Aileen Fyfe
@aileenfyfe.bsky.social
Historian of academic publishing, science and academia, Uni of St Andrews. Muses on technology, peer review, gender, finances, communities. she/her http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6794…
What happens when a historian meets a data visualisation expert? They create an interactive visualisation charting and exploring the colonial connections of over 900 students from the University of St Andrews, 1700-1897. news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/new-...
New research maps the breadth of St Andrews relationship with colonialism | University of St Andrews news
news.st-andrews.ac.uk
2. John Taylor: Early lobbying (1886–95) shaped principles behind state funding of English universities #histed doi.org/10.1080/0046...
A Tale of Five Deputations: Establishing Principles for Funding English Higher Education
Questions about the funding of English higher education have been actively debated for over 150 years. However, the early years of these debates, certainly before the First World War, are relativel...
doi.org
Two great new articles on university history in History of Education 1. Tomas Vancisin & @aileenfyfe.bsky.social: St Andrews records reveal how universities were embedded in British imperial networks. doi.org/10.1080/0046...
Visualising Historical University Records to Explore the Colonial Connections of the Students and Alumni of the University of St Andrews, 1700–1897
This paper uses the historical student records of the University of St Andrews to demonstrate how an exploration of the student community can contribute to our understanding of the ways UK universi...
doi.org
Much as the TRAC requests frustrate me, there is a part of me that finds it interesting to try to work out how much of my time is spent on various things. Refereeing and prep for society committees will be under-represented in my return, 'cos I tend to put only the deadline (or mtg) in my calendar.
I spent a fun morning at a local primary school as an exchange teacher from 1897: how have education, child labour and transport changed since Victorian times?! Does anyone here remember the earlier outings of this costume? @bshsnews.bsky.social @irmorus.bsky.social @standrewshist.bsky.social
I'll be speaking in a panel with @eve.gd and @alittleroad.bsky.social on #OA books at the London Open Science & Scholarship festival in April. The event is online and can be booked now, see blogs.ucl.ac.uk/open-access/...
London Open Science & Scholarship Festival 2026 – open for booking! | UCL Open@UCL Blog
UCL Homepage
blogs.ucl.ac.uk
Does thinking about research in book-sized chunks constrain the ways we do historical research? It's something I have been wondering about... @standrewshist.bsky.social See: online.ucpress.edu/hsns/article...
Book or Project?
In my corner of the academic world, it’s standard practice for colleagues to describe their research work in terms of books already written, books in progress, and plans for books that may or may not ...
online.ucpress.edu
Tune into Digging for Britain on BBC Two tomorrow at 8pm to find out more about our dig at Lindores Abbey! You can also catch it right now on BBC iPlayer: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Two - Digging for Britain, Series 13, England’s Last Anglo-Saxon King and Scotland's First Whisky
King Harold’s lost estate, a Bronze Age burial and whisky-making monks.
bbc.co.uk
🚨We have a SUPER exciting announcement!🚨 Our next Summer Meeting will be at @zslofficial.bsky.social on the theme of The Zoological Society of London at 200: Science, Society, and the Natural World 🥳 📅1-3 July 2026 🗺️Zoological Society of London Find out how to submit 👇🏻 shnh.org.uk/all-events/c...
New and important: academic.oup.com/book/61786?l...
Science, Religion, and the Human Future: Conflict, Collusion, and Consequences
Abstract. Science, Religion, and the Human Future: Conflict, Collusion and Consequences demonstrates that the myth of an inevitable conflict between scienc
academic.oup.com
We are pleased to launch today a new programme for early career researchers with @ihr.bsky.social & @chalkefestival.bsky.social 'Pitch my Project' is an opportunity for early career historians to present their research at the Chalke History Festival in 2026 bit.ly/44kfUMM Applications now invited.
Pitch my Project: an opportunity for early career historians to present their work at the Chalke History Festival 2026 - RHS
Have you ever wanted to share your research with a wide audience? Would you like to gain experience in public speaking, and be supported to develop imaginative ways to communicate your research to the...
bit.ly
Good luck to all of our students who are taking exams over the next two weeks! Here is a Modern History exam from 1911, courtesy of our friends at the University Library. How do you think you would have got on? #revision #examseason #exams
Oh! Lots of goodies here, starting with Bill Jenkins on David Brewster #histSTM edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-david-b...
David Brewster and the Culture of Science in Scotland, 1793–1843
David Brewster and the Culture of Science in Scotland, 1793–1843
edinburghuniversitypress.com
Edinburgh University Press@edinburghup.bsky.social · 8mo agoThere is only hours left in our #StAndrewsDay sale! Save 50% on all published and pre-order books. Shop away... https://edin.ac/32O7hNr
For #StAndrewsDay we are sharing @martinspychal.bsky.social's recent post on Scottish county politics between 1832 and 1868, drawing on @histparl.bsky.social's research on Scotland’s constituencies: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2024/08/27/s...
