This week’s collection of articles from around the web have a spirit of hope and resiliency among them. In this time of uncertainty, disruption, and change, we have opportunities to embrace what is new and build what we desire from the state of what is. As researchers and academics, much of our careers are based on new pursuits and exceptional goals.

Whether writing the introductory chapter of a thesis or dissertation, planning for a post-PhD career, or exploring the modern researcher ecosystem, we seek for identity and success. Change is abundant as well in the way we hold conferences, publish and access research, and achieve visibility. All of these topics are found in this week’s collection.

The key, regardless of the state of your career or writing is to believe in yourself, to embrace opportunity, and to move forward. As Cassandra Sanford said, “If this is something that you really want to do, if you believe in it…simply keep forging forward because success will come.” Happy writing!

Permanent change?

The impact of COVID-19 feels like one of those rare instances when our daily or weekly routines were swiftly and dramatically altered, are still in flux, and some of those resulting changes could be permanent. We may see permanent changes in how we conduct business, how we interact with colleagues, where we go and how we get there, what we value, and what our customers expect from us. This month we asked the Chefs: What aspect of scholarly and academic publishing might be permanently changed because of our current circumstances?

How to write the introductory chapter to a thesis or doctoral dissertation

One of my PhD students is on the road to finishing up her doctoral dissertation. When we sat down to discuss her progress, I realized I did not have a handy resource for her to consult how to write her introductory chapter. So I wrote a Twitter thread from where this blog post derives.

Five suggestions for universal PhD ‘after-care’

An underpinning principle of after-care is that it should be led by the goals of the PhDer or post PhDer, and be bespoke to their particular needs and ambitions. After-care is not about someone else deciding what the PhDer or post PhDer needs but is a combination of PhDer led mentoring and support.

Books for the 2020s: The role of book content in the STM researcher ecosystem

In a world where we are all constantly interconnecting, interacting, and digesting content via mobile technology, social media, and the 24-hour news cycle, it seems we all have more content to digest, and less time to digest it. So, where does this leave what we publish — long-form, reflective content – i.e. books? This post looks specifically at the role of book content in the Science, Technical and Medical (STM) researcher ecosystem.

Research conferences shift to virtual

Journals dominate scientific communications, but they are only one element in a multilayered information-sharing network. Conferences are an especially timely source of breaking news developments in every field.

New agreement expands the global reach of Irish research

Researchers at nine institutions in Ireland can now publish an unlimited number of Open Access articles in leading biological science journals, immediately and at no cost to them, following a three-year Read & Publish agreement between The Company of Biologists and IReL.

Publishers invest in preprints

For years now, preprint communities have provided a glimmer of an alternative to the journal publishing system, that speed and efficiency might replace what has seemed to many like a cumbersome editorial and peer review process. What started in a small set of originating fields such as high energy physics in 1991 has, in recent years, begun to take hold elsewhere, including the biomedical sciences. Today, Ithaka S+R has published an overview of key developments in preprint communities, which are grappling with an array of policy issues as they seek to build trust in a contested information environment and build durable business strategies.

Kudos extends complimentary access to Kudos Pro after 5,000 researchers sign up to maximize research visibility during lockdown

Kudos, the award-winning service for accelerating research impact, has today announced that it has extended the sign-up period for complimentary access to Kudos Pro, after more than 5,000 researchers signed up in the first wave.