A selection of current news items for managers of Early Career Researchers.

Note: Access to some of the publications referenced here is metered and/or involves a free registration of basic details, and we hope you find the material worth any such inconvenience. We try our best not to include paywalled articles, but there are sometimes differences between jurisdictions. We hope that your institution’s subscriptions will allow you to see any pieces that do turn out to be restricted in your location.

Research matters

Quality culture. A recent study out of Harvard focuses on five themes affecting research culture and a four-pronged approach to making improvements.

Behaviour change. Improving academic research culture is a long game that depends heavily on individuals.

Literacy lag. For teachers facing students with poor reading and writing habits, extensive reflections on why this is and what it means for education.

Self-regulation is failing. Research misconduct is a crime with real consequences and needs to be penalised accordingly.

Keeping it real. An associate dean who took three goes to get her PhD champions the value of being frank about failure at all levels in academia.

Must do better. More study evidence that assessment methods are still falling way short in evaluating research credibility and quality.

Transparency test. Some view sharing raw data and publishing preprints as risky, but there are big benefits to open science.

Draft; submit; repeat. A grant guru shares tips road-tested with 100 experts in the art of writing applications.

Going public. Researchers engaged in outreach say it’s not only intrinsically beneficial but can also attract funding.

Embedding engagement. Seasoned research managers talk through the nuanced challenges in supporting and recognising impact.

Ideas to action. Four facets to getting research noticed by policy-makers and other end-users.

A new normal. Many universities are yet to develop policies and consistent standards of conduct for AI use.

No AI natives. Just because young people are being educated in the age of AI doesn’t mean they have an innate ability to use it.

Check your contract. There has been shock at the recent sale by publishers of authors’ research to AI companies without consulting or compensating researchers.

Get updated. GetFTR is partnering with Crossref to speed up communication of retractions and errata to researchers.

Management matters

Barriers laid bare. Issues around career trajectory were a problem for over 80% of postdocs in a 2023 US survey, the worst being a lack of clarity about pathways.

Policy of misuse. A straight-talking paper decries what the authors call ‘exploitative promotional practices’ by universities.

Postdoc priorities. The experience of two German institutes seeking potential improvements to the working lives of their postdocs.

Careers gateway. The EU’s new one-stop researcher development platform brings together existing services like Euraxess and announces a ‘careers observatory’, now under development.

Growing confident supervisors. An open-access collection of helpful and much-needed advice for new and experienced PhD supervisors alike.

Vital but undervalued. They provide pivotal support and continuity for research groups and programs, but RA roles are too often precarious and under-appreciated.

Team talk. A brief three-part article series on ‘best practice’ in creating and maintaining effective research teams.

Picking partners. The art of combining enthusiasm with educated caution when it comes to considering collaborations.

Keeping house. Thoughts on the central value of academic admin roles, who should do them and on what terms.

Academia’s ‘addition sickness’. It’s time for over-burdened administrators to push back against the all-too-prevalent phenomenon of ‘managing by addition’.

Head GEEK. Reflections on leadership style and skills from a department head who wasn’t ready to lead.

Personal press

Mentor map. To cover the different areas where we need support, there’s a ‘constellation’ of potential mentor relationships to consider, whether you are an academic or alt-ac.

Lessons applied. How to transfer the underlying principles of writing retreats into everyday writing practice.

Catch the eye. Thorough research, a tailored approach and personal connections are three of the keys to a stand-out job application.

New leaf. If you’re seeking a new identity outside academia, the best way to find it is through other people.

Inbox inhibitor. There’s always too much email but much of the hassle it creates can be managed.

AI in the house. The esteemed Thesis Whisperer explains how her AI ‘husband’ is giving her more of her own life back.

Negative benefits. If your workload is yelling that you have to say ‘no’ this time, you should: really, truly, firmly!

No FOMO. A no-regrets follow-up story about the scholars who decided to say ‘no’ to extra work.

