I figure as we speak of a knowledge-based economy, undergraduates should be given a platform to seek knowledge, express their knowledge and hold discussions in their areas of interests.
For instance, if Singapore wants to promote science and technology, it will be good for institutions like NUS, NTU or A*STAR to have an undergraduate science and technology publication. Undergraduates can publish any thing from preliminary findings to little experiments they did behind their supervisors back and even experimental failures in typical format required for submission to a journal, i.e. an abstract, introduction, materials and methods, discussion and citations. Undergraduates can also choose to publish doodled ideas or forecasts within their area of interests in the form of a review or insight article.
The advantages of having such a publication is that it trains undergraduates intending to pursue a career in science in the art of writing a manuscript to be submitted to a journal for publication, an important skill that every scientist should possess. Such an undergraduate publication also allows undergraduates to freely exercise their creativity in order to advance their field of interest. It can also encourage healthy debate amongst undergraduate on an academic subject. For example, undergraduate A submits an earlier publication on why so and so causes cancer. Undergraduate B can critically examine A's publication and write "a critical review of undergraduate B's publication on why so and so causes cancer for his publication.
I was thinking that a blog format can be adopted whereby a publication article after editing can be uploaded, with a comments section by experts in the field. What do you think?
7 comments:
Our under grads are all abroad.
A*STAR is primarily staffed with grad students.
Their publications are growing.
http://www.a-star.edu.sg/astar/studentsandscholarships/action/scholarship_publications.do
Their publications are growing.
http://www.a-star.edu.sg/astar/studentsandscholarships
/action/scholarship_publications.do
Dear Sir:
I know. I was referring to a undergraduate publication portal, purely for undergraduates. It's for them to publish failed experiments, or any other experiments, or insights on the subject. It's also for them to explore their creativity. I also understand that there are undergraduates at A*STAR doing their Honors Year project. It's purely for undergraduate.
You can treat this undergraduate publication as an online scientific community for an undergraduate to gather, where they publish work, review each other's work and critique each other.
Treat it as something like some sort of science "blog", where undergraduates "blog" their work (in journal format), creative doodles and insight but of course with some moderations from editors so that they don't post nonsense.
I would believe your overseas scholars pursueing their undergraduate studies will not mind contributing to such an undergraduate science "blog", although "blog" isn't really the right word to use. If you like, it's an avenue for undergraduates to express themselves and a learning ground for them to learn the ropes in science.
NUS doesn't have an undergraduate publication in existence. It would be good to have one.
You might want to check out how PLoS ONE, a new journal set up by PLoS, works. Basically, researchers can post their articles online, where they will be reviewed and critiqued by readers. This is an interesting alternative to the conventional peer-review track. Perhaps a similar model can be adopted for your idea.
Most good US universities have such undergraduate publications.
I am not surprised that NUS/NTU do not. Most undergrads there do not aspire to be researchers.
Worrisome! Must change their mind sets. Otherwise, all the efforts to creating R&D jobs end up employing mostly non-Singaporeans.
A*STAR scholars are lucky to be exposed differently.
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Most good US universities have such undergraduate publications.
I am not surprised that NUS/NTU do not. Most undergrads there do not aspire to be researchers.
Dear Sir
This is why I thought it would be good to have an undergraduate publication something in the mould of PLOS to allow undergraduates and scholars alike to hone their skills, as what I have suggested in the blog article.
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