Success predicts success. Maybe it works out: you get funding, you're regarded as a smart scientist etc, so your work is judged with that in mind. Especially i

Success predicts success. Maybe it works out: you get funding, you're regarded as a smart scientist etc, so your work is judged with that in mind. Especially in those parts of social sciences that are very essay-heavy and don't deal with disprovable claims and experiments, the difference between "that's total nonsense" and "another intelligent contribution by a fellow scholar" might be mostly knowing the author. They could transition into postmodern studies and use the Postmodern Generator [1] to get their new stuff. [1]: https://www.elsewhere.org/pomo/ https://www.elsewhere.org/pomo/