The ‘Zoomification’ of Collaboration: How Timely Technology has Affected Academic Research

Abstract

We use the term “Zoomification” to refer to the primary mode of research collaboration used by academic researchers during much of the COVID-19 pandemic. While neither video-enabled technology or remote collaboration is new, the technology developments and needs that occurred during the pandemic proved exceptional, indeed a step-change in approaches to research collaboration. This study, based on in-depth interviews with 65 tenured and tenure track professors in dozens of United States universities in a wide variety of STEM disciplines, focuses on collegial effects of Zoomification on research collaboration, including research with graduate students. We find diverse impacts according to career status, with younger faculty and doctoral students faring least well with an absence of face-to-face communication. As expected, impacts vary according to the nature of work, including the need to work in the field, reliance on laboratory equipment, laboratory animals, samples and high cost, centralized equipment. The effects of remote collaboration are to some extent predictable but there are results that point toward realignment in some of the ways research collaboration is established and maintained. We conclude with speculations about the long-range implications of Zoomification of research collaboration.

Appendix

Interview Protocol

Doing Science in the Time of Covid-19

Thank you for agreeing to speak with me about our NSF-sponsored project. As you recall the purpose of the project is to understand ways in which the pandemic is affecting the research programs of academic researchers.

I emailed the informed consent to you with the zoom invitation. Please remember that you can stop the interview at any time or skip questions for any reason. Your interview transcript will be edited to remove proper nouns or other identifying information, or you may redact them yourself as you respond to questions. Do you have any questions about the informed consent?

Do I have your permission to record this interview? Zoom records the video and audio together, but we will save only the audio until we have transcribed it. If you prefer not to be videotaped, please turn off your computer’s video camera. [If no, then interviewer needs to be prepared to take notes during interview.]

Cognitive Frame

We are using the “research-teaching-service workload” plus “work-life” constructs to organize the interviews.

Research Program

Infrastructure

What physical, infrastructure, or location resources do you typically need to conduct your research program?

• For example, labs, field work, computing

Covid-19

Since Covid-19 started, what disruptions, if any, have occurred to your research program, and how have you dealt with them?

• For example, due to changes in access to research sites/infrastructure, visas (own or students) pressures on the home, “zooming,” scientific meetings

To what extent—if any—have Covid-19 related disruptions changed your collaborations with scientific colleagues, or with other sites?

University research and advancement policies

What is your understanding of your university’s Covid-19 policies related specifically to research and advancement?

• How do you anticipate that university policies related to research and advancement will affect you this coming year?

As you anticipate this academic year, what additional adjustments—if any--do you anticipate making to your research program in response to Covid-19?

Scholarly Productivity

Since the beginning of Covid-19, would you say that you are more productive in your research, less productive, or about the same?

• [If not “about the same”] What factors explain the changes in your productivity level?

• [If about the same] Have you experienced tradeoffs, where some aspects work better and others less?]

Anything else about research and scholarship?

Before we move on to teaching and mentoring, is there anything else you would like to add about your research program, or impacts of the pandemic on it?

Teaching and Mentoring

What and how are you teaching this semester?

• How many undergrads are you teaching/mentoring this semester?

• How many graduate students do you advise?

• How many postdocs are you supervising?

Covid-19

Since Covid-19 started, what disruptions, if any, have occurred for your students, and how have you dealt with them?

• undergrads?

• graduate students

• postdocs

University research and teaching policies

What is your understanding of your university’s Covid-19 policies related to students?

How do you anticipate that university policies will affect students this coming year?

• Probes:

  • How are they being taught?

• Degree Progress

Anything else about teaching and mentoring?

Before we move on to service, is there anything else you would like to add about your role as an educator, or impacts of the pandemic on it?

Service and Leadership

Since Covid-19 started, have you noticed differences in how service work is being organized and conducted at your university, or in your profession?

• In what ways?

• Has this affected you, and if so, how?

General Work Satisfaction

Before Covid-19, would say you are very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with your job?

How about now?

Life at Home

Working at home

Given our interest in the pandemic, there are a lot of people spending more time at home, ……

• What percentage of your work time is currently taking place at home?

• Is this different from what was typical for you before Covid-19? Probe: how?

University policy

How is your university supporting your work-life balance needs during the pandemic?

Your situation

It would be helpful, given our focus on a pandemic that keeps many people at home more than usual, if you could tell us a little about your household situation.

How are you and your family are adjusting to Covid-19?

[If spouse or partner]

Does your partner work for pay?

• If so, what kind of work do they do?

• About what percentage of your partner’s work time is currently taking place at home?

Has your partner’s work productivity been affected by Covid-19? If so, in what ways?

Would you say that the allocation between yourself and your partner of domestic responsibilities is about the same as before COVID-19 or has it changed?

For about what percentage of domestic work are you responsible, and what percentage does your partner do?

[If kids at home]

Do you have children at home? What are their ages?

How are they going to school?

What kinds of help do they need from you to deal with Covid-19 disruptions?

[Other caregiving responsibilities]

Do you have other caregiving responsibilities?

     e.g., Spouse, parents, siblings, extended family

In Closing

Is there anything that surprised you, or that you have learned from this experience thus far?

What should I have asked you that I did not?

Is there anything you would like to add?

Thank you for your time.