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<issue_start>username_0: The question is regarding Computer Science field. I wish to know which countries have such teaching positions that do not require doing active research.
Also, what are these positions called?
And, is a PhD required for these positions or Master's is sufficient?<issue_comment>username_1: For higher education teaching positions in the UK, the role is called "**teaching fellow**", very often part-time and short-term.
PhD expected as there are so many candidates longing for any sort of position on the job market.
This type of position usually expects a track record of University teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and probably expects too more often than not a track record of published research, following the long-standing cliche - true or false is beyond the point: good researchers make good teachers.
The worst part of the deal is probably the part-time aspect, as teaching can easily take a full-time commitment, but higher education institutions keep careful tracking of how full-time staff split their time between admin, research and teaching activities. This in turn gets used to draw in casual teaching staff.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: In France, there are several positions in universities were you are not expected to do research even if you have a PhD. This include Research Engineer (but dedicated to tutorials ou courses teaching), and PRAG position. You can even be associate Professor choose to dedicate your time to teaching in accordance with your colleagues who will do more research and less teaching. There are formal contract to authorize that.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: Germany has "Akademischer Rat", which can be permanent or nonpermanent. Depending on the faculty, it can contain various combinations of research, teaching and administration -- permanent "Akademischer Rat" positions in the sciences often consist purely of teaching and administration, but they are rare these days.
Furthermore, the German "Fachhochschule" or "Hochschule" offers professorships which consist mainly of teaching, but they require at least 3 years of working experience in industry.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: Recently, I got two times rejection for my paper from two different reputed journals of Mathematics fields. The first time, I received two review reports in which both reviewers gave detailed comments with decision of major revision. But the paper got rejected by the handling editor of the journal.
Before going for a second submission (new journal), I tried my best to implement the comments of the reviewers of my first submission. This time again I got two review reports in which the first one suggested me to go for minor revision, while I received negative comments from the second reviewer. The second review says that my methods do not offer very much of an advantage over some of the existing classical methods. Also, it argues that no comparison is done with them.
Now, I am worried whether to submit this paper in a reputed journal or an average ranking journal. I am totally appalled by addressing their comments. What am I supposed to do in such circumstances?<issue_comment>username_1: You seem confused by the fact that one of the reviewers only suggested minor edits whereas the other was quite against the whole thing. As an editor, I see this all the time -- and typically, it means that I chose the first reviewer poorly and that the second reviewer really knows the field, knows the other methods that are used today, and can compare what's proposed in the paper with what's being used today. The first one may have tangential knowledge of the field, but not enough overview to recognize that the method is not new.
In other words, to avoid a repeat, you do well to think about whether the second reviewer may be correct. If she is, you would do well to figure out what *you* think what is new about the paper, and whether that is sufficient to justify publication. An experienced co-author or colleague can certainly help you with this, and you should schedule some discussions about this topic before you think about where to re-submit the paper.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Good journals get much more submisions than they could possibly publish. In that case it is the reviewer's job to inspect each single submission in isolation to see if it is of suitable quality, and the editor's job to look at all suitable submissions and select the best. So it is perfectly possible for the reviewers to suggest a revise and resubmit and the editor decides to reject because there is so many better (in her/his view) submissions on her/his desk.
There is no general answer to what your next step should be other than talk to someone that knows your article and your field, as was already suggested in the comments.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I'm still in grad school.
I've been researching under one professor's wing for two years now, ostensibly shooting for a PhD (note: no topic yet), and I have accomplished nothing except write a lot of code, fill a bunch of notebooks with theorems and scratchwork, and whine a lot.
Insofar as I can surmise, my precise set of skills is good for one thing
and one thing only: *Solving problems that have already been solved...*
but only from scratch, **my way.** And I'm too stubborn to know when to give up.
For homeworks I go in completely unprepared and take them like a puzzle,
and *somehow,* this usually doesn't work out too poorly
*(note, I am a physics student, so these homeworks are of the mathy,
proofy, yet still occassionally handwavey kind).*
I hack and hack away at a problem unassisted for hours to days
with no progress until I *finally* make a crack in the wall and
can see the light shining through. Then I beat it eight ways to Sunday,
making my solution simpler and simpler until I am satisfied that every
step has both a clean form and a clear motivation.
My test-taking strategy is similarly devoid of preparation, and also fortuitously manages to work out well.
As far as I can tell, my strategy works in these cases only because
**homeworks and tests are problems which are hand-crafted to be surmountable.** In these cases, *my stubbornness alone* is enough to pull me through eventually. It was enough, in fact, to pull me all the way through primary and secondary school and to my Bachelor's.
But obviously, grad school isn't about homeworks and tests.
---
For one, **I can't read academic papers in my field.**
Or rather, every academic paper I try to read goes one of two ways:
* If it is a very abstract and theoretical paper, **then I can't read it
because I'll get too easily excited;** I'll get to *maybe* the second page
of definitions and axioms before my head is *flooded* with ideas and I
*absolutely need* to pull out my notebook and begin trying to gain an
intuition for them.
(This seldom goes anywhere and I usually just end up tiring myself out
after several hours of hacking on some theorem orthogonal to the paper)
* If it's an experimental paper, **I can't read it because it means
nothing to me.** There are no ideas I can synthesize from *"we did X
using Y and found Z."* My mind races about other things as I'm reading
and *I can't shut it up!* In the end, I don't remember a word I read.
And as far as it concerns me,
computational papers and applied theory
*might as well be experimental,*
because ultimately there's a point where
everything goes into a black box and the result pops out.
This is a shame,
because I *know* that these computations can
expose new and interesting emergent properties of the theory;
but sometimes it's just too difficult finding the ladder down from my ivory tower.
---
My research is going about as well as one would expect
for somebody who can't read any papers!
For any problem I've ever worked on for research, I've always begun with
trying to solve the aspects that stand out to me; enumerating the set of
solutions to some nasty-looking equation, or devising an algorithm to compute
something which is faster than the obvious brute force strategy.
Months fly by and I either fail, or I
successfully, unwittingly, *and needlessly* derive my own formalism of
e.g. the theory behind HNF matrices and unimodular matrices after
several strokes of dumb luck.
**In all cases, papers already existed which solved these problems.
I just couldn't bear the thought of having to seek them out and *read* them!**
---
I've discussed various aspects of my struggles with my parents
and a number of faculty (including, of course my research advisor)
and **everyone I've talked to has advised me to continue.**
I gathered from these discussions that
feelings of inadequacy are rather par for the norm in grad school,
and that evidently my classwork has impressed a portion of the faculty
who still appear to have confidence that I can succeed...
But unfortunately, as far as I can see, I am a one-trick pony.
Is there really any place in academia for somebody who is incapable of
recognizing and building upon the existing work of others?<issue_comment>username_1: As a fellow Ph.D student in a field close to yours, it seems to me you are underselling your skills too quickly; it's not clear why you are so confident that the skills you mention cannot be applied to real research, or why you have effectively given up on reading papers. An ability to reinvent interesting and non-trivial wheels is a great ability in fields close to mathematics (as physics is).
That said, certainly you will need to develop some kind of way that you'll be comfortable reading papers in a productive way if you want to be a good researcher, it seems. I suppose a strategy that might work in your case is to focus on some particular open question (that is not extremely difficult, as judged by, say, your advisor) that interests you, and then attempt to solve it. You could get such an open question from your advisor, or from some other faculty, for example. Ideally, you should be able to come up with open questions from studying other papers, but perhaps in your particular case it may be helpful to get this help from someone else as a way to "kickstart" your research.
About reading papers, this should not present much more difficulty than reading textbooks, and surely you have read some (portions of) textbooks in the past, right? Perhaps a good strategy would be to approach paper reading as textbook reading. In the very unusual case that you don't read textbooks at all, I suggest the following approach to reading papers: Lock away your notebook and pencil; print out the paper, and go read it in a park, or some place you have no quick access to writing tools. In this case, it is possible that you may be better able to "force yourself" to read through the paper, even if ideas are flowing in.
In any case, the problems you mention having with reading papers are good problems to have in my opinion. You just need to control your excitement, and artificial ways of doing it (as mentioned above) might be useful at the beginning. Best of luck!
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: "Is there really any place in academia for somebody who is incapable of recognizing and building upon the existing work of others?"
Before I answer, this sort of person is extremely rare and is probably not the person asking the question. It is, however, very common for student who have difficulty with something to believe they are "incapable" when there is a possibility of improvement. For these students, I would recommend seeking advice from a local expert, which might include your institution's counselling service.
The answer is no. Success in academia requires the ability to work well with others. It also requires the use of multiple strategies in order to succeed. I would guess that most professions and social groups also need individuals to be flexible in order to succeed.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: You ask if there is a place in academia for someone with your characteristics. I would like to answer a different question -- how can you channel your talents and disposition so as to get through what is needed in order to earn a PhD (in a reasonable amount of time)?
I see some things in your self-description that I recognize in my son, who has ADHD and OCD. I couldn't possibly say whether you have either or both of these conditions. One way or the other, though, some aspects of the treatment and coping mechanisms that have been helpful for my son might be helpful for you. So I will share what has helped him, and then speculate a bit about what might help you.
You described impulsive and compulsive behaviors that get in the way of your functional ability to read papers.
**Part I - Impulsivity**
*(My mind races about other things as I'm reading)*, i.e. difficulty maintaining focus while experiencing distractibility
Two things help my son with his impulsivity (which is a primary symptom of ADHD):
* A medication called Tenex. (If you and your doctor decide to give this a try, I should mention that a number of specialists have told us that the extended release version, Intuniv, should be avoided.)
* Structure. I'll give you an example. My son is currently in 8th grade. This weekend he had to write a short memoir sort of essay for homework. Working on his own, he had written about half of the story, got distracted, lost interest, and wanted to turn it in in its incomplete form. I looked at his planning sheet with him. He explained that he had changed his mind about the outline he had made. But he didn't have the patience to re-do the outline. Okay. I had him tell me briefly his new outline, and I jotted it down at the computer where we could both see it. Then I scribed for him as he dictated the remaining part of the story. If he started to get bogged down in unnecessary detail, I reminded him of where we were in the outline, and if necessary suggested a succinct way of getting from Point A to Point B.
How would this apply to you? One idea that occurs to me is that you could assign yourself a paper to read, with the following structured activity: Write an outline of the paper. *Without satisfying yourself as to every step in the math underlying the paper*, simply write down an outline of the paper, in broad strokes.
If you're able to do that, great! Of course, there will be times when it would behoove you to go into a section, or a whole paper, in depth. But I would like you to be able to *choose* when to do that, and not feel that you *have* to do it with every paper you pick up.
If you're able to start doing this type of skimming reading without too much trouble, then you won't need to read Part II of my answer.
If you find skimming a paper intolerable... then we could say that perhaps you're experiencing an OCD-like symptom that's interfering with your functioning.
**Part II - OCD-like symptoms**
*(I absolutely need to pull out my notebook; [I] needlessly derive my own formalism)*
There are two things that have helped my son deal with his OCD symptoms.
* Medication. The most common medication for OCD is an SSRI, such as Zoloft or Prozac. Note, SSRIs are slow to take effect, and it can take 2+ months to ramp up safely to the dosage levels recommended for OCD.
* Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). First I will describe how the therapist and I helped my son go through this protocol, and then I will suggest how you might adapt it for your needs.
In the first treatment session, my son described specific OCD symptoms he experienced, and the therapist wrote them down. In the second session, he ranked the items on the list according to how impairing they were. These two steps together are called "mapping the OCD". In the third session they selected one of the least impairing symptoms and constructed a homework exercise. In my son's case, the first symptom chosen to work on was this: when my son walked past a dandelion flower, he felt an overwhelming urge to pick it and flick it away with his index finger. So the exercise was to go outside once a day, find a dandelion in bloom, and stand there looking at it, without picking or flicking, and record on his homework grid his "temperature", i.e. how strongly he felt the urge to perform the ritual. You record your temperature at intervals. Eventually your "temperature" starts to go down, because your body can't maintain the heightened alert state all afternoon. The grid we were given to work with suggested time points (in minutes) of 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. However, my son's inner clock runs fast, and we found that the suggested pace was too slow for him. We found that generally, his "temperature" starts to go down after about 20 seconds. Sometimes, we see that it goes up again before it really tails off -- in other words, we see a two-humped curve. But as long as we haven't bitten off more than he can chew, it really does always tail off. The key is to go very step by step in the sequence of exercises.
You go through the exercise every day. After a few days, or a week, we found that it would start to get easier. My son was usually ready to move to the next exercise in the sequence after about 10 days.
For the last four months (treatment began 1 1/2 years ago), he has been working on one of his most challenging symptoms, his spider phobia. I selected a bunch of photographs from books and the internet, and ranked them according to yuckiness. We worked on them one at a time. It would take one to two weeks for him to desensitize to each photograph. Yes, it is slow going, but he has improved remarkably. No more screaming and running away if a small to medium-sized spider happens to amble across the kitchen floor.
How might you adapt this? I will assume for the purposes of this answer that you don't have a lot of OCD-like symptoms. (If you did, then the standard protocol would be directly applicable.)
If you are able to convince yourself that the urge to discover the intermediate steps (the ones the author didn't write down) will subside if you allow some time to go by, then I think you may be able to leverage the ERP concept.
---
If you get evaluated and end up with a diagnosis (possibly one of my son's conditions, possibly something else), you can get assistance to help you be more successful in your studies, from the student disability office at your university.
---
**Addition about how to find a therapist who can do ERP, if one is interested in pursuing that treatment modality (copied from the comments):**
Unfortunately, there is, in the U.S. at least, a severe national shortage of therapists trained in diagnosing and treating OCD and specific phobias, but the good news for you is that it's easier to find someone who can treat adults than children. Take a look at the International OCD Foundation website.
When I was having trouble finding someone, I called up the OCD Foundation, and amazingly enough, their executive director took my call himself, and got me unstuck. One thing to watch out for: in my geographical area, at least, for every therapist trained in doing ERP, there are at least 10, maybe even 100, who will blithely say they can diagnose and treat OCD, despite never having been to a single workshop on ERP. However, ERP is the only therapeutic treatment that holds up in studies.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_4: I think there are three things one should think about:
1. research area
2. advisor
3. future aims
Research Area
-------------
In science research, there are fields which are more "theory based" and fields which are more "problem driven". I worked both in differential topology and applied discrete optimization: While my topological research required a huge amount of reading (during which I often proved things I later found hidden in some paper), the applied discrete optimization allowed you to find a problem, grab a tool and start hammering on it: And you often really found something new because there is a huge range of possible problems and possible tools to apply (and improve). So I would ask myself: Is my area of physics really the right subject for me?
Advisor
-------
Advisors have vastly different expectations and can be extreme helpful or just the opposite. If you have an advisor that gives you a problem for which he knows that it is unexplored (may it be far away from the main line or not) and you can put your effort into it, it may be the right thing for you. If your advisor expects you to read much and find your own problems, he/she may not be a good fit for you.
Future Aims
-----------
What are your options besides an academic career? Would you be happier working in some company where you face concrete, manageable problems every day? To say whether it is a good idea to get a PhD depends largely on the alternatives you have in mind.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: You are doing everything right. No need to question yourself. The problem is not your attitude towards knowledge and problems but the general laziness of the todays research approach in physics. Most papers are plain bad and/or wrong due to the high stress researchers feel to publish and show "results" of their work. If you struggle to read to the end of any paper, that's probably not your fault. Currently, there is no major spirit in the physical community to "work up from scratch". It's accepted to continue from some high level statements that are not very well understood. Fundamental understanding has never emerged from such doing and that's probably why most (theoretical) research is rather "technical" today, e.g. calculating some minimal corrections to cross-sections. Although, this level of extreme specialisation has been very important for large-scale experiments due to the need to manage the huge workload, it sometimes lacks the aspect of creativity.
This is ultimately boring for someone like you, that seems to strive to understand everything in detail. I advise you not to stop on that approach and to keep being passionate about physics. Sooner or later your fundamental understanding will give you a lead.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_6: While I am not myself an academic, I have just been reading Metamaths by <NAME> (about Chaitin's constant and his approach to research), and in it he says:
>
> I don't think that you can really understand a mathematical result
> until you find your own proof. Reading someone else's proof is not as
> good as finding your own proof. in fact, one fine mathematician that I
> know, <NAME>, never let me explain a proof to him. He would
> always insist on just being told the statement of the result, and then
> he would think it through one his own! I was very impressed!
>
>
>
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_7: Assuming you want to stay in academia I would not give up because of the reasons you described in your question.
Firstly, many scientists have very much ‘their ways’ to approach problems. This might be more acceptable in academia than in some other workplaces where you’re expected to do what you’re told.
Secondly, I think you underestimate how difficult it is for other people to stay focused on scientific papers. It seems better to me to lose focus because you’re so excited about the paper then because you start to think about a different topic. At the same time you might be underestimating your talents (you know about <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome> ?)
If academia is not right for you most likely it will become clear in the form of external cues like missed deadlines on your projects. Or you will start to feel you are wasting your time. But it is also likely that you will find ways to leverage both your own talents and work of others.
Some examples that come to my mind are <NAME> who has ADD and is very successfull in his field (I read some other of his book, not the ones about ADHD/ADD, but remember that he said he learned how to compensate for his traits). It’s a bit different area, but I remember reading how <NAME> said having dyslexia really helped him to run his businesses, as he would not get bogged down by details.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: *Tell me, do you want to be in academia or not? If not, then leave academia even if you are the most suited personality for it. If yes, then stay in academia even if people like you are not welcome. When the place for people like you isn't carved out in academia, cut one out for yourself. Follow your curiosity. Curiosity has its own reason for existingTM.*
---
Your weakness is your strength too. There is a positive term to describe that "stubbornness" of yours - **Academic Guts** - which means going into a problem and not giving up on it.
---
>
> **To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I'm still in grad school.**
>
>
>
We deserve the place we are at, whether moon or gutter. You are in grad school because you earned it.
---
>
> **I've been researching under one professor's wing for two years now, ostensibly shooting for a Ph.D. (note: no topic yet), and I have accomplished nothing except write a lot of code, fill a bunch of notebooks with theorems and scratchwork, and whine a lot.**
>
>
>
Writing a lot of code is *something*. Just in case you like writing code, think about becoming a Software Engineer or a Computer Scientist. "Filling notebooks with theorem" is how an outsider would describe your work. I, too, have filled a lot of notebooks (even though I'm a Software Engineer), and my manager never liked it in the first two years. I paid heavily for that - denied promotion and on the brink of getting fired. But after two years, finally, the results came, and those filled notebooks helped design the best possible solution to the team's problems... Solutions that were good enough, that when my manager formed a new sub-team to solve a critical issue, the sub-team was composed of only Senior Software Engineers plus me.
You can stop whining - it never helps.
Why are you shooting for Ph.D.? What do you want to achieve through Ph.D.? Do you know what you want to do? If you don't have an answer, give yourself some time and think about it.
---
>
> **Insofar as I can surmise, my precise set of skills is good for one thing and one thing only: Solving problems that have already been solved... but only from scratch, my way. And I'm too stubborn to know when to give up.**
>
>
>
You concluded that your skills are suitable for solving already solved problems because you re-solved the research papers. In other words - you like attacking problem statements. Always those problem statements come from research papers in your case. Go to a professor and ask him what problem (s)he is working on. That way, you will get a problem statement to attack, and another researcher would not have already solved the problem. Working on an unsolved academic problem sounds like Ph.D. to me.
---
>
> **I can't read academic papers in my field. [Either] I can't read it because I'll get too easily excited [Or] I can't read it because it means nothing to me [and] my mind races about other things as I'm reading.**
>
>
>
It is a sign that *you don't have a clear goal*. You probably need to focus your field further down. When reading papers, your mind races everywhere because you have not fixed the purpose. ***Fixing purpose is more important than improving focus. If your goal is fixed, where can your focus go?***
Stop reading just any research paper. Fix your domain. Analyze yourself and see what kind of problems you like to solve. See what specific fields you like in Physics. If you like too many, pick one and do well in it rather than scattering the power of your mind all over the place.
