tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32862699282482276032024-03-15T21:55:26.668-07:00The PhD BlogRobert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-65977584993125104012023-04-05T01:55:00.005-07:002023-04-05T01:58:18.479-07:00Sample Chapter of Strategists @ Work<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf10cR7sCyaqbrrULYFstawfFEkaqMLLnH-FaqUSOH23bjC0qzp3kmJNfjm0WGyOOb834xG70vR7awLlBP0y9fnB_oC_eRt4W9ELI2EnySN6nzPRgTArJ1M_OkR57_Pc-fitpY34obfgRxoauAPZ08d96ZPrIyqNsISCjJrIqkGVIdm_iQBi7bt0jGrw/s1902/Barney.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1902" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf10cR7sCyaqbrrULYFstawfFEkaqMLLnH-FaqUSOH23bjC0qzp3kmJNfjm0WGyOOb834xG70vR7awLlBP0y9fnB_oC_eRt4W9ELI2EnySN6nzPRgTArJ1M_OkR57_Pc-fitpY34obfgRxoauAPZ08d96ZPrIyqNsISCjJrIqkGVIdm_iQBi7bt0jGrw/w520-h273/Barney.png" width="520" /></a></div><br /> Alongside a longstanding interest in research methods, I do research on strategy, leadership and change. I am delighted to share that the second edition of Strategists @ work is released tomorrow and you can access a free sample chapter <a href="https://bloomsburycp3.codemantra.com/viewer/64108121ee3588000179ff4b" target="_blank">here</a>. I'd be interested in your views on the book and hopefully you can see how the research that underpins the book was conducted. <p></p>Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-41470440849974241562021-11-15T07:52:00.001-08:002021-11-15T07:52:52.464-08:00ThePhDBlog.com Landmark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSnnvYuUM4RmGwoyVSW_B0QK53QQEZIY8vIBfWNSE67SMaRTjl2lb923OgSjjbxHkKDFed3elrFBjyHjGF5WoIM6VktKaQfwCkWmZYaxwEAB_T23GEKAst8ZvkNuMjoQ9YjED-rOZ3Gzf/s1148/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="1148" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSnnvYuUM4RmGwoyVSW_B0QK53QQEZIY8vIBfWNSE67SMaRTjl2lb923OgSjjbxHkKDFed3elrFBjyHjGF5WoIM6VktKaQfwCkWmZYaxwEAB_T23GEKAst8ZvkNuMjoQ9YjED-rOZ3Gzf/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I created the PhDBlog in 2009 which seems positively ages ago. At the time I was responsible for an Executive PhD Programme at the University of Glasgow and spent a fair amount of time on the phone (remember those) to potential applicants talking through the challenge of doing a part-time doctorate. Those conversations tended to follow some familiar themes. What should you study? How would you study it? How would you find a supervisor and how much time will it take? A former colleague suggested that I capture some of these topics in the form of a blog.<p></p><p>Having never heard of a blog, I was sceptical to say the least, but I found my way to the Blogger.com tool and spent a few afternoons creating the early posts on this website. I then used the blog as a useful resource, a form of FAQs, for potential applicants. "I'll send you a link, read the material and then call me back" I would say when my phone rang about the PhD programme. Beyond this, I forgot all about it until one day, years later, at a conference someone said "I love your blog". Unaware that I had a blog, it took some time to figure out what they were referring to.</p><p>By that point I was working at Heriot-Watt and had to provide Google with a scan of my passport and a 1 cent transaction on my credit card to prove I was genuine in my claim that I had forgotten the log-in details to my own blog. When I did regain access to the site, I was amazed to find how often it had been read. I was more amazed, and a little embarrased to find a stack of unanswered queries from readers. With the help of another new colleague, it was rebranded as ThePhDBlog, I bought a URL for it and commissioned a lovely logo. I still can't quite believe that at one point is was Google's top answer to "what's the difference between ontology, epistemology and methodology?" ... this is still, by a country mile, the most popular post on the site. Over the last 5 to 10 years I have been more disciplined in answering queries from people and peeked behind the curtain to read the stats every now and then.</p><p>Last month, the site passed through half a million reads making it the most read thing I've ever produced. Thank you to those who have read the contents and reached out to say that they found it helpful. There are far fewer comments these days and the vast majority of those are from people offering "thesis writing" services so they get blocked and deleted by me. However, I remain passionate about research and about the joys / challenges of undertaking doctoral level work. I hope that the blog remains a useful resource and thank you for helping me to clock up 500,000 reads.</p><p>I am now based at Northumbria University in Newcastle and still speak regularly to doctoral students in conferences, events and training sessions. If you have completed your docotorate, well done. If you are studying toward your doctorate ... good luck and don't give up.</p><p>Best wishes</p><p>Robert MacIntosh</p><p>(sometime blogger)</p>Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-87519783996260601892021-04-01T11:06:00.001-07:002021-04-02T00:58:48.158-07:00Measuring Research Excellence: where does the UK REF go next ?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKfqt_ZKLucTGsf9wVisr5QXsTDHUCab13UA52mhjvFWu1plkwGILRQdpQAX5EsavwxQX2C_7qILwsaMIuDdjU355oPhJLB2V0btHZrRRX-bpeOGAeZ5kCkMUUbYUr1Fkfe1TaKPtJEgk/s469/Capture.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKfqt_ZKLucTGsf9wVisr5QXsTDHUCab13UA52mhjvFWu1plkwGILRQdpQAX5EsavwxQX2C_7qILwsaMIuDdjU355oPhJLB2V0btHZrRRX-bpeOGAeZ5kCkMUUbYUr1Fkfe1TaKPtJEgk/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #002060;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #002060;">April Fool’s Day 2021 marks the
start of a new cycle for UK universities. Yesterday saw the deadline for submissions
to the national census of research effectiveness, now branded as the Research
Excellence Framework or REF. This is the sixth such census dating back to 1992.
This time around the sector was granted a short, Covid-related extension and now
the long wait for feedback begins. That feedback will impact individual careers
and institutional bragging rights as well as being a key mechanism by which billions of pounds of public funding flows into the sector. If you aren’t familiar with the process,
every few years, each academic discipline is asked to report on its best
research in the form of papers, research grant income, doctoral completions and
impact. The last exercise took place in 2014 meaning that this cycle which
closed yesterday covered 7 years for each of these categories.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #002060;">Alongside some simple facts and
figures (how many people, how much grant income, how many PhD graduates) there
is a lengthy narrative about research strategy, the organisational support and
environment which accounts for 15% of the overall grade. There are then two
other more contentious and subjective elements.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #002060;">First, are research outputs. REF
2021 is the first time that universities have been compelled to return everyone
that they employ to do research. Up until 2104, universities employed careful
selection processes to find the sweet spot between the highest rated individual
researcher and the financial reward which was made available on a per person
basis. Gaming the system in this way was frowned upon but everyone did it. The
regulatory response was to insist that everyone must be returned and each
individual returned must put forward their best work. Those items (journal
articles, books, reports, etc.) are reviewed by judging panels and rated. Such
judgements are made by leading scholars but remain open to concerns about subjectivity.
After all, how easy is it to classify an individual paper as a primary or
essential point of reference (4 star), an important point of reference (3 star)
or a recognised point of reference (2 star)? In my own discipline of management
research there are stark differences within and across a diverse range of
sub-disciplines; these are further exacerbated by methodological differences
meaning that defining “good” is not unproblematic. Your “essential” reference
point might only be “recognised” to me. This is challenging given that outputs
account for 60% of the overall grade. Whilst a REF panel, consisting of recognised
experts will allocate the eventual score, most universities have spent the last
several years evaluating and revaluating outputs in an attempt to second guess the
nuances around a subtle scoring system. This represents a significant investment
of time fretting about research which has already been published and, in the
vast majority of cases, peer-reviewed. By extension, that time is not being
spent on the doing of new research.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #002060;">The second subjective element of
REF 2021 is that of impact. Using case studies, each discipline in each university
is asked to present evidence that their research has made a difference in the
world. Perhaps a theoretical model has informed policy or practice such that it
has been adopted widely. This accounts for the remaining 25% of the overall
outcome but again is subject to interpretation and opinion. Referring to my own
discipline of management again, it is reasonably clear to see how ideas, models
and concepts <i>could</i> influence the ways in which people actually manage in
practice. Arguably a less straightforward translation process might face those
in some other disciplines. Even in management impact is a complex, temporal
phenomenon which, with colleagues, I have written about at length (see <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Delivering-Impact-in-Management-Research-When-Does-it-Really-Happen/MacIntosh-Mason-Beech-Bartunek/p/book/9780367550554">here</a>).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #002060;">Over the last three decades, REF
and its predecessor exercises (the Research Assessment Exercise or RAE) has
profoundly changed the behaviour of academics and universities. Peer-reviewed
publication had long been a key activity, testing as it does, the quality of
ideas and contributions. The top rating in REF terms is referred to as four
star and producing a four star paper is arduous. It typically involves multiple
rounds of double or triple blind review and high rejection rates. Success in management
journals rests on demonstrating a novel theoretical contribution often through
recourse to theories which are difficult to follow. Using management as an
example, the kind of four star work which appears in top-rated journals isn’t easy
to read unless you are another well-read and informed academic researcher. <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2016/05/12/what-are-the-most-cited-publications-in-the-social-sciences-according-to-google-scholar/">Elliot
Green’s excellent blog piece</a> sets out the most heavily cited works in
social science. Most professional management researchers would find this list
familiar and could probably guess a fair number of entries on the list were it
a game show format. Most practicing managers would probably not be familiar
with the entries on this list. Why does that disjuncture matter?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #002060;">Take the global pandemic as an
example. It has been tragic for each and every family that has lost a loved one
but it has also wrought rapid and radical changes to the world of work. Organisations
in a variety of sectors are rethinking whether they need all that office space.
Employees are rethinking whether they can face all the time and cost associated
with commuting. Given this real world problem, it would seem sensible to do
some research on who might do what over the next few years since such findings
could inform both policy decisions and the choices for individual firms. A
survey, by sector, geography, organisation size, etc. would be very helpful and
indeed many such surveys have been undertaken by me and others. The kind of insight
required to help decide whether to renew your office lease is not however, the
kind of insight required to get published in a top-tier journal. Few policy
makers or business leaders would thank you for extensively theorising the
social processes underpinning the decision they need to make but this is what will
help secure a spot in a prestigious journal. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1f3864;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taking this issue of mismatched incentives a
little further, let’s consider the similarities between academic and sporting
excellence. Tokyo has finally set the Olympic torch alight. Packed stadia may
not fill our screens this summer but we can expect coverage of crowning
achievements, gold medals and world records. Amidst the sweat, tears and
elation, elite athletes will hope that their victory inspires more participants
to take up the sport. The public health benefits of mass participation in sport
is a laudable aim but only loosely related to the specialist training,
infrastructure and skills required to top the medal table. Similarly in disciplines
such as management, education, nursing or medicine elite, peer-reviewed
research may push back the boundaries of knowledge but those on the ground
delivering services are just as important when it comes to making a positive
difference in the world. Educating managers, teachers, doctors and nurses is
closer to mass participation in sport than to Olympic gold medals. Knowledge doesn’t
always have to be world-leading to be world-changing. Reaching a wide
cross-section of practicing professionals depends on the knowledge concerned
being relevant and digestible. Since these are not the primary criteria by
which elite peer-reviewed publication operates, these are not always the criteria
that incentivise academics.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1f3864;">The basic premise of measuring
research performance, especially in connection to the dispersal of public
monies, is a good one. After all, some means of dispersing £14bn is needed and there seems little appetite for a flat, per capita arrangement though this would be radically simpler. The problem that REF faces is that it is labour
intensive, focuses too heavily on a narrow, specialist form of research
activity and has become institutionalised in ways which are not particularly
helpful. As the panel members for REF2021 gear up to read thousands of pages of
research it would seem timely to pause. Rather than turning the handle of what
will probably be REF 2027, we should really consider a radical rethink of the
purpose, process and unintended consequences of the current system. To not do
so would seem (April) foolish.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1f3864;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1f3864;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-72569503744243691812020-05-12T08:00:00.001-07:002020-05-12T08:00:33.760-07:00How COVID-19 might alter the priorities of University Interview Panels<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Universities
are currently fretting over the seemingly inevitable gaps in next academic
year’s finances. In the short term, staff recruitment is one obvious locus for
cost constraint. Beyond the financial drive to slow or stop recruitment there
are the practical matters of assembling interview panels, making appointment
decisions, connecting new staff to university systems and the more existential
question of whether they can usefully begin working remotely. However, at some
stage, large employers like universities will return to something more like
normal operating circumstances. Will recruitment decisions be shaped by
different priorities post-lockdown?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
answering this, it is important to make two observations. First, COVID-19 is
extracting a terrible human cost from society. Our staff and student
populations are experiencing anxiety, loss and isolation in the same way as
everyone else. Second, the speculations expressed here are my own and do not
represent the views of either the Chartered Association of Business Schools or
of Heriot-Watt University.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h1>
Digital Skills<o:p></o:p></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The most
obvious pedagogical consequence of lockdown has been the wholesale switch to
online supported learning. A few pioneering universities have been engaged in
online learning at scale for some time. Many more have been quietly contemplating
the balance of online and face-to-face learning for several years. Suddenly
however, the whole sector has moved further and faster than anyone would have
thought possible. When campuses do reopen, there will be far greater emphasis
on online literacy in the recruitment process. Previously at an interview you
may have encountered one or two random early adopters of this new fangled
technology. Examples of innovation that I’ve encountered when interviewing have
included the use of online polls, flipped classrooms, webinars, etc. Though not
particularly revolutionary, such examples have tended to be reasonably well
received. Going forward, everyone on the panel will likely have completed a
“how to teach online” course offered by their own institution’s learning and
teaching specialists or a third party provider. Being seen as an online
enthusiast, innovator or expert will be both more important and more demanding
for interviewees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h1>
International Networks<o:p></o:p></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
selecting new members of your university’s academic community, there’s an
allure to marrying upwards. Recruiting early career academics from the best
schools, preferably once they’ve been supervised to doctoral standard by the
world’s leading scholars, is a familiar pattern. It promises a low-cost way to
cross pollinate world-leading research culture with your own, perhaps less
esteemed but no less ambitious culture. Research networks may matter even more
since the ways in which such relationships can be nurtured in a post-COVID19
environment may change. The familiar practice of networking with leading
thinkers at conferences was already under question in terms of environmental
consequences. Now there are new reasons to worry about such mass gatherings.
