Notes on research and publishing
Guides on research methods, writing and getting published, and the lessons I’ve learned doing the work. A new piece most weeks.
· From the 30 Lessons series
Finding and judging sources
Six lessons I learned the hard way about searching for research, reading it efficiently, and deciding which sources deserve a place in your work.
Reviewer feedback, peer review and cover letters
What the most common reviewer comments really mean, how to answer them, why peer review is worth taking seriously, and how a cover letter can help your paper get a fair reading.
Choosing a journal and getting your manuscript submitted
How to pick a journal that fits your paper, avoid the mistakes that lead to desk rejection, and put together a submission an editor can say yes to.
Clear, concise research writing
Practical habits for research writing that readers can follow, the mistakes that make papers hard work, and a few techniques that go beyond the usual advice.
Quantitative data analysis: best practice and common mistakes
The core approaches in quantitative analysis, the habits that make an analysis trustworthy, and four mistakes that quietly undermine results.
Writing a research proposal you can defend
What a research proposal must show, how to structure it so reviewers can follow your plan, and the five mistakes that most often get proposals sent back.