ASTR 8500 (O'Connell) Spring 2026

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POSSIBLE OPTIONAL TOPIC LIST

a) How to give a bad talk

b) Social media: good, bad, and ugly

c) Social networking in science: value, tips

d) What good is tenure? (tenure vs term contracts, pros & cons)

e) Navigating group science

f) Responsibilities of scientists to society

g) Elements of persuasion

h) Common mistakes in graduate research projects

i) Teaching skills to cultivate

j) Top-10 job-getting skills in astronomy

k) Help! How do I manage my time?

l) Paper writing tips

m) Employment opportunities for PhD's outside astronomy

n) Professional meetings: strategies and etiquette

o) Mental health in academia

p) Data visualization in publications and presentations

q) How to read a scientific paper

r) Managing your personal literature library

s) Public outreach: goals, varieties, effectiveness

t) P-hacking and other statistical malfeasance

u) Common mistakes in job interviews

v) Does the ``reproducibility crisis'' affect astronomy?

w) How will artificial intelligence affect astronomical discovery and careers?

x) Your own idea here

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Last modified January 2026 by rwo

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