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This commentary is in response to the proposed changes in the United Kingdom Research Excellence Framework (UK REF) 2029 and the potential implications on Hong Kong beyond the upcoming Research Assessment Exercise (Hong Kong RAE) 2026. Defining research excellence in a world of change is challenging and debatable. The suggested changes in UK REF 2029 are numerous and structural, ranging from changing the relative importance of the components of research excellence to a re‐conceptualisation of the scope, structure, and assessment criteria of each component. The issues are complex and the implications are wide‐ranging. A wider awareness among the research community and an in‐depth dialogue with the relevant authorities about the proposed changes are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many developing countries prioritize sponsoring graduate students to study abroad to bring expertise and knowledge to their home country. However, the success of knowledge transfer depends on the extent to which returning graduates can utilize their potential at home. This study explores challenges faced by Cambodian scholars who obtained their Ph.D. degrees abroad and describes strategies they used to overcome them. In a home country environment with limited funding, over-bureaucratization, and low priority of university research, graduates see the value of their foreign Ph.D. degrees in teaching and consultation. It requires motivation and significant efforts to transition as researchers in such an environment. Returning scholars rely on networks with their peers abroad and supervisors, form local research societies, engage with graduate students at their universities to keep themselves active as researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent development of what may be called biological philosophy of science, scholars have proposed that aligning notions of research environments with biological concepts of environment holds great promise for understanding the socio-material contexts in and through which science happens. Here, I explore the prospects and potential shortcomings of building sound research environment concepts by contrasting them with biological environment concepts. In doing so, I emphasize the importance of adhering to two central desiderata: the need to clarify what is being environed (i.e., what the counter relatum of an environment is) and what is doing the environing (i.e., what type of environmental partition is instantiated). Subsequently, I juxtapose two biological construals of environment—organismal environments and population environments—with possible articulations of what ‘research environments’ might stand for, and I maintain that each presents distinct epistemic upshots and limitations. More generally, I argue that there are two broad relations that could exist between biological and research environments: ontological parallels and ontic discordance. Finally, employing the visual metaphor of epistemic parallax, I conclude by conveying some lessons and cautionary notes arising from these comparisons and the importation of biological environment concepts into philosophy of science. While environment concepts may come with epistemic purchase, we should be careful when ontologizing them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities and policymakers increasingly use 'research culture' and 'research environment' to govern as well as describe research. Both terms help frame who is considered a research actor; how researchers interact with the contexts in which they make knowledge; and what is considered malleable when attempting to improve how research is done. There are very few conceptual‐critical analyses of either term, even as each is a complex abstraction with rich and contested histories and usage. I explore both, largely using the example of the United Kingdom (where improving 'research culture' is currently prioritised by many funders, and will be assessed by the UK's Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2028). Research culture has a close relationship with the concept organisational culture, which emerged in the late 1970s and 1980s and prioritised particular – frequently psychological – constructs that focused on the norms, values, and attitudes of an organisation. 'Research labour' – the labour relations that underpin how people work together and shape organisational norms, values, and relational dependencies – tends to drop from view. Geographers have much to offer these debates, given how extensively the discipline has contributed to what culture and environment might mean. Institutional, national, and sectoral policies concerning research culture and environment significantly shape how knowledge‐making is understood and intervened on. The processes that 'research culture' and 'research environment' authorise and foreclose require greater examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study designed a survey questionnaire encompassing three levels: research institutions, research environment, and research talents, with 19 specific measurement indicators. The questionnaire was distributed to research personnel from over 20 research institutes, universities and related enterprises in China. Based on 537 valid responses, a structural equation model (SEM) was constructed to analyze the relational effects of