I want to share an anecdote with you from my own life:
>
> *I could never fix my field of study in life (even when I was done with my undergrad). I always thought that if I kept doing something in field X and never touched field Y, I would miss all the fun in field Y. With this, all my life until undergrad, I neither thoroughly enjoyed Xs nor Ys. I was like an oscillating pendulum - suffering initially with severe mood swings and later with severe depression. I lost my friends, and they often left me with suggestions of seeing a psychiatrist.*
>
>
> *Totally fed up with my life, I took a year off after my undergrad. During that year, I went through a lot of self-help material, and whenever I had any insight into my life, I wrote it down in a diary. However, the turning point came when I met one particular farmer.*
>
>
> *This unsuspecting farmer had the answer to my every single question (Not kidding at all - He discussed Math, Physics, Politics, Life, Death and even told me the limit of the universe!). Regarding my indecisions, he said to me that when all his friends chose to become industrialists, politicians, engineers, and whatnot, he left his home searching for peace and studied life. He then decided that he would continue with the profession of his ancestors - farming. Now, after almost 37 years since he chose to be a farmer and live a happy and prosperous life, those friends of his often come to his place and in the evenings relax in his fields, saying - "We have been fooled. You are the only one who is actually living the content life."*
>
>
> *The simple point - Do one thing and do it well. Even if you want to become a good farmer, you will need to be educated about almost everything. Pick one field for yourself, and soon you will realize that to be good in your area, you will eventually need to know everything because everything is connected. However, when your field is fixed, your awareness of everything will expand in a controlled manner, unlike how it is happening with you now when your mind just races.*
>
>
>
If I have to show it with a drawing, below is the depiction of a mind whose purpose is not fixed. This mind jumps all over the place - races faster than light - and doctors call it ADHD†. (The line shows the location of your thought.)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xe3N5.jpg)
Below is the pictorial representation of another mind. This mind has its purpose fixed. This mind commits no mistake because it is entirely focused on the task. This state of mind is also called Meditation - all the attention focused on the *one point.*
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WmMGr.jpg)
---
>
> **...ultimately, there's a point where everything goes into a black box, and the result pops out. This is a shame because I know that these computations can expose new and interesting emergent properties of the theory. Still, sometimes it's just too difficult finding the ladder down from my ivory tower.**
>
>
>
You are right - there are exciting things to be discovered in those "black boxes." I can understand you when you say that it is just too complicated. The fact is, everything worth doing takes effort. Do you want to stay on the surface and do simple things? Or do you want to delve deep and do difficult things that can cause paradigm shifts?
Even better - how about not worrying about the ease or difficulty of the problem and just solving them because you *enjoy* solving such riddles? That is the only way forward where you will be happy. Let me tell you another story -
*In my grad school, I decided that I would master "Data." During that time, the word "Data" meant nothing more than "Databases." Everyone, including professors, TAs, and classmates, told me that there is no sense in studying Databases as it is a very static field. There isn't much growth and not many avenues to explore. It was upsetting and slightly discouraging that the area I chose for my study after the year-long break after undergrad was not considered good by people.*
*Little did everyone know what was going to happen. I invested my entire Master's in studying the ins and outs of Data. I took every course with the word "Data" in its title - even against everyone's recommendation. When I was just about done with my Masters and beginning to look for jobs, thanks to Google's work and white papers, this new term called "Big Data" was hugely hyped, and industry was abuzz with it. One of the top three jobs at the time of my graduation was Data Scientist. The same set of people who disagreed with my choice earlier later told me that this field has a lot of scope.*
---
>
> Is there really any place in academia for somebody incapable of recognizing and building upon the existing work of others?
>
>
>
The answer is simple and has already been given at the top - If you want to do something, do it. Honest efforts never go to waste. Hard work will surely pay. Don't be tied to the materialistic dividends of hard work. The immediate result of honesty and hard work is peace and satisfaction. Good things take time. Your habit of doing things by yourself will show its effect in some time. After hundreds of self-solved research papers, for example, you will get so familiar with the proofs that you will not just read the equations; instead, *you will visualize them.* That will be a gift unique to you. Who knows what beauty will come out of that Pandora's box?
---
**Update (Dec 3, 2022):** I came across [this](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/attention-deficit-disorder-sadhguru-jv/) beautiful article today that explains my point from another perspective. People complain of attention deficit. This person was hyper attentive.
---
*†Some readers have an objection to me stating that the behavior of a person with an unfocused mind, with their thoughts jumping all over the place, is (the root of) ADHD. I have been provided links to three research papers that seem to substantiate the same. Below are specific sentences from those papers:*
*1. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is not a single pathophysiological entity and appears to have a complex etiology. **There are multiple genetic and environmental risk factors** with [a] small individual effect that act in concert to create a spectrum of neurobiological liability.*
*2. The structural aspects include changes primarily affecting but not limited to the prefrontal cortex, corpus striatum, and cerebellum [...] **Larger studies should be conducted to have a better and definitive understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease.***
*3. At this stage, no definitive conclusions can be offered regarding the utility of meditation-based interventions for children with ADHD and/or their parents, since the methodological quality of the studies reviewed is low.*
*In response to the linked papers, I have the following points to make:*
*1. It is pretty obvious to me that our actions are a direct result of our thoughts. You can evaluate the same yourself. Ex: A person who has chosen to live kindly and makes conscious efforts to be kind in thinking, is incapable of performing a cruel action. Simply because the basis of being cruel is missing in them.*
*2. **Not a single one, out of the three papers** given the link to, makes a clear or authoritative statement that the brain's structure is the primary cause of ADHD. I think it is completely fair to expect that if the understanding of ADHD, or any disease for that matter, is clear, then the paper would have strong statements about the same, rather than soft statements like the three stated above.*
*3. 'Fuzzy logic' is no logic. When there is logic, there is no fuzziness. And even further, correlation is not causation. Some humans may be prone to exhibit hyperactivity, just like some people have long strides because they have longer legs. But, in the absence of a clear demarcation of the physical and conscious aspects, the solution of a non-physical "disease" is impossible. And to be even more clear, 'attention' or its deficiency is conscious/non-physical; 'activity' or hyper-ness of activity, is physical.*
*4. I wish to emphasize once again - Meditation is not a treatment of ADHD. Meditation is the opposite of attention deficiency. The root of the definition of meditation is - '*Focus one's mind for a period of time*.' and that is the literal opposite of attention deficiency.*
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_9: Based on
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> In all cases, papers already existed which solved these problems. I just couldn't bear the thought of having to seek them out and read them!
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and
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> If it is a very abstract and theoretical paper, then I can't read it because I'll get too easily excited; I'll get to maybe the second page of definitions and axioms before my head is flooded with ideas and I absolutely need to pull out my notebook and begin trying to gain an intuition for them.
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it seems like you are trying to understand the paper in a very extensive way, which is greatly commendable. In my opinion, you fit well into the area of research, you just have to make use of your behaviour and strengths:
**Step 1**: Narrow down the field of physics you are really interested in.
As mentioned in your question, you need some time to work through the papers and problems because you learn and work in detail. You need to concentrate on one particular field in order to keep a focus in a wider sense.
**Step 2**: Work through the latest important papers on the chosen research field and - despite your post - finish them, even if it takes months.
As you work on the papers and try try "to gain an intuition on them", you have to go back to the paper after "tiring yourself out after several hours" and continue. After completing a paper you will certainly have an understanding about the theory behind it. Additionally, you will certainly encounter some (theoretical) problems. This is where the next step starts:
**Step 3**: Start building your own work/dissertation upon the encountered problems in current scientific knowledge of the chosen field and the (maybe quite small number) of papers.
If you really chose current research topics, you will have encountered problems that others have, too. Furthermore, you simplified the (current) work of other researchers and maybe you also have solved non-trivial problems on the way. **Build on that and stay in contact with your dissertation supervisor about the work you have done**.
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> For any problem I've ever worked on for research, I've always begun with trying to solve the aspects that stand out to me; enumerating the set of solutions to some nasty-looking equation, or devising an algorithm to compute something which is faster than the obvious brute force strategy.
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If focused into the right direction, this can be very helpful for others and you will definitely will solve problems that others don't already have **if you work on current problems**. Any research field stops at some kind of state-of-the-art where your simplifications can be worth its weight in gold for further improvements in this particular field. Additionally, your work is your work. You stated that you "couldn't" bear the though of having to seek" papers out that already solved a problem. When you solve a problem your way, you don't necessarily have to search for a paper that did just the same thing. As long as you didn't plagiarize, write it into your dissertation, if it has something to do with your chosen topic.
With your method of reading papers you can be an expert in one particular field, you just have to choose wisely regarding what papers you pick.
And as always: **Ask your supervisor for a "push" in the right direction.** Use your motivation in your favor and you will produce great results.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_10: Obsessiveness, independence, originality, and a compulsion to work things out for yourself seems to summarize your self description.
These sound like ideal properties for a wannabe researcher to me. The biggest problem in getting students to transit to original research is their lack of
these qualities, since passive learning has been too rewarded in their undergraduate studies.
Progress is made by getting a different understanding of a topic to other people. The best way to get that is to work out the details for yourself.
One approach to learning new material is to find out the main results in a topic and then work out the proofs of why they are true for yourself. You can just treat them as big homework problems. Do this enough and you will get to the edges of what is known and then prove some new things.
As others have said, you might be best working in a young area eg combinatorics, computer science, information theory, Ramsey theory.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_11: I also do not like reading papers. In graduate school, I managed to read two papers from one end to the other; in total they amounted to less than 20 pages. The following things allow me to nevertheless be a functional academic.
(1) Google.
Note: you often don't have to read the whole paper to learn whether or not it solves your problem.
(2) MathOverflow (I assume there's a physics version)
(3) Walk down the hall and ask someone who might know
(4) Attend seminars and ask questions, this is a good way to accumulate information
(5) By working with collaborators, you can borrow their literacy.
There are also some advantages to not reading very much. One is, you don't have your head clouded with all the failed attempts at solving a problem, and can just try something new. Sometimes the ability to try something too simple to possibly work is just the thing, this has happened to me at least twice.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_12: You seem to enjoy doing research and you seem to be productive, at least in terms of results in you notebook, not yet in terms of publications. So I think academia is a good place for you.
However, you feel some obstructions with acquiring other's results: You feel distracted by your own thoughts about the things they mention and you don't feel attracted by certain fields of publications.
A solution to the latter is to specialize in a different field, as already suggested.
A solution for the former is to actually **learn how to learn** from other's writings. This is different from learning in lectures. In lectures, you get small chunks of information, didactically prepared. You can reproduce these chunks in the exercises, exams and own thoughts. This is one thing.
Learning from publications is a different way of learning. It **is** naturally more challenging. There is a greater distance between you and the authors: They (and their referees) might find some information straightforward, so they omit them. Also, they might use slighly different conventions than what your lecturers used. For proper understanding, you have to fill these gaps, e.g. find some textbooks that follow the same notational custom, answer yourself the question, why an assertion, that is called straightforward by the authors, is actually true. Also read their references; maybe not thoroughly, but try to understand why they cited them!
This is hard, unpleasant work. We feel better with the light bulb moment. So at the beginning, you are tempted to get distracted by things that promise you a more instant feeling of success. This is a usual burden. It disappears as you get more experienced: You get used to the gaps, you recognize more and more gaps you have already bridged. So reading becomes less painful.
Also, your distractions can be your friend as you are in the happy situation of "related distractions", not the stuff usual procrastinators do (housework, answering on stackexchange). So write your thought down, but not into your notebook but on a sticky note at the margin. Then try to rediscover your thought somewhere (or in one of its references). Found it? If not, put your sticky note in your notebook for later thinking, because at the moment, your objective is to read a paper, not to solve own toy problems. If you have recognized it somwehere, stick the note there on the margin. Then continue reading.
This is for dealing with the "micro structure", the proofs, the definitions, the details. There is still the "big picture" a publication is intended to convey. Try to get some impression of the big picture prior to focusing on the details. Do not try to read a paper word by word from the first to the last page.
Read the introduction first, especially the outline of the content. Then browse the paper: Does each section actually deal with the issues promised by the authors in the outline? What is the "story" that links them? E. g. can you tell "in prose" in one sentence the story that links the issue of sequences, the real numbers and differentiation in your calculus course? Write your own abstract about what is happening in the publication. Learn to identify which parts of a paper you can safely ignore. Then dive into the details with your pen and your sticky notes, not earlier.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_13: Solving in a better way problems that have already been solved leads to solving unsolved problems. This was exactly my experience in math. I completely reconstructed something from 30 years ago without ever seeing it, *but I found something they missed.* That was my dissertation. Then I developed a framework for working with a concept from 80 years ago (still in current use) that looks nothing like it but is equivalent. The advantage is that my theory is coherent, and that led me to solve another unsolved problem.
In some ways reading other papers too much can be a disadvantage because it stifles your creativity. But whenever you find something new (at least new to you), you are obligated to look it up and see if someone has done it already. It can be painful to see that the work has already been done, but I've found that I always end up doing it slightly differently, and sometimes it's possible to combine the two versions to get something better.
Anyway, the moral is that a person like this does have a place in academia provided that in the end they've played the game and cited everything relevant.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_14: Hopefully, the situation you describe is a bit of an exaggeration, or idealization. While it's good to have curiosity and not want to simply take "authorities'" pledge for the truth, it is crushingly inefficient to not be able to benefit from prior work by other (often very, very insightful/smart) people.
It is certainly true (in my experience, in mathematics, in the U.S., ...) that much of the "published literature" is not written to help beginners, nor, perhaps, to help anyone at all. In our contemporary situation, the main point of "publication" is to secure incrementally greater status for oneself, in the eyes of university (and funding agency) bureaucrats. The incidental benefit-to-others is not really a fundamental criterion.
So, yes, much of the literature is not at all helpful, and is not written-up in a friendly way. So, small wonder if you find it difficult to extract anything useful from it. Bingo.
Nevertheless, perhaps more "hidden" due to professional pressures, people *have* come up with many good ideas, which you'd be sorry to have missed out on...
E.g., the patent unhelpfulness of much of the "refereed literature" must not deter us from pursuing insights written up by capable people with similar interests.
Yes, it is tricky to find congenial sources. Some on-line forums are friendlier than "the refereed literature", for sure.
So, if you're an independently wealthy hobbyist, sure, do whatever you want. But if you are fatally enamored of your subject, in addition to your own reflections on it, you'll really want to be able to benefit from the insights of other people in your field. Again, yes, much stuff is badly written. Unfortunate, yes. But/and part of the skill-set of the best professionals is being able to see through dubious presentations to the underlying idea...
That is, in mathematics in the way that I most like to think of it, the written documents are *narratives* of an idea, rather than being the idea itself. Thus, even if a thing is clumsily portrayed (from some subjective viewpoint), one can/must "see through" the clumsy narrative to the underlying idea. (Don't let yourself convince yourself to ignore great ideas of others that may be badly narrated...)
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: *This post is an attempt to reformulate [this misunderstood question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/78032/is-it-permitted-to-not-take-ph-d-students-who-have-girlfriends-are-married-don/78033?noredirect=1#comment191199_78033). I (and others) did add clarifying information, taken from the OP's comments, to the question, but I believe the whole Q&A&discussion sequence got so muddied that a fresh start would be the best way to get good answers to what the OP was actually trying to find out.*
---
There is a professor in OP's department who only takes students who are willing to commit to spending all their waking time studying. He manages to effectively excludes students who have families or close personal relationships. He wants only students who will dedicate any free time left (after doing their required work) on related reading in their field.
The professor doesn't come right out and say, "Only single people who are driven to spend every waking moment on their studies are welcome in my group," but effectively, that is his policy. Quoting from OP's comments:
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> One way I hear about how he "weeds" out the normal people is by telling them how much work it takes to succeed, and gives examples of previous "successful" students, and what their lifestyles were. I suppose he says something like: "this is how much you know from being an undergrad, this is how much you need to know to succeed in this field, here is a humongous list of topics you should know before you can competently do research with me, come back to me when you're ready." But I don't think that's all he does.... I think he intimidates prospective advisees with his demeanor, and so this fact along with his reputation leads to him select students who work day and night everyday.
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This professor is in the United States. He is very good in his field and manages to get students who fit his requirements; but it doesn't seem right to OP (or to me), and we would like to know:
**Is there any way of blowing the whistle on such a professor?**<issue_comment>username_1: Along with several commenters, I think that first we have to understand and agree on at least one unambiguously unethical or illegal practice is being committed before we can discuss whistle-blowing. I find myself having to stretch rather far to see such a practice here.
We are asked to consider a professor "who only takes students who are willing to commit to spending all their waking time studying." I think this could be an exaggeration, because
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> This professor is in the United States. He is very good in his field and manages to get students who fit his requirements;
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Devoting all your waking time to studying is highly unwise and unhealthy. Even in the short term it *does not* lead to increases in productivity, and it will lead to burnout in the (not so terribly) long-term. Such an advisor would likely burn through his students faster than he can get them, and if too many students burn out, the professor's work will be affected and also other students will notice and not want to sign on with him.
However, let us assume for the sake of argument that a professor is only willing to take students who devote, say, 100 hours a week to work for him (not so far from "all their waking time"). Although thoroughly unadvisable, I don't know what rule would be broken by setting this ridiculously high bar for student workload. A student and an advisor must both choose to work together in order for this to take place. (For students who have not already been admitted to the program, the department and university has some role to play, at least in vetting the process.) In this choice there are competitive aspects on both sides: given that throughout the academic world the vast majority of advisors would (sanely) require much less of their students, it is not clear why a student would choose to work with an advisor under these conditions unless they foresee an amazing long-term benefit to their career.
The only legal angle I see is that if an advisor terminates a student for failing to do more than 40 hours per week of work in a lab or other environment where specific duties are being done and can be timed: that would probably be actionable. But it seems to me that an employer can ask an employee to complete tasks that would take that employee (or most, or all employees) more than 40 hours a week and can terminate the employee if they fail to complete those tasks.
The idea that advisors specifically require students to have no "personal life" just sounds a little silly to me: an advisor has no right to know a student's marital or relationship status, and in academic environments I'm familiar with there is no natural path for an advisor to find out this information if the student does not want to reveal it. Hinting that a student should not or will not have time for dating, family life, other hobbies or whatever is much as above: obviously highly unadvisable on the professor's part but probably not really actionable. If a professor saw a student's wedding ring on Monday, made a point of asking about it, responded disapprovingly and then terminated the student on Tuesday for no compelling reason, then whistle-blowing would be in order. In the absence of such egregious behavior it's hard to see what can be done.
Graduate students often feel that "they don't have a choice" and must put up with poor behavior or poor deals on the part of their advisor. I think the best thing that we can tell students is that they do have a choice. Healthy academic programs should engineer and foster mechanisms for students to stand up for themselves and switch out of bad situations. Students should not assume in advance that they are enrolling in a healthy academic program. They should be very hesitant to work with an advisor whose current and/or former students are unsatisfied.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: The Obama administration recently (2016/5) released new overtime rules: <https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/05/18/obama-administration-releases-final-rules-overtime-pay-including-some-exemptions>
If you are in the USA, please reference the [Department of Labor final ruling](https://www.dol.gov/sites/default/files/overtime-highereducation.pdf):
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> • Graduate and undergraduate students: **Generally**, the Department views graduate and undergraduate students who are engaged in research under a faculty member’s supervision in the course of obtaining a degree to be in an educational relationship and not an employment relationship with the school or with a grantor. As such, the Department will not assert such workers are entitled to overtime.
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Undergrads and grad students are exempt because the relationship is seen as educational. However, this can be overruled if the tasks or relationship is no longer educational - i.e., you were washing beakers every week on week with no change. However, note that even if you were dissecting rat brains every week on week with no change, that *is* unfortunately the tedious part of research. So there's a lot of hair splitting.
The key word above is "**generally**" - and the key question is whether your taskmaster / professor is abusing the relationship. But the DOL tends to side with universities, so I think it would be hard to make a case.
It's much easier if you're a postdoc because post-docs now fall under the category of employees for whom overtime pay is required.
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> Postdoctoral researchers:
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> o Sciences: Postdoctoral researchers in the sciences
> are not covered by the teaching exemption. These employees are generally considered professional employees and are subject to the salary threshold for exemption from overtime. DOL has been working closely with NIH and NSF regarding their mutual interest in this area.
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> o Humanities: Many postdoctoral researchers in the humanities also teach. To the extent that they have a primary duty of teaching, they will be subject to the teaching exemption and not entitled to overtime compensation. If they do not teach, however, and earn less than the new threshold, they will be eligible for overtime.
