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2012/10/08 | 1,471 | 6,194 | <issue_start>username_0: I am teaching an elective course in which students' grades are determined on the basis of a final project. Due to unforeseen circumstances, this year I had to grant a one-week blanket exception to all of the students. However, several students asked for, and received, an additional extension beyond the general extension, based on legitimate issues related to other academic commitments.
Unfortunately, some of these students have still failed to turn in their project, and this is leaving me at a loss for how to proceed. For this year, I have decided on a policy of deducting a full letter grade for each 24 hours beyond the deadline, but this at once seems too harsh (to the individual students affected) and also too lenient (because everybody else managed to turn things in on time).
Is there a reasonable way to handle tardiness in submissions of final papers or projects, particularly when they are the sole basis for determining a grade?<issue_comment>username_1: Here is an alternative way of thinking about the issue.
Some argue that punishing students for late assessment is counter-productive to the learning goals of a course. For instance, this [blog post](http://tomschimmer.com/2011/02/21/enough-with-the-late-penalties/) presents a good argument for this case. The author argues
>
> Students should be graded on the quality of their work (their ability to meet the desired learning targets) rather than how punctual the assignment is.
>
>
>
I've also read this elsewhere in books such as Biggs' *Teaching for Quality Learning at University: What the Student does* or Ramsden's *Learning to Teach in Higher Education*.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Here are some ideas of how I try to handle this sort of things. Maybe they will help, maybe you already are aware of these points.
* As students, they aspire to become professionals, and you want them to. So, to a reasonable extent, **treat them as professionals**. In real life, finishing a project late triggers penalties, which can range from small to catastrophic (*“the missed deadline? come back next year”*). The rules are usually **announced in advance**, so they know how important each task is, and can weigh their own priorities.
It is not common, but for long projects, I have once used the rule of “late projects will simply receive the failing grade of *incomplete*”. Needless to say, noöne was late.
* Also, as in any professional setting, **there is always room for negotiation** (as you did). If they realize they will be late, they should come and make an well-argumented pitch, and asking for a specific extension.
* Not reporting on your progress is the worse possible action. I mean, simply skipping the deadline and coming two days later asking for clemency will *not* fly. In fact, I wouldn't consider listening to anyone who has not at least come forward on the deadline to indicate they are late, and try to work out a solution.
Of course, there always are special cases: hospital, tornado, the usual… :)
---
I'll highlight another method for evaluating student projects, which I find very interesting but have not had time to put in practice yet (but my wife did). In that approach, you set the project deadline so as to leave the students ample time, and **you allow them to hand you their reports at any time before the deadline, for you to review**. And you state that after the deadline, they will fail (if they have not given you anything yet), or be graded on the last version of their project you saw.
Then, obviously, grade fairly strictly… because their work will usually be very good, since you already reviewed it once or twice (for most groups). This has been found (don't have the reference right now, I will ask) to improve acquisition of knowledge over the usual method.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: For a course in which the final project is the only (or the majority of the) grade, one letter grade (or a 10% penalty) per day is not too severe. Compare to the final exam. If a student needed to make up a final exam due to legitimate extenuating circumstances, how many days would you give that student to make up the exam? Not many.
I would also encourage setting a date after which you will not accept the project. At my institution, and likely at most, final grades are due by a specific date. If the project is not submitted by that date, I would assign a zero grade for the course.
Regardless of severity, most students would respect a policy that:
1. is communicated upfront, preferably in the syllabus.
2. is enforced uniformly.
3. has some small amount of wiggle room for true emergencies.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: At my high school in the US, every English and Social Studies class (two courses certain to have term papers) required both students and parents to sign a document at the beginning of the year acknowledging a **ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY** for missed deadlines on projects and papers as well as the late policies for homework. These deadlines were established at the beginning of the term in the syllabi, much like university policy.
Students could turn in any paper ahead of time without gain or penalty, but without **documented family/medical/extenuating circumstances,** no work was ever accepted past the deadline. Zero tolerance = 0%. This was the perfect timing for a wake up call on making excuses for *high school students.*
Later in university in Québec, there were even more explicit reasons defining extenuating circumstances, which could take months of arbitration, i.e. your name in a mass-media, published obituary being the burden of proof necessary to miss a deadline as a result of the death of a family member.
Most recently, as a middle school teacher, I hit the middle ground of the -10% per school day (not per class period) for homework assignments. Otherwise, I need a note from a parent or guardian excusing the tardiness by the due date or upon the day of the student's return to school from an excused absence. I'd like to require a doctor's note in some notorious cases, but we all have to conform to the school handbook, don't we?
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/10 | 344 | 1,454 | <issue_start>username_0: I am reviewing a publication, in which the authors give the URL of an online tool (data analysis and sharing) they have developed. This URL has apparently not yet been publicized, as searching for it in Google didn't bring any result. Because of that, I'm worried that the paper's authors may identify me as a referee when I go check their website (after all, the logs must be clear). That probably wouldn't be very ethical, but I have no way of being sure they won't do it.
What I am supposed to do about it? I thought of contacting the editor asking for guidance, using a private proxy[1], or logging from an internet café somewhere. Do you have any other suggestions? Or am I just worrying too much?
---
1. I don't know which anonymizing proxy service to use, and I welcome suggestions in comments, but that probably isn't particularly relevant to this site.<issue_comment>username_1: First, I think you are worrying too much. Second, I think it is bad form on the part of the authors. If the material on the website is critical for the paper, it needs to be provided in an archival form that the journal can keep track of. I would evaluate it based on what you have been given.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: On the technical side, you can use [Tor](https://www.torproject.org/). That's what I do as a reviewer for accessing on-line supplements to blind reviewed conference submissions.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/10 | 743 | 3,116 | <issue_start>username_0: Ghostwriting is when an author writes a work and attributes it to someone else.
Isn't this *reverse-plagiarism* (someone taking credit for someone else's work, but *with permission*)? I'm not sure it happens in academia a lot, but I've seen instances where a professor "ghostwrites" course notes for another professor. Actually those notes are really bad and it seems like he doesn't want to take the hit of delivering the course himself. Instead he ghostwrites it for other people. It seems wrong to me.<issue_comment>username_1: Unattributed work in academia is generally considered unethical. In my own experience, however, I believe that I've come across very few instances of actual ghostwriting where the real author was unnamed. Normally, at least some acknowledgment is called for, either in an editor's note or introduction.
Now, to answer Mankoff's comeent below, by "unattributed work," it can be okay for authors to *choose* to remain anonymous, if they feel it is in their best interests to do so. However, to take *someone else's* work and to pass it off as their own is clearly unethical behavior. However, from an ethics standpoint, even if the ghost author is asked about attribution and declines, the "named" author should not attempt to claim sole credit for the work. Instead, the author should make some sort of reference to those who assisted in the preparation of the manuscript. Otherwise, they're passing off someone else's work as their own.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: In general, I would say that ghost writing does not constitute plagiarism and using one is not an academically dishonest. A scientific writer who is not an expert in a particular field can convert research notes into a manuscript. These words are not the contribution to the field, but rather the research they encompass. While converting the notes to prose could be viewed as worthy of authorship, I think it is also reasonable to say that it is not. If the writer and the researcher agree that the writers assistance is not worthy of authorship, then there is no problem.
While I do not use a ghost writer, I see this as no different then employing a programmer to write code to control my experiment, an RA to collect the data from the experiment, a graphic designer to create the figures, and a statistician to run the statistics, all of which I do do to varying degrees. To me the contribution is the design of the experiment and the analysis and interpretation of the results. I acknowledge these individuals to varying degrees in the manuscripts, but rarely give authorship.
The ICMJE [guidelines](http://www.icmje.org/ethical_1author.html) for authorship are
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> Authorship credit should be based on 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and 3) final approval of the version to be published. Authors should meet conditions 1, 2, and 3.
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A ghost writer does not meet conditions 1 or 3.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/11 | 480 | 2,103 | <issue_start>username_0: While searching through various journals with my library's on-line journal search tools, I have occasionally found short articles which are simply comments on other published papers. These short articles might have various kinds of comments, but generally describe why the first paper's research or theories are flawed. In addition, sometimes I have found replies from the original author of the first paper, responding to these comments, for e.g., to clarify the meaning or perhaps to give further support to their original arguments.
* Do such exchanges generally only occur within the same journal, i.e. the responses are published in the same journal, or can these occur across journals?
* Are there any special tools to assist with locating all of these "replies"?<issue_comment>username_1: First, it may depend on your field, but at least in mine (physics and chemistry), it is rare for papers to generate comments or replies, and really extraordinary for a paper to be followed by multiple comments. (The editor usually lets the original authors reply to the comment, however.)
Some publishers provide links to the comments and replies on the webpage for the original paper. Otherwise, you can locate those comments using the following criteria:
* they are published in the same journal, or in a preprint server (like [arxiv](http://arxiv.org))
* their title includes “comment on” or “reply to” (or other such publisher-dependent prefix that you need to identify)
Finally, you should get the list of all newer papers citing the original paper, and check them out. If you're investigating a paper in depth, you’ll do that anyway :)
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In pure math, a good paper may be cited only 10 to 20 times. An excellent paper may be cited only a 100 times or fewer. As a result, it's **fairly quick to skim the titles and abstracts of all newer papers that cite a given paper**. This is easy using [MathSciNet](http://www.ams.org/mathscinet/). I think Web of Science provides similar functionality for other fields.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/12 | 701 | 2,869 | <issue_start>username_0: What are the responsibilities of a conference's *program chair* versus its *general chair*? Computer science conferences like [STOC](http://theory.stanford.edu/stoc2013/) and [FOCS](http://theory.stanford.edu/~tim/focs12/) list separate program and general chairs.
A guess would be that the program chair is in charge of the technical content (which papers are accepted, etc.) whereas the general chair is in charge of administrative aspects. However, some conferences, like FOCS, list a third group of *local arrangements chairs* who sound like they are in charge of the administrative side of the conference. Others only have one group of undifferentiated "chairs".
What do each of these jobs entail? Are they considered "equal" in terms of service to the community?<issue_comment>username_1: Conferences in *theoretical* computer science like the ones you mention typically don't have general chairs. They have a local arrangements team for organizing the event, and program chairs to manage the review process.
Many conferences in CS outside theory have a general chair because they have many more activities. The general chair might be in charge of selecting
* The workshop program chair
* The posters chair
* The tutorials chair
* Publicity (and social media) chairs
* Treasurer
* Local arrangements
And so on. The general chair can be viewed as being in charge of everything except the technical program and then delegates.
But this may vary even within iterations of an individual conference.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The answer varies with the size and scope of the conference. You might have many more "chair" roles, such as e.g., [AAMAS](http://aamas2013.cs.umn.edu/node/26), or [IJCAI](http://ijcai13.org/committees/conference_comittee). All depends on the activities the conference runs. In the simple settings when the conference is relatively small, local organizers and program chairs might be just enough. All to do is to organize the venue, catering, registration, finances, etc. (local chairs) and then the technical program (program chairs & program committee).
Normally, program chairs are responsible for selecting, approaching and managing the program committee, deal with the basic publicity (calls for papers and participation - that can also go to local chairs, or even publicity chairs) and then, most importantly run the whole submission, peer-review and proceedings publishing process, normally except for the printing part. Similar would hold for all the other "lower-level" chairs, such as tutorial, workshop, etc. chairs.
Now if the conference runs many activities, you need to manage the whole process and there you go with your general chairs. But again, all would depend on the conference type, size, activities it runs and the traditions in the community.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/12 | 806 | 3,586 | <issue_start>username_0: In computer science, when we write an academic paper, we often have to include comparative results that our method has some kind of quantitative advantage against some other state of the art results.
While it is sometimes easy to reproduce a cited paper's results (e.g., classification of small datasets), other times it is very time consuming and you could spent the better part of your research time just writing code testing the other methods.
However, it sometimes happens that when we reproduce the method, we do not get the presented results. So it can be tricky to do that as well.
* **Is it reasonable just to cite another paper's results at face value?**
* **What suggestions would you give to this conundrum?**<issue_comment>username_1: * I treat **computational results as *in silico* experiments**. They have been published in a peer-reviewed journal, so I trust them by default, unless I have a reason not to. I cite them without a need to recompute them.
* Sometimes, I have a reason to doubt them: they don't match my intuition, or they don't match my own results in a related case; they seem incoherent; they don't match experimental data; etc. Then, I redo them, possibly in more than one way (different software, try checking the effect of some of the assumptions, etc.). If I learn something from it, I consider publishing this study.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: My most-cited work arose because we couldn't reproduce an earlier published paper in the field. We did a much more extensive study, and demonstrated conclusively why the previous results were unreliable.
So, while you don't need to reproduce every single result that has previously been published, it can serve a useful purpose to try to reproduce at least *some* of those results—because then you can be sure that your model is working the way you would expect it to (provided the previous data can be trusted; as my case showed, this isn't always the case!).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> Is it reasonable just to cite another paper's results at face value?
>
>
>
In my opinion, there are only few limited cases where this would be acceptable. For example, when comparing industrial-scale systems, or comparison of qualitative features of the works. Also in the case there exist an established set of benchmarks and your algorithm can solve some of those the other can't, you do not really need to reimplement. Possibly also when testing the algorithm cannot be done in a reproducible manner (industrial-scale field tests). When it comes to experimental efficiency, however, I think you usually do not have much choice and should reproduce the others results - if possible at all.
>
> What suggestions would you give to this conundrum?
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Depends on what you need the cited work for. In the case you developed an algorithm which is supposed to be more efficient than the cited one, to prove your point you need a controlled experiment when both methods are run under same conditions (e.g., implemented in the same programming language, and run on the same system etc.) and with the same set of benchmarks. In such a case, if you want to demonstrate your point properly, your best is to reimplement (or ask the authors for their implementation and adapt it to your conditions) and run head-to-head. Otherwise your performance curves are going to be incomparable. For good examples of how to do this, see for example comparisons/evaluations of experimental performance of planning algorithms, or SAT solvers.
Upvotes: 1 |
2012/10/12 | 985 | 4,009 | <issue_start>username_0: While combing through English journal articles and semi-scientific articles, I noticed how problematic it is that in some cases those papers use a romanized, Latin script display of originally Non-Latin script words and expressions. The issue: In my case (Korean), there were [several revisions of the romanization system](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_romanization) and some of the texts I work with are either (a) older or (b) the authors simply don't comply to the correct romanization standards. Thus it is very hard (at least for me) to derive the original non-latin script (which is my goal) from an incorrect romanization.
Additionally, in many cases it is beneficial or even crucial to have access to not only the Hangeul, but also the Hanja, i.e. Chinese characters. At least that is my opinion.
Because I assert that only if I mention the Non-Latin script (in this case Hangeul/Hanja) "as is", can my academic work be precise, exact and unambiguous.
What do you think about that? **Are there any standard rules for such a situation**, that are widely used (i.e. expected from students and academics), e.g. in the USA?
Finally: Would there be cases in which you would not use the romanized, Latin Script text version at all? (Assuming that we only talk about a few (5-10) words per page.)
**Note:** The academic results I produce won't be published in any (international) journal anytime soon, but I still would like to follow the highest standard possible, without sacrificing common sense and preciseness.<issue_comment>username_1: For things that you won't publish, you can adhere to a standard you choose, for example writing in the Korean script using LaTeX.
It's difficult to talk more specifically than that because journals have their own requirements, which can have more to do with their typesetting systems than academic rigor.
If a journal publishes your work with ambiguous transliteration, you may be able to keep an alternate copy on ArXiV. (N.B. I'm not sure it's kosher to do this but I suspect it's fine as long as the alternate version is designated carefully.)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I think it's not as hard as it used to be to publish non-Latin characters in journals, especially with the advent of electronic publishing, which reduces the need for "physical" stock required to produce those characters.
In fact, I am now starting to see in some journals that people whose names are normally rendered in non-Latin alphabets (such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean), now have both the Romanization as well as the "original" versions in the authors' credits.
That said, there is the question of *why* you want to use those non-Latin alphabets. For something that is already in "common" use and is widely accepted in the language in which you are writing, the use of the original will be unnecessary. It's also optional to cite the name of an author whose work you're citing, if it was published using a Romanization. (Otherwise, it will make it very difficult to find the citation using search engines.) If, however, you are citing something original, and the use of the Romanization will cause confusion, then use of the original language text is fully appropriate.
As username_1 indicates, you should probably talk to the individual journal you're interested in submitting to. They will likely have guidelines for what is or is not permitted, as you've alluded to in your original question.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: The so-called *standard* rules are publisher-dependent. Sorry about that. Still, we can cite the rule of one of the Alpha-1 godfathers of computer science:
>
> I want henceforth to give authentic spellings of people's names in their ``mother tongue,'' as well as the latinized form that is conventionally used in Western books and journals [...]
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>
>
(<NAME>, <http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/help.html#exotic>) Knuth also maintains a list of Asian names there.
Upvotes: 0 |
2012/10/12 | 992 | 3,790 | <issue_start>username_0: Sometimes when I am writing a review blog post (or an answer on SE), it is convenient to include a figure from the original paper. Some journals (say [PNAS](https://cogsci.meta.stackexchange.com/q/385/29)) have [policies](http://www.pnas.org/site/misc/rightperm.shtml) that explicitly allow non-commercial reproduction of figures:
>
> Anyone may, without requesting permission, use original figures or tables published in PNAS for noncommercial and educational use (i.e., in a review article, in a book that is not for sale) provided that the original source and the applicable copyright notice are cited.
>
>
>
Others, however, seem to explicitly disallow this, of note is the Nature Publishing Group. Today, I had to fill in an online form on RightsLink in order to ensure I could use a figure in my post. I didn't have to pay anything, and the rights were granted instantly after completing the form, but it was still a hassle. The biggest hassle is having to go to each journal's website to check their policies. Hence the questions:
1. **Is there a general law like fair-use that allows me to place figures from published papers inside blog posts for non-commercial commentary/review purposes?**
2. What if your blog has ads that generate revenue, is the use of the figures no longer non-commercial? What about SE that generates revenue but not for the poster?
3. Is there any extra etiquette one should keep in mind for including figures in blog posts?<issue_comment>username_1: Some thoughts on this issue:
* First, the [fair use doctrine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use) is tricky. Assuming you're not ready to hire a lawyer, **play it safe**. If you're not sure, ask for permission. If you're asked to remove something, do it.
* There has been some noise a few years back on the topic of blogging and reuse of scientific figures. See [here](http://kriswager.blogspot.fr/2007/04/fair-use-and-science-blogging.html), [there](http://copyfight.corante.com/archives/2007/05/01/fair_use_and_scientific_illustration.php) and [there](http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2007/04/26/is-reprinting-a-figure-fair-us/) for some links to that affair. The conclusion I would draw is, again: **play it safe**.
* In at least some jurisdictions (France is one), having ads on your web will mean your blog is considered a commercial publication. Asserting fair use for commercial works is typically harder, though this distinction tends to diminish ([here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use#Purpose_and_character)).
* Attribute figures (source + link). Always. It's just good manners.
I'll finish by a general observation related to copyright law in academia, as I see it (at least around me): people tend to just do stuff, and then play dumb if they get caught (which rarely happens). Lots of researchers knowingly put up (without authorization) PDF files of their papers on their website, and say “I'll just remove them if I am asked too”.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I also write a blog, and sometimes I also tend to pull images from papers or bookstores.
I do not monetize in my blog, so I'm safe there, and as far as I remember, the current state of the law is that you receive a cease and desist before anything else can happen, so the worst that can happen is that you get a slap in the hand, for the case of the USA.
Now, other countries like Japan just passed really strict laws, where you are not allowed to host anything that is not copyrighted or you face 10 years in prison (no Cease and Desist).
So be sure to see where your blog is hosted, and whether you are hosting anything at all.
One suggestion I tend to follow is to publish things from Arxiv and Wikipedia, which are both for free use.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/12 | 1,373 | 5,181 | <issue_start>username_0: I am writing a master thesis of about 80-100 pages and want to know a good way of structuring my document either using only chapters or chapters and "parts". f first wanted to post this question to the [TeX Stack Exchange](http://tex.stackexchange.com) but realized that it was too philosophical.
As most thesis writers I use LaTeX and I have seen thesis templates that use `\part` ([classicthesis](http://code.google.com/p/classicthesis/)) and ones that do not (master thesis template from a university). I think that classicthesis is mostly aimed at PhD thesis documents that are longer and will become a "book".
So when is it appropriate to use `\part`? Any specific document length in pages or number of chapters?
When you use `\part` then a page is cleared after the text. Is this a style that is used in American PhD thesis documents? Why is this done?
I have also looked at some textbooks and they often do not have something similar to part. Instead these books only use chapters. One of my favorite textbooks (*Artificial Intelligence: A modern approach* by Russel) uses parts but no actual pages that show the parts name. Instead they are only visible in the table of contents.
My two competing ideas are with and without parts:
```
\chapter{Introduction}
\part{Concepts}
\chapter{Background}
\chapter{Related work}
\part{Methods and systems}
\chapter{Proposed method}
\chapter{Implementation}
\part{Evaluation}
\chapter{Experiments}
\chapter{Analysis}
\part{Conclusions}
\chapter{Conclusions}
\chapter{Future work}
```<issue_comment>username_1: >
> So when is it appropriate to use \part? Any specific document length in pages or number of chapters?
>
>
>
It is appropriate when you feel it appropriate! Seriously though, assuming that there isn't any guideline from your university (otherwise, you probably wouldn't be asking the question), it's really a personal choice, the same than about the splitting chapter/section/subsection/subsubsection/paragraph. The structure of a document is there to help the reader, in particular for long documents. A part could be something that can be read separately (i.e., with no references to the other parts), or could be something containing some huge chapters; tt could reflect a chronological order (before, during, after), or a conceptual separation (theoretical, applied), etc.
In case of doubt, talk with your advisor!
>
> When you use \part then a page is cleared after the text. Is this a style that is used in American PhD thesis documents? Why is this done?
>
>
>
As @Daniel pointed out, this is a rather technical question, that is more likely to be answered on [tex.SE](https://tex.stackexchange.com/).
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: >
> When you use \part then a page is cleared after the text. Is this a style that is used in American PhD thesis documents? Why is this done?
>
>
>
Actually, the primary reason for this, I believe, is related to traditions in bookbinding. In the "old" days, it was accepted practice to begin each major new section with a right-hand page. Even now, some books are published in such a way that every chapter will start on a right-hand page, whether or not the previous chapter ended on a left-hand page.
Given that, the assumption would be that you'd want to have a blank page after the "part" page, and that the "part" page, as well as the first page of the ensuing chapter would both be "right-handed" when the thesis is printed in two-sided format. If you have to submit it in one-sided form, this becomes a bit of a nuisance, but I suspect this is an option that can be turned off in LaTeX.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Apart from my advice in comments above to ask at writers.sx, I think you might want to consult manuals of style. E.g., [The Chicago Manual of Style](http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/), speaks about division of a work in [chapter 1](http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/16/ch01/ch01_toc.html), subsection 1.47 on division of a text into parts. I do not have the book besides me, so try to take a look at your library. Also [The Oxford Guide to Style](http://www.scribd.com/doc/66592034/The-Oxford-Guide-to-Style) in subsection 1.3.2 speaks about this and says the following:
>
> *Arranging a work into parts is useful when a lengthy text falls easily and sensibly into logical divisions of similar length.*
>
>
>
My personal opinion is, that for a work of 80-100 pages, division into parts is a waste of paper and imposes a too high cognitive load on the reader. Such a text is not *lengthy* enough to be eligible for such a crude division into multi-chapter parts. Do you have something like 3 times (parts) of at least 3 chapters each in your thesis? If so, and your thesis is about 80-100 pages, then IMHO, something is wrong with your structure to start with. Parts would make sense for a dissertation, or a similar manuscript if you would for example attack a problem from several aspects, each of a size and structure of several chapters.
My personal advice: **Keep it simple! This is a master thesis, not a memoir.**
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/12 | 1,041 | 4,514 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm planing to setup a personal academic website. From visiting other researchers websites I have a rough idea of the things I want to put on it:
```
- Research interests
- List of articles & conference contributions
- CV
- Links to affiliated institutions
- Contact information
```
Would you agree that this list constitutes the information an academic should put on his/her website? Is there anything else you would hope or expect to find? Would you advise against putting any of these pieces of information on the website?<issue_comment>username_1: At the very least, you should have your name, contact information, and a bio of what you do. That's the minimal advertising necessary to serve as a useful "see my site for more details on what I do".
Given that almost everyone who visits your site will either be looking for someone's name or a paper you've previously published, the next most useful information to include would be:
* Lab members contact info & bios
* Publications with downloadable links
I would definitely recommend putting pictures up as well, so people will recognize your face when they see you at conferences. Same for lab members.
Links to other affiliations is nice, but almost certainly not important. Practically no one will follow them. Whether to list your CV is up to you; people who need it will often ask you, but it won't hurt to have it live. Depending on your research, you can have a "recent news" section where you advertise any particularly notable publication or mention in the popular press.
Finally, if you teach, I recommend putting links to the course website (which may or may not be part of your academic website), as many students will find your page by googling and will be looking for course info.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: Just to extend upon username_1's reply, I'll add a public relations spin to this topic.
IMHO, all depends on the mode in which you operate. If you are an established professor, your website is going to look differently from somebody who is striving to climb the ladder. This also depends slightly on the community you operate in, I'll speak for CS/AI, specifically more applied streams.
As an established member of the community, you rule your time and do not need yourself to be "discovered". Hence you do not need much bragging on your site and can stick to practical info. In the case you are climbing the ladder, your website is your shop-window. You need to have it up for your potential future employers, potential future collaborators, etc. It's can be used as a personal PR shop window. In that case you might want to break down your CV into pieces and include projects you work(ed) on and their descriptions, possibly even attach publications to these entries to document the rate/quality of the deliverables. Many people list *Activities* section, where they keep a list of academic services they perform, i.e., program/organizing/steering/... committee memberships, refereeing for journals and announcements of edited books, etc. As username_1 pointed out, expanding on teaching activities is important. Now, first and foremost, you want to serve your students, but remember also the (future) hiring committees. They want to see indications of those activities as well.
All in all, anything what can help you in the future, but still won't look as too much bragging about your achievements can be useful, but think about balancing it with practical stuff as well. For example, to add a "human" touch to their academic personas, many people also include "family" section with a handful of links and pictures of their family, pets, hobbies, etc.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: My two cents: Put the things on your homepage that you like to see on the homepages of people like you.
Well, this is probably not the full story since not only people like you will be interested in your homepage. Maybe you also think about hiring committees, potential referee or the like to have a look at you homepage. However, you are probably to look at the homepages of people like you through the eyes of a hiring committee member, reviewer, student (or whatever) and then have a look at you homepage again. This should give you an impression whether you homepage is cool enough or not.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I'd love to see conjectures and open problems.
This is a good way to advertise for your field, and maybe someone knows a solution/related problem.
Upvotes: 0 |
2012/10/12 | 827 | 3,724 | <issue_start>username_0: I know that some journals allow public archiving of publications (making them available for download) on a researcher's personal website. Some of these journals (at least in my field), however, constrict this right by saying that it is only allowed to public archive after one year following publication. **EDIT**: My question is concerned with the time frame of this first year or with the situation where journals do not allow public archiving.
To make a publication available to an interested reader, who is unable to obtain the article from the publisher due to institutional subscription policies, does one risk any legal problems on putting the following sentence on his/her website:
>
> Feel free to contact me if you are interested in a copy of any of my publications.
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: This will likely vary from journal to journal, but the information should be available in the "authors" section on a journal's webpage. For example, Science provides the document "[License to Publish—Information for Authors](http://www.sciencemag.org/site/feature/contribinfo/prep/lic_info.pdf)" document, which clearly states:
>
> Once the Work has been published in Science and provided the Work's first appearance in Science is properly cited, authors may:
>
>
> ...
>
>
> * Distribute photocopies of the Work to colleagues for non-commercial purposes only (providing that recipients are informed that they may not further distribute or copy the Work). Authors may distribute photocopies or download and email the Science PDF to their colleagues for their colleagues' personal use provided the recipients understand that the copy may not be further distributed or reproduced without the approval of AAAS.
>
>
>
This license would allow what you described, as it's non-commercial.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: With respect to the specific question of writing such a statement, there is no implication of an agreement that sending you an email will automatically lead to receiving a copy of the publication. If there are specific restraints on your distribution of preprints, then you can explain those limitations when a preprint is not available.
Alternatively, you could indicate which papers are "embargoed," and include a statement that says: "Except where noted, preprints are available by contacting the author," or something to that effect.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: **Short answer:**
So far, I did not see a copyright transfer agreement, which did forbid an author to distribute pre-prints for his/her personal use by e-mail, or in a printed form.
**Long answer:**
The answer always depends on the particular publication. Whenever you submit your camera-ready copy, you usually also submit a signed copyright transfer agreement, or a document similar to it. Therein, you always have listed which rights to the work in question you are transfering to the publisher and which remain with you. Usually, in my field (CS/AI), there is a section on "Returned rights" where is explicitly stated what (publishing a preprint, distribution to colleagues, figure re-use, etc.) and how the author can, or cannot do it (obligation to include a copyright statement, etc.). Since your question is of a legal nature, I suggest contacting the publisher of the work in question and simply ask whether what you want to do is in line with copyright agreement you, or some of your co-authors signed, or whether you need to handle it differently. But before that, take a look on that publisher's website, all the major ones have these policies quite explicitly, and often including FAQs and other guidelines, listed on their websites.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/13 | 938 | 3,678 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm currently developing my dissertation proposal, and am in the process of choosing my committee members. I have heard that one should carefully choose their committee members, since they ultimately judge if and when your PhD work is done. As far as I can tell, a committee member should at least have some expertise in my research topic. I'm sure there's more to it than that, but I want to know what other qualities should I look out for? What qualities in a committee member should I avoid? I imagine these other qualities are subtle and difficult to judge at first. Nonetheless, how do I know if they are a good fit for the success of my PhD?<issue_comment>username_1: First, **ask your adviser**. He/she likely knows more about most of your department faculty than you do. You don't have to do exactly as you're told. But if you don't, this should be an intentional choice on your part, and you should have a good reason for that choice. Beyond that, I see at least 3 broad areas to consider. You want committee members who will
1. **strengthen your professional network**: introduce you to potential collaborators, and possibly help with your search for a postdoc or tenure track position; and/or write a letter of recommendation for you
2. **give valuable feedback on your work**: you think they'll actually read your thesis (you might be surprised how uncommon this is), and might have something constructive to say
3. be **easy to work with** in the defense process: likely to be flexible on the date of your defense, and likely to sign off on your dissertation without demanding lots of changes (fitting into 4 schedules besides your own can be a nightmare; it's nice to have a few committee members who are easy to work with on this)
Which of these contributions you value most will depend on what you're hoping to do after your PhD. If you're looking to move into industry, many of your professors' contacts may be less valuable to you than if you hope to stay in academia. Do you plan to stay research active? In the field of your dissertation? Practically, you may have limited options. At the very least, you should weigh 1, 2, and 3, and estimate how you think each candidate will contribute in each area.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: This is certainly a very important question. Here is the make up of my committee and its pitfalls.
This isn't the best committee but has its advantages.
You could easily extrapolate from my experience:
### Adviser/Committee member 1:
1. I have a fantastic adviser who always stands by me and supports my work. He essentially fights for me if things go awry.
2. He is also the PI of the project I am working on so my successful graduation and publications do interest him.
### Co-adviser/Collaborator/Committee member 2/Extradepartmental committee member:
1. He champions the the ideas behind my research and has done so for the last 20+ years. So there is no problem that I'll get support from him
### Committee member 3:
1. Doesn't have anything invested in my research but since it is generally related to his work, he is on board.
2. He is sitting on the fence as far as criticism goes.
### Committee member 4:
1. He doesn't like my work since his adviser didn't like this work and its implications.
2. However, since I have a generally pro-me committee, I should be alright but not without breaking a sweat.
3. If I convince him of the merit of my work, I'll have no problem in the future convincing any other detractors [See comment by JeffE](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/3719/how-to-select-a-dissertation-committee-member-wisely#comment7010_3720).
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/13 | 875 | 3,884 | <issue_start>username_0: One of the challenges of advising students is working with students whose "quality control" expectations do not agree with that of the advisor. When such mismatches occur, how do we encourage them to provide "better" quality work. Note that it's not the number of hours being worked the concern, but rather issues like returning a marked-up manuscript with half of the important suggestions left unaddressed, or leaning too much on the advisor or more senior members of the group for help.<issue_comment>username_1: In my experience, teaching "quality control" in larger-scale projects is part of the enterprise, since (in mathematics, for example) standard coursework provides no inkling of this. That is, it is *not* typically the case that sloppy or flawed homework or exams are returned with detailed comments, for iterated corrections, to be repeated until the thing is acceptable. Rather, as we know, schoolwork is presented to students as a high-volume stream of disconnected small tasks, most of which truly do not merit "perfecting", but, rather, treating as a bulk-processing problem.
So the methodology and style of iterative improvement and "perfecting" a larger, months-or-years-long project is arguably a novelty to the student. The "solution" seems to be to just keep iterating the corrections, perhaps making the auxiliary point of the inefficiency of your making the same point several times.
I've had the opposite problem a few times, as well, namely, exaggerated attention to over-perfecting an initial fragment, effectively avoiding addressing the sequel and larger project.
Thus, I think that imparting a functional sense of editing and quality control is part of the task of the mentor/advisor/supervisor, although, yes, energy allocated to this takes away from the more literal scientific/intellectual tasks. Advisor's firm repetition of the standards is essentially the only constructive response, I think, since, for example, it seems infeasible to hope that novices can sufficiently critique each other, as they usually share the same inexperience.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I recently heard a nice angle on this problem. Computer Scientist <NAME>, adapting Buddhist philosophy, stated in a recent presentation that **you need to inhale before you can exhale**. What he meant was that in order for grad students to produce quality work, they need to see, read, ingest and understand quality work. Perhaps you can show them the difference between the high quality work and low quality papers you've also come across. Try to get the student to gauge where his/her work fits in relation to these other papers.
You'll also need to explain that even though poor quality work can actually be published, that this is not a good thing. Not good for science. And not good for building a career.
Many iterations of corrections is important. It takes time. But for every comment that is ignored, you need to find out why it is ignored, and make the student aware that it takes your time and is annoying if you need to make the same comment over and over again. Maybe the student does not understand the comment. Maybe the student is overwhelmed by the vast amount of comments. Maybe that just missed it accidentally. Maybe they just disagree.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I would cite one of the maxims in industry. Your people is only as good as your structure. A good structure designed to give incentives to current students and guidance to new ones can do wonders for any organization.
You can streamline a lot if you have a whole system in place where you have older students mentoring fresh students (one to one basis) and a more structured way of presenting the job. This way the students (and the adviser) won't be running to catch deadlines and will be way more efficient.
Upvotes: 1 |
2012/10/13 | 462 | 1,761 | <issue_start>username_0: I do research in the life and medical sciences. If I want to publish in one of the major journals (Cell, Nature \*, etc.), would I have to confine a title to something short and snappy, or can I be more verbose so that my title conveys better the output of the research?
For example, is this sort of structure:
*XXX and YYY are AAA and BBB in PPP and QQQ, respectively*
too wordy?
PD. I'm not sure if this was the right forum on the stackexchange network, so please feel free to suggest some other site to post.<issue_comment>username_1: Copy the pattern that is used most common in your target journal.
Look through a couple of dozen articles. What's the median word-count in titles? Do a majority have colons, or not?
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: When I wrote my first paper, I read this book about scientific writing: ["Scientific Writing = Thinking in Words" by <NAME>](http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/6529.htm).
The author of the book highlighted that **article title should be as explicit on the content of the article as possible**, as it is the first element any potential reader will read. As today the amount of available articles is growing faster, the skimming step in the article research is becoming more and more important and a good, self-explanatory title is therefore a key element in article "success".
As an example, the author strongly discourage the use of non-explicit title such as:
>
> XXX as an effect on YYY
>
>
>
and advice to use something more like:
>
> Increase in XXX induce a decrease in YYY
>
>
>
which directly tells the reader what is the article about and the what is its main finding.
In conclusion, do not be afraid of wordy title.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/14 | 2,069 | 9,009 | <issue_start>username_0: As an academic researcher in a theoretical field at a public institution, I am sensitive to the social value of my work (my own contribution to society). I do some teaching, whose contribution to society is easy to identify, but not much. Try to increase that aspect of my job, I have listed some things I can do (some of which I already do, some of which I don’t):
* Engage in collaborations with industrial partners (favoring transfer of knowledge to practical applications).
* Orientate one’s research goals to match an area of societal importance (green gas reduction, nuclear waste storage, you name it).
* Communicate science to a wide public, whether it is my own research or the knowledge of my field in general (popular science). This includes writing articles in magazines, writing a blog, developing educational software, …
* Get involved in education science: contribute to my national society of physics and chemistry teachers, for example. Offer some software for high-school and university teachers to demonstrate concepts.
* Register as an expert with the nearest court of law.
What other suggestions do you have to improve one’s social value? (Or should I stop worrying and love the bomb?) I mean, in the short term. I know that I (and my colleagues) contribute to the advancement of mankind in the very long term, but sometimes it doesn't help feel *useful*.<issue_comment>username_1: Instead of thinking increasing my own social value (reputation), I think the other way round. The society is supporting me in carrying out the research (in theoretical field), in innumerable dimensions; from the public transport systems to research grants. I think of the ways that I can, at least in part, repay the tax-payers of my nation.
Some of the activities that I do, that I think, will be useful to the society include,
* helping fellow research scholars in other fields or disciplines in areas where I have expertise. It can vary from a simple installation of a software or help in filling a grant application to active discussion in improving their research or interpreting their results (that helps me too, indirectly).
* popularize the field among school/college students and common people, so that better ignited minds take up the field for their career.
* actively participate in various professional and amateur associations/societies/forums related to my field or where I can make some contributions.
* provide support to enthusiastic people who wish to take up a career in the field or a related field, by helping them in a project or connecting them with a better experienced person. As a researcher, sometimes I have better contacts.
* provide administrative assistance to the needy persons in my institution where I have better exposure/access, like filing an application form or submitting various fees etc.
In short, the various activities that I involve myself in, improves my social value, as far as I have experienced. The more I try to give, the more I get in return.
If you are active in the society and if they feel you are really worth, the society reaches you for help or assistance and they value your suggestions.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Have you considered contributing to political life? I refer not to upholding one political view or another, but rather to ensuring that there is informed scientific input on major issues when they are being debated in political circles.
I do not know in which country you live, but I am aware that there are far too many "first-world" countries in which the policy and decision makers are poorly informed at best, willfully ignorant - seemingly - at worst.
One of the best descriptions of a university that I have come across is that it should - must - act as the "critic and conscience of society". In my view this would include taking part in ensuring those that lead us are well informed.
One way this could be done is by taking an interest in the advisory process used in how policy is formed in your country. See if you can offer your specialist views via your professional association.
A related activity is to take part in advising courts when they are considering issues based on scientific topics. This would include contributing to amicus curiae briefs, for instance. This goes beyond acting as an expert witness in court. An amicus curiae brief presents a reasoned argument using a balanced analysis of facts, reaching a conclusion. A court expert, in contrast, offers answers on specific questions from the court.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: On a different note from some of the other answers, try to take to heart that **basic research is directly useful to society**. Almost all modern pharmacology is based on decades of fundamental biochemistry and biology research. Materials science is based on years of basic chemistry and physics research. Basic math research fuels advances in all types of engineering, from signal processing to computational work to structural engineering. There are many other examples for other fields of research; please edit this answer or put them in the comments.
In short, don't underestimate your current value to society.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_4: Although communicating science to a broader audience is important, using scientific principles to solve the basic problems of the community may be even more important and rewarding. A [chilean innovation center](http://www.caic.cl/start.html) designed and built a water sanitation system. This system has been installed in poor neighborhoods where the access to purified water did not exist. [Here](http://vimeo.com/32465233) you can see a video with english subtitles.
