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Matthew Flinders

Matthew Flinders

Articles by Matthew Flinders

People balancing on REF letters to illustrate A risky gamble for researchers

Is it safe to trust that the next REF will reward a wider range of outputs?

The 2029 Research Excellence Framework aims to assess ‘how institutions and disciplines contribute to healthy, dynamic and inclusive research environments’. But will panellists and university managers really move away from a focus on prestigious journal papers, asks Matthew Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

1 August

Garmin-Sharp team rider Andrew Talansky of the U.S. crashes during the Tour de France cycling race

If universities want top research, they must allow people to fail

The new REF rules allow greater scope to aim for the (four) stars. But who will embrace the risk of crashing to Earth, asks Matthew Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

6 July

Rehearsal of a show of a group in a line holding their knees to illustrate For academia and policymakers, relationships are key to impact

Relationships with policymakers are vital for impact, and they are possible

Low-key bridge-building exercises can initiate relationships with civil servants, parliamentary clerks and regulatory officials, says Matthew Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

2 February

A tree in the shape of a dollar sign sheds its leaves

Cash-strapped Birkbeck must not axe social mobility

The mature student specialist’s renowned politics department could become part of the solution rather than the problem, says Matthew Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

11 November

A ear on a wall, symbolising the difficulty of communication

Why don’t we know what works when engaging with policymakers?

More systematic work is required to learn the lessons of efforts to generate policy impact, says Matthew Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

23 May

A dog begging on someone's lap

Impact must not be the enemy of criticality

Pursuing research relevance is important, but the risk is that it becomes a form of deference, co-option and control, says Matthew Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

4 May

tree breaking out of cage

Failure isn’t the only teacher. Journals must overcome negativity bias

Studying institutional success stories is socially useful and has nothing to do with selling out, say Matthew Flinders and Paul ’t Hart

By Matthew Flinders

8 December

Finger pointing

We will only learn Covid lessons if blame culture of inquiries is rooted out

Social scientists have an opportunity to advise on reorienting the traditional public inquiry towards focused lesson-learning, says Matthew Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

3 November

Lost in space. It's crucial that we help knowledge brokers build careers in their own right.

Lost in (the third) space: knowledge brokers need career paths too

Those who blur the lines between academic and professional staff are the connective tissue in the research ecosystem, say Matthew Flinders and Sarah Chaytor

By Matthew Flinders

30 April

A private contractor replaces a traffic signpost with a newer version in New York City, illustrating change of direction in America

The Upswing, by Robert D. Putnam with Shaylyn Romney Garrett

Matthew Flinders finds the solutions offered in an ambitious analysis of American discontent less than impressive

By Matthew Flinders

15 April

World mental health day

World mental health day: dealing with the pressures of academe

Today is World Mental Health Day, and Matthew Flinders argues that although changes in individual behaviour can help, systemic change is really needed to ease the mental health burden on academics

By Matthew Flinders

10 October

Which vaccine will stop Covid-19 killing a generation of careers?

An oft-overlooked component of the research process is that simple little thing called leadership, says Matthew Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

18 July

A sparkler held in someone’s hand

Vibrant research cultures do not just emerge by magic

The UK’s structures for supporting and nurturing research leaders are woefully underdeveloped, says Matthew Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

11 February

camel train in desert

Research leadership is a castle built on shifting sand

In an age of vast team-science projects, it is more important than ever that leaders be properly prepared, says Matthew Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

6 August

Person dressed in fox costume

This Christmas I’ll be hunting hedgefoxes

Matthew Flinders thinks this mythical mammalian hybrid could serve as a guide through a complex higher education funding landscape

By Matthew Flinders

12 December

Woman and dog sitting on a snowy river bank

Mental health is global challenge that will require an interdisciplinary solution

On World Mental Health Day, Matthew Flinders calls for more open discussions about mental health struggles and their modern-day provocations

By Matthew Flinders

10 October

tennis-ball-and-racquet

Lack of instant impact is not failure

Asking social scientists to demonstrate academic impact ignores the messy reality of political lobbying, says Matthew Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

14 September

Crowds in Hungary

Are academics to blame for the rise of populism?

A critical and questioning intellectual community of social scientists is a core component of a confident and flourishing democracy, but can academic critique go too far? asks Matt Flinders

By Matthew Flinders

9 July