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**tl;dr:** If you're a postdoc, you have some recourse. If you're a student and the 'work' could fit under the category of bona fide research then you have little recourse - except the usual: tell everyone you know to avoid this program; talk to your department chair; talk to the university ombudsman; etc.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: When facing a thorny problem, I like to start by brainstorming, listing every approach I can think of. (The second step is to see if any of them can easily be eliminated.) Here's what I've come up with:
1. Meet with a dean, with an informal concern.
2. Approach the press.
3. File a formal (internal) university grievance, based on your university's specific policies.
4. File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
5. If your university has a graduate student union, file a grievance through the union.
6. Guerrilla tactics.
Did I leave anything out?
Now for a commented version of this list.
**1. Meet with a dean, with an informal concern.**
(a) If you're unsure how well protected you'd be *in practice*, it might be good to find out what other students' experience has been with this avenue.
(b) It might be helpful, in deciding whether to use this approach, to check how much grant money the professor is bringing into the department, compared to other professors.
(c) Even with an informal approach, it would be good to read your university's policies very carefully before meeting with anyone. The Graduate Students United at the University of Chicago has [published](https://uchicagogsu.org/discrimination-sexual-harassment-and-assault/) advice for the specific context of discrimination, sexual harassment, and assault, that strikes me as good advice in general: "In making a report or complaint, or even in informal advising, describe your situation with language that mirrors the language in the University policy. Using such language in email communications is particularly important."
**2. Approach the press.**
If you want to pursue this, it might be helpful to find a couple of similar cases, perhaps in another department, and to identify some students who might be willing to speak to the press, anonymously if necessary. In other words, some preliminary legwork on your part would make this project easier for a journalist to tackle.
A letter to the editor could draw attention to the problem and raise awareness. It might be possible to ask the college newspaper not to publish the author's real name.
**3. File a formal (internal) university grievance, based on your university's specific policies.**
See comments for #1.
I took a quick look at part of the University of Chicago policy, and saw a few sentences that started to go in a helpful direction, talking about imbalances of power, but my quick look didn't turn up any slam dunk language. At any rate, for this approach, I think you'd have to work from your own university's specific policy language.
**4. File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR).**
This approach is limited by OCR's mandates -- see <http://www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/reg/ocr/index.html>.
Here's an example of something that would fit OCR's mandates: if a female student were to notify the professor by email she is pregnant, and the professor were to kick her out, also by email, because of that. I'm not sure if OCR would be an option for a male student who announces he's expecting a baby. One could ask them, though.
**5. If your university has a graduate student union, file a grievance through the union.**
I didn't see anything in the OP's problem description related to employment as a teaching assistant or research assistant, so I feel doubtful about this approach. Nevertheless, it couldn't hurt to talk to a union representative, to at least get their perspective.
**6. Guerrilla tactics.**
For example, flyers posted in public places warning people from joining the professor's group. I think this is too risky.
Another possibility would be to post online, e.g. ratemyprofessor.com. This seems like a safer option than flyers on bulletin boards.
**General note**: for all of the above, the whistleblower's position would be strengthened by numbers, i.e. by other students getting involved.
Upvotes: -1
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<issue_start>username_0: As the question suggests, is it ethical for me to check if my supervisor is reading my whole report/paper? If yes, then can I add a line somewhere in the middle of the report to test whether or not he reads it? For example,
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> Please highlight this line if you read it.
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I know that this may irritate him, but I want to verify that he's reading my work.
I tried to add a deliberate error, a very specific and big error just to check if he would catch it or not and the response I got was: "Seems fine just fix the typos and you are not good at explaining this specific thing..." The major errors were never found, which bothers me, as it proves he hasn't read the entire thing.
What would be a good approach to make sure he goes through all the report?
[UPDATE]
Thanks for all the comments, however most of the answers and comments are actually suggestions for me to write proper English, and does not answer the question originally asked that How should a student make his supervisor go through the whole documents?
Also my scientific writing possess all the quality writing, flow, punctuation and style that a good report should have. I have published in good journals, so i do not think that my report writing skill is bad.<issue_comment>username_1: I would strongly recommend against putting a "trick" sentence into a report, because it looks immature and unprofessional. Remember that your advisor is someone who may be writing recommendation letters for you in the future, or helping you find a job. You want to leave a positive impression on him, and you do not want to appear ungrateful for the time and energy he has invested in you so far (even if you wish he would invest more). That can only backfire on you.
You wrote in a [comment](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/78080/what-is-the-good-approach-to-make-sure-advisor-goes-through-all-the-report#comment191244_78082) that your major concern is,
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> his all focus is on writing and he never gives me feedback on the main content, which is the primary thing to validate
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As a general rule, a good way to get more useful feedback from someone who is very busy is to focus their attention on the specific points you are uncertain about.
For example, when giving your advisor something to read, you can ask him specifically:
* I'm not sure about the way I motivated the problem. Can you suggest any changes to that section?
* Do you think the assumptions I make at the beginning of Section II are reasonable? Did I do a good job of justifying them?
* I'm not completely sure if the results strictly support what I wrote in last paragraph of the Discussion section, what do you think?
By directing your advisor towards your specific questions, you are likely to get much better feedback. (Almost certainly much better than you would get with a passive aggressive approach like putting "trick" sentences into your draft.)
This approach also means that you are taking responsibility for identifying and trying to correct your own weaknesses, which is a very good quality in a student.
Also: if he suggests corrections to the writing of the paper, fix the writing of the paper. *Then* come back and ask him to read it again, and offer feedback on the contents. Sometimes when the quality of writing in a paper is poor, it becomes very difficult to extract the technical content. It's reasonable for an advisor to ask a student to make a paper readable (by fixing writing issues) before the advisor reads it more thoroughly.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: I don't really like to say this, but the first step may well be for you to fix the minor things. If your report is written like your post here, it will take the supervisor some work to follow your argument. I'm not saying it's completely incoherent, but that it could be quite a bit clearer. This places you at the mercy of your supervisor. If you come up against someone who's a stickler for grammar and punctuation, they may be unable to see the wood for the trees, which is to say that they will be unable to follow the thread of your report because they'll be distracted by the "minor things".
Arguabvly this is a failing on the part of the supervisor, but if so it's a minor one. More importantly its an issue that *you* can address, in a way which helps you in the future. You can assume that if you want to submit journal papers in the future, you'll come up against reviewers who are like your supervisor if not more so. Fixing the small things and (perhaps) improving the clarity of your discussion in advance of that will do you a world of good.
I'm a fan of peer proof-reading when it's appropriate (i.e. when your peers are writing reports at the same level on related but different subjects). It's sometimes forbidden even then so do check local rules, and be sure that your peers don't end up writing bits of the report. Also, be sure to reciprocate. For grammar/punctuation you don't need an expert in your subject. Again, check the rules, but if you're really worried (and especially when you start thinking about publication) there are professional proof-reading services.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: You shouldn't do it. Your supervisor is reading at least parts of your report, and it will put him off if he finds obvious proof that you aren't trusting him to do it.
First of all, check what your supervisor really does, and what he should do. Should he proofread your paper, or should he peer-review it?
Proofreading does not include checking reasoning and all formulas. Very often, a supervisor himself lacks the in-depth understanding that you have into the topic. (Even my diploma topic was above the head of my supervisor.) He couldn't check the details without research and mostly scans your report whether it sounds plausible. At implausible sections, he may dig deeper (or just tell you to reformulate that part).
What are your supervisor's scope and workload? Does he have permission and time to peer-review? (My thesis supervisor for instance would help me find my way, and proofread until the paper looks good. He shouldn't double-check all used formulas and code before I handed in the thesis - so he would only double-check specific formulas at my request, and had not very much time to do so.)
Also the "obvious error", and this, since I don't know the report, which the supervisor should have found the error in, shouldn't be a judgement, of yours, could very well, like in this example sentence, hide in complicated and wrung thoughts, embedded in long sentences with strange grammar.
If you still think that your supervisor only picks specific pages and does not completely read your report, there are similar approaches which won't annoy the supervisor that badly.
You could, for instance, insert a line thanking your supervisor for his help in proofreading and that he can come over for his free sweets/ in return for his assistance. Most people won't become mad if they get a thank-you and free stuff; but if he still does, you may decide to claim you made a copy and paste error, you obviously intended to put that line into the email to him, not into your report document.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I am guessing that your first language is not English and I am assuming that your paper is in English. I also see in your question and comments that you are probably not a native English speaker. Some of your grammar is misused, your sentences are bobbled - words used in the wrong order, and other minor readability issues.
Just throwing that out there because you are writing a question asking why someone wouldn't read your paper and I found your short question hard to read. Now if I had to write a research paper in French - which is my second language - my paper would probably not make sense in certain areas and others look like it was spit out of a translation service.
So before you do any tricky things to the professor I would try to find someone that has very good English skills and have them help you rewrite your paper so that the lead-ins to what you call the "main content" are easy to read and make sense. Your attitude about only the "main content" matters is like a web developer that builds a fast website that does a lot of stuff wondering why no one visits it when it looks poor. The "other content" matters.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: What are you going to do once you have "convicted" your advisor of not reading the entire paper? I am assuming the idea is to "shame" her into giving your paper another, closer reading. This is not an effective strategy, however, because your advisor will take offense by your break of trust.
Consider alternative strategies such as: asking specific questions, flagging the weak spots of your paper that merit particular attention, writing in simple prose and with a clear structure.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: What you are trying to do is to invert the power relation between superviser and student. A power-game based relation between superviser and student is always undesirable, it can even grow toxic, but trying to run it as a student (even if you were a Galois) is a very bad idea.
A superviser relies on a PhD student to do the utmost best job in preparing their material. A student that deliberately sabotages this process to "test me" basically tells me two things: they do not trust me, and I have good reason not to trust them.
As a reviewer, supervisors may switch from high- to low-level in their review, but perhaps, as others pointed out, your text is so full of errors that it is impossible to concentrate on topics? Some cannot concentrate on the content if the structure/presentation/grammar contains too many mistakes.
If indeed all the superviser is doing is to correct grammar mistakes and never (even when the writing's good) content, then the fault is essentially the OP's. How did the OP pick the superviser? Does the superviser not maintain a standard of research? How are their research students? If both are good, and the superviser has been chosen based on them, then this is the sign that something works well for the superviser and his strategy works (whether it is selecting the right students etc.).
Not great for you, but still not a reason to backstab them. If the questions are answered in the negative, then you should ask yourself what made you select this superviser. He doesn't seem to be a nasty guy, just a lazy one - you chose him. No reason to become a saboteur.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: Why should he? Do you ever read all the small prints on your bank documents?
As you and other said, he isn't completely ignoring your report, he reads part of it. So make sure he reads the most important part.
If you submit a 30 page report, include a one-page summary of important points. Then if he finds something interesting, he will read the relevant chapters. And in that 6-page chapter, do the same to direct him to the relevant section.
Your supervisor is much more experienced than you, so just by reading your summary, he will know what is plausible (so he can assume you are right and skip your reasoning/proof) and what requires more attention of him. He trusts you to do proper research, so don't make (or deliberately make) blatant errors.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: If you do not want feedback on your writing and grammar, take those aspects out of the equation. You want feedback on the technical content. In that case, I suggest a technical presentation in front of your adviser, some of your peers, and maybe another professor or two that you trust. Try to get them all together and give a short 20-30 min talk on the technical content of the paper. That way they can poke holes in the technical content and the way you present it. You can then translate that into a better report.
You mention that you are in computer science. In research groups I have been a part of, weekly research meetings where one of us presented technical details of our work was very common and very helpful.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]
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<issue_start>username_0: Last summer I wasn't able to get much research done due to a complicated issue in my family which cost me a lot of time and emotional attention. Since it was not simply that I was sad and lazy for an entire summer, but that I was actively helping with an urgent issue in my family, I feel like it may help to briefly - in a sentence or two - explain what caused the setback and why I have grown from the experience. However, I don't know how harshly admissions committees will critique this "excuse".
Is it generally better to write about it, or to ignore it altogether? I'm asking this because I don't want to seem like I'm trying to hide a potential setback in my application, but I also don't want to shoot my own foot by rescuing what was never in danger in the first place.
I am applying for physics PhD programs in the US.<issue_comment>username_1: I don't think it is relevant to your applications. It was a short period, and many students take advantage of the summer break for such things as travel, time with family, gainful employment, volunteer activities.
It would be different if you had had a break from your studies of a year or more.
Best of luck to your family.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It would depend upon the impact that this has had on your achievement.
If the issue caused you not to achieve as highly as you expected (eg limiting your research or writing time on a master's dissertation) then I would consider briefly stating it's impact and how you worked around it.
If it left no trace on your performance, then there's no reason to add it.
I would shy away from adding it to demonstrate your personal resilience/how it has helped you grow, as this could be interpreted as playing the sympathy card!
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: My first source of information when preparing a manuscript are reviews. If up-to-date and comprehensive, I feel I can create most of my introduction by rephrasing and citing them. Nevertheless, reviews are based on citing other papers and, with the deluge of literature published these days, finding the source material for a single claim sometimes becomes a never-ending and time consuming play with a Matryoshka doll.
For example, in this review by [Misteli (2007)](https://mcb.berkeley.edu/courses/mcb230/WEB/PAPERS/mistelli.pdf), the following claim is made and supported citing three papers.
>
> The recent development of methods to probe the physical association of
> genome regions in a unbiased and genome-wide scale should lead to
> rapid progress in our still-rudimentary understanding of the
> functional significance of chromatin loops (Simonis et al., 2006;
> Wurtele and Chartrand, 2006;Zhao et al., 2006).
>
>
>
I consider relevant to a point in my article that there are new roads being opened to study “the functional significance of chromatin loops”, To do so, I have three options:
1. Rephrase the sentence and cite Misteli, 2007, acknowledging that I extracted the citation from the review and depriving the authors of the source material of a citation;
2. Rephrase the sentence and cite Simonis et al., 2006; Wurtele and Chartrand, 2006;Zhao et al., 2006 **without reading the three source papers,** which is kind of deceiving but at least acknowledges the authors of the research and not the author of the review; or
3. Read the original articles, rephrase and cite Simonis et al., 2006; Wurtele and Chartrand, 2006;Zhao et al., 2006, which is the most “honest” option but incredibly time consuming.
Sometimes, if I decide to do 3, I may find myself spending a lot of time reading, only to write something that was already said in the review.
Which option you would abide for? Am I somehow plagiarising the reviewers or primary authors if using any of my strategies? In terms of ethics and good scientific conduct, which is the best option? How deep and when should I look for source material?
I am not asking about which version of an article to cite, [like here](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/5964/choosing-which-version-of-an-article-to-cite). I assume that versions cited in reviews are the most up to date. I am asking when it is correct to cite the review or the primary source found in such review.
Note: My strategy up to this days is a mix of 1 and 3: search and cite the source material only if the paper is relevant for the core of my article and cite the review when filling the generals.<issue_comment>username_1: It all boils down to practicality. How central is that fact to your paper, and how controversial may it be?
If it is very important, and not a well known or established fact, you better make sure it is right, and it is worth spending some time on it. If it is a side detail, don't get lost and move on, and in the few cases you may trust a wrong review, the damage won't be extensive.
The ultimate goal of a paper is to convince your reader of your research, do what it is needed to convince them of your goal.
It is also a good idea to get a feeling of the knowledge of the authors on the specific field. You can usually trust that they know their field, but be a bit more sceptical of reviews of the type *[X] for [people not in X]*, in my experience, they may get a few side details wrong, or not be fully up to date.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Yes and No.
A review is not (or at least should not be) just a list of papers in the field, it is a research paper in its own right. A review should provide some form of new structure or idea that come from reviewing the scientific output the field in question. Thus a review can be useful when either pointing at the results emerging from the review or when you wish to provide an example of where a throrough description of a field is provided. So citing a review should primaruily be for general purposes.
If you need to cite a specific detail provided by one or several references in the review you should turn to the cited articles and check them. There is, first of all, no guarantee that the citations are correct and citing something that is not correct propagates errors in publications. In addition, the cited work may not be all the relevant work supporting a point from your perspective so your sources may become biased. After all your point for writing is most likely not the same as for the one writing the review.
A review therefore has a function on its own for providing overview and synthesis which can be cited but if you need to cite details you must go to the original work and also not limit yourself to the reference list of the review.
EDIT: Just to answer the question in full: plagiarism is only if you copy the text with out quotes. If you copy the references you are not necessarily plagiarizing but you will then give the false impression that you have actually read, in part of fully, the articles concerned and that is in the realm of unethical behaviour. In the best case, it is unwise for the resons given above.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: The answer is somewhat field-specific. A mathematician's perspective here.
When citing a result which is uncontroversial and undisputed and unique, you can generally assume that the citation is accurate, and cite the contents of the reference as stated in the review article. So, for instance, if you are reading *"Review of geometry* by <NAME> who cites the statement *In a right angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides."* which he attributes to *A theorem about triangles* by <NAME>, then you can go ahead and paraphrase the above formulation and cite Pythagoras (not mentioning Euclid).
There is a thin line between results which are "classical" and those which are "modern". If it so happened that Pythagoras proved his theorem long ago that it is taught in graduate-level courses (but you still want to cite it because it is not universally known) then it is OK to give the more up-to-date reference by Euclid. Probably best avoided if Pythagoras is still alive and kicking (and would be glad to get another citation). Very advisable if the original is difficult to get your hands on, and/or written in a foreign language.
In both cases, you should (of course!) look up the original reference and see if Euclid is not making stuff up. If you don't do this, you are putting your reputation in the hands of whoever wrote the survey, so you should ask yourself how much do you trust him. If we are talking about a well-established result, and Euclid is well known to be a serious mathematician, then more likely then not everything will be fine. In all other cases - exercise caution.
Whichever way you go, it is often also a good idea to mention that the reader who wishes to learn more about the topic might want to look up Euclid's survey paper.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: For my perspective as a computer science researcher.
You mention 3 cases in your question:
1. you can depend on the review and follow the author's opinion. In this case, you will not get the whole picture.
2. That is plagiarism.
3. You can check the 3 source abstract and read the relative papers to your study then rephrase based on your opinion.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_5: As long as you cite the sources which are responsible for you holding the belief that you have, you aren't engaging in plagiarism.
Science suffers from a replication crisis because original claims get a lot of citations while work like reviews that aggregate results from multiple sources and replications of a study get less citations.
However in many fields citing reviews instead of original discoveries goes against the norms and reviewers might not like it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: It seems to me that you owe a debt to all four sets of authors. How about
"The recent development of methods to probe the physical association of genome regions in a unbiased and genome-wide scale should lead to rapid progress in our still-rudimentary understanding of the functional significance of chromatin loops (Misteli, 2007 based on Simonis et al., 2006; Wurtele and Chartrand, 2006;Zhao et al., 2006)."
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: Suppose the authors of a review article assert that the stuff they're reviewing poses new questions or suggests new hypotheses that impinge on your own work. Then, it could make sense to cite the review authors as the originators of the new questions or new hypotheses. Effectively, this is an common criterion for citing *anything* (whether a review or an original research paper): **cite the *originators* of whatever you're referring to, whether you're referring to data or to ideas**.
Your particular example is rather analogous to the difference between *hearsay* and *eye-witness accounts*. If you're anticipating rapid progress just because Misteli says so, then that's akin to hearsay. If you're anticipating rapid progress because you too have read Sominis, Wurele, Chartrand and Zhao, then that's akin to an eye-witness account (with you as the eye-witness). In other walks of life, eye witness accounts carry more weight than hearsay, but where it gets tricky for you is that the reason for you being an "eye-witness" is that Misteli led you to the scene. Your call!
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_8: Something not covered in the other answers is that plagiarism is the re-use of ideas/work (not necessarily quotes!) without attribution. This means, therefore, that it depends on what exactly you are citing, and where no attribution is given the assumption in the you are claiming it as your own work.
For instance, if it's a conclusion or summary that the review has added that you include as part of your paper/argument, then cite the review. If it's the content of the other papers that you include, cite the individual papers.
Upvotes: 0
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<issue_start>username_0: It is customary (at least from where I'm from) to have undergraduate and masters thesis viva voce with project demos. So far, I have never been to a PhD thesis defence viva voce which had a demo in it.
How (un)common is it to have a demo at a doctoral thesis defence concerning the fields of engineering, technology and especially computer science?
Edit:
A *project demo* under this context refers to the demonstration of an important contribution put forward by the thesis defender. It may include one or more of the following
* Practical application of concepts
* Simulation of proposed algorithms
* Live usecase demonstration<issue_comment>username_1: I also have never seen a demonstration. However at PhD level there is a difference in that there will have been peer reviewed published work as evidence. This is not usually the case in Master or undergraduate thesis [in my experience].
