The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics, with a focus on gender and ethnicity: a qualitative study in the UK
Objective To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics, with a focus on gender and ethnicity.Design Qualitative study based on interviews and audio/written diary data.Setting UK study within clinical academia.Participants Pu...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/6/e057655.full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832583584159891456 |
|---|---|
| author | Carmen Soto Jessica Elizabeth Morgan Paul Crampton Paul Alexander Tiffin Gabrielle M Finn Amelia Kehoe Ellie Taylor John AG Buchanan Abisola Olatokunbo Balogun |
| author_facet | Carmen Soto Jessica Elizabeth Morgan Paul Crampton Paul Alexander Tiffin Gabrielle M Finn Amelia Kehoe Ellie Taylor John AG Buchanan Abisola Olatokunbo Balogun |
| author_sort | Carmen Soto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics, with a focus on gender and ethnicity.Design Qualitative study based on interviews and audio/written diary data.Setting UK study within clinical academia.Participants Purposive sample of 82 clinical academics working in medicine and dentistry across all career stages ranging from academic clinical fellows and doctoral candidates to professors.Methods Qualitative semistructured interviews (n=68) and audio diary data (n=30; including 16 participants who were also interviewed) collected over an 8-month period (January–September 2020), thematically analysed.Results 20 of 30 (66.6%) audio diary contributors and 40 of 68 (58.8%) interview participants were female. Of the participants who disclosed ethnicity, 5 of 29 (17.2%) audio diary contributors and 19/66 (28.8%) interview participants identified as Black, Asian or another minority (BAME). Four major themes were identified in relation to the initial impact of COVID-19 on clinical academics: opportunities, barriers, personal characteristics and social identity, and fears and uncertainty. COVID-19 presented opportunities for new avenues of research. Barriers included access to resources to conduct research and the increasing teaching demands. One of the most prominent subthemes within ‘personal characteristics’ was that of the perceived negative impact of the pandemic on the work of female clinical academics. This was attributed to inequalities experienced in relation to childcare provision and research capacity. Participants described differential experiences based upon their gender and ethnicity, noting intersectional identities.Conclusions While there have been some positives afforded to clinical academics, particularly for new avenues of research, COVID-19 has negatively impacted workload, future career intentions and mental health. BAME academics were particularly fearful due to the differential impact on health. Our study elucidates the direct and systemic discrimination that creates barriers to women’s career trajectories in clinical academia. A flexible, strategic response that supports clinical academics in resuming their training and research is required. Interventions are needed to mitigate the potential lasting impact on capacity from the pandemic, and the potential for the loss of women from this valuable workforce. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-385d4d7528834a1f8a563bf005929ede |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-385d4d7528834a1f8a563bf005929ede2025-01-28T10:10:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-06-0112610.1136/bmjopen-2021-057655The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics, with a focus on gender and ethnicity: a qualitative study in the UKCarmen Soto0Jessica Elizabeth Morgan1Paul Crampton2Paul Alexander Tiffin3Gabrielle M Finn4Amelia Kehoe5Ellie Taylor6John AG Buchanan7Abisola Olatokunbo Balogun8paediatricianCentre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, York, UK1 Health Professions Education Unit, Hull York Medical School, York, UKHealth Sciences, University of York, York, UKDivision of Medical Education, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK2Hull York Medical SchoolExeter Clinical Trials Unit, University of Exeter, Exeter, UKCentre for Education and Innovation, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UKHealth Professions Education Unit, Hull York Medical School, York, UKObjective To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics, with a focus on gender and ethnicity.Design Qualitative study based on interviews and audio/written diary data.Setting UK study within clinical academia.Participants Purposive sample of 82 clinical academics working in medicine and dentistry across all career stages ranging from academic clinical fellows and doctoral candidates to professors.Methods Qualitative semistructured interviews (n=68) and audio diary data (n=30; including 16 participants who were also interviewed) collected over an 8-month period (January–September 2020), thematically analysed.Results 20 of 30 (66.6%) audio diary contributors and 40 of 68 (58.8%) interview participants were female. Of the participants who disclosed ethnicity, 5 of 29 (17.2%) audio diary contributors and 19/66 (28.8%) interview participants identified as Black, Asian or another minority (BAME). Four major themes were identified in relation to the initial impact of COVID-19 on clinical academics: opportunities, barriers, personal characteristics and social identity, and fears and uncertainty. COVID-19 presented opportunities for new avenues of research. Barriers included access to resources to conduct research and the increasing teaching demands. One of the most prominent subthemes within ‘personal characteristics’ was that of the perceived negative impact of the pandemic on the work of female clinical academics. This was attributed to inequalities experienced in relation to childcare provision and research capacity. Participants described differential experiences based upon their gender and ethnicity, noting intersectional identities.Conclusions While there have been some positives afforded to clinical academics, particularly for new avenues of research, COVID-19 has negatively impacted workload, future career intentions and mental health. BAME academics were particularly fearful due to the differential impact on health. Our study elucidates the direct and systemic discrimination that creates barriers to women’s career trajectories in clinical academia. A flexible, strategic response that supports clinical academics in resuming their training and research is required. Interventions are needed to mitigate the potential lasting impact on capacity from the pandemic, and the potential for the loss of women from this valuable workforce.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/6/e057655.full |
| spellingShingle | Carmen Soto Jessica Elizabeth Morgan Paul Crampton Paul Alexander Tiffin Gabrielle M Finn Amelia Kehoe Ellie Taylor John AG Buchanan Abisola Olatokunbo Balogun The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics, with a focus on gender and ethnicity: a qualitative study in the UK BMJ Open |
| title | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics, with a focus on gender and ethnicity: a qualitative study in the UK |
| title_full | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics, with a focus on gender and ethnicity: a qualitative study in the UK |
| title_fullStr | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics, with a focus on gender and ethnicity: a qualitative study in the UK |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics, with a focus on gender and ethnicity: a qualitative study in the UK |
| title_short | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics, with a focus on gender and ethnicity: a qualitative study in the UK |
| title_sort | impact of the covid 19 pandemic on the research activity and working experience of clinical academics with a focus on gender and ethnicity a qualitative study in the uk |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/6/e057655.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carmensoto theimpactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT jessicaelizabethmorgan theimpactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT paulcrampton theimpactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT paulalexandertiffin theimpactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT gabriellemfinn theimpactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT ameliakehoe theimpactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT ellietaylor theimpactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT johnagbuchanan theimpactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT abisolaolatokunbobalogun theimpactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT carmensoto impactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT jessicaelizabethmorgan impactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT paulcrampton impactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT paulalexandertiffin impactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT gabriellemfinn impactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT ameliakehoe impactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT ellietaylor impactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT johnagbuchanan impactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk AT abisolaolatokunbobalogun impactofthecovid19pandemicontheresearchactivityandworkingexperienceofclinicalacademicswithafocusongenderandethnicityaqualitativestudyintheuk |