Olivia (Liv) is a PhD Archaeology student at the University of Liverpool and a current humanities tutor at cactustutoring.com. Originally from North Wales and has previously studied at the Department of Archaeology at the University of Reading. She is currently working on a project about human sacrifice in early urban communities of the Ancient Near East and China with a specific interest in the involvement of the female body in sacrificial rites in response to William Beer and Nancy Joy. Research interests include Ancient Near East and Prehistoric Archaeology, burial archaeology, ritual theory, cognitive archaeology and osteological evidence of trauma. She is also very interested in philosophy, psychology and ritual in archaeological contexts. Follow her on Twitter: @Iam_livin

Floundering First Steps: The First Month Of Starting A PhD

Starting a PhD can be daunting at the best of times, but even more so during a pandemic. In this article, Olivia Eve Arkley shares her experiences and advice for making the most of the first month of a PhD, including practical tools and mental skills to aid completion. She also discusses the importance of becoming part of the academic community and carving out your own place within it.

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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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Navigating Reflexivity: A Guided Example to Move Beyond Reflection

Need guidance writing the reflexivity section of your thesis (or indeed writing reflexively throughout the thesis)? This article defines reflexivity as going beyond reflection to consider the influence of our positionality on our work. It covers three main types of reflexivity – personal reflexivity, methodological reflexivity and philosophical reflexivity – and includes some working examples to illustrate the thought processes and questions that facilitate transparency and rigor in research.

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