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Doing research after leaving academia: is it feasible?

In our March "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

I'd love to hear people's views on the feasibility of continuing to do philosophy research outside academia. I suppose one obvious barrier is access to a good research library/journal subscriptions — but, supposing that issue were solved, it seems to me in principle possible to keep publishing and attending conferences, and maybe even apply for grants (especially outside the US). But how might a lack of academic admission hinder this beyond the obvious (i.e., that you will not be paid to do this research and so will likely have less time to do it)?

Having made the jump recently, I suppose I am feeling some last minute urge to salvage the part of my academic career I really enjoyed and think I will miss the most. So info on the practicalities is most welcome — but I also wonder whether this desire to continue researching will vanish once I am fully 'out'.

Good query, and I'm not sure. It would be great to hear from people who have spent time outside of academia (either temporarily or permanently.

Do any readers care to weigh in? 

Posted in ,

12 responses to “Doing research after leaving academia: is it feasible?”

  1. Daniel Immerman

    I’d say it’s definitely possible — been doing so myself for the last several years, mostly through force of habit.
    I definitely want to acknowledge the costs you mention.
    But it’s worth noting some benefits. For instance, I no longer feel certain sorts of external pressures to publish. This lets me write on the topics I want to and I don’t have to rush out my thoughts.

    Reply
  2. love

    I don’t see why not. Some may not like this, but there are ‘pirate’ libraries available and if you are working more with books than journal articles this is easy (although there is a site for this). You might also find an old friend or colleague who will allow you to use their university library access. I attend an annual conference that has a few regular ‘independent researchers’.
    Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve been considering leaving academia as a profession for as long as I’ve been in it and have never had a position that ‘pays’ for research (VAPS and lectureships). Writing was one of the main reasons I followed this path and can’t imagine a life without it regardless of profession.
    The only issue I can see arising, which I can’t speak to, is whether or not journals would be more hesitant to publish someone without academic affiliations.
    I encourage you to not drop your passions tho! Cheers!

    Reply
  3. did an admin job

    Did an admin job at a university. It’s not a fulfilling job, but a) it gives you library access; b) sometimes I could finish my day’s work within the first hour or so, so I basically have the rest of the time doing research; c) it pays better than most junior academic jobs in the UK. Published two papers during that year.
    But what sustained me? The hope of returning to academics. Not sure whether returning was worth it though, given the pay and the need to interact with the UK government especially UKVI.

    Reply
  4. sahpa, OP

    Thanks for the info so far, it’s very helpful!
    I agree with Marcus that hearing from people who left academia (if only for a time) is important, but the possibility of selection bias suggests that people who remain academics have a lot to contribute, too – as they could be particularly aware of informal network benefits (for example) that enrich their research and that they think could not be duplicated easily from the outside.

    Reply
  5. Derek Bowman

    Adding to ‘love’s’ advice:
    If you’re not comfortable using pirate sites to access materials, most public colleges and universities have some sort of public access process, and many universities also have library access options for alumni. Some non-university libraries may also be able to access some materials through Interlibrary Loan. And of course many academics are happy to share pre-print versions of their work if you reach out to them. And I’ve seen folks reach out to their network on social media to see if someone has library access to an article they’ve been unable to access otherwise.

    Reply
  6. Cal

    There’s a Facebook group called I think “the philosophical underclass”. You can post in there asking after an article you can’t access and someone with access will send it to you

    Reply
  7. OP again

    Thanks for the discussion about library/material access, but I was asking specifically about challenges beyond that — network effects, motivational barriers, etc., plus things like getting taken seriously/actually being read.

    Reply
  8. AP

    I second what ‘did an admin job’ says. I imagine if you adjunct on the side, you might gain some library privileges as well as funding opportunities at that school. I will add that getting funding for travel has been tough, but some larger grants are open to independent scholars.
    Regarding challenges beyond library access, I think it depends on many variables, but maybe especially on what your boss is like and what the work culture/community is like. My boss is off-hands, and there’s zero community at my workplace. So, I have time to correspond and share work with my niche-area philosophy friends.
    Good luck!

    Reply
  9. did an admin job

    I don’t know too much about barriers regarding publishing or being read, but here are some thoughts. First, regarding publishing, if I were unaffiliated, I would prioritise journals that are triple anonymous, and definitely avoid journals that give the impression that one has to first present things within certain circles to be accepted. But since I was never in those circles, I didn’t find it affecting me too much. Second, the way I read is to look at titles and then abstracts. Journal prestige sometimes come into play, but I’m just very bad at author names so I guess if the title and abstract is interesting enough, your pubs will still get good enough upkate.
    Networking, on the other hand, is a problem. Technically I could still walk into departmental talks, but they typically occur during my working hours. I think sitting in front of the computer doing research is one thing, while leaving office to attend a talk is another. I also don’t find enough discretionary time to give talks or attend conferences.
    I did have a few good friends, my former supervisor, and the placement officer of my grad program to continue to give me encouragement and occasionally read my work, but I have some serious doubts at that time about how long this support would last should I decide to not try to get back into academics. Maybe the good friends would still help, but just maybe.
    The worst problem, however, is about the point. What is the point to continue devoting my time to research if I could do more human things like gardening or parenting or drinking or investing or buying luxurious goods?
    But just mentioning, I found the admin job so unfulfilling to the extent that I even doubt the point of my continuing existence. So I felt I had to return. That was my motivation.

    Reply
  10. sahpa, OP

    @did an admin job: the point in my case is that I enjoy writing and discussing philosophy at a high level, and I have at least a few more ideas I would like to get out there. It seems this desire would not be served by publishing my ideas in, e.g., a blog or even magazines.

    Reply
  11. Jacob Joseph Andrews

    I’ve been continuing research while teaching K-12. My motivation is about one third leaving open the possibility of a college job (though I love my current job); one third because it makes me a better teacher even at a grade school level; one third because of personal interest.
    I’ve been able to get about one publication a year since finishing PhD. Most of these are in non highly ranked philosophy/theology journals but I think they’re decent pieces and I’m proud of them.
    It’s been hard. I have to be extremely disciplined with my time, and even then I only have about 30-60 minutes a day for research. Evenings/weekends/breaks are off the table for me because my school is far from my home, I work an additional job in the evenings besides teaching to make end’s meet, and both of my children have special needs, so my extremely limited time at home has to be devoted to them and my wife (nor would I have it any other way).
    So for me, academic research outside academia has been possible, but only because it is truly a labor of love and because I know it is life-giving for me.

    Reply
  12. Santa Monica

    At the end of the day, this is an opportunity to devote yourself to something new.

    Reply

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