The Making of Prolific Academic Researchers in the Philippines

Abstract

This study explores the variables and socialization processes involved in the shaping of prolific academic researchers in the context of a developing country, the Philippines. A qualitative methodology using narrative interviews of six exceptionally productive male scholars were analyzed to come up with a data driven model of the pathways to prolific publishing in the context of Philippine realities. Categories and relationships that emerged from the analysis provided a cross-validation of previous quantitative investigations on research productivity. Two significant insights are highlighted in the model: the role of a “cognitive contrast” dimension, and the transformations that a set of “core characteristics” undergo throughout critical periods in a scholar’s life. Theoretical and practical implications of the insights were discussed.