Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing the world into a multidimensional
crisis that is disrupting global education and research
(IAU
2020, Witze
2020 ,World
Bank 2020). Closed institutions and facilities, travel bans, hiring
freezes, suspended meetings, a sudden shift to online teaching, visa
restrictions, and limits to field campaigns are just a few of the
multiple challenges that educators and researchers face. How
long-lasting and severe these impacts will be for a typically field- and
lab-based, international, and collaborative field such as Ecology is
still unknown. At the same time, other well-known issues in academia
such as inequalities based on gender
(Costa
2020), ethnicity and sociocultural background
(Dennis et al.
2005), and challenges for researchers in developing countries
(Moakofhi et al. 2017 ) are now exacerbated as a result of the
actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
As the pandemic is affecting almost every aspect of our profession, the
many challenges and consequences of working in academia during COVID-19
have been thoroughly discussed (Malisch et al. 2020 ,Myers et
al. 2020,Staniscuaski
et al. 2020,Walker
et al. 2020). However, the scientific community may be missing out on
opportunities for strengthened collaboration and reciprocal support by
not sufficiently discussing the positive aspects and unique
opportunities that have emerged for doing science during these new
circumstances. The current COVID-19 crisis provides us with a unique
opportunity to gain new perspectives on how we have done science in the
past - what did not work so well, what the barriers were to conducting
science - and to explore what we can gain from this experience to
improve our future. If ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, then, in
the light of COVID-19, we find ourselves with a learning-by-doing window
of opportunity. Specifically, the innovative, collaborative and Open
Science responses that are currently being developed may help to promote
a community reinvention in academia.
We are a diverse group of mostly Early Career Researchers (ECRs), who
met during an international postgraduate field-course on plant
functional traits11https://plantfunctionaltraitscourses.w.uib.no/,
which was suddenly disrupted by the pandemic (seeCotner
et al. 2020). This experience, in addition to adjusting to the new
normality of remote-based working once we returned home, inspired us to
reflect on the creative problem-solving approaches being taken to
maintain focus, along with establishing and maintaining partnerships.
Here, we summarize eight central insights learned from our own
experience of doing research and collaborating internationally in the
era of COVID-19 that are helping us to continue working as ECRs in
ecology during the pandemic (summarized in Figure 1). We focus on 1) how
to navigate the current uncertainties, fears and challenges of working
under a new reality, and 2) how new practices for remote collaboration
can serve as components of a new way of conducting international Science
during and in a post-pandemic world. We argue that even in isolation,
there are multiple opportunities for doing cutting edge collaborative
science and scientific outreach.
The importance of Resilience: Replan, redirect, reschedule
One of the biggest challenges of the pandemic is the inability for many
to either complete field campaigns or have access to lab facilities and
equipment. For example, losing just one year of data can be damaging for
the ability of many researchers, particularly ECRs who have limited
timeframes to complete their training or research projects (Inouye et
al.2020,Paula
2020). ECRs that have to cancel their field studies or do not have
access to lab equipment are especially vulnerable in our discipline
compared to established researchers, as training and hands-on experience
is usually gained through field campaigns and lab work. Here, the first
step towards not only maintaining research activity, but incorporating
this new reality into planning for the future, is to realize that every
project suffers bottlenecks that delays in its completion, and that
these are often beyond our control (Bielczyk et al. 2018). A useful
starting point is to invest some time to reflect on the research
priorities of the project, and to determine which parts should be
focused on and which can and may need to be rescheduled or changed. A
first question to ask to start this thought process is “what really
needs to happen this year; this field season; this upcoming week?”
Maybe it is not possible to collect all the data that were planned, so
prioritizing the essentials is important. Indeed, instilling a routine
of constantly rehashing the central research goals, (re)prioritizing
goals, and not being afraid to update or change them is an essential
part of building personal resilience
(McEwen
2012).
