Because I’m a librarian at a research university, authors and publishers often email me to promote their books… and article collections… and digital archives… and films… and even chapbooks of poetry or local history (!). I also get lists of new books from our vendors, and catalogs from academic…
I’ve been asked to present about my research process, so I thought I’d share here what I’ll be presenting to other librarians soon. Below are some of the steps I take when doing academic or nonfiction research; I’d love to hear if you have a different process. For printed…
One you’ve looked at possible careers and asked questions of the programs and funding… step back. Take a break and consider your life and situation. Get yourself a drink, a meditative space, and time to reflect. I’d suggest you let yourself percolate on the ideas below… and even after you’ve…
Oooh, I have strong opinions on this one. If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to not go to any undergraduate or graduate program that doesn’t offer you at least partial funding. I know. It’s not available in all fields. (But check with a trusted…
Maybe you can get a degree for pennies in Europe. But to get an American degree or credential, you pay several years of your life and money. If it’s a selective school, they may want only the fanciest students—and the pressure may be high and funding low. If you…
I got my BA from a university which attracted the rich daughter of a CEO, who wiggled her manicured toes on my bunkbed, while pretending to study in our group and mostly studying her own fingernails. (Her father had a jet. I assume she’s done quite well for herself.) The…
When I was a kid, my business-dwelling father liked to critique professors working in higher education: they’re not living in the real world, they don’t answer to sales mandates / the market / supply and demand. Imagine my astonishment when he suggested I go to grad school to become…
Four years ago (!) I wrote an ethnographic research paper on missionary ethics that was, I like to think, well-written, complex, and faithful to the interviews. But I struggled throughout the research — and I struggle now — with concerns about what writing does to our subjects, with the…
I’m often asked by young Kazakhs how they can study abroad, and I don’t have an easy answer. It’s a long process and sometimes you have to apply again and again to get funding to study in America or Europe. I left Kazakhstan a month ago, and decided not…
Coming back from an academic conference, I’m reminded that the thing I love most about academics is how they ask questions. Normal people start out by saying: “I don’t understand,” or “That’s bullshit,” or “Uhhuh… what the hell are altmetrics?” All of which are valid statements. Academics, on the other…