Spotlight guides

Have you completed your PhD, started your first fixed-term teaching or research fellowship or are you looking towards tenure? Wherever you are on your academic career journey, this collection of resources will help you prepare for the next step. It offers advice from higher education professionals on how to hone your CV, build your professional networks and showcase your skills and expertise.How to get the job you want in academiaThese resources aim to help you chart your future career path in higher education and secure the job or promotion you are working towards.How to develop a promotion strategy for success:&nbsp;Ensure you have the best chances of securing the job you want with these tips from University of Edinburgh careers consultant Eleanor Hennige.Pathways to prosperity in casual academia: The journey from adjunct to permanent requires adaptability, foresight and self-awareness. Here, Andrew Stapleton offers tips – such as diversifying skills, strategic branding and mobility – to enhance an academic career.What is tenure in higher education – and how to get it: For many scholars, permanent employment is the light at the end of a years-long tunnel. Here, Henry Reichman of California State University, East Bay, explains the US tenure system and why it is key to protecting academic freedom.How to become a dean: Paul Baines of the University of Leicester talks through the pros and cons of being a dean, plus the skills you’ll need to display during the recruitment process to get there.Landing your first lectureship – top five academic career planning tips: Brunel University London's Utsa Mukherjee shares tips to help early career researchers build their professional experience and CV in order to secure their first permanent academic post.The ‘third way’ academic – becoming an education-focused professor: Career development tips for higher education professionals who take an education-focused pathway, shared by academics from the University of Bristol, King’s College London, the University of Exeter and Aston University.Enhancing negotiation skills – a step-by-step guide for graduate students: The art of job-offer discussions is a skill that will serve scholars throughout an academic career. Here is what to consider and say at each stage of the process, according to Gaeun (Gwenn) Seo of Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities.Demonstrate your professional skills and expertiseLearn how to craft a compelling career narrative and write a CV that clearly highlights your academic credentials, with the advice shared below. Early career researchers can get pointers to help demonstrate their leadership and management skills. And there is insight to help academics at every level clearly articulate their strengths and successes when submitting job or award applications.Hone the story of your career to make a case for promotion: Reflecting on achievements, considering broader impacts and shaping a narrative that resonates can help you craft a compelling career story that enhances your chances of promotion, Eleonora Pantano and Rachael Lamb of the University of Bristol explain.The dos and don’ts of writing an academic CV: What key information to include on your academic CV and how to present it, alongside some common mistakes to avoid, by Eleanor Hennige of the University of Edinburgh.ECRs can still evidence leadership and management skills on their CVs: Even when you’ve "just" been a postdoc, the key is correctly labelling your skills and experience so potential employers understand what you bring to the table, writes Emma Williams.How to show you’re the best person for the job: Many applicants struggle to articulate why they are the best person to hire, promote or award. Harriet Dunbar-Morris, pro vice-chancellor (academic)&nbsp;at the University of Buckingham, is here to help you make your case for success.Why get a PhD by publication (and other career tips): Finding the "golden thread" in your academic path can offer an opportunity to reflect and grow, writes James Derounian of the University of Bolton.Learn to promote yourself and your workIt is not enough to beaver away in a lab or study, delivering fantastic lectures and turning out quality papers if no one knows about your work. So, while self-promotion may not come naturally to many academics, it is important to share your findings. And, thanks to social media, it is easier to reach big audiences than ever before. Get tips for building your academic profile, amplifying your work and overcoming impostor syndrome.Researchers, fight back against your struggle with self-promotion:&nbsp;Postdoc or professor, the self-promotion struggle is real. So, how can we promote ourselves without sounding too "sales-y"? Emma Williams has the answers.Life after publication: promote your work for maximum impact: Seeing your work in print is by no means the end of the story. Elsevier’s Chris Tancock offers advice on how you can make your published work stand out and benefit from the broadest visibility.Building your research profile via social media, with a focus on LinkedIn: A guide to creating effective researcher profiles on social media, with practical tips for using LinkedIn, from Tjitske Dijkstra.