Family Care Needs of Scientists: A Brief Analysis of a COACh-Sponsored Survey
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Date
2013-05-02
Authors
Stockard, Jean
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
COACh
Abstract
In spring 2012, COACh developed an internet based survey designed to find out more about how
scientists combine family responsibilities and academic careers, the ways that their institutions
address these issues, and their views on policies that could help address work-family balance.
Links to the survey were sent to the COACh mailing list and posted on a number of blogs and
listserves directed to women in the physical sciences. We focused on mailing lists that primarily
attract women and on issues that women face, both because of their traditional responsibilities
regarding family care and to limit the scope of the survey. Over the next year more than 300
people responded to the survey.2 While the sample cannot be considered probabilistic, it does
provide a useful snapshot of views and concerns in this area, undoubtedly over-representing
those with experience and concern with these areas.
The remainder of this short report focusses on four areas: 1) characteristics of the respondents; 2)
how family responsibilities, with respect to both child care and adult care, have affected their
participation in professional meetings and conferences; 3) reports of how their institutions
currently handle issues related to work-family balance and responsibilities; and 4) their views
regarding policy actions that would be helpful and appropriate to address these issues. A
complete listing of the responses to each question and the open-ended comments is available on
the COACh website.
Description
13 pages
Keywords
COACh, Committee on the Advancement of Women Chemists, education
Citation
Family Care Needs of Scientists: A Brief Analysis of a COACh-Sponsored Survey, J. Stockard, 2013, University of Oregon, Eugene: COACh