Month: June 2013

Unfortunate Labour Relations Quote of the Week

There’s a lot of good work that has been accomplished at the table so far. That needs to conclude this week.

That’s British Columbia Education Minister Peter Fassbender’s instructions to the  bargainers working toward a new collective agreement for the province’s public school teachers. Why does he want them to stop doing “good work”? So that they can be directed to start discussing the idea of a 10-year-long collective agreement – something that neither side wants.

Incidentally, and ironically, this same week  BC Premier Christy Clark was quoted as saying, on her decision to reverse pay increases to senior political staff:

Leadership means listening to people.

 

Listening only happens in some situations, apparently.

Is Peer Review Truly Unbiased?

During conference season, when you’re rushing from session to session, peer review is something you often hear about in snatches of conversation as you’re running by. “[Professor X] must have reviewed that paper, otherwise it would have been accepted”. Or “I knew getting in at [Journal Y] was a problem because they don’t like [Theory Z]”.

Peer review can have a really big effect on someone’s academic career, because (more…)