The final two RGRG PGR Early Morning Coffee sessions brought our conversations full circle – from making sense of our writing to thinking about how that writing might eventually find its way into the wider academic world.
Our June session, “Writing Coffee Chat: Critical Reflection, Referencing & Making Your Writing Clear,” focused on the often messy reality of academic writing. Participants reflected on how difficult it can be to move beyond description, organise large amounts of material, and maintain a clear argument while drawing on extensive literature. A particularly helpful idea was to think of writing as having a “golden thread” – a coherent story that helps the reader understand what matters and why. We also discussed keeping an ideas or analysis diary for those valuable “aha” moments, and using references to support our arguments rather than allowing them to overpower our own voice.
In July, we turned to “Publishing Coffee Chat: Demystifying Academic Publishing.” Dr Aimee Morse joined us to share her experiences of academic publishing and helped make a process that can often feel mysterious much more approachable.
The discussion covered everything from choosing a suitable journal and understanding open-access costs to preparing cover letters, navigating online submission systems, and responding to reviewer comments. Importantly, we were reminded that publishing is a skill developed through practice, that rejection happens at every career stage, and that journal fit can matter more than simply chasing the highest impact factor.
Perhaps the strongest message across both sessions was that neither writing nor publishing needs to be navigated alone. Supervisors, colleagues, peers, libraries, co-authors, and communities like these coffee mornings can all provide valuable support.
As this series comes to a close, I am grateful for the honesty, generosity, and encouragement participants have brought to every conversation. What began as a simple early morning coffee has become a space where researchers can admit what they do not know, share what they are learning, and feel a little less alone in the research journey.
I hope the conversations, connections, and sense of community created through these coffee mornings continue long after our final session.
