
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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Mind the gap (in the literature)
Hey – Before I start, here are some upcoming events I’m doing at Cambridge University, which are open to the public: A lecture at Wolfson College, Cambridge on Tuesday 6 June at 5:30pm, which touches on themes from my new book with Simon Clews ‘Be visible or Vanish’. There’s an...
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Managing research teams
Collaborating with other researchers or external partners can be challenging but using project management strategies for planning, communication and decision making can help. Many academics undertake their PhD and post-doctoral fellowships as solo projects. That training and experience may not prepare them for coordinating project teams or collaborating with...
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Quiet Quitting or is it Quiet Flourishing?
Quiet quitting can be harmful, so what about quiet flourishing? So what does this look like? Let’s explore as you coach yourself and find a balance between one's inner world and the external demands of work and personal life....
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story and academic writing – the question of pace
Stories typically contain a mixture of action and commentary. The writer combines action and commentary in order to keep the reader informed – they know what is going on – and engaged – they want to keep reading. Writers deliberately … Continue reading →...
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Creative Research Methods in Practice
I have an exciting new venture to share with you. For the last couple of years I have been working with Policy Press on a new series of short affordable books on creative research methods in practice. And we have … Continue reading →...
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On rejecting feedback
You might worry that examiners and reviewers will outright reject your work if you don't accept every single piece of feedback, but I can tell you from experience, that is not true. I first had to learn how to reject feedback for my PhD examination, and have used the same...
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The Morphogenetic Approach: Celebrating Margaret Archer’s Legacy – June 27th, 1pm to 6pm
Margaret Archer made a remarkable contribution to social theory, critical realism and social ontology over the course of a long career. In this event we will bring together people who worked with her and have been influenced by her work to celebrate this intellectual legacy. The afternoon event will consist...
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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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Doing More
At the viva you’re doing more to tell your examiners about what you’ve done, how you did it and who you are. You’ve set that out in your thesis but now they need more from you. They need you to......
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Purposeful travel and unplanned routines in transnational academic conference (Bing Lu)
In this post, Bing Lu reflects on how a sense of time and place brings transnational academic conferencing back to life in the wake of the pandemic....
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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 →...