What are some overlooked skills that scholars need?

Research, citation, comprehension, analysis.

The ability to question their own conclusions. If you can’t look at your own answers and pick them apart then you’re not really a scholar.

Concentration
Avoiding distractions (which could be music, TV, etc.)

Data analysis skills, both qualitative and quantitative. Data collection skills. Interviewing skills. Video and audio skills. People skills. Fundraising skills. Grantwriting skills. Administrative skills. Visualization skills (ability to make charts, graphs, maps, etc). Artistic skills. Writing skills.

And on and on. Not all skills are needed for all types of scholarship, but more and more these days, scholars are employing all kinds of methods to do their research.

This is actually a good question. I see so many apprentice scholars and they are lost because research involves so much more than they ever imagined. What really scares me is the ones I don’t see, who are all making it up as they go along.

Common sense and a sense of humor. Most everyone I know, has neither one.

Scholars need to be able to read only the black parts on paper. It’s a little used skill by most people who read and quickly jump to conclusions based merely on what they believe they’ve read.

I think a commonly overlooked skill, especially by relatively smarter societies, is being socially active and friendly. The lack of social skills undoubtedly affects your life at work, and most certainly everywhere else. Communication skills are required for daily life essentials, it even goes down to the basics, such as grocery shopping, having friends, promotion at work to being a professional scholar. It’s an endless vortex of simple concepts.