Personal resilience is the ability to positively adapt to adversity
(Fletcher
et al. 2013). Building personal resilience is a key trait for
researchers, and COVID-19 has only underscored its importance. For many
ECRs, rescheduling projects may seem too disappointing or may even not
be an option, and having to redirect the research focus may seem
challenging if not insurmountable. If project reframing is required, it
is important to think carefully and draw upon the support of supervisors
and colleagues, in order to balance productivity and progress in
redirecting research with topics that still are of interest and maintain
engagement. In such cases, initiating conversations with supervisors and
colleagues can provide a different perspective on a problem. Don’t be
afraid to think big or to share fears - enabling mutual understanding is
crucial, and especially more experienced colleagues are likely to have
gone through similar situations in their careers. Discussing with peers
(i.e. in a lab meeting) the main goals and hypotheses to be tested in
the project will promote reflection on what the bigger picture was, and
enable easier identification of which goals can still be accomplished.
Engaging with colleagues will provide feedback from different
perspectives, helping us to think outside the box, and eventually
yielding new ideas.
Difficulties to focus?: The power of doing something every
day
While we find ourselves in these uncertain and stressful times, it can
be difficult to know what we should expect from ourselves in terms of
productivity and focus. Here, it’s important to acknowledge that outside
influences can play a big role in how we feel. Between the camps of
‘this is a time to be extremely productive’ and ‘this is a time of great
despair’ there is a lot of scope for personal and professional
victories. For many of us, one of the big issues we are facing is the
inability to focus. We are all adapting to how this pandemic is
affecting our home and work lives
(Ahmad
2020a,b ). Our capacity to maintain focus during this time
should be seen as a learning process and an inability to focus should
not be seen as a failure. We don’t know how long this crisis will last,
so it is vital that, as we adjust to this ‘new normal’, we prioritize
our own mental and physical wellbeing
(Ahmad
2020b). This means ensuring we maintain social interactions, in person
or virtual, engage in exercise, and do things that provide psychological
relief.
Still, workplace responsibilities do not disappear, even if we may not
be in the actual physical workplace just now. With this in mind, what
strategies are available to help us, as we focus on how to ease back
into work? Approaches may involve trying to do something every day, or
breaking down tasks into small goals, making to-do-lists where small
tasks can be ticked off, and establishing a clear daily or weekly
routine. Such small and steady approaches help maintain momentum and
provide a sense of accomplishment. During lockdown, a key part of
developing such routines is being able to maintain the distinction
between home and office. Even when working from home one could commit to
‘virtual commutes’ (if possible): for example a 15-minute walk before
and after work to separate the day. It is also important to take breaks
- enjoy that lunch hour, or a cup of coffee. Having a designated office
space, or setup, may also help maintain focus. Lastly, as we find
ourselves with more online meetings, it could be advantageous to set
aside meeting-free days or afternoons, so as to reduce distractions and
have blocks of time to dedicate to tasks that demand more focus.
There are also ways to work together to promote productivity and focus
in lab or research groups, many of which also support developing strong
group dynamics. One option is to establish daily morning check-ins,
where all lab members meet virtually for 15 minutes to briefly discuss
how everyone is doing, outline the day’s plan, and share other news.
These short meetings can help set the tone for the working day, and also
promote focus and productivity through peer feedback and accountability.
Other possibilities could take the form of ‘virtual pomodoros’ with
colleagues, where there are 25 minutes of work followed by 5 minutes to
relax and chat. By hearing and seeing other people working, we are
encouraged to keep focus, and we are rewarded with opportunities for
conversation and access to colleagues to quickly check ideas or new
developments. An extended version of this are virtual writing retreats,
which can be a productive way to focus on a single piece of work (grant
proposal, manuscript, a section of code), whilst also maintaining social
contact.
Cultivating your research portfolio
Early career researchers in academia often struggle to manage competing
pressures. Bielczyk et al.
(2018)
provide useful guidelines for better self-management. One of their key
suggestions is to envision our research activity as an “investment
portfolio”, diversifying the skills that we acquire so the inability to
complete a project due to unforeseen events does not ruin our entire
career or project. While traditionally a lot of the effort is devoted to
data collection, now may be the time to circumvent the lack of access to
labs and fields by reorganizing and prioritizing other career
development skills or to revisit scientifically important tasks that are
usually placed on standby. Consider expanding skill sets with
participation in online courses, working on side projects, cleaning and
documenting data that have been collected for years or finally finishing
(and publishing) that endless paper.
An interesting option to consider when primary data collection is
impeded is working on evidence synthesis, such as systematic reviews or
meta-analysis. As evidence synthesis is being more integrated into the
broader research community (Nakagawaet al.
