How to get better recognition for technicians

Simple steps to capture contributions would bring wide benefits, say Clare McLaren and Alan Dent

A 2004 report commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council of England considered how to define a skilled technician. “One suggested rule of thumb,” it said, is “whether or not research comes to a halt when they are absent or on leave.”

This still rings true. And with so much institutional reputation and funding resting on productive research programmes, the prospect of such a halt is alarming to all—be they institutional leaders managing the performance and risks of their organisations, research teams on tight timelines, or the technicians themselves.