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: […]
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Your Development Planner for 2020
As a research student, you’ll learn and grow from the work that you do every day as part of your programme. That is, after all, why you’re here! But just […]
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 […]
November PG Writers’ Retreat 2019
On November 4-7 2019, twenty AUT research students attended the Graduate Research School Postgraduate Writers’ Retreat at Vaughan Park in Long Bay. They strolled the beach, attended workshops, had one-on-one […]
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 […]
Shut Up and Write: AKA How to Turn Nothing into Writing
I know it sounds too good to be true, but this method of working helps you to spit out pages of writing. Now, I didn’t say it was perfect writing, […]
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 […]
Peter Jean-Paul’s Journey from 3MT Novice to Asia-Pacific Top 10
Earlier this month, AUT doctoral candidate Peter Jean-Paul placed in the top 10 at the Asia-Pacific 3 Minute Thesis finals in Brisbane. This is a rare and phenomenal achievement, confirming […]
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 […]
Throwback Thursday: When to let your thesis go?
The actor/director Sir Kenneth Branagh was asked in an interview: how do you know a movie you’re directing is finished? After a moment’s pause he replied: you don’t, you abandon […]
‘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 […]