How can I discuss what’s in this survey and report?
We encourage you to take part in discussions around the survey and the reports on x.com/thinkacademia.
You can also write to mentalhealthsurvey@cactusglobal.com.
Is this academic research?
No, this is not a rigorous scientific study, nor is it a systematic or psychological investigation of the mental health status of researchers. This survey offers the largest ever collection of global researcher opinions on factors that motivate and excite them versus those that cause them stress in their work environments. The survey findings serve to inform universities and policymakers about the overall research culture and mental and physical well-being of researchers.
How was the questionnaire framed?
CACTUS was founded in 2002 and has, since then, interacted with over a million researchers. We are familiar with many of the typical issues they face as researchers. Moreover, through our author-engagement initiatives, we have had several researchers share with us personal stories of their accomplishments, the challenges they have faced, and their motivators and sources of inspiration. Our questionnaire was designed based on a combination of literature review, anecdotal evidence gathered from our interactions with researchers, and the typical components of workplace happiness surveys. The questionnaire was shared with several researchers for feedback before the survey was launched. It included general demographic questions, close-ended and free-text questions about researcher perspectives/feelings about work, career, and work environment. Participation in the survey was completely voluntary, and participants were free to discontinue at any point.
Why did you conduct this survey?
We are strongly committed to researcher well-being and we believe that, as a large global organization serving researchers worldwide, we may have access to a far greater and demographically diverse researcher base than many organizations. We believe that our results can offer highly relevant and useful insights into global patterns in research culture and researcher well-being for all stakeholders in academia committed to improving the work environment of researchers.
We also hope that organizations can use the survey results to determine actions and next steps to initiate improvements in research environment.
How can I get in touch with you if I have questions?
You can write to us at mentalhealthsurvey@cactusglobal.com.