By Dr. Noelle Sterne
Q: I can’t say no to different things that keep interfering with my dissertation. Do other women doctoral candidates have this trouble?
—Ms. Dissertationally Distracted
A: You’re right. I’ve noticed throughout my practice that women doctoral candidates especially can easily become diverted by compassion for others in trouble. Well-meaning, generous decisions and actions may result in calamitous consequences to a dissertation.
If you are a claimant in the Bartz v Anthropic copyright infringement settlement, you may have received an email this week updating you on the status of your claims. For undisputed claims, you can simply review the email and claim update but do not need to take further steps. “Disputed claims” are ones in which different claimants to a work – usually authors and publishers – are claiming different percentage splits of the payout for that work.
Stay updated on the latest news, advancements, and changes that are shaping the textbook and academic authoring industry with our bi-weekly Industry News Round-Up. Have an item to share? Email Sierra.Pawlak@TAAonline.net.
Commerce Scrubs Ban on Political Interference From Integrity Policy (September 2, 2026)
There have been some exceptional session proposals coming through so far, but we know there are still plenty of writing tips and strategies out there waiting to be shared to help inspire other textbook and/or academic authors at any stage of their career.
We asked the 2026 TAA Textbook Award winners why they decided to write their textbook. Whether by invitation, a strong will to start a new textbook, or happenstance, their stories will speak to you no matter where you are in your textbook writing journey.
By Janet Salmons, PhD
Drawings, graphics, photos, and media catch readers attention. Sometimes the images are specific to the study, such as data visualizations or tables, maps or pictures of the research setting. Sometimes they help us gain a sense of the place, culture and historical period of the book or article. But they might just be a colorful element that conveys a friendly and amusing touch. How can we create or find images that get our messages across visually?