&nbsp;How to use social media analytics to effectively expand your network: Digging deeper into social media, through stats and data, is the key to understanding audience and carving out your niche, says Michael Skiba of Colorado State University Global.When am I going to be found out? Tackling academic impostor syndrome: Do you find yourself thinking: "Everyone knows more than I do" or: "I shouldn’t have got this promotion"? If so, Jo Clift has tips for challenging your impostor syndrome.Understanding academia in a new countryHigher education is a global endeavour and thus academic careers are often characterised by international travel and stints working abroad. If you are considering applying for an academic post overseas, do your research to understand the university system in that country and make sure you’re prepared for the excitement and upheaval of relocation.Applying for an academic position in the US – the basics explained: Considering academic job opportunities in the US? Angela Douglas of Cornell University provides practical advice to help understand the application process and secure the right position.Lots to unpack – tips for those considering visiting positions abroad: Having worked in numerous countries across different continents, Farish A. Noor gives advice on what to look out for when potentially moving overseas.Advice for academics interested in working in the Netherlands: Ten tips for academics interested in relocating to work at a university in the Netherlands, by Tetyana Krupiy of Newcastle University, who spent three years carrying out research in Tilburg.I moved to Sweden as an early career researcher – here’s what I learned: The pursuit of an academic career can mean moving to a different country. Here, Federica Di Biase shares lessons for early career researchers who want to move to Sweden or have already done so.Zoom fatigue and other exhaustions of international academic life:&nbsp;For many scholars, a sustainable career means moving countries to follow jobs and opportunities. Here, Clare Griffin of Indiana University Bloomington talks about the financial, mental and social costs of relocation and offers practical tips for coping.Build professional networks and foster mentorshipsAcademia can feel lonely at times. Much of the research and writing is a solo endeavour. But there is no need to isolate yourself among your books; your career and well-being will benefit greatly from professional allies and supporters. So, as these resources urge, invest in your collegiate relationships, get involved in communities of practice and professional networks, and seek out mentors among those you admire at every rung of the academic career ladder.The how and why of building a network in higher education:&nbsp;Sandy Jones of Colorado State University Global gives advice to her 22-year-old self on the value of networking and how to get started – despite not owning a single high heel.Five steps to finding effective mentors in academia:&nbsp;Learn how to find a mentor who aligns with your professional goals and can help you achieve academic success, by Lyn R. Keith of the University of the West Indies.How professional supervision can benefit academics: Common in health professions, supervision has much to offer faculty and higher education institutions – whether it takes place one-on-one or in groups. Here, Anita Volkert of Glasgow Caledonian University explains how to use the 3Cs of effective supervision – connections, content and continuing development – to get started.The case for reverse mentoring in higher education:&nbsp;By breaking down “traditional” power dynamics and hierarchies, reverse mentoring can drive progress on many challenges faced in higher education today, if planned with care, as Rachael O’Connor of the University of Leeds explains.Practice makes perfect and other networking tips for academics: The benefits of networking for academics and how to do it well, both in person and online, explained by Eleanor Hennige.If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week,&nbsp;sign up for the Campus newsletter.

