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

Management matters

Towards broader doctoral programs. Data from a US initiative suggests career exploration and development activities do not increase PhD students' completion times or reduce research productivity.

Career development for ECRs. The findings of a two-year OECD study urge a major increase in career training and researcher development to prepare ECRs for the employment challenges they face.

Déjà vu in the EU. European Ministers have re-committed to improving the attractiveness of research careers and are developing a new European Charter for Researchers to underpin a common approach.

The DORA dashboard. New funding for a worldwide initiative will help lift the lid on the 'black box' of research evaluation by publicising the criteria universities use for hiring and promotion.

A broad view of research achievement. Many are hoping a 'narrative CV' in applications will soon replace publication-centric performance statements.

A measure of honesty. More than 50% of the 6,800 respondents to a recent Dutch survey admitted to questionable research practices, and 8% to falsification. Gulp.

Curbing questionable research. The EU is piloting a package of guidance and options for universities to incorporate into their efforts to tackle research integrity.

Integrity advocates. Cancer Research UK profiles the approach and potential benefits of its newly appointed research integrity advisers.

A way to go on equity. A reminder of the persistent issues of gender equity in research, and of strategies for accelerating change, including training in negotiation and leadership.

'Party' approach to teaching. A preprint describes the benefits of 'watch party' teaching, where lecturers engage live with students while streaming pre-recorded content.

Horrible hybrid. Few people seem to like teaching that combines in-person and online participation, but if it has to happen, six thoughts on making it better.

Seminars 2.0+ A new academic seminar tool aims to ease organisation, improve the online experience and allow for capture and publication of proceedings.

Proximity chat: coming to an office near you? Platforms like Gather.town provide the much-needed flexibility to make virtual meetings and even conferences more interactive and more closely resemble the way we meet face-to-face.

Research matters

Collaborative impact. Wide-ranging co-authorship is a major factor in career advancement and longevity in academia, especially for women. 

More diversity, more search power. Effective research collaborations demand particular leadership skills and the ability to embrace difference. 

Cross-cultural collaboration. Successful cross-disciplinary work demands that differences between fields be explicitly acknowledged, respected and managed.

Closing ranks on the JIF. The much-criticised Journal Impact Factor is no longer an eligible track record indicator, says the European Research Council's latest guidance (see e.g. footnotes pp 19/20/23)

The rise of 'attention metrics'. The upsurge in open access publishing and preprints is giving birth to new types of impact measurement.

Fast, free and fair. The founder of the soon-to-be open-source primary research publishing platform, Octopus, describes its goals and unique selling points.

PEERS support. The new open-access Platform for the Exchange of Experimental Research Standards aims to inform study design and minimise wasted effort.

Personal press

Soft skills for tough problems. Research administration roles are as varied as the people who seek them out - but an academic background helps.

Admin path advantages. Rules from a seasoned administrator for making a success of management in academia.

Workable work plans. A specialist in academic productivity on tackling multiple tasks and working around the 'imperfect reality' of life as it really is. (free subscription)

Managing emotion. Thoughts on the role of emotional intelligence (EQ) in effective research groups and the importance of showing EQ leadership at any level. (free subscription)

Facing down the impostor. It's insidious and widespread in academia, but there are effective strategies for managing the impostor syndrome.

Mindful mentor. When people look to you for guidance, it's not your experience but their distinct needs that should determine your approach.

Mentoring horizons. Acceptance of virtual meetings has extended the reach and changed the nature of mentor/mentee contacts, a.k.a. 'professional working alliances'. (audio & transcript)

Sidelined by your boss? Advice with cross-sectoral application on what to do if a team-leader withdraws support.

Job-search 'sauce' is no secret. Talk to people who do what you might want to do, and learn from what and who they know.

Stand out as you are. The concept of 'personal branding' may be alien to many, but the principles behind it are sound.

Applicant tracking systems. Tips for getting past benign-sounding but inflexible and widely-used automated job application gatekeepers.

Serious research

20 years young (...where did the time go??). When research is not making you smile, PhDComics is still there with its wry slant on lab safety, self-serving journals and academic adages...

We hope you find this brief news digest helpful.
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