the driving factors. The findings are as follows: (1) The innovative capability of research talents is a composite outcome of the interaction between multiple "external-internal" factors. Effective organizational support from research institutions and a favorable research environment, both soft and hard, are indispensable elements in enhancing this capability. (2) A key factor in enhancing innovation capability is the proper resolution of effective supply and scientific utilization of research resources by research institutions, along with the improvement of research satisfaction. (3) Research institutions should establish an integrated research mechanism that combines "environment-organization-talent" to achieve the generation and effective transformation of high-quality research outputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Africa Capacity Building Initiative (ACBI) programme aimed to ‘strengthen the research and training capacity of higher education institutions and support the development of individual scientists in sub-Saharan Africa through UK-Africa research collaborations’ including by funding PhD studentships. We conducted research to understand students’ experiences and to see how consortia-based programmes such as ACBI and their own institutions can enhance PhD students’ research environment and progress. Methods In-depth interviews with 35 ACBI-funded PhD students explored their perspectives about how their research and personal development benefitted from belonging to a research consortium. Questionnaires were used to corroborate interview findings. Results Students recognised that membership of a research consortium provided many benefits compared to less well-resourced peers. By drawing on the programme and consortiums’ resources, they were often able to overcome some limitations in their own institution’s systems and facilities. Through their consortia they could access a wide range of international expertise and support from mentors and colleagues for their technical and psychosocial needs. Multiple consortia opportunities for engaging with the international scientific community and for networking, gave them confidence and motivation and enhanced their career prospects. Conclusion Our study and its recommendations highlight how the breadth and diversity of resources available to PhD students through research consortia can be harnessed to facilitate students’ progress and to create a supportive and conducive research environment. It also underlines how, through a multi-level approach, consortia can contribute to longer-term improvements in institutional research environments for PhD students.

Though well-being problems are prevalent among PhD students, the contextual antecedents and underlying mechanisms behind these problems remain underexplored. The aim of this study was to explore whether and how the research environment affects the well-being of PhD students through their motivation. Self-determination theory was used as the theoretical framework in order to understand how the research environment plays a role in PhD students' well-being. Students' autonomous and controlled motivation was posited as mechanisms linking the research environment to well-being. PhD students (n = 2578) from eight Hong Kong government-funded universities were recruited. Results revealed various dimensions of the research environment including process and assessment, culture, and skills development that had distinctive connections with students' motivation and their well-being. Furthermore, students' motivation significantly mediated the relationships between the research environment and their well-being. This study provides theoretical implications for increasing awareness of the factors and mechanisms that support or undermine PhD students' well-being. It also has functional suggestions for educators and administrators interested in enhancing PhD students' motivation and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge facing the biomedical community is creating and sustaining high-quality research environments. A literature search identified five common themes underlying biomedical research environments comprising collaboration, data access, user-led innovation, data provenance and a deep commitment to public and scientific benefit. Club theory is used to develop a model describing social structures that underpin these themes. It is argued that collaboration underlies impactful science and that collaboration is hindered by high transaction costs. This, combined with poorly defined property rights surrounding publicly funded data, limits the ability of data markets to operate efficiently. Although the science community is best placed to provide solutions for these issues, incentivization by funding agencies to increase the benefits of collaboration and reduce uncoordinated activity will be an accelerator. Given the complexity of emerging datasets and the collaborations needed to exploit them, trust-by-design solutions are suggested. The underlying motivational ‘glue’ that holds this activity together is the aesthetic and ethical value base underlying good science. The model has implications for data-driven science more generally. As biomedical science in the Global South develops, there is an opportunity to address foundational structural issues prospectively rather than inherit unwanted constraints of current practice.