Coming with a pre-formed research network will make you an attractive
candidate. Demonstrating the digital skills to build and expand that network
will make you even more attractive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h1>
Local Networks<o:p></o:p></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is
striking that the university sector has resisted the kinds of consolidation and
extinction events that have characterised other industries from retail to
financial services and beyond. If you can access the best minds from the best
institutions digitally, why would you go to your local, mid-ranked university?
The answer may be a new localism. This must not be confused with parochialism.
Many universities pride themselves on their civic mission and descriptions of
them as anchor tenants or engines of their local economy are often hard earned.
Few organisations are better placed to reach out into their local community to
provide knowledge, skills, research and training. Both local and national
governments will rarely have been in greater need of help in nurturing local
economies and talk of levelling up will likely be taken up with renewed vigour.
Knowing your local environment, creating and leveraging relationships within
that local environment could go from being a perceived weakness in candidates
to a source of real competitive advantage. Would an ivy league import be able
to find their feet as quickly in your university’s community of public,
private, family and charitable organisations? Maybe it’s a time for a new breed
of local heroes. Those who can combine international excellence with local economic
impact are likely to be in high demand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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NB. A version of this article appeared in Times Higher Education on 12 May 2020 and can be found <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/career/careers-intelligence-will-virus-crisis-change-academic-careers" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<br />Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-80401439658580068552019-07-09T07:37:00.006-07:002019-07-09T07:37:57.754-07:00The New Enlightenment ?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9x4ypX0j36LDYX6XNr9hjtaxKGkmQZCvVomD6SQ_WjywqvlvNpDEu9xEcvSzyeNzPTIh0UtKXECexbzJSOGxIj_qbllP5Xb0MTcFG6bKjAJpnLVIEV-5E_uwuVC4DlXEtbZ2M_Gv8Unpr/s1600/Panmure+Signing.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1600" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9x4ypX0j36LDYX6XNr9hjtaxKGkmQZCvVomD6SQ_WjywqvlvNpDEu9xEcvSzyeNzPTIh0UtKXECexbzJSOGxIj_qbllP5Xb0MTcFG6bKjAJpnLVIEV-5E_uwuVC4DlXEtbZ2M_Gv8Unpr/s320/Panmure+Signing.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
For PhD students it is easy to be fixated on individual scholars with high citation counts. Last week I had the privelege of being in the room with a group around 80 scholars of economics, management, strategy and organisation with a collective citation count in excess of 1 million! Here are some notes on their conversation which was about the need to reshape capitalism.<div>
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Credited as the father of modern economics, Adam Smith was a
man of broad ranging interests. The Scot was born in Kirkcaldy and grew up in
proximity to a port where goods were imported and exported thus shaping a
lifelong fascination with trade. Following an education that took in the
universities of Glasgow, Oxford and Edinburgh, he toured Europe as a tutor before
returning to life in Scotland. This international perspective led influenced
his writing and he moved to Edinburgh in 1778 where he took up residence at
Panmure House, his last and only remaining home. Edinburgh at that time boasted
a range of sparkling intellects that helped shape his thinking and writing about
individual entrepreneurs and their collective behaviour in national economies. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Having restored <a href="http://www.panmurehouse.org/">Panmure
House</a>, the <a href="https://www.ebsglobal.net/">Edinburgh Business School</a>
(at Heriot-Watt University) in conjunction with the <a href="https://haas.berkeley.edu/">Haas School of Business</a> (at UC Berkley)
hosted a conference of contemporary scholars to discuss the challenges facing
entrepreneurs and economies today. Gathered at what Professor <a href="https://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/teece-david/">David Teece</a> called
“hallowed ground”, a collection of academics whose writings have been cited
over a million times discussed the challenge of reshaping capitalism? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Three interlinked themes arose over two days of discussion.
The first relates to the importance of economic growth. The impact of
inequality, be it in health, education or income, is something that concerns
many democracies. The disparity between the haves and have nots has grown in
many countries. In addressing inequality, the Group Chairman and CEO of private
equity firm <a href="https://www.pag.com/">PAG Group</a>, Weijan Shan, spoke powerfully of his formative
experience during large scale attempts to achieve equality. Growing up in
China, Shan lived through the abolition of education for a decade and spent his
formative years working 16 hours a day in the Gobi desert, harvesting reeds for
a local paper mill. His book <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Out+of+the+Gobi%3A+My+Story+of+China+and+America-p-9781119529552">Out
of the Gobi</a> tells his remarkable journey via San Francisco, and a PhD under
the guidance of David Teece at UC Berkley, to managing a large private equity
fund from his current base in Hong Kong. He is perhaps uniquely well positioned
to suggest that the end game of the new enlightenment should be <b>growth not
equality. </b>In his own words, tens of millions died of starvation whilst
hundreds of millions lived in abject poverty. Equality of itself is therefore
not necessarily a positive aspiration. As Shan argues, he would probably have no
concerns if Warren Buffett or Jeff Bezos were earning a few extra trillion
dollars, if his own income was going up. Unrest and indignation are the
products of a stagnating economy whilst growth is the most compelling route to
inclusion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />A second theme was introduced by the historian and Stanford
Professor <a href="http://www.niallferguson.com/">Niall Ferguson</a> who pointed
to the enabling importance of the rule of law, especially in relation to trade.
Ferguson noted that the fundamental ideals of socialism and capitalism, which
have shaped political discourse for more than a century, are poorly understood
by today’s electorate with the result that traditional labels of left and right
are increasingly being usurped by a new politics. With adherence to the rule of
law in place, the key decision facing entrepreneurs and the economies in which
they sit is one’s <b>attitude to redistribution. </b>A generation of
entrepreneurs, regulators and voters, who have grown up with the pervasive
presence of information and communication, are beginning to make their way into
the workforce. The high school and university curricula offered to the so-called
i-Generation have not routinely offered a thorough grounding in our traditional
political and economic labels. Worse, this same generation appear to have lost
faith and interest in our political process and institutions. Rather than
pledging allegiance to particular political parties, they are more likely to
connect to issues and individuals. <a href="https://www.ted.com/speakers/greta_thunberg">Greta Thunberg</a> is not
aligned to traditional political groupings of left or right, rather she is an
example of challenge or issue based campaigning that are replicated in the
#metoo phenomenon and many others. Modern entrepreneurs and economies face
concerns of sustainability and responsibility that not in the forefront of Smith’s
mind and a new focus on redistribution is required.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, this all led to a third theme from the Panmure
House conference, namely that of <b>community</b>. Having started with moral
sentiments, Smith’s later work focused on The Wealth of Nations. Yet today,
some of our global corporations are sometimes bigger than the nation states he
would have had in the foreground of his attention. These new corporate actors
are in part responsible for an unprecedented boom in global, social
connectivity. Thus it makes sense to shift from a focus exclusively on the
Wealth of Nations to one which encompasses the wealth of communities<b>. </b>Those
communities may by constructed of surprising strata that don’t fit our
conventional units of analysis such as young and old or left and right but they
are the very communities that will mobilise and reshape capitalism.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the gathering of great economic, commercial, organisational and
political minds drew to a close, 80 scholars signed the Panmure House Declaration.
It urges “international leaders to base their policies and decision-making on a
set of common principles, as espoused and formulated by Adam Smith, which
cherish the required values of an ethically-based liberal democratic system, a
moral commitment to the well-being of our communities and affirm responsibility
to protect economic, political and social freedoms, use resources wisely, avoid
unintentional consequences, follow the rule of law, favour markets and prices
as guides to resource allocation and take a long term view of private and
public investments, to support inclusive economic growth and prosperity for all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Will this declaration help reshape capitalism ? Only time will
tell.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Robert MacIntosh, 9 July 2019</span></div>
Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-42023851802258420782019-04-11T04:50:00.002-07:002019-04-11T04:50:40.647-07:00Under New Management<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0l2oEXgAitENw680bRMotAWNpwSDesvpeJDMhNUKjpodLxlmB-1kbILeQXvyeGMI-o38qGZVyurLbn66PgVQMwDMvBHuZrbQZzeWet5YnXQOKARolVGK49x9ojt-mGIMRTByIa5pcedQ/s1600/THE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="756" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0l2oEXgAitENw680bRMotAWNpwSDesvpeJDMhNUKjpodLxlmB-1kbILeQXvyeGMI-o38qGZVyurLbn66PgVQMwDMvBHuZrbQZzeWet5YnXQOKARolVGK49x9ojt-mGIMRTByIa5pcedQ/s320/THE.JPG" width="275" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The university sector is often
accused of creeping managerialism. Some hypothesise that this is in response to
ever fiercer competition for students, research funds and talent. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others suggest that the contemporary obsession
with leadership is part of the problem not the solution. Regardless of one’s
viewpoint, there has been a noticeable increase in the number and type of senior
management positions in our universities; some populated by academics and others
by colleagues in professional services roles. Academic leadership roles are
typically tied to a three or five year tenure, meaning that new bosses come
around on a fairly regular basis. Add in the fact that individual academic
staff are often accountable to different individuals for their teaching, their
research and their administrative duties and it might feel that you’re under
new management more frequently than a modern day Premier League footballer. How should you handle a new boss ? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A version of this article appeared in Times Higher Education and can be found <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/career/careers-intelligence-how-deal-new-boss" target="_blank">here</a>. Many of the themes it raises are equally applicable to the circumstances when you get a new member of a PhD supervisory team. I hope it it of interest and use.</span></div>
<h1>
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss ?<o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">New
incumbents of leadership roles are usually keen to make their mark. After all,
few careers are enhanced by a CV narrative that reads “2017-present: minded the
shop and kept things ticking along.” Rather, your new boss is likely to want to
be able demonstrate that they improved, streamlined or transformed the
activities for which they are responsible. Such career narratives are reason
why your new boss is unlikely to be the same as your old boss. Recognising this
will help you cope with the inevitable trauma that comes when tried and trusted
systems and processes are changed under the new regime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h1>
Do your homework<o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Academia is
a relatively closed community. Somewhere in your network will be colleagues who
knew your new boss when she was a PhD student or who worked under him at his previous
university. Ask around and ask what makes them tick. At the more experienced end
of the leadership spectrum, your new boss may have fulfilled the same role in
more than one institution. If so, it might be possible to spot a pattern in
their tendency to centralise or decentralise or to adopt particular structures.
In the corporate world such characters develop brand names such as Dangerous
Dave and Fred the Shred. Of course, the more refined world of academia is above
such nonsense. Isn’t it ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h1>
Control, Alt, Delete<o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A new boss
can offer those of longer standing in your current university the opportunity
to press reset and get things back to “normal.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally, they’ll cry, we can abandon the folly of X and get back to Y. In
a shifting political landscape, you might want to get in early and make sure
that your new boss is fully briefed on what they should prioritise. Stand a
little further back from the detail however and you might see a pattern.
Radical and ambitious entrepreneurs tend to be followed by consolidaters;
dictators tend to be succeeded by advocates of participative democracy and so
forth. A brief examination of the outgoing boss and the recruitment process
might give valuable clues as to the priorities that your new boss was recruited
to deliver. You can then judge how well these match with your own and to assess
the potential for career-limiting consequences when ridiculing the old regime.
It would be a shame to discover after the fact that your new boss and your old
boss were in fact, former colleagues and remain close friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h1>
Actions speak louder than words<o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the
early days of their appointment, your new boss will be suffering from
information overload. So many new faces, names to remember and issues to
address. You face a choice between shouting first and loudest or being patient.
Your long-term credibility might best be served by simply getting on and
delivering. If the new regime wants more interdisciplinary research, focus your
attention on how you can help. Academic freedom is so deeply embedded in our
culture that doing what we are asked doesn’t always come naturally but maybe,
just maybe, there might be merit in some of the new initiatives. Giving it your
best shot might be invigorating and it will certainly give you something to
talk to your new boss about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h1>
Just ask<o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All of this
is good advice if your new boss has been clear and directive in the early days
of their appointment. If, however, they have been somewhat more enigmatic about
their new priorities, what should you do? Deceptively simple though it may
seem, you could just ask. Bear in mind that the tone of your enquiry will matter.
