By Andy Thomason. The journal Science has released a new set of comprehensive guidelines for publishing research studies in an effort to make them more transparent, The New York Times reports. The release comes after the high-profile retraction of a study that purported to measure the ease with which individuals changed their opinions on the issue of gay marriage. More...
After High-Profile Retraction, ‘Science’ Releases New Transparency Guidelines
Federal Government’s Student-Loan Watchdog Will Step Down
By Andy Thomason. Rohit Chopra, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s first student-loan ombudsman, will step down next week, he wrote in a letter on Wednesday. More...
Reactions to the Education Dept.’s Retreat on College Ratings
By Andy Thomason. People who watch higher education professionally (or, perhaps more disturbingly, for fun) were not exactly surprised to learn on Thursday morning that the Obama administration had stripped the ratings component out of its college-ratings plan. But the definitive end to what was once a pronounced platform point in President Obama’s higher-education agenda was not going to go unremarked upon. More...
Researchers Complain About Changes in Amazon Tool Used for Surveys
By Mary Ellen McIntire. This week Amazon changed the terms for a service that has become a standard tool in social-science research, and many scholars are complaining that it will mean higher costs to conduct surveys. More...
Universities Ban Smart Watches During Finals
By Mary Ellen McIntire. Some Australian universities warned students this month not to wear wristwatches during final exams, amid concerns that increasingly popular wearable technology, like the Apple Watch, could foster cheating. More...
Students in Free Courses Study, but Not as Much as Most Students Do
By Mary Ellen McIntire. Most students in free online courses don’t spend as much time doing classwork as do traditional college students, but they do log a significant number of hours, according to a new survey of more than 4,500 MOOC students by Class Central, a website that reviews free courses. More...
Professor Says Facebook Can Help Informal Learning
By Meg Bernhard. Who says Facebook is always a distraction? A new study suggests that if engaged in online debate, college students can use the popular social network to learn and develop a variety of skills. More...
Art Schools Go MOOC, With a New Online Platform
By Meg Bernhard. A new company is jumping into MOOCs, but with a focus on teaching free courses in the arts.
The new virtual art school, called Kadenze, has already teamed up with programs at 18 institutions, including Stanford and Princeton Universities, to create a digital platform designed for arts courses. More...
Latest Version of Zotero Simplifies Key Functions

As Dull as a Torpedo
By William Germano. The ongoing White House v. Congress struggle has recently involved the charge that one side wants to torpedo the other’s plan. That sounds violent, even metaphorically speaking, but torpedo has a more complicated usage history. More...