Alberto Baccini
@albertobaccini.bsky.social
Professor of Quantitative studies of science, University of Siena, Italy. One of the founders of http://roars.it
Bug in Springer Nature metadata may be causing ‘significant, systemic’ citation inflation retractionwatch.com/2025/11/11/b...
Bug in Springer Nature metadata may be causing ‘significant, systemic’ citation inflation
Millions of researchers could be affected by a “dramatic distortion of citation counts” likely caused by flaws in how the academic publishing giant Springer Nature handles article metadata, accordi…
retractionwatch.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Bug in Springer Nature metadata may be causing ‘significant, systemic’ citation inflation retractionwatch.com/2025/11/11/b...
La proposta di riforma dell’ANVUR rende finalmente evidente ciò che da anni era solo implicito: l’Agenzia è lo strumento con cui il governo attua il controllo centralizzato e indirizza le attività di università e ricerca. www.roars.it/valutare-e-o...
Valutare e obbedire. Il Governo vuole il controllo totale di ANVUR
La proposta di riforma dell'ANVUR rende finalmente evidente ciò che da anni era solo implicito: l’Agenzia è lo strumento con cui il governo attua il controllo centralizzato e indirizza le attività di ...
www.roars.it
October 20, 2025 at 2:41 PM
La proposta di riforma dell’ANVUR rende finalmente evidente ciò che da anni era solo implicito: l’Agenzia è lo strumento con cui il governo attua il controllo centralizzato e indirizza le attività di università e ricerca. www.roars.it/valutare-e-o...
Nel deserto lasciato dalla guerra, l'università deve parlare www.roars.it/nel-deserto-... @filippobelloc.bsky.social
Nel deserto lasciato dalla guerra, l’università deve parlare
Fatta — o forse solo dichiarata — la pace, resta il deserto che la guerra ha lasciato. Ora tocca a noi. Alle università spetta la responsabilità più difficile: la ricostruzione culturale, la progettaz...
www.roars.it
October 17, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Nel deserto lasciato dalla guerra, l'università deve parlare www.roars.it/nel-deserto-... @filippobelloc.bsky.social
Reposted by Alberto Baccini
Grateful that @lonnibesancon.bsky.social, @gcabanac.cpesr.fr, Cyril Labbe and Alexander Magazinov chose to donate the proceeds of their ASIS&T Best Paper Award for 2025 to the @elisabethbik.bsky.social Fund to support the work of sleuths.
More here: centerforscientificintegrity.org/our-projects...
More here: centerforscientificintegrity.org/our-projects...
“Sneaked references: Fabricated reference metadata distort citation counts” Chosen for 2025 Best JASIST Paper Award
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that “Sneaked references: Fabricated reference metadata distort citation counts,” written by Lonni Besançon, Guil...
www.asist.org
August 25, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Grateful that @lonnibesancon.bsky.social, @gcabanac.cpesr.fr, Cyril Labbe and Alexander Magazinov chose to donate the proceeds of their ASIS&T Best Paper Award for 2025 to the @elisabethbik.bsky.social Fund to support the work of sleuths.
More here: centerforscientificintegrity.org/our-projects...
More here: centerforscientificintegrity.org/our-projects...
Reposted by Alberto Baccini
Data-visualization researcher @lonnibesancon.bsky.social has faced online abuse, threats and legal challenges. But he remains proud of his service to science and society. He hopes young scientists will get involved in scientific sleuthing: spklr.io/63328BEc6p
The COVID-19 pandemic transformed this scientist into a research-integrity sleuth
Lonni Besançon has faced online abuse, threats and legal challenges. But he remains proud of his service to science and society.
spklr.io
July 24, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Data-visualization researcher @lonnibesancon.bsky.social has faced online abuse, threats and legal challenges. But he remains proud of his service to science and society. He hopes young scientists will get involved in scientific sleuthing: spklr.io/63328BEc6p
Dietro la facciata neutrale delle regole formali, i panel VQR in area economica mostrano legami fitti e opachi, dominati da gruppi accademici vicini all’università Bocconi.
July 21, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Dietro la facciata neutrale delle regole formali, i panel VQR in area economica mostrano legami fitti e opachi, dominati da gruppi accademici vicini all’università Bocconi.
Reposted by Alberto Baccini
AI summaries kill search traffic. This has been an obvious consequence of Google's AI summary strategy since its inception.
Apparently the training data is so valuable that Google is willing to risk the neck of the goose that lays golden eggs.