See the gain. Ways to avoid focusing too much on others’ successes and acknowledging instead your own progress.

Serious research

Subordinate Clauses… Left-field cartoons from the ever-reliable Sidney Harris on all things Christmas - with warmest wishes of the Season from PostdocTraining!

We hope you find this Update for Research Managers helpful. 
Contact us with any questions or feedback by clicking the button below.

A selection of current news items for managers of Early Career Researchers.

Note: Access to some of the publications referenced here is metered and/or involves a free registration of basic details, and we hope you find the material worth any such inconvenience. We try our best not to include paywalled articles, but there are sometimes differences between jurisdictions. We hope that your institution’s subscriptions will allow you to see any pieces that do turn out to be restricted in your location.

Research matters

Publishing pressure. Rankings could be made a double-edged sword for institutions that are prone to over-emphasising publication output.

Authorship agonies. Another reminder of the ethical and practical problems plaguing the publication process as a result of a continued emphasis on quantity of output.

Reality bites. Open Research Europe will only operate sustainably as a publishing non-profit if the EU recognises the true value and costs of academic publishing and resources ORE accordingly.

Open access booster. The Gates Foundation’s move to require grantees to post preprints may be good for open science but isn’t universally welcome.

That sinking feeling. Debate over the crisis around sham research publications has moved squarely to the mainstream.

Value through engagement. A reminder that delivering research value doesn’t necessarily mean achieving direct impact.

Rating reform. A faculty perspective on the need for a step-change in the way productivity and impact are measured.

Doubt and distrust. A senior astrophysicist’s new book ranges widely over diminishing public trust in research, its causes and potential fixes.

Only cheating themselves. The case for universities to switch attention from policing students’ AI-use to assessing what they’ve actually learnt.

Cow-poo and confabulation. Template disclaimers are all very well, but if LLMs can now create apparently authentic databases to support conclusions, how much trouble is research in?

Management matters

Fundamental adjunct. Contingent teaching deserves the same respect and consideration as the tenured variety.

Credit where it’s due. A 2023 study nails a range of problems affecting postdocs and calls for specific changes to improve their conditions and recognition.

The parlous state of postdocs. When a funding body like the National Institutes of Health decides something must be done about the situation of postdocs, it must be serious…

Postdoc outlook. Nature’s post-COVID pulse-take survey reports small gains in optimism, confidence and job satisfaction.

Mastering stress. Scholars open up about their mental health and wellbeing struggles, and how they’ve responded.

Strong demand for soft skills. The data shows a post-COVID surge in interest from employers in interpersonal skills - so what does it mean?

No-one succeeds alone. Practice makes perfect when it comes to interpersonal attributes, a.k.a. the ‘enduring skills of the future’.

The authentic adviser. What does it take to deliver effective, supportive research supervision and mentorship?

Managing monsters. 10 veterans of ‘big team science’ projects have produced a guide to preparing and running large-scale collaborative research efforts.

More than words. How to organise writing retreats that deliver maximum career development horsepower.

Less chat, more purpose. Meetings without clear aims that result in more meetings and chew up valuable work time…: surely we can do better?!

Personal press

Job-hunt tech support. A uni-based careers adviser suggests where and how best to use AI in a job search.

Navigating integration. Adapting to a new working culture is a process of phases that you can plan for.

Value-add in admin. Advice on focusing on, and registering, wins in the areas that matter most to you.

Negative equity. We’re naturally heavily invested in the people we are, so it’s tough to ‘unlearn’ our unhelpful behaviours.

Tempered expectations. An ecologist advocates for assessing our own productivity in the context of ever-shifting time, body and mind-related variables.

Remotely better. Introverts challenge assumptions that equate physical presence with greater productivity and collaboration.

All in the mindset. The issue of growth vs fixed mindset behaviour is central to success in life, but it’s also quite nuanced.

Handling refusal. Useful words on having your proposals denied and the benefits of a ‘civil reaction to No’.

