| No.1 March 1999 first page CONTENTS The Arcs Project Who are the Contract Researchers? |
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The ARCS Project The ARCS project is being undertaken by IER on behalf of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC). The research involves a two year study of all contract researchers employed in Scottish higher education institutions (SHEIs). As such, the ARCS project is one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of university contract research employment ever undertaken. Information about contract research employment is being collected in a number of ways. First, a survey of all contract researchers in post in March/April 1998 has already been conducted. This is to be followed up by a second survey of the same respondents in the year 2000. In addition, information about career changes (contract renewals, job changes and so on) is being collected throughout the two year study period. Finally, a substantial number of interviews will be conducted with selected contract researchers and others in SHEIs involved with contract research employment and policy. The 1998 ARCS Survey A census of all contract research staff in Scotland in post at March/April 1998 has been undertaken. Identifying this population has proved to be an interesting research exercise in its own right. Help was received from all SHEIs in terms of lists of research staff and the mailings of questionnaires. As always, administrative records are not infallible and the definition of a contract researcher has proved to be tricky in practice. Despite the difficulties, at the beginning of 1999 a total of around 1,700 questionnaires had been completed. |
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