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Making time for science

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  • Barham, Bradford L.
  • Foltz, Jeremy D.
  • Prager, Daniel L.

Abstract

This work analyzes the evolution of time allocation for agricultural and life science faculty in Tier 1 US research universities from 1975 to 2005. Specifically, it explores the trends with respect to time spent on research versus administrative activities, and shows about a 20% decline in the former and doubling of time spent on the latter. Most of the research time decline is accounted for by increased pre and post-grant administrative efforts and other non-research administrative activities rather than changes in teaching activity. Despite the substantial decrease in time available for research, other key research inputs and overall journal article output per faculty have remained relatively stable over that same time period. These findings raise important concerns regarding whether faculty time is being used sub-optimally relative to other ways in which administrative activities might be completed and scholarly activity might be advanced.

Suggested Citation

  • Barham, Bradford L. & Foltz, Jeremy D. & Prager, Daniel L., 2014. "Making time for science," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 21-31.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:43:y:2014:i:1:p:21-31
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2013.08.007
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    Cited by:

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    2. James A. Cunningham & Paul O’Reilly & Brendan Dolan & Conor O’Kane & Vincent Mangematin, 2016. "Publicly funded principal investigators allocation of time for public sector entrepreneurship activities," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 43(4), pages 383-408, December.
    3. Jung-Kyu Jung & Jae Young Choi, 2022. "Choice and allocation characteristics of faculty time in Korea: effects of tenure, research performance, and external shock," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(5), pages 2847-2869, May.
    4. Irina Frei & Christian Grund, 2022. "Working-time mismatch and job satisfaction of junior academics," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 92(7), pages 1125-1166, September.
    5. Regina Negri Pagani & João Luiz Kovaleski & Luis Mauricio Resende, 2015. "Methodi Ordinatio: a proposed methodology to select and rank relevant scientific papers encompassing the impact factor, number of citation, and year of publication," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 105(3), pages 2109-2135, December.
    6. Bradford Barham & Jeremy Foltz & Ana Paula Melo, 2020. "Academic Engagement, Commercialization, and Scholarship: Empirical Evidence from Agricultural and Life Scientists at US Land Grant Universities," NBER Chapters, in: Economics of Research and Innovation in Agriculture, pages 179-208, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Daiji Kawaguchi & Ayako Kondo & Keiji Saito, 2016. "Researchers’ career transitions over the life cycle," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 109(3), pages 1435-1454, December.
    8. Michael Roach & Henry Sauermann, 2017. "The declining interest in an academic career," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(9), pages 1-23, September.
    9. Ana Sofia Morais & Wasilios Hariskos, 2018. "Academic coaching and decision analysis: Ways of deciding whether to pursue an academic career," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-18, November.
    10. Marcel Clermont, 2016. "Effectiveness and efficiency of research in Germany over time: an analysis of German business schools between 2001 and 2009," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1347-1381, September.

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