Let’s do lunch! Reasons why to take the time you’re due, and how to make it count.

Serious research

Kangaroo Carnival. Rio and roos come together in the quirky, exuberant winner of this year's ‘Dance your PhD’ competition.

We hope you find this Update for Research Managers helpful. 
Contact us with any questions or feedback by clicking the button below.

A selection of current news items for managers of Early Career Researchers.

Note: Access to some of the publications referenced here is metered and/or involves a free registration of basic details, and we hope you find the material worth any such inconvenience. We try our best not to include paywalled articles, but there are sometimes differences between jurisdictions. We hope that your institution’s subscriptions will allow you to see any pieces that do turn out to be restricted in your location.

Research matters

The risks of seeking attention. Is the drive by universities and their scholars to get their work noticed corrupting the research enterprise itself?

The citation game. A new paper from a leading HE institute tells a brief history of research communication and questions the credibility and prospects of ‘the commercially-mediated research economy’.

Problems with PAYG. The move by many journals to levy Article Processing Charges risks increasing publication rates of papers that are of less value to research and the public good.

Pernicious and pervasive. A leading research fraud watchdog estimates there should be 100,000 retractions each year, and that only 20% are due to honest error.

Plan for impact. Two options for working publications into a broader strategy to achieve research impact.

ECR change-makers. Examples from the US affirm that engaging with government on policy can be an effective route to societal impact.

… and a selection of articles on ChatGPT et al.’s impact on academia

Bots will ‘deskill the mental sphere’. A senior researcher fears LLMs will only impoverish our intellectual, theoretical and analytical skills.

Managing the genie. A roundup of lecturers’ first six months of dealing with students’ use of AI and what they’re planning for the future.

Gotcha (…maybe). Turnitin now features an AI-generated-text-detection score in its standard similarity report, though there are concerns about its accuracy.

Detective tech. A video demonstration of ‘clever prompting’ suggests that ChatGPT’s new ‘Custom Instructions’ function will send many AI-detection tools back to the drawing board.

De-generative AI. Nature has issued a firm ‘no’ to using AI for visual content (though a tentative ‘yes’ to AI-assisted text, for now).

Feeding the machines. Zoom strenuously denies claims that changes to its Terms of Service could lead to customer data being used to train AI robots.

Management matters

New compact for Europe’s ECRs. The European Commission is aiming to improve career paths and conditions for researchers with an update of its 2005 Framework and Charter, and a new competence structure.

Deliberate development. Much of HE internationally has done a ‘spectacularly bad job’ of managing its talent, so what might it do differently?

Let them teach. The argument against making teaching-focused academics deliver education-oriented research.

Where to for RMs? Two projects under the EU’s Horizon program are aiming to redefine the role, treatment and career pathways of research managers.

Getting  ahead. Recently appointed department/school-level leaders talk through their experiences of becoming, and being, academic managers.

Spiral of experience. How we perceive and describe career progression is crucial to career guidance and development efforts.

The long goodbye. Post-PhD blues are real and common, and take time and resolve to address.

What’s in a name? A postdoc researcher’s title shouldn’t matter but, depending on the institution, it may be worth making sure that it won’t.

Time management map. How to approach planning and tracking progress in order to spend time wisely.

Effective online. As in-person events re-gather momentum, a guide (part 1 and part 2) on why, and how best to, persist with virtual conferences.

Personal press

Plotting your path. Five strategies for giving coherence and momentum to progress in a research support career.

Career compass. A mentorship development coach shares her method for finding and managing relations with good mentors.

The nimble job seeker. A higher ed professional explains what it takes to be resilient in the academic job market and recalls switching her own speciality.

Managing regrets. Feelings of loss about career paths not taken are very common, but there are ways to avoid getting hung up on them.

Assured transition. The nuances of being a ‘confident beginner’ in non-academic roles.

Prepare to stand out. Reminders that the impression you leave as an applicant extends well before and beyond an interview.

