As we reach the midpoint of Academic Writing Month (AcWriMo), it’s good to evaluate our results, to examine where we are with our intentions of writing, and to adjust our plans accordingly to meet our goals.

This week’s collection of articles from around the web shares considerations on specialization of PhD, remote research trends and performance, and approaches to completing a writing project during NaNoWriMo (or in our world AcWriMo). Further, we have found articles on revising, print options, and what authors need to know about formatting for ebook distribution options.

Someone once said, “Don’t tell people your plans. Show them your results.” As you enter the back half of AcWriMo, focus on results and let your passion drive your manuscript. Happy Writing!

Should I specialize during my PhD or should I branch out?

One of the questions I get asked more frequently (by either my own students, and by others who reach out to me at workshops or via email) is whether they should specialize or not during their PhD, and sometimes earlier in their careers. I straddle several fields, from comparative public policy and policy transfer to social movements to water governance to waste and discards management. I am methodologically diverse and use multiple theories in my work and as such, I encourage my own students to explore across disciplines, theories, methods and approaches.

Reckoning with Remote Research

In collaboration with Bill and Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development examined the impact of WFH on R&D in a global survey conducted in early 2021. The study assessed attitudes, experiences and effectiveness of remote teams managing and supporting global clinical research activity.

From Outline to the Nanowrimo Finish Line

But why waste a whole month writing just to say “I did it”? Why not actually outline a novel that is worth writing? I want to pull some content from a post I wrote last year to help you prepare not just for a one-time NaNo experience but to write many great novels that hold together structurally.

Revising? start strategically

It is important to find the best place to begin revising. Choosing somewhere to start does have the immediate effect of making the task seem more manageable. But there is another reason for being selective. Revising one aspect of a text often has knock-on effects on other aspects of the writing.

The Short-Run Printing Option: Pros and Cons

No single form of book printing can claim to be definitively superior to the other two; it all depends on an author’s specific goals. Before we look at the pros and cons of short-run printing, it’s necessary to understand print-on-demand printing (commonly used by self-publishing authors as well as traditional publishers) and offset printing (used primarily by traditional publishers).

Everything Self-Publishers Need to Know About Ebook Formats

Congratulations! Your book is done. The hours of research and writing are finished and your book is ready to be published for your readers to find and enjoy. One of the best ways you can easily reach new readers for your book is by publishing as an ebook through online book retailers such as Amazon (Kindle) and Barnes and Noble (Nook). Unfortunately, if your book is only ready to be printed, then your book is probably not in the correct format required by most ebook retailers.