Early-Career Researchers’ Perceptions of the Prevalence of Questionable Research Practices, Potential Causes, and Open Science

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 365-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Stürmer ◽  
Aileen Oeberst ◽  
Roman Trötschel ◽  
Oliver Decker
Keyword(s):  
Open Science ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Research Culture ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Questionable Research Practices ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Incentive Structures ◽  
Exploratory Survey ◽  
The Future

Abstract. Young researchers of today will shape the field in the future. In light of current debates about social psychology’s research culture, this exploratory survey assessed early-career researchers’ beliefs (N = 88) about the prevalence of questionable research practices (QRPs), potential causes, and open science as a possible solution. While there was relative consensus that outright fraud is an exception, a majority of participants believed that some QRPs are moderately to highly prevalent what they attributed primarily to academic incentive structures. A majority of participants felt that open science is necessary to improve research practice. They indicated to consider some open science recommendations in the future, but they also indicated some reluctance. Limitation and implications of these findings are discussed.

scholarly journals Survey of Australian STEMM Early Career Researchers: job insecurity and questionable research practices are major structural concerns

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Christian ◽  
Carolyn Johnstone ◽  
Jo-ann Larkins ◽  
Wendy Wright ◽  
Michael R. Doran
Keyword(s):  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Intention To Leave ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Questionable Research Practices ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Engineering Mathematics ◽  
Quality Of Research

AbstractWe sought to understand the pressures on Early Career Researchers (ECR) in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, & Medicine (STEMM) disciplines, collecting data from 658 ECRs working in Australia. Respondents indicated a “love of science”, but most also indicated an intention to leave their position. Decisions were primarily motivated by job insecurity (52%), while grievances included poor supervision (60%), bullying or harassment (34%), inequitable hiring practices (39%) and poor support for families (9.6%). A concerning rate of “questionable research practices” by colleagues (34.1% to 41.1%) was reported to have impacted ECR career advancement. Our study links recent reports that characterise the health of the research industry, providing direct insight from ECRs on job insecurity, workplace culture challenges, and the logical rise of questionable research practices. Internationally, nationally and institutionally the research community needs to improve job security (care for our people) and the quality of research data (our product).

scholarly journals A survey of early-career researchers in Australia

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Christian ◽  
Carolyn Johnstone ◽  
Jo-ann Larkins ◽  
Wendy Wright ◽  
Michael R Doran
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Intention To Leave ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Workplace Culture ◽  
Research System ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Questionable Research Practices ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Academic Workforce

Early-career researchers (ECRs) make up a large portion of the academic workforce and their experiences often reflect the wider culture of the research system. Here we surveyed 658 ECRs working in Australia to better understand the needs and challenges faced by this community. Although most respondents indicated a ‘love of science’, many also expressed an intention to leave their research position. The responses highlight how job insecurity, workplace culture, mentorship and ‘questionable research practices’ are impacting the job satisfaction of ECRs and potentially compromising science in Australia. We also make recommendations for addressing some of these concerns.

scholarly journals Ten simple rules in good research practice for early career researchers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Schwab ◽  
Perrine Janiaud ◽  
Michael Dayan ◽  
Valentin Amrhein ◽  
Radoslaw Panczak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Career ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Simple Rules ◽  
Good Research Practice ◽  
Good Research

This paper aims to provide early-career researchers with a useful introduction to good research practices.

Open Science, Closed Doors? Countering Marginalization through an Agenda for Ethical, Inclusive Research in Communication

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse Fox ◽  
Katy E Pearce ◽  
Adrienne L Massanari ◽  
Julius Matthew Riles ◽  
Łukasz Szulc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Science ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Respect For Persons ◽  
Communication Research ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Science Practices ◽  
Research Communication ◽  
The Future

Abstract The open science (OS) movement has advocated for increased transparency in certain aspects of research. Communication is taking its first steps toward OS as some journals have adopted OS guidelines codified by another discipline. We find this pursuit troubling as OS prioritizes openness while insufficiently addressing essential ethical principles: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. Some recommended open science practices increase the potential for harm for marginalized participants, communities, and researchers. We elaborate how OS can serve a marginalizing force within academia and the research community, as it overlooks the needs of marginalized scholars and excludes some forms of scholarship. We challenge the current instantiation of OS and propose a divergent agenda for the future of Communication research centered on ethical, inclusive research practices.

