Hawksworth has had a prolific career, authoring nearly 600 scientific works (including almost 60 books), describing approximately 250 new taxa, and proposing around 500 new combinations or new names in fungal nomenclature.

He has conducted systematic revisions of neglected groups, including lichenicolous taxa and fungi at the borderline of lichenisation, with a particular interest in the family Parmeliaceae.

Hawksworth advocated for examining as many specimens as possible to understand species variation and utilising a wide range of techniques to study fungal characteristics.

[8] Hawksworth highlighted the significance of careful microscopic examination and measurement of fungal structures, noting the potential impact of different mounting media on spore sizes.

Another key lesson stressed the importance of preserving type specimens and vouchers for unusual records to ensure the validity of taxonomic work.

He emphasised the value of teamwork in modern mycology, noting that multi-authored papers have become the norm in addressing complex research questions.

[30] In 2020, on the occasion of David Hawksworth's 70th birthday, Robert Lücking and colleagues described 70 new species of lichenised basidiomycete fungi in the genus Cora, many of which were named in his honour.