Early-Career Researchers in China during the Pandemic: Qualitative Evidence from a Longitudinal Study

Abstract:The outbreak of COVID-19 has changed the world in many aspects, and global scientific research has also been challenged. Early-career researchers (ECRs) who just start academic careers are prominently affected by the pandemic. To explore how Chinese ECRs have been affected, longitudinal qualitative interviews were conducted with twenty-four Chinese ECRs from different disciplines and universities in 2020 and 2021. As the results show, Chinese ECRs worry that their future prospects are limited by increased workloads and reduced productivity. However, the new wave of change did not occur for them, and their work resumed its routine and was relatively stable. Over two years, Chinese ECRs got used to working from home and giving online courses, but they were increasingly confused about when the pandemic will end. What bothers ECRs most is the inefficiency of communication and collaboration due to the travel bans, although they became familiar with the online way.