Scholarly Communication

Katherine Firth et al., "How to Fix Your Academic Writing Trouble: A Practical Guide" (Open UP, 2018)

Feb 9, 2024

Katherine Firth, an Australian academic dedicated to enhancing scholarly writing, discusses common writing challenges and the misconceptions surrounding audience engagement. She emphasizes the importance of identifying a specific audience rather than writing for a vague group. Firth also addresses the hurdles faced by multilingual scholars and the psychological transitions from student to researcher. Through practical advice, she inspires academics to redefine their writing as a collaborative tool for knowledge transfer, fostering confidence and effective communication.

01:03:44

Episode guests

Katherine Firth

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Academic writing necessitates embracing a scholarly identity, where individuals mimic confident scholars to build essential writing skills and expertise.

The inherent challenges of writing signify the critical process of knowledge creation, pushing scholars to articulate and defend innovative ideas against established norms.

Understanding the audience is vital; writers should specifically target individuals or groups to enhance the clarity and engagement of their communication.

Deep dives

Identity and Academic Writing

Academic writing involves significant identity work, as individuals must adopt the persona of a scholar. This process of mimicry is crucial to developing confidence and expertise in writing. By acting as if they are already skilled scholars, individuals gradually assimilate the necessary skills and mindsets required for producing academic work. Thus, writing is not merely about conveying information, but also about embodying the identity of a researcher.

Intro

2min

Mastering Academic Writing Through Identity

13min

Navigating Identity and Challenges in Academic Writing

5min

Navigating the Journey of Academic Identity and Knowledge

2min

Bridging the Mentorship Gap

7min

Navigating the Complexities of Academic Supervision

4min

The Evolving Role of Editors in Academic Writing

28min

Listen to this interview of Katherine Firth, academic at, Australia. We talk about the necessary trouble that people have when they write new knowledge. We also talk about the unnecessary trouble that people have when they imagine that this first sort doesn't exist. Firth is the co-author of How to Fix Your Academic Writing Trouble: A Practical Guide (Open UP, 2018).

Katherine Firth : "Most people write to the computer screen. They write perhaps to their supervisor. But they don't actually have a concept of an audience beyond that, or their concept is just so huge and diffuse — Everybody in the whole wide world! Well, I really don't think that everybody in the whole wide world is particularly interested in this very technical paper on, you know, electromagnetic radiation. But there are, of course, people who care about this. You just need to identify who those people are, and then write to them. Expect those people to listen to you. Maybe go, when you're at conferences — go and talk to those people and see how when you explain things in one way, they really get it, but when you explain it in another way, they really don't. Then use in your writing the way that works."

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Scholarly Communication

Katherine Firth et al., "How to Fix Your Academic Writing Trouble: A Practical Guide" (Open UP, 2018)

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Identity and Academic Writing

The Nature of Writing Challenges

Reading as an Integral Part of Writing

The Role of Communication in Academia

The Need for Enhanced Supervision and Support

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts