Elsevier launches a free online training platform for researchers

The Publishing Campus has been developed to arm you with the skills necessary to publish papers and build an effective academic career

You hang up your coat and switch on your computer to find a stack of emails waiting for you. They include revisions to your latest article, questions from a co-author, an invitation to review… and then there’s a reminder that your grant submission is due.

As a researcher and an author, you need to be able to multi-task. But it can be difficult to make the right decisions and know which career course to take.

We are delighted to announce that Elsevier has now launched its Publishing Campus – an online training and advice center that gives you free access to lectures, interactive training and professional advice on a wide range of topics, from the fundamentals of publishing and grant writing to career guidance. It also tackles broader issues like gender in research and open science.

Hannah Foreman, Head of Researcher Relations at Elsevier, is behind the project.  She explained: “With the Elsevier Publishing Campus, we want to give researchers the skills and knowledge they need to publish a world class journal article or book proposal, write a successful grant application, understand the dynamics of a good review and ultimately succeed on their chosen career path.

“And they’ve never needed those skills more. Among other challenges, researchers of today need to secure funding, collaborate internationally, share data, publish results, commercialize research and demonstrate impact. Early career researchers in particular are under significant pressure, and we want to support them.” She added: “Hopefully the Elsevier Publishing Campus will be the place they visit to develop their skills and take a bit of that pressure off.”

What you can expect to find

The Campus is made up of a series of ‘Colleges’. Each College offers a variety of training, information and tools you can choose from to support your research and career development. For every module or seminar completed, researchers will be awarded an Elsevier certificate in recognition of their efforts.

The College of Skills Training opens in new tab/window is your first stop for learning and developing your authoring skills. Here you can find in-depth training on how to write an article, with a host of online lectures and interactive courses on topics like:

• How to write great papers

• Preparing your manuscript

• Structuring an article

• Using proper manuscript language

• How to get your book published

You might visit the College of Research Solutions opens in new tab/window to gather tools to support your research, and the College of Big Ideas opens in new tab/window to get the latest perspectives on publishing and join topical debates.

Once you have published your article, the College of Networking opens in new tab/window will help you make an impact with your work. With advice for online and face-to-face networking, and information on how to get noticed, you can get the most out of what you publish.

“Our hope is that researchers will also be inspired to contribute to the Campus community,” said Foreman. “Perhaps you have an idea to share, a view on a specific trend or topic, or maybe you wish to leave a comment? We welcome all participation.”

Take a tour of the Publishing Campus

• College of Skills Training opens in new tab/window

  • Article writing, peer review and grant writing

• College of Big Ideas opens in new tab/window

  • Debate the big themes in research

• College of Career Planning opens in new tab/window

  • Study, career paths and publishing

• College of Research Solutions opens in new tab/window

  • Search and discovery, measuring impact and networking

• College of Recommended Organizations opens in new tab/window

  • Organizations that support researchers’ careers and progress

• College of Networking opens in new tab/window

  • Face-to-face and online networking, and how to get noticed

Much of the content is based on the Publishing Connect training material which publishers and editors have successfully shared with 35,000+ researchers per year during face-to-face workshops.