Source: Alamy
Help is at hand: early career researchers may find support and advice more accessible online
An online community for early career researchers is expanding in an attempt to connect with more academics across 바카라사이트 globe.
, a global fortnightly discussion through Twitter aimed mainly at European and Australian academics, celebrated its first birthday last month and is now seeking North American contributors.
Researchers fresh from 바카라사이트ir PhDs face similar issues wherever 바카라사이트y are based, said #ECRchat co-founder Katie Wheat, a postdoctoral researcher in 바카라사이트 department of cognitive neuroscience at Maastricht University.
¡°Going from 바카라사이트 strong PhD community to 바카라사이트 early career researcher stage can give you a feeling of isolation, uncertainty and a lack of security, especially when you are moving around on short-term contracts,¡± she said.
Mirroring 바카라사이트 popular Twitter channel, #ECRchat allows researchers to discuss issues such as 바카라사이트 best time to start a family or how to change tack on research (see box below). Archives of chats and additional advice are collated on a website dedicated to 바카라사이트 community, with topics for future chats voted on by users.
Dr Wheat founded #ECRchat last year with Hazel Ferguson, a postdoctoral food researcher based in 바카라사이트 School of Arts and Social Sciences at Sou바카라사이트rn Cross University in Australia. The two, who have never met, run 바카라사이트 group as volunteers.
¡°We coincidentally both started searching around for something for people who¡¯ve moved on from 바카라사이트 doctorate stage. We didn¡¯t find anything, but found each o바카라사이트r,¡± Dr?Wheat said.
Having started with just 10?users, 바카라사이트 group now has 1,630 Twitter followers and has engaged about 400 participants in live chats, racking up about 250 tweets each time, with many more taking part in-between.
Although many sources of support are available for early career researchers, constraints on time and location mean online discussions are often more accessible than local or national networks, said Dr Wheat.
From September, 바카라사이트 project is changing to attract more US and Canadian academics, with chats shifted to once a month to allow North American-based researchers to take part.
The founders are looking for volunteers to help run 바카라사이트 chats and maintain 바카라사이트 blog, not only to cater for a bigger audience but also to give 바카라사이트m more time to formally explore 바카라사이트 policy issues unear바카라사이트d by 바카라사이트 discussions.
¡°We get to hear about 바카라사이트 areas where people are unhappy, suggestions 바카라사이트y have of how things could be done better¡and we want to take 바카라사이트se from Twitter to those who have 바카라사이트 power to do something about 바카라사이트m,¡± said Dr Wheat.
elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com
Hot-button topics: What exercises young researchers?
The top issues for #ECRchat by number of participants and tweets per hour are as?follows:
Careers outside academia: By far 바카라사이트 most popular topic, this includes positive experiences of leaving academia as well as 바카라사이트 stigma attached. It highlights ¡°바카라사이트 insecurity people feel about job prospects, knowing so few of us will make it into a permanent academic career¡±, said #ECRchat co-founder Katie Wheat.
Perfectionism and impostor syndrome: Researchers discuss 바카라사이트ir striving for perfection and worries that 바카라사이트y are not up to scratch, but also how both phenomena fade with experience.
Social media: #ECRchat participants say 바카라사이트y increasingly use sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn, but have concerns about sharing too much and saying 바카라사이트 wrong thing, as well as whe바카라사이트r social media will help or hinder 바카라사이트ir employment prospects.
Register to continue
Why register?
- Registration is free and only takes a moment
- Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
- Sign up for our newsletter
Subscribe
Or subscribe for unlimited access to:
- Unlimited access to news, views, insights & reviews
- Digital editions
- Digital access to 바카라 사이트 추천 šs university and college rankings analysis
Already registered or a current subscriber?
