Academic Positions Research Articles

Introduction to Special Issue Expanding Landscapes of Academic Writing in Academia

Academic writing is essential for disciplinary learning, academic success, knowledge creation, social status, and career advancement within academia (Fang, 2021). Academic research, writing, and publishing form the foundations of the majority of academic positions and remain primary considerations for hiring, renewal, promotion, and tenure in most higher education institutions (Ratković et al., 2019; Rawat & Meena, 2014). Early-career researchers must establish a significant track record of research, including publishing in high-impact journals (Couch, 2020). In graduate programs, academic writing competencies are critical for student success, with doctoral students often led to believe that they must be prolific academic writers to gain entry and advancement within academia (Mandke, 2019).

'Seeing is believing' - gender disparities in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery in Africa: a narrative review.

Various factors affect otolaryngology - head and neck surgery (OHNS) services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); including inadequate infrastructure, limited academic positions, unfavorable hospital research policies, and traditional misconceptions about gender and surgery, among others. Although gender inequalities exist globally, they are particularly pronounced in LMICs, especially in Africa. A comparative narrative literature review for relevant manuscripts from January 1, 2017 to through January 10th, 2024, using PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar for articles from the United States/Canada and Africa was done. 195 relevant articles were from the United States/Canada, while only 5 were from Africa and only 1 manuscript was relevant to OHNS. The reviewed articles reported that gender disparities exist in medical training, authorship, and career advancement. We highlight possible solutions to some of these disparities to promote a more gender-diversified workforce in OHNS in Africa as well as all over the world. Additional studies on gender disparities in Africa, are needed. These studies will highlight need for inclusive policies, structured and accessible mentorship programs; through which these disparities can be highlighted and addressed. This will in the long run ensure sustainability of OHNS care in LMICs.

Association of Academic Physiatrists Residency and Fellowship Program Directors' Resident Recruitment Subcouncil Position Paper on Residency Recruitment.

Residency recruitment practices have undergone significant changes in the last several years. Interviews are now conducted fully virtually leading to both positive and negative downstream effects, including decreased cost to applicants and programs, decreased time away from clinical activities, flexibility in scheduling, and increased applications for applicants and program directors. In response to these changes, the Association of Academic Physiatrists Residency and Fellowship Program Directors Council convened a workgroup consisting of program directors, program coordinators, residents, and medical students who reviewed the available literature to provide an evidence-based set of best practices for program leaders and applicants. Available data from the Association of American Medical Colleges and its relevance to future recruitment cycles are also discussed.

Evaluating an Academic Radiation Oncology Position

What are the factors that physicians could consider in an academic radiation oncology practice job offer? In this minireview, we discuss how prospective academic faculty could evaluate the “big 3” domains: (1) the compensation, including the direct and indirect payments; (2) the daily job, including aspects of the clinic, research, and education; and (3) the location, including geography, atmosphere, environment, and culture. If a prospective academic radiation oncologist believes that the academic practice is “great” in at least 2 of the 3 and “good” in the remaining 1, then they should likely sign the contract.

Perancangan Sistem Informasi Penilaian Angka Kredit Kenaikan Jabatan Fungsional Atau Pangkat Dosen di Fakultas Tarbiyah Dan Ilmu Keguruan UIN Bukittinggi

The background of this thesis research is the activity of calculating credit scores for promotion to functional positions or the rank of lecturers at the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training (FTIK) UIN Bukittinggi which currently still uses a manual system, namely lecturers collect data sheet by sheet so that data will accumulate and be difficult to manage. . Therefore the authors designed an Information System for Assessment of Credit Scores for Increases in Functional Positions or Lecturer Ranks at the Tarbiyah and Teacher Training Faculty of UIN Bukittinggi to facilitate OKPP UIN Bukittinggi in assessing credit scores submitted by FTIK UIN Bukittinggi lecturers. The activity of assessing lecturer credit scores is intended for the benefit of proposing academic positions or lecturer ranks that require basic and comprehensive improvements. The purpose of this research is to assist lecturers in the process of submitting promotions and to facilitate OKPP UIN Bukittinggi in the process of calculating credit scores submitted by FTIK UIN Bukittinggi lecturers. The type of research used in this study is the ADDIE research and development (R&D) model, namely Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate. This study also uses an assessment test of validity, practicality, and effectiveness. The results of the validity test were carried out on three expert lecturers, namely three people in the field of technology. Based on this test, the system gets a value of 0.75 which means the resulting system is valid. The practicality test was carried out on two employees and promotion managers from OKPP UIN Bukittinggi, who obtained a practicality score of 80%, which means that the resulting system is practical. The final test was an effectiveness test conducted on 4 FTIK UIN Bukittinggi lecturers, with the final result being 0.91, which means that this system has high effectiveness.

