Research excellence

Deep dives into university research practices around the world, including supervision, community engagement, funding and publication.

Advice for supervising a PhD by published works

The route to a PhD by published works requires a different approach to supervision. Here, Alison Brettle provides aspects to consider based on her experience conducting, supervising and developing institutional guidance

Alison Brettle

University of Salford

Celebrating failure and other advice for PhD supervisors

PhD researchers should be given space to work independently, share their results and test their own limits with the support of supervisors who see them as people first and scientists second, explains Hannah Cloke

Hannah Cloke

University of Reading

Tips for effectively communicating your research’s impact

Finding ways to communicate the impact of your research can sometimes be a hurdle. Here, Lyn R. Keith outlines effective ways to overcome it and extend the reach of your work

Lyn R. Keith

The University of the West Indies

Don’t keep your distance learners at a distance

Tailored communication, supervision and technology can give distance-learning postgraduate researchers the same sense of belonging as their on-campus counterparts. Here, Richard Thomas offers ways to close the gap

Richard Thomas

University of Leicester

Detail of many drawing circle on screen around icons

HARKing forward: an argument for a polarising research practice

Hypothesising (or proposing) after results are known is seen as going against scientific principles. Here, however, Yehuda Barach argues for its use in the name of unhindered enquiry and discovery when the scholarship is transparent and properly reported

Yehuda Baruch

University of Southampton

How to lose a grant in 10 ways

Want your funding application to be rejected? Have we got some advice for you. But, seriously, don’t do these things and you might just find your perfect grant match

Kathryn Mackinven

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Advice for effective cross-team collaboration for research

Research teams that might not usually work together are increasingly required to collaborate. Here, Rob Kadel offers five principles that underpin effective project delivery

Rob Kadel

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Why get a PhD by publication (and other career tips)

Finding the ‘golden thread’ in your academic path can offer an opportunity to reflect and grow, writes James Derounian

James Derounian

University of Bolton

Asian woman holding vintage video camera

Using primary sources to tell queer histories

Public records and private lives? In uncovering LGBTQ+ stories in personal archives and impersonal documents, historians should ask questions about how each source engages with gender and sexuality, writes Isabell Dahms

Isabell Dahms

Goldsmiths, University of London

Two scientists in a lab looking at a laptop

How to drive change in a research group, part one: Using McKinsey’s 7-S framework

Embracing change is vital for research groups that want to make an impact, writes Daniel Moraru. Here, he outlines ways to do this while aligning with shared values that ensure consistency

Daniel Moraru

Shizuoka University

Two engineers working together in a laboratory

ChatGPT and generative AI: 25 applications to support research

In the fifth and final part of their series looking at 100 ways to use ChatGPT in higher education, Seb Dianati and Suman Laudari share 25 prompts for the AI tool to support research

Seb Dianati, Suman Laudari

Charles Darwin University

Messy decisions and creative science in the classroom

How can we teach students other than those studying for healthcare or other vocational qualifications to work across disciplinary boundaries and make scientific decisions in a creative – and enjoyable – manner? Here’s what we learned from running a data-driven drug-discovery scenario

Charlotte Dodson, Steve Flower

University of Bath

A young man at a computer analysing data

Boosting data literacy: essential skills for early career researchers

Guidance for early career researchers on how to effectively manage and present data

Derval Dally

The University of the West Indies

Devolved research funding in universities – a counter-narrative

Unfunded research could paradoxically add value to an institution’s output, profile and impact. Rosalind Edwards asks what lessons European initiatives can offer

Rosalind Edwards

University of Southampton

Three people in an office having a discussion

So what? Who cares? The skill of talking about impact

Darcey Gillie explains the importance of talking about impact in higher education and offers practical steps on how to do it

Darcey Gillie

The University of Edinburgh

Using co-creation to make young people equal research partners

Based on her experience developing a youth panel, Kathryn Woods-Townsend explains how her team collaborated with, employed and learned from the teenagers who are their lived-experience experts

Kathryn Woods-Townsend

University of Southampton

Life cycle assessment depicted by icons on wooden balls.

