The number of journal publications reveals nothing about the quality of research.
There. I said it. A dreadful realisation that very few are ready to accept. The academic world seems to be infested with the idea that the practise of piling up publications somehow translates into quality research. We see people with 100's of publications offering next to nothing in quality.
A quick glance reveals that most of them are simply dropping their name left and right, primarily thanks to their PhD slaves or Post-Doc goblins.
Why this happens? Schools compete with each other based on publication numbers. Grants in schools are also allocated based on those meaningless numbers. Quality of research and real world applications hardly matter anymore. Thus, the academic world has become highly competitive on a system that feeds on an empty idea. Imagine a world where actual businesses' total worth depended on the amount of products produced. It makes no sense since anyone can produce any number of ...something. What makes a difference is quality. The only true measure of quality is determined from the public.
There is a dark secret that holds all this academic shenanigan together, a truth that nobody talks about but everybody is aware. A handful of people called "professors" monopolise knowledge.
The books you get to read in school stem from the choices of those people. The ideas you get to work with are carefully crafted from advisory committees in order to enrich sheeple that follow a given school of thought. Students and Researchers alike are being played into a pyramid scheme of what has come to be known as "intellectuallity".
...There Shall Be Steemit
Imagine a world where each person's research is upvoted depending on how it helps the community. Forget bureucrats allocating grants to academic relics aging like old wine in the dark pits of their office. Forget about the unshakeable status-quo that terrorizes any new idea that comes forward. Is your idea worthy in the eyes of the public? This is all you need. Only the real world can demonstrate value in respect to something. Anything. Ideas, theories and mambo jumbo sophistry can stay in coffee-shops where it belongs. Once those ideas can be applicable then we can take them seriously.
The system could work as follows: Under tag or section called "Research" every person can publish in open source their thesis. Projects will be classified in respect to popularity, trending, funding etc much like the Steemit frontpage. For every project there will be a budjet. Steem Dollars could be allocated in other denominations such as "Research Steem Dollars" which they will carry their own value.
Upvoters will own a partial share on the applications of that research. The percentage could be allocated from the author or the public. Crowdfunding and Quality Research in one place.
We live in the beginning of a true revolution. People will realise that they cannot be governed from people who hold all the power in their hands. Decentralisation is key. Every single person matters. Every single person can produce ideas that nobody has ever thought about. If we leave it to the current system most ideas will perish under scrutiny and petty politics. Steemit can revolutionise the academic world and bring forwad ideas we haven't even dreamed about.
If you like this post follow me @kyriacos . Suggestions for new topics are welcome.
Hopefully a better search is on their roadmap.
That, along with other community built writing tools like plagiarism and grammer bots will blow the minds of the academic world.
Precisely. How about people with any background dropping papers, anonymously into a collective archive and the curation awards dustributed?
Anonymity could really eliminate the bias factor
There are so many scientists who want to do research but can't due to the lack of budget. Imagine what a game changer this would be when we were able to support them. This is a boost for science.
Great Idea, great post
This is exactly what I am picturing. I have met many researchers that are crippled from the system, unable to fulfill their dreams. Steemit could change lives all around.
What a great era to be alive
Hi Kyriacos,
Although I agree that Steemit may bring something to research, I mostly disagree with everything stated in your post. Let me try to explain why (after all, we are here to discuss).
First of all, I am a professor. Therefore, one of the ‘bad guys’ you mention in your post. Now that this is said, let’s chat :)
I was a bit surprized by your very rude tone against professors. Maybe you got some bad experience during your lifetime, but you should not generalize too much. I can believe that what you mentioned may have happened here or there, but this is far from being happening every day, in every research area and in every place. I would like to mention a few things:
Now, the fact that Steemit should rule academia. There a good ideas in this option, and I am confident that Steemit may bring something to academia. The something should still be defined, and one should not be too naive on another hand. I may elaborate this in a further post as I can see a lot of pros and a lot of cons here. For the moment, let me recall that:
Now regarding research in general:
I may continue writing for ages, but I think I have said the main points of what I think. Do not hesitate to answer (and disagree :p).
Cheers,
Benjamin
This is a fantastic idea. Though I see it as its own platform powered by Steem.
Acadeemit?
Reesearchit?
I'm not great with names. As a separate platform powered by Steem though, it would have all the perks of steemit while maintaining the distinction between academic research and social journalism/blogging, which I believe is important
How about Acasteemia? :)
Exactly. Sadly most research today are essays. Empty essays.
Acasteemia, damnit I was so close!
I love it lol
You see? We worked together and came up with something!
I am sure if you hang upside down from the bed you will come up with another 2 or 3
Pretty interesting read!
If you like this one check out my blog or follow me @kyriacos
Spent a good 15 minutes trying to upvote this, kept getting transaction failed. I stuck with it though because this is a brilliant idea, well played sir.
Try again @pedrosgali . Sometimes the network is overloaded. Try signing out and in again. Usually it works
Got there in the end thankfully. :)
Great. much appreciated.
The missing commas make this hard to read.
You could improve the layout.
What an inspiration! I love your views and perspectives on issues regarding knowledge creation. For me in my academic settings, it would be really interesting to define, e.g. your "public" as "taxpayers", sometimes "students in class", "people attending my talk", or maybe "people reading my posts and articles", also the term "real world" you mentioned earlier on maybe as "world outside of university", or "outside library/laboratory", or "in the forest" or "in the city"... <3
:)