Logo of 'researchers' writing academy' featuring a stylized graphic of a pen merged with an erlenmeyer flask,
Logo for the Researchers' Writing Academy

Member Support Page

I have a question regarding the course content or would like feedback on something I wrote/developed.

Please ask all questions about the content of the course in the Researchers’ Writing Community or during a monthly Feedback call. We do not answer individual questions by email.

Help! I can’t log in to the course platform (Circle)!

Oh no! Don’t worry - we haven’t locked you out of the course!

Please check the Circle troubleshooting guide sort out any log in difficulties. 

Still stuck?

Shoot! These troubleshooting tips usually solve the issue, but if you still can’t log in or see the course, email us and we’ll do our best to help and get you access to the course ASAP! It would be super helpful to let us know what you have tried (and some other information - see at the bottom of this page), so we can best know where to start assisting you.

But, please make sure you try all of the suggestions in the troubleshooting guide and what is suggested below before we can try to help individually troubleshoot with you!

  1. Check the login page

    Are you using this login page -https://researcherswritingacademy.circle.so ? This url is the only one that will work for our course and community!

  2. Check if it’s the right email

    You guessed it, our next question is… are you sure you’re using the right email? These days, we all have a handful of emails for different purposes - we don’t blame you, it can be confusing.

    Also, sometimes if you chose to sign in using Twitter or Facebook, it might be connected with another email, so try everything or logging in via Twitter or Facebook!

  3. Reset your password

    Still not working? Try to reset your password by clicking on “Forgot Password?” and follow the steps. Be sure to follow their requirements for password strength!

  4. Is Circle’s platform down?

    Use this nifty page here to see if Circle is down. If yes, please try again later.

  5. Still stuck?

    Don’t fret! These troubleshooting tips usually solve the issue, but if you still can’t log in or see the community, email us and we’ll do our best to help and get you access to Circle ASAP! It would be super helpful to let us know what you have tried, so we can best know where to start assisting you.

Help! I can't join an event in a live room on the course platform (Circle)

When joining a live session from an internet browser, you must have certain browser settings enabled to use your microphone and camera.

You can try the following general troubleshooting steps to solve the problem:

  • Make sure that you've provided your browser with the necessary permissions to access your input devices. You can check out the relevant steps for your browser here: 

  • Make sure you've provided microphone and camera permissions to your browser in your OS. 

  • Test your microphone and camera in a different browser or tool to make sure that they are configured properly on your device.

  • If you are using an external mic, check to see if an external button on the device is muted.

I can’t see the videos in the course (Circle)!

Often, this issue is caused by a browser problem your computer. We also recommend that all internet browsers be up to date. If you're not sure what browser you're using you can check out here: https://www.whatsmybrowser.org/

 Start troubleshooting by checking these:

  1. Clear cache and restart the browser. Also check if you’re using the newest version of the browser (see above!).

  2. Try a different browser (Google Chrome tends to work best!).

  3. Try an Incognito / Private Window (this will rule out an issue with browser extensions).

  4. Restart the device (it's a cliche but it works!).

  5. If possible, try a different device.

  6. If possible, try a different internet connection!  If you are trying to access the course from a university or other workplace, a university or corporate firewall may occasionally block our video provider. 

    For even MORE support with this issue - here’s a super helpful page from Circle - https://help.circle.so/p/live-and-events/live-management/troubleshooting-audio-and-video-issues 

Where can I view video recordings of past events held on the platform?

Video recordings of past events are kept and available for viewing for 12 months from when the original event was held, per our Terms of Use. Note: Some events like Writing Retreats and Co-Writing Sessions are not recorded or uploaded for replay. 

To find event recordings, you want to locate the original event page on Circle and if the event was successfully held, the video recording will be uploaded directly to the event details. (See image below)

 

Screenshot of an online workshop page titled 'Key Story Elements Workshop.' The page shows event details, a video of a woman speaking, and a sidebar with options like home, upcoming events, and a calendar. An arrow points to the video section.

Here are two options how to find the event page (and event recording) you want:

  1. If you know the date the event was held or just want to browse the events held over the last months, you can use the calendar view to see all events ever held in the program and select the event on the calendar you're interested in viewing by clicking on the name of the event in the calendar. You can also access this view by using the navigation at the top of Circle and selecting "Events".

  2. Alternatively, you can go to the event space for whichever event type you are looking for (ie. Community Events Space for Book Club events, Group Discussions, and Guest Speakers, Planning Workshops Space for yearly and quarterly planning workshops and Feedback Calls and KSE Workshops Space for past Group Coaching Calls and Group Feedback recordings).

    Once in this space, you will toggle the dropdown found under the banner image but towards the top of the space (above the list of events) from "Upcoming" and change it to "Past". This will allow you to see all past recordings related to this type of event.

    Once you can see these past events, you can then click into a specific past event and watch the recording, posted along with timestamps of the recording and links to important sections of the course content that are mentioned.