Circular impact: a call to action for research on grand societal challenges

How to enact a ‘circular’ approach to research and impact so outcomes feed back into the work to inform ongoing planning and improvement

Ryan Nolan

The University of Exeter, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

Undergraduate research to enrich teacher education

Designing, conducting and presenting a research project based on classroom experience can give students an early opportunity for critical reflection on their learning

Molly Riddle, Jacquelyn J. Singleton, Cathy Johnson

Indiana University Southeast

Illustration of human intelligence interacting with artificial intelligence

An introduction to prompting generative AI like ChatGPT for teaching and learning

To fulfil its potential, generative artificial intelligence requires effective instructions. In the first of a five-part series, Seb Dianati and Suman Laudari explain how to craft a useful AI prompt

Seb Dianati, Suman Laudari

Charles Darwin University

Shifting landscapes of social media data for research

What can researchers do in light of changes to social media platforms’ APIs that reduce and monetise access to data? In this uncharted territory, aspects to watch include new access routes and user protections

Brittany I. Davidson, Joanne Hinds, Daniel Racek

University of Bath, LMU Munich

Is open access tarnished?

As open access terms have split into colour-coded brands, not all allow totally unrestricted access and reuse. Among these, “bronze OA” stands out as a potentially damaging misnomer, writes Steven Vidovic

Steven U. Vidovic

University of Southampton

Unlock knowledge within local communities through citizen social science

With regional prosperity now central to the UK government’s thinking, universities need to transform the way they conduct research to respond to emerging needs and provide solutions to today’s social, economic and environmental issues

Henrietta L. Moore

UCL

Unlocking padlock and open access publishing

Open access is inevitable – only the ‘how’ remains up for discussion

Scholarly knowledge is produced mainly at taxpayers’ expense. Why they should have to pay again to read it remains a mystery, writes Peter Baldwin

Peter Baldwin

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), New York University

Ntarama church massacre memorial in Rwanda

A case for bringing ethics of friendship and care to academic research

Friendship adds ethical and emotional dimensions that can make research equitable, sensitive, responsive and consequential to local communities, writes Noam Schimmel, based on his experiences in Rwanda

Noam Schimmel

University of California, Berkeley

Timeline and calendar for project management

How to use a project management approach to help run research projects

Jon Gunnell explains how to adopt the PRINCE2 project management method to help overcome the many challenges of running a multi-year research project

Jon Gunnell

University of Sheffield

Decolonising interview methods: a call to look to the moon

The interview process often rests on colonial perceptions of what counts as knowledge, how knowledge is generated and who ‘owns’ it. But researchers can use orienting questions to reflect upon and decentre this approach

Rosalind Edwards, Teah Carlson , Rachel Liebert

University of Southampton, Massey University, University of East London

Campus Talks: How to use generative AI in your teaching and research

Higher education is only beginning to understand the impact that generative AI tools such as ChatGPT will have on teaching and research. Three intrepid explorers join us in this episode to share what useful functions they’ve discovered for the technology

Jennifer Rose, David Nicol, Brooke Szücs

The University of Manchester, University of Glasgow, The University of Queensland

Darwin and teaching originality in university

Teaching originality: an essential skill in the age of ChatGPT

Academic originality is not about chance, genius or magic. It is about engagement and a clear sense of scholarly contribution. And it can be taught, writes Alastair Bonnett

Alastair Bonnett

Newcastle University

A model for maximising the impact of small research units

Qingyan Chen explains how adopting a quasi-centralised management approach can help stimulate large-scale research

Qingyan Chen

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Group of four multiracial young people in a meeting

A DIY guide to starting your own journal

An antidote to frustrations with traditional academic publishing might be to launch a grass-roots open access journal. Here are the steps to consider

Judith Johnson

University of Leeds

Focus on hands of man presenting at conference

Tips for sharing research findings with diverse audiences

Research impact depends on researchers’ ability to reach the right ears and present content in the right format. Here’s how to tailor your communication – whether for policymakers, peers or the general public

Mohammed Al-Bahrani

Al-Mustaqbal University

Five tips for building healthy academic collaborations

Collaboration is a key skill in academia, but nobody is ever taught how to do it effectively. Martyna Śliwa gives advice on how to work well with others

Martyna Śliwa

Durham University

A university tutor talking to a male student

Five characteristics of effective supervisor training

What constitutes effective training to ensure research supervisors are well equipped to work with doctoral students? Sioux McKenna and Puleng Motshoane share advice based on their research in South Africa