Consider the subtle shift in object and emphasis in the following. Boss, do you
have any idea what you’re doing? Boss, what should I be prioritising? The
latter is the less entertaining but probably more sensible approach. My
favourite variant of such questioning however, arose in the context of a
leadership programme and was “how do you get the best out me?” Working through
that simple question in both directions will provide a good foundation for your
new working relationship. Incidentally, part of my answer to that question was
never, under any circumstances, call me Bob!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-18814588462203182342018-07-18T06:04:00.005-07:002018-07-18T06:04:56.210-07:00The Future of Universities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBm50iV5NDMJGuw3XGIEOUrLnPSQO3inv2o1FGc95KVfahZ9ap6kHLGBp-2MCSZfvue6_b2uxvfi0HaNpQKaS9ywExoKzkDiTLR8U_eLVbJejYyeVgu0MvibFO388DdRVbXWyn1PQDsT_/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="736" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBm50iV5NDMJGuw3XGIEOUrLnPSQO3inv2o1FGc95KVfahZ9ap6kHLGBp-2MCSZfvue6_b2uxvfi0HaNpQKaS9ywExoKzkDiTLR8U_eLVbJejYyeVgu0MvibFO388DdRVbXWyn1PQDsT_/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This blog post first appeared on the Times Higher's website and can be found <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/rethinking-undergraduate-business-model" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
The full text is ...<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Universities have formed part of our landscape for almost a
thousand years. Today, the higher education sector is populated by over 20,000
universities with various </span><a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2018/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">rankings</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> that permit potential staff,
students or research funders to make comparisons. Despite clear differences in
research intensity, size and age, most universities share four common
assumptions about how they deliver undergraduate education. Students generally attend
campus; where fees are being paid, they are paid directly to the university; the
default setting remains full-time study and all of the credits for your
qualification usually come from the same provider. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Predicting the future of a sector isn’t easy. After all, most
of us are struggling to create free time rather than worrying about how best to
spend the time saved by flying cars and domestic robots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, higher education does feel like
it is poised on the edge of a revolutionary period. Some institutions have
tinkered with the four assumptions set out above, whilst others like </span><a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/oxford-academics-launch-worlds-first-blockchain-university"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Woolf</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> are making more radical moves. It
may be timely to explore each of these assumptions in turn and see what lessons
other industries might offer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Going to university has always been something of a rite of
passage; leaving home for the first time, making new friends and fending for
yourself. All of this was easier when financial support, in the form of grants,
was widely available. Today’s students, and their families, make major
financial investment decisions when choosing where to go and what to study. The
movie business has been facing a similar “place” challenge for at least two
decades. If you wanted to see the latest release, there was no choice but to
travel, pay for a ticket and watch on the big screen. The advent of video
rental and now streaming has fundamentally changed the assumption that they
customer has to come to your premises. The result has been an arms race. Movie
theatres introduced IMAX screens, reclining seats, 3D systems and the like.
Individual customers can mimic surround sound and big screens in the comfort of
their own home. In higher education, distance and online learning have thrived
in the postgraduate market but most undergraduates aren’t yet making the
decision to learn at home rather than paying the sticker price for the full
campus experience. Perhaps because of this, universities and private firms are
building student accommodation blocks on the basis place will continue to be
important.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A second assumption is that the transaction for a degree is
between the student and the university with the academic as a salaried employee.
There are subtle differences where funding comes direct from the government as
is the case in Scotland but even there, the fees flow to the university which
in turn hires academic and professional service staff to deliver the
educational experience. In sports and entertainment, the power of the
individual has grown whilst that of the corporate provider has weakened. Image
rights and royalties now tend to flow to a smaller number of elite performers
meaning that a higher proportion of the “fee” flows direct to the “talent”. The
twenty teams in the English Premier League have a collective wage bill of a
staggering £48m per week. Star academics do get well paid but imagine a parallel
YouTube world, where the individual educator was selling their content direct
to the student and keeping most of the fee. Surely that would be unworkable? Yet,
Woolf is attempting to create a blockchain university with low operating costs
and the majority of the money flowing to individual academics for the delivery
of the educational experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This links to the third assumption, that students study for
the totality of their degree with a single provider. Yes, it is true that most
institutions will accredit prior learning to enable students to transfer in
from another university but this is the exception not the norm. Health issues
or simply realising that your first choice of degree wasn’t for you tend to be
one-off situations looked at sympathetically on a case-by-case basis. The music
industry operated with a similar mentality where customers had to buy a whole
album until iTunes came along, allowing them customers to buy individual
tracks. Since then, the ground has shifted again to subscription-based
streaming from Spotify and other providers. What if you could build your own
degree by choosing the best courses from a range of universities? In effect,
you’d be creating your own academic playlist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, whilst post experience students studying MBAs and
other postgraduate qualifications on a flexible, part-time basis, most
undergraduates are still full-time students. The introduction of graduate
apprentice degrees is chipping away at the accepted norm of full-time study
followed by full-time employment for first degrees. Indeed, </span><a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/sam-gyimah-replaces-jo-johnson-universities-minister"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sam Gyimah</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> has already said that three year,
full-time degrees should not be the norm and of course they aren’t in Scotland
where undergraduate degrees tend to take four years. But both pattern and pacing
count. A generation of students raised with the expectation that you can binge
watch an entire series on the day of its release, or just as easily pick something
up seamlessly after a lengthy break might begin to think about their degree
studies in the same way. The traditional TV broadcasters have had to adjust
their mindset in response to the bold strategic moves of new entrants like
Netflix. Could universities cope with a mix of starting points and a range of
paces from binge educators to meandering laggards?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some of these assumptions are being stretched and tested by
individual universities. Where it gets really interesting is looking at the
assumptions as an interlocking set. IKEA, Amazon, Google and other global
behemoths came at established markets with a distinctive reconfiguration the
business norms used by existing providers. Other sectors have said it can’t
happen here. Just ask your local bookseller, if you still have one. What if one
university, a new entrant or an established player, were to revolutionise the
university sector by offering more choice, more flexibility, lower cost and
higher quality? Allowing students to pick and choose individual courses from
leading experts at a range of universities, accrediting these to validate a
degree that flexes from lightening quick to slow roast depending on
circumstances and offering the option of dropping into and out of campus-based
experiences as required. Then we’d all be losing sleep. Unless of course, we
were working for the university that was reinventing the game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-39386389411787525502018-02-12T09:42:00.002-08:002018-02-12T09:44:33.741-08:00The Robots are Coming ... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ruDvVdEuyy9cDC26QdtbjzWslI1Q3cQ0vM8fSrifAy7cm4d9kHrxAhysb-aacR6_JE8jn4KKiiaO3KeRSmfZGWfS7PaA-maluaRwhIBSyF4fYSCleLK1XI5MLyG9M66zcwbXv5m1JRZD/s1600/Capture-+Robot.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1262" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ruDvVdEuyy9cDC26QdtbjzWslI1Q3cQ0vM8fSrifAy7cm4d9kHrxAhysb-aacR6_JE8jn4KKiiaO3KeRSmfZGWfS7PaA-maluaRwhIBSyF4fYSCleLK1XI5MLyG9M66zcwbXv5m1JRZD/s320/Capture-+Robot.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This article about the future of universities first appeared in Times Higher Education and can be found <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/teaching-assistant-robots-will-reinvent-academia" target="_blank">here</a>. If you're doing a PhD there's a fair chance that you are thinking of working in a university. If so, read on ...<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bank
tellers, hotel receptionists and assembly line workers might eventually be
replaced by technology because their roles are structured and repetitive in
nature. For academics there is the reassurance that teaching, grading
assignments and undertaking research require the services of a living,
breathing academic. A permanent position
is still just that, isn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 2016, Ashok
Goel of Georgia Institute for Technology introduced a new member of his
teaching team called </span><a href="https://pe.gatech.edu/blog/meet-jill-watson-georgia-techs-first-ai-teaching-assistant"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jill Watson</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. Students loved Jill. She would
answer questions quickly, politely and with the occasional jaunty “yep!”. She
would occasionally say something odd but don’t we all? Since Goel didn’t
initially tell his students that Jill was in fact an AI system he was forced to
add a short delay to her responses. Otherwise her students might notice how
much quicker she was at answering questions, even in the middle of the night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jill Watson’s
status as a teaching assistant should sound a salutary note for those of us in
higher education. There is widespread acceptance that human jobs will be lost
to technology. For understandable
reasons we convince ourselves that the axe will fall elsewhere and will fall
gradually. Perhaps this optimism bias flows from a tendency to focus on the
nuance and subtlety of what we do and to disregard the monotonous regularity of
many aspects of our work. Recently I met a board member from one of the world’s
largest technology firms who confidently predicted that innovations such as AI
would mean that higher education would be unrecognisable within a decade. S/he
might be wrong, but as robots, and the underlying technology of artificial
intelligence (AI), improve, academia seems ripe reinvention. Just consider that by 2020, it is predicted
that the numbers of students in higher education in China and India combined
will have breached 60 million. A booming sector combined with the potential for
technological disruption has left some UK university leaders feeling anxious,
with the annual PA Consulting report on Vice-Chancellor sentiments suggesting
that the sector could be facing a stormy period. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In terms of
both the structure of our industry and the underpinning assumptions we make
about models of delivery, such stormy conditions demand a rethink. </span><a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/snobbery-towards-modern-universities-unfair-and-outdated#node-comments"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Edward Peck</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> recently argued that the UK needs to
move beyond a familiar but outmoded hierarchy of universities to celebrate more
fully the achievements of our teaching intensive, research active universities.
Many of our post-92 universities have made significant strides in
infrastructure, pedagogy and widening access, yet Peck notes that they still
lack the cache of elite Russell Group universities. A diverse sector comprising different mission
groups pursuing different audiences might, of course, be an indicator that our HE
ecosystem is in rude health. Yet collectively, the strategic plans of UK
universities are focused on growth underpinned by significant financial
commitments to new and shiny buildings which largely reinforce traditional
ideas about lecture theatres and laboratories.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">UK universities
offer success stories in both importing and exporting. International student
recruitment has been challenging given the policy context but significant
numbers of applicants still want to study here. Matching this inflow are growing numbers of transnational
arrangements and overseas campus locations where UK universities are exporting
to the world. What we haven’t seen yet
are global brand names setting up in earnest in our own back yard. There’s an
awareness that this might happen and a recognition of the threat that more private
provision might represent, but little concrete action to address this. Maybe UK Vice-Chancellors are right to be a
little worried but those outwith the sector see huge opportunities to deploy AI
in ways which personalise learning economically and at scale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On any
given day, in subjects such as business, engineering and mathematics, there are
probably hundreds of academics teaching roughly the same material to hundreds
of roughly similar groups of students in lecture theatres around the globe. Universities
aren’t well positioned to dominate the market for the learning materials being
used because no university wants to adopt a competitor’s intellectual property. Corporates however, might plausibly find ways
to licence the Jill Watsons of the near term future. Several blue chip giants
have both resources and insights (drawn from a sea of user data drawn from both
staff and students) and would be well placed to offer lower cost, engaging,
personal and efficient learning experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are
both institutional and individual consequences of this line of thinking. Institutionally,
universities need to consider their long term plans in the face of short term
uncertainty. New buildings and high
quality academic staff are currently the mainstay of our answer to the question
“why study with us?” Whether the new buildings and the wonderful staff remain
as compelling when remote study, supported by AI / Bots offers similar
knowledge at a tiny fraction of the cost is open to question. Indeed, it is a
question that charitable bodies such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
are asking. As individual academics then, we need to ask a more Machiavellian
question. What can we do that AI cannot ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When it
comes to imparting knowledge, Jill Watson has already shown that AI is
reasonably sophisticated in the role of teaching assistant. Tutors may therefore attain endangered
species status in all but the Oxbridge model of individual attention. In the
lecture theatres however (whether real or virtual), academics need to focus on
the things that AI cannot handle. There’s a reason that many stand-up comedians
ask members of the audience “and what do you do for a living?” early in their
show. They’re not playing for time.
