It has been a rough week. Last Sunday in Peru, quarantine was announced and I am suddenly staying home for 15 days. I left some manuscripts in my lab's computer, had to cancel sampling campaigns, and left some filters with microplastics unread (at least safe in petri dishs) in the lab. As for now, I am working on some documents and policy briefs
Can you tell us about your experience?
As novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is declared pandemic by WHO, all nations are taking suitable measures to control it. In India, Colleges are closed for several days, and therefore, it will affect the scientific work/research.
RG at their FB page surveying thousands of researchers to learn how #COVID19 is impacting their work. You can left your comment there, they will share survey results next week
https://www.facebook.com/ResearchGate/
Of course, it will negatively affect if you need devices to do your job.
Report: COVID-19 impact on global scientific community
https://www.researchgate.net/institution/ResearchGate/post/5e81f09ad785cf1ab1562183_Report_COVID-19_impact_on_global_scientific_community
It has given negative impact on working and economy as well. But the lockdown has prevented its spread.
To Elfadil Abass : Why does staying at home help?
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/health-52008673/coronavirus-update-why-does-staying-at-home-help
Many researchers argue that stress and anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic affects their working capacity.
During lockdown more time can be utilized for research orientation.
The antiviral remdesivir seem to work for COVID-19. This compound destroys the RNA structure of the virus.
The topical subject of COVID-19 is the hottest area of research in medical science, general science, and social science.
Dear Chia-Lin Chang,
Unfortunately, so far without any concrete and useful results.
Best regards,
Romeo
Romeo Meštrović indeed, many opportunistic researchers are publishing COVID related reviews or articles that lack novelty to their results just because it is trending, probably to boost their citation or h index. These researchers must know scientific publishing is not a social media platform, but a formal and ethical way to contibute to knowledge.
Most students and researchers from public institutions are working away from their laboratories following the recommendation of social distance by COVID19. This distance from the research centers had a negative impact on most of the researches that were being carried out, for example in studies with clinical tests on volunteers as well as field research involving outings and interviews with the population.
To Romeo :
I am sure that a mathematician can define "useful" in a clear and concise way.
I am working from home by writing and publishing papers, editing Thesis of students, and giving technical advise to scientist etc. I have published several papers during lock down period.
Not expect significant disruptions to research operations. Due to lockdown situation, the researchers have no access to their sites.The Long-Term Effects of Covid-19 on research, many researchers has canceled travel to their study sites, training/conferences schedules etc. Other side research has emerged suggesting to coronavirus survivors' plasma could save.
Mahendra Pal being this efficient during quarantine is great, congrats
More time for research leads to greater reflection on what one is doing.
gathering physical information through the outside. I am creating a project it's based on market research. for that, I need to talk with small retailers and wholesalers about my topic. so, I am facing trouble now.
Self isolation can lead to fewer meetings and more research time, including on COVID-19.
I have been working from home by writing and publishing papers, supervision of students, editing Thesis of students, and giving technical advice to researchers. I have published able to publish three papers while others are under review. I have been busy during lock down period. Gabriel Enrique De-la-Torre
Joab O. Odhiambo is good to hear that scientific productivity has increased for you, our lab algo got a paper published and still working on another one.
Has anyone thought of learning different skills? like arts, musical instrument or language?
Dear Gabriel Enrique De-la-Torre ,
For me, work at home has little effect on my research. I can do my research from home because the methods I use to solve the problems is a numerical method that needs only the computer. And when I need to measure something, I can easily come to my laboratory with my assistance. No problem so far.
Thank you.
University research typically involves postdoctoral researchers (postdocs), graduate students, and sometimes undergraduate students in addition to faculty members. Even if the nature of a particular research project qualifies it to continue despite COVID-19, many universities are limiting the continued participation of postdocs and students. Cancelled or suspended research may be of particular concern to these groups. Continuing to work remotely may also be more challenging for students, postdocs, and early-career faculty who have families, as their children are more likely to be young than those of more senior researchers.Failing to complete a project on time may delay the completion of a degree or make it difficult to demonstrate research success when applying for a job or seeking tenure.
