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Margot Finn

@eicathomefinn.bsky.social

16K followers 4.1K following 7.8K posts

Historian of Britain and colonialism, material culture, the EIC. Also works on equalities, museums, open access & research policy. Download the EIC @ Home open access volume here: https://www.uclpress.co.uk/products/88277 (or individual chapters via JSTOR) .. more

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Margot C. Finn is a British historian and academic who specialises in Britain and the British colonial world during the long nineteenth century. She has been Professor of Modern British History at the University College, London (UCL) since 2012. Finn was previously the President of the Royal Historical Society and a trustee of the Victoria & Albert Museum. .. more

Political science 31%

Economics 26%

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2h

*EHRC* (end of day dyslexia....)

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2h

And the AHCR's explanatory statement (such as it is) is here: www.equalityhumanrights.com/our-work/uk-...

Reposted by Margot C. Finn

James Truitt @linguistory.bsky.social · 2h

I have read through the new OCLC blog post about AI in archives (hangingtogether.org/exploring-ai...) and liveblogged my response over on Mastodon.

Overall, it really doesn't feel like they consulted with archivists or took our expertise seriously.

Some highlights:

Exploring AI uses in archives and special collections: Integration, entities, and addressing need - Hanging Together

Learn how archives and special collections are exploring using AI responsibly to meet accessibility requirements and improve access to unique resources.

hangingtogether.org

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2h

My apologies--the preprint IS linked in the article: I missed it!

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2h

Ah thanks--didn't see that and do (and will on Bsky) apologise! Cheers, M

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 3h

Its assessments are based on titles and abstracts of the articles alone. Unsurprisingly, the probability-weighted scores 'work best' for Panel A (Health and Life Sciences) and 'worst' for Panel D (Arts & Humanities).

It's interesting research. It's not a solution to the problem that is REF. 3/3

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 3h

The authors aren't working with individual REF2021 output scores, for example: they use 'departmental average REF2021 quality scores as a proxy for article quality' of 96,800 articles (no books or other output types). They're being compared to citation data, which rather a lot of UoAs don't use. 2/3

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 3h

The preprint reported here (unhelpfully not linked in the article) appears to be this one: arxiv.org/abs/2506.13525

If you read it, you will have many questions. 1/3

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4h

This is a growing problem for cultural archives, heritage databases, social statistics and scientific databases. A number of charities have (wonderfully) been stepping in, but the scale is such that governments and NGOs will surely need to collaboratively work to preserve essential data.

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 4h

Genetics database hit by Trump cuts bailed out by Wellcome.

Stopgap funds support UK-based researchers, but future of FlyBase in jeopardy after terminated NIH grant.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Genetics database hit by Trump cuts bailed out by Wellcome - Research Professional News

Stopgap funds support UK-based researchers, but future of FlyBase in jeopardy after terminated NIH grant

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Reposted by Margot C. Finn

Teen Vogue @teenvogue.com · 4h

Nine universities across the country, including MIT and Dartmouth, were given a test of loyalty from the Trump administration. Now, students are demanding their schools not sign the president’s 10 point compact agreement.

Read the full story:

College Students and Faculty Resist Trump’s “Free Speech” Funding Scheme

Nine universities across the country were given a test of loyalty from the Trump administration. Now, students are demanding their schools not sign the president’s 10-point compact agreement.

www.teenvogue.com

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Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Martin J. Smith, Margot C. Finn

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 4h

Genetics database hit by Trump cuts bailed out by Wellcome - Research Professional News

Stopgap funds support UK-based researchers, but future of FlyBase in jeopardy after terminated NIH grant

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Reposted by Margot C. Finn, Kathleen Kennedy

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 7h

We've two new titles forthcoming in our New Historical Perspectives book series:

> Gareth Roddy's 'Atlantic Isles' is published on 30 October bit.ly/3WFhpRg
> Rachael Harkes's 'Forging Fraternity' is available from 6 November bit.ly/4ogSm2H

Full details from @uolpress.bsky.social #Skystorians 1/2

Cover images for the two forthocming titles in the New Historical Perspectives book series:

'Atlantic Isles: Travel and Identity in the British and Irish West, 1880–1940', by Gareth Roddy

Forging Fraternity in Late Medieval Society. The Palmers' Guild of Ludlow, by Rachael Harkes

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 9h

'In a time of ecological crisis and economic inequality, the authors argue that closing off inquiry into alternatives to GDP growth is not just anti-scientific but dangerously regressive.'

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 9h

'As the ESRC, the UK’s leading social science funder, moves to deprioritise research on economic models beyond growth, Imogen Hamilton-Jones and Catarina Heeckt defend the academic legitimacy and societal relevance of post-growth thinking.' 1/2

Beyond economic growth – the case for researching alternatives | British Politics and Policy at LSE

As the ESRC moves to deprioritise research on economic models beyond growth, we need to defend the legitimacy and societal relevance of degrowth thinking.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

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Reposted by Keith Lilley, Margot C. Finn

Katie Parker @kparkerhistorian.bsky.social · 10h

Are you using #maps in research?

