The Research Context

Abstract

Our purpose here is to describe and discuss the research context, to set the scene for understanding both our own experiences as women researchers in higher education and to provide a background for you to think about your aims, aspirations and skills. Although the experiences of women going into a research career are varied, they can be understood as structured by common features of the context within which they carry out research. What is evident from our experience and other literature on the subject is that women develop strategies to cope with, and overcome, the difficulties they may face. Some of these will be discussed later in the book. Our intention is not to suggest that the obstacles we face are insurmountable or indeed that the culture of higher education and research prohibits creative and flexible ways of working. It is our view that these structures are both constraining and enabling, that women are often able to find a path through the obstacles and develop research that is both creative and innovative.