Scottish county politics between the 1832 and 1868 Scottish Reform Acts
Last month Durham University, supported by the History of Parliament, hosted the Histories of Scottish Politics in the Age of Union, c.1700-1945 conference. At the conference, Dr Martin Spychal, a …
victoriancommons.wordpress.com
Congratulations to Katie Donington, Abdul Mohamud, Robin Whitburn, Nicholas Draper and their contributors! Their #OpenAccess book Teaching Slavery published today. Read and download free at: bit.ly/48vnDdJ #Education #Colonialism #Slavery #Racism
Teaching Slavery
Teaching Slavery offers ground-breaking research and practical guidance for teaching Britain’s role in transatlantic slavery. Combining historical analysis with classroom strategies, it equips educato...
bit.ly
Looking forward to Helen Wilson speaking on Reconstructing Black Participation in British Politics, 1750-1850, to a joint session of @long18thsem.bsky.social and the Parliaments, Politics and People seminar @ihrlibrary.bsky.social All welcome, but please register at www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Black and Political: Reconstructing Black Participation in British Politics, 1750-1850
history.ac.uk
the call is now open for our next round of @iashedinburgh.bsky.social Heritage Collections Research Fellows! - find out more here: www.iash.ed.ac.uk/heritage-col...
Heritage Collections Research Fellowships | IASH
iash.ed.ac.uk
👀ICYMI: "if the drain has a particular history and geography, it means that it is not inevitable. It can be resisted." #AcademicSky #HigherEd #ScholComm
Money, Time, Trust, Control – How commercial publishers drain science - Impact of Social Sciences
Have the interests of commercial publishers now become antithetical to the pursuit of knowledge?
blogs.lse.ac.uk
Nominations are open for the BSHS Pickstone Prize 2026, recognising the best scholarly English-language book in the history of science. 📆 Deadline: 31 Jan 2026. Anyone may nominate (self-nominations welcome). Submit via our online form on the BSHS website www.bshs.org.uk/the-bshs-pic...
It’s lovely to see our BAVS CFP out. If you research/teach any aspect of the Victorian period (broadly defined) do consider joining us! You can submit a paper, roundtable, creative workshops/ pedagogical paper. We really are open to a wide range of talks! victorianist.wordpress.com/2025/10/20/c...
CFP: BAVS 2026 Conference Liverpool
BAVS Liverpool 202627 – 29 July 2026 Keynote Speakers: Dr Alison Chapman (University of Victoria, BC), others to be confirmed. The Centre for Modern and Contemporary History (CMCH) at Liverpool Joh…
victorianist.wordpress.com
With this years Ashes beginning in the early hours of this morning, we thought we'd point you in the direction of @TheVictCommons where they explore the link between cricket and the Victorian House of Commons historyofparliament.com/2025/11/20/c...
Cricket in the Commons: a Victorian First Eleven - The History of Parliament
With the 2025 Ashes between England and Australia getting underway this week, we have a cricketing themed post from our House of Commons, 1832-1945 project.
historyofparliament.com
Fabulous PhD opportunity at Queen's University Belfast and Armagh Observatory: Observing the Heavens from the 'Periphery': Astronomy in Ireland 1640-1830 www.qub.ac.uk/courses/post... Deadline 13 Jan #histSTM #histastro
💥New: Money, Time, Trust, Control – How commercial publishers drain science ✍️ @danbrockington.bsky.social @aileenfyfe.bsky.social @stefhaustein.scholcommlab.ca #AcademicSky #ScholComm #AcademicPublishing
Money, Time, Trust, Control – How commercial publishers drain science - Impact of Social Sciences
Have the interests of commercial publishers now become antithetical to the pursuit of knowledge?
blogs.lse.ac.uk
A new installation on ‘Medical alumni in history’ has been unveiled at the School of Medicine. It was designed and installed by our recent PhD graduate – and historian of medicine – @manoncwilliams.bsky.social, and features notable alumni from 19th and 20th century St Andrews. (1/3)
It's brilliant to have helped put some history on the walls in Medicine, with these panels showcasing a selection of 19thC and 20thC alumni - including the first women, and the first students of Indian and African heritage. Congratulations to @manoncwilliams.bsky.social @standrewshist.bsky.social
Manon C Williams@manoncwilliams.bsky.social · 9mo agoI was thrilled to travel to Scotland this week to open an installation I’ve been working on for the School of Medicine @uniofstandrews.bsky.social. The installation showcases diverse alumni from St Andrews’ past to inspire incoming students to the #MBChB. #histmed #medsky #medhums #skystorians
Think about the way that the current scientific publishing system is draining resources out of the research ecosystem... That drain is most obvious in terms of money (and this is so despite #openaccess), but there's also an erosion of time, trust and control [1/n]
It is clear what we need. It is to re-communalise academic publishing. Its costs funding are met by learned societies and their funders; profits go back to research, as do the data it generates. Researchers repeatedly call for this. tinyurl.com/bdekus68rofits
Reformation of science publishing: the Stockholm Declaration
tinyurl.com
"Publish (in English) or Perish", mythe ou réalité institutionnelle? www.acfas.ca/publications...
"Publish (in English) or Perish", mythe ou réalité institutionnelle?
Découvrabilité | La littérature révèle l'existence d'une perception répandue parmi les chercheur·euses d'une obligation de publier en anglais pour assurer la progression de leur carrière. Mais d’où vi...
acfas.ca