Research excellence

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

Two young researchers in a lab

How can we embed inclusion in our research culture for postgraduate researchers?

Small, systemic changes can help universities make their research community more welcoming and collaborative. Here, Maisha Islam looks at four actions to consider – from PGR surveys to widening access

Maisha Islam

University of Southampton

Librarian helping a student check out a book

Open access: why and how to do it

Here, a librarian and master of information student offer insight into facets of open access publishing and the challenges relating to it

Melissa A. Rothfus, Catherine Gracey

Dalhousie University

hands typing on a laptop, open research concept

Sharing qualitative research through open access

Traditional open access repositories are designed for sharing quantitative data. But what about qualitative data – non-numeric information and concepts such as case studies or interview transcripts? That’s where the Qualitative Data Repository comes in

Nathaniel D. Porter

Virginia Tech

A group of students laugh while using laptops

Four ways to create an entrepreneurial culture at your institution

Universities are perfectly placed to help start-ups get off the ground. Alan Murray, Robert Crammond and Kingsley Omeihe advise on how best to get your students thinking with a business mindset

Alan Murray, Robert Crammond, Kingsley Omeihe

University of the West of Scotland

A woman jumps from one rock ledge to another

Use teamwork to erode the glass cliff

As the UK higher education sector battles a perfect storm, Emma Flynn stresses the importance of building strong teams around female leaders

Emma Flynn

The University of Warwick

Members of a focus group having a discussion

Steps to take to encourage more support for public engagement in research

By fostering a culture in which public engagement is not just encouraged but embedded into the fabric of academic life, institutions can leave a lasting impact on both the scholarly community and the world at large

Lyn R. Keith

The University of the West Indies

Healthcare researcher with patient

What underpins effective patient and public involvement in health and social care research?

Is it rules or values? The two key ways to approach the art of PPI in healthcare research should come together in process, procedures and culture, writes Gary Hickey

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

A lifesaver represents career support for academics on extended leave

Support for faculty on long-term leave is a career lifeline

Institutions and academics both benefit when support frameworks are in place to help extended leavers back into work. Four educators offer a case study in what one might look like

Theresa Mercer , Jim Harris, Ron Corstanje, Chhaya Kerai-Jones

Cranfield University

Acropolis in Athens

Could Athenian democracy improve the quality of science?

What if universities were governed according to the open culture that drives scientific research itself? Zoltan Dienes and Jörg Huber look at an ancient model for decision-making

Zoltan Dienes, Jörg Huber

University of Sussex, University of Brighton

Open door concept

The double-edged sword of open access publishing

Inclusivity is seen as a benefit of open access publishing, but is this an illusion? Here, William E. Donald asks questions about who pays and what counts, and offers scenarios for a fairer journal model

William E. Donald

University of Southampton

Crowd at Euston station, London

How to harness community knowledge to tackle complex policy challenges

Working with local communities can help uncover new insights to tackle complex social policy challenges. Saffron Woodcraft and Joseph Cook explain how to set up high-impact citizen social science research

Saffron Woodcraft, Joseph Cook

UCL

News on mobile phone

How to engage with the media and expand the impact of your work

Academic scholars are generally not trained to write for broad audiences, so how do you get your compelling, newsworthy research out there? Gregory R. Goldsmith offers five considerations

Gregory Goldsmith

Chapman University

A group of policymakers discussing research

How to facilitate knowledge exchange and build trust with policymakers

Those seeking to create impact with their evidence should be ready to understand how public sector bodies make sense of the value of research, writes Julian Molina

Julian Molina

The University of Bristol

Illustration of a man with clouds for a head

Believe it or not, you can use conspiracy theories as tools for teaching

When misinformation is a global risk, critical thinking skills are more vital than ever, writes Malcolm Schofield. Here, he offers techniques from parapsychology and belief studies that can make research and analysis more rigorous

Malcolm Schofield

University of Derby

Students sitting in an auditorium

We set up a thought leadership programme to amplify PhD research

Dalhousie's OpenThink programme shows how universities can empower the next generation of thought leaders and facilitate public engagement

Lynne M. Robinson

Dalhousie University

Communication concept

Why press releases are a waste of your comms team’s time

Most universities will track press release output as part of overall communications metrics – but, asks Kylie Ahern, have you considered other ways to generate media coverage, awareness of your brand or better relationships with journalists?

