Comparative data on the work hours of scientists

July 14, 2010 2:20 AM

I would like to find a good source (or perhaps multiple sources) of data for hours worked by doctoral-level researchers and scientists in countries other than the United States. The google, she fails me. IMPORTANT: This is to win an argument.
posted by palindromic to Science & Nature (6 answers total)

It might be strange, but try going to a "foreign" university website, click on the page listing people working there, and email them and ask them straight up. I did this once for a scientific paper I presented and the lead author of a study wrote back and answered my question. It won't be the formal data you cite, but you could get an anecdotal guesstimate that's not too off.
posted by skepticallypleased at 4:16 AM on July 14, 2010

I am sorry I could not find this in English. On page 23 of this there is a break down of how many hours Swedish phd candidates spend each week. Timmar=hours
posted by furisto at 5:09 AM on July 14, 2010

I know that in France, PhD students are legally limited (like other employees) to 35 hour weeks. Of course they all work much more than that, but it has to be unofficial and at home.
posted by miyabo at 6:19 AM on July 14, 2010

I don't know of any PhD students who are required to log their hours.

Ergo, data should be hard to find, or possibly nonexistent. Also, OSHA would be all over most research institutions if they knew what sort of hours those students were forced to work.

The typical working conditions for PhD-seeking and postdoc scientists are appalling, although very little gets said about it.
posted by schmod at 9:47 AM on July 14, 2010

See Also
posted by schmod at 9:48 AM on July 14, 2010

Response by poster: Ah, just to clarify: I mean working scientists and researchers who have PhDs already. I am aware of the indentured servitude of PhD students and post-docs.

Something like this, but for outside of the US.
posted by palindromic at 11:53 PM on July 14, 2010