Sioux McKenna, Puleng Motshoane

Rhodes University, University of Johannesburg

Three ways to leverage ChatGPT and other generative AI in research

A guide to three key uses of generative AI tools like ChatGPT in developing and enhancing research

Daswin De Silva, Mona El-Ayoubi

La Trobe University

Online academic research with Google Scholar

Three ways to make the most of Google Scholar’s ExCITATION plug-in

Luca Cacciolatti explains how to use Google’s ExCITATION journal-ranking tool, which can help researchers quickly identify relevant and high-quality sources

Luca Cacciolatti

University of Westminster

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

Campus talks: how the university library is an agent of change

Often overlooked, university libraries are critical to the teaching and research missions of institutions. They also play a key role in digital innovation and community outreach. Two librarians tell us more about how they see their work as agents of change

Masud Khokhar, Toni Carter

University of Leeds, Athens State University

How universities can help rebuild trust in science

The crisis of confidence in science has deep origins. The answer to regaining traction is compelling stories and the skills to tell them beyond the academy, writes Bartłomiej Knosala

Bartłomiej Knosala

Silesian University of Technology

How a PhD can put their skills to use in a workplace

The confidence trick: impostor syndrome and PhDs in the non-academic world

Researchers have a great deal to offer the world beyond academia. But, as John Miles writes, knowing where and when to deploy these skills is crucial

John Miles

Inkpath

Woman holding light bulb with symbols of academic fields surrounding it

A campaign to communicate the impact of university research

With public perception of US higher education in decline, universities urgently need to send an engaging, integrated message about how their work benefits society, writes Paul M. Rand. Here’s how his institution is doing it

Paul M. Rand

The University of Chicago

Strategies to maximise the benefits of open research

Sharing data, publishing preprints and making research outputs freely available all have tangible benefits for individual scientists and society. Here are tips to get started

Tariq Al-Musawi

Al-Mustaqbal University

Group activities can help HDR student belonging

We must help HDR students experience a sense of community and belonging

A University of Adelaide team on what can be done to enhance community for higher degree by research students and how to ensure they see this culture from the outside

Multiple authors

Adelaide University

LGBTQ+ campaigners pose with the rainbow flag

Work ‘with’ not ‘on’: making social research more inclusive for LGBTQ+ people

How to develop inclusive social research practices that involve carrying out work ‘with’ LGBTQ+ participants, rather than ‘on’ them

Paul Willis

The University of Bristol

Connected wooden markers on a blue background

Questions to foster open and engaging research communication

Each stage of a research project comes with questions about what information to share and with whom. Richard Holliman offers practical advice on how to make your research communication more transparent and engaging

Richard Holliman

The Open University

The image of a community walking group relates to community-based research

The secret to ‘levelling up’ is in cross-sector, community-based research

New research shows the achievements of non-academic partnerships and gives insights into what funding and delivery models can help them flourish

Katy Shaw

Northumbria University

Campus talks: when pop culture meets academia

Can superheroes teach us about physics? What can studying Kylie Minogue tell us about gender politics? Two academics talk about the intersection of popular culture and higher education

Michael Dennin, Liz Giuffre

University of California, Irvine, University of Technology Sydney

Magnifying glass over southern Africa on a globe

Why learning to listen will help you avoid ‘helicopter research’ and make you a better science communicator

A year of failed fieldwork in Africa led Sallie Burrough to ask questions about how researchers interact with the societies they work in. Here, she shares five tips for transparent, inclusive practices

Sallie Burrough

University of Oxford

A man standing on a rock, staring out into the distance

A vision for graduate supervision

Supervising graduate students is a responsibility and skill that goes far beyond the mere transmission of knowledge, as Daniel Jutras explains

Daniel Jutras

University of Montreal

Narrating failure in academia: how to turn trash into treasure

Instead of hiding from failure in shame and despair, and on the way to normalising it, we should learn how to better narrate it, says Lucas Lixinski

Lucas Lixinski

UNSW Sydney

Field journals: a deceptively simple solution for improving engagement

Sending students into the field armed with journals (and latterly iPads) has provided pedagogical lessons that can be applied far beyond my field of natural history, says Michael Brunson

Michael Brunson

Kansas State University

Research competitions and university sutdents

Tactics for leading and engaging students in research competitions

Research competitions can motivate, encourage and inspire students, but we must align their expectations and encourage teamwork throughout the project

Zheng Pai

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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