Science goes into the coming year with more concern than confidence

It is the result of a survey among members of the German Association of Universities (DHV) conducted by the Center for Evaluation and Methods at the University of Bonn and whose results were published in the January edition of the journal “Research End”. teaching”.

43.9 percent of people approach the new year with more confidence, 56.1 with more anxiety. The mood is worse than last year. In 2020, 47.2 percent of participants who answered the same question said they were more likely to be confident, and 52.8 percent said they were more likely to look to the next year with anxiety. Scientists in Saarland (52.9 percent) and North Rhine-Westphalia (51.6 percent) were more optimistic for 2022, while Saxony-Anhalt (69.6 percent) and their colleagues in Berlin were more pessimistic (67.9 percent).

As a result, last year’s reviews are negative. The year 2021, which is ending, was rated 44.4 percent good for science in Germany and 55.6 percent rather bad for science. A year ago, researchers had vaguely assessed the previous year. At that time 50 percent considered 2019 as good and 50 percent bad. Researchers in Thuringia (50.9 percent) and North Rhine-Westphalia (50.4 percent) look at 2021 positively, while their colleagues in Bremen (73 percent) and Saxony-Anhalt (65.2 percent).

On behalf of DHV, ZEM conducted a survey of over 32,000 DHV members from November 8 to December 10, 2021. 3,645 of them replied. The model for the survey is the traditional question with which the Institut für Demoscopy Allensbach has asked the population since 1949 at the end of the year whether they looked forward to the new year with hope or fear. The results of this long-term observation form the mood barometer in the Federal Republic. With the “pulse” format, DHV is attempting to create something comparable to science.