How to be a lead author: five key practices

This post is aimed at PhD and early career researchers who are lead authors for the first time on a research manuscript that is being prepared for submission to a journal. Here, I share some thoughts on the role of the lead author of a manuscript, from the perspective of someone who's been a lead author, as well as a co-author who has been dependent on lead authors. I especially focus on the role of the lead author in leading and managing a number of co-authors who contribute to a manuscript.

Why am I doing my research? A basic question for every PhD student

Why am I doing my research? 

That must surely be one of the most fundamental questions any PhD student, or potential PhD student, should be able to answer, as this is the activity to which they are committing years of their lives, but is probably rarely articulated or discussed with supervisor(s).