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Global annual academic culture survey
Our annual academic culture survey gathers the views and experiences of academics, students, and librarians from across Canada and the world. It covers topics such as attitudes to research evaluation, academic culture, openness and transparency, career issues, and the role of the publisher.
Explore InsightsWe launched the first Time for Change survey in 2019 to highlight the issues in the research world that needed change. Academics cite budget constraints and challenges around research methods and funding. A culture of hierarchy and ongoing pressures remains. At the same time, our survey program continues to explore publishing, open access, and publishers' responsibilities for supporting inclusive research environments.
By reporting academics' views and lived experiences, we aim to create momentum towards a fairer and more focused environment where changes for research can thrive in Canada and globally.
Time for Change Canada is an ongoing research initiative that captures the pulse of academic life across Canadian institutions and globally. Each year, we survey thousands of academics, researchers, librarians, and students to understand their perspectives on pressing challenges within the scholarly ecosystem. Our focus areas include research evaluation practices, the evolving role of open access publishing, workplace culture within universities, and how publishers can better serve the research community.
The data we collect is shared openly, empowering institutions, funding bodies, and policymakers to make evidence-based decisions that improve the research environment. We believe that transparent, regular measurement of academic sentiment is a vital first step toward meaningful structural reform. Our reports have been cited by institutions across six provinces and have contributed to policy discussions at multiple Canadian research councils.
This survey was conducted in July 2025 and gathered the views of 1,847 academics and researchers from around the world. The core results are set out in the areas described below, and full data files are available for download.
In 2025, we are seeing a growing interest in open research, with 68% of academics considering open access and sharing of data vital, up compared to 61% four years ago. Across Canadian respondents, 73% indicated that transparent data practices should be a condition for receiving public funding. Researchers are sharing preprints at higher rates, and attitudes toward collaborative open-source tools continue to improve.
In contrast, progress has stalled around research evaluation, with two-thirds of academics saying they still rely on citations and impact factors as the dominant metric for research quality. For 47% of academics, the major challenge is changing the way research is assessed to include ability to locate research beyond academia and that incentives for career progression still fail to reward broader contributions.
More results on research evaluationWorkplace pressures are having an impact on academics, with more than one in three facing long-term issues and almost a fifth experiencing physical health challenges connected to their workload. Canadian respondents reported slightly higher satisfaction with institutional well-being support compared to global averages, but burnout remains a widespread concern across all career stages.
More results on academic cultureMore than 55% of academics believe publishers could help to improve academic culture by offering different options for publishing and managing peer review openly. 71% of respondents said that publishers could better contribute to change by offering more support for underrepresented areas of research, up from 64% in 2023. In Canada specifically, librarians emphasized the need for equitable pricing models.
More results on the role of the publisher
Our global academic culture survey gathered views on change during July and August 2025. More than 1,800 academics, librarians, and students within Canada's diverse research community participated. Access previous survey data to see how perspectives have shifted over the years and to compare trends across multiple editions of this research.
See the 2025 reportEach year, our research team develops survey questions that address the most relevant and timely issues facing the academic community in Canada and globally.
Thousands of academics, librarians, and students from universities across Canada and around the world share their experiences through our online survey platform.
Our team processes responses, identifies trends, and prepares detailed reports segmented by region, career stage, and discipline to provide meaningful comparisons.
Published findings are shared openly and used by institutions, publishers, and policymakers to inform decisions that improve the research environment for everyone.
If you are an academic, librarian, researcher, or student working within Canadian or international institutions, your voice matters. Take a small step to help the sector better understand the realities of research and academic life. Share your experience, help drive better decisions, and contribute to lasting, structural improvements.
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The information on this website is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute professional, financial, legal, or academic advice. Survey results represent the opinions of respondents at the time of data collection and should not be interpreted as definitive assessments of any institution, publisher, or funding body. While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee that all information is complete or current. Users should exercise their own judgment when interpreting survey data and consult relevant professionals for specific guidance. Past survey trends do not predict future outcomes.