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The DigestThe Digest
On Intellectual Vandalism, A-verage Students, and An Unusually Competent Scholar
Feb 12, 2026

On Intellectual Vandalism, A-verage Students, and An Unusually Competent Scholar

That would not only be an act of intellectual vandalism ... it would also have damaging consequences for the whole country.

The DigestThe Digest
Scholarship with Impact, Identity, and Disagreement
Jan 29, 2026

Scholarship with Impact, Identity, and Disagreement

One such partnership is the Raytheon–UMass Lowell Research Institute, established in 2014 to cement a multimillion-dollar collaboration between the company and the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

The DigestThe Digest
Research and Scholarship: Simple, Independent, Humble
Jan 15, 2026

Research and Scholarship: Simple, Independent, Humble

In doing so he provides the reader with rich contextual information about how an academic of his time viewed problem-solving - a cornerstone of research - without speaking of research itself.

The DigestThe Digest
On the Limited Academy, LABraries, and Formative Figures
Dec 25, 2025

On the Limited Academy, LABraries, and Formative Figures

When addressing the possibility of a revival in independent scholarship, one of the most pressing questions hangs over those research disciplines which rely on extensive equipment.

The DigestThe Digest
Scholarly Crisis, New Labs, Old Preprints, and Unexpected Beauty
Dec 11, 2025

Scholarly Crisis, New Labs, Old Preprints, and Unexpected Beauty

The authors conclude that current cutting edge deep research models can understand the task they must perform, but are unable to search for and synthesise the information needed to complete it - not surprising to anyone who has interacted with an AI model in the context of research.

The DigestThe Digest
On Academic Gatekeeping, Conceptual Thinness and Publishing Crap
Nov 27, 2025

On Academic Gatekeeping, Conceptual Thinness and Publishing Crap

As preprints increasingly become seen as reliable scholarly sources - particularly in fields such as physics and computer science - the value of having such articles on your CV has also increased.

The DigestThe Digest
On Living For Scholarship
Nov 13, 2025

On Living For Scholarship

It does not confuse the appearance of a scientific article, with its hypotheses, tests, and conclusions, all neatly laid out, with the ways in which the research was actually carried out.

The DigestThe Digest
On Academic Freedom, Security and Flattery
Oct 30, 2025

On Academic Freedom, Security and Flattery

Luxury conferences in the Swiss Alps, featuring cocktail parties and high profile speakers, like the secretary general of the UN, still continue today.

The DigestThe Digest
Should Scholars Think?
Oct 16, 2025

Should Scholars Think?

We have more facts than ever and we are continually adding to the stock. But what we do with them after we get them depends on our imagination.

The DigestThe Digest
Visualising, Violating, and Humanizing Scholarship
Sep 18, 2025

Visualising, Violating, and Humanizing Scholarship

Three weeks ago, COPE published new guidance for how to handle retractions of published articles - highlighting just how pressing the problem is becoming.

The DigestThe Digest
On Science: Fatigue, Ownership, and It's Soul
Aug 21, 2025

On Science: Fatigue, Ownership, and It's Soul

In discussing the extent to which science has met our curiosity about the university, we must remember that different minds are curious about different things.

The DigestThe Digest
The Scholar's Dilemma: single-use AI, reading less, and poor pay
Aug 07, 2025

The Scholar's Dilemma: single-use AI, reading less, and poor pay

The job was advertised in Nature and required an honours degree - meaning research experience proven by a thesis - and a minimum of 2 years experience for an annual salary of £155 (roughly equivalent to £8,778.18 or $11,658 in today’s money).

A weekly letter for scholars, para-academics, and curious minds who care about the integrity of thought, the future of scholarship, and the deeper meaning of intellectual work.

The Scholarly Letter

A weekly letter for scholars, para-academics, and curious minds who care about the integrity of thought, the future of scholarship, and the deeper meaning of intellectual work.

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