If you have any questions about this or need some help finding a specific video recording, please email us at [email protected].

When does my access to the Researchers’ Writing Academy expire?

If it is your first year inside the Academy, you have access to everything included in the Academy for 12 months, starting from the day you purchased. Because we are currently (January-March 2025) undergoing a migration between platforms, Circle may not have your expiration date available or alternatively, the date listed may not be accurate in reflecting your true, final expiration date. 

Because of this, the bottom line is if you’re curious what your expiration date is, email us at [email protected].

For those who joined the Researchers' Writing Academy after January 4th, 2025, we can refer you to these detailed instructions and photos illustrating how to see or update your subscription date and information using this Circle documentation. 

Important note:

We do not offer custom or no-cost extensions but if you would like to have more time in the Academy, you can enrol for another year or on a month-to-month subscription plan. Please email us at [email protected] if you are interested.

Can I pause my access during the first 12 months of membership?

We can't pause your access once you join the program.

Most members experience phases where for one reason or another they can't fully engage in the program and that's why we offer the program for a time frame of 12 months even though taking and implementing the course material can be done much faster.

If you're worried that you won't be able to finish the program or engage with the materials as much as you want to before your first 12 months are over, we do offer a month-to-month subscription or a one-year extension at a discount at the end of your course enrollment if you find yourself needing or wanting more time within the Academy. Please email us at [email protected] if you are interested.

How Do I Cancel my membership extension (renewal Subscription After 1 year of Membership)?

If you decide to extend your membership, you will stay on the month-to-month subscription plan until you decide to withdraw from the Academy and cancel your subscription plan. Cancelling your subscription means that you will not be renewed for the following month of your membership. You will continue to have access until you reach your expiration date. Per the instructions above about knowing your expiration date, the best thing to do is to email us at [email protected] to get your exact expiration date.


To cancel your subscription, please follow the following directions:

  1. Log in to your Circle account.

  2. Click on your profile photo in the top-right corner of the community header and selecting Billing.
  3. At the far right of the line item your subscription is on, there will be three dots. Click this and then select Cancel to end your subscription.
  4.  

Important note:

Once you cancel your subscription and your membership expires, you are no longer able to rejoin the Academy with a subscription plan or at the rate you originally paid. You will be required to enrol at the current rate for new members and the initial 1-year membership plan.

I have a question about my payment/payment plan.

Please email us.

  • General payment information:

    • The charge on the bank statement is listed as “ RESEARCHERSWRITINGACAD ”

    • The payment plan will bill on the same day of the month that you first purchased it in, e.g., if you purchased the course on April 20, 2025, your second payment will be on May 20, 2025, and the third will be on June 20, 2025, so on an so forth.

How do i change the email associated with my account (on Circle)?

First, please email us. We will change your email in various parts of our system that aren't associated with Circle.

Unfortunately, we cannot change your email on Circle for you and it must be done yourself in your settings. 

To update your account email, follow these steps:

    1. Log in to your Circle account on a desktop or mobile web browser.

    2. Click your profile photo on the top navigation bar and select Authentication.

    3. Erase the email currently listed there and type in your preferred email.

    4. Enter your current password.

    5. Click Save changes.

Here is a step-by-step instruction guide with images.

How do I change my credit card details connected to my account?

You can easily do this by going into your Circle account and follow these directions:

  1. At the top right corner, click on your profile photo in the community header - then select "Billing"
  2. Navigate to “Payment methods”
  3. Click “Edit” beside the payment mothod
  4. Add card details
  5. Click save

Here is a step-by-step instruction guide with images.

How to install the Circle app

Simply type "Circle" in the search in your Apple or Google Play store and log in to your account after installing. 

Do you provide a certificate of Completion after I finish the course?

Yes! Please email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to send you a certificate of completion and can try to accommodate whatever you might need on it for university or institutional proof of participation. Please allow 48 hours for us to deliver it via email, Monday - Friday during working hours. 

Could you remind me of the Terms of Use of the Researchers’ Writing Academy?

You can find the full, up to date Terms of Use here.

Could you remind me of your Privacy Policy?

You can find the full, up to date Privacy Policy here.

My question didn’t get answered. What now?

Please email us at [email protected].

  • If it is a technical issue for Circle (and you already went through the login or video troubleshoot instructions and they didn’t help), please try to fill in as much info as possible with the questions below and we will collaborate with Circle to help you!

  • Try to provide as much information as possible below-

    • Please provide a brief description of the issue.

    • In which lesson(s) were you experiencing this issue?

    • Which browser and which version did you experiencing this issue in?

    • Do you have any browser extensions/plug-ins installed and did you try disabling them?

    • What troubleshooting steps did you try? 

    • Were you able to replicate the problem? Can you provide a screenshot of the issue occurring?

    • Is there an error message? Can you send us a screenshot of the error message?

    • Can you screenshot any errors you see in your browser console?

© Copyright 2018-2025 by Anna Clemens. All Rights Reserved. 

 

Photography by Alice Dix