Although academia is, by industry standards, a pretty relaxed environment, certain difficult situations may require you to write formal emails at times of high stress and deep frustration. This can be a daunting task with high stakes, so here are some tips to help you communicate your message most effectively.

Because of my job I’ve done my fair share of travelling, and I’ve learnt that the devil really is in the details.

So for anyone who hasn’t done a lot of long haul travelling, here are 10 fundamental tips that will make your journey all the easier.

After reading “Codes of conduct: Why?” I hope that I have convinced you that they are a useful tool to foster welcoming and healthy work environments to all members of a community.

In this second piece, I will recount the story of the code of conduct of the Physics and Astronomy department of the University of Sheffield and what we learnt along the way, in the hopes that it may serve others.

Codes of conduct are being talked about more and more in astronomy. Why might that be? And why do we need them: isn’t good behaviour just common sense?

In this piece I hope to convince you that codes of conduct are a fundamental step to fostering a healthy working space for all members of a scientific community.

After talking to fellow PhD students I realised that although everyone was familiar with the term “Open Source”, their definitions were neither consistent nor accurate.

This is a quick summary for beginners, to try to tackle these misconceptions.