Academic career advice to help you reach new heights in higher education, from crafting the perfect CV to navigating teaching and research pathways

Is your academic career cleared for take off?

No sooner had generative AI (GenAI) tools, such as&nbsp;ChatGPT, ignited fears in universities about risk to&nbsp;assessment practices&nbsp;and&nbsp;academic integrity,&nbsp;than academics began working out how to embrace it to save time and enrich student skills such as critical thinking and analysis. This has required consideration of not only how to use artificial intelligence (AI) in future university assessment but also a rethink of past exam, assignment and evaluation practices. This diverse collection of resources includes advice on how to engineer prompts, use AI for authentic assessment design, whether to lean into AI-detection tools, how to build digital literacy and AI’s role in developing soft skills in lifelong learning.Get started with&nbsp;25 applications of ChatGPT and generative AI in learning and assessment shared in the form of prompts by Seb Dianati and Suman Laudari of Charles Darwin University.​How AI can affect formative and summative assessment designAs AI technologies become ubiquitous, educators must consider how to design assignments that work with these tools in productive ways to aid learning and AI literacy. These resources explore practical ways to incorporate AI into task design and assessment strategies, taking into account students’ differing skill levels.&nbsp;How students’ GenAI skills and reflection affect assignment instructions: The ability to use GenAI is akin to time management or other learning skills that require practice. Here, Vincent Spezzo and Ilya Gokhman from Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities offer tips to make sure lecturers’ instructions make sense to students with differing levels of AI experience.​AI and assessment redesign: a four-step process: If GenAI tools mean institutions can no longer assure the integrity of individual assessments, the sector must focus on assuring the integrity of overall awards, write Samuel Doherty and Steven Warburton of the University of Newcastle, Australia.Designing assessments with generative AI in mind: The proliferation of AI requires a balance between thoughtfully mitigating and responsibly promoting students’ use of the new tools. Kate Crane of Dalhousie University offers four strategies to help faculty chart a path forward.AI as a learning aid for critical thinkingCritical thinking is a&nbsp;future-proof skill&nbsp;in high demand from employers. The arrival of artificial intelligence, specifically GenAI, makes&nbsp;honing critical thinking&nbsp;among students and academics even more vital since large language models excel in lower-order tasks such as reproducing information but are limited in their higher order analytical abilities. These resources explore&nbsp;how to use GenAI&nbsp;to train students in critical analysis and interrogation.&nbsp;Use artificial intelligence to get your students thinking critically: Urbi Ghosh of Colorado State University Global shows how GenAI can enhance students’ analytical abilities when used as a critical thinking scaffold.​In an artificially intelligent age, frame higher education around a new kind of thinking: A helpful by-product emerging from the advent of AI is that we are beginning to reflect more critically on the way we think, writes David Holland of the University of East Anglia as he argues for a reimagining of the educational mission.AI detection, cheating and academic integrityThey are questions plaguing many university educators – how can you detect if students have used artificial intelligence for their work? And does it matter if they have? From the dependability of AI detectors to common features of AI generated content, these resources explore how academics might identify GenAI input and combat cheating but also whether a new understanding of academic integrity is needed for the digital age.Can academics tell the difference between AI-generated and human-authored content? A recent study asked students and academics to distinguish between scientific abstracts generated by ChatGPT and those written by humans. The University of Adelaide's Omar Siddique analyses the results.Will ChatGPT change our definitions of cheating?&nbsp;We can’t yet know if we have a full taxonomy of ChatGPT-enhanced mischief, or whether certain uses should be classed as mischief at all, writes Tom Muir of Oslo Metropolitan University.Can we detect AI-written content?&nbsp;A look at common features of large language model-created writing and its implications for how educators might assess students’ knowledge and skills in the future, by Cesare Giulio Ardito of the University of Manchester.Is it time to turn off AI detectors?