
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
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Moving house on the Ides of March
On 9 June 2011, we sent this tweet out into the world: So, it begins… — Research Whisperer (@researchwhisper) June 9, 2011 That same day, we set up Research Whisperer on Facebook and started the WordPress blog. Like everyone else starting social media accounts and blogs, we had zero followers. We were amazed how quickly […]...
Latest from our featured blogs
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Academic gossip and artisanal bullshit
It is a truth almost never acknowledged, that university communities are absolutely, totally, tragically addicted to gossip. I was reminded of this truth when the identity of the new ANU VC was announced last week. It was goodbye to the much celebrated and respected Brian Schmidt and hello to the...
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Helping people navigate academia on YouTube
The initial journey: Academia and industry experiences As a student fascinated by the wonders of chemistry (and a very enthusiastic high school chemistry teacher), my academic journey started with an undergraduate master’s degree (MChem), and eventually culminating in a PhD from the University of Newcastle, Australia. This quest for knowledge,...
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It just comes back to kindness
I’ve just returned from several weeks travelling in North America. The space to think, observe new things, people and contexts, and to be curious was so embraced. Here is what I have learnt that resonated as most important....
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keeping up with the literatures
Keep up. Keep up. Don’t get behind. When I hear these words I immediately want to rebel. What’s really wrong with being a bit behind? Keeping up with what’s being published takes time and effort. Do you really, really need … Continue reading →...
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Why We Need To Learn About Colonialism
When I learned history at school, it was all about European royalty and battles from the distant past. This was in the 1970s when Britain was an even more overtly racist country than it is now. Yet I learned nothing … Continue reading →...
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Towards a theory of University ‘excellence’
Universities like to say they are 'excellent'. It's a buzz word, and when you've been around campuses for a while, you realise it's an adjective that's applied to absolutely everything, so it kind of ends up meaning nothing. But when we look around universities, we see lots of ways they...
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Building the Post-Pandemic University: Imagining, Contesting and Materializing Higher Education Futures
Coming out in July 2023 from Edward Elgar. Full information here. I’m excited this project I’ve been working on with Hannah Moscovitz, Michele Martini and Susan Robertson will be released soon. It’s the main outcome of the Post-Pandemic University project which we initiated in June 2020 and ran until late...
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Call for contributions to the blog: developing organisational change for diversity, equity, and institutional democracy through the Hidden Curriculum
Our next collective initiative brings together stories of how doctoral researchers, supervisors, developers, and institutional leaders initiate and carry out organisational change in their universities, doctoral programmes, research teams, informal academic networks, and otherwise, through their learning from the Hidden Curriculum. The series of blog posts will bring together examples...
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Written conversations: Break the Rules with Cathy Rentzenbrink
We’re joined by acclaimed memoirist, writing tutor and author of five books Cathy Rentzenbrink. In this honest, frank and occasionally strongly worded conversation we explore how the ‘rules’ we come to believe about our writing aren’t necessarily true. And why we shouldn’t always believe what other writers tell us about...
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True or False
It’s true that binary questions – yes or no, true or false, A or B – could feature in a viva as a means of simply qualifying details. It’s a false expectation to think binary questions are the dominant format......
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Are virtual conferences the same? Reflections on virtual conference experiences from a doctoral student (Chih-Wei [Amy] Wang)
In this post, Chih-Wei Wang shares her observations and experiences as a presenter and attendee at different virtual conferences....
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What are informational interviews?
Thanks to my friend Jennifer van Alstyne for this fun conversation about informational interviews, why to do them, and how they can supercharge a PhD… The post What are informational interviews? appeared first on From PhD to Life....
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DoctoralWriting: a resource for practice
From Claire Aitchison, Susan Carter and Cally Guerin After 11 years of working together on this wonderful blog about doctoral …Continue reading →...