Changes
Coming to the IRB Protocol Submission Process
 As part of its ongoing effort to improve the RazorGrant
electronic research administration system, the office of the Vice
Provost for Research and Economic Development will be rolling out a
new, online Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission process in
August. The IRB is the body that ensures researchers use safe,
ethical practices when engaging in research involving human
subjects.
Our office will provide two training
opportunities for researchers to familiarize themselves with the new
system. The first is an overview and walk through of the process,
scheduled for August, for people who are already comfortable using
RazorGrant. For investigators with protocols ready to submit, we are
also offering hands-on training with the new online system in
September and October.
Look for more details on the new IRB
system on the Vice Provost for Research and Economic Development’s
website, and watch for announcements closer to the
rollout.
.
Room
Use Survey in Progress
The VPRED’s office
is meeting with department chairs and research deans to assess the
quality of data in the Room Use Survey System (RUSS) as it relates
to research space across campus. During our on-site visits, we are
discussing quality of research space, and whether there is enough
available to meet the current needs of faculty, graduate students,
undergraduate researchers, post-docs and visiting scientists. We
also want to assess space availability for incoming faculty in Fall
2017, as well as our ability to accommodate future faculty,
post-docs and graduate students. To date we have met with primary
units in Arts and Sciences that have significant dedicated research
space, and will meet with units in Engineering in May, followed by
meetings with units in Education and Agriculture.
Research
Website Has a New Look
 Research Frontiers,
the website for research news at the University of Arkansas, has a
fresh new look and improved functionality. In addition to news, the
site features blogs, a sample of recent grants, a podcast showcasing
U of A scientists, and a Field Notes section that follows students
and faculty on their research summer travels. Take a look!
How
to Spot a Predatory Journal
By Melody Herr
|
 Melody
Herr
|
An invitation from
an editor who promises swift publication in a journal with an
impressive title seems flattering. But beware! This complimentary
email may be a lure, drawing you into the jaws of a predatory
journal.
A respectable journal serves a community and
strives to ensure that it publishes only quality research. Its
editors and editorial board members have significant expertise, and
each article undergoes rigorous peer review. A predatory journal, in
contrast, doesn't require peer review, and it publishes almost
anything because it exists solely to maximize profits from author
fees.
Over the past several years, exploiting the demand
that researchers publish prolifically, this rapacious industry has
boomed. According to an estimate quoted in Nature, the number of predatory journals
now equals the number of legitimate journals. This alarming trend
not only threatens to dilute the scientific record with flawed
papers and undermine public respect for the research community. It
also threatens the credibility of individual researchers who naïvely
publish their valuable work in an unsanctioned journal.
Before submitting your work, make sure that the journal passes these
tests:
-
Is the journal indexed by the Journal Citation Reports or the Directory of Open Access Journals? Both JCR
and DOAJ insist that a listed journal adhere to best practices for
scientific and scholarly publishing.
-
Does the journal have a
professional-looking website? Is the English correct, with correct
spelling and grammar? Are the images crisp? Does the website
include information about peer review and copyright
policy?
-
Can you find the editorial board
members on the web? Is their institutional affiliation listed
correctly? Are they qualified to evaluate research in this
field?
-
Can you locate recent issues of
the journal? Has it published relevant, high quality research by
recognized authorities at respected
institutions?
For additional
assistance with assessing a journal, see Think. Check. Submit and the guidelines
provided by the World Association of Medical Editors.
If you think the journal
might be predatory, do not submit your work. You can block future
invitations by setting your email program to route the sender's
messages to your “junk mail” folder. “Microsoft Office 365 tracks
email which individual users mark as “junk;” when several users so
identify a sender, Microsoft automatically blocks messages before
they enter the U of A system. You can also report a predatory
invitation to abuse@uark.edu.
University Information Technology Services can block the sender's
email and IP address from the system.
Don't throw your valuable research to the
lions! Seek a quality, respected journal which will handle your work
with professionalism and showcase it among with the work of your
peers.
— Melody Herr is the Head of the Office of
Scholarly Communications. |
Awards
$571,335 from the National
Science Foundation to Jeffrey Lewis, assistant professor in the
biological sciences department, to study the role of protein
acetylation in stress defense.
$329,204 204
from the National Science Foundation to Michael Ceballos, to study
the biology and biodiversity from indigenous America to indigenous
Mekong.
$112,375 from the National Science
Foundation to W. Art Chaovalitwongse, professor and 21st Century
Research Leadership Chair in industrial engineering, to develop a
decision model for patient-specific motion management in radiation
therapy.
$60,000 from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture to Daniel Rainey, associate professor of agricultural
economics, for the Ag Econ Scholars Mentoring
Program.
$50,422 from the Arkansas
Department of Higher Education to Lynn Hehr, director of the Center
for Mathematics and Science Education, for work on increasing
algebraic and geometric understanding.
Upcoming
Deadline for
Chancellor’s Discovery, Creativity, Innovation and Collaboration
Fund, July 15. The new fund is aimed developing the
university’s intellectual and creative environment, and heightening
its impact as an economic engine for Arkansas. Funding for up to 15
projects, at a maximum of $150,000 per project, will be provided to
groups of faculty and students who propose ideas that bring the
academic community together in new and innovative ways that will
lead to distinctive and sustainable initiatives. The fund is managed
by the provost’s office under the direction of Jim Coleman, provost
and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. See the online
application and information site for more
details.
Summer Research Institute, May 31
to June 3, and June 7-10. Undergraduate students pursuing STEM
degrees are invited to participate. The event will be held at the
Arkansas School for Math, Science, and the Arts (ASMSA) in Hot
Springs. Session titles include Intro to Math Modeling, intro to 3D
Modeling in CAD, Biotech Bootcamp, Finding Sources and Data analysis
in Excel.
The cost per student is $500. Scholarships are
available for underrepresented minority students. To sign up, go to
the Summer Research Institute’s registration
page.
Research Camp Coming in September. The
annual two-day camp for faculty members starting their research
programs will happen again in the fall. All tenure-track faculty in
their first, second or third year are eligible to apply. Topics will
include finding research opportunities, grant writing, federal and
industry funding, time management, protecting intellectual property,
setting up labs, etc. Watch
the web page of the Office for Faculty Development and Enhancement
for details.
|
