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

A measure of research. Leading publisher Springer has weighed in on the issue of research assessment with a broad-based survey of researchers’ perspectives and a discussion paper.

Exploited peers. Radical options for reforming a seemingly broken academic quality review system.

Reviewer rewards. The results of two small trials by publishers to test the effect of compensating reviewers.

Retractions removed. Clarivate has finally acted to exclude citations to and from retracted content from the Journal Impact Factor.

A new Dimension. With research integrity in the spotlight, Author Check offers a quick way of checking researchers’ publication history and connections.

Safer socials. The blue butterfly’s rise continues as attention-tracker Altmetric has added Bluesky to its list of sources.

Impact narrative. A new six-part guide to telling a research impact story.

Spin-free PR. A communications professional explains how to ‘sell’ research results in a powerful but responsible fashion.

Intellectual erosion. Why AI risks robbing higher education of its essential value.

Compliance model. US-based Copyright Clearance Centre is proposing an AI Training License to enable conformity with authors’ legal rights.

Ethical sourcing. Publisher Wiley has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting research material from ‘AI scraping’, touting its own licensing framework.

Helpful but flawed. A tale about the limitations of genAI and how to make sure AI tools represent researchers correctly.

Tools of the trAIde. A guide to some of the most effective current AI tools to support research-linked tasks.

Management matters

Transparently accountable. An argument for greater openness in research to boost trust and defend academic independence.

Integrity dissected. A tour of the various aspects of research integrity and how to embed best practice in research work.

Model supervisors. What it means, and what it takes, for PhD supervisors to ‘lead by example’.

Behind the façade. Discussion of the process, symptoms, toll and treatment of burnout in academia. (audio).

Resist or regulate? A small study of ChatGPT’s influence on written output has produced recommendations for managing use of AI tools.

Flipped funding model. For researchers suffering the effects of cuts, crowdfunding may be part of the solution.

Digital defence. Anti-science activism now requires some researchers to protect themselves against online attacks.

People power. Gloomy prospects aside, some useful reminders about preparing PhDs for a job search.

Hiring misfire. Observations on what to do about the mismatch between the expectations of recruiters and those of researchers.

Personal press

Self-subterfuge at work. Ways to progress your work even if you’re a serial procrastinator.

Toughness myths. There is a difference between persisting under sufferance and healthy, intentional resilience.

Banish bitterness. If we’ve found ourselves saying ‘yes’ too often, it may be time for a ‘resentment audit’.

OK to be proud. To avoid chronic dissatisfaction, some of us need to face down our perfectionist tendencies.

Your ‘dream home’. An effective job search starts months before you apply.

Cold applications. Personal, role-specific, well-researched… yes, unsolicited emails to potential employers can work!

Use the lever. The time to negotiate for essentials is before you accept the job.

It doesn’t define you. A story of coping with job-loss, with advice that applies to professional setbacks broadly.

All in the mind. A short, practical evaluation of the issue of fixed and growth mindset characteristics.

Positively humble. Impostor Syndrome simply means you’re smart enough to recognise what you don’t yet know.

Serious research

Sweet success. A wry look at the vitalising role high quality baking might play in research productivity and community-building…!

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

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.