If you are seeking more – more connection with fellow scholars, more opportunities to learn, more practice in critical thinking and reading in your discipline, a journal club may be for you.
A journal club is a group of scholars that gather at regular intervals to discuss published manuscripts, often rotating the tasks of picking a publication and leading a discussion.
Forming, or participating in, a journal club, may be a worthwhile activity for you. You could use the journal club to deepen your understanding of a niche area within your discipline, grow your connections with others, practice academic leadership skills, and polish your critical thinking.
When I was a PhD student, I started a journal club consisting of about 5 PhD students who were all interested in environmental epidemiology. It was great to get to know these fellow students more, have camaraderie, and practice the art of reading, understanding, and critiquing scientific publications in a safe space.
Journal clubs don’t have to be student-only. They can also mix faculty and students, or work in many ways.
The structure and format does not have to be complicated. If there is shared interest in learning more, consider being pro-active about your education and forming a journal club.
This article may help:
https://irp.nih.gov/blog/post/2015/03/5-tips-for-journal-club-first-timers