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Certainly, there's loads of stupid "research" in academia—cranking out papers that interest no one, in order to justify tenure and more grants. However, "90% o

by bkovitz 17y ago

Certainly, there's loads of stupid "research" in academia—cranking out papers that interest no one, in order to justify tenure and more grants. However, "90% of everything is crap". The relevant question, before you throw out the entire institution, is: Are there real opportunities to do good work? Good work takes two main forms in academia: research and teaching. Is good research work being done? Is good teaching being done?

jerf 17y ago
"The relevant question, before you throw out the entire institution, is: Are there real opportunities to do good work?" I disagree. The relevant question is, "What is the best possible way to do good work, including practical concerns taking into account the behavior of real people and not just theoretical people, and is that what we have? If not, how can we get there?" The way you ask the question is basically the same thing as the sunk cost fallacy. Yes, we've got a lot of investment in the current system, but if it isn't working, it's time to change it to something that will. Whatever that may be. And, again, the question is whether it is working with real people, not hypothetical people who are custom-designed to work with the system you want to be ideal.
- nostrademons 17y ago
  The best is the enemy of the good. I'd shorten the question to "Can we do better?"
  - jongraehl 17y ago
    I'd rather start with with pondering "what's the best way (that I can imagine)" and then move to "what's the surest route to improvement". I don't think it's usually the case that someone who asks "what's the best ...?" is really only interested in things that are absolutely the best.
- bkovitz 17y ago
  Indeed, comparison with other opportunities is most important. I didn't make that clear. If you can do better teaching and/or better research outside the university, then go for it. (I am wrestling with this decision right now.) That would be a good reason to resign professorship, not the fact that a lot of university people are doing mediocre work. My understanding, BTW, is that there is lots and lots of fantastic research being done in universities. You have to find it and hang around with the right crowd. Dr. Tarver's problem may simply be that he didn't find the opportunities.

by bkovitz 17y ago

jerf 17y ago

"The relevant question, before you throw out the entire institution, is: Are there real opportunities to do good work?" I disagree. The relevant question is, "What is the best possible way to do good work, including practical concerns taking into account the behavior of real people and not just theoretical people, and is that what we have? If not, how can we get there?" The way you ask the question is basically the same thing as the sunk cost fallacy. Yes, we've got a lot of investment in the current system, but if it isn't working, it's time to change it to something that will. Whatever that may be. And, again, the question is whether it is working with real people, not hypothetical people who are custom-designed to work with the system you want to be ideal.

nostrademons 17y ago
The best is the enemy of the good. I'd shorten the question to "Can we do better?"
- jongraehl 17y ago
  I'd rather start with with pondering "what's the best way (that I can imagine)" and then move to "what's the surest route to improvement". I don't think it's usually the case that someone who asks "what's the best ...?" is really only interested in things that are absolutely the best.
bkovitz 17y ago
Indeed, comparison with other opportunities is most important. I didn't make that clear. If you can do better teaching and/or better research outside the university, then go for it. (I am wrestling with this decision right now.) That would be a good reason to resign professorship, not the fact that a lot of university people are doing mediocre work. My understanding, BTW, is that there is lots and lots of fantastic research being done in universities. You have to find it and hang around with the right crowd. Dr. Tarver's problem may simply be that he didn't find the opportunities.