Joining a Community of Scholars

Today, it is common for even the earliest of “early career researchers” (ECRs) to think about building their academic brand by attending conferences, networking, presenting their own research, and looking for opportunities to publish. Many of the concepts we’ve already discussed carry over well to communicating ideas in these wider professional settings. There are, of course, unwritten norms of academic conduct that complicate the picture. This chapter identifies some common areas of trepidation or uncertainty for newcomers and offers practical strategies to address them.