Rather, they’re setting up the opportunity to improvise around some established
material. Connecting pre-set gags to spontaneous observations about Joyce the
plumber or Joe from accounts makes the room come alive. The ticket money seems
worthwhile because you are watching a performance that is very much “in the
moment”. The jeopardy of this crowd work and the concomitant risk of being
heckled piques the audience’s interest. Skilled comedians then use callbacks to
reincorporate earlier observations to produce an effect that is both cumulative
and bespoke to this show, this evening and this place. Perhaps the future for academics is to
embrace the support that AI teaching assistants can offer us outwith the
classroom whilst feverishly working to develop the performative aspects of our
lecturing. Video capture and podcasting are all very well, but they aren’t live
theatre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-77545274374429105712018-02-02T04:55:00.001-08:002018-02-02T04:55:13.361-08:00Handling Revise and Resubmit Decisions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiC976oGeZ5p4EfRzXkED7Zd4cGY8SuvUzUb-U8nglWdN65er2srmFAMlLeA_Ay-8L-lPJQpL21VZlR8yRMXoWo-S9HXhsIjgNJ4BtjSGeYWdLQ_Pb9PdoGAOd4AtsbKVTyKQD6UsBWpW/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="1600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiC976oGeZ5p4EfRzXkED7Zd4cGY8SuvUzUb-U8nglWdN65er2srmFAMlLeA_Ay-8L-lPJQpL21VZlR8yRMXoWo-S9HXhsIjgNJ4BtjSGeYWdLQ_Pb9PdoGAOd4AtsbKVTyKQD6UsBWpW/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publishing well is key to a
successful research career yet, like many aspects of modern academic life, it
is an activity that has intensified and industrialised over recent decades. An abbreviated version of this article appeared in Times Higher Education and can be found <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/career-advice-how-handle-revise-and-resubmit-requests" target="_blank">here</a>. The full version is offered below:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The
editors of top-ranked journals face a deluge of new submissions whilst
struggling to convince their colleagues to take on reviewing work and to do so
in a timely fashion. Rejection rates have soared and surviving 3 or 4 rounds of
the revise and resubmit cycle is an exercise in creativity and persistence. The
attitude of aspiring authors in the context might best be summarised by
Baumeister’s observation that “<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">in view of the misanthropic psychopaths you have on your
editorial board, you need to keep sending them papers, for if they weren't
reviewing manuscripts they'd probably be out mugging old ladies or clubbing
baby seals to death."<a href="file:///C:/Users/MacIntoshRobert/Dropbox/DATAFILE/WORDS/Times%20Higher%20Book%20Material/THES%20-%20Handling%20Revise%20and%20Resubmit.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What follows is some advice on how to
survive and thrive in the land of revise and resubmit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Have a Tantrum<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you’ve
received a revise and resubmit (R&R) the world is telling you something. If
it comes from a low-ranked and/or new journal, things are really bad. They
should be thanking you for your wonderful research and asking if you have any
friends that have papers looking for a home. If it emanates from the editorial
offices of a prestigious journal, an R&R carries confirmation of your
talent since the vast majority of poor quality submissions will have been
instantly desk rejected. Journal editors the world over long for an editorial
bot that can generate thousands of “Dear [name], thanks for your paper on
[topic] which we’ve rejected because [select from a short list of socially
polite reasons]” per hour because they currently have to draft them by hand. Logically
however, an R&R from a good journal indicates that you took a piece of
well-executed research and spent a reasonable amount of time working on version
1.0 of something that is dear to your heart. To see it eviscerated by an editor
and three reviewers is traumatic and outrage is a normal human response. Have a
tantrum, howl at the injustices, rail at the minor technical inaccuracies or
the typos littering the pages of insults masquerading as “advice”. Nothing will
change but it will get the inner toddler out of your system.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">Take Time Out</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Continuing the Super
Nanny theme, once you’ve had your initial tantrum, take some time out. You’ll
no doubt have been set a deadline by which the editor(s) would like to see a
revised version of your paper. Take the first week of this to get some
perspective on the situation. As an
author you need to move from a place of indignance to one of perseverance and
willingness to try, try, try again. The temptation of course, is to obsessively
read and re-read your R&R over those first few days but this tends to
further foster the heat and hurt of your initial reactions. Put the paper, the
project and the R&R to one side and do something else for a while. If you
have co-authors, form a pact to abstain from group therapy for a time but only
on the proviso that you come back together at an agreed time. Break the time
out into two phases. A few days of complete abstinence from the paper, the
anger and the worry over the consequences for your career. Then a second phase
in which you allow yourself to begin to move forward by gathering together
copies of anything that the editor or reviewers might mention in their
voluminous notes. The better the
journal, the better qualified and more experienced the reviewers. Each will
likely have noted several of their own papers as well as schools of thought,
bodies of theory or methodological traditions that they’ve used to poke holes
in your argument. The editor, motivated by the citation stats for their beloved
journal, will also likely have mentioned several things from previous issues to
which you could usefully refer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Think Learning Opportunity</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In all probability,
your R&R will have come with a cover note from the editor pointing out that
you are invited to undertake a high-risk resubmission. Don’t be despondent; few people receive a
low-risk resubmission these days even at rounds two, three or four. Instead, allow
yourself to be excited that you’re still in the game. Eventual publication is still possible and
you’ve had somewhere in the region of half a day of free consultancy from some
of the very best qualified people on the planet. An editor, who will be an exceptional scholar
and a very experienced publisher, has read your work at least twice in round
one. The first would be a relatively
quick skim read to establish that your paper was worth reviewing. The second
would be a more careful process of triangulating between the two and three
reviews that s/he received. Individual
reviewers will have spent at least an hour, and likely more, reading your paper,
thinking about it deeply and generating anywhere between a page and a paper’s
worth of commentary. What a fantastic resource.
These individuals might sound like they want to incinerate your paper
but in fact, they are merely doing what you do to every student essay that you
receive. They’re pointing out how it could be improved. Yes, they’ll have spent
a great deal of time showing where and how those improvements might occur. Yes,
it is unhelpful that they have divergent views on some things. No, they won’t
have been as gushing in their praise as you’d like. Remember this and embrace
the free advice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Ask for Help</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Having
survived the initial indignation just accept that your ultimate goal of
publication rests on completely rewriting your paper, gathering new data,
undertaking more and/or different analysis, connecting to different literatures
or possibly all of the above. These new things might require some outside help.
Even if you know the literature(s) well enough, some outside help can be
invaluable in terms of the nuanced difference between reviewer #1 who says “add
more blah” and reviewer #3 who says “not so much blah, thanks.” Your colleagues
can add a tremendous amount simply offering a new reading of a subtly
constructed sentence or endorsing that you have got the gist of what you’re
being asked to do about right. In extremis, you might even write back to the
editor seeking clarification on how to handle “blah-gate” given the divergent
views of the reviewers. However, before doing so consider the following. First,
the editor is busier that you are (at least in their world view). Second, the
editor will be rightly wary of what they might perceive as an attempt to get
into negotiations over acceptance. Third, whilst the editor will know that
reviewer #1 is a genuine silverback in their community whilst reviewer#3 is
more of an aspiring alpha, they certainly won’t tell you this. Fourth, if the editor has given any thought
to this they will have offered their view in the cover letter. Finally, if they haven’t given any thought to
the dilemma that you’re drawing to their attention, they might not react well
to you pointing this out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Write a Detailed “You said,
we did” Letter</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As you work on version
2.0 of your paper, create a second document into which you cut and paste the
editor’s cover letter and the comments from each reviewer. This “response to
review” document will have as much bearing on your success or failure at the
next round of reviewing as the paper itself. Therefore, spend as much time crafting
the detailed, forensic, hyper-linked and cross-referenced “you said, we did”
letter as you do the revised paper. Use this as the basis for politely pointing
out that reviewer #1 requested “more blah” whilst reviewer #3 wanted less.
Speak to each independently by offering a point by point response to each
reviewer’s critique. As you do so however, cross reference using your
diplomatic skills to say that “we have added a few drops of blah in relation to
your request but we done so mindful of the request from reviewer X to remove
blah from our argument.” Most reviewers
will read their own review and your account of how you’ve responded first.
Often, this is the first time that they’ll see what the other reviewers said
about version 1.0. Understandably, this colours their judgement about whether
to advise that your paper is accepted as is, proceeds to round two or is
rejected. However, other reviewers will read version 2.0 of the paper on its
own merits before settling on their recommendation. Therefore, both the revised
paper and the accompanying “you said, we did” need to read well both
independently and as a pair. As your
paper makes its way toward eventual publication, it is a question of eat, sleep,
revise, repeat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div>
<!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br clear="all" />
</span><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/MacIntoshRobert/Dropbox/DATAFILE/WORDS/Times%20Higher%20Book%20Material/THES%20-%20Handling%20Revise%20and%20Resubmit.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Baumeister quoted in Bedian, AG
(1996) Journal of Management Inquiry, 5: 311-318</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
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</div>
</div>
Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-16755584116850781682018-01-24T10:00:00.002-08:002018-01-24T10:00:19.070-08:00Supervising your First PhDHere is a short video from the webinar that I ran in December 2017 for Times Higher Education ... just click <a href="https://eu-lti.bbcollab.com/recording/e14585f8c6174982a65279d26b2fe324" target="_blank">here</a>.Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-70094001379065271902018-01-15T01:52:00.004-08:002018-01-15T01:52:46.903-08:00Supervising your First PhD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildHqNHnR3p0F_xk-j955JnTGili5LxXIIH3iIo_7Vk63fc0cwb3N6LH2DVRQeEBtw4ih_9GwqAH3fyahRxMaCZwMpDOKG-tdBkgdpaH3GrBdNHEXJTDZSvUt72rakTmrPcRmxGtlmOKy2/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="820" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildHqNHnR3p0F_xk-j955JnTGili5LxXIIH3iIo_7Vk63fc0cwb3N6LH2DVRQeEBtw4ih_9GwqAH3fyahRxMaCZwMpDOKG-tdBkgdpaH3GrBdNHEXJTDZSvUt72rakTmrPcRmxGtlmOKy2/s320/Capture.PNG" width="295" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A version of this article also appeared in the Times Higher Education which you can find <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/career-advice-how-supervise-phd-student-first-time" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many cultures have rites of
passage whether it involves being sent into the wilderness for a fortnight
armed only with a stick and some string or sitting opposite an internal and
external examiner for your PhD viva.
Such events mark the transition to full membership of a particular group
or community. Passing your PhD grants you permission to operate as an
independent researcher without the need for further supervision. PhD students can draw on many survival guides
that offer advice on everything from <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/blogs/phd-diary-where-do-i-begin">where
to begin</a> to <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/how-manage-your-phd-supervisor">how
to manage your PhD supervisor</a>. Transitioning
from the position of PhD student to that of PhD supervisor tends to garner less
attention, but not everyone manages the transition gracefully. Here are five things that can help you become
an effective supervisor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Begin at the
beginning</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As an experienced
researcher, PhD supervision gives you a chance to share the accumulated wisdom of
your own PhD journey and anything else that has followed.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">However, you need to start at ground zero with
each new student to help build a shared sense of what good practice looks
like.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Take a small batch of seminal
papers and agree to read them before swapping notes.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This simple step will allow you the chance to
demonstrate how to scrutinise the key ideas, assumptions, limitations and
contributions that each author or authoring team make in their paper.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Doing so in the style of a collaborative,
worked example will help set a particular tone that will pay rich rewards in
the months and years ahead.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Being clear
about the level of depth and the practicalities of note taking is as important
as showing how you approach the basic task of getting to grips with the
literature.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This shouldn’t be entirely
selfless.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Bear in mind that you might
learn something yourself.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Your new PhD
student might be a digital native who has some new-fangled means of using
Faceweb on the Intertube that you haven’t yet seen.</span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Give the
feedback you wish you’d received</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bemoaning the failings
of your supervisor represents one of the most common ways of establishing
rapport amongst a group of doctoral students.
They’re never there, they don’t give detailed comments, they’re always
in a rush, they’ve forgotten about me, and so forth. Whilst there is some evidence that dogs
become more like their owners over time, each new supervisory relationship represents
your opportunity to break the cycle.
Remember back to your own </span><a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/career-advice-how-to-overcome-the-six-most-common-phd-worries"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">anxieties and needs as a PhD student</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> and try to offer your new student
the kind of supervision that you wish you had received. Draw on your own supervision experiences,
whether these were of being micromanaged or involved Zen-like levels of
disinterest. These formative experiences
probably mean that you know what you should offer to your new student. Be bold and strive to provide the right
balance between nurturing and challenging.
Yet, whilst you’re trying to be the best supervisor you can be, you’ll
also need to balance the other demands that arise in modern academic life.
Maybe you’ll find yourself reflecting on the reasons they were always in a
rush, never there, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Don’t meddle
with the space-time continuum</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even a
passing familiarity with the Whovian universe, the plot of Back to the Future
or anything Trekkie-related generates the firm conviction that the past should
remain another country. As a new
supervisor, one of the worst mistakes you could make would be to overlook quite
how inexperienced you were as a new PhD student. Unfortunately we tend to airbrush out your early,
bumbling incompetence and concentrate on the latter-day, polished
professionalism that you now exhibit. Don’t
set supervisory expectations around the version of you that completed your own
PhD some time ago. Rather, set them at the more modest level of the version of
you that started your PhD journey even longer ago. Visiting unrealistic expectations on your new
student is a recipe for unhappiness.
You’ll be disappointed. They’ll be confused. Worse, you might meet your
earlier self in a plot twist where parallel universes collide and which is
unlikely to end well. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Be patient,
supportive yet demanding</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Newly qualified
supervisors can be amongst the most demanding because they remember the
intensity of writing up and preparing for a viva. Having recently watched their own work be
subjected to unforgiving scrutiny in the context of a viva, new doctoral graduates
can, in turn, impose demands when they come to supervise and/or examine. However, a PhD is more expedition than
sprint. Try to remember this,
particularly in the early months because your new student will no doubt
experience plenty of false dawns and blind alleys as they grapple with the
literature, realise that accessing data might be tricky and worry about their
methodological preferences. Simply being
there and empathising isn’t enough either. You face the particular challenge of
finding the right times and the right issues over which to demand higher
quality work than your student feels that they can produce. Done well this will
later be recounted as providing inspiration. Handled badly, you’ll be
constructed as the uncaring task master that made the whole thing unnecessarily
tense. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Notice your
own foibles</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is natural for us
to develop particular quirks and irks in our reading, reviewing and
supervising. Mine are research questions
and contribution statements. I can’t help myself poking and prodding at these
in search of either weaknesses and inconsistencies, or in a more benign sense,
eloquence and guile. As you offer
feedback on written work, draft presentations, posters and the like, see if you
can spot common themes. What piques your interest? What drives you to
distraction? Ask your students to share your feedback on their written work
with each other. It is likely that they
will spot the common themes for you. In
part, this reflection might help you think about your own development. Once you know the common themes, it is
incumbent on you to offer some exemplars when students ask the not unreasonable
question “so what would good look like”? Cultivate a little stock pile of
excellent literature reviews, contribution statements, analyses of data, etc.
