# Preprint: Survey of Australian STEMM Early Career Researchers: job insecurity and questionable research practices are major structural concerns

**URL:** https://onscienceandacademia.org/t/preprint-survey-of-australian-stemm-early-career-researchers-job-insecurity-and-questionable-research-practices-are-major-structural-concerns/574
**Category:** Academia
**Tags:** preprint, questionable-research-practice, work-environment, stemm, ecr
**Created:** [February 22, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://onscienceandacademia.org/t/preprint-survey-of-australian-stemm-early-career-researchers-job-insecurity-and-questionable-research-practices-are-major-structural-concerns/574 "2020-02-22T14:09:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
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### Author: ![rebecca](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/onscienceandacademia.org/rebecca/32/520_2.png) [@rebecca](https://onscienceandacademia.org/u/rebecca)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://onscienceandacademia.org/t/preprint-survey-of-australian-stemm-early-career-researchers-job-insecurity-and-questionable-research-practices-are-major-structural-concerns/574/1 "2020-02-22T14:09:47Z")

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Christian, K., Johnstone, C., Larkins, J., Wright, W., & Doran, M. R. (2020). Survey of Australian STEMM Early Career Researchers: job insecurity and questionable research practices are major structural concerns. doi: [https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.19.955328](https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.19.955328)

> **[Survey of Australian STEMM Early Career Researchers: job insecurity and...](https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.19.955328v1)**
>
> We sought to understand the pressures on Early Career Researchers (ECR) in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, & Medicine (STEMM) disciplines, collecting data from 658 ECRs working in Australia. Respondents indicated a “ love of...

_Note: Highlights in bold below by me._

## Abstract

We sought to understand the pressures on Early Career Researchers (ECR) in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, & Medicine (STEMM) disciplines, collecting data from 658 ECRs working in Australia. **Respondents indicated a “_love of science_”, but most also indicated an intention to leave their position.** Decisions were primarily motivated by **job insecurity (52%)**, while grievances included **poor supervision (60%)**, **bullying or harassment (34%)**, **inequitable hiring practices (39%)** and **poor support for families (9.6%)**. A concerning rate of **“_questionable research practices_” by colleagues (34.1% to 41.1%)** was reported to have impacted ECR career advancement. Our study links recent reports that characterise the health of the research industry, providing direct insight from ECRs on job insecurity, workplace culture challenges, and the logical rise of questionable research practices. Internationally, nationally and institutionally the research community needs to improve job security (care for our people) and the quality of research data (our product).