Total Internal Reflection @TIR_scienceblog@qoto.org

New posting! And a very personal one.

In January I handed in my resignation, and will be leaving the Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, the University of Würzburg, and the Physics of Parasitism network at the end of April.

I am #LeavingAcademia.

More discussion of this decision, the reasons for it, and what it means for TIR, in the posting below.

https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2023/03/19/changing-lanes/

New posting! This is another #HowTo one, focused on writing the #Results sections of scientific #manuscripts (earlier postings in this series have focused on writing scientific reports as a whole, and more granular considerations of the writing of Figure legends and Materials & Methods sections).

As always, this represents "a" way and not "the" way, but I hope it's helpful. Comments/thoughts/feedback very welcome. 👍

http://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2023/03/10/the-fruits-of-your-labour-a-short-guide-to-writing-results-sections/

New posting! This asks whether #science #careers in #academia have evolved from a hobby, to a #vocation, to a profession...and maybe now into a job (and how that's probably a good thing).

Funnily, when I first conceived of this posting (quite a way back) I thought it would be a negative one about how people don't care enough any more, but that has almost completely turned around - I now think it's a good thing if people are stepping back. A good #work/life_balance isn't something to whine about - we should be insisting on it.

Anyhows, read the posting and see what you think... ;-)

https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2023/02/12/science-vocation-to-professionto-job/

Just want to highlight this fab recent posting from @helenajambor detailing her top trends and observations in the realm of #datavis over the last year.👏 (And there's a nod to the "T" error bars blooper too 😂 ).
👇

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/24106140/posts/4474710597

New posting! This one is a look back at #2022, with a number of selected postings highlighted.

There's a summary of the continuing fallout from my research funding (and salary) being cut, the exhaustion of doing three jobs in parallel, and the probable depression caused by the invasion of Ukraine.

In addition, I've highlighted a few of the sillier postings from last year, as well as the inspiring interviews with #autism advocate Dr. Mariana De Niz, and the Algerian Women in Science group.

Lastly, I'd like to say how lovely it's been to join Mastodon this year. I'm still feeling my way into the medium and into the community, but a huge thanks to all of you who've been boosting, favouriting, and commenting on the content - fantastic interacting with you, and I hope there's a lot more to come in 2023! 😀

https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2023/01/08/2022-tirs-year-in-review/

New posting! This one is ostensibly about the data integrity scandal that (#Stanford president & noted #neurobiologist) Marc Tessier-Levigne has found himself in, but it's also a riff about how scientific #oversight is only possible in small groups, and how the growth in size of research groups has created a caste of scientist-administrators who should perhaps recuse themselves from the #research activities of the groups they nominally lead. What do you think?

(And a salute as always to the tireless efforts of @ElisabethBik, data sleuth extraordinaire👏 )
http://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2022/12/18/short-sight-oversight-the-ballad-of-marc-tessier-lavigne/

#Movember2022 may have already ended, but it’s not too late to celebrate some top lip styling!

Here’s the 6th instalment of our series that takes an irreverent look at some great minds, and an appreciative look at the moustaches that went before them.

Represented this year: 🇩🇪🇰🇷🇬🇧🇵🇰🇺🇸🇮🇳🇯🇵🇫🇷🇳🇴🇧🇷🇭🇺 (spoiler: top grade goes to 🇳🇴)

Any suggestions on who should be featured next year?

http://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2022/12/08/great-scientists-great-moustaches-vi-a-movember-posting/

New posting! A riff on the dream of community-led feedback on research findings, the #ReproducibilityCrisis, the problem of policing data integrity, and one possible alternative - that we all make an effort to praise and highlight good-quality work when we encounter it. Hope you like it.

https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2022/11/27/praise-censure-and-the-dream-of-open-science/

Just arrived here on Mastodon so here's an #introduction! Total Internal Reflection (TIR) is a #science #blog (http://totalinternalreflectionblog.com) but one that focuses on the human side of science instead of research.

Posts typically fall into two types - either commentary/opinion (sometimes silly, sometimes serious), or #HowTo guides aimed at improving young scientists' #SoftSkills.

I'll be highlighting new postings here, and would be delighted to get comments/feedback/input - the blog is all about starting a discussion rather than having the last word.