Have these to hand and offer them as a complement to the red ink offered in your
feedback. These examples don’t have to
be in exactly the same subject area, methodological tradition or empirical
context. Indeed, it may be helpful if they aren’t. They don’t even have to be
particularly contemporary. But you should be able to act in the Graham Norton
role whilst fronting the imaginary Channel 5 show called “top 10 research
papers ever”. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-12766968126976847402017-12-05T06:48:00.001-08:002017-12-05T06:48:19.547-08:00Last Chance to Register ...There is a free webinar running on Friday 15th December @ 11.30 (GMT) ... you can register by clicking <span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/M9MV357" target="_blank">here</a></span><br />
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Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-72435858899661664612017-12-01T01:54:00.004-08:002017-12-01T01:54:52.833-08:00Thinking About a Doctorate?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBzm2lk46Q0d6bl62KumRq-BTbjfjgf5sHgEBI7TkeZSRo2Gtzt6nj0Aek3CyspxyVjRA83GM2yrBLHrmXUGjLa8OoxEsqJVQCXog8FewhhMPFhjtzW-j6B3W95kKaIbOkV9Qlrg9eGVF/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1600" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBzm2lk46Q0d6bl62KumRq-BTbjfjgf5sHgEBI7TkeZSRo2Gtzt6nj0Aek3CyspxyVjRA83GM2yrBLHrmXUGjLa8OoxEsqJVQCXog8FewhhMPFhjtzW-j6B3W95kKaIbOkV9Qlrg9eGVF/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Many readers of ThePhDBlog are in the early stages of thinking about a doctoral level qualification. Indeed, the blog was originally set up to help answer many of the frequently asked questions that arose in discussions that I had with applicants to an Executive PhD programme that I used to run at a former institution ... and since then many thousands have read posts addressing pre-doctorate topics.<br />
<br />
One of the biggest challenges potential doctoral candidates face is knowing where to start. I'm therefore delighted to say that a pre-doctoral training programme is being run by colleagues in January 2018. It will run at Heriot-Watt's Dubai campus and is the first in a series of sessions designed to help you move from the initial inclination to pursue a doctorate to the point of having a well-honed and workable research proposal. Many of the themes covered in this blog such handling the literature, developing a suitable method and identifying the right supervision for you will be covered in depth and in person. It's a tremendous opportunity to start your doctoral journey on a firm footing. If you are interested in finding out more about this pre-doctoral training you can click <a href="http://www.ebsglobal.net/dba-apply" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>.Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-11094260419450165292017-11-17T01:46:00.000-08:002017-11-17T02:23:22.333-08:00Free Webinar - Supervising a PhD for the First Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZINjdnOJ-szdzUlWAPzHimZxIVRoFmUtumyzTgodEixkdiAQQ0ctBzpsrwGuLHWI4jdmdsZCtMgR32UTRok0meBON7xcyf787Fwjxj_N5h5Jz9TyGJaMU_GkyXa8_X1ACeyPX4G80biD/s1600/THE+Webinar+-+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZINjdnOJ-szdzUlWAPzHimZxIVRoFmUtumyzTgodEixkdiAQQ0ctBzpsrwGuLHWI4jdmdsZCtMgR32UTRok0meBON7xcyf787Fwjxj_N5h5Jz9TyGJaMU_GkyXa8_X1ACeyPX4G80biD/s1600/THE+Webinar+-+1.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm delighted to be teaming up with Times Higher Education to offer a webinar on the process of becoming a PhD Supervisor for the first time. ThePhDBlog.com is crammed full of advice for PhD students and in December will pass its 350,000th download. To celebrate and to offer something to those who have been following the since 2009 this webinar offers a chance to hear the do's and don'ts ... useful for supervisors and students alike. Why not sign up <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/M9MV357" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: yellow;">here</span> </a>... it is on the 15th December 2017. I look forward to seeing you there.<br />
<br />
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<br />Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-19194933390510187962017-10-27T06:56:00.000-07:002017-10-27T06:56:31.552-07:00Excelling at University Admin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhVDhDvS7J_wfnR5Q71KAZw18ZBX7je3c79FwnQOWFlC2XzNVem_ISyYm6-DYwzt0U4vY4EfnagXTaKkdfTGt5ZMHPWZeT3D0asYmuYmbyPwRg15u5MhYhJ-ymnTpiaQHS1MIDoCjMgeK/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="769" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhVDhDvS7J_wfnR5Q71KAZw18ZBX7je3c79FwnQOWFlC2XzNVem_ISyYm6-DYwzt0U4vY4EfnagXTaKkdfTGt5ZMHPWZeT3D0asYmuYmbyPwRg15u5MhYhJ-ymnTpiaQHS1MIDoCjMgeK/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the modern organisational
landscape, universities have stood the test of time yet a quaint perception of tranquillity
often colours the expectations of those with limited exposure to the
sector. They imagine ivory towers
populated with academics so enthralled by the pursuit of new knowledge that
they are impervious to pleas from the wider public to avoid corduroy and sandal/sock
combinations. Those inside the sector see a different reality where our
universities face a dynamic, challenging and globally competitive landscape of
rankings and endless measurement.
Despite this, universities still tend to describe those tasks that
relate to the day to day running of our organisations as “admin” with suitable
connotations of Civil Service circa 1950.
Vice Chancellors may talk in terms of leadership, Lord Adonis might rail
against the growing ranks of “senior management” but early career academics will
most likely be invited to take on an admin role. Here’s how to make the best of the
opportunity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">See it as an
opportunity</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As an
academic you’ll most likely be aware that someone is responsible for the
allocation of your duties each year.
These duties are typically categorised under the headings of teaching,
research and administration. Whether it
is your Head of Department, Subject Leader, Head of Institute or some other
title, someone will have to find a “volunteer” to take on a plethora of admin duties
such as course leader, year group head, programme director and the like. Outbreaks of rampant volunteering are rare
when trying to find colleagues willing to take on such tasks and therein lies
the opportunity. The stark reality is that your university needs someone to
fulfil these roles in order to function.
When it comes to annual review conversations and eventually to
promotion, your CV will look infinitely more rounded if it demonstrates that
you have the capacity to get things done. Yes, your teaching and research need
to be good, but unless they are absolutely stellar you’ll be better placed to
advance your career if you can point to some admin experience. That aside, you’ll have marked yourself out
from the crowd by the simple act of volunteering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Clarify what’s
expected of you</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Admin roles
vary in size, shape and complexity.
Don’t just say yes without any discussion. Ask what the role entails. Is
there a job description? Can you speak to the current incumbent? What would
“good” look like? And, how long would you be expected to hold to the role? These questions should form the basis of a
constructive discussion with whoever is asking you to take on the role. Done badly this could be heard as a set of
ransom demands by your line manager. Done well however, these questions could
help shape your own career development. Be open about what you are hoping to
achieve from the role and get your colleague(s) to be clear about their
expectations. If possible, ask to shadow
someone who is doing the role or find a mentor who is regarded as having been a
success in the role.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Chronicle
your achievements</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you buy the advice
that volunteering for admin roles will help you as you move forward in your
career, then it follows logically that you should keep records before, during
and after your tenure in such roles.
Capture some metrics as you come into the role, how many of, how long
things take, how people rate the service, etc. The specifics will depend on the
role but you and others will have a sense of what the key measures are (if only
because you’ll have been regaled with tales of woe that reflect when and where
things have gone wrong). Set yourself
the task of improving some of these measures and keep notes of what you’ve
changed, who you’ve worked with to effect improvements and what evidence there
is that you have delivered. In the
pre-internet era, one of my first administrative roles was that of Exams
Officer. I simplified the process that I
inherited because it involved colleagues completing over 20 different forms. My radical innovation was to use a single
form that logged who approved what, and when.
Hardly ground breaking, but keeping copies of the old and the new forms
allowed me to demonstrate the improvement and critically, my role in it. Simply
holding a role title won’t be enough come annual review time, promotion panels
or interviews. You’ll be asked what you achieved. Better yet, if the performance measures drop
off after you demit office, note these too such that you can present an heroic
narrative that all was well when you were in charge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Use the
chance to learn how your industry works</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Your university will
likely have a turnover in excess of some Premier League football teams. In that multi-million pound environment,
money doesn’t just appear any more than Gold TEF awards or upper quartile
rankings in the Times Higher simply happen. Use your involvement in the day to
day running of the organisation to help build your understanding of how your
industry works. Admin roles can offer you
a first chance to move beyond your own discipline to see how other parts of
your own university operate and even how other universities operate. Speak to
the people you meet, ask questions of your external examiners, ask your
research colleagues how they execute the tasks for which you’ve been given
responsibility in their institutions. It
may be that you find that you have a
talent for organizing. If so, you’ll feel yourself being sucked into that specific
sub-set of academic life that leads inexorably toward greater and greater
administrative responsibility. Vice
Chancellors have to start somewhere after all.
You might equally have a complete aversion to anything that takes you
away from the academic purity of learning and advancing human knowledge. Even if that is the case, you’ll be better
able to interface with those who do run your university if you understand your
organisation as an organisation. Even better, take the time to learn the
language, syntax and grammar of the administrative conversations that influence
your working environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Make a
difference</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Take a
moment and realise that whatever the admin role and however low-status it may
appear to you or to your colleagues, it is probably central to continued
functioning of your university. If you
think something is either inefficient or fundamentally wrong with the processes
for which you now find yourself responsible, do something about it. Of course, you could shrug your shoulders and
bemoan your misfortune for having taken on this particular admin role at this
particular time. Ultimately though, universities don’t do things, people
do. Don’t expect some faceless “other”
whether it is the faculty, the university centre, IT or even senior management
to sort everything. Instead, recognise that you might be best placed to make a
difference. Yes, your computer systems may still operate on punch cards. Yes,
the governance structure may require you to get 7 people to sign off on the
most basic decisions. Yes, you wouldn’t tolerate this level of hassle from your
bank or insurance provider and you can’t believe there’s still a role for
coloured carbon copy paper. But, the more impoverished the starting point, the
easier it should be to make things even a little better. Make an active choice
to see yourself as an advocate for better processes, systems, decisions, etc.
The alternative casts you as bystander and being passive isn’t good for you,
your students or ultimately your university. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-15778080114393380212017-09-03T11:34:00.000-07:002017-09-03T11:34:24.087-07:00How to run a tutorial for the first timeDoctoral students are often the opportunity to dip their toes in the world of university teaching. This might be a condition of your funding e.g. when you are a graduate teaching assistant or it could represent a chance to earn a little extra money during your doctorate. Either way, stepping over to the other side of the lecturer/student divide can be a challenge. Here are some pointers for anyone<a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/career-advice-how-to-run-a-tutorial-for-the-first-time" target="_blank"> taking their first tutorial</a>. Enjoy.<br />
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Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-64941826035951920042017-05-02T14:27:00.000-07:002017-05-02T14:27:12.765-07:00300,000 visits and countingThe PhD Blog reached a milestone today having received its 300,000th visitor ... the audience for the blog is drawn from all over the globe and readers go far beyond the boundaries of management research. It started in 2009 as a set of frequently asked questions about PhD study and has offered a resource to PhD students ever since. It is gratifying to see the blog still creating a forum for discussion and feedback on all matters PhD. This week also saw the publication of a the top sources of stress for PhD students in the UK's Times Higher Education which you can find <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/career-advice-how-to-overcome-the-six-most-common-phd-worries" target="_blank">here</a> and summarised in the poster below.<br />
<br />
Thanks for your continued interest in the PhD Blog.<br />
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<br />Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-56911633628871068052017-02-25T08:47:00.001-08:002017-02-25T08:47:49.488-08:00How to Co-author Effectively<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnimbkQflcFNQysvnoPQYcm70rbwzipcum5uJit0nF5j1R99JqMtGN8jLofVzcZmSFLlKzMQdFRGLaOQDBGckQUrwvo3NMPXTqEhd2MR2vY8N2MgKNV2jIcjI9kv8OBs12H_5thy-S1vO/s1600/Coauthoring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnimbkQflcFNQysvnoPQYcm70rbwzipcum5uJit0nF5j1R99JqMtGN8jLofVzcZmSFLlKzMQdFRGLaOQDBGckQUrwvo3NMPXTqEhd2MR2vY8N2MgKNV2jIcjI9kv8OBs12H_5thy-S1vO/s320/Coauthoring.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Agree everything in
advance and capture in a pre-nuptial agreement <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Regardless of whether
you are working with close friends or people you hardly know, find the time and
bravado to broach the difficult issues in advance.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The most socially neutral thing to suggest is
that you and your co-authors are listed on the masthead alphabetically. This
however, is more attractive if you’re an Atkins than a Zabinsky. Be wary of
anyone bearing the double-barrelled surname Aardvark-Zabinsky; they’ve probably
had some difficult co-authoring experiences and arrived in your life via the
branch of local government that deals with changing your name by
deed-poll. However, it isn’t just about author
order. Think about who owns the data, what happens if you want to write a
follow up paper without the original team (perhaps because you’ve vowed never
to work with them again), who is the “returning officer” for the paper in terms
of research assessment exercises, etc. Like any relationship, these things
might seem unnecessary and unlikely in the first flush of a new writing
partnership. Ask some senior colleagues and you’ll find that most experienced
academics could shame the late Zsa Zsa Gabor with their trail of broken
authoring relationships.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Have a clear division
of labour<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Agree up front who
will do what in the co-authoring team such that everyone is aware that they
have something substantive to do.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">The transition from initial idea to published
artefact usually involves a significant amount of time and effort pursuing a
variety of tasks. These range from
scanning the literature to gathering data and from negotiating with editors to
making the diagrams look presentable.
For your co-authoring experience to feel collaborative it helps that
these tasks are identified and shared amongst the members of your authoring
team. As a basic premise, authoring
traditionally means the writing of words. In academia authoring might not
involve actual words but could involve gathering data, coding, analysing,
developing conceptual models, reviewing, editing or any number of other things.
