• Question: Do you ever feel under pressure to find answers?

    Asked by un1corn5 to Anna, Chris, Jane, Iain, Nick on 12 Mar 2014.
    • Photo: Anna Middleton

      Anna Middleton answered on 12 Mar 2014:

      Hi @un1corn5
      Yes, I feel pressure, but a lot of this comes from me and the need to do good quality work. As scientists we have a responsibility to do robust research and answer the questions we said we would answer, even if the answers are not what we expected.

    • Photo: Nick Goldman

      Nick Goldman answered on 12 Mar 2014:

      Yes, I do. Scientists in universities and other public organisations have a lot of pressure to come up with new results very often, or they don’t get more money to do their research. It’s quite stressful. On the other hand, when you *do* get new results it feels great.

    • Photo: Iain Moal

      Iain Moal answered on 14 Mar 2014:

      Yes, all the time. I feel under pressure to get results and publish them in respected scientific journals. I worry that if I don’t, then it would make it harder for me next time I am looking for a job, or applying for funding for my research.

    • Photo: Chris Cole

      Chris Cole answered on 14 Mar 2014:

      Good question.

      Yes pressure to get results is common. Scientists are typically judged on how many publications they get and what contributions they made to the publications.

      There’s a common phrase, ‘publish or perish’ which is fairly accurate.

      I just found out today that a paper where I made a big contribution to was accepted for publication. Today is a good day 🙂

    • Photo: Jane Charlesworth

      Jane Charlesworth answered on 18 Mar 2014:

      Good question.

      The answer for me is yes. The way the current system for funding for science works, researchers are judged on how many papers they have published. For me right now, that’s a pressure, because none of the results I’ve found so far are exciting enough to other people for us to publish them. However as a scientist I can only report the results that are in my data, so I have to be patient and keep working!

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