Ten Recommended Resources for Women in Academia

In our second post for 2018’s Academic Book Week, we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some of the fantastic resources available to help support, encourage and develop women in academia. From blogs to books, to influential social media accounts and reports, the literature out there is both vast and dynamic.

In this vein, this year’s Academic Book Week saw the launch of 20 Academic Books by Women that Changed the World. The full list ranges from Jayne Eyre to I Am Malala, and includes a top 10 decided upon by a public vote.

1. AcademiaNet– a site which “brings excellent women researchers into the spotlight for those wishing to find members for scientific bodies or to fill leadership positions, reporting on science, programming conferences, or looking to bring in experts for making decisions.”
2. From the GenPORT Blog: “an open space for discussing any aspects regarding gender and science.” This post highlights “some of the most useful resources for monitoring gender inequality in science.”
3. From the BSP Blog, the blog of the biophysics society, “Gender equality accreditation programs: a solution to gender inequality in academia?”, by Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede of the Chalmers University of Technology.
4. On the PhD Life blog Belinda Smaill offers a “reflection on gendered dynamics in academia in the hopes that young scholars will not have the same blinders she had on when she began her professional career”, in Facts, Stories and Strategies: Women and Academia.
5. @WomenEd/#WomenEd is for aspiring and existing women leaders in all sectors of education. Their HE colleagues include Regional Leaders, bloggers, event facilitators and presenters and brilliant supporters and tweeters. Find them on Twitter and at womened.org.
6. Cygna: “The main objective of the group is to promote interaction among female academics based in the London area and to provide a forum for learning, support, and networking. Although most of our memberswork in business and management, we welcome participants from neighbouring disciplines.”
7. On being a female in academia – Jenny Pickerill reflects on how to overcome sexism and stereotypes in higher education in this post from the Times Higher Education blog.
8. From the League of European Research Universities, read about their paper on the impact of implicit bias for women in academia and what to do about it.
9. Part 7.6 of The Metric Tide: Report of the Independent Review of the Role of Metrics in Research Assessment and Management gives an overview of gender and citation measures.
10. And last but not least two influential books by Sara Delamont: Successful Research Careers and Feminist Sociology.

We’re also asking you to share inspiring stories of women in academia who have influenced you in your career. Tweet us @SAGE_News with your stories!