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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career researcher activity, development, career, and well-being: the state of the art

Irina A. Lokhtina (School of Business and Management, University of Central Lancashire – Cyprus, Larnaca, Cyprus)
Montserrat Castelló (Faculty of Psychology and Educational and Sports Sciences, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain)
Agata Agnieszka Lambrechts (Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland)
Erika Löfström (Department of Education, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland)
Michelle K. McGinn (Department of Educational Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada)
Isabelle Skakni (Research and Innovation Division, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Basel, Switzerland)
Inge van der Weijden (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands)

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education

ISSN: 2398-4686

Article publication date: 1 June 2022

Issue publication date: 4 October 2022

272

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the documented effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career researcher (ECR) activity, development, career prospects and well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a systematic literature review of English language peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2021, which provided empirical evidence of the impact of the pandemic on ECR activity and development. The search strategy involved online databases (Scopus, Web of Science and Overton); well-established higher education journals (based on Scopus classification) and references in the retained articles (snowballing). The final sample included 11 papers.

Findings

The evidence shows that ECRs have been affected in terms of research activity, researcher development, career prospects and well-being. Although many negative consequences were identified, some promising learning practices have arisen; however, these opportunities were not always fully realised. The results raise questions about differential effects across fields and possible long-term consequences where some fields and some scholars may be worse off due to priorities established as societies struggle to recover.

Practical implications

There is a need for revised institutional and national policies to ensure that sufficient measures are implemented to support ECRs’ research work in a situation where new duties and chores were added during the pandemic.

Originality/value

This paper provides insights into the impacts of the initial societal challenges of the pandemic on ECRs across disciplines that may have long-lasting effects on their academic development and well-being.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The author order (except for the first author) is alphabetical.

Citation

Lokhtina, I.A., Castelló, M., Lambrechts, A.A., Löfström, E., McGinn, M.K., Skakni, I. and van der Weijden, I. (2022), "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career researcher activity, development, career, and well-being: the state of the art", Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 245-265. https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-10-2021-0076

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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