Background The Africa Capacity Building Initiative (ACBI) programme aimed to ‘strengthen the research and training capacity of higher education institutions and support the development of individual scientists in sub-Saharan Africa through UK-Africa research collaborations’ including by funding PhD studentships. We conducted research to understand students’ experiences and to see how consortia-based programmes such as ACBI and their own institutions can enhance PhD students’ research environment and progress. Methods In-depth interviews with 35 ACBI-funded PhD students explored their perspectives about how their research and personal development benefitted from belonging to a research consortium. Questionnaires were used to corroborate interview findings. Results Students recognised that membership of a research consortium provided many benefits compared to less well-resourced peers. By drawing on the programme and consortiums’ resources, they were often able to overcome some limitations in their own institution’s systems and facilities. Through their consortia they could access a wide range of international expertise and support from mentors and colleagues for their technical and psychosocial needs. Multiple consortia opportunities for engaging with the international scientific community and for networking, gave them confidence and motivation and enhanced their career prospects. Conclusion Our study and its recommendations highlight how the breadth and diversity of resources available to PhD students through research consortia can be harnessed to facilitate students’ progress and to create a supportive and conducive research environment. It also underlines how, through a multi-level approach, consortia can contribute to longer-term improvements in institutional research environments for PhD students.

Background The Africa Capacity Building Initiative (ACBI) programme aimed to ‘strengthen the research and training capacity of higher education institutions and support the development of individual scientists in sub-Saharan Africa through UK-Africa research collaborations’ including by funding PhD studentships. We conducted research to understand students’ experiences and to see how consortia-based programmes such as ACBI and their own institutions can enhance PhD students’ research environment and progress. Methods In-depth interviews with 35 ACBI-funded PhD students explored their perspectives about how their research and personal development benefitted from belonging to a research consortium. Questionnaires were used to corroborate interview findings. Results Students recognised that membership of a research consortium provided many benefits compared to less well-resourced peers. By drawing on the programme and consortiums’ resources, they were often able to overcome some limitations in their own institution’s systems and facilities. Through their consortia they could access a wide range of international expertise and support from mentors and colleagues for their technical and psychosocial needs. Multiple consortia opportunities for engaging with the international scientific community and for networking, gave them confidence and motivation and enhanced their career prospects. Conclusion Our study and its recommendations highlight how the breadth and diversity of resources available to PhD students through research consortia can be harnessed to facilitate students’ progress and to create a supportive and conducive research environment. It also underlines how, through a multi-level approach, consortia can contribute to longer-term improvements in institutional research environments for PhD students.

Poor mental health in higher education settings is a worrying issue prompting the need to investigate the organisational and personal factors that impact mental health and wellbeing. Such information is integral to building a comprehensive picture of the doctoral learner. Drawing on prior research identifying what novice researchers perceive as important to their wellbeing, the Importance to Doctoral Wellbeing Questionnaire (IDWQ) was developed. Seven dimensions were identified in a pilot phase: 'Work-Life Balance', 'Social-Collegial', 'Personal Research Confidence', 'Future', 'Researcher Identity', 'Supervisor', and 'University'. The questionnaire was then administered nationally to a larger more diverse cohort of research candidates prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings clarify potential candidate vulnerabilities. The IDWQ can be used to focus institutional appraisal of programmes and policies to assist novice researchers to identify key concerns and manage learning contingencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific community has been developing and refining digital data standards to ensure that biodiversity data can be easily exchanged between different databases, systems and institutions. However, scientists still face the challenge of effectively analysing this vast amount of data. Variations in the quality, documentation and availability of metadata often make it difficult for scientists to compile appropriate datasets for their research. One contribution towards this task is the research data repository ARAMOB of the Arachnologische Gesellschaft (AraGes), which focuses on systematically collected data on spider assemblages. Mandatory