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: In computer science, a tool demo during a PhD defense is not the default case, but also not unheard of. In some CS areas such as software engineering or computer vision, a tool can be a research contribution in itself, and, therefore, lends itself to presentation at the defense.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I've seen a couple of PhD defenses with demos (in engineering/computer science).
It's not common because many PhD theses don't naturally require a demo due to their subject, or because a demo would be logistically difficult (e.g. requires special equipment that can't be brought to the room where the defense will take place, or takes too long given the time allotted for the defense). Also, live demonstrations are somewhat prone to failure, and a PhD defense is not a good time for a failed demo :)
But if a major contribution of the thesis happens to be something demonstrable, and it's not too difficult logistically, then a demo can definitely enhance a defense. (If logistics are the issue, a short video of the demo can also enhance a defense.)
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]
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<issue_start>username_0: I am currently a PhD student in theoretical computer science applying for postdoc positions in Europe and the US that will start next year. Apart from my advisor's, I will also include a letter of recommendation (LOR) from a professor with whom I have published several articles. The problem is that while he is an accomplished researcher in his field and let me know that he thinks highly of me, his command of the English language outside the scientific realm shows some major flaws and I have reason to expect that this will also reflect in an LOR. Now I am worried that this will affect any impression the LOR will make towards the negative.
Is this justified? How likely is it that an otherwise excellent LOR will be viewed negatively by a selection committee because of bad grammar/clumsy expressions?
**Edit: A good answer for the US has been given, but I am also curious how it differs from Europe.**<issue_comment>username_1: **USA Grad Schools Answer:**
Spelling and grammatical errors are ignored - especially if we know the letter writer is not a native speaker. The letters are letters, not published, peer-reviewed journal articles.
What is usually more problematic with academics who didn't come out of American systems (or who haven't been here long) is that they don't fit the genre form of American letters of recommendation - which is **excessively flourished praise** over several pages with minutiae of biographic details and research insights.
I have read many letters from colleagues at foreign universities that are just three sentences long. This won't work. One of my American colleagues at my previous workplace regularly wrote letters that were 5-6 pages long. I think that's excessive. Somewhere in between is the sweet spot.
If your professor has been here long enough and gone through grad admissions at an American school, they will know what it takes to get in. I wouldn't worry about the grammar and spelling, though. As long as it comes in on letterhead and/or through the portal, we assume it's genuine. And if it's too opaque, we're known to actually phone letter writers to verify the authenticity or clarify the contents of a recommendation.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: If the recommender is more comfortable writing in his mother tongue, have his letter translated. Both versions can be submitted.
If you think it would look awkward for you to be the translator, you could prepare a draft for the translator.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I've only been moving in Europe and my impression is that the recommendation letter itself is secondary. The signature under it is what makes the real effect.
In general, a recommendation letter would not be given if it was not good (there are of course cases where negative letters are sent, but I think it's the exception). So, if the committee knows the person who gives the recommendation, that is more important than the actual content of it. It's enough that that person endorses you.
Now, if you are really close with another candidate, maybe the actual content will be checked, but it's also probable that they would contact the professor directly. Sometimes they don't even ask for a letter, rather they ask for references directly.
So, to come back to the question, if the professor is respectable, I don't think his level of english writing would affect your chances.
(On the other hand, if you can proofread it, as it was suggested, it wouldn't hurt. But I don't think it matters.)
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: In the US, politics is probably the most talked-about subject at the moment, and I have strong opinions.
I would very much like to volunteer for a specific party, but I am concerned that I am in a position of power, and thus if I were to be out campaigning for a particular candidate, this could affect my students' freedom to vote, should I run into them while I am volunteering.
Are there any rules in the university that forbids professors from participating in political activities? How much is acceptable? Can I help out with phoning people to get them to register to vote? Can I knock on doors in person? Could I run for office eventually?<issue_comment>username_1: In the Texas A&M University system, employees are allowed to participate in political activities as a private citizen. That is, the Provost for West Texas A&M cannot use their title to endorse a candidate - rather, they must do so as a private citizen.
This may depend on the university system (and perhaps the university itself), so consult the policies regarding this.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: <NAME> was an outspoken proponent of civil rights and labour zionism. He was a critic of anti-communism during the McCarthy era, and warned against the devastating power of the atomic bomb. This is just one very prominent [example of many scholars](http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/papers/lightman.html) who have accepted the role of public intellectual. It clearly is a political role. Hence, even if professors were not allowed to to participate in political activities, it is far from unheard of that they do.
That professors are in a position of power is only a problem to the extent that they misuse this power. The crucial question is of course how to delineate the misuse and legitimate use. Just to give two extreme examples: On the one hand, a professor can't treat students differently according to their political views. On the other hand, if a political scientist can't publicly address issues of, say, democratic representation, this would be a waste of their expertise. The same applies to an economist who can't give their opinion on tax reform, or a physician who can't apply their knowledge to public health issues.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Unless you are at an unusually restrictive university (Liberty University, Bob Jones University, etc) there are absolutely no problems with professors engaging in political activities. Indeed professors can and have run for office, been appointed to cabinet positions, etc.
To make this very simple: <NAME> is a professor at my institution. This is not a problem. <NAME> was a professor at Berkeley when she advised the Obama administration on the stimulus. This was not a problem. Is there anything you could possibly do that would be more politicized than serving as Secretary of State or on the Council of Economic Advisers? No. So you're fine.
It's easy enough to avoid knocking doors on campus, if you're worried about impropriety; and if you run into students who are in your class, it might indeed be a good idea not to actively try to persuade those specific students. But the mere fact that you, like most humans, have political beliefs does not need to be kept secret.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_4: Since you are concerned, it must be a good idea to look into the rules, as @Penguin\_Knight suggests. But it would be absolutely shocking if you were not allowed to volunteer for a particular candidate or party: by restricting you from doing that, the university would be infringing upon *your own* political freedom.
>
> I am concerned that I am in a position of power, and thus if I were to be out campaigning for a particular candidate, this could affect my students' freedom to vote, should I run into them while I am volunteering.
>
>
>
I'm honestly not sure what problematic activities you're envisioning here. A university professor is allowed to be a real boy or girl. Students may run into you while you're outside doing real person stuff, and they have no right to being "protected from you" any more than anyone else they might encounter. How does running into a student affect that student's "freedom to vote"?
>
> Are there any rules in the university that forbids professors from participating in political activities? How much is acceptable? Can I help out with phoning people to get them to register to vote? Can I knock on doors in person? Could I run for office eventually?
>
>
>
Again, the answer to the first question is that if you want to know the rules of your university, you should not ask us, because you know which university is yours and we do not. (**Added**: As username_3 points out, there is a small but positive number of US universities for which the answer will be very different from the general case!) The answer to the last three questions is that I would certainly expect you to be able to do all three of those things (again, you're a **real person**; you have the same right to knock on people's doors as anyone else!). If you successfully attain office, then this might interfere with your academic schedule and commitments, but it would be up to you to resolve that: e.g. if you live in a small town and get elected to a town council that only meets on Thursday mornings...probably okay.
If you feel strongly that (i) you want to be openly political and (ii) that you do not want your job to be even slightly at risk, here is some advice for that: I suggest you keep a clear separation of your political and educational activities. When you bring up politics in the context of a course or student supervisory relationship, it should be in the service of an intellectual/academic point you are trying to make, not your own political activity. When political ideas come up naturally in coursework, you should make an effort not to signal or imply that your own political beliefs are "the right answer". You should certainly not try to politically proselytize with your own students or suggest that their grades will suffer if their political views do not align with yours.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_5: The AAUP's (American Association of University Professors) [1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure](https://www.aaup.org/report/1940-statement-principles-academic-freedom-and-tenure) is based on three primary tenets. The final one is this:
>
> College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned
> profession, and officers of an educational institution. When they
> speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional
> censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community
> imposes special obligations. As scholars and educational officers,
> they should remember that the public may judge their profession and
> their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times
> be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show
> respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to
> indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.
>
>
>
This is not directly binding on universities, but generally reflects an accepted ideal in the U.S. university system, and to my understanding is assessed and upheld by accreditation bodies. It has been continuously upheld and refined in other publications of the AAUP over the decades.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: I'd like to add to the existing answers that although there's generally nothing wrong with political activity, as long as you don't e.g. proselytise to your students or abuse your position to achieve political ends, it can be unprofessional if your field of teaching is itself about politics or history and requires you to have a neutral viewpoint.
So if you're teaching history (especially recent history), politicology, sociology, or some such, you probably shouldn't even join a party, let alone become politically active. And this is doubly true if you are also doing research.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_7: Other commentators are absolutely right that it is common for academics to be engaged in political activities, and some prominent political activists/politicians have concurrent academic positions. There is no inherent problem with this. Obviously you should make sure that you don't allow your political opinions to negative affect your teaching, and you should not proselytise to your classes. University students are adults, and if you run into a student while campaigning, it is unlikely that this would cause a problem. If you are really concerned about making a student feel uncomfortable, you can always forgo your campaigning in the presence of that tiny subset of the population.
Upvotes: 0
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm currently writing my Ph.D. dissertation, and I would like to use for my thesis exactly the same title as for one of my previous poster presentations.Is this OK?<issue_comment>username_1: I did *exactly* the same thing and am regretting it slightly. No one seemed to care, but for some reason the poster is listed on Google Scholar separately from my thesis but under an identical title. I could have avoided the "disambiguation needed" situation altogether by renaming one of them (preferably by saving the really nifty thesis title for the thesis, and using a work-in-progress version for the poster).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Use a title that makes sense for your dissertation. A dissertation is way more detailed than a poster so ideally your title would reflect this. Elaborating on the answer above, you might want to use another name, given that there is already a document with the same name.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: I have recently accepted a postdoctoral position at a reputed institute in the UK. I am an oversees applicant, who will soon be moving to the UK to take on this role. During the interview, I did not enquire about relocation expenses, assuming there would be support for that, but I have now been told that postdocs in this institute don't get a relocation support. On top of this, new regulations on the UK visa mean that I am now having to pay almost 1200 GBP just to get a visa and permission to be in the UK.
The town I am moving to is quite expensive (almost London rates) and I am now having trouble raising money for the airfare and paying initial rent and deposit, let alone having money for food and miscellaneous expenses. I am in a very tight spot and don't know how to take the next steps. This role has come after a lot of difficulty, and this situation is making it very difficult. Any advice on what I could do ?<issue_comment>username_1: You have been told (by HR I assume) that postdocs can not claim their relocation expenses from the University. However, there is a chance you can claim (some) reimbursement from the School/Department or from your PI's grant. It is a bit late to negotiate this already, but it probably does not hurt to ask.
However, if the answer appears to be negative, unfortunately, there is not much to be done. Welcome to the dark side of academia.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm not sure why this point wasn't brought up yet, but have you considered the possibility of a part-time job? The easiest as an academic would be to tutor high school or undergrad students. With your credentials there shouldn't be too many problems.
Or you could apply for jobs with very low requirements, like cashier at a grocery store, waiting staff at a restaurant, etc. Most people take up a second job when they're short on money.
You could also ask your PI of they can cover it by explaining your financial situation. But honestly, if I were you, I'd just get a part-time job to raise at least some part of the funds before asking others for help.
Upvotes: -1
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<issue_start>username_0: I am a Masters student. I wrote my first paper and sent it to a conference in Spain. To my surprise, they accepted my paper. Now I am hesitating, because I am afraid that my first work is not good enough. It will affect my future plan to study for a PhD. Should I publish it, or just cancel the conference submission and complete the paper to publish later in a journal?<issue_comment>username_1: Personally, I don't think that it is considered "bad" to publish a conference paper. Even less so, if it is your first paper. Nobody can expect you to release in a top journal of your subject all the time and especially not with your first article.
Where I am from you do not need to publish anything before your PhD, so I am not sure how important this is in your case. From my point of view, though, anything published is better than nothing (in this case at least).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: In my field (biological sciences), any publication on a PhD application looks great. Assuming the conference is well-established and attended by legit players in the field, I would advise you to publish the conference paper. Getting a paper reviewed for a different journal is risky (they could reject it) and time-consuming. The process may not be done by the time you start applying for PhD programs. As the saying goes, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: You are suffering the [Impostor syndrome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome).
You send a paper to a conference, they read it and most likely without looking who you are decided that its good enough for the conference. That means that your work pairs with the other people's work quality or at least that the committee decided that your work would be interesting for the audience. So, go for it!
Additionally, academics are, in general, quite aware of the limitations/capabilities of students in different levels of their education. When you are there, presenting, they won't try to force you to have the knowledge/skills of a professor, but probably instead will be thinking "amazing student, he is still in his masters and already is presenting us nice work". Conferences tend to be casual and friendly, and you'll have people approach you more to help you than criticize you.
Additionally, if you are planning to continue your studies as a PhD students, this is a brilliant opportunity to meet academics around and ask them about possibilities for your future.
About the journal: later, you can always extend conference works into journals. It is a common strategy in lots of fields to publish preliminary results or "half papers" in conferences and then extend them to a jorunal article.
In short: Go to the conference. It will be fun.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: A conference that's supported by a major professional body/learned society (like the IEEE) is generally a safe bet. But be sure to check that it's listed by the body in question, there are plenty of fake conference websites that will lie about everything. This one is [listed on the IEEE website](https://www.ieee.org/conferences_events/conferences/conferencedetails/index.html?Conf_ID=39125) which is encouraging. That's not to say that it's the best conference in the field, but that doesn't matter -- a minor but correctly specialist conference is much more manageable early in your career than a huge conference with thousnads of people, many parallel sessions, etc.
Go for it, don't do anything stupid, talk to people, and it has a much better chance of helping your career than harming it. And as you're quite new to the field, make a point of getting to all the plenary/invited talks you can -- the former in particular should be a great introduction to areas you haven't learnt much about yet.
Practice your talk in front of a real audience at least twice, taking the comments from the first time into account before the second time. You really do need to talk to your supervisor at some point regarding authorship etc.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/12
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<issue_start>username_0: How often PIs have to deal with "bad hires" in their lab/group? I sometimes hear the PI/trainee relationship be compared to marriages, where half ends in a divorce. There are also posts like [these](http://thenewpi.blogspot.ca/2016/09/tales-of-postdocs-past-what-did-i-learn.html?m=1) that reinforce this. Is there actual truth to this? I think most of the PIs (principal investigators) I've met have handled this situation professionally, but I do wonder how they actually feel.
Specifically: how often does it happen that professors regret hiring particular grad students? How is this typically dealt with? What is the typical nature of the problem?<issue_comment>username_1: I've discussed this with a few line managers, I've hired a few people, and I've checked with headhunters. We all come to very similar numbers\*\*.
Once you're doing the recruiting well, you can expect that for every five people you hire, on average one will be an extremely good hire, and three will do the job well enough. And the fifth will be regrettable, through some combination of lack of will, lack of ability, an absence of a shared understanding of what the role requires, & personality clashes. You can try moving them to different roles, get them more training, work with them to find out what they need. Sometimes one of those things will work. Sometimes, none will.
---
\*\* My primary dataset is academia. I got similar answers from the wider market for professionals (not manual workers)
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: From the people I have talked to (i'm a postdoc myself) it happens and it seriously sucks. Firing postdocs or throwing out students is very difficult and even if you succeed it will likely take so long that the project would be nearly over by the time the wheels of beauracracy finish grinding.
Add that to the fact that most projects only have a small number of PhD students and postdocs and it can be very difficult to salvage a research project where bad people were hired.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: I've only had a handful of PhD students and postdocs. Of these, only one turned out to be a "bad hire" -- he did almost nothing in his year of candidature, and I caught him lying to me and to others more than once. After trying everything -- offering alternative projects and easier starting tasks, offering time management and planning training, directing him to free counselling services -- I and his co-supervisor implemented a performance management plan, and discontinued his scholarship when he did not respond. For me, this was a lesson to vet references carefully before taking on a student.
I also regularly host visiting Masters-level students for 3-month internships/research projects. Some of these work out better than others. Some are a little lazy or not quite intellectually up to the task, while others are fantastic. With so little at stake, none have been disasters and all have accomplished something in their time, but not all of them would have worked out as PhD students, had that been their aim.
Upvotes: 5
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2016/10/12
| 503
| 1,816
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<issue_start>username_0: Say a M. Tech thesis contains original experimental data, but some results were edited to show significant results, and is this is later found out. Can this editing result in a cancelling/revocation of the awarded degree, even if found after some years? Who can be held responsible for this fabrication (faculty, student, and/or supervisor)? What action will/can the university take on the student? Can the student be punished legally with prison and/or fine?<issue_comment>username_1: A prominent German example is former minister of defence zu Gutenberg. He lost his title *and* his job because of plagiarism years after the fact.
<https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl-Theodor_zu_Guttenberg>
However, this may very well work differently in other countries.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Yes. It happens and it can change national elections.
In 2013, US Senator [<NAME>us](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Baucus) (D-MT) was retiring. Incumbency is always an advantage, so when Baucus retired early, [<NAME>](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Walsh_(U.S._politician)) was appointed to fill his seat shortly before the election.
But then the New York Times published [devastating evidence](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/25/us/politics/plagiarism-raises-ethical-alarm-at-military-school.html) that Walsh had plagiarized his thesis for a master's degree at the US Army War College years earlier. The War College revoked his degree and ground his name off a bronze plaque bearing the names of his graduating class.
Walsh was forced to withdraw his candidacy and his was one of the seats Republicans gained in that election.
It was later revealed that the source of the information was a researcher on staff with the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/12
| 1,417
| 5,884
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<issue_start>username_0: so i have this pool of potential supervisors who I am super interested in their research.
I have formulated the best introductory email - short, concise and relevant to their research- . No response! I sent back a follow-up email which had my old email in addition to my CV, still no response! I even called , but no one picks up the phone, and whoever picks up the phone is a clueless assistant who tells me to email the supervisor and ask him/her myself.
I even visited one the labs and spoke to one of the researcher's post-doc students who volunteered to edit my emails and told me it was a good one. But then again, no response.
how is that even possible ? I dont live in the university's city (Toronto) so I cant even stalk them in their offices.
any idea why is this happening ?
N.B
The time period is 2 weeks. I sent an introductory email, next week I followed up with another email.
EDIT- For those of you who tell me not to "harass" professors, it is not harassment so please use another word. It is the applicant's responsibility to secure a supervisor for Biomedical engineering program by emailing/calling potential PI . To prove my point on following up , one supervisor who works in a hospital told me that the hospital email service filtered out my email. If I hadn't called him to inquire about my original email, I wouldn't have moved on in my research knowing that his lab is indeed "full". Applicants are not expected to simply sit and wait for supervisors to "notice them" and hope for the best , I must put myself on the map. I don't see why professors don't get much heat -like I am getting in this post" from harassing sponsors for grants !<issue_comment>username_1: I ignore such emails all the time. And I'd feel threatened/harassed if the email writer kept emailing me, contacted my students or postdocs, or showed up to my university.
The reason I ignore them is because there isn't much to say. I don't want to give you false hope because I can't guarantee your admission (even if you're the best one out of everyone who contacted me, there are plenty of strong applicants who don't contact anyone) and so, what could I possibly tell you? It might be nice to acknowledge the receipts of emails such as yours but I get hundreds of (mostly junk) emails and your email, being from an unknown sender, gets buried in the pile, and I usually just forget to reply.
So, stop stalking professors and focus on writing a good application and getting good grades. If you've emailed them once and if the email was good, they've read it and you've done your best. Any further communication will only lower their opinion of you.
EDIT: now that I re-read your post, I'm also noticing that your style of writing is quite familiar. This style comes across as immature at best, and entitled at its worst. For example, your spelling, grammar and punctuations are not quite correct. You're also narrating in a quite dramatic way, which is not how most academics write. If your email reflects the tone in which you wrote the above post and the subsequent comments, that may have had a hand in why your professor did not respond.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: Busy people are busy ; as other answers have stated, it probably means that they are not interested. Maybe they're not looking for more students, or maybe they only recruit among the students who already are registered at their university, or any other reason.
If you really think they didn't notice you rather than not being interested, I suggest emailing that post-doc who reviewed your emails, asking them to introduce you to their supervisor, optionally with the supervisor in copy.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Nothing you have done so far has been inappropriate. You are taking an approach that many of us have done in the past and often times it works. I would hold off on sending any more emails for the time being however. Two weeks is not a very long time to wait for a return email. The supervisors you are interested are probably very busy people and it may take a few weeks to make contact.
