Based on interviews with 172 academic scientists from 70 research universities in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and elsewhere, this report presents highly detailed information about how they felt about the online and in-person scientific conference experience during the pandemic, and how they feel conferences should be held in the near future, and after the pandemic. The study helps its readers answer questions such as: how many conferences have academic scientists attended during the pandemic and how many do they plan to attend currently and in the near future? How safe do they feel attending conferences in person? What percentage have they attended in person vs virtually? What have they liked most and least about the online conference experience? What would they like to see carried over to the post pandemic period? How might online and other technologies be best exploited by conference organizers in the near future?
Just a few of the report’s many findings are that:
- Scholars in STEM subjects from top-40 ranked universities internationally have attended either online or in person a mean of 3.79 scientific conferences since the onset of the pandemic.
- Scholars from the UK/Ireland were the most likely to feel unsafe attending a conference in person.
- 9.1% of scholars aged under 35 expect to attend fewer conferences in person than they had attended prior to the inception of the pandemic.
Data in the report is broken out by many variables for better benchmarking including global university ranking, public/private status, tuition level, country and enrollment level of the institutions associated with the survey participants, as well as the age, gender, tenure status and academic field of the participants. Data is presented separately for scholars from the USA, the UK/Ireland, Canada and Australia, for example.
Table of Contents
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATIONS OF THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS
- Characteristics of the Sample
SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
- Number of Scientific Conferences Attended In Person or Online Since Pandemic Onset
- Number of Scientific Conferences Attended in Person Since Pandemic’s Onset
- Current Evaluation of Feelings of Safety While Attending Scientific Conference In Person
- Percentage Who Have Presented at a Conference In Person or Online During the Pandemic
- Number of Conferences Spoken at During Pandemic
- View of How Scientific Conferences will be Affected by Pandemic Experience
- What Aspects of the Scientific Conference Experience Should be Held Over in the Post Pandemic Period
- Plans for Conference Attendance
- Which Technologies and Practices that Gained Favor at Conferences During the Pandemic Should be Held Over?
Table 1 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person or online?
Table 1.1.1 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online?
Table 1.1.2 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online? Broken out by Global university ranking
Table 1.1.3 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online? Broken out by academic field
Table 1.1.4 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online? Broken out by country
Table 1.1.5 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 1.1.6 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online? Broken out by public or private college
Table 1.1.7 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 1.1.8 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online? Broken out by enrollment
Table 1.1.9 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 1.1.10 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online? Broken out by tenure status
Table 1.1.11 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online? Broken out by annual course load
Table 1.1.12 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended online? Broken out by academic title
Table 1.2.1 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person?
Table 1.2.2 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person? Broken out by Global university ranking
Table 1.2.3 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person? Broken out by academic field
Table 1.2.4 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person? Broken out by country
Table 1.2.5 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 1.2.6 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person? Broken out by public or private college
Table 1.2.7 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 1.2.8 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person? Broken out by enrollment
Table 1.2.9 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 1.2.10 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person? Broken out by tenure status
Table 1.2.11 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person? Broken out by annual course load
Table 1.2.12 Since the onset of the pandemic, how many scientific or other professional conferences have you attended in person? Broken out by academic title
Table 2.1 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time?
Table 2.2 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time? Broken out by Global university ranking
Table 2.3 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time? Broken out by academic field
Table 2.4 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time? Broken out by country
Table 2.5 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 2.6 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time? Broken out by public or private college
Table 2.7 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 2.8 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time? Broken out by enrollment
Table 2.9 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 2.10 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time? Broken out by tenure status
Table 2.11 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time? Broken out by annual course load
Table 2.12 How safe do you feel attending scientific or other professional conferences in person at the current time? Broken out by academic title
Table 3.1 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present?
Table 3.2 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present? Broken out by Global university ranking
Table 3.3 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present? Broken out by academic field
Table 3.4 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present? Broken out by country
Table 3.5 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 3.6 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present? Broken out by public or private college
Table 3.7 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 3.8 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present? Broken out by enrollment
Table 3.9 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 3.10 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present? Broken out by tenure status
Table 3.11 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present? Broken out by annual course load
Table 3.12 Have you given a speech, workshop or other presentation at an online conference from March 2020 to the present? Broken out by academic title
Table 4.1 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period?
Table 4.2 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period? Broken out by Global university ranking
Table 4.3 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period? Broken out by academic field
Table 4.4 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period? Broken out by country
Table 4.5 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 4.6 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period? Broken out by public or private college
Table 4.7 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 4.8 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period? Broken out by enrollment
Table 4.9 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 4.10 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period? Broken out by tenure status
Table 4.11 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period? Broken out by annual course load
Table 4.12 If so, at how many separate conferences have you spoken at in this time period? Broken out by academic title
Do you think that scientific and other professional conferences will return to their prior state or will their future course be significantly impacted by the COVID experience and if so, how? Broken out by academic field
What aspects of the online scientific conference experience should be held over into the post-pandemic period? Broken out by academic field
Table 5.1 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic?
Table 5.2 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic? Broken out by Global university ranking
Table 5.3 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic? Broken out by academic field
Table 5.4 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic? Broken out by country
Table 5.5 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 5.6 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic? Broken out by public or private college
Table 5.7 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 5.8 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic? Broken out by enrollment
Table 5.9 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 5.10 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic? Broken out by tenure status
Table 5.11 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic? Broken out by annual course load
Table 5.12 Over the next year you expect that you will attend more, fewer, or about the same number of scientific and professional conferences in person as you had prior to the pandemic? Broken out by academic title
As the pandemic wanes and pre-pandemic habits return, how would you like to see scientific conference organizers integrate online technology into scientific conferences going forward? Broken out by academic field
Methodology
LOADING...
