The Grey Lit Café podcast

6:38

"Three years have passed; five summers, with the length/ Of five long winters!" (as William Wordsworth wrote). This episode was recorded to mark the third anniversary of The Grey Lit Café's first episode (' Welcome to the Grey Lit Caf é') and the conclusion of our seventh season. We briefly review the season in the context of our developing conception of how best to discuss grey literature and we look ahead to the next season, which promises a novel focus. Further listening We hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest: Another season over and what have we done? How meetings work, with Carrie Goucher Don't fall in love with your work, with Sabuhi Essa Credits Audio production and editing : Anthony Haynes Opening announcement : Engy Moussa Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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Dissertations as an interface between industry and academia, with Joseph Gibbons 48:18

há 5 weeks48:18

48:18

A key role of grey literature is to provide an interface between industry and academic research. In this episode, we continue our focus on innovation in grey literature by interviewing Dr Joseph Gibbons, Principal Technical Advisor at Natural Power Ireland. Joseph outlines a scheme he established to enable doctoral students to spend time in industry, working on research projects that formed the basis of their dissertations. Joseph explains: what the scheme entails its rationale how it was implemented above all, the benefits of the scheme for all stakeholders. Links Joseph's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-gibbons/ Natural Power: https: www.naturalpower.com/uk Further listening We hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest: Dissertations and books: how are they related? How to give a presentation on engineering? Credits Audio editing : Dr Bart Hallmark Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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Podcasting as a pedagogical tool, with James Austin 34:51

há 6 weeks34:51

34:51

Anthony Haynes writes : A persistent theme on The Grey Lit Café is the role of grey literature genres in higher education. We've published episodes on abstracts, dissertations, essays, online lectures, posters, and slide decks. In this episode, we take up a challenge from our recent episodes on essays: what alternatives - when it comes to expository and discursive communication - are there to essays? Here, in the second of two interviews, Dr James Austin (University of Connecticut) explains how his pedagogy encompasses student production of podcasts. References James's publications are itemised on his university page: https://english.uconn.edu/person/james-austin/ . Further listening We hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest: Slide decks: their developmental use How effective are essays as an academic genre? The case of examinations How effective are essays as an academic genre? The case of examinations Online lectures: Bart Hallmark on pitfalls and good practice Posters as a form of research communication Credits Audio editing : Dr Bart Hallmark Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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Slide decks: their developmental use, with James Austin 49:55

há 12 weeks49:55

49:55

Anthony Haynes writes : A persistent theme on The Grey Lit Café is the role of grey literature genres in higher education. We've published episodes on abstracts, dissertations, essays, online lectures, and posters. In this episode we take up a challenge from our recent episodes on essays: what alternatives - when it comes to expository and discursive communication - are there to essays? Here, in the first of two interviews, Dr James Austin (University of Connecticut) explains how his pedagogy encompasses student production and presentation of slide decks. References Publications referred to by James are itemised on his university page: https://english.uconn.edu/person/james-austin/ . Further listening We hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest: How effective are essays as an academic genre? The case of examinations How effective are essays as an academic genre? The case of examinations Online lectures: Bart Hallmark on pitfalls and good practice Posters as a form of research communication Credits Audio editing : Dr Bart Hallmark Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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The comms joke 2:49

há 12 weeks2:49

2:49

If you work in comms, you're used to clients (internal or external) announcing, "We need a poster!" You have to laugh. Further listening We hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest: The games we play in science and research communication Don't fall in love with your work, with Sabuhi Essa Before Spotify: the remarkable story of chautauquas Credits Audio production and editing : Anthony Haynes Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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Essays revisited: How effective are essays as a genre of student writing? 50:05

há 24 weeks50:05

50:05

Anthony Haynes writes : In our previous episode, How effective are essays as an academic genre? , we examined essays specifically as a tool for assessment in academic contexts. In this episode we return to the genre of essays but consider their use on courses outside examinations. Engy Moussa and I debate the strengths and weaknesses of the genre - and try to remain polite without holding back on our disagreements! Further listening We hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest: Dissertations and books: how are they related? On line lectures: Bart Hallmark on pitfalls and good practice Credits Sound production : Bart Hallmark (who on this episode struggled nobly with poor recording quality!) Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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How effective are essays as an academic genre? The case of examinations 44:44

há 29 weeks44:44

44:44

Anthony Haynes writes : On The Grey Lit Café we frequently focus on specific genres.* In this episode, we focus on the genre of essays. In particular, we discuss the use of essays in examinations. Engy Moussa (University of Cambridge) and I debate: the strengths and weaknesses of essays as an assessment tool multiple ways to help students improve the quality of their essays * Examples include abstracts, blogs, book proposals, dissertations, emails, funding proposals, letters, online lectures, newsletters, pitches, preprints, podcasts, posters, reports, and white papers. Further listening We hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest: Dissertations and books: how are they related? On line lectures: Bart Hallmark on pitfalls and good practice Reference Stella Cottrell, The study skills handbook (Palgrave) Credits Sound production : Bart Hallmark (who on this episode struggled nobly with poor recording quality!) Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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Grey literature aggregation: Toby Green on Policy Commons 29:00

há 37 weeks29:00

29:00

Policy Commons is on a mission to make grey literature - especially in the form of reports, more discoverable and accessible. Its content platform, Coherent Digital, hosts over 12 million documents - and the number is growing rapidly. Who better to discuss this massive initiative than Toby Green, Founder and Publisher of Policy Commons? In this episode, Toby explains what Policy Commons is, what it exists for, where it's going next, and, crucially, the benefits that it provides to stakeholders - notably publishers, librarians, and readers. In the process, Toby provides an expert perspective on several themes concerning grey literature in general. They include the definition and characterisation of grey literature, questions of scope and scale, and the need to make digital publications sustainable (notably through persistent identifiers). Links Policy Commons website: https://policycommons.net/ Our episode with John Barbrook: Decolonising the library and grey literature Further listening We hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest: David Baxter on effective grey literature: the case of reports on gambling Sponsored reports: David Baxter on the interface between research and policy Innovation in grey literature dissemination: Cora Cole on GreyLit Credits Sound production : Bart Hallmark Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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Quality infrastructure and productivity: on protocols 13:27