Kylie Ahern

STEM Matters

Hand knocking down dominoes

Driving change through knowledge: how to increase policy impact

Academic research is invaluable in informing governments and leaders so they can make decisions that affect us all. Here, Yaryna Basystyuk offers advice on how to make your research count in the policy world

Yaryna Basystyuk

University of Southampton

Mike Ibba

Campus interview: Mike Ibba of Chapman University on mentorship and the future of US science

In this video podcast Mike Ibba, dean of Schmid College of Science and Technology at Chapman University, talks about undergraduate research, what philosophers and scientists can learn from each other and the state of US federal funding for science and technology research

Mike Ibba

Chapman University

Group of three multiracial people talking

Building trust in research: how effective patient and public involvement can help

Involving patients and the public in research results in more relevant outcomes and gathers insight into what issues affect and are of importance to them and their communities, writes Gary Hickey

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

Group activity

Empower communities using the Tree of Hope activity for post-project evaluation

Post-project evaluation tools that generate useful participant feedback drive positive, enduring change, write Suthawan Thummasungwan and Prakit Arsa

Prakit Arsa , Suthawan Thummasungwan

Siam University

Dial high for impact

Show your research impact: a guide for academics and researchers

In academia, effectively demonstrating and communicating the real-world impact of research is increasingly vital for scholars, driven by demands from funding bodies and academic institutions

Mohammed Al-Bahrani

Al-Mustaqbal University

Women in a meeting

How can universities increase diversity in spin-out founders?

Ensuring that all talented researchers can participate in spin-out leadership is core to translating world-leading discoveries into innovative and impactful businesses, writes Simonetta Manfredi in her response to the UK spin-outs review

Simonetta Manfredi

Oxford Brookes University

Researchers in a lab

How to drive change in a research group, part two: a step-by-step guide

Research group leaders can use business frameworks to implement change effectively, argues Daniel Moraru. Here's how

Daniel Moraru

Shizuoka University

Daffodils under blue sky

How to foster PhD excellence

How can PhD supervisors help early career researchers blossom? Support them with finding funding opportunities, understand each doctoral candidate’s motivations and reach out to your own network, suggests Julia Hörnle

Julia Hörnle

Queen Mary University of London

Transparency and trust in international research

The secret to long-term international research projects is trust and transparency

To build an excellent research team you want talented individuals – but they also have to enjoy working together. Christine Raines explains how teamwork and open communication have made a multinational bioengineering project succeed

Christine Raines

University of Essex

Podcast title card

Campus talks: how to do public engagement

What is best practice for universities’ public engagement? How do you enlist the public in your research? And how do you keep them interested in the long term? Two 2022 THE Awards winners share their insights – from their experiences tracking Covid and decoding Dickens

Tanya Wood, Hugo Bowles

King’s College London, University of Buckingham

Four people use illustrated megaphones to shout at each other

Approach with caution: why education faculty should engage public intellectualism

The public debate on intellectualism is failing to consider education experts. Ali and Davin Carr-Chellman find the ways to reclaim the narrative

Ali Carr-Chellman, Davin Carr-Chellman

University of Dayton

Bold research collabortions

To extend your research’s impact, be bold and collaborate widely

International collaborations expose your work to new and bigger audiences and give you unique opportunities for cross-organisational and interdisciplinary engagement, says Catherine Queen

Catherine Queen

University of Liverpool

Frog in crown on lilypad

Love and money: why the search for funding is like romance

Funding is a relationship of sorts. You and your research project funder will enter into a finite symbiosis. It’s a joyful, exciting, uncomfortable and occasionally scary co-dependency, writes Laura Berrisford

Laura Berrisford

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Hands writing on a laptop

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

A street crowd in Bangalore

Case study: how to do an independent evaluation on homelessness on six continents

From working with resident researchers to navigating local salary schemes, Suzanne Fitzpatrick offers lessons on how to carry out a large-scale international evaluation programme

Suzanne Fitzpatrick

Heriot-Watt University

Detail of hands collecting river water

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

Man with a clipboard in a research lab

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

African American man at a laptop

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

Illustration of couple

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

Team collaborating

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

Books and laptop

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

Student in chemistry lab

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

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

Funding balance

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

youth panel

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)

Young teacher working with child

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

Young woman looking at data on a screen

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

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