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Liggett D, Frame B, Convey P, Hughes KA. How the COVID-19 pandemic signaled the demise of Antarctic exceptionalism. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk4424. [PMID: 38427734 PMCID: PMC10906921 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk4424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
This paper explores how the COVID-19 pandemic affected science and tourism activities and their governance in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean. The pandemic reduced the ability of Antarctic Treaty Parties to make decisions on policy issues and placed a considerable burden on researchers. Tourism was effectively suspended during the 2020-2021 Antarctic season and heavily reduced in 2021-2022 but rebounded to record levels in 2022-2023. The pandemic stimulated reflection on practices to facilitate dialog, especially through online events. Opportunities arose to integrate innovations developed during the pandemic more permanently into Antarctic practices, in relation to open science, reducing operational greenhouse gas footprints and barriers of access to Antarctic research and facilitating data sharing. However, as well as the long-term impacts arising directly from the pandemic, an assemblage of major geopolitical drivers are also in play and, combined, these signal a considerable weakening of Antarctic exceptionalism in the early Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bob Frame
- University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Peter Convey
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
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2
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Mehta N, Inamdar V, Puthillam A, Chunekar S, Kapoor H, Tagat A, Subramanyam D. Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) researchers in India. Wellcome Open Res 2023; 7:157. [PMID: 37636840 PMCID: PMC10457572 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17853.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the nationally mandated lockdown has resulted in facility closures, decreased laboratory activities, and shifting to remote working. The effects of the pandemic have spread across all professions, including academia. Hence, the present study aims to understand the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) researchers and stakeholders in India. Methods: The study employed a mixed method design. Both quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) methods were used to gain a comprehensive understanding on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) early career researchers (ECRs), graduate students, Heads of Institutes, suppliers of scientific equipment, funders, and other stakeholders in India. Results: A total of 618 researchers completed the survey, and 24 stakeholders were interviewed for this study. Our findings highlight the importance of institutional and social support for mental well-being and scientific productivity among researchers, especially during the pandemic. It also shows the impact of the disruptions in grant disbursals on research activities of scientists. Further, the gendered impact between these relationships was also noted, all of which hint at a need for structured reform within STEM. Conclusions: The study highlights the various challenges faced by early career researchers, and STEM scientists at various positions in their careers during the COVID-19 restrictions in India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Mehta
- Department of Psychology, Monk Prayogshala, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400072, India
| | - Vedika Inamdar
- Department of Sociology, Monk Prayogshala, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400072, India
| | - Arathy Puthillam
- Department of Psychology, Monk Prayogshala, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400072, India
| | - Shivani Chunekar
- Department of Sociology, Monk Prayogshala, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400072, India
| | - Hansika Kapoor
- Department of Psychology, Monk Prayogshala, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400072, India
| | - Anirudh Tagat
- Department of Economics, Monk Prayogshala, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400072, India
| | - Deepa Subramanyam
- National Centre for Cell Science, SP Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India
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Zhao X, Liu Z, Zhao L, Wang Q, Zhang L. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Mental Health in Chinese College Athletes during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Multiple Mediating Effects of Basic Psychological Needs and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:567. [PMID: 37504014 PMCID: PMC10376336 DOI: 10.3390/bs13070567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychological issues have a complex and multidimensional impact on a college athlete's training and performance. As the reserve talent of competitive sports, it is very important to investigate the psychological health of athletes. This study aims to explore the association between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), basic psychological needs (BPN), and mental health (MH) among Chinese college athletes. Chinese college athletes who were willing to participate in the study, had participated in national competitions, and had a Chinese athlete rating certificate were included in this study. Participants completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale (BNSG-S). The study involved 665 college athletes (415 males and 250 females), with an average age of 20.43 years (SD = 1.68). We performed descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and moderated chain mediation analyses using SPSS 22.0 and Hayes' PROCESS macro. The results of the final model showed that basic psychological needs were positively correlated with mental health (r = 0.443, p < 0.001), while PTSD (r = -0.346, p < 0.001) and generalized anxiety disorder (r = -0.527, p < 0.001) were negatively correlated with mental health among college athletes. There were significant indirect impacts. According to the bootstrapping results, basic psychological needs and generalized anxiety disorder played a mediating role in 22.54% and 50.29% of the total effects of PTSD on mental health, respectively. Meanwhile, the chain mediating effect of basic psychological needs and generalized anxiety disorder (7.23%) was also significant. The study's findings advance our understanding of the connections between PTSD and mental health and highlight the significant roles played by basic psychological needs and generalized anxiety disorder in that link among Chinese college athletes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuhan Zhao
- School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Zongyu Liu
- School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Liangyu Zhao
- School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Qi Wang
- School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Liguo Zhang
- School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
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Sala-Bubaré A, Castelló M, Corcelles M, Suñé-Soler N. Researchers' strategies to cope with the covid-19 impact on their activity. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2023:1-9. [PMID: 37359685 PMCID: PMC10119531 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04601-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to characterize the strategies researchers used to cope with Covid-19 impact and to explore the relationship between those strategies, researchers' characteristics and the pandemic impact in their lives. 721 researchers, proportionally distributed among three Spanish regions, answered an online survey on the pandemic impact on their activity. Scales referred to social support, productivity, research tasks, working conditions, and work and personal life balance. An open-ended section was included to collect the strategies they used to cope with the pandemic consequences. 1528 strategies were content analysed and categorised based on their purposes and related to the rest of the impact variables. Results show the predominance of some strategies for the whole sample both at the work level, such as organizing work duties and plans, and at the personal level, such as maintaining life-work balance and improving personal well-being. Results stress to what extent a strategic approach contributed to minimize contextual issues or constraints even in an extreme situation as the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. A non-strategic approach, consisting of just reacting emotionally or dropping research, was the less effective way to maintain interest in research, sustained work and productivity and to warrant work-life balance. Developing a strategic approach was easier for those without caring responsibilities and for men. Women in our study, especially with caring responsibilities, had reduced opportunities to continue with their careers during the pandemic. No evidence of institutional strategies supporting researchers to cope with the situation was found.
