The research process particularly the final product, the manuscript, is often inaccessible for a myriad reasons. Most (read: all) research articles are overflowing with jargon and sit behind journal paywalls. It’s no wonder that most research findings receive little attention beyond very discipline specific academic spaces. Yet, we (academics) do it to ourselves. Academic language is a performance. Academic journal publications are necessary for promotion. So too are presentations at academic conferences. The system does not incentivize making any of it accessible to a broader audience or reaching into those community spaces. …
Needless to say, keeping up our continued level of productivity during a global pandemic is really hard. Over the past three weeks, I have been very hard on myself about my ability, or lack thereof, to keep certain projects going and finding time to write. As an academic, I feel very fortunate to be able to work from home — it has provided one source of stability during these uncertain times. However, my typical routine has been severely altered which has in turn thrown my writing schedule out the window.
Adding to this uncertainty, now that this barrier between the…
