Writing is never a straightforward process, and particularly so for academic writing. While we read articles from introduction through to conclusion (the first page to the last page), this is not how articles are written. Nor dissertations or books for that matter. The key to successful academic writing is embracing the irregularity of and iterations …
So much of my daily work happens on the computer. It’s where I write. Where I read journal articles. And even where almost all of my meetings happen. I’ve had such a marked increase in time in front of the computer that I have been wearing blue light glasses regularly since around 2021. I have …
One of my graduate students recently asked me about my research journal so thought I would share what I use it for. I started one at the end of last spring semester with the idea to make space to reflect on research, but it has become so much more. Here are the things I have …
Drafting an article for peer-review means writing, revising, and editing, but also making the decision about when it is “done” and ready for submission to peer review. So when do you know when it’s ready to submit? When should you stop wordsmithing and click that button? I recently saw these questions asked on Twitter, in …
The process of completing a PhD can make research seem like an independent endeavor, but while some of your research may be sole-authored, the dissertation is not representative of what research should and can be. Being a PhD shouldn’t be isolating or lonely. We all need camaraderie, support, feedback, and encouragement along the way. So …
Most advice on academic writing starts with something like “write every day even if only for 10-15 minutes.” The idea behind this is that we all need to practice our craft in order to master it, so we should write regularly just as someone training for a marathon needs to run regularly. The advice is …
practical phd 