Screenshot: thebullshitmachines.com/lesson-9-blu...
Apparently the training data is so valuable that Google is willing to risk the neck of the goose that lays golden eggs.
Screenshot: thebullshitmachines.com/lesson-9-blu...
July 5, 2025 at 7:38 AM
AI summaries kill search traffic. This has been an obvious consequence of Google's AI summary strategy since its inception.
Apparently the training data is so valuable that Google is willing to risk the neck of the goose that lays golden eggs.
Screenshot: thebullshitmachines.com/lesson-9-blu...
Apparently the training data is so valuable that Google is willing to risk the neck of the goose that lays golden eggs.
Screenshot: thebullshitmachines.com/lesson-9-blu...
Reposted by Alberto Baccini
How about a podcast on research integrity featuring big names in the field (e.g., @elisabethbik.bsky.social) and, incidentally, yours truly? Go listen to
open.spotify.com/show/2AuVl4w...
open.spotify.com/show/2AuVl4w...
June 24, 2025 at 9:24 AM
How about a podcast on research integrity featuring big names in the field (e.g., @elisabethbik.bsky.social) and, incidentally, yours truly? Go listen to
open.spotify.com/show/2AuVl4w...
open.spotify.com/show/2AuVl4w...
L’accademia dei Lincei ha da poco assegnato i premi Feltrinelli. Quest’anno il premio Feltrinelli per la medicina, consistente in €100.000, è stato assegnato a Carlo M. Croce. Hanno fatto bene? www.roars.it/i-lincei-pre...
I Lincei premiano Carlo M. Croce. Hanno fatto bene?
L'accademia dei Lincei ha da poco assegnato i premi Feltrinelli. Quest'anno il premio Feltrinelli per la medicina, consistente in €100.000, è stato assegnato a Carlo M. Croce.
Questa la motivazione: ...
www.roars.it
June 23, 2025 at 6:37 AM
L’accademia dei Lincei ha da poco assegnato i premi Feltrinelli. Quest’anno il premio Feltrinelli per la medicina, consistente in €100.000, è stato assegnato a Carlo M. Croce. Hanno fatto bene? www.roars.it/i-lincei-pre...
Reposted by Alberto Baccini
Ajan Reginald, formerly of Celixir infamy, should apply to the FDA. It's a coin toss whether the dynamic duo approve or decline to approve products on any given day. Likely there's special speedy path for packs of lies purporting to be biologics.
June 20, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Ajan Reginald, formerly of Celixir infamy, should apply to the FDA. It's a coin toss whether the dynamic duo approve or decline to approve products on any given day. Likely there's special speedy path for packs of lies purporting to be biologics.
Reposted by Alberto Baccini
Springer-Nature launched a series of "Discover" journals that closely mimic MDPI titles -- sharing *identical* journal names, and likely similar business model.
What is going on, and why researcher will - as always - fall for it?
A 🧵
the-strain-on-scientific-publishing.github.io/website/post...
What is going on, and why researcher will - as always - fall for it?
A 🧵
the-strain-on-scientific-publishing.github.io/website/post...
Springer Nature Discovers MDPI – The Strain on Scientific Publishing
Home page for the paper ‘The Strain on Scientific Publishing’ by Mark A Hanson, Dan Brockington, Paolo Crosetto and Pablo Gomez Barreiro
the-strain-on-scientific-publishing.github.io
June 15, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Springer-Nature launched a series of "Discover" journals that closely mimic MDPI titles -- sharing *identical* journal names, and likely similar business model.
What is going on, and why researcher will - as always - fall for it?
A 🧵
the-strain-on-scientific-publishing.github.io/website/post...
What is going on, and why researcher will - as always - fall for it?
A 🧵
the-strain-on-scientific-publishing.github.io/website/post...
Finally out my critical reflection on #CoARA. doi.org/10.1093/rese...
Preprint available here: arxiv.org/abs/2408.05587
Preprint available here: arxiv.org/abs/2408.05587
June 12, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Finally out my critical reflection on #CoARA. doi.org/10.1093/rese...
Preprint available here: arxiv.org/abs/2408.05587
Preprint available here: arxiv.org/abs/2408.05587
"Science was born in Italy, and that’s where they will kill and bury it". A newsletter full of Italian scientists forbetterscience.com/2025/06/06/s...
