My precious! How academia鈥檚 Gollums guard their research fields
It is well established that many academics feel precious about their research fields, but now there is a name for how some go a step further and try to wreck colleagues鈥� attempts to encroach on their areas of expertise 鈥� the 鈥淕ollum effect鈥�.
Scholars who examined 鈥渞esearch opportunity guarding鈥� 鈥� how some professors have lied, threatened and sought to sabotage the careers of those seeking to move into their topic 鈥� liken the behaviour to that of the maniacally possessive guardian of the Ring of Power from J.鈥塕.鈥塕. Tolkien鈥檚 Middle Earth chronicles.
鈥淟ike the greedy Gollum, many researchers believe they have the sole right to particular aspects of research,鈥� explained Jose Valdez, a postgraduate researcher at German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research in Leipzig, who has studied the phenomenon with the University of Newcastle鈥檚 John Gould.
Writing in the journal , the pair describe how an animal science researcher had contacted an expert to ask advice on using their methodology to study a different species. When the expert claimed that he was considering doing that same experiment, the researcher desisted, but the research was never undertaken.
In another case, a research team focused on wildlife refused to allow others access to a research site despite completing their own studies. While the new team was eventually given permits to undertake the work, they feared repercussions from defying the more established team.
Other examples of 鈥渦njustifiable roadblocks鈥� included a peer reviewer writing a disparaging review to block the publication of work that could expose the limitations of his own research.
鈥淯nder these scenarios, the victim has to make a difficult choice to either risk retaliatory behaviour by continuing with their research pursuits or simply back away, to the detriment of scientific knowledge,鈥� explains the paper.
It advises researchers to 鈥渓earn to protect yourself and fight back鈥� but warns that 鈥渢here may sometimes be no ideal outcome or resolution with the perpetrator; the Gollum may keep his ring in the end鈥�.
With competition for research funding, jobs and prestige publications growing ever fiercer, the Gollum effect was increasingly evident, believed Dr Valdez, with 鈥渘ew researchers who find themselves inadvertently stepping on the toes of established researchers who are not willing to move out of the way鈥�. International scholars and minority groups are particularly affected.
鈥淭his phenomenon is pervasive but rarely discussed and finally deserves to be in the open,鈥� Dr Valdez said.
