Publication pressure threatens the integrity of palaeontological research

Raja, Nussaïbah B.; Dunne, Emma

doi:10.31223/x5v32z

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…We include some of these here among our initial recommendations based on our results that should be adopted in paleontology to transform the discipline into a more inclusive and equitable one. (13). This individualistic nature of the current system can often deter researchers from collaborative capacity building (53).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While these discussions are ongoing, the status quo is maintained and researchers from lower income countries continue to face additional barriers with respect to their research, such as financial or visa restrictions. Similarly, the academic publishing culture contributes to this scientific gatekeeping: high-impact publications may offer more visibility, but researchers from lower income countries are highly underrepresented on the authorship of high-impact paleontological and ecological publications (13,54) due to factors such as language barriers, governmental expenditure on research and development, and parachute research (55). Academic paywalls and exhorbitant open access charges also mean that many scientific publications exacerbate existing inequalities by restricting access to scholarly resources (56).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Charles Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle collected fossils in South America that were sent to London and studied by British paleontologists (12). These extractive research practices continue to this day within the natural sciences (13).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Colonial history and global economics distort our understanding of deep-time biodiversity

Raja¹,

Dunne²,

Matiwane³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Sampling variations in the fossil record distort estimates of past biodiversity. However, compilations of global fossil occurrences used in these analyses not only reflect the geological and spatial aspects of the fossil record, but also the historical collation of these data. Here, we demonstrate how the legacy of colonialism as well as socio-economic factors such as wealth, education and political stability impact research output in paleontology. Re- searchers in high or upper middle income countries contribute to 97% of fossil occurrence data, not only leading to spatial sampling biases but also generating a global power imbalance within the discipline. This work illustrates that our efforts to mitigate the effects of sampling biases to obtain a truly representative view of past biodiversity are not disconnected from the aim of diversifying our field.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Colonial history and global economics distort our understanding of deep-time biodiversity

Raja¹,

Dunne²,

Matiwane³

et al. 2022

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, Charles Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle collected fossils in South America that were sent to London and studied by British palaeontologists 12 . These extractive research practices continue to this day within the natural sciences 13 , but especially in palaeontology where fossils and their collection underpin the discipline 14 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Colonial history and global economics distort our understanding of deep-time biodiversity

et al. 2021

Self Cite

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Sampling biases in the fossil record distort estimates of past biodiversity. However, these biases not only reflect the geological and spatial aspects of the fossil record, but also the historical and current collation of fossil data. We demonstrate how the legacy of colonialism and socioeconomic factors, such as wealth, education and political stability, impact the global distribution of fossil data over the past 30 years. We find that a global power imbalance persists in palaeontology, with researchers in highor upper-middle-income countries holding a monopoly over palaeontological knowledge production by contributing to 97% of fossil data. As a result, some countries or regions tend to be better sampled than others, ultimately leading to heterogeneous spatial sampling across the globe. This illustrates how efforts to mitigate sampling biases to obtain a truly representative view of past biodiversity are not disconnected from the aim of diversifying and decolonizing our discipline.

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“…It is rightly said that a piece of scientific work is not finished until it is published. Moreover, and arguably more importantly, 'publish or perish' is a well-known and much-used phrase in the world of science (Raja and Dunne 2021). The pressure on technical professionals to disseminate their work as formal scientific publications has never been greater.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to get published inPalynology(or any other journal)

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2021

Palynology

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There are many published items on guidance in scientific writing, and potential authors should not try to read too many of these to prevent information overload. This article aims to advise aspiring authors on producing scientific manuscripts for publication. It is particularly aimed at early career researchers in palynology and related topics who wish to publish their work in the peer-reviewed literature. It is vitally important that your manuscript makes a good initial impression with the journal editors. This means strictly adhering to the house-style (textual format) of the respective journal, and that your work is well-illustrated, well-structured and well-written. Despite the apparent complexity of the scientific publishing process, the system is primarily designed to allow several expert third parties to critically scrutinise your work in order to ensure scientific excellence. During the production of the first draft, authors are advised to anticipate issues that may be noted by peer reviewers. Consider carefully where to submit your work to. Specifically key metrics such as the impact factor, readership and scope of journals should be assessed. You will need to navigate an online submission process hence it is critical to organise your files effectively before submitting. It is possible, even likely, that you may be asked for more than one round of peer review. Moreover, you may have to recast your work and submit it elsewhere if it is declined by your first choice journal. Ethics in publishing are very important. For example you should invite colleagues to be co-authors only if they have materially contributed to the particular manuscript, and make strenuous efforts not to use the work of others unacknowledged. Remember that many more people will read your title, abstract and keywords than the main body of the paper so pay special attention to crafting these items optimally.

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Publication pressure threatens the integrity of palaeontological research

Cited by 6 publications

References 49 publications

Colonial history and global economics distort our understanding of deep-time biodiversity

Colonial history and global economics distort our understanding of deep-time biodiversity

Colonial history and global economics distort our understanding of deep-time biodiversity

How to get published inPalynology(or any other journal)

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