Why do I need a post-doctoral position? In an era when PhD students are rising in number and the amount of highly qualified early career scientists is huge, competition for post-docs are intense. These fixed-term research positions, which can be thought of as apprenticeships, are essential for scientists wishing to move to permanent positions in […]
How to get a post-doc Read More »
At some point in the journey to the PhD, it is time to stop experimentation, stop data collection, stop fieldwork, and consider how to convert this huge pile of data into a PhD. It’s not easy. No one said it would be easy. But it is achievable. Here are some coping strategies that I used
Writing up a PhD thesis Read More »
People often ask me how I find the time to update and maintain this website. The truth is, I make time for outreach in a number of ways.
Making time for outreach Read More »
So long and thanks for all the fish Each year, SCAR (the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research) awards a few fellowships to young researchers, to allow them to visit another university and collaborate with a new team. I was lucky enough to be awarded one in 2012, which I took up this winter. And now,
Fellowships, models and outreach Read More »
Presentations are the mainstay of academic life, as well as the corporate and business world. Undergraduate students will probably need to give solo or group presentations as part of their coursework. Postgradute students will certainly have to do so. But giving a good presentation is an art, and it takes a lot of practice. I
Giving a good presentation Read More »
Many geoscientists undertake fieldwork as part of their research. Undergraduate, Masters and PhD students may all participate in fieldwork expeditions in far-flung, exotic locations. What things to researchers need to consider before they undertake their first expedition? I have put together this step by step guide, based on my 10 years of research in remote
How to enjoy a successful fieldwork expedition Read More »
Introduction | The science of science communication | Outlets for science communication | Online science communication | Are blogs effective methods of science communication? | Summary | References | Introduction There is a movement afoot. Academics and scientists are entering the blogosphere, and their numbers are increasing 1,2. The majority are early career scientists –
Are websites and blogs an effective outreach tool for academics? Read More »
Using photographs in our research As geoscientists, we are trained to observe and record the world around us. We often use but simple tools – a note book, a hammer, a camera, maybe a handheld GPS. With these implements, we can make careful observations and deductions about the evolution of the landscape around us.
Photography for geoscientists Read More »
In my last post, I described the art of blogging and how it benefits me. The main conclusion I drew was that people love pictures, and that if you want to get people to your website, it must be figure-heavy. This second blog post describes how to avoide copyright conundrums and how to illustrate your
Pictures, pictures and more pictures Read More »
This is a brief article on why I blog, some things I have learned by blogging, and how I think it benefits me. Lots of people have written articles about why blogging is important for outreach (for example, to counter misunderstandings like this), but I also think that blogging is good to do for you
Why I Blog (and why you should too) Read More »
