All 3 entries tagged Episodes

New Podcast Episodes Focus in on Researcher Development

Writing about web page https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/podcast

It’s a two for one deal as two new episodes consider issues around developing researchers and experiences with peer-reviewers too.

I was rather fortunate to be able to host not one but two guests on recent episodes of the Exchanges Discourse podcast, and even more delighted to discover the episodes rather complimented each other. I would like to pretend this was clever planning, but I don’t think anyone actually would be fooled!

In the first episode I talk with Anna Fancett (Warwick) about her varied and exciting international career, as well as her current work at the University of Warwick where she’s helping to develop postgraduate researchers’ writing skills: a topic close to my editorial heart! Alongside looking into the paper she authored on this topic for our Research Culture special issue, we also consider the lessons which can be drawn from developing effective workshops. Anna also talks about her thoughts on engaging positively with the peer-review process. We touch particularly here on issues of dealing with more negative feedback and of course our own thoughts on how we approaching reviewing ourselves.

In the other episode, out today, I chat to Taryn Bell (Leeds) about her life as an archaeology academic, but mainly about her work with colleagues in Leeds and York in developing researchers. Again, centred around a paper in our Research Culture issue, we exchange thoughts on the tricky matter of offering focused, bespoke workshops suitable for particular career stages, versus the emergent benefits in getting scholars across the board to exchange experiences. We even touch a little on the issue of agism – why, for example, do so many universities seem to assume all PhD students and early career researchers are ‘young’? And does this speak to some concerning biases which we need to challenge in our own thinking and development planning? Similarly to Anna’s episode, we talk about peer-review and getting the most out of it and thankfully uncover some more positive examples along the way.

Both episodes of course contain our signature discussions concerning advice for new authors looking to publish, from experienced authors who’ve known the growing pains themselves.

You can listen to the episodes here:

Anna: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/L1K8f0VFuOb

Taryn: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/40VKqZVFuOb

Or to catch up with all the past episodes of the podcast – and there’ve been a lot lately – visit:

https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/podcast

We’ll be taking a short break from new episodes now – but hopefully will have one or two more to round out the year/season in the coming weeks.

Gareth Johnson : 13 Nov 2024 15:11 |  Tags: Developing Episodes New Peer-Reviewers Podcast Postgraduates Researchers |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Most Accessed Podcast Episodes of 2023

Writing about web page https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/podcast

Looking back on the most popular podcast episodes of 2023 from the Exchanges Discourse reveals a few surprises.

To paraphrase Shatner [1] ‘When it was 2023 it was a very good year. It was a very good year for author interview podcast episodes and soft academic chat’.

In 2023 I produced 13 new episodes of the Exchanges Discourse podcast, representing our fourth (!) production season. I know, I’m as surprised as you are that we’ve been going this long now - but also delighted too. Since we kicked off in the high-pandemic year [2] of 2020 with the intention to create a surrogate for the kinds of conversations we’d been having behind the scenes with authors – but were less able to enjoy so easily during the extended remote working period. Unlike a lot of things which arose during lockdown – banana bread, clapping for the NHS, panicking over the food shopping [3] – the Exchanges Discourse podcast is still alive and well.

Back in 2022 we produced 17 episodes [4] and 6hrs 49 minutes of content over the twelve months. Now you might think that with fewer episodes in 2023, this means there was less content for listeners to enjoy. Slightly less variety of voices, I’ll perhaps give you. However, checking on the episode statistics we clocked in with a grand total of 6hrs and 39 minutes of content produced - most which wasn't me talking! Hence, 2023’s podcast episodes were nothing at which to be sneezed. [5] Now if I were to make one behind the scenes observation, it concerns those conversations which continued followed the end recording. A lot of our guests, once we turned the mic off had a lot more interesting things to say - and while I enjoyed every minute, I wish I'd managed to capture them for our listeners to enjoy. So, my goal for 2024 is to try and let more episodes run longer this way.

Anyway, all this aside – what you want to know in this post are which were the most popular episodes we published this past year. As always, we pick a top five and with four episodes appearing in December I’m was curious myself to see if any of these made it into the list when I ran the stats:

Well there you go - and yes - a three way tie there for 5^th place, with two of those being podcasts we launched in December! How especially gratifying to see them there, meaning a real potential for them to keep climbing up the ranks. I am personally a little delighted to see what occupies our number 1 slot, as it also happened to be the 50^th episode of the podcast – which was a minor milestone all of its own. I think the one surprise for me is that my solo episode on creating critical reflections has proved so popular. I suspect, given we’ve two special issues which are critical reflection focussed, this episode likely had a bit of a boost from authors planning to submit to them. I can’t tell for certain, although I know one or two authors have mentioned listening to it ahead of submission - so there's some evidence to support this assumption.

Anyway, what was your favourite episode in our top 5? Let us know if it was, or even if it wasn’t, in the comments below!

And now on to Season 5 - which I start recording today with an author interview again. Do join me.

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Endnotes

[1] I know it’s by Sinatra originally, but I’ve only ever listened to Kirk’s version. It’s rather good. But no, I shan’t be performing it in karaoke any time soon.

[2] Rather than the pre-vaccination endemic COVID-19 pandemic we’re still experiencing.

[3] UK inflation being what it is, I don’t think this one’s gone away – it’s just evolved into a more fiscal than existential mode.

[4] 15 author interviews, two solo performances by myself

[5] For 2023 the average episode length is 30 minutes 41 seconds, for 2022 it was only 24 minutes 3 seconds – so we talked a lot more this year just passed.

Gareth Johnson : 11 Jan 2024 09:39 |  Tags: 2023 Charts Discourse Episodes Exchanges Listeners Metrics Podcasts |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

New Podcast Episodes: Pavel Fedotov and Colin Hutchinson in Conversation about their work

Writing about web page https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/podcast

Two final episodes brings a year of podcasting to a close

It might be a little early for Christmas, but not by much, but so here’s a little pre-gift for you to enjoy. Not one but two new episodes of The Exchanges Discourse podcast series, talking with authors about their lives, work and publication.

In an interesting counterpoint firstly I’m In Conversation with Pavel Fedotov, young author of the article Critical Analysis of the Electric Vehicle Industry: Five forces and strategic action fields, about his studies and ambitions.

• In Conversation with Pavel Fedotov: Five Forces

Then I’m talking with veteran author Colin Hutchinson, the mind behind End of the Line: The unpublished novels of Anita Mason, about his life and work as an indecent scholar in the realm of the social novel. In particular we touch on his hopes in bringing these novels to greater attention and perhaps even public view one day.

• In Conversation with Colin Hutchinson: The Social Novel & Anita Mason

For those keeping score, these are the 16th and 17^th episodes of the podcast this year, with a grand total of 6 hours 59 minutes of content across them all. As the host and producer of the show, it’s been a delight talking with so many different authors around the world about their work and publishing, and I do hope you’ve all enjoyed listening in on our chats.

The first episode for 2023 is already drafted, as – spoiler alert – it’ll be focussed on one of Exchanges most popular formats: the critical reflection. Listen out for that in January. In the meantime, I’ll leave to enjoy every episode from our first three seasons of the podcast.

• Podcast Index: https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/podcast

(Also available on Spotify)

And if you’ve enjoyed them, have a comment or suggestion for future episodes, of would like to feature as a guest in a future episode – then do get in touch with me.

Gareth Johnson : 20 Dec 2022 16:01 |  Tags: Anita Episodes Five Forces Mason New Novel Podcast Social |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem