Guidance for desk-based researchers
Sustainable considerations for researchers who conduct their research mostly from a desk.
You are considered a desk-based researcher if most of your work is conducted at a desk, whether in an office or elsewhere. Your research may involve quantitative, qualitative, or both types of data. Common activities include extensive computer use for reviewing academic literature, writing proposals, or sharing findings. Depending on your field, your tasks may range from analysing primary sources, interpreting texts, collecting data through surveys, interviews or focus groups, to inputting and analysing data sets.
At a glance
Energy use in buildings
Water use
Equipment energy use
Waste production
Travel & transport
Equipment manufacturing & delivery
Catering at events
Paper & printing use
Sustainable considerations
Click on the drop-down menu below to find out more about sustainable considerations for your desk-based research.
Consider the energy required for lighting, heating, and air-conditioning your workspace.
Also consider the source of this energy, such as whether your building uses gas, oil or electricity for heating, and how this electricity is generated.
Be mindful of water consumption in the building you work in, generated from office kitchens, toilets, and hand-washing.
For some desk-based researchers, managing data sets is a key energy use, but even regular internet use has an environmental impact. Computers and office equipment consume significant electricity, even in standby mode, contributing to your research’s overall footprint.
Waste may primarily come from printing documents or using physical books, especially if they are frequently updated. It also includes packaging, stationery, equipment, and furniture that you no longer need or that are broken and unusable.
Consider the energy-use, resource-use and emissions associated with manufacturing and delivering the equipment you need for research tasks.
Assess the energy use and emissions from work-related travel, including to attend meetings and conferences, or for engaging with your students or colleagues. The type of transport used for this travel and the journey length will determine the significance of its contribution to the overall environmental impact of your research.
Consider the resource use, energy consumption, emissions, waste, and indirect water use associated with food at research events you host or attend. If you're not the organiser, it may be challenging to control these factors, and key hospitality decisions might be beyond your influence.
Implementing sustainable research practices
Meet our two desk-based researchers, Omar and Klaudia, and discover how their research choices affect the environment, along with the key considerations they can adopt to make their research practices more sustainable.
