Research launched by Elsevier, a global leader in research publishing and information analytics, reveals the challenges and opportunities facing researchers in a post-COVID-19 world. The findings are published in Elsevier’s Research Futures 2.0 report, which is free to download.
The in-depth study of over 1,000 researchers globally was conducted in 2020 and 2021. It builds on the first Research Futures Report (2019) that considered what the world of research might look like in 10 years’ time. The new data highlights mounting pressure across publishing, funding, and for female researchers while highlighting new opportunities in new funding sources, technology, and collaboration.
The report shows the past two years have driven progress in both speed and openness in the communication of research. Around two-thirds (67%) of researchers globally now consider preprints a valued source of communication, up from 43% before the pandemic, a shift likely driven by the increased role of preprints in finding ways to tackle COVID-19. While preprints are becoming more popular, they have not benefited from the pivotal role of peer-review or had any additional value added to them by publishers. For example, 94% of the recorded articles published in Elsevier journals have content changes made during the editorial process, and 13% of submissions go through major changes1. 54% of respondents said they planned to publish open access, which was 6% higher than in 2019.
While women in the research were found to have been faster to adapt during the pandemic, they still face unique challenges. Elsevier’s research shows that they are: Expecting to collaborate more than before the pandemic – 64% expect to increase work with researchers across different scientific disciplines, up from 49% in 2020; Embracing technology faster than their male counterparts – 53% of women scientists think the use of technology in research will accelerate over the next two to five years versus 46% for men; More likely to share their research with the wider public than men – 60% of women versus 55% of men have shared their research publicly.
Women reported having less time to do research during lockdowns, which could slow or hamper their future career prospects. 62% reported they were finding it difficult to find a good work-life balance during the pandemic, compared to just 50% of male researchers – a trend that could have significant negative long-term effects on the careers of women in research.
Alongside collaboration, AI has been embraced more than ever during the past two years, though some caution remains. 16% of researchers are extensive users of AI in their research, and while high take-up in Computer Sciences skews that number (64% of computer scientists are heavy users), attitudes across several specialties have grown more positive. In Materials Science, which covers the structure and properties of materials, and the discovery of new materials and how they are made, 18% are now likely to be extensive AI users in their research, up from zero a year ago. In Chemistry, the number has grown from 2% to 19% and, in Maths, from 4% to 13% since 2020.
Attitudes toward the use of AI in peer review are perhaps where we have seen the greatest shift in attitude. 21% of researchers agree they would read papers peer-reviewed by AI, a 5-percentage point increase in 2019. Those aged 55 and under are the most willing to read AI-reviewed articles (21%), while those aged 56 and over have increased their willingness compared to a year ago (19%, up from 14% last year). At the same time, most researchers surveyed continue to object to AI peer review, with almost two in three unwilling to read such articles (58 percent) – a similar proportion as in 2020.
As teaching, publishing, and funding accelerate and increase the pressure on researchers, how they work has changed – and not necessarily for the worse. Researchers are collaborating more – just over half (52%) state that they are sharing more research data now than 2-3 years ago, and the number of researchers who say they are collaborating more than in the past has grown from 48% pre-pandemic to 63%. The gains are across geographies and across disciplines. Researchers in computer science has seen the biggest rise, with 76% agreeing that there is more collaboration involved in their projects than previously, a substantial rise from the 41% who agreed pre-pandemic.
Despite the fight against COVID-19 placing a spotlight on the importance of research, funding continues to be a major concern for the research community, with half (50%) stating there is insufficient funding available in their field. Just one in four (24%) researchers believe there is enough funding for their work, and, worryingly, this figure has declined from nearly one in three (30%) in 2020. Researchers cite fewer funding sources, increased competition, changing priorities and the diversion of funds to COVID-19 related fields as the reasons behind this trend.
Looking forward, researchers expect more money for research to become available from businesses, with 41% believing that corporate funding for research will increase. Government funding has also increased as a proportion of research budgets since 2019, which has led to a growth of funding across various subjects. For example, Materials Science research has seen the biggest growth in funding satisfaction in 2021, with 35% saying available funding is sufficient, almost three times the 12% who were satisfied with funding levels in 2020.
In total, 1,173 researchers responded to the survey globally in 2021 and 1,066 researchers in 2020. The survey was carried out by Elsevier online between July-August 2021 and July 2020. The maximum error margin for 1,173 responses in 2021 is ± 2.4 percent and for 1,066 responses in 2020 is ± 2.5 percent at 90 percent confidence levels. Responses have been weighted to be representative of the global researcher population by country (UNESCO/OECD data). Base sizes shown in this report are unweighted unless otherwise stated. The full methodology is available in the report.
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