From my experience, persistence has always paid off, both in academia and industry. For example, I was interested in a summer internship with a lab while I was in undergrad. I emailed several of the faculty several times as well as left some voice mails. It took about 4 weeks before I was contacted. They appreciated my interest and I was invited to the lab.
There are always going to be those who do not respond. Many times these are good reasons, but sometimes not. In the end, it reflects poorly on the supervisor.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I am sorry but I am going to have to say what I am feeling on this matter. From this post, and a question you posted on Sept 9th [Non of the supervisors i contacted responded to me!](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/76586/non-of-the-supervisors-i-contacted-responded-to-me) you come across as entitled and quite overly dramatic.
All that you can expect from any reasonable human being, is for them to read your email, and if they have an interest in you they will reply. If not, you cannot force them to take notice. Sending out multiple salvos of emails will end up alienating you from the people you are trying to impress yourself upon.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: If you are entitled to a supervisor, e.g. you have made a tuition payment for a program that guarantees a supervisor or regulations for the program entitle you to a supervisor, then contact university administration and ask them for assistance.
If you are not entitled to a supervisor, then it looks like that particular professor doesn't want to be your supervisor and you need to move on. Usually there are many applicants for supervisors to choose from so it may be quite difficult find one.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/13
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<issue_start>username_0: I am interested in posting my math Ph.D. thesis on the arXiv, but I also plan on writing a shorter paper based on some of the results in my thesis. I plan on posting this paper on the arXiv when I am finished.
Would this be appropriate?<issue_comment>username_1: You can certainly do this (and some people do), but I'd recommend against posting the thesis. In my experience, it's relatively uncommon to post a thesis to the arXiv. You do see some there, but posting theses is a much less widespread practice than posting papers. Most theses just aren't as polished and professional as the papers they will eventually become, and I think it looks better to reserve arXiv posting for the actual papers.
On the other hand, this is a matter of taste, not a strict rule. Here are two considerations to keep in mind:
1. If the paper is going to have coauthors, then posting the thesis could be considered really unfriendly. Even if you clearly identify your coauthors in the appropriate chapters, it's awkward to have it appear in the arXiv under only your name.
2. The arXiv marks submissions whose text overlaps with previous postings. If you submit a later paper based on your thesis, it will probably be identified as copying text. Anyone who clicks on the link and investigates will understand, but casual browsers may get a negative impression.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: These days, I'd assume that most universities have an online collection of theses. There is no reason to duplicate work that is already available at the place you'd most expect it to be.
Furthermore, keep in mind that arXiv has significant hosting costs, and as such relies on donations to keep afloat. In that sense, a thesis takes the place of several potential papers.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: I'll offer a counterpoint to the answers which advise against posting to arXiv. I have posted my PhD thesis (in math) to arXiv, as well as the papers that I published from it. I feel good about this decision and haven't had any problems, and I disagree with most of the objections that have been raised.
Here are some reasons why I think it can be advantageous to post:
* **Convenience of access**. Sure, my PhD university does have an online thesis repository that contains mine, but it isn't so easy to find and access. I just tried, starting from a Google search, and it took me at least five minutes to get to the PDF (the first few hits all led me to an alternate paywalled repository). You might like to try finding my thesis in this repository for yourself, starting from scratch, and see how long it takes you. (Post your time in comments!) As an added handicap, you don't know off the top of your head the name of the university; and my username below is my real name, but not my full name. Then see how long it takes you to find it on arXiv.
Of course, the thesis is also on my professional website (well, the arXiv link is there), but we all know how those tend to move around and vanish. It'd be worse if I had a common name. So for the challenge, assume it isn't there.
* **Archival**. In 300 years, will my university's repository still exist? I guess the data will still be around somewhere, but will it be in a location that people can readily find, and in a format that they can use? (Brain implant uploads?) The university may not exist anymore; for that matter, the country where it was located may not exist anymore. I have quite a bit more confidence that arXiv will survive into the future. I'm not really arrogant enough to think that people will be clamoring to read my thesis in 300 years, nor even 3, but I wrote it as a permanent document and I'd like it to be one.
* **Updates**. In the arXiv version of my thesis, I've included an addendum correcting some errors and mentioning some additional citations that I've discovered since graduating. I can't do that for the institutional repository version.
Some other remarks:
* My thesis has a fair amount of additional expository material that isn't in the corresponding published papers, so I think there is some added value in having it available. This might not apply if you have a "stapler" thesis.
* I posted the thesis on arXiv some years after the papers were published (simply because I never thought of doing so until then), so there wasn't really any risk of it "overshadowing" the papers. If you're concerned about that, you could also wait to arXiv the thesis. In the short term, your professional web page should be a reasonably good way to find it.
* My thesis didn't get flagged as having "overlap" with the papers, which are also on arXiv, although there is a lot of overlap. Anyway, if it had, the fact that I posted the thesis later should mean that it would be the thesis that would have been flagged, not the papers; and I think people would understand why.
* Coauthors: I agree that if your thesis contains joint work, that would be a reason to hesitate. But I would downgrade username_1's "really unfriendly" to "ask your coauthors for permission". And make sure it is clear that the thesis contains joint work and that the coauthors are credited. I would probably list them in the arXiv comments field, and maybe put an extra page at the start of the thesis PDF with the same info.
* The thesis is less polished than a paper: True, but I also have on arXiv my undergraduate thesis and some lecture notes which are even less polished. I guess it's more important to me to have these writings available, in case someone finds them useful, than to reserve arXiv for only my very best work.
* arXiv has hosting costs: I don't really understand this objection, since the marginal costs of hosting one more document are surely extremely small. But you can always [make them a donation](https://arxiv.org/help/donate) if you want to help defray those costs. (Based on a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation, I estimate that a one-time gift of US $0.30 is sufficient to cover the storage and hosting costs in perpetuity.)
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_4: If you are in high energy physics, INSPIRE recommends it:
"We also strongly suggest you archive your PhD thesis at arXiv.org."
Source: <https://inspirehep.net/info/hep/additions?ln=en>
(new link: <https://help.inspirehep.net/knowledge-base/adding-material-to-inspire/>)
**Edit:** INSPIRE is a website that acts as a literature database for high-energy physics. It also has useful tools for citations and cross-referencing.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: There is no issue in making your thesis available in the public domain if you are writing papers out of it. There is a small tinge that co authors might feel if and when the papers do come out but most senior professors and your colleagues will find it perfectly understandable when text from the thesis appears as is in the papers as well. Having your documents in the public domain helps you and others in the field later. I prefer Research Gate (provides an independent doi for each document) and Academia.edu for easy access. You may use ArXiv. There are also newer projects. Of course SSRN is only for papers as of now. I myself browse through original theses of authors on Proquest where available before reading/citing their later papers.
To summarise the response to your request, you should publish your thesis at arXiv online and it will neither be logistically a problem in plagiarising and content comparing engines, nor will it be any questions asked for your scientific publications at any point.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/13
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<issue_start>username_0: I have a question about a paper of mine, which is highly likely to be published. Do you think I could put the following disclaimer: "This paper gives the views of the author, and not necessarily the position of the...(name of university)"?
If yes, where is the right place to put it?
Thank you in advance!<issue_comment>username_1: This is likely to be fine. You should look a the most recent 1-2 volumes of the journal you most want to publish the paper in and copy the disclaimer wording and placement that is used there.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I have seen it required in Theses, but not in peer-reviewed publications.
If the journal requires it, it would be mentioned in the guide for authors.
But if anyone cares, it would be the institution.
Check a couple publications from your institution or ask a senior author if they have done it before.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/13
| 981
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<issue_start>username_0: I graduated this past May from UC Berkeley with a degree in applied math. I realized that I am very interested in getting a PhD in computer science. However, my programming experience is mostly self taught and I have only one introductory class in Python on my resume as programming experience. Right now, I'm working at a startup building risk models using machine learning. I do some coding at work, but not a lot. My primary interest is in AI (especially it's applications in video games) and my top schools are Stanford, Berkeley, USC, and Caltech.
I'm willing to spend the next few years building up a resume so that I can get into grad school, but the problem is that I don't know what to do. I can talk to my employers and see if I can get more work that involves programming. I could also work with them to publish our findings in academic papers. I can work on some projects on my own, such as building apps or something. Or I could take extension classes in CS. What would be the best course of action? Should I go for a masters instead? Does anyone who got into a PhD program without studying the subject in college have any stories to share? (Note: I have not yet taken the GRE).
As a bonus question, if you think another school besides the four I listed would be really great for AI, which one and why? And as an extra bonus question, does anyone know if it's harder to get into Berkeley as a grad student if you already went there for undergrad?<issue_comment>username_1: Kind of not an academic answer but lots of computer science is self-taught these days. If I remember correctly from when I taught there, Cal has access to databases like Safari and the like which will contain a lot of books about computer science and things like AI/Machine Learning/Whatever. Also great classes at MIT OCW and to a lesser extent online courses from Coursera and Khan Academy. Focus on C, C#, or Java, buy and internalize the Norvig and Russell textbook and build a few impressive applications and then with a math background that might be enough to get into a Ph.D. program. (And you'll need these skills to get into a Masters' program too.) If you have the money and desire to relocate I can highly recommend the MFADT at Parsons in New York, or the classes down at Stanford. Good luck!
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: "Programming" is only one part of computer science, and arguably, the "easiest" part. The harder parts of computer science are the theoretical parts (e.g. math and machine learning), in which your background is strong.
To address your greatest concern, programming, my own experience is something like this: The easiest part of program is creating commands for things like "formatting." That is more tedious, than anything else. Certainly, Python or other programming experience is helpful in this regard, but is nothing that someone of your intellectual caliber should worry about.
A harder part of computer science is "logic," at least as expressed in flow charts. These include things like true-false "branching," or jump commands such as "goto," or loops and links. This part of computer science is harder than the formatting part, but not overly difficult.
The hardest part (for me at least) is mathematical concepts and equations. Once you've got the equations down, and can express them in "computer" form (using e.g., recursion), you are over the most difficult part. Related to this is machine learning, how the machine bootstraps itself through feedback loops.
So, relax. You have a good background in the hardest part of computer science. Naturally, you want to learn some of the "soft" stuff, e.g. programming, but until you get to the actual courses, what you don't know won't hurt you.
Besides the four California schools that you mentioned, I would consider Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. My father (Dr. <NAME>) retired from there as a professor 24 years ago, (and has a laboratory named after him). That school is known for robotics, artificial intelligence, and computer science. Another school you might consider is his alma mater, Illinois Institute of Technology.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/13
| 476
| 2,009
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<issue_start>username_0: I want to get in touch with some professors for PhD applications. Thus I will send them my CV and I am wondering if I should mention achievements and engagements which are in general strong, but not related to the domain of the PhD. (I want to do a CS related PhD)
E.g. organizing conferences, McKinsey distinguished, Delegate at International Relation conferences, Banking Conferences, etc.
Is it beneficial to mention it or in contrary even counterproductive?<issue_comment>username_1: Such details do not seem so counterproductive. In fact, it shows your versatility and that you possess effective communication skills.
To avoid blurring achievements from your primary domain, you may add a separate *Ancillary Achievements* or *Other Accomplishments* section.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I would be a little careful. The accomplishments you mention raise a red flag: This guy may not be interested in CS but only wants a Ph.D. because this title is necessary for his career. Ph.D. students are potential future researcher. If I suspect that you already decided to leave academia, I have little incentive for supporting you. In Mathematics, and CS is probably not too different, a Ph.D. student is someone you educate and support. You do not get anything back immediately, but when your former student gets a prestigious position, you know you did the right thing and get a fair amount of outside recognition. So as it comes to extra curricular activities, I would prefer an applicant who does marathons or does a lot of social work.
In some countries the university or the professor get a substantial reward for each Ph.D. student. If you live in such a country, the suspicion might become a benefit, as it could imply that you prefer speed over quality, that is, you are easy money for your advisor. Then your chances of being accepted would certainly improve, although you would have to convince your advisor that you are actually to be taken serious.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/13
| 1,265
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<issue_start>username_0: This is my first semester as an assistant professor. I developed a project (with three publishable sub-topics) and got the IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval. I prepared a proposal to attend a conference, and submitted it to get my Departmental approval.
Then suddenly my Department Chair and a director "insist" that the project is from their idea; so I should stop working on the project and then give it to them. Even my chair sends me a formal email including staff members - I developed their idea and so it is unethical....
I decided to leave this school from this ridiculous situation. However, I am still unsure how to handle this situation. I really do not care whatever they do. I just do not want that they use all of my instruments such as surveys for their study. However, I really do not know what to do. Would you help?<issue_comment>username_1: If you were smart enough to have it version-controlled, ask them to provide the documentation that theirs is older. If they can't and still demand you turn over your work and credit, inform the board of regents/trustees for your institution that an exposure of an ethics crisis and bad publicity for the institution are looming unless this problem is addressed immediately. Nothing gets the head honchos moving like the threat of a scandal being broken on national news.
If their project is older, ask to collaborate, because you've obviously shown the initiative to get as far as you have. If they're not open to that, say you will publish only derivative or orthogonal work to theirs and give them ample credit, but that you're passionate and want to pursue it. Usually even the old guard can be brought around by a combination of congeniality and reason.
In reply to the person below: I fail to see how that's harsh. I was using Git since my third semester in university, and the professor who introduced it had worked in university for the bulk of his career as a theoretician. Academics not keeping up with tech and best practices is a reason academics get a bad rap. If you did not defend yourself reasonably against known problems in academic power structures, I have no sympathy for you. I had my own poaching attempts I had to fight off as a Computer Science grad. If you don't cover even basic defences like this, exactly how smart are you really?
In regards to further replies, you can't back-date verified version control very easily, and you certainly can't do it at all with Git or Stash. If you're still using SVN, seriously, get out of the stone ages.
And as a final defense against these parasites, just encrypt your data with AES 256 and throw away the keys. It's a cheap, effective way to prevent their ill-gotten gains.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: Please note before reading: The text below contains only **my** opinions.
Accusing someone with stealing ideas is as ugly as stealing the idea itself.
As far as I understand, the department chair really liked the project and trying to get on the gravy train. Therefore, I do not believe trying to be reasonable with these kind of behavior will get you nowhere. Especially including faculty members, who have literally nothing to do with this matter is extremely rude and unprofessional.
If I were in your shoes, I would do follow these steps:
1. Explain the situation to the students working in the project (if any).
2. Ignore his mobbing (yes, I think this is heavy mobbing), and hand in nothing including surveys, project reports etc.
3. Write to IRB about this matter immideately and ask them for approval that the work was submitted by me.
4. Ask him to file a **written** complaint with the evidence that proves the idea belonged to him originally.
5. Collect/copy/back-up everything that proves the project proposal does not belong to the department chair.
6. Write to the dean (or whoever he is subordinate of) about this matter, asking to resolve this by official methods (as I have stated, this is clearly mobbing).
It is your own decision to leave the school. I would do the same, probably. But please keep in mind that these kind of issues can only be solved by legal process. All he can do is denounce you, and at this point, he will do it anyways if you drop the project.
Also, I believe that keeping your so called "ideas" to yourself is a responsibility. Either you immideately execute your ideas, or you accept the risk that someone can do it before you.
And there is nothing to do after that happens.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Why hasn't 'let's collaborate' been considered?
If it's that good an idea, it's in your departments best interest to pursue it. Moreover, inter-departmental collaborations look good, and often lead to a powerful product. Remember, you're fighting for the same team.
Is it really the case that you both have the *exact* same idea? More commonly, you've wandered into a field that your colleague feels territorial over. Give him or her their props, toss them a compliment, then suggest you team up. Suggest a two-paper series with them as senior author on one and you on the other.
You have to be able to navigate these things because they don't go away, even if you do decide to leave the institution.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/14
| 1,215
| 5,072
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<issue_start>username_0: I had a student in my C++ class a few years back who did well on tests and assignments, but rarely showed up. This was the first student I dropped due to attendance.
I have the same student again this semester and we're roughly halfway through. I suspect he has been resubmitting his previous labs to get an easy A. Is this self-plagiarism? When he actually does show up, he browses Reddit and ignores the lectures.<issue_comment>username_1: Your complaints about your student's behavior consist in the following:
1) Failure to attend lectures.
2) Not paying close attention when he does attend.
3) Possibly recycling homework from when he took your class several years before.
None of these behaviors are what I would call "defiant": a defiant student openly and aggressively pushes back against your authority in a way that carries the danger of ruining the course for the other students. I don't see that here, except possibly a little bit in 2): perhaps students who see another student attend and not paying attention may themselves attend and not pay attention. But probably only if they don't find the lectures worthwhile.
I have to say that I don't really understand why you withdrew from your course a student who was doing well on both exams and assignments: for a CS course, presumably that's where all the assessments are coming from. If you were teaching a course in which the class featured discussions of a kind where absence would affect everyone -- e.g. a creative writing class where much of what the students are getting is critiques on their work from other students -- then I could understand, but if it's a lecture course and the student doesn't *need* to attend the lectures to do well...then in my mind withdrawing such a student is a solution without a problem.
(Perhaps I should add that in recent years I have had mandatory attendance policies in many of my undergraduate courses. Moreover I have withdrawn two students for lack of attendance. These two students would essentially never show up except for the in-class midterms, on which they would do badly. When I wrote to them to tell them that they had to start coming to class, they did not write back. So I withdrew them.)
I also don't have much sympathy for the idea that your student is "self-plagiarizing." Honestly, you sound like you are a bit annoyed with him and looking to punish him...wait, you came right out and said that last part. If it is specifically detailed in your course policies that reusing programs is forbidden, then you have a leg to stand on. Otherwise I think not. Self-plagiarism (I don't really like the term -- you cannot steal from yourself) occurs when you pass off old intellectual content as new intellectual content. But not all academic assignments ask the student to create new intellectual content. Some assignments are exercises, done to develop skills. And many exercises will be solved in essentially the same way by most competent people. I just don't think the task in a CS class is to write code *different from all code that was written before*, generally. In fact, I would go so far to say that when learning to write code, reusing old code is most often a good practice.
As an undergraduate math major, I would occasionally get assigned problems that I had also been assigned in a previous course. I usually would recopy my previous assignment: why not? But I never had a whole course in which the homework was a repeat from a previous course, not even when I took a course that I had taken elsewhere a few years before.
If you don't want your students to reuse material from previous courses, there is an easy solution by the way: don't *yourself* reuse homework assignments from previous courses. Your student could accuse *you* of "self-plagiarism." I think you should take the two self-plagiarism contentions equally seriously or equally unseriously.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Let me start with a preamble. As a student, I rarely attended lectures during the first three years, spending time in various ways I won't delve into here. Nonetheless, I was able to pass the exams, and with excellent grades. Given my past, I'm not inclined to see students punished for attendance (luckily, in my country, attendance is rarely mandatory).
As a professor, though, I am of course interested in having the students attending my courses, but I think that this should be achieved by attracting them rather then punishing them:
1. deliver lively lectures;
2. present the topics in ways different from those of the textbooks;
3. present, if you can, some material that cannot be easily found in standard textbooks;
4. *don't recycle homework or projects*.
Point 4 above is the answer to your question. You don't want the students to resubmit the same homework, reports, labs, whatever? Be the first to do what you ask them: don't reassign the same stuff.
>
> Is this self-plagiarism?
>
>
>
Really, I wouldn't call self-plagiarism giving the same solution to the same problem.
Upvotes: 3
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<issue_start>username_0: I would like to know if it is possible to write and submit a comment/reply to an article that has been published earlier (by oneself). This is because there are new results that underline the findings and conclusions of the previous article that havent been published yet and are not enough material for a seperate publication.
Would this be appropriate or are comments from the same authors not wished for by the editors of the journal?<issue_comment>username_1: Don't do it. Comments are specifically meant as critiques of (possible) problems with published articles. They are not appropriate as ways to elaborate on your own research.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Don't write a comment on your earlier paper. Write a short article and post it on a pre-print server, or submit it to an open-access journal, depending on your field.
Upvotes: 3
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<issue_start>username_0: I recently left a PhD program after finishing my first year. I think one of the biggest driving factors in my decision to leave was the uncomfortable department atmosphere. To add more context, I was the only American in my cohort and the vast majority of the other graduate students in the department (PhD + Masters) were international Chinese students. A situation I found ironic since I was attending a well respected U.S university. My general question is: has anyone else ever found themselves in a similar situation? If so, how did you feel about it and how did grad school turn out for you?
I ask these questions because I am considering reapplying to other PhD programs sometime in the future (maybe a year or two out after trying industry a bit). However I have found it difficult to decide whether or not my experiences are a general trend among other departments or specific to the one I attended. Or maybe the PhD life just isn't for me.
