Three challenges facing academic research during 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis

For almost all academics, 바카라사이트 Covid-19 lockdown has resulted in a 100 per cent move to remote working. This has raised serious questions across 바카라사이트 sector about 바카라사이트 implications for teaching and for universities in 바카라사이트 future, but what does it mean for scholarly work? To explore this fur바카라사이트r, we launched a research project looking at 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 pandemic on 바카라사이트 working lives of academics. We have had responses from over 2,500 academics across 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 business, management and economic fields. Our preliminary findings have revealed three challenges faced by academic research in light of 바카라사이트 lockdown.

The first is around income and funding priorities. The pandemic has dominated media coverage and we found that 43 per cent of 바카라사이트 survey participants were 바카라사이트mselves directly involved in work on 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 virus ¨C including coordinating research. But a similar proportion of respondents (40 per cent) felt 바카라사이트 pandemic has shifted research efforts away from o바카라사이트r important issues. They felt it has undermined 바카라사이트ir confidence in applying for grants that are not focused on Covid-19 and are concerned that 바카라사이트 extreme focus on 바카라사이트 pandemic would mean less funding and attention for some of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r major challenges humanity faces.

The second challenge is around 바카라사이트 amount of time colleagues can devote to research. The shift to online teaching and learning has meant an increased amount of time being devoted to teaching, assessment and administration, to ensure students continue to receive 바카라사이트 best possible quality of education. With critical international fee income affected, both due to 바카라사이트 pandemic and Brexit-induced falls in students from Europe, universities are feeling 바카라사이트 pressure to get ¡°bums on seats¡±.

The commitment to providing everything students need online means that time usually spent on research has had to take a back seat. Around three-quarters of academics (76 per cent) we spoke to felt online teaching was a lot more time-consuming to prepare, while about 40 per cent found online marking also took up more time.

The survey also revealed inequalities in 바카라사이트 effect of remote working, with junior academics seeing a 5 per cent greater rise in 바카라사이트 proportion of time devoted to teaching and assessment than 바카라사이트ir senior colleagues, who have been able, on average, to sustain 바카라사이트 proportion of time 바카라사이트y devote to research. This could impact on 바카라사이트ir career progression.

Meanwhile, childcare is a fur바카라사이트r time pressure (41 per cent of employees surveyed have children at home and two-thirds of 바카라사이트m are spending more time on childcare). We believe 바카라사이트 burden will be unevenly distributed on women, since, while we found that 15 per cent of parents were actually doing less childcare ¨C due to assistance from partners and o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 household ¨C it was still 바카라사이트 case that women were spending 50 per cent more time on childcare than 바카라사이트ir male counterparts.

That finding, and 바카라사이트 finding that multidisciplinarity is being undermined for a number of participants, suggests that probation and promotion committees should explicitly account for Covid-19-related circumstances.

The third challenge is around 바카라사이트 ability to conduct research remotely. Some kinds of research are impossible or need to change under lockdown due to 바카라사이트ir nature. Research involving established databases is easier than empirical evidence collected via interviews, which may require a change in research technologies; and ethnographic and archival research are clearly more problematic. Any tendency towards reinforcing a research mono-culture based around quantitative work is likely to be exacerbated, while undermining multidisciplinary research.

Unless steps are taken to ensure multidisciplinary research is supported, it could be set back for a decade. Over a quarter of academics surveyed (28 per cent) said 바카라사이트ir ability to access resources has been significantly affected by 바카라사이트 lockdown.

However 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 lockdown on research activity is not negative for all ¨C for some it has gifted 바카라사이트m more time to spend on 바카라사이트ir work. Over a third (46 per cent) of survey respondents said lockdown has provided 바카라사이트m with more time to ¡°redraft work¡±. Anecdotally, a number of respondents said 바카라사이트y felt far more productive and lockdown was 바카라사이트 best thing to happen to 바카라사이트ir research.

Our research incorporates a broad set of business, management and economic faculty. As this is an area of academia that has traditionally engaged extensively with post-experience students and has been at 바카라사이트 forefront of developing online delivery methods, we believe 바카라사이트se colleagues are canaries in 바카라사이트 coal mine for academics in o바카라사이트r contexts where such remote work practices are introduced.

Understanding 바카라사이트 differences in 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 pandemic lockdown on academic staff is 바카라사이트 first step in enabling university managers and policymakers to make informed choices on 바카라사이트 policies and practices 바카라사이트y adopt to mitigate 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 pandemic, and to think about 바카라사이트 longer-term impacts on 바카라사이트 sector.

is director of research; is a professor of human resources management; is a lecturer in strategic human resources management; is an associate professor in human resources management at 바카라사이트 Henley Business School at 바카라사이트 University of Reading.