Past the Thesis-How Researchers Can Develop a Global Identity Through Publishing.

The dissertation is usually considered the end of the degree program, the grueling research project required of virtually all post-graduates after years of intense work and study. However, for many scholars this stage of their research ends with the turning in of the dissertation. The ideas, discoveries and contributions the dissertation represents lie dormant on the university server, never seeing the light of day for anyone other than their evaluators.


This is not enough. Not today. Research has become the most valuable commodity in many fields of endeavor. Organizations, institutions, governments and businesses rely on the expertise, knowledge, and insight that researchers possess in order to foster growth and solve problems. The research community is presented with an immense opportunity to share their expertise with wider audiences outside academia.


A dissertation is far more than the achievement it represents academically. Years of intellectual thought, originality, ability to problem-solve and expertise are embodied in this one research paper. This is valuable to other fields and the world outside of academia as it fosters evidence-based decisions and a sense of knowing. However, expertise will never guarantee recognition; visibility is the researcher’s greatest obstacle, and lack of it will always keep valuable minds locked within university walls. Fortunately, in today's hyper-connected and information-driven world, gaining visibility has never been so simple, especially as research is increasingly becoming the key intellectual capital that all organizations need and want.


One way of transforming research into visibility and authority is through publishing. Researchers can now publish at will in academic journals, books, on their own blogs, in online journals, and through web casts, podcasts, and social media. Publishing your work always guarantees increased reach, visibility and professional credibility.


This does not mean that researchers should maintain their strictly academic tone. Audiences now require that research be understandable, accessible and applicable; those that can simplify concepts without compromising the rigor of their findings are likely to attract wider audiences, particularly industries and the public. The ability to translate complex research into usable forms for business, public policy, or the general public will make research much more visible.


Personal branding is playing a major role in the rise of individual researchers today. Being visible at conferences, discussion forums, professional networks, and within digital space positions the individual as a thought leader in their field and their name slowly becomes synonymous with knowledge and innovation in that area.


The visibility the researcher develops translates directly to greater professional opportunities. Researchers who have published work or are known by others in their field are often invited to lecture, serve on committees, advise businesses, and participate in policy development and industry work. Their work in research opens doors to a career outside of academia rather than it simply being a prerequisite.


The development of internet platforms like ResearchGate, LinkedIn, Amazon Kindle, Medium and Google scholar has given individuals the power to control the visibility of their intellectual property on a global scale, rather than rely solely on gatekeepers like publishers and university institutions.


Finally, there has been a great deal of growth in academia and its relationships with industry. Industries are looking for researcher to bring theoretical knowledge to applied fields, providing career options for academically trained scholars that extend beyond teaching and the classroom into the fields of consulting, innovation management, education, entrepreneurship and strategic leadership. Nevertheless, few researchers publish or promote their work believing that its impact may not be what is expected, causing valuable information to remain unheard. Each dissertation is unique and contains material capable of revolutionizing the field or informing conversations between academia and industry, or public policy. The future belongs to the researchers that see beyond the thesis and realize that publishing is about influence, branding and building a global career; an individual researcher's dissertation could become the basis of a global identity as a thought leader. Researchers today are able to turn their dissertations into much more than academic projects, by not fearing the publishing realm of influencing knowledge-based businesses and individuals across the world.

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