Research-Education – Scott J. Pearson’s Book Review

Write No Matter What: Advice for Academics

By Scott J. Pearson | October 5, 2024October 5, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Research and publishing stand as core disciplines in the academic work. Tenure and accolades depend on them. While writing remains central in this task, many academics get carried away in teaching and service-oriented components of a professorial life, and these distract from the solitary pursuit of writing. Outside of one’s institution (and perhaps region), however, reading a scholarly product continues as the main way others interact with research. Even conference presentations rely on good rhetoric…

The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM

By Scott J. Pearson | July 4, 2024July 4, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Recent research has made it clear that mentorship plays an incredibly strong role in launching careers in STEMM. However, much of education remains organized around traditional missional axes of teaching, research, and service. Mentorship plays a determining factor in all three aspects. It accelerates and perpetuates careers. The National Academies, filled with the most outstanding scholars in America, supplied this consensus statement about the research around this topic. Based on evidence, they summarize findings and…

Research-Education

The Craft of Research, 4th Edition

By Scott J. Pearson | April 21, 2024April 27, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

The act of research – whether in the natural sciences, social sciences, or humanities – undergirds so much of modern society. The skills help us think and then test those thoughts in light of outside information (data). Without a rigorous set of methods, this act can become mere people pleasing, but with a firm framework, it continues to transform the way the world lives. This book, an educational standard for almost three decades with five…

Healthcare Research-Education Writing-Communication

Medical Writing: A Guide for Clinicians, Educators & Researchers

By Scott J. Pearson | April 14, 2024April 14, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Much of academic literature and advancement revolve around biomedical publications. Researchers focus on peer-reviewed publications, but other forms of writing abound: grant proposals, books for healthcare workers, books for the reading public, and journals for healthcare workers. The issues posed by medical writing are relatively common across the entire enterprise. Here, Robert Taylor attempts to distill insights from his writing career into one succinct book. The resulting education can inspire readers, anticipate potential issues, and…

Indie Research-Education

Writing Effective Promotion Applications

By Scott J. Pearson | March 27, 2024March 27, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Academic life is tough because one’s professional impact is hard to put into numbers that determine success. Results extend beyond the bottom line into many intangible factors. A lot of data are involved. And there are nit-picky relationships with colleagues that will last beyond the promotion decision. Research, teaching, and service can combine into an uncomfortable triad that doesn’t always yield fruit. In this book, Anne-Wil Harzing, a professor at Middlesex University London, offers career…

Research-Education Science Writing-Communication

How to Write & Publish a Scientific Paper

By Scott J. Pearson | March 23, 2024March 23, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

For any scientist, communication is a central part of the game. Yet most scientists did not major in English, nor did they receive great educational training about the field. Usually, they were focusing on their science. To compound matters, most graduate programs not at top research centers provide sparse resources to educate researchers. To supplement such a linguistic shortcoming, this book, laudably in its ninth edition, seeks to introduce the field to the scientific community.…

Research-Education Writing-Communication

Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success

By Scott J. Pearson | February 18, 2024February 18, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

This book’s intended audience encompasses graduate students who are first learning to write and publish papers. It starts with the scenario in which a graduate student wrote a work for a class and needs to revise it for publication in an academic journal. It walks through a twelve-week process to spruce it up for publication. Its approach leans heavily towards the humanities and social sciences, but it attempts to address those of us in the…

Indie Management-Business Research-Education

Work-Life Balance: A Review: A Critical Review of Research in the Realm of Work-Life Balance

By Scott J. Pearson | December 25, 2023December 25, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

The term “work-life balance” has come into everyday business parlance in the last forty years. Though common, its precise meaning and nature are not well understood. In addition, its uptake has varied both among individual companies and among geographic regions. Recruiters, managers, and executives try to use a sense of work-life balance for competitive advantage, but almost always, such claims have limited data to back them up. What can we know about work-life balance so…

Research-Education Writing-Communication

Publishing in Academic Journals

By Scott J. Pearson | December 10, 2023December 10, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Initially, this book left me with mixed feelings, but further research overturned those as misplaced. It clearly offers advice and insights into writing and publishing successful academic papers. The author clearly speaks from a lifetime of experience and from learning by trial and error. Although the content is brief, it is power-packed with actionable items. There’s not much fluff in this presentation. I grew concerned that she refers to Publish or Perish software numerous times…

Research-Education

Measuring & Improving Research Impact

By Scott J. Pearson | November 26, 2023November 26, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Most, if not all, in academia aspire to make a meaningful difference inside universities and in the larger world. This sounds simple enough, yet even defining what constitutes a “meaningful difference” can become difficult. Additionally, scarce resources can make pressure to perform intense. Some professors cynically see dissemination of research a marketing game that does not add real value. In this book, Anne-Wil Harzing argues that efforts to enhance impact play a critical role, and…