requirements have been developed to ensure the quality and utility of the data for ecological research during a given project. A next step towards enhancing the data basis for convincing analyses of spider assemblages in Central Europe is the offer to now publish data in the society's open access journal Arachnologische Mitteilungen/Arachnology Letters, which are integrated into the data repository and thus made effectively accessible and usable. These data papers will be presented as one printed page in the journal, accessible on the website of the AraGes and from the BioOne Digital Library, accompanied by a PDF-document containing metadata to effectively use the published data. The original dataset is published as spreadsheet tables, but also deposited in the ARAMOB data repository, which is managed with the modularized database software and virtual research environment Diversity Workbench. By this means, the published data packages are also accessible and analysable within a wider context through the ARAMOB web portal. On request, scientists can also exploit data with the free and well-documented Diversity Workbench software tools. The data pipelines involved are defined in the context of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Digitalia MUNI ARTS - a local node of the LINDAT/CLARIAH-CZ research infrastructure at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University constitutes a repository in the Islandora system. It is used for long-term preservation of research data together with their research environment in the form of digital platforms. We transfer the digital outputs of humanities scholars research to the repository according to a set plan, which is based on best practice recommendations for project management and digital curation. In this paper, we present how the results of interviews with platform developers and infrastructure stakeholders translate into the curation workflow, and a resulting model for migrating digital platforms to the repository. Reflecting on three types of problems we encountered during the implementation of platforms into the repository - communication problems, problems of external dependence, and management problems - we describe a modification of the migration process. We present six recommendations for repository administrators and curators in an academic setting - holding an introductory meeting with developers, researching significant and relevant theories of knowledge domain, consulting license experts, prioritizing requirements, and preparing handover protocol and progress reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Africa Capacity Building Initiative (ACBI) programme aimed to ‘strengthen the research and training capacity of higher education institutions and support the development of individual scientists in sub-Saharan Africa through UK-Africa research collaborations’ including by funding PhD studentships. We conducted research to understand students’ experiences and to see how consortia-based programmes such as ACBI and their own institutions can enhance PhD students’ research environment and progress. Methods In-depth interviews with 35 ACBI-funded PhD students explored their perspectives about how their research and personal development benefitted from belonging to a research consortium. Questionnaires were used to corroborate interview findings. Results Students recognised that membership of a research consortium provided many benefits compared to less well-resourced peers. By drawing on the programme and consortiums’ resources, they were often able to overcome some limitations in their own institution’s systems and facilities. Through their consortia they could access a wide range of international expertise and support from mentors and colleagues for their technical and psychosocial needs. Multiple consortia opportunities for engaging with the international scientific community and for networking, gave them confidence and motivation and enhanced their career prospects. Conclusion Our study and its recommendations highlight how the breadth and diversity of resources available to PhD students through research consortia can be harnessed to facilitate students’ progress and to create a supportive and conducive research environment. It also underlines how, through a multi-level approach, consortia can contribute to longer-term improvements in institutional research environments for PhD students.

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This research study aims to determine the factors affecting the academic staff’s research performance in Vietnam’s higher education context. An online survey was conducted, achieving responses from 207 respondents who were lecturers of different scientific fields in Vietnamese universities. The SAS system was used to process both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study’s results indicated that research competency was the main factor affecting Vietnamese university teachers’ domestic and international research achievements. Meanwhile, English proficiency only had a significant impact at the international level. Additionally, social science academics were less skillful in researching and less productive in international research than other sciences. As a result, some implications for improving academic research performance are discussed in this paper.