It is hard to describe the problems I had at my program without coming across as xenophobic. The international students were some of the nicest people I knew (and damn smart!). I think everyone I met there deserved to be in the program.
However, having such a predominately Chinese department make up has its pros and cons. For the Chinese students I think this is great. Coming to a new country with a totally different culture is hard and having support makes a huge difference. It probably helps that they also have a very strong cultural connection. But on the flip side, if you weren't Chinese you were excluded from this community. For example, I found it very difficult to join in on most conversations because they were in chinese. It's just super uncomfortable since I pretty much have to go up to a group, ask them what they're talking about and then kind of "force" them to speak english since I'm the only one that doesn't know chinese. And in general the Chinese students only hung out with other Chinese students, with few exceptions.
Perhaps to some, this language/culture barrier might come across as a silly reason to leave, but I liken it to water torture. For me, the feeling of
never connecting to any of my peers over the ensuing days, weeks, and months really added up. By the end I was an absolute wreck and I'm pretty sure I saved at least 10 years of my life span by leaving. Though the decision to leave was not easy. A great deal of the turmoil I experience came from my desire to continue my studies and the equally great desire to get out. I had hoped the PhD life was more than just test, classes, and research. It was really important to me that I make lasting personal relationships within my department.
My field of study was in statistics and a quick google look up shows many other departments in the field have the same problem. However mine was on the small side and I was thinking maybe a (much) bigger program would work. My reasoning being along the lines of being 10% of the population of 10 people is quite different from being 10% out of a 100. Plus bigger departments generally have more diverse research opportunities.
This is just a really strange situation. I feel like the problems I had are typical of a student studying at a foreign university. Except I wasn't.
--Other Thoughts--
I've spoken with a fair number of people and have heard their suggestion/comments. Two very common ones are:
S1: If you can't find friends in your department go make friends else where / go pick up a time consuming hobby.
I agree making friends outside of work is definitely important for stress relief and change of pace. But the department would be a place where I would be spending 5+ years of my life! To not really be part of the community after that amount of time seems .... unfulfilling to me. I don't want to stress over ways to "escape" my department. Granted I never stayed till the end so I'll never know for sure if I could've made it work out, but given how things were going for me I saw it as a very! small possibility.
S2: Grad life is hard and isolating, it's going to be the same everywhere else.
Still trying to decide whether this is true. I was expecting the isolation that may result from long hours of research but not the isolation that is the result of being a cultural misfit.<issue_comment>username_1: In the universe of grad schools, you have *one* data point. Not enough to draw *any* general conclusions about, regarding your potential performance or enjoyment of grad school!
I suggest you take at least one class you're interested in, as a non-matriculated student, before deciding whether to re-apply, and before choosing schools to apply to.
---
On the subject of classmates being (a) foreign students, and (b) nice but intimidating by virtue of being incredibly strong students, I have certainly experienced this, in a variety of environments, as a music student, as a computer science student, and as an applied math student. My experiences were a little different from yours, in that my fellow students were not as culturally and linguistically homogeneous as yours were, but still, based on my experience and what you wrote, I can appreciate that you felt left out and disconnected.
Your idea of attending a larger, more diverse department sounds promising. Also, in the interests of brainstorming, I will offer a few ideas for how to get more connected with international students, with a special focus on Chinese students. (I don't mean that you *should have* done any of these things. I'm just trying to give you some creative ideas for the future.)
* Start a weekly Eurogames club (many of these games can be enjoyed by people who don't share the same language).
* Learn to play Mahjong (ask a fellow student to teach you).
* Start a weekly potluck supper club. This could lead to learning new ways of cooking, and teaching a fellow student new ways of cooking.
* Put a flyer on a bulletin board offering yourself as a practice partner for English conversation. If you help out a recent arrival with weak English conversational skills in this way, chances are that person will be incredibly grateful for your help, and will go out of his way to help you make personal connections with other Chinese students in your department.
* Offer your services (again, via a bulletin board) as an occasional babysitter for a fellow student with a small child. Again, the gratitude you'll earn will take you far.
* Volunteer to interview a different student each month for a department website or internal newsletter.
I hope others will offer additional ideas in the comments, to add to this list.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I have not been in your situation, but I totally understand it. I think I'm reasonably good at my job, but what makes my job (and the jobs I have had before) truly enjoyable is that I have *personal* contact with my colleagues: I can go ask them questions, we go out for lunch, we have coffee together. Not feeling like you belong would take a great deal of enjoyment out of it. In other words, I totally get what it was that frustrated you.
Your post does not contain any concrete question. I read between the lines that you're asking whether you were crazy for leaving. I don't think so -- we're social beings and need to interact with others. Of course you could have just joined a club of some kind, but ultimately, where you will learn the most is in conversations with your fellow students: They have time to discuss, and they are closer to the questions you have not figured out yourself; they also allow you to practice your own thoughts when it's your turn to explain something to others.
I think it is reasonable to think that there are departments that are more diverse. The higher up you go on the rankings scale, the more international applicants universities get. You may have to climb down a step or two, but there will certainly be departments in which one nationality will not be so dominant. But don't climb too far: Interacting with people from around the world is an incredibly enriching experience!
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/14
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<issue_start>username_0: I am 22 years old and I have recently began my first year of grad school. It is very overwhelming. Everyone seems to have more developed thoughts than I do, and all my classmates are 2nd or 3rd year PhD students who speak in metaphors. I have struggled with anxiety and depression for about 5 years now. I have had all kinds of treatment for it. I am currently not being treated for it. About a year ago I decided I did not want to take medicine anymore, and my doctor gave me permission to wean myself off of it. Up until last month I was okay. The way I feel right now I have not felt in two years. My anxiety attacks are prevalent and I am so overwhelmed with sadness I cant get up in the morning or eat. . I have probably about 3/4 attacks a day and because of it I have not been to my class in 3 weeks. I am up to date on all assignments, however, participation is 25% of my grade and I have now missed a total of 4 classes out of 12 overall.
I do not know how to talk to my professor about this. I have crippling anxiety when speaking to professors about my struggle with anxiety due to a bad experience. In my last semester of undergrad, I disclosed to my law professor that I had anxiety in general, and also extreme anxiety when speaking in front of a large group. He essentially told me that he did not care and I needed to get over it. He also said that if i ever tried again to "take an easy way out", he would fail me. Long story short, I got up in front of the class to present my brief and I fainted two minutes in. My professor laughed and made jokes about me and I decided not to apply to law school. I am forever scarred by this and I am tempted to just take a W in this class, but I feel deep down that the right thing to do is talk to my professor first. If anyone has any advice for me, I would really appreciate it. I am just very insecure about this. Sometimes my depression convinces me that I am not depressed at all and I should just get over it, but I don't know how.<issue_comment>username_1: First, everyone feels overwhelmed in grad school, and nearly everyone suffers from [imposter syndrome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome). It isn't just you who feels like everyone around you is better. This isn't likely to help with your illness, obviously, but I think every grad student is better off once they internalize that idea.
As @ff524 pointed out in the comments, the first thing you need to do is go talk to your school's disabilities office. You don't need to go in with a clear picture of how it goes or what you want out of it - **you just need to go in and explain the situation to them just as you did to us.** It's their job to help you, and very often that includes facilitating conversations with your professors as well.
You don't have to go to your professor and throw yourself on their mercy. I understand why you would be traumatized from the awful experience you described, **but understand that what that professor did wasn't just *wrong*, it was likely *illegal***. Faculty have clear obligations that the disabilities office will help them understand and work through, just like they help you.
You should also get in touch with a mental health professional. If you're in a new town away from your old one, go to your school's health center and I'm certain they can refer you.
Basically the only "wrong" thing you could do is to continue doing nothing. Get in and get help right away, and don't feel even remotely bad about doing so. This is *exactly* what those resources are there for.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I have heard depression described as feeling as though one is in a dark hole that there is no way out of. Well, that would certainly make it harder to advocate for oneself! Therefore, you might find it helpful to work with an advocate or a peer mentor, at least in the short term. Such a person can give you a little leg up so you can start to climb out of the dark hole.
Here are some places where you might be able to find an advocate or peer mentor (you can try both the town where you are enrolled in school, as well as the place you were living prior to starting grad school):
* county mental health association
* disability advocacy organization (this might have a variety of titles, such as "independence center"; it's often the place that lends out wheel chairs and walkers to people who have had a recent injury -- in addition to a whole lot of other services)
* National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) chapter
* disability awareness student club at your university
If I've left something important off this list, I hope others will fill in additional ideas through comments.
I imagine that the depression itself may be contributing to your feeling that talking to a professor or administrator at the university would be useless. Also, your previous negative experiences in this area did not help!
It is very true, as @ff524 said, that there is much that a university student disability office can do, and I concur that getting connected with yours would be very worthwhile. As she pointed out, they can, among other things:
* arrange for accommodations that will make it easier for you to
function academically during difficult periods
* assist with making your instructors aware that you are working with a special challenge, and help them understand what your accommodations are
* arrange a medical withdrawal if you opt for that
There are two things I want you to know about university student disability offices before you contact them:
* Although there may be someone there who may lend a sympathetic ear, and this in itself can do a person a world of good, I expect they will require medical documentation of your condition before doing anything tangible for you.
* Some of these offices do not have, shall we say, a *good bedside manner*. Some do, some don't.
Even if your student disabilities office is one of the really good ones, ultimately it is going to be up to you to figure out what accommodations would be helpful for *you*. There is some trial and error to figuring this out, of course.
In advocating for my thirteen-year-old son, who has Tourette Syndrome, OCD, ADHD and anxiety (and has also dealt with some periods of depression), I have found it helpful to learn as much as I can about his conditions, and brainstorm accommodations by reading lists of accommodations that other students with his conditions have found helpful. I took a tiny glance on the web for university level accommodations for depression and anxiety; here are two links to get you started in this exploration:
<http://www.disabilityrightsnc.org/sites/default/files/2013%20Higher%20Ed%20Self-Advocacy%20Packet%20Students%20with%20MI.pdf>
<https://cpr.bu.edu/resources/reasonable-accommodations/what-accommodations-support-school-performance>
And now I suppose I should say something about treatment. Both cognitive behavioral treatment and pharmacological approaches can take time to show improvement in symptoms. Of course, a delay in deciding whether to start or re-start treatment would result in further delays. I think that's all I want to say on that topic.
At this point in my answer, I would like to encourage you to reread the beginning section, about the potential usefulness of working with an advocate or a peer mentor.
I must say that despite the negatives that you wrote about with great honesty in your question, the self-awareness you showed is a very good sign. Let us know how it goes!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: On top of the already good answers given by @username_1.L and @username_2, I just wanted to give an extra tip since I have dealt with this **a lot** (runs in my family).
You have problems, and they've already had an effect on your performance. That's now part of your history. The future, on the other hand, is still fair game. Obviously you wish those problems would go away so you could have a better future, but you feel that's impossible because you've already screwed up badly and don't think your problems will go away. Now, you can't change the past and you will likely have those emotional/mental issues forever, **but you are in control of how much you let those problems affect your daily life starting now.**
You know when you lie in bed for hours, dwelling on all your regrets (academics, research, love, overall self-worth, etc.)? You know when you go about your day and can't stop thinking about how screwed you are? Here's what I tell myself: "I've got deep seated emotional problems and a long-list of screw ups, so it's quite likely that I am a no-good loser with a bleak future. However, if I start trying to fix my future now (e.g. by coming up with a rational plan and putting into action), it can only become better, and that's worth something."
I know this all might sound obvious, but for a long time I had always subconsciously separated my problems and my dwellings on those problems. I was only able to start feeling better after I realized that thinking about those problems was a problem by itself, and that I could in fact fix it by just forcing myself to only do things that would make things better (of course, against my mopey-self's will).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: I'm going to also add my perspective: Professors are people to. They have spouses, children, parents, and friends who may have depression and other mental health problems, diagnosed or undiagnosed, treated or not. They're also usually a couple or three decades older, so they have seen such issues in their lives for a much longer time. They may suffer from the same issues as you do.
What I want to say is that you should *expect*, exceptions such as the one that you cite not withstanding, that the professors you talk to *care* about these issues because they've seen them in their personal lives. Make them part of your solution and let them help you.
I recognize that not everyone will be in a position to do so -- you reference one example. But if you take the courage to talk to a few people who you have had good interactions with, chances are you will find someone who is willing to talk to you about it, and willing to help find ways to help you!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: Professors are chosen based on their research track record, funding they obtained, and personal relationships. Teaching and social skills play only a minor role in the selection process, and while universities try to offer training, few make use of such offers. While school teachers usually are trained in paedagogy, university professors are usually *not*!
Thus, **professors tend to have very little (i.e. no) training for such situations**, either. They will not be able to help you much, you *are* likely better off with a professional doctor and the university services. I'm pretty sure there is a counseling service that can also talk to your professors.
Furthermore, professors do get a lot of bad excuses presented, including very weird claims. So they tend to apply a simple rule: you need to present a (e.g. medical) certificate that you were unable to take the test, or e.g. require some special treatment. You can get such certificates in the responsible offices at the university.
And they are probably even advised by the legal department to do exactly this: delegate to the responsible people.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: Recently I submitted a manuscript to an international journal. It was accepted with a minor revision, but I am worried about the reviewers’ comments. The first reviewer commented that the paper is well written but it still needs some English improvements. The second reviewer also commented that English improvements are required.
I have gotten similar comments regarding English in my earlier publications, but in those times I used to submit manuscripts without making an English native check. (However, I always do an English native check after getting comments about English.)
This time, I submitted my manuscript after making an English native check by a reputed company (who had worked for my earlier publications). The only modifications I made after this check were those suggested by the language check service: for example, where they said to add a "the" in a sentence. I added a "the". I didn't make any modifications other than those I was directed to make by the language check service.
Still, I got a similar suggestion to improve the English.
So what should I think about the reviews? Is it a frequent feedback that all reviewers give?<issue_comment>username_1: The reviewers don't know whether or not you hired a company to check your article. All they see is your article, and apparently they both saw too many errors in there.
The fact that your article was checked by a reputable company does not mean there are no errors: there are wildly different levels of service they can offer, ranging from a quick check by a student who is a native speaker, to a detailed check by a specialized team consisting of an official translator who is a native English speaker, an official translator who has the same mother tongue as you do, and someone who knows something about the discipline you are working in. The latter will probably get you a better result, but will cost a lot more. Your company can offer any level of service along this range and be reputable, as long as the company clearly communicates what is offering.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Unfortunately, there is not much to interpret. If the reviewers found your English to be below the journal's standard, you really have no other choice than to accept this. Language standards seem to differ somewhat between different journals, with some being stricter than others, and in general the comment that you received is not simply a default (see [this answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/61113/31917) for details).
Since you were asked to make "minor revisions", there won't be another round of reviewing. You will most likely have to briefly explain those revisions in your cover letter, but ultimately it is up to you how much work you put into them.
Another question altogether is how to improve the language of the manuscript or whether you could get a refund from the editing service. There are various answer to questions like these on this site ([1](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/2137/how-to-find-ways-to-proofread-english-in-papers), [2](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/47449/how-should-i-handle-poor-english-in-reviewing-an-article-that-claims-to-be-proof), [3](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/46586/how-can-i-proof-read-my-own-work-more-effectively), [4](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/61109/is-it-normal-that-journals-strongly-suggest-a-professional-english-editing-servi)).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: There are several possibilities here, although generally they all have the same solution.
The English is poor or incorrect and the company did not check it well
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It is possible that the company that checked your article did a bad job. This happens. Maybe the service did not have a native English speaker check your article. Maybe they had a bad day. Maybe they don't provide good service, and you just got lucky on previous times. It's hard to say.
The English is grammatical, but not idiomatic
---------------------------------------------
It is possible that the company that checked your article fixed all the grammatical mistakes, but that there are still some phrasings which are not idiomatic or particularly natural. This is essentially a function of how *detailed* the corrections were. For example, here is the first paragraph of your post:
>
> Recently I had submitted a Manuscript to an International Journal. Though it is accepted as a Minor revision, but I am worried about the reviewer's comment. First reviewer has commented that the Paper is well written, still needs some English improvements. Second reviewer has also commented that English improvements is required.
>
>
>
There are some small grammatical errors, and I can correct them as follows (in bold):
>
> Recently I had submitted a **m**anuscript to an **i**nternational **j**ournal. Though it ~~is~~ **was** accepted as a **m**inor revision, ~~but~~ I am worried about the reviewer's comment. **The** **f**irst reviewer has commented that the **p**aper is well written, **but** still needs some English improvements. **The** **s**econd reviewer has also commented that English improvements ~~is~~ **are** required.
>
>
>
While this paragraph is now grammatically correct, it still does not feel like it was written by a native speaker, and the way some words are used is a little odd. (E.g. using *though* and *but* in the second sentence; you really only need one of them.) So, a more thorough checking would suggest edits like the following:
>
> Recently I ~~had~~ submitted a **m**anuscript to an **i**nternational **j**ournal. Though it ~~is~~ **was** accepted ~~as a Minor revision~~ **pending minor revisions**, ~~but~~ I am worried about the reviewer**s**'~~s~~ comment**s**. **The f**irst reviewer ~~has~~ commented that the **p**aper is well written, **but** still needs some English improvements. **The s**econd reviewer ~~has~~ also commented that English improvements ~~is~~ **are** required.
>
>
>
The checking service could have done the first step (making it grammatically correct) without following through on the second step (making it idiomatic). The second step is much harder, of course, as it requires knowledge of what style is appropriate for your field (and for the journal you are writing for), and, to some extent, it requires technical knowledge of whatever you're writing about.
The English is fine, the reviewer is just being picky
-----------------------------------------------------
Academic articles are complex and often involve detailed theoretical or technical discussion. At times, they can be hard to follow. Sometimes this complexity is interpreted as poor language skills, and reviewers complain. I know more than one *native English speaker* who has received reviews asking them to check their article with a native speaker. In essence, this criticism relates to how the content is presented rather than linguistic concerns like grammaticality or phrasing.
The solution
------------
It is not easily possible for you to determine right now which of the above scenarios has happened. However, a big help would be for you to show the manuscript to a trusted colleague who is a native speaker of English, and ask them how it reads. If the English is really atrocious, then you know you have a problem with the checking service; if there are some unusual phrases but it's otherwise fine, then you know the problem is that it's occasionally un-idiomatic; and if there are no obvious problems, then it's probably just an issue of reviewer interpretation.
The other step you should take is to re-read your manuscript and attempt to make complex exposition more clear. (This is a step I advise everyone to do at basically every stage of the writing process...) This will help your article in the case that the English was fine but the reviewer was just confused.
Finally, breathe and relax. Your article was accepted, congratulations! Clearly the reviewers and the editor thought that the scientific content was sufficient to merit publication.
Upvotes: 8 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: >
> Is it a common comment that all reviewers do?
>
>
>
It's a comment I saw several times at the beginning of my career, but with a little attention it became rarer and rarer.
I think that there can be two issues.
First, as remarked by ff524, if you modify the text after the language check, you can introduce errors that go undetected. I'm a non-native English speaker too, but I can recognize many grammar errors in your question: don't take it as a judgement, but you really ought to consider that you might have introduced new errors.
Second, the English proofreader likely lacks the technical knowledge to understand the details of your manuscript, and they might involuntarily introduce other errors.
As a non-native speaker, I frequently use the correction service freely offered by my university; however, I work side by side with the proofreader to explain the technical usage of certain words. For instance, in my field, we use the word *realization* with an uncommon acceptation (you can find an explanation in [this answer](https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/276357/111969) on Physics.SE) which typically makes the proofreader comment: "Are you sure that you want to use *realization* here?". A proofreader left alone would probably modify *realization* with a technically incorrect word.
Here are my 2 cents:
1. Work together with the proofreader.
2. Avoid modifying the text after the last check, until you have improved your mastery of English.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: I don't think that a translator can really proofread a technical paper. When I have written the first paper, for proofreading I have given it to a peer who is working in a related topic, and also to an english teacher. After I have read the corrections, they both have done crucial mistakes related to the ideas presented in the manuscript and adapted the text in a wrong way. Although the style in the paper was improved, not all the changes were properly made, and I had to recheck all the sentences. In the end, don't thrust too much in someone else who have not worked on the paper and don't understand the paper to proofread the final version.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: You shouldn't take it so hard. You are probably a great scientist.
