Problems of scientific publishing – Is it scientists vs. journals? 

I clearly remember the moment when my first paper was published – oh, how proud I was. Finally, I felt like a proper scientist! When I told my (non-academic) family about it, one of the first things they asked was Great, so finally you get something out of your work! How much did they pay you for it? My answer, actually a little bit embarrassed: Uhm, nothing. But I did not have to pay THEM for publishing it, so that´s great! They did not get it. Why should they?

How to survive in the field – physical and mental healthcare

This article provides a rough guide “what to think about” whilst you are preparing your field work in remote areas. It will not tell you everything you need to know, but hopefully, it gives you a good idea what you have to consider and to get informed about before starting your work. The points mentioned are based on my own experience at the very remote research station Ankarafa in NW-Madagascar, and the questions that I was frequently asked by research students that were preparing for research. Furthermore, I hope to answer the questions students should ask but usually, do not think about. In this part, I´m concentrating on physical and mental health care!

The paper review, or: emotional rollercoaster, here I come!

You handed in your first paper a while ago, and now you are waiting on the journal’s response. You are annoyed with them taking so long to finish their review, but on the other hand, you are getting really nervous every time you open your e-mails because they might have answered you?

Maybe your first paper was already rejected, or you had it accepted with major revision, and now you are absolutely terrified and have the impression that you might be incapable of being a proper scientist?

It´s not just you!

How to survive your field work – the field site

This article provides a rough guide “what to think about” whilst you are preparing your field work in remote areas. It will not tell you everything you need to know about your research site, but hopefully, it gives you a good idea what you have to consider and to get informed about before starting your work. The points mentioned are based on my own experience at the very remote research station Ankarafa in NW-Madagascar, and the questions that I was frequently asked by research students that were preparing for research. Furthermore, I hope to answer the questions students should ask but usually, do not think about. In this part, I concentrate on the conditions at the field site.

Meet Dr. Melanie Seiler – primatologist, behavioral scientist and founder of The female Scientist!

Melanie studied biology at the University of Cologne (Germany) and conducted her dissertation on the social behavior of capuchins in different European zoos. For her Ph.D., which was based at the University of Bristol, U.K., she spent over a year in the forests of northwestern Madagascar researching the impact of habitat degradation on the critically endangered Sahamalaza sportive lemur. For her Postdoc she focused on comparative behavioral science, before leaving academia to work as the managing director of an NGO for animal welfare and conservation. In her current position, Melanie works for a NGO and focusses on lobbying for animal welfare . Based on her experience as a woman in science, Melanie founded The female scientist in 2016 to raise attention for the work of women in science and thus to help to empower them.