Schneider Shorts 6.06.2025 – Researchers with High Citation and Publication Counts
Schneider Shorts 6.06.2025 – one anti-qualified troll to judge all scientists in Italy, another asks Trump for $50 billion, with a celebrated Thai couple, a russian in America, an incredible …
forbetterscience.com
June 6, 2025 at 6:32 AM
"Science was born in Italy, and that’s where they will kill and bury it". A newsletter full of Italian scientists forbetterscience.com/2025/06/06/s...
Dear @qeios.bsky.social Editor,
I must respectfully but firmly ask that you refrain from sending me further review invitations until the “Highly Cited” badge is removed from your author/reviewer classification system.
I must respectfully but firmly ask that you refrain from sending me further review invitations until the “Highly Cited” badge is removed from your author/reviewer classification system.
June 3, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Dear @qeios.bsky.social Editor,
I must respectfully but firmly ask that you refrain from sending me further review invitations until the “Highly Cited” badge is removed from your author/reviewer classification system.
I must respectfully but firmly ask that you refrain from sending me further review invitations until the “Highly Cited” badge is removed from your author/reviewer classification system.
Reposted by Alberto Baccini
The august facades and impeccable decorum of our great institutions arise from fortunes built on slavery and murder. As WH Auden noted of Oxford: "Knowledge is conceived in the hot womb of Violence".
This ritual cannibalism is perfectly symbolic of the whole.
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
This ritual cannibalism is perfectly symbolic of the whole.
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Oxford academics drank from cup made from human skull, book reveals
Decades-long use of chalice at Worcester College highlights violent colonial history of looted human remains, says Prof Dan Hicks
www.theguardian.com
April 22, 2025 at 2:21 PM
The august facades and impeccable decorum of our great institutions arise from fortunes built on slavery and murder. As WH Auden noted of Oxford: "Knowledge is conceived in the hot womb of Violence".
This ritual cannibalism is perfectly symbolic of the whole.
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
This ritual cannibalism is perfectly symbolic of the whole.
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
CoARA, and, more broadly, any reform agenda
focused exclusively on improving evaluative technologies, cannot achieve on its own, unless it is
accompanied by a more fundamental rethinking of the role, purpose, and governance of research
evaluation itself. arxiv.org/pdf/2408.05587
focused exclusively on improving evaluative technologies, cannot achieve on its own, unless it is
accompanied by a more fundamental rethinking of the role, purpose, and governance of research
evaluation itself. arxiv.org/pdf/2408.05587
arxiv.org
April 22, 2025 at 7:47 AM
CoARA, and, more broadly, any reform agenda
focused exclusively on improving evaluative technologies, cannot achieve on its own, unless it is
accompanied by a more fundamental rethinking of the role, purpose, and governance of research
evaluation itself. arxiv.org/pdf/2408.05587
focused exclusively on improving evaluative technologies, cannot achieve on its own, unless it is
accompanied by a more fundamental rethinking of the role, purpose, and governance of research
evaluation itself. arxiv.org/pdf/2408.05587
Reposted by Alberto Baccini
The situation in Cardiff of police using live facial recognition cameras "to keep visitors safe" and then giving penalties for wearing a face covering in public should be a national call to action but people really believe "nothing to hide, nothing to fear"
www.south-wales.police.uk/news/south-w...
www.south-wales.police.uk/news/south-w...
Extra Live Facial Recognition cameras to be deployed in Cardiff city centre to keep visitors safe
South Wales Police will be deploying additional live facial recognition cameras in Cardiff during this year’s Six Nations rugby internationals.
www.south-wales.police.uk
March 29, 2025 at 8:03 AM
The situation in Cardiff of police using live facial recognition cameras "to keep visitors safe" and then giving penalties for wearing a face covering in public should be a national call to action but people really believe "nothing to hide, nothing to fear"
www.south-wales.police.uk/news/south-w...
www.south-wales.police.uk/news/south-w...
Why does fair panel composition matter in research evaluation? How can we measure fairness? This study on Italy’s economics research assessments reveals unfair panel selection, raising concerns about results. #ResearchIntegrity doi.org/10.1007/s111...
March 26, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Why does fair panel composition matter in research evaluation? How can we measure fairness? This study on Italy’s economics research assessments reveals unfair panel selection, raising concerns about results. #ResearchIntegrity doi.org/10.1007/s111...
Reposted by Alberto Baccini
🚨Breaking | Casualties among civilians were reported in an Israeli airstrike targeting the second floor of the emergency building at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip.