Want to learn about their history and use as sources?

In London in late January?

Sign up for @ihr.bsky.social short course, Historic Maps: Interpreting Stories of Place!

#maphistory #skystorians 🗃️

Historic Maps: Interpreting Stories of Place

Discovery Course 1

www.sas.ac.uk

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 11h

To add another layer to the saga, OUP makes authors contracting with them for monographs assert that they have not used AI to write their text (which will of course once published being fed by the Press into LLMs).

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12h

'[Athene] Donald...said that whether investment is producing results is “not obvious...” and that “impact is key”, adding that it was also unclear how EDI efforts were being “steered or monitored” following the damage caused by government interference in Research England’s EDI committee.'

Anna McKie @annamckie.bsky.social · 1d

UKRI diversity spending set to hit new high in 2025 -

I took a look at EDI spending for UKRI for @resprofnews.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Reposted by Martin Paul Eve, Lesley A. Hall

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12h

'The British Library...has taken years to recover from a major cyberattack that disrupted its services and restricted access to its collections. The walkout is set to take from 27 October to 9 November, coinciding with the two-year anniversary of the cyberattack.'

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 1d

‘Livid’ British Library staff vote to strike over pay.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

‘Livid’ British Library staff vote to strike over pay - Research Professional News

Two-week walkout planned on second anniversary of major cyberattack

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12h

Get jabbed.

Japan declares a flu epidemic — what this means for other nations

Researchers say that the number of infections for this time of year is unusual.

www.nature.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12h

'Looking ahead to 2025–26, we expect graduate recruitment to remain challenging as employers forecast an overall seven per cent reduction in graduate hiring, driven by sharp declines for a small number of large employers.'

Graduate jobs and recruitment reality

The graduate jobs market is experiencing a decline – but it’s a less severe and more nuanced outlook than some headlines suggest, explains Claire Tyler The graduate jobs market is experiencing a decli...

wonkhe.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12h

'Among employers recruiting through both routes, firms hired 1.8 graduates for every apprentice, down from a ratio of 2.3 to 1 last year.

This is forecast to drop further to 1.6 to 1 next year, as employers shift resources toward school- and college-leaver programmes.' 2/2

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12h

'An annual Institute of Student Employers (ISE) poll of 155 large companies – which collectively recruited over 31,000 students from more than 1.8 million applications – has found graduate recruitment fell 8 per cent year-on-year, while apprentice hiring grew 8 per cent.' 1/2

Large employers hire more apprentices as graduate jobs cut back

Number of applications for every role reaches highest level in two decades, according to annual survey

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12h

'In the past few weeks three new applications of AI have landed that could each have a profound impact on our shared reality: OpenAI’s new video platform, Sora; the scaling of a virtual companion called “Friend” and Meta’s push to import its advertising model into chatbots.'

Big Tech deploys Orwellian doublespeak to mask its democratic corrosion | Peter Lewis

As AI asserts its power to shape social evolution, regulation is decried as ‘state control’ rather than the expression of our collective will

www.theguardian.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12h

'Many reported that they wanted more help from teachers for the appropriate use of AI and in judging whether its output was reliable. OUP said it is launching a new AI education hub aimed at supporting teachers.' 2/2

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12h

'Despite AI’s widespread use, 62% of the students said it has had a negative impact on their skills and development at school, while one in four of the students agreed that AI “makes it too easy for me to find the answers without doing the work myself”.' 1/2

Pupils fear AI is eroding their ability to study, research finds

One in four students say AI ‘makes it too easy’ for them to find answers

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Margot C. Finn

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 1d

‘Livid’ British Library staff vote to strike over pay.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

‘Livid’ British Library staff vote to strike over pay - Research Professional News

Two-week walkout planned on second anniversary of major cyberattack

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Reposted by Margot C. Finn

The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 1d

Power and politics are woven into the history of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Shortlisted for the 2025 British Academy Book Prize, The Baton and the Cross by journalist @lucyaash.bsky.social explores how Vladimir Putin co-opted the Church to shape Russia today.

Learn more here 👉 bit.ly/3WDTgKS

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 1d

What about non-migrants?

Grumpy Philosopher @handle.invalid · 1d

If you want to work for a university in Europe or Scandinavia, they generally stipulate that you must learn their language to a good level within 2-3 years. No government intervention is needed, the employer decides what language competence is needed. I do not understand why we need to be different.

The Independent @the-independent.com · 1d

Migrants will need A-level standard English to work in UK

Reposted by Margot C. Finn, Samantha Brennan, Maria Abreu

Grumpy Philosopher @handle.invalid · 1d

The Independent @the-independent.com · 1d

Migrants will need A-level standard English to work in UK

www.independent.co.uk

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Reposted by Margot C. Finn

Anna McKie @annamckie.bsky.social · 1d

UKRI diversity spending set to hit new high in 2025 -

I took a look at EDI spending for UKRI for @resprofnews.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...