In the conceptualization stage of my research, I prefer as many of my colleagues indicated, the country-side, peaceful, silent, nature talking environment is the best. However, for the implementation stage it depends.

Speaking as an historian: A capital city with a large archive and library system is better for a short trip. If you have a few months or more, you can spend the time necessary cultivating relationships and requesting access at local archives. A longer trip can also be both a "reading" as well as "gathering" trip, which makes it far richer for research.

It depends on the topic. However, I always liked large cities where I have much larger sources, resources, and target population for primary data collection. If it is a science research and a lab is needed then any university that provides support being in country-side or city is fine.

Nelson, the comments so far received are along the lines of what I would say. If your research has specific needs such as laboratories, archives. libraries, field sites, telescopes, particle accelerators, respondents..... whatever kind of facility or amenity needed will dictate the requisite environment. I have always chosen where I live so that it provides the necessary mental stimulation in conjunction with a relaxing environment where I can be quiet. I also think it is important that 'like minded' people are nearby to allow one to 'chat' over ideas. If such people work in your institution then that is great but I am sure that many of us are not so lucky and the internet and emails have to assist us in our scholarly dialogues. So Nelson, I think the answer to your question is different for everyone you ask and is changing with new technologies.

Essentially, I am with you K.C.

@Nelson et al., sometimes we get the best of both worlds (city and country). My college is in a rural area, surrounded by oil palm estates and some bits of rainforest in the hilly areas. But we are connected with Wifi, and my mobile internet is fine, at H+ :)

My home is slightly more urban, it's also quite hilly, but my mobile internet is at E, not much research work can be done. But there are other responsibilities at home.

Responsibilities at home and at work both get in the way of research, reading and writing.

In the conceptualization stage of my research, I prefer as many of my colleagues indicated, the country-side, peaceful, silent, nature talking environment is the best. However, for the implementation stage it depends.

Great answers, my friends! For my own research in the Humanities, living in a country campus is fine, a tiny rural university town. It is good for communing with nature here, Patrick, esp. in the summer. However, since this is a small State, Hussin and Elizabeth, I have access to big cities, New York 3 hrs. to the west, Boston 1.5 hours to the east For archival work, I fly to Madrid, anywhere between 8 to 10 hrs., depending on flights. In sum, this town is good to be in, but also so good to leave.

That brings up another question, Patrick? Is it better to research by day or at night? Some projects keep us up all night. Is this good?

Dear Nelson

I just read something about the Psychology of Working, and according to this, it depends on differente elements, for example, an internal motivation or the charisma of the leader of the investigation, the capacity or discipline of the worker, your team, and of course, the place you would chose, city or country, even, how does your organization works. In my humble opinion, I think for beginning researchers they need an intelectual environment where everybody is working and concentrate in their investigation, maybe it could be a good motivation for them, and some places where they could clear their mind, like country landscapes, but even in the city you could find some places like that. For example, I love the smell of the books when I go inside in the University library, and then, after I chose my books, I go outside in a small but quiet garden where everybody is studying. And my University is in the middle of a city.

I hope my opinion could help you.

Dear Rafael, if I saw a window like the one in your photo I might be tempted to stop researching and start boating!

Dear Mario, your mention of a university library with the smell of books coincides with my own preferences. When I think of the Stetson Library at nearby Yale University, there are vaulted, cathedral ceilings with the smell of old books, but in the middle of this library is an outdoors garden where scholars can relax between pages without even leaving the library. No wonder Yale produces so much good scholarship!

Alicia, excellent response and an important one. Since you bring up fieldwork, however, I will mention that my own fieldwork leads me to archives. Now, there are musty, dank, darkish archives with little space and no attending staff, and there are modern, well-lit, well-equipped, spacious archives with helpful archivists. I have researched in both extremes and in everything In between, but one thing I will confess to you: when I am handling manuscripts, the sheer thrill of discovery makes my surroundings irrelevant.

I had the opportunity to visit Urbana-Champaign University, in Illinois, and I loved it because the combination of gardens with the architecture of old buildings, and again, the smell of books in the library was fantastic ( thank you, dear C. Lewis Kausel, I thought that I was the only crazy person for that pleasure, jaja).

But there was a new building (even with the architecture) where people investigated about nanotechnology. The floors were like a common office, with long corridors and rooms, brown carpet (a serious color) but when you looked inside the rooms there were advanced laboratories with people dressed like a nuclear plant maneuver. The contrast of a serious building with highly advanced laboratories attracted my attention, but it's not my style of a place to make investigations.

Dear Mario,

Thanks for your physical description of the U. of Indiana. I have never visited it but wanted to. I published two of my books with their university press because of their stellar reputation. If you actually researched there, you should put your stay on your résumé because it will advance your career.

Dear Nelson

I only could visit the University once because my brother was living in Chicago, so Urbana-Champaign was on the south side of Illinois state, like a 3 hours far from the city, but it was a good experience. I hope I could research in a place like that.

Dear Mario,

I like your work. If you ever wanted to research there, I could write you a recommendation letter. I´ve heard that their library is one of the tops on the Continent.

Thank you very much for your support!