2020) opportunities arise to better prioritize future research efforts
(Grainger
et al. 2020). Data synthesis approaches can help in ‘closing the loop’
of the research process that originated on a research question, by
detecting when such questions have accumulated enough quality evidence
and which are the research gaps that still need to be addressed
(Grainger
et al. 2020). For ECRs, building skills in evidence synthesis could
bolster future employment opportunities and increase research impact.
Training in evidence synthesis approaches could possibly replace
literature reviews traditionally forming the initial chapter of many
honors or doctoral theses
(Méndez
2018). Evidence synthesis is also becoming increasingly crucial in the
science-policy interface, both internationally through UN-mandated
science synthesis approaches like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Services (IPCC, IPBES), and on a more local scale through
various regional and governmental mechanisms (examples: European Food
Safety Authority,http://www.efsa.europa.eu/;
Conservation Evidence,https://www.conservationevidence.com/).
Turn isolation into collaboration
As data collection is put on hold in many parts of the world, there is
an increased opportunity to invest in open access to data, collaborative
networks, and research infrastructure (Kituyi 2020 ).
Collaborative projects can help to improve the quality of ecological
research by allowing data sharing (creating larger datasets;Pannel
et al. 2019), facilitating problem solving
(Goring
et al. 2014) and tackling global problems (i.e. global change) while
generating a more integrative understanding of ecosystems (Pannel
et al. 2019 ). To initiate new collaborations we need to be proactive,
ask around if colleagues have data they might have had lying in the
drawer for a while, seek funding to promote collaborations, or reach out
to potential data sources or collaborators whose work looks interesting.
Here, mentors and more senior colleagues may have an important role in
facilitating networking and collaboration for ECRs
(Oni
et al. 2016,Gibson
et al. 2019). In addition, Pannel et al.
(2019)
provide a list of initiatives and platforms to promote collaborations
and interdisciplinary research that might help to connect ECRs.
Alternatively, we should consider if our data are suitable for
submitting to an existing collaborative network, or data repository.
This could not only provide important opportunities for others, but also
contribute to large-scale synthesis projects (as highlighted above),
which will also increase the impact of our own work in the long term
(Goodmanet al. 2014,Goring
et al. 2014). As the pandemic has hit some countries harder than
others, or has peaked at different times, there might be possibilities
for someone elsewhere to replicate, or build upon, the project we had in
mind, but either way, such collaborations will likely be fruitful at
some point in the future.
With scientific endeavors increasingly drawing upon multi-disciplinary
approaches, these may open further opportunities to collaborate.
Interdisciplinary research becomes especially relevant when we are
facing a complex problem that can be addressed from different
perspectives. In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, many of the skills
or resources available to ecological researchers could be redeployed
(although we must be careful when applying ecological inference tools to
other fields;Carlson
et al. 2020). For example, a group of ecologists from the Biodiversity
and Conservation Area at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Madrid, Spain)
initiated an interdisciplinary project to develop a technique for
COVID-19 diagnosis, now integrating ecologists and microbiologists as
well as different public hospitals in Madrid. In their innovative
approach, they are using Infrared spectrometry (Vis-NIRs), a technique
generally employed to identify mineral nutrients and organic compounds
in plant tissues or soil samples, to develop an inexpensive and reliable
new testing method
(http://boscalia.org/en/covinirs-2).
Interdisciplinary projects can develop in any context and not
necessarily for COVID-19, but this example highlights that these
short-term opportunities, born out of necessity, may in the future
become longer term collaborations.
Remote collaborations: online platforms, version control and
reproducibility tools
The COVID-19 situation has shown that as researchers we can do a lot of
our work and collaborate with other researchers remotely. But working
remotely sometimes raises a lot of challenges in terms of “real-time”
collaboration. Online collaboration tools enable us to work together
efficiently, either through facilitating communication, the sharing or
storage of files and documentation, and the capacity to work in a
coordinated manner (Burgio et al. 2020 ). Tools for online
collaboration must support the three main requirements of most ecology
labs: 1) provide opportunities for real-time within-team communication,
2) enable open and reproducible data management and coding workflows,
and 3) facilitate file sharing and collaborative documents.
