In this episode, we dive into the concept of impact in research—what it is, why it’s crucial, and how you can plan for it even at the PhD stage. We explore how impact goes beyond simple dissemination or public engagement, aiming for real change in society, the economy, culture, policy, health, and beyond. Our conversation covers practical ways to identify beneficiaries and stakeholders, the significance of short-, medium-, and long-term impact planning, and the essential components of reach and significance in assessing impact. We discuss how early planning for impact can enhance both your academic career and industry prospects, guiding you to align your research with meaningful, measurable goals. Finally, we offer tips on preparing project bids with impact in mind and building valuable relationships that can help carry your research into the real world. Don’t miss this episode if you’re ready to take your research impact to the next level!
In this episode, we explore why a strong narrative is the backbone of a successful PhD. It’s not just about compiling studies or chapters; it’s about weaving them into a story that’s engaging and easy to follow. We discuss how to build a compelling pitch that answers essential questions and captivates your audience. You’ll also hear tips for refining your PhD story, from visualising your work with simple tools to structuring your thesis in a way that flows naturally. Finally, we share advice on embracing storytelling to enhance your research’s impact, making it memorable and meaningful. Tune in to discover how to transform your PhD journey into a narrative that resonates!
Get ready for the best season yet! Season 3 is almost here, and we’re taking your PhD journey to new heights. From building a standout PhD narrative to navigating tricky co-worker dynamics, this season is packed with insights that will help you create impactful research and get the recognition you deserve. Stay tuned for expert tips on balancing work and study, mastering the art of media attention, and much more. Launching late September/early October— we'll see you soon!
This week, hosts Arun and Julia share personal experiences and practical guidance on handling criticism effectively. They emphasize the universality of criticism and the need to recognize its emotional impact, advising listeners to step away and regain perspective when it stings. The episode provides insights on embracing feedback by considering the reviewer's perspective, depersonalizing criticism, and maintaining professionalism in responses. Additionally, Arun and Julia stress the importance of seeking feedback from trusted sources who have their best interests at heart, equipping listeners with valuable strategies for transforming criticism into a tool for personal and professional growth.
In Season 2 Episode 8, hosts Arun and Julia discuss the critical issue of plagiarism, shedding light on its various forms and offering valuable tips on how to avoid it. They emphasize that plagiarism involves taking someone else's work or ideas and presenting them as one's own. Arun and Julia caution against the serious consequences of plagiarism, citing examples of individuals who have faced academic and professional repercussions for this unethical practice. They highlight the importance of proper referencing, paraphrasing, and the use of multiple sources to avoid plagiarism. The hosts then delve into practical advice for avoiding plagiarism, focusing on mastering the art of paraphrasing. They share strategies such as using quotation marks and references when copying text for later paraphrasing and suggest speaking aloud to facilitate rephrasing. They stress the importance of seeking assistance from colleagues when needed. Arun provides a step-by-step guide to paraphrasing, emphasizing the need to change word order, form, and use synonyms while preserving the original meaning. They also discuss the importance of indicating direct quotes, maintaining author names and page numbers, and the judicious use of direct quotes. The episode goes on to stress the significance of using a range of sources to enrich one's academic work. Arun and Julia advocate for synthesizing ideas from various sources rather than merely listing them. They offer practical tools and techniques to expand one's source list and effectively manage references. The hosts also touch upon the ethical issue of self-plagiarism, emphasizing the importance of indicating previous dissemination of work. Lastly, they offer insights on plagiarism checkers, advising listeners to rely on their writing skills while cautioning against free services that may compromise data privacy. Links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe-writing-centre/reference-effectively-avoid-plagiarism/paraphrasing and http://typeset.io
In the latest episode of "How to PhD," hosts Arun and Julia discuss practical strategies for graduate students to supplement their income during their doctoral studies. As the cost of living continues to rise, finding additional sources of cash becomes crucial. Arun and Julia, who were fortunate to have fully funded positions during their own doctorates, share their insights and suggestions for both on-campus and off-campus opportunities. Within the university, they recommend exploring traditional routes such as teaching assistantships, offering lectures or seminars, and even research assistant roles. They also highlight the potential to earn extra income through exam marking, lab demonstrations, and invigilation work. Beyond the campus, Arun and Julia discuss part-time employment, freelancing options like proofreading and tutoring, and joining recognized panel services as a field expert. They stress the importance of considering the impact of these income-generating activities on one's CV and future career goals, as well as being diligent about payment methods and time commitments. The episode offers a comprehensive guide for graduate students seeking ways to make extra money during their PhD studies. Arun and Julia's advice spans opportunities within and outside the university, with a strong emphasis on balancing these activities with academic responsibilities and career aspirations. As always, please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Thank you for listening!!
