What is your motivation for earning a doctoral degree? Is it worth the time, money, and effort if the compensation is uncertain? Your thoughts are welcome.
@Rick: Why do you fear that the compensation is uncertain? The best investment you can make is in yourself. Take your studies as far as you can.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)
Yes Ian, I agree with you on that comment. This is not a question from me, but rather one to generate different thoughts of an individual's perspective. I have come across this issue with certain peers and want to get others' perspectives. I personally am in this for life-long growth and better skills to help others. Money is not my main goal; it is my basic goal, which is the same with or without a doctorate. Everyone needs to be able to take care of themselves and their families. Beyond that, helping society in any way that I can is my ultimate objective.
Finding the values of a research doctorate include the following in which money alone can't buy:
1) you can see issues differently from non-researchers' views in which you can differentiate what are symptoms, root causes, marketing vs academic write ups / articles / books, researchable / non-researchable problem & how to formulate a realistic research problem.
2) you can & independently know how to perform literature review / fact finding from various sources of information (vs merely based on baseless / hear-say information).
3) you can adopt the needed scientific research approach / method to develop relevant solution to address the research problem.
4) you can critically analyze & confidently explain the solution & implications to others based on empirically findings from your research.
5) doing above directly / indirectly (e.g. through guiding others how to conduct a research) you are contributing to knowledge.
Based on the above values, to me it is worth the effort & resources spent to acquire a research doctorate.
Hello Han, you make a very good point regarding scientific research. This is something that is done in a very unique way and it does add a lot of value to all the things we do professionally. I do see the overall value in a doctorate. There's nothing greater in terms of reaching full academic conclusion. This is, in fact, something that you cannot put a price tag on when it comes to one's future. Thank you for those grand thoughts and reminders.
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