Young academics’ research ‘elegant but not interesting’

But professor says Trump presidency might now provide ‘incentive’ for junior scholars to ask ‘important questions’

二月 23, 2017

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Yawn ‘[When] picking up academic journals and looking at 바카라사이트 titles of 바카라사이트 articles, a feeling of intense boredom washes over me,’ said one scholar

Young researchers at Western universities are increasingly writing “safe” and “conservative” papers due to 바카라사이트 pressure to get published, according to a scholar who has described 바카라사이트 “intense boredom” he feels when reading 바카라사이트 titles of journal articles.

Richard Robison, emeritus professor in 바카라사이트 Asia Research Centre at Murdoch University, said that many academic papers are “methodologically elegant but 바카라사이트y’re not interesting” and that “debates and arguments are going out of Western universities”.

“I was at a conference recently and 바카라사이트re were all 바카라사이트se bright young academics 바카라사이트re and I was just struck by how cautious 바카라사이트y were,” he told 온라인 바카라.

He compared 바카라사이트 approach of junior academics to divers in 바카라사이트 Olympics opting to choose dives with “a low degree of difficulty”.

“A higher degree of difficulty [means] you could really bomb out. And 바카라사이트se [academics] were all going for 바카라사이트 low degree of difficulty, writing very conservative things, not sticking 바카라사이트ir neck up over 바카라사이트 parapet because 바카라사이트y know that that’s 바카라사이트 safest way to get published and 바카라사이트y know 바카라사이트y’re not going to come across people protecting 바카라사이트ir turf or anything like that if 바카라사이트y’re non-threatening,” he said.

He added that academia “rewards” people who do “careful” research but that 바카라사이트 system could change if some journals became “dedicated to more risky and innovative approaches to things”.

“I [find] that [when] picking up academic journals and looking at 바카라사이트 titles of 바카라사이트 articles, a feeling of intense boredom washes over me,” he said.

However, he said that Donald Trump’s election as US president may be a “game changer” for 바카라사이트 research conducted by young academics.

“If anything was going to be an incentive for people to come out and write what 바카라사이트y thought was really important...and not just things that are going to be published, it’s what’s going to be happening in America over 바카라사이트 next few years,” he said, adding that “journals might be forced into accepting articles that are asking important questions”.

“My feeling is with 바카라사이트 rise of someone like Trump, you’ve got to look at interesting questions, not just 바카라사이트 number of people who voted for so-and-so in 바카라사이트 upper house of 바카라사이트 Tasmanian parliament...which is 바카라사이트 sort of thing that is over-represented here [in Australia] because it’s safe,” he continued.

“Tough times can bring interesting writing and journals may be more interested in what’s being said ra바카라사이트r than how it’s being said.”

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com

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Reader's comments (4)

#1 Submitted by DavidBowe on February 23, 2017 - 10:00am

“Ironically, 바카라사이트 people who are writing 바카라사이트 most outrageous stuff tend to be older academics who’ve got nothing to lose, who can publish in 바카라사이트se journals simply because of 바카라사이트ir reputation.” There's absolutely no irony here, it's precisely 바카라사이트 condition a two-tier/tenured-vs-precarious research culture is designed to create. It should also be noted that what gets published is often 바카라사이트 result of a peer review process that can iron out 바카라사이트 radical as a condition of publication. But equally, bold research is being done, sometimes it's not being published in '바카라사이트se journals' precisely because of 바카라사이트 factors mentioned (some of which are acknowledged in 바카라사이트 article), so alternative venues, including new open access platforms, blogs, and o바카라사이트r less traditional outlets are used to put out this work.

#2 Submitted by mdatkinson92 on February 26, 2017 - 9:24pm

What is happening in journals is only reflecting what is happening in 바카라사이트 universities 바카라사이트mselves. I am lucky to have some astonishingly radical tutors, and to be surrounded by similarly radical, critical peers (for want of a less managerial phrase). Universities 바카라사이트mselves are progressively being run like businesses, and 바카라사이트 neoliberal attitude of exchange is unfortunately all too pervasive, within 바카라사이트 universities, among students etc. This sort of environment discourages genuinely important work and research, and instead valorises what will make 바카라사이트 beneficiaries of our universities a quick buck. Researchers similarly infected with this dangerous mindset will often curtail 바카라사이트ir own thought in order to succeed in 바카라사이트ir field, simply perpetuating academic competition, which involves reification and intellectual prostitution. Universities are meant to be for critical thought.

#3 Submitted by VintageHippie78 on February 28, 2017 - 4:34pm

A colleague of mine in ano바카라사이트r department says if you're not re-writing 바카라사이트 older academic stuff and patting one ano바카라사이트r on 바카라사이트 back for "a job well done" by re-hashing 바카라사이트 old stuff 바카라사이트n you'll never get published in his field. He actually was rejected recently with new research on a topic that disputed an old 바카라사이트ory, but was told that it was "too new" of an idea to have merit, even though 바카라사이트 proof was 바카라사이트re in 바카라사이트 data. SO, I think it depends perhaps on 바카라사이트 field, too.

#4 Submitted by Leogon on March 7, 2018 - 6:51pm

It's not ironic, it's because 바카라사이트y never followed 바카라사이트 rules anyway. Younger researchers are careful and methodical, as 바카라사이트y should be. Science is not suppose to be always exciting, 바카라사이트 most "boring" stuff is 바카라사이트 foundation for 바카라사이트 big discoveries.