AsianScientist (Sep. 5, 2012) – Scientists in China have recently published data on the working patterns of research, and it is not a pretty picture.
Ask any researcher about their working hours and it would not be unusual to hear about regular 70 to 100 hour workweeks. However, this is the first time that scientists’ work habits have been quantified and analyzed.
In the new publication in the Journal of Informetrics, researchers from Dalian University of Technology in China collected data about the number of scientific literature downloads from Springer, a scientific publisher, at all hours of the day.
To do this, they used a free analytics tool from Springer that maps the geographical location of downloads in real time.
Scientists were assumed to be working when they downloaded a journal article, so analyzing download patterns would offer insights into the working trends of scientists.
It turns out that, in general, scientists work late at night after 11 pm, as well as on weekends. Looking more closely at the data, cultural differences begin to emerge.
Scientists in China tend not to work late at night but they do work on the weekends almost as much as they do during the week. On the other side of the world, scientists in the U.S. work well into the night but tend to rest on the weekend.
Interestingly, paper downloads from China dip around noon as well as around 6 pm, indicating that Chinese scientists prefer to pause for lunch and dinner. The authors of the study suggest this reflects “the habit and institution that China’s dining halls provide food at regular time every day.”
In comparison, the number of downloads in the U.S. continually rises from 7 am and peaks at 4 pm, which means there is no fixed lunch time. An alternative explanation could be scientists in the U.S. eat at their desks, downloading and reading papers while having a sandwich.
Clearly, those in the profession try to live and breathe science. However, such dedication to their craft may have adverse effects on their lives.
“Scientists are deprioritizing their hobbies, leisure activities, and regular exercise, which negatively influences their mental and physical health,” the authors say.
Intense competition in the scientific arena is self-perpetuating and the recent trend of research budget cuts makes the situation even more tense.
The authors conclude that “engagement in scientific research after work directly leads to the ambiguity of the boundary between home and office. As is generally agreed, research is not a sprint but a marathon. Balance in scientists’ life is needed.”
In a time when jobs in academia are scarce – according to the U.S. National Science Foundation only 14 percent of life science post-doctoral researchers find an academic position within five years of completing their Ph.D. – the competition is only going to get tougher.
The publication of this study provides compelling evidence for the need of a change in research culture to combat workaholism in all its forms.
The article PDF: Wang X et al. (2012) Exploring Scientists’ Working Timetable: Do Scientists Often Work Overtime?
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.
Photos: Journal of Informetrics (center), flipsockgrrl/Flickr/CC (top).
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
