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Scholars say they feel overwhelmed by demands, but there is scandalously little evidence on whether long hours make any sense for knowledge workers, finds David Matthews

The 2016 results discussed by the THE editorial team

Who loses out when a scholar fails to acknowledge earlier related work? Ron Iphofen on the evergreen virtues of desk research

Tolerating overseas arrivals’ experiences is vital, but critical thinking is a matter on which there can be no compromise, insists Tao Zhang

Before attacking ‘hypersensitive’ students, we must analyse the balance of power, argues Ziyad Marar

Claims of being soft on Islamic extremists put institutions that value open and free speech in a very uncomfortable spot

Heated debate and hours of staff time are worth it if students get the courses they need, says Charles Bailyn

Physical attractiveness could be an indicator of success, finds Sun Young Lee

Scholar's anti-thank you has got the HE world talking, says Scott Jaschik

Martin James owes his love of writing, and his university career, to the late music legend

After years of refusing to make or review grant applications, Philip Moriarty had a change of heart, but he still has mixed feelings about the UK research councils

The latest edition discussed by the Times Higher Education editorial team

Phil Ashworth and John Lewin explain why the Environment Agency should be submitted to the REF

We need to wake up and defend this vital practice, not sleepwalk to an unhappy ending, says Lars Fischer

Not even today’s box-ticking managerialists can stamp out our innate desire to know, says Joe Moran

Another review of the exercise is a chance to revise details of the costs, says Jonathan Grant

As Canadian scientists look forward to a better deal under a new regime, respect for their findings is as vital as fair funding

It is always interesting when people take ideas to their logical conclusion, says Matthew Reisz

Our bloggers and social media followers gaze into their crystal balls and predict what the year in HE might look like

Using the language of sport to sell metrics-based performance management ignores what sport can really teach academia, argues linguistics scholar Liz Morrish

Jenny McDonald examines the response to calls for academics who are not highly productive researchers to be given more recognition 

The decision to republish Mein Kampf is a reminder that we can learn from hateful words, says Marion Wynne-Davis

Should the University of Massachusetts Lowell be opening its doors to the controversial US presidential hopeful? John Kaag consulted his students

How the government is proposing to use NSS data to assess teaching excellence is nonsense, says Dorothy Bishop

Nicholas Morton is trying to make up his mind about lecture capture

If more women are to benefit from the gender equality that society prizes, it is time for the world of work to change, says Victoria Bateman

The education system has replaced wonder with tick-box excellence, and mystery with an impact case study, says Paul Kleiman

Only a Brexit can deliver the pro-higher education regime UK universities need, argues Jamie Martin

Emma Rees tackles work, the ultimate seasonal fun spoiler, and finalises her list of new year’s resolutions

Shahidha Bari examines the ritual of exchanging Christmas presents as she mulls the best gift that academics can share

With 2016 just ahead, we ponder the state of campuses past, present and future

Glen Wright reveals what Yuletide has to do with amphetamines and OCD

The former Guardian editor-in-chief sits in on the Oxford admissions process

Headlines from the latest Times Higher Education discussed by the editorial team

From writing papers to urinating on other people’s work, cats have a rich history of scholarly work, finds Glen Wright

Successful reform of higher education to reward good teaching 'may be an impossibility', says Paul Blackmore

Big data, Google Books and the Ngram database are wonderful aids to today’s intellectual problems, argues Frank Furedi

New approach to provision of specialist support is threat to students’ effective participation, warns Harriet Cameron

Felipe Fernández-Armesto’s students, shocked by racist outrages at the University of Missouri, mull over the content and context of their curriculum

Letting students co-design their own curriculum is pedagogically sound and delivers real satisfaction, say advocates

Universities aren’t developing the skills young people need to succeed in work, says Roxanne Stockwell

Philosophers Stephen Mumford and Rani Lill Anjum speak up for the benefits of writing collaboratively

Dorothy Bishop takes a close look at the universities and science minister’s NSS claims

Can effective outreach programmes help institutions to reach the hard-to-reach? asks Chris Parr

Vice-chancellors must do much more to prepare students to tackle climate change, argues Joy Carter

The National Union of Students has released a selection of Christmas songs inspired by higher education. All together now – one, two, three, four...

Employability skills remain a significant differentiator in the region, says Zahir Irani

Conservative MP Neil Carmichael, chair of the Education Select Committee, on the risks to the higher education sector of exiting the EU

Donald Braben looks at the implications of Sir Paul Nurse’s review of research councils

On the eve of her viva, Vivi Lachs muses on the untimely death of an eminent historian – and her unstintingly generous mentor

Too many senior scholars abuse their power when it comes to assigning credit, argues Bruce Macfarlane

To measure this key graduate outcome, we must better understand what it is, what it is not and what it could be, argues Johnny Rich

The powerful message that maintenance grants send to students will be lost in the shift to loans, says Carina Buckley

Employability matters, but it is poorly defined. Only by spelling out what the term means can the concept be put to work

Freeze on tuition fee increases does nothing to counter inequality, writes Martin Hall

Jennifer McCoy looks at how a ‘political earthquake’ in Venezuela might affect the country’s universities

Vice-chancellor of OP Jindal Global University on Indian higher education

University of Tennessee’s advice on holiday parties sets off major political debate, writes Scott Jaschik

University educators have a responsibility to debunk the myth that intelligence is fixed, says Claire Taylor

Round-up of tweets from Times Higher Education’s summit in Delhi