Literature and Resources

Evidencing the Value of a Positive Research Culture

Evidence that author group diversity impacts 5-year weighted citations:

AlShebli, B.K., Rahwan, T. & Woon, W.L. The preeminence of ethnic diversity in scientific collaboration. Nat Commun 9, 5163 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07634-8

Wellcome Trust surveyed thousands of researchs on their experiences of research culture and have published the results, qualitative and quantitative research, literature review, townhalls report, and the contribution made by technical staff to research culture:

Wellcome: What Researcher’s Think of the Cultures They Work In

University of Leeds Research Culture Team – A partially randomised approach (PRA) to internal funding allocation – A pilot

https://sway.cloud.microsoft/5ExKikMSoTIST26u

Nature Reviews Materials – Sexism in academia is bad for science and a waste of public funding

Concordats, Agreements, Frameworks, Statements

Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment
European Commission Charter for Researchers
Irish Universities Association National Research Integrity Forum containing Framework to Enhance Research Integrity in Collaborations
Science Europe Resources (filter by Research Culture) and Statement on Research Culture
ALLEA European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity
University of Leeds Research Culture Strategic Plan 2023-2028
RAIL Report: A model for keeping the academic Mid-career on track WIASN
RESET Project Redesigning Equality and Scientific Excellence Together
University of Bordeaux Gender Equality Plan 2022-2024

Toolkits

Russell Group (UK): Culture & Environment toolkit
Wellcome: Cafe Culture Toolkit and the Equitable Funding Practice Library – a resource that provides ideas on how to reduce and eliminate inequitable funding outcomes
European Commission: SOPs4RI Toolkit – SOPs4RI (Standard Operating Procedures for Research Integrity) is a 4 year funded project stimulating transformational processes around research integrity
Flemish Interuniversity Council (Belgium): Mind the GAP (Good Academic Practices) a mandatory course in research integrity as part of doctoral training at all Flemish universities. Public website under development.
Royal Society/UK Research Integrity Office: Integrity in practice toolkit
Newcastle University – EDI Toolkit for Researchers – a set of practical resources, designed to help researchers to engage with and understand equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
UKRI – Resume Resource LIbrary – hosting a range of materials designed to support people and organisations in the adoption and use of narrative CVs.
Matharu Plots – decolonising the curriculum and encouraging researchers to consider literature from outside the global North and creating a mechanism for reporting.
University of Nottingham EDI Cards – cards developed aids for driving discussion and reflection on EDI.
University of Manchester, Christabel Pankhurst Institute Team Research Programme
The Biochemist – A beginner’s guide to supervising a PHD Researcher
University of Leeds resources for writing narrative CV’s: https://sway.cloud.microsoft/leRUQ6hLgatSupGY
University of Leeds funding resources: https://researchersupport.leeds.ac.uk/research-funding-and-outputs/fellowships-and-grants/

Policy Papers

Research briefs from the ARRC team’s background research to understand current practices around research culture issues in other countries. The briefs summarise practices from select European universities about the ways they approach the recruitment of postdocs and postdoc precarity.
- Recruitment of early career researchers
- Precarity of early career researchers
Science Europe presents ‘A Vision and Framework for Research Cultures’. It synthesises their recent work across numerous policy topics focussing them on the shared objective of R&I systems to advance knowledge and enable the quality and impact of research.