COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Research and Development in the Social Sciences

Abstract

The spread of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, is causing severe disruption to various sectors in Nigeria and across the global world. The paper, therefore, examined the successes, challenges and prospects of R&D in social sciences before and during COVID-19 crisis
among five randomly selected Universities in the South western Nigeria. The data were collected online from 335 social science researchers from the research institutions and a technique of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed. The findings showed that the pandemic worsened the already precarious situation among academics in Nigeria. It was concluded that a new hybrid model of research should emerge, post COVID-19, and that it is high time researchers key-in to a range of digital options being offered by education technology. The study thus recommended that Nigerian government and corporate organisations should provide adequate grant to persons with bright scientific and creative ideas so that they can put the innovation into practice.