Free guidelines, checklists, worksheets and a lot of hands-on advice for PhD students, Postdocs, Researchers and everybody interested in boosting their performance in academia.
All related to publishing, getting a PhD and a job, presenting and becoming an efficient researcher.
Experiencing set-backs is inevitable during a PhD project. But it’s how you deal with these that can make all the difference. Here, we’ll teach you how to turn your set-backs into growth, and get your PhD project back on the...
Are you afraid that you will be accused of plagiarising ideas from other researchers in your paper? Are you worried that someone else is using your work without referencing it? In this post, learn what plagiarism is and how you can...
Are you going to present your research to an audience soon? Do you want to deliver a great talk that your audience will remember? Whether you’re presenting face-to-face in front of a live audience, or delivering a virtual talk at an...
Are you going on a (summer) holiday this year? Really? You dare leave your desk and unfinished work behind? You plan to just stop working for a couple of weeks—in the middle of the year? Leaving your data unattended? Braveheart! You’re...
I recently got an e-mail from a postdoc after my course ‘How to apply for an academic staff position.’ She asked whether or not I thought it would be meaningful to set up a LinkedIn profile at her career stage in conjunction with her...
In this post, Jonathan, a doctoral researcher in human geography, provides valuable insights on how his scientific writing is stimulated by his reading. He suggests working with content blocks to build papers, and encourages you to be...
Do you know the journal you want to submit your next paper to? Or are you struggling to find the right journal? Is it hard to decide which option to choose? Or do you wonder whether there is an appropriate journal for your paper at...
If you regularly hear colleagues talking about things like Impact Factor, SJR, SNIP, CiteScore, or Google Scholar Metrics but don’t fully understand what these mean—we can help you. Here we provide a quick guide to the most relevant...
Have you been asked to review a paper for a journal? Or have your colleagues asked you for a friendly review of their manuscript? In both cases, you want to deliver a thoughtful review report that is helpful and constructive. In this...
(How-we-write series no. 2) In this post, Nico, a PhD candidate in Glaciology, reports how the COVID19 lockdown has taught him a more satisfying way to write papers. From being scared of deadlines and rushing to write papers in...
Many PhD candidates are suffering from isolation due to COVID-19 related restrictions. Whether this means you can’t travel, can’t meet other PhDs, friends or family, or you can’t even access your institute or lab – most PhD...
(How-we-write series no. 1) In this post, Zoe, a researcher, reports a fascinating story about her stance on academic writing. Starting from a position of dissatisfaction with her writing method, she discovered a regular writing...
Are you like Hanna, one of our course participants, who asked herself how she could structure her PhD work days? Are you looking for any proven strategies how and when to plan your days? In this blogpost, we show you 6 steps for...
Is your PhD work not running quite as smoothly as you wish? It may be down to one or more unproductive habits or attitudes you have unknowingly adopted. Here, we’ll describe how a lack of focus, lack of initiative, loss of control, or...
Are you in the process of switching jobs? Is your PhD coming to an end and you’re eyeing that first postdoc position? Or preparing yourself for an advanced research position, or becoming an assistant professor? Due to ongoing...
Do you feel that some of your time is wasted with pointless activities? Wishing you could make better use of your working hours to move your research and your career forward? Here, we discuss the most common time-wasters for...
Are you missing out on encounters with your PhD supervisors while working off-campus? Feeling more lonely, and low in motivation to progress with your work? Why not arrange more encounters in an online-space? We suggest two great...
The co-authorship of supervisors on papers of their PhD students is a hot topic in academia. Should they be included or not? All sorts of rules, conventions, and rumours seem to exist. Let’s clarify a few of them here! 1. Why...
2 February 2021, by TRESS ACADEMIC Many authors struggle with paper-writing because there are a few crucial decisions they haven’t made before they begin.Then, everything seems difficult and complicated, and it feels like you...
When working with co-authors on a joint paper, the order of authors as listed on the paper needs to be set. Naturally, several authors might want to claim the prestigious first position as theirs. If you feel that it should be you who...
Do you need a new academic position any time soon? Here, we help you by breaking down this major task into three phases, and give you a time-line according to which you can organise your own job search. From preparing a cover letter to...
This year was different, and the festive season will be quite different as well! In earlier years, the free days during the holiday season gave loads of possibilities to meet friends, visit concerts, cinemas, and museums, to pop into...
2020 has shown us all how important it is to have good friends that help and motivate us when needed. With the festive season just around the corner, you may wonder “What can I give to my best academic friend?” Should it be something...
Is dissertation writing high on your list of things to do, but you just have no time to write? Do you think it might be too early in your PhD to get started on writing the dissertation? Here, we present five common excuses for why...
Are you uncertain if you are ready to submit your PhD dissertation? Or hesitant to wrap up your work and move your project to the finish line? You might be stuck in the wrong mind-set, or not sure if you’ve enough material, or simply...
Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of tasks waiting for you? No idea what to turn to first? We’ll help you gain clarity over your endless list of PhD tasks, and decide what is most important to focus on. Let us help you regain...
Do you struggle to maintain a private life while studying for a PhD degree? Is your PhD expanding indefinitely at the expense of everything else? We know how it feels to be overworked and out of balance. In this post we show you 6 ways...
If you’re not a regular participant in video conferences or live video-based online courses, you might wonder what are the dos and don’ts of these classes? We’ve taught hundreds of participants in our live-online courses held on Zoom,...
Do you look for excellence in every piece of work you do? Do you want to write the perfect email, the perfect paper, the perfect job application? In this blog post, we tell you why it is sometimes better to go with a less perfect...
Are you aware of how much a good co-supervisor can influence your PhD process? Did you know that many PhD students can add co-supervisors throughout their PhD? Not sure who you should pick? Here, we outline the process for finding the...
13 October 2020, by TRESS ACADEMIC Writing productivity is at the heart of your academic performance. If you want to be a good academic scholar, recognised by peers, and have an impact on your research field and society, being a...
Are you sitting in front of your laptop with the best intentions to write your paper, but it just isn’t happening? You just don’t get anything written? You’re getting frustrated and angry about your lack of productivity, and this...
What is the worst thing that can happen to your paper? Getting rejected? Oh yes, this is a scary thought and you don’t want it to happen to you. But being frightened of the process and scared of the outcome of peer-review doesn’t bring...
If you struggle with writing a paper, we’ve got some help for you. Here, we show you how to optimise your writing environment, writing process, and the paper itself so that it will be far easier to produce your paper. You will see that...
Musicians do it, athletes do it, actors do it: They exercise the skills they need to perform well in their jobs. Writing is a skill as well. If you want to become a prolific scientific writer, you need to train your writing muscle....
As a newbie in the journal publishing world, you might have many questions on writing a paper and getting it published. Here, we list short answers to 20 common questions that PhDs and Early-Career Researchers often have before they...
OK, it’s dissertation writing time. But how do you get started? Which sections are best to begin with? Are there any steps that should be completed beforehand? Is there any technique that helps speed up the process? The answer is yes,...
Are you having anxieties about handing in your dissertation later than you’re expected to? We encourage you to do something about your delay and never giving yourself and your project up to fate! Instead, elaborate on the reasons that...
Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the tasks you’ve got to tackle for your PhD? Do you feel like there’s simply too much you should be doing right now? No idea where to start? And when you start somewhere you’re unsure if what...
Is dissertation or thesis writing a bit of a pain for you? Whether it’s writing a bunch of journal papers or crafting a monograph thesis, it is work that often gets postponed until the end of the project. We propose 5 reasons why it is...
Having trouble making yourself heard in conversations with your supervisor? Irritated that you’re not better at getting your message across during meetings? Disappointed afterwards with the advice you got? It doesn’t have to be this...
Does writing your thesis feel like a never-ending story? Are you afraid of making too little progress? Is the thought of writing the dissertation sending shivers down your spine? When you have thesis writing on your agenda but haven’t...
Are you behind schedule or stuck with your PhD? Do you feel overwhelmed and mentally drained? Do you feel unsupported by your supervisors or are you experiencing trouble with dissertation writing? All of these are clear signs that you...
Are you satisfied with how you approach writing journal papers? Great, keep going as you are. If you are not happy, why is that? Or, do you think this is inevitable, that everybody has difficulties with writing journal papers? Well,...
Having difficulties working from home? Finding it easier to vacuum your apartment than work on your paper? Spending more time watching the news than focussing on your research? No idea how to get yourself organized amid a pandemic?...
You probably think that if your paper gets rejected, it’s simply not good enough. But do you know why papers get rejected? In fact, there are a lot of reasons why journal editors may decline your paper. ‘Not good enough’ is a very...
During the corona pandemic, many of you may suddenly have ample time to get important work done, but not feel motivated to do so. Perhaps your original plans for your PhD project have been turned upside-down. You already know that...
Drafting a literature review doesn’t require a lab or experiments and you also don’t need to run an interview survey, collect field samples or analyse complex data. A literature review is basically desk work. It is a perfectly targeted...
The restrictions brought on by the Corona virus means hardship, isolation, and anxiety for many of us. But it can also be a time to establish new habits and focus on what counts. Why not use this special situation to get your first, or...
Every PhD study offers fertile ground for once in a lifetime stories. If you want to hear some of ours, like how a PhD defence ended with a thunderstorm, why two PhD students and three professors drove through a rapidly flooding...
