Do you think it is simple to change your area of research? No, it is not simple, regarding a complete change. However, the extension of research into new areas may require less effort.

Hello, Said

The first question greatly depends on several factors. I don't advise anyone on changing from Social Research to Particle Physics. And while it is possible, it would perhaps not be the easiest thing to accomplish. On the other hand, going from Social Research to History, now that's a more plausible move. Same goes from Public Policy to Philosophy. Or from Economy to Sociology. These are mere examples, but there a few things to consider:

Each discipline has its own characteristics: technical jargon, concepts, methods, approaches and theoretical frameworks. That being said, some disciplines actually share a lot of these elements. Social Sciences, as a broad domain of knowledge, encompasses several disciplines that share many elements. Even if approaches change and concepts are slightly different, anyone who has an advanced level of knowledge in, lets say, Anthropology, should be able to engage in Sociology, Geography, History, Social Psychology or Tourism, to name a few.

In sum, the closer the field you wish to expand to is to your own, the easier it will be. If you are already familiar with the concepts, language, theoretical frameworks and methods, then the rest comes with time and patience.

This can be difficult in today's universities, since there's an increasing tendency for courses (including PhDs) to focus on knowing a lot about a very specific subject instead of a little about many different things. This tends to result in researchers in their late 30s/ early 40s who know little beyond what they studied for their thesis. And while I am critical of this approach, I can understand its value in the current publishing paradigm.

As for the second answer, how can we ever know that any field is important? The easiest way is to research issues and subjects that are pressing in today's world. Not all papers will be influencing or important, but if we see them as stepping stones to become better researchers and professionals, then even if they don't receive a lot of attention, we have done something positive. Even if you don't revolutionize your field, if you inspire and help others to succeed becoming good researchers or teachers, you have done a service to humanity.

If you are thinking about moving into a new field, I suggest you read a few things about it. Get to know its history, its methods and its ethos and if it moves you, then, by all means, go ahead. But moving into a field that we might not enjoy is a big risk if we drop everything and go all-in.

Cheers!

Thank you dear André for your very useful answer.

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If you have a good enough research question, it makes you want to go down that road and keep going.

Dan Burgard

I have done it in the past (plant pathology to cancer research to epigenetics).For such transitions you need to make an extra effort and to get out of your comfort zone. It is possible all depends on your energy and determination.

Thanks Dear @ Dmytro Leshchenko and @ Jean-Pierre Jost for your kind answers

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Do you think it is simple to change your area of research? No, it is not simple, regarding a complete change. However, the extension of research into new areas may require less effort.

It is not that simple. It is challenging, however, change and getting exposed to new experiences is healthy and required.

Change of area of researches is possible if the studied problem demands expansion of the research field.

A scientific career is very dynamic. It is characterized by an evolution that is not necessarily linear. In the era of transdisciplinarity, it is quite possible to broaden one's field of scientific research by pushing back the old limits. This supposes that we are sufficiently prepared for such an evolution.