Are We Researching What Matters - or What Sells?
There’s temptation in academic life that rarely gets called out directly: chasing relevance.
It starts innocently. A topic is everywhere. It’s urgent, fundable, publishable. And so, more and more scholars pivot toward it. Not necessarily because it’s where their deep curiosity lies, but because it's where the attention is.
So we get a glut of papers that sound timely, but feel oddly empty. Research that ticks the right boxes, cites the right buzzwords, but leaves little lasting impression.
What happens when academic research starts chasing trends instead of truth?
Publishing for Popularity
In a publish-or-perish world, it’s easy to understand why trends take hold. Funding bodies want impact. Journals want citations. Departments want visibility. And who wants to be the one still writing about dusty theoretical questions when everyone else is doing AI, climate justice, or “the post-COVID future of…” everything?
Relevance becomes a kind of currency, a shortcut to perceived value.
But relevance, as defined by public discourse or media cycles, isn’t the same as intellectual contribution. Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s the right question to be asking or that you’re the right person to ask it.
The Dilution of Rigor in Trend-Responsive Work
When researchers jump on a trending topic without deep engagement, a few things can happen:
Surface-level analysis: Concepts are skimmed, not interrogated. Buzzwords abound, but substance is thin.
Theoretical dilution: Complex frameworks are watered down to fit fast-moving narratives.
Methodological shortcuts: The focus shifts from how carefully the question is asked to how quickly it can be answered.
Crowded fields: Important but neglected research areas get sidelined while over-saturated topics dominate journals and conferences.
And perhaps most crucially, research starts to sound the same. Repetitive. Predictable. Safe.
Balancing Public Visibility with Intellectual Responsibility
Researching relevant issues isn’t the problem. Some of the most urgent, world-changing work comes from engaging with the now. But relevance shouldn’t override the principles of good research. Things like depth, originality, transparency, and critical reflection.
Rigor means asking:
Am I adding something new here?
Do I understand the history of this conversation?
Have I earned the right to comment on this space?
Am I applying this theory because it’s appropriate or because everyone else is?
When research is rigorous, it holds up even after the trend fades.
How to Resist the Pull of Popularity -Without Falling Behind
It’s possible to engage with trending topics and maintain intellectual integrity. But it requires intention. Here’s how:
Follow your curiosity, not just citations
If a topic feels empty or performative to you, it probably is. Trust the instinct to dig deeper or step aside.Ask what’s missing, not just what’s loud
Sometimes the most valuable contribution is the one that points to what’s been overlooked in the rush to publish.Take time to think before you write
Don’t feel pressured to have a take on everything. The world has enough hot takes. It needs thoughtful ones.Revisit your own research questions regularly
Are you still asking what you set out to explore or has the pressure to stay current pulled you off course?Acknowledge the trend, and then go beyond it
If you’re engaging with a popular topic, be explicit about how your approach is different. What are you saying that hasn’t been said yet?
Valuing Depth Over Velocity
There’s something seemingly radical about choosing not to follow the trend. About staying with a topic long after the hype has passed. Or returning to a question that no one’s asking anymore, but that still matters.
That kind of work might not go viral. It might not land the front page of a funding call. But it builds knowledge that lasts.
Research isn’t just about what gets noticed. It’s about what holds up. What holds weight. And what helps us understand the world a little more deeply than we did before.