Make a list. Be clear on who is doing which bits. If you’ve had difficult experiences
in earlier co-authoring teams you might feel the need for a Gantt chart or even
some pledges.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Know how your
co-authors work<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Discuss the process
that your new co-authors go through as they craft a publishable artefact. That
way you’ll know what to expect.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">How people actually write is important. We are
not referring to questionable use punctuation or appalling grammar but rather
to the actual creative process of writing. Some co-authors may want regular
contact and the opportunity for informal chats over endless cups of tea,
huddled round a computer screen or staring at a whiteboard. For them, these might be the vital social
interactions which underpin the creative process. For others it might simply
seem a waste of time. Neither view is right but knowing whether to schedule
another chat or wait until someone shares a draft of something worth sharing is
important. It is easy to see how an irretrievable breakdown can occur if you
have very different creative processes and haven’t taken the time to set
expectations. Attitude to deadlines is another area of friction. Are you by
nature an observer of deadlines or do you regard them as the opening salvo in a
negotiating process where only a fool would fold that easily? Again, it is
important to know both your own norms and those of your co-authors especially
if you want to write together again.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Develop the hide of a
Rhinoceros <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Opportunities for
academics to take offence are legion. If
you want a co-authoring relationship to work you’re going to have to get over
the idea that all criticism is personal.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Some of us craft every line and syllable with
the care of a poet. If you are the type of author who cares deeply and
profoundly over every carefully crafted turn of phrase there is a very real
chance that you will find co-authoring relationships traumatic. Especially
where you are working with new people.
Nevertheless, it is important to hear feedback when it is offered. Don’t
fret over your much loved alliteration or pithy tone. Remember that there should
be some difference from the tone of your solo authored work; that is the
intention after all. And remember that your co-authors are probably playing the
field. Monogamy in co-authoring
relationships is not unheard of, but rampant polygamy is much more the
norm. Some relationships turn out to be
for life. Some will start for a reason then only last a season. Try to learn how to improve your own writing
and carry those lessons forward regardless.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Pull your weight<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>If you are pulling
your own weight in your shared endeavours then you will be better able to
chastise your co-authors should the need arise.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">There should be no such thing as a free
publication. The number of co-authors varies by field meaning that there are no
hard and fast rules. Papers with over
1000 authors occur in the sciences and even one case with 5000 authors. If you
find yourself in one of those co-authoring teams you really only need one or
two words each, but proof reading by committee might be a challenge. These
extremes tend to be the exception rather than the norm. In the social sciences singled authored
papers remain commonplace, with two to five being seen as entirely normal. Even with solo authoring there can be trust
issues and that escalates in a non-linear way the more authors you add. If you’ve already divided up the tasks
involved it helps but doesn’t completely mitigate the propensity to feel like
you’re doing more than your fair share. Be willing to have awkward
conversations but only if you are completely confident that you’ve done all the
things you promised to do.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Remember that editing
is a form of writing<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Writing the first draft
and editing the final one are both forms of writing. Recognise that editing is
a critical skill which more than justifies the status of co-author if done
well.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Some authors are good at first drafts. Others
are better at polishing the final draft. In between are those whose gift is a
form of structural engineering that sees whole chunks of text move around as
arguments take shape and a workable narrative arc is refined. Be clear where
and when you are adding value to the paper. It is questionable whether spotting
the occasional typo or stray apostrophe counts as co-authoring. If your name is
listed with the authors rather than in the acknowledgements you should be able
to point to the specific things that you’ve added (or deleted). Early discussions
about any “thou shalt not delete” sections, ideas or quotes obviously helps
diffuse tension in the editing process.
That said, a healthy co-authoring team has the emotional bandwidth to
handle reducing an entire section to a few punchy sentences even if the blame
is laid squarely with the reviewers for appearances sake. Those few remaining words might be the hook
on which the entire paper hangs.
Co-authoring is therefore as much about ideas as words.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Remember your status <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>All co-authors are
equal, but some are more equal than others. Knowing where you are in the
hierarchy can help smooth the social process.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Sometimes it is hard to escape the Orwellian
sense in which co-authoring hierarchies subtly reassert themselves. On the surface, you are part of the same team
pulling in the same direction but there is more than likely some implicit
hierarchy. There may be an author in
chief who simply shouts some encouragement periodically in person or by Skype.
There are probably some worker bees who feel that they are doing most of the
heavy lifting. Each may regard the other as ballast; but in principle at least,
each could be adding something valuable.
If you are a PhD student or an early career researcher you might feel
slightly peeved by those you consider to be acting as frictional drag. In those
circumstances, the question you should be asking is would the paper survive
without others and the answer is often no.
If you want to learn the craft of publishing, working with a more
experienced author makes sense. You may simply have to accept that you learn
valuable authoring lessons (and some life lessons) in any asymmetrical writing
relationship. Who knows, if it works you
might one day be seen as the ballast by the next generation of researchers.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Exploit your networks<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Who to work with?
Think about the people you know, colleagues, supervisors, examiners are a very
good place to start, who would like to work with?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Senior academics get asked to co-author a lot
and not always because of their magnetic personality and fantastic mentoring
skills. At the end of every seminar or
conference paper they are surrounded by a small huddle of people offering
chances to collaborate on something which draws directly on their big ideas.
Consequently such established stars tend to have a well-honed routine for
avoiding such career development opportunities.
Think about it from their perspective. They probably have a bulging
pipeline of new projects, some established co-authoring relationships of their
own, some PhD students to whom they feel a moral obligation. What is it about
your proposed collaboration that would deliver something of value to them?
There could be access to a new and interesting data set or the chance to learn
about a new theoretical domain or context.
What can you bring to the table beyond the evident need to get yourself
published? A good starting point is to remember that co-authoring is not just
about the writing, ideally find people that you like as human beings and with
whom you can get on well. Charm, enthusiasm and the low-maintenance sense in
which you look to be both polite and competent helps a great deal.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>(re)evaluate the
experience <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Take the time to
assess the pros and cons of each co-authoring arrangement and act on the
conclusions.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">There are a number of criteria that you can use
to evaluate a co-authoring experience. Is it helping you publish to a standard
that you could not yet attain alone? If the answer is yes then you are probably
still learning things and developing as an author. If publications aren’t
appearing at all, at the rate you hoped or in the right standard of outlet then
maybe it isn’t working. Are you enjoying it? Of course, it could be hell but
rewarding; equally, it could be fun but frustrating. Ideally you’re looking to
combine something which is socially rewarding, developmental and delivering
better results than you could achieve as a solo author. Why bother if you don’t
enjoy at least some aspects of the co-authoring relationship? Are you being
honest? If you are having offline discussions about who is claiming what from
the paper (e.g. who claims the paper for REF or claims to have taken the lead
for the purposes of a promotion case, etc.). If so this is usually an indicator
that all is not well. And just because things used to work well is no guarantee
that they will continue to do so indefinitely. Evaluating what you’re getting
out of it in the here and now is important. Co-authoring, just like other forms
of relationship, takes on-going maintenance.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Break up gracefully<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Not all co-authoring
relationships last so, if you have decided to go your separate ways, try to
consciously uncouple in a way which doesn’t do lasting damage. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Some high-profile co-authors are also married to
each other. You can imagine that this further exacerbates the potential for an acrimonious
break up when things go wrong. Even if you’re not married there remains a need
to find a way of exiting gracefully as you never know when your paths will
cross again. Well intentioned co-authoring teams can head inexorably toward an
irretrievable breakdown for any or all of the same reasons as marriages:
psychological immaturity; incompatibility; relationship entered into under
false pretences; or even, nonconsummation – i.e. that the paper never did get
written. Whatever the reason, a good
prenuptial agreement helps (see point 1 above). In the absence of such an
agreement you’ll need to negotiate the distribution of your goods and chattels
as you make clear that you want out.
This can be problematic and it might help to rope in a.n.other as an
honest broker. The longer and more successful
the co-authoring relationship has been, the harder it will be to uncouple.
Where you are agreeing not to go beyond a first publication the process can be
easier. Your joint papers will, however, loiter on your CV as a permanent
reminder of the rich collaboration you once had/the biggest mistake you ever
made (delete as appropriate).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">This advice also appeared in the <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/career-advice-how-to-co-author-research-paper" target="_blank">Times Higher Education Supplement</a>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-12343321588778031972017-01-20T22:48:00.000-08:002017-01-20T22:48:02.299-08:00Impact in Management Research<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">How, when and for whom does management research
create impact?</span> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjom.2017.28.issue-1/issuetoc" target="_blank">British Journal of Management</a> has a new special issue out this month on Impact and Management Research. </span><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09RZ1kzaBh1Lv319ez46fYE6dsSYMpdoIqyy84VxL0QfKWbSfUa-ecP9A3FfPrYDlx-ZBb1olfaHBg0pDAykUMkPZ01RfM7HegIKKSlj8bSlm20cTTTpdgP98I1zRQn9Is6i5HBTjfsK5/s1600/BJM+Impact+SI+Infographic+-+Jan+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09RZ1kzaBh1Lv319ez46fYE6dsSYMpdoIqyy84VxL0QfKWbSfUa-ecP9A3FfPrYDlx-ZBb1olfaHBg0pDAykUMkPZ01RfM7HegIKKSlj8bSlm20cTTTpdgP98I1zRQn9Is6i5HBTjfsK5/s320/BJM+Impact+SI+Infographic+-+Jan+2017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're interested, the visual abstract available <a href="http://tinyurl.com/joychex" target="_blank">here</a> and the abstract is as follows:</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This paper introduces the special issue focusing
on Impact. We present the four papers in
the special issue and synthesise their key themes, including dialogue,
reflexivity and praxis. In addition, we expand
on understandings of impact by exploring how, when and for whom management
research creates impact and we elaborate four ideal types of impact by
articulating both the constituencies for whom impact occurs and the forms it
might take. We identify temporality as critical to a more nuanced
conceptualization of impact and suggest that some forms of impact are
performative in nature. We conclude by suggesting that management as a
discipline would benefit from widening the range of comparator disciplines to
include disciplines such as art, education and nursing where practice, research
and scholarship are more overtly interwoven.</span></span></div>
</div>
Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-79767863742705512422017-01-18T08:43:00.003-08:002017-01-18T08:59:19.653-08:00Top 10 Things Every PhD Student Should Do (at least once)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXQsjGDObelpI2grWANtOzt1B_TNhi9F21CoSIhRiOdoxgwOlRypjBEN-cgW56NKJ1gxte7E6oxeym35OO5T3use5h7sFTv9YMGK9BeWfjwo0hp0OT-eHhm0kIuAwb3sD17LhzLdY_Occ/s1600/Top+10+-+Do+Once.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXQsjGDObelpI2grWANtOzt1B_TNhi9F21CoSIhRiOdoxgwOlRypjBEN-cgW56NKJ1gxte7E6oxeym35OO5T3use5h7sFTv9YMGK9BeWfjwo0hp0OT-eHhm0kIuAwb3sD17LhzLdY_Occ/s320/Top+10+-+Do+Once.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<h1>
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Read beyond your course</span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Visit the library, browse the shelves and pick something
obscure but challenging. Stretching your mind is never a bad thing.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the main dangers with a PhD is you have so much
reading to do, that you stop reading for pleasure. Try and avoid that happening. We’re not talking pulp fiction here but you could
do worse than begin by trying some philosophy (unless that’s what you’re
already studying). Your degree is after
all called a Doctorate in Philosophy. Some exceptionally bright people have
been thinking about the nature of our existence, knowledge, values, reason,
mind, and language for some time now. They may even be brighter than your
supervisor(s). As a genre, philosophical writing is persuasive; you are reading
the opinion of an author trying to convince you of the plausibility or
implausibility of their position. You need to think, reflect upon and carefully
consider the argument. Think of this as a trip to the theory gym following a
New Year’s resolution. In business and management we have become accustomed to practical
or technical discourses with a logical, linear presentational form. Theoretical
forms of thought are often much harder to read.
Don’t skim read but don’t fret if you don’t follow every thought, the
authors probably didn’t when they were writing either. Here a five books to have go at: <i>The Republic</i> (Plato); <i>Tao Te Ching</i> (Lao Tsu); <i>Meditations</i> (Marcus Aurelius); <i>Beyond Good and Evil</i> (Friedrich
Nietzsche), and <i>Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance</i> (Robert Pirsig).
If you are already studying philosophy do something completely
different. Learn to bake, sky dive or play an instrument.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">2. Don’t hide from your anxiety </span><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The support network in most universities is second to none.
Make use of it.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Depending on what report you read or set of statistics you
believe, between 25% and 50% (or more) students say that anxiety affects their
performance at university at some stage.
The same issues affect many academics too. The simple act of acknowledging
your anxiety, preferably in the company of a sympathetic listener, will begin
to make a difference. The relentless advance
of technology has left us “always on” and less able to tolerate ambiguity.
Waiting for anything from an inter-library loan to some feedback on your draft
chapter can create anticipatory anxiety.
Perhaps those who appear relaxed are just better at masking their anxieties.