Obviously, the extent to which you can undertake a similar initiative depends on your specialties. Even though being a *researcher* you may be overqualified, a more attainable initiative would be to teach high school teachers or the community. For instance, a [chilean NGO](http://www.accionemprendedora.cl/) teach classes for micro-entrepreneurs. The instructors are usually university students that volunteer in the organization. The students are owners of small business (e.g., local grocery). The courses include a wide range of topics, such as concepts related to taxation and some ideas about economics and marketing.
You can have even a greater impact if you distribute contents designed by you on the internet. Similar to what you suggest, you can design an e-learning course and post it on the web.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: Great question. I agree with the earlier post that basic research is important but one also has to come to an understanding of what level of feedback you need for the impact of your actions. For some, totally unapplied, ethereal math modelling might be their best way to contribute to the world, others need to feel like they are doing something every day that has a direct impact.
I studied complexity theory for my PhD (modelling army ant swarming) and this directly informs my thinking in how I understand the world. But as I finished my degree I felt like I needed my daily work to have a more immediate and direct impact on the world and so I completely switched fields. Now I build gigapixel timelapse cameras for capturing long term environmental change. I chose this because people process information visually and so we should show them environmental change in compelling ways. Army ants and complexity theory are [cool](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/science/13traff.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) but I could spend my whole academic career modeling ants and in 30 years there would be no rainforests left for ants to live in. But sometimes even now I feel like I'm tilting at windmills. As an ecologist I think we are at a tipping point in human history because if humans don't transition to sustainability in the next few decades the lives of a lot of the population will be a whole lot worse than they might be otherwise. I often wonder if I should drop everything and become a full time activist... When do things become so dire you drop what you are doing and run to put out the fire instead of making beautiful movies of people who are on fire? But then again you have to go with what you are good at and so on.
Overall though I agree the best thing to do is to educate the public and find ways to make your skills useful to others. At this point, at least in America bringing thoughtful science understanding of any sort to the wider public is an immeasurable and essential contribution given the [sorry state](http://www.gallup.com/poll/155003/hold-creationist-view-human-origins.aspx) of the American understanding of reality.
But we all should be asking ourselves fairly regularly if there is more we could do. Things don't change until enough people are pushing in the same direction that we can overcome the inertia of existing power structures (I learned that studying complexity theory ;).
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/14 | 990 | 4,450 | <issue_start>username_0: How wise is it to collaborate with another professor while working as a staff under one professor? Is there a ethical conflict in doing so even if the other professor is from a slightly different area?
Also, how should one develop his/her own expertise while working as a postdoc under one professor? Is it wise to also work with other professor with slightly different research interest?<issue_comment>username_1: If you are perfectly honest with all parties involved, then it shouldn't be a problem. Everyone involved knows where they stand.
One small point. In the UK, post-doc positions are funded by grant income. It would be strange if a post-doc had enough "free time" for other duties.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: It depends totally on your status, and what exactly this collaboration entails. You say “working as a staff under one professor”. If you're on a short-term contract (say, post-doc), then it's probably **not okay** to do independent research on something completely different. You were hired on a project and it's unlikely that you have any significant time left for something else. On the other hand, if this new collaboration is related to your project *and you involve your professor in it*, it is okay (and he will welcome this initiative from which everyone involved benefits).
To the above, there are a few exceptions:
* People who just arrived usually have some unfinished business with their previous institution, and they are given a bit more leeway in finishing it: revisions to make to papers on track for publication, conference attendance, etc.
* People who are leaving due to their contract ending have to get involved with other projects to get a new job. They have to go fishing around, and this sometime requires a bit of extra work.
* Finally, if your activity on the side is quite unrelated to your main job, and you manage to do it on your own time without prejudice to your employer, you may do so. Some people write books, some get involved in open source software unrelated to their employment, etc.
---
If you're working as an longer-term staff researcher in someone's group, then it is expected that they respect your academic freedom. To a reasonable extent, you are free to engage in new collaborations with other people, and not necessarily involve your group leader.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: In contrast to username_2's opinion, I think collaboration with people outside your group is not just wise, but actually **necessary**, at least if you are working toward an academic career. You *must* develop both a wide professional network and broad independent research experience. As long as everything is out in the open, with everyone's knowledge and agreement, there is absolutely no ethical conflict.
This does not mean that you should shirk your paid job; any outside projects must be on your own time and must not interfere with your official duties. Similarly, you can't use your supervisor's resources without their explicit advance permission. And your supervisor may be happier if there's some chance of involving them in your outside projects. But ultimately, how you use your own time is your own business. (Any supervisor who tells you otherwise, or insists that you don't *have* "your own time", is simply abusing you. Run.)
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_4: Let me give an answer from my own viewpoint - that of someone who hires and 'supervises' postdocs on a regular basis (in my field, mathematics).
I consider that a postdoc coming to my group comes for two reasons: (a) to bring new knowledge to our group, and (b) to learn things from our group. Both are good for the postdoc and good for the group - everybody profits from this arrangement. Learning things from our group is best done in close collaboration with the supervisor (me), while contributing to the group often benefits from a much wider scope.
So I tell my postdocs that I expect them to work half of their time on the project they are formally appointed for, and the other half on something of their own choosing - and I suggest that for this part they might also look for other connections within our group or department.
What this means for the OP is (as has already been said): discuss it with your supervisor, and ask yourself the question whether the 'outside' collaboration might also have benefits for your supervisor.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/14 | 1,443 | 5,950 | <issue_start>username_0: I am a graduate student in mathematics, and I recently got the question why there isn't a press release to the general public whenever we publish a paper (to advertise mathematics and increase interest).
Now, every paper is a bit extreme, but forced me to ask several questions:
**Would arxiv be a good place to put math text aimed to the general public?**
(I am currently trying to explain an article in a very metaphorical, but accessible to non-mathematicians).
**Would it be considered strange to explain research for non-mathematicians either in a separate abstract in a paper, or also writing a shorter non-math version?**
(I fear that this is considered slightly odd,
and metaphors sometimes dumbs down the problem so that the question seems very silly. Also, will professors think it is a waste of time?).
A partial goal is to be able to explain what I've done the last five years to my family at the dissertation, but also get some experience in explaining math for grant applications. It would be nice if news from the world of mathematics appeared more often in the news, (local news for smaller achievements, explanations etc).<issue_comment>username_1: This is a great idea, and it does happen. For years, [<NAME>](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Gardner) wrote a column in Scientific American called "Mathematical Games". He took interesting mathematical ideas and made them accessible to a wide audience. Another example is [<NAME>](http://www.stanford.edu/~kdevlin/), who is known as the Math Guy on NPR (National Public Radio) in the U.S. A third example is [<NAME>](http://freespace.virgin.net/ianstewart.joat/index.htm). His book ["Letters to a Young Mathematician"](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0465082327) explains a typical mathematical career arc to a general audience in a fun and engaging way. Along the way, he touches on many important mathematical ideas.
So **why don't we see more** of this? The short answer is because **it's really hard** to do well. You have to really understand the math, and you have to be very good at explaining to people who think very differently from the way you've spent the last 15 years or more being trained to think.
Furthermore, much of the general public doesn't really want to know more about math. Another reason is that this type of writing is typically not well-rewarded at research schools. The culture of research mathematics tends to say that exposition is fine, but it's not really hard, like research. So it shouldn't be rewarded at the same level.
I agree with you, that the world would be better off if more people understood what we (research mathematicians) *do*. The problem is, I don't know how to make it happen.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I would recommend blogging. This seems like the standard procedure for explaining your papers both to the lay audience and to other mathematicians (potentially ones that don't work on your specific problem). The blog format is preferable over arXiv or journal publications for reaching the lay audience because it is more accessible. Links to blogs are easier to share and faster to read than journals (which might be behind paywall!) or pdfs from arXiv. A blog setting also allows you to interact with your audience through the comments, this is the best way to help guide them through any confusion.
A blog setting can also be used to provide casual tours through proofs for experts and graduate students. This has recently [started in TCS](https://cstheory.stackexchange.com/q/8869/1037). Since this is aimed at the slightly technical audience, it is more appropriate to put on the ArXiv, although I would still advocate blogs.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: >
> Would it be considered strange to explain research for non-mathematicians either in a separate abstract in a paper, or also writing a shorter non-math version?
>
>
>
It would come across as strange to include a separate abstract for non-mathematicians in a math research paper, partly because it's unconventional and partly because it might be interpreted as an assertion that this paper was likely to be of unusual interest for the general public. That's not to say it's a bad idea, but I'd recommend that grad students not try it, since you don't want readers to focus on this instead of your research contributions.
Writing a companion piece aimed at a general audience is less likely to attract any negative attention, especially if it's in the form of a blog post (as Artem suggests) rather than a formal paper. If you spend too much time on this, you risk having it look like a distraction from your research, but that's not likely to come up except in fairly extreme cases.
>
> Also, will professors think it is a waste of time?
>
>
>
Some will, but others won't. I'd recommend not focusing just on your own papers: if you advertise other people's work as well to a general audience, they may or may not think it is worthwhile, but they are likely to feel flattered, and it will avoid the risk that this could come across as self-promotion on your part. Once again, you don't want to let this overshadow your scholarly accomplishments, but it can be a nice counterpoint to them.
>
> It would be nice if news from the world of mathematics appeared more often in the news, (local news for smaller achievements, explanations etc).
>
>
>
Certainly. If you are a decent writer, it may not be too difficult to get your local newspaper to publish periodically about math news (this would require going well beyond your own work, of course). That would be a service for the community and an interesting line on your CV.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: You could make Youtube videos as well, e.g. start a video blog. Perhaps not like Khan Academy, which is mainly for instruction, but perhaps just to discuss new and cool ideas.
Upvotes: 1 |
2012/10/14 | 1,208 | 4,760 | <issue_start>username_0: I am a graduate student in Sweden, and will present my PhD thesis next semester, and have several articles accepted/published.
However, when I applied (and got admitted) I had only studied at the university for three years, and only written a bachelors thesis. Me being admitted was sort of an "error" from the department, (and I had no idea what really was the requirements, since my thesis advisor encouraged me to apply).
Might this look bad on my resumé when applying for a post-doc position?
(Or is young age an advantage, in my case, 25)?
**Edit:** To follow up, I am now 32 and not as young anymore. I had no big issues finding post-doc positions, and I am still in academia.<issue_comment>username_1: In most places I know (Europe mostly, France and UK in particular), a Master's degree is nothing more than a tiny blip on your CV by the time you have a successful PhD (diploma, publication, good recommendations, involved in your community, …). **Your lack of a Master’s degree will not hurt one bit** (but it probably will come up in an interview, so you want to have something decent or funny to say about it). I suspect the same will be true in most places: by the time you are a post-doc, Master's degree is not a good predictor of your future success.
Regarding age, it's a very good question, and should probably be separate. As a post-doc, it shouldn't hurt your chances (I defended my PhD at the same age you are, so I have given it some thought!). For a staff position, things are very different.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In the US, nobody would even notice. It is common to enter a PhD program without a masters. A masters degree can be granted along the way to a PhD, but this is not universal, and it is not worth anything if you finish the PhD. In general, people look at your most advanced degree: if you have a good PhD, it would typically not matter if you did not have a Bachelors degree either.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: If the admission was "in error," then you should get some documentation of this fact from your department stating such a fact, just in case anyone asks.
Unlike what [F'x says](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/4755/53), there could potentially be an issue in some EU countries if you have a PhD degree but don't hold a master's—provided your bachelor's education was also done in an EU country. In Germany, the lack of a master's degree for a PhD holder can raise a red flag. It did in my case, even though all of my schooling was in the US, where it is not at all uncommon to do a bachelor's followed by a PhD without a master's in between.
This may or may not be a problem for you elsewhere, depending upon where exactly you want to be. But it could also be a disqualifying issue (in other words, cause for termination) if you try to hide what happened and it gets uncovered later.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: Just pitching in with my opinion from Japan.
In Japan everything is very structured, and everyone assumes that you either have a masters or spent a very long time in your PhD (if you studied in America).
The average age for a PhD grad is 28 years with a razor thin variance (unless you are a foreigner).
If you apply for a postdoc here you will be getting a lot of questions on why you got a PhD without the masters, since here the requirement to get into a PhD is to have a Masters beforehand. It may not hurt you if you have a good explanation though.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: I see no need for you to mention the lack of a masters unless asked.
I would definitely **not** say your acceptance into the PhD program was a error by the Department. This makes your university look incompetent, and you, at best, as uncertain and insecure about your accomplishments. You could also be perceived as dishonest by accepting admission if you knew it was a mistake, but I don't know the full details of what actually happened and why you believe this to be true.
You applied, you were accepted, you completed the degree, you are published. Full stop.
You seem to feel compelled to explain something that doesn't matter anymore, if it ever did. If asked, just say you were lucky and got accepted straight out of undergrad. If anything, it makes you look like a wunderkind.
An important caveat: All of the above is predicated on my understanding of the situation through the lens of a person with a PhD from the US.
As others have said, a masters is not always required for acceptance into a PhD program in the US, especially in the hard sciences (I know much less about liberal arts), but one is bestowed on the way to the PhD. So you get your masters after you are in the PhD program.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/15 | 793 | 3,506 | <issue_start>username_0: You've been hard at work for lets say a year on your masters research and you then discover that someone else has been doing the same research as you have. (Let’s assume it’s a coincidence that the same research is done). What do you do in that case? Should you hurry and and get to the “winning line” ASAP? Should you or the other person change their research proposal?<issue_comment>username_1: Masters projects generally do not aim to produce top-quality original research, rather they give masters students an introduction in the art of doing research. So the fact that two people at two different institutes are doing more-or-less the same thing does not matter. It would only become a problem if
* One student plagiarized the work of the other.
* The two students collude, reducing their workload to produce one thesis that will be submitted twice.
* Both students tried to publish their work – whoever gets in first will receive the credit and the other will possibly not get published.
Even in the last case, it is not unheard of that parallel submissions of the same results by different parties occurs. Sometimes it is worth publishing both, especially if they approach the problem differently. I have heard of one case where the editors asked the two parties to produce a single combined paper.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: **Obviously, you should collaborate!**
In your thesis itself, you need be careful to distinguish *your* contributions from your colleague's. But your thesis is a relatively unimportant administrative hurdle. Your short-term goal should be to work together on a common result that is stronger than what either of you could produce alone. Your long-term goal is to develop a network of collaborators. In the long run, that network will be worth *far* more than "winning" the "race".
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: From a practical standpoint, you are a year into your masters, so you are likely close to being done. You need to decide if you need the publication. If you do buckle down, start writing, and find a journal with a fast turn around time. If not, it is no big deal, you can still submit your thesis.
Before moving forward on an academic career, and maybe any other career, I would suggest stepping back and considering your communication and networking strategies. Getting scooped (or even racing to publish) is a communication and networking failure. Basically, you need to understand why you and your advisor did not know this other research was going on.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: You never did *exactly* the same work. Never.
The scenario you describe has happened to my Master's thesis as well as to many times later in my career. Typically you just feel as if they have done the same work but at closer inspection find differences in their approach as well as the research questions that they are addressing. The best thing to do in these cases is to revisit the narrative of your paper and emphasize the parts that make it unique. At masters level a good adviser will help you with that. If not, find some mentor elsewhere. Personally I find it helpful to show both pieces of work to a friend as they are much more likely to see these difference that I ever could. All this is actually simple psychology. After a year of working on your solution, everything looks like your solution to you. Which is also known as "if you have a hammer everything looks like a nail."
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/15 | 1,434 | 6,345 | <issue_start>username_0: A dilemma that is confronting right now is knowledge versus research. I am a second year physics undergrad, with a strong interest in mathematical physics, QFT, and an even more strong interest in pure mathematics. Right now, I am not sure what to pursue, hence ideally I would like to try out a lot of both the fields. However, most of the people I meet are advising against me saying I should just pick and area and stick to it, and try to publish papers, even if I want a remote chance of getting into the top grad programs in the US. So , I am confused if I should stick to a field, and get research papers published or explore a large number of areas. This boils down to the question how much importance does a uni give to a research publication over the knowledge the person has?<issue_comment>username_1: Ideally, research publications give a strong indication of not just how much knowledge a person has acquired, but how much has he been able to *contribute* to the existing body of knowledge. That, coupled with the fact that there aren't very reliable metrics to gauge a person's knowledge (grades are a very poor metric in that regard IMO), makes it obvious that you would be best served by focusing on churning out as many high-quality papers as you can!
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: The main thing that graduate school admissions committees are looking for are good researchers. Publishing papers demonstrates such ability; publishing papers in well-known journals is even better. However, it's difficult, as an undergraduate, to publish papers as first author (which is the most important position when one is applying as a student). Typically, they will be working in consultation with a more experienced student, who will be the lead author. In that case, while the credits are of themselves useful, they need to be *coupled* to strong letters of recommendation from the co-authors, testifying to the student's original efforts in executing the work.
At the same time, one should not totally sacrifice depth in a single area for breadth; grad schools want to see *some* evidence of concentration, but complete devotion to one area is also too much of an extreme. Try to balance the two somewhat, so that you've explored *a few* areas, and worked at least *one or two* areas in depth.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: You should try to think just like a professor. Just think that you are allowed to have some students to work under your supervision. So, do you prefer to have a student who is able to conduct research and publish paper or some one who does not know how to do research but have good grades? Graduate school is all about doing research and showing that you are able to do that will surely help you to get accepted by grad schools. They want to know if you are able to cope with such life as a scientist or not. It is possible if you devote yourself to research your grades become low, but it is normal and no one is able to publish great papers and at the same time obtains good grades. All in all, publishing papers surely helps you. A little advice, make a team with your friends and divide the works to be able to make a balance between both sides.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: To add to other answers... thinking of mathematics: It is difficult to somehow-deliberately acquire intellectual maturity. Attempting to "force it" or "fake it" will produce outcomes worse than doing nothing. A more honest and productive attitude is "engagement", which may or may not produce papers. Even a very capable novice should not focus on "papers" because this has a corruptive effect on the clarity of one's thinking, and tends to create possibilities to look silly, if not worse.
Awareness of current events, engagement with them, are the most important. No, the GRE Math Subject Test is essentially completely disconnected from this, but does test for a certain facile cleverness and quickness. Grades and standard coursework are relevant only to the extent that they *prepare* one for more serious, *live* things. Getting a perfect score on a drivers license exam does not mean much about one's capacity to drive in Formula One races, or NASCAR, either.
As an advisor and mentor to quite a few PhD students over the years, I've found that the worst liability is believing too firmly that one has already "arrived". True, it can be debilitating to doubt oneself too much, but that is closer to sense than believing that no one knows anything, so that one's trivial observations represent publishable progress that should "impress" people. If anything, one should manage to communicate that one is aware that other people have done many things.
Probably the most essential element in applications is letters of recommendation from experienced research people who know you well, who (hopefully) can attest your *potential*. Being "best in a class" is good, is nice, no downside, but is somewhat tangential to "research potential". Writing childish papers as an undergrad does not certify anything at all about one's potential for serious professional work, and one should be careful about misunderstanding this!
Admission to an elite grad program in math (in the U.S.) is difficult without excellent GRE score (=filter), maybe a good Putnam score to show you're clever, undergrad degree from a "Research I" school with many graduate courses on one's transcript (since undergrad courses at best don't quite get anyone up to the starting line of awareness or knowledge), and *glittering* letters from people who are established research people, who've made a contribution themselves. (Otherwise how in the world would they know what they're talking about when they say you have the potential to do serious things?)
Having said all that... I guess an indirect point is that one ought not *expect* to have any meaningful publications. Sure, one can probably arrange *meaningless* publications, but, if anything, real mathematicians are not moved by that. (Such things are handy for impressing university-wide panels on this-and-that, but that's a different story.) So far as my (limited, but not exclusively anecdotal) experience indicates, a tiny minority of applicants to the best grad programs in math have any *real* publications at all.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/15 | 786 | 3,420 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm writing a paper where I have a number of sentences across a few paragraphs, all from the same source. How should I use inline citations in this situation? Should I put them after each listed fact in the sentence at the end of each paragraph, or at the end of all of the paragraphs? The paragraphs are all topically related, but each one is different enough to be a sub-topic. In case it's relevant, the topic being discussed is technology, the paragraphs detail how companies using that technology.<issue_comment>username_1: From what I've seen, the only situation in which you would use a single citation following multiple sentences is if it's obvious that you're quoting that source verbatim AND the quote is uninterrupted. If you're using your own terminology OR the quote is interrupted, you should cite each sentence separately.
This becomes obvious when considering the purpose of a citation. Citations are there to answer the question, "who said this?" If you're quoting someone verbatim, and it's obvious you're doing so, then you only need a single citation, as the reader will infer that it applies to the entire preceding quote.
On the other hand, if you have multiple claims throughout a paragraph, after each claim the reader will wonder, "what's his source for this?" In most cases, you will be using multiple sources, and you will have a mixture of references. However, even if you have a single source for lots of claims, the reader will still wonder *after each claim* what the source is. You should tell them the source of each and every claim separately.
The exception I've seen—and that my advisor requested I use in my writing—is in the instance of a single logical thought pattern being followed throughout a paragraph or set of paragraphs. If you're describing someone else's work, it can be justifiable to state, "the following is an overview of Bob (2007)", or something to that effect. From my experience, though, that usually only happens in review articles.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: If you really have only one reference which you take one paragraph to sum up, I'd really advise username_1’s last item (the “exception”):
>
> Tying one’s shoelaces with only one hand is notoriously difficult [1]. Although it seemed like an unsurmountable issue a few years back, the recent breakthrough of Smith et al. [2] relied on a few topological considerations which have been clearly delineated by Brown [3], and are summarized in the rest of this paragraph. *[Here your description, with claims from Brown, without repeating the reference number]*
>
>
> However, little is known about the influence of the number of fingers used [4] in the tying process. Here, we present a research on tying shoelaces with even-fingered hands.
>
>
>
This is better than having a lot of claims [3] with the same reference [3] written all over one paragraph [3]. However, **you need to make it crystal-clear what part is covered by the reference**: using the paragraph boundary (and explicitly stating this) is a good way of doing that.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: While not really an answer, this is often an indication of a lack of understanding. The original question used of language like paraphrasing, another indication of a lack of understanding. You should probably show a draft to a colleague asking for specific help.
Upvotes: 1 |
2012/10/16 | 927 | 3,958 | <issue_start>username_0: In some areas, like Computer Science, peer reviewed conference are as important as Journal Papers.
Unlike most Journals, Conferences have hard deadlines to submit the papers as well as page limits.
So I have a few questions:
* How early should I start writing a paper for a conference?
* Is it reasonable to write and do experiments at the same time?
* How many references should you check? one professor told me: check 200 use 30.<issue_comment>username_1: >
> How early should I start writing a paper for a conference?
>
>
>
Well, there are different approaches. Some people think "there is this conference coming, I need to write something for it", others think "I have this nice idea of research, let's see where I could present it". In the first case, you might need to start *very* early, since you need to do all the research, while in the second case, you might just need to start early...
Seriously though, it depends a lot of the content of the paper, the mechanical action of writing it (i.e., typing and formatting the text on a computer) is not what takes long.
>
> Is it reasonable to write and do experiments at the same time?
>
>
>
Sure. Even if you can't finish your experiments by the deadline, it's very likely you can reuse a good part of what you've already written for another conference.
>
> How many references should you check? one professor told me: check 200 use 30.
>
>
>
You don't check references because you should, but because they are relevant to your research problem. You should cite what you've read and what you think is important with respect to you work. You should cite the approaches that laid the basis for your own approaches, and explain how you build on them, which assumptions you are challenging. You should also cite the approaches that are similar to yours, and explain why yours is better.
There is no magic number: there are excellent papers with only 10 citations, and bad ones with 50 references.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Generally areas like CS have plenty of good conferences all round the year, so missing a particular deadline is unlikely to hurt you much. But in case you are targeting a specific conference whose deadline is say, September 1st, then you need to have solid results which you think might fit in well as a paper at least a month before.
It could take several rounds of copy-editing before a draft can become a neat paper. By experiments, I guess you mean simulations that validate the results in your paper. You could plan to use one section of your paper to present all your simulation results.
The task essentially involves planning your presentation, loads of typing and copy-editing and some coding for simulations. Earlier is better, and all these procedures could be totally different for a different field.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_1: I can't directly comment on computer science, but for chemical engineering, I had to write a conference paper for AICHE. Writing a paper can benefit somewhat from a "forward-backward" approach. Start perhaps with your data, writing out the data section fully, explaining everything. Then move to the introduction, motivating your research, and explaining why your results are new. The conclusion really just summarizes the basic result of your work. Then, the abstract condense the whole paper down - write that last.
It takes practice, but its not too bad once you get the hang of it.
Several rounds of editing are strongly recommended. When you have a first draft ready, let the paper sit for two or three days. Then, print it out double-spaced with wide margins, and read your paper. Look for ways to cut words - e.g. say the same thing with less. Can you understand what you have written? Make changes until you converge upon a tight package.
For reference, get a copy of How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper by <NAME>.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/16 | 415 | 1,682 | <issue_start>username_0: I am currently conducting researches that are almost mainly theoretical (I am a TCS researcher gone rogue = I also work on applying theory stuff to real life problems). In the future I plan to conduct several large experimental studies involving technical experiments AND human validation of the results.
I am a neophyte in conducting this kind of very large studies involving technicalities and "humanities". I ask around and search on the web for a textbook about this matter and do not find any comprehensive resource.
So the question : do you have any pointer to a book/survey/other explaining the whole process of a large scale experimental study? It can be from any domain.<issue_comment>username_1: I would say that the classic in experimental social science methodology is [Shadish & Cook's "Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Generalized Causal Inference"](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0395615569).
It covers various forms of experimental research design and also go into considerable detail in explaining the logic and practical steps of each.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The best book about experimental studies you can read is surely **[*<NAME>*](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereus_Nuncius)** by **[<NAME>](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei)**, the father of modern science.
That book was published first in 1610, but it's still very current. It explains to you how Galile<NAME>i built his technologies (the telescope) and how he run up his experiments to discover new stars and planets.
Definetely, a **must-read** book for every scientist.
Upvotes: 0 |
2012/10/16 | 439 | 1,813 | <issue_start>username_0: A senior researcher, with whom I worked a few years ago, is writing a book chapter. He contacted me to ask what was the latest work of our group on the topic of his chapter. I gave him a few links to recent articles and the preprint of an article soon to be published. He followed up by asking if “[you] would have a figure to illustrate [topic of the preprint]… preferably something that does not require copyright authorization paperwork”.
At first, I thought that was a bit much to ask… I had never asked for figures from anybody who was not an author on the paper. But the situation may be different for a book chapter, and obviously I'm glad to share the news of our most recent results. So, I took an hour tonight to make a nice illustrative figure, and am about to send it. However, I'd like to make certain in my mail that I ask for some sort of acknowledgment. So, my question is: **if someone designed a figure for a book chapter, how would that person be acknowledged? in the figure caption, e.g. “figure courtesy of X”? in another way?**<issue_comment>username_1: In the acknowledgements sections, the authors could write:
"The authors would like to thank F'x for providing us with Figure X".
Alternatively, in the caption of the figure they could write "Figure courtesy of F'x."
Both are acceptable, as long as you are happy. I don't think they are obliged to thank you in the paper at all.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Many graduate textbooks contain a list of references, either at the end of each chapter or at the end of a book broken down by chapter. I would imagine the citation would be there.
To the best of my (admittedly terrible) memory, I have never seen a textbook include an inline reference for a specific publication.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/16 | 1,041 | 4,497 | <issue_start>username_0: I am currently writing a proposal for my research topic and I want to copy figures from published articles into my proposal document. To put it in perspective, almost all the copied figures are to go in the *“Literature review”* section of the document.
Is it necessary to send an email to each and every author requesting permissions to copy the figures, even though complete citations and references are included? I referred to the following link:
[MITLibraries: Reuse of content in thesis.](http://libraries.mit.edu/sites/scholarly/publishing/copyright-publishing-guide-for-students/reuse-of-figures-images-and-other-content-in-theses/)
From what it says, copying images in thesis (with correct citations) seems to be valid under US copyright law.<issue_comment>username_1: For figures from your own papers, it would depend on the copyright transfer agreement you (or the corresponding author) signed upon publication. However, **all copyright agreements I know explicitly authorize reuse of content for academic theses**.
As an example: the American Chemical Society, which does not leave the authors too many rights, [includes this wording](http://pubs.acs.org/paragonplus/copyright/jpa_form_a.pdf):
>
> Authors may reuse all or part of the Submitted, Accepted or Published Work in a thesis or dissertation that the Author writes and is required to submit to satisfy the criteria of degree-granting institutions. Such reuse is permitted subject to the ACS’ “Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chemical Research"
>
>
>
---
For figures from others’ papers, a thesis is not very different from any other publication (see the related [question about blogging](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/3700/2700)). Unless your institution has a specific agreement with publishers (as MIT seems to have), you have to either:
* ask for permission; these days, it's all done online and once you have located the appropriate form for a publisher, you can make your requests and get all the answers the next day
* rely on **fair use** in the US, or similar law in other countries; around me, most people actually do that, either knowingly or just out of ignorance :)
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Copyright laws vary by country, so this answer may be UK specific.
To be safe rather than sorry, it probably is a good idea to copyright clear third party works, especially if your dissertation will eventually be uploaded to an online depository, which is becoming more common. [Imperial College London](http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/library/subjectsandsupport/spiral/etheses/clearingcopyright), as an example, specify that proof of permission to include third party works needs to be included in the electronic copy of the thesis and this may be a policy at other universities too. In addition, the source needs to be carefully referenced in a note to the figure. Not doing this can cause unwanted delays in depositing the thesis in the archive.
In my case, I found it rapid and free to include single figures from published journal articles in the thesis. Just as [F'x](https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/2700/fx) says, requesting permissions can be done in a day, although it's probably best not to leave it to the last minute. I was sent through to Copyright Clearance Center's Rightslink from the published journal articles each time I requested permission and the process was straightforward.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I created an account on [copyright.com](https://www.copyright.com/) and using the same I was able to get permissions for more than half of the figures for which I needed to do so. This way is particularly useful for students in the United States as there's now one place where most of the requesting and granting can take place. The experience is like shopping from an online website (they literally have a shopping cart) and in general the process was more convenient than I had thought what it would be.
For a subset of the remaining papers, where the publisher was the copyright holder, I emailed the publisher and I was able to get a response in less than a couple of working days. This was true for a few papers from Europe and the UK. For the papers where the holder was the author, I emailed the author. For all figures for which I didn't get a reply or I got a reply which quoted a significant cost for reusing the figures, I simply removed the figures from my literature review.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/17 | 1,242 | 4,868 | <issue_start>username_0: I recently discover the existence of unique digital identifier for researchers (such as the one proposed by [ORCID](http://about.orcid.org/) or [ResearcherID](http://www.researcherid.com/Home.action)).
I never really heard about it, maybe because it is not common in my field (biological sciences) and I was wondering about the interest and use of such identifier.
So my question is twofold:
>
> 1) What are the interest of using an unique digital identifier as a researcher?
>
>
> 2) Is it commonly used in the scientific community (by publishers, databases, commitees)?
>
>
>
PS: related but not the same question [here](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/2981/researcher-id-is-there-non-commercial-alternative)<issue_comment>username_1: 1. Well, search for publications of a <NAME> (no middle name), or a <NAME>, or any common name, and you'll have a hard time identifying them because of the many homonyms… Publishers and database owners are trying hard to help users, by trying to guess who is who (Web of Science calls this “Unique author set”), but their algorithms don't do very well.
As an example, I have a colleague who has a paper completely outside her main field. None of these algorithms pick it up.
Thus, because a researcher’s name is not unique, many people argue that there is need of a unique ID scheme. (Others disagree: “I’m not a number!”). As a researcher, the benefits are:
* easier for others to identify your articles in databases
* easier to keep track of your citations, especially for items other than conventional journal articles
* possibilities for cool web hyperlinks, like DOI has brought
2. The Orcid registry was [launched yesterday](http://www.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/press_releases/2012/10/16/UK201210163120), so noöne uses it so far…
---
My own concern about it is that I don't know in detail on the ORCID consortium will use the data they will be able to mine. In particular, this worries me:
>
> I consent to the privacy policy and terms and conditions of use, including **allowing those who access the database to make commercial uses of the public data**.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There are several purposes for proper and trustworthy tracking of individual's publications. Whether we as researchers like it or not, we are gradually more and more evaluated on the basis of our publications output. That is, our grant applications/proposals and other means of funds acquisition are rated, at least partly, against our publications track and a future projection thereof. If you want to convince the hiring, or grant committees and other fund holders, you show your list of publications. The more trustworthy, the better. Hence a reason for a centralized trustworthy publication tracking service. Also, people change names (e.g., by marriage), affiliations, sometimes fields. Proper attribution by automatic algorithms, such as those at work at WoS, Scopus, Google Scholar, or Microsoft Academic Search is therefore unreliable. Having a real-world and trusted tag which I could use e.g., on my papers to identify myself among the hundreds of John Smiths is useful.
Therefore:
>
> 1) What are the interest of using an unique digital identifier as a researcher?
>
>
>
1. **trustworthy disambiguation**
2. **central trustworthy register**
3. **semi-automatic tracking of publications, which however should be customisable by the ID owner to fix all the mistakes/misattributions**
4. **citation attribution** - often e.g., WoS, attributes citations mistakenly to wrong people, because people make mistakes in references/bibliographies, etc. A central register can help with that.
>
> 2) Is it commonly used in the scientific community (by publishers, databases, commitees)?
>
>
>
If your name is unique, it's easy for the committees to check your track by simply googling you, then these guys don't care much. If you are <NAME> of this world, than they are not able to do that and would ask you to prove your track record. And that can be painstaking. Even with just few dozen papers published, I myself am not able to get my WoS record correct. So to set the answer straight: *currently, not many people use it for other than personal purposes, but many (including myself) hope, ORCID will succeed and the academic community will start to use the scheme and life will get a little bit easier.*
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The biology equivalent is eRa commons. As that system is strongly linked with NIH funding, it provides a robust system to tie a paper with a particular author that is independent of the author's name and the multiple versions that may be associated with the author.
Where it falls short is that eRa commons isn't associated with anything outside of pubmed and NIH.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/17 | 1,378 | 5,647 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm applying to a graduate program, and one of the application's requirements is to select at least one advisor, along with a reason for the selection. Specifically, this is the requirement:
>
> In order to match you with a faculty adviser, tell us which faculty member's work most closely aligns with your interest.
>
>
>
And there is a list from which I should choose the advisor's name, and a text field in which I'm asked to write a reason for the selection.
I already know the advisors whom I'd like to work with, and the reason is simply that I'm interested in what they do (based on their recent papers/projects). But I'm not sure if this is what they're looking for, because they've already said this in the quoted text above, and also I will choose more than one advisor, and writing the same reason doesn't seem right.
My question is: What other reasons that one may have for selecting an advisor, *other than having shared interests*?<issue_comment>username_1: Some things I can think of (I'm a PhD student in my final year):
1. An advisor may be famous in their field, which in turn affects your abilities to make academic contacts.
2. An advisor may be known to be good at advising, to prioritise advising PhD students, make time when needed, etc. Having PhD students is good for an advisor, not least because PhD students produce papers.
3. An advisor may be a pleasant person to work with.
It may be hard to find someone meeting all three. I know of cases where (1) is met, but where the advisor is so busy that they hardly have time for their PhD student(s) (*now I need to write a proposal, please come back in three months*) so that other seniors in the same group do most of the supervision in practice.
There are probably other factors that I'm not thinking of right now.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Many don't speak about this too often, but with an advisor you are not only choosing a field of interest, but you are choosing a *mentor*. By all means, you want to "tick well" with him/her. There is not much good for a PhD student having a star researcher advisor whom they see once in a quarter and who is a sociopath on a personal level (this is a bit too extreme, but think about it as a continuum between extremes). Choose somebody with whom you will be able to work, whose example it is worth to follow, from whom you want to learn, not only the scientific stuff, but also workstyle, level of quality he/she strives for, etc. These soft reasons are often more important than anything else. For highlighting of all the examples of stuff you don't want to fall into (but will anyway :-) ), go and look at the [PhD Comics](http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php).
P.S.
I am speaking with a European-centric attitude, where you choose your advisor, since he/she will be your boss, rather than being assigned to one as it seems to happen in the US system. Still, the point is worth to consider. Germans have a good term for this, your PhD supervisor is your "Doktorvater", i.e., "doctor father". That very much speaks how the relationship should end up in an ideal case.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Pick someone who is good at what you want to be good at. If you want to go into academia, look for someone who has published regularly, recently, and in quality journals. If you lean toward working in industry, find someone who has connections with industry. If you want to become a teacher, find someone who teaches regularly and has good reviews.
Having said that, I think they are just wanting to make sure you are a good fit for their department. They don't want to accept someone into their program if they're not interested in the type of research that is being done there.
Having said that, you can usually change advisors during the first year. So you probably shouldn't sweat this too much.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: My guess is that this is not a binding selection, especially since you say you're asked to list *at least one,* rather than just one. This strikes me as being a "have you done your homework about our department" question.
That said, picking an advisor involves making sure that they are a fit both with respect to your research interests, but also your working style. That also means talking to their research groups: are they the kind of people you can see yourself fitting in with for the next few years? Do you see yourself "meshing" well with your advisor?
Unfortunately, those are issues you can only determine after you've been admitted. But making sure you've identified a few people that you can work with will make sure that:
* You're not setting yourself up for disappointment, because you want to work for popular professor X, who can only take two of the ten people who want to work with her, but nobody else.
* The department can try to match applicant interests with available projects—in part, again to avoid everybody trying to go into the same subfield, and so that the distribution reflects the distribution of available projects.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: None of the answers addressed the funding dimension of an adviser, so I'll add it here. My PhD adviser was well funded, which allowed me to:
* Incur no student-loan or other debt during the 5 years of my PhD (I went from bachelors to PhD, by the way).
* Travel easily when I published papers at conferences.
* Understand how research proposals are written, as the professor worked on a lot of them and we were involved in that process. Useful for when you'll have to write proposals IF you become a professor.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/17 | 2,635 | 11,319 | <issue_start>username_0: When I went to college, an old-schooled teacher of mine insisted that, because I was interested in chemistry, I needed to work on my German as it was the *lingua franca* of that trade. It turns out, there is absolutely no need to speak German anymore to be a successful researcher in chemistry.
I somewhat thought that, since at least two decades, English was the only language required to be a researcher in any field (excepting, maybe, literature). However, seeing [this question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/1968/how-to-prepare-for-the-french-language-exam-as-part-of-phd-program) made it apparent that some graduate programs still have requirements for other languages. How useful are they?
In a word: **are there some fields where reading/writing/speaking a language other than English is necessary to perform research at an international level?**
(Let's exclude fields related to literature and linguistics. Let's also forget about teaching, and focus the question on research.)<issue_comment>username_1: In my field (mathematical physics), it is certainly true that most research is published in English, although there certainly is a non-trivial amount published in French, for example. Although being able to read French might not be required in many institutions, it still is very useful. I expect that for the other sciences the picture is similar (for the humanities on the other hand, I expect it may be very different).
Another issue however that becomes more important when looking for tenure(d) (track) positions are the teaching requirements. In many countries almost all teaching is done in the native language, at least at the undergraduate level. So it is important that you will be able to teach in this language, or at least be willing to learn the language in the near future.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm going to cherry pick a bit.
In the area of robotics, the Japanese have one of the best journals and conferences (their journals were about 10%-20% acceptance rate about 3 years ago).
Yet, many of those journals are written in Japanese. Here in Japan, students in robotics do not need to present their work at international conferences or journals, since they consider theirs good enough.
