Category Archives: Research

Muddled Mess or Merely Work in Progress?

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Athene Donald

What do our surroundings say about us? If we choose to work in an office strewn with bits of paper, open files, journals and other debris, is this a testament to the fact our minds are on higher things and … Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Science Culture | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

The Viva Experience

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Athene Donald

I’ve seen a few posts around recently from anxious PhD students approaching their vivas in fear and trepidation or discussing the experience in the immediate aftermath. For instance, here is @hapsci discussing things after the event in a state of … Continue reading →

Posted in Research | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Once Absence of Impact used to be the Fashionable Thing to Claim

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Athene Donald

Up and down the land, academics from Vice Chancellors down are sweating over 3 letters: REF. This dread acronym, standing for the Research Excellence Framework, must be absorbing a fantastic number of hours of time for many people and it … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science, Research, Science Culture | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

It’s Time to Resist the Pressure

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Athene Donald

As part of my university’s preparation for the transition to open access, there is a project being run out of the University Library to look at how academics approach publishing. (Fellow OT blogger Stephen Curry has written much on the topic … Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Science Culture | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

Leadership Strategies for Dealing with Jerks

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Athene Donald

My last post about jerks in academia struck a chord with many but also raised questions – jerks abound, yes, but what should we do about them? What can we do to ‘out’ them and so to attempt to ameliorate … Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Science Culture | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments