Writing
Respect the Marble, the Substack of political scientist Catherine E. De Vries, shares reflections on scholarly writing that I relate to. For example, writing is a craft that emerges from practice, not a talent that you are endowed with. When you write in simple, clear prose to explain complex concepts and relations, you truly understand them.
In Better Academic Research Writing, sociologist René Bekkers gives practical advice in composing an empirical research paper.
Two books on academic writing are helpful to me:
Academic Writing as if Readers Matter by Leonard Cassuto
The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker
Both have witty examples and clear instructions on what works and what does not.
AI
Nowadays, AI can come into use in all stages of the research process. I appreciate the primer An Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence for Academics by Nate Breznau and Hung H. V. Nguyen.
PhD in Europe
In Europe, PhD studies differ from those in the US. For example, one must hold a master’s degree before starting PhD. The program duration is three to four years. During this period, the PhD student is also the university’s employee, paid with monthly salaries and protected by labor laws. For PhD in Germany, the DAAD has a series of introduction: PhD Studies & Research