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How has Covid-19 affected published academic research? A content analysis of journal articles mentioning the virus
Thelwall, Michael ; Thelwall, Saheeda
Thelwall, Michael
Thelwall, Saheeda
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2021-08-18
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Abstract
Purpose: Methods to tackle Covid-19 have been developed by a wave of biomedical research but the pandemic has also influenced many aspects of society, generating a need for research into its consequences, and potentially changing the way existing topics are investigated. This article investigates the nature of this influence on the wider academic research mission. Design/methodology/approach: This article reports an inductive content analysis of 500 randomly selected journal articles mentioning Covid-19, as recorded by the Dimensions scholarly database on 19 March 2021. Covid-19 mentions were coded for the influence of the disease on the research. Findings: Whilst two thirds of these articles were about biomedicine (e.g., treatments, vaccines, virology), or health services in response to Covid-19, others covered the pandemic economy, society, safety, or education. In addition, some articles were not about the pandemic but stated that Covid-19 had increased or decreased the value of the reported research or changed the context in which it was conducted. Research limitations: The findings relate only to Covid-19 influences declared in published journal articles. Practical implications: Research managers and funders should consider whether their current procedures are effective in supporting researchers to address the evolving demands of pandemic societies, particularly in terms of timeliness. Originality/value: The results show that although health research dominates the academic response to Covid-19, it is more widely disrupting academic research with new demands and challenges.
Citation
Thelwall, M. and Thelwall, S. (2021) How has Covid-19 affected published academic research? A content analysis of journal articles mentioning the virus. Journal of Data and Information Science, 6(4), pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2021-0030
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Journal article
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en
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© 2021 The Authors. Published by De Gruyter. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence.
The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2021-0030
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2096-157X