A new paradigm for the scientific enterprise: nurturing the ecosystem [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

The institutions of science are in a state of flux. Declining public funding for basic science, the increasingly corporatized administration of universities, increasing “adjunctification” of the professoriate and poor academic career prospects for postdoctoral scientists indicate a significant misma...

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Main Authors: Alexander K. Lancaster, Anne E. Thessen, Arika Virapongse
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: F1000 Research Ltd 2018-06-01
Series:F1000Research
Online Access:https://f1000research.com/articles/7-803/v1
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author Alexander K. Lancaster
Anne E. Thessen
Arika Virapongse
author_facet Alexander K. Lancaster
Anne E. Thessen
Arika Virapongse
author_sort Alexander K. Lancaster
collection DOAJ
description The institutions of science are in a state of flux. Declining public funding for basic science, the increasingly corporatized administration of universities, increasing “adjunctification” of the professoriate and poor academic career prospects for postdoctoral scientists indicate a significant mismatch between the reality of the market economy and expectations in higher education for science. Solutions to these issues typically revolve around the idea of fixing the career "pipeline", which is envisioned as being a pathway from higher-education training to a coveted permanent position, and then up a career ladder until retirement. In this paper, we propose and describe the term “ecosystem” as a more appropriate way to conceptualize today’s scientific training and the professional landscape of the scientific enterprise. First, we highlight the issues around the concept of “fixing the pipeline”. Then, we articulate our ecosystem metaphor by describing a series of concrete design patterns that draw on peer-to-peer, decentralized, cooperative, and commons-based approaches for creating a new dynamic scientific enterprise.
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spelling doaj.art-d6744b4c59804cca98d8282b856feaed2022-12-21T23:18:34ZengF1000 Research LtdF1000Research2046-14022018-06-01710.12688/f1000research.15078.116419A new paradigm for the scientific enterprise: nurturing the ecosystem [version 1; referees: 2 approved]Alexander K. Lancaster0Anne E. Thessen1Arika Virapongse2Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship, Montclair, New Jersey, USARonin Institute for Independent Scholarship, Montclair, New Jersey, USARonin Institute for Independent Scholarship, Montclair, New Jersey, USAThe institutions of science are in a state of flux. Declining public funding for basic science, the increasingly corporatized administration of universities, increasing “adjunctification” of the professoriate and poor academic career prospects for postdoctoral scientists indicate a significant mismatch between the reality of the market economy and expectations in higher education for science. Solutions to these issues typically revolve around the idea of fixing the career "pipeline", which is envisioned as being a pathway from higher-education training to a coveted permanent position, and then up a career ladder until retirement. In this paper, we propose and describe the term “ecosystem” as a more appropriate way to conceptualize today’s scientific training and the professional landscape of the scientific enterprise. First, we highlight the issues around the concept of “fixing the pipeline”. Then, we articulate our ecosystem metaphor by describing a series of concrete design patterns that draw on peer-to-peer, decentralized, cooperative, and commons-based approaches for creating a new dynamic scientific enterprise.https://f1000research.com/articles/7-803/v1
spellingShingle Alexander K. Lancaster
Anne E. Thessen
Arika Virapongse
A new paradigm for the scientific enterprise: nurturing the ecosystem [version 1; referees: 2 approved]
F1000Research
title A new paradigm for the scientific enterprise: nurturing the ecosystem [version 1; referees: 2 approved]
title_full A new paradigm for the scientific enterprise: nurturing the ecosystem [version 1; referees: 2 approved]
title_fullStr A new paradigm for the scientific enterprise: nurturing the ecosystem [version 1; referees: 2 approved]
title_full_unstemmed A new paradigm for the scientific enterprise: nurturing the ecosystem [version 1; referees: 2 approved]
title_short A new paradigm for the scientific enterprise: nurturing the ecosystem [version 1; referees: 2 approved]
title_sort new paradigm for the scientific enterprise nurturing the ecosystem version 1 referees 2 approved
url https://f1000research.com/articles/7-803/v1
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