This is an updated version of an invited talk I presented at the European Research Council-Brussels (Scientific Seminar): "Love for Science or 'academic prostitution'".
It has been updated to be presented at the Document Freedom Day 2014, during the activities organized by the Oficina de Software Libre de la Universidad de Granada (26th March).
I have included some new slides and revised others.
I present a personal revision (sometimes my own vision) of some issues that I consider key for doing Science. It was focused on the expected audience, mainly Scientific Officers with background in different fields of science and scholarship, but also Agency staff.
Abstract: In a recent Special issue of Nature concerning Science Metrics it was claimed that " Research reverts to a kind of 'academic prostitution' in which work is done to please editors and referees rather than to further knowledge."If this is true, funding agencies should try to avoid falling into the trap of their own system. By perpetuating this 'prostitution' they risk not funding the best research but funding the best sold research.
Given the current epoch of economical crisis, where in a quest for funds researchers are forced into competitive game of pandering to panelists, its seems a good time for deep reflection about the entire scientific system.
With this talk I aim to provoke extra critical thinking among the committees who select evaluators, and among the evaluators, who in turn require critical thinking to the candidates when selecting excellent science.
I will present some initiatives (e.g. new tracers of impact for the Web era- 'altmetrics'), and on-going projects (e.g. how to move from publishing advertising to publishing knowledge), that might enable us to favor Science over marketing.