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Heo S, Chan AY, Diaz Peralta P, Jin L, Pereira Nunes CR, Bell ML. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientists' productivity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and medicine fields. HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 9:434. [PMID: 36530543 PMCID: PMC9734604 DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01466-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
While studies suggested adverse impacts of COVID-19 on scientific outputs and work routines for scientists, more evidence is required to understand detailed obstacles challenging scientists' work and productivity during the pandemic, including how different people are affected (e.g., by gender). This online survey-based thematic analysis investigated how the pandemic affected scientists' perception of scientific and academic productivity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and medicine fields. The analysis examined if inequitable changes in duties and responsibilities for caregiving for children, family, and/or households exist between scientists who are mothers compared to scientists who are fathers or non-parents. The survey collected data from 2548 survey responses in six languages across 132 countries. Results indicate that many scientists suffered from delays and restrictions on research activities and administrations due to the lockdown of institutions, as well as increased workloads from adapting to online teaching environment. Caregiving responsibility for children and family increased, which compromised time for academic efforts, especially due to the temporary shutdown of social supports. Higher percentages of female parent participants than male parent participants expressed such increased burdens indicating unequal divisions of caregiving between women and men. A range of physical and mental health issues was identified mainly due to overworking and isolation. Despite numerous obstacles, some participants reported advantages during the pandemic including the efficiency of online teaching, increased funding for COVID-related research, application of alternative research methodologies, and fluidity of the workday from not commuting. Findings imply the need for rapid institutional support to aid various academic activities and diminish gender inequity in career development among academicians, highlighting how crisis can exacerbate existing inequalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seulkee Heo
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Alisha Yee Chan
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Pedro Diaz Peralta
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
- Administrative Law Department, School of Law, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lan Jin
- School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Claudia Ribeiro Pereira Nunes
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
- Graduate Program in Law, School of Law, Federal University of Amazon, Manaus, Amazonas Brazil
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Horta H, Panova A, Santos J, Yudkevich M. The adaptation of academics to the Covid-19 crisis in terms of work time allocation. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273246. [PMID: 36001621 PMCID: PMC9401133 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Academics have seen their work environment and routines severely affected by the Covid19 pandemic. This topic has been analyzed by the literature, mostly from personal and descriptive perspectives, that highlight the challenging transitions and adaptations that academics have endured concerning their work and life-balance. This research complements those studies, by using a sample of university academics working all around the world in all disciplinary fields and focuses on a longitudinal perspective of workload and task time allocation of academic work. The findings show that academics which in general had long working hours, further increased their time of the week dedicated to work leading possibly to the reported cases in the literature of increasing stress and burnout during the pandemic. These effects were found to be similar to all academics, independently of their gender and disciplinary field. More concerning is that this increased number of hours worked per week appears to have established itself as part of the new normal. The main driver for the increased workload is associated with teaching, and to a lesser extent with administrative duties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Horta
- Social Contexts and Policies of Education, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Anna Panova
- Center for Institutional Studies, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
- * E-mail:
| | - João Santos
- Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-Iscte), Iscte—Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria Yudkevich
- Center for Institutional Studies, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
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Heo S, Peralta PD, Jin L, Pereira Nunes CR, Bell ML. Differences in self-perception of productivity and mental health among the STEMM-field scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic by sex and status as a parent: A survey in six languages. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269834. [PMID: 35776710 PMCID: PMC9249185 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges for working conditions for scientists, but little is known for how the associations of these challenges with scientists’ mental health and productivity differ by sex and status as a parent. This online survey study in six languages collected data from 4,494 scientists in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine fields across 132 countries during October–December 2021. We compared the type of challenges for work, changes in work hours, and perception in productivity during the pandemic by sex and status as a parent (children <18 years living at home). Regression analyses analyzed the impacts of changed working conditions and work-life factors on productivity and mental health. We found that the percentage of participants with increased work hours was the highest in female participants, especially without children. Disproportionately higher increases in work hours were found for teaching and administration in women than men and for research/fundraising in non-parent participants than parent participants (p-value<0.001). Female participants were more concerned about the negative impacts of the pandemic on publications and long-term career progress, and less satisfied with their career progress than their male counterparts. There were differences in the type of institutional actions for the pandemic across study regions. The identified obstacles for work and home-life factors were associated with higher risks of experiencing depression, anxiety, and stress. Decision makers should consider the gender differences in the pandemic’s adverse impacts on productivity in establishing equitable actions for career progress for scientists during pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seulkee Heo
