Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
This is a list of answers, articles and resources in response to our most frequently asked questions.
- Where can I get funding for research/travel/workshops?
- How can I find a suitable journal to publish my research?
- What is a ‘predatory journal’?
- Where can I find a mentor? How can I get the most out of my mentor?
- How can I get free access to a research paper?
- What are the rules on authorship?
- How can I get help with statistical and data analysis?
- How can I achieve a healthy work/life balance?
- How can I communicate my research outside academia? (to public, policymakers and practitioners)
- How can I establish successful research collaborations?
- How can I improve my grant proposal writing?
- How can I improve my presentation skills?
- How does peer review work?
- How can I improve my academic writing?
- How should I structure my research paper? (IMRAD)
- How can I get the most out of an academic conference?
- How can I avoid plagiarism?
Where can I get funding for research/travel/workshops?
AuthorAID are currently unable to offer grants. However, here are some recommended websites for other sources of research funding, including travel, workshop and fellowship grants:
Lists and directories:
- Early Career Central
- Visibility STEM Africa - Opportunities
- Doing a PhD in Africa - Events and Opportunities
- Mawazo Institute - list of funding, training, conferences, and other opportunities
- Opportunity Desk
- *Research Professional News
- The Royal Society Grants, Schemes and Awards
- Sida directory of research calls and grants
- African Peacebuilding Network - research grants
- SCI Travel Bursaries
- Scholars Hub Africa
- Seeding Labs Grants & Opportunities (monthly roundup)
- Swiss-African Research Cooperation - Funding Database
- The Africa Desk - Funding Resources
- Euraxess UK Funding Search
- Euraxess Researchers in Motion (EU)
- FundsforNGOs - Latest Funds
- The Institute of International Education Scholar Rescue Fund
- Terra Viva Grants Directory
- Science (AAAS) - Where to Search for Funding.
- Rachel Strohm's blog - Professional development opportunities for African academics
- Canon Collins - 'Trusts and organisations offering scholarships to international students'
Funders:
- British Academy Flexi-Grant platform
- USDA NIFA grants
- Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowships
- Open Society Foundations - Grants, Scholarships and Fellowships
- TWAS Fellowships
- TWAS Grants for Scientific Meetings held in Developing Countries
- Royal Society of Chemistry Travel Grants
- British Council Current Opportunities & Grants
- Newton's List - Latest Funding Opportunities
- The Canadian international development research center
- International Foundation for Science (IFS)
- Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER)
- TDR at the World Health Organization (WHO)
- West African Research Association
- UCDAVIS Horticulture Innovation Lab
- NIHR - Global Health Funding Programmes
Do you know of any other funding sources we might have missed? Get in touch and let us know
How can I find a suitable journal to publish my research?
- Guest blog post: Picking an appropriate journal for your research: advice from a mentor, by Sian Harris
- How to target a journal that’s right for your research by Ravi Murugesan (external website)
- How do I find a suitable journal and how can I afford the publishing fees? by Andy Nobes
- Guest blog post: The best sources of information about scholarly, peer-reviewed journals by Gail Clement
What is a ‘predatory journal’?
- Think. Check. Submit https://thinkchecksubmit.org/
- Identifying Predatory Publishers: How to tell reputable journals from shady ones by Tracy Vence (External website)
- A beginner’s guide to avoiding ‘predatory’ journals (using your critical thinking skills) by Andy Nobes
- Guest blog post: My experience of predatory journals and how to avoid them by Aamir Memon
Where can I find a mentor? How can I get the most out of my mentor?
See our mentoring page and register for an account, selecting ‘I am interested in finding a mentor’.
Once you have an account, make sure your profile is fully complete – select the relevant subject areas and the type help you need from your mentor, and with any relevant research keywords. A list of suggested mentors will automatically appear on your dashboard which matches with your subjects and skills:
You can either search for mentors by using the ‘Find Researchers’ page or wait to be contacted by potential mentor who wants to help you. Initial contact is made via AuthorAID's messaging system, which sends emails directly to AuthorAID members' own email accounts.
The ‘Find Researchers’ page allows you to search for researchers by keyword or name. You can also filter by subject category, level of mentoring, type of skills needed, and country.
Blog posts:
- Working Productively with a Writing Mentor by Barbara Gastel
- Giving Feedback: 10 Top Tips by Barbara Gastel
- Receiving Feedback: 10 Top Tips by Barbara Gastel
- Keeping an AuthorAID Mentor: Some Tips by Barbara Gastel
- Top tips for mentors and mentees from AuthorAID Mentor of the Year 2016 winner Barbara Burmen
- Tips for mentors and mentees from one of the AuthorAID Mentor of the Year 2016 award winners, Matt Hodgkinson
- What makes successful mentor-mentee collaboration? By AuthorAID mentor Shiri Diskin
- Guest blog post: Oluwakemi Rotimi shares her experience of being mentored
- Guest blog post: AuthorAID mentor Rachel Strohm shares her experience of mentoring
- Guest blog post: Interesting research insight, new collaborations and professional experiences: a mentor’s tale
How can I get free access to a research paper?
