![]() Even more worrying, recent studies and surveys have revealed that mental problems in academia are on the rise, with graduate students showing alarming rates of anxiety and depression. With these antecedents, it is not surprising to read that many young and talented principal investigators (PIs) are frustrated or to see surveys revealing that over 14% of non-PIs choose terms such as “competitive, stressful, or toxic” to describe their labs. This adds additional stress to researchers and promotes scientific malpractices such as nepotism and collusion, which negatively affect their well-being. In addition, evaluation systems in place in many countries reward the number of publications in indexed journals over their quality, further pushing scientists to publish as much and as quickly as possible. Scientists must also confront established practices that (i) force them to become workaholics if they want to get a permanent position and/or become successful, (ii) often promote harassment against women and minorities, and (iii) emphasize success when failures (of experiments and/or simulations) and rejections (of articles, proposals, and job applications) are inseparable from the scientific endeavour. These include the shortage of scientific positions, the fear of being scooped by competing labs, the pressure to publish in high profile journals −which are both a key indicator of success and prestige and crucial to secure positions/promotions−the uncertainty imposed by short-term contracts, and even the competition with other lab mates. ![]() Doing science often looks like a dream job, but many aspects of current scientific practice across the world make it a stressful activity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |