Early career research

By Anonymous (not verified), 6 October, 2021

Professional advice for early career researchers (ECRs) - from PhD students to postdocs and those vying for early faculty roles – alongside tips for those who manage ECRs. Find insight to support academic career development and protect well-being from higher education peers around the world. Our contributors provide guides on writing, presenting, getting published, time management, mental health, networking and much more.

By Eliza.Compton, 9 March, 2026

What established academics can learn from ECRs

reverse mentoring
Professors can gain immediate, practical benefits if they listen to early career researchers, through inter-generational exchanges such as reverse mentoring. Here, Ian Williams offers five capabilities that ECRs can offer more seasoned scholars
By Eliza.Compton, 6 March, 2026

What does it mean to ‘make it’ in academia?

Illustration of man climbing a mountain of books
The arrival fallacy can eat into scholars’ sense of achievement, reducing milestones to prerequisites for the next step. Here, Rachel Hagan shares ways to redefine success and acknowledge even quiet wins
Reading time
4minutes
By Eliza.Compton, 25 February, 2026

Why turn your thesis into a book?

Book with pages fanned
Publishing a book can boost your profile as a researcher, improve your h-index and increase your competitiveness on the job market. Here, Jessica Gildersleeve walks through the steps from thesis to book
Reading time
5minutes
By Eliza.Compton, 11 February, 2026

Advice for protecting writing time and motivation

Young Asian woman concentrating working at laptop
Social media, reading and the fragmented schedules of academia can all eat into precious writing time. Based on her experience supervising PhD students, Zhen Sun offers advice for supporting doctoral candidates to set and stick to a plan
Reading time
4minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 10 February, 2026

A guide to building a research career in Japan

A researcher in a lab sorting test tubes
For those willing to put in the effort, Japan offers strong research environments, lasting professional networks and a distinctive academic culture that shapes careers long after researchers leave, says Daniel Moraru
Reading time
4minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 22 December, 2025

Content curation to build academic visibility

A laptop and a hand scrolling social media on a phone, surrounded by visualisations symbolising likes, comments and followers
Content curation offers academics a practical way to share knowledge beyond the academy. Kelvin Ke Jinde outlines different approaches and shows how they can help researchers extend their reach, save time and engage wider audiences
Reading time
4minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 11 December, 2025

How teachers can learn to lead

A woman in professional attire smiling to canera
Success in the classroom doesn’t automatically make you a good manager. Garth Elzerman offers advice on building trust with the colleagues you lead
Reading time
5minutes
By Eliza.Compton, 26 November, 2025

Turn your research into a Hollywood-worthy story

View from a sailing ship on the ocean
Take a leaf out of a master storyteller’s book. If you want your research to be noticed, transform it into a story. After all, it worked for Charles Darwin…
Reading time
3minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 21 November, 2025

Subtle steps that protect your authorship

A padlock secured to a lightbulb
Many early career researchers working with code, data and analysis assume goodwill is enough to secure authorship – it isn’t. Here’s how to protect your contributions and build fair, transparent collaborations
Reading time
5minutes
By Eliza.Compton, 14 November, 2025

Are academics becoming overexposed on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn page
Social media is key to building an academic network but what about the darker side of putting your professional life on global display? Larisa Yarovaya explores the balance between polished presence and oversharing
By Eliza.Compton, 11 November, 2025

Teaching responsible use of GenAI in graduate studies

AI and integrity concept
When graduate students learn to use AI transparently, to seek approvals, respect Indigenous consent and critically assess outputs, they develop skills essential for both academic success and professional practice
Reading time
4minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 28 October, 2025

How to get started with pedagogic research (and actually publish it)

A woman researching at a desk in a library
Pedagogic research is increasingly central to teaching excellence in higher education, yet many academics are unsure how to begin. Discover how to shape your idea, secure funding, navigate ethics and find the right publication for your work
Reading time
5minutes
By kiera.obrien, 13 October, 2025

Why employability gaps widen as academic identity deepens

A graduate wearing a mortarboard
The more tightly researchers’ identities bind to the university, the less ready they often feel for life beyond it. Naming two modes of working, depth and outbound, can help universities close the employability gap
Reading time
5minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 11 September, 2025

An academic’s survival guide

A life ring flotation device being thrown in the air against a backdrop of column-flanked neoclassical building
Academia offers rich rewards but these sit alongside job insecurity, spiralling workloads and repeated rejection. This survival guide explores how scholars can navigate key challenges in order to find fulfilment in their academic careers
By Eliza.Compton, 9 September, 2025

Why researchers should consider a narrative CV

Young man working on document with laptop
The narrative CV moves away from the usual academic metrics of publications and grants and allows university researchers to tell the story of their journey and impact. This guide offers practical tips for writing one
Reading time
4minutes
By Eliza.Compton, 6 September, 2025

Ozzy Osbourne taught me how to survive academia

Ozzy Osbourne star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Prince of Darkness helped me to build a university career, writes Brittany Anne Carlson. Here, she offers five tips to help fellow educators and researchers stay aboard their own academic ‘crazy train’
Reading time
4minutes
By kiera.obrien, 1 September, 2025

How to navigate power dynamics in academia

A chess game
Working under different managers and management styles can be as much of a learning curve for early career academics as their work. Find out how to stay balanced in a changing workplace
Reading time
5minutes
By kiera.obrien, 27 August, 2025

How to spot misinformation online

A woman uses a magnifying glass to check her phone
Find out two ways of approaching the identification of online misinformation – from an external perspective and an internal one. Stephanie Tsang shows how
Reading time
4minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 26 August, 2025

Lessons for academics in resilience, persistence and coping with failure

A woman inhaling with her eyes closed
Rejection is part of every academic journey, but that doesn’t make it easier to bear. Drawing from personal experiences, Bhawana Shrestha reflects on how shifting mindsets, embracing support and practising ‘gentle ambition’ helped her build resilience
Reading time
4minutes
By Eliza.Compton, 19 August, 2025

Industry engagement matters for doctoral candidates, too

Female intern with laptop working on mecatronics project
Doctoral candidates have not generally prioritised engagement with industry, but its opportunities to enhance research impact and career prospects now make it essential. Here, Adnan Syed Muhammad offers tips for PhD students
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