Chou Jen-Yun, Camerlink Irene
Swine Teaching and Research Center, Department of Clinical Studies - New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine - University of Pennsylvania, 382 West Street Road Kennett Square, PA, 19348, USA.
Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Animal Behaviour and Welfare, ul. Postępu 36A, 05-552, Jastrzębiec, Poland.
Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2021 Aug;241:105369. doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105369. Epub 2021 Jun 6.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused worldwide disruptions and changes, including in the way research was conducted. One aspect was the cancellation of in-person scientific conferences and the rapid replacement of some into virtual conferences. The aim of this study is to highlight the opportunities that virtual conferences can bring to animal behaviour and welfare research, with a focus on regional diversity and early career researchers (ECRs). The ISAE 2020 virtual meeting was used as a case study. Firstly, conference attendance was compared to the ISAE 2019 in-person international congress. Secondly, a post-conference survey was conducted (n = 142 responses). Data were analysed quantitatively (multinomial models) and qualitatively (word classifications). The organisation by geographical region attracted many non-local attendees and positive feedback was received on the global perspective. The participation from the ISAE developing regions AFRICA (Africa/Central Asia/Middle East), ASIA (South/East/Southeast Asia) and LATAM (Latin America) was higher as compared to the in-person conference ( < 0.001). The most valued advantage for the virtual conference was the reduced cost, followed by the increased ability to participate and the reduced environmental footprint. The most valued advantages did not differ between regions or attendees of different career stages, but an interaction showed that the ability to participate was more appreciated by ECRs in developing regions ( < 0.05). Over 75 % of the respondents ranked the absence of social interaction as the most important disadvantage. Respondents from developed regions were more likely to attend a future virtual conference with a registration fee as compared to those from developing regions ( < 0.05). Respondents most enjoyed the organisation, flexibility, quality of presentations and regional diversity from their virtual experience. This study showed that within applied animal behaviour and welfare science, the virtual format of an international conference can promote participation from diverse regions, especially from less financially privileged groups, but attention should be paid to enhance the social element of a virtual conference.
新冠疫情在全球范围内造成了破坏和变革，包括科研开展的方式。其中一个方面是取消了线下科学会议，并迅速将一些会议改为虚拟会议。本研究的目的是强调虚拟会议可为动物行为与福利研究带来的机遇，重点关注区域多样性和早期职业研究人员（ECR）。以2020年国际动物行为学会（ISAE）虚拟会议作为案例研究。首先，将会议参会情况与2019年ISAE线下国际大会进行比较。其次，开展了会后调查（共收到142份回复）。对数据进行了定量分析（多项模型）和定性分析（词汇分类）。按地理区域组织会议吸引了许多非本地参会者，并且收到了关于全球视角的积极反馈。与线下会议相比，ISAE发展中地区非洲（非洲/中亚/中东）、亚洲（南亚/东亚/东南亚）和拉丁美洲（LATAM）的参会率更高（<0.001）。虚拟会议最受重视的优势是成本降低，其次是参与度提高和环境足迹减小。不同区域或不同职业阶段的参会者对最受重视的优势看法并无差异，但一项交互分析表明，发展中地区的早期职业研究人员更看重参与度（<0.05）。超过75%的受访者将缺乏社交互动列为最重要的劣势。与发展中地区的受访者相比，发达地区的受访者更有可能参加未来收取注册费的虚拟会议（<0.05）。受访者从虚拟会议体验中最喜欢的方面是组织安排、灵活性、报告质量和区域多样性。本研究表明，在应用动物行为与福利科学领域，国际会议的虚拟形式可促进不同区域的参与，特别是来自经济条件较差群体的参与，但应注意增强虚拟会议的社交元素。
