Early career researchers in art, humanities and theology at the time of external crises – in light of the first round of longitudinal interviews of spring 2023

Abstract

Purpose: This paper describes the impact of external crises, i.e. the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, inflation and the reform of science and higher education on the work of early career researchers. Methods: The respondent group comprised early career researchers in humanities, theology and art. A qualitative analysis of free statements provided in the first round of in-depth interviews was performed. The Polish project (2023-) is a continuation of two international Harbingers projects, which included longitudinal interviews with early career researchers and dealt with changes in technology (2016-2018) and the pandemic (2020-2022). Results: Quotations from the interviews conducted in spring 2023 were used to describe the impact of external crises on the work of early career researchers in the three fields of science. The interviewees usually mentioned being overworked, sometimes – undervalued and, less frequently – the feeling of professional burnout. Financial problems of the young generation of Polish scientists were also brought up. Value: An attempt was made to characterise the conditions of work of Polish early career researchers in art, humanities and theology.