Journal Club

Here are just a few of the inspiring papers we have read over the years (links beneath images). A good journal club – one where everyone feels welcome and where the overall vibe is positive – can be an amazing way to develop as a scientist. We had some guidelines that kept us on track for many years:

• anything goes, as long as you find it interesting
• no expectations: go as deep as you feel comfortable going
• no questions are too basic and no concerns are too small
• identify the positives, and look for the overall message
• always respect your colleagues; it’s just as likely that you are the one missing a crucial point!

Our setup was that one person would present a paper each week. The presenter would usually have taken some time to read the paper, make notes on figures, and bring a few printouts. Of course, things get busy, so as long as there was a paper with a good methods section, there were never complaints. Each week, the paper was a surprise to the attendees, who were never expected to invest time beforehand. We’d spend an hour or so each week, and we made sure we understood the details of key experiments. Invariably, our discussions turned to the question, “What does this add to the field?” Since the field was rarely our own, these were fun and productive conversations, and we benefitted from a real diversity of perspectives, scientific and otherwise.