In the present crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are a number of accessible historical works and websites that can provide background and information on the disease as it unfolds. Since the disease is so recently emergent, there are as yet no reliable books dedicated directly to the topic. There are, however, works that provide … Continued
Category: COVID-19
Locked down not locked out – Assessing the digital response of museums to COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdown, many museums have developed and put in place online digital offerings. Rebecca Kahn reflects on how museums and museum researchers have approached the digital exhibition as an opportunity for museums to communicate their research in new ways. This post first appeared on Elephant in the Lab as: Corona … Continued
How can researchers support Parliament in its scrutiny of the Government’s decisions and actions around the COVID-19 outbreak?
The COVID-19 pandemic and the conditions of uncertainty that surround it have led to an unprecedented demand for knowledge from Parliament and policymakers. In this post, Parliament’s Knowledge Exchange team (Sarah Foxen, Naomi Saint and Laura Webb) outline how researchers can engage and contribute to Parliament’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its wider impacts. … Continued
Simple data visualisations have become key to communicating about the COVID-19 pandemic, but we know little about their impact
If you had mentioned ‘flattening the curve’ in 2019, chances are you would have been met with a blank stare. However, almost halfway through 2020, the language of data visualisation has become commonplace, and data visualisations are widely used to communicate about the pandemic to the public. However, as Helen Kennedy observes, their power to … Continued
Science in inaction – The shifting priorities of the UK government’s response to COVID-19 highlights the need for publicly accountable expert advice.
The phrase following the science is repeated frequently in relation to government policies to address COVID-19. However, what this science might be and how it is better than other ‘sciences’ is less frequently explained. In this post, Jana Bacevic reviews the UK government’s initial response to the COVID-19 outbreak and argues that a key factor … Continued
Chinese state censorship of COVID-19 research represents a looming crisis for academic publishers
Issues of censorship surrounding the publication of scholarly research in China have been prominent since a series of press reports and publisher statements revealed that works had been removed from circulation that were deemed sensitive by Chinese buyers. As George Cooper observes, evidence that Chinese authorities are conducting pre-publication vetting of COVID-19 related research, raises … Continued
Carrying out qualitative research under lockdown – Practical and ethical considerations
How can qualitative researchers collect data during social-distancing measures? Adam Jowett outlines several techniques researchers can use to collect data without face-to-face contact with participants. Bringing together a number of previous studies, he also suggests such techniques have their own methodological advantages and disadvantages and that while these techniques may appear particularly apt during the … Continued
Without stronger academic governance, Covid-19 will concentrate the corporate control of academic publishing
Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a short term uptick in open research practices, both in response to the virus and the need for remote access to research and teaching materials. Samuel Moore argues that the long term impact of Covid-19 and its related economic impact will likely increase the corporate control of academic … Continued
The fragmentation of federal expertise has enabled the politicisation of Covid-19 numbers in the USA
As in any emergency or disaster, institutional agreement over the statistics of the Covid-19 pandemic is incredibly important. During the crisis, President Trump has questioned federally requested research around the spread of the pandemic and the amount of equipment needed to tackle it. Philip Rocco writes on how Trump’s efforts to undermine a common understanding of … Continued
Are we all digital scholars now? How the lockdown will reshape the post-pandemic digital structure of academia.
The closure of university campuses in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, has resulted in the rapid adoption of digital technologies for almost all activities that could previously have taken place within the physical space of the university. Whilst this presents opportunities to rethink how many academic practices might take place in virtual environments. Mark Carrigan … Continued