For the past few days I’ve been testing AnswerThis as a tool to write my literature reviews. So far it’s OKish but still learning. I would certainly not use the raw output from the tool in my paper. It does good job at summarising key points in the papers, but it doesn’t go deep enough to the level I usually do in my reviews. Helpful to identify literature sources thought. Have you tried it? P.S. Would reviews of such tools be useful?

Most research papers don’t get rejected because of “bad data” – they lose readers because the story doesn’t flow. If a reviewer has to work to reconstruct your logic, you have already lost half the battle. Logical flow is the skill that turns results into a convincing paper. It’s also 100% learnable. 1. Start with the storyline Before writing sections, write the story in 3–4 sentences: - What is the problem or gap? - What did you do about it? - What did you find? - Why does it matter? If you cannot explain this mini‑story clearly, the paper will struggle to flow. Use this as your guide when deciding what belongs in each section and what is a distraction. 2. Use a simple global structure A clear macro‑structure automatically creates flow. A helpful way to think about it is: - WHY – Why is this problem important? (Introduction) - HOW – How did you investigate it? (Methods) - WHAT – What did you find? (Results) - SO WHAT – What do the findings mean? (Discussion/Conclusion) Check that each section answers its question and leads naturally into the next. If the reader ever has to “jump” mentally, add a bridge sentence at the end of the previous section. 3. Make paragraphs do one job Flow collapses when paragraphs try to do too many things at once. Aim for: - One paragraph = one clear idea. - First sentence: topic sentence (what this paragraph is about). - Middle: evidence, examples, reasoning. - Last sentence: link forward (how this connects to the next step in the argument). If you cannot label a paragraph’s main job in 3–4 words (e.g., “gap in methods”, “key result 1”), it is probably overloaded and needs splitting. 4. Build sentence-level bridges Within paragraphs, flow depends on how sentences connect: - Start with familiar information (what you just said), then add new information. - Reuse key terms instead of constantly changing labels. - Use deliberate signposting phrases: *“In contrast…” *“As a result…” *“Building on this…”

Hiya all - I’ve got asked to join a session with our local policymakers tomorrow so won’t be able to run the session. I’ll reschedule asap. In the meantime, leave any questions you may have below.

I know all of us come from different backgrounds and education systems. We've all received different training. If you've already published, please share the one thing that helps you write your papers. If you're still about to write or are currently writing, please do share what you're struggling with. For me, I develop a detailed outline for my paper first, which includes my novelty statement, key messages, and detailed bullet points for each section. Once I'm happy with this structure, I start to write the full paper.

Rejection is part of being academic - the sooner we accept it in our careers, the less it will impact our wellbeing. Yet even as a professor who submitted hundreds of proposals and won dozens of projects over the past decade, I still feel really deflated after receiving rejections on 2 consecutive days. I know it's part of the game, but I still question whether this is what I want to do with my life. I know you may be facing the same challenges, so here is what I do to get back to the 'motivated' state of mind: - I engage in DIY activity at home to take my mind off it. My current project is a DIY wardrobe for my bedroom. - I build an online community for researchers and academics - this gives me purpose beyond my day-to-day academic activities. - Eventually, I talk to people about my proposals to check if there are other options to consider. You're not alone with rejections. Use this community to share success, but also seek support when things aren't going so well. We're all here to help each other!