Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · How to make your argument clear I’ve invited Lisa Munro to write about the craft of writing and she’s chosen to focus on the central element of all scholarly writing: the argument. Boldly stating your argument requires confidence! That’s not always easy. I particularly like how she provides a […]
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You don’t have to start with an abstract
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · You don’t have to start with an abstract Do you use conferences as a way to start new writing projects? In my experience it’s a pretty common practice. You are working on some research. You need to transition into the writing phase. A conference offers an impetus to make […]
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Do you hate writing conclusions?
“I really hate writing conclusions. I am writing something now and I am very tempted to write the following as my conclusion: I wrote, I argued, it has finished. You can stop reading now. Thank you.” — (via Bluesky January 2024) This is a very common sentiment. I have seen it numerous times on social […]
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On research and emotional entanglement
A Note from Jo: This post has been repubished from Liz Gloyn’s own blog site, because it is relevant to the struggles I know my clients and Studio members unfortunately go through on a regular basis. Term has finished, the Christmas tree is up, and I’ve got a week before annual leave kicks in… so […]
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Why are you writing this book?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Why are you writing this book? A book is a big project. Depending where you mark the beginning, book writing can take years. Not only is it hard to protect the time, given all your other commitments, but it can be hard to sustain momentum. Some of that is […]
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Beyond accountability: co-working as support
When I started A Meeting With Your Writing, co-working groups for academics were practically unheard of Shut Up and Write didn’t exist yet. The most popular “accountability group” for academic writers, The Academic Ladder, didn’t include co-working. There is now a proliferation of options, both specifically for academics, and more generally. It is common to describe […]
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Making time blocking work for you
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Making time blocking work for you One of the strategies I encourage people to use when planning is time-blocking. It is what I am thinking of when I talk about boundaries as one of the principle elements of a good plan. Over the years I’ve realized that there are […]
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Tracking “streaks” to establish & maintain habits
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Tracking “streaks” to establish & maintain habits Note: Although I might provide some specific examples, what I say here applies to any habit you want to establish or maintain. That might be a work habit, like writing regularly. Or it might be self-care habits, like not working on weekends, […]
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Do you struggle to write for long periods of time?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Do you struggle to write for long enough? One of the members of the Academic Writing Studio asked about writing stamina in a recent Office Hours, the regular group-coaching session I host for members there. You know, I have this ideal self that wakes up every day and writes […]
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Spotlight On: Peer Review
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Spotlight On: Peer Review Peer review is central to academic freedom. It ensures that the criteria for evaluating the quality of scholarship are in the control of scholars and not subordinated to commercial, government, or other interests. My writing on peer review over the years has primarily focused on […]
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Academic Writing & Publishing: A Discussion with Katherine Firth
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Academic Writing: An Interview with Katherine Firth This post is an edited transcript of my interview with Katherine Firth in October 2019 to celebrate the publication of my Short Guide on Peer Review. JoVE: Hello. So I am Jo Van Every, and this is Katherine Firth. [Katherine confirms]. […]
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Peer Review is worth saving
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Peer review is worth saving There is a crisis in peer review. It affects all disciplines. It affects all types of publishers. It adds delays to the publishing process, which was already frustratingly long. I suspect it is also affecting the reviews themselves in various ways. The Peer Review […]
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