Every academic seems to be perpetually carrying around a huge stack of papers to read, but it can be tough to keep track of all of the notes that you write when you read these papers. Here are five ways to keep your notes organised, whether you're reading at home or travelling to a conference.

Conferences can be lots of fun, but they can also be, well, frankly mortifying. There are so many opportunities for something to go wrong in front of hundreds of your co-workers. Here are some of the most embarrassing occurrences that can happen to you at a conference:

Organising a conference can be an extremely rewarding experience. Not only can sitting around debating for a few days with a bunch of academics and experts be greatly intellectually stimulating, conferences are also a chance to learn new, predominantly soft, skills, as well as being advantageous for your career.

You've checked the program, you've prepared your slides, you've booked your accommodation, so now you're all ready to head off to your academic conference. Just one problem – you need to decide what you're going to wear and pack it before you leave.

Most academics have professional social media accounts now, but these aren't always used as effectively as they could be. Here are 6 ways to get the most from social media when you're attending a conference.

When it comes to attending conferences, there are some rules you should always follow. If you're in doubt, remember these five mistakes to avoid at a conference.

Public speaking can be scary, but there are techniques that you can try out which will make it easier and improve your talks. For a look at all upcoming conferences where you can put these strategies into action check out our conference listings.

The USA is one of the top locations in the world for international academic conferences. Whether you're working in business, computing, neuroscience, geography, or the humanities, you'll find some of the largest conferences in your field are held in the US.

Academic conferences are serious professional events, but that doesn't mean that they have to be totally devoid of fun! In fact, one of the great things about conferences is getting to know your fellow researchers face to face, and this is often easier when you're in a more informal environment. Between conferences dinners, parties, and other social events, there should be some time for fun as well as for work at a conference.

When you attend a conference, you can benefit not only from hearing about new research and networking with other academics, but also from engaging in discussion and debate with your fellow attendees. It's a rare chance to have researchers in your field from all over the world gathered in one place, so you should take up this opportunity to talk with them. One excellent way to engage in discussions is by staying for the question and answer session at the end of a talk or poster. Usually, there will be some time set aside at the end of a talk for comments from the audience.

As an academic, in order to promote your own work and to learn about the work being done by others in your field, it's essential that you attend conferences. This is especially true of disciplines like history which can be performed individually rather than as part of a research group. You need contact with other researchers in order to motivate yourself and to understand the broader context of debates currently being held in your field.

Poster sessions are an underrated part of conferences. While they aren't as high profile as talks or panels, you can still get a lot from attending a poster session if you follow a few key tips. For a look at all upcoming conferences where you can put these strategies into action check our listings here.

Going to a conference is fun and rewarding for a lot of reasons – not least because you get to explore a new place! Conferences are usually held in major cities, which makes travelling to them easier and means that there will be plenty of tourists destinations for you to visit. Taking a bit of time away from the conference to explore the place where you're staying is a good way to de-stress from a busy conference and lets you see places that you otherwise might not.

To get the most from attending a conference, try out these quick hacks for a better conference experience: 1. Sit in the front row When you attend a talk, it's always tempting to hide at the back. But if you sit at the front you'll hear and see better, and you are more likely to feel engaged. Plus, if you talk to the presenter later they are more likely to remember you.

Giving a presentation at an academic conference can be both stressful and rewarding. While it's incredibly helpful to get feedback and insights on your project from other researchers in your field, it can also be intimidating to hold your work up for scrutiny from others.

One of the most fun parts about attending an academic conference – as well as all of the important research you'll hear about, of course – is having the opportunity to visit a new place. Conferences are held all over the world, but most often in large cities with good transport links that are well-known destinations. This makes going to a conference a fun way to travel! Conferences frequently take place in desirable locations which gives you a great excuse to get in some tourist activities or explore the local area while you're networking.

For women, it can be a bit of a challenge to know what to wear to an academic conference. In some disciplines, it would be expected for everyone to wear a suit, but for most academic conferences a business-casual look is appropriate. But what does that mean in practical terms? Here's our advice on picking a conference outfit.

Everyone knows that it's important for your research and for your career to attend conferences and to present your work. Presenting at a conference lets other people in the field comment on your work to improve it, and also gives you a career boost. But how can you get your work accepted to a conference? Here are some tips on applying to conferences to give you the best chance of success.

When you apply to present at a conference, you'll often be asked to provide a letter of motivation along with your abstract and CV. This is used to decide which applicants will be invited to give a talk or poster presentation at the conference. But what information should this letter of motivation contain, and what's the best way to increase your chance of being accepted to present?