As the most popular tools for remote team communication, we may
recommend a combination of a video-conferencing app (many such apps
exist, and they have become very popular during social distancing), and
an online communication tool that allows group messaging. Together,
these can work as a “virtual office”, allowing quick and easy access
to information and almost instant feedback from colleagues. An
additional advantage of many messaging apps includes their capacity to
integrate with a wide array of other remote collaboration tools such as
shared drives, video conferencing apps, and shared online documents.
Here, with online collaborative work, finding tools that support version
control can be critical.
This is also a good time to build reproducible workflows that follow
best-practice standards for project and data management, code
development, and data analysis. Fortunately, excellent tools and
guidelines exist to develop such reproducible workflows (see e.g. theBritish
Ecological Society’s (2017) Guide to Reproducible Code and references
therein). In the time of COVID-19 crisis, reproducible workflows have
the added value that they also promote online collaboration in that they
allow for easy sharing and updating of data and materials. Some basic
practices to facilitate remote collaboration in these terms include: 1)
Establishing well-documented workflows, covering all steps from project
planning and data collection up to the final analysis output; 2)
Adopting transparent and reproducible practices, including clean and
repeatable script-based workflows that facilitates contributing, and/or
integrating new information using version control repositories; lastly
3) ensuring easy accessibility to data, protocols, methods or teaching
materials. Large amounts of ecological data can be available for not
only collaborators, but also for the broader research field using data
sharing platforms or data repositories (facilitating their use of data
in synthesis;Halbritter
et al. 2020). Establishing these practices as habits early on can help
ECRs to streamline their workflows and to interact with remote
collaborators and supervisors efficiently.
Take advantage of online conference platforms and virtual
meetings
The halting of many conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic has forced
the scientific community to explore online alternatives (Titipat
et al. 2020 , Lortie 2020).
Although virtual conferences cannot replace in-person ones, and lack
some of the face-to-face benefits (Vekkaila et al. 2018 ), they do
hold many opportunities that could be explored by ECRs and the broader
scientific community. For example, reduced attendance fees and zero
travel costs may enable greater access by students, or encourage
researchers to explore conferences they might not otherwise consider
attending. Furthermore, virtual conferences reduce VISA hassles for
participants, which may often be more prohibitive for those from
developing nations and, along with financial aspects, creates larger
gaps between researchers from developing and developed countries
(Bradley
et al. 2020). Online conferences and virtual meetings also contribute
to lowering researchers’ carbon footprint (Klöwer et al.2020).
Indeed, the format and content of online conferences is changing and
developing fast as a response to the pandemic. The new online format is
allowing useful and impactful interactions that enable better learning
in some aspects than in-person meetings (Lortie 2020 ).
Another possible benefit of a shift towards online communication
platforms is an increased opportunity for access to resources and
networked communities, for example via virtual meeting spaces.
Departmental seminars are a key way in which scientific insights are
shared amongst the broader researcher community, and also provide
excellent networking opportunities, particularly for ECR’s. However, in
the past, the capacity for institutes to invite and host guest seminar
speakers has been primarily limited to those with bigger budgets. A
shift towards online presentations would not only allow greater
visibility for the presenter, but also enable increased access for
departments/institutions where this may have been either a) too
expensive, or b) locationally difficult, i.e. many southern hemisphere
countries. In a similar vein, scientific workshops and resources can
also be adopted, with many traditional face-to-face workshops already
being shifted, or supported by online platforms.
Research networks and community engagement
In-person meetings with informal discussions remain the main way to
foster collaborations and network, especially for ECRs
(Pannell
et al. 2019). However, during the past decade, academics have
increasingly utilized both mainstream and academic-focused social
networking sites to supplement in-person activities such as sharing
research and networking
(Jordan and Weller 2018).
These platforms dissolve geographic borders, allowing researchers from
across the world to share resources and engage with a variety of
audiences outside their immediate academic institutions
(Cheplygina et al. 2020 ). ECRs can improve their visibility and
searchability by highlighting their research, skills, accomplishments
and publications through curating an online profile
(Tachibana
2014,Nentwich
and König 2014). This could be via personal websites, or through
registering on research platforms (e.g., ORCID, Google Scholar,
ResearchGate). Many researchers also engage via social media, such as
microblogging sites, where they share research, network and engage in
scientific discussions (Bista 2015 ;Cheplygina
et al. 2020). These can be a useful way to keep up to date with recent
scientific developments and opportunities, with many journals and
individuals promoting new insights. The rise of ‘altmetrics’ in
academia, along with both online profiles and social media platforms,
plays an important role in increasing the scientific visibility of
research
(Sugimoto
et al. 2017).
