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Be brave: how to negotiate open access rights with your publisher
For Open Access Week 2020, I spoke with Dimity Flanagan (Manager, Scholarly Communications) at the University of Melbourne about why open access is important and the practicalities of making research open. My thoughts (originally published here) are reposted below. Q. Why is it important to you to take the extra time to make sure more of your research is available open access? For me, open access is important for a number of reasons. First, it is a way in which we can ensure that publicly-funded research is made accessible to the public. Second, open access extends the reach and impact of our scholarship. I have discovered this somewhat by accident:…
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Microsoft Word
Love it or hate it, Microsoft Word is ubiquitous in an academic setting (at least, for those of us who don’t use LaTeX!). But are you using Word in the best way? Are there tips or tricks you are missing, that could save time or agony? We spoke with Christina Ward, Liaison Librarian (Research) at Melbourne Law School, about the essential tips for using Word for academic research, and navigating large documents (like a PhD!). Comparing documents: do you have co-authors who always forget to track changes when amending a document? Has a copy editor returned your files to you, but failed to identify the changes? Comparing documents will be…
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Haters gonna hate: Dealing with criticism
Criticism is part and parcel of academic work. It is embedded in journal reviewer reports, conference questions and grant reports. We need criticism: it can help us to see our work in a new light, overcome road blocks, and reach our full academic potential. The problem occurs, however, when criticism is no longer constructive but destructive. So how can we deal with potentially destructive feedback? We spoke with Professor Katy Barnett as part of Melbourne Law School’s Early Career Network seminar series about how we should navigate criticism. Here are our ideas and suggestions: 1. Recognise that destructive feedback is not about you: it reflects the person’s own insecurities or…
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Applying to a graduate research program
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Academic De-cluttering
It seems like de-cluttering is all the rage at the moment. Whether it be our sock drawer or that odd cupboard with kitchen utensils, sorting, clearing and rearranging our lives can give us a feeling of empowerment and control, and help to reveal what is really important. But what about our professional lives? Are they in need of de-cluttering also? Academic careers are funny things: as we become more senior, there are more opportunities, more invitations, and more projects to get involved in. We sometimes become so busy that there isn’t a chance to think strategically about what we are saying ‘yes’ to, and why. While it may be hard…
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Applying to a graduate research program
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Reference management
Do you spend hours fussing with footnotes or battling with bibliographies? Does the thought of resubmitting that article fill you with fear, because the house style is different? Are you spending valuable funds on research assistance to fix footnotes? There is a better way: reference management systems can transform your research. Introducing: Zotero Zotero is my preferred reference management system. It is easy to use, integrates well with other software like Word, and can be adapted to your individual referencing needs. The best bit: it is free. It can be downloaded here. For legal academics, there is an extension of Zotero called Juris-M. This offers additional functionality if you often…
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