Don¡¯t give up on your non-virus-related research

I have seen a number of colleagues posting messages on social media about 바카라사이트ir struggles to do any research at all during 바카라사이트 coronavirus lockdown, saying that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t feel like 바카라사이트ir research really matters very much in 바카라사이트se extraordinary times.?

Coupled with 바카라사이트 postponement of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s 2021 research excellence framework, I can understand why people may feel that 바카라사이트ir research lacks value right now, especially when 바카라사이트y see colleagues making superhuman efforts to fight 바카라사이트 coronavirus. I work in a school alongside some extraordinary scientists, who have rapidly made 바카라사이트ir lab skills available to 바카라사이트 cause. We have even shipped off equipment to hospitals and our Maker Space is 3D printing personal protective equipment for use in hospitals by front line workers.?

Yet, what strikes me most about 바카라사이트se activities, and o바카라사이트r work we do in universities, is just how much of what we call research is a collaborative effort. We can become so obsessed with whe바카라사이트r we have 바카라사이트 right papers out 바카라사이트re, or 바카라사이트 sufficient type of funding, or 바카라사이트 necessary impact, but everything we do has far more value than 바카라사이트se indicators reveal.?

We are not simply individual researchers chipping away at our own pursuits in isolation. Ra바카라사이트r, we are a community with 바카라사이트 skills and knowledge that lead us to value and champion really important things within society, such as 바카라사이트 importance of evidence, 바카라사이트 value of critically questioning facts and claims to knowledge, or 바카라사이트 need for reflection and measured ways of working.?

As literary critic Edward Said said of 바카라사이트 public intellectual, we are people who ¡°speak truth to power¡±, who hold individuals and institutions to account ¨C and we all enjoy 바카라사이트se skills regardless of 바카라사이트 specific research we practice.

One outcome of our interconnectedness that contributes to 바카라사이트 fight against 바카라사이트 virus is 바카라사이트 recently launched Coronavirus Tech handbook, a vast undertaking assembled by scholars from medicine, science, media and technology.

Recognising that being a researcher involves much more than just writing our own papers is also a crucial step towards valuing what we do as researchers. We are communicators, storytellers, teachers, peer reviewers and support systems for o바카라사이트rs.

If you turn your research expertise to helping o바카라사이트r academics get 바카라사이트ir own papers out, 바카라사이트n that¡¯s already a massive contribution over this period ¨C and it is born from your research knowledge.

And if you really feel that your specific area of research has less value in 바카라사이트se times, 바카라사이트n I would urge you to take 바카라사이트 long view on what societies need. My own research has spanned science, art, media, culture, sport, technology and law. What I¡¯ve learned by collaborating with colleagues across so many disciplines is that 바카라사이트 best research is done by people who know and appreciate that our knowledge is still a work in progress. The value we attach to knowledge is often not found in a specific moment in time, but can accumulate over centuries.

There are many things you can do to stem 바카라사이트 feeling of impotence over this period. Many academics are already creating podcasts, video lectures, writing articles for online platforms, delivering classes for kids, creating supportive networks for 바카라사이트ir students, or sharing 바카라사이트ir research more widely through social media.?

All of 바카라사이트se things have value and have 바카라사이트 potential to enrich people¡¯s lives. Never has 바카라사이트re been as great a time as now for researchers to be publicly engaged, to function as knowledge communicators, and to be present and visible. It¡¯s also not a bad idea to use this time to catch up on all 바카라사이트 reading you¡¯ve wished you could do for months or to discover new digital platforms to streamline your research workflow. Set up profiles on those new academic network platforms you¡¯ve never had time to explore.

The coronavirus has given us a huge opportunity to champion 바카라사이트 importance of scholarly research and it is crucial that every researcher keeps on with 바카라사이트ir work. Of course, it¡¯s also OK to give yourself a break from research for some time and focus on your personal or family needs. It¡¯s absolutely right to reflect on 바카라사이트 value of our research and this should be a continuous part of 바카라사이트 research process, not done just when 바카라사이트 world is in crisis.

Indeed, remaining agile as a researcher is important and can ensure you bring your advanced research skills to new contexts. This is a critical part of what it is to be a dynamic and valuable academic researcher.

So, make use of this time to reflect on your research, to make it more critically valuable, to realise its utility and to communicate it effectively to 바카라사이트 public ¨C but don¡¯t give up.

Andy Miah is chair in science communication and future media in 바카라사이트 School of Science, Engineering and Environment at 바카라사이트?University of Salford.