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Public confusion is one thing, but some subjects provoke quizzical and sometimes dismissive frowns even among colleagues from different departments. Here, nine academics set the record straight about what they do – and why it matters

Bureaucracy is the bane of every academic’s life. But who is to blame for its proliferation â€“ and how can it be kept in check? Six academics have their say â€“ while a registrar offers an equal and opposite reaction 

The scholarly calling may be all about intellectual pursuits, but university life is not without its petty irritations. A dozen academics describe the daily distractions that annoy them most