Plot
A doctoral researcher sets out to pursue a successful academic career. He knows exactly where he wants to be, and he aims to get there as quickly as possible. He gets a PhD and rises rapidly through the academic ranks, walking over anyone and anything that stands in his way. Invincible, he reaches the pinnacle of his career and a bright future awaits, only for his past to return and challenge him.
Purely Academic is a both a realistic and comedic dramatisation of the darker side of academia, including both personal and professional clashes in technical collaborations. It invites an honest discussion about professional ethics and practices today. What “persona” is cultivated by today’s academic regime? With what impact? What does it mean to be an academic today? What does one need to learn to become one?
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Performances
- Brisbane Conference and Exhibition Centre Oct 2017
- University of Oxford Jan 2013
- University of Queensland Nov 2016
- University of California, San Diego, April 2018
- University of Queensland, July 2019
Use in Research Integrity Training
Purely academic has been used as a resource in research integrity training. Using group walk throughs, the play promotes discussion on topics in both research, and more generally, academic integrity. Specifically, it has been used at:
- The University of Queensland
- The 2018 Australasian Computer Science Conference, Brisbane.
- The University of California, San Diego.
- Scripps Research, Florida.
Purely Academic the novella
This work is available from a variety of online book stores in both electronic and paperback.