Most people find deadlines stressful. Seek help early and preferably before
things are seriously interfering with your ability to function. If you’re
worried about the reaction you’ll get console yourself by remembering how much
people in the counselling service, student union or elsewhere would love the
opportunity to make a positive difference. By being brave enough to reach out
to them you’ll end up feeling better and you’ll be keeping them in a job. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">3. Volunteer</span><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Present at conference, lead a workshop in your department,
do a guest lecture or even organise a social activity. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Really, just make a start. Self-starting is an essential
life skill for PhD students and academics alike. Start doing the things that
you had hoped to avoid for as long as humanly possible. Let’s face it sticking your head in the sand only
means you’ll have a lot of sand to wash off when you finally come up for air. Whilst there is always a plausible reason to
defer until tomorrow something that you would rather avoid, the earlier that you
do your first lecture, conference presentation, workshop or interview the less
scary the next one will be. The industry
which you have joined is characterised by public speaking, public scrutiny of
ideas and a general sense in which you’re expected to take the initiative. If
you find these things difficult you have probably chosen the wrong industry. In
time, you might grow to love such tasks but you might not. They are however,
part of the job so volunteering will at least help you develop a coping
strategy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="color: blue;">4. Join the Community </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Jobs don’t materialise in a vacuum. Get to know other
academic and professional services staff.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Being an academic is sometimes described as being a sole
trader. You’re out there on your own trying to sell your ideas to a sometimes
reluctant or indifferent community of people selling their own ideas. One way of coping with the loneliness and
isolation is to join a community. If you look hard enough they’ll be all around
you. Staff-student liaison committees, class reps, alumni societies,
professional bodies, doctoral symposia, conferences and so forth. Volunteering
into such fora will help build your network of professional contacts,
accumulate evidence of your organizational abilities and offer networking
opportunities. Academia is often a
village-like community and knowing the right people in one place can lead to
advance notice of opportunities in another. If that all seems a bit nebulous, focus
your communitarian tendencies on your publishing activities. Attend research
seminars, offer to present working papers, review for relevant conferences and
journals. These will all help hone your publishing instincts and publications
on your CV will dramatically alter the chances of getting short listed for an academic
job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">5. Meet your heroes </span><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>There will be titanic figures in the literature. Try to meet
them and just accept that they can look smaller in real life.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most academic disciplines feature a few celebrities. These
mythical figures are invited to give keynote addresses and seminars. Find a way
to find them but don’t ask them to autograph your tour T Shirt, it will simply
embarrass both of you. Getting the chance to hear people speak about the ideas
that you’ve digested in written form can often lend new insight and offer clues
as to the underpinning thinking and the future direction of travel. Ask them
what they’d be focusing their attention on if they were starting out now, then
filter out the nostalgic “when I was your age” spin that you might hear.
Remember that people and their writing are not necessarily one and the same
thing. Some of the most eloquent texts in your field will have been written by
people who are more bumbling, confusing and disjointed in spoken form. Equally,
the bombast, acerbic humour and comic timing of some academics outweighs their
publishing achievements. Not everyone is a polymath so try not to be too harsh
if your hero doesn’t seem so heroic in person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">6. Do some teaching</span><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Gain first hand practical experience by applying what you
are studying whilst you are still studying it. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Teaching is the lifeblood of every university. It offers you
the perfect forum in which to share all this knowledge that you are
accumulating. What could be better that
a class of unsuspecting undergrads who will hang on your every word, either
through their shared love for the subject or because they fear you may have a
hand in marking their work. Your family
and friends (in the real world) have probably stopped listening to you or even
pretending to show an interest in your PhD. Focus your energies on a captive
audience of students instead. This, of course, is a double edged sword. You might
love or hate it, you might be find it easy or more challenging than you’d
imagined. Better to find out early in your career. You might hope to land a full-time academic job
when you graduate. Worst case scenario, you’ll gain the knowledge that you
don’t really want to dedicate your career to teaching earlier than might
otherwise have been the case. Either way, you’ll be accumulating valuable CV
collateral which will stand you in good stead once you complete your PhD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">7. Become Multicultural </span><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Speaking a.n.other language helps the cognitive process and is
proven to make you smarter/more attractive/richer (delete as appropriate, these
may not all be true).</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You’d be hard pressed to find a PhD programme that isn’t
populated by a diverse mix of nationalities and mother tongues these days. Why
not seize the opportunity of some free tutoring whilst you gain your PhD. Opening your mouth to speak in a ‘foreign
tongue’ is of course a source of potential humiliation. Expect some shoulder
shrugging and occasional outbreaks of sniggering. Get over yourself and get vocal. Speaking a
foreign language helps you negotiate meaning in general and improves your
thinking system. Your memory will
improve, there is some evidence that it can delay the deterioration of your
mental faculties. You’ll become more perceptive and your command of your own
language tends to improve too as hidden grammatical structures reveal
themselves to you. Putting the health benefits to one side, learning the
rudiments of another local language will help with ordering drinks, dinner and
sorting a taxi home. At least making the effort often counts for a great deal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">8. Stay Healthy </span><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Try and main a work life balance; but don’t kid yourself
into thinking you are working when you are not.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A full time PhD is just that, full time. The phrase 9 to 5 is commonly used to
describe the working day, even though many of us work more flexible hours than
that these days. Even allowing for lunch breaks and annual leave that is
somewhere around 1,500 hours per annum. You know what you have to do in the 4,500
hours that your three years comprises (or however long your funding lasts). If
you don’t do the work nobody else is going to do it for you and your PhD
shouldn’t be considered as a zero hours contract. It is a long hard slog. There
will be times when you will feel elated and others when you will bitterly
regret the whole undertaking. Resenting your supervisors, enying your peers
their seemingly smooth passage to a painless completion and being totally sure
you will fail to submit are normal reactions.
Rest assured that most people do finish and that the key dynamic is
essentially about the hours of graft put in at the coal face. Yes, you will need coping strategies to get
through your long dark night of a soul, which might even stretch into your
winter of discontent. Resist urges to grow a beard, establish an allotment,
learn a martial art, become square dance instructor or whatever whimsy might
have fleetingly seemed the best use of your time today. Do you really need to
surf social media, check the gossip columns or watch yet more football. Choose
one thing as a counterbalance to your PhD studies and become good at it, you
have three years after all. Make it something that engages another part of you
and doesn’t simply involve sitting, thinking or reading. Anything from archery
to yoga and most letters in between will do. Whilst you are at that establish a
support network of other PhDs around you. Yes, you are all on an individual
quest, but it is nice to have compatriots with whom you can break bread and
share stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">9. Manage your CV</span><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Start cultivating your CV early because editing and
re-editing helps. And your online profile counts as part of your CV too.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you’ve done everything listed in items 1 to 9 above, you
will have an incredible amount to put on your CV when you graduate. Sadly,
successful CVs aren’t measured in square footage alone. Curate your CV as the public advert for the
person you are, or perhaps wish to become. Linkedin matters and many people use
it as a form of electronic CV. Twitter, Facebook, Researchgate and various
other social media sites are also public domain unless you manage your settings
carefully. Think about the public and private versions of your life. Friends
might get the more informal, jocular, sarcastic version of you. But perhaps you
shouldn’t allow potential employers to have such unrestricted access to your
personality. Find and follow others in your chosen field, both firms and
individuals. Create social media bios wisely, people evaluate you based upon
what they find. The best Twitter bios combine personal information and
professional details and have a confident tone; use a link to your LinkedIn
profile. Keep your tweets professional. More than one politician has come to
regret something tweeted many moons ago and cast up in a less than forgiving
light once they have an important new role.
Academics aren’t quite so high profile but you get the point. Flippancy should be reserved for a gated
community of trusted friends and loved ones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">10. Imagine Life Beyond your Graduation</span><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Allow yourself the luxury of imagining that it has all
worked and your PhD has been completed.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At various points your PhD will seem unattainable in the way
that the summit of Everest, walking on the moon or becoming a billionaire seem
unattainable to most of us. You may be superstitious and not want to jinx the
possibility of a successful completion. But, at least once, you should indulge
yourself by imagining what life would be like post-PhD. Perhaps the main
feature is your graduation day itself with family and friends applauding as you
March confidently across the stage to be greeted by the Chancellor or their
nominee and handed your scroll. Perhaps it is the idea of a business card,
drivers licence or bank card bearing the title Doctor. Maybe it is the idea of correcting a
particularly obnoxious customer service operative with a jaunty "It's Dr
[surname] actually". Whatever it is
that floats your boat, think of it, savour the idea and remind yourself that
some people far less talented than you are now called Doctor.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-56009045325088964592017-01-09T01:34:00.000-08:002017-01-12T04:50:30.110-08:00Top 10 Hints For Understanding Your Ontology, Epistemology and Methodology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHo5zMa_ig6Gz-uM2zVBSYWe_PlIybn6vpYzUUZdrbsRC0Wvob0JYFYJdYzB5CWZnsZOP_pCzkpiO1daKklrCfREOiHarhB2tQb36uRjJUnJwiCU7P_sNpurcfPXLJFQalXuFuwRPSlQA/s1600/Ontology+Epistemology+Methodology.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHo5zMa_ig6Gz-uM2zVBSYWe_PlIybn6vpYzUUZdrbsRC0Wvob0JYFYJdYzB5CWZnsZOP_pCzkpiO1daKklrCfREOiHarhB2tQb36uRjJUnJwiCU7P_sNpurcfPXLJFQalXuFuwRPSlQA/s320/Ontology+Epistemology+Methodology.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Don’t worry about the words<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>The “ology” words are not commonly used even in Greek, the
language from which they are derived.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When you begin writing for research you'll need to get to
grips with some challenging academic language. In particular, you need to get
on top of three very important concepts: Ontology, Epistemology and Methodology.
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/odtwrc8" target="_blank">For no apparent reason, research philosophy tends to send research students into a mild panic</a>. The befuddlement caused by a range of new terminology
relating to the philosophy of knowledge is unnecessary when all that you are
trying to achieve is some clarity over the status of any knowledge claims you
make in your study. Within the broader context of the social sciences, there
are standard philosophical positions required to specify the particular form of
research you plan to undertake. Collectively, these positions will define what is
sometimes referred to as a research design. To comprehensively specify your research
design there are five interlocking choices that you, the researcher, should
make when specifying how you plan to execute your research: 1. Ontology and 2. Epistemology (which together form your
research paradigm) then 3. Methodology 4. Techniques (your data gathering) and 5.
Data Analysis Approaches. There is no
single ‘right’ way to undertake research, but there are distinct traditions,
each of which tends to operate with its own, internally consistent, set of
choices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Choose your Ontology<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Ontology is the branch of philosophy
that deals with the trivial issue of the nature of reality. </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In choosing an ontological position, you are setting out the
nature of the world and your place within it.
Simple yet fundamental stuff. Ontology
is rarely used beyond academic institutions and it can therefore be difficult
to know how to use it confidently. The word ‘biology’ means the study of life (since
‘bios’ means life). Using the same logic, ‘onto’ translates as ‘being’ or
‘reality’ hence ontology concerns the nature of reality. Beyond the realms of science fiction or
fantasy novels, we tend to go about our daily lives with a view that there is only
one reality. Yet the Matrix, Narnia and many other fictions are inspired by the
idea that this is an unnecessarily limited view of the world. Perhaps, the most
well-known of these is the brain-in-a-vat scenario, whereby scientists
stimulate a disembodied brain with such precision that it emulates a realistic sense
of participation in what we call reality. Does the brain experience reality, or
is the experience of the scientist somehow more real?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. Know your Epistemology<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of
knowledge and is therefore central to any research claims to contribute new
knowledge.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Epistemology concerns the way(s) in which we set about obtaining
valid knowledge. For instance, if you are asked for the time, and guess it
correctly without a watch, is this reliable knowledge? Or should this guess be
verified somehow? Would hearing the familiar beeping that announces the time
having struck the relevant hour represent definitive confirmation of the
precise time. Or, would you be unsettled
to know that transmissions in AM, FM and digital forms of radio can generate
varying delays when replayed through particular devices? The importance placed
on the verified accuracy of the time would depend upon the context in which you
need to know. If you’re trying to catch
a connecting flight the acceptable level of variation may extend to a few
minutes. If you are trying to choreograph an Olympic opening ceremony it
probably doesn’t. The term epistemology
can be also be deconstructed; ‘episteme’ means knowledge and in literal terms, epistemology
is the study of knowledge. By being
clear about the way(s) in which we might obtain valid knowledge we are in turn
being clear about the nature of any knowledge claim that we might make. The observation that happier workers tend to
be more productive is one such knowledge claim.
As a researcher, you may wish to debate the validity of such a claim,
citing other factors that might influence happiness, productivity, or the
relationship between the two. Hence, we
are required to draw connections between the assumptions we hold about reality
(ontology) and the ways in which we might develop valid knowledge
(epistemology), even if we often tend not to do so explicitly in anything other
than the formal, and somewhat erroneously labelled, setting of a methodology
chapter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. Establish your Methodology<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Don’t default to contrasting quantitative and qualitative,
define your methodology in more sophisticated terms. </i></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Methodology is the most commonly used of the ology words. It
tends to be used as a shorthand for the ways in which your epistemology,
ontology and methodology interconnect. Certain methods of data gathering and
analysis tend to follow from certain research paradigms, although it is
important to notice that these implied pathways are not fixed. What is truly
important is your ability to recognise and justify the interlocking choices
which represent your own research design. That is essentially what any PhD
examiner or journal editor is looking for when reading your methodology
chapter/section. Someone expressing an
objective ontology with a positivist epistemological approach would be making
two choices that are naturally aligned in what would often be seen as the
conventional and scientific tradition.