Online tools also provide a resource for ECRs to build networks outside
their own research community and connect with wider society. Initiatives
like Skype a Scientist and Live with Scientists enable researchers to
engage in informal discussions about their research (usually in the form
of a question and answer session) with different members of the
community (e.g. school children or adults who do not formally engage in
science). Such events can make important contributions to increase
scientific literacy among non-scientists and raise awareness of current
research issues. As these events are hosted virtually, ECRs can connect
with communities from around the world and participants have the
possibility to be exposed to a wide range of scientific ideas that may
have previously been inaccessible to them.
Promote a kinder, more inclusive and diverse community
In times of crisis, underrepresented groups are those that
disproportionately suffer the consequences of a sudden change
(Bapuji et al. 2020 ). Even before the COVID-19 yielded the
current international crisis, diversity, equality and inclusion were
already important issues with critical implications in STEM (Cech
and Blair-Loy 2019 ,Brower
2020). The systemic disadvantage of minorities and women in academic
and scientific enterprises is now magnified, and potential long-term
effects of the current crisis over these underrepresented groups can be
daunting (Staniscuaski et al. 2020 ,Brower
2020). In the last months, we have seen a large number of of reports
highlighting how the pandemic is disproportionately impacting academic
mothers (Viglione, 2020 ,Staniscuaski
et al. 2020) and people or regions with low incomes or limited access
to technologies
(Lee
et al. 2019,The
Economist Intelligence Unit 2020).
As ECRs, we need the COVID-19 crisis to be a wakeup call for
institutions and agencies to develop more flexible family-friendly
policies and action to mitigate parenthood, but especially motherhood
penalties (Cech and Blair-Loy 2019 ). Such policies will help to
mitigate both the exit of trained professionals from the STEM workforce
and the strong difficulties that these professionals face balancing
childcare or caregiver duties alongside their job responsibilities. In
this context, organizational policies, the lack of work-life programs
and flexible work arrangements, and increased workloads are
significantly associated with the prevalence of mental health problems
in academia (Levecque et al. 2017 ). Now more than ever it is
essential to understand that being locked at home does not necessarily
translate into a boost in productivity (Paula 2020). We are all living
stressful times and operating with more responsibilities and concerns
than ever before: i.e. family losses, sick relatives, extreme loneliness
or visa suspensions among others; but are also finding themselves with
fewer resources to complete their work. Now is the opportunity to use
this time to develop a more empathic and supportive community by
adjusting our expectations of workplace productivity of both ourselves
and others. Here, institutions and policymakers have a leading role in
facilitating management of work-life balance and workloads
(Levecque et al. 2017 ) and developing programs that do not
compromise ECRs future job (i.e. considering extending contracts; Paula
2020). At a personal or lab group level it may be addressed by
developing a value statement or code of conduct, and working towards
improvements of supervisor´s leadership style and team decision-making
culture within the labs (Levecque et al. 2017 ,Fernandez
and Shaw 2020).
For building a more inclusive and diverse scientific community, we must
also consider that most of the new approaches for working and
collaborating remotely rely upon internet access, visual displays and
text-based chat interactions. In this context, it is important to
acknowledge the difficulties to ensure access to meetings, resources and
digital networks for everyone. For example, it is crucial to appreciate
which additional challenges may be faced either by colleagues from
developing countries with unequal access to technologies (Moakofhi
et al. 2017 ), those from across different time-zones (Andersson
2008 ), or members of the scientific community with disabilities. A few
simple suggestions when internet and technology access is limited,
include replacing complicated online platforms for sharing materials
with those that are easier to navigate and that require less data (such
as email), and audio-visual platforms by more handy and less data usage
audio-visual apps that can be accessed via mobile phones (which most
people have). Another simple suggestion to take advantage of
audio-visual platforms options is to record and save meetings or
lectures for later use. Ensuring flexibility with virtual meetings,
allowing the coexistence of live meetings with pre-recorded ones and
integrating additional tools/resources for members with disabilities, is
important to make sure that traditional in-person meeting barriers
(Sohn 2019 ) are not transferred to virtual meetings if we are to
be truly inclusive.