Algerian researcher's mindset: why, how, and what rights?

Lakhdar YDROUDJ wrote:?

? Evoquer la recherche scientifique, c’est avant tout saisir ses enjeux stratégiques et faire ressortir son apport dans le processus du développement humain. ?*

I started working with researchers (more than 60% of whom are PhD students) years ago, and I sometimes receive messages asking for help beyond our collaboration’s “linguistic” nature. In addition to researchers who need help writing a paper and responding to reviewers’ comments, some feel tired and sometimes even think about stopping their research. Their mindset is affected by internal and external causes.

80% of the researchers with whom I collaborate are part of the Algerian research community, and the mindset of the Algerian researcher is still not well explored. This may explain the lack of support for researchers in difficulty, long years of doctoral studies, or even with an unfinished degree.?It is also important to note that in Algeria (as in other countries), to reach the ultimate title of “Professor”, teaching alone is not enough: one must rely on research to climb the ladder: Doctor, Master-Assistant B, Master-Assistant A, then, after 4, 5 years, one can be called Professor. So, this career path can influence the mindset of a researcher.

In my opinion, the mindset of an Algerian researcher at the end of 2021 can be divided into three essential points:

• Why: did he/she choose to research?
• How: does he/she work?
• Rights: what are his/her rights as a researcher to fulfil his/her work?

First of all, doctoral students (but not only) must ask themselves: why did I start this doctorate? Is it to achieve a personal goal, or is it external pressure (from family, society….)? In some cases, it may also be a desire to secure a good future. There are many reasons, but to identify yours, you need to ask yourself: Why?

Then, even if one chooses to embark on a PhD or continue research after the defence, does the researcher know the working methods in his field (because yes, each field has its particularities)? This is the first step of a researcher towards efficiency. To be successful in their work, researchers need more than a set of technical skills. The attitude of a researcher in academia is to question everything and (as difficult as it may seem) to thrive on uncertainty. The mindset of a researcher is always open to new ideas.

For researchers, the quest for knowledge is a never-ending cycle of questioning: creating, refining, and then requestioning. Research questions are critical to the success of a project. To begin, consider this: Is there a strong desire in you or your colleagues to find a solution to this question? Are there data-based answers to this question? Does the extent of the evidence you can draw on mean that the investigation is too broad, too weak, or just about right?

After identifying the Why and How, the final (and very important) step for a researcher is to know their rights. What are the rights of a researcher?

For my part, I summarize them as follows:

• training assistance
• mental health assistance
• financial assistance to publish their work (papers)

The absence of one or all of these rights greatly influences the mindset of a researcher. It is known that much of the training assistance is provided by supervisors. They have an obligation to “supervise”. However, they should not hesitate to call upon external resources: courses on how to write papers, present their work, doctoral days to prepare students to speak in front of an audience, etc. These activities are a right, and every laboratory should implement them.

Ensuring a workplace that is conducive to good mental development is part of health. A laboratory is a place where scientists meet, where the air can be intense, but where researchers must be guaranteed respect and, above all, good health, not only physical but also mental. If they feel tired, overwhelmed, they must be encouraged to talk about their doubts. They must be accompanied. Unfortunately, the lack of communication between a doctoral student and his/her supervisor can have a negative impact on the work. The mental health of (young, especially) researchers is a topic that needs to be addressed without delay.

As far as financial support is concerned, it is a very taboo subject for the Algerian scientific community. Until now, there is no real financial aid to help researchers publish their work. If they decide to submit an article to an international journal (in English), there is a good chance that it will be rejected because of “bad English” or even accepted, but “English should be revised”. Waiting, feeling this insecurity, affects the researcher’s mindset.

To avoid these bad reviews or (in many cases) after waiting for months for a response from the journal, negative or positive (fingers crossed!), researchers use translators/editors. However, the researchers (doctoral students or assistant professors) must pay for these linguistic services out of their own pockets. The same is true for a thesis: it must be proofread before being defended in front of a jury. Today, many researchers write their thesis in English, even in a French-speaking country.

However, if a good system were put in place from the start - financial assistance for language services - the doctoral student could have it translated or proofread by a linguist before submitting it - the laboratory pays the bill. This would allow for better productivity, but more importantly, it would ensure researchers’ better mindset.

I know there is a lot of work to be done to ensure a better working environment for researchers. However, everything has to start locally: it is up to the heads of laboratories to demand more rights for their researchers.

Research does not sleep, so why create “nightmares”?

*T.N. originally in French