63 episodes
On the reg Thesis Whisperer
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- Education
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5.0 • 5 Ratings
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Inger and Jason talk about work, but you know - not in a boring way. Practical, implementable productivity hacks to help you live a more balanced life. Find us talking to each other between episodes on Mastodon: @thesiswhisperer@aus.social and @jasondowns@ravenation.club
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Obsidian! 1996 called and it wants its database back.
It's been quite the month. Jason was pulled over in the Tinny (again), Inger had a mole taken off her foot. We skipped the mailbag in favour of a deep nerd chat about Obsidian starting at 32:51. The discussion gets waylaid part way through by a mutual existential freakout about Claude Opus. It's... a lot. Enjoy!
Things we mentioned:
Kangaroo time - Winner of the Dance Your PhD competition
Be visible or vanish - the book Inger wrote with her colleague Simon Clews
PostAc (on Inger's research page)
Quit by Annie Duke
Mac Sparky Field Guides
Building a second brain and PARA from Tiago Forte (and his post on Tags)
Markdown explainer
An article Inger wrote about Claude
One useful thing blog from Ethan Mollick
Inger's sample 'coffee Vault' (down these files from Dropbox and point Obsidian at it to open)
Marie Kondo's life changing magic of tidying up
YAML explainer
Marked2 (markdown text convertor)
Scrivener
Elicit
Connected Papers
literature review matrix explainer
Zotero
Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. Email Inger, she's easy to find. You will not be able to find Jason's email (he likes it that way).
Talk to us on BlueSky by following @thesiswhisperer and @drjd. Inger is sadly addicted to Threads, but cannot convince JD to join. You can find her there, and on all the Socials actually, as @thesiswhisperer. You can read her stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com.
If you want to support our work, you can sponsor Thesis Whisperer for $1 a month on Patreon, buy Inger a coffee on Ko-Fi or grab a copy of our ‘Text Expander for academics’ book off Thesiswhisperer.com -
What we are doing with GenAI now... (it's pretty cool)
Jason had pneumonia when he recorded this very long pod with Inger.
It's a testament to his brainy-ness (and Inger's sound engineering skills) that it turned out as well as it did, given he coughed and sweated his way through it.
Warning: in the chat section at the top there's a lot of talk about TEQSA. If you're confused, here's their webpage. Jason was too sick to do mailbag, but please keep sending in your letters and speak pipes!
At we switch to our work problems section (26:04) Large Language Models (LLMs) - we recommend you have a look at our Discussion Guide as we talk, or after you get back from your walk/gardening/gym/cooking or what every you are doing. You can read the briefing note that Inger wrote for her boss here.
We skip the reading section and coast out with some two minute tips (1:38:22) for planning large complex tasks and reading all the instructions before you start doing a thing.
The good news is that Jason did not die of his pneumonia and is back on his feet again - phew!
Things we mentioned:
On the Reg discussion guide for this episode (free to share)
The briefing paper Inger wrote for her boss on how researchers are using ChattieG
Timothy Snyder On Tyranny Book
Manchester Phrase Bank
Randy Olsen 'and but therefore' writing tip is in 'Houston, We have a Narrative'
Team Human podcast
Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. Email Inger, she's easy to find. You will not be able to find Jason's email (he likes it that way).
Talk to us on BlueSky by following @thesiswhisperer and @drjd. Inger is sadly addicted to Threads, but cannot convince JD to join. You can find her there, and on all the Socials actually, as @thesiswhisperer. You can read her stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com.
If you want to support our work, you can sponsor Thesis Whisperer for $1 a month on Patreon, buy Inger a coffee on Ko-Fi or grab a copy of our ‘Text Expander for academics’ book off Thesiswhisperer.com -
The sweet, sweet taste of academic freedom
Inger and Jason are at the end of the holidays. For Jason this meant going to a hash den in Thailand (it's a long story) and for Inger it meant organising all her rococo style porcelain figurines (yes, really).
The mailbag (18:53) is full of interesting letters and provokes only one moment of feminist rage from Inger. Ok, maybe two.
In the Work Problems segment (56:35) Jason gives us an alternative way to think about the year ahead with the VRIO model from Jay Barney and there's quite a lot of talk about late stage capitalism.
Reading time (1:24) Inger's been reading romance books about audio p*rn stars (you read that right), while Jason has been reading about how to be younger. In the Two minute tips (1:38) Inger shares her library thing project and Jason talks about his State Of Mind.
Then the first episode of season 5 was in the can- can you believe it?!