Research Productivity and Impact in Foot and Ankle Surgery: Insights From Relative Citation Ratio Analysis of Recent Fellowship Graduates.

The relative citation ratio (RCR), a novel bibliometric tool supported by the National Institute of Health, provides a standardized approach to evaluate research productivity and impact across different fields. This study aims to evaluate RCR of fellowship-trained foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons to analyze the influence of various surgeon demographics. Fellow names listed on the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society website were extracted from the year 2008 to 2009 to the year 2022 to 2023. Demographic information for each fellow was collected including sex, degree type, and academic title. The iCite database developed by the National Institute of Health was used to obtain total publications, mean RCR, weighted RCR, and change in RCR after fellowship graduation for each fellow. Univariate and multivariate analysis was conducted to predict these four parameters based on sex, degree type, academic position, and career longevity. Of the 820 fellows, 674 (82%) were male. Most fellows (n = 587, 71%) did not go on to hold academic positions. Multivariate analysis revealed that male sex (β = 2.32, P < 0.001), holding an academic position (β = 6.44, P < 0.001), holding a PhD (β = 22.96, P < 0.001), and a shorter length time since graduation (β = -0.50, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of number of total publications. Holding a DO degree was an independent predictor of decreased mean RCR (β = 0.39, P = 0.039). Finally, multivariate analysis revealed that male sex (β = 4.05, P = 0.003), a career in academics (β = 4.61, P < 0.001), and a shorter time since graduation (β = -0.45, P = 0.001) were associated with a larger weighted RCR. The findings highlight the importance of addressing gender disparities and promoting research opportunities across different programs. Moreover, academic institutions should provide adequate support and mentorship to early-career foot and ankle-trained orthopaedic surgeons to foster sustained research productivity.

Recognizing and Mitigating Racial and Ethnic Interview-Associated Microaggressions Across the Academy

The impact of microaggressions in pharmacy education interviews reinforces a message of assimilation for acceptance rather than inviting a potential underrepresented minority (URM) colleague’s authentic identity they could bring to diversify and strengthen the institution. Interviewers may ask inappropriate questions or make offensive comments without intending to cause harm; however, the impact of the words on the interviewee are valid and cannot be ignored. This text focuses on the challenges faced by URM faculty in the context of academic pharmacy interviews which potentially contribute to their underrepresentation in academic pharmacy. The authors provide examples of perspectives and experiences from URM pharmacy faculty when interviewing for academic pharmacy positions. This text proposes several recommendations such as microaggression prevention strategies, bias training, and institutional culture improvement. These solutions can help institutions achieve a sustainable means of recruiting and retaining URM faculty.

Australian PhD graduates’ agency in navigating their career pathways: stories from social sciences

Despite limited opportunities for tenured academic positions, the number of PhD graduates in Social Sciences has steadily risen in countries with developed research systems. The current literature predominantly portrays PhD graduates as victims, either of the higher education system or of their own optimism in pursuing an academic career. This paper takes an alternative stance by spotlighting the agency exhibited by PhD graduates in Social Sciences as they deftly navigate their career pathways amid the constrained academic job market. Specifically, we adopt an ecological perspective of agency to explore how PhD graduates in Social Sciences exercise their agency in navigating their career from the beginning of their PhD candidature until up to 5 years after graduation. We employ a narrative approach to delve into the employment journeys of twenty-three PhD graduates. Within this cohort, we select to report four participants from four Australian universities, each possessing distinct career trajectories. Our analysis highlights agency as the link between various personal and institutional factors that shape our participants’ career trajectories. Based on this finding, we offer recommendations for practice and policy changes that appreciate PhD graduates’ agency.

