15 bookmark-worthy tools for researchers that cost you nothing and will save you time (& nerves) when researching, writing and publishing.

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#AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter #1: Time-tracking with Toggl



• Understand how you are spending your time
• Track how long each task is taking you so you can plan accordingly
• Be more focused on the task at hand

I use Toggl daily. ⏳toggl.com

As an academic writing coach, here are the 7 mistakes I see researchers and academics make when planning their year.

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#AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter #1: Not celebrating your 2023 wins and successes

🎉Your wins don’t only include published papers, awarded funding or promotions but also smaller-seeming adjustments you made to protect your writing time or specific writing skills you learned.

As an academic writing coach, I see researchers make these 10 counter-intuitive productivity mistakes that get them LESS (not more) writing done.

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#PostDoc #newPI #PIchat #1: Not prioritising rest

💤 Sleep, exercise and other ways to "rest" your brain will make you more creative and a better writer. Our brain needs time away from focused writing to process and build connections. Aim for 8-9 hours sleep, work-free weekends and regular vacations.

As an academic writing coach, here are the 9 questions I recommend to agree on with your co-authors BEFORE you start writing your paper so you can produce a well-written article time-efficiently.

(And stay on good terms with your collaborators!)

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#AcademicTwitter #1: Who owns the project?

👩‍🔬 That person is responsible for keeping the project and writing on track, arranges meetings and is likely the first or last author of the paper.

As an academic writing coach, here are the 5⃣ most common mistakes I see researchers make in their scientific papers.

🧵A thread. #1: Neglecting tension

Ever got told to "tell a story" in your article? Including an element of tension is how you do it!

✅ Clearly describe the problem that your study is solving

As an academic writing coach, here are the 5 most common mistakes I see researchers make when they write their Discussion section.

A thread. 🧵 Mistake 1⃣: Providing paragraphs of background information

💡 Use the Introduction section for context. In the Discussion section, any mentioned background info needs to be discussed together with your own findings.

7 bookmark-worthy tools to find the right target journal or repository for your research

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#AcademicChatter #ECRchat #1: Directory of open access journals (DOAJ)



• Community curated database of peer-reviewed OA journals (no predatory ones!)
• Across all disciplines
• Info on APCs, publication speed and peer reviewdoaj.org

Does looking at the blank page fill you with dread? 😬Getting started is arguably the hardest bit of the whole writing process.

Here are 7 techniques that'll help you start writing your paper. A thread. 🧵 #1: Mind-dump 🧠

If you don't get started on your paper because you can't think of the perfect way to phrase sentences, do a mind dump: Just write down everything that's in your head right now.

As an academic writing coach, here are the 5 most common mistakes I see researchers make when they write their Discussion sections.

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#PIchat #newPI #ECRchat Mistake #1: Providing paragraphs of background information

📝 The Introduction section is meant for context. In the Discussion section, any mentioned background info needs to be *discussed* together with your own findings.

Are you and your co-authors editing the abstract of your paper again and again before submitting to get it just perfect?

👇 Use this template instead and save yourself hoursss!

A thread. 🧵 #1 Describe the broad problem that your paper solves

😱 In the first sentence, hook your reader describing a problem in your field that your research is contributing to solving. Every reader of the journal should understand this sentence.

Not sure where to publish your research? Here are 7 bookmark-worthy tools that help you decide on the right target journal or repository for your research!
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#newPI #ECRchat #1: Jane (Journal/ Author Name Estimator)



• Paste your abstract and get journal suggestions
• Relies on data in PubMedjane.biosemantics.org

The title of your paper is your shop front.

Here are 10 rules to write a compelling title for your scientific article.

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#AcademicChatter @TheStrugglingS4 #Postdoc #1: The title should describe your main result

📌 Your reader will want to know what exactly the take-away message of your paper is.

As an academic writing coach, here are the 7 most common mistakes I see researchers make when writing the Introduction section of their paper.

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#newPI #AcademicTwitter #1: Not describing the problem that your study is solving

🌪️ The purpose of your Introduction section is to motivate the necessity for your study. Introducing tension is a great way of doing that!

Getting your articles desk-rejected in top-tier journals even though you're doing good science?

Here are 7 recommendations from an academic writing coach that'll increase your chances to get published in high-ranking journals.

A thread.🧵 # 1: Solve (even partially) a big & relevant problem

🦣 Top-tier journals are less interested in incremental advances. Tackle the larger questions in your scientific field -- even better if they are directly relevant to society in some way.

As an academic writing coach, here are the 9 mistakes I see PhD and grad students make when writing scientific papers.

A thread. 🧵 #1: Thinking it’s laziness when you are procrastinating on writing

🦥 Most PhD students procrastinate writing their paper (aka have ‘blank page syndrome’) not because they are lazy but because they don’t know where to start tackling this overwhelming project.

The title of your paper is your shop front.

Here are 10 recommendations to write a compelling title for your scientific article.

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#AcademicChatter #postdoc #1: The title should describe your main result

📌 Your reader will want to know what exactly the take-away message of your articles is.

As an academic writing coach, here are the 7 mistakes I see supervisors and PIs make in the process of co-writing a paper with their PhD students or mentees.

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#AcademicTwitter #PIchat #newPI #1 Not teaching your students the steps that are part of the writing process

🙆 The main reason novice writers procrastinate on the task to write a paper is that they don’t know how to get started and break this huge and overwhelming project into manageable chunks.

As an academic writing coach, here are the 5 most common mistakes I see researchers make in their scientific papers – and what to do instead!

🧵 A thread.

#PostDoc #newPI #1: Neglecting tension

😱 Ever got told to "tell a story" in your article? Including an element of tension is how you do it!

✅ Clearly describe the problem that your study is solving

Did you know that the References are the part of a paper most often overlooked? 😳 It's not only damaging science but also making desk-rejection more likely.

Here's a 9-point references checklist for you to bookmark!

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#PostDoc #newPI #PIchat ✅1: Did you read every study you are referencing?

Make sure that the studies you cite are actually substantiating your statements in the manuscript.

As an academic writing coach, here are the 7 mistakes I see Assistant Professors make when writing papers.

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#AcademicTwitter #newPI #PIchat #1: Not allocating time for writing

🤹‍♀️ Teaching, admin and supervision will easily fill up your calendar and inbox. It’s easy to put off writing because there are rarely any deadlines and hardly any universities truly supportive of protecting writing time.

As an academic writing coach, I see researchers make these 10 counter-intuitive productivity mistakes that get them LESS (not more) writing done.

A thread. 🧵

#PostDoc #newPI #PIchat #1: Not prioritising rest

💤 Sleep, exercise and other ways to "rest" your brain will make you more creative and a better writer. Our brain needs time away from focused writing to process and build connections. Aim for 8-9 hours sleep, work-free weekends and regular vacations.