Stuff we mentioned
Thesiswhisperer on Instagram
Why so slow, on the advancement of women
Invisible women: exposing data bias in a world designed for men
Tiago Forte's PARA book
McSparky's new productivity field guide
Plain English Podcast episode with Oliver Burkeman that enraged Inger
Counter Productive by Mel Gregg
Mind the gap in the literature blog post on Thesis Whisperer
Fated Mates podcast
Can I tell you something? (romance novel)
The productivity Project by Chris Bailey
The man who invented Hitler
Younger next year
Library Thing
Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. Email Inger, she's easy to find. You will not be able to find Jason's email (he likes it that way).
Talk to us on BlueSky by following @thesiswhisperer and @drjd. Inger is sadly addicted to Threads, but cannot convince JD to join. You can find her there, and on all the Socials actually, as @thesiswhisperer. You can read her stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com.
If you want to support our work, you can sponsor Thesis Whisperer for $1 a month on Patreon, buy Inger a coffee on Ko-Fi or grab a copy of our ‘Text Expander for academics’ book off Thesiswhisperer.com -
The unexpected Christmas Day episode!
Inger and Jason recorded an episode at 9pm at night on the 15th of November, before Inger took off for the UK. Inger was meant to edit and post this sometime in December, while travelling in the UK, but due to the vagaries of wifi and Christmas shopping, she ended up doing it at Heathrow airport on Christmas eve.
So look, it's a little bit ... unplugged?
But at least it's short (well, for us) and there's some good stuff in here - including a surprisingly long digression on KanBan boards. We figure there's got to be some dishwashing or gardening to do over the Christmas break when you can enjoy this nerd out. Happy Christmas to all who celebrate (and we hope the rest of you get a well earned break too).
We'll be back sometime in January :-)
Things we mentioned
Article Kevin sent us about leaders and managers
Personal Kanban: mapping work, navigating life
Mind the gap in the literature
Capacities app
Obsidian Field guide by mcsparky
Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. Email Inger, she's easy to find. You will not be able to find Jason's email (he likes it that way).
Talk to us on BlueSky by following @thesiswhisperer and @drjd. Inger is sadly addicted to Threads, but cannot convince JD to join. You can find her there, and on all the Socials actually, as @thesiswhisperer. You can read her stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com.
If you want to support our work, you can sponsor Thesis Whisperer for $1 a month on Patreon, buy Inger a coffee on Ko-Fi or grab a copy of our ‘Text Expander for academics’ book off Thesiswhisperer.com -
Hot academic gossip and the Circle of Niceness
This one has been in the can for a while - but it was recorded only a week after the previous one about the Meat Grinder. You'd think that would make the banter session shorter, but ...not really. Jason has largely avoided having his face squished at Brazilian Jujitsu and Inger has been writing whiny emails to her boss.
The team finish up the Cambridge hiatus mailbag (13:32), including one from Janet Davey that was lost at the bottom (sorry about that Janet!). This prompts a lengthly discussion about Teams and autocorrect, so the usual nerdy stuff.
In the Work Problems session (49:38) Jason confesses to Inger that he doesn't know how to gossip well, but Inger proves to him that he has got his academic gossip skills Just Right. Along the way Foucault is not mentioned, but he might as well have been given how much the word 'power' popped up.
Inger's read her friend Stan Emmerson's new book 'What is the It' (1:28:44) and gives a completely biased review. Jason features a couple of 50 cent app shop bargains. Finally
In two minute tips (1:37:10) Inger reports back on taking her own advice and Jason shares the rather tragic news that his email address is now on the Dark Web, which seems appropriate for a Halloween episode!
Mentioned:
We work to earn the right to work video
Inger's blog post on Hot Academic Gossip
Inger's academic paper 'Assembling the PhD candidate: troubles talk'
Stan's book on editing 'What is the 'it'? A Handbook for proofing court judgements
Austin Kleon Steal like an Artist
Clip at the end is The Fine Print: outer worlds song by Stupendium
Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. Email Inger, she's easy to find. You will not be able to find Jason's email (he likes it that way).
Talk to us on BlueSky by following @thesiswhisperer and @drjd. Inger is sadly addicted to Threads, but cannot convince JD to join. You can find her there, and on all the Socials actually, as @thesiswhisperer. You can read her stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com.
If you want to support our work, you can sponsor Thesis Whisperer for $1 a month on Patreon, buy Inger a coffee on Ko-Fi or grab a copy of our ‘Text Expander for academics’ book off Thesiswhisperer.com -
The meat grinder
Inger and Jason are back, a bit later than anticipated because the audio the first time this episode was recorded was borked (that's a technical term). We promise the re-record is much better, and also, much longer.