Many of the best robotics work in things like ICRA and IROS (from the Japanese) was presented in some form about 1-2 years ago.
That said, I do not think knowing Japanese is necessary for a successful tenure in robotics, but it certainly can help to have some competitive advantage.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: I do research in chemical engineering. The journals one submits to depend on field. For the most part, work related to systems, simulation, optimization, etc., are published in English. I am pretty sure its that same way with health/biomedical/medicine type research, since a lot of that is funded by NSF and/or NIH.
The only foreign journal I've heard of anyone submitting to was *Angewandte Chemie* (I think that's German for Applied Chemistry). But, I do not think they submitted in German. Those people did research in the field of self-assembly and nano-scale systems.
I am pretty sure English is fine for publishing — but hey, a second language is always helpful to know, if you've got the time and commitment it takes to get fluent.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> Are there some fields where speaking a language other than English is necessary to perform research at an international level?
>
>
>
It depends on what you mean by "speaking" and "necessary". In mathematics, there is no need to speak any language but English and the language of the country you are working in, but there's a real benefit to being able to read other languages. It's not strictly necessary, and its importance varies between fields. In my case, I don't use other languages on a daily or even weekly basis, but probably read French on a monthly basis and German a little less frequently.
In my view, the reason for language exams isn't that these languages are required to be a researcher, but rather that they are helpful. The best argument I've heard for requiring language exams is as follows. Learning how to read mathematics in French or German is not very difficult, but it's still a burden if you just want to read one paper. Usually you can get around it by finding another exposition, finding someone to explain the paper to you, or just deciding the paper is not relevant enough to bother with. However, even though this is a rational solution to a one-time dilemma, it's a bad idea if you are going to be faced with these dilemmas repeatedly. At that point, you'll gain a lot in flexibility and convenience if you can read the papers you want to read. The purpose of language exams is to keep people from repeatedly making short-sighted choices.
I'd guess that language skills are more important in mathematics than in most scientific fields, because the mathematics literature has an enormously longer half-life. In my work, I frequently use and refer to papers that are 50 years old, and sometimes quite a bit more. These results have not always made it into textbooks, and even when they have the original papers sometimes contain valuable insights.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_5: >
> Let's exclude fields related to literature and linguistics.
>
>
>
I would say that in most Academic Departments you can find a research topics that can be done exclusively in English, but that in many departments you could also find topics that cannot be done exclusively with English. Even with Computer Science (e.g., speech recognition in a non-English language) and Biology (genetic mutation common in a foreign country where you need to collect samples) there are projects where a foreign languages is required. I would venture to say there are more departments where a foreign language could be critical than ones where it couldn't. I am hard pressed to think of a Chemistry or Pyshics research question that would require a foreign language.
Choosing the [College of Arts and Sciences at UPenn](http://www.upenn.edu/programs/academics-degrees-and-programs.php?level=&schoolID=artsci) as a random sample of research fields the following broad categories become apparent. There are language studies (e.g., French, Spanish, German), which to me do not fall into the literature category, where there is an obvious need for a foreign language. There are cultural studies (e.g., Asian Studies and Latin American Studies, but also things like Anthropology, Archeology, Art History) where you are likely required to live in a non-English speaking country for at least a while. I would expect language studies and cultural studies to have language requirements. Then there are research areas in which you may be studying a non-English speaking culture (e.g., Criminology, Economics, Environmental Studies), for which languages are essential for some individuals, but unlikely to be required for all. There are also art topics (e.g., Fine Arts, Cinema studies, Music) where your research topics may not be in English and foreign language skills may be required. There are "old" topics (e.g., History, Classics, and Folklore) where sources are unlikely to be in English so programs often have language exams.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: Let's approach this question from another direction: When is it ever a disadvantage to know more languages?
Every translation is already an interpretation and beyond mathematics I don't see any field where interpretation would not matter. In other words: You are always closer to the original meaning when reading a paper in its original language than when reading a translation of it.
I'm in philosophy and theology right now and it is for either a must to know English, German, French, Italian, Latin and Ancient Greek. The works of Plato, Nietzsche, Luther, Macchiavelli, Sueton, etc. are simply not the same anymore once you translate them.
As an academic you should never wonder why you should put any effort into learning something new - learning new things is your daily job! That's what you chose to do. Therefore the need to learn a new language should be seen as a chance. Expand your horizon!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: It depends on the field.
My ongoing PhD work is in applied mathematics, where English is pretty much all you need. Sure, knowing some Russian, French and German can be useful, if you want to read various older seminal papers in their original form, but the actual results from those papers have usually been widely reproduced (often in a more modern and readable form) in textbooks written in English. For more modern research in my field, English is pretty much the universal choice of language, perhaps the only halfway significant contender being Chinese.
(In pure mathematics, the situation is somewhat different, partly due to the "longer half-life" of pure math papers noted by username_4 in their answer. Indeed, typically the non-English papers one occasionally encounters in applied math tend to be on the theoretical side.)
I'm also an amateur cryptographer, and within that field the dominance of English in academic writing is even more complete. This is partly due to historical reasons: the modern academic study of cryptography, as opposed to clandestine military research and occasional hobbyist dabbling, is a relatively new field, and emerged from applied mathematics and computer science at a time when especially the latter field was strongly dominated by the U.S. and other English-speaking countries. Basically, within crypto, the *only* thing you may need languages other than English for is historical (meta)research.
On the other hand, in the last few years I've also dabbled in the humanities, specifically in assyriology. Within that field, at least rudimentary knowledge of French and German is all but essential (some of the central reference works and dictionaries are written in those languages), and Latin isn't completely useless either. And of course, you also need to learn the ancient languages that you're studying (for me, that's Akkadian, some Sumerian and a bit of Hittite so far), and familiarity with their neighbors and (ancient or modern) relatives can be pretty useful, too.
So, yes, that's at least one field where knowing only English would be a significant impediment. I'm not saying it would completely *prevent* you from studying the field, but it does deprive you of access to some fairly useful sources and references. And besides, the general attitude in assyriology seems to be that a researcher *should* be polyglot as a matter of course. For example, the *Reallexikon der Assyriologie* (an important encyclopedia of the field) happily mixes together entries written in German, English and French, depending on each contributor's preferred language, and expects the reader to be able to make sense of any of them.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: History
Without any access to first-hand translations one is sentenced to rely only on other translators' interpretations.
Even for english history one needs to look for foreign resources either to fact-check the record or understand the topic from others' perspective.
Upvotes: -1 |
2012/10/17 | 610 | 2,504 | <issue_start>username_0: In an academic paper, we sometimes have a "Results and Discussion" section.
It is not uncommon to add the explanation and discussion of the results together with the results section.
What are the pros and cons of both practices from an academic point of view? How do I weigh them for each paper?
1. List the results without explaining their significance, which is then explained in the discussion section.
2. List the results with their explanation as they are being listed, and eliminate the discussion section.
I find the second approach more appropriate to understand the results, since the reader wouldn't need to be going back and forth the sections, but then again, that is just my feeling.<issue_comment>username_1: I must say that I would have a hard time listing the pros of the first approach (separate *results* and *discussion* sections), because I don't like it and it doesn't fit my style of writing. My advice would be: if you can, **write in the style that you like best, because that's how your writing will be most natural/readable/convincing**.
However, the choice is not Manichaean as you make it sound. There exist a continuum between those two, because it mainly depends on what you call “results” and “discussion”. When I write for a journal that requires a strict “results then discussion” format, what I usually do is that I put most of my text in the *results* part, and leave some general overall discussion for the *discussion* part. Typically, it would given something like:
>
> **Results**
>
>
> * First result. Discuss its implications.
> * Second result. How it confirms result #1. Consistent with previous observations [ref].
> * Third result. Again, some discussion of it.
>
>
> **Discussion**
>
>
> Altogether, what is the insight given by these results. It changes our view of this phenomenon somewhat. It is in line with work by X et al., but highlights some contradictions of Y’s model.
>
>
>
That's a bit “cheating”, but I've never been asked to reörganize any paper written in that way.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: My post doc advisor has submitted a number of papers with the "Discussion" section renamed "Speculation". While the editor/reviewers have always required the section be renamed "Discussion", her approach rubbed off on me. By treating the Discussion section as if everything is speculation, it becomes clear what goes into the Discussion and what goes inot the results.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/17 | 1,278 | 5,621 | <issue_start>username_0: This is a follow-up question to [this question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/1788/are-faculty-salaries-negotiable) of mine, where I wanted to know if academic salaries can be negotiated.
How does an academic negotiate a pay package that has been offered? What special points in one's profile must be emphasised in order to get a favourable bargain? Are there any standard cards (tricks) that must be played?
PS: The negotiator is assumed to be fresh out of his doctorate.<issue_comment>username_1: I think the first thing you need to ask is do you want a raise. While it may seem obvious that more money is better, I would argue that this is not the case since the raise comes with other "costs". In the simplest case, would you rather a raise of x, or an increased startup package of 10x? While not directly linked, your total "cost" (including space) is a factor.
There are two problems with seeking a raise. First, they are hard to justify. Universities want you to do good research. The effect of a raise on research output is hard to see, while the effect of an extra RA for a year is easy to see. Further, a small increase in salary now projects to large future costs for the university. The university will keep that number in their head during negotiation. A raise means you might top out on the pay scale earlier, so your pay may stagnate (meaning the university over estimated the cost of the initial raise). This means that overall the raise is not good value for money.
You might argue that a raise is the only way increase the money in your pocket. In the short run this is true, but in the long run, better research might lead to more money.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: To a first approximation, you have two ways of negotiating for a higher salary, namely fairness and leverage from other offers.
If your offer is not in line with what other people have received under similar circumstances at the same institution, then you can ask them to address this. If you make a convincing case, they may improve the offer, either out of a desire to do the right thing or out of fear of embarrassment if the details became known (for example, if it suggests discrimination). However, it's rare for there to be enough information to make an objective case for unfairness. Unless the offer is really outrageous, you aren't likely to have much success with this sort of argument: probably, the administration will just explain why they think it's fair.
By far the most successful way to negotiate is based on other offers. This gives you concrete proof that another university values you more than this one seems to, and you can make a credible threat of going there instead. You can't necessarily expect to get other offers matched exactly, since the comparison always involves a complicated mix of benefits, cost of living analysis, departmental quality, etc. However, it at least gives you a powerful way to start the conversation, and you'll have a lot of leverage if you might plausibly accept the other offer instead.
Incidentally, the worst mistake naive job candidates make is to accept a job offer and then try to negotiate. During the period when you have offers but haven't accepted yet, you are in a better negotiating position than you ever will be later. As soon as you accept, almost all your power disappears.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: In some cases (for example in Germany), most academic positions are paid according to collectively negotiated labour agreements. The universities have little room to deviate from this (at the professor level things are different, though). The wages are paid according to scales corresponding to different "function levels", and each scale consists of a certain number of steps. The number of steps you get for free is based on your previous experience. It might be possible to negiotate an extra step, but this is usually difficult. In principle you can be placed in a higher scale, but this depends on the specific tasks you will be responsible for. For example, a postdoc leading his/her own group can be in a higher scale than a postdoc without such responsibilities.
In short, negotiating salary may be difficult in such a system, since the universities are bound to the collective labour agreements. In the Netherlands the situation is similar.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: It's important to remember that you're negotiating a package, not a salary. In other words, there is a set of things you're negotiating for, and you can play games in that space to get most of what you need. Limiting yourself to salary negotiation is tricky because salaries are often the most constrained part of the package (especially in public universities in the US), and the one the chair/dean has the least power to change.
So remember that your success at the job depends on your ability to recruit students, procure resources and bootstrap your research program. Which means you need startup money to pay students, lab space and equipment money as needed, teaching relief if that helps you focus on research, and so on. Throw these all into the mix when you negotiate, so that if you give up something along one dimension, you can try to parlay that into a gain along a different dimension.
Also understand who you're really negotiating with, and what powers they really have to offer you things. This can be found out by talking with your supporters at the department (you must have some, otherwise you wouldn't have an offer) and also folks at other institutions.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer] |
2012/08/22 | 2,139 | 8,603 | <issue_start>username_0: I am doing research in computer Science as a PhD student. I have some research ideas and for months I've been continuously thinking about them, developing them and make them more specific. I mean, these ideas continually change until one day they are finalized. Over time they are more specific and complex.
I use Evernote to write down my ideas, and sometimes maybe also brainstorm mapping tools like Mindmeister. But I found these tools are not good enough, e.g. not easy to structurize my ideas, or modify, elaborate them, in a word, manage my ideas.
Do you have any good methods or tools for the organization/management of your developing research ideas? How do professors and professional scholars and researchers deal with this issue?<issue_comment>username_1: Anytime I get a chance, I try to use the productivity applications. These may be associated with time management or structuring ideas etc. I found out that there is no best way to do this. Every application has some heuristics behind, and these are mostly decided by the developers. Sometimes an app may seem to solve your problem, but later you may realize that it is not what you want or need. In my opinion, **you need to come up with your own way to do it**. However, let me list some ways/advices I encounter:
* Open a google document. Write down your ideas as a list. If you need
to structure them, nest the list items. Go over the document
periodically.
* Take a look at [wunderlist](http://www.6wunderkinder.com/wunderlist). They have done a good
job task/note management. [wunderlist 2](http://www.6wunderkinder.com/wunderlist) has just released with new features.
* [Trello](https://trello.com) is another example. It may seem
to be an project management tool, but you can use for managing your
ideas on a whiteboard-style.
* [Springpad](http://springpad.com) is another way to save/organize things online.
* Your example [Evernote](http://evernote.com), and others like [do.com](https://do.com),
[todoist](http://todoist.com) can be listed also. If you really need to find the
right application you need to search hard. Take a look at [here](http://alternativeto.net/software/evernote/) as well.
* [Mindmup](http://www.mindmup.com/) is a online mind mapping tool.
* [Hiro](https://www.hiroapp.com) is another newly released tool. Try it [here](https://alpha.hiroapp.com).
For me, the best way is to keep a small notebook and write down what I have done in terms of research day by day. I also note the ideas for my thesis. After some point, when you go back and check your progress, you would be amazed how much things changed and become more mature. But the most important thing is that I realized what is best for me is to grep a pen and write down it on a paper rather than some website.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: [*Aibase*](http://www.aibase-cs.com/index.html) has the option to put formulas, mind-maps, bullet points lists, diagrams, sketches, to-do list in ONE document, basically a hybrid software (Evernote + MindMapping) for creative project managment. Best software I ever bought for knowledge and project management
I explained the software [here](https://productivity.stackexchange.com/a/1600/560) more in detail
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: May I recommend Org mode? It's free software, and it was created by <NAME>, an academic himself. Its focus is to help you maintain hierarchical notes and to-do lists, but it has [a lot of other features](http://orgmode.org/features.html) that are useful for juggling large amounts of information, such as tags, links, many kinds of summary reports, and capture (a way to quickly add a note in the right place before you forget it), as well as many features useful for scientists in particular, like tables, spreadsheets, mathematical notation, export (as papers, slideshows, or websites), and [support for source code and reproducible research](http://www.jstatsoft.org/v46/i03). Perhaps best of all, Org documents are text files, so you can munge them with standard Unix tools at whim. I've moved more and more of my workflow to Org since I started using it in 2010, and I regret nothing.
Org has a steep learning curve, which gets steeper if you aren't already a disciple of the Church of Emacs. But as I see it, getting used to Emacs is worth it even without Org mode, especially if you do a lot of programming. I was an Emacs zealot for years before I took up Org.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: Whiteboards & (electronic) notebooks.
-------------------------------------
My notes start in one of two places:
1. On a whiteboard
2. Being jotted down to my to-do list to be thought of more in depth later, usually because I'm away from work. These will then later be thought through on the whiteboard.
The primary benefit of the whiteboard is the freeform mapping. There are many mind-mapping software packages out there; I don't think any are as good as an actual whiteboard. On a physical board, you can write easily, sketch ideas, connect concepts, erase stupid stuff, and leave it there while you type easily. You can do this with a program, but you need to use a mouse and keyboard, which I find overly constrictive.
I typically sketch the idea out there, and then just write it down either to paper or to an electronic notes program. I use [Simplenotes](http://simplenoteapp.com/), but there are many very similar programs... [Evernote](http://evernote.com/) is very popular. Unless you're very savvy with the command line, I recommend against just using text files, as there's a huge benefit to having the features that come with these programs: quick searching, tagging, and attachments.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: I like to use [DevonThink](http://www.devontechnologies.com/products/devonthink/overview.html) for managing developing research projects. It's a Mac-based software which offers a data and knowledge management system. The relevant steps in my workflow for refining research ideas to concepts and then projects are as follows:
* Collect literature on a relevant topic and put it into a dedicated DevonThink group.
* When I see important points for the project in a particular paper, I create an annotation text document in the same group to write down these points.
* I import email related to the project (for example discussions with colleagues) into the database, so that I can link to them when making use of ideas obtained from there.
* When starting to synthesize ideas, I do it in a text document where I can insert links to or even image snapshots from the source documents in the DevonThink database.
* When working on a project, I create journal files in the DevonThink database, writing down what I did, what results I got, and maybe pasting screenshots or relevant result diagrams into the journal file.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: [Microsoft OneNote](http://www.onenote.com/) was a great research helper for me for a long time, as it can save snippets of the pages with the link to the original site. But, after capturing several hundred notes, I could no longer find the needed one in a reasonable time.
Some people start structuring their bookmarks into a deep tree of categories, but I was too lazy for that, so I found this [Flamory tool.](http://flamory.com) It does not offer any categorization at all, but instead it groups the snippets into topics automatically.
I usually find recent bookmarks by looking through small screenshots that it shows, and for older one's I use the search. It can find words in the whole page or PDF that I bookmarked, not just the title.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_7: In my opinion these tools do restrict you too much. I prefer plain sheets of paper (A0 or bigger) pinned on the wall. Post-Its are wounderful for organising and structuring ideas. Probably parts of the books (there are many more) "Presentation Zen" and "Businessmodel, you" helped me with developing my own way of doing it.
Essentially, I do write every idea on a Post-It and put them unordered onto a white paper (e.g 2 m long 1 m high). Afterwards I start to order them. This is an iterative process and I do it at least three times. These Post-Its serve as heading for my thoughts. I do write them underneath with edding.
These posters stay at my wall as long as I need them and slowly, over time I add or reorder something. Highly recommended. Furthermore it helps, to walk around, move your arms, go back and forth etc.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/18 | 975 | 3,884 | <issue_start>username_0: I'll be doing an Internship in USA the following week, in UCLA.
I'm studying in Japan, where you should bring some kind of gift to your host professor, if nothing, for his/her kindness for accepting you as a PhD/visitor/etc.
I've seen this practice along Asian Universities (Japan, China, Singapore, India). But only in Japan professors may get offended if you do not bring anything.
A friend's professor is actually from the US (in a Japanese Univ), and when she have her a gift, the professor flipped and asked her whether this was some kind of joke or bribe, given that both of them were foreigners. Their relationship did not go so well after that.
Now, with this background, I'm a bit wary of bringing some kind of gift or souvenir to my host professor, since I'm pointing towards a postdoc in the same lab and I do not want to cause the wrong impression, but I do want to show some form of gratitude, since the Professor payed for all my expenses (lodging and airplane).<issue_comment>username_1: A gift to show your gratitude will always be appreciated. People like to know that their efforts in hosting you are not taken for granted, and the token will strengthen the relationship.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I'll tackle the easiest side of the question first: **bringing nothing should not create trouble**. If you are clearly expressing your thanks for the invitation, both in written before you arrive, and in person when you meet the guy, noöne should take offense.
On the other hand, **bringing a gift is fine too**, but:
* It should be tasteful and suitable for any taste: no *sake*, no unusual (by US standards) food… unless you know him well enough.
* It should not be terribly expensive: people like the attention, but they don't actually care so much about the gift itself. Keep it simple, that way it cannot be understood as a bribe.
* Not academia-related, but still useful to remember: make sure it passes customs (I had my French gift confiscated from me once).
I usually bring stuff to colleagues who host me when I travel to other places, if only because it gives a starting topic for smalltalk (something which I'm not very good at) in a future occasion.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: It is all right to give a small gift as a token of your appreciation, but in my experience, it's customary to give it at the **end** of your internship. If I understand your question correctly, you are asking about giving something at the beginning. I think that might be a bit unusual. Normally, these gifts show that you appreciate the time that someone spent working with you.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: I have seen people bring local sweets, everyone likes sweets, they are cheap, so you stay away from the "bribe" thing and they can easily be shared if there are more people around. They also provide some kind of smalltalk topic.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: Depending on state law the professor can accept it. I think that usually the threshold is somewhere around the $100 mark. I know that in Illinois if we accept a gift that is worth more than 100 dollars we have the following 3 options:
1. Respectfully refuse the gift
2. Accept the gift and donate it to a charitable organization
3. Accept the gift and then make a charitable donation equal to the value of the gift
I do agree with the other responses that it should be given at the end of the visit. The gift is a "thank you for your time and help gesture" and is a more appropriate form of saying goodbye.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: Like others said, a small gift to show your appreciation would be completely acceptable. If you have trouble deciding on what to get, try giving something that your area of Japan is known for (as long as it is in good taste). It would add a nice personal touch.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/18 | 927 | 4,054 | <issue_start>username_0: Here at my university, we have 12-13 week-long summer break for the students excluding summer-school. It is almost as long as a semester. I guess this is roughly the case for other institutions. In fact I often observe that some grad students use this break to work in another research group usually in another country (European countries mostly, USA rarely). Even some others spend entire two-semeter academic term in another university.
My question is as follows: **What would be the pros and cons for using summer-time to work in another research group away from your supervisor and/or your research topic?** I guess the situation would be different for a masters and a PhD student (I am currently interested in the situation for a masters student, but general ideas covering the situation would be OK).<issue_comment>username_1: Here are the obvious things:
* Pro: the work in another group will build contacts, possibly improving your opportunities for future academic positions (PhD, postdoc, assistant professor position).
* Pro: funding opportunities, if you're in need of extra money.
* Con: the work done in another group will take up time and energy, and if not related to your current work, won't advance your research (experimenting, publishing, etc.). That should probably be your priority (this is related to the comment on the question about it being strange to get 12-week breaks...)
* Con: if you don't coordinate it with your supervisor, this could affect the trust in the relationship (depending on the style of the supervisor).
If you wish to pursue an academic career, in some universities respectable journal articles published are worth more than contacts when competing for a job. So don't overestimate the first "pro" I mention above. At the master's level, this is less important.
The best strategy is to coordinate the "outside" work with your supervisor for maximum benefit.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: >
> **NOTE: The answer below assumes you have approval from your university and/or employer!**
>
>
>
If your university is closed for 12 weeks, I would argue it's almost **entirely positive** to go somewhere else and work, because:
* If you work more, you get more results. Sounds obvious, but it's the scientific output that counts. You can't afford lingering around for 12 weeks if you want to get a scientific career. The work you do elsewhere might or might not help you directly towards your PhD, but if it results in publications, it certainly will enhance your academic career, even if the publications are unrelated to your PhD work.
* You will enhance your international experience, which will enhance your chances of finding positions later on.
* You will improve your academic contacts, which also enhances your chances.
* If you acquire your own funding, you will gain experience in finding sources of money, which should also be greatly beneficial for your career.
All in all, I can't think of any reason **not** to do it, if the alternative is idling.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: If you are currently "employed full-time" by a research group (you are a student, or a scientific worker, whose funding is from a given research group), then any extended outside work for another research group needs to be discussed and approved by your current advisor **in advance**. Failure to do so, as username_1 suggests, will lead to *major* conflicts, as you are potentially committing a major breach of etiquette, and possibly violating your departmental regulations or your work contract if you don't secure the permissions in advance.
But that said, the best use of spending time in another research group is to develop new skills and techniques that you couldn't learn (or at least couldn't learn as well) by staying in your "home" group. In such cases, I suspect most advisors would support such a move, so long as it doesn't conflict with your current progress timeline and any requirements of your department (or your funding).
Upvotes: 1 |
2012/10/18 | 1,392 | 6,119 | <issue_start>username_0: Among the presentations in a major conference, I attended one where the author cited a paper (of theirs) under review in another major conference. Not only cited it, but showed some of its results.
I have the impression that it should not be possible, since there's the potential risk of influencing reviewers who could also be in the room during the presentation. Or is it only "good practice" not to do so?<issue_comment>username_1: The only problem of presenting results that are not published is if someone else *steals* the results and writes their own paper about them. (Though this probably more likely only happens with ideas that are shared too prematurely.)
It is generally considered a good thing to promote one’s own work, and one way of doing this is by giving presentations at other universities.
Even if this work is under review at a different conference, I don’t think it is problematic. When presenting a paper at a conference, you are not necessarily obliged to talk about precisely the contents of the paper. You are advertising the paper, and more generally, your own work, so that people will read it and cite it. If you have bigger and better results, then these will help with your promotion of your own work.
Of course it would be weird, though probably not wrong, to talk entirely about a different paper when presenting at a conference.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: There is **nothing unethical** in doing so (including results from a paper *of your own* under review). It is not fundamentally different from presenting any other unpublished work of yours. If anything, you are taking a risk because people might jump on the idea, do the research at full speed (knowing what to look for), and publish it before your paper is finally out…
It depends strongly on the field of research, and the pressure from the competition. In my field (physical chemistry), it has evolved as follows in the last 10 or 15 years: people used to happily report on their not-yet-published results. Then, some colleagues from the US started to stop doing it, especially at the big conferences, citing fear of being “scooped”. Now, in most conferences, you don't hear anything that has not at least been accepted for publication. There are exceptions, usually local conferences, but also for example the prestigious [Gordon conferences](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Research_Conferences), which are held under a confidentiality agreement and where unpublished work is favored.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: There is one circumstance where presenting results under review elsewhere would be a violation of code. This is when the conference where review is ongoing requires double blind submissions.
In such cases, there's usually a clause that asks the authors not do anything overt to violate double blind review, and presenting at a different venue (where reviewers might be in attendance) would be an overt violation.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I see no reason to be concerned about this. Most of my conference presentations are about work I haven't even submitted yet. And the whole point is to persuade people that the ideas I'm presenting are useful. All of my papers go on arxiv.org and on my website as soon as they're submitted.
Why on earth would it be wrong to influence reviewers (except in case of double-blind review)?
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: In favour of unrestricted dissemination
=======================================
After thinking about the answers provided so far and the discussion in comments, it seems to me that the point of view favouring dissemination of research results unrestricted by the double-blind peer-review process needs a stronger case. I believe that the answer can be derived from higher-level, rather philosophical, principles.
>
> ... Or is it only "good practice" not to do so [to present results under review]?
>
>
>
***What is the purpose of developing and disseminating research results?***
I am an idealist in these things and argue, that it is first and foremost the *advancement of human knowledge* and ultimately *improvement of the conditions of the human society, as well as the world around us* -- regardless of what exactly "improvement" means, I have in mind something like a wider social consensus that the change has a positive vector.
Given this stance, unless there are other considerations in the game, there is no reason which could obstruct our *advancement of human knowledge*, which ultimately rests on dissemination of quality results to the wider public. Of course, we should be careful and act in a good faith so as to be cautious about *validity*, *significance* and *originality* of our results. Peer-review process is only an *auxiliary mechanism* helping us to filter out ideas/results in violation of these principles, i.e., helps us to recognize and fix our own misjudgements and mistakes, as well as (in the worse case) dissemination of results not advancing knowledge of humankind, but produced for other primary purposes. After all, the ultimate metrics for the results of scientific research is not the outcome of the peer-review process, but rather the long-term impact on the society and the world around us. That is, whether other people will learn something from the results and whether it eventually helps them to build something beneficial to the society.
Unfortunately, thanks to the recent proliferation of the publish-or-perish attitude and its intertwining with the need to advance human knowledge, as well as interactions of these two conflicting forces, gradually peer-review becomes primarily a mechanism to filter bad-faith products - think plagiarism, results falsification and all sorts of other scientific misconduct. Yet, I maintain, *the process of filtering should not gain a higher importance than the objective of our pursuit itself*. To conclude, **if executed with caution, restrictions imposed by double-blind review process *should not* restrict our ability to disseminate our results.**
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2012/10/19 | 856 | 3,485 | <issue_start>username_0: When we write a research paper, most of the times we need to describe in the introduction what is the merit of the present work (unless is a survey of sorts).
Many professors, tell me that is enough to write it within the sentences with some context. And is the way I see it in most papers.
Other professors, however, I've seen they especifically list the merits and innovations of the papers in the introduction, for example:
* The present work presents cherries using A, which has never been done before.
* We implemented the mix of berries and bananas, which has never been tried.
While I find the approach intuitive and way more explicit than the usual approach, It seems a bit condescending.
What is your suggestion, should I write a list of merits or not?<issue_comment>username_1: It is fine in most formats to finish your introduction by stating your goals. I tend not to over-emphasize the list of innovations in the paper *right in the introduction*, usually because **it is already made clear in two places: abstract and conclusion**.
Also: if by “specifically list the merits” you mean use a bullet-point list, I'd suggest to avoid it. It's not the same as an oral presentation, where you might want to focus on nice simple messages for an audience whose attention is never to be take for granted. When someone has read your introduction ’til the end, they *are* interested in your work, you don’t need to resort to oversimplifying your message.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: In the end, the strength of your paper is in a large part defined by its contributions. Therefore, I believe it is absolutely vital to clearly state them. A bullet pointed list is an excellent way to do so. Remember: papers are almost never read from start to end. Therefore, it is important to make your paper visually pleasing, by, for example, making the most important parts (like the contributions) easy to find. Bullet-points serve that purpose.
Excellent slides by <NAME> on how to write a great research paper (which also covers this question) can be found [here](http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/simonpj/papers/giving-a-talk/giving-a-talk.htm).
The link also contains much advice on academic research, for instance on giving talks.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Somehow it is common to start an introduction with *a general blah-blah*, basically saying that a field is important and repeating some popular facts.
However, in my opinion, the most important thing of the introduction is to say
* what is there,
* what is the actual contribution
and said in a precise way, so reader will know if the content is useful for her. And in such a way as *"we prove X1 and X2, under the assumption of Y, and conjecture Z"* instead of *"we investigate X1, X2 and Z"*.
Of course, giving the general context is extremely important, but not more that saying what's there.
Personally, I wasted a lot of time reading papers whose abstract or introduction left me believing that they solve a general problem, when in fact it was only *n=2,3,4* case, or just something tangentially related to my research interests.
There is an incentive to write introduction in a *big talk / general blah-blah* style (because it sounds serious, because it may bait uninterested readers, etc), but (IMHO) it is very counterproductive, sometimes verging on the edge of scientific dishonesty (i.e. an implicit overclaim).
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer] |
2012/10/19 | 2,095 | 7,784 | <issue_start>username_0: I am currently writing a paper, for which my **title** and **core problem** is spelled differently in American and British English.
I don't worry about my professor preferring one way of writing over the other, as I'm **not** residing in an English-speaking country, but:
After all, my paper is being written in English, even it won't be published. Thus I wonder:
**Is there a "standard procedure" for such cases, at least in US Ivy League universities or in certain citation styles?** (I am currently using APA, 6th (our prof. didn't prescribe any specific citation style) as it suits my personal preference of how a reference should be cited and displayed.)
I will definitely mention both words in the "keywords" area, but other than that I will go with one spelling, namely the American English one. The word is "harmonization", if that should be important.
Sorry for my lack of initial research, I found [this](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/332/how-much-should-i-worry-about-british-spelling-when-submitting-to-a-u-k-journal) SE question though.<issue_comment>username_1: Whatever style guide your use, **citations should be cited exactly in the original spelling**. Doing otherwise would defeat the whole purpose of citation: uniquely identifying an existing publication.
---
I could find no direct quote from APA to justify this (except that, well, they don't indicate that you have the liberty to edit the title of cited works!). However, multiple secondary sources make it clear, as [for example](http://www.files.ithuta.net/OpenJournals/SAJIP/Authors/APA%20reference%20style%20guide.pdf):
>
> Notes: Please "copy" the title of a book/an article/whatever (as far as the spelling of words such as "behavior"/"behavioral" are concerned) […] **exactly as in the original**.
>
>
>
Citation style guides tend to be more explicit for foreign language works, where most of them [explicitly state](http://www.library.uq.edu.au/training/citation/apa_6.pdf) (in some wording or another):
>
> Give the original title, and, in brackets, the English translation
>
>
>
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: For references, username_1 is correct: citations should be given in the spelling used in the original publication.
Beyond that, however, when writing the main text of your article for submission to a journal (or for any other work submitted to a professional publisher), you should follow the style guidelines they set out. Pretty much every journal should have a statement about which set of spellings they prefer (usually based on its country of origin).
For instance, the textbook I am using to teach a course this semester is written by Americans but published by Oxford, a UK publishing company. The word "center" is spelled "centre," and so on.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I typically **don't worry about this question as a writer**. For what it's worth, I'm based in the United States, so I default to *American* English. I always spell check my papers, but in the more than 25 papers that I've submitted, I've never gotten any feedback about using American spelling rather than British spelling; this question is very relevant for me since many of my papers are on *graph colo(u)ring*. It may be useful to note that in the journals that I submit to and read, I've seen both American and British spelling. (I think many editors typically let the authors choose which they prefer.)
So my suggestion is this: **choose either American or British** spelling and **stay consistent** throughout your paper. **Don't lose any sleep** over this. It **will not be the deciding factor in whether your paper is accepted**.
*However*, for doing a literature review, I feel your pain...
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_4: I think this is really a non-issue. Any decent search engine will return hits for your paper, even if one searches for *harmonisation* (the spelling more common in Britain) rather than *harmonization* (the spelling used in the USA, and also valid, though less common, in Britain) as long as a literal search isn't used.
[Example search](http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=harmonisation%20murchan&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5).
---
I'm amending my answer to address the part of your question about whether specific journals require certain spellings. A [Google search limited to the .edu domains](https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ie=UTF-8&ion=1#bpcl=35466521&hl=en&q=site%3aedu+%22author+guidelines%22++british+spelling&safe=active) finds lots of author guidelines that address this issue to various degrees, but nothing shows me that there's a single way to go.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: One key factor would be who you main audience will be.
If I was writing an article to be released in Spain i would not write it in French.
If you are writing for mainly Americans then use American English, and the same goes for if it will mainly be for British then go for English.
If this is for all people who speak English then the correct one to use would be British English (which is known as just English, not British English), this is due to the fact that American English is simply at the most basic level a dialect of British English.
Also English comes from England not "Britain".
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_6: The best thing is to pick and choose the sensible spellings from both dialects. I'm Canadian, but I refuse to write *neighbour*, a synthetic spelling which has a superfluous letter. On the other hand, the American spelling *center* (rather than *centre*) holds no advantage of brevity, and betrays only ignorance of the Latin root *centrum* in which *tr* aren't separated.
Regarding *-sation* endings versus *-zation*, these are a favored in a handful of languages like French, Dutch, German. However, not in others like Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Croatian, or Czech.
*-sation* is bad etymology. For instance the Online Etymology Dictionary gives us this for the word *organization*:
*mid-15c., "act of organizing," from M.Fr. organisation and directly from M.L. organizationem (nom. organizatio), noun of action from pp. stem of organizare, from L. organum "instrument, organ" (see organ). Meaning "system, establishment" is from 1873. Organization man is from title of 1956 book by American sociologist <NAME> (1917-1999). Related: Organizational.*
As you can see, the original Latin has a *z*. Since we don't gain any brevity, again, we should go with the spelling which respects etymology. In this case, it is the American one.
Forget borders: respect etymology and favor brevity, but do stop short of writing *night* and *light* as *nite* and *lite*.
I would hang a footnote on the occurrence of a word with a contentious spelling, explaining my position on spelling and that is that. Academics do not have to be tied to other people's conventions based on national borders.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_7: If your question were about the *-our/-or* distinction, or the *-re/-er* distinction, it would be a real question, but with *-ise/-ize* there's no contest: go with the Z form, as it's [accepted on both sides of the Atlantic](https://english.stackexchange.com/a/4063/1696).
The International Organization for Standardization favours British spellings, and uses the *-ize* form. (This is known as [Oxford Spelling](https://english.stackexchange.com/a/77246/1696).)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_8: If the intent of the writer is clear and the content is clear, who cares? As long as the message is clear, the writer has performed his duty. I know this is a short putt, but, bottom line, communication rules. If you can't be understood, why bother to try to be understood?
Upvotes: 0 |
2012/10/19 | 1,255 | 5,308 | <issue_start>username_0: I will try to make this as less subjective:
Till what point do you continue doing exercises at end of the chapter to learn something:
I do it in Grad school and that's where I really learn. Do professors/post docs learning about new fields do it too?<issue_comment>username_1: Exercises fall at various levels in [Bloom's Taxonomy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom%27s_Taxonomy). Exercises at the higher end of the taxonomy are harder to do, but verify more objectives, since they rely on understanding and applying knowledge from the lower levels.
To try and answer your question, I'll generalize a bit and say that academics are by nature quick learners for the lower-level objectives (knowledge, comprehension). Exercises at this level are probably less useful than Upper-level exercises (application, analysis, evaluation, creation).
However, whenever I haven't taught material in a while, re-doing some of the knowledge exercises is a great way to freshen up and be sharp for class.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Learning is a life long activity. Graduating with a PhD is not a license to stop learning, it's a license to (eventually) get paid to do research and learn more :)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: **Keep doing it as long as it’s useful to you.**
I’m a couple years into post-doc’ing, and find exercises just as useful as I did in grad school; and I know professors at multiple stages of their career who appear (from conversation) to still frequently do exercises. On the other hand, I know at least one person who claims to have never particularly found exercises helpful.
So it certainly varies from person to person whether exercises are/remain useful; for a given individual, though, I have no idea how it typically changes over time. For my part, the main change over the last few years is in how selective I can be about exercises: I can now generally look quickly over a page of exercises and gauge pretty consistently which ones will be essentially routine, and which will require some real thought. Both kinds can still be of interest (at least to me), but for different purposes.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: To reiterate and "second" other answers... but to try to re-frame the sense of the question, also, ... I'd agree that one should engage with ideas, but not necessarily on the terms dictated by textbooks. As alluded to in other answers, one of the benefits of experience is knowing which exercises might be worth doing... as opposed to being unable to tell, or merely being *compelled* to do a high volume of exercises toward a grade.
Memories fade with time, even for the best memories, and unused ideas fade out of one's mind. On one hand, this can be an indicator that a highly-touted thing has no genuine utility, at least in one's own professional life. On another hand, sometimes the pay-off occurs so much later than one's introduction to an idea, perhaps decades earlier, that the relevant connections are very dim. To guard against "fatal dim-ness", occasional "refreshing" of memories is necessary. No, this is *not* quite the same as "doing exercises", in the important sense that, at this sort of "later" point in one's life, it often happens that reviewing *larger* points is sufficient to revivify specific memories about *relevant* (as opposed to traditional-pedantic) details.
One not-entirely-realistic attitude, but quite useful as an ideal of sorts, is to consider the notion that one changes oneself sufficiently so that the ideas of a subject seem entirely reasonable, simplest-thing-in-the-world... rather than unintuitive and unanticipate-able. That is, the meta-exercise is to change oneself so that no further exercises are necessary (apart from perhaps the "refreshing" of memories).
These comments have ignored the hugely significant psychological point that one should as-soon-as-possible recover from the burden of thinking in terms of approval of some authority figure. To say the least, this is not an intellectually honest or psychologically healthy criterion to apply to one's activities. Pity that "school" engenders this so powerfully. That is, don't embark upon a regimen for the approval of others, but to achieve your own objectives. Oop, yes, that entails trying to understand what your own objectives might be. Yes, if you are an undergrad or grad student, or even a postdoc or junior person, this is complicated. But, I recommend, do recognize that issue: one should be trying to think for oneself, but with incomplete information, or bad information, and lack of experience... ?