Opinion & Special Articles: Navigating Your First Academic Job Search. Pearls, Pitfalls, and Lessons Learned

Most graduating neurology residents plan to pursue an academic career after completing residency or fellowship training. Although a career in academic neurology has many benefits, the path to finding the right first academic job can be challenging. For many, this may be their first professional job, and finding an ideal academic position requires a tailored approach, focus, timeline, and scope. In this article, we outline a roadmap for navigating the first academic job search after neurology training and share pearls and pitfalls related to the job search.

When Taking Pay off the Table: A Qualitative Study of Gender Equity for Academic Leaders in the US Military.

Although gender inequity persists globally in academic leadership positions, the United States Military has equitable pay and, in academic pediatrics, has equitable gender representation in leadership positions. To better understand how the US Military framework affects physician leaders, pediatricians were interviewed to illuminate the factors that facilitated their success and what barriers they faced in their career. In 2022, following institutional review board approval, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 total participants (69% female, 31% male) serving as general pediatricians or pediatric subspecialists in the US Military. These pediatricians were in leadership positions of military academic medicine across seven graduate medical education (GME) sites. The interviews examined the leaders' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to their success. The authors analyzed the interviews using Acker's theory of gendered organizations as a theoretical framework, which explains embedded gender roles within work environments. Drawing on the theory of gendered organizations, the authors identified that participants described several facilitators to their success, including the availability of mentorship/sponsorship, inclusive leadership, and early and persistent exposure to women leaders in GME training and beyond. Because medicine's ideal worker was normed around the traditional roles of men, men observed and women experienced barriers to leadership success around issues related to childbearing, maternity leave, and microaggressions. This study revealed that equitability for pediatric GME leadership in the military heavily relied on structures and support created by former leaders and mentors. Isolating these structures within a unique context of military academic medicine can illuminate physicians' experiences to address barriers and better support equitable leadership roles in both military and civilian academic medicine.

Faculty development program to enhance teaching quality in construction

This paper addresses the implementation of a faculty teaching development program to enhance the teaching skills of newly hired CME faculty in construction core subjects. The main objective of the study was to investigate to what extent CME faculty perceived various aspects and impacts of faculty development programs. This program was first conducted in the summer of 2022 in which 15 junior faculty participated in educational modules, presented by nationally recognized construction instructors. A quantitative survey was designed and distributed among the participants to gain their opinions and perceptions about the importance of faculty development and its potential effects on the enhancement of junior faculty teaching and mentorship skills. The results indicated a gap in the current CME academic practices as 27% of participants reported that their schools did not provide any mentorship program. This need was noticeable in the transition of newly hired faculty from their graduate programs to instructional academic careers. Also, the findings emphasized a significant potential (over 60% high or very high in all impact areas) for faculty development programs in CME. The findings of this study help CME scholars and administrators assiduously design and develop educational components to prepare their graduate students for academic positions.

A Qualitative Research Survey on Cardiologist's Ethical Stance in Cases of Moral Dilemmas in Cardiology Clinics.

This study sought to determine cardiologists' degrees of ethical awareness and preferred courses of action for ethical dilemmas frequently encountered in clinical settings. For this evaluation, an online survey was created and sent to cardiologists affiliated with various academic posts in Ankara, Turkey. The survey included ten cases with various ethical considerations selected from our book, "Clinic Ethics with Cases from Cardiology." Four possible action choices were defined for each case. Participants were asked to choose one or more of these preferences. In addition, a fictional change was made in each case's context without changing the original ethical issue, and participants were asked whether an attitude different from the first chosen one was preferred. The participation ratio was 49/185 (26%), consent ratio 47/185 (25,4%), and completion ratio 44/185 (23,7%). Nine of the ten scenario changes did not change participants' preferred action. For most questions, action preferences were concentrated between the two options. Although legal regulations did not reduce ethical dilemmas, they clarified physicians' action preferences. Similarly, as an obscure moral issue gained prominence, physicians were forced to draw clearer lines in their actions. External factors such as healthcare emergencies can change physicians' ethical dilemma-solving attitudes.