This study extends the doctoral education literature by examining how social support and social identification, as they apply to peers, supervisors, and the academic community, are related to mental wellbeing and psychological distress in doctoral students by using person-centred analysis to create social profiles. Doctoral students (N = 200) completed a cross-sectional survey including measures of perceived support, received support, social identification, mental wellbeing, and psychological distress. Adopting a person-centred analysis approach, we identified six distinct social profiles for mental wellbeing, and four social profiles for psychological distress. Further between-profile analysis indicated that the 'high support-identification' profile was associated with higher levels of mental wellbeing and lowest levels of psychological distress. In comparison, the 'low support-identification' profile reported significantly lower mental wellbeing and significantly higher psychological distress. Taken together, the findings demonstrate the value of person-centred analysis and offers new insights into the nuances of relationships between social support, social identification, mental wellbeing, and psychological distress in doctoral students. The theoretical and practical implications arising from this research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To conduct a comparative analysis of the research activity of medical universities in Kazakhstan. Methods: The following universities were enrolled in the study: Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University (KazNMU), Medical University of Karaganda (MUK), Semey Medical University (SMU), Astana Medical University (AMU), West Kazakhstan Medical University named after M. Ospanov (WKMU), South Kazakhstan Medical Academy (SKMA), Kazakh Medical University of Continuing Education (KazMUCE), Yasawi University (International Kazakh-Turkish University named after Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, IKTU) and Kazakh-Russian Medical University (KRMU). Data from the Center for the Development of Education and Science of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan were used in the study. The rating assessment of medical universities was carried out on six indicators: the volume of research carried out; the number of publications in peer-reviewed international databases (Thomson Reuters, Scopus, Springer, Google Scholar); the number of references to the research publications within the last 5 years; the number of patents and copyrights; the level of commercialization of research products in medical universities in Kazakhstan; participation in international conferences. The analyzed period is between 2018 and 2020. Results: By the end of 2020, KazNMU became the leader in the total value of all indicators by a small margin, followed by MUK and WKMU. The data obtained indicate that some of the medical universities, according to the total indicators’ value have a well-coordinated scientific environment, including KazNMU, MUK, WKMU, SMU, SKMA, AMU. Shaping of the conducive scientific environment in these universities is associated with a high level of the academic degrees of the staff, its large academic experience, and the volume of funding. The rest of the universities are young, with their scientific environment being still at its formative stage. These indicators contribute to the assessment of the results of research and innovative activities of medical universities, though they also have certain drawbacks. Conclusion: Despite the fluctuation of different evaluation parameters in the medical universities over the years, there is a general increase in their main performance indicators per staff capita: the number of publications has increased by more than 5-6 times, while citations were raised by more than 50 times; and the number of patents has grown by an order of magnitude. The level of commercialization at most universities has not changed, with the exception of WKMU, KMU, SKMA, KazMUCE, SMU.

This paper investigates the paradox of research productivity of higher‐education institutions in the Arab Gulf Countries. Exploring the case of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the article fills the gap in the literature on the Gulf higher education research efficiency. Despite the considerable investment into higher education, UAE universities showed rather slow growth in research output. This puzzle was tackled to present possible policy outcomes relevant for research productivity in higher education institutions located in the emerging economies. The study highlights the research productivity indicators dynamics for GCC countries and brings detailed analysis on the research output and input for the UAE universities. We argue that to succeed in academic efficiency the county needs to increase its research investments and diversify research‐boosting policies and practices. The policies should focus on work‐attractive long‐term conditions for the faculty/researchers, home‐based doctoral education system and home‐trained human resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment researchers work in influences their ethical decisions and behavior. A "climate" for research ethics in a research lab exists when members of the lab perceive that the group values and is committed to principles of research ethics. In this study, we aimed to develop a short, reliable and valid measure assessing perceptions of climate for research ethics at the lab level. The resulting measure, Lab Climate for Research Ethics, was developed using standard scale development guidelines. In a large sample of postdoctoral researchers (N = 570), we found preliminary evidence that the new measure has adequate internal consistency reliability. It was also correlated with an existing measure of climate for research ethics and was not correlated with social desirability, demonstrating evidence of construct validity. The new measure can be used in a variety of contexts, including research administrators seeking information about climate within labs across an institution and researchers who study lab environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will illustrate the challenges of digitizing of historical manuscript catalogues, taking as an example the widespread and complex work of the “Miracles of Mary.” This work is typically composed of framing texts and miracle texts proper, often accompanied by miniatures, and it circulates in collections of varying standardization. A flexible encoding system with different identifiers for textual units and art themes has been developed, answering the most common challenges of encoding the Ethiopic literary tradition, improving the cataloguing.

