Introduction: Research has Outgrown the Classroom.

 Traditionally, the life cycle of knowledge belonged to the university. A student researched a subject, wrote a thesis and presented it to a panel, to which they were required to submit. Once accepted, this was locked inside the systems of academic institutions, where very few others ever would, or will, read it. The thesis was the completion of an education, once it has earned you a degree.

However, the outside world has developed faster than the university itself.

Today, knowledge is no longer confined to libraries, academic papers and repositories in universities. Expertise is traveling throughout the web, through businesses and into professional communities in an instant. Ideas no longer need to wait to be released to institutions. Instead they can be distributed, consumed, applied and capitalized upon in the real-time, online world.

This changes the meaning of research entirely.

The thesis is no longer simply an endpoint to a degree. It is intellectual property capable of creating authority, influence, real-world solutions and long-term career capital. What used to be an end in of itself is now the opportunity for much further exposure and impact.

However, the majority of researchers are still trapped within an old mentality of submitting work, and failing to see the real value beyond submission. Years of rigorous academic work are treated like nothing more than a requirement for a degree and hundreds of ideas have no further impact beyond their archiving, even if they may be valuable outside the walls of the institution.

This is where the concept of thesis commercialization comes into play. Thesis commercialization involves turning academic research into works with real-world value. This takes research that is normally produced into something in the form of a book, industry analysis report, consulting framework, policy recommendation, workshop or on-line learning package and thought leadership content.

This is not about cheapening academic work.

The idea is to amplify academic value. This has come about due to immense global trends and increased pressure from businesses requiring new and innovative insights to gain a competitive advantage. Added to this, new platforms have been created enabling researchers to cut out the intermediary of institutions. These platforms range from professional networking sites such as Linkedin, to publishing platforms like Substack, the medium, the journal, as well as through podcasts, videos and even self-publishing platforms.

Experts are now able to have total control of the creation and dissemination of their work. For the first time we have the creation of a new kind of researcher – one who goes beyond the purely academic journal. Today we are seeing more researchers than ever acting as experts, consultants and industry voices, the influence they are achieving being measured in real-world terms rather than just the number of times that their research has been cited.

The future of the research landscape belongs to the early adopter of this transition. Research within repositories is worthless. Research visible in the real world, is influence. The old model ended with submission.

The new one begins with it.

Read More: https://www.globalxpublications.com/blog/thesis-commercialization-publish-monetize