When do you feel like an imposter? When you have to apply for a position, a promotion, a fellowship, anything? You don't feel qualified enough. The other applicants are so much more experienced. Why would they pick you?

When do you feel like an imposter? When you're giving a presentation and the chairperson introduces you by saying "Now we'll hand over to the EXPERT". You're looking around for the expert and they are all looking at you!

When do you feel like an imposter? When you win an award or get a prize? Why did they pick me? The other people seem more qualified or capable. Maybe they made a mistake?

When do you feel like an imposter? When you go to a important meeting and they ask everyone to introduce themselves. They all seem so important. You wonder why you are there.

When do you feel like an imposter? That first lecture you give when you feel you are just one page ahead of the students?

When do you feel like an imposter? Meeting with your supervisor can do it. You want to impress them but they keep asking difficult questions. It can make you feel like you don't know anything. #PhDchat

When do you feel like an imposter? Academic conferences are good for this. Especially when you are new. All those big names. People you've cited. And now you're going to stand up and present to them. Scary!

The imposter voices.

Know your imposter moments: - Your first lecture - A new role - Writing - When you make a mistoke These might make you feel like an imposter but they don't mean you are one. #PhDForum #gradschool

Here are some phrases we use to discount our successes. How do you do it? Instead, when someone gives you a compliment, just say Thank you. No need to discount.

I'll get it you you by the end of the week ... #AndPigsMightFly #PhDchat #ECRchat #postdoc

I not addicted to technology. I can stop any time I like. #AndPigsMightFly #PhDchat #PhDforum #gradschool

#AndPigsMightFly I'll say No the next time. #PhDchat #ECRchat #postdoc

If you are a giver, remember to learn your limits - because the takers don't have any.

The nice thing about academic is the flexibility. The terrible thing about academia is the flexibility.

The pie chart and the avacado chart. @ErrantScience

Burnout. @lizandmollie

#MentalHealth tip: How about a new series of awards: The person who: Went home on time Didn't check emails at night Stayed at home with a sick child Supported a colleague under pressure Said No to exciting opportunity so could spend more time at home Let's celebrate these people.

#MentalHealth tip: Take a break before you enter the red zone. Rest and recover so you can be more effective in the longer term. @lizandmollie

#Halloween2025 An unfinished thesi_ Scary.

#Halloween2025 Really scary.

Scary reviewer 3.

How to scare a researcher!

#HandlingQuestions at conferences If you get a complex or multi-part question. You could pick one part and answer that Paraphrase the question into something more manageable Ask them to come and talk to you afterwards

#HandlingQuestions at conferences What if you can't understand the question? 1. Ask them to repeat the question 2. Ask the audience if they can help 3. Paraphrase the question - or what you think it is 4. Ask them to come and talk to you afterwards

#HandlingQuestions: Questions outside your area. Stick to the stuff you're good at. If you go outside your scope you're in danger.

Organising a conference or a seminar? How about renaming Question Time as Discussion Time? Question time sounds a bit like an interrogation or a viva. Discussion time, which can include questions, seems more like a dialogue and exchange of views.

Repetition Repetition Repetition

Inviting questions after your presentation: Get the chairperson to ask a question Bring along a friend and get them to ask a question Ask yourself a question Leave something to answer Just finish

If you're organising a conference or a seminar series you might consider renaming Question Time as Discussion Time. It's not meant to be a quiz show. It's an opportunity to discuss.

A Dorothy Dixer is a question you plant with a friend in the audience. If you're worried there won't be any questions after your presentation you could give a question to the chairperson/friend beforehand. This can get the questions flowing.

What you say: Any questions? What you think: Please don't ask any questions! Please let this be over.

What your audience is thinking about at your conference presentation. Cartoon from @upmicblog. #PhDchat #ECRchat #postdoc #gradschool

Science Without Anguish series 3 This week: the mistakes we make understanding our world that we would never make in our science www.sciencewithoutanguish.com/blog/heurist... Coming up next week: how what grabs our attention most and first impressions skew our thinking.

In this week’s Science Without Anguish: ‘Short cuts to lost potential’. How confusing the simplifications we make to understand the world with the real thing can lead us astray. www.sciencewithoutanguish.com/blog/the-sho...

Conference bullies. It's not on, for senior researchers to humiliate junior colleagues in public at conferences. The chairperson, other researchers or maybe even you need to step in. #PhDchat #ECRchat #postdoc #PhDforum

When you start a #PhD you are learning how to do research. You don't know how to do it so ask questions. Lots of questions. If you already knew how to do a PhD there wouldn't be any point in doing it. You are doing it to learn #PhDchat #PhDforum #ECRchat #postdoc #AcademicChatter

Starting a #PhD? You need the PhD Planning Toolkit. Lots of FREE resources for research students here: buff.ly/2DmSFIH Thesis planners Six monthly planners Monthly planners Weekly planners ToDay lists Free to download and customise. #PhDchat #PhDForum #AcademicChatter

Starting a PhD? You probably feel you know nothing. That's OK. Everyone else feels the same. Ask lots of questions. #PhDchat #PHDForum

Starting a #PhD soon? A mature PhD student showed me their screen saver. It said: You're not too old and It's not too late. Stop wondering about might have beens. Jump in and give it a go. #PhDchat #PhDForum

Starting a #PhD? You need to read this article about: The care and maintenance of your adviser/supervisor. Download the Nature article on this topic here. www.ithinkwell.com.au/nature-artic... #PhDchat #PhDforum #postgrad #academicchatter

Starting a PhD soon? Download this easy to use thesis planner (free). You can map out the major phases of your #PhD. Then bring it along to a meeting with your supervisor and discuss if realistic. buff.ly/2NMM78T #PhDchat #research

Starting a #PhD? Remember when you're doing a PhD you are learning how to do research. Which means it's OK not to know and OK to ask lots of questions. You don't know the answers at the start. #PhDchat #PhDForum #postdoc #MRes #academicchatter #acwri

Starting a #PhD? Warning: Steep learning curve ahead. As you start reading the literature you will begin to realise how little you know. That's OK. It's normal. You are learning. That's why you're doing the PhD. #PhDchat #PhDforum #gradschool

Starting a #PhD. Borrow some theses from the library. Ideally on a similar topic to yours. Look at how they are structured. How many chapters? How many words? Look at the bibliography. This could be a good starting point for your literature review. #PhDchat #PhDforum

How universities set publication targets.

Beware of scope creep. The temptation to add one more: - chapter - field trip - experiment - novel feature - extra variable The question is not: Would one more make it better? The question is: Do I already have enough?

Fool me once Shame on you Fool me twice Shame on me. When choosing people to collaborate with there is an element of chance. However, if someone rips you off once and you choose to work with them again, you can't really blame them.

Some of the most bitter disputes in academia relate to authorship. Who is on the paper? What is the author order? What are the personal politics involved? Ideally discuss authorship at the start of the project. If this feels uncomfortable it's a sign of potential problems ahead.

When you're setting yourself a goal, try the two goal approach. First goal: The minimum I need to get done Second goal: What I'll aim for if all goes well. This means you won't be too disappointed if you don't reach your optimistic, but probably unrealistic higher target.