há 39 weeks13:27

13:27

Anthony Haynes is the author and publisher of an extensive series of Writing Protocols. In this episode, Engy Moussa interviews Anthony on how to produce protocols in order to get things done - and get them done well. In the process, they discuss such questions as: What is a protocol? How to compose protocols How are they used and what is their rationale? What is the relationship between protocols and learning? Further listening We hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest: How to write abstracts (I): structure and tone How to write abstracts (II): processes The case of case studies, with Dr Farrah Arif Credits Sound production : Bart Hallmark Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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The art of the newsletter: lessons from the reader's perspective 39:29

há 41 weeks39:29

39:29

Anthony Haynes writes : In this, our latest genre-based, episode, Engy Moussa and I explore newsletters - primarily from the perspective of the reader. We range widely, exploring questions concerning quantity, spatial design, schedules, the reading journey, distinction, and offputting features. And we review our favorite examples, asking what can be learned from them about the art of the newsletter. And, finally, we consider the benefits to writers of contributing to newsletters. Links Our episode on managing emails: Managing emails Our episode on Robin Williams' book: The non-designer's design book The Royal Mint: www.royalmint.com Buzzsprout Weekly: www.buzzsprout.com/2366845/share Jenni Field: From chaos to calm British Ecological Society: newsletter James Clear: 3-2-1 Further listening We hope you've found this episode a rewarding listen. If so, you might enjoy the following genre-based episodes: White papers: what are they? what are they for? how do they add value? How to get blogging and stay blogging Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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Key insights on research communications, with Rob Johnson 33:37

há 45 weeks33:37

33:37

Anthony Haynes writes : It was a treat for this episode to be able to interview Rob Johnson, founder and Managing Director of Research Consulting Ltd. RC is a long-established organisation dedicated to improving the effectiveness and impact of research and scholarly communication. Rob and his colleagues have worked on a vast range of projects with a variety of stakeholders, including funding agencies, universities, learned societies, and, increasingly, publishers. This wide-ranging interview provides a multitude of insights into all things grey - including the changing landscape (including open access), genres ((including reports and alternatives to them), and the process of co-creation. In particular, Rob provides guidance on such topics as metadata and infrastructure, sustainability of publications, the marketing and promotion of research comms, and the crucial role in communication behaviours of incentives. Link Research Consulting's website is here: https://www.research-consulting.com/ Frontinus's white paper, Research Communication and Grey Literature, is available here: https://writeyourresearch.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/03-nov-20-white-on-grey.pdf . Further listening We hope you've found this episode a rewarding listen. If so, you might enjoy the following episodes: David Baxter on effective grey literature: the case of reports on gambling Innovation in research dissemination: Cora Cole on GreyLit Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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Before Spotify: the remarkable story of chautauquas 10:09

há 50 weeks10:09

10:09

One question we explore on this podcast is that of antecedents: what came before podcasts? This episode tells the wonderfully rich history of chautauquas - an enterprising means of bringing entertainment and informal education to small-town America. Chautauquas can be thought of as a kind of predigital Spotify. Reference James R. Schultz, The romance of small-town chautauquas (Univ. of Missouri Press, 2002) Further listening If you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might particularly enjoy the following: Where do podcasts come from? Letters as an antecedent How to get blogging and stay blogging Credits Sound production : Bart Hallmark Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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How to define grey literature? The implication of letters 34:01

há 1 year34:01

34:01

Anthony Haynes writes : This episode is the third of our series on the relationship between letters and grey literature. In the first, we made the case, using the case of the correspondence of communications theorist I.A. Richards, for considering letters as a form of grey literature. In the second, using the case of correspondence between George Lyttleton and Rupert Hart-Davis, we explore the idea of letters as an antecedent of podcasts. Now we consider what implications the idea of counting letters as a genre of grey literature has for the way we define grey literature. We discuss various definitions of #greylit, notably those related to publishers, genres, and distribution channels. We argue that such definitions are problematic and that consideration of letters helps to highlight several faultlines. Overall, the most established definitions of grey literature need overhauling. Further listening If you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might particularly enjoy the following: But what about letters: their scholarly use as grey literature Where do podcasts come from? Why we need to talk about silver literature Credits Sound production : Bart Hallmark Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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Where do podcasts come from? Letters as an antecedent 34:06

há 1 year34:06

34:06

Anthony Haynes writes : Cultural forms and communicative genres tend not to emerge from a vacuum: they tend to emerge from existing forms. In the case of podcasts, obvious candidates include lectures, essays, sermons, and radio interviews. And, we suggest here, letters. In this, the second of a series of three episodes devoted to the topics of letters, we examine the resemblance between podcasting and letters. Using as a case study the literary correspondence between George Lyttleton and Rupert Hart-Davis, we explore the significance of various aspects of content and form, ranging from voice and types of orality to friendship and disagreement. Reference The Lyttleton Hart-Davis letters were published in six volumes by John Murray (1978-84). Further listening If you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might particularly enjoy the following: But what about letters: their scholarly use as grey literature Online lecturing, with Bart Hallmark Credits Sound production : Bart Hallmark Music : from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra Support the show About the publisher This episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoring editing and writing training and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers). To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/ .…

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But what about letters? Their scholarly use as grey literature 27:14

há 1 year27:14