IoPPN Research Culture Insights: Annora Thoeng

What do you think of when you hear 'research culture'?

I think of an environment where researchers feel empowered and excited in their quests to find answers to various research questions. It’s also an environment in which other staff that support researchers feel proud and appreciated for their contribution. More importantly, it’s an environment where the researchers and Professional Services staff work as a team with the same goals and focuses.

I see research culture as a combination of organisational development and workplace culture, but with some nuances. This is because the research environment is affected greatly by different things such as funding landscape, which creates short-term contracts and job insecurities. There are also issues related to bullying and harassment, research integrity, and barriers to career development that are specific to researchers.

What aspects do you think are done well in IoPPN?

Research is highly regarded across the IoPPN and we have specialised staff to support research work. There is a huge appreciation for research and the hard work that researchers do. IoPPN also understands that there are many different types of research, and researchers, and this is reflected across the leadership and committees informing the direction of research work.

In IoPPN we see various existing practices that support positive research culture. We hear about inclusive research designs, open science, and collaborative work. Amazingly, a lot of this work starts at grassroots level, showing that people feel empowered and eager to discuss and/or address research culture. There’s also a growing expectation for everyone to positively contribute to research culture and to use it as the guiding principle, from design to practice.

Going forward, what do you want to see in the research culture space?

I’d like to see concerted efforts toward better understanding and inclusion of professional services staff that support research. These Professional Services (PS) staff have unique experience and challenges, and this includes both administrative and technical PS staff. I hope we can create opportunities for people to have open dialogue and learn about the different experiences to get rid of the us-vs-them mentality. I think it will also benefit research staff to learn about careers outside the lab.

I believe this understanding will lead to better investment in the right PS staff as it addresses researcher’s workload issues and ultimately improve research culture. Just because some of PS staff are not directly involved in conducting the research work, doesn’t mean they’re not important. Research is an ecosystem, and the PS staff is an important part to ensure that the ecosystem thrives.

This blog is part of a ongoing series looking at research culture at IoPPN. If you would be interested in contributing, please contact aneita.pringle@kcl.ac.uk.