Interview with Rens Bod

In this interview, Rens Bod, historian of the Humanities, guides us through the recent reforms in Dutch higher education and tells us about the role academics’ activism has had in budgetary policy in the last decade. Bod is also the founder of WO in Actie (Higher Education in Action), a movement of Dutch academics that started advocating for adequate funding of universities in 2017. Since then, the movement has grown through various actions, targeted first and foremost at improving working conditions in Dutch academia. An increase in university funding has been achieved in 2021, after years of activism and contacts with the ministry. But the movement also raised awareness around other problematic issues in Dutch universities that impinge on working conditions: social safety, the amount of pressure on academics’ careers and their evaluation, the lack of time dedicated to research in some academic positions, and the lack of democracy in decision making inside universities.

Introduction: Building decolonial learning and teaching through connecting to our diverse pasts: a case for ukuzilanda

The authors of this special issue – Nondwe Mpuma, Martina van Heerden, Khanyiso Jonas and Robyn Tyler - are part of a cohort of early career academics in the Arts and Humanities Faculty at the University of the Western Cape. We are joined by co-author Athambile Masola from the University of Cape Town. We are all fewer than 5 years into our permanent position as a lecturer at our institution. We come from Lubaleko, Kariega, Durban, eMonti and Cape Town and we speak isiXhosa, Afrikaans, English and isiZulu. Our academic disciplines within Arts and Humanities include Linguistics, English Literature, Sociology, Academic Literacies and Historical Studies. The foregrounding of our academic, geographic and linguistic identity positions within the body of this introduction is intentional.

The 2022 who went where in supply chain management

AbstractThe inaugural Who Went Where in Supply Chain Management (SCM) survey replicates the 19‐year format from the highly successful American Marketing Association (AMA) Doctoral Special Interest Group. Results provide data about newly minted doctoral graduates in the job‐seeking stage of their doctoral programs. The report is based on their responses and offers insight into the competitiveness of doctoral applicants as they sought starting positions. We adapted the AMA survey report to the field of SCM. As the new researchers and academics with SCM doctorates place themselves into academic and nonacademic positions, the report seeks to provide (1) awareness to PhD students on how to prepare and be competitive in the job market and (2) offer acumen to academic leaders to equip doctoral students and shape their doctoral program requirements to enhance competitiveness.

The Reform of the Brussels Ibis Regulation - Academic Position Paper

The Reform of the Brussels Ibis Regulation - Academic Position Paper

Metaverse Learning Ecosystem for Hyflex Learning Snoopathon to Enhance Systematic Thinking and Innovative Thinking

This article presents research on a metaverse learning ecosystem for Hyflex learning using Snoopathon to enhance systematic and innovative thinking. This research endeavor focused on leveraging a metaverse learning ecosystem to facilitate Hyflex learning while utilizing Snoopathon methodology to augment systematic and innovative thinking skills. The study aimed to achieve three main objectives: 1) synthesizing the conceptual framework of the metaverse, 2) developing a creative metaverse learning ecosystem, and 3) evaluating the outcomes of the implemented strategies. A total of eleven participants took part in the research, selected through purposive sampling. These participants were experts drawn from diverse educational institutions, each holding academic positions and possessing specialized knowledge in designing and developing teaching systems. Importantly, all participants boasted a minimum of five years of professional experience in their respective fields. To assess the effectiveness of the interventions, two main research tools were employed. Firstly, the evaluation involved scrutinizing the components of the Hyflex learning process, particularly focusing on the Snoopathon methodology. Secondly, the research evaluated the metaverse’s capacity to enhance systematic and innovative thinking among participants. By employing these research tools and methodologies, the study aimed to provide insights into the efficacy of integrating a metaverse learning ecosystem with Hyflex learning approaches, along with the impact of utilizing Snoopathon to foster systematic and innovative thinking skills within this context. According to the research findings, both the elements and the capacity to promote systematic and innovative thinking were remarkably elevated.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Mentoring as Support for African Women’s Academic Career Trajectories

