The words “published in a peer reviewed journal” are sometimes considered as the gold standard in science. But any professional scientist will tell you that the fact an article has undergone peer review is a long way from an ironclad guarantee of quality. To know what science you should really trust you need to weigh the subtle […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
When to trust (and not to trust) peer reviewed science
What process to follow while designing a blog for client
The designer has convinced the client who wants a new blog that he or she can perform a superior job in creating a blog that is attractive, user friendly, branded well and ultimately one that promotes/sells the client’s service(s). Great! Now a contract must be implemented to assure that both parties know what is expected […] … learn more→
More of us are opting for ‘digital detox’ holidays
John Briggs, a 40-year-old on holiday, texted his wife Shirley: “Look at the glacier out there.” He waited for the reply, which came through on his mobile. At the time they were sitting next to one another on board the deck of their small cruise ship, along northern Alaska’s icy shores. This interaction was reported […] … learn more→
Maryland libraries build a peer-coaching program to train media mentors
Public librarians in Maryland are seizing an opportunity to combine the old with the new. For the past nine months, they have been developing a training program that borrows techniques from a tried-and-tested program on early literacy, using it as the foundation for media mentorship. The program, which New America is helping to develop, could […] … learn more→
Another State University system documents itself as fraud
Years ago, in my book, I wrote how a state university had an unwritten policy for faculty to pass 85% of their students. To clarify, any faculty who did not meet this “standard” would find his career cut short. I’ll double down on this by noting the university also allowed students to register for the […] … learn more→
Should we really write daily?
The most cited work in the field of ‘academic writing productivity’ is that of Robert Boice from the 1990s. Is it that because there’s been no further research in this area or has nobody bettered his findings? We’ve just launched our own study into academic writing practice. It’s research that we hope will give anyone who needs […] … learn more→
Online support networks are vital for parents who study
I set set up the Facebook group Parents Who Study with Rebekah Farrell at the beginning of this year after we “met” on Instagram and discovered that we were both parents who were completing PhDs. Even though we were on opposite ends of the world, we found that we were experiencing the same isolation and […] … learn more→
Using oral feedback to compliment written feedback
Anyone who teaches or advises writers has experienced the infuriating déjà vu of reading a student’s paper or dissertation chapter and thinking, “I know I responded to this in the last draft, but here it is again…unchanged.” In my teaching capacity, this moment has traditionally generated something I call ‘reader rage’ (basically road rage on […] … learn more→
Not letting go of the text
A couple of weeks ago I was asked if I had any advice for someone who struggled to let go of their writing – they wrote but then it was really difficult to send the writing off to their supervisor. And clearly, this was an issue. Sending the stuff off is part and parcel of […] … learn more→
How Australian universities can get better at cyber security
The cyber security practices of Australian universities are in the spotlight after the Australian National University (ANU) reported last week it had been the target of a serious attack. Hackers – reportedly based in China – infiltrated ANU’s networks some time last year and have proven difficult to remove. According to the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s 2017 […] … learn more→