&nbsp;In this extract from their new book, ‘Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning’, José Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson discuss the reliability of AI detection tools and how to combat cheating without them.How hard can it be? Testing the dependability of AI detection tools:​ Students are using artificial intelligence to write essays and other assessment tasks, but can they fool the AI detection tools? Daniel Lee and Edward Palmer of the University of Adelaide put a few to the test.Rethinking assessment in an age of AIWith digital tools and AI readily available to all, the traditional essay exam is fraught with challenges. But many educators have welcomed this forced&nbsp;rethink of university assessments&nbsp;learning towards more authentic activities and assignments in which real-world skills and understanding are assessed. From presentations and discussions to group projects, these resources outline alternative ways to evaluate learning that mitigate or work alongside GenAI.AI did not disturb assessment – it just made our mistakes visible: If educators don’t understand the learning processes, they also miss the reasons why students cheat, writes the University of Luxembourg's Margault Sacré. Here, she offers an approach to motivate and benchmark progress.How generative AI like ChatGPT is pushing assessment reform: AI has brought assessment and academic integrity in higher education to the fore. Here, Amir Ghapanchi of Victoria University offers seven ways to evaluate student learning that mitigate the impact of AI writers.Four steps for integrating generative AI in learning and teaching: From class preparation to critical thinking and reflection, this four-step checklist by Zheng Feei Ma and Anthony Hill of the University of the West of England Bristol, will help university teachers support the ethical and informed use of artificial intelligence tools in the classroom.Charting the future: ChatGPT’s impact on nursing education and assessments: Interactive workshops and user-friendly guides can unlock the potential of ChatGPT in assessment and overcome initial hesitation around its use. Here, Dianne Stratton-Maher of the University of Southern Queensland, looks at ethical and responsible use of generative AI.A checklist for inclusive assessment and feedback, in a post-ChatGPT world:&nbsp;Recommendations for creating equitable and accessible assessments that help improve student learning experiences and respond to the challenges posed by AI tools, by Zheng Feei Ma and Kim Duffy of the University of the West of England Bristol.AI literacy: understanding the potential of LLMsGenAI is already ubiquitous so rather than reject, ignore or even ban its use, most agree that universities should teach students how to use it effectively and draw on its educational potential. There are many routes to developing AI literacy, from designing assignments around AI use to harnessing large language models as feedback tools, as these resources explain.Embrace AI tools to improve student writing: Rather than trying to keep it out of the classroom, here are ways faculty can facilitate more effective use of ChatGPT for writing assignments, from Pamela Boujaily of the University of Iowa.Rather than restrict the use of AI, let’s embrace the challenge it offers: Using the AI assessment scale, we can equip students with the skills they’ll need for the future workplace. Mike Perkins, of the British University Vietnam, and Jasper Roe, of James Cook University Singapore, explain how.We should be thinking about assessments and AI in a completely different way: Let’s embrace the benefits of AI rather than fearing its impact on academic misconduct, writes Dilshad Sheikh of Arden University. She offers tips on adopting new technology in pedagogy.The ‘deep learn’ framework: elevating AI literacy in higher education: AI literacy is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a critical skill for university students, Birgit Phillips of FH Joanneum&nbsp;University of Applied Sciences explains. The ‘deep learn’ framework offers a comprehensive approach to enhancing literacy around artificial intelligence and its application in higher education.Leverage large language models to assess soft skills in lifelong learning: Leadership and critical-thinking skills are difficult to measure. Here, Jonna Lee of Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities offers case studies that test the idea of integrating large language models into assessment practices as a feedback tool to empower both students and instructors.For more detailed insights and resources exploring how to use GenAI to improve teaching, assessment and equip students for an AI-driven workplace browse our spotlight guide on bringing GenAI into the university classroom.

