ABSTRACT

This article seeks to move beyond the Euro/North-centrism recurrent in methodological discussions on what we may learn from the COVID-19 pandemic. Such debates often centre on uncertainty and involuntary immobility – aspects which are hardly new for many researchers. In this article, we argue that the pandemic offers an opportunity to rethink research relations between what we term ‘contracting researchers’ in the Global North and ‘facilitating researchers’ in the Global South. Such relations are often marked by rampant inequalities in remuneration, working conditions, and visibility/authorship. Drawing upon experiences in DR Congo, Sierra Leone, and India, we argue that the pandemic increased the dependence on – and highlighted the invaluable contributions and skills of – facilitating researchers, in part slightly refiguring bargaining power. We also propose pathways for change, arguing for a strong collaborative approach and the need for institutional change, without discarding the responsibilities of individual researchers.

摘要

本文旨在超越在关于我们可以从 COVID-19 大流行中学到什么的方法论讨论中反复出现的欧洲/北方中心主义。此类争论通常集中在不确定性和非自愿不动性上——这对许多研究人员来说并不新鲜。在本文中，我们认为，这场大流行病提供了一个机会，让我们重新思考我们所说的北半球“合同研究人员”和南半球“促进研究人员”之间的研究关系。这种关系的特点往往是薪酬、工作条件和知名度/作者身份方面的严重不平等。借鉴刚果民主共和国、塞拉利昂和印度的经验，我们认为，这一流行病增加了对便利研究人员的依赖，并突显了便利研究人员的宝贵贡献和技能，在一定程度上略微重新调整了讨价还价能力。