Postdoc publications and citations link to academic retention and faculty success

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Duan, Yueran; Memon, Shahan Ali; Alshebli, Bedoor; Guan, Qing; Holme, Petter; Lrahwan, Tala
• 署名单位: China University of Geosciences; Aalto University; New York University; New York University Abu Dhabi; University of Washington; University of Washington Seattle; China University of Geosciences; Kobe University; New York University; New York University Abu Dhabi
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-12740
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2402053122
• 发表日期: 2025-01-28
• 关键词: NETWORKS

摘要

Postdoctoral training is a career stage often described as a demanding and anxiety- laden time when many promising PhDs see their academic dreams slip away due to circumstances beyond their control. We use a unique dataset of academic publishing and careers to chart the more or less successful postdoctoral paths. We build a measure of academic success on the citation patterns two to five years into a faculty career. Then, we monitor how students' postdoc positions-in terms of relocation, change of topic, and early well-cited papers-relate to their early-career success. One key finding is that the postdoc period seems more important than the doctoral training to achieve this form of success. This is especially interesting in light of the many studies of academic faculty hiring that link Ph.D. granting institutions and hires, omitting the postdoc stage. Another group of findings can be summarized as a Goldilocks principle: It seems beneficial to change one's direction, but not too much.