Last, "of course", one should not use "doing exercises" as an avoidance mechanism to allow avoiding facing more amorphous, real issues. "Doing exercises" is not the stairway to heaven, any more than a stringent exercise program guarantees professional athletic success, etc.
The relevant summary might be to start thinking in other terms than "exercises". After all, there are no "exercises" that qualify you to buy lunch, or mail a letter... The fixity of novice mathematicians on "school" and its ... mixed... credentialling system is in many ways very noisy and non-informative. Even if one needs to fit into that, one should not think too much in those terms.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/19 | 1,073 | 4,739 | <issue_start>username_0: When you introduce yourself to an international audience and come from an non-US system, there always is an awkward moment of translating your job title into a form recognizable by the people you introduce yourself to. Here are the options I see:
* using the title in your native language: completely honest, but probably not understandable by anyone who does not know the system
* replacing it by the closest US title: complete localization, completely understandable, but some nuance in the function might be lost
* translating in a literal way: something in-between
I'll give a specific example here (from my own system, the French one). [CNRS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNRS) is a research-performing organization, in which permanent researchers hold the title of *chargé de recherche* (junior staff) or *directeur de recherche* (senior staff). I usually see these titles translated into “research scientist” and “research director”, but I those terms aren’t really self-explanatory. In particular, I don't think it's clear from “research scientist” that this is a permanent position, because that term could also be used in other places for post-docs.<issue_comment>username_1: There's no single right answer here. You should provide the information that you think is most salient in the given situation. In your case, you probably want to say something like "tenured research scientist" or "staff scientist," as those terms normally give the idea of permanence in a way that "research scientist" or "research associate" might not.
If you are writing a CV in English, on the other hand, you could write "Junior research staff (permanent position)," as that gets your title more accurately. In this circumstance, it's probably better to go with a literal translation (or as <NAME> suggests in a comment below, the job title in the original language) plus explanation, rather than try to find the "closest equivalent."
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There are two times that titles are used. One is when referring to yourself, which seems to be the case the question is focused on, and the other is when referring to someone else.
I suggest that you do not use titles when referring to yourself. If you are in a situation where you need to use titles (e.g., on a CV), then go with the correct, but possibly less informative foreign language.
When referring to someone else it is perfectly acceptable (and in my opinion good fun) to butcher the title and then give a general vague translation of it.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Personally I would translate the title as literally as possible or derive some half-translation i.e. chargé de recherche would become something like 'research manager' (one who is in charge of research) and directeur de recherche would becomre 'research director'.
This is more of an educated opinion though, as I believe that people benefit from learning small bits of other languages when applicable, and it helps to aid cultural understanding.
That's also often how borrowed words come about. Take the word 'halal' for example, it translates into English as 'lawful' or 'permissible', but it has been adopted by the English language because of its specific context when describing food. Titles are the same, they describe what people do, so they should remain as close to the original context as possible.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Literal translation may be very misleading. For example, part time lecturers in Spain are called "professor associat" in Catalan or "profesor asociado" in Spanish. Literal translation of that title as "associate professor" would be very uninformative, since associate professors in other countries are full time senior faculty. To make things worse, protocol rules in the University of Barcelona used to state that in formal events the title "professor" should be used for teaching staff members who are not doctors, just making "professor" a lower title than "doctor", which is just the opposite of the usage in English speaking countries.
Therefore, I would not use literal translations. If I would need to be very precise about my role (for example, in a CV) I would give my official title name in its original language and a short explanation of what it means, for example with the rough equivalent in the destination language. However, in most situations we don't need to bother the audience with such details. If we are going to give a talk on any subject, the audience is supposed to be interested on what we can tell them about the subject, not about what kind of position we have, and saying which institution or department are we affiliated with may be enough.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/19 | 1,271 | 5,397 | <issue_start>username_0: I work in a computational research lab as a graduate research assistant. We're all funded under various grants to do research in our field and we are also working on a thesis, which may or may not be directly related to the funding source (it is if we are lucky!)
Our lab is also licensing the software we write to outside companies for their own in-house use. As a result, there are many "niceties" that should be added to the code to make it more user-friendly, but these have no bearing on our research, either the sponsor-funded or thesis-related.
Is it okay that we are expected to implement these things in addition to our funded/thesis related work? Is it acceptable to ask for additional money (assuming work done on this is **in addition to** funded/thesis work)?
Our advisor is considering hiring an outside company to come in and put in these features, but we would be expected to help them through the process of learning and understanding our code so it would be nice to cut out the middle man since we certainly won't get any extra money from advising the consultants.<issue_comment>username_1: From one perspective, adding these niceties to the software increases the likelihood that the software will be used and thereby increases the impact of your research. So although these niceties are not research per se, they help achieve the goals of doing research (at least from a funding agency's perspective), namely making an impact. Such tasks are often a necessary part of the research process (and someone has to do them).
Whether or not it is ethical to ask for additional money to hire people to do this very much depends on the rules of the funding agency and how well your advisor is at selling and justifying the idea to the agency.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm pitching in my own experience in similar issues.
I've been in 2 research labs as a grad student, and in both of them, aside from my own research I did other tasks like server administration (we had our own local network), a bit of outsourcing, and the ocasional side project.
Now, in the first lab, all of these tasks were done pro-bono, meaning, I did not receive a cent for it, even though the server in place was really old and prone to failure, which took considerable amounts of time from my research time. The Professor, not even once considered paying me for the task.
In my second and current lab, the professor pays you for everything that should derange you from your research, I did a couple of projects for a company (on behalf of our lab) and I got paid. I also gave some tours in the lab as well as some demos, and I also got paid.
The moral is, it is usually up to the professor whether he pays you or not, if he is not paying you, is most likely because he either thinks is within your range of activities or simply he does not have the money.
Personally, I would not ask for money unless I had the precedent that other person did it before, other way it could set a bad relationship between you two.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: It's not unethical to ask your professor. However, as *Leon* pointed out, it could be annoying if not done properly. A couple of perspectives:
* **Set your goals.** If you have enough funding for your research moving ahead comfortably and your goal is to finish your degree and get some solid publications, then focus on that (and be happy the maintenance is outsourced). On the other hand, if you're not funded well enough, and think you can accomplish both the research and get paid to do the maintenance coding, propose it to your professor in a way that is positive. But beware of the risk. I have had a student who, once he got scholarships, stopped doing the teaching assistantships we offered him. The extra money wasn't worth the headache or distraction to him.
* **Funded research work is never 100% research.** I have always had, at various points of my research career, tasks that were distracting and fell out of the area of what was "research". The goal is to keep it reasonable and minimal. Complaining about "not getting extra money for advising consultants" is probably not a reasonable attitude to take with your professor. Negotiate with your professor how many hours/week you can reasonably spend (without taking you away too much from your research) is surely a better approach.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: Beware that some universities have ethics rules that make it harder for a professor to pay his/her students -- or if the rules don't bar it outright, the prevailing culture might frown on it. These rules are often written to protect students, e.g., from a faculty advisor who pressures his/her students to spend time working on his/her startup company.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: >
> Our lab is also licensing the software we write to outside companies for their own in-house use.
>
>
>
Are those companies paying you? Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds to me like you have a product. Instead of asking for funding to implement the features that these companies want, why don't you ask the companies themselves for money? I don't claim to know the hoops about using a research facility to work on parts of software that aren't research related, so if you decide to go this route you should definitely clear it with the lab.
Upvotes: 0 |
2012/10/20 | 1,267 | 3,946 | <issue_start>username_0: Someone told me that in APA style you treat parenthetical versus non-parenthetical in-text references separately when applying et al.
For example, let's say you're citing Smith, Jones, and Roberts (2012).
You would write
>
> Smith, Jones, and Roberts (2012) write that bla bla bla bla.
> Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla (Smith, Jones & Roberts, 2012).
>
>
>
That is, because in the second line it is the first time you mention the authors parenthetically, you have to restate the authors' names....
I always thought you treat parenthetical and non-parenthetical citations the same. So it would be the following:
>
> <NAME>, and Roberts (2012) write that bla bla bla bla.
> Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla (Smith et al., 2012).
>
>
>
---
Can anyone confirm or clarify this for me?
The reference they gave for this rule is table 6.1 on page 177 of the APA Manual, 6th edition.
They interpreted the column titled "First citation in-text" and "Parenthetical Format, first citation in text) as indicating that those two formats should be treated separately. However, this doesn't make sense to me and I think that APA would have made this more explicit if it had intended this interpretation.<issue_comment>username_1: I think that the form
>
> Smith, Jones, and Roberts (2012) write that bla bla bla bla. Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla (Smith, Jones & Roberts, 2012).
>
>
>
*does not* follow the recommended APA style. That is, I think the correct way to write it is
>
> <NAME>, and Roberts (2012) write that bla bla bla bla. Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla (Smith et al., 2012).
>
>
>
where the first citation is the first citation "in text" and the second citation is the first citation of this work "in a parenthetical format."
Look at page 43 (figure 2.1) of the 6th edition of the APA manual. Lines 2 and 3 of page 6 of the sample paper has the first citation of "Hahn, Carlson, Singer, & Gronlund, 2006" in parenthetical form
>
> (consistent with Hahn, Carlson, Singer, & Gronlund, 2006; <NAME>, 2006)
>
>
>
and on lines 17 and 18, a citation of the same work in text is given as Hahn, et al. (2006)
>
> Similarly, Hahn et al. (2006) also found no age differences [...]
>
>
>
Now, it is not certain that the latter citation is the *first citation in text* of this work (because some text in the sample paper is obscured). But looking at other papers in journals that follow the APA format seems to confirm my answer.
For example, a paper in the *Journal for Research in Mathematics Education* (vol. 43, no. 2, p. 133) (which explicitly states that manuscripts submitted to it "should conform to the *Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association* (6th ed.)") has a first citation in text
>
> In their article in *Mathematics Teacher*, Cirillo, Drake, and Herbel-Eisenmann (2009) situated their work on curriculum vision as described below.
>
>
>
Then a block quotation from this work ends in the first citation in parenthetical form
>
> (Cirillo et al., 2009, p. 71)
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>
>
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I asked apastyle.org and received the following response from an Editorial Supervisor
>
> Your interpretation is correct, and your interlocutor is wrong. Table 6.1 simply gives examples of citations in different circumstances. The rules of APA Style are stated pretty clearly in the APA Publication Manual; there is no need to deduce additional unstated rules. If something in a table or figure appears to contradict the text, follow the text.
>
>
>
Therefore my interpretation (and <NAME>'s interpretation) of et al. is correct.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: This is mostly a nonissue for APA 7th edition because three or more authors are now cited as "et al." from the first mention, whether parenthetical or not, except where it would create ambiguity.
Upvotes: 0 |
2012/10/20 | 991 | 4,177 | <issue_start>username_0: It sometimes arise that I need to use, for an article, a book chapter or any other written work, figures that I have already published (not figures published by others). These are usually schematic figures explaining what a chemical or physical system look like, how an algorithm works, etc. Thus, instead of reusing the exact same figure, I can easily create another one, conveying the same message with (more or less subtle) differences in presentation.
However, I have no idea how to answer the following question: **how different need two figures be** to avoid the second one infringing on the copyright of the first? What is a good rule of thumb to be used? Is it enough to change one of the following:
* color scheme
* viewpoint of a 3D visualization
* moving around blocks in a 2D diagram (or mind map)
* changing axis properties (labels, tick mark positions, etc.) in a graph<issue_comment>username_1: In general, I would argue that the new plot needs to do one of two things:
* present materially different content relative to the old image
* present the same material in a different context.
Graphs are generally visual representations of numerical data. The numerical data itself *cannot* be copyrighted (because the data are "facts"), only the presentations thereof. However, simply changing axis labels or colors, and other similar "gloss" changes, don't really make the graph any different. Rotating a 3D graph, or changing significantly the relationship of blocks in a mind map or diagram to show off different features *would* represent a change in the message and presentation, and therefore would be OK.
However, chemical structures and mathematical equations are not normally considered subject to copyright, as they represent "facts," and cannot be arbitrarily drawn or represented; there's only so many "legal" ways to write them. That said, cutting and pasting somebody's figure from another article *would* be a copyright violation; recreating it yourself would not. (Otherwise, we would never be able to write *E* = *mc*^2 without it being a copyright violation!)
If there are doubts, however, you can always try to contact the journal in question. If needed, you can ask for permission to reuse a figure, especially if it's one you've already created. Most journals already permit self reuse, so long as you include an appropriate credit and citation of the original.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: First up, a disclaimer. I am not a lawyer. This does not constitute legal advice.
I assume that your earlier work has been published and that the copyright to that work vests with your publisher.
I see two relevant possibilities here.
**1. Your new work does not differ substantially from the earlier work.**
A later work which is *substantially similar* to an earlier copyrighted work may infringe that copyright. From [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative_work) (yes, but the reference is to case law):
>
> See, for example, Castle Rock Entertainment, Inc. v. Carol Pub. Group, 150 F.3d 132, 137 (2d Cir. 1998) ("Since the fact of copying is acknowledged and undisputed, the critical question for decision is whether the copying was unlawful or improper in that it took a sufficient amount of protected expression from Seinfeld as evidenced by its substantial similarity to such expression.")
>
>
>
What substantial similarity means in your case will turn on the facts. I would not be comfortable saying that your proposed alterations to your previous work would result in a sufficiently different work.
**2. Your new work has some element of originality over the first work**
In this case, your new work might be considered a [derivative work](http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ14.pdf):
>
> Only the owner of copyright in a work has the right to prepare, or to authorize someone else to create, a new version of that work. The owner is generally the author or someone who has obtained rights from the author.
>
>
>
I've written this from a US law perspective. I am more familiar with UK copyright law but the basic points above are broadly similar.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/20 | 3,131 | 13,057 | <issue_start>username_0: As we may ask and answer various questions on online forums or stack exchange regarding teaching, research, publishing etc; it may reveal our lack of knowledge on any basic topic. This might hurt us in the future as an already established academician. So, should we participate in those online forums or stack exchange sites under pseudo-names to remain anonymous?<issue_comment>username_1: Participation in a board such as this is strictly voluntary, and people have the choice to identify themselves by whatever means they choose: with their realnames, with pseudonyms, with login names, or with no names at all.
People are, of course, responsible for their actions and their behavior, but it's not up to us to tell them that they *must* be anonymous, or that they *must* use their real names. All we can do is tell the to do whatever they feel is appropriate **in their own situations.**
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: This is a very good point. There are certain questions I'd like to ask, but cannot because I'm not at all anonymous for the reasons you allude to or because current students might read those answers. That said, I chose not to be anonymous and I have adjusted my behaviour accordingly. Maybe my students like the idea that I can answer their questions on such a public forum (well, perhaps one of the more topic specific forums).
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: That's a good question. I don't have a permanent position yet, and I'm aware that anything I post here can potentially be read by future recruiting committee, so I'm also careful of the *way* I can ask questions or post answers. I don't think it's a problem to show that you might lack some knowledge, considering that you're also showing you're aware of it and taking some measures to get that knowledge.
That being said, nothing prevents you to log out and ask a question anonymously. Your IP is *not* public, so you're safe.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_4: I'll add an answer, because I am one of the posters who chose to participate to SE pseudonymously. I see two reasons one would want to do so. The first would be to set up a really airtight firewall between real-life identity and some online circles. This allows you to ask questions of a more personal or confidential nature, but also severely restricts the information you can give up (and thus your interaction with others on the site).
The second approach, which is the one I follow, is less stringent: I merely use a pseudonym to make the link between my SE identity and my real identity not immediately Googleable. But, the link can (and has been) established, *both ways*. I have given here on SE more than enough information (spread over questions, answers and chat) to uniquely identify my ID. I also know that some colleagues know my account name… in part because, I'll admit to it, I do wear those SE T-shirts at work sometimes :)
I am still pretty much myself, and don't restrict what I say any more than I would do to any person I would meet in the street and discuss with. I allows for some more candor, while still knowing one can be held accountable for one’s words. I like that.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: I'll add few points, let me know if these could be considered as some sort of answer:
*Points in favour for revealing your name:*
1. your name and identity become associated with your reputation, hence telling the world that you're some sort of expert in that domain, area, set of questions
2. you can use such reputation for outside StackOverflow: informally, one such question arose on Meta-StackOverflow [here](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/25453/have-you-ever-used-your-gained-reputation-points-to-get-a-job-or-something) and [here](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/30598/using-stack-overflow-in-a-job-interview?rq=1) and [here](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/30615/has-your-stackoverflow-reputation-helped-your-career?rq=1) and [here](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/30578/is-stack-overflow-reputation-marketable). How recruiters will use this type of information is still premature to say
3. you can impress your students, friends and family :-)
*Points in favour for NOT revealing your name:*
1. as an academic, I value the anonymous feedback to my content, being project proposals, papers, or anything else. I would argue that one of the greatest features of the peer-review approach is **not to know who's your reviewer**, so that she can bash some extremely harsh feedback without the need of expecting some back-slash from it
2. as a SO user, your name, gender, identity should not matter, the quality of answers and questions should be more important. If you sample SO users, you will notice that the majority of them are not identifiable in terms of their nationality, gender, age or other characteristics. It seems to me that the users of "online communities" have more incentives to reveal such information; whether a Q&A site (as SO) does not strictly need that piece of information
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: This is a great question. There have been several instances when I wanted to clear some doubts about basic stuff, and wondered if it would be appropriate to post it in a way that would be visible on my profile.
After going back and forth for a while, I created a pseudo-id, but in the end, I decided to just use my regular account. The intention was to make a point, that my students should not feel embarrassed to ask a question, even if it is a very basic question.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: I think that using real names should be encouraged. And if someone feels comfortable with it - just do it. However, when it may refrain someone from asking questions, then it's better to use a nickname.
Why?
People are afraid of asking "too simple" questions ([what may affect life d some SE sites](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/130361/why-did-theoretical-physics-fail)). But in general, whether offline or online, there are two possibilities:
* pretend that to be all-knowing (knowing that they won't believe you anyway),
* ask when you don't know, even if it seems simple (and "a simple question" asked in one's field can be in fact very advanced).
Moreover, seeing **serious guys asking simple questions may be very encouraging** for others to ask. So please, if there are any postdocs and professors here, give a good example by using you own name (and not being afraid to ask under it :)).
Just comparing to regular interactions with TAs and professors - being able to say "I don't know" gives respect (unless someone is totally clueless, but it that case one cannot cover it anyway).
Furthermore, let me quote a part of the [MathOverflow FAQ](https://mathoverflow.net/faq), as a part of **establishing one's scientific reputation**:
>
> We also encourage you to use your real name as your username. In your own enlightened self-interest, realise that participating in blogs, MathOverflow, the arXiv, and mathematical publishing are all forms of advertising for your "brand", even if that’s not your principal purpose (and hopefully it’s not). Since job applications require you to write your real name, you might as well use it everywhere else, too.
>
>
> Using real names reminds everybody that they are corresponding with real people, and it demonstrates a certain level of personal investment in your MathOverflow identity. If you use a pseudonym and you get into some kind of trouble (e.g. fights in comment threads or spammy-looking posts), the moderators are much less likely to give you the benefit of the doubt.
>
>
>
Moreover, **I've never heard of anyone's reputation (or job opportunities) being harmed by asking technical questions**. Allegedly it may help, but I've never heard the opposite. So, IMHO, the risk here is overvalued.
But...
When it comes to issues related to talking about frictions with other people, institutions, abuse, etc (and other sensitive things) - then I guess the best approach is to use anonymous post anyway. Or have a nickname only for a few posts.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_8: OK, here is one more data point to this.
In the early 90s I hit Usenet and fell in love with it. For about a decade I have, under my real name, actively participated in discussions about programming, literature, child raising, the organization of the `de.*` hierarchy, and whatnot. During this time, several Usenet search engines emerged, assembled data, swallowed each other like a pool full of sharks, until finally the whole data ended up at google.
And it's all still there! If you know my real name, you can find my views onto programming, books, and child raising as well as certain personal stories that I now wish I hadn't posted, and a few flame wars I participated in more than a decade ago. While it happened back then, I felt increasingly bad about this, but, being tightly embedded in communities I didn't want to give up, I failed to see how to change that. (Also, looking back at all that always made me think that the worst damage has already been done, and that I wouldn't be as stupid anymore. *Sigh.* How silly an idea.)
When it got to the point that, when I typed my name into google, it would suggest the remainder once I had barely started on my last name, I pulled plug and decided to go into hiding. Out of the likely online handles I picked one that hides behind a big institution at google, I setup an email address that I only use for services where I use that handle, and I became very strict about revealing my identity to members of online communities. (There isn't even half a dozen people, on SE or elsewhere, who know the name behind my moniker.)
Now, google won't suggest my name until I have typed the very last letter, neither my coworkers nor my superiors know my online name, and almost nobody out there knows who's behind *"sbi"*. I can ask questions, give answers, and state opinions just as I want, without having to consider the opinions of, or the impact on, any of them. I can speak openly about how I feel at work without having to fear my superiors might see it. I can ask questions about stuff I am working on that I could not ask if the company I worked for was known (because it would give clues to competitors), and I can discuss child raising without having to worry what my kids will think about me (or a prospective employer will think about the family they came from) — well, at least there's nothing *new* to worry about now.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_9: I post under my real name, mostly because I started out by doing so on MathOverflow (where this is encouraged, and which I see as an extension of my public mathematical career). I have a general sense that this adds to the professional atmosphere of this site.
I'm not too worried about damaging my career by posting a question or an answer that looks stupid or "reveals my lack of knowledge". I have no doubt I've already done that a few times, but I have enough trust in the academic community to believe that a reader will understand that I write in good faith and my goal is to learn and/or help. I also trust that any reader will remember that they've had "stupid" questions or opinions of their own, and avoid judging me too harshly.
However, I do take care to keep my posts *professional*, remembering that I'm speaking publicly. Among other things:
* I try to maintain a calm, courteous and measured tone in my writing. I take extra time to make sure that what I post is reasonably well written, and hopefully not subject to misinterpretation.
* I will share my own experiences where they relate generally to academic life. I won't share details that implicate other people who could be identified, reveal confidential or non-public information, or expose details about my institution's internal politics. I won't post rumors or hearsay, or incidents that happened to other people (unless they're already public knowledge). I won't share experiences that are overly personal.
* I'll share my *personal* opinions or advice on academic matters, particular where I think my views are likely to be representative of the academic community as a whole, or a significant segment thereof. If I have unusual personal opinions on a particular issue, especially if I think they're likely to be controversial, I'll probably keep them to myself; partly out of self protection, but mostly because I don't think people who ask questions here are looking for answers from the lunatic fringe.
Contrary to username_5's answer, I have no expectation of impressing anyone or building my academic reputation with my posts here.
If I have a question or answer of a sensitive nature, I would post it anonymously (using Tor or something similar to hide my IP address if I were particularly concerned).
I understand that other participants may prefer, for their own reasons, to participate under pseudonyms. I fully respect their decisions.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/22 | 851 | 3,437 | <issue_start>username_0: Suppose that I am doing a literature review on a topic, and I read paper A, which makes an interesting claim and references paper B as its source. Naturally, as paper B is then the primary source, I will look up B and possibly cite it in my own paper if it seems relevant. And suppose that it turns out that paper A says nothing else that's relevant for my topic, so I say nothing about paper A.
And this seems fine if I only discovered one citation from paper A. But if I find several useful citations in the same paper, it starts to feel like plagiarism if I just ruthlessly harvest it for citations without never citing itself.
Sometimes it's easy to work in a citation in such a case. For example, if it's a review paper I'm reading, I might be able to just write in my own paper something like:
>
> Qwerty (2009) reviews a number of a results in this field, such as the finding that over 99% of the people who contract cancer wear shoes (Keyes 1999), that pink aliens from the sixteenth dimension dislike chocolate (Pinker 2001), ...
>
>
>
But often there isn't really any reasonable way to work in a citation, especially not if you wish the citation to make it clear that this is where you found useful sources from. I could include a footnote or a thanks in the acknowledgements, but I've never seen anyone do that for such a reason. Are there any rules of thumb regarding the correct etiquette in such situations?<issue_comment>username_1: The quoted you wrote is actually a pretty good way to include that citation.
It all comes down to the fundamental reason you are citing the paper. Citations are used to refer the reader to papers that contain useful information pertaining to your discussion. As such, *“because it includes a good citation”* is not a good reason for citing paper A in itself: there are plenty of other ways you could have found paper B (other citations, web or database search, bumping into its author at a meeting, etc.). **Unless paper A adds relevant information** to paper B, it should simply not be cited. One way it can add information is by performing a review of the literature, or by commenting on the results in paper B… In the first case, your quote is a good way to acknowledge that fact; in the second case, you could simply write that:
>
> *Qwerty discussed in [21] the original results of Doe [22], showing how the data wasn't corrected to account for the phase of the moon at the time of measurement.*
>
>
>
In conclusion, I'd say: **determine whether paper A brings additional information, then either cite it or do not cite it**. It is not common practice (and I don't think it should be) to acknowledge a paper without citing it.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I think "telling the truth" is a good guide: if one finds a source via another source, it is reasonable to say so. It is true that there is a tradition of a more formal pose, something in the direction that "oh, we knew this all along", even when this is not so.
Yes, there is an issue of wording, for which we lack good precedents, because such acknowledgements are not typical.
Another reason to be sure to acknowledge all sources is to communicate to the community that this is a reasonable thing to do.
Note that the distinction between "citation" and "acknowledgement" is less intellectual/scientific than it is a score-keeping thresh-hold.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/22 | 1,719 | 6,574 | <issue_start>username_0: Academics need various forms of their CV, depending on what purpose it's being used for. In my case, here are reasons I've had to re-format or have a different version of my CV:
* promotion and tenure,
* research proposals (each grant program requires a different format),
* program accreditation for engineering universities,
* my official web page at my university (with a French and English version).
It's a lot of busy work to maintain these CVs, especially as they evolve.
In Canada, there's a program in government-funded research to have a common format for CVs, called the [Canadian Common CV](https://ccv-cvc.ca/indexresearcher-eng.frm). It's a great idea, but doesn't really solve the global problems. Not all funding organizations support it (or the same version of it).
Can anyone recommend tools that help in preparing academic CVs in various formats? Probably this means centralizing the information in one place and having it output in customizable formats. Obviously, there needs to be some understanding of the elements of an academic CV: publications, students supervised, grants awarded, community service, courses taught, distinguished awards, etc.<issue_comment>username_1: I maintain CV of various lengths (with more or less details) and in two languages. For a long time, I have used **LaTeX** for that task, along with a `Makefile` that can do conditional compilation of my argument: basically, the LaTeX code was set up so that, depending on the job name of the compilation, different bits of the CV would be included or not (this is not TeX.SE, so I won't go into the full details).
I used it for some years, but as time passed I progressed along the career track, and now I need more and more types of CV, customized in different ways. Basically, I end up having to manually select the bits and pieces I want to include for each specific use of my CV. Thus, I now maintain:
* a very brief CV (for which I use the NSF “biographical sketch” as a template)
* a full CV in English
* a full CV in French
* a list of publications, because these pretty much don't need translation apart from the section titles
I use my **word processor** (MS Word or Apple’s Pages) for the first three, as it allows me to customize a specific CV from each template, and it also allows then pasting the CV into a larger Word document (often a requirement for grants).
I still use a custom-made **LaTeX processing of my publication list**, from which I produce either PDF (if used on its own) or a HTML file, which I then copy into my MS Word CV.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: In addition to using LaTeX with a makefile, I find that using the LaTeX package splitbib is very useful. It allows you to format your publications with different subtitles for different category of publications, and you can pick and choose which entries from your publications (which I maintain as a BiBTeX file) should be included.
Since LaTeX allows you to include files, it's relatively easy to create separate files that contain the base material and then include them as needed in different formats.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: There's also the idea of using a **version control (or management) system** such as [Git](http://git-scm.com), [Subversion](http://subversion.tigris.com), or [Mercurial](http://mercurial.selenic.com). These tools will allow you to keep track of changes to your CV over time. If you use text-based files, it's a much lower overhead than keeping multiple versions of the different files floating all over the place, especially having different filenames for different dates of creation and editing, and so on.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: In 2003 or so, I had a senior-project student try to influence the [XMLRésuméLibrary](http://xmlresume.sourceforge.net/) project to support academic CV types, but the project didn't move forward.
There's a related project called [HR-XSL](http://hr-xsl.sourceforge.net/), designed to convert XML-formatted CVs into various formats using command-line tools. ~~But I have not used it.~~ The examples ([HTML](http://hr-xsl.sourceforge.net/examples/cv.html), [PDF](http://hr-xsl.sourceforge.net/examples/cv.pdf)) are for a university professor, implying it might be useful to academics. It's customizable, ~~according to the~~ and has pretty decent documentation.
---
Edit: I gave HR-XSL a shot and it works easily in [Eclipse](http://eclipse.org) (you need Ant and Java). The CV data is stored in an XML file that can easily be edited using a text (or more interestingly) an XML editor (Eclipse has a built-in one that is spiffy). Customizing the output is pretty easy, even though it's DOCBOOK and I've never used it before. I didn't carry out the exercise to the end (creating multiple formats), but feel it is going to pay off.
Some limitations of the XML schema are that there are no data types for things like "Research interests" or "Grants and Contracts". However, there's a `ResumeAdditionalItem` that supports a user-defined type, e.g., "Grants and Contracts" and all entries there get grouped under that heading.
There is also an internationalization dimension, but I don't think it will work to prevent duplicate XML sources for different languages (e.g., English and French). The reason is that the internationalization works to customize headings, such as "Table of contents" and "Table des matières". I haven't yet found a way to specify a Job Title in English vs. French, for example.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: I have never tried it, but [yst](https://github.com/jgm/yst) was created to do this. There was a nice statement of the problem [here](http://www.charlietanksley.net/philtex/writing-cvs-in-latex/#comment-1275):
>
> Using yst, I can maintain a database of my articles, talks, service, academic positions, etc. as a set of YAML text files. I can edit these in any editor. yst then produces my website and various versions of my CV from this data, using a set of customized templates.
>
>
>
A similar statement by someone else can be found [here](https://github.com/scmbradley/octopress-blog/blob/master/source/_posts/2012-07-01-a-yst-primer-part-i.markdown)
>
> I can have, say, my list of publications or my list of conference talks
> as yaml data. I can then use yst to build a CV page for my website. I
> can also use yst to generate a .tex file for a pdf version of my CV.
> This way, I don't need to make the same edits in two different places
> when I give another talk.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/22 | 990 | 4,112 | <issue_start>username_0: Personally, I never feel done with projects, as there are always a few open projects, in which I'm involved in. (And typically 1-2 which "I should have finished year ago or so".)
First, **what are good strategies of balancing between finishing past project and working on current ones?**
On the one hand, concentrating only on current ones means that there will be a lot of "almost baked" project, in a form of partial results, never published drafts or papers stuck in the revision process. (Assigning second priority to something means that it is never going to be taken seriously.)
On the other hand, focusing only past projects would:
* look as if I were slacking off (also, as some past projects are from previous afflictions),
* have me stuck in working on projects, which are going to be "90%" for the eternity.
Second, being put in situation with constant (internal) pressure and no calm sense of finishing things (as even after polishing results, polishing a draft, going through a few rounds of revisions... there are still *n-1* open projects), **is there a way to feel accomplishment and not blame oneself when resting?**<issue_comment>username_1: Here are a few tips that seem to work for me:
* You can apply the Google 20% rule and allow yourself 20% of your time to work on projects that have no clear end point, which would include new ideas that you've just had or projects of the sort that you've just had.
* New projects shouldn't become current projects unless they are close to finished or you make room in the 80% for them by finishing other projects.
* That said, you need to evaluate the projects that you haven't completed and determine whether it is really worth completing them, apart from the fact that you've invested a lot of time in them. At some point you have to cut and move on.
* Maybe you can write up the projects that are incomplete and see what you have in the end, and determine whether it goes into the 80%, the 20%, the bottom drawer, or the trash can.
* Pick a few conference deadlines (or create a deadline for a journal paper) and work towards that to finish the work.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: This is a very broad questions, so I’ll try to chirp in with some of the “tricks” I use to get things done.
* **Find ways to keep track**. It can be very easy to feel that you have so many things going that you feel overwhelmed by remembering them or else. There are a number of hardware or software tools to do that. I have a list of ongoing stuff that I keep in the last pages of my notebook, which works pretty well.
* If something needs to be done, which takes little time, **just do it right now**. More importantly, the critical amount of time depends on the life of the project: the more advanced the project is, the more you need to finish. This prioritizes finishing older projects.
For example, if I have a current project with a task that requires half a day of work, I'll try to find a time to do it later. If I have a one day task for a project that's almost done (such as revising a manuscript after reviewer comments), I'll just treat it as high priority to do ASAP.
* When working on a project with others, be clear to assign someone to monitoring progress (and reminding everyone of their contributions). On some projects, you need to take the back seat, and just let someone more concerned about the outcome drive the project.
* If some project isn't seeing any progress, try to break it up into smaller work units. Like: I'll write a detailed outline, then circulate it to colleagues or co-authors, then use feedback to write the paper (instead of trying to write the paper in one big piece).
Finally, some advice I have received as a young parent, and that is very applicable to academic life: **academic life is a long-term game**, you're in it for 40+ years. You being very productive right now, then extenuated for 6 months isn't a net positive. You are a better researcher when you are rested and (relatively) stress-free, so **avoiding exhaustion and stress is actually your #1 priority!**
Upvotes: 4 |
2012/10/22 | 442 | 1,913 | <issue_start>username_0: I am writing my proposal and I am borrowing heavily from one of my publications. The published paper has a `Nomenclature` section at the very beginning (just after the abstract).
What is the appropriate place for a nomenclature in a proposal/thesis? Or is it more advisable to explain the terms near the place where they are used (considering that if `Nomenclature` is published on a distant page it would be too much of an effort on the reader's part to scroll down and up again)?<issue_comment>username_1: I personally think the biggest consideration is how often the term or symbol is used. If it's used a lot, then a clear definition at the start is probably the best. The reader then knows where to look if they're unsure of the meaning rather than having to find the first place it's used, and it would be ridiculous to keep defining it every time you use it.
For things that are just used once, it may be more readable to define it at the point of use. The definition is only relevant for that little portion, so splitting the definition and use makes things, as you say, too much of an effort for the reader.
The question then is where to draw the line; at what point does a rarely used term become common enough to warrant being included in the nomenclature section? This is, I think, becomes a matter of preference. Personally, if a term were used in more than one section, I'd define it at the start. Though, if it really is only used twice, perhaps an in-place definition and a "recall that we define..." kind of sentence would read more smoothly.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I prefer to group definitions of notation and symbols with the typical "List of ..." elements. You probably already have "List of figures" and "List of tables", so simple add something like "List of symbols" or "List of abbreviations" after the other lists.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2012/10/23 | 564 | 2,329 | <issue_start>username_0: I have brought some trouble onto myself I know, but what can be done by someone in my situation.
I applied and got accepted for a PhD program in Computer Science. I automatically assumed that I wanted to continue the work I did on my Master's thesis and I identified a professor who would be willing to work with me on that subject. When I got there, I reviewed the literature (there had been a few years of gap since defending my thesis) and decided I really did not like the direction the field was going in. I had been developing a new interest anyway, so I changed sub-disciplines. Now, no one will commit to be my advisor, at best maybe co-advisor with some outside expert. Part of the reason is because my school lacks experts in that area. I personally (on a friend basis) know some Computer Science professors, but none are experts in my field. What can I do? No advisor = No PhD, I know that much anyway.<issue_comment>username_1: Changing a subject during the PHD course is legitimate, and not very rare. However, finding an advisor is a must. I think in that case you'll have no choice but trying to convince professors to be your advisors.
A possible way is to find an expert from a different university, that will be your co-advisor. That way you'll just need to find another faculty in your university that is not-too-far from your interests. You might find someone that will tentativly be your advisor, and once you show some progress will agree to take you under..
But maybe the big question is,
why not moving to the place where the "experts" are?
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I do not think changing topics on a PhD research is totally unheard off. In fact, as Ran mentioned, it's probably more common than one would think.
Now, the advisor is indeed an issue. The problem is that it looks bad on professors if they do not understand what are you doing, and if the field is unrelated to them that might happen. Did you try looking for an advisor in other area, where what you want to do is applied?
Perhaps a nice way to approach the issue is to do a more formal research plan and a good application in mind, that might attract some advisor or at least give a strong case to an outside expert.
In these days distance should not be an issue for a CS research.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/23 | 298 | 1,293 | <issue_start>username_0: In many journals of my field, upon acceptance of a manuscript for publication with minor revisions, the editor sets a deadline (4 weeks, in many journals) for submission for the revised manuscript.
While I usually resubmit these papers as fast as possible, I don't see the benefit *for the editor* to set a deadline. After all, once a paper is “almost accepted”, the authors are motivated enough to get it over the final line, aren't they?<issue_comment>username_1: Editing a journal is a non-trivial exercise, something which tends to drag on forever and requires lots of pushing of reviewers and authors to complete their tasks on time. It is time-consuming. Without deadlines, reviewers and authors will submit their work arbitrarily late, making it very difficult to get each issue out on time.
Authors may well be motivated to get over the final line, but when there are other things to do and the possibility of delaying one piece of work yet another day, then it is easy to delay that work.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Well, you want predictability in any manufacturing business, and printing press is that kind of manufacturing endeavour. Without deadlines for submissions, you won't have predictability in production.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/23 | 1,025 | 4,377 | <issue_start>username_0: I've spoken with many friends, and they all agree that response letters to reviewers should be written in the most kind, cordial and humble possible way.
Even if the reviewers are in an error, one should make no major strides to show it to them.
I wonder, How do you write your response letters to the reviewers?<issue_comment>username_1: **If the reviewers are in error**, yes you should show it to them, but **you should often also take the opportunity to revise your paper, so that your readers don't fall into the same error**. For example, suppose reviewers say that you could use such and such an approach to get a better result. If they are right, then you should either do it, or explain why you're not doing it.
But if the reviewers are wrong, then maybe you should address this idea in your introduction. In one paper I wrote, we included in our introduction a *false* one paragraph proof of the thing we took 10 pages to prove. Afterwards we pointed out the error.
For one paper we submitted, we got conflicting referee reports. Essentially, the referees both wanted us to revise the paper, but in different directions (to oversimplify: one reviewer said "shorten and simplify" and the other said "lengthen and elaborate"). We agreed with one report, and disagreed with the other. So in our response, we pointed out that we couldn't do both . We explained why we preferred the choice we were making, and our paper was accepted.
**You don't have to do everything the reviewers suggest.** But if you don't, your response letter should *explain* why you have chosen to do otherwise.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: As DanC states, you don't have to do everything a referee suggests, especially when they are asking for the wrong thing. A response along the lines of the following usually does the trick for me.
>
> We do not believe the referee's suggested approach is appropriate in this context [Explain reason why]. However, we accept that Section x.x.x could easily mislead a careful reader into thinking this approach was required, and have clarified the text as follows:
>
>
>
This addresses the issue, explains why you disagree with the referee, but throws the referee a bone by saying how helpful they have been. I make a point of thanking the referee as often as possible in a response. After all, they are taking time to make your paper better with no reward.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: From my experience, successful letters to the reviewer have been very objective--guiding the reader to a specific line number in your original manuscript and/or reviewed manuscript.
Often times the reviewer will say something like "the author failed to show that x is correlated with y," to which I usually write: "the authors wish to thank the reviewer for raising this issue. We have added a new sentence to clarify how x and y correlate (please refer to line 100 of the reviewed manuscript)."
