Survival Guide for Early Career Researchers PDF
Preview Survival Guide for Early Career Researchers
Dominika Kwasnicka Alden Yuanhong Lai Editors Survival Guide for Early Career Researchers Survival Guide for Early Career Researchers Dominika Kwasnicka • Alden Yuanhong Lai Editors Survival Guide for Early Career Researchers Editors Dominika Kwasnicka Alden Yuanhong Lai SWPS University of Social Sciences School of Global Public Health and Humanities and Stern School of Business Wrocław, Poland New York University New York, NY, USA NHMRC CRE in Digital Technology to Transform Chronic Disease Outcomes Melbourne, VIC, Australia School of Population and Global Health University of Melbourne Melbourne, VIC, Australia ISBN 978-3-031-10753-5 ISBN 978-3-031-10754-2 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10754-2 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland We would like to dedicate this book to our mentors and peers – past, current and future ones. Thank you for making the effort to guide and support us through our research careers. Foreword by Barr Taylor Survival Guide for Early Career Researchers is an incredible resource to help early career researchers (ECRs) not only survive but also thrive as they navigate the many issues and opportunities on their way to becoming independent scientists within or outside of academia. The chapters cover many of the essential skills, for example, applying for grants and writing articles, and address many issues that are often overlooked in one’s career. For instance, over the past several years, I have led a series titled Superstar Psychologists in Technology that featured ECRs who have taken leadership posi- tions in industry. When asked, “what would you like to have had more training in?”, a common answer was “project and team management” – issues nicely covered in this book. Another common response was “dealing with the media and presenting ideas” – also areas wonderfully described in several other chapters. Rejection is a fundamental aspect of an academic career, and I loved that the editors also included a chapter on how to deal with it. ECRs are often reluctant to promote their work and advocate for their careers; however, both skills are central to academic success, and I applaud the editors for including chapters that address these issues. Like the author notes in Chap. 8, sup- port from colleagues through networking can bolster these important skills, and other chapters discuss innovative ways to do so. Every ECR also faces the challenge of undertaking multiple competing efforts and the strain put on family, friends and self. I applaud the editors for including a chapter that stresses the importance of self-care and maintaining a healthy work-life balance and another that focuses on rest and recovery following periods of intense work. These issues can be more challenging than writing a grant and often they are much more important. ECRs are often so immersed in their work that they may not consider how their findings will be implemented, and one of the chapters nicely covers how to do sci- ence with implementation in mind. Currently, we have a crisis which is the underrepresentation of women in sci- ence. Another chapter deals with the unique challenges women in science face and provides strategies for building one’s career. Institutions must do better at vii viii Foreword by Barr Taylor supporting women in science, and ECRs need to be careful not to blame themselves for a problem that is built into many academic environments. The discussions on the nearly universal Imposter Syndrome, how to overcome it and how to advocate for oneself are such important issues for ECRs to consider, and I am glad that authors also covered them. Over my career, I have had the fortune to mentor many ECRs, and I wish this resource had been available for them along the way. I would have recommended they read through it carefully once and continue to turn back to it often as their journey continues. Furthermore, those of us who are mentors and supervisors should read it as well because the ideas and issues discussed can help us do our job better. Thank you, Dom and Alden and the authors, for providing this wonderful resource. Professor (emeritus) of Psychiatry, Barr Taylor Stanford Medical Center, Stanford University, Research Professor and Director of the Center for m2Health Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, USA Foreword by Rita McMorrow As I started my journey as an early career researcher, the world of research was unfamiliar to me as a clinician. I was encouraged by a fellow academic general practitioner to take on a leadership role to develop a program for early career pri- mary care researchers. Here, I learned the value of peer-support, as my peers gener- ously shared their own experiences of navigating academia and new challenges. I recognise not all early career researchers have access to suitable peer support, this book provides a game plan for almost all scenarios early career researchers will face. I have faced many of the scenarios discussed in the chapters of this book, and while I picked up tips along the way, this book brings together the shared wisdom of early career researchers from around the world. Being both a clinician during a pandemic and an early career researcher, finding the right balance has been challenging for me. It was refreshing to read that the journey to find balance is common amongst my peers. Practical suggestions for creating balance include evaluating my values (Chap. 6) and knowing my ‘why’ (Chap. 19), before considering the added value of new projects (Chap. 5) and new grants (Chap. 11). This book highlighted parts of research that I want to explore further, including open science and even creating my first #BetterPoster. Having started my early research career during the pandemic, I am looking forward to applying the advice of openness and enjoyment to my next (hopefully in-person) networking opportunity. The chapter on dealing with article rejection has already helped me apply a more critical viewpoint to peer-reviews of my work. While this book can be read from start to finish, it can also be picked up when support is needed, like an encyclopedia for early career researchers. Have an upcom- ing media interview? Maybe you are considering a role at a not-for-profit? Want to maximise your research impact? There are chapters for each with sound advice and further reading. Each chapter author shares their personal experiences as an early career researcher, with the guiding principle of peer-support spread across each ix x Foreword by Rita McMorrow chapter, like a shared conversation over coffee. The authors’ vulnerability, when sharing their challenges, provides welcome support to the early career researcher, just as my peers did when I started my research journey. General Practitioner, PhD Candidate and Research Fellow, Rita McMorrow The Department of General Practice The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Contents 1 Introduction: A Practical Guide on How to Survive and Thrive as an Early Career Researcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Dominika Kwasnicka and Alden Yuanhong Lai Part I I t’s All About You! 2 Setting Up for a Thriving Career: Assessing Your Scholarly Identity and Institutional Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Alden Yuanhong Lai 3 Developing and Maintaining Healthy Work–Life Balance for Early Career Researchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Lauren A. Fowler 4 Work Hard, Snore Hard: Recovery from Work for Early Career Researchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Eka Gatari, Bram Fleuren, and Alden Yuanhong Lai 5 Achieving Balance Between Research, Teaching, and Service at Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Jorinde E. Spook and Sanne Raghoebar 6 Climbing the Invisible Ladder: Advancing Your Career as a Woman in Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Laura Desveaux Part II Research Skills and Competencies 7 Managing Research Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Anne van Dongen 8 Networking and Collaborating in Academia: Increasing Your Scientific Impact and Having Fun in the Process . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Elaine Toomey xi
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