Hi there Ecologgers, I am a freelance science journalist working on a story about the prominence of unpaid or very low paid fieldwork jobs.
These are often "jobs" that sound amazing (live on a remote island and swim with sea turtles, etc) and expect applicants to be satisfied with earning experience points rather than money. Some argue that this system limits the pool of potential candidates to those who are privileged enough to afford to work for free; others argue that it's a way to get more science done on a shoestring budget. Here's a really interesting paper on the subject: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/wsb.603/abstract Does anyone have any thoughts/stories to contribute? Have you ever taken such a position, and what was the outcome? Or, have you ever offered such a position? Do you feel conflicted about being unable to pay these workers, or do you think these opportunities generally lead to good outcomes for those who can take them? Please email me at [email protected] with any thoughts you might like to share. I am currently negotiating with a major online publication that is interested in publishing the story. Thanks, Rose