Sometimes, the reviewer simply does not understand a passage of your manuscript. For example "the authors did not explain why the sky is blue," to which I commonly reply "the authors wish to thank the reviewer for raising this issue. We wish to bring the attention to line 200 of the manuscript where we say that 'the sky is blue because of xyz, as supported by Figure 1.' "
Sometimes the reviewer is just mean. Once, a reviewer wrote the following to me: "the author is encouraged to understand the basics of physics," to which I simply replied: "5 new references have been added on line 300 to support our claim that heavier bodies accelerate slower when acting upon an unchanged force, a direct result from [Newton, 1687]."
You can't be rude, but you must be succinct and show exactly where in the manuscript you address the issue raised by the reviewer.
**You can then take 3 actions:
1. add a sentence to clarify the issue,
2. point to the reviewer that you have in fact explained the issue in the manuscript, or
3. add references that support your claim and weaken the reviewer's concern.**
Some times, if your response letter is objective and clearly addresses **all** the reviewer's concerns, the Editor will accept your manuscript upon reading your letter and not send back to the reviewer for another round of reviews (this has happened to me at least 2 times before).
Upvotes: 0 |
2012/10/23 | 696 | 2,798 | <issue_start>username_0: I am currently a staff researcher at a public research university in the US. While a tenure-track position may be in my future, I would like some of the opportunities and responsibilities now. In particular, I want to be able to write grants as a PI and advise students and postdocs. I believe that I can do this as an adjunct faculty, but I have a few questions about where to start:
* What are common steps required to become an adjunct faculty?
* Where can I find additional information (e.g. would a university-wide policy be given at the university website?)
* Assuming I speak with the department chair, what should I say? Are my justifications sufficient.
* How could I sell my case, other than my (demonstrated) ability to obtain funding and (undemonstrated) ability to be an advisor?<issue_comment>username_1: * What are common steps required to become an adjunct faculty?
Ask your department chair.
* Where can I find additional information (e.g. would a university-wide policy be given at the university website?)
Ask your department chair.
* Assuming I speak with the department chair, what should I say?
"I'm interested in becoming adjunct faculty. What's the hiring process? Why yes, I *do* happen to have my CV with me."
* How could I sell my case, other than my (demonstrated) ability to obtain funding and (undemonstrated) ability to be an advisor?
Ask your department chair.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Be aware, too, that the administrative and departmental conceptions of both the privileges and responsibilities of adjuncts vary hugely from place to place. In many places, adjunct faculty do not serve on any committees, and it would be nearly universal that, in particular, they'd not be on the hiring and tenure committees, and not vote on hiring and tenure.
The question of being "allowed" to be an official advisor (as opposed to the obvious possibilities of informal mentoring) also surely has different answers different places. In some institutions, it is quite anomalous for "non-tenure-track/tenured faculty" to be allowed to "advise". You'd need to ask.
At worst, adjunct faculty are marginalized in terms of job security, voice in departmental matters, and are given the least desirable teaching responsibilities, etc. Hopefully this is not the situation at your institution, but, for example, a move from "research associate" to "adjunct faculty" might be, and might be perceived as, a step *down*, with unanticipated negative consequences for you. Hard to know without "being on the ground" there in your particular situation.
Also, beware that various administrative "official" statements on such things do not match *practice*, so unofficial, off-the-record information may be essential.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2012/10/24 | 1,018 | 3,813 | <issue_start>username_0: I am curious to know whether PhD is the highest degree one can earn? Is there any other degree beyond that, if so what is it and what are the universities offering the same?<issue_comment>username_1: The degree you're looking for (at least in the sciences) is called "Doctor of Science" and you can read all about it on Wikipedia:
[Doctor of Science](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Science)
**Edit:** As aeismail noted: Sometimes this degree is considered equivalent to a PhD and sometimes it's considered *beyond* a PhD. This distinction typically varies by country (all this is listed on the Wikipedia page).
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It depends highly on your university and national system. The *[Doctor of Science](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Science#United_States)* title has already been cited by username_1, and several European countries have a higher diploma called *[habilitation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habilitation)*.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: Many countries have higher degrees than the PhD.
[In the UK](http://www.uea.ac.uk/calendar/section3/regs%28awards%29/doctor-of-laws,-of-letters-and-of-science), there's
* Litt.D Doctor of Letters / Literature
* DSc Doctor of Science
* LL.d Doctor of Laws
* D.D. [Doctor of Divinity](http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/examregs/31-67_General_Regulations.shtml) (the highest)
Each of these typically requires the submission of a body of work - a research portfolio - together with a critique of the work. Or they may be awarded as honorary degrees; see the links above for the requirements for the degrees from the University of East Anglia (Litt.D, DSc, LL.d), and the University of Oxford (D.D.), accordingly.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I heard that in Russia they have an equivalent to the standard Ph.D and a sort of "second Ph.D" after that, that is way harder to get than the first. One of my Russian friends argued that it is harder and rarer than the European "habilitation", but I guess it is open to debate to see whether it is just a matter of opinion.
Here is the corresponding article in Wikipedia:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doktor_nauk>
(On an unrelated topic, I think the name is quite cool.)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: *At the risk of answering a question that the OP may not actually be asking....*
One of the biggest myths to deprogram grad students of is the idea that the Ph.D is "the highest degree" or is in fact in a well-defined ordering relationship with other degrees. It is true that a Ph.D will typically require other degrees as a prerequisite, and it is also true that (as far as I know) no degree program requires a Ph.D for admission. However, there's no useful sense in which the Ph.D is "highest" in anything. It is a certification that you can do research, and is almost always a mandatory step before getting a research position in academia.
But by that logic, an MBA, a J.D or an MD are also "highest" degrees.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: Another concept of "next step after PhD", at least in some countries, is the notion of an 'academic', i.e., a member of the relevant national Academy of Sciences.
That membership is in essence an awarded/elected degree for continued contributions to science and demonstrated expertise.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: In Finland, someone with a doctor's degree and additional body of scientific work equivalent to another thesis can apply for the title of docent (dosentti). The title gives the right to mentor PhD students. Docenture is a degree in the sense that it does not imply employment at the university which bestows the title.
At least some professors consider it kind of a vestige and it might be phased out at some point.
Upvotes: 0 |
2012/10/24 | 776 | 3,413 | <issue_start>username_0: It seems funding for a PhD (at least in the UK) is a lot easier to get for a PhD in statistics rather then maths. Provided one can find a supervisor who has the background and research interestes that would allow one to keep extending ones pure mathematical toolbox are there any major risks in going for a PhD in stats ?
It seems to me that at any given stage there is a lot of flexibility with a degree in mathematics. (For instance people seem very open minded to let a maths MSc do a stats PhD). Is it justified to be worried about losing this flexibility if one opts for the PhD in stats rather then maths?
In particular I am worried about whether it is possible to transition back to the maths departement for a postdoctoral position or something equivalent. So essentially I want to know whether one will get branded to an extend that would make it difficult to go on and work in pure mathematics after the PhD.<issue_comment>username_1: I cannot answer about stats/maths directly, but in general the department you get your PhD in matters less than who it is with. This is especially true in places like the UK were there is no course work component. In my current department, psychology, about 50% of the faculty, including myself, did not get our PhD from Psychology departments. That said, if you are only willing to teach in a Maths department, then you should probably go to a Maths department. If you are willing to teach in either Maths or Stats, then it doesn't matter too much.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> Provided one can find a supervisor who has the background and research interestes that would allow one to keep extending ones pure mathematical toolbox are there any major risks in going for a PhD in stats?
>
>
>
There's a small risk, but it can be managed. The first issue is that you need to make the mathematical content of your work very clear, for example by publishing in journals that could be considered both math journals and statistics journals (e.g., IMS journals). However, if you're interested in math departments I assume you'd be doing that anyway.
The slightly more subtle issue is how mathematicians view statisticians. There's sometimes a mild prejudice that people in mathematical statistics are overly specialized and outside of the mainstream of mathematics. For example, it's possible to get a Ph.D. in mathematical statistics while having considerably less breadth of mathematical background than would be considered acceptable for a math grad student. (Of course, the flip side is that you are expected to know other things instead.) There's sometimes a fear that a statistician would be unlikely to talk much with other math department members, or might be unwilling or unable to teach anything but statistics.
Plenty of statisticians have found jobs in math departments, so I don't want to be discouraging. However, I'd recommend focusing on mathematical breadth. For example, if you work with people in combinatorics or algebra, then it will be clear to everyone why a math department is a natural fit. If you talk only to statisticians, it will be less clear. It can still work out even then, but generally when the department either has a thriving statistics group or has decided they really need a statistician (and either way this cuts down on the flexibility of your job search).
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2012/10/24 | 729 | 3,399 | <issue_start>username_0: The consensus on academic jobs seems to be that we are [sending far too many students to graduate school to train for jobs that will not be there when they graduate.](http://chronicle.com/article/Todays-Faculty-Stressed-and/135276/) Despite this, most of my undergraduate students have aspirations for graduate school. In part I believe that this is due to a saturation of exclusively academic role models during their time in college.
Since virtually all of my experience is in academia and I have basically succeeded in getting a tenure track position, I feel ill equipped to advise these students in making decisions about their future and showing them alternative role models.
Where can I get the experience and resources to show students that would potentially benefit from considering alternatives to an academic career that high quality alternatives exist?
(NOTE: I am in the natural sciences so answers specific to science would be great but if a cross-discipline answer exists, that would be ideal)<issue_comment>username_1: In our university, we have good experiences with inviting alumni who are now in industry to give career-oriented talks. The students know that the person giving the talk was in the same study program as they are now, and I guess just this alone helps them to see possible role models in the persons giving talks. The best talks are when alumni not only report about the technical points of the project they are working on, but also give a more personal account of their development towards their current job.
These talks are organized by the alumni organisation of the study program, which certainly helps getting the contacts to potential speakers. But I can also imaging getting these contacts in other ways.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: My university is only engineering, but I'll try to answer. The administration is working hard to allow graduate program internships (coops), as they are successful at the undergrad level. The other angle is that there are two flavors of master's degree: professional and research. The former is not an academic career path. Most students already have an idea where they want to go when they register, and the ratio is about 4:1.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: Here I briefly describe two ideas regarding to what a professor can do in this situation.
1. **Keep contact with former students**: Frequently, professors establish relationship with students during classes or during an undergraduate or master's thesis. Probably, maintaining these relationships after students graduate may give you some interesting points of view regarding jobs in the industry. You can just send an email to a former student in order to ask her about her job or you can invite former students to give a talk in one of your classes.
2. **Establish relationships with actors in the industry**: If students are required to take an internship, you can contact institutions that receive students for internship and suggest those institutions candidates that you know. I suppose that if you are able to refer to them good students, you can continue the relationship with those institutions.
Another alternative would be to engage in professional activities in the industry. However, this depends on whether you are interested in working as a consultant or something similar.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2012/10/24 | 565 | 2,434 | <issue_start>username_0: I must make a difficult decision, so am having to turn to the wider community to gain some perspective.
My situation is the following: I am currently outside USA and am trying to enter academia here. I have been invited as a visiting lecturer at a top US university. However, I am worried that though certainly valuable, a purely teaching position might be a huge negative against me in terms of prospects for a more research oriented position (Asst or Assoc Prof). Or is my trepidation unjustified?<issue_comment>username_1: The title of *lecturer* does not necessarily imply that you would teach full time. Sure, it usually implies more teaching than research, but that does not mean it's strictly teaching only. Especially for a visiting lecturer position, one could imagine there be arrangements possible.
So: have you checked the exact term under which you would be employed?
Also: how long would be this “brief” position? And what is your current seniority in your local research system? Those factors will play heavily into the decision.
Overall, I expect it's a net positive for you if you manage to keep some research activity going on, especially if you can travel relatively often to visit your non-US lab. Otherwise, if it's purely teaching with no opportunity to maintain some research activity, and you are not far from getting a job where you are, accepting might be risky.
*“Long absent, soon forgotten”*
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: These days, I believe having experience in foreign countries is considered a plus almost everywhere. Even if you're strictly speaking in a teaching-only position, that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of that to do some research "on the side," and to make contacts with researchers at the university where you're teaching, and at other schools in the vicinity. You might also have an opportunity for more networking.
The only way this is a real negative is if you're in such a period for an extended period of time (say, on the order of several years), and then want to pivot back to a research focused career. Then you will have to overcome the challenge of proving that you'll be able to raise enough money to sustain a research group. Beyond that, however, I can't see any real downside to a short (one year?) appointment. I think if the choice is between that and being unemployed, the job is definitely the better choice.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/24 | 598 | 2,603 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm currently writing my diploma thesis (old equivalent of master in Germany) in mathematics. It's about a fairly new combinatorical optimization problem which has military applications. In fact, the problem originates from that, even though in the formulation I'm studying it is a bit more theoretical.
I got this topic without the knowledge of its applications and of course I don't like optimizing the ways of killing people. (Just to clarify: luckily there are other (good) applications too)
It is likely that my research will end up in a paper, thus beeing widely available. Is it possible to restrict usage of such research to non-military applications only?
(side note: Probably no military organization will ever comply with such a restriction. I'm aware of that.)<issue_comment>username_1: I don't think you have any right to restrict the *usage* of your publications. You might retain the original copyright (or your publisher will), and thus prevent that anyone else (including the army) can publish your work on their behalf, but you can't prevent someone to use your idea just because it's published.
A legal possibility could be to file a patent protecting your approach, but I'm not sure if it covers all usage or only commercial usages (in which case the army could use it as long as they are not making money out of it). You might want to check this with [AskPatent](http://patents.stackexchange.com).
You could also not publish it, and it could be possible to ask your university to consider your thesis as confidential (I've seen some cases where a thesis was confidential, when some companies were involved in them), but your advisor might not agree.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_1: I was offered an opportunity to work a while back in the same field as you; optimization applied to military applications. It was related to anti-ballistic missile defense. I didn't take the project though, since defense, while perfectly acceptable to me, seemed very unlikely to be ultimate usage of my research. The literature in that field trots out continuously the same bogeymen of Iran and North Korea, but that seems bogus to me. More plausible, is that that research aims to gain us more technical leverage over countries we want to push around; like Russia, India, and China. I'd much rather work on research that has more peacetime applications, the elevate the human condition, rather than empower the worst people among us to impress their personal agendas on not only their own people, but practically the entire planet.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/25 | 537 | 2,200 | <issue_start>username_0: I am currently a grad student in Psychology. I have heard that many professors like to see a list of 'Professional Affiliations' on a potential employee's CV, because it is an easy way to see whether the two people have common interests.
My question is, are there any guidelines for what I can realistically put there? Should I just list conferences in which I am a current, paying dues member; or can I put any conference in which I've paid dues in the past? Or can I be even less strict that these guidelines?<issue_comment>username_1: By 'Professional Affiliations' it is meant that one is a member of certain professional association such as [IEEE](http://www.ieee.org), [ACM](http://www.acm.org), [ICE,](http://www.ice.org.uk) [ASCE](http://www.asce.org) etc.
These professional bodies often arranges conferences which anyone can attend, so registering for the conferences does not mean that one is a member of a organizing body. Conference participation information may be put into your publication list as conference papers and/or given talks section.
So, **You should only list the organisations as professional affiliations of which you are a member.**
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Any professional association in which you have been a member.
Conferences are not included in that category, unless they imply membership in some association. For example, registering for the biannual meeting of the [Materials Research Society](http://www.mrs.org) includes membership fees, so if you participated in a meeting, you were a member.
Regarding past membership, I would only include it if you were a member for a significant time.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: [Rashed's answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/4959/73) is correct. In addition, though, it is not uncommon to place other notable affiliations towards the end of the resume, if there is space, under whatever title is appropriate. For example, in my resume, I have a "Community Service" section, where I list my membership on various nonprofit boards of directors. If you hold officer position in any other notable groups you could list them similarly.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/25 | 2,798 | 11,028 | <issue_start>username_0: Academic indicators (h-index, impact factor, modified h-indexes, etc) have a long string of criticism by academics and not (see [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publish_or_perish#Disadvantages), [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_factor#Criticisms) or [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-index#Criticism)).
Instead of debating (endlessly) on how "not representative" and flawed these numbers are (or howling generic rants...), I would be interested to know if Academia.SE community members have objective **facts** and **reports** on how academic workplaces are currently using these indicators. For instance in the upcoming REF2014 (UK), academics in my institution are urged to use, as their contributions, the papers accepted in highest impact factors journals.
In summary, can you trade your h-index for a better paying job?<issue_comment>username_1: In Czech Republic, researchers are obliged to indicate their most important publications, together with the number of citations, the corresponding impact factors of the journals, as well as their own WoS-based h-index on major grant proposals to national grant agencies (GACR, TACR, etc.). In a consequence, universities care for h-index and other citation metrics internally as well and in result citations/impact factors are tracked and form a basis for annual evaluation, possibly even leading to end-year bonus calculation. So yes, at least in Czech research space citation metrics, such as h-index and impact factors are a big deal.
---
Later edit:
Since you ask for objective evidence, I refer to the recent manual for [GACR standard projects starting in 2012](http://www.gacr.cz/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Zadavaci-dok-GACR-2012-ST-final.pdf), paragraph 4.2.10, b-d (all in Czech).
---
Yet another edit in response to ElCid's comment:
There was an equation for calculating an extra-ordinary bonus taking into account the impact factor of the journal authors get their paper accepted in and then taking into account the stated (percentual) contributions of each individual co-author. In result, the formula spit out the amount of money each department-resident co-author would get for the paper. The bonus was a department-specific policy.
Secondly, there was an annual evaluation taking into account the number of papers produced by the researcher, the number of citations received in that particular year (sometimes extremely hard to track), impact factors for journals of the papers concerned (both submitted and those receiving citations) grants received, and other minor factors as well. The evaluation was a faculty wide policy, I am not sure whether it led to direct financial benefit to the researchers, but certainly these metrics were important in the internal university-wide division of funds which also partly hinged on aggregates of the above described metrics. To my understanding, these policies formed an incentive for the faculty to target high-impact journals in their respective fields.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: The main reason to look at impact factor (at the schools where I've worked\*) is so that a future hire can most probably obtain funding to continue research (support grad students, purchase equipment, etc.).
Quality publications become an important aspect of any research proposals a future hire would submit. Research proposals are evaluated by other researchers within the network of the research program. Those researchers can freely use impact factor of a proposal's publications as a criterion for evaluation. I don't know of any programs that use it as a mandatory criterion, probably because it's still controversial.
Some professors might get hired because they already have good funding, sometimes because of R&D contacts with industry, a good IP track record (patents), and a low impact factor may be a terrible reason to reject a candidate like that.
As for converting h-index to better pay, I'd say if you're at the right institution, you can convert it to a better [package](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/4818/3859) (salary is only one aspect). Impact factor is not the only indicator that you will be successful, but might be an important one for tenure-track (assistant) professor positions. It may not get you a higher salary, but it probably will get your CV higher on the list.
---
\*Hiring committees are formed and they are free to set the criteria for selecting candidates. Impact factor has been used on several committees at my institution, but it's not an established policy. I believe this is an issue of academic freedom.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: On the European research market, various opinions have been offered on the use of h-index by ERC grant evaluation committees, and the broader relationship between h-index and ERC funding success. People who provide such opinion can be classified in three categories:
* affiliated with the ERC
* consultants whose business is to offer advice to (potential) candidates
* individuals involved in another way, whose advice is most probably only anecdotal
So, what do the first two categories have to say? The official word from the guidelines is, well… absent. But it is politically correct to assert that h-index is not a good indicator of scientific quality and, as such, not used. This gives [quotes](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=quality%20in%20science%20is%20not%20proved%20by%20accumulating%20quantitative%20points.%20the%20role%20of%20commercial%20impact%20factor%20and%20h-index%20is%20limited.%20overemphasizing%20of%20publish%20or%20perish%20policy%20leads%20to%20a%20gradual%20perishing%20of%20all.&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http://www.vscht.cz/document.php?docId=6553&ei=bU-JULSCKoK4hAfrn4HgAw&usg=AFQjCNHlRtZss7A755KIXLGDhbPyzUDSIg) like:
>
> Quality in science is not proved by accumulating quantitative points. The role of commercial impact factor and h-index is limited. Overemphasizing of publish or perish policy leads to a gradual perishing of all.
>
>
>
On the other hand, practical advice might be a bit more [nuanced](http://www.science.ku.dk/finansiering/eu/ideas/aktuelle_opslag_ideas/erc_adg_2012/ERC_Advanced_Grant_2013_Call_note.pdf/):
>
> There will also be a new h-index study the successful 2011 awardees in the PE and LS domains. **The h-index is regarded as a background indicator rather than a determining factor** and the study on the 2010 Advanced Grant awardees showed that each panel made awards across a considerable range and that there were significant differences across the different ERC panels. There was a big variation between different disciplines within the main domains.
>
>
>
and [this](http://chaos.if.uj.edu.pl/~karol/pdf/europhys09.pdf):
>
> Every applicant had to choose his 10 best publications published in the recent decade and add how many times each of these papers were cited in the literature. The total number L of these citations describes well how the scientific community perceives their recent achievements. **These numbers were provided by the ERC in the dossier of every applicant. However, during the evaluation process the panel did not put much emphasis on any bibliometric data. It was the opinions of the experts which did matter, not the bare numbers**. Only after completing the evaluation process, I realised a correlation between these data and the final outcome.
>
>
>
---
To give another perspective: in France, a new evaluation system for higher education and research was put in place 5 years ago (the newly created agency performing the evaluation is called AERES). AERES evaluates each research group every 4 to 5 years, in order to give it an *overall rating*, which could be A+, A, B or C. This had at least two very practical consequences that I know of:
* For yearly financial negotiations between each university and the Ministry for research, the ministry started to require a spreadsheet with the number of university teams rated A+, and the number of A team (B and C didn't seem to count). Financial support was then dependent on that number, at least as a starting point for the negotiations.
* It became customary to include this grade in your French grant applications, because a A+ rating was considered a serious advantage. This was written in the “rules”, however…
---
So, all in all, are bibliometric and, speaking more broadly, academic indicators really adopted by institutions? **Hell yeah!** They make deciders’ job easier: quantification of research quality makes it easier to make decisions. **Smart decision makers do realize, however, that a single indicator does not make for good decisions**.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: As in JeffE's comments to another answer, it is very unclear to me that anyone should be happy that "bibliometrics" assume official stature, especially in the particular situation of "emerging" fields, where one's livelihood thus becomes contingent on opinions or behavior of non-experts?
In the U.S., in mathematics, it seems that this official stature is very recent, in contrast to various places in Europe where (apparently) the bureaucracy was even less shy than here about insisting on "simple" quantification of the "performance" of academics and departments. Of course, presumably, administrations have always simplified their private appraisals of departments and individuals for purposes of "decision-making" (a.k.a., deciding who gets the money), but more recently commercial products (from our buddies the traditional publishers) have been promoted to university administrators, and have been bought and paid for, over the public objections of faculty...
One point is that traditional publishers are happy, I'm sure, to have the significance of their gatekeeper "peer-reviewed" publications more firmly ensconced by the effective endorsement of their "rating" software packages.
"Conflict of interest" comes to mind, for one thing.
(But I'm not eager to trade this commericalized U.S. manifestation for the systematic, nation-wide version available too often in Europe.)
The real problem is that this commodification of "research/scholarship" adds a function-less layer of misdirection and noise to an already challenging enterprise, with already-precarious economics. For those who wish it to be a "revolution" that gets us out from under some old regime, I fear that instead it is merely a different incarnation of the same thing, sometimes owned by the same mulit-national corporate entities.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: In many places of South Korea, IF is definitely used for job performance evaluation. In one Research Institute I am aware of, there is yearly evaluations which are quantitative, giving each person a score out of 100. The actual impact factor of each journal publication is used in the calculation, such as the highest IF journals are given 3x more points than low or non. The final score determines job promotion or firings.
Upvotes: 1 |
2012/10/25 | 839 | 3,250 | <issue_start>username_0: I'd like to know your opinion on citations in abstracts.
At my university, there is no rule on that matter so it's basically a
question of preference.
Do you think it's okay to have citations in an abstract or do you
personally prefer to have the abstract be a ``stand-alone'' piece of
work?<issue_comment>username_1: It depends on the situation.
An abstract for a paper must be stand-alone, because the bibliography is hidden in the paper itself. The abstract must contain all information required for people to judge if they want to read the paper, and as there is no bibliography, the reader does not know what the citations relate to. Therefore, there should be no citations.
It may be a bit different if the abstract is for a conference. Maybe in some situations it's possible to add one or two references at the end of the abstract. In that case, it can be okay to have citations.
So the most important question here is: *can the reader use the abstract as a stand-alone unit?* If using citations cause the answer to this question to be *no*, don't do citations.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: It is not entirely unreasonable to include a citation in an abstract, if the reason you are citing it is because your paper is a major extension, rebuttal, or counterpoint to the cited article.
In that case, however, you do have the responsibility of providing the reference *within the body of the abstract*. For example,
>
> We extend upon the results of Smith [*Journal of Very Important Results*, **1**, 374 (2012)] to include the effects of a doohickey at the end of the thingamajig.
>
>
>
In such a case, the abstract remains self-contained, with an important citation included. (This is especially essential if an author is well-known for multiple papers, in which case the reference can be used to distinguish the varous works that could be intended.)
Large numbers of citations, however, should be avoided, as should "secondary" citations. Only the most critical literature for a paper should be cited, and that should normally be limited to one or two. Any more than that, and the abstract becomes hard to read.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: This issue may depend on the academic field of the publication. In the case of the social sciences, abstract are generally written to be independent of the other sections of the paper or manuscript, so citations in the abstract are avoided. You may include a citation, but sometimes you have to include all the bibliographic details. Considering that abstract are usually required to be short, you may be unnecessarily wasting words.
Moreover, as the abstract is intended to be an interesting summary of the research described in the manuscript, it is not probably useful to include citations. An exception is the case when a manuscript heavily draws on a previous work. For instance, if you are replicating a previous study, then you may have to include a cite. [In this paper](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/%28SICI%291097-0266%28199711%2918:10%3C787%3a%3aAID-SMJ913%3E3.0.CO;2-R/abstract), the author replicates and extends a study. The title and the abstract have a citation of the previous study.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/25 | 502 | 2,104 | <issue_start>username_0: Let's say that you are going to write a theoretical paper/thesis/book (that is, you're not conducting empirical work). More often than not, I find it troublesome to just start writing right away, especially when I don't know what the results of my investigation is going to be.
What are some good ways to structure and organize your material, as well as your workflow, before starting to write?<issue_comment>username_1: <NAME>, an english philosopher, has created what he calls [the Mumford Method](https://sites.google.com/site/stephendmumford/the-mumford-method). It is basically a prescription of how to structure your notes as well as how to utilize presentation opportunities to get feedback and redraft the material.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Of course, it's disastrous to be so disorganized that things get lost, work has to be duplicated (even if it's just typing), etc.
On the other hand, I observe that many novice writers over-allocate their time+energy to "planning". I say "over-allocate" exactly because (as in the question) when one doesn't have too many details about the sequel, it is hard to plan. Further, especially in thesis situations, and, even for more experienced people, in book writing, the very process significantly changes one's viewpoint, so that an initial plan/outline/table-of-contents/statement-of-intent easily becomes grossly inaccurate over time+experience.
For example, although it is interesting, and an interesting exercise, to try to write an introduction or preface at the beginning, it will most likely prove wildly irrelevant, and have to be scrapped nearly entirely.
A second crucial mechanism is (as suggested in the questioner's self-answer) feedback, and, equally, iteration of the writing/editing cycle.
The two concepts combine to suggest that one should not waste time doing nothing, but pretending to be trying to fathom what one will think, and what one will discover, some months in the future. Hesitation delays the very experience that will bring to life one's future viewpoint! :)
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/25 | 1,173 | 4,840 | <issue_start>username_0: Students diagnosed with dyslexia qualify for accommodations at most universities. As with other special needs students, they're entitled extra time for work, exams, access or licenses to spell checkers, etc.
If these accommodations are in place, and assuming good grammar/spelling is part of the evaluation of work outlined in the university course syllabus, is it reasonable for an instructor to penalize students with dyslexia for making spelling/grammar mistakes as with other students?<issue_comment>username_1: I’ll go for a legal answer, at least valid in my current place of employment (France): dyslexia, which must be medically characterized as a learning disability for an individual, is covered by the laws regarding disabilities. As such, students impacted can request that **exam conditions be modified for their benefit**: most commonly by giving them additional time to “compensate” for their disability, but it could also include changes in setup (such as having access to a dictionary, spellchecker, or even a secretary). On the other hand, **no leniency should then be granted on judging the exam paper**.
The operating principle in all cases should be that of **equal opportunity**. (See here a [summary](http://alyoda.univ-lyon3.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1168%3aamenagement-des-conditions-dexamen-pour-un-eleve-souffrant-de-dyslexie&catid=42%3alibertes&Itemid=115) of jurisprudence by the *Association lyonnaise de droit administratif*.)
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: it is in my university (UK).
Dyslexic students are given a lot of attention and information around their case, extra time, specific conditions to undertake exams/courseworks/assignments. These include more time to complete the work, using a computer to transcribe their ideas/concepts, personal assistants and so on.
After this extra care and information, the idea is to create a plain field with non-dyslexic students, and use the same framework for marking or assessing the piece of work. So advantages in the pre-conditions of an exam, but then the marker will not use any bias in the marking. This includes also a stricter handling of extenuating circumstances: you cannot claim that "you have dyslexia" if you could not complete your work, or if it's incomplete, or has mistakes in it
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Firstly, no amount of accommodations etc is going to make a dyslexic person a good speller, or not struggle with writing.
Disability rules usually say that "reasonable accommodations" should be made for people with disabilities. The spirit of this is that if a person cannot perform their role, then they can't, but if there is something that can be done to allow them to perform their role, then they should be enabled to do so.
Applying that principle to university, this should mean that a student should be assessed on the course criteria, but where something that is not in the criteria is stopping them from demonstrating that they've met the criteria, then they should be helped around this.
The upshot of that is that dyslexic students should not be assessed on the quality of their language unless that is a specific aim of the assessment, but where it is the specific aim, they should be assessed against the same criteria as everyone else.
So we teach molecular biology. In our exams we are testing the students knowledge and understanding of molecular biology. As long as your language is good enough to demonstrate an understanding of the material then you should get the marks, irrespective of typos, odd phrasing or places where the grammar is wrong, but the meaning is clear. If the writing is so bad that I can't tell if you understand the biology or not, then you shouldn't get the marks. One can imagine this would be different in an English Language exam.
On the other hand, molecular biologists need a certain level of language abilities to succeed, and so we have course work where the quality of the communication is assessed, but in these cases students are allowed to have their work proofread the same way someone in real life might have their reports proofread.
I am both dyslexic and dyspraxic. People who regularly read my posts will notice that I am not a good speller. But I have still been a good enough biologist to make a career of it, so I'm glad my university assessed me on my biology ability, not my writing ability.
On the other hand, my dyspraxia makes me clumsy in the lab and no amount of accommodations is ever going to make my experiments go well. So it was in my, and my employers/fields interests that I decided the lab wasn't for me, and became a computational biologist - Reasonable adjustments could be make for my writing ability, but not for my lack of manual dexterity.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/26 | 806 | 3,539 | <issue_start>username_0: I am a student in various graduate taught programs, but not a research student and I am not receiving any scholarships or grants from my institutions. I have prepared a paper which I wish to publish. The subject is within my field, but far outside of the expertise of any of my instructors, mostly because it deals with a language and other technical details which they are entirely unfamiliar with. As such, I highly doubt they could assist me in writing the paper.
I know that graduate research students should not publish works without their professor's permission. Is this rule relevant to students in taught programs? Can I submit my paper for credit in a course, without giving up ownership of the paper?<issue_comment>username_1: Although a professor's opinion on your paper could prove to be very valuable and save you the trouble of resubmitting your paper again and again to the same journal. I believe, in case your paper is worth a journal's quality and standard, really, there is no need for your professor's permission. Journal editors aren't concerned with your professor's permission, however they would require you to sign a document stating that your research is your own and that you have the authority to publish your data.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> I know that graduate research students should not publish works without their professor's permission.
>
>
>
It's a little more complicated than that. Nobody needs permission to publish anything that they did entirely on their own. If you work collaboratively or as part of a team, then it's not 100% your work and you need your collaborators' permission. If you do not collaborate but work under someone else's supervision, then it's still polite to ask for advice/permission. (They might see it as more of a collaboration than you do, and in any case your submission may reflect on their supervision so it is reasonable to get their feedback first.)
>
> Is this rule relevant to students in taught programs?
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If you have no collaborators or supervisors in the research, then you can publish it however you'd like.
>
> Can I submit my paper for credit in a course, without giving up ownership of the paper?
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I don't know of any case where you give up rights to a paper by submitting it in a course, so ownership is probably not the relevant issue here. In the universities I'm familiar with, you can certainly submit for publication an essay that was written for a class assignment (most such papers would not be accepted for publication, but a few could be). On the other hand, you cannot get class credit for a paper that you previously wrote for another purpose. The precise rules in your case may differ, but if you plan to use this paper for a class you should investigate your university's rules.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I think you've answered your own question. If you are not a student in the research group of a professor, and you've written the paper on your own, without outside assistance, then you don't need a faculty member's permission to publish the paper.
I would argue that under the circumstances, it would be inappropriate to require the permission of an "advisor"—since you can't even identify who the advisor should be!
As one of the other respondents mentioned, you might have to sign a statement declaring this is your own, independent work, but otherwise, I see no reason why someone else's permission needs to be secured here.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/26 | 1,478 | 6,021 | <issue_start>username_0: I checking my google scholar page, when I noticed that one of my papers, of which I am a co-author, had been cited by an unknown academic. I read the article, which was on gene regulatory networks, and my paper is in computational neuroscience. The reference wording doesn't make any sense though. The only connection is the concept of an attractor network.
If I met this person at a conference, and he went about relating my paper to his work, I would call nonsense. This must happen to more well known academics all the time, so **is it best just to let these things slide?** I suppose if I was really famous and getting 200 citations a week it would be too hard to track every bad reference down, but I only have a few.<issue_comment>username_1: Well, what *can* you do? Not much. I can confirm that it does indeed happen… sometime people even cite a paper of yours to justify a conclusion that you have not reached in the paper, and even one that you strongly disagree with.
One option is to let it slide. You are not responsible for the content of papers that refer to yours, or the accuracy of their citations for that matter. The paper author is responsible, and to some extent, the journal’s referees. (I tend to spend quite some time checking citations when I review papers, but that might just be me being overly sensitive to this particular issue.)
Another option is to contact the paper’s corresponding author, and ask him point blank. You have read his paper, and you are unclear as to the extent of the connection between his writing and yours. See what it gives.
Finally, in the current way academic research works, you do not really have any mean to call out their behaviour publicly. I do not believe you should, either.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Additionally to what username_1 suggested, I would suggest you to discuss the details of this situation in a **personal website** or **blog**.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: There is a huge gulf between *what would happen in an ideal world* and *what the norms are* in this case.
"Ideally", you'd get in touch with the author(s), explain that you don't see what their paper has to do with yours; they'd explain why they think it is relevant or agree that it's not, and modify the paper accordingly. (Almost everything is online, so modification after publication is a possibility.)
In the actual world, citations are of benefit to you, even if they are stupid. Journals are mostly not set up to remove citations easily. No one will check, and if they do check, the detriment will be to the citer, not the cited. So you "shouldn't" do anything about it, and the author would probably be quite surprised if you did (especially if you weren't discreet about it). If you really feel like re-calculating your h-index with that paper removed, go for it. But this sort of thing happens all the time (I think all of my papers with over about 50 citations have been cited stupidly at least once), so you're free to just consider it part of the measurement error inherent in looking at citations.
Incidentally, the ideal isn't necessarily the *pragmatic* ideal. Doing anything important on the basis of small differences in numbers of citations is fraught with error even if all citations are sensible ones. There's a reasonable argument to be made that you shouldn't bother unless the paper *is in your field and is citing you in support of something that your paper showed the converse of*. Getting your work exactly backwards to advance their own idea isn't doing you or them any favors, so you should try to work that out.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> is it best just to let these things slide?
>
>
>
Possibly. It's certainly a reasonable thing to do. Also, if you have *many* citations of that paper, I'd definitely say let this slide.
>
> The reference wording doesn't make any sense though. The only connection is the concept of an attractor network.
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So, the references makes a bit of sense, but the wording doesn't. Unless that paper makes an invalid claim regarding the contents of your paper, that's not so bad. Certainly it doesn't reflect poorly on *you*.
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> I would call nonsense.
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>
You're being much too harsh. Maybe the author typed in the wrong citation? Maybe they meant to reword the text near the citation and forgot to do it when submitting the final version? etc. Give people the benefit of the doubt.
If this really bugs you, email the authors of the citing paper, tell them you noticed the citation, and ask them if they could explain briefly in what context they used your results (i.e. not giving them your impression beforehand). If they don't respond - let it go. If they do explain, and get it wrong, then you can write back saying "Oh, but you wrote that XYZ while in fact my paper is ABC"; note *you are not judging their abilities/skills/intelligence*, just politely pointing out a discrepancy. If they at all care, this is the point they might consider a revision and/or an erratum, and/or a change in future uses of the same text/ideas (e.g. journal version of conference paper, placement in thesis or book chapter).
It's still quite likely that they'll tell you "Oh, well, maybe you're right, but what's done is done". You'll have to live with that, I'm afraid.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: Let it go. There are probably many times you are inappropriately left out. A few times when you are improperly cited. And some times where they didn't understand what you were doing. As long as there is not some clear pattern--for example your former advisor pushing people to cite you (really him)--it's not worth dealing with it. There is just so, so, sooo much imprecision in the arena of citations. You will drive yourself crazy if you obsess on individual instances of citation. (Note, I'm not saying not to worry about general trends...they have validity...but don't obsess on individual data points.)
Upvotes: 0 |
2012/10/26 | 1,789 | 7,749 | <issue_start>username_0: Recently I was researching for a paper, but the results of my research got me reflecting on my habits:
Is is at all appropriate for me to use Google (partly also Google Scholar) for academic research, just because I have good experiences with it in my personal, non-professional environment? I noticed I feel slightly too comfortable in sourcing material via Google. As expected, the quality of the resulting materials is "bad", in the sense that the sources I happen to find are rarely journal articles and often chronically difficult to cite. Of course for many topics this is a non-issue, but for my current topic, a lot of government, international institution and NGO content was "on-topic" and needed, so that is how the situation came about in the first place.
While I definitely **won't use** Wikipedia or (online) newspapers, but I also came across e.g. OECD content: while the content itself is strong and academically valid, **by now I sadly had to discard a significant part of it**, also because I initially didn't (exclusively) use their "iLibrary". Specifically: The amount of time I had to spend trying to find e.g. the author of such non-journal content (and other source-data), trying to decide if I should invest my time into reading and citing the content vs. discarding it and that I have to enter bibliographic data by hand for such content make me tired.
Thus my thought is: **Should I intentionally, sternly refrain/refuse to *use* (and *of course* cite) any materials that doesn't carry a DOI, ISBN or ISSN?** There is still a lot of grey literature, manuscripts, working papers etc. and web content out there... My current frustration is so large that I seriously consider such a strict stance going forward, but I fear that I might miss out on crucial facts and that omitting such publication will affect the credibility and well-roundedness of my paper(s)?
In the age of Google I am very happy that academic standards are in place, compared to the lack of cite-ability etc. in documents published by NGO's, think tanks, policy institutes and some governments.<issue_comment>username_1: If you build your work upon other people's work, whether it be a blog post or postage stamp, then you should cite it, otherwise that's plagiarism. This is especially the case if the work is a primary source of the research (which can even be the case for blog posts).
That said, there are some guidelines you can follow to get the best version of the work to cite.
* *Find the most recent or most authoritative/official version of the work.* If the paper is an unpublished workshop paper, is there a corresponding conference or journal paper that was later published? Or is the work perhaps written up in a masters or PhD thesis?