A major challenge facing the biomedical community is creating and sustaining high-quality research environments. A literature search identified five common themes underlying biomedical research environments comprising collaboration, data access, user-led innovation, data provenance and a deep commitment to public and scientific benefit. Club theory is used to develop a model describing social structures that underpin these themes. It is argued that collaboration underlies impactful science and that collaboration is hindered by high transaction costs. This, combined with poorly defined property rights surrounding publicly funded data, limits the ability of data markets to operate efficiently. Although the science community is best placed to provide solutions for these issues, incentivization by funding agencies to increase the benefits of collaboration and reduce uncoordinated activity will be an accelerator. Given the complexity of emerging datasets and the collaborations needed to exploit them, trust-by-design solutions are suggested. The underlying motivational 'glue' that holds this activity together is the aesthetic and ethical value base underlying good science. The model has implications for data-driven science more generally. As biomedical science in the Global South develops, there is an opportunity to address foundational structural issues prospectively rather than inherit unwanted constraints of current practice., Competing Interests: J.G. is Director of Dementias Platform UK, and was a member of the UK Biobank Steering Group between 2010 and 2022. C.W. declares no competing interests., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: The Africa Capacity Building Initiative (ACBI) programme aimed to 'strengthen the research and training capacity of higher education institutions and support the development of individual scientists in sub-Saharan Africa through UK-Africa research collaborations' including by funding PhD studentships. We conducted research to understand students' experiences and to see how consortia-based programmes such as ACBI and their own institutions can enhance PhD students' research environment and progress., Methods: In-depth interviews with 35 ACBI-funded PhD students explored their perspectives about how their research and personal development benefitted from belonging to a research consortium. Questionnaires were used to corroborate interview findings., Results: Students recognised that membership of a research consortium provided many benefits compared to less well-resourced peers. By drawing on the programme and consortiums' resources, they were often able to overcome some limitations in their own institution's systems and facilities. Through their consortia they could access a wide range of international expertise and support from mentors and colleagues for their technical and psychosocial needs. Multiple consortia opportunities for engaging with the international scientific community and for networking, gave them confidence and motivation and enhanced their career prospects., Conclusion: Our study and its recommendations highlight how the breadth and diversity of resources available to PhD students through research consortia can be harnessed to facilitate students' progress and to create a supportive and conducive research environment. It also underlines how, through a multi-level approach, consortia can contribute to longer-term improvements in institutional research environments for PhD students., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 El Hajj T et al.)

In this essay, I reflect on my experiences of undertaking housing research during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has had vast global impacts beyond the massive loss of life; disrupting economies, environments and social systems and creating a global housing crisis. Due to these extreme circumstances, conducting research at this time can have unforeseen challenges. I discuss these challenges, and their impacts (1) on research participants and (2) on researchers, as well as (3) on the quality of research outputs that can be produced. These challenges are situated within narratives of my own personal experiences as an early-career researcher and mother, conducting housing research on COVID-related topics. I offer advice on whether research should be conducted under the difficult circumstances created by the pandemic, and future priorities for the housing research community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kazakhstan has implemented numerous policy reforms to improve its research environment since 1991, experiencing both positive changes and critical challenges. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive investigation of the country’s research environment. Our materials include statistical data, science policy reports, bibliometric data from Scopus, and interview responses. Using descriptive statistics and regression analysis, we analyze the country’s publication capacity, key characteristics, and science funding by the government. We critically review significant policy reforms and conduct interviews with subject matter experts. Our findings suggest there has been an increasing number of publications and growth in citations since joining the Bologna process in 2010, and that there is a high positive correlation between the volume of science funding and publication output, development levels across fields of science, and focus from science on commercialization of science. The challenges relate to publishing in international journals, government financing and commercialization, researcher capacity, scientific areas, and international collaboration. Our contributions to scholarly communication and science policy are two-fold. First, we present the relationship between several factors/policies and the research environment. Second, we reveal the main challenges Kazakhstan and its academic community have experienced which can be considered by stakeholders, including the government, academic institutions, researchers, and other developing countries.

This study presents an individualized coaching approach tailored to the stages of proximity of promising scientists interested in becoming independently funded researchers in the context of a minority-serving institution. This strategy defined the participant's stage of proximity by their number of first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals and their track record in submitting research grants. We argue that coaching tailored by stages is an asset to maintain the enthusiasm, persistence, and positive attitude of promising scientists as they try to reach independent investigator status. Furthermore, this valuable educational approach supports the development of management and leadership skills in defined scientific domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an individualized coaching approach tailored to the stages of proximity of promising scientists interested in becoming independently funded researchers in the context of a minority-serving institution. This strategy defined the participant’s stage of proximity by their number of first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals and their track record in submitting research grants. We argue that coaching tailored by stages is an asset to maintain the enthusiasm, persistence, and positive attitude of promising scientists as they try to reach independent investigator status. Furthermore, this valuable educational approach supports the development of management and leadership skills in defined scientific domains.

Hofmann and Holm's (2019) recent survey on issues of research misconduct with PhD graduates culminated with a notable conclusion by the authors: ' Scientific misconduct seems to be an environmental issue as much as a matter of personal integrity '. Here, we re-emphasise the usefulness of an education-based countermeasure against toxic research environments or cultures that promote unethical practices amongst the younger researchers. We posit that an adequately conducted course in research ethics and integrity, with a good dose of case studies and analyses, can function in a manner that is metaphorically akin to vaccination. The training would cultivate the ability to analyse and build confidence in young researchers in making decisions with sound moral reasoning as well as in speaking up or arguing against pressure and coercions into unacceptable behaviour. A sufficiently large number of young researchers exposed to research ethics trainings would essentially provide a research community some degree of lasting herd immunity at its broadest base. Beyond passive immunity, a crop of research ethics-savvy young researchers could also play active and influential roles as role models for others at their level and perhaps even help correct the wayward attitudes of some senior researchers and initiate prompt action from institutional policy makers in a bottom-up manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most important factor of the competitiveness of South Korea’s national science and technology is the research results. University professors and national research institute researchers perform the important role of generating research results. Therefore, the responsibilities and missions of university professors and national research institute researchers are growing constantly. University professors perform knowledge creation and education. National research institute researchers support national science policy-making and the government R&D program. Satisfactory research support and research environments are very important for university professors and national research institute researchers. Thus, this paper analyzes the job satisfaction level of university professors and national research institute researchers with regard to their research environment and research production. It also proposes an effective policy for achieving a satisfactory research environment based on the results of an analysis of research environments and research production.

The purpose of this study, reflecting the characteristics of recent R&D activities, where knowledge convergence and exchange and the growth of researchers are becoming more important, is to promote the growth of outstanding researchers by establishing a support system for researcher career development (intensifying expertise) and career fluidity (change in core research topics). Using the results of a survey of 548 researchers from government-funded research institutes, this study analyze environmental factors of research that promotes career development suitable for the growth of researchers after quantitatively verifying the effects of career development and career mobility on research outcomes. As a result of the analysis, it is more desirable to strengthen career liquidity after stable career development, but the human resources and career development support systems of research institutes are insufficient. Therefore, in this study, policy measures to support researcher career development and liquidity were proposed in four stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to understand doctoral candidates' and supervisors' positive and negative experiences of undertaking a doctorate in a structured interdisciplinary research training environment. Interviews were held with 16 candidates and eight supervisors involved in an interdisciplinary research centre. Most candidates were undertaking a disciplinary focussed doctorate while being active participants in the centre's doctoral education program. Our findings highlighted three themes that influence positive or negative experiences: the design of the interdisciplinary environment; the critical role of communication; and the qualities of candidates and supervisors deemed important to work effectively in such an environment. We conclude with suggestions that might help develop an effective interdisciplinary research environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-regular employment