Threat or opportunity? Advice for using, managing and embedding artificial intelligence in university assessment, skills development and task design

AI and assessment in higher education

The times they are a-changin’ and academic publishing is no exception. The rise of open access has made more research freely available but brings its own set of challenges. Generative artificial intelligence looms large across the sector as both friend and foe, and competition for space and visibility is more cut-throat than ever. Yet, the core academic skills of writing, editing and pitching remain crucial to success, alongside an understanding of what,&nbsp;when and where best to publish. This spotlight guide provides pointers on how to pitch your ideas and get them down on paper but it also explores peer review, open access and how to start your own journal.First, find out why ‘researchers have a responsibility to publish’, from Walid Saad of Virginia Tech, who explains the many benefits of publishing for established scholars and students alike.Get started on the road to publicationTake the first steps on your academic publishing journey by evaluating your place within the sector. The resources below offer guidance on how to know when your work is ready for publication, establishing where your research fits best, and crafting a proposal that shows why your ideas are worth publishing.Anatomy of an academic book proposal: pitch your book to publishers with an irresistible proposal. Here are all the elements you’ll need, shared by Richard Baggaley of the University of Westminster.Trying to decide what, where and when to publish research? While academic researchers often know why it’s important to publish their work, the timing, location and medium can be less evident, writes Walid Saad. His tips are geared to sharing research for maximum effectiveness.How much should you publish? For reputation or promotion? Book or peer-reviewed journal? Publishing is a high-stakes issue for academics. Catherine Léglu of the University of Luxembourg looks at scholars’ motivations to publish, where and how often.Are you ready to publish? Top tips on how to prepare your manuscript: from explaining the publishing cycle to outlining what makes a strong manuscript, Jing Tang of Elsevier walks early career researchers through key steps when preparing to publish for the first time.How to pitch a book to an academic publisher: key considerations for researchers when choosing an academic publisher and preparing their pitch, from Victoria Pittman of the University of Bristol.Writing advice for academics looking to get publishedPitching and reviewing is all well and good but will not get you anywhere unless you can first get your words down on paper or, more likely, a screen. Mastering the skill of academic writing takes practice and persistence – find out how to carve out the time you need to write, how to construct a solid abstract, then listen to 10 academics share their top writing tips in a special podcast.Making the abstract concrete: strategies for writing effective abstracts for conference and research papers, by Steve Bateman and Yingchun Li of Xi’an&nbsp;Jiaotong-Liverpool University.Time to write is a necessity, not a nice-to-have: how a project for academics to carve out writing time has grown from ‘power hours’ to writing retreats, community, increased well-being and higher-quality papers, as Rosie Wadman and Jess Macpherson of the University of Southampton explain.A practical guide to writing a literature review: from organising key search terms to checking citations, this video by Bareq Abdulhadi of Al-Mustaqbal University offers simple, practical tips to crafting a literature review that will lay a sound foundation for your academic paper.Don’t jettison traditional academic writing just yet: Academic writing is transforming – into comics, podcasts, installations – but that doesn’t mean bog-standard peer-reviewed papers are less key to institutional status or individual promotion, writes Pat Thomson of the University of Nottingham.Creating an impactful visual abstract with no design experience: the basic principles of design offer guidelines for creating a scientific visual abstract. This guide by Lipsa Panda of Elsevier will take you from blank space to eye-catching, easy-to-understand graphics.THE podcast: pointers on writing and publishing for academics: Ten academics, authors, publishers and postdocs share their advice on how to improve your academic writing and chances of getting published. They cover everything from tips to establish a consistent writing practice and how to find the hook in your work, to why your article might be rejected and how to bring in voices beyond just those writing in standard North American or British English.Understanding peer reviewA fundamental step in the academic publishing quality checks, peer review is based upon solid principles and, when done well, is a highly effective filtering and feedback system. But it can also be a vehicle for rude and unprofessional commentary and exploitation by publishers and researchers alike. These resources explore the benefits of carrying out peer reviews, how to avoid common errors that lead to rejection and how the whole process could be improved.The pros and cons of peer reviewing: Weighing up whether to take on the role of peer reviewer? Arina Ziganshina of Dubai Medical University draws on her own experience to outline the upsides and downsides.Give your academic paper its best chance of being accepted: Peer review is a key step in the journey to publication in that prestigious journal, but not every paper gets to this stage. Here are key reasons for desk rejection and how to avoid them, by Cheong Fan of Macau University of Science and Technology.Peer review is frustrating and flawed – here’s how we can fix it: What would peer review 2.0 look like? Mark Humphries of the University of Nottingham offers ways to optimise the process for better efficiency and research outcomes.Peer feedback: a burden for students or route to better academic writing? Asking students to give anonymous feedback on each other’s work can not only result in better writing skills but also offer them opportunities to try new approaches and refine assessment tasks, writes Alison Daniell of the University of Southampton.The impact of artificial intelligence on academic publishingArtificial intelligence (AI) brings huge opportunities for academic publishing, alongside well-documented challenges. It has the potential to streamline elements of the writing and review processes and help with the administrative side of running a journal. Here, academics explain how to work with generative AI (GenAI), instead of against it.