Our aim is to become a key source of support and training for all students of scientific writing, with the help of the following three goals:
We believe in the fundamental value of questioning everything. No source of information should be above skeptical analysis, especially in our current age of misinformation. So-called “soft skills” are often overlooked because the current economic orthodoxy says they’re not as important as “hard skills” like coding (and machine learning). But if anyone can learn to code, then why are scientists so valued? The truth is that over the course of your Ph.D. you develop a whole host of skills that make you attractive to employers, whether they care about your specific Ph.D. or not. You are an intelligent, creative, talented human. Don’t let anyone convince you that data science is all you’re good for, or you’ll be stuck fixing Excel spreadsheets forever.
The mental health crisis in academia is an open secret. It’s commonly reported that 40-50% of students suffer from anxiety or depression, but so many people still struggle alone that the real number is probably far higher. Between 20- 50% of postgraduate students typically drop out before they complete their higher degree (the % varies by country). Doing a higher degree is certainly not for everyone, but a dropout rate that high suggests there isn’t enough support available for postgraduate students to deal with the immense pressures they face. The Imposter Phenomenon is so prevalent among academics (70-80% by some estimates) that those who complete their Ph.D. successfully do so at a high cost. Overwork and burnout are common, not to mention the instability and insecurity of postdoc life that causes so many junior academics put their lives on hold. Many at the top think the solution to systemic dysfunction is to “build resilience” in individuals while they continually cut staff and increase workloads. It isn’t. Until the system is fixed we will lend our support to charities who deal with issues around mental health, stress, and suicide prevention. We will always support and stand in solidarity with postgraduate students and early-career researchers.
It’s commonly assumed that science students will be able to just write. However, many science students suffer from dyslexia or other learning disabilities, speak English as a second (or third, or fourth language), struggle with their workloads, or have never been trained in how to write. Little wonder that an entire industry of exploitation has sprung up to take financial advantage of stressed-out students by offering them shortcuts: thesis writing, paraphrasing, rewriting. People who want to “do well” but fear their own efforts aren’t enough, or are struggling to manage their enourmous workload, may be tempted to use predatory services and end up breaching Academic Integrity rules. The truth is, there are no shortcuts to self-improvement. That’s why we don’t offer any. The only way to learn anything valuable is by doing for yourself. How can you develop your voice as an author if someone else writes for you? That’s why we aren’t hiding our content behind paywalls, or providing teaser “listicles” with a promise of secret details if you just give us money. It shouldn’t be a secret. Education should be for everyone. We want to help all science students to improve their own skills, whether they have the luxury of money or not.