Covid-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline in the number of new topics and projects in the scientific community From Northwestern University

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A year and a half after the covid-19 pandemic, the scientific community is still feeling the impact of this devastating event – and probably for many years to come. A new study led by Northwestern University found that although the productivity level of researchers has basically returned to the pre pandemic peak, compared with 2019, the number of new projects launched by scientists who did not engage in covid-19 related research decreased by 36% in 2020. This sharp decline in new projects suggests that the impact of the pandemic on science may be more lasting than commonly thought.

“On the surface, the researchers seem to be as productive as in the past,” said Dashun Wang of Northwestern University, who led the study However, instead of generating new directions, they are busy studying established topics, writing existing research, restoring legacy projects or re examining old data. We found this to be true in many scientific disciplines – no field has been spared the reduction in the number of projects. “

The researchers also found that the reduction in the pursuit of new projects is particularly evident for women and caregivers, which may further exacerbate the already unequal impact of the epidemic on these groups.

The study will be published in the journal Nature communications today (October 26, 2021).

Wang is a professor of management and organization at Kellogg School of management and a professor of industrial engineering and management science at McCormick School of engineering. He is also the director of the center for scientific innovation and a core member of the Northwest Institute of complex systems. The current research builds on Wang’s work in April 2020. He investigated the productivity levels of about 4500 scientists in the United States and Europe. The study was published in nature human behavior in July 2020. The study found that compared with scientists in fields with low equipment density such as mathematics, statistics and economics, the research working hours of biologists, chemists and other scientists who rely on laboratories for research have fallen more sharply. In addition, researchers with children aged 5 or younger had a 17% reduction in study time compared with researchers in similar fields without children.

With the smooth progress of vaccine development and the end of the pandemic may be in sight, Wang and his team reviewed this work in January 2021. They surveyed nearly 7000 major researchers in the United States and Europe and analyzed the dimensions database, the world’s largest research information dataset.

In the new survey, Wang and his team asked the same questions about productivity and new questions about overall research activities and outputs, including the number of new research publications, new submissions, new collaborations and new research projects that began before and during the pandemic.

Although the number of new projects initiated by researchers engaged in covid-19 related work in 2019 is roughly the same as that in 2020, there has been a significant decline in researchers engaged in non covid-19 related work. These researchers say they usually start about three new projects a year, down to two during 2020. The new co authorship rate of non covid-19 papers also decreased by 5%.

“In the early stages of the pandemic, scientists reported a sharp decline in the time spent on research,” Wang said These productivity levels have recovered, which shows some optimism. However, given the maturity of new research ideas and the long gestation time for publication, the reduction of new projects shows that the impact of the pandemic may not be reflected in the published records for a few years. “

The interaction between people is blocked

Wang believes that this work emphasizes the importance of face-to-face interaction and cooperation, which is often an important channel for new ideas. He said that these results may contribute to the ongoing policy discussions aimed at encouraging social interaction, promoting new cooperation and resuming face-to-face activities.

“As a researcher, I often meet new collaborators at meetings and dinners. I generate new ideas in coffee chat and discuss ideas with my colleagues. These interactions didn’t happen so much during the pandemic.”

But even if campuses and laboratories reopen, Wang warns that life will continue to be difficult for researchers with young children. Although many institutions implemented some policies in the early stage of the pandemic, such as extending project time to help parents and caregivers, parents with young children still need more support. Parents are generally cautious before their children can be vaccinated – for example, they often give up travel and personal activities to protect their children.

“Many agencies are evaluating short-term data to inform their reopening policies. However, these short-term indicators may mask the long-term impact of the pandemic. Children under the age of 12 are still ineligible for vaccination, which has a further impact on scientists with young children. At the same time, our results also show that short-term investments, such as childcare support, There may be long-term benefits “.

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