academic writing

Why Write a Book Review?

Some thoughts on improving your publication record. In about October last year (2021), I was discussing my dismal employment situation with an older colleague and friend. I explained that I knew I was being passed over for opportunities because my publication record was very poor – I had one paper published, and two stuck inContinue reading “Why Write a Book Review?”

Phew! Paper Published.

Roughly a year ago, I embarked upon the ‘Way of Wendy’ – I used Wendy Belcher’s magic 12-week programme to help me draft and write my very first single-author paper, based on material from my thesis. Now, I’m on the other side of that process: the paper I started in January 2021 has just beenContinue reading “Phew! Paper Published.”

Democratization of knowledge and accessible writing practices

Recently, I shared a draft of my current manuscript with my father. He’d been asking for ages when I’d be done with my revisions, and I just wanted him to see what the peer review process was like. I wasn’t really intending for him to assess it critically, but that is what naturally happened. IContinue reading “Democratization of knowledge and accessible writing practices”

What kind of writer? Spree writing, metrics and the myth of productivity

I once was in a seminar which started with the typical ‘what do you do and how do you do it’ academic icebreaker. One participant’s witty and self-deprecating contribution went as follows: “I’m a philosopher. That means I read books and think about them. Sometimes I write about it.” Any academic in the social andContinue reading “What kind of writer? Spree writing, metrics and the myth of productivity”

Pipped to the post – and thoroughly glad about it

What is your contribution to knowledge? This question haunted me and probably haunts any academic when contemplating their own research and scholarship. We are all aware that although there is undoubtedly value in scholarship which corroborates previous discoveries or arguments, the real clincher is what’s new and different. What is your unique contribution to theContinue reading “Pipped to the post – and thoroughly glad about it”