Research excellence

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

Image representing a global team working together

Helping doctoral students build international connections

PhD students’ learning and research can be greatly enhanced through international collaboration. A team from Imperial College London shares practical tips for supporting these cross-border links between doctoral students

Elena Forasacco, Laura Bulmer, Laura Lane

Imperial College London

No one in academia can agree on what research leadership looks like

No one agrees on what research leadership is, let alone how to do it well

The academy has no common idea of what research leadership really is, why it’s important or what good practice looks like. That needs to change, says Matthew Flinders

Matthew Flinders

University of Sheffield, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

What I have learned on the journey towards commercialising my PhD

Engineering biologist Maggie Hicks shares what she has learned on her journey towards commercialising her PhD, with business partner and fellow PhD student Florentina Winkelmann

Maggie Hicks

The University of Edinburgh

Knocking down the house of policy impact in higher education

It’s high time we rethought policy impact

The frameworks currently in use for rewarding policy impact are peppered with problems and pitfalls – here’s how to fix them, says Christina Boswell

Christina Boswell

The University of Edinburgh

Hands linked to show networks and collaboration

Doctoral training programmes: worthwhile or not?

If the chance to work with gifted people and across unfamiliar disciplines appeals, a doctoral training programme could be for you, whether you’re a student or an academic

Graham Huggan

University of Leeds

Strengthen research capacity: how do we do it?

What does ‘strengthen research capacity’ actually mean, and how can we do it?

Leaders of research consortia face a difficult task in carrying out research and improving research capacity, but embedding a specialist team to make recommendations provides great gains

Imelda Bates , Justin Pulford , Lorelei Silvester

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

Cat in travel cage with plane in background

Zoom fatigue and other exhaustions of international academic life

For many scholars, a sustainable career means moving countries to follow jobs and opportunities. Here, Clare Griffin talks about the financial, mental and social costs of relocation and offers practical tips for coping

Clare Griffin

Indiana University Bloomington

Image of the sky at night showing a galaxy and stars

Effective use of machine learning to empower your research

Artificial intelligence, or machine learning, can support complex analysis and advance quality research, but only when used carefully. John F. Wu shares advice on how machine learning can empower researchers

John F. Wu

Space Telescope Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University

Woman walking past a field of yellow flowers

Walk the walk to benefit your academic research

Walking can be used to benefit academic research, help with problem-solving and promote creative thinking. Here, Anna Lois McKay explains the different ways it works

Anna Lois McKay

University of Leicester

Image of a researcher conducting fieldwork

How to develop a code of conduct for ethical research fieldwork

A code of conduct for ethical research fieldwork developed by two researchers at the University of Oxford has been taken up by departments across the institution and beyond. The code authors, Catherine Fallon Grasham and Laura Picot, share lessons they learned along the way

Catherine Fallon Grasham, Laura Picot

University of Oxford

Image of the red curtains opening at the start of a theatre performance

What’s the story? Creative ways to communicate your research

Early in your academic research, you should ask how you can creatively communicate it to a wide audience. The results may surprise you, says Steven Beschloss

Steven Beschloss

Arizona State University

Support for Ukrainian academics and students

Supporting Ukrainian scholars: what’s next for #ScienceForUkraine?

Academics and students from Ukraine at home and in exile need help. Here are ways to support the Ukrainian academic community

Arran Reader , Anna K. Bobak

University of Stirling

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

THE podcast: what makes research and teaching interesting?

Find out what universal tricks and traits can make things more interesting whether introducing a new concept in class or drafting a research paper for fellow academics

Kurt Gray, Manuel Goyanes, Emily Corwin-Renner

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M), University of Tübingen

Image depicting a story emerging from the pages of a book

The transformative potential of narrative writing explained

Narrative writing is one way academics can meaningfully communicate their work to the public but it can be hard to master. Steven Beschloss shares a guide to improve narrative writing skills

Steven Beschloss

Arizona State University

Russia’s intellectual isolation presents opportunities for Central Asian HE

Major universities in this region are now uniquely positioned to build new international partnerships with academic institutions that have lost access to Russia

Daniel Scarborough

Nazarbayev University

Illustration of heads with lightbulb and leaves, mentorship

Ten platinum rules for PhD supervisors

Is it time to add PhD supervision to your skill set? Tara Brabazon explains the pitfalls, challenges and rewards of this key academic role for the rookie mentor

Tara Brabazon

Flinders University

There are core competencies that anyone can use to research a topic thoroughly

Discover the nine competencies required to become a researcher

What essential skills do researchers need? For those just starting on the road to research, breaking the process down into achievable and measurable milestones can help

