I've just heard that the final bit of research from my PhD has been accepted for publication. I'm obviously pleased, but I feel more like sighing in relief than punching the air. It's taken me two-and-a-half years, and two major rewrites, to get to this point — and there's only so many times I can read and recraft the same sentences before I start to get jaded.

From a professional perspective, however, I still have to hold my breath, because publication of my work is just the beginning. My data and ideas are now out in the public domain for other scientists to see and scrutinize. For my paper to be considered successful, that's exactly what I need them to do: read, consider and use what I've written to inform their own research. (Ideally, they'll also agree with my conclusions, but I'm certainly not averse to a good argument.)

Unfortunately, if past experience is anything to go by, I'll have to wait at least a couple of years before I know if I've made an impact or not. It seems funny that, six years since starting my PhD research, I'm still waiting to see how it will turn out. Perhaps the true key to academic survival is not enthusiasm or intellectual brilliance — although both help — but patience and stubborn perseverance.