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Higher Education Research & Development

Academic networks have been found to play a significant role in career trajectory via employment opportunities, publishing openings, or being alerted to prospects not widely advertised. These results are reflective of Bourdieu’s notion that social capital can see an individual’s position within a field (in this article the field of academia) increase due to their network’s aggregate resources, which can be leveraged and see them attain success they may not have been able to achieve without their network’s capital and collective field position. This study surveyed more than 100 working academics and found that most participated in some form of academic networking. This article’s significance comes from exploring the lived experiences that have been identified by academics engaging in active network building. The work demonstrates the significant benefits that can result from being involved in well-positioned academic networks, but also reveals how networks are viewed as methods that can subvert merit-based achievements within the field.

Academic networks and career trajectory: ‘There’s no career in academia without networks’