Jo Strang is a Staff Tutor in Social Work at The Open University and a third-year EdD student. Jo is qualified as a social worker, reflexologist and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) practitioner and has worked in Higher Education as a lecturer since 2010. Her research combines her professional interests and aims to explore social work students’ experiences of learning about EFT, a self-help tool often more easily referred to as ‘acupuncture without needles’. This simple tapping technique can reduce the fight-flight response to situations we experience as challenging and assist in processing a variety of emotions.

Realising I Have ADHD During My PhD: A Hidden Battle

This article details the experience of a Professional Doctorate student (and full-time working parent) suddenly becoming aware that she has ADHD – being given a new, neurodivergent lens through which to see herself, and the additional challenges (and solutions) that it brings to a PhD journey. The article offers solutions for coping with a neurodivergent brain in a world generally designed for neurotypical ways of functioning.

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Writing Up: What Worked for Me

In this article, Jennie Riley shares how she tackled the writing-up process, including creating a timetable and breaking down her work into smaller goals, ultimately leading to a successful draft.

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To Be or Not To Be (a Reviewer 2): Should I Review Articles as a PhD Student?

For the wheels to continue turning in research, we need reviewers. Although often a thankless endeavour (littered with Reviewer 2 jokes), acting as a gatekeeper for the integrity of your research field remains vital. As a PhD student, you may find the process of reviewing a manuscript pretty novel, but a reviewer request email may enter your inbox in the near future. This article guides you through the pros and cons of reviewing articles.

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