Brainstorming stroll. Make space for new ideas and perspectives with a spot of meditative exercise.

Serious research

Playfulness that sticks. For anyone who doesn’t know ASAPScience through kids, do yourselves a favour with their Periodic Table, their video shorts - and much more!

We hope you find this Update for Research Managers helpful. 
Contact us with any questions or feedback by clicking the button below.

A selection of current news items for managers of Early Career Researchers.

Note: Access to some of the publications referenced here is metered and/or involves a free registration of basic details, and we hope you find the material worth any inconvenience. We never knowingly include paywalled articles, but there are sometimes differences between jurisdictions and we hope that your institution’s subscriptions will allow you to see any pieces that turn out to be restricted in your location.

Research matters

No role model. Yikes: fewer than half of researchers in the US and Europe are confident about their own institution’s support for research integrity.

Research ‘contribution mapping’. A comprehensive solution to capturing the variety and extent of research impacts is still some way off.

Tracking impact. BMJ’s Impact Analytics tool is designed to take the time and effort out of tracing the impact of research and policy in health and social care.

Skills to progress. A study of 41,000 academic job ads in Europe assessed the key attributes sought after by employers at different career stages.

The Tao of teaching. Interest and demand is growing in careers in education research.

Rewards of review. Preprint review is an effective way for ECRs to develop and demonstrate desirable transferrable skills to employers in any field.

Preprint access improved. Web of Science has added a new dimension to its services with its Preprint Citation Index.

A huge amount has been written already about the fast-evolving field of AI and ChatBots, and the following is just a handful of recent articles discussing the pro and cons for the research sector:

Au fait with AI. There’s no avoiding tools like ChatGPT, so how will we embrace them, detect them and manage their use?

Learning, thought and craft. Compelling arguments for the many benefits of the ‘hard, messy work’ of writing text ourselves.

AI can also lie. A cautionary tale about the capAIcity for deceit.

More tool than talent. Thoughts on the potential value and practical uses of AI tools like ChatGPT - like writing multiple choice questions.

Your new career coach? Whether it is facilitating networking or coaching you during interview preparation, AI can provide you with useful tools.

Management matters

Prof. and professional. Scholarly achievement is no sure predictor of leadership skills yet is often the main criterion for recruiting leaders in academia - so what needs to change?

Owner, pioneer, influencer. A largely self-taught senior research leader offers an inclusive, growth-mindset view of leadership.

Authorship arguments. Simple systemic suggestions for pre-empting damaging authorship disputes.

Honest mistake, honourable response. A lead author reflects on the hard lessons learned in retracting a high-profile paper.

Team studies. A look at the new ways of thinking, approaches and tools required to make ‘hyper-author’ team-project publications work.

Less is more? In collaborations, the authors’ previous citation impact may be more likely to lead to highly-cited research than a big body of publications.

Write location. The virtues of academic writing groups are well documented, and creating a dedicated space for them can have multiple benefits.

Personal press

Focus on values. A ‘meaningful career’ is the end-result of lining up our work with what matters most to us.

Control in a job search. Six principles for taking charge of your half of the employment process.

Getting it done. For anyone struggling with maintaining good writing ‘hygiene’, Written has many practical things to say about approach, tactics and mindset.

Many facets to productivity. Advice on setting realistic deadlines, tackling a blank page and appreciating the value of your own work.

Win back time. The idea of time-tracking might sound awful but it can help you stop using home time as a buffer.

Downtime for leaders. The research is in: disconnecting from work after hours makes you a better leader.

The art of email. Six rules to give email messages the best chance of being read and getting a worthwhile response.

Well met. We all know how bad meetings can be, so here’s a detailed guide on how not to ‘do unto others…’!

Serious research

‘And now, for your dessertation…’. Academic nomenclature that doesn’t exist yet, but absolutely should!

We hope you find this Update for Research Managers helpful. 
Please contact us with any questions or feedback by clicking the button below.