Interdisciplinary scientists: Identity and market crisis
How can truly interdisciplinary scientists describe and market themselves?This is a question that’s looming large for me at the moment. While my degrees are from chemistry departments, my post-PhD research has been so diverse that I no longer fit into any neat pigeon-hole. So, while I have substantial skills and experience in areas that might be labeled “bioinformatics”, “structural biology”, “statistics”, or “computer science”, I don’t have a degree or an extensive enough track record in any one of them to feel comfortable calling myself a “bioinformatician”, “structural biologist”, “statistician”, or “computer scientist”. I’m none of them and all of them, to put it in a Zen-like way.
This makes it harder to find a new position (since ads are usually framed in terms of one the standard pigeon-holes), and it also makes it a challenge to describe oneself. If I had a CS degree, for example, I might be able to say “I’m a computer scientist with interests and skills in biology”, and most of you would instantly know where I was coming from. I find it very hard to describe my professional self in a concise way like that…
Am I the only one with this conundrum? I’m sure there must be more of us out there…
The whole discussion thread is exceptional. I will recommend everyone to go and participate in this lively discussion. Robert Phair, one of fellow systems biologist, made some interesting comments on this issue,
If I could change one thing in modern science, I would stop the fragmentation and specialization. To do synthetic work, we need more broadly based professional societies, academic departments, and journals, NOT more specialized ones. Current academic department structures evolved from the reductionist paradigm and simply do not support synthesis effectively.
I could not agree more, by the way this type of discussions have one thing in common you feel better that you are not all alone.
14 Responses to “Interdisciplinary scientists: Identity and market crisis”
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Hello OzFebruary 11, 2012 at 5:56 pm -
Good move by Elsevier, but company need more than PR efforts to save it's ground. Why so afraid accepting the new reality, open is future.February 11, 2012 at 3:01 am
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Dear Entrepreneur, CXO of unknown start-up with uncertain business model, be grounded and humble. cheersFebruary 10, 2012 at 2:53 am
Interdisciplinary scientists: Identity and market crisis http://bit.ly/aZOvnN #fisheye
Interdisciplinary scientists: Identity and market crisis http://bit.ly/aZOvnN #science
Do multidisciplinary scientists have a home in multidisciplinary science? http://bit.ly/aZOvnN @abhishektiwari
RT @sysbio Interdisciplinary scientists: Identity and market crisis http://bit.ly/aZOvnN #fisheye
RT @Mark_Changizi: Do multidisciplinary scientists have a home in multidisciplinary science? http://bit.ly/aZOvnN @abhishektiwari
I completely agree with your assessment, Abhishek (and have registered for that group, just to see the discussion). I would add, however, that the fragmentation effects are even worse in research funding, where it is rarely possible (certainly with the prevailing non-public peer review) to assign suitable (combinations of) referees to a cross-field proposal, simply because specialists (usually found via the categories or keywords assigned to the proposal) will all too often miss the overall point of the proposal (and thus reject it, to be on the safe side), and the few cross-fielders that would be able to offer comment (though usually with some sort of conflict of interest) are almost inevitably listed under the “wrong” (for this particular proposal) labels.
RT @abhishektiwari: Interdisciplinary scientists: Identity and market crisis http://bit.ly/aZOvnN
Interdisciplinary scientists: Identity and market crisis http://bit.ly/aZOvnN
Interdisciplinary scientists http://bit.ly/aZOvnN @abhishektiwari Generalization or Specialization? I say #Mashup!
Interdisciplinary scientists: Identity and market crisis- by Fisheye Perspective http://bit.ly/9mneNO
RT @sysbio: Interdisciplinary scientists: Identity and market crisis http://bit.ly/aZOvnN #fisheye
Yes, its rather difficult to identify with an one group. Its something like na ghar ka na ghat ka. But hopefully our situation is better than that.
I totally feel your pain.
Another painful moment is when somebody asks you “what is your strongest point?” or “what are you really good at?”. Then the multidisciplinary scientist goes and says that he is a good team player.
Interdisciplinary scientists: Identity and market crisis- by Fisheye Perspective http://bit.ly/9mneNO