Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · How you, as a peer reviewer, can contribute to a better process This is part of a short series addressing the frustration with how long peer review takes. Other posts in this series include The Frustrations of Peer Review and The Role of Journal Editors in Long Review Times. […]
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The frustrations of peer review: why is it taking so long?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · The frustrations of peer review: Why is it taking so long? This is part of a short series addressing the frustration with how long peer review takes. Other posts in this series include How you, as a peer reviewer, can contribute to a better process and The Role of Journal […]
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Time Management isn’t primarily a technical problem
First published in the Careers Cafe at University Affairs. Republished with permission. Everyone struggles with time management. Everyone. If it were just a matter of accurately estimating how long things would take and then allocating time to do those tasks, it wouldn’t be such a big problem. Perhaps you would be able to make a rational argument […]
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Stop worrying about recycling
Back in 2011, Aimée Morrison wrote a post on Hook & Eye, ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’, in which she discussed the question What I’ve been really thinking about lately is this: how much reusing and recycling of our work is appropriate here? This is a common concern, especially among early career researchers. I responded with a […]
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A story from… A Meeting With Your Writing
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · A Story from A Meeting With Your Writing If you’re a long-time member or someone new researching how you can add some accountability to your writing goals, here is a story from A Meeting With Your Writing – my weekly series of virtual writing groups to help you learn […]
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Writing is NOT a reward for getting your grading done
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Writing is not a reward for getting your grading done Grading is dispiriting at the best of times. There is too much of it to do, to a very tight deadline. And despite the occasional brilliant paper or clear demonstration that students are getting it, there are too many […]
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The frustrations of being a dedicated teacher.
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · The frustrations of being a dedicated teacher You are a dedicated teacher. You want your students to learn. When you take that ethical obligation seriously, and work hard to make it possible for students to learn and do well, it can be frustrating when students seem not to make […]
Read More »When your writing project needs to be left alone
Sometimes what your project needs to move forward is to be left alone so the ideas can mull, ferment, or percolate in the back of your mind. This stage will feel painful, unproductive, and like you are procrastinating. Strategies for the mulling phase Physical work is a good option. Our brains work better when we are […]
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The dangers of counting words
A lot of people count words as a way of measuring their writing progress. Although there are stages of the writing process where this is helpful, there are also points in the process where counting words could actually be damaging. What you measure, affects your process If you measure the number of words, you are going […]
Read More »Dorothy E. Smith on the purpose of publishing
I’ve been pulling together my thoughts on the writing process and publishing to form Short Guides on popular ebook platforms. In doing so I remembered an early influence on my thinking around validation and communication: Dorothy E. Smith. My copy of The Everyday World as Problematic was published in 1988, the year before I began […]
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Do you suffer from Imposter Syndrome?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Do you suffer from impostor syndrome? That’s one of those faux-medical terms for a Very Real Thing. You feel like you don’t really belong, you aren’t really qualified, and at any moment someone is going to find out and your whole life will come crashing down. It’s related to […]
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One thing at a time?
This post is part of a series on Optimizing Focus. Finding it hard to focus is normal. Self-flagellation does not work to improve your focus. Furthermore it takes time and energy that takes you away from your writing; it is another distraction. I firmly believe that you can approach your work compassionately rather than violently. […]
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