Podcasting Scholar for Hire

Hello, I'm Dr. Ian M. Cook. If you need a social scientist with a broad range of research interests to create accessible yet intelligent podcasts for your research projects; to teach the craft of translating scholarly content into audio forms through bespoke workshops; or to create engaged output from academic events that draw on the affordances of the medium, then I'm your podcaster.

Why hire a scholar who can podcast?

Every scholar and her dog has a podcast these days, but - to be frank - many of them are not that great. Why?

people get overly fixated on technical aspects, when the focus should be on developing the craft of translating or creating scholarly content into a podcast medium
scholars sometimes are too caught up in the norms of text-based publishing: trying to cram too much information into an episode, worrying about the lack of precision in discussions, or writing and speaking in an abstract form rather than embracing the intimate, vulnerable, immersive, discursive affordances of podcasting
academics don't always take the time to learn the craft of the medium, when they should be thinking through the medium's possibilities and limitations and how they can draw on their experience and skillset to create amazing audio scholarship

Working with me will allow you to concentrate on communicating your research to its desired audience without worrying about editing software and microphones; to explore how podcasting can shift from being 'just dissemination' into 'legitimate scholarship'; and to explore new avenues for collaboration and interaction with your peers, interlocutors and the public.

Why me?

I've co-created numerous scholarly podcasts, including for research projects and initiatives. For instance:
- a collaborative media anthropology podcast episode exploring lies and comedy
- a reading group turned author discussion with audio questions and sound prompts
- an in situ interview with a practitioner working for urban sustainability and justice
I interviewed 101 scholars who podcast for my book Scholarly Podcasting: Why, What, How? (Routledge, 2023) in which I argued that that scholarly podcasting is an insurgent, curious, craft.
I'm invested in exploring how podcasting can be peer reviewed scholarship, something that Lori Beckstead, Hannah McGregor and I wrote a book about: Podcast or Perish: Peer Review and Knowledge Creation in the 21st Century (Bloomsbury, 2024)
I have a broad range of research interests, a wide training, and have collaborated with academics and practitioners from various disciplines
I have extensive project management experience in both the academic and non-academic spheres

How can I best serve your work?

Research Project: Podcast Series, Audio Essay or Documentary

Do you have a research project that needs engaged, rigorous and accessible content by someone who broadly understands the topics researched and social theories used, but also knows how to communicate the content to a wider audience and work with the medium in an effective and affective fashion? Do you want this work to be legitimate, peer reviewed scholarly output?
I can create or co-create a podcast series or one off audio essay for you or together with you.

Teaching: Podcast Workshop, Short Course, Class Intervention

Do you have a group of colleagues or students who want to learn podcasting? Are you teaching a course and would like to swap out a written assignment for an audio one and need to give students the relevant training? I've been teaching students, teachers, researchers, NGO workers and journalists how to craft intelligent and accessible audio content across Europe since 2016.

I can teach anything from half-day workshops to two week long courses for research teams or within an established university course.

Academic Event: Podcast Series, Audio Essay or Documentary

Are you organising an academic event and want to create outputs aside from an edited volume or special issue? Don't just upload unedited videos of papers being read and presentations online, no one might ever see them. Think abut how the knowledge created at the event can circulate beyond those present.

I can create crafted audio content about the topic of your workshop or conference.

Consultation: Individual or Group Guidance

Do you want to create a scholarly podcast but don't know where to start? Do you have an idea that you need help with translating into the audio form?

I can offer guidance, support and feedback to your project whatever the stage as either a one-off consultation or via longer term engagement.

Get in touch

If you think we can work together on a scholarly podcasting project then drop me an email. I'm open to come into work with ongoing projects or courses or to join grant applications.
ianmickcook@gmail.com