Cynthia López

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Diversity statements in higher education can embed inequality more deeply

Embedding equality, diversity and inclusion within public policy training for academics

Steps higher education institutions can take to make their policy engagement training programmes as diverse and inclusive as possible, based on the experience of a UK university

Audrey Tan

UCL

Universities and their researchers have a key role to play in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The sector’s role in addressing climate change is crucial – and varied

From researching microalgae to evaluating and contributing to climate policy, universities have a significant job to do, says Lucy Meredith

Lucy Meredith

University of the West of Scotland

Serendipity plays a big part in much scientific discovery - and researchers can increase the chances of it happening

How to enhance your chances of serendipitous research discoveries

Five approaches that will help researchers prepare for and make the most of serendipitous opportunities

Rachel Herbert

Elsevier

Magnifying-glass-over-scrambled-block-letters

Streamline your research using academic search engines

Specialist search engines can put the most relevant literature at your fingertips, but which is the best one for you, and how can you optimise your searches?

Jack Wang

The University of Queensland

Young woman on stage giving a presentation

10 essential tips for your next academic presentation

Using examples and practical tips, Dorsa Amir explains the techniques that ensure your presentation communicates its message effectively – from slide design to structuring your talk

Dorsa Amir

University of California, Berkeley

Research and business need to go hand in hand in an uncertain future

Three big ideas to ensure research helps shape the future of business

High-quality scientific research and the values it encapsulates, such as a focus on empirical evidence over opinion, must be used to help business for years to come

Andrew Stephen

University of Oxford

Image of a university tutor answering a student question during lesson

Writing about the day job: levelling up scholarship across higher education

Tutors with full class schedules have little capacity for research but by focusing on the scholarship of teaching and learning, they can contribute valuable insights supported by their day job, write Russ Woodward and Tim Veal

Russell Woodward, Tim Veal

University Centre, Grimsby: The TEC Partnership

A lecturer taking questions from his students

Rebalancing research and teaching within universities: rethinking recognition and reward

Adrian Lam looks at what changes to recognition and reward in higher education would help academics better balance a focus on research with need for quality teaching

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

Why does open access make publishing more complicated?

The shift towards open-access publishing can leave students and researchers confused. Here, a group of research facilitators answer the most common questions about the new publication landscape – and sum up where we stand

Inma Peral, Maël Guennou

University of Luxembourg

We must consider the SDGs in local contexts and universities can help

We won’t get anywhere without placing the SDGs in local contexts

Applying the SDGs looks vastly different in a Western city from how it does in a rural Asian village. Su Li Chong explains how universities can help us get past a one-size-fits-all approach

Su Li Chong

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

What to do when an academic journal rejects your article

Nobody likes negative feedback but rejection is not all bad. Here is how to see rejection of your article by a peer-reviewed journal as an opportunity

Catherine Léglu

University of Luxembourg

Image showing a researcher writing in a notepad to illustrate advice on using poetry to analyse data

Creating poetry from data to aid analysis

Poetry can be used as a tool to re-analyse and present qualitative data through a new lens, as Sam Illingworth explains

Sam Illingworth

Edinburgh Napier University

Is your education not supported? Incompatibility in tech is a big problem for universities

Is your teaching and learning ‘not supported’?

Are you Google or Microsoft? WhatsApp or Signal? The incompatibility driven by Big Tech obstructs research and teaching, so Europe’s mooted Digital Markets Act may be good news

Andy Farnell

Visiting professor

An academic tracking their research metrics based on online data and citations

Making research metrics work for you, part one

An introduction to individual research metrics and how to discover how your own profile and data are represented online, in part one of Ioannis Glinavos’ advice on managing metrics

Ioannis Glinavos

University of Westminster

A picture representing the different components needed to improve research metrics

Making research metrics work for you, part two

Steps you can take to improve your research data and elevate the visibility of your work, in part two of Ioannis Glinavos’ advice on managing metrics

Ioannis Glinavos

University of Westminster

Looking to the future of the workforce and universities

The sector must come together when talk turns to promoting economic success

What could be more important than preparing our students for jobs in the local economy and supporting graduates to become the entrepreneurs of the future? asks Sir David Bell

David Bell

University of Sunderland

How open knowledge strengthens democracies

No longer just guardians of knowledge, public universities are critical to the health of young democracies. To support civil society and democracy, flagship institutions must embrace their role as coordinators of open knowledge exchange

