Skip to main content

Launch of Sheffield Metascience Network (MetaNet)

Launch of Sheffield Metascience Network (MetaNet)

This workshop aims to bring together researchers across the University Sheffield with an interest in metascience, or research on research.

Book here.

About this Event

Worldwide, interest continues to intensify in how research is funded, practiced and evaluated, and in how research systems and culture can become more robust, open, inclusive and impactful. A growing number of researchers, from diverse disciplinary starting points, are applying novel methods, network and data analysis to the scientific process itself. But research on research—sometimes called metascience, meta-research or science of science—remains poorly joined-up. More effort is needed to develop theoretical frameworks, standardize methods, strengthen networks, and test the transferability of approaches from one context to others.

Sheffield is active across these agendas: for example, through its membership of the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN); its recent appointment of a Research Practice Lead; and its role as a founding partner in the Research on Research Institute (RoRI), alongside Wellcome Trust, Leiden University and the data firm Digital Science.

This workshop has three aims:

  • To connect Sheffield researchers and staff involved in, or supportive of, metascience and research on research;
  • To hear more about a handful of projects and initiatives in this area that involve Sheffield researchers, including via RoRI and UKRN;
  • To launch a Sheffield Metascience Network (MetaNet), to provide an informal mechanism for ongoing networking, exchange and collaboration.

Above all, we want to support stronger links between people and projects working on these agendas across the University. Everyone is welcome!

AGENDA

13:30-14:30 PART 1: RORI: PROJECTS, PROGRESS & FUTURE PROSPECTS (4 x 10 mins, plus 20 mins discussion)

Welcome, introduction and launch of Sheffield Metascience Network —Prof Sue Hartley OBE, Vice-President for Research

The Research on Research Institute: progress and prospects —James Wilsdon, Director, RoRI & Digital Science Professor of Research Policy, Information School

Exploring the landscape of research on research —Simon Porter, Director of Innovation, Digital Science / Helen Buckley Woods, Postdoctoral Research Associate, RoRI

Transforming ‘excellence’: definitions, applications & alternatives to excellence in the evaluation, management and measurement of research —Prof Stephen Pinfield, Associate Director, RoRI & Professor of Information Services Management, Information School

DISCUSSION, including of RoRI Phase 2 (20 minutes)

14:30 BREAK (10 mins)

14:40-15:40 PART 2: METASCIENCE AT SHEFFIELD (4 x 10 minutes, plus 20 mins discussion)

Revolutions in reproducibility—Dr Tom Stafford, Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Cognitive Science, Dept of Psychology / Research Practice Lead, University of Sheffield

The policy landscape for reproducible and transparent research in climate change and evolutionary science —Zuzanna Zagrodzka, Sheffield/UKRN PhD studentship

Exploring the "open divide": challenges to research in low-resource settings—Dr Pamela Abbott, Senior Lecturer in Information Systems / Dr Andrew Cox, Senior Lecturer, Information School

Open Research Conversations —Rosie Higman, Research Data Manager, The University Library

DISCUSSION (20 mins)

15:40 BREAK (10 mins)

15:50 - 16:50 PART 3: METASCIENCE AT SHEFFIELD (CONT)(4 x 10 minutes, plus 20 mins discussion)

Investigating human influences in systematic reviews and meta-analyses: how does a systematic review team influence the output of research projects? —Dr Lesley Uttley, Senior Research Fellow, ScHARR

AI-assisted peer review: potential and pitfalls —Dr Alessandro Checco, Lecturer in Business Analytics, Information School

Research Culture: A survey of new PIs in the UK—Dr Alison Twelvetrees, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, SITraN

Researching the History of Research Integrity—Dr Heather Ellis, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, History

DISCUSSION (20 minutes)

16:50 CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS (chaired by James Wilsdon, RoRI)

17:00 Workshop ends

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Raspberry Pi Weather Project now live

A project to create a raspberry pi weather station is currently live in the Information School.  The Sheffield Pi weather station has been created by Romilly Close, undergraduate Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Sheffield.  The project was funded by the Sheffield Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) scheme and is being supervised by Dr Jo Bates, Paula Goodale and Fred Sonnenwald from the Information School. Information about the Sheffield Pi station and how to create your own can be found on the project website .  You can also see live data from the Sheffield Pi station on Plot.ly , and further information can also be found on the Met Office Weather Observations Website .    This work compliments the School’s existing project entitled ‘The Secret Life of a Weather Datum’ which explores socio-cultural influences on weather data.  This project is funded under the AHRC’s Digital Transformations Big Data call.  It aims to pilot a new approach to im

Our Chemoinformatics Group wins Jason Farradane Award

The Information School's Chemoinformatics Research Group has been awarded the 2012 UKeiG Jason Farradane Award , in recognition of its outstanding 40 year contribution to the information field. The prize is awarded to the three current members of the group,  Professor Val Gillet , Dr John Holliday and Professor Peter Willett . The judges recognised the Group's status as one of the world's leading centres of chemoinformatics research, a major contributor to the field of information science, and an exemplar in raising the profile of the information profession. The School has a long association with the Farradane prize. Its second recipient was long time member of staff Professor Mike Lynch in 1980.

Professor Mike Thelwall gives inaugural lecture

Professor of Data Science Mike Thelwall recently gave his inaugural lecture at the University of Sheffield, entitled  How helpful are AI and bibliometrics for assessing the quality of academic research? The lecture, delivered in the University's Diamond building, was introduced by Head of the Information School Professor Briony Birdi. It covered Mike's research into whether Artificial Intelligence can inform - or replace - expert peer review in the journal article publication process and what this could look like, as well as to what extent bibliometrics and citation statistics can play a role in assessing the quality of a piece of research. Mike also discussed whether tools like ChatGPT can accurately detect research quality. The inaugural lecture was well attended by colleagues from around the University.