Trying to understand whether happy workers are more productive from within
such a tradition would likely involve statistical techniques, control groups
and the generation of generalizable laws setting out reliable relationships
between happiness and productivity. The
same research topic could equally be approached from a subjective ontology generating
a more interpretivist approach but both the research itself and the nature of
the claims made would be fundamentally different. Telling the reader that you
chose quantitative over qualitative (or vice versa) simply doesn’t cut it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5. So what is the difference between
ontology, epistemology and methodology?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>They each set out aspects of the knowledge claim you are
making from your research </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Simply put, ontology relates to the assumptions we make
about the nature of reality, epistemology sets out beliefs about how one might
discover knowledge about that reality and methodology specifies the tools and
techniques that we use in the conduct of our research. Critically, these three words form
relationships to each other. You ontological and epistemological positions
should have some bearing on your methodology, which in turn sets out the data
collection and analysis techniques that you will employ (assuming of course
that your ontology and epistemology don’t challenge the very idea of either data
or analyses). In the social sciences getting on top of these individual
concepts and their relationship(s) to each other is vital if you want to (a) be
able to write articulately for publication and (b) want to avoid social gaffes
in your viva / thesis / dissertation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">6. Ideally, choose your
techniques last</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Don’t start gathering data until you have taken a position
on the ologies. Techniques flow from
ologies and not the other way around.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Asking how many interviews will be enough depends critically
on why you are doing them. You could be doing interviews ‘as counting’: how
many times when people say A do they also say B. Alternatively, the same interviewer and
interviewees could be trying to explore meaning such that you begin to
understand how people make sense of A happening when B has not. What would constitute good practice in terms
of your research is therefore contingent on the nature of the knowledge claim
that you hope to make. You will only be able to articulate a defensible
position by setting out your position in relation to the ologies. This is why a PhD is a doctorate in philosophy
and why you have to “defend” your thesis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">7. Mix your techniques not your
ologies </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Mixed data collection techniques are de rigueur, however mixed ologies represent an academic faux pas</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Vegans rarely order steak, democrats rarely vote republican. Both options, whilst hypothetically possible,
represent a lack of consistency that tends to be read as untrustworthy. Be clear and consistent in your choice of
ologies in order to avoid being seen as flaky, out of your depth or downright
deceptive. Individual researchers can mix their ologies but not within the same
research project. These three key concepts
emanate from philosophy but it isn’t necessary to have studied philosophy in
order to make sense of the terminology.
In essence, you need to set out your research philosophy in order to
signal to other researchers where your research fits in their world. If you are
being examined (for a PhD or perhaps by an editor or reviewer), you need to
show that you have engaged in a conscious set of choices that are internally
consistent. Historically, certain research philosophies may have been used for
certain topics and methods, yet it would be foolhardy to dismiss the potential
for innovation to be found in combining ideas and mixing methods. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">8. Classify your heroes<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>The seminal authors on your field will probably don’t state
their choice of ologies explicitly in their written work. However, you should be
able to classify their works </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The seminal authors in your field will have been read by
many. This is what confers on them their status as a hero, often earning them
the right to be named as the definite article in the coffee breaks of
international conferences and airport lounges … “that’s THE [insert
name]”. Despite their extensive
readership and weighty H index, they probably don’t use the ology words in
their written output. Indeed, it is relatively rare to find a paper that states
that the research was conducted from within a subjective ontology and was interpretivist
in its epistemology, whilst adopting a qualitative methodology. There are many reasons for this, not least
the one that is springing into your mind just now! However, as a means of
checking your understanding of these terms, you could and should attempt to
classify the empirical works of the seminal figures in your field. You could use <a href="http://www.methodsmap.org/" target="_blank">the Methods Map</a> as a quick means of classifying each piece and ask your supervisor to do the same. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">9. Think of simple example.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Regardless of what you are studying it is helpful to check
your understanding of these obscure terms using a simple example like
temperature </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">From an empirically positivist point of view the temperature
outside is currently +10.5°C. This could be presented as an unambiguous fact, verifiable
independently by individual observers normally using a thermometer. Largely it
shouldn’t matter who is holding the thermometer or taking the reading, it
should still read +10.5°C. In contrast, a
constructionist view of temperature would be influenced by social norms,
upbringing and beliefs. It would vary between contexts and individual such that
it would matter very much who was holding the thermometer. Someone whose
childhood was spent near the equator would find +10.5°C decidedly chilly
whereas someone whose childhood was spent in the Arctic Circle might find it
positively balmy. Further nuances would
be revealed by considering whether warm clothing was seen as a sign of opulence
or an indication that you were in some way weak-willed. Fond childhood memories
of family holidays spend on the tundra / sand dunes (delete as appropriate)
would likely add further colour to one’s perception of the temperature. Remember
above all that you, the research should choose a thermometer or a diary study
as the appropriate methods for your study once you have made your initial
choice of ology. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">10. Check in with your supervisor <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Having classified some of your heroes check whether your
supervisor agrees with your classification. </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">First, be sure to classify your supervisors as a
heroes. Even if the thought of them in tights
armed with a handy cape become uncomfortably rooted in your subconscious, it
will help the supervision process go well (though you may wish to report any
actual instances of dressing up, even on graduation day). Second, some of your <i>actual</i> heroes are likely to be heroes to your supervisors too. This should mean that some of their empirical
works will be well known and should represent shared points of reference for
you and your supervisors. Look for different method e.g. interviews, questionnaires,
focus groups etc. and ask yourself if your heroes deploy these in the same or
different studies and whether, across research projects, your heroes transition
from one set of ologies to another.
Finally, reflect on what the same research topic would look like
approached from a different set of ologies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-38263283324532862532016-11-22T05:33:00.000-08:002016-11-22T05:33:20.014-08:00How to Find the Right Doctoral ProgrammeJust published today in the Times Higher ... here are the <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/find-phd-how-choose-right-doctorate" target="_blank">Top 10 Tips</a> ensure that you find a place of a Doctoral Programme that suits your needs. Please feel free to share.Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-92008724860003725942016-11-21T06:59:00.000-08:002016-11-21T06:59:34.889-08:00New Look, Same BlogThe PhD Blog has been on the go since 2009. It started life as a set of FAQs for potential doctoral students in Business and Management studies. It has since grown a life of its own with over 250,000 people having visited the site. To make it easier to find, the URL has changed to www.thephdblog.com and it has a new look and feel. There's even a new logo for the site. I hope that you like the new formatting and continue to find the blog a great resource for questions and experiences relating to all things doctoral. Special thanks to Rodrigo Perez Vega for helping with the relaunch. Have a look around and try some of the other resources and sites that link to ThePhDBlog.com. Meantime, how can you tell that you've been working too hard on your PhD? When you suggest reading Snow White et al. to your children, nieces, nephews or grandchildren!<br />
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Good luck with your PhD Journey<br />
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RobertRobert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-12964262454843766332016-08-09T05:10:00.001-07:002016-08-09T05:10:36.421-07:00Research Questions: how they change and whether that is a good or a bad thing.Your PhD will focus on answering some research questions. Where research questions come from, how to find them and what are the characteristics of good research questions are topics dealt with elsewhere in this blog ... e.g. in the <a href="http://doctoralstudy.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/on-researchable-questions.html" target="_blank">researchable questions posting</a>. Recently, I wrote a piece on the ways in which research questions change with Jean Bartunek, Mamta Bhatt and Donald MacLean. In the paper we argue that those doing empirical research in organizations often end up changing their research questions either subtly or significantly once the research itself gets underway. Organizations change, restructure, are subject to regulatory change and a myriad of other things that can alter what it is possible to ask/answer in your research. However, precious little is written about how, why and when research questions ought to change. You can find a draft of the full paper <a href="http://tinyurl.com/zmwcycz" target="_blank">here</a>. Enjoy.<br />
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Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286269928248227603.post-73282466650782134702016-02-26T09:47:00.003-08:002016-02-26T09:47:49.909-08:00Top 10 Tips for Building an Academic Reputation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="" name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span lang="EN-US">By about the mid-point of your
PhD journey, it becomes apparent that getting a successful completion signals
not the end per se, but the end of the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some, the PhD is the summation of their academic
endeavours, allowing you to retire undefeated from the world of education
bearing its highest accolade. For others, especially those aspiring to an
academic career, PhDs are the entry ticket to a world where reputation is
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So how do you build your academic
reputation?<o:p></o:p></span></span></a></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Pick an area and stick to
it</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"> … academia is characterized by demarcation
into specialist areas. Few would be able to straddle mathematics, physics,
chemistry and alchemy in the manner of Isaac Newton. He, like many of our other
great thinkers, might not have been REF-returnable. Indeed, his probationary
mentor would no doubt have encouraged him to be more focused. Modern academia
is a terrain is marked out in specialist territories where people will spend
entire careers. These days, skimming the
surface of many territories lowers the likelihood of you establishing a strong
reputation in the medium term. Of course you might window shop for a while, but
don’t procrastinate too long. Choose one
area and stick with your choice.</span></div>
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<i style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>Identify</b>
<b>the right space … </b></span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;">specialist areas, such as the one you’ve chosen, tend to have
support structures that emerge over time. Typically there will be a membership
organization, annual conferences and some house journals. Stump up the membership fees, find your way
into their conference and be sure that you read the house journal
religiously. Attending a new conference for
the first time can be bewildering, and even lonely. Expect to go multiple times
before you get to know who the key players are and find some friends from
beyond your own institution.</span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Choose a tribe</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"> … academics spend a significant portion of their time marking. This
produces a tendency to enjoy offering, if not necessarily receiving,
criticism. Hence, even our neatly
delineated interest areas are factionalised.
This may manifest itself as new ideas versus classical ones or revolve
around some other perceived slight, injustice or other form of misapprehension. Your big decision is choose the tribe that
you will join. This key decision will lead you to identify some scholars as
part of your tribe whilst others will become forbidden, ostracized and will
only be cited in order to demonstrate the flaws in their arguments. Remember, a
tribe is for life not just for Christmas.</span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Befriend a local chieftain
…</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"> Having chosen a tribe, you’ll probably find a
collection of village elders, local warlords and chieftains who represent the
key voices in your field. These individuals will have established a hierarchy
for themselves based on their H-index or some other proxy. The harsh reality is that you probably won’t
be able to access the Great Om directly in the early part of your career. Pick
a local chieftain and engage in a charm offensive by reading their work, citing
it heavily and demonstrating that you see them as the next President-elect of
the tribe.</span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Build your brand</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"> … faced with fierce competition for airspace you’ll need to have
something distinctive to say if you want to be heard and remembered. Try to
find an angle; perhaps a new theory applied to an age-old problem, perhaps some
other distinguishing feature, idea or methodological approach. Consciously promote the idea that you are
intrinsically linked with this angle and make it part of your own
branding. The sign of a glowing academic
reputation is that your peer group acknowledges you as the leading light in
relation to “X”. In part that’s why
everyone will feel compelled to cite you whenever they mention “X” in their own
work.</span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Volunteer often and early</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"> … as a PhD student it is important to know your place in the world.
In relation to students on taught programmes you are an elite athlete. You have
already excelled in every exam you’ve ever taken and such tawdry things as
written exams are but a memory. Sadly,
in the academic world, you are somewhat closer to the bottom of the food chain. To ingratiate yourself you’ll probably need
to volunteer to do the tasks that those higher up the food chain used to do,
now resent and definitely see as beneath them.
Act as a reviewer for conference streams and take the time to do it well,
offering careful, informative and developmental feedback. It will get
noticed. Offer to chair conference
sessions, run workshops, sort logistics, organize a dinner venue, book taxis,
organize to see the local sights, etc. Nothing should be too much trouble. Make yourself indispensable.</span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Keep your promises</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"> …. the mark of a successful career is that you become very busy. Invited hither and thon, speaking at this and
that, guest editing here and there. The very people you are trying to impress will
appreciate you all the more if you appear to be the sort of person on whom they
can rely. Build a reputation as someone who does what they say. All the better
if in doing so, work is also done on time and to a high standard. Chieftans have long since earned the right to
be flaky, idiosyncratic and unreliable.
It is unlikely that you’ll achieve such a lofty reputational position if
you start out in that mode.</span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Build your portfolio</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"> … every aspiring academic
imagines a future state in they can eventually claim that there is an extensive
secondary literature based around their seminal works. Even the largest oak
trees start with small acorns however. From the outset think of your portfolio
of public domain work. Your papers, book chapters, conference presentations,
etc. need to be curated. Aim to publish
in the right places (see hint 2 above). Manage your profile on ResearchGate,
Academia.edu, LinkedIn, GoogleScholar, Twitter and the various other places
that researchers will look for your work.
But remember that if you want to have a serious, academic, game face and
a more carefree or irreverent online identity, it may be helpful to keep them
separate. </span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Hit the right tone</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"> … In the early stages of your academic career, much rests on your
ability to build relationships. Think of
two parallel universes. In one you are a
shrinking violet, too modest to promote yourself, your work or your angle you
may find yourself overlooked and ignored. Your PhD findings will be forgotten
before they’ve even been finished. This
is clearly not a good world for you to inhabit. Meanwhile, in a second parallel
universe you are a shameless self-publicist, talking up the global significance
of your pilot study and trumpeting the all to obvious flaws in the work of
every chieftan you’ve cited. Senior academics place restraining orders on you
and you quickly develop a reputation for over promising and under
delivering. Clearly, this too, is not a
good world for you to inhabit. The trick is to strike the right tone. Be
respectful of established figures, understand the social graces of the
conversations that you’re joining but do have something suitably provocative to
say. Above all, be good company. Nobody likes a non-talker or a stalker. Charm, wit, a good memory for details of
biography and circumstance help a great deal.</span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Be Patient</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"> … items 1 to 9 are a tall
order and, in the meantime, you also need to keep one eye on the PhD
completion. A salutary exercise is to
remind yourself that those great figures in your chosen field were themselves,
not so well known. Reputations take time to build as do the relationships,
social networks, connectivity and credibility one which those reputations
rest. Aim high, or you’ll never get
there but don’t beat yourself up too much if you have won best paper of the
decade with your first forays into publication.</span></div>
Robert MacIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863450744248485312noreply@blogger.com1