Let’s talk about mental health in academia. I know we sometimes don’t like to talk about it much. We’d rather talk about anything else than talk about mental health –…
Finding Your People: Mentors, Collaborators, and Guardian Angels
Who do you need? It is not always easy to get by in the academic world, especially when you are just starting out. I’m not one to normally question Simon…
On small goodnesses
A few Sundays ago, I spent the afternoon with a colleague making felt animals to match the story ‘Dear Zoo’. All of this was done on a steep learning curve…
Ten steps to get started on Twitter as an academic: part 2
In part 1 of our ten steps to get started on Twitter as an academic you set up your Twitter account with a picture and biography, and sent your first tweet.…
I live tweeted, and I liked it.
Until recently, the only time I’d ever tried live tweeting was while watching BBC Question Time using the dedicated hashtag #bbcqt. Following that hashtag was fascinating, enlightening and often hilarious…
7 ways to make the first move when strengthening your network
Maybe you are a researcher who is interested in collaboration with other researchers, but you are not searching for anything in particular just now. You know that you need to make…
The Loch Ness monster, the tooth fairy and work-life balance: Myths we need to get over!
Our guest blogger, Amanda Ullman is a paediatric nurse, ICU nurse and researcher, as well as a mum and PhD student. In this post she shares tips for integrating work and life…
Let them in: video opens the doors of communication.
Recently, I was invited to give a presentation at a midwifery event in London. There were about 700 midwives in the room, which was terrifying in itself. But far more…
4 Things to Help Novice Users of Virtual Meeting Tools: Making Skype Meetings Run Smoothly
Here is a story of some of my experiences, and recommendations for researchers who might want to use Skype for meetings across multiple locations. (Skype is just one of the…
Conferences at their best! Tips from our Social Sciences Correspondent
I’ll say it at the outset: I LOVE conferences! This might be because I’m inherently nosy, so I’m always fascinated to learn about what other researchers in my field have…