Introduction

The path to a PhD can be a winding one, often influenced by unexpected encounters and serendipitous events. This article explores the journey of a candidate who, instead of actively seeking a supervisor or a specific research topic, stumbled upon one through an arduous yet rewarding series of events. The story begins with an accidental discovery and culminates in a successful academic career, highlighting the importance of openness and the value of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Accidental Encounter

In the late 1970s, the author held a master's degree in biology and was working as a departmental biology librarian. During this time, a science librarian who had recently attended a presentation on citation analysis assigned a project to the author. The task involved analyzing citation patterns in faculty publications, doctoral dissertations, and take-home PhD comprehensive exams. The collection of data resulted in an intriguing dataset, but the next steps were unclear.

The science librarian and boss requested a simple 2 x 2 table comparing journals that were or were not cited and were or were not held by the library. However, the data analysis led to a significant discovery in the fourth cell—journals that were not cited but not held by the library. Faced with this unexpected result, the author was invited to discuss the findings with a big researcher in the field of bibliometrics at the local university.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The meeting with the researcher led to further discussions, and it was here that the author encountered a professor who had a keen interest in citation analysis. Through their meeting, the author learned about Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients, which helped to visually demonstrate the highly skewed distribution of citations. This knowledge was pivotal in interpreting the data collected and understanding the underlying patterns.

The interdisciplinary approach not only enriched the author's understanding of citation analysis but also opened new avenues for research. The big researcher's interest in the data and the distribution patterns encouraged him to invite the author to join his PhD program in Informatics Studies. This opportunity transformed a serendipitous encounter into a structured academic journey.

Final Steps and Conclusion

With the support of the program, the author embarked on a PhD journey. The experience of working in the PhD program provided a structured environment to deepen the analysis of the citation data, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of bibliometric analysis. The author successfully completed the PhD, gained an assistantship, and ultimately joined the faculty, contributing to the field of informatics for over 30 years.

Reflecting on this journey, the author emphasizes the importance of embracing unexpected opportunities and the power of interdisciplinary collaboration. The story of how a simple project led to an engaging PhD program and a fulfilling career serves as a reminder of the ever-changing and unpredictable nature of academic research.

Conclusion

The author's story underscores the value of following intellectual curiosity and the power of unexpected encounters in academic research. The transition from a librarian seeking to understand citation patterns to a scholar contributing to the field of bibliometrics exemplifies how academic paths can be both open and interconnected. The journey from the initial data collection to the completion of a PhD program not only highlights personal growth but also the broader impact on the field of research.