Stephen Mitchell once said, “Education is no longer thought of as a preparation for adult life, but as a continuing process of growth and development from birth until death.” In this week’s collection of articles from around the web, we see insight into that continuous process from the writing and research perspective.

We begin with an understanding of academic writing, look at challenges with research funding, explore proper citation to avoid plagiarism, and examine ways to increase productivity by using our analyzer switch. Further, we look at internal and external considerations for productive results including the noticing process for how we internalize stress, the effect of retractions at a larger scale, and how publishers are taking on climate change in their publishing practices.

As you write this week, don’t forget that you are continuing through the education process, both as a teacher and a learner. Happy writing!

Understanding academic writing – starting the PhD

Writing is a crucial aspect of doctoral work – indeed all the scholarly work you will undertake from now on. Writing is integral to scholarship. Whether you are in or out of higher education, if you are researching, you are writing. Writing and its associated activities reading and talking, are the major ways in which we make sense of what we are doing. Writing is how we communicate results, ideas and interpretations to others. But there is “stuff’ that can get in the way of writing.

How can you work without funding?

Christa writes from the point of view of someone who has experienced this situation. Jonathan writes as someone who helps applicants to try to find funding in Australia. They both find this situation very frustrating.

How to Research Your Book With Vikki Carter, The Author’s Librarian

How do you research a book in the most appropriate way? How can you keep track of your sources and attribute them correctly, as well as avoiding inadvertent plagiarism? How can you get your book/s into libraries? Vikki Carter talks about all these questions and more.

Use Your Analyzer Switch to Increase Productivity

Every writer’s brain contains an analyzer switch. The switch regulates analytical thinking, which is the part of brain that dissects drafts and figures out how to improve projects during revisions. Conversely, it regulates ideaphoria—which is the quality that helps us bang out a first draft in record time because ideas are flowing at an exponential rate.

Start By Noticing

I encouraged participants to think of the energy (and time) they put into their work as a wave with peaks and troughs. Ideally, you would recharge before a crunch. Whether you can do that or not, you will need to recharge *after* a crunch. For some people that waveform is shallow. For others it’s almost spiky.

Actions on Retractions: An Interview with Jodi Schneider

Retracted research — published work that is withdrawn, removed, or otherwise invalidated from the scientific and scholarly record —is relatively rare. However, when it is inadvertently propagated within the digital scholarly record through citations, its impact can be significant, and not in a good way.

Publishing Takes On Climate Change

In a special statement on September 30, the International Publishers Association and other leading organizations across the global book sector committed to taking responsibility for the industry’s environmental impact and adopting climate-friendly practices across the publishing supply chain.