&nbsp;We’re living in a world of artificial intelligence – it’s academic publishing that needs to change: Scholars are using generative AI to assist them with writing articles, but should they be punished for it? The academic publishing community may need to change its mindset, writes Benjamin Luke Moorhouse of Hong Kong Baptist University.Not replacing but enhancing: using ChatGPT for academic writing: Generative AI and how it can be used for plagiarism has provoked fear in higher education. However, the technology can also improve and accelerate your writing process if it is applied in a constructive, positive manner, explains Brooke Szücs of the University of Queensland.Launching a journal and alternative publishing routesIf you are fed up with fighting to get your work in front of journal editors, who may take months to review your submissions, consider alternative routes to getting your work out there, from launching your own journal to using university repositories – as described in the resources below.A DIY guide to starting your own journal: An antidote to frustrations with traditional academic publishing might be to launch a grass-roots open access journal. Here are the steps to consider, by Judith Johnson of the University of Leeds.How to sustain a journal and beat the academic publishing racket: Starting a journal is hard enough – keeping it going is an ongoing challenge. Here’s how to maintain success in academic publishing, from James Williams and Asma Mohseni of the University of Derby.&nbsp;Eight steps to launch a student-led peer-review journal: To help PhD students gain the skills required for publication and improve research literacy, consider an in-house academic journal, suggest Andrew Drybrough and Philip Montgomery of Nazarbayev University.Making educational content open access can save lives: By making training resources for surgical professions available on an open access platform, RCSI and its partners are helping to address a huge number of preventable deaths each year. Ines Perić and Eric O’Flynn of RCSI explain how you can do something similar.A guide to open accessThe basic aim of open access, to make research and data freely available to all, brings multiple benefits, most notably faster dissemination and thus creation of knowledge. But how it is achieved is fraught with complications around who ultimately pays to publish scholarly works, the integrity of the review process and the resulting quality and reliability of open access journals. Here academics and librarians explain how it can be done well.Open access: why and how to do it: Here, librarian Melissa A. Rothfus and master of information student at Dalhousie University, Catherine Gracey, offer insight into facets of open access publishing and the challenges relating to it.Opening doors to knowledge: making data open access: Making data open access has become a cornerstone of transparent and collaborative research practices. Here, Jon Petters of Virginia Tech provides a brief guide on how to do it, emphasising accessibility, reproducibility and interoperability.Unwrapping discovery: the importance of institutional repositories: Self-archiving in university repositories is an alternative academic publishing route to gold open access that can boost citations and diversify users accessing scholarly content, writes Nicki Clarkson of the University of Southampton.Democratising research through open access journals: The rise of open access publishing has democratised knowledge dissemination, allowing researchers to share their findings with a global audience. Here, Corinne Guimont of Virginia Tech offers insights on running OA journals at a higher education institution.Promote your paper to reach wider audiencesYour work is finally published! This may be cause for celebration but don’t relax just yet. If you want to ensure maximum impact from your published research, it’s time to promote your paper and make sure it stands out against the millions of journal articles published each year. Here are tips on how to get the word out to audiences within and beyond academia.Life after publication: promote your work for maximum impact: Seeing your work in print is by no means the end of the story. Chris Tancock of Elsevier offers advice on how you can make your published work stand out and benefit from the broadest visibility.How to be proactive when amplifying research papers: Conferences might be the first thought, but there are many options for furthering your paper’s reach – and they usually require you to take the lead, writes Ashleigh Johnstone of Arden University.You’re a content producer now, part one: how to write articles for a mainstream audience: How does a scholar, trained thoroughly in academic style for academic journals, enter the wider world of general publishing? John Weldon of Victoria University explains.Why is no one listening? Academic ways of communicating are often the exact opposite of what you need to draw widespread attention to your research, writes Simon Hall of the University of Cambridge. Here are simple ways to help your message reach its audience.Get your research out there: 7 strategies for high-impact science communication: From news angles to dealing with trolls, here are seven areas to consider when sharing your findings with the media and wider public, shared by Christina Zdenek of the University of Queensland.What’s the story? Creative ways to communicate your research: Early in your academic research, you should ask how you can creatively communicate it to a wide audience. The results may surprise you, says Steven Beschloss of Arizona State University.Thank you to all the academics and higher education professionals who contributed their professional advice on this wide-ranging topic.

Spotlight guides

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AI and assessment in higher education

Academic publishing today: what you need to know

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