Blogging is a tool that can be used to explore a range of disciplines and mediums. Since the inception of blogging, popular blogs have created content on travel, art and design, and parenthood, among a other topics. This post explores the appearance of academic blogs; sites that are about academia, research, or surround individual scholars’ research or experiences in academia. Academic blogs appear far less frequently than other topics, namely, because the world of academia is rather isolated and exclusive. Statistically, only around 13% of Americans have a masters degree. This means that an audience interested in an academic blog while also being interested in that blogs particular area of focus, may be quite a small community of people—making these kinds of blogs rare and more difficult to sustain.

University Blogs

There are, of course, University blogs where departments discuss topics relevant to their disciplines, and university press blogs. However, what I’d like to explore here are individual blogs written by scholars for other scholars and for the general public. The aim of this post and this series is to argue for more widespread use of blogging for scholars; to argue for the creation of digital archives on our areas of study; to advocate for the sharing resources and ideas with the general public; and to motivate scholars to build digital communities around their academic research.

My blog is an offshoot of this kind of blog. I am currently a masters student studying for my degree in English literature, and I started this blog to talk about my wide range of interests—namely English literature—but also art, mythology, and studying languages. I find that all of these topics contribute to my university work, and that is why I don’t limit myself to just talking about books or theory or writing. This blog is a space for me to share my research interests and to expand them. In this way, my post also argues that blogging can become a space for scholars to explore other topics that interest them and to find how those different topics may overlap. With our strong research skills, critical thinking skills, and discipline, I believe that blogging can become a powerful tool for scholars, allowing us to distribute our ideas and continue our pursuit of knowledge within our disciplines.

3 Academic Blogs to Explore

To begin, let us first take a look at a few academic blogs and discuss the benefits and resources those blogs provide. This is a way to begin looking at the different ways scholars have used blogs. Some blogs focus on experiences in academia, some on a particular field and research topic, and others on a combination of these two while mainly functioning as a portfolio for that scholar. We will explore these three kinds of academic blogs to help you understand some of the different ways academic blogs take shape online. In out next post, we will go into further detail about why it is important for scholars to start their own blogs and hopefully inspire you to start thinking about what you might want to talk about or share through your own blog. Lets take a look at 3 academic blogs and explore what they offer!

The Thesis Whisperer

https://thesiswhisperer.com

The Thesis Whisperer is a quite popular academic blog that has been posting for 13 years and is run by a university professor. This blog is home to over 600 posts all about the PhD experience, working on a PhD thesis, and plenty of other academic topics that come from an experienced scholar who is well versed on the experience of doing academic research. While this blog does not focus primarily on one field of research, it provides resources for scholars and insights into the world of higher education for anyone who is curious! This is one angle to use when writing an academic blog; writing and documenting the experience itself, and providing resources for other scholars in the field.

Terry Tao

https://terrytao.wordpress.com

Terrence Tao’s blog is a great example of an academic blog focused on one particular subject: math. His posts go back to 2007, so it’s clear that he is a veteran blogger. Terry’s posts focus primarily on his research, discussions about this research, and other related math topics. While this blog does function as a portfolio in many ways, its primary function is as an archive on Terry’s research interests and as a communication hub with other scholars in his field. This is a great example of a research focused blog; it is a way for Terry to share his mathematical findings, to test out problems, and to share discourse with others on these topics. Using a similar framework, scholars can use blogging as a place to debate and further their field of study through community problem solving and by engaging with other minds.

Catherine Cronin

https://catherinecronin.net

A special mention to Catherine Cronin’s blog that functions as a place for her to discuss her ideas on social justice and higher education, while also functioning as a portfolio. Notably, her site includes the following tabs: “Publications (open access)”, “Keynotes & Talks”, “Podcasts & Video”. Along with her “Blog” tab, which is the hub for her digital writing and ideas, we are easily abled to explore her work in the field, collaborations with other scholars, and public speaking events she has been invited to speak at. While Catherine’s blog is focused on her field, I’d argue that her blog works especially well as a portfolio rather than as a stand alone blog/community space.

There is, of course, a sense of community on her site nonetheless, but the stylistic and design aspects of Catherine’s blog makes it stand out as a great space to learn specifically about her as a scholar. This blog is a great example of an academic blog that functions as a portfolio, and as an archive. The benefits of this kind of blog is that the blog posts may attract other scholars to the site! As they begin to explore your blog posts, publications, and your achievements, it may help you to connect with more public opportunities as a scholar.

Conclusion

This is going to be the first post in a series about blogs, blogging, and blogging for scholars. Out next post, “Why Should Scholars Start Blogs?” will explore the benefit of blogging for scholars, some resources and tools to get started, and other logistical aspects of starting a blog. Please let me know in the comments if you have questions or want to read about a specific topic! I’ll also be creating a list of academic blogs to check out so you can get some inspiration, if you want to start an academic blog! Our next post will be on the Blogging for Scholars page.