Rory Clark

"Be Curious"; Obstacles and Strategies for Early Career Researchers Working In HCI and Healthcare

There has been an increase in focus on the plight of the Early Career Researcher (ECR), with literature demonstrating significant mental health struggles and high attrition rates among those completing doctoral studies and beginning their independent academic careers.

There has been little work, however, on specific strategies for overcoming obstacles and increasing engagement for ECR practitioners working in interdisciplinary spaces as "outsiders", such as that of HCI and healthcare, a prevalent and growing area of research.

To address this, Rory Clark, Beatriz Severes, Tom Owen and Matt Jones conducted a series of 10 interviews with ECRs and clinical research participants, to offer a collection of "lessons learned" in the form of common areas of failure and friction, and methods to overcome them based in personal and professional experiences.

This work provides direct guidance to junior members of the academic community, but also to supervisors and leaders of ECRs, and potential local champions looking to implement high quality research in collaboration with other institutions.