Turn the scientific method on ourselves

摘要

In times of tight budget constraints, scientists' wranglings about the real and perceived sins of public funding agencies become particularly acute. Complaints usually lead to the creation of a panel of respected, thoughtful and well-meaning scientists who come up with a plan of reform based on their intuition and experience. Funding agencies, who are genuinely concerned about improving the productivity of the scientific enterprise, often adopt these recommendations, at least in part.