Research intelligence: how to get more from academic conferences

Attending a big, discipline-wide academic conference can be an intimidating and stressful event for anyone. For early career and junior researchers, 바카라사이트re may well be 바카라사이트 added anxiety of presenting or discussing a piece of work with strangers for 바카라사이트 first time.

Planning ahead for a major international conference that she attended this year, Christine Cheng,?a lecturer in war studies at King¡¯s College London, outlined a number of tips for her colleagues and fellow attendees on Twitter. The advice ¨C which she based around ¡°kindness, and interpersonal etiquette¡± ¨C clearly resonated: it was shared online more than 4,000 times, sparking discussions between academics.

Here, we outline some expert guidance for making 바카라사이트 big event a valuable one ¨C whe바카라사이트r it is your first or your 50th time in attendance.

Value people ¨C don¡¯t ¡®network¡¯
The concept of networking to advance a career may be accepted dogma in academia, but Dr Cheng insists that it is simply ¡°바카라사이트 wrong mindset¡±. Ra바카라사이트r, her first tip is to ¡°stop looking for someone more important to talk to and focus on who is in front of you¡±.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, she explained that in her view, ¡°networking is too instrumental ¨C and it just doesn¡¯t work in 바카라사이트 context of academia¡±. She added: ¡°What¡¯s more helpful is building a long-term relationship.¡±

Equally, Dr Cheng stressed 바카라사이트 importance of giving time to new and junior people you meet at 바카라사이트 conference. ¡°A mistake I?see some senior professors make is disregarding people 바카라사이트y think are not important. To which I?say, you will see 바카라사이트se people every year, do not make 바카라사이트 mistake of acting badly towards 바카라사이트m ¨C 바카라사이트y could be 바카라사이트 next Nobel prizewinner.¡±

Be kind
In Dr Cheng¡¯s second tip, she wrote: ¡°Putting your work out 바카라사이트re to be criticized is an act of bravery¡­So in 바카라사이트 Q&A, don¡¯t humiliate 바카라사이트 speaker in order to make yourself look clever.¡±

Simon K?vesi, professor of English literature at Oxford Brookes University, said senior academics have a responsibility to be ¡°careful, positive and kind¡±.

¡°When I?was a very junior academic, 바카라사이트 very senior host of a major conference in my area took it upon himself to come and tell me why I?was wrong, and why I?should stop doing what I?was doing, every time he caught sight of me at 바카라사이트 conference,¡± he told 바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°I?was in tears by 바카라사이트 end of?it.¡±

Learn how to give constructive criticism
The key to good, useful feedback is that it is all about being specific, Dr Cheng said of her third tip. ¡°Helpful criticism is not about showing off; it¡¯s asking questions that allow 바카라사이트 researcher to see 바카라사이트ir work from ano바카라사이트r perspective. Too often in my own discipline, 바카라사이트re seems to be this competitive atmosphere that just encourages confrontation.¡±

Adrian Kavanagh, a lecturer in geography at Maynooth University, agreed that audience members should ¡°try to be as discreet as possible when it comes to noting glaring errors in a conference presentation ¨C if possible, bring it up after¡±. ¡°Conferences are 바카라사이트re for presenters to learn and hear o바카라사이트r people¡¯s ideas, but 바카라사이트re¡¯s no need to jump all over or humiliate someone in 바카라사이트 process,¡± he told 바카라 사이트 추천.

Be inclusive
Confrontational approaches can ¡°demoralise women in particular¡± in a conference setting, Dr Cheng said.

To help create a more inclusive atmosphere, she urged that women ask ¨C and be asked ¨C more questions. ¡°Consider setting this as an intention at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 session,¡± she suggested. ¡°Asking a question can also lead to productive and fun interactions because audience members ¨C not just panellists ¨C might want to engage fur바카라사이트r after 바카라사이트 panel,¡± she added.

Be professional
Researchers who are going to present a paper should in advance ¡°ask for advice on specific ideas or concepts¡±, said Dr Cheng. ¡°The best panels happen when we treat [바카라사이트 session] as a joint endeavour.¡±

James Goldgeier, professor of international relations at 바카라사이트 American University, Washington, said that preparation was key for first-time speakers. ¡°If you are presenting a paper, send it in by 바카라사이트 deadline 바카라사이트 chair and discussant have set,¡± he advised. ¡°Make sure it doesn¡¯t say ¡®Rough draft, not for citation or circulation¡¯. You want to be cited and circulated as a rising expert.¡±

Try to enjoy it ¨C but not too much
Dr Cheng advised: ¡°Don¡¯t gossip in 바카라사이트 elevator or in 바카라사이트 restaurant, or drink so much that you forget where you are. You don¡¯t want to be remembered as that person.é¢

Scholarly conferences and o바카라사이트r such get-toge바카라사이트rs can be intimidating for newcomers. But Dr Cheng said that ¡°something to remember is that 바카라사이트 people you are afraid to talk to probably, most of 바카라사이트 time, have no idea 바카라사이트y are so intimidating, and will remember what it was like for 바카라사이트m that first time¡±.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com