Introduction
The research aligns with the culture and community of the prospective research location. However, multiple factors not limited to political, economic, social, and technological differences among developing and developed countries dramatically impacts the research process and outcomes.
Some of the problems faced by researchers in developing countries are:
1. Low uptake
According to OECD (2021), the number of people enrolled in and graduated from research needs to be improved globally. The United States accounted for only 1.2% of Ph.D. graduates in 2017. The percentage of Ph.D. graduates in developing countries is much less, as the job is the first priority in a developing economy. The lack of proper incentives, motivation, and stability are well-reported factors for the low research uptake in developing countries. As a result, the talent shortage impacts the research quality and outcomes.
2. Lack of Scope
Students from developing countries go to developed countries for better education, stability, and better employment options. Lack of stability and better employment opportunities shuts the door permanently to return back and continuing research or higher studies. The brain drain caused by lack of scope limits the research potential in developing countries.
3. Lack of Research funding
Good research demands a good flow of funds, which gives autonomy to create and sustain an innovation culture. According to World Bank data (2022), developing countries like India and Souh-Africa spent 0.66 and 0.62% of their GDP on research and development activity. On the contrary, Austria, Japan, and Germany have much higher spending from their GDP on R&D activity. Therefore, the issue is at the policy level, and with proper funding, developing countries can create a good research ecosystem.
4. Limited Research Infrastructure
The resources required to conduct research can be expensive, which developing countries need help to afford. A research infrastructure is necessary, whether it is cutting-edge laboratories, equipment, or ideation space that demands inter-sectoral collaboration. Again, it depends on funding, vision, and policy-level changes to bring developing country research back on track.
5. Lack of coordination and communication
In contemporary research, no subject can exist in isolation. Inter-disciplinary research is on the rise globally, warranting researchers must coordinate and connect with scholars from other countries; conferences can be a good way. Covid-19 paved the pathway for virtual conferences, but again it led to mental fatigue. By attending such conferences, scholars can stay updated and find the relevance of their research prospectives. To enhance research in developing countries, the communication culture must be broadened and facilitated with appropriate events, tools, and techniques. For example, open-source platforms, international workshops, conclaves, and offline and online brainstorming sessions.
6. Non-fulfillment of research ethics
It is strenuous for research scholars to meet the ethical standards of developed countries while conducting research that should also meet cultural appropriation standards.
Conclusion
Developing countries need to adopt newer and better research approaches for effective results.
In your opinion, what are the problems researchers face during research in developing countries? Do tell us in the comment section. You can also visit our website https://www.pubmanu.com/ for more information. Happy researching!!!
[credit-sonam]