Research Writing, Peer Review and Academic Publishing: Benefits of Individual, Institutional and Journal Mentoring

Writing academic research papers acceptable for journal publication is not often taught in graduate programs let alone in undergraduate studies. Students and early career researchers (herein known as students for both categories) usually undergo a trial-and-error period to learn how to navigate the publication submission process—a long and daunting task. However, E-mentoring, or electronic mentoring, has proven to be beneficial for students. E-mentoring opportunities can be found by a pro-active student seeking out published researchers in their fields and requesting if they can mentor them. Colleges, universities or other academic institutions may have formal or informal research or peer review programmes, internship, field experience or practicum courses for-credit. Academic journals may also host student mentoring programmes for peer review, editing, and/or research writing hands-on experiences. Mentoring students in research writing and the journal publication process should start as early in one’s academic career as possible. Age or academic status should not be seen as a deterrent or disadvantage when mentored by a patient, experienced and enthusiastic research mentor. Such e-mentoring experiences can be offered by individual researchers, at the institutional level or from the academic journal—the latter being the most ideal model worthy of advocacy and replication

Generation Z: Increasing Self-Perceived Employability and Well-being through Serious Leisure

Generation Z (Gen Z) is the best-educated, technologically adept, and most racially and ethnically diverse generation entering the workforce today. Gen Z also has the highest rate of diagnosed depression and anxiety. They prefer to have a side hustle on top of their full-time jobs; however, the act of monetizing their leisure activity has been shown to add more stress. The benefits of serious and casual leisure are shared; with emphasis on the need for Gen Z to engage in more forms of serious leisure to enhance their well-being and self-perceived employability. Employers and schools should encourage, promote and invest in more serious leisure activities for Gen Z. Continuing the emerging focus on research in leisure studies and careers, specifically focusing on Gen Z is highly recommended

Virtual Interview Preparation for Generation Z Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Students - A Necessity for the Post-Pandemic Era

Social distancing and remote work were mandated worldwide during the COVID-19 lockdown. While virtual interviews were conducted prior to lockdown due to the growing global workforce, they became normalized during the pandemic for both work and school. Hiring agents may believe that having grown up with technology and the internet Generation Z (Gen Z) may be well-prepared for virtual interviews. However, the challenge they face is not technology-related. Gen Z individuals, particularly those in STEM fields, often lack well-developed practical and pragmatic life skills, such as effective communication. A remote independent research scholar and her student compiled this field report. First, the general characteristics of Gen Z STEM students are presented, followed by a virtual interview preparation guide with tips, recommendations and examples. Given the ever-changing global remote workforce, future empirical studies are recommended on the virtual hiring process of Gen Z STEM students which includes and expands upon virtual interviews

Field Reports on Religious Life in the Time of COVID-19

We have for you a set of short field reports on the ways in which religious (and, in one case, theatrical) life has continued and changed in the time of the pandemic. These reports shed light on the resillence of religious life across the world. This pandemic has been an assault both on the bare biological basis of our lives and the social fabric that makes them livable. Taken together, these reports shed light on how that assault has highlighted bothour common humanity and our social diatance from one another. They also hint at new possibilities for the ways that our religious and spiritual lives might be lived and peformed in the future, ways we are only beginning to understand

Gaza Ramadan Reflections. Communal Acts of Worship Adapted for COVID-19 - a Field Report

This paper reflects upon the experiences of the author’s multi-generational family during the month of Ramadan, which took place from April 23 until May 23, 2020, in Gaza. The family consists of two grandparents, fifteen children (both biological and -in-law), and fifty-six grandchildren in shared buildings. Multigenerational living is typical in Gaza. Experiences were documented in notes, journal entries, digital photographs, videos, texts, and letters. The aim of this report is to analyze how Muslims adapted communal acts during Ramadan because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To interpret the data, a review of the Quran, sunnah (the actions and words of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him), and current academic literature was conducted.</p

Research Writing, Peer Review and Academic Publishing : Benefits of Individual, Institutional and Journal Mentoring

Writing academic research papers acceptable for journal publication is not often taught in graduate programs let alone in undergraduate studies. Students and early career researchers (herein known as students for both categories) usually undergo a trial-and-error period to learn how to navigate the publication submission process—a long and daunting task. However, E- mentoring, or electronic mentoring, has proven to be beneficial for students. E-mentoring opportunities can be found by a pro-active student seeking out published researchers in their fields and requesting if they can mentor them. Colleges, universities or other academic institutions may have formal or informal research or peer review programmes, internship, field experience or practicum courses for-credit. Academic journals may also host student mentoring programmes for peer review, editing, and/or research writing hands-on experiences. Mentoring students in research writing and the journal publication process should start as early in one’s academic career as possible. Age or academic status should not be seen as a deterrent or disadvantage when mentored by a patient, experienced and enthusiastic research mentor. Such e-mentoring experiences can be offered by individual researchers, at the institutional level or from the academic journal—the latter being the most ideal model worthy of advocacy and replication