Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

estoka t1_ir16uzk wrote

Reply to comment by fish_whisperer in An obscure family of viruses, already endemic in wild African primates and known to cause fatal Ebola-like symptoms in some monkeys, is “poised for spillover” to humans, according to a new research by giuliomagnifico

So the mantra that we've been hearing for the last decade of publish or perish, no longer seems to be applicable? Research is not dictated by popular interests and a need to funding? Interesting.

−8

AppealDouble t1_ir1hzh2 wrote

I think you’ll find that articles like these are simply more likely to make headlines now that the world has experienced 2 international human epidemics in 2 years and the fact that this has been a terrible year for avian flu.

15

HambdenRose t1_ir1k9av wrote

They are publishing but not in the most publicly prominent places. They are publishing in journals that other scientists with similar interests will be reviewing and reading. Most journal articles don't catch the attention of the public.

9

hesperidium-rex t1_ir1yhfx wrote

"Publish" means in scientific journals, not on websites. And the mechanisms for funding are incredibly complicated. Research needs to be funded, but what kinds of research is prioritized often depends on the priorities of whoever is funding it - which is rarely the general public. On top of that, many funds are earmarked specifically for certain kinds of research, any many projects are long-lasting endeavours whose funding carries over years or decades.

So putting out an article that makes the public panic is far from sufficient to get a research grant. To do that, you have to convince the funding agency that you have a project that addresses a specific need of theirs, and you're capable of pulling it off.

7