Cancelled conferences are also a particular concern for postdocs, students, and other early-career researchers, who often rely on conferences to meet more senior scientists, present their work, and find jobs. In some circumstances, there may be uncertainty about continuity of pay for students employed as research assistants or teaching assistants.
Because there are disparities between disciplines in the extent to which research can continue while working remotely, students and postdocs in different disciplines may find disparities in how their careers are affected. Disparities may also arise between students and postdocs whose experiments can be suspended and restarted and those whose experiments must simply be abandoned and begun afresh.
To the extent that research disruptions, delayed graduation, or difficulty obtaining in-field employment discourage students and early-career researchers from continuing in their field of research, those outcomes could create challenges for the future science and engineering workforce.
At the research level, COVID-19 has opened up a wide range of novel, important and challenging topics.
Gabriel Enrique De-la-Torre, other than lab and fieldwork and physical involvement we may proceed to enrich our research armament: attentive reading of more and more publications on our discipline, gathering more knowledge and statistical skills, planning, distant learning, scrutinizing protocols, virtual meet with our mentors/guides/co-researchers, preparation of timelines, manuscript writing, reviewing, editing, etc.
I have been able to publish 3 articles during this period of Covid-19 pandemic. More to follow.
Gabriel Enrique De-la-Torre Md Rabiul Alam Michael John McAleer Bita Jamshidi Nazaruddin Sinaga Maryam Kuzekanani
Dear Michael,
What spectrum is it about a wide range of novel, important and challenging topics?
Without doubt, the COVID-19 caused major changes in scientific publishing on the researchers' behalf. Many researchers are eager to publish coronavirus-related articles because these are the most downloaded and cited. Moreover, many prestigious journals are promoting this by giving special interest in this topic, even fastening the peer-review process. However, in many occasions I've read articles that, from my point of view, lack novelty or just make bogus claims. It feels like for many researchers, scientific publishing has become a "social network" where being up to date with the trendy topic is key.
While more productive at times, I feel that constant team calls and discussions eat most of my day - making me work full focus until very late.
In addition, my fieldwork abroad had to be interrupted. It was a painful moment, but the right decision. i Had to readapt my work.
Difficult to follow all the calls that are opening, and setting up consortiums and projects all the time. Although I feel it is now or never, because with the economic situation who knows what opportunities we will have...
Empirical studies in economics, finance, energy, and tourism, among other disciplines, require high frequency data from 1 February 2020 onward to capture the impact of COVID-19.
At this time it can be used both for writing and for producing new ideas for your research
Brazil has continental size, and our numbers during the pandemics were continental as well. Academic activities, however, were not fully compromised. The university where I work enabled an advanced system of online classes to support the students. Research improved since we were able to carry out deeper debates onlinemore often. With proper adaptation, things went pretty well.
On the one hand, it gave researchers more time for their work. On the other it has been a source of anxiety, worry and stress especially for those who are in contact with those affected by the disease such as physicians.
I firmly believe that the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 is currently the most important scientific topic worldwide, especially in the medical sciences. As a result, my scientific interest turned to the study of SARS-CoV-2.
Article A Panel of Broad-Spectrum Antivirals in Topical Ophthalmic M...
Article The Ocular Surface and the Coronavirus Disease 2019: Does a ...
Article Global Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Malaria: An Ep...
Article Safety Recommendations and Medical Liability in Ocular Surge...
Academic researchers are attracted to tackle difficult challenges, and any issue associated with COVID-19 is a serious challenge.
Pandemic constraints affect not only how researchers operate, but also build new obstacles for communicating with colleagues, ensuring consistency in research funding, establishing and maintaining international research partnerships, and disseminating research findings, such as conferences, meetings, and workshops.
The pandemic has given us time to reflect on what is important in life.
The biggest challenge was human subjects data collection activities because they (participants) needed to wear technologies and interact with researchers.
Due to the COVID period, it doesn't seem easy to conduct experimental work in the lab. So, in this period, I focus on writing and editing the previous manuscript and preparing some other review articles.