Why I Should Have Left My Desk During My PhD
You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. Maya Angelou I’m a few years out from my PhD now, and it’s true what they say: […]
Author: Anaise Irvine
Research Funding & Grants 101
For many people, our postgraduate years are our first introduction to one of the more complex aspects of academic life. For some it’s an exciting treasure hunt. For others, a […]
Over 6,000 PhD students were surveyed worldwide. Here’s what they said.
Nature has recently released the results of its biggest ever survey of PhD students. More than 6,000 respondents from all over the world* answered questions about their job satisfaction, their […]
Learn on your Lunch Break
In a postgrad research programme your whole job is about learning: learning from others’ research, learning from your own research, and helping others to learn. But typically, all that learning […]
Entry-Level Ways to Start Publishing
Some research students jump right into their publishing careers. They create ambitious plans, draft papers for high-ranked journals, and build up a healthy list of publications during their study. But […]
3 Techniques for Identifying a Research Gap
When you start scoping out a new research project, you’re often encouraged to look for a ‘gap’ in the literature. Once you find something that hasn’t been done yet, so […]
Why Being Almost at the Word Count Doesn’t Mean You’re Almost Done
Last week we posted about when to let your thesis go; about how to know when it’s good enough and when you can finally release it to the world. It’s […]
Finding Meaning in those ‘Difficult’ Readings
Have you ever had to read a journal article or book that made you go: WHAT THE $!%? That made you shake your head, re-read four times, and question the […]
Easy Ways to Vote in the Local Body Elections
It’s voting time here in Auckland! The local body elections give us an opportunity to elect the mayor, councillors, local board members, and District Health Board (DHB) members who will […]
‘Deep Work’: A Manual for Better Thinking
There are few tasks more cognitively challenging than researching and writing a thesis. As researchers, we must think and generate new insights at the absolute forefront of human understanding. And […]
Can You KonMari Your Thesis?
Being overburdened can kill productivity. Having too much (too much stuff, too many commitments, too much text) can be completely overwhelming. Paring back, reorganising, and reducing can be a great […]
What is your Thesis ‘In’?
As an undergrad, it’s easily to communicate what you’re studying. You ‘major in’ a particular subject. You take courses that are prescribed for that major, you graduate with a degree […]