Total Internal Reflection @TIR_scienceblog@qoto.org
Total Internal Reflection (https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com) is a blog about the human side of science, written by Brooke Morriswood.
Postings include commentary, and how-to guides for young scientists to improve their soft skills.
Joined Nov 2022
New posting! I'm a huge #preprints fan, but in my work in #MedComms I’m slowly realising that many of the advantages of preprints don’t seem to apply in biomedical science.
The posting has a summary of the whole #PRC publishing model that #preprints facilitate, then consideration of how various features of preprints translate into advantages in biological sciences and…aren’t so helpful in biomedical science.
Read the posting, & tell me (please!) if you disagree…(warning:fairly long!)👇
New posting! A look back at TIR’s 10th (!) year of operations. There’s tales of traffic, #whistleblowing on #bullying in #academia, #MedComms outreach at the Vienna Biocenter, & much more. As always, a huge thanks to all of YOU out there who’ve been reading/liking/sharing the content – much appreciated! You keep reading, I’ll keep reflecting….
https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2026/01/25/2025-total-internal-reflections-year-in-review/
New posting! This one's about work and active #parenting, and how that tends to leave little time for other activities...like blogging 😅👇
https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2025/08/22/at-the-ends-of-the-day/
New posting! This one's a #HowTo guide to #authorship on scientific publications, drawing heavily on #ICMJE criteria and #CRediT taxonomy, and based on #MedComms experience. Hope it's helpful! As always, likes/comments/reposts very welcome😊👇
https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2025/06/13/credit-where-credits-due-a-short-guide-to-authorships-in-scientific-papers/
New posting! This one is about #research #funding, and whether the collective - and not the individual - should be the unit of selection. Some fond memories of my #LMB days while writing this 😊 Big thx for all favouriting/boosts/replies 👇
https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2025/05/22/the-unit-of-selection/
New posting! "Deprogramming academia", a riff on why I'm still feeling guilt about walking away from #academia, and why that might be. 👇 Hope you like it! #Alt-Ac
https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2025/04/17/deprogramming-academia/
New posting! A riff on how #mentoring should impart a lifetime commitment, and one that flows in both directions. Doubly important right now, when science is under attack and we need to come together as a community.👇
https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2025/03/28/look-after-one-another/
There’s a reason why the #chainsaw is such an apt symbol for the current assault on American #science: because you can cut a tree down in minutes, but growing it back takes decades.
Some thoughts on the USA's chainsaw massacre 👇
https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2025/03/05/chainsaw-massacre/
New posting! A 1st-hand account of the pros and cons of publishing with @eLife's bold publish/review/curate model, with some recommendations that would make the process even smoother.👇 (Thank you eLife!)
https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2025/02/16/take-back-control-an-encounter-with-elifes-publish-review-curate-model/
New cross-posting on the @febsnews #FEBS
Network, about how embracing the mistakes is what's needed to make a good #researcher (and how that relates to learning languages at school).👇
https://network.febs.org/posts/fail-to-learn-a-personal-confession
A belated look back at TIR’s 9th year of operations. As always, a huge thanks to all of YOU out there who’ve been reading/liking/sharing the content – much appreciated! More to come in 2025…👇
http://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2025/01/12/2024-total-internal-reflections-year-in-review/
New posting, and a last one for 2024! This one’s about the lifetime of scientific fields, and how it’s not just scientists that get old… What do you think – clear-eyed, or overly cynical? What stage is your field at?👇
http://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2024/12/30/the-lifetime-of-a-field/
New #posting! #Movember 2024 may be over, but that's no reason not to take one last look (for now) at some "Great #scientists, great #moustaches"! The 8th instalment of TIR's longest-running series is now available, where physics, chemistry and biology meet male #grooming 👨 👇
Slightly belated notification, but it's out! Hopefully not the last paper I publish (there's 1 more to go), but it's one of the last - a characterisation of the class I and class XXI #myosin #motor_proteins and #actin in the #parasite #Tbrucei. Fab collaboration of the Morriswood group with Fabian Link (Engstler group) and Claudia Veigel of #LMU. Really pleased at the blend of #fluorescence #microscopy, #electron microscopy, and #biochemistry. 👇
https://elifesciences.org/articles/96953
One last quick reminder that I will be taking part in an #EMBL #career #webinar tomorrow (11:00 CET) to talk about life as a newbie in #MedComms alongside 2 more-experienced guests 🙂 And #scientists who enjoy writing/communicating/organising and are thinking about possible #industry careers, come along! It's going to be fun.
(Registration link here: https://www.embl.org/about/info/embl-fellows-career-service/)
New #posting! What does the #1924 #Everest expedition have in common with the #2024 #Nobel prizes? A riff on the untapped riches that might be found if there were more equality of opportunity.
👇
https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2024/11/17/an-empire-state-of-mind/
New posting! There’s no shortage of people and places offering advice to those #leavingacademia and seeking #AltAc careers, but here’s some tips based on my own recent experience of the process.👇Hope it helps, and a big thanks too to all who helped me 😊
https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2024/09/22/pathfinding-some-tips-on-finding-science-jobs-outside-academia/
New #posting! This one's about how I had one enormous factor in my favour when weighing up whether or not to leave #academia last year: my wife's career.
http://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2024/07/29/couple-power/
New posting! I’m less than a year into my new scientific career in the #biotech/#pharma sector, and the biggest difference with #academia is already clear: it’s the money.
But not, as you might think, in terms of salary…👇
http://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2024/06/16/follow-the-money/
Total Internal Reflection (https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com) is a blog about the human side of science, written by Brooke Morriswood.
Postings include commentary, and how-to guides for young scientists to improve their soft skills.
Joined Nov 2022