Women in academia face many challenges. Although there have been possibilities for the advancement of women in higher education, gender discrepancies in leadership continue, with women facing structural challenges such as bias, and unequal possibilities for promotion. Balancing a career as a female academic, including parenting and family obligations adds another layer of complication, often resulting in breakdown. Women contribute distinct strengths to academia, expanding intellectual conversation and establishing varied learning environments. Mentorship, sponsorship, and inclusive policies assist in reducing barriers and encourage women to thrive as leaders, resulting in positive change in the academic setting. The article outlines the nuances of women in academia and the challenges and opportunities they face when pursuing leadership positions. It further explores the experiences and views of women in the faculty of Business at a University of Technology (UOT). A mixed methods approach was adopted to enable the researcher to give a female perspective to the academic position, experiences, and challenges within academia. The researcher used her judgment to select the sample based on the purpose of the research and a convenience sample to select best-case scenarios. Finally, the article suggests a participative model of collaboration, nurturance, compassion, and self-care to equip women with the tools they need to create career advancement opportunities and increase personal and professional change.

Australian surgeon attitudes and experiences towards completing a higher degree by research.

Objective In Australia, there is little evidence exploring why higher degrees by research (HDRs) are undertaken by surgeons. This study aims to describe the attitudes and experiences of surgical trainees and surgeons towards HDRs. Methods A 23-question cross-sectional survey of surgical trainees and consultant surgeons from three Australian public hospitals was undertaken between August and December 2022. Data were analysed according to stage of career and HDR status and assessed using chi-squared test, with P <0.05 considered significant. Results Out of 270 participants, 72 (27%) completed the survey including 30 (42%) trainees and 42 (58%) consultants. Overall, 43 (60%) participants had completed or were undertaking a HDR, which was similar between trainees (n =18) and consultants (N =25; P =0.968). A HDR was associated with more publications (P <0.5). Respondents with a HDR were more likely to have a salaried academic position (50%) than those without (15%). There was no significant difference in academic appointments based on HDR attainment (P =0.192). For surgical trainees, 93% rated the strengthening of resumes as the primary driver, compared with only 60% of consultants. For consultants, academic career aspirations and research interests were ranked the highest at 64% equally. Lack of time and competing nature of surgical training were equally ranked among all as the key barriers to completing a HDR. Conclusions These results provide insight into the academic pursuits of surgeons with an understanding of the role HDRs play, including the different drivers for Masters and Doctorates. This is important for supporting future surgeons who seek to pursue research.

Ideological Campaign or a Fatal Accident? The Discussions of 1928–1930 and the Collapse of Historian M. I. Yavorsky’s Career

This article examines the personality of Matvei Ivanovich Yavorsky, a leading Ukrainian Marxist historian of the 1920s. The article reveals the circumstances that led to the historian’s removal from leading academic positions in the early 1930s. The historiography created an image of Yavorsky as a scholar who suffered under the attacks of Moscow Marxist historians led by M. N. Pokrovsky and his disciple P. O. Gorin. Contrary to popular belief, the author shows that the story of Yavorsky’s downfall was a series of coincidences that led to the transformation of an ideological polemic into a campaign of harassment, followed by his arrest and death. The article explains why the debates of the time were not the cause of Yavorsky’s downfall. Patronage from the Ukrainian party leadership allowed Yavorsky to engage in aggressive polemics with his opponents (primarily Gorin). Discussions within the Ukrainian academic community led to a softening of Yavorsky’s position on conceptual differences (the driving forces of the revolution in Ukraine) rather than a public campaign against him. The author shows that Gorin and Pokrovsky did not have the administrative capacity to start harassing the scholar. The collapse of Yavorsky’s career turned out to be the result of the revealed facts of his biography (service in the Austro-Hungarian army). Yavorsky’s situation did not fit into any of the ideological campaigns of the time and came as a complete surprise to the local party leadership. Attempts to launch a campaign against Yavorsky (“yavorshchina”) were quashed by the Ukrainian SSR leadership, which gave the historian the opportunity to move to Leningrad. There, however, he was caught by the OGPU’s Operation Spring. During the investigation in Ukraine, people who had testified against Yavorsky were implicated in the case. This led to his arrest, imprisonment and death sentence.