* *Find the primary source.* Is the blog post (secondary source) a distillation of some other paper (primary source)? If so, go for that primary source. Is the Wikipedia article (tertiary source) based on some well-known book or article (primary source)? If the report from an NGO is original research (primary source) then you should cite it. If not, determine what it is based on an cite that.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Interesting question. I think the answer lies in looking for what purpose you cite "anything but journal articles and books".
In this respect, it is important to distinguish between primary and secondary sources in research reports:
* **Primary sources** are all items which were an object of your research, i.e., your research results directly stem from an analysis of these items. An example would be a text where you studied usage of a specific word. Or a telephone book, if you did a statistical analysis of telephone numbers. Primary references are rather rare in the natural sciences and engineering, but they would be more common in social sciences and humanities.
* **Secondary sources** are items from which you cite research results in order to support your arguments. For example theories that you base your hypotheses on, reports on the validity of methods that you are using in your research, or other research results which you discuss in relation to yours.
Obviously, for primary sources, it doesn't matter whether they have been produced with academic standards or not. After all, they are the **objects of research**, and the validity of your research results does (in principle) not depend on the validity of the primary sources.
On the other hand, the validity of secondary sources is crucial for the validity of your research results, or at least your interpretation of the results. That's why you only want to use secondary sources which are up to academic standards, i.e. peer-reviewed scientific publications and books from established authors / publishers.
So the conclusion is that you should in fact try to refrain from using less credible references as secondary sources, while it will be perfectly fine to use anything as a primary source.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: From my own personal experience, I have cited non-traditional sources that go far beyond the realm of books and articles, and even repositories like [arXiv.org](http://arXiv.org).
In some cases, these included "trade association" documents that cited chemical compositions for blends that we needed to have in order to set up a numerical model. In that case, the document was "official" enough that it could pass muster as a viable source of the data. Similarly, if one wants to cite a source like the [NIST Webbook](http://webbook.nist.gov) or an online database like the Merck Index, those are clearly curated well enough that one doesn't necessarily have to worry about judging its validity.
For sites that are not so well curated, then you do have to work as an arbiter of the quality of the website. You'll need to verify if there is sufficient data and evidence to back up the claims that you find in the documentation you want to cite, and if the document is suitable for citation, or if you need to dig further back to find better "original" sources. So long as you can "trace back" your work with suitable confidence, it's probably OK to cite a source from the Web. Once the provenance or accuracy becomes nebulous or tenuous, you should look for alternate (or more primary) sources.
To go the other way is, of course, also *possible*. The challenge will be that if there are very important sources of literature published outside the journal system—for example, government reports or other standard materials that "define" their field, then you will probably be called out if you omit them—and their findings—from your work. Now this may not be true in *your* field, in which case this won't be a concern. If you get a referee report with such a request and refuse to make the change on the ground that it doesn't have a digital identifier, you may find yourself with a rejection notice at the end of the day.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: DOI, ISBN and ISSN are very useful tool for managing citations, but nothing more. You **need** to cite every material you rely on. Otherwise it is strongly against scientific ethics (i.e. plagiarism or intentional lack of acknowledgement).
Of course, when you use materials without DOI, ISBN or ISSN you need to put special effort to properly identify the cited material and to have any reasonable chance, that it won't disappear.
But for example arXiv ids, or even links to MathOverflow answers are good candidates.
If you point is "I refrain form citing anything without DOI, ISBN or ISSN just because" then, well, someone can pledge not to cite your journal, or just - any of your works, because why not (and it happens on the same moral ground)?
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/26 | 828 | 3,551 | <issue_start>username_0: Some research groups, especially the ones at lower tier schools in the United States, contains an excessive amount of students who have the same nationality as the professor. Some Chinese professors' groups solely consists of Chinese students.
Does this go against diversity, considering the fact that Ph.D admissions are not centralized and is not done by adcom members? Is there a constraint on this implied by school to faculty?<issue_comment>username_1: I'm a PhD student based in Sweden, working in a group where everybody except the PhD students are German. Another group in the same building has several Russians, and a recent Russian PhD student had a Russian supervisor. So the tendency to mono-culturalism is not unique.
Probably, many institutes have statements promoting diversity. In practice, these don't mean much, because recruitment depends on academic networks, skills of applicants, etc. There can be different reasons for a group to tend to mono-culturalism. Some reasons I can think of:
* A professor heading a research group in a foreign country probably has an extensive academic network from his/her originating country. Academic networks are powerful sources of recruitment of new staff, either senior staff or PhD students (e.g. via a Master thesis supervisor recommending them). So applicants might simply be more likely to be from the same country as the head of the group, even if the head of the group is 100% honest in his/her selections.
* PhD students may appreciate if they can work with a supervisor that speaks their language, particularly if they are not so comfortable speaking English.
* It's culturally easier to work in a group with several people from ones own country.
All these factors can contribute to groups in country X with group members primarily from country Y != X.
Probably there are other reasons that I didn't think of.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I think the fundamental issue is not that the groups go against the principle of diversity, but that they're just too small to speak meaningfully about diversity. A population of three to six graduate students is not large enough to make claims that they are or are not diverse enough. Even if they all come from the same country, there may be other forces at work. For instance, those students might be the ones who get "matched" into the group—they list that group as their highest priority, and others don't.
However, in general, there are no constraints placed by a university or a department on *which* students a faculty member can or cannot take. There may be limits and restrictions that determine *if* a faculty member can take students, or *how many*, but never have I heard a restriction about which ones.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: As a faculty member, one of the most challenging things to do is find high-quality people to work in your lab. Faculty generally will use every trick they can to find good people, including asking friends, colleagues, talking to people at conferences, and so on.
If the faculty member is more comfortable in a certain language (e.g. if they find it easier to evaluate a candidate who speaks Hungarian than English), or does not have an ethnically diverse set of colleagues/friends in their field, then you quickly get a non-diverse lab.
There *usually* isn't any bias or prejudice going on here; it's just terribly important to get your students right, so many people will not feel like they can go out of their way to promote diversity.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/27 | 576 | 2,359 | <issue_start>username_0: Do people take time out to go home, meet with family etc. during their PhD?
* If yes then for how long and how frequently is it usually?
* How does one deal with this with one's advisor?
* What are the pros and cons?
Given that one basically has just about 2-3 years in practice to do all their PhD work, I don't understand how anything else fits in the schedule except work. The entire idea of a PhD looks quite scary to me that one is expected to produce cutting-edge stuff in that short a time starting from just standard graduate courses!
PS: the question is general, but if it is field-dependent, I am interested in particular in physics PhDs (theoretical high-energy physics specifically)<issue_comment>username_1: My PhD was thirty years ago, and in the UK, so how relevant my experience is these days I don't know. However FWIW I think the only reason for doing a PhD is that it's something you really want to do. Unless you're absolutely fascinated by it, three years of hard work and no money is likely to prove too much for you. I **loved** the three years of my PhD even though I've only been cited a handful of times and I ended up in a job unrelated to my PhD work.
Unless your supervisor is related to the Grinch they'll let you see your family a couple of times in the three years :-)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: The answer is *of course, yes*. In fact, you need to take a break to recharge your batteries.
The answers to the other questions will depend on what the rules are regarding holidays (which is country dependent). I think that our guys get six weeks annually (where as other countries only offer one or two weeks). Our guys can take them in one chunk, but this is sometimes problematic if there are deadlines that need to be met, or tutorials, etc.
The way to deal with your advisor is simply to ask him with a concrete proposal. It is better that you have *not* bought the plane tickets before you ask, because that will be perceived as an attempt at manipulation by your advisor, which will damage the trust relationship.
When my guys ask for a vacation I simply ask whether it clashes with anything. If not, I grant it.
The pros of taking a couple of holidays is that you will have time to recharge your batteries. The cons of not taking a holiday is that you can burn out.
Upvotes: 4 |
2012/10/27 | 1,447 | 5,997 | <issue_start>username_0: In many of the research groups I’ve worked at or visited, there is a culture that endless hours in the lab equal successful researcher. (I am in a theoretical field, so requirement of long-running experiments are outside of the picture. Let's ignore them in this discussion.) In chemistry, a widely-known example of this culture is the following letter:
[](http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/03/i-expect-you-to-correct-your-work-ethic.html)
>
> I would like to provide for you in written form what is expected from you as a member of the research group. In addition to the usual work-day schedule, I expect all of the members of the group to work evenings and weekends. You will find that this is the norm here at Caltech. On occasion, I understand that personal matters will make demands on your time which will require you to be away from your responsibilities to the laboratory. However, it is not acceptable to me when it becomes a habit.
>
>
> **I have noticed that you have failed to come in to lab on several weekends, and more recently have failed to show up in the evenings.** Moreover, in addition to such time off, you recently requested some vacation. I have no problem with vacation time that is well earned, but I do have a problem with continuous vacation and time off that interferes with the project. I find this very annoying and disruptive to your science.
>
>
> **I expect you to correct your work-ethic immediately.**
>
>
> I receive at least one post-doctoral application each day from the US and around the world. If you are unable to meet the expected work-schedule, I am sure that I can find someone else as an appropriate replacement for this important project.
>
>
>
---
I have fallen prey to this during my PhD, doing very long hours. Now that I manage a research team, what is good advice to help fight this culture in my team? (Obviously, I don't want students and post-docs to get the message that little work is required either.)
Things I already do to that end:
* When a new group member comes in and they get the out-of-hours building pass (for Sundays and late nights), mention that they are not expected to use it on a regular basis.
* Avoid planning meetings at unusual hours (bank holidays, week-ends, etc.)<issue_comment>username_1: Well, can your postdocs/grad students/whoever compete with their peers if they only spend 40-60 hours working instead of 60-80? If the answer is "no", you're actually doing them a disservice by trying to fix the system on your own. Some fields don't require much thought or brainpower. You can plan a thousand hours of experiments in an afternoon, and then you're left to just do it. In that case, your postdocs/etc. will just be outworked by others, which will negatively impact any future careers they might want in science. It's not very nice, but that's the way things are.
On the other hand, if you're in a field where quality of work and depth of insight are really important, you should not *merely* stress working less, but stress working *intelligently* and *efficiently*. This will help your postdocs/etc. to maintain a less absurd and exploitative lifestyle while still producing results that are as good as or better than those who work under incredible pressure.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: In the different groups I worked in, their respective cultures were always the result of the behaviour of the leader. So *lead by example*. In particular, some useful hints from my experience would be:
**E-Mails:** don't send e-mails in non-office hours, especially not requests for help with something. No e-mails on weekends and late night are a signal which everybody "gets" after a short while.
**Social activities:** support group's social life. A group hike to nearby mountains (in office hours on a working day!), or a joint trip to a museum sends a signal that taking time off is an important part of one's life. We used to do it on occasion of having a guest researcher (for a study stay, or just a seminar talk). It's good for group's cohesion and again tells people that rest time is also very useful.
**Personal relationship:** care for private lives of your group members. Build relationship with their families. Speak to them about their personal activities, about their vacations, kids, etc. and do not forget to give back and speak about yours. These kinds of discussions send a powerful signal that you perceive time off in a positive way and even encourage it, since you take it as well.
**Plan well ahead:** clear plans and roadmaps in projects allow people to plan their time off as well. Nothing more annoying than a spurt interfering with one's private life to deliver some report, because the boss didn't care to tell the group ahead.
**Time in the office:** being in computer science, where I do not need to spend time in a lab and can easily work anywhere, I was always lucky to have bosses who cared for deliverables, rather than for my time in the office. After all, most of my good ideas are born in weird places, such as under shower, while on a bike, walking in woods, and by reading stuff outdoors. Making it clear with the group members that you care first and foremost for deliverables and are flexible regarding the actual time in the office (within reasonable bounds and respecting the local laws and regulations) works well. My experience is also that people tend to deliver better if they are given the power to plan their time and process, rather being forced to mantinels set by their supervisor.
Generally, I found it always very comfortable in groups where having kids was something nice and for what the group leader and members cared. Nothing is worse than a group where work interacts negatively with one's family life and where going home before 6pm to care for kids at home is perceived as something bad.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer] |
2012/10/27 | 1,222 | 4,613 | <issue_start>username_0: I am subscribed to many interesting blogs. Some of them are related to my research field, while others not. Sometimes I am really impressed that some of the posts are in fact real pieces of scientific work (or sociological work, depending on the field), that although they do not follow strictly the scheme of a scientific paper, could be easily converted to a research paper. Therefore I am intrigued why these people do not convert sometime their most relevant and accessed blog post to research paper, do you know why? Besides, do you know successful cases where people have converted them to papers?<issue_comment>username_1: First, it totally depends how you define the term “research paper”. Some people uses a blog in such a way that (some or all) blog entries are actually akin to minimal-size “research papers”, albeit with a nonconventional publication mean and possibly nonconventional format.
Secondly, it also depends where you draw the line between *“turning X into Y”* and *“writing X based on Y”*. Obviously, many journals would object to publishing material that has already been published somewhere else, including on a personal blog. Moreover, publishing identical content in two very different media probably means that it is not fully adapted to one of the two (or both): to give only one example, you don't typically have the same language level on a blog as in an academic paper.
Finally, an example: scientific writer <NAME> has a [blog](http://waterinbiology.blogspot.fr) on the topic of *Water in Biology*, and he also regularly publishes “News & Views” articles for *Nature* ([one example there](http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v478/n7370/full/478467a.html)). In both cases, he writes critical reviews the recent literature on the same topic: there is wide overlap, but he does not publish his papers by directly converting blog posts.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: This not an exact answer, however [PolyMath](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath_Project) is an interesting example of a result which was obtain using social tools (not exactly blog, but related...)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Here is an example from ecology. I think this is an excellent example of how an initial blog post/idea was developed with the help of comments from readers of the blog, and then turned into a paper. There was a follow-up discussion of the paper on the blog, also with an invited response from authors that disagreed with the conclusions in the paper (they also published a response paper).
**Initial blog posts** (with a very active comments section):
* <http://oikosjournal.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/zombie-ideas-in-ecology/>
* <http://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/zombie-ideas-about-disturbance-a-dialogue/>
**Paper:**
* [Fox. 2013. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis should be abandoned. TREE.](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534712002091)
**Follow-ups:**
* <http://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/zombie-ideas-in-ecology-the-tree-paper-is-now-online/>
* <http://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/a-thumbs-up-for-the-intermediate-disturbance-hypothesis-guest-post/> (guest post from researchers taking the opposite view)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but the [Daedalus Project](http://www.nickyee.com/index-daedalus.html) was a long-running survey of MMO players. It had a blog that summarized recent results, which were then included in scientific papers.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: **Why there are publishable blog posts that never become research papers?**
Writing a research paper takes a considerable amount of time and effort. Also, publishing is a tedious process.
So, some people prefer to write research results in a more informal way, i.e., blog post, to focus on the research results rather than focusing on writing [and publishing] the results.
In CS and related fields it is not rare to start with a blog post that eventually will become a published research paper.
<NAME>, famous for *Object-oriented software* and the programming language Eiffel, has an article on the CACM blog titled [The Waves of Publication](http://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/160071-the-waves-of-publication/fulltext). This article suggests starting publishing research results in a blog, then convert it to a technical report, then present it in a workshop, then in a conference and finally publish it in a journal.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/27 | 1,409 | 6,027 | <issue_start>username_0: The UK PhD programs are based upon just research for three years, whereas in the US there tends to be substantial graduate course work included.
How does this difference affect the quality of the PhD thesis, and the quality of work produced in the long term?<issue_comment>username_1: When someone earned successfully and honestly his PhD in a good research group, either in the US system or in UK/Germany (Master degree is often mandatory for starting PhD), there will probably be no strong differences in the overall quality, I wouldn't make here any generalizations based on this fine system nuances. The level and depth of research experience are very similar ([also STEM students in Germany don't work on average 80-90 hours a week, 60 will be rare ;)](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/5005/213))
But, when a student did choose a distinct topic and research field for his master **and** PhD thesis, you can be a bit more sure he is really motivated for this work and research generally, while a US PhD student with a bachelor (and without master) **maybe** is just trying to finish what he started over the years, in spite of vanishing interest/motivation in research generally (see link above) or that distinct topic. During the short time of a bachelor thesis you cannot find out, if you are suited for research and a distinct field in my opinion. In Germany it's hard to get invitations to PhD job interviews at all without a master thesis near to a given research project. Motivation and background is here more important than 0,5 better grade or 3 year younger age. In interviews they mostly check, how motivated, interested, knowledgable is a candidate for that distinct field. So there will probably be no big differences in quality, but you can be more sure about long term motivation and therefore originality/quality of his research.
As we currently have a (another) case of plagiarism in Germany (our education minister obviously wasn't trained, e.g. by a bachelor nor master thesis, for writing a long PhD thesis correctly), I have to add that somebody who has written a bigger master **and** PhD thesis will also have more practice in publishing, citing, researching literature...
Side note: Personally, I think the german system is more selective, while the US system can afford this system because of a abundance of PhD students and applicants (thats also the reason they have to work 80-90 instead of 60 hours, competition being stronger and teaching of undergraduate students in Germany needs very good command of german language, we are limited in hiring foreign students for those jobs). A very good master and PhD thesis is a strong hallmark for the motivation of a student and future researcher for a distinct research field.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: In my opinion, there is an effect but it will only become apparent in people who would be borderline cases anyway.
In the short run, a given project- be it dissertation or what comes after- will require a very specific set of skills that, in general, need to be acquired on-the-job. However, *if* the grad school courses are relevant the PhD program with coursework will have a slight advantage. (I'd love to find these programs with useful prerequisites.)
In the long run, the challenge shifts to choosing the right projects. That requires a broad perspective that classes in grad school *could* give.
A motivated person who lacks the formal coursework can catch up.
Given all these, I think that the difference in PhD programs will only hurt those graduate students who might lack the motivation for life-long learning anyway.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: The courses on research methodology greatly improved the value I got from my PhD. Sure, you can make it through yourself to get the research done, but a PhD implies having research skills and deep understanding of the scientific method, which can be taught formally. Tough US-style courses can only benefit. That said, I experienced a massive difference in the quality/relevance of PhD courses.
I also have a beef with the German PhD system (in reply to another post here). At least in my own field (social sciences), many German practitioners do a PhD in 2 years (often part time) by writing a "big book" which is defended in front of one's own adviser plus 1 external (generally). There is thus a glut of PhDs in the workforce but few if any German PhDs publishing in my field in ranked journals. Fortunately I think this is not the case for STEM subjects where the level is excellent in Germany. Still, the pressure to be "<NAME>" in order to move ahead in a political or management career in Germany seems to have lead to many low-quality dissertations written on the weekends with no formal teaching support (hence all the intentional or unintentional plagiarism popping up recently in Germany). Where there are PhD courses, there is support and structure, a research community, and a greater likelihood of higher quality and understanding.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: In the UK, you can normally do a PhD only after completing a master's degree, i.e. you begin with research after you have already done a year or two of graduate level coursework. In the US, graduate studies normally begin begin with courses and end in research, at the end of which you have obtained a PhD. You can enroll directly after your bachelors studies. Overall the two are quite comparable in terms of time spent in courses and on research once you have your PhD. There are exceptions of course, but I understand that this is the default situation.
The effect on the thesis itself probably depends on how closely related the courses are to your research topic. In my experience, research topics are usually about adding new knowledge to a field, so it's hard to find more than a few courses (if even a few) that overlap much with your research. I see courses more as a way to gain some general expertise in your field.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/27 | 667 | 2,770 | <issue_start>username_0: Proofreading documents for orthography is a pain. I consider that I am decent at writing in my native language (on the grammar and orthography side), but proofreading for typos and whatnots is a time-consuming pain. I’d much prefer to have someone else do it for me, but it's a pain to bother other people with it. Also, when I read students’ work, in some cases it requires two iterations (because it's hard to focus on the science when the spelling is… suboptimal).
So, given that a professional proofreader would be much more efficient at this job than me, leaving me more time to review the scientific content or otherwise actually do research, the logical conclusion is that I should hire one. This would work either for my own writing or for
I know some people actually do that (and also buy more extensive services) for grant writing. However, I wonder: is it ethical to hire a proofreader for theses and academic articles?<issue_comment>username_1: Short answer
============
**Yes, it is ethical**
Long answer
===========
The three options are:
1. Proof-reading it yourself
2. Asking a co-author (for academic article) or a 3rd person (for theses) to proof-read it
3. Pay for a commercial proofreading service.
As I see it:
* Option (1) is inefficient. You've written the text, read it many times over, and your brain will simply fool you in not seeing the typo's.
* Option (2) is done quite often in practice. In my opinion, it's most suitable for journal articles; some articles have quite a lot of co-authors, and one could give a section to each co-author and distribute the work. That's what I usually do (my thesis will be quite small, because it's just a summary for a sandwich thesis).
* As for option (3), I don't see any ethical problems with paying for a proofreading service. I know a number of people (they are not native speakers) who do this systematically for theses and academic articles. They buy commercial services who check and correct the quality of their English writing. This improves the quality of the text and therefore reduces the chance to annoy the reviewers.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I see no problem in hiring an external proofreader. However, I would ask them to flag all the changes they made and then re-check those changes myself. It is certainly possible that the proofreader could misunderstand what the paper was trying to say. So if the proofreader is essentially pointing out places that need my further attention, that seems valuable to me.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Not only is it ethical, but, for really important documents like grant proposals, hiring a proofreader/editor is a really good idea. I've done it, and am glad I did.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/28 | 674 | 2,681 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm having some trouble figuring out what schools to apply to for a Masters in International Relations. There are a number of lists I've seen but many of the schools are very focused on the practical side for mid-career people. I'm interested in eventually getting a PhD and being an academic. Also most lists are only of the top 5 or 10 schools so it's hard to tell how good other schools are. My application is a little mixed, some strong parts some weak parts, so I was thinking of applying to a wide range of schools but I could really use some advice in what schools to look at. My undergrad GPA isn't good, 3.14 (3.5 in the major), but my GRE scores are good, 170V 168Q 4.5. I've been living in China for the past 5 years, but only speak a tiny bit of Chinese. I'd love some advice about where to apply or any rankings to look at. Thanks.<issue_comment>username_1: Short answer
============
**Yes, it is ethical**
Long answer
===========
The three options are:
1. Proof-reading it yourself
2. Asking a co-author (for academic article) or a 3rd person (for theses) to proof-read it
3. Pay for a commercial proofreading service.
As I see it:
* Option (1) is inefficient. You've written the text, read it many times over, and your brain will simply fool you in not seeing the typo's.
* Option (2) is done quite often in practice. In my opinion, it's most suitable for journal articles; some articles have quite a lot of co-authors, and one could give a section to each co-author and distribute the work. That's what I usually do (my thesis will be quite small, because it's just a summary for a sandwich thesis).
* As for option (3), I don't see any ethical problems with paying for a proofreading service. I know a number of people (they are not native speakers) who do this systematically for theses and academic articles. They buy commercial services who check and correct the quality of their English writing. This improves the quality of the text and therefore reduces the chance to annoy the reviewers.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I see no problem in hiring an external proofreader. However, I would ask them to flag all the changes they made and then re-check those changes myself. It is certainly possible that the proofreader could misunderstand what the paper was trying to say. So if the proofreader is essentially pointing out places that need my further attention, that seems valuable to me.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Not only is it ethical, but, for really important documents like grant proposals, hiring a proofreader/editor is a really good idea. I've done it, and am glad I did.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/28 | 1,339 | 5,249 | <issue_start>username_0: I travel a lot and I'm interested in getting a psychology degree but after researching online I still haven't been able to find a good university that offers the choice to complete a psych degree by distance education. I'm a Canadian citizen so programs that accept Canadians is vital. With all the current online offerings I'm shocked that I can't find a quality university offering a BA or BSc in psychology online or by distance offline. Any suggestions? I'm interested in CPA accredited degrees otherwise it's worth nothing in Canada. And, I'm open to programs with a few on-campus requirements if an accredited degree is unavailable fully online. I want to be able to pursue a MA or a PhD in Canada after completing the undergraduate program.<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Are there any accredited universities in the world offering students the option of acquiring a BA/BSc in psychology completely online?
>
>
>
**Yes**
There are likely hundreds of programs. How well they meet your needs will be determined by 1) What you mean by 'accredited', and 2) residency restrictions.
>
> Accreditation
>
>
>
Are you interested in accredited institutions or accredited programs? Institutions are accredited by organizations recognized at the government level as being able to guarantee that all programs at the institution meet some minimum standards. In the US, *regional accreditation* is king, while the more prestigious sounding *national accreditation* is generally viewed as easier to get and less rigorous. In Canada, accreditation appears to be handled through membership in the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.
Again, in the US, many of the large flagship state institutions have an online campus to accompany their bricks-and-mortar traditional campuses. For example [Univerity of Maryland University College](http://www.umuc.edu/undergrad/ugprograms/psyc.cfm) appears to offer an online BS in Psychology. UMUC is regionally accredited in the US by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, just like the the bricks-and-mortar campuses of the University of Maryland system. Certainly, some of the larger schools in Canada also have a similar online presence.
The on-line for-profit schools in the US tend to be nationally accredited, with the notable exception of the much maligned [University of Phoenix](http://www.phoenix.edu/programs/degree-programs/psychology/bachelors/bs-p.html), which offers an online program in psychology. University of Phoenix is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission as part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Individual programs may also be accredited or certified by various professional organizations. If you are looking for an online psychology program certified by a professional psychology association, try starting at the website of the association and look for lists of certified programs.
>
> Residency
>
>
>
Attending an online only institution should not have residency restrictions based on your country of citizenship, but it probably does. For example, I would imagine you would need to have a [US education visa](http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1270.html) in order to be admitted into some US institutions, even if the program is entirely online and you never need to step foot on campus.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The CPA has a [list](http://www.cpa.ca/students/resources/canadianuniversities/) of all accredit universities and departments. The list is of a size that you should be able to check what the online offerings are.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: The University of London has a distance learning programme. You will basically sit the same exam as an internal student at the respective constituent college would sit, and this will be conducted at some GRE / GMAT etc. facilities to guarantee proper exam conditions. In the end you will get a University of London degree just like any other internal student would.
[University of London International Programmes](http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/courses/search/?solrsort=sort_title%20asc&filters=%20tid%3A557)
Accreditation should hardly be a problem in the case of the University of London I would think as it's one of the most prestigious UK institutions with members such as University College, the London School of Economics and King's College London.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: I work in distance education and often work with canadian researchers. I have a very high respect for the quality of the distance offerings up north (I'm in the US). You have good options at home. The one that jumps out is Athabasca University. Fully online and internationally recognized as a research institution.
```
http://psych.athabascau.ca/
http://www.athabascau.ca/programs/ba4psyc/
```
American Public University System (APUS) has both Masters and Bachelors level programs and accepts international students. They are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
```
http://www.ncahlc.org/
http://www.apu.apus.edu/admissions/program-requirements/psychology.htm
http://www.apu.apus.edu/admissions/general-information/international-students/
```
Upvotes: 1 |
2012/10/28 | 1,087 | 4,155 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm applying to MS / MS-PhD programs in CS this fall.
I don't have a good GPA (2.86 on a scale of 4). I have experience as a research assistant under a professor and also a couple of good projects.
Right now I'm working as a developer, so I have around 5 months of experience. I have a GRE score of 314 on 340. I'm giving subject test to improve my chances of getting into a grad school. What score can be considered 'good'? I don't have much time to prepare and I am a little rusty on some of the topics, what is the good advice for a crash course for subject test in, say a week or so?<issue_comment>username_1: Looking [here](http://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_guide_table2.pdf) it looks like the CS subject is scored out of 980, so I am not sure what test you are talking about. "Good" is a subjective term. These tests assume you have a strong background to start with, so even a low score could be considered "good". That said, if you are trying to make up for weak grades to get into a top university, anything less than 90 percentile will likely not cut it.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: About the GRE General Test:
While a competitive score in the quantitative and verbal section of the GRE General Test depends on the program, [here](http://gradschool.duke.edu/about/stats.php) you can see the details of Duke University's graduate admissions. The average scores for the last admissions are shown in the new scale of the GRE (up to 170).
About the GRE CS Subject Test:
[Here](https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/32610/how-to-prepare-for-the-gre-computer-science-subject-test) you can find some suggestions.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I do not have a good idea about the GRE subject scores but a "good" general GRE score differs from one school to another. In general it helps if you decide on which schools you plan to apply for before taking the GRE tests.
MS/PhD admission do not just rely on GRE scores. They also look at previous institutions, recommendation letters, research experience and GPA (although not in that order). For many PhD applications students often talk to the professors who they want to work with. From my personal experience students with GRE score lower than recommended can be accepted if they show promise.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: As @davidshen's answer points out, my answer is now moot, because the GRE subject test in computer science is no longer offered.
---
For most applications to strong departments, **there is no good score on the GRE CS subject test; there are only bad scores.** A score below the 50th percentile is a red flag, indicating significant gaps in your undergraduate CS background. (The raw score is completely meaningless to most people, even those of us who work on admissions committees; only the percentile score matters.) But graduate school is about research, not standardized tests, so no GRE score is good enough to get you accepted.
There are a few exceptional circumstances where a high GRE score actually gives some useful information.
* As Daniel says, a score in the 90th percentile or better can *partially* make up for a poor GPA. (It worked for me; my GPA was worse than yours.) It's probably not enough on its own, though. (It wasn't for me.)
* GRE scores are useful for calibrating GPAs of students from unknown schools.
On the gripping hand, many graduate programs (like mine) don't require GREs; their admissions committee may not even think to look at your GRE score unless you point it out in your statement of purpose.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: Sorry man, [no more GRE CS test will be given](https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/faq) :(
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: Admissions at Grad schools take many things into consideration for giving admissions.There is no good or bad GRE score. With your GRE score of 314 ,you can get admission in to a top university if you impress about your research,have good LORs from Professors ,good SOP.So admissions depend up on many criteria,not just GRE, 314 is ok score, so work on building up good SOP and good LOR'S
Upvotes: -1 |
2012/10/29 | 470 | 2,072 | <issue_start>username_0: I receive requests for recommendation many times, but I have received one from a student belonging at a previous affiliation of mine, asking for a favourable letter in view of their achievements.
I am aware of the fact that if I comment on the performance of the student, it could be used against me, since it is good practice to "erase" all the material, marks, personal information of the students and staff relationship at a previous job. So I am hesitant to go in that direction. On the other hand, I could comment only very generally on the skills of the student, which could backfire their application to a new job
Differently from [this question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/2596/does-a-recommendation-have-to-be-from-a-professor-from-your-university) I am not looking for a recommendation, but giving one...<issue_comment>username_1: When you change job, you don’t erase your memory (well, not in *all* jobs), nor do you all your responsibilities related to this previous job vanish. It is true that leaving a position creates certain obligations in the data you can retain, and how you can use non-publicly available information pertaining to your older institution. However, in the particular case of a reference letter, I don't think it should cause trouble. Moreover, reference letters are confidential.
Actually, I'd go further than saying it should not be a problem. In fact, I think **if you *can* honestly write him a good recommendation letter, it is part of your responsibility to do it**. This responsibility is not to your former institution, but to the student and the academic system as a whole.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You may want to ask the student to send you any material that you need for writing your reference, for example grade sheets and a CV. Bringing in your personal experiences with the student in addition shouldn't be a problem at all. After writing the reference letter, you should erase all confidential material that the student sent you... :)
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/29 | 1,269 | 5,643 | <issue_start>username_0: Suppose I came across a problem, say in graph theory, that I need to solve for my application, or a problem that I just created out of the blue. I find that it is not a standard problem by any means. Also, it may not have many applications. I then solve this problem with some algorithm. The algorithm is non-trivial. My questions are:
1. Is it possible to publish such algorithms?
2. Does it even make sense to publish it? Since it may not even have any applications. And if it did, it is likely that other people have solved the same problem for their respective applications without ever publishing it.
I am sorry if such speculative questions should not be asked here, but I was curious. Thanks!<issue_comment>username_1: I can't answer (1), but regarding (2), I definitely recommend **publish**.
I would venture that any individual academic is a moderate-to-poor judge of how useful their own research is in practice. While your situation may seem very specific, there may be more general applications that are not immediately apparent to you. Additionally, there's a non-trivial likelihood that someone else will encounter the same problem that you're currently trying to solve, in which case your work will be more useful. Just because you don't think someone will need it doesn't mean no one will :)
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: You should definitely consider publishing the algorithm, but not before you could say something more than merely a pseudocode.
You should start with a proper literature survey of relevant journals to check if the problem has *really* not been tackled elsewhere, even under a different avatar. If that is done, you could try building value to your algorithm by checking its complexity or by considering variants that could speed it up at the cost of some efficiency, maybe. You could then think about extensive simulations which could test and validate your algorithm. Finally you could conclude by thinking up some practical applications where it could be relevant.
The applications part sometimes may not be present, but it is perfectly acceptable for a paper to extend the theory alone, leaving it for future researchers to develop it appropriately.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> Is it possible to publish such algorithms?
>
>
>
It's not only possible, it's *far* more common than the alternative. ***Most* algorithms papers do not have real applications.** The vast majority are *motivated* by applications, but there are usually several layers of abstraction and/or simplification between the problem actually solved and the motivating application. But even this "motivation" is often post-hoc rationalization, added by the authors to help draw the reader into their paper. Most people who study algorithms do it primarily because algorithms are *cool*, not primarily because they're *useful*.
Or maybe that's just me.
>
> Does it even make sense to publish it?
>
>
>
In principle, sure! Of course, to be publishable, your algorithm needs to be both novel and interesting, not just to you, but to the algorithms community as a whole. You need to be *sure* that your problem hasn't been solved before, and in particular that your algorithm wasn't already discovered and published by someone else. You also need to **sell** the problem, the algorithm, or both; it's not enough for your algorithm to be "non-trivial".
I **strongly** recommend running your algorithm past a local algorithms expert, if possible. They may recognize your problem or your technique under a different guise. At a minimum, they should be able to help you start the necessary literature search.
Good luck!
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: I would say that it depends on the **computational complexity** you get out of it.
A naive implementation can always be made for any algorithm, but an algorithm with an efficient (or at least better-than-naive) complexity is always interesting, no matter if the problem it solves is very specific or not: a lot of algorithms are very specific, and generally the most efficient are very VERY specific, sometimes working for degenerate cases that nearly never happens in real life. Later on, somebody else can always enhance your algorithm, generalize it to other cases or build up on it to solve other related problems.
So my rule of thumb based on what I have read from algorithmics litterature:
* if you can make an algorithm that solves a problem,
* and the complexity is better than naive implementation (and, if you're not the first to solve this problem, possibly better than any other algorithm for the same problem under the same conditions),
* and you can *prove* it (see [Computational complexity theory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_complexity_theory#Best.2C_worst_and_average_case_complexity)),
Then go ahead and publish it, for example on [arxiv.org](http://arxiv.org) or [vixra.org](http://vixra.org/) which are free scientific papers pre-publishing services.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: You should publish it. History has shown that articles that have no real-life application at the time of their publication can have a real-world application identified in the indeterminate future. A good example is the prefix/postfix arithmetic operation format. When this was created, computers did not even exist (1920s), but 30 years later it was used by Djikstra and others for efficient in-memory representation of arithmetic operations in computers.
So, I repeat, do publish. Maybe someone uses it after you and I are dead, but it will still be useful.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/30 | 827 | 3,597 | <issue_start>username_0: 1. What would you recommend as the best way of approach principal investigators for internship/job positions? I'm undergrad, with a planned graduation this winter and I want to get some experience before grad school.
* Should I try 'cold' messaging? I want to go abroad and I'm not well networked there.
* I've been on exchange and performed rather well. Can I use this experience to my benefit?
2. (Somewhat less important) Ideally I'm looking for research experience in Computational Neuroscience. I already have some research experience, I've done graduate work and I majored in cognitive science and mathematics *but* I come from a Liberal Arts & Sciences college. Will my LAS background be seen as a disadvantage?<issue_comment>username_1: The absolute best way to approach someone to work in his group is to **be recommended by another researcher in his field**, preferably someone he has heard off previously. So, either a big name or someone with close or overlapping research interests.
So, I would advise you to approach some of the professors in the field you are interested in, at your current institution, and ask them if they know a research group or a professor meeting your criteria. Try to be flexible when you discuss possible names/places with them, to gather a relatively large list, even if you later decide against some of these names. Once you have decided on a few names, either you can get your professors to contact them for you or, barring that, you can contact the abroad PI and mention your shared acquaintance.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Regarding (1), the answer is if you're "not well networked", you'll have to find someone who is. I would try the following, in order of potential usefulness:
1. Ask professors in your department to introduce you to other researchers you want to work with. They may be familiar with other researchers in your field and may be a good source of contacts.
2. Speak with any other faculty you think may be able to help you, outside of your department.
3. Talk to your department's administrators and see whether they can help you find an internship.
4. Try to contact students in the department you wish to intern and see whether they can help you get in touch with an advisor.
Regarding (2), it likely won't have much of an effect. Once you've actually performed research, the quality of your research output is primarily what's used to gauge your usefulness and potential. University and grades are a good proxy before then, but they're only a proxy.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: As someone who has done exactly what you're looking for (an international PI hiring an undergrad as an intern), I can tell you that the circumstances are pretty unique, and it's not an easy road, unless you follow username_2's or username_1's recommendations, and get a referral from someone who's worked with you and who can vouch for you to the person you want to work for.
In this personal case, the reason why I even gave this individual the time of day was that his "cover letter" email was compelling enough and well-researched enough to get me to take notice. I requested letters of recommendation and got good feedback on those, and had a similarly positive phone interview. More importantly, I already had a research project in mind where I could take advantage of the extra manpower, as well as the resources to commit to paying for the work.
Had any of those fallen through, I wouldn't have done it. But everything was properly aligned, and the experience has been successful.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/10/31 | 970 | 3,981 | <issue_start>username_0: I keep reading European Conference on Computer Vision, International Conference on Pattern Recognition, and others, and I find so much in common in those papers.
For example, half the papers seem like: X Algorithm combined with Y algorithm tested on Z database and was better than A in this category but worse than A in that category.
There are many top journals and top conferences with > 1000 papers, in a year, in this field. In addition to this we would have to go through all the tier 2, tier 3 conferences for lack of a similar piece of work.
While working on organic solar cells I found the same problem. I saw 20 different papers on extracting parameters from a single-diode/double-diode/XYZ model.
So how do we know if something relevant is already published?<issue_comment>username_1: That title summarises a large fraction of all research ;-)
You need to spend a significant amount of time browsing through scientific literature. [This illustration from PhD comics](http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=286) illustrates the problem:
My strategy is as follows:
1. I start with an arbitrary paper with a title that seems relevant. Let's call this paper A.
2. Using an online service such as [Scopus](http://www.scopus.com) (payment or subscription required), I look for:
1. All *references*, e.g. papers cited by A.
2. All *citations*, e.g. papers that cite A.
3. Both the *references* and *citations* can be sorted by the *number of citatons*, so you get the most highly cited papers first. Select the papers that seem relevant (at this stage, reading the abstract is usually good enough).
4. For all relevant papers left in step 3, repeat step 2. You should find considerable overlap already. By now, you should have already found the important papers as well as one or more review articles.
5. Iterate steps 2–4 until your hard disk is full ;-)
Of course, if you iterate this process indefinitely, you will soon have [downloaded all scientific research ever published](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_separation). But by being selective but *not too selective*, this process *should* lead you to any relevant publications. Even if nobody has cited the relevant publications, *the relevant publications themselves should cite other publications*, so via step 2.1 you will still find it.
The only caveat here is that databases like *Scopus* are incomplete, probably in particular when it comes to conference proceedings (in my field, those are rarely relevant). Maybe other databases work better in your field. Hopefully, there is a scientific database that is reasonably complete for relevant publications in your area of research!
