Resources for Scholars
books, newsletters, podcasts, and more
You can listen to an audio version of this newsletter above. Please note that I record this in my home office, so it’s unedited. Today you can hear my cat Sam meowing in the background and jumping in front of my microphone at the end of the recording—which was naughty but also adorable. :)
Someone submitted a question to the March Q&A asking about book recommendations for folks who are new to writing a dissertation.
My Q&A post today goes even further, sharing book, podcast, and newsletter recommendations. I crowdsourced suggestions on Substack Notes and Instagram, and I am excited to share some resources that can be helpful to folks who are navigating the complex world of academia. If you have a question for my monthly Q&A you can submit your question here.
Newsletters
Shout out to , who not only shared recommendations, but whose newsletter is on my own list of go-to sources. A good starting place for academic writers is her piece, “Rewind: Writing Resources I Love.”
also writes a generous and insightful newsletter, .
’s is a great resource for focus and habit formation practices.
Not directly related to academic writing, but I’ve learned a lot about cross-genre and essay writing from ’s newsletter, .
Thanks to (author of ) for recommending ’s newsletter, .
Podcasts
Grad student podcasts come and go based on when folks are in their programs, but here are two that I can personally recommend.
Books
Similar to Dr. McClearen, I’m a huge fan of Wendy Belcher’s Writing a Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success. While Belcher’s book is a great resource for writing actual journal articles, I primarily used it to help me write my dissertation chapters and regularly recommend her outlines as a starting place for clients who are working on academic writing projects.
Dr. McClearen also recommended Joli Jenson’s Write No Matter What, Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, and Cal Newport’s Deep Work.
Carrie P. recommended Demystifying Dissertation Writing by Peg Boyle Single.
Online Resources & Communities
If you’re a grad student, you should know about Dr. Katy Peplin and Thrive PhD. She offers a popular online community for graduate students.
Another resource that came up multiple times was the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity. If you study or work at a university that subscribes to NCFDD, it can be a phenomenal resource for courses, webinars, and accountability groups. On Instagram, someone recommended their Dissertation Success Program.
Additional Slow Productivity Resources
When I was navigating my PhD and later starting my own business while living with chronic illnesses, it was important for me to relearn how to be productive without burning myself out. Here are a few additional resources I’ve enjoyed that are less focused on academia and more focused on reframing our approach to work and productivity.
Brooke McAlary’s podcast and newsletter,
Cody Cook-Parrott’s How to Not Always Be Working
Jenny Odell’s How to Do Nothing
Dr. Devon Price’s Laziness Does Not Exist
Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks
Tricia Hersey’s Rest is Resistance
KC Davis’s How to Keep House While Drowning
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s Sacred Rest
What about you?
I’d love to hear about resources that have helped you out with navigating research and writing (both within and outside of academia).
See you next week!
Dr. Kate