Writing a paper or setting up a piece of research often involves a problem or a puzzle. You’ve identified something that needs to be sorted and you’re just the person to do it. At the start, problems tend to present themselves as  either practical – there is something that is going on that is difficult/inequitable/could be […] … learn more→

Ever been told not to repeat yourself in your writing? Or been told that repetition is a complete academic no-no? Well, that’s not entirely true. But before I explain why, I must make a slight digression. Bear with me. It’ll come together in just a minute. It can be helpful for academic writers to consciously […] … learn more→

Gaining research funds is always tough, but some people are having it tougher than usual at the moment. In late 2024, the New Zealand government cut all Humanities and Social Science funding from the Marsden Fund, their main research funding program. Since coming to office in the United States, Donald Trump has cut funding in a […] … learn more→

Part-time postgraduate study can be an isolating experience, with students often having to balance their research with careers, family, or care commitments. Factoring remote working into this mix can leave postgraduate researchers (PGRs) without an established community to work within. This post shares insights from a writing retreat we developed as part-time PGRs, for part-time […] … learn more→

“Masks are incapable of containing the transmission of COVID-19, concludes a study by USP” , reads the headline of an online magazine. It was reproduced by several anti-vax influencers without scientific training, including former president Jair Bolsonaro . The study mentioned in the article was published in the scientific journal BMC Public Health , but it has several methodological flaws. The magazine […] … learn more→

I rarely research anything without a partner. Often more than one. And this has been the case for a very long time. ( Of course I do occasionally research partner-less, but understand that this is not my preferred way to work.) My research partnerships are long-term and involve much more than doing projects. A couple […] … learn more→

Earlier this year I received comments on an academic manuscript of mine as part of the usual peer review process, and noticed something strange. My research focuses on ensuring trustworthy evidence is used to inform policy, practice and decision making. I often collaborate with groups like the World Health Organization to conduct systematic reviews to […] … learn more→

I’ve just finished reviewing a number of research grant applications. One of the things I noticed, and not in a good way, was that writers very often repeated themselves. That is, I not only read the same sentences, but also entire paragraphs and in some instances several paragraphs, in the answers to different questions. Now, […] … learn more→

It’s been a very busy fortnight. I’ve been immersed in a very deep research hangout. So what is a deep research hangout I hear you ask, and why was I in one? Well, even though I am currently in Australia I am still working with a team in England on a big research project looking at the […] … learn more→

America has already lost its global competitive edge in science, and funding cuts proposed in early 2025 may further a precipitous decline. Proposed cuts to the federal agencies that fund scientific research could undercut America’s global competitiveness, with negative impacts on the economy and the ability to attract and train the next generation of researchers. I’m an astronomer, and […] … learn more→