, consistent with the expectations of stakeholders. Finally, it suggests the possibility, unexplored in the articles analyzed, of employing the MR to study the dynamics of the institutionalization of administrative practices among companies in the country.Este trabalho lida com as investigações empíricas brasileiras publicadas em periódicos entre 2000 e meados de 2015 e que utilizaram - como fonte de dados - o Relatório da Administração (RA) divulgado pelas empresas de capital aberto junto com as demonstrações financeiras. Os RA são diversos entre si, tanto na substância quanto na forma, constituindo-se, por essa e por suas outras características, em atrativo para pesquisas acadêmicas interessadas no discurso oficial das empresas, ainda mais sendo aqueles documentos públicos e recuperáveis ao longo do tempo, cobrindo uma gama considerável de empresas, tipicamente, de maior porte, de diversos setores econômicos. Compelido por tais atributos, o objetivo deste estudo foi apreender a forma com que a academia científica entende e utiliza o RA. O trabalho privilegiou a ótica interpretativista, mas recorreu à triangulação permitida pelo uso de métodos qualitativos (análise de conteúdo) e quantitativos (análises estatísticas, sociométricas e bibliométricas). Concluiu-se que, para o grupo central de especialistas que lidaram com o documento, o RA é enviesado, incompleto, contestável, dúbio, trabalhoso, incerto, mas também útil - na falta de outro -, abrangente, disponível e recuperável ao longo do tempo; e se presta ao interesse dos diretores de empresas em, simultaneamente, valorizar-se e legitimar as suas companhias, incorporando em discurso o emprego de práticas contemporâneas de gestão, coerentes com as expectativas daqueles destinatários dos RA. Ao final, sugere-se a possibilidade, não explorada nos artigos analisados, de empregar o RA para acompanhar a dinâmica da institucionalização de práticas administrativas entre as empresas do país

    Study on open science: The general state of the play in Open Science principles and practices at European life sciences institutes

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    Nowadays, open science is a hot topic on all levels and also is one of the priorities of the European Research Area. Components that are commonly associated with open science are open access, open data, open methodology, open source, open peer review, open science policies and citizen science. Open science may a great potential to connect and influence the practices of researchers, funding institutions and the public. In this paper, we evaluate the level of openness based on public surveys at four European life sciences institute

    Congress UPV Proceedings of the 21ST International Conference on Science and Technology Indicators

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    This is the book of proceedings of the 21st Science and Technology Indicators Conference that took place in València (Spain) from 14th to 16th of September 2016. The conference theme for this year, ‘Peripheries, frontiers and beyond’ aimed to study the development and use of Science, Technology and Innovation indicators in spaces that have not been the focus of current indicator development, for example, in the Global South, or the Social Sciences and Humanities. The exploration to the margins and beyond proposed by the theme has brought to the STI Conference an interesting array of new contributors from a variety of fields and geographies. This year’s conference had a record 382 registered participants from 40 different countries, including 23 European, 9 American, 4 Asia-Pacific, 4 Africa and Near East. About 26% of participants came from outside of Europe. There were also many participants (17%) from organisations outside academia including governments (8%), businesses (5%), foundations (2%) and international organisations (2%). This is particularly important in a field that is practice-oriented. The chapters of the proceedings attest to the breadth of issues discussed. Infrastructure, benchmarking and use of innovation indicators, societal impact and mission oriented-research, mobility and careers, social sciences and the humanities, participation and culture, gender, and altmetrics, among others. We hope that the diversity of this Conference has fostered productive dialogues and synergistic ideas and made a contribution, small as it may be, to the development and use of indicators that, being more inclusive, will foster a more inclusive and fair world

    The Brazilian policy of funding scholarship abroad :the case of CAPES

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    This thesis is a study on the Brazilian policy of funding scholarships abroad for postgraduate studies. The main purpose of this research is to analyse the changing rationale for this type of investment over time. The focus of the investigation is on the Programme of Scholarships Abroad of CAPES, a major funding agency of scholarships for postgraduate studies in Brazil and abroad. To do this, the research was conceptualised in two distinct layers of investigation. The first layer referred to the historical processes that have shaped the issue of education abroad in Brazil. In the other layer of investigation, the way the policy of CAPES was and is put into practice was examined. To link these two layers of investigation, research interviews with people who know the Brazilian academic environment well were conducted. In order to develop these themes, the thesis has been strategically divided into six chapters. Chapter One is the Introduction when the problem is located, the strategy adopted to develop the topic is explained, and the concepts most used in the research are defined. Chapter Two provides a historical review of the custom of studying abroad among Brazilian upper classes, from colonial times up to the early twentieth century. Chapter Three describes the emergence of an institutional infrastructure to build up high-level personnel, from the fifties onwards. Chapter IV provides a type of more detailed information on what scholarships abroad consist in practice, where a set of numerical data is offered. Chapter V is the analysis of the interviews collected during the fieldwork. Finally, the closing Chapter VI is an attempt to bring together the evidence gathered throughout this study and to present an overall interpretation of the role of the policy of scholarships in Brazil
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