The funding agency UK Research and Innovation has apologized to academics after admitting that it encouraged the research tracking company Researchfish to report critical comments made by academics regarding Researchfish’s software to UKRI. The agency, in turn, shared some of these comments with the academics’ employers.
In early March of this year, Researchfish, a company that helps universities and funders measure research impact, began tweeting at multiple researchers that it was sharing their complaints about the service with funding agencies. Many of those targeted by Researchfish had criticized the platform on Twitter for being cumbersome and time-consuming, reports Chemistry World. In response, the company tweeted to several scholars, stating that “we understand that you’re not keen on reporting on your funding through Researchfish but this seems quite harsh and inappropriate. We have shared our concerns with your funder.” Hundreds of academics took to Twitter to express their outrage, accusing Researchfish ...
