Advice

The university lecture should be seen as a special form of human encounter, argue Amanda Fulford and Áine Mahon

The Wolfson History Prize-nominated professor discusses how China’s past shapes its nationalism and why the Communist Party’s ‘historical nihilist’ label suits him

The dawn of the digital age means universities must rethink how they respond to negative headlines, according to a new book

Academic gatherings may be fun, but they do little to advance knowledge. To justify the public spending that supports them, such events must do more to provide benefits to those who don’t attend, argues Nicholas Rowe

Women and their clothing are scrutinised more closely because men are seen as the norm in academia. Emma Rees considers the codes at play in what is supposedly a radical space

Casualisation and treating academics like feckless children who can’t be trusted have also taken their toll, says Sarah Colvin

Leaving academia can be a wrench, but it can also open up new opportunities to enjoy your discipline, says Greta Perel

The De Montfort University professor discusses growing up as one of nine children, her work to improve the diets of children in the UK, and how academia turned out not to be a nine-to-five job

Sophie Inge speaks to two sets of job-sharers about the pros and cons of dividing an academic role

Stephen Hawking’s enormous achievements in science and communication are a manifestation of amazing willpower and determination, says the astronomer royal

Publish before your viva, distinguish opportunities from time-drains and have a strong online profile, says Helen Coleman

The next warden of Rhodes House on growing up in a family of political refugees and why universities must prepare graduates to be good citizens

People must be treated fairly, but endless box-ticking is not the way to ensure this, say Roger Watson and David Thompson

The frenzied pace and meaningless demands of university life can often enable a depressed scholar’s existing neuroses. Joe Moran offers some coping strategies

Detail, clarity and a constructive approach: all these are key to a helpful review, writes Sophie Inge

Teaching would improve if all scholars were required to undertake regular secondments in industry, says Cecilia Chan

Alexander Clark and Bailey Sousa urge academics to leave their ‘fixed mindsets’ behind if they want their careers to flourish

The ‘leaky pipeline’ metaphor for the lack of women at senior levels of academia can demotivate those whose professional paths meander, says Aileen Fyfe

Suspension is a legal and emotional minefield that can blow up in managers’ faces, says a wrongfully suspended scholar 

Academics routinely offer praise and encouragement to their students. Why are they so reluctant to offer it to each other? asks Terri Apter

In an increasingly competitive publishing environment, responding effectively to criticism is key to getting published, says Robert MacIntosh

The brains behind some of higher education’s most successful public relations drives share the secrets of their trade

There are numerous survival guides for doctoral students, but much less advice on how to supervise PhD candidates. Robert MacIntosh offers some tips on becoming an effective supervisor

Rogier Creemers advises early career academics to be ruthless and put themselves first to move up the ladder

Minimum compliance with publication requirements is the best recipe for job satisfaction, says Mike Marinetto

Editing an academic journal is a vital and rewarding task, but also time-consuming and often frustrating. Current and former editors advise would-be gatekeepers on why you'll need the skills of a ringmaster – and more

Academia often treats leavers as failures, but some of our smartest scholars are starting to see walking away as liberation, writes Inger Mewburn

Identifying intellectual junctions, intersections and sites for negotiation can give your academic rite of passage the right of way, says Zachary Foster    

Academic work is typically all-consuming, but some scholars still manage to combine some eye-catching sidelines with their day jobs. Here, five tell their stories

Early career researchers are the ‘working class of higher education’, writes Elisabeth Julie Vargo  

Is your resolution for the new academic year to publish more? Here, 16 scholars give advice on pitching, editing and writing – and dealing with negative peer reviews

The chief executive-designate of the UK’s new sector agency discusses her West Country roots, the roles of academics and administrators, and escaping to the country 

For National Postdoc Appreciation Week, we take a look through our archive of advice and information for early career researchers 

Nazima Kadir’s social circle reveals a range of alternative careers for would-be scholars, and often with better rewards than academia

Early career academics can be left to sink or swim when navigating the choppy waters of learning scholarly writing. Helen Sword says a more formal, communal approach can help everyone, especially women

From steely-eyed sadists to licky Labradors, ingénue academics should beware of the cast of kinky characters who flock to academic get-togethers, says Tara Brabazon

Endless bureaucratic reorganisations in universities are increasing stress levels of academics, says Gail Kinman

Summarising your journal paper effectively helps to ensure that it reaches the right audience

With academics reluctant to take sick leave, universities must become more aware of the dangers of ‘presenteeism’, says Gail Kinman

Fiona Dobbie is loving life as a PhD student, and hopes any midlife crisis it represents will end on graduation day

Top university administrators explain how to get the right person when hiring

Research finds that working overseas can boost PhD holders’ salaries 

Lecturer Rachel Moss on the casualties of a demanding academic culture

Typography expert’s rules for making messages easier to read elicit both praise and claims of pedantry

Funding conference attendance out of your own pocket? Don't worry – there are ways to make back the cash through other academic activities. Catherine Fletcher explains.

Scholars share what the title means to them and offer the newly promoted advice on handling the status update

Rachel Moss on why academic women might find maternity leave a sometimes challenging experience

Many doctoral candidates feel poorly looked after. More awareness and empathy from academics can help fight that, says Geoffrey Cantor

For those aspiring to an academic career, a PhD is the entry ticket to a world where reputation is all, says Robert MacIntosh. Here are his 10 top tips for early career researchers

Doctoral supervisors are having to adapt to a new power dynamic with their students, conference will hear

Elena Tobolkina got the job opportunity of a lifetime at Oxford, but the cost of childcare and housing took it away

Friendships can blossom naturally between scholars and students, but are they always problematic? Nina Kelly navigates the boundaries

Academic precarity is a special kind of ‘torture’, observes Siobhan O'Dwyer, but scholarly life is not all doom and gloom

Nicola Hemmings reflects on the slip-ups she made as she built her career in science, and offers advice on how to avoid them

Kieran Fenby-Hulse asks whether being gay limits opportunities for researchers

Rejection hurts more when you don't have a long-term contract to fall back on, says Helen Lees

Getting a permanent job is only the beginning, not a fairy-tale ending, says Helen De Cruz

Shahidha Bari on Sheryl Sandberg, sex discrimination and university exploitation

Heather Mendick shares her experience of escaping the constraints of the university

Advice on how to cope with all the work and when to say no to opportunities