PhD Production Rate & Postdocs

[M]

In article <ADLER.96Mar16022239 at pulsar.wku.edu>,
Allen Adler <adler at pulsar.wku.edu> wrote:
>
[snip]
>
>Admittedly, everyone who wishes to pursue his/her scholarship
>has to figure out how to put bread on the table and to cover
>the logistical costs of the scholarship itself. But it is
>up to the individual who undertakes the scholarship to decide
>whether to face the bleak odds or not. It is not up to the
>schools to make the decision for them.
>
>From the discussion, it sounds as though the trend will be
>towards independent scholarship. People who have never experienced
>intelligent life outside the operational definitions of
>their research establishments will be surprised to know that
>this road is not impossible to travel. Therefore, I would
>appreciate seeing some discussion of independent scholarship
>from the point of view of someone trying to do it, not from
>the cushy point of view of those who wheel and deal.
>
>In particular, I would like to know what is to be done to
>encourage and to facilitate truly independent inquiry. The
>intellectual life you save may be your own.
>

I agree completely, in principle. The problem is, though, that in my area 
at least (behavioral neuroscience) it's a little difficlut to do research 
outside of some institution.  I suppose I could house my rats in my 
apartment.  Or I could change my research interests to something more 
"scholarly", which is a possibility.  But even if I could do my research 
independently, there would still be costs associated with publishing my 
findings; most journals in my research area have page costs, which are 
typically in the hundreds of dollars, and then there are reprints.  So, 
it's hard to imagine how I can "put bread on the table" and also do my 
research.  

But I agree completely that scholarship is related to artistic or other 
creative endeavors; we do them because of the kinds of people that we 
are.  




>Allan Adler
>adler at pulsar.cs.wku.edu