Doctoral research in the social sciences in times of COVID-19

Tuesday, 19 January 2021, 16:00–17:45

Among many other implications, COVID-19 has strongly affected the world of science in general and social sciences in particular. New research topics have emerged and the daily work of many early stage and advanced researchers has changed.

Which questions and topics have moved into the center of research? Which new funding schemes have been established nationally and internationally? How has the pandemic influenced publication cultures within the social sciences? How can field work be conducted in times of lockdowns and travel restrictions? How do home office periods reorganise professional exchange, networking and the participation in conferences? How do the new circumstances effect the well-being of early stage researchers?

In the first ViDSS Brownbag Session, early stage and advanced researchers will discuss these and further questions. In the first part of the event, a highly qualified panel of professors representing the fields of political science, social and cultural anthropology and sociology will share their experiences. In the second part, doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers are invited to join break-out rooms to discuss their questions and concerns with the invited guests.

Target group: Doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers at the beginning of their research career at the Faculty of Social Sciences

Venue: online via moodle collaborator

Registration: via e-mail to roman.pfefferle@univie.ac.at until 16 January 2021 (please state your field of research)

Programme:

16:00–16:45    Panel Discussion

Barbara Prainsack, Department of Political Science, Austrian Corona Panel Project
Peter Schweitzer, Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology
Ulrike Zartler, Department of Sociology

16:45–17:30    Q&A sessions in three break-out rooms

17:30–17:45    Conclusion

 Resources recommended during the event

• “SPROUTs of Hope in Times of Crisis” (by Hendrik Wagenaar and Barbara Prainsack)
• “Doing fieldwork in a pandemic”
• “Fieldwork meets crisis” (boasblog)
• Twitter thread for PhD students whose work was interrupted by COVID-19 (by Trisha Greenhalgh)
• “Writing well in the social sciences: Recommended readings” (by Barbara Prainsack)