Over its 40 year history information retrieval evaluation evolved with an emphasis on laboratory experimentation, the “Cranfield paradigm”, in response to early demands for experimental rigour. The current and highly successful TREC experiments follow this model. However the demand for results that are robust and scalable has caused an emphasis on system-centered evaluation at the expensive of ...

I believe our research community is facing a great challenge to re-evaluate the role of proof in light of the growing power of current computer systems, of modern mathematical computing packages, and of the growing capacity to data-mine on the Internet. Add to that the enormous complexity of many modern capstone results such as the Poincaré conjecture, Fermat's last theorem, and the Classificat...

The DARPA Information Assurance (IA) and Operational Partners in Experimentation (OPX) Programs have conducted over a dozen laboratory-based experiments involving live red teams since April 1999. This paper explores some of the lessons learned from the integrator’s perspective that are common among those experiments.

Social media labs, as spaces for experimentation, have recently become one of the main mechanisms innovation. The role universities, with degrees focused on subjects linked to social innovation, can be a fundamental factor in development. It is essential transform traditional centres into dialogue, creative ecosystems, simultaneously dedicated reflection and debate, research production, trainin...

All over the world, educational science outreach programs in which students can perform laboratory work have been developed. A common goal of these is to counteract students' decreasing motivation STEM education. In Germany, several labs established last 20 years. It assumed that characteristics foster basic need satisfaction and qualities such as intrinsic flow. However, research this field of...

Over its 40 year history information retrieval evaluation evolved with an emphasis on laboratory experimentation, the “Cranfield paradigm”, in response to early demands for experimental rigour. The current and highly successful TREC experiments follow this model. However the demand for results that are robust and scalable has caused an emphasis on system-centered evaluation at the expensive of ...

Hypothesis-driven experimentation - the scientific method - can be subverted by fraud, irreproducibility, and lack of rigorous predictive tests. A robust solution to these problems may be the 'massive open laboratory' model, recently embodied in the internet-scale videogame EteRNA. Deploying similar platforms throughout biology could enforce the scientific method more broadly.

Animal extremism has been increasing worldwide; frequently researchers are the targets of actions by groups with extreme animal rights agendas. Sometimes this targeting is violent and may involve assaults on family members or destruction of property. In this article, we summarize recent events and suggest steps that researchers can take to educate the public on the value of animal research both...