How is it April already? This year seems to be flying by at a terrifying pace, but maybe that is because my final annual progress review takes place in May. Fear aside, a new month means it is time for my second monthly roundup on this blog. My intention is to bring together blog posts, podcasts, articles, conference CFPS, news stories and really any other online content that may be of interest to PhD students working in the arts and humanities.

This also seems an opportune time to reflect on the content of this blog over the past month, and we have had some really great guest posts. Oliver Wilkinson kicked things off with an introduction to the new First World War network, and all the opportunities it provides for PhDs and ECRs. We had two posts reflecting on the SGSAH ‘Stuff of Research’ Material Culture programme from Rhona Ramsay and Alexandra Chiriac, and some thoughts on undertaking a PhD internship from Fiona Dakin. Finally, Jill Dye described the work she has been doing on the fascinating Leighton Library project. If I am allowed to pick one of my own posts to highlight this month, it would be International Women’s Day post in which I considered the women that inspire and shape my PhD – just because I had so much fun writing it!

The following is a magpie-like roundup of things that have caught my eye or that have been sent my way over the past month.

Blogs & Podcasts

• A very interesting piece about the role of podcasts in the humanities, from the British Naval History website.
• University of Glasgow Research Development blog, recent posts on subjects such as keeping the work/life balance, and life after the PhD.
• More great stuff from the Thesis Whisperer: thoughts on podcasting your research, and how to write a good to do list. 
• Practice as Research blog, from choreographer and dancer Simon Ellis.
• I thoroughly recommend loosing an hour or two on the brilliant Women are Boring blog. (They also recently started a Facebook forum).
• Some of my favourite Pubs & Pubs posts this month included this post on not reading everything, this honest discussion of the writing/re-writing process, and these useful tips on how to survive the first year of the PhD. 

The PhD student vs endless books, a constant struggle. Image from Wikimedia Commons. 

Projects

• The inauguration of the Textiles and Clothing Research Centre (TCRC) at New Delhi – a project by recently minted University of Glasgow PhD Toolika Gupta.

• Brilliant resource for researchers on 18th and 19th century Scottish history, part of an ongoing project on the Leighton Library.

Leighton Library, the oldest purpose-built library in Scotland 

Articles & News Stories

• A really insightful piece on writing in the arts & humanities by Dr Alice Kelly, who started the writing group that inspired this. 
• An interesting take on imposter syndrome from Jezebel “Anxiety is normal. It’s fine!”
• Archeology in the 21st century must tackle sexual harassment and lack of diversity 
• I can’t wait to visit the newly re-opened National Army Museum. A little insight into the refurbished museum here. 

National Army Museum: a recruitment poster on display in the Army gallery

CFPS & Resources 

• Peace, Empathy and Conciliation through Music: A Collaboratory (Submission deadline June 1st)
• Contemporary British History Now (Submission deadline May 19th)   
• International Oral History Congress: Memory & Narration (Submission deadline August 31st)
• A very handy roundup of CFPS, blogs and events from the Postgraduate Gender Research Network of Scotland
• Also see the CFP for their own conference, deadline April 21st.
• Another useful resource – a list of CFPS from the Association of Art Historians 
• This 2018 conference on Leicestershire in the First World War has a series of bursaries and awards available for relevant research projects.

• PhD discussion forum on Reddit

That’s it for March, I’ll be back next week with new guest posts and will hopefully be making some updates to the look of the blog too!