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Gerrit has given a good summary of how to perform a bibliographic search. On this topic, I'll add two comments:
* Review articles and academic theses, when well written, are invaluable. They contain a lot of information and citations, often in a more “relaxed” format than a pure research paper.
* Try to identify one or two journals/conferences that are central to your field, and a few authors that are big names: then, subscribe to their RSS feeds or set up web alerts for new publications by these teams.
In addition to direct search of the literature, a good way to keep on top of the papers published in a given field is to **attend conferences and discuss with a lot of people**. Poster sessions are particularly good for that. Do not hesitate to bring to the poster presenter questions such as *“so, in your opinion, what’s the biggest break among the recent literature?”*.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Good tips above, I have one more:
\* Collect good search words, e.g. in a mind-map. Maybe different synonyms are used by slightly different authors? Try to think of different ones, check which actually really work.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/10/31 | 1,057 | 4,039 | <issue_start>username_0: I am a somewhat new-ish member of [Kaggle](http://www.kaggle.com/) competitions with 1 submission. Do academics research via Kaggle challenges/competitions? If so are there any prominent names?
If not why? They provide well annotated training data-sets, and typically do not put any publication restrictions as well.
Perhaps they consider such challenges trivial. Just a query on an academic's perspective on the challenges here.
The only thing I've heard about Kaggle from an academic's perspective is from Graduate School Students at Stanford, who need to participate in a challenge as a part of their coursework (which is pretty cool).<issue_comment>username_1: As far as I know, all competitions on [Kaggle](http://kaggle.com) are on basis "who is the best". So there is no limit on skills; and actually if for someone a problem is trivial, then one can safely claim the prize (e.g. [Heritage Health Prize](http://www.heritagehealthprize.com/)).
From my point of view it allows both to enter interesting data, compare how one's techniques compering with others and learn other approaches (usually winners disseminate their solutions).
When it comes to *the only thing in the academic world which is considered to be a serious stuff*, yes, some works end up as publications, see [Academic Papers - Kaggle](http://www.kaggle.com/papers).
Also, some competitions are research-centric (however, with no cash prizes), e.g. [Eye Movements Verification and Identification Competition](http://www.kaggle.com/c/emvic).
>
> This in an official competition for BTAS 2012 (The Fifth IEEE International Conference on Biometrics: Theory, Applications and Systems, September 23-27, Washington DC, USA) and all results will be published during that conference (and of course on this web page as well).
>
>
>
However, there are various competitions, so I guess it's hard to make a general statement about "research-worthiness". And for all what matters the most is the result, not its 'purity'.
### Out of my personal stuff:
I made [an entry (a graph map of tags)](https://www.kaggle.com/c/predict-closed-questions-on-stack-overflow/prospector#211) for [Kaggle StackExchange visualization competition](https://www.kaggle.com/c/predict-closed-questions-on-stack-overflow).
Perhaps I'm starting in [DarkWorlds](http://www.kaggle.com/c/DarkWorlds), but more for fun and to practice machine learning techniques, as my field is neither machine learning, nor astrophysics.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: One of the other uses I've noticed (besides publishing papers on a competition itself) is academics using a competition to demonstrate the application of a particular algorithm that they have developed and published. See <NAME>'s [libFM](http://blog.kaggle.com/2012/04/20/viva-libfm-steffen-rendle-on-how-he-won-the-grockit-challenge/) (Factorization Machines) winning the Grockit Challenge, and the [winning team](http://blog.kaggle.com/2012/10/31/merck-competition-results-deep-nn-and-gpus-come-out-to-play/) of academics in the [Merck Molecular Activity Challenge](https://www.kaggle.com/c/MerckActivity) with their use of deep learning.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The main reason "Academics" wouldn't browse Kaggle to search for research problems is that most academics already have a field of interest, and aren't interested in doing data science research for the sake of figuring out some random problem defined by whoever decided to post the contest. Even if an algorithms researcher is looking to test out a particular technique that he just devised, he would probably first apply the technique to whatever dataset he was using originally before randomly testing it out on a dataset available on Kaggle.
For what it's worth, there are [hundreds of publicly available data sets to test on](https://www.google.com/#q=public+data+sets); if anything, the data available in Kaggle competitions is probably poor relative to the richness in those data sets.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2012/10/31 | 960 | 3,943 | <issue_start>username_0: I just entered a MS in Computer Science in a mid tier state school. I'm interested in taking things to the next level, but I just turned 30. By the time I do the math and everything, I'll probably be 34 before applying. Is that too old? Does that essentially eliminate me from top programs?<issue_comment>username_1: Age is simply not a factor in PhD admissions in computer science, at least in North America. As Zenon says, age discrimination is illegal here.
However, *being out from school for a significant period of time* (say, more than five years) is a potential hurdle for PhD admissions, at least in my department. We typically recommend that those students pursue a MS degree first, to refresh their academic background. But since you're in an MS program now, that shouldn't be a issue for you.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: Age is not a PhD admission facor in the continental Europe, too.
The selection is based on titles, publications, curriculum vitae and generally *on what you've done*.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: In my field, which is not computer science, we get a number of clinicians who are a few years away from retirement applying for PhDs. NIH institutional training grants track students for a number of years post graduation so accepting people who will retire soon after graduation is bad. Of course these older applicants are never rejected based on age.
The problem arises more for applicants that are nearer 50 than 30 years old.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: Apart from admission (which normally should not be related to age), there is something that's related to your question. I'm going to generalize and say that the older one is, the more that person will have financial restraints tied to lifestyle. One tends to be married, to have children, to have a mortgage, to have debts, etc. You may not agree with this generalization, but many students seeking PhDs at my university fall into this category.
In such cases, the problem is more about funding requirements related to lifestyle. Funding opportunities are always limited (regardless of one's age), but it might be harder for someone who has financial obligations to manage with the limited funding for a PhD. I know of several cases of PhD candidates who never started, or (worse) didn't finish because the funding was too limited for them as spouses, parents, homeowners, etc.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: In Turkey, age is a very important decisive factor in all types of graduate school admissions and other academic pursuits. Usually, there is an age limit of less than 27, to be eligible for applying scholarships or other types of funding under the title of a student.
Also, Turkish professors are not willing to advise older students, because the structure of the Turkish society requires older people to get married and grow their kids, instead of being a student. As a consequence of this, woman in academia are usually positively discriminated resulting in lower teaching loads and research expectations to be satisfied. This is due to the fact that they could serve as good wives for their husbands, and grow more kids. Almost all woman academics are in this business (in academia), in order to benefit from opportunities to become better housewives and mothers.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: I just want to add that, being a current student in a top 10 CS PhD program, I don't feel that age is a factor even in 'day-to-day' interactions. There are several students in our department who worked in industry or had a career for 10+ years before they decided they wanted to come back to grad school. We all get along fine, those of us in our 20's, 30's even 40s. I'm sure that has a lot to do with training to be scientists. We make a conscious effort to be as objective as possible, and this is one instance where that kind of thinking benefits everybody.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/11/01 | 1,359 | 5,979 | <issue_start>username_0: I have no choice but to take courses I've already learnt in college.
So is it a good idea to overlearn?
Would overlearning help me to get into graduate school?
There are many ways for me to spend time:
research, gpa, heavy courseload, or **studying stuff beyond my current syllabus**
According to my course plan, I'm supposed to start learning Multivariable Calculus in about 5 months and Linear algebra in about 11 months from now. In between now and then is just some humanities courses and a bunch of Physics/Math courses I've already learnt.
How important is a high GPA and to get into a good graduate school?
And why is it important to get into a good graduate school?
note: I'm a Physics major...<issue_comment>username_1: The thing about GPA, is that if you want to get into a good Grad School, is one of the few things that basically distinguishes you from your peers (which percentage are you in)
If you're in a known American School, having a good GPA is extremely important then.
Don't you have the possibility to take those courses before, I'm not sure about the American System, in countries like Japan, you can actually take the courses in whatever order you think fits you the most (given certain serialization)
I've also can recommend you studying those topics ahead of time, so when you take those courses, you can ace them, and devote your time to other extracurricular stuff that might pump up your application to a grad school.
Many grad schools love it when you have published work before, so having a couple of papers might help you, and you can get this papers from your extra time.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Having a *good* GPA is important; having a *great* GPA is not. Assuming your GPA stays above a certain threshold (about 3.5), other factors like research experience are significantly more important, at least for admission to the best departments.
In particular, if you get a C in a distribution class because you spent "too much" time on that experiment you later published, nobody will even notice the C on your transcript.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Research is an awesome way to exploit your knowledge.
Just join the undergraduate research program in your college: if you know significantly more than your peers in college, you can do much more **advanced research** which would boost your grad school application.
Of course, as a Physics major, you'd need some basic knowledge. Knowing introductory Physics and single variable calculus isn't enough: try to learn some computer language (C++), Multivariable calculus, linear algebra, differential equations and some upper division Physics courses. Having more knowledge would help broaden your choice of what research project you want to join.
If you've overlearned so much that you're learning graduate courses while you're still a sophomore, you can join the Theoretical Physics research projects: these tend to need lots of knowledge.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: (I'm not familiar with what overlearning exactly is, so I go by what Wiki says it is)
Depending on the field of science there are things where overlearning (as in vocabulary) is beneficial or even needed. E.g. I'm chemist. Unfortunately, there are priciples behind chemistry that cannot be explained like you explain how to derive a formula. But knowing lots of these things allows you to extrapolate to new situations. During undergrad studies we all complained that if we had wanted this style of studies, we had chosen medicine and started learning the phone directory by hard.
It is a bit like learning a language like children do: without being told, structures will emerge.
These structures of the knowledge that form by experience are also important for topics/techniques that can be explained in a logical way. They allow you to become fast and efficient. They allow to "automate" certain tasks, and that leaves conscious capacity to think about less well-known things. In physics, it will certainly be beneficial if you have your intellectual capacity free for thinking about physics *because* you mastered the relevant maths to a level where you *see* possible ways of solving instead of digging through your brain and notes for that. Ultimately, this level of mastering subjects is also what is needed to arrive at truly new connections ("Good mathematicians see analogies. Great mathematicians see analogies between analogies." - true for physicists and chemists and whole lots of other researchers as well).
This means you need to exercise the stuff you learned. Doing textbook excercises is a boring (but possibly efficient) way of doing that at intermediate levels. But of course, you can try to do this with research projects as well. The important thing also with undergrad research is that you train your research/physics skills and not only do what you are told to do, but also take the time to understand why things are done this way. What alternatives would exist, what would be the disadvantage of that etc.
About studying ahead of schedule: in my university (Germany) it was no problem to participate e.g. in written exams ahead of the "regular" time. If you passed, noone asked you to go to the course. In some subjects, it even gave you the benefit that if you wanted to try again when your year was doing the exam, you could redo it and pick the better mark. Also, noone would have kept you from attending advanced lectures/seminars. Or if you went for subjects that were not strictly on the plan, like another language. I also heard some philosophy, took some computer science and some economics and an introduction to general and patent law - you get the idea. We did not do much research that way, but that was probably because we had research projects on schedule, so the research groups had rather more research students than they could handle (I don't count fetching stuff from the library as research job).
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/11/01 | 540 | 2,191 | <issue_start>username_0: A friend of mine who is from Japan told me that his professor in USA puts the feet up while talking to him. He was saying that he felt very bad with that. Is this acceptable culture in USA academia?<issue_comment>username_1: I've done my PhD in Japan, and have had much contact with professors in America and Japan.
The academic relationship and work culture in both countries are very different. In America it is generally not regarded as bad when someone puts their feet on the table while talking to you.
I had bosses and advisors in the US who did this. However, in Japan, the advisor-student relationship is more respectful and professional.
I would like to tell you that you should ask the professor to refrain from putting their feet on the table, but if they do it in their office, it is pretty much up to them. Since the office is the professor's space, I do not think it is your friend's business to ask them not to do it.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In the orient showing somebody your feet/shoes is a sign of disrespect.
A person who puts his feet on the desk in the western world shows that he (this is mostly done by males) is at ease/relaxed in an informal atmosphere. However, also in the west this behavior is normally only shown by people who are talking to their subordinates or peers at their own hierarchical level.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Your question is "How to respond to the situation". The answer is quite simple in my opinion: do **not** respond, unless you really cannot tolerate it in which case you don't really have a choice but to respond.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Perhaps your friend could tell the Professor, in a somewhat apologetic tone if he doesn't feel confident enough about their relationship, that in his cultrual background, putting your feet on the table is an offensive act, and while s/he is certain the Professor does not mean it, s/he (the PhD candidate) is very distracted by it, so s/he is asking for the Professor's consideration on this matter.
That is, the request to not do this can be made with deference rather than as a form of rebuke.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/11/01 | 261 | 1,143 | <issue_start>username_0: Is it necessary to notify to the graduate school when taking the free online courses?<issue_comment>username_1: As always, it's better to check directly with your advisor, who is in the best situation to answer exactly your question. That being said, as Zenon said, you should be able to do pretty much what you want during your free time, including taking online courses. However, if you take so many classes that it prevents you to work normally for your grad school, then it might be a problem. Furthermore, if you expect the online courses you take to count for your graduate program (i.e., to replace other courses you would normally have to take at your school), then only your advisor can answer that.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I do not think you have to tell your advisor, as long as it does not interfere with your work, you should be free to do whatever you like. Of course you cannot stop doing your mandatory work in sake of the courses, but I do not see a good reason to notify anyone.
You can always tell your labmates, so you can take the course together and get more out of it.
Upvotes: 1 |
2012/11/02 | 562 | 2,281 | <issue_start>username_0: I love travelling and I was thinking of getting my Master’s degree in mathematics abroad (I got my bachelors in the USA). I know that I can get funding if I go to China for my master’s.
Will it be viewed negatively if I try to apply for a PhD in the United States?<issue_comment>username_1: I have some experience with Asian Universities, particularly Japanese.
First, take into account that having a Masters might boost a bit your application to PhD a bit, as long as you publish something over there. Also, if the profesor you are going with is unknown, it might not help you at all.
Second, many people think that studying abroad and traveling are similar things, when they are really not. You'll have to deal with the hardships of asian Academic culture, which are very different from the American ones.
You'll also have to deal with the hardships of life, be sure to know the language at least to communicate basic thoughts and deal with the fact that you might not like food there (Protip: Chinese American Food is somewhat different of real Chinese Food)
I would put more, but I would be edging on ranting, which I'm probably already are.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I think it would be good - maybe great.
* Math is a universal language, so its not like you're learning American History in China.
* Math is generally at a very high level in China. Take for example Secondary student's math scores in Shanghai, considered tops among the world in OECD (PISA) scores. These students will get that MA in China in Math. Many are the geniuses who score an 800 on the SAT Math section in China without even trying. So much better than American kids.
* The university system may be not so well-developed, maybe your thesis isn't really guided, you might have like a few classes a week, you may live with 3 other slobs in a dorm bed. But the tuition is probably really cheap, the food even cheaper and so are the calculators, because they are abacuses - some of them.
* Your PhD program will see you did something great and unique. And if you come away unscathed and with a better command of Chinese and a wider worldview, you have done yourself a service.
* Final reason, you learn to use an abacus, the most important reason.
Upvotes: -1 |
2012/11/02 | 1,106 | 4,682 | <issue_start>username_0: There exist review journals that every now and then publish a thematic issue on a given topic. For example, [*Chemical Reviews*](http://pubs.acs.org/page/chreay/thematic-issues/index.html) does so: one thematic issue (see e.g. [this one](http://pubs.acs.org/toc/chreay/110/7)) includes an editorial and a number of invited review on the main topic.
When writing the introduction of a research paper, one can start by summing up the recent developments in the field, and then explain the reasoning behind the paper being written (*“People have looked at application of molecules X and Y to reactions A, B and C, but so far noöne has evidenced any benefit of using them for reaction D. We here show that they lead to a spectacular 270% improvement over current yields”*). When writing the broader part of the introduction, one might be tempted to include many references to recent reviews on the topic. However, when many reviews come from the same thematic issue of a journal, it becomes a bit ridiculous. So…
Is it an accepted practice to include a reference to an entire issue of a journal?
>
> Special issue of *Chem. Rev.* on “Giant molecules for catalysis”, **2010**, issue 8.
>
>
>
Alternatively, is it adequate to cite the editorial of the thematic issue? Or do individual papers need to be cited, at the risk of making a long string of citations? Like so:
>
> Lots of research has focused on applications of these molecules to A[1], B[2], C[3], D[4], E[5] and F[6]
>
>
>
where refs. 1-6 are all to sequential papers in the same issue of the same journal.<issue_comment>username_1: Citations along the lines of see X for a review are meaningless in my opinion and should be avoided. I believe, you should only be citing novel and specific findings. I would even steer away from citing the individual articles in a special issue because they tend to rehash old material and you are better off citing the original source.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: It seems tempting to cite only the issue of a journal when it contains several articles that you want to refer to from your introduction. Especially so if it is a special issue directly related to your paper. As to your question whether it is an accepted practice, I haven't seen so, but it could depend on the field of research of course.
Personally, I would advise against using such citations for two main reasons:
* You should always try to cite as specific as possible. If you support a stated fact with a citation, the reader should be directed to this fact as directly as possible. In your example of the giant molecules, a reader may be more interested in application A than in giant molecules in general, so it will be helpful if you cite more specifically.
* Citations are the basis for many measures of academic impact, and I doubt that citations to journal issues are counted in these measures. The authors of the articles that you intend to cite with a reference to a whole journal issue will certainly not be pleased with this, because you restrain a source of academic reputation for them.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: As has been indicated from other answers, it is generally not acceptable, or a good idea. When you reference materials you need to specific so that the reader cane trace your sources. There is, however, one exception that I can think of and it concerns thematic or special issues.
As you say, some journals issue issues devoted to papers adhering to specific topic or theme. This can be a set of invited papers around a specific question, or a selection of papers coming out from a workshop or symposia session. Often such issues are tied together by an editorial explaining the theme and the contributions of the individual papers to that theme.
It is possible to reference such issues rather than the individual papers if the issue can be seen as contributing a collective view. This can, for example, be a state of the art view of the topic. The point is that the issue becomes similar to, for example, an edited book rather than individual papers and the referencing concerns the collective contribution of papers, not the individual. As soon as something needs to be sourced from a paper within the issue the paper needs to be referenced, the issue reference is then not sufficient.
So it is possible to reference entire journal issues but only for very specific (or actually general) purposes, not to replace referencing a bunch of individual paper from which ideas have been gained. This makes the use quite limited and pointing at a source for information rather than the information itself.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/11/02 | 637 | 2,842 | <issue_start>username_0: I am applying for grad school this year and I am considering sending an email to ask a professor to write me a reference. He had previously agreed to write me a letter because I took one of his advanced courses.
I am not sure if it'd be okay for me to offer to provide a template to him for the letter. The reason I want to do this is I will be applying for a PhD in a different, though quite related, field, and I want to make sure that he knows what the advisory committee will be specifically looking for in his letter, and make sure that his letter corresponds well with my statement of purpose.
Is this an acceptable practice between professors and students? Or would they consider it offending since he is supposed to provide his independent opinion? And if it is okay, how can I offer it in an appropriate way?<issue_comment>username_1: No and yes. I would talk to him and ask what he wants. If he wants a template, then you should provide one. If he wants a bulleted list, give him that. If he wants a draft letter, go with that. Giving him unsolicited information would be frowned upon.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Personally, I would be somewhat offended if a student gave me a template for a letter, and I wouldn't use it. (Unless I had asked for one, which personally I would not.)
However, it is perfectly appropriate to say, "I believe that the committee will probably be interested in my ability to dangle participles and reticulate splines; it would help if your letter could address this." It is also fine to include a list or resume of your other activities that he may not be aware of, but leave it up to him how to use this list.
It's quite possible that your professor has written letters for students in this different field before and already knows what is expected. Also, for letters which are submitted online, the writer normally gets a message from the requesting institution explaining what issues should be addressed.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I will prefer to give template. For higher research oriented studies the reference letter must contain the related information, and each institution has its own taste, so to create more chances of getting admission you need to give the template to the one who is referencing.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_4: Was the template expressly provided by the advisory committee? In this case, you should of course forward it to your prospective references.
Otherwise, if it is just something you thought up, chances are that an experienced reference writer will do a better job by himself (he is probably more aware of what the committee is looking for in an applicant.)
This should not stop you from sending him all the relevant info: detailed CV, statement of purpose, transcripts etc.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/11/02 | 584 | 2,585 | <issue_start>username_0: The idea of working toward a PhD came to me very late in my Master's program. As such, my primary professors and adviser didn't necessarily coach me into PhD preparation and may have even seen me as somewhat of a black sheep in the academic community. I don't doubt that they would believe in my ability to research, but rather that it'd be somewhat of a surprise that this was an area of interest for me.
Having said all of that, while I believe that they could give me a good reference, I don't believe it would be the "great" reference that would be characteristic of this internationally-recognized expert in their field. With this in mind, are there things that I can do to make myself a more appealing candidate to a PhD program?<issue_comment>username_1: It is important if you have papers published by you as one of the authors in the field you intend to run a PhD, otherwise a good academic transcript will be enough. Sometimes some Universities take PhD students that they can groom and nurture in some fields irrespective of how qualified they are or not. I encourage you to believe in yourself and try your hands on some applications. Best of Luck.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: PhD programs are looking for **strong evidence of research potential**. We'll look for that evidence in your recommendation letters (preferably from people who know the field and know what potential stars look like), in your research statement, and in your academic record.
Get the best references you can. You write "*I don't doubt that they would believe in my ability to research*", which is excellent. They may also write about their surprise in your late interest, which will raise some eyebrows, but it's the truth, so you're stuck with it.
In your research statement, be sure to explain **why** you're interested in a PhD, and in particular, what changed in the late stages of your MS program to spark your interest. You need to actively pre-empt the perception that you just want to stay in school because you want to learn More Cool Stuff, or that you tried Real Work and you didn't like it.
You also need to include *credible technical detail* about your research experience and your specific research interests. (Yes, that means you need to *have* research experience and specific research interests.) Otherwise, readers will wonder if you know what research actually *is*. That naïveté might be excusable for someone with only a BS, but for an applicant with an master's degree, it's a serious red flag.
Good luck!
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2012/11/03 | 1,330 | 5,576 | <issue_start>username_0: Every [now](http://retractionwatch.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/data-fabrication-fells-muscle-physiology-paper/) and [then](http://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/30/us/falsified-data-found-in-gene-studies.html), you hear stories of data being fabricated by a graduate student (or post-doc) who felt the pressure to publish groundbreaking results was too much. This unethical behavior makes me wonder: What can a PhD advisor (or group leader, or project principal investigator) actually do to avoid that in her own group? What are her ethical duties in ensuring that all published data is genuine?
Please note: I'm not singling out graduate students or post-docs because I think they are statistically responsible for more ethical misconducts than others… only because it gives a good case of when the PI would have only indirect access to the data (meaning: she didn't actually do the experiments herself, but was only presented the data by others in her group).<issue_comment>username_1: We've talked about this at the institute where I'm doing my PhD, and the best solution seemed the following:
First, make a central database for all raw data, that can be accessed per request. Upload/copy data to it as soon as it's collected, including noisy data that might not enter the final analysis. This ensures that any excluded data has to be properly justified.
Second, let everybody know that every so often a random dataset will be pulled out and some basic checks run on it.
Third, run those basic checks. For this you need someone with knowledge of statistics who can tell you what is appropriate for your type of data. A lot of basic aspects of normal data are difficult to simulate without a lot of knowledge on statistics. To give an example, if you take data that have a normal distribution, split it into quintiles, then plot the mean against the variance in each quintile, they should roughly fall on an inverted U-shaped curve. I know of a case where this relationship was perfectly linear, which raised alarm bells. In any case, these checks should be simple and easy to run.
Fourth, decide who will do these checks, because it takes time and effort.
Fifth, make sure you have some idea of what types of mistakes are honest mistakes, and what constitutes actual fraud. Make sure you discuss mechanisms of dealing with these mistakes (and fraud) beforehand, i.e. don't leave this decision in the hands of the supervisor at the moment it happens.
Edit: I guess the main question was what's the PI's responsibility. My reply reflects my opinion that the responsibility should be more institutionalized, and not left just to the PI. On the other hand, the PI could run some of these steps internally if needed / if there is no other help available. But then it might be too elaborate, so perhaps you will get some better answers from other people.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: It's a sad reality. That is why research group leaders should be so deeply involved in their post-graduate students' research that they can detect fabrication of data easily. It is unfortunate when research group leaders only sit in their room and expect the student to do everything for them and put their name for the paper. It is the duty of the leader to scrutinize and question the results and ask for repeats when necessary and go carry out a few experiments too to authenticate results before accepting them.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: The PI is responsible for the output of the scientific employees under them, while they are doing work *for the PI*. (I think it would be unfair to hold a PI responsible, for instance, for quality control on the work done by a post-doc on a paper submitted with his or her former group.)
From an ethics standpoint, however, the PI is responsible for encouraging an atmosphere in which errors are caught and corrected, rather than tolerated. If errors are "innocent" in nature, then no guilt or punishment should really follow from catching and fixing those errors. However, a PI is responsible for not sanctioning deliberate lapses. If the PI sets up a culture in which such behavior is viewed as expected or necessary, such failures do lie on the PI.
I would argue that the PI's responsibilities extend to ensuring that the work claimed has been performed, and that the data has been correctly analyzed. Some places I've worked at have instituted *quality control* procedures for doing so, to varying degrees of formality. While I don't think a full review of all of the data is often required in academic settings, I think most groups would benefit from *some* implementation of such measures. As username_1 suggests, if you do "random" sampling of the work produced, then it makes it that much harder to falsify *anything*, since you don't know if that will be the work that will be checked.
A PI shouldn't be expected to fall on her sword for a single incident involving an underling. The PI could perhaps be castigated for making a poor personnel decision, but it shouldn't be a career-ender unless the PI is aware of and condones the unethical behavior. Cases such as the [Bhrigu tampering case at Michigan](http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100929/full/467516a.html), in which a postdoc tampered with the work of a graduate student in the same group, and which led to the PI moving to another university, are unfortunate, and only serve to make things more difficult for everyone. But the aversion should not have been cast upon the PI—which seems to have happened here.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2012/11/04 | 2,921 | 11,735 | <issue_start>username_0: Sometimes I work from home, and for security reasons it is not possible to connect to the campus computers. I use Google Scholar for finding papers and so, but from home, most of the journals can not be accessed.
Is it there some way in which Google Scholar or another academic search engine searches only in open access journals?
PS1: There is no way in which I can access my campus, really.
PS2: OK, I will give more details, since it seems that PS1 is not clear enough. I am working with other collaborators that are not affiliated to any University. I could do VPN and similar but I can not pass them such information, or any other way of passwords or access to the campus, etc. We can only work with the open access papers they find. If the interesting papers are under a paywall, then they are useless for us. I hope this clarifies my questions, and thank everybody for the useful comments.<issue_comment>username_1: I'm not sure, whether you really meant [open access journals](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-access_journal), because when I'm searching at home and I'm too lazy to use the VPN of our university, I'm usually interested in *publications I can access*.
I wouldn't rely on Google Scholar alone, because I'm not sure whether they filter the results. When you study the [advanced search](http://www.google.com/advanced_search) of google a bit, you'll see, that some of the switches are really nice. One really important switch is the `-filetype` option. If you search for instance for *image segmentation* in Google Scholar you get instantly only results with a downloadable pdf file if you use
```
image segmentation filetype:pdf
```
Even more handy becomes this approach in a two step method. As you know, when you "put something in quotes" in google, you search for the exact string. This can be used to do the following:
* find some preview of the article you want to download.
* choose a very specific part of a sentence there
* search for this part and use the `filetype` option
**Non-scientific example:** Sometimes I'm searching for piano notes of some popular songs and since everyone tries to make money with this, you often won't find a free, downloadable version. Therefore, I first search for something like "sheet music evanescence my immortal" and look at one of the first links, where you usually can see one sample page. Then I see, what's on the page and I use this information to adjust my search
```
"My immortal" "I'm so tired of" "Slowly and freely" filetype:pdf
```
and [the first hit](http://sheets-piano.ru/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Evanescence-My_Immortal.pdf) is a high-quality pdf with all pages.
The same approach sometimes works for scientific publications, because most scientists put their publication on their website. So while you have to pay on the journal website, you may get it for free somewhere else.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: This exact question has been asked at Webapps Stack Exchange:
[Is there a way to configure Google Scholar to only show results where the document is freely available?](https://webapps.stackexchange.com/q/28869/22890)
Quoting from the (unaccepted) answer there:
>
> Unfortunately there isn't an option to restrict results like that in Google Scholar (I appreciate the idea, running into paywalls is very frustrating). I guess the argument could be made that you are limiting the articles/knowledge you could be exposed to be only looking at the free things. That and Google's recognition of what is accessible isn't 100%.
>
>
>
See [over there](https://webapps.stackexchange.com/a/28897/22890) for more information.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: No, there is no way to restrict google scholar searches to only open-access papers.
However, you have several options, to ensure that you can access pay-for-access journals that your institution has subscriptions for, even when you're off-campus. This neatly short-circuits the question of having to search only open-access journals. And see also the section below on "Hosting on servers other than the journal itself", which will allow you to find open-access copies of papers that are in pay-to-access journals, by looking on author's homepages and similar.
Shibboleth / Athens login
=========================
The login name and password you use for your campus network, may also serve as your login and password for one of the access aggregators, such as [Shibboleth](http://shibboleth.net/) or [Athens](http://www.openathens.net/). So once you're at the online journal page of the paper you're after, look for "institutional login" or "login", and then search for the login details of your aggregator, and then for your institution. For example, most UK universities are part of the Shibboleth network, and get access via the [UK Access Management Federation](http://www.ukfederation.org.uk/). So the login route is:
- a link called something like `institutional login` on the journal page
- a dropdown for UK Access Management Federation
- a select-box to pick the specific university
- university login and password
Hosting on servers other than the journal itself
================================================
Once you've done your usual search, and got the title of a potentially-interesting paper, then you can start looking for PDFs of it. First do a plain (not scholar) google search for the title, **in double-quotes**, and `filetype:pdf`. So if you were looking for the paper "Ninja Google skills", then you'd google for
`"Ninja Google skills" filetype:pdf`
If that doesn't work, check whether the paper is hosted on:
* the university homepages of any of the authors
* the preprint server at each of their universities
* any subject-wide preprint archive for your subject area
Or email the author on the paper who's nominated as first contact, asking them for a preprint copy of the paper. A couple of sentences about why you're interested, and how you'll use it, will help.
Remote access to the campus network
===================================
Some people with this problem will have one or more means to access their campus network (although you do not. This answer is to help others as well as you, and their circumstances will not be identical to yours); a quick chat with one of the librarians, and someone in the university IT support team, should help clarify:
* VPN into the campus network, then search; or
* SSH into the campus network, then search; or
* log in to the university library network web page, and search from there.
Failing all that, get creative
==============================
For some of the following, you'll need to check your university's terms and conditions, and official guidelines, to ensure that you play within the letter and the spirit of the rules:
* Set up an in-campus server process that will receive remotely-submitted requests, search for a paper, and download it, and make it available to you. You might do this via a web-page, email, or [Dropbox](http://db.tt/VlPlVmL).
* Share a [Dropbox](http://db.tt/VlPlVmL) folder or similar with colleagues, and arrange that whenever one of you is on campus, and has a spare few minutes, you'll look for new requests in the shared folder, and if you find any, you'll download the paper and pop it in the Dropbox.
* Ask your supervisor / department head (as appropriate) to mention to a very senior administrator that the University is failing its staff and postgrads in a key area, and that some form of off-site access is just part of being a university in the 21st Century.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: The type of journal an article is published does not necessarily have anything to do with whether you can access it for free.
**Google Scholar very often provides you with direct links to free PDFs of articles published in journals that charge for subscriptions**. You can access those PDFs for free because:
* The author posted a copy on his/her webpage;
* The author posted a copy on an institutional server; or
* The paper (or a preprint) is posted on an open-access repository such as arxiv.org.
For instance, none of my papers are published in open-access journals. But if you search for my papers on Google Scholar, [the first page](http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=author%3aDI-ketcheson) has direct links to free PDFs for 6 out of 9 of the hits, and 1 of the remaining 3 is a book.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: You can *teach* the Google search to avoid non-free journal sites using this chrome [add-on](http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57495383-285/block-specific-web-site-results-from-google-searches-in-chrome/). May be after using for a few days, you will come across all the main non-free sites and add them to your blocklist.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: When you run a search in Google Scholar, the hits are organized in two columns. The left column is for all hits (links + snippets) matching your search string. The right column (links only) is for the subset of those hits which are either free for everyone (OA) or free for you (based on Google's calculation that your institution has paid for access). For many searches, the right column will be sparsely populated. If don't search from an institutional IP address, then Google won't be able to tell what your institution has bought, and the right column will be limited to OA hits.
I believe this is one of the best-kept secrets about Google Scholar.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: I'm not aware of a resource that limits searching in this way but if you are interested only in open access journals you could try using advanced searching on the <http://doaj.org>. Neither the search interface nor the content may be the same quality of the databases, but it would limit you to resources that were universally available. However, this seems overly restrictive of your research because your colleagues likely have some level of access to research through their own institutions, through public libraries and state-level consortia, or even through walk-in visits to local research institutions. Before limiting yourself so severely I recommend speaking with an electronic resources librarian on your campus to discuss all options and access. Sometimes library database licenses do allow for scholarly sharing of articles or portions of materials with colleagues that are collaborating in this manner.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: I am not sure in which field you are looking. However, if you are working in quantitative science (physics, quantitative biology, computer science...) you might check out [Scientillion](http://www.scientillion.com) which is searching open access databases and has more than 90% of open access articles in its results. Since it is including the eprint archive ArXiv you often get the full text of articles which appeared in journals later after being uploaded there. Hope, that helps.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_9: Try [Paperity](http://paperity.org/) instead!
It is an aggregator of exclusively open access literature. As of now, Paperity contains more than 1,500,000 full-text papers from 4,200 journals covering all academic disciplines. You can browse papers by journal, use [full-text search](http://paperity.org/search/?advanced=1), set up RSS feeds to follow new articles on a given subject (RSS is tailored to your search criteria) and read papers on a tablet or smartphone ([iOS](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/paperity/id1331531819?mt=8), [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.paperity)). Paperity aims at aggregating 100% of open access literature ultimately.
Disclaimer: I am the founder.
Upvotes: 0 |
2012/11/04 | 235 | 949 | <issue_start>username_0: I have 8 years of IT experience in India, I want to do a Master of Science in the US.
Would my already long professional experience hurt my chances to find a job after the MSc? I intend to settle in the US instead of coming back to India.<issue_comment>username_1: I would expect that it almost certainly does not hurt your chances. Many people proceed their academic education or career after professional experience. In [our Master programme](http://www.spacemaster.eu), this is treated as a significant plus, and I would be very surprised if companies wouldn't do the same.
But for the non-academic portion of the question (I infer you mean a job outside academia), you might want to ask at [The Workplace](https://workplace.stackexchange.com/) and get opinions there.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: You will be a very strong candidate in US provided you go to at least a reputable public university.
Upvotes: 0 |
2012/11/06 | 1,096 | 4,586 | <issue_start>username_0: I worked on an interesting project as a PHD student. It was rejected from a top conference with all but 1 reviewer agreeing that it was an ok paper but not good enough for that conference, because more work was required. The other reviewer said it was in top 15% papers. Do the reviewers mean "trash paper" when they say "ok paper" ?
I don't have the time to finish it because I have switched my research area. In the project, I also collected and processed a large amount of data which would be useful for the computer vision community. Should I just put the paper and associated data/code on my website? Or should I put it on arxiv? In either cases, I wanted to acknowledge and include a link to the reviews from the conference. Is that a bad idea? The review process was double blind and hence the reviews are anonymous.<issue_comment>username_1: Have you considered submission to a journal? As reviewers are not identified, it is reasonable to trust their judgement that the paper is "okay", and of course "okay" at a top conference in CS could still be quite good, especially as it's within the top 15%. Although perhaps the top-tier journals would render a similar judgement, there may be a venue where it is appropriate (I'm not familiar with the computer vision area), and you could publish without an excess of additional work.
Alongside this you can (usually) always put a preprint on ArXiv, few journals or conferences take issue with this now, which allows you to make it available in the meantime, regardless of what else you decide to do with it in the future.
However I would definitely *not* include the reviews. Although there is no rule against doing so, particularly as the reviewers shouldn't be identifiable, it contributes nothing to your research - the reader should be assessing the value themselves. The inclusion of reviews would only indicate that you want to boast about your work, or that you want people to accept it because someone else said it was good.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Don't feel bad if your paper was rejected, if you really want to publish, you could always submit it to another conference in its current form trying to address some of the concerns of the reviewers.
The problem with conferences (most) is that you don't get a second chance to submit it. There is nothing wrong with putting your paper out there in Arxiv, but remember that if it has not been published before, you could always suffer the danger of being plagiarized to certain extent.
Like Luke mentions, reviewers are most of the time a toss in the air.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> Do the reviewers mean "trash paper" when they say "ok paper" ?
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Definitely no. As Luke points out, since the reviews are blind, reviewers tend to be honest, if not leaning to the negative side. If they were explicit that the paper is fine, though still somewhat preliminary, understand it as a positive feedback.
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> Should I just put the paper and associated data/code on my website?
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I think the answer is yes, unless you want to "hide" the paper from the public.
I think about these things this way: the public (through taxes, NGO's, etc. and the subsequent redistribution to higher education and research) is paying us to do research with the hope that something good and beneficial will come out. Once you do the work, regardless of whether top-notch, or only somewhat significant, as far as it is a result of a serious effort and of reasonable quality (workmanship-wise), the public deserves reporting back on our work, as well as deserves the results. It is up to others to decide whether our work is useful to the society, or not.
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> Or should I put it on arxiv?
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Do both. Yes, going for arXiv is a good idea in such a case. If you feel so, you can prepend the paper with explanation of why you publish it as it is.
Either way, my advice is to publish the work. Actually, your situation is quite common. What many people do in a situation you describe, is to publish and present the work in a workshop associated with the (major) relevant conference. Or re-submit it as a poster, or short paper, if the conference has such a track. Those are definitely for quality, but still somewhat preliminary results.
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> In either cases, I wanted to acknowledge and include a link to the reviews from the conference. Is that a bad idea?
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No. I think you idea is good. Honest and open. How about including the reviews in an appendix of the arXiv submission?
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer] |
2012/11/06 | 1,416 | 5,681 | <issue_start>username_0: **Condition**
I have been suffering from day time sleepiness (9-10 hrs of sleep and still struggle to stay awake), fatigue, memory loss and lack of concentration. The doctor found that I suffocate in my sleep: I stop breathing several times per hour.
In a few days, I will be undergoing surgery to modify my airway (nose, throat) that, according to the doctor, will completely resolve these problems.
**Background**
My profile is OK: undergrad valedictorian, scholarships, awards, numerous research experiences and skills. But my condition was exacerbated during the masters and I graduated "B+" instead of continuing my straight "A" performance during undergrad. Also, I felt that I could have performed better in standardized tests (GREs), do more research etc without my condition.
**Questions**
1. Should I make this medical condition known in my research/personal statement? I fear the reader might assume that I am not as "able" as completely healthy candidates. Or perhaps there is no benefits at all to bringing this up?
2. If so, how should I put it to avoid sounding like I am making excuses or whining?<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Should I make this medical condition known in my research/personal statement? I fear the reader might assume that I am not as "able" as completely healthy candidates. Or perhaps there is no benefits at all to bringing this up? If so, how should I put it to avoid sounding like I am making excuses or whining?
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If you can frame this medical condition as a situation you have learned to work through and around, then yes you can talk about it. It makes you sound like you are able to adapt to difficult circumstances. You are under no requirement to bring it up, and, at least in the US, if you don't bring it up, then you cannot legally be judged based on it.