is increasing and its mental health impact is a globally important problem. In Japan, non-regularly employed researchers are increasing, especially within young age groups, because employment quotas were not sufficiently expanded against rapid increasing number of doctorate holders. It is therefore important to understand the relationship between non-regular employment and mental health. The significance of our research is to contribute to the improvement of researchers' mental health by clarifying the influence of employment status on psychological distress. We conducted a cross-sectional, web-based survey in 2017 via an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire distributed to workers in Tsukuba Science City, Japan. The survey questionnaire items included employment status, psychological distress, occupational stress, sex, age, and income. We analyzed 2,762 valid responses in two categories (1,850 regular employment, 912 non-regular employment) and two subcategories based on age according to the definition of "young researcher" by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (20-39 years vs. 40-59 years). Psychological distress was defined as a total K6 score of 5 or greater. Binomial logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for psychological distress. Non-regular employment was significantly associated with psychological distress in the age 20-39 group but not in the age 40-59 group. At the age 20-39 group, a negative association was shown between psychological distress and reward from work (i.e., pride in their job, ability utilization, and sense of accomplishment). Support to increase psychological work rewards may be important in reducing psychological distress for young non-regularly employed researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The study is of one University of Technology in South Africa which has been transformed from a technikon. • It examines the research-inducing environment in a University of Technology (UoT). • It presents empirical data regarding various aspects of their research environment. • The study presents strategies that can be adopted to improve the research environment in UoTs. • It provides a future-oriented perspective of the research environment in UoTs. Universities of Technology (UoTs) are a new addition to the higher education sector in South Africa. In the wake of the political changes from apartheid to democracy, South Africa went ahead with reforms in the higher education system. The transformation of technikons to UoTs was one major step in this regard. Historically, technikons had challenges in maintaining a research profile. An observable research culture was lacking in these technikons which accompanied them when they were made into UoTs. This has implications not only for the UoTs but also for the higher education sector in the country. This empirical study of one such University of Technology examines the research-inducing environment in terms of its presence in the current institutional set up, the strategies that are meant to incentivise research activities and the future of UoTs. The study presents the data collected from the academic staff working in the selected University of Technology in South Africa. Apart from revealing prevailing aspects of the research environment, the study provides a view to the future of UoTs in the higher education sector in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted semi-structured, telephone interviews with 52 federally funded researchers nominated as exemplars for their integrity and professional conduct, and their scientific achievements. The aim was to identify the practices they report utilizing to build respectful relationships in their teams. We found four practices, holding meetings, providing supervision and guidance, encouraging shared ownership, and expressing values, which were also important to performing high-quality, compliant research, were essential to fostering relationships. The most common practice described for building relationships was actively and deliberately cultivating a positive team environment. Additionally, exemplars described the need to lead by example, tailor their approach to the needs of individuals, address interpersonal conflict, and hire team members cautiously. We also identified practices the exemplars reported as important to managing the demands of their work and found that encouraging shared ownership and tailoring to individuals supported this goal. Additional strategies related to prioritization and planning, seeking advice, engaging in self-care, and managing emotional reactions. Finally, we identified priorities guiding the exemplars' practices. Key priorities included providing outstanding mentoring, building collaborations and relationships, and engaging in discovery and innovation. Investigators require exceptional leadership skills but receive limited systematic leadership training. Addressing this gap would advance research excellence and integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graduate students who are beginning academic research want to learn how to create and verify new knowledge in their research. Their supervisors, on the other hand, are seeking appropriate research environments including effective research guidance methods. In order to meet these demands, this paper proposes a knowledge creation model that supports the objectives of both graduate students and their supervisors. This is an academic knowledge creation model for individuals supported by a group and its origin can be traced back to a famous organizational knowledge creation model. Since this type of model is constructed from empirical knowledge, it is not easy to prove its objective significance. But, this paper tries to show the effectiveness of the proposed model as an initial stage of model validation based on a questionnaire survey of students in a graduate school in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]