Survey Archive 📚
Below you will find summaries and key findings from each year of our survey program. All reports include downloadable data files for independent analysis.
Time for Change 2025
The most comprehensive edition to date, conducted in July 2025. This report reveals that 68% of academics now consider open research practices vital to their work, a marked increase from previous years. Research evaluation remains a persistent friction point, with two-thirds of respondents still relying heavily on traditional citation metrics. Canadian respondents reported slightly higher satisfaction with institutional well-being support, though burnout continued to affect researchers at every career stage.
Time for Change 2024
The 2024 edition explored how attitudes toward open access had shifted in the wake of new funder mandates. A notable finding was that 64% of respondents from Canadian institutions believed publishers should offer more equitable pricing models. The report also documented a rise in concerns about artificial intelligence's role in peer review, with nearly half of academics expressing uncertainty about how generative AI tools should be governed within the publishing process.
Time for Change 2023
This edition placed particular focus on academic workplace culture and mental health. The data showed that 37% of researchers experienced long-term stress related to their professional roles, and nearly a fifth reported physical health problems connected to workload. Canadian librarians highlighted rising subscription costs as a barrier to equitable access. The 2023 report also introduced a new section on diversity and inclusion within the research community, finding that 58% of respondents felt their institution could do more.
Time for Change 2022
The 2022 survey documented the lasting impact of the pandemic on research workflows and collaboration. Remote working remained common, with 42% of academics continuing to conduct research primarily from home. Funding constraints emerged as the top concern for Canadian researchers, cited by 61% of respondents. Open science practices gained traction, though many respondents noted that institutional support for transitioning to open models remained inconsistent across provinces.
Time for Change 2021
Conducted during the second year of global disruption, this survey captured how academics adapted to new realities. A growing share of researchers, 56%, reported dissatisfaction with traditional metrics, marking the first year that a majority expressed this view. The report also highlighted a widening gap between early-career and senior researchers in terms of career security, with early-career academics in Canada reporting the highest levels of uncertainty about their long-term prospects.
Time for Change 2020
Our second survey was conducted against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world. Academics reported heightened anxiety about job stability and research continuity. Despite the challenges, 48% of respondents saw the disruption as an opportunity to rethink entrenched academic practices. Canadian universities scored above the global average for providing emergency mental health resources, though researchers noted that long-term structural changes were still needed.
Time for Change 2019
The inaugural Time for Change survey established a baseline understanding of academic sentiment. Key findings included widespread frustration with the publish-or-perish culture, with 72% of respondents agreeing that traditional evaluation methods fail to capture the full value of research contributions. Canadian academics called for greater transparency in the peer review process and more support for interdisciplinary work. This foundational dataset continues to serve as the benchmark against which all subsequent surveys are measured.