Anyway, it matters that your paper follows a logical progression of words to the main observations and conclusions. That comes with experience. However, the English language does not make a lot of sense. For example, a pineapple isn't any kind of apple. Similarly, "heads up" does not mean to lift your head up. It means to get down on the ground to dodge something. Of course, this isn't scientific lingo.
What I suggest that you do is that you ask one of your department colleagues, who has a general understanding of the subject matter, such as bioinformatics, to review your paper in a personal matter sharing some coffee. I'm sure a fellow researcher would be glad to help you because if your research publication gets high marks, then the institution gets higher marks.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/14
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<issue_start>username_0: I am surprised that some of the most historic universities in continental Europe are ranked above 100 on an average. I specifically have in mind University of Gottingen and University of Vienna. I am assuming that at the peak of their fame, they were rubbing shoulders with the best in the anglo-sphere. What caused the slide in reputation? I have heard that in Germany, Nazism caused the emigration of a lot of talented people. Or is it just that the ranking methodology is biased towards universities in the UK and the US? As someone interested in the history of scientists and scientific institutions, it seems somewhat odd.<issue_comment>username_1: The emigration wave indeed quite dramatically contributed to the decline of at least German research (and, indirectly, due to invasion of neighbouring countries - Bohr, for instance was evacuated - "pseudo-kidnapped" - by the Americans from Denmark). One anecdote was that <NAME> was asked by the Nazi minister of education, Rust, how mathematics was in Göttingen, now that it had been "cleansed". Hilbert famously replied that there was no mathematics anymore at Göttingen.
Recommended, very well researched reading: <NAME>, Scientists under Hitler.
One more aspect to be mentioned, of course, is the concomitant rise of the military-industrial complex in the US which was fueled by the exorbitant success of the Manhattan project which showed how foundational science could be converted into direct, tangible uses (again not insignificantly by virtue of the scientists who fled Europe). This, of course, motivated a pouring of inordinate amounts of funding into research in the US, and created a self-perpetuating and -promoting cycle over many decades.
An interesting observation is that these outwardly disparate mechanisms are linked in quite subtle ways.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: First: Rankings are just rankings and are, to a large degree, arbitrary. (Shameless plug: [Here is an article](http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11205-016-1416-0) ([arxiv version here](http://arxiv.org/abs/1608.04556)) that shows that for some specific database many players can get to the top rank just by fiddling around with some weights.)
Second: Just as some universities gain reputation, other lose some. That's pretty normal, isn't it?
Last, some trivia: You are probably even more surprised that some universities of some fame in the old days do not even exist anymore. Stupid example: Gauß got his PhD from the [University of Helmstedt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Helmstedt), a town that has nowaday less inhabitants than some German universities have students… Another example I know of is the University of Rinteln. However, it is hard to judge the standing of these universities at that times. Alas, university rankings did not exist some 300 years ago…
Upvotes: 3
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2016/10/14
| 750
| 2,825
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<issue_start>username_0: I am a junior researcher.
Recently I was able to prove a result in Graph Theory. I wish to know whether this result is already known in the existing literature of Graph Theory. I am not an expert in searching articles. I used Google and browse through some of the articles in vain.
I shared my result with my advisor. However, since he is not an expert of this field, he couldn't answer to my query.
I was wondering how academic reasearchers tackle this kind of situations. How do you make a good search to find the articles as close to possible to a related work?<issue_comment>username_1: The emigration wave indeed quite dramatically contributed to the decline of at least German research (and, indirectly, due to invasion of neighbouring countries - Bohr, for instance was evacuated - "pseudo-kidnapped" - by the Americans from Denmark). One anecdote was that <NAME> was asked by the Nazi minister of education, Rust, how mathematics was in Göttingen, now that it had been "cleansed". Hilbert famously replied that there was no mathematics anymore at Göttingen.
Recommended, very well researched reading: <NAME>, Scientists under Hitler.
One more aspect to be mentioned, of course, is the concomitant rise of the military-industrial complex in the US which was fueled by the exorbitant success of the Manhattan project which showed how foundational science could be converted into direct, tangible uses (again not insignificantly by virtue of the scientists who fled Europe). This, of course, motivated a pouring of inordinate amounts of funding into research in the US, and created a self-perpetuating and -promoting cycle over many decades.
An interesting observation is that these outwardly disparate mechanisms are linked in quite subtle ways.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: First: Rankings are just rankings and are, to a large degree, arbitrary. (Shameless plug: [Here is an article](http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11205-016-1416-0) ([arxiv version here](http://arxiv.org/abs/1608.04556)) that shows that for some specific database many players can get to the top rank just by fiddling around with some weights.)
Second: Just as some universities gain reputation, other lose some. That's pretty normal, isn't it?
Last, some trivia: You are probably even more surprised that some universities of some fame in the old days do not even exist anymore. Stupid example: Gauß got his PhD from the [University of Helmstedt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Helmstedt), a town that has nowaday less inhabitants than some German universities have students… Another example I know of is the University of Rinteln. However, it is hard to judge the standing of these universities at that times. Alas, university rankings did not exist some 300 years ago…
Upvotes: 3
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2016/10/14
| 1,261
| 5,306
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<issue_start>username_0: The project I work on has numerous members -- several graduate students, a couple of postdocs, and my advisor. We meet every other week to discuss progress and update one another on our status. Almost to a point these meetings run over, as we continuously find ourselves in tangential discussions.
One effect that I've noticed from these tangents is that certain individuals in the group tend to get interrupted more than others. Specifically, there's a single female postdoc (hereafter referred to as *postdoc A*) in the group, and it seems to me that she gets interrupted more often than anyone else.
There are multiple guilty parties here -- my advisor, the other postdoc (who is male and is hereafter referred to as *postdoc B*), even my labmates and I (the other graduate students). We (my labmates and I) have noticed this and are making a strong effort to no longer interrupt postdoc A while she is speaking. My advisor and postdoc B seem to be oblivious to this, and often times will discuss potential ideas and pitfalls *about postdoc A's research during her own presentation*.
I'm guessing there may be multiple factors at play -- issues of gender, societal norms (postdocs A and B and my advisor are all from different countries outside the US, while my labmates and I are all from the US), power dynamics, etc. And I also realize that I'm a bit biased here -- I work most closely with postdoc A, so I have a sense of loyalty toward her especially. But it's gotten out of hand in my opinion, and I'm not sure as a student how to best assist her.
[This post](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/20435/how-to-conduct-an-effective-regular-group-meeting) has some suggestions for students and advisors on how to conduct effective group meetings, but it doesn't directly address this issue. I'd appreciate any advice the Academia S.E. community has on how I, as a student, can best support this postdoc during group meetings.<issue_comment>username_1: This sort of thing has roots way beyond academia. There is a lot about the dynamics of women having difficulty being spoken over in meetings (though I imagine it could apply without respect to gender too, based on differing levels of assertiveness). Maybe a few things to try:
1. When someone, even your advisor, talks over her, say "Wait, what were you about to say?" *addressed to her*, so it's not directly confrontational toward the interrupter. This is as opposed to something like "Wait, let postdoc A finish" addressed to the interrupter, which is more confrontational. That is, assuming you want to avoid a confrontation with your advisor.
2. Mention it casually to her after a meeting. She might appreciate and/or be emboldened by the support. Something like "What was it you were going to finish saying before soandso took over?" This way you show you're both interested in what she had to say and also noticed that she was talked over in the meeting.
3. Wait until the interrupter finishes, then bring the focus of the meeting back to postdoc A. "Sorry, what were you about to say earlier?" or "Hey, postdoc A, what was it you were saying about X a minute ago?" This is probably the safest thing to try, and if you do it enough the others might even get the point!
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Great answer from username_1 L. Related to idea #1, it can help to *look* at postdoc A.
If Postdoc A is comfortable doing this, she can try some interruption deflection techniques. Here's an example. Suppose she got interrupted while she was trying to say, `"What we found most interesting about these results --"`. The trick is to repeat just the beginning part several times in a row until the others stop talking: "What we found most -- what we found most -- what we found most interesting about these results was etc." You don't have to raise your volume a lot for this to work, but it does help to use a slightly higher *pitch* than normal, remain very calm, and kind of extend that last word "most" a little extra.
A person who interrupts is successful with his interruption if someone else responds to what he says. What I'm getting from your question is that Dr. Prof and Postdoc B provide these responses to each other. That could be hard for a bystander like you to interfere with.
I wonder, since you work closely with Postdoc A, if you and she could make some co-presentations. It would take careful preparation, agreeing ahead of time on your content and your outline, and who's going to present what.
I have no way of knowing if things have reached the point where you'd like to ask the university for help, but if they have, it might be worth talking to your Title IX coordinator about what's going on.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I do not know about the culture of your research environment, but in my experience, the purpose of group meetings is discussion. Presentations get interrupted frequently, and the advantages and disadvantages of particular research are discussed bluntly and openly within the group. If A is interrupted and B is not, then that may mean B is boring.
It may be that some members of your group are interrupting inappropriately, possibly for sexist reasons. But don't assume interruptions are necessarily bad.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/15
| 1,758
| 7,532
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<issue_start>username_0: I am in my 3rd year of PhD. I am doing my PhD on Computational Biology, with a background of purely Computer Science. Since I am under pressure to publish 4 more journal papers, apart from my review, I am always in a hurry to do the same. What I have noticed for this field is that if I predict something, I need to provide biological validation for my result. Why so?
Is biological validation not the work of biologists? How can a computer science student provide biological validation for his/her prediction? Isn't our job just to predict? Why do the journals want biological validation for the results?
I did a prediction job, where I predicted some proteins to do a particular function. I communicated it to the Molecular BioSystems Journal. They rejected it saying I have no biological validation. If biologists are the one with the final say, then what point do we have in working in this domain? Whatever we predict would be questioned.<issue_comment>username_1: Always look at the literature,
If you are doing thermodynamics work, the biological validation will probably come from isothermal titration calorimetry studies. One can get entropy, enthalpy, and Gibbs Free Energy from that alone.
If you are doing protein folding work, the validation will probably come from some form of either fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) or High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with the main difference being that FPLC appears to be more often used for analysis, purification, and extraction from a complicated matrix, while HPLC is for analysis. The critical difference of either case is the choice of column which is for extraction of hyrophilic/hydrophobic proteins, or specific proteins which are usually retrieved by affinity chromatography binding antigens or antibodies to a column. Another technique is to clone a polyhistadine tag into the a protein from the extracted DNA via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to exponentially increase the original concentration of DNA. Critical segments must then be spliced with endonucleases and transcribed/translated into proteins. These proteins will have the polyhistidine tag which will bind to nickle in the column and everything else washes out.
If you are doing ensemble work of the functions of whole protein families, then please pick a family of proteins that you would like to study such as the heat shock proteins (HSPs), receptor tyrosinase proteins, histone proteins, efflux pumps, etc. The biological validation for this informatics work using comes from microarray experiments, running lots of proteins on an electrophoresis gel to determine their size, or even mass spectrometry which tells a researcher the those of a protein.
If your research does not match up with the literature, it does not necessarily mean that you are wrong. For example, in the nightshade plant, antifreeze proteins were only found in the plant in the months of November and December, but not in September and October, if I remember correctly. That means that temperature drop induced the formation of the antifreeze proteins only when it was really cold. After the cold season, the proteins are probably just destroyed completely.
Here is a little information about how temperature influences the existence of antifreeze proteins in the plant Nightshade:
<http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1014062714786>
The whole protein network of a plant can change in response to chemical stress, heat stress, species differences in a family of plants, age, species differences, or competitive parisitosis. I expect the same to be true for animals, where especially solution is very important. Is the solution fully acqueous, with phosphate buffered saline, blood serum, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, etc?
If you want to ask scientists questions about the matter, check out ResearchGate. It has high marks from lots prominent reporting groups.
<https://www.researchgate.net/>
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: Biological validation doesn't necessarily mean that you need to do experiments to verify the computational results. There are many computational papers published without any accompanying experimental results (of course it would be fantastic if you can, either by yourself or in collaboration with experimentalists.) The real question here is whether you provide a biological context in which to put and assess your work. No matter whether your work is experimental or quantitative, you need to demonstrate that you understand the previous work done on the biological system that you are trying to study: what has been discovered, what are the interesting questions, how do your results build on/confirm/disprove previous work etc. You need to demonstrate that your work is relevant to the biologists working in the field in the sense that it attempts to address the relevant biological questions (or asks a new question that despite its importance has never been considered) and provide unique insight that is difficult if not impossible to obtain from experiments. Biologists are not interested in theory/computation for its own sake, and the failure to connect such work to the experimental reality is one of the biggest stumbling block for people with a "hard science" background working in biology.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> I am always in a hurry to do the same. What I have noticed for this
> field is that if I predict something, I need to provide biological
> validation for my result. Why so?
>
>
>
Because this is how one knows if your results are correct and useful. A prediction is nothing if it hasn't been evaluated. The field is littered with predictions that turn out to be nonsense, only hold up under very narrow circumstances, etc.
>
> Is biological validation not the work of biologists?
>
>
>
No more than it would be if a biologist said "I just developed this algorithm, proving it's correct is the work of a computer scientist."
Beyond that, there's no reason for them to do so. "I've made an arbitrary prediction, anyone want to validate it?" is going to be met with a resounding "No" - the biologists have their own work to do.
>
> How can a computer science student provide biological validation for
> his/her prediction? Isn't our job just to predict?
>
>
>
No, it's your job to provide useful results. Validated predictions are useful. Just predictions are not.
As people have noted, there are a number of ways to validate a prediction. Existing data, or even simulated data based on known biological patterns, might be sufficient. If no such data exists, it's time to find a collaborator.
>
> Why do the journals want biological validation for the results?
>
>
>
Because anything else is just speculation.
>
> I did a prediction job, where I predicted some proteins to do a
> particular function. I communicated it to the Molecular BioSystems
> Journal. They rejected it saying I have no biological validation. If
> biologists are the one with the final say, then what point do we have
> in working in this domain? Whatever we predict would be questioned.
>
>
>
Do you know that it was rejected by a biologist? There's a number of computer scientists I know who would have rejected such a paper for having no biological validation. Beyond that, your "point" in working in the field is to generate those predictions and evaluate their correctness. The latter part is *also* an aspect of good computational biology.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]
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<issue_start>username_0: Is it **appropriate** (I type 'common' in the original post)for graduate students to draft the research proposal for their advisor’s funding application (like NIH’s or NSF’s grant application) ?
* in the field of Biomedical research.
* major grant proposal, like NIH's or NSF's)
* Is this behavior allowed? Although it is OK and somewhat common for graduate students to draft grant proposal in our country, I'm not sure the situation in US or Canada. I do not know if I should write this thing in the personal statement for PhD application.<issue_comment>username_1: I see nothing morally wrong with this. As a graduate student, you need to learn to write papers and applications, and being a part of a writing team for a grant proposal sounds like a great opportunity to learn. That's why I discuss my proposals with all my grad students and postdocs when I write them, so they get to see "how the sausage is made".
I tend to think that if this proposal will fund your own research, then not only is it *appropriate* for your to participate in, but can even be *expected*.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: In experimental fields, this is not exactly a routine practice, but it is not rare either. Especially in a sizable lab with a large number of graduate students, multiple grants are needed to support all the work going on. It takes a substantial amount of time to prepare a grant proposal, and most proposals are not funded, so working to get grants can be a major drain on a PI's time. If a graduate student can do some of the work, that may be the most efficient use of laboratory resources.
And an experience graduate student is likely to be the person with the best practical understanding of what precisely they are doing in the lab. The student should understand the significance and the challenges of what they are planning to study further, and including that specific knowledge can help to make the best case for funding a proposal. That being said, I would not expect a student two write an entire proposal (including all the parts of the proposal describing logistics and budgeting), nor would I expect their discussion of the research aspect to be used without substantial editing by the PI.
Moreover, regardless of what career path they eventually take, it will be important for the students to be able to explain cogently what they are working on and why it is important. Having a student write a draft describing the research they want to undertake may be a good way of teaching these skills.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: There's nothing at all wrong with it. You are part of the lab. It is a proposal to fund the lab (and you, by extension). And really, I've always felt my lab to be really a team-based atmosphere. Sure, the advisor was in charge and had final say and everyone has their individual projects, but they all should be pulling in the same direction.
Furthermore, as a graduate student, the proposal will either (a) be based significantly on the work you have done, or (b) be work you will do. Or (perhaps most likely) both. In any case, you have perspectives and ideas that even the PI does not have, so you should contribute whenever possible.
I was lucky to be involved in several proposals while in graduate school (Including NSF, ARPA-E, so fairly major ones). Not to say I "enjoyed" proposal writing, but it was/is a skill that as served me well in my post-academia career, and really has allowed my to contribute in my current position. And, it's worth noting that the technical writing skills of proposal writing translate fairly well to report writing, and really paper writing. Honestly, reading some of the journal papers out there, I wish more students got more involved in technical writing opportunities earlier in their careers.
Upvotes: 3
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2016/10/15
| 447
| 1,790
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm an international applicant and I'm not very familiar with the routines of admissions in United States. I was wondering if I get admitted from a university and accepting their offer and while trying to get F-1 visa for it, I get another admission from another university, would I be eligible to accept the admission offer of the latter university or not?<issue_comment>username_1: You are only allowed to accept admission at one university. As soon as you do so, you should contact all other universities to which you applied, and tell them you have chosen another school and are withdrawing your application.
If you accept admission at University X, then withdraw it and accept admission at University Y instead in the same year, it's considered unethical behavior, and Y might rescind your admission if they find out.
Most US universities use coordinated acceptance deadlines, so you should know exactly which schools have admitted you before you have to choose one.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I've asked this question from a university in U.S. and they provided me this answer:
>
> This is probably do-able, but you would likely end up losing the
> deposit (if you made one) at the other institution.
>
>
> Ethically, this might be a gray area. But that would be up to you to
> determine what you are comfortable with.
>
>
>
Another university said:
>
> Yes, as long as you do withdraw from consideration to the other PhD
> program in March/April, then you would most certainly be eligible for
> our CS PhD program.
>
>
>
So I think however this is not very ethically a correct action but is not forbidden and those who have previously accepted an offer would have this chance to change their mind.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]
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2016/10/15
| 1,964
| 7,730
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<issue_start>username_0: Having recently received a PhD in Economics from a European university, I am entering the academic job market for economists this year. I am targeting research-intense, PhD-granting universities in the U.S. and Canada. I am thinking about Tier 4-5 institutions (certainly not Tier 1 or 2, I do not think I would have a chance there).
I am now trying to wrap my head around the quoted salaries for tenure-track assistant professorships. Having little clue of 9 vs. 12 month appointments, notions like "nominal academic year salary" and the like, I am trying to figure the gross annual salaries from the job adds. After that I am interested in deriving the corresponding net salaries; my lack of familiarity with the U.S. or the Canadian tax systems certainly does not help here.
For example, ["Survey of the Labor Market for New Ph.D. Hires In Economics 2015-16"](http://cber.uark.edu/files/2015-16_New_PhD_Labor_Market_Survey_Report.pdf) reports "expected and actual offers" on p. 8. Should I understand this is the actual annual gross salary, or should I divide or multiply it by 9/12, or add or deduct something?
Similarly, ["American Economic Association Universal Academic Questionnaire Summary Statistics"](https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.106.5.680) (2016) list "nominal academic year salaries" in their tables. Are these the actual gross annual salaries, or..?
Once you help me figure out how to infer the gross annual salary, the next step would be to tell approximately what net salary that would correspond to. Should I expect to earn, say, 60,000 net given 100,000 gross? When I say "net", I am interested in hard cash going directly into my pocket. I would not consider any pension or insurance contributions that circumvent my pocket as part of the net salary. I am interested in how much money I would have at the end of the day to pay the bills and to put food on my family's table.
In short, what I am looking for is a brief introduction into the U.S./Canadian academic salary accounting accompanied with a couple of examples.
**Edit:** The first two answers focus more (although not entirely) on gross vs. net salaries (where taxes etc. feature prominently). However, I am still very much interested in how to read the job adds as well as tables with salary comparisons. That is, does the nominal figure typically equal the gross annual salary, or not exactly? What about my two examples mentioned above?<issue_comment>username_1: In the United States, the "academic year" consists of the 9 months that comprise the fall and spring semesters. This is the period during which you are formally employed by the university and receive a salary. These 9 months also define what salary you are essentially *guaranteed*. However, it is possible that you will also get a salary for the remaining 3 months; for example, if you have grants from a funding agency or from industry, or if your department runs a summer program and you teach during these months. You can inquire with the head of the department that made you an offer whether they run a summer teaching program, and what your chances would be to get an assignment to teach. In other words, your salary *may* be up to 4/3 of the nominal, academic year salary, but that is not guaranteed.