There's some unscripted banter at the start, which Inger had to cut as it went on a bit long. Jason can tell you about his new bike another time and you really don't need to hear all about Inger's struggle to find supplies of Ozempic. We dig into the mailbag (18:22), but not all the way to the bottom, then we get side tracked with a rave about MacSparkey's new Obsidian Field guide.
In the work problems section (52:49), Jason drops all the knowledge about teaching large classes, drawn from his experience of teaching 1000 students a year in the same subject, over three countries and time zones. Yes you read that right, Inger is amazed - - and also horrified.
Inger read some books (1:33:38). They include a cook book, which Jason was interested in, and a romance novel, which he was not. The two minute tip section (1:42:48) actually takes around 17 minutes and includes at least four tips, so it's a bonus episode! Enjoy.
Things we mentioned:
Mac Sparky Obsidian field guide
Download Obsidian for Mac or PC (it's free!)
Clean text (Mac app)
Scrivener
Mathpix
Overleaf
Zotero
Timing
Things app
Marked 2
Teaching for quality learning at university by Jamie Biggs
Style, 10 lessons in clarity and grace
Workflowy
PARA - Tiago Forte
Extra focus: a quick start guide to adult ADHD
My kitchen year: 137 recipes that saved my life
The stand in by Lily Chu
Info click (mail.app search tool)
Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. Email Inger, she's easy to find. You will not be able to find Jason's email (he likes it that way).
Talk to us on BlueSky by following @thesiswhisperer and @drjd. Inger is sadly addicted to Threads, but cannot convince JD to join. You can find her there, and on all the Socials actually, as @thesiswhisperer. You can read her stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com.
If you want to support our work, you can sponsor Thesis Whisperer for $1 a month on Patreon, buy Inger a coffee on Ko-Fi or grab a copy of our ‘Text Expander for academics’ book off Thesiswhisperer.com
Customer Reviews
This podcast is a must for academics working in the 21st Century.
This is my only review of a podcast, despite actively listening to dozens. Yes, it is that good.
The podcast is geared towards graduate students and professors in higher education who are looking to remain productive, healthy and engaged with their disciplines and their students. Far too often, graduate programs fail to prepare candidates with the necessary skill sets to effectively manage the tsunami of information and requests that are part and parcel of academia. My own Ph.D. training, while excellent in terms of my field of study, did little to prepare me for the realities of faculty service work, using technology to assist and manage academic output, managing the certification and accreditation issues for programs and providing practical tips on how to manage large class sizes without. This area is where On The Reg steps in to help.
Inger and Jason have a wonderful rapport, and the first twenty to thirty minutes of each podcast feel like you are eavesdropping in on a conversation with two good friends. That in of itself is fun to get caught up on the developments in their respective lives, but where this Pod really sings is providing tips on how to keep your head above water as an academic, how to remain productive so that the 'extra' time gained does not get re-invested back into your work. Suggestions are practical, results-focused, and avoid all the toxic positivity usually associated with empty, upper management adages like 'work smarter, not harder.'
Much of the podcast is technology-focused, with applications such as Omnifocus, Obsidian, Text Expander, and Timing taking a prominent role. That said, there are also tips for techies and non-techies alike. If you are an academic who is wondering if there is a better way to do things, this podcast is for you. I recommend episode 2023-10-15, 'The Meat Grinder,' if you are feeling despondent about the state of higher education. You are not alone.
Oh no!
I’ve gone and done it. I’ve binged your Podcast and now I have ZERO left in my unplayed list.
What am I going to do with my life, now?
I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to listen to them all over again. Yep.
Sure, I listen to other pods but this one tops them all. I’m in academia in the US (Research project management in special education) and I have learned and laughed SO MUCH listening to you two. I’m not one that only listens to the first 20 min. Nor am I the one to snip-itty-do-da past the first part. I’m an all-in-er.
Keep up the amazing work! In the meantime, I’m going back to the beginning. Ready? 5-4-3-2-1 GO!! With lots of love from North Carolina!
I’ve fallen in love!
I first learned about your podcast from hearing you on the Omni Groups podcast and you two were delightful. As an academic myself, and a fellow productivity hacker who is always trying to find external supports to help my ADHD brain do tricks it wasn’t designed for, I have fallen in love with what you are doing with On the Reg. I’m now actually excited about accreditation because of your Obsidian episode! On a different note, your podcast makes me feel less alone in that so many of the people around me don’t seem to acknowledge that so much of what we do in academia is tedious and nonsensical (like doing 2 or3 full-time jobs at the same time for half of what someone in one of those jobs in the business world would be paid), but you, Ingrid and Jason, say the quiet part out loud and I’m so grateful to you for doing that. You’ve got a fan over here, and I hope you’re not averse to getting a coffee with me if we can be in the same city at the same time. Thanks for being there for me! Bryan