Welcome back to "How to PhD," Season 2, Episode 6! In this episode, Arun and Julia are your guides on a journey to boost and maintain your writing motivation. Writing is at the core of every PhD, but staying motivated can often feel like an uphill battle. Arun and Julia share their own experiences and dive deep into valuable insights and strategies to reignite your passion for writing. Discover how to visualize and track your progress effectively with word counts, goal setting, personal writing journals, calendars, and more. Learn how your surroundings and the people around you can either hinder or elevate your motivation and productivity. Find out how writing groups and feedback can keep you in the writing zone. Plus, unlock the power of free writing to conquer writer's block and unleash your creativity. Join Arun and Julia in this episode as they empower you with practical tools and techniques to maintain your writing motivation and make steady progress on your PhD journey. Don't forget to treat yourself for your achievements and take breaks to recharge. If you enjoy "How to PhD," please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, visit our website at howtophd.show, and consider supporting us through Buy Me a Coffee. Spread the knowledge by sharing this episode with fellow PhD students who could benefit from these valuable insights. Thanks for tuning in!
In Season 2, Episode 5 of "How to PhD," hosts Arun and Julia address the daunting issue of dealing with intimidating supervisors during your PhD. They dive into why supervisors can be intimidating and provide actionable strategies to manage these relationships effectively. Their advice includes depersonalizing the situation, understanding your supervisor's perspective, and maintaining open communication. Arun and Julia emphasize the importance of concise communication, getting to know your supervisor's preferences, and seeking opportunities to impress. They also stress the need to set boundaries to maintain a healthy work-life balance. If you're navigating intimidating supervisors in your academic journey, this episode offers valuable insights to help you thrive. Share it with others who might benefit and consider supporting "How to PhD."
We're back! This week we're delving into the world of procrastination. But importantly, we talk about techniques that actually address the root-cause of procrastination! Join us as we give you the tools you need to kick the habit and make the most of your time
We've talked a lot about publishing in journals, but this week, we're diving in deep and going into all of the little secrets of journal publications. Learn all metrics, authorship and even maximising your citations!
Keywords are often an afterthought, but actually can be incredibly useful in ensuring your work gets the biggest reach possible. This episode, we don our SEO keyword optimisation hats and share some smart little tricks to choose the best keywords for your journal paper!
We're back! Maintaining productivity and being consistent is one of the cornerstones of a successful PhD. This week, we share some simple changes you can make if you feel you’re not making the most of your time. It’s not about working harder, but more focussed!
A very brief update on the show and when we'll return! Thank you to the entire How to PhD community for continuing to listen to the show! It means so much to us and we can't wait to come back!
Often we think of knowledge gaps as the key thing to aim for in a PhD, but actually there are many more types of gaps that can be just as powerful and useful! Tune in to learn about the many types of research gaps and a very simple tool to help you identify which ones you'd like to pursue!
Balancing spending time on journal papers vs writing your thesis chapters is a tricky one. This week, we have everything you need to know on how to find that balance between the two and what you need to prioritise during your PhD!
Never get replies to emails? Find that your supervisors don't actually answer your questions? A lot of these problems can be traced back to how you write your emails. This week, we're going to be talking about some super simple things you can start doing straight away to optimise your email writing and hopefully get much more responses!
Public involvement and engagement are two really powerful techniques to help justify your work. Think about times you couldn't find the literature to justify what you're doing... or if you feel you're not sure what your work is going to do for the world... these techniques can help solve those! Tune in to find out exactly why you should run them and how!
We're back again, this time with Julia's PhD story. It's different in many ways and so many things to takeaway from the experience- tune in to find out!
This week we're going into each year of our PhD journeys to show you the reality of what a PhD is. Often, all we see is that final success from people on Twitter, but actually, most PhD candidates face the same problems and challenges. We'll be talking in depth about all the challenges Arun faced AND crucially, how to overcome them!
We're back with part 2. In this second half of our collaborative episode with Prof. Sebastian Kernbach, we talk about identify the things in your life that give you energy, how to achieve a resilient mindset, managing perfectionism and how to utilise positive psychology! It's a packed episode- we hope you enjoy it!
Denial Brown
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