As early career researchers, we often find ourselves caught between ambition and intimidation. We scroll through citation lists, read groundbreaking papers and attend conferences where academic luminaries seem to inhabit a different stratosphere. The advice to contact big names in our field sounds reasonable in theory, but is scarier in practice. We hear this suggestion repeatedly in doctoral training workshops and conference panels designed to help ECRs build their networks. But when it comes to reaching out, many of us freeze at the keyboard, paralysed by impostor syndrome and the fear of rejection.
Yet this hesitation may be costing us more than we realise. We miss out on collaborations and mentoring opportunities as well as forgoing the measurable boosts in visibility and citation impact that such connections often bring. Collaborations with established academics can significantly boost career trajectories, increase citation rates and open doors to opportunities that might otherwise remain closed, as research consistently shows.
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And beyond these pragmatic benefits lies a deeper truth about the nature of courage itself.
Aristotelian courage in academic life
In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle argues that courage (ἀνδρεία) is the virtue that enables the exercise of all other virtues; without it, people lack the strength to stand firm against fear, defend justice or remain virtuous in difficult circumstances. This ancient insight proves remarkably relevant to modern academic life.
Think about it: how many research ideas remain unexplored because we lack the courage to approach the people who could help us bring them to fruition? How many potential collaborations never materialise because we assume established researchers are too busy or important to engage with “junior” colleagues? Our fear, however understandable, is only one of several barriers to exercising our intellectual virtues. Hierarchical norms, uncertainty about academic etiquette and a lack of confidence can be just as limiting.
The courage paradox in academia
Academic culture often perpetuates a curious paradox. It celebrates intellectual risk-taking and innovative thinking, yet it is founded on hierarchical structures that can discourage direct communication across career stages. Students and early career researchers are taught to be bold in our research questions but timid in our networking efforts.
This contradiction serves no one well. Established researchers often welcome fresh perspectives and enthusiastic collaborators; many entered academia precisely because they valued intellectual exchange and mentorship. A well-known example illustrates the potential of such outreach. When the young Srinivasa Ramanujan sent his now-famous letter to G. H. Hardy, the senior mathematician recognised his talent, invited collaboration and helped bring his groundbreaking ideas to international attention. While few cases are as dramatic, the principle holds.
Meanwhile, early career researchers miss out on invaluable learning opportunities and potential career-defining connections.
Strategies for practical courage
Contacting established researchers requires what we might call practical courage or the willingness to act despite uncertainty about outcomes. This doesn’t mean being pushy or overly demanding. Rather, it means approaching these interactions with genuine intellectual curiosity and professional respect.
Start small but think strategically. Begin by identifying researchers whose work genuinely aligns with your interests and whose ideas you can already discuss with confidence. Recent publications, conference programmes and special issues are good indicators of who is active in research and is shaping the conversations that matter to you.
Choose the right channel. Email is a reliable and professional route, but thoughtful engagement on platforms such as X, ResearchGate or LinkedIn can make your name familiar before you initiate contact. Even a brief exchange at a conference can create a natural starting point for future communication.
Prepare just enough. Reading one or two recent papers enables you to reference something specific without overwhelming your first message. This is consistent with widely shared guidance on effective academic cold-email etiquette.
Write with clarity and respect. Be concise, avoid excessive praise and state clearly what kind of intellectual exchange or collaboration you hope to explore. Senior researchers are more likely to respond when the purpose of the message is easy to understand.
Use your networks. Supervisors, mentors, colleagues and conference acquaintances can often facilitate introductions or signal that your outreach is thoughtful and serious. A warm introduction frequently makes the first step less daunting and increases the likelihood of a meaningful response.
A call to courageous engagement
Being brave creates a virtuous cycle. Each successful interaction builds confidence for the next, gradually transforming ECRs from passive consumers of academic work into active participants in scholarly conversations. We begin to see ourselves not as supplicants at the feet of academic giants, but as emerging contributors to an ongoing intellectual enterprise.
The next time you read a paper that sparks new ideas or attend a talk that challenges your thinking, consider this an invitation to practise academic courage. Send that email. Ask that question. Propose that collaboration. The worst that can happen is a polite decline but the best that can happen might just transform your career and contribute meaningfully to your field.
Anastasios Koukopoulos is a PhD researcher in integrated marketing communications and digital technologies at Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece.
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