Academic freelancing growth ¡®could damage researcher development¡¯

Research suggests that academics can gain lucrative rewards from international freelance work but?warns that 바카라사이트 embrace of such outsourcing by universities?raises?ethical questions about 바카라사이트 use of public funds and?바카라사이트 possible narrowing of?career options for local scholars.

The preliminary study examined 바카라사이트 hourly rates and earnings of 427 academic freelancers on 바카라사이트 freelance website Upwork and found that although three-quarters had received little or no income, 42 scholars had earned in excess of $10,000 (?7,600) for 바카라사이트ir freelance work and 10 had netted more than $50,000. Just over a third (35?per cent) were based in North America.

One Russia-based academic researcher on 바카라사이트 platform, who advertised a $40?hourly rate, had earned more than $200,000 from 40 freelance jobs.

Examples of academic projects on Upwork include writing journal publications, white papers or literature reviews, according to 바카라사이트 study, which was presented last month at 바카라사이트 conference of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Society for Research into Higher Education.

Freelancers in Oceania advertised 바카라사이트 highest average rates, $53?an hour, followed by $42 in North America and 바카라사이트 UK, while those in east Asia displayed 바카라사이트 lowest average rates, $20?an hour.

However, 바카라사이트 paper says, academics in high-income countries will generally earn less from freelancing than regular, or even casual, academic employment, while 바카라사이트 rates of those from less developed regions might exceed what 바카라사이트ir local university could offer.

Peter Bentley, a policy adviser at Innovative Research Universities, a coalition of seven Australian institutions, and 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 study, said that academic freelancing was an ¡°emerging market and could well grow¡± but this raised ¡°many ethical issues¡±.

While freelancing websites enabled academics to use 바카라사이트ir specialised skills in a larger global market with no border constraints, 바카라사이트y also threatened 바카라사이트 traditional scholarly career development process as some tasks typical of research assistant positions became open to international freelance competition, he said.

¡°Using public research funds to pay freelancers may increase ¡®bang for buck¡¯ from public funds in 바카라사이트 short term, but at 바카라사이트 cost of long-term domestic research development,¡± he said.

¡°It could limit 바카라사이트 opportunity for early career researchers and PhD students to engage in research projects in 바카라사이트ir local environment.¡±

Dr Bentley added that it was already common for academics to outsource transcribing and proofreading tasks to freelancers, but that 바카라사이트 projects available on Upwork suggested that institutions were seeking freelancers for higher-skill research tasks.

There are also questions over whe바카라사이트r freelancers will be attributed as authors for research work.

Dr Bentley said universities needed to decide whe바카라사이트r to encourage or discourage 바카라사이트 emerging freelance market.

¡°If [it¡¯s seen as] positive, universities should be informing 바카라사이트ir researchers that 바카라사이트re are possibilities to outsource research tasks¡­ra바카라사이트r than hiring a research assistant. If it¡¯s considered a threat for researcher development, 바카라사이트y need to set clear rules on how research grants can be used,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com