- How can I access the research literature that I need? By Mai Skovgaard
What are the rules on authorship?
- Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors - ICJME guidelines
How can I get help with statistical and data analysis?
- Guest blog post: How to choose the right statistical tests by Abiodun Egbetokun
- Free data analysis using R by Alan Parker
- Also see the free resources on data analysis and statistics on our resources page
- Search for a mentor offering skills in statistics and data
How can I achieve a healthy work/life balance?
Guest blog post: Achieving a healthy work/life balance as a researcher by Dr Enitome Bafor
How can I communicate my research outside academia? (to public, policymakers and practitioners)
- Guest blog post: Tips on communicating research to policymakers and the public by Wisdom Dube
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Sharing your research with communities? Be ready to lose control by Ayo Ojebode
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5 tips for researchers hoping to influence policy by Emily Hayter
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Keeping in mind the real use of our research by Haseeb Md. Irfanullah
How can I establish successful research collaborations?
- Giving and Getting Value in Research Collaborations: 10 Tips for Making Meaningful Impact and Advancing Your Career by Dr. Nadia A. Sam-Agudu
- Guest blog post: The ingredients of successful research collaboration by Dr Rahab Muinga
- Guest blog post: How to establish productive research collaborations by Richard de Grijs,
- Writing effectively as a team by Barbara Gastel
- Four lessons from leading an international collaboration by Edmond Sanganyado
How can I improve my editing, proofreading and reviewing?
- Guest blog post: Ways to improve your academic writing and editing (part 1) by Rachel Strohm
- Guest blog post: Ways to improve your academic writing and editing (part 2) by Rachel Strohm
- Proofreading Your Manuscript: Helping Make It a Good Garden by Barbara Gastel
- Viewing Your Manuscript with Fresh Eyes by Barbara Gastel
- Good Research Writing: A Result of Repeated Revision by Barbara Gastel
- On Checking Page Proofs by Barbara Gastel
- Native Speaker Needed—or Not? by Barbara Gastel
- Editorial Help: More Than Correcting Grammar by Barbara Gastel
- Guest post: How to review a paper by Richard de Grijs
- 10 Lessons learnt from collaborative writing with new and experienced authors by Dr. Ahmad Zaheer Qureshi
How do I write a review articles?
- Writing Review Articles: Rigor Required by Barbara Gastel
- Guest blog post: Making Review Papers More Exciting! by Dr. Haseeb Md. Irfanullah.
- Guest blog post: 3 questions to ask before writing a literature review by Dr Ross Jansen-van Vuuren
- Case report writing: the first step to becoming a researcher by Dr Sameera Gunawardena
How can I improve my grant proposal writing?
- Writing a Well-Integrated Grant Proposal by Barbara Gastel
- Proposal-Writing Advice from Peer Reviewers by Barbara Gastel
- Avoiding Common Problems in Grant Application by Barbara Gastel
- Some Review Criteria for Grant Applications by Barbara Gastel
How can I improve my presentation skills?
- What’s an Elevator Speech? How Can You Prepare One? by Barbara Gastel
- The Hourglass Structure: Useful for Posters and Presentations by Barbara Gastel
- Poster Presentations: Some Advice and Examples by Barbara Gastel
- Oral and Poster Presentations: Top Tips by Barbara Gastel
How does peer review work?
- Good peer review leads to better quality manuscripts by Mariam Hamisi
- How Are Peer Reviewers Chosen? by Barbara Gastel
- Responding to Requests for Revision: A Scenario by Barbara Gastel
- How long should peer review take? Insights from a Managing Editor by Fiona Nash
- Guest blog post: Peer review: What to remember when reading reviewers’ critiques by Amber Murrey
- Guest blog post: Dealing with Peer Review Dr Carole Sargent
- Peer review: the nuts and bolts by Sense about Science (External link)
- Things to think about if you are invited to join a journal editorial board by Dr. Sian Harris
How can I improve my academic writing?
- Making Writing More Concise by Barbara Gastel
- Creating Your Own “English Bank” by Barbara Gastel
- Ten Myths about academic writing – Debunked! by Dr. Helen Kara
How should I structure my research paper? (IMRAD)
- IMRAD blog series by Barbara Gastel:
- IMRAD Info #1: Introducing the Introduction
- IMRAD Info #2: A Method for the Methods Section
- IMRAD Info #3: Results Sections That Get Results
- IMRAD Info #4: Discussing the Discussion
- 7 tips for writing an introduction to a paper - Adele Tufford
- Considerations for writing the Discussion section - Rossella Ferrari
- Don't forget to check out AuthorAID Manuscript Checker, a free tool.
How can I get the most out of an academic conference?
- What are ‘predatory’ conferences and how can I avoid them? by Andy Nobes
- How can I choose the right conference to attend and present research? (Think.Check.Attend) by Mohamed Mostafa
- Getting the Most from a Conference by Barbara Gastel
- Attending a Large Conference: Some Tips by Barbara Gastel
How can I avoid plagiarism?
Guest blog post: How to avoid being accused of plagiarism by Matt Hodgkinson
How can I use search tools?
Google Scholar… Beyond the Search by Oluchi Ojinamma Okere