Duan, Y., Memon, S. A., AlShebli, B., Duan, Q., Holme, P., & Rahwan, T. (2024). Where postdoctoral journeys lead. arXiv preprint arXiv:2411.03938v1.
This research paper investigates the impact of postdoctoral training on early academic career success, focusing on factors like publication rate, hit papers, topical shifts, and institutional mobility.
The study utilizes a unique dataset combining publication data from Microsoft Academic Graph (MAG) and career trajectories from a large online professional network, encompassing 45,572 careers over 25 years across various disciplines. The researchers analyze the correlation between postdoctoral experiences and early career success, measured by a newly defined η-index, a variant of the h-index considering publications between two and four years into a faculty position.
The study highlights the often-overlooked significance of the postdoctoral period in shaping academic careers. It challenges the notion of postdoc as a waiting period and emphasizes the importance of active research, strategic mobility, and topical exploration during this phase.
This research provides valuable insights for young researchers navigating the academic landscape, encouraging them to leverage their postdoctoral training for maximizing their career prospects. It also calls for a more nuanced understanding of academic career trajectories, urging for the inclusion of postdoctoral experiences in evaluating long-term success.
The study acknowledges the complexity of academic career paths and the limitations of using quantitative metrics for measuring success. Future research could explore the influence of mentorship, collaboration networks, and individual career goals on postdoctoral outcomes. Additionally, investigating the long-term impact of postdoctoral experiences beyond the early career stage would provide a more comprehensive understanding of their significance.
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by Yueran Duan,... at arxiv.org 11-07-2024
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