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Recommendations for empowering early career researchers to improve research culture and practice.

ABSTRACT: Early career researchers (ECRs) are important stakeholders leading efforts to catalyze systemic change in research culture and practice. Here, we summarize the outputs from a virtual unconventional conference (unconference), which brought together 54 invited experts from 20 countries with extensive experience in ECR initiatives designed to improve the culture and practice of science. Together, we drafted 2 sets of recommendations for (1) ECRs directly involved in initiatives or activities to change research culture and practice; and (2) stakeholders who wish to support ECRs in these efforts. Importantly, these points apply to ECRs working to promote change on a systemic level, not only those improving aspects of their own work. In both sets of recommendations, we underline the importance of incentivizing and providing time and resources for systems-level science improvement activities, including ECRs in organizational decision-making processes, and working to dismantle structural barriers to participation for marginalized groups. We further highlight obstacles that ECRs face when working to promote reform, as well as proposed solutions and examples of current best practices. The abstract and recommendations for stakeholders are available in Dutch, German, Greek (abstract only), Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Serbian.

SUBMITTER: Kent BA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9295962 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Recommendations for empowering early career researchers to improve research culture and practice.

Kent Brianne A BA Holman Constance C Amoako Emmanuella E Antonietti Alberto A Azam James M JM Ballhausen Hanne H Bediako Yaw Y Belasen Anat M AM Carneiro Clarissa F D CFD Chen Yen-Chung YC Compeer Ewoud B EB Connor Chelsea A C CAC Crüwell Sophia S Debat Humberto H Dorris Emma E Ebrahimi Hedyeh H Erlich Jeffrey C JC Fernández-Chiappe Florencia F Fischer Felix F Gazda Małgorzata Anna MA Glatz Toivo T Grabitz Peter P Heise Verena V Kent David G DG Lo Hung H McDowell Gary G Mehta Devang D Neumann Wolf-Julian WJ Neves Kleber K Patterson Mark M Penfold Naomi C NC Piper Sophie K SK Puebla Iratxe I Quashie Peter K PK Quezada Carolina Paz CP Riley Julia L JL Rohmann Jessica L JL Saladi Shyam S Schwessinger Benjamin B Siegerink Bob B Stehlik Paulina P Tzilivaki Alexandra A Umbers Kate D L KDL Varma Aalok A Walavalkar Kaivalya K de Winde Charlotte M CM Zaza Cecilia C Weissgerber Tracey L TL

PLoS biology 20220707 7

Early career researchers (ECRs) are important stakeholders leading efforts to catalyze systemic change in research culture and practice. Here, we summarize the outputs from a virtual unconventional conference (unconference), which brought together 54 invited experts from 20 countries with extensive experience in ECR initiatives designed to improve the culture and practice of science. Together, we drafted 2 sets of recommendations for (1) ECRs directly involved in initiatives or activities to cha ...[more]

PMID: 35797414

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Project description:IntroductionAs part of the Harbnger-2 project, this study aimed to discover the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on junior researchers' work-life, career prospects, research and publishing practices and networking.MethodsAn online international survey of 800 early career researchers (ECRs) was conducted in 2022. A questionnaire was developed based on three rounds of interviews and distributed using multiple channels including publishers, social media, and direct email to ECRs.ResultsThe impact of the pandemic on career prospects, morale, job security, productivity, ability to network and collaborate, and quality and speed of peer review has on the whole been more negative than positive. A quarter of ECRs shifted their research focus to pandemic-related topics and half of those who did, benefited largely due to increased productivity and impact. The majority worked remotely/from home and more than two-thirds of those who did so benefitted from it. While virtual or hybrid conferences have been embraced by the majority of ECRs, around a third still preferred face-to-face only conferences. The use of library online platforms, Sci-Hub, ResearchGate, Google Scholar and smartphone to search and access full-text papers increased. ECRs prioritised journals with fast submission procedures for the publishing of their papers and spent more time on increasing the visibility of their research. Fees were a problem for publishing open access.ConclusionAlthough, generally, the pandemic negatively impacted many aspects of ECRs' work-life, certain research areas and individuals benefited from being more appreciated and valued, and, in some cases, resulted in increased resources, better productivity and greater impact. Changes, such as the use of digital technologies and remote working created new opportunities for some ECRs. While continuing work flexibility and hybrid conferences might benefit some ECRs, institutions should also take measures to help those ECRs whose career and productivity have been adversely impacted.

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Recommendations for empowering early career researchers to improve research culture and practice.

Publications

Recommendations for empowering early career researchers to improve research culture and practice.

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