There is more that unites scientists than divides them, according to participants in The Scientist's "Best Places to Work in Academia" survey appearing in the November 8, 2004 issue of The Scientist.
Across the world, scientists are surprisingly uniform in their needs. Adequate laboratory and research facilities for themselves and their co-workers topped the list in just about every country in the world. Also high in the ranking was a desire to have good working relationships with peers.
Scientists were also uniform in what they didn't need, regardless of location. Scientists said they didn't think it was important for their job to provide them with convenient sports facilities or opportunities to get together with their colleagues. While such opportunities might be nice, they ranked nearly dead last in what is truly important for making scientists happy at work.
But there were some differences between nations. For example, US...
While certain factors carry more weight with scientists than others, overall, researchers around the world are more similar than different in what makes them pleased with their working environment.
For more details and to obtain the list of the top 20 ranked institutions, see the article "Best Places to Work in Academia" in The Scientist's November 8 issue or visit our website at www.the-scientist.com