⭕️ I will do my best to provide you with the latest news.
To support my family:
gofund.me/d6592e10
⭕️ I will do my best to provide you with the latest news.
To support my family:
gofund.me/d6592e10
March 23, 2025 at 8:18 PM
🚨Breaking | Casualties among civilians were reported in an Israeli airstrike targeting the second floor of the emergency building at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip.
⭕️ I will do my best to provide you with the latest news.
To support my family:
gofund.me/d6592e10
⭕️ I will do my best to provide you with the latest news.
To support my family:
gofund.me/d6592e10
La prima parte con la santificazione di DRAGHI e del PNRR è imbarazzante. Molto interessanti invece le testimonianze.
Con la riforma dell’università e i tagli decisi dal governo Meloni, gli atenei rischiano di lasciare a casa circa due terzi degli oltre trentamila tra professori, assegnisti, borsisti e ricercatori. Le storie di chi vive questa condizione, nel reportage di Alice Facchini: intern.az/1LWI
March 19, 2025 at 2:41 PM
La prima parte con la santificazione di DRAGHI e del PNRR è imbarazzante. Molto interessanti invece le testimonianze.
Reposted by Alberto Baccini
Tens of thousands of psychological measures have been created, but 79% are not reused more than twice.
In a new article in NHB lead by @faridanvari.bsky.social and @ruben.the100.ci we quantify this fragmentation in psychology's measures and propose solutions.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In a new article in NHB lead by @faridanvari.bsky.social and @ruben.the100.ci we quantify this fragmentation in psychology's measures and propose solutions.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
March 18, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Tens of thousands of psychological measures have been created, but 79% are not reused more than twice.
In a new article in NHB lead by @faridanvari.bsky.social and @ruben.the100.ci we quantify this fragmentation in psychology's measures and propose solutions.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In a new article in NHB lead by @faridanvari.bsky.social and @ruben.the100.ci we quantify this fragmentation in psychology's measures and propose solutions.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Che meraviglia le piattaforme sulle piattaforme scritte da altri.
Come Forum Disuguaglianze e Diversità sentiamo, come tanti altri , la necessità di uno scatto unitario dell’Unione Europea, ma non per un’ “Europa qualunque”. Dopo un confronto interno intenso, proponiamo una piattaforma per la manifestazione del 15 marzo.
www.editorialedomani.it/idee/comment...
www.editorialedomani.it/idee/comment...
Stringerci attorno a un’Europa bellicista non è la soluzione
Il ForumDD, come altre organizzazioni, condivide quel sentimento e avverte il bisogno di un sussulto dell’Ue. Ma non a favore di un’“Europa qualunque” e tantomeno di quella che molte sue classi dirige...
www.editorialedomani.it
March 11, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Che meraviglia le piattaforme sulle piattaforme scritte da altri.
Reposted by Alberto Baccini
« Nous sommes entrés dans une crise constitutionnelle » : la tribune de professeurs de droit américains
blog.juspoliticum.com/2025/03/08/n...
blog.juspoliticum.com/2025/03/08/n...
« Nous sommes entrés dans une crise constitutionnelle » : la tribune de professeurs de droit américains - JP blog
26 février 2025* Les signataires de cette tribune sont des professeurs et des enseignants en droit, désireux de soutenir la cause de la rule of law (prééminence du droit). Notre conviction est que n...
blog.juspoliticum.com
March 8, 2025 at 10:41 AM
« Nous sommes entrés dans une crise constitutionnelle » : la tribune de professeurs de droit américains
blog.juspoliticum.com/2025/03/08/n...
blog.juspoliticum.com/2025/03/08/n...
"Momento storico per la scuola" secondo il ministro Valditara. Si completa il programma del PD di Renzi. Ai presidi soldi in base risultati INVALSI.
www.roars.it/valditara-co...
www.roars.it/valditara-co...
Valditara completa il programma del PD renziano sulla scuola: ai presidi soldi in base risultati INVALSI
E’ un momento storico per la scuola. O almeno così lo definisce il Ministro dell’istruzione e del merito Valditara. “Soldi legati ai risultati”, titolano i giornali. In effetti la “storicità” del mom...
www.roars.it
March 3, 2025 at 5:30 PM
"Momento storico per la scuola" secondo il ministro Valditara. Si completa il programma del PD di Renzi. Ai presidi soldi in base risultati INVALSI.
www.roars.it/valditara-co...
www.roars.it/valditara-co...