Dear Editor,
Our nation is badly in need of national development research to guide policy. Research refers to objective, critical, scientific study of a subject or issue or phenomenon that will improve understanding of it. Research must be evidence (data) driven and should help guide policies as in the developed countries. Guyana, unlike say UWI (Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados), is yet to build a sound “research culture” that would help guide policy.
Very little research is undertaken at our lone university or by its academics so we can have a good understanding of how various issues impact on the population and what can be done to alleviate their effects on society. Data-driven research should be encouraged and be given adequate funding. Urgent research is needed in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) subjects as well as in the humanities and social sciences. Since the country may not afford adequate funding, and we may not have the capacity (equipment and materials) for scientific research, at a minimum research into the behavioural (social) sciences should be encouraged. In spite of financial limitations and access to library materials, a few of our researchers have done quite well in their research ability. The eminent Prof Clive Thomas, for example, has produced a lot, more than any local Guyanese. Profs. Paul Singh and Prem Misir also did fantastic research. And another of our current natural science researchers, Prof. Suresh Narine, was recently honoured by the Sabga Foundation in Trinidad for his outstanding research work. All should be commended for their work.
Objective papers covering a wide range of social science subjects should be encouraged with significant funding. Such research can help with government driven public policy in critical areas where there are government shortcomings in effective public policy. We need investigation into important issues like suicide, domestic abuse, gender relations, building multi-ethnic parties, juvenile delinquency, treatment of the elderly, school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, media bias, corruption, other governance issues, public workers’ productivity, ethnic relations, ethnic prejudice, medical issues, diabetes, AIDS, etc. Good scientific studies may offer very sound solutions in addressing some of these issues. Applied research would have application to policy. Adversarial race-driven and party politics should not be impediments to quality research and in fact research should guide progress in ethnic relations as well as in inter-party relations and better governance.
As any professional researcher of Guyanese society knows, “scientific research” is not easy in the Guyana context because of funding and the politics of the society. Few scholars undertake research into the society’s many social or economic problems because of “the nature of the politics” of the society. One does not want to run afoul of politicians or fall into the bad books of egoistic politicians or the media.
While we blame the government for every wrongdoing or failure in the society, we have to compliment it for not silencing public opinion. Guyana’s democratic culture allows floods of opinions and personal feelings to occupy public space through mass media; some that should hardly have been in the media because of their guttural language. Few societies have the kind of free, untrammeled press freedom like Guyana and few societies allow the kinds of critiques written against the government. We must express appreciation for this aspect of our democratic culture and its open-door system.
Nevertheless, as Guyanese academics would confirm, it can be quite lonely doing research on controversial subjects for one would get little support; one does not want to run afoul of the authority. We have had no significant research into issues impacting on the nation because researchers don’t wish to rile up officials. But the authorities should not take offence at objective research. They should inspire, encourage and support research by university staff and by the few graduate students at our university and by outstanding undergrads.
As has been the case in Guyana, many good researchers prefer to quietly publish in academic journals outside of the country; and few actually have their research rejected because it may not be up to standard. But publishing abroad alone is not the best way to build a culture of research or of critical thinking as it may discourage academics from undertaking scientific research. And we should have our own social science journal to encourage research as is the case with other small nations around the region or places like Fiji and Mauritius, among others. An imperative towards research is urgently needed.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
