In many disciplines across the social sciences there are debates around whether research and research writing are under-theorised or over-theorised. Gorgi Krlev, argues that whilst these debates can provide insights, they fail to clarify why and when t…
Category: academic writing
Although hard to define, Narrative CVs are changing how we think about researcher assessment
For their supporters, narrative academic CVs present a means to bypass aspects of a research evaluation culture that is overly focused on the volume and venue of publications. Drawing on a sample of work promoting this format, Frédérique Bordignon, Lau…
Generative AI and the unceasing acceleration of academic writing
Despite the prospect and existence of AI generated texts having been around for some time, the launch of ChatGPT has galvanized a debate around how it could or should be used in research and teaching. Putting aside the ethical issues of using AI in aca…
Is writing a book chapter still a waste of time?
How has digital open access transformed academic communication for the better? LSE Press’s Editor in Chief, Patrick Dunleavy, explores the impact of chapters in edited books. Once the Cinderella of academic publishing, doomed to obscurity under paywall…
From research to the mainstream – Judging the British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding
As nominations for this year’s prize open, Madawi Al-Rasheed reflects on the experience of judging the British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding and considers how research based non-fiction writing can reach beyond local and discipli…
Book Review: Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts by Bec Evans and Chris Smith
In Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts, Bec Evans and Chris Smith offer a concise guide to readers looking to develop effective writing practices tailored to personalised writing styles. ‘Written’ will be an invaluable guide to th…
2022 in review: Academic Writing
This post brings together ten of the best pieces focused on the practice and particularities of academic writing published on the LSE Impact Blog in 2022. New AI tools that can write student essays require educators to rethink teaching and assessment A…
The Lovelace Effect – AI generated texts should lead us to re-value creativity in academic writing
The continuing development of AI generated writing has led to a debate around its use in higher education. In this post, Simone Natale and Leah Henrickson, draw on their research into computational creativity and introduce the concept of the ‘Lovelace …
How academics review books (and each other)
The editorial guidelines for academic book reviews regularly instruct authors to focus on the content of the works being reviewed, rather than the authors. But, how far does this hold true in practice? Drawing on evidence from historical book reviews, …
The great convergence – Does increasing standardisation of journal articles limit intellectual creativity?
Drawing on a recent survey of forty years of research papers in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and interviews with authors, Wolfgang Kaltenbrunner, Kean Birch, Thed van Leeuwen and Maria Amuchastegui observe an increasing homogenisat…