Dear HIFA colleagues,
As we look this week at the role of researchers in research communication, and reflect on their/your motivations, it was serendipitous that PLOS (a leading open access publisher) sent out today a survey with the title "What motivates you as a researcher?"
https://plos.org/values-assessment/
Here are the aspects they consider, followed by a comment from me below:
What matters:
Improving the peer review process so that it is fair and impartial
Improving public trust in science
Teaching and guiding younger researchers in order to help them build their careers
Allocating fair and accurate credit to help researchers build their careers
Improving how we validate and verify published research
Improving how we demonstrate that even small contributions to science can make a big difference in the world
I want....
I want others to trust and build on my research
I want to try new ways of sharing research
I want to demonstrate that all evidence is worth sharing, even if it results in a negative or null outcome
I want to demonstrate that I conduct the most high-quality, rigorous research possible
I want to ensure that everyone can publish in an OA journal if they choose
I want my research to help shape public policy
I want to promote and support peers in my community
I want to be globally recognized for my accomplishments in my field
I want my research to inform decision-making at both the societal and individual levels
I want to exchange knowledge and learn from different perspectives
I want my research to forge a path for others
I want to learn something new everyday
I want the freedom to set my own research agenda based on questions I think are important
I want everyone to have the freedom to read and access research
By the end of my career in research, I most hope my colleagues will think of me as ...
- a researcher who shares freely, assesses work fairly, and acknowledges all contributions to research.
- a researcher whose work is always high-quality, reproducible, and reliable.
- a researcher who has made a tangible difference in the field and in the world.
- an innovative researcher and mentor, and a leader in my field or region.
- a creative and dedicated researcher with deep experience in my area of interest.
Your responses suggest that you value the potential to CREATE CHANGE. You want your research to have an impact — to leave your mark on your field, and to create positive real-word change, through public policy, improved health outcomes, and more informed decision-making.
1. You believe in the power of knowledge
That more information in the hands of the public, teachers, government, policy makers, and fellow researchers leads to a better world–to improved health outcomes, more conscientious decision-making and a brighter future.
2. You believe that collaboration can accelerate
That sharing small as well as significant scientific advances with the broadest possible audience, and sharing early whenever possible drives progress and increases the pace of advancement.
3. You believe in egalitarianism
That when scientific research is freely accessible and easily discoverable it’s more likely to be read, and to influence future research, public policy, curriculum, and opinion. That everyone should have access to rigorous research, and the power to apply their knowledge in practical ways in the real world.
COMMENT (NPW): Do the above attributes speak to you? What motivates you as a researcher? How does this relate to how you *communicate* your research?
Best wishes, Neil
Joint Coordinator, HIFA Communicating health research https://www.hifa.org/projects/new-effective-communication-health-researc...
Let's build a future where every person has access to reliable healthcare information and is protected from misinformation - Join HIFA: www.hifa.org
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of the HIFA global health movement (Healthcare Information For All - www.hifa.org ), a global community with more than 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting on six global forums in four languages in collaboration with WHO. HIFA brings stakeholders together to accelerate progress towards universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK based non-profit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Twitter: @hifa_org neil AT hifa.org
