Research Interests
I focus on various aspects of academic writing in research-producing settings. I adopt an academic literacies perspective, which sees academic writing as a situated social practice. This critical perspective draws attention to how writing practices differ between various groups of academics – based on their discipline, methodological orientation, institutional setting, staff category, and so on. Specific topics include
- Research productivity
- Bibliometrics
- Gender gaps in productivity
I also conduct research on doctoral education, focusing on identity development of doctoral students, and the PhD by publication as a new and unsettled genre.
Background
As a special advisor on professional development, gender and diversity, I focus on both developing the professional skills of the researchers at PRIO, and developing PRIO as an institution with a diverse staff.
My main area of expertise is academic writing and publishing. Since the 1990s, I have provided writing support and coaching for researchers in a wide variety of disciplines. As a native English speaker with an interest in writing, I began as a freelance copyeditor and translator for Norwegian academics looking to publish their work in international journals. Working more closely with researchers, however, shifted my focus away from language and more towards developing awareness of audience, honing the core argument, and structuring the story. I currently provide writing support through workshops, seminars, retreats, and one-on-one coaching, both at PRIO and other institutes and universities. I began at PRIO in 2008, focusing mainly on academic publications and project development, and later joined the Leader Team in 2016 to focus on professional development more broadly.
In 2013, I received funding from the RCN for a BALANSE project to increase the number of female professors at PRIO. This project subsequently developed into a doctoral project entitled "Ready or Not: Negotiating gender and institutional environment on the path to professorship". I received two more BALANSE projects: one that focused on developing the Leader Team, and one entitled "Saying Yes and No: The gender dimension of everyday decisions in academia." In 2022, my full title was changed to reflect my growing responsibility for addressing gender and diverstiy issues at PRIO.
In addition to the writing workshops that I offer both at PRIO and to other institutions, I also provide training and support in project development, supervision, mentoring, and other aspects of professional development.
Writing workshops
- Academic writing: I provide workshops and seminars in academic writing at both the Master and PhD level, as well as for faculty. I offer short lectures, half-day or full-day seminars, two-day workshops, and three-day workshops. I also offer more specialized workshops (e.g., "Writing the introduction to your article-based thesis") on request.
Educational background
- Doctor in Education (EdD) (2019): University College London, Institute of Education
- Cand. Polit. (2000): Graduate degree in political science, University of Oslo
- Bachelor's degree (1987): Women's studies, Highest Honors, University of California at Berkeley
Work experience
- (2022-present) Special Advisor on Professional Development, Gender, and Diversity, PRIO.
- (2008-2022) Special Advisor on Project Development and Publications, PRIO
- (2000-2009) Editorial Advisor, Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo (CICERO)
- Freelance copyeditor and translator specializing in academic articles since about 1990
Other
- Reference group, Akademisk skrivesenter [Academic Writing Center], University of Oslo (2016-) http://www.ub.uio.no/skrive-referere/skrivesenter/
- Editorial board, Educate Journal, based at the Institute of Education, UCL, (2015-)
- National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences (NESH) 2009-2013.
- Diploma in Translation (Norwegian to English) from the Institute of Linguists (1993).
Blog Posts
Posted by Lynn P. Nygaard, Dag W. Aksnes & Fredrik Piro on Sunday, 3 April 2022
Academic publishing, which has long been the stick by which academics measure their prowess, has been repeatedly shown to be yet another arena in which men consistently outperform women. Women produce fewer articles, collaborate less, and are cited less than their male colleagues. This is an established truth. Or is ... Read more »
Posted by Lynn P. Nygaard on Thursday, 24 September 2020
In today’s instalment of PRIO’s blog series marking Peer Review Week 2020, Lynn P. Nygaard discusses ways in which peer review in its current form can reinforce existing inequities in the research system, and points to a need for more training in and reflection on the role of the reviewer ... Read more »
Posted by Lynn P. Nygaard on Friday, 3 July 2020
With summer holidays around the corner, I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to a vacation so much. I’m exhausted after months of alternating between being terrified I would die from a mysterious bat virus, frustrated with having to learn how to suddenly adapt to a virtual work life, and ... Read more »
Posted by Lynn P. Nygaard on Thursday, 24 October 2019
The theme of this year’s International Open Access Week is equity in open knowledge. This is an issue that’s of particularly importance for PRIO as a peace research institute. Today, we continue our blog series on open access and open science at PRIO with a blog by Lynn P. Nygaard, ... Read more »