Canadian Journal of Higher Education

Faculty members at two small Canadian universities were sent a questionnaire in which they were asked about research activities and preferences, views of themselves as researchers, and views about factors which they felt either constrained or facilitated research activities. Respondents were highly committed to research, though gave teaching an equally high priority. Views of influences were similar across universities, with non-teaching commitments, teaching commitments, availability of graduate students, and availability of library holdings seen as most detrimental. Personal motivation and university research offices were seen as positive influences. We consider how faculty views might affect university policy and suggest, among other things, that universities might want to develop a formal policy in which individual faculty be allowed to specialize to some extent in research or teaching.