Justin Axel-Berg

University of São Paulo

Advice on developing graphical frameworks to explain your research

How to develop a graphical framework to chart your research

Graphic representations or frameworks can be powerful tools to explain research processes and outcomes. David Waller explains how researchers can develop effective visual models to chart their work

David Waller

University of Technology Sydney

Scientists and academics must practise humility and empathy when communicating with the public over issues such as climate change

We’ve forgotten how to communicate science to the public at a crucial time

As we try to tackle climate change, it feels like the pandemic has pushed us back decades to the bad old mode of scientists lecturing the public, says John Womersley

John Womersley

University of Oxford

Academics looking to move up the higher education career ladder might consider becoming a dean

How to become a dean

Paul Baines talks through the pros and cons of being a dean, plus the skills you’ll need to display during the recruitment process to get there

Paul Baines

University of Leicester

What is peer review and why it is important?

Peer review is the lifeblood of good science. But understanding the process can take time, and gaining review experience can be daunting. Marc Gillett explains the key elements of this critical component of science

Marc Gillett

IOP Publishing

International HE collaborations can help progress towards the SDGs in this Decade of Action

International partnerships drive SDG progress – how do we support them?

Diverse partnerships encompassing various sectors and organisations help mobilise resources and encourage collaboration that can address societal challenges more efficiently

Joanna Newman, Maddalaine Ansell

The Association of Commonwealth Universities, British Council

Advice on using your research to inform and impact policy decisions

Learning the craft of using your research to engage in policy

David Garcia explains how academics can get their research noticed by politicians in order to inform and impact policy decisions

David R. Garcia

Arizona State University

Advice on setting up your workspace to record good quality footage for use on social media

How to use social media more effectively in teaching and research, part one: your recording set-up

Andy Miah shows how academics could set up their workspace to record good-quality video content for use on social media

Andy Miah

University of Salford

Advice on developing research informed strategies to widen participation in higher education

Widening access to postgraduate studies: from research to strategy to action

Providing equitable access into and through higher education is a constant battle, especially in postgraduate research, but barriers can be addressed when evidence is connected to action, as Diane Gill explains

Diane Gill

The University of Edinburgh

Steps that institutions can take to increase the research productivity and impact of their academic staff

Managing individual research productivity in academic organisations: seven key insights

Advice on steps institutions can take to boost the productivity and impact of researchers, based on a study by Olga Ryazanova and Jolanta Jaskiene

Olga Ryazanova , Jolanta Jaskiene

Maynooth University , ISM University of Management and Economics

University academics can be bad communicators - and this can be a problem when trying to engage industry

External engagement in academia: lessons from the business world

Many academics see external engagement as a chore. Others are just unable to appreciate industry perspectives. Both are stifling the contribution of universities

Kumud Wijayaratna , Ed Cottam

Northumbria University

An online meeting. University professors and lecturers need to learn to work together online in the new normal

Eight essential tips for remote interdisciplinary teamwork

Rocío Elizabeth Cortez Márquez and Elia Esther Mendoza Carabeo give advice on making interdisciplinary teams work online

Rocío Elizabeth Cortez Márquez , Elia Esther Mendoza Carabeo

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Fostering interdisciplinary thinking in students is a great idea for universities

How to lay the groundwork for interdisciplinarity in students

Recent events have shown the necessity of working together, and it’s never too early for universities, faculty and students to begin thinking about this, says Georgina Harris

Georgina Harris

Arden University

How university researchers can say goodbye to the lab and hello to an admin role

Are you a researcher who’s ready to move away from the bench? Here’s how

Deciphering job titles, utilising your network and coming to problems with ‘fresh eyes’ are all crucial for those moving from the lab to an admin role

Lia Paola Zambetti

University of Sydney

Rethinking PhDs to create graduates that are both academic and commercial is crucial to bioscience success

We must rethink PhDs to smash barriers and ensure bioscience success

Redesigning PhD training will help develop commercially savvy researchers, address skills gaps in UK bioscience and bolster innovation, say Simon Cook and Derek Jones

Simon Cook, Derek Jones

Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus

Advice on shaping meaningful community engagement through research projects

In this together: developing meaningful community engagement

Anna Walas offers advice for facilitating community engagement with research by considering ways in which effective engagement design can help overcome common barriers

Anna Walas

University of Nottingham

How to have an "overnight" scientific success in 20 years

How to create an overnight scientific success (in 20 years)

Inspirational moments don’t usually happen by chance. Instead, many enabling factors must be put in place over the course of a career, say Peter Hogg and Jo Cresswell

Peter Hogg, Jo Cresswell

University of Salford

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