Dear Dr. Noelle: Protecting Your Dissertation: Three Holiday Strategies

Q: How can I keep making progress on my dissertation with all the holiday obligations?

    —Rather-be-Writing

A: The holidays can be wonderful times for reconnecting with family and friends; taking breathers from the daily-weekly-yearly chase of accomplishment; kindling or rekindling feelings of love, warmth, and generosity even to those who’ve published much more than you; and indulging in delectable seasonal goodies. But dissertation candidates, bent on making progress during the break from other duties, often feel conflicted about how much time to “take off.”

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How to Set Effective Goals

By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD

The other day, I considered setting a goal to help me write more. This made me reflect on my time as a graduate student, when I was especially productive with my writing. Besides completing course assignments and publishing academic articles, I wrote a book (“Running into Happiness”) while working on my dissertation. How did I manage to accomplish all that? Have you ever looked back at a success and wondered how you achieved it? If so, you’re already using a key principle for setting effective goals. Here’s why.

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2026 TAA Institute Bookstore Featured Book: ‘A Visual Guide to Human Anatomy & Physiology’

Students in anatomy and physiology (A&P) often have difficulty visualizing complex structures of the human body (anatomy) and concepts that require deep understanding (physiology). The fifth edition of A Visual Guide to Human Anatomy & Physiology by Paul A. Krieger uses visual analogies to assist students in learning the details of human A&P. Using these analogies and other tools (mnemonic devices and conceptual illustrations), students are able to take objects and processes they know from everyday life and apply them to understand anatomical structures and physiological concepts with which they are unfamiliar. This edition of A Visual Guide to Human Anatomy & Physiology (VAGAP) has been digitized to enhance learning by adding interactive self-quizzes, 3D anatomical models, videos, downloadable coloring pages, and assessments, as well as updates to colors and features in many original illustrations. Purchase it in the 2026 TAA Institute for Textbook & Academic Authors Bookstore. 

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Industry News Round-Up Week of 12/1/25

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.

Citing Anti-DEI DOJ Memo, Alabama Ends Black-, Women-Focused Student Magazines (December 3, 2025)

Policy Changes and Financial Issues Drove November Cuts (December 3, 2025)

Make Faculty Writing Support Easier to Find (December 3, 2025)

IGI Global Scientific Publishing and Wake Forest University School of Medicine Continue Collaboration Through Renewed Open Access Agreement (December 3, 2025)

Trump Administration Continues Efforts to Dismantle the Education Department (November 18, 2025)

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Relaxed Productivity: A Kinder Way to Work Well

By Alison Miller, PhD, The Academic Writers’ Space

Many academic writers experience writing as pressured and effortful. It can feel like a constant push to stay focused, stay on top of deadlines, and demonstrate that you are moving forward. Over time, this pressure can become a default setting, making it harder to feel connected to the work itself. Relaxed productivity offers a different experience. It is a way of working that supports focus, consistency, and well-being by creating the internal and external conditions that help you stay present with your work. In this approach, you are not working from reactivity or urgency. You are working with clarity, rhythm, and intentional effort.  Clarity means knowing what matters right now. Rhythm comes from creating a steady way to begin and return to your work. Intentional effort means choosing tasks that match your real capacity and focusing on one step at a time. These elements create the conditions for focus, steadiness, and connection.

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2026 TAA Institute Bookstore Featured Book: ‘A Visual Guide to Human Anatomy’

Students in anatomy and physiology (A&P) often have difficulty visualizing complex structures of the human body (anatomy). The sixth edition of A Visual Guide to Human Anatomy by Paul Krieger uses visual analogies to assist students in learning the details of human anatomy. Using these analogies and other tools (mnemonic devices and conceptual illustrations), students are able to take objects and processes they know from everyday life and apply them to understand anatomical structures with which they are unfamiliar. This edition of A Visual Guide to Human Anatomy (VAGA) has been digitized to enhance learning by adding interactive self-quizzes, 3D anatomical models, videos, downloadable coloring pages, and assessments, as well as updates to colors and features in many original illustrations.

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