Many academics feel pressured to pursue traditional research careers, believing that publishing papers in prestigious journals is the only path to scholarly success. This narrow view of scholarship not only creates unnecessary stress but may prevent you from recognising and developing your unique strengths as an academic. Exploring the different types of scholarship proposed by Boyer in 1990 may help support a new approach to your career development.

Types of scholarship

It’s always surprising to me how many academics automatically conflate ‘scholarship’ with ‘research’, but there are multiple ways to be a scholar. Ernest Boyer’s (1990)¹ influential work describes scholarship as four distinct but overlapping areas:

• Discovery (traditional research)
• Integration (synthesising knowledge across fields)
• Application (engaging with real-world problems)
• Teaching (systematic study of learning)

We need a reward system that reflects the diversity of our institutions and the breadth of scholarship, as well. The challenge is to strike a balance among teaching, research, and service…We need better ways, besides publication, to evaluate scholarly performance…

Ernest L. Boyer (1990)

Boyer’s vision challenges us to think more expansively about what it means to be a scholar in today’s academic environment. When we move beyond the narrow confines of traditional research metrics, we can begin to recognise the many valuable ways academics contribute to their fields.

Different career goals

This broader understanding opens up new possibilities for meaningful academic careers. For example, you might excel at:

• Making complex ideas accessible to different audiences
• Building bridges between theory and practice
• Solving real-world problems through community engagement
• Developing innovative teaching methods
• Synthesising knowledge across disciplines

An academic who loves teaching might focus on systematically studying and improving educational practices, publishing about pedagogical innovations rather than traditional research. Another might channel their expertise into solving community problems, documenting and sharing these experiences to advance knowledge in their field.

Scholarship broadly defined

The key is recognising that these different forms of scholarship are equally valuable contributions to academic life. They all involve:

• Systematic inquiry and exploration
• Documentation and sharing of findings
• Peer review and critique
• Building on existing knowledge
• Creating value for others

Instead of trying to fit yourself into the traditional research mold, consider which types of scholarship align with your natural interests and strengths. This isn’t about lowering standards – it’s about finding a sustainable path that allows you to make meaningful contributions while maintaining your well-being.

Remember: scholarship is fundamentally about discovering and sharing new ideas to help others solve problems they care about. By embracing this wider definition, you can build a more fulfilling and sustainable academic career that plays to your strengths.

Are you feeling trapped by traditional academic expectations? Join the Career Development course to explore how your unique scholarly interests and natural strengths can drive meaningful career growth. Get started today.

1. Boyer, E. L. (1990). Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
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