However, if the condition reasonably or seriously will interfere with the work you are planning to do, then you need to disclose it eventually, although perhaps only after you are accepted and only to your research adviser. Sleepiness is one thing, but what about [narcolepsy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcolepsy)? A narcoleptic might be a safety hazard in a synthetic chemistry lab for example.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Your potential advisor is interested in (mostly) one thing: your potential as a graduate student. To that end, your personal statement/interviews/etc. should serve to convince him that you will be able to do excellent research. Any issues that could be a potential problem should be noted and addressed.
With that background, do you think this condition could be perceived as affecting your output as a graduate student? From the way you posed it, I would suggest that the answer is "yes". As such, I would mention the condition towards the end of the letter/interview, but I would state with confidence that past performance has demonstrated that it will not affect output, and you're confident it would not be a problem in the future. Don't dwell; just mention it as you would a disclosure and move on.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: *Only* mention your medical condition in the research/personal statement if it is **specifically** relevant to your research interests, and you feel that your personal experience strengthens your ability to carry out research in your chosen area. (Example: you wish to do medical research about epileptics' sensory perceptions prior to a seizure, or auras; you might conceivably want to mention your personal experience with auras, if you think this will help convince a committee that they should assist you in doing such research. Although this is the best example I was able to come up with, it's still pretty lousy, in my opinion. There are plenty of people in the world who experience auras, but who aren't qualified to do graduate level research on auras! It's the person's academic qualifications, I think, that would be the most meaningful thing for a committee to look at.)
Under Section 504 regulations, pre-admission inquiries as to whether an applicant is handicapped are specifically barred.
If you are accepted, on your academic merits, the next step is to contact your institution's student disability office in order to document the disability and request accommodations if needed. The student disability office will work with you and your professors. No one will perceive you as whining. You will be perceived as someone who is a strong health advocate, and you will be admired for persevering in spite of adversity.
A person with a disability has as much right to an education as a non-disabled person. You are a person first, and a person with a medical condition that makes studying more challenging second.
Note that in Section 504, the definition of a “handicapped person” is not only a person with a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more of his major life activities, but also anyone who either has a record of such an impairment in his past or is regarded as having such an impairment.
---
About the B+ average in your Masters and your perhaps reduced GRE performance.
What should have happened: as an undergrad, you work out a 504 plan with the Student Disability office at your school, with accommodations, including, for example, in the GRE, extra time, and rest breaks.
A helpful resource: [A Layperson's Guide to Section 504](http://dredf.org/504-sit-in-20th-anniversary/a-laypersons-guide-to-section-504/)
Some related, inspiring reading: [A Short History of the 504 Sit-In](http://dredf.org/504-sit-in-20th-anniversary/short-history-of-the-504-sit-in/)
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/11/06 | 783 | 3,220 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm currently a third year student studying mathematics in Australia, and things have taken a very bad turn in third year. I developed tremors in my writing hand and it meant I wasn't able to use a pen properly and couldn't take good notes during lectures. I was then put on a beta-blocker which had some side-effects and I have seen my grades for maths slide again. I might even fail a course this semester. It looks like I will not be a able to gain entry to honours year. Does that mean the end of my goal of pursuing a career in academia? Would any institution take a student for a masters degree in maths if he's failed a course in undergraduate study?
I also feel I didn't learn Galois theory well in my undergraduate study. Is there any way to redo the material in a serious way? It seems difficult to juggle a job and reviewing this material at the same time.<issue_comment>username_1: 1. Unfortunately, good schools often require 1st class honors minimum for scholarship and PhD applications.
2. Have you considered taking an extra year? A similar thing happened to me and I was able to save my academic profile with the extra year. For more details about my medical condition, look at my recent question.
My suggestion would be: Talk to your course director or whoever is in-charged regarding your medical condition and ask if they will let you take an extra year and if possible, repeat the courses that you failed.
Please do not worry about taking a year longer to finish. It bothered me terribly at first, but after a while I realized that it is rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: This is from someone outside of Australia. Do you have plans on going out to do the PhD?
I do not know how the honors system works in Australia very well, and fortunately for you neither the Japanese nor the Americans do, for them there is only the undergrad. The Honors is a nice thing to do, but hardly a requirement if you are looking for a Grad Program.
In US, they care more that you have some sort of work published, and in Japan they care that you can pass the entrance examination, which for Math I think is the GRE.
If you have close doors in Australia, perhaps you could try in some other place.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I don't think you'll be forever barred from academia. You have proof of excellent academic work as an undergrad (you're a TA), and only in this past year have your grades been declining. I know this is anecdotal, but I also could barely write during my undergrad, also was too ashamed to seek a disability until late, and as such I barely graduated.Now I'm about to enter a Master's program less than two years after graduation. Take an extra year if you can. Don't lose hope. If I can get to grad school, so can you.
My way to grad school was through a back door. I am a field technician on a research project, and my supervisor mentioned something about having funding for a master's student during a conversation about some interesting anomalies. I asked a week later if I could take advantage of that funding, and she agreed. So now I'm gonna be a grad student.
Upvotes: 1 |
2012/11/06 | 1,752 | 7,584 | <issue_start>username_0: I work in the Computing and Mathematics School at my university (UK). This year the School has adopted a fairly aggressive policy regarding student attendance. If a student has a poor – or zero – attendance rate, the student is contacted and a dialogue opened. This has many benefits including identifying those students who have possible undiscovered or undeclared learning difficulties.
If a student’s attendance rate remains poor following a first intervention, a process of issuing formal warnings commences, culminating with the withdrawal of the student if the student does not start to engage with their course.
Attendance is presently monitored at all laboratory and tutorial sessions. Attendance is not presently monitored for lectures.
Our current system comprises a series of shared Google spreadsheets which contains the details of all students for all classes. Staff members enter attendance manually into the spreadsheet for their class.
The difficulty with this system is that there is presently no automatic link between the existing official university student record database and the attendance register spreadsheets. This means if students change groups, enrol late, withdraw, change course or units, all this information must be dealt with in a robust manner. Currently, such changes are implemented manually. This means errors are likely to be introduced into the attendance register.
I notice that there are a number of commercial attendance monitoring solutions available which are based on hardware, e.g. [Telepen](http://www.telepen.co.uk/onyx_collector.htm). I would be interested in anyone’s experience with such systems, however I don’t forsee these to be ultimately workable in my case owing to the large cost.
I am interested in software solutions. If your institution monitors student attendance, do you use any specialist software? If so, what do you use?
Another option – a preferable one – is to work within the existing university data systems.
All the necessary information regarding student details and activities is available. The problem arises when we try to ensure our ad hoc attendance register contains up to date student information. Ideally we’d use our Virtual Learning Environment to enter attendance data. Our VLE is Moodle. Are there any Moodle users out there who use Moodle to record attendance?<issue_comment>username_1: Following eykanal's comment to the question, I have researched the possibilities via Moodle. For the record I have found that Moodle has an attendance module. I haven't learnt yet whether this module has the complete functionality that we require, but it's a start.
[Moodle attendance module](http://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Attendance_module)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: My institution does not monitor student attendance. That is my job. However, we have adopted Blackboard as our Course-Management System of choice across campus, and the student roster in Blackboard is updated every day by the Registrar's Office. We additionally have access to up-to-date course rosters through our implementation of the PeopleSoft productivity software. Presumably, the Registrar's office at your institution keeps up-to-date rosters and should be willing to share them with instructors. Otherwise, what's the point of having them?
There are two methods I use to enforce / verify attendance in a large lecture course, and both require comparison of my data with the roster in Blackboard or PeopleSoft. I could write a short program to sort through both files for matches, but I would rather do it manually to help me remember students' names.
1. Quizzes - I give short (and simple) quizzes randomly, but at least once a week. **Fully half** of the points on the quizzes are for showing up and putting your name on the quiz. For this reason, quizzes cannot be made up for **any** reason, but I will drop three or four of the lowest quiz grades. Since the quizzes aren't hard and the quiz average counts for at least 10% of their final grade, students want to be there for the quiz. I like this method because it allows me to do random point assessments of different topics and to start associating student names with performance. The grading is not unbearable, since i write quizzes that are **simple** enough to be graded at a rate of 10 seconds per student.
2. Clickers - If you use clickers, make each student buy their own clicker (About $40 US these days). At the beginning of class, they have to register their clicker with your software, which records the clicker's ID number. If you have a list matching clicker IDs to student names, then you take attendance every day automatically. It is easy to cheat this system, since a student can also bring their friend's clicker and sign-in for their friend also.
If you want to **ensure** attendance, I would use JeffE's approach:
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> Isn't the most effective way to ensure attendance is to make the lectures compelling and useful?
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Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I work at a university which is very low tech (no software, or anything else, for teachers - teachers want it, they bring it). Student lists are passed around on paper. So, I wrote my own (simplistic) app which I use at the start of class calling out names (did I mention it's a bit low-tech?). I can easily print out a report that looks like what the admins need to do their paper-oriented job (and I can get a soft copy from them to import so I don't have to type everything). No clickers, no website, just my laptop.
We, by the way, have a policy that any student missing more than 20% of the lectures automatically fails the course but they do get a chance to enter a 'redo' class...which has the same attendance rules.
One benefit is that I can see (while taking attendance, every session) who is 'at risk' and I can deal with that as I see fit.
Integration is handled manually - far from ideal - but if the school ever wants to change things, it's easy to change what I wrote.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: If the goal is to identify individuals with poor attendance, paper and pencil is the way to go. Just have students sign in on the way in. After a few sessions hold the stack up to the light and find the empty boxes. Those are your potential low attenders. Email them and ask if any have switched sections. Those who haven't are your actual low attenders. It seems much easier than dealing with an on line system especially if the class size is small.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: I have a simple solution. Depending on class size, set up one/two laptops on the teacher desk, have every student sign-into a simple web interface with their school login and password, this will automatically feed either a spreadsheet or blackboard. With this system it is unlikely that a student will sign-in an absent student. If a student forgets to sign in its his/her fault. You can completely lock the computer so the only thing it can be done is run this login screen. This will also force freshman to use their college id login name. You can also add a beep when a login is done, preventing someone from doing more than once. Late students have to sign in after class, this will put them on the spot and their login time recorded.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Sounds like something pretty simple. Have you considered just using something like Excel to keep track of this information?
I wrote my own attendance system but it is for tracking everyone, not just the late/absent students.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/11/06 | 789 | 3,440 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm in computer sciences, in applied Machine Learning. I often have to switch applications and I find it cumbersome trying to discern the really good and bad works by doing a large survey.
Whenever you are new in a field, how would you direct your survey to find the people doing seminal work in the area, for example in the specific case of Latent Dirichlet Allocation in Computer Science, you can always go to a 2003 paper by Blei, Jordan and Ng. While if you are a seasoned researcher of the area, you already know this paper is relevant, how a newcomer would find such paper?
Do you ask experts in the area? Do you go by number of citations (I often find this deceptive, particularly in Bioinformatics)
I'm interested in this because I'm switching applications now, and I would like to know which group's work I should be following or which person's papers I should be reading.<issue_comment>username_1: Well, one slightly unorthodox method for finding these might be to find the "society" representing the field, and find who their recent award winners are—particularly if they have "young investigator" awards that will recognize work considered to be of significant impact.
The relative advantage of this approach is that it it represents the consensus of people working in a given field; the disadvantage is that the consensus may be of only a handful of members on a committee. But these are people who in principle should know the ins and outs of their field better than most.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Problem is that you hamstrung yourself by eliminating the only correct strategy: doing a long literature survey yourself. You wish to rely on proxies, and sometimes surveys can do that for you, but other people's opinions of "good" and "bad" are just that: opinions.
The only way to really get a sense of good and bad is to read a LOT, think a lot about what you read, discuss with people who might know more about the area, think a lot more, read more, and repeat.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: My personal technique is to read the introduction to a number of research papers and find the most commonly cited papers/authors/author groupings. This will tell you who is the most "influential", i.e. whose work is driving the field and causing others to perform research branching of their original findings. This is similar to examining publication count, but more useful in that you can see how broadly the citations are applied, and judge from context whether the citation has merit.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: IMHO, the research work should be around good publications not good "people" even if they are highly cited. In almost any field you will find introductory papers and surveys discussing the problems and the current state of the art. Those are the beginning. If you find the text referring to something interesting to you; visit the references mentioned in that section/subsection/paragraph. Also, well-known journals usually have special issue for new/hot research areas.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: Practical advise is to use platforms such as "ScienceDirect" or "Web of Knowledge". If you have institutional access, you can read every journal of a selected field. By the time you will read the same names repeatedly. Also helpful is to look through conference-papers and other documents prepared for conferences.
Upvotes: -1 |
2012/11/07 | 665 | 2,805 | <issue_start>username_0: Some parts of our research fall out of our expertise. We thought about creating a Kaggle challenge just for this part. But we lack fund resources for the reward, so we could not offer any money. We are thinking now about offering co-authorship in a paper, do you think this would work? Otherwise, which other things would you offer as reward in Kaggle apart from money?<issue_comment>username_1: This sounds to me like the textbook definition of a potential collaboration opportunity. I would speak with researchers in the computer science, machine learning, mathematics, and/or statistics departments and try to establish a long-term collaborative relationship. I would also speak with other faculty in your department to see how they handle this problem, which they likely have as well. It may be as simple as paying a grad or reasonably bright undergrad a few bucks an hour to crunch numbers. (Actually, you shouldn't take for granted that the grad student is reasonably bright... but I digress.)
This will be beneficial in both the short- and long-term, in a number of ways. In the short term, you'll hopefully get to analyze your data and generate a publication. In the long term, it's very likely that you'll need such expertise again, and you'll have the resources available for the analysis. Additionally, you'll find that having someone with analytics expertise on hand when *devising* whatever study you plan on doing can be immeasurably useful, as they will help you determine what measurements need to be taken and what data needs to be collected to ensure that you can get the most out of your dataset.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Some competitions have "Kudos" (or "Jobs", or "Knowledge") as a prize, see [Kaggle competitions sorted from the smallest prizes](http://www.kaggle.com/competitions/search?RewardColumnSort=Ascending). I don't how it does work with proposing a competition (maybe it is not free).
I guess if the problem itself fits in the Kaggle framework (which is a pretty strong constraint), and you can try it for free (I don't know if it is the case), then why not. Especially as even two "Kudos" competitions attract 50 and 153 teams, respectively. Just it is on you to make it as attractive as possible.
Of course, intellectual contribution requires a co-authorship. But if I had the right expertise, I would run for it :).
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: It's true that fitting the Kaggle competition framework is a bit of a constraint, but if you understand that framework and see how your problem fits into it, I'd suggest you e-mail <EMAIL> with a description of the data & problem (and ideally sample data), even if you don't have funding. We can see what comes of it!
(Disclaimer: I work for Kaggle.)
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/11/07 | 1,548 | 6,323 | <issue_start>username_0: For the second time recently, someone mentioned to me the Hardy-Littlewood rules for collaboration (and on [that very site](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/5177/who-pays-in-joint-collaborations)). From what [I read about it](https://web.archive.org/web/20120216075947/https://math.ufl.edu/misc/hlrules.html), they include the following rule:
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> And, finally, the fourth, and perhaps most important axiom, stated that it was quite indifferent if one of them had not contributed the least bit to the contents of a paper under their common name
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>
**How is it ethical to be a co-author of a paper you have “not contributed the least bit to”?**
I was flummoxed when I read that, it would be considered a serious breach of ethics in the communities I know. Is that a practice (those “rules”) specific to mathematics? Or are they just not used any more?<issue_comment>username_1: I've always interpreted such remarks as meaning that the individual papers were just progress reports on their larger enterprise, to which both made irreplaceable contributions, and that they had no interest in keeping track of moment-by-moment relative contributions.
In particular, "on average", there was no misattribution or false credit.
(Further, the "not contributed the least" may easily be hyperbole, just to make the point.)
For that matter, if one is in regular correspondence with another, how to attribute ideas that develop gradually? I think their solution was entirely reasonable.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: Generally speaking, this practice would not be acceptable under today's ethical standards.
I don't think these rules represented standard practice even in Hardy and Littlewood's day. They wrote them only to govern their own collaboration; I'm not aware that they ever even suggested that anybody else follow them. The rules are notable because they are unusual (and, as mentioned by Anonymous Mathematician, humorously exaggerated).
If your reputation matches that of Hardy and Littlewood, you may find the academic community (and your institution) willing to tolerate idiosyncracies like this. Otherwise, I wouldn't suggest trying it.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I think the context of the rule is important here. The rules taken together set up a system of trust: that the authors trust each other to contribute fully to the project, and so (as others have pointed out) they didn't have to waste time with the nitty-gritty of specific contributions.
It is not useful therefore to view this rule in isolation as a license to willy-nilly add authors without contributions.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: As I understand it, the rule is really about uncertainty. If at the time a collaboration is established, it is expected everybody will contribute, then the credit is shared evenly regardless of how the project turned out. This is like when a group of treasure hunters agreeing to share the loot evenly before embarking on a journey. Under this interpretation, adding a new author who's done no work is not accepted, as the author must expect to contribute when he is added.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: If one takes a superficial look at the authorship issue, it would seem unethical, i.e. one author does not physically contribute to the paper. However, viewing a paper from the perspective of contributorship, which I perceive as wider than the concept of authorship (which focusses on the writing, (see for example examples from [ICMJE](http://www.icmje.org/ethical_1author.html) and [BMJ](http://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/article-submission/authorship-contributorship)) a more tangible part of the research process), the original described Hardy-Littlewood case is less clear. Since both authors work intimately together, it is clearly conceivable that their joint long-term discussions form a significant background to and lead up to the final publication(s). Hence they have both contributed to the paper even if it has not been explicit. The rules for contributorship set up by the Vancouver Protocol:
* Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
* Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
* Final approval of the version to be published; AND
* Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
may thus not be broken. It sounds as if point two of this list is not clearly enforced but if the last point is fulfilled then it is possible to view the second and third points as implicitly covered.
Clearly the issue of ethics in what I would call a positive case such as this is not easy to deal with. The ethical rules should of course be followed in all cases but it is primarily the negative aspects that need to be scrutinized. If both authors can stand by each paper they are on, I would say all is ok. I should perhaps also mention the consortia papers that emerge from large projects such as the [CERN](https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Main/ATLASAuthorshipPolicy) where authorships are bound by contract rather than actual physical contribution. Again, I would see this as a positive form of division of authorship which serves its purpose and although break the Protocol rules is accepted.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: These H-L rules were but a part of the abuse of Littlewood by Hardy. Littlewood's severe depression was to a significant degree due to this sick Hardy-Littlewood so-called cooperation.
Here are but some examples: <https://books.google.com/books?id=WwFMjsym9JwC&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=hardy-littlewood#v=onepage&q=hardy-littlewood&f=false> (this web page doesn't let us "copy & paste"):
In 1931, Littlewood was first to lecture for Hardy-Littlewood class. Hardy came late, had to drink tea, and was pestering Littlewood about unnecessary details, against the Littlewood idea of his talk. Cartwright quoted Littlewood as saying that he was not prepared to be heckled. And Hardy and Littlewood were never seen together at these lectures after the said incident.
Upvotes: 2 |
2012/11/08 | 1,556 | 6,942 | <issue_start>username_0: I worked as a contract researcher with a university-affiliated institute. I ended up doing qualitative analysis and extensive writing for an academic paper. My former supervisor has basically edited and published my work under his name. The papers are different but only in the way that an interim and final draft are different - the structure is the same and some sentences were either paraphrased or identical.
The analysis and final recommendations are also identical, he did not supplement my analysis with his own. Although, the analysis process was a collaborative process, I was the one who did the VAST majority of the writing with him chiming in occasionally about what he did/did not like. The basic distribution of labour was: he conceived of the project, did the interviews, made comments on drafts, performed the final edit and responded to peer review questions. I performed the analysis, performed the literature review and wrote the bulk of the paper.
To boot, I feel like this was a punitive action because at various points after the end of my contract he tried to get me to do various forms of free labour for him which I did not do because it was a substantial amount of work and I was busy working another job. Also, I feel that I should be reimbursed for my time because, quite frankly, I need to pay my rent. I feel that by not including my name on this paper, I am being punished for not being at his beck and call.
I feel that this is extremely unethical, verging on just plain wrong. I am wondering what I can do as this is a research institute setting (not a formal university setting but affiliated) and I was on contract.
What options do I have?<issue_comment>username_1: So there are a number of things to analyze in this whole thing.
If the Institution you are is an American University, the paper, and all the research coming from it usually belong to the University unless the Institution releases the rights of said research via some kind of waiver. This applies for all research funded from Public funds, if the research was done using funds from a company, it gets tricky and is up to the joint program agreement.
Now, also, depending on the terms of your contract, the professor might or might not have an obligation to include your name in the paper, ethically speaking, you are right, and your name should be there in the paper, but again, it all comes to the legal side of the agreement.
Why does it came to the legal side? Because you have 3 instances you can go:
* The University itself: Depending on the place, I wish you good luck going against a tenured professor of the same institution.
* The Journal/Conference it was published, and expose your case to them.
* Downright demand the professor and the institution.
Probably for the 3 cases you need a lawyer and some kind of letter where it was stated that your work had to be recognized in the publication of a paper. Also, some kind of proof that you wrote most of the paper.
I hope it helped at least to give some notion on what you are facing.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: First, a [generic question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/975/2700) on this topic has been posted already, and you’ll find lots of good information (and maybe some advice) there.
Second, there are two facets: legal and ethical. For the legal facet, the solution is clear: **read your contract**. What does it state of the intellectual work produced during your employment? If you want to pursue any kind of action on the legal side of things, then **lawyer up**. Don't shudder at this thought any more than you'd be afraid of seeing a doctor if you thought you were sick. Plus, it doesn't have to be expensive: there are free legal consults in many places (local borough, professional associations or unions, local Bar, etc.).
For the ethical facet, Leon’s answer cover it. I’d add that:
* You should document every action you take.
* I would strongly recommend to **contact the department head or the dean** if your accusations have standing: it is there job to handle such matters.
* If the paper is already published, the only remedial to this issue is **retraction**: you have to be aware that it is a very grave recourse, and picking up this fight might not earn you a lot of friends. (Sorry, but it is better to know in advance where you're going.)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: This seems to be a real case of [Scientific misconduct](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_misconduct) by your former supervisor. By common scientific ethics, everybody who made significant scientific contributions to a publication must be named as an author.
In practice, violations of this rule occur, and there are several options for you to react to it. In fact, several institutions have a responsibility to follow up on indications of scientific misconduct, any of which you could try to approach on this matter.
1. The research institution itself is responsible for investigating any possible scientific misconduct of their members. The question is of course which organizational level to approach first. The level just above your former supervisor may have conflicts of interest, but any higher levels may suggest that it should be dealt with on lower levels first. This is probably best judged from the local situation.
2. Journals and conferences must make sure that scientific results they publish were obtained in adherence to standard scientific rules. Editors of the journal have the responsibility to investigate problematic cases, and may take measures such as correcting the author list or retracting the paper. If you want to take this approach, it would be best to contact the editor in chief of the journal (if it is a journal publication).
3. National science foundations usually have their own rules concerning scientific misconduct, and investigate cases where violations may have occured. This applies especially if the research was (co-)funded by such an organisation (check the acknowledgments of the paper in question, or it may have directly been your former source of funding), but some foundations also take this role more generally and may feel responsible if the scientist in question gets any money from them. An easy approach will be if the foundation in your country has a contact point for scientific misconduct. Otherwise you could ask the central administration there how best to proceed.
In any case, secure your documents. Drafts or analysis results that you sent to your former supervisor will probably be a very important proof of your claims.
Also, before you take any of these quite serious steps, it could be helpful to confront your former supervisor with the issue. You can clearly state that you see it as a case of scientific misconduct, and that you are willing to pursue the case with any accountable institutions such as the ones I listed above.
Upvotes: 4 |
2012/11/08 | 942 | 4,149 | <issue_start>username_0: **What happens to manuscripts needing revision while the corresponding author is between academic jobs?**
Not every academic will always find a new position seamlessly after the previous one. For example, PhD students may still have papers *in the pipeline* after finishing their PhD, before finding a post-doc. What do academics do when a manuscript needs revision under such conditions? Note that I'm exclusively thinking of people who do aim to remain in academia; if people leave academia, the situation is different in any case.
Some alternatives I can think of:
* Wait until one has a new position. This implies a considerable delay, possibly meaning resubmitting a manuscript needed only minor revisions.
* Make another co-author corresponding author.
* Finish it in their own time. This might have practical issues; for example, they will have no affiliation and might not even have an academic e-mail address (depending on how quickly the previous institution removes accounts).
There may be other alternatives that I'm not thinking of.
What are peoples' experiences about this?<issue_comment>username_1: **Finish it in their own time** (that is, if they want to) The only downsides you mention are of a practical nature. I'll explain below why they are not actually relevant.
You [don't need](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/3171/2700) an academic affiliation in order to publish in journals. But, I believe you might have a misconception of the affiliations listed on paper: [affiliations listed are institutions that provided resources for the job](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/1078/2700). In particular, while your current employer should in most cases be listed as an affiliation, it doesn't mean that stops when you leave. If part of the work was performed with their resources, they should be listed as an affiliation. In particular, if your performed at least part of the work under their employment, you should list them.
As a special case: if an author (not just the corresponding author, but any author) has a new employer, but the work was entirely done without their resources, it is not an affiliation but they can usually be mentioned as a footnote with the text “Current address”.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I have been in the situation where my past work has been published while I have been between academic research jobs. Here is my view on your list of alternative actions.
Waiting for a new position.
No. Publish as soon as possible. What happens if another researcher, a competitor, scoops the findings? While the work may be relevant still, one has lost the intellectual primacy. Another publication to the author's name can only help in his/her job search.
Make another co-author corresponding author.
This seems to tied up with your third point, where you consider not having an academic email address to be an impediment to publishing.
When between academic research posts, I use as my affiliation the institution where I carried out the majority of the work - the "invention" if you like. I have been in the situation where work that I started was completed and published following my departure - both with me contributing to the completion of the work and also where I did not add anything. In both cases I listed the former institution as my affiliation. I also gave my gmail address for contact purposes.
I have also been a co-author on papers as a member of a large research collaboration, again during a period where I am not in an academic research post. In this case, I affiliate myself with the institution through which I derive my affiliation with the research collaboration. I also have my gmail address as part of my contact details.
If the journal won't accept a non-academic (e)mail address one could make the argument that the research is still to be accepted for review and eventual publication regardless of the present contact details of the author. The majority of the work presumably was carried out in a recognised research institution and therefore should be treated with the appropriate respect.
Upvotes: 3 |
2012/11/08 | 1,940 | 8,522 | <issue_start>username_0: I am currently finishing my PhD thesis and, as a great deal of the job was to create tools and protocoles, I am considering putting the different scripts I wrote on open source directories (such as [SourceForge](http://sourceforge.net) or [GitHub](https://github.com/)).
The advantage I see for opening them is:
1. They will be available for everyone and can be reused by the scientific
community
2. They could be improved (and corrected) by others
3. It ensure my authorship for the different scripts (I can prove I put them there)
>
> However, I was wondering if there is any drawback of doing so (for
> future publication, version maintenance, and so on).
>
>
>
I have to precise that not all the work was published yet. My field is biological science.<issue_comment>username_1: Some disadvantages could be:
* People may expect you to maintain the code. If you don't maintain it, the code may be rendered useless at some point.
* You might feel forced to document the code. This is actually an advantage, but many people would not realise that ;)
* You might have to work on cleaning up the code. Exactly the same point as above applies, if you ever want to re-use your code this is actually an advantage.
* If people start using your code (this is not impossible), they could e-mail you and start asking questions. This takes your time. On the other hand, it also provides you the opportunity to be co-author (so hey! don't document, so people are forced to ask your help ;-)
More points are raised in the very similar question that was asked at Programmers.SE less than a month ago:
[Why don't research papers that mention custom software release the source code?](https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/q/171332/47323)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Here are some objections I've heard. It's up to you to decide how relevant it is to you. This post isn't to say that I endorse all or any of them: it's just to list some of the potential disadvantages.
You might be giving away your most promising source of future funding: the exploiting and extending of those tools and protocols.
=================================================================================================================================
The tools and protocols are potentially your future career. You've put an awful lot of work into them. Only now, can you start getting value out of them. Giving them away, means giving away all your hard work, for others to leap ahead of you, and free-load off your development work.
You will get the aggro of users demanding more documentation, and the constant nagging of questions. And because they got the tools and protocols for free, their expectations may be even higher, and they'll feel even more entitled to more of your time, than if they'd paid for it.
Weird, I know, but from experience, many users have lower expectations of paid tools than of free tools, because with paid tools, there are well-defined boundaries of what the user gets for their money. As learnt from experience, and from behavioural economics experiments, people tend to value something more, if they've paid for it.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Too long for a comment:
@EnergyNumbers wrote:
>
> You might be giving away your most promising source of future funding: the exploiting and extending of those tools and protocols.
>
>
>
Assuming that opening the source is accompanied by a corresponding license, making the code publicly available under a FOSS license may actually do the exact opposite:
It might ensure that you can exploit and extend those tools even after you leave your current institution, thus securing a promising advantage for future funding/employment negotiations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* As a PhD student *employed* for doing the corresponding research by some university or research institute, you usually do not own the code you wrote. Instead, your employer has the copyright (depending on your legislation, you still may have the authorship rights, but the economic rights are your employer's).
* Other people may have been involved in the development, so they have intellectual rights to the code as well.
In this situation, a FOSS license can give legal certainty that you can go on using and developing the code after you leave your current university (which is not unlikely to happen after a PhD is finished).
Of course, the license must be granted by the holders of the copyright (university, co-authors' universities, etc.). This will not happen unless you
a) bring the matter to the attention of your university (supervisor, IP office, etc.)
b) you convince them that the FOSS license is good for them as well\*
However going for such a FOSS license is IMHO advantageous for both you *and* your university:
* for you, because you can throw this piece of software into negotiations for your next job and go on using it.
* for your current university, as they have a much better chance that the code is maintained so they can go on using it. It is a huge difference between e.g. people in your current group using your code and your group finding someone else to take over the maintenance of the code.
I wrote might: because you'd have this advantage without FOSS license if you are the actual copyright holder of the code.
That would be the case, if you were not paid for doing the research (but e.g. only for being teaching assistant), or you were paid by a scholarship and didn't sign a contract that transfers the copyright of the work you do during you PhD to your university, you actually own your code. So you already have all rights to deal with your code in future as you like, and granting a FOSS license to the public doesn't change this.
\* In my experience, IP offices tend to see $$ as soon as you start telling them that you developed a software, but have no idea about the costs of selling the software (infrastucture and ensuring maintenance) that you can in practice avoid with FOSS licenses.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: The issues I have personally encountered working on this - my source code is a mixture of open source and closed source projects, depending on many factors:
1. **You have to maintain your code**. This might not be something some people care about, but for me, I dislike the idea of putting out code that doesn't run at least relatively smoothly. Which means while the custom workflow where data bounces between a Python script, a C++ program and then an R script for analysis might work for me, produce good and reproducible results and generally carry science forward, it sure as hell isn't going to see the light of day. Things need to be put into functions in case people end up using your code like a library, general messiness cleaned up, etc. That's...well...it's work.
2. **Documentation**. As with the above, I really dislike the idea of releasing something without documentation.
3. **Lack of feedback mechanism/opportunity cost**. This one is a big one for me because they are what make 1 & 2 so difficult - it's really hard to tell if someone is using my code. It feels a bit like shouting into an empty room, it has little to no impact on my career, and certainly people aren't using it to the extent that it would appear as a line-item on my CV. So I put in a lot of work that could have gone to another paper etc. purely for ideological reasons.
4. **Sanitizing code**. Releasing code into the open and *not* putting in things that might get you scooped means going over your code to not put in a glowing neon sign that says "Future Directions Here". You can't really have a code base that is the combination of three projects, one being written, one being tinkered with and one really only in the musing stage and open source that code without taking a risk.
Beyond that, for me, is the potential presence of private health data. So my "released" code needs to be scrubbed of any reference to anything that might be confidential, and along those same lines, now needs dummy data that will work and is validated to go along with the code because the data the code was actually written for *cannot* just get dumped on GitHub or whatever.
All of this is because you asked for cons. Despite this, I try to put up as much of my stuff as is possible.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2012/11/08 | 1,152 | 5,104 | <issue_start>username_0: As a graduate student, sometimes I really could use access to journals or databases of tables that for some reason my university doesn't subscribe to. I have friends at other Universities that *do* subscribe to these journals and it would be very helpful to have the data. Is it acceptable to ask them to retrieve the data? I don't really want to start this if it's going to run me afoul of the rules.<issue_comment>username_1: Is it against the law? Probably.
It it scientific misconduct? A breach of ethics? Hardly.
It is acceptable? It's your decision to make based on risk analysis. If you don't do it on a large scale (i.e. someone supplying many people with papers), it's probably okay. It is common practice.
---
Also, be aware that many journal articles can now be found either in pre-print or post-print form online (though this depends widely on your field), either on institutional repositories or on the authors' webpages. If you're merely missing access every once in a while, you can also nicely ask the corresponding author.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I think it predominately depends on how you are accessing the other university's resources.
If the resource is online and your collaborator grants you access either by sharing his username and password or through a network proxy, this is almost definitely in violation of computing guidelines of his university. To me asking him to knowingly violate a university policy, which is more or less reasonable, is ethically questionable.
If the resource is online and your collaborator downloads the resource directly, that isn't ethically questionable. If he then shares that material with you it may violate copyright law and it may be ethically questionable. If for example you chose as a collaborator/employee a student who has access to this resource then it is ethically questionable since collaborating with researchers outside the university is beyond the normal scope of a students "job" description and therefore they are likely misusing the resource. If you chose a member of academic research staff (or possibly a grad student) as a collaborator, then they are really doing there job by collaborating. I see no ethical issues with this. It might even make sense to include them in the acknowledgments of any resulting publication. Something along the lines of
>
> I thank <NAME> at the University of Good Library for help collecting
> reference materials.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I would **not** explicitly acknowledge people who have helped you access papers that you don't have access to. As username_1 pointed out, it's *probably* against the law, but it's *unlikely* to get you into trouble. The acknowledgement, however, creates more trouble than it needs to, because you're more or less explicitly stating that you got the journal in a clandestine way. So, I would just thank the person and leave it at that.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: I think that it would be against the law almost everywhere (because, *in general*, Institutions subscribe the journal / publisher so that its students / researchers / etc will have access to the material. The subscription is based in many factors such as how many persons will have access, how "important" the Institution is and will cite the provided articles etc.
And the Institution would grant the students etc. the access based on the same contract. I don't think that any can give an *unlimited right to make copies and distribute* and so on.
So, who would be breaking the law / the contract ? The friend who provides such access, in the first place.
A point that "softens" this is the *fair use*, but it has a very tenue line where you (or your friend) is doing a fair use or not of that access.
A solution: have you asked the Library of your University if they have some agreement with the University of your friend? Sometimes one Library can ask for books / journals / articles / etc from other Universities.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: Wouldnt your profs be aware of the data and speculate where u got it from given they couldn't access it and you didn't pay a lot to have access to it?
Perhaps you could ask whoever may share their opinions or any official info concerning the said journals; your professors, whoever allows the permission for the journals you can access (your library), the journals themselves, and certainly permission from the other universities whose service you'd access. Not your friends- otherwise if you believe it can be interpreted as theft- then maybe it is , as they are not getting any business from you. You'll never know the reason why your university was excluded in particular until you do your homework and choose the all clear approach. Perhaps it was in fact intentionally excluded and then in that case then obviously it could be unethical and illegal!
```
Surely your only helping your self out but journals are in the business of making money and i believe the ethical choice would be to know beyond a doubt.
```
Upvotes: -1 |
2012/11/08 | 1,393 | 5,332 | <issue_start>username_0: I am at the cusp of finishing my PhD, and my advisor and I have decided that it is time to publish since there seems to be no hole in the theories that I propose. I have always maintained that I'd like to get a publication in the good letters section such as *Physical Review Letters* and then submit a longer manuscript to a more specific journal (in my field that would be the *Physics of Fluids*). My advisor isn't a fan of arXiv as he see it only for preprints with little advantage as it would be easier to just circulate my manuscript among 10-15 established people in the field.
So my question is/questions are:
1. Is it useful to send in a manuscript to a letters section of a prestigious journal such as the PRL for quick dissemination of my work as well as brownie points for having published in the PRL despite a really high rejection rate.
2. Are letters section of journals really quick (with a short submission to publication time)?
3. As a contingency plan, a rejection would mean what exactly to my career/immediate future?
4. I have always had a soft spot for arXiv since several important works were first disseminated on it but I find that in the engineering community there is still some resistance to arXiv, any comments?
As a side note, I have read the several questions about arXiv on academia.SE and somehow I am not entirely convinced that a young academecian would gain much from publishing in arXiv than in a regular journal.<issue_comment>username_1: Okay, let's try to attack your questions in order. I assume from your journal examples that you're working in physics, so I'll focus mainly on that in the answer…
1. Useful compared to what? Note that not all “letters” journals have a very high visibility, so it really depends. If we're talking *Phys. Rev. Lett.* in particular, then I’d say **yes**, having a paper published in PRL will look good on your CV. Especially on the short term, it can help publicize your results. (In the longer term, you can hope that your results may get the attention they merit, wherever you publish them.)
2. It depends which journal, and compared to what. In high-level journals, you will know very quickly (within a week) if your manuscript is sent to reviewers or just rejected by the editor. After that, review time can take 2–3 months, and be longer if your paper is controversial (i.e. if referees aren't unanimous).
On the other hand, some letter journals strongly emphasize short review times. The recently-launched *J. Phys. Chem. Lett.* has submission-to-publication times of 4 to 6 weeks, which is unmatched as far as I know (and the quality looks good).
3. Rejection is not part of your academic record, so it means the same as absence of publication. If you intend to publish in a journal that does not frown upon it, you can put the manuscript on arxiv as well as submit to the journal, that way there is nothing for you to lose.
4. No comment on that point.
---
On the matter of publishing in *Phys. Rev. Lett.*, the best advice you can get will be [“Successful Letters
in Physical Review Letters: An editor's perspective”](https://web.archive.org/web/20140814080944/http://www.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/gcoe/seminar/PRL_editor_talk.pdf).
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I cannot answer the first question, because it depends mostly of the result itself (if it is strong enough, interesting for reasonably wide audience and can make sense when condensed to 4 pages).
Take a look at [Length of publication cycle for peer-reviewed journals](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/27606/length-of-publication-cycle-for-peer-reviewed-journals) from [Physics.SE](http://physics.stackexchange.com); in on of the answers there are mentioned the following slides:
* <NAME>, [How to publish your work in the Physical Review](http://www.phys.nthu.edu.tw/~colloquium/2009F/T2.pdf) or Editors are from Mars, Referees are from Venus, and Authors are from Earth
In short, it takes longer for PRL than most of other PR journals (except for PRE). The difference for Rapid Communications is the highest.
When it comes to risk of rejection - AFAIK the only bad thing for you is that you loose some time. There is no "rejected from PRL stigma" - again, AFAIK.
When it comes to [arXiv](http://arxiv.org) - it may mean a lot for you (remember, you do it not instead of publishing in a journal, but along with):
* it becomes visible a few days after uploading,
* some people actively follow arXiv RSS feed on their topic (or even start each morning with it),
* some people don't have access to all paid journals,
* some people even claim that "normal" publication didn't influenced their cite counts once their paper went on arXiv.
So, even before it gets published (which will take at least a few months, and in case of rejections or slow journals - even years) it is visible.
And personally, I had a lot of scientific discussions based on my papers that by that time were 'only' on arXiv. If you are going to hunt for a postdoc position there may be a big difference whether they can see your paper (on arXiv) or "you said them that you had sent it".
Upvotes: 4 |
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