Ah, okay. This is an interesting one, and I apologize if the system handles it a little weirdly.
The Academic should be at least a good at their profession as they are at reading.
However, gameplay-wise, Field Of Study is a broad, moderately powerful bonus and Well-Read is a strong niche bonus.
Boosting Field Of Study might make it a little too powerful, and nerfing Well-Read kind of destroys it.
My intention in making Well Read a core Specialty is that frantically reading things is usually what the academic character does in a cosmic horror game.
However, in the current build, 5 out of 6 academics don't have a Field Of Study at all. And you're right, that does feel a little weird verisimilitude-wise.
I think what I want to do is make Field Of Study a core Specialty, and make Well-Read an optional Specialty. That way every academic has a field that they're familiar with, and some are additionally really good at languages and books.
I'll spend a day or two looking this over, and I'll aim to have a patch plugged in by the end of sunday.