What motivates scientists and what pressures are they under? What effects are funding, publishing and governance systems having on the production of high quality, ethical scientific research? Is competition in science a good thing?
These are some of the questions being explored in a survey to find out how the different features of the UK research environment are affecting, both positively and negatively, the work and behaviour of scientists at all stages of their career.
The survey is part of a project involving the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Royal Society, Society of Biology, Institute of Physics and Royal Society of Chemistry which will gather views and promote debate about the culture of scientific research in the UK. Scientific research is increasingly professional, interdisciplinary, multi-institutional, globally competitive and technologically advanced. This presents exciting opportunities to further scientific understanding, but some elements of current research culture may be undermining efforts to maintain ethical conduct in science and produce high quality, valuable, accessible research
In addition to the survey, a series of events will also take place across the UK this summer to discuss with scientists and others their views on these issues. The findings of the survey and events will be published and presented to policy makers towards the end of 2014. Sign up for updates about the project.
They would like to hear from people involved in all kinds of scientific research in the UK (including bioscience, medicine, physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computing, veterinary science and psychology), in the public, charitable and private sectors. As well as researchers themselves, they would like to hear from others with an interest in scientific research, such as university managers and support staff, professional bodies, funders of research, editors and publishers of journals, science communicators, social scientists, policy makers, NGOs and campaigning bodies.
It will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete the survey.
Find the survey at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/sci-research-culture
Find out more about the project: www.nuffieldbioethics.org/research-culture