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The best and most popular stories of 2012, as chosen by readers and editors.

A roundup of Science Careers articles exploring international research experiences and what makes them successful.

Achieving independence as a researcher is a balancing act, requiring planning, on-the-job training, and diplomacy.

Recent reports on the scientific and technical workforce come to different conclusions.

The best and most popular stories of 2011, as chosen by readers and editors

It was a difficult year for careers in science but another good year for Science Careers.

"In the current environment, any increase is welcome." --Dave Moore, AAMC

"The best and the brightest seem not to be going into science as much as they did in the past." And those who do opt for research careers "seem to be dropping out at a very high rate." --Mark Donowitz

GREAT is now transforming its committee on postdocs into a body that will have its own independent, university-appointed membership, elected leadership, and meetings.

As NSF prepares to help Professional Science Master's programs multiply, employment prospects for graduates of these programs look strong, even in a weak economy.

"Programs should provide all NRSA trainees with additional professional development skills and career guidance."

"If [the union] is open, honest, and transparent, I think that postdocs at UCSF would welcome discussion." --Anne T. Union

“The pressure [in science] is enormous. When I was running the IBM research labs, that was one of my biggest challenges [in] sustaining quality.” --Randy Isaac

In 1995, the golden age of science had been over for about 25 years, but the implications of its end were just beginning to sink in, and they are sinking in still.

Vasquez wants "industry to step to the plate and find a way for high school teachers ... [to have] a real job in the summertime in a laboratory." Discussions with several industry leaders have thus far been encouraging, she told Next Wave.

Professional science master's degrees, like the Master of Business Administration degree on which they are modeled, are designed as terminal credentials for people seeking science-based careers outside of academe.

“Reduced economic opportunities in some fields relative to others … may be an important factor driving native students to enter particular occupations and avoid others.” --George Borjas

Working with a professor and lab mates from back home make for an easier, more congenial experience than plunging into a strictly American cultural environment.

Although efforts to provide real career opportunities for more scientists would create stronger incentives for Americans to seek science careers, the political momentum appears to be on the side of granting more H-1B visas.

“The glut of graduate students enticed by the growing support a few years ago have since found it difficult to get their own work funded … and the sudden deceleration in funding has left many researchers feeling slighted even though their funding grew by leaps and bounds in the past decade.” --Yuval Levin