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Pedro Diaz Peralta
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Administrative Law Department, School of Law, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lan Jin
- School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Claudia Ribeiro Pereira Nunes
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Law, School of Law, Federal University of Amazon, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Michelle L Bell
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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Muschalla B, Sondhof A, Wrobel U. Children, care time, career priority – What matters for junior scientists’ productivity and career perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic? Work 2022; 72:391-397. [DOI: 10.3233/wor-211230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic brought about restrictions, additional workload, insecurity, or need for inventing new routines for professionals worldwide. The pandemic and its restrictions have been discussed as a career shock. OBJECTIVE: Adding knowledge to this, our study investigated the academic and family (care) situation of young scientists in a German technical university. METHODS: We conducted an online survey including young scientists from a technical university in Germany in April 2021. 346 participants (mean age 33 years, 37% women) gave self-ratings on academic and life situation during the pandemic year, care work, preferences for scientific career and family life. RESULTS: Family and career were independent priorities (r = 0.021, p = 0.676). Two thirds (68%) of the young scientists reported no deterioration in scientific outcome during the pandefmic year. But, care times and number of children impacted negatively on scientific productivity in terms of publications. This was true for both women and men. CONCLUSIONS: Young scientists need individual support for their career perspective, according to their concrete career level and life situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beate Muschalla
- Institute of Psychology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Anke Sondhof
- Institute of Psychology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ulrike Wrobel
- Equal Opportunity Office, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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Mehta N, Inamdar V, Puthillam A, Chunekar S, Kapoor H, Tagat A, Subramanyam D. Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) researchers in India. Wellcome Open Res 2022. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17853.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the nationally mandated lockdown has resulted in facility closures, decreased laboratory activities, and shifting to remote working. The effects of the pandemic have spread across all professions, including academia. Hence, the present study aims to understand the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) researchers and stakeholders in India. Methods: The study employed a mixed method design. Both quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) methods were used to gain a comprehensive understanding on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) early career researchers (ECRs), graduate students, Heads of Institutes, suppliers of scientific equipment, funders, and other stakeholders in India. Results: A total of 618 researchers completed the survey, and 24 stakeholders were interviewed for this study. Our findings highlight the importance of institutional and social support for mental well-being and scientific productivity among researchers, especially during the pandemic. It also shows the impact of the disruptions in grant disbursals on research activities of scientists. Further, the gendered impact between these relationships was also noted, all of which hint at a need for structured reform within STEM. Conclusions: The study highlights the various challenges faced by early career researchers, and STEM scientists at various positions in their careers during the COVID-19 restrictions in India.
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Batista P, Afonso A, Lopes M, Fonseca C, Oliveira-Silva P, Pereira A, Pinho L. Anxiety and Coping Stress Strategies in Researchers During COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Public Health 2022; 10:850376. [PMID: 35692345 PMCID: PMC9175237 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.850376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected the whole world, leading to changes in one's personal and working life. Researchers have undergone extensive changes in their roles, mainly in the area of health care, with research into the virus now the priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Batista
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Research Centre for Human Development, Human Neurobehavioral Laboratory, Porto, Portugal
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF – Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Porto, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Patrícia Batista
| | - Anabela Afonso
- Department of Mathematics, School of Science and Technology, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Center for Research in Mathematics and Applications (CIMA), Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, Évora, Portugal
| | - Manuel Lopes
- S. João de Deus School of Nursing, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Évora, Portugal
| | - César Fonseca
- S. João de Deus School of Nursing, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Évora, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Oliveira-Silva
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Research Centre for Human Development, Human Neurobehavioral Laboratory, Porto, Portugal
| | - Anabela Pereira
- Education and Psychology Department, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
- Anabela Pereira
| | - Lara Pinho
- S. João de Deus School of Nursing, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Évora, Portugal
- Lara Pinho
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Camerlink I, Campbell DLM. Preface for the Special Issue ISAE 2020: COVID-19 and confinement. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021; 242:105423. [PMID: 34511673 PMCID: PMC8418533 DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Camerlink
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Dana L M Campbell
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, NSW, Australia
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Chou JY, Camerlink I. Online conferences as an opportunity to enhance inclusiveness in animal behaviour and welfare research: A case study of the ISAE 2020 virtual meeting. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021; 241:105369. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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