A Call to Develop Standards for Those Delivering ‘Research Practice’ Training

2021 ◽  
Vol 03 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danny Kingsley
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Scholarly Communication ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Research Quality ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
The North

The nature of the research endeavour is changing rapidly and requires a wide set of skills beyond the research focus. The delivery of aspects of researcher training ‘beyond the bench’ is met by different sections of an institution, including the research office, the media office and the library. In Australia researcher training in open access, research data management and other aspects of open science is primarily offered by librarians. But what training do librarians receive in scholarly communication within their librarianship degrees? For a degree to be offered in librarianship and information science, it must be accredited by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), with a curriculum that is based on ALIA’s lists of skills and attributes. However, these lists do not contain any reference to key open research terms and are almost mutually exclusive with core competencies in scholarly communication as identified by the North American Serials Interest Group and an international Joint Task Force. Over the past decade teaching by academics in universities has been professionalised with courses and qualifications. Those responsible for researcher training within universities and the material that is being offered should also meet an agreed accreditation. This paper is arguing that there is a clear need to develop parallel standards around ‘research practice’ training for PhD students and Early Career Researchers, and those delivering this training should be able to demonstrate their skills against these standards. Models to begin developing accreditation standards are starting to emerge, with the recent launch of the Centre for Academic Research Quality and Improvement in the UK. There are multiple organisations, both grassroots and long-established that would be able to contribute to this project.

scholarly journals COLLABORATING AT MICROSCOPIC AND MASSIVE SCALES: THE CHALLENGE AND VALUE OF COVID ISOLATION FOR CRITICAL INTERNET STUDIES

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Herman ◽  
Annette Markham ◽  
M.E. Luka ◽  
Rebecca Carlson ◽  
Danielle Dilkes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Microscopic Level ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Internet Studies ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Independent Life ◽  
Global Events ◽  
Collaborative Space

Global events like a pandemic or climate change are massive in scope but experienced at the local, lived, microscopic level. What sorts of methodologies and mindsets can help critical internet researchers, functioning as interventionists or activists, find traction by oscillating between these levels? How can we push (further) against the boundaries of research methods to build stronger coalitions and more impactful outcomes for social change among groups of scholars/researchers? This panel presents four papers addressing these questions based on a large scale online autoethnography in 2020. This “Massive/Micro” project simultaneously used and studied the angst and novelty of isolation during a pandemic, activating researchers, activists, and artists to explore the massive yet microscopic properties of COVID-19 as a “glocal” phenomenon. The challenge? Working independently and microscopically through intense focus on the Self but also working with distributed, largely unknown collaborators, in multiple platforms. The emerging shape of the project itself showcases the challenges and possibilities of how research projects at scale can (or don’t) reflect and build social movements. The panel’s four papers situate the project through a kaleidoscope of perspectives featuring participants from 7 countries, who variously explore: the value of the project for precarious or early career researchers, how MMS worked as both collaborative space and critical pedagogy, how non-institutional or playful experimentation in asynchronous collaborations can lead to new synergies; and how MMS developed an independent life of its own, beyond studying COVID to generating multiple communities of future digital research practice.

scholarly journals investigadores junior españoles y su implicación en la ciencia abierta

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Blanca Rodríguez-Bravo ◽  
David Nicholas
Keyword(s):  
Critical Factor ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Precarious Situation

El objetivo es indagar en las actitudes y prácticas de los jóvenes investigadores españoles hacia la ciencia abierta. Se analiza su interés por compartir en abierto publicaciones y datos, por colaborar con otros investigadores y stakeholders, por difundir su investigación y por perseguir el impacto de los resultados científicos. La metodología se fundamenta en entrevistas y encuestas dirigidas a Early Career Researchers (ECRs) españoles. Los resultados muestran el interés de los investigadores noveles por la ciencia abierta, pero también la necesidad de reconocimiento de las acciones implicadas en ella como requisito para su consolidación entre investigadores en situación precaria. La financiación es también un factor crítico a considerar. The aim is to investigate the attitudes and practices of Spanish Early Career Researchers (ECRs) towards open science. Their interest in sharing openly publications and data, in collaborating with other researchers and stakeholders, in disseminating their research and in looking for results’ impact is analyzed. The methodology is based on interviews and surveys directed to Spanish Early Career Researchers (ECRs). The results show the interest of novice researchers in open science, but also the need for recognition of the actions involved in it as a requirement for its consolidation among researchers in a precarious situation. Funding is a critical factor to be considered as well.

scholarly journals Open Science challenges, benefits and tips in early career and beyond

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P G Allen ◽  
David Marc Anton Mehler
Keyword(s):  
Open Science ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Incentive Structure ◽  
Science Practices ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Early Adoption

The movement towards open science is an unavoidable consequence of seemingly pervasive failures to replicate previous research. This transition comes with great benefits but also significant challenges that are likely to afflict those who carry out the research, usually Early Career Researchers (ECRs). Here, we describe key benefits including reputational gains, increased chances of publication and a broader increase in the reliability of research. These are balanced by challenges that we have encountered, and which involve increased costs in terms of flexibility, time and issues with the current incentive structure, all of which seem to affect ECRs acutely. Although there are major obstacles to the early adoption of open science, overall open science practices should benefit both the ECR and improve the quality and plausibility of research. We review three benefits, three challenges and provide suggestions from the perspective of ECRs for moving towards open science practices.

scholarly journals Support of Early-Career Researchers Supports the Future of ASLO

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-34
Author(s):  
Kaitlin J. Farrell ◽  
Alli N. Cramer ◽  
Kelly L. Hondula ◽  
Seth K. Thompson ◽  
Jacob A. Zwart
Keyword(s):  
Early Career ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
The Future
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