Scientific research can indeed be conducted outside traditional academic institutions and without advanced degrees, as demonstrated by the growing field of participatory citizen science where members of the public actively collect data and shape research.
The claim is a specific, empirical, and contestable assertion about who can conduct scientific research. Several retrieved papers ([3], [5], [7]) document citizen science initiatives where members of the public, patients, and non-academics actively participate in conducting studies, defining methodologies, and gathering data without requiring formal PhD credentials. There are no papers refuting this possibility.