From a Science Editorial...Earning Respect and Trust.

[NNadir]

R. Holden Thorpe, editor of one of the world's most prestigious journals, is pissed off, um, by arrogance:

Earning respect and trust

He remarks on the declining trust in Science in polls, and refers to recent scandals among high level scientists at the highest levels of academia, up to the rank of University Presidency, that have been in the news:

...If the Gallup poll were done now, support would likely be even lower, given recent events with university presidents, from questions about their research integrity to their explanations for policies on student speech. I’m frequently asked what can be done about all of this, especially in the realm of science. Many scientists think the challenge has largely to do with science communication, which is certainly important. But first, the scientific community must begin to conduct itself in the same manner that it is asking of the public, and that means treating everyone in the scientific community with respect...

...When I was a university administrator, I was frequently visited by graduate students who were in distress after they had informed their adviser that they did not intend to pursue an academic research career. Suddenly, their adviser became less interested in them. I was dismayed by faculty who had apparently forgotten that they worked at a school, where helping students achieve success in the life that they choose is the goal. Academic researchers should be excited for students who want to contribute to scientific publishing, education, policy, and other endeavors where science needs much more help than it does in producing more grants and papers.

Nowhere is this elitism more apparent than in the behavior I sometimes see from academics toward the staff at Science’s journals. Many seem to think that having highly cited work and membership in exclusive academies gives them license to be dismissive of others. This is pure arrogance and ignorance. Professional editors are scientists who are highly capable and trained to handle papers. Too often, an editor’s decisions are attacked as thoughtless output from an underling rather than insightful determinations from a true colleague. I have worked with both excellent academic departments and with outstanding professional editors, and talking science in both environments is equally stimulating and challenging. Furthermore, the people who handle the visual, communication, and technical details do important things that no researcher can. As it turns out, these individuals are not just among the most capable people in scientific publishing, they’re among the most capable people in the enterprise of science...

Recently my son told me that when he finishes his Ph.D. he would like to become an academic researcher. I just smiled with the knowledge that this is how graduate students are trained to think. I do think he could do better, but it's not my call to rain on the parade of a young man. Most graduate students don't make it into academia, and to my mind, this is a good thing. Academia plays an important role, but the course of the world is largely driven by industrial science.

Trust in science has become essential for human survival as we enter into environmentally tragic times. Even if it is true that industry has brought us here, it may fall to honorable science in industry to lead us back, with scientists trained in and exposed to ethical considerations. To the extent that academics look out into the world beyond their labs, it is a good thing.

Arrogance is not limited to scientists of course, but we owe to it to the future of the world to police ourselves, and I welcome Dr. Thorpe's remarks.

One sees these things; it's regrettable.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. +1. . . nt