The Whisper Collective finds and showcases the best, independent academic advice from around the web. We are here to help PhD students, postdocs and academics in their work. We feature blog posts, videos, podcasts and reviews from creators in different parts of the world. This site will update as new content is created: book-mark and visit frequently to see what’s new or become a member for free and get a monthly newsletter. Click on any of the links on this page to visit active bloggers from around the world. Check out the menu for a range of other content, merch and events. Visit our About page to find out more about the Whisper Collective and our work.

Feature article

  • Supporting the wellbeing of doctoral researchers who study at a distance
    Some students may live and work far away from their campuses; others may be physically nearby but work remotely for a portion or all of their candidature, whether by preference, by force. This guest post by Dr Katrina McChesney (University of Waikato, New Zealand) and Dr Jamie Burford (University of Warwick, UK) offers timely advice and illuminates five principles for doctoral wellbeing....
    Wellbeing Whisperer /TWC Published on: 21 May 2022

Latest from our featured blogs

  • The feedback loop of shit
    I’ve often compared the last part of your PhD to putting your head in a bucket. In the Researcher developer trade we call this last bit of the PhD ‘The Write Up’. ‘Writing up’ involves hours and hours of detailed work; to end up with a manuscript ready for examiners....
    Thesis Whisperer Published on: 04 May 2022

  • Building community for ECRs
    This is one of those blogposts that started life as an email. I was asked for suggestions by a colleague who wanted to support their academic staff by creating friendly spaces in which they could share their concerns, build camaraderie, and not feel alone. This colleague could see that their...
    Research Whisperer Published on: 17 May 2022


  • anonymisation – what’s in a name?
    Many researchers find themselves inventing names because it’s standard ethical procedure to anonymise the people we’ve talked with and the places we’ve been. And naming is of course a simple and straightforward process. Well, maybe. Well, not all the time. … Continue reading →...
    Patter Published on: 23 May 2022

  • Rethinking Vulnerability and Sensitivity
    Research ethics committees are very concerned with the potential vulnerability and sensitivity of research participants. So far, so laudable – but I don’t think they show their concern in particularly useful ways. Gaining formal approval from a research ethics committee … Continue reading →...
    Helen Kara Published on: 26 May 2022

  • The best snacks for writing
    People like to have snacks while they write for so many different reasons. Once you have worked out why you snack, you can work out what specific things you would like to snack on....
    Research Degree Insiders Published on: 26 May 2022

  • Leave, Adapt, Resist – Time to rethink Academic Twitter?
    Mark Carrigan I have seen a great deal of anxiety in recent days about Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter. These concerns reveal pre-existing anxieties about the microblogging service, which over the last decade has grown from a marginal feature of academic life into something many universities tacitly expect of their...
    Postpandemic University Published on: 23 May 2022


  • Grief induced writer’s block – how to get through it
    How do you cope with grief induced writer’s block? Academic and researcher Hilary Potter describes the processes she went through recently following a miscarriage. She hopes her experience will help others. Before Summer 2021 was a season of thwarting, of trauma and loss. It was late August. I was working...
    The Prolifiko Blog Published on: 12 Apr 2022

  • Long Term Prep
    Viva preparation is a short term project. You don’t need to start getting ready before you submit. You don’t need to focus your final year on building up for the viva. If you have a long time to go before submission you need to focus on finishing your research and your...
    Viva Survivors Published on: 25 May 2022