How much of this money ends up in your pocket depends on a number of factors that are hard to estimate without knowing more:
* You can look up the Federal tax rate for this income. If you're single, I would think that you have to estimate a tax rate somewhere in the 20-25% range on your total salary, including the 6.2% social security tax. But it may be significantly less if you have family and your spouse is not working.
* Some but not all states (and in some cases, cities) have a state income tax. You can also look that up. Many states use a flat percentage of your income, typically somewhere in the 4-8% range. I don't know whether that includes deductions for dependents.
* Retirement: Most universities have switched to a 401(k) system where you get no benefits from the university after retiring and both you and the university instead pays into an account over the time of your employment from which you can later draw money in retirement. Depending on university and state, you will have to expect to pay 6-10% of your total income into this account.
* Health insurance: If your health insurance has to cover only yourself, then you can expect that your employer picks up all or almost all of the cost. On the other hand, if you have family that needs to be insured, then you have to expect that your share of health insurance will be in the range of $500 per month (for only a spouse) or larger (if you have children).
So if you add all of this together, if you start with $100k per year, you'll end up with maybe $100k-25%-5%-8%=$62k in your pocket if you're single, plus or minus several thousand dollars. But it may be quite different if you had family, depending on the state you're employed in, and any number of other factors.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The practice of calculating "net" salaries is not done in the US, because the governments tax your total income, not your salary, and the way it works depends on a number of factors that will vary between different people.
These are the major deductions from your salary:
* Social security and medicare: 7.65% of your salary
* Medical and related insurance: This differs from employer to employer, and you will also have a choice of insurance plans, some of which provide better coverage than others and some of which will cover a spouse and children as well as yourself. Expect to pay somewhere between $100 and $500 a month. (Keep in mind this is only about a quarter of the total cost - the rest is paid by your employer.)
* Retirement: Usually this is entirely up to you, from 0-15% of your salary. You put a certain amount of money into an account that is invested for you. The income tax (see later) on the money you put into the account is deferred; instead of paying it now, you pay it when you take the money out after your retirement, which is a big advantage (because get earn interest on what you otherwise would have paid in tax). Your employer is likely to match some of what you put in as a way of encouraging you to put in some money.
* Income tax: Every year in April, every American has to calculate and pay their income tax. You add up all your income (including income from investments and in theory the $5 value of the beer your neighbor bought you for feeding their dog while they were gone), subtract a myriad of deductions (for example, you have a personal exemption of about $3000 per person in your household, plus you either get a standard deduction of about $5000, or you can instead choose to itemize deductions which allow you to deduct state taxes, large medical expenses, interest you pay on a home mortgage, and a few other items), and look up a table to see how much you owe. To collect their money sooner, the government requires that at least 90% of what you owe for the year is deducted from your paycheck. Most people just elect the simple option of using the standard formula for paycheck deductions, but you actually have a lot of control over this process, and if you get it wrong and had less than 90% prepaid, you have to pay a fine with your taxes. (If you have over 100% prepaid, you get a refund.)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: The salaries listed in the documents you've referred to are 9 month gross salaries. Opportunities for additional summer salary vary tremendously, so don't just assume that you'll be able to earn 4/3 of the 9 months salary.
Upvotes: 3
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| 1,093
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<issue_start>username_0: I want to cite `polyfit` function described in : <https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/polyfit.html>
How can I cite it? Specially in bibtex format?
I don't know if I should point to the URL or use MATLAB trademark and the software version...<issue_comment>username_1: Since `polyfit` is a basic Matlab function, you could reference the Matlab Function Reference book (pdf) for the version of Matlab you are using. It would be appropriate to reference the page number of were the function is decsribed in your text. The manual is easily added as a book. The references can be found on the [Mathworks web](https://se.mathworks.com/help/pdf_doc/matlab/index.html).
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: If you are only interested in the algorithm and not in its specific implementation in Matlab, consider citing an article or a textbook that describes it, rather than its implementation. In your case, for instance, `polyfit` does least-squares polynomial fitting (with a fixed degree), which you can find described in many textbooks.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/15
| 669
| 2,948
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<issue_start>username_0: How to politely describe a situation where you have no publication because both you and the advisor are inexperienced in a new research topic?
1. The lab previously only did research on **topic** A (e.g. protein factors) and lacked the experimental conditions for conducting research on **topic** B (e.g. circular RNAs), which is a very hot topic recently. BTW, which word should be used? **topic, subject, field or area**?
2. The student is the first and only one that conducted the project on the new topic.
3. The student started from scratch and faced many difficulties. The advisor was willing to but sometimes powerless to help when the student got stuck.
4. However, there is no publication after several years, since both the student and the advisor lack experience in the new research topic.
I do not know how to politely describe such situation from two distinct perspectives：
1. From my advisor’s perspective: I requested my advisor a letter of recommendation for PhD application. He suggested that I write a draft first.
2. From my perspective: I need to describe it in my personal statement.
However, I do not know how to politely describe such situation and meanwhile let the reviewer understand why I have no publication on this topic. Also, I am afraid my PS and the ROL draft would make him seem inexperienced in the new field or look like that I’m blaming him, which is rude and arrogant.<issue_comment>username_1: You could ask your advisor for a "reference" as to why your publication was unsuccessful?
This may be sufficient evidence to support the fact that it "wasn't your fault" (for want of a better phrase), and the resources just simply weren't there.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: I suspect the answer for this strongly depends on cultural context. My answer is for applications to PhD programs in the US (and probably Canada also), but it may not hold for other countries.
In the US, it's not expected that every student going into a PhD program has written a paper. (In some subjects, almost no students entering a PhD program has written a paper.) Your advisor should simply not mention that you haven't written a paper, but explain what you have done successfully (and there are other notions of success than writing a paper!), and what positive character attributes you have that lead him to believe you will be a successful PhD student. It will be necessary to go into details of your project, but no mention needs to be made about the lack of a paper coming out.
You should have a similar approach in your personal statement, emphasizing what you learned from your research project and your coursework and explaining what research you want to work on for your PhD.
The PhD program will be admitting you as a person, not your package of previous accomplishments (although of course your previous accomplishments will tell them something about you as a person).
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/15
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm currently writing my personal statement for a big ten university, I have read many guides on the subject and have written out most of my undergrad research experience, my academic interest, my involvement in student life, connections to faculty and involvement in sports.
On to the subject; while I was growing up my father was an alcoholic, for what it's worth he managed to go through life with this illness, and I growing up had no real need uncovered. While i was in High school he really let go and seemed to hit low in his life, eventually passing away from a gun related accident (alcohol related) just before I began college. I feel no resentment towards him now.
Should I include this somehow in y personal statement? I'm mature enough to know that what I lived through might not have been the single best infancy, yet I didn't lack of any real necessities, albeit most of the time struggling for money.
**Would it be safe to share this in my statement?** I feel somehow it pushed me towards the student life somewhat, yet it was a struggle each day as effectively he was drunk most days of the year, and despite of it I excelled in school (high school). Is the admissions committee likely to be inspired or view this as a crutch as it happened too far back as I hold a bachelor's, and there is some water under the bridge now in regards to how I perceived my father.<issue_comment>username_1: If you prove how it has strengthened your character, then perhaps it would be a valuable statement to make.
If you do decide to put it in, then ensure you keep it short and matter-of-fact; otherwise it may seem like you are "milking" the situation for sympathy.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm not sure a personal statement is the right place to share the information - it will sound better coming from a third party (e.g. in one of your references).
For better or for worse, people tend to take such information more seriously when they hear it from someone who doesn't have anything to gain from sharing it.
People also (rightly or wrongly) may have a tendency to view your not mentioning it yourself in your personal statement as admirable stoicism in the face of adversity.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]
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2016/10/15
| 2,533
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<issue_start>username_0: I am a undergraduate student working with an awesome lab director from whom I've learnt a LOT. He is a very knowledgeable and energetic person, and is generally available for help. The lab atmosphere is full of helpful grad and PhD students.
Even though I have been working for over three years with him, he is unwilling to give me the key. Says that I should contact the other senior lab members, and ask for them to open the door.
An issue that came up today that made me vent off some steam on the Academia StackExchange. Instead of going home, I stayed after my morning class so that I could go to the lab and get some research done. However, no one was in the lab. I called my lab mates, but they either had work, had their key taken from them, wasn't answering, had gone on a trip... You get the idea. I ended up investigating the lab equipment of an adjacent lab.
This isn't the first time either. One time I had arranged with two people to come the next day: neither came nor informed me. This is especially inconvenient when the lab is on a remote section of the campus.
I have explained the situation to him, more than one. Once, he said that he would give me the key, but only if I came to the lab more often. I explained that as a human I do get tired and need rest: as much as I love research, I don't want burnout either. I'll add that several times I wanted to go to university, but since no one answered the phone, I headed off to another university to study. In the evening, I was able to contact him, but he called me lazy and only doing stuff that wanted.
How can I approach my professor about this? And more importantly, what is it that I am doing wrong? I don't need the key per se, but I do want to perform research. And for that, the lab needs to be open. While the lab mates are helpful, I do understand that they have a life. I cannot force them to come at 7 in the morning only to open the door for me, can I?
I'll add that my work has led to two conference proceedings and both me and my professor are optimistic that it will lead to a high-impact article. This wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for my professor's help and guidance.<issue_comment>username_1: It seems like you have tried everything.
Unfortunately, this doesn't seem optimal but you don't have any power over this. Just work with what you have.
One side note: This seems like a potentially unhealthy relationship based on `he called me lazy`. Like I said, just try to work with what you have and avoid getting into confrontations!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Couldn't your problems be solved -- or at least, manifestly made your lab director's responsibility -- just with some planning in advance?
You wrote:
>
> An issue that came up today that made me vent off some steam on the Academia StackExchange. Instead of going home, I stayed after my morning class so that I could go to the lab and get some research done. However, no one was in the lab. I called my lab mates, but they either had work, had their key taken from them, wasn't answering, had gone on a trip... You get the idea. I ended up investigating the lab equipment of an adjacent lab.
>
>
>
(By the way, you had a morning class and then couldn't get into the lab *on a Saturday*? That makes me wonder where in the world this question takes place.)
You make it sound like your decision to "get some research done" was made more or less on the spur of the moment.
>
> This isn't the first time either. One time I had arranged with two people to come the next day: neither came nor informed me. This is especially inconvenient when the lab is on a remote section of the campus.
>
>
>
This time you planned it one day in advance.
>
> Once, he said that he would give me the key, but only if I came to the lab more often. I explained that as a human I do get tired and need rest: as much as I love research, I don't want burnout either.
>
>
>
All of these things add up to the following conclusion: you and your advisor don't have a clear understanding of when and how often you'll be working. So you drop by sometimes, find out that no one's there, and maybe that's your fault because somehow you've implicitly agreed to show up as much as you can but at random times. That's not professional behavior!
I see a rather easy fix: first, agree with your advisor how much time per week you'll be spending in his lab. If you hear a "As much as possible if you don't want me to think you're lazy" response, you'll have to move the conversation past that. You can *promise in advance* to devote XX hours per week -- i.e., you have to figure out in advance how many hours -- to the lab. (If you and your advisor can't agree on how much time you'll be spending the lab: sorry, but you don't have a wonderful working relationship, you have an entirely dysfunctional one. But since you have mostly positive feelings about your advisor, I am optimistic that he will listen to reason here.) Then you need to make a schedule with your advisor about exactly when you'll be in the lab. If he doesn't want to give you a key -- okay, but then **it's his problem when you get locked out of the lab, not yours**. Every time that happens, you *don't* call up every other member of the lab, you leave, and then the next day you approach him and say that unfortunately you couldn't get into the lab at the time you had agreed upon, so is there some aspect of the agreement he'd like to adjust?
Bottom line: if you model the behavior of a professional rather than someone who drops by when he's interested, you'll implicitly challenge your advisor to be professional to you in return. It seems unlikely that someone who cannot rise to the standards of professionalism set by a conscientious undergraduate could be a successful lab director, so I am rather optimistic that this strategy will work for you.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Let's face it, you are the low man on the totem pole. If you want to work in this group, you will have to adjust to the others' schedules.
Is there a phone in the lab? If so, call before heading over.
See if you can find out what the pattern is for the other students' lab hours, and pick some that work for you. Try to get in a rhythm of the same hours every week.
Ask the others to send you a text message or an email to let you know when they've arrived. If you're free then, grab your chance.
It seems that the professor would gain confidence in you by seeing you in the lab more often. It might help, then, to hang out in the lab more -- not just for your project. You might also be able to do some homework, have your lunch, get to know your labmates better, do a little clean-up.
Yes, it's frustrating for you -- but realistically, accentuating the conflict, or even simmering about it, won't speed you up in getting a key -- it will only slow you down.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: Your adviser is doing the right thing.
**No one, especially not undergraduate students, should work alone at night in a lab.**
It is very unsafe to work alone in a lab. I know that this is very common, because students are young and inexperienced and haven't been around long enough to see what can happen. Just like young guys on motorcycles.
Also universities have a can-do atmosphere, where safety is generally seen more as a burden than a requirement.
Of course, advisers often don't mind their students risking their live, because if you do care for the safety of your students, you will not make it in the cutthroat competition we call academia.
Take for example <NAME>, who pressured his students to work evenings and weekends.
<http://www.chemistry-blog.com/2010/06/22/something-deeply-wrong-with-chemistry/>
I am an industrial chemist, and I can assure you, that anyone writing such a letter in the private sector would get fired immediately. In our company, it is formally prohibited to work alone.
There have been cases when companies where fined huge amounts by OSHA for such letters, people have actually gone to jail for accidents that happened on their watch.
Unfortunately ETH doesn't care about safety and hired this guy.
Here are two recent cases to remind people why it is not a good idea to work alone
>
> In the early hours of 13 April, undergraduate students working at Yale
> University's Sterling Chemistry Laboratory made a shocking discovery.
> There in the lab's machine shop was the dead body of 22-year-old
> undergraduate student <NAME>, her hair tangled in a lathe.
> She had apparently died of asphyxiation
>
>
>
www.nature.com/news/2011/110418/full/472270a.html
I'll bet you a dollar, that when anything happens, the adviser, the same who would have claimed authorship of the work, will call you an independent researcher just happening to work in his lab.
<NAME> of UCLA even claimed that his student who died in his lab, was not his employee, but employed by the university, so it wasn't his job to keep her safe.
>
> Sheharbano “Sheri” Sangji, a 23-year-old University of California at
> Los Angeles staff research assistant, died three years ago after
> suffering massive second- and third-degree burns when a chemical she
> was handling caught fire.
>
>
>
www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/01/03/ucla-faces-criminal-charges-lab-accident
So even though it might be common to work alone, it is unprofessional and dangerous.
Don't be the one who gets burned to death or strangled in a lathe, and don't be the eager beaver who thinks it is ok to take risks in the name of science, and don't push others.
You should thank your adviser that he is keeping you safe. It is great to see that some people actually do care. Please tell him thank you.
Upvotes: -1
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2016/10/16
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<issue_start>username_0: My [master's in mathematical finance](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/42304/with-a-background-in-mathematical-finance-and-desire-to-apply-for-a-mathematics) doesn't have a "thesis" exactly, but it has a research project where we helped a bank develop a model to help with credit risk by identifying which variables were more important in credit risk management (based on the particular data set we had which was the financial information, such as net income or return on assets, of the clients of the bank). This wasn't some report at the end of an internship, so our research project is somewhere in the middle of an internship and a thesis, I think.
My coauthors and I printed out a document that had an abstract, review of related literature, scope, methodology, etc which was then put in hard bounds and is now sitting on the shelves in the math department of my university.
We gave the first/a mock presentation to the risk management department and then the second/a real presentation to our "thesis" advisers.
The document is about the application of some articles, journals, papers, etc that led to us developing a model.
In a PhD application form, I'm asked for any publishing. Does the "thesis" count as a "publication" ? If so, is the "publisher" the university?
The options for type of publication are:
"Books/Book Chapter, Conference Paper, Journal Publications, Others"
The options for status of publication are:
"Published, Not yet - accepted in press, Not yet - Under review, Not yet - writing in progress"<issue_comment>username_1: If it's printed in your institution's library it is fair to say that it was published by your university. You may want to explicitly list it as a technical report in your bibliography to clarify the type of publication that it is (your audience will want to know if your publications are peer reviewed or not).
Under the list you have here it would be an "Other" that is "Published".
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: If I read that application form, I would not consider what you have as a *publication*. I do not consider my *doctoral* thesis to be a publication. The publications are the papers that make up the thesis, intended for peer-reviewed journals. (In other fields 'journal' might not be the appropriate format necessarily, but the principle holds.)
You work should, however, appear somewhere on you application form, just not in this particular box.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/16
| 512
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<issue_start>username_0: Is it right to use '**X is a new research topic of interest to our lab**' to say that the lab has not done research on X before?
I want to convey:
1.The lab only focused on research topic 'Y'(e.g. proteins) in the past. In the future, 'Y' will still be the focus, even though 'X' will be the secondary focus.
2.The lab lacked established biological experimental conditions for conducting research on topic 'X' (e.g. miRNA) two years ago, since topic X belongs to different field. I was the first student to conduct research on topic X.
I am a student, not the PI. I want to describe the experimental conditions when I began the project in PS for PhD application. I started from scratch and encountered many difficulties.
(I hope my edits would make the problem more clear, thank you! )
Besides, **Is there a more polite way to say 'our lab'?** I mean the lab I belong to.<issue_comment>username_1: No, it would be a lie. In fact, you state that X *is actually not* a research topic of the lab nor has it ever been. You could say that X *will be* a new topic, if there are plausible plans about it. This would suggest the right thing about the present and the past.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I have angst about writing this answer. When you say *our lab*, it potentially sounds like you are speaking for the lab in an *official* context and taking an *ownership* stake in the lab. Depending on your role, I am not sure you can talk about the lab as being *yours*. I am also not sure you cannot, and hence the angst.
As a PI of a lab, I have research interests that the lab has never followed through on due to a variety of reasons including a lack of funding and expertise. I would be a little upset if a student/post doc implied the lab was not interested in a topic just because the lab didn't have the expertise or equipment to do any research on the topic. Similarly, I would be a little upset if a student post doc implied that their personal interest automatically becomes an interest of *the lab*.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/16
| 497
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<issue_start>username_0: I just noticed there is an important typo mistake in my recently submitted conference paper. Actually it is like inserting a "-" where it shouldn't be and of course the whole algorithm might not converge if you use the above "-" in the formula! Well, if the reviewers try to dig out the mathematical details leading to that specific formula he might notice that it was a typo, otherwise he might claim that the algorithm shouldn't work as it is not stable because of that "-"!!
Anyway, as the submission has closed, i contacted the conference chairs to update the submission with that only change and they said not possible!
I also considered putting that in arxiv, but it'll be permanent and I cannot do any future modifications in case!
What about putting the correct version of the paper in my university home page?
Is it fine?
Do you generally advise that? I mean if the paper gets rejected, how high is the chance someone else use it in his/her work and publish it earlier than me? is it risky?
p.s: The results and conclusion and the claims are all made correctly and regardless of that typo mistake<issue_comment>username_1: What you should do is to e-mail the organizers to tell them about it. Then, either they will let you replace the paper with a new version or they will not.
By the way, it happens quite often that papers contains some minor errors. Some reviewers will notice them while other will not notice them. It depends on how much time each reviewer spends on your paper and how attentive they are when reading your paper.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: **Contact the organizers immediately**. For conferences with a deadline on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, it's fair to assume that the final reviewer assignment won't take place until Monday.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: A way to "fix" the mistake is to contact the organizers and submit an "errata" sheet (one page) referring to the mistake, the page it is on, the corrected version of the statement, and why the correction is important.
These things happen from time to time, and the "fix" is relatively easy, if embarrassing.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/16
| 353
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<issue_start>username_0: I submitted a paper for a conference. While the paper got submitted for publication in the proceedings, the feedback seemed quite negative. The main criticism was that the model I have designed uses too many simplifications.
I am giving a presentation at the conference in about a week and a half. Since I submitted the original paper I have achieved a significant amount, and have been able to improve my model and deal with a number of the simplifications.
My question is: for the presentation content, do I have to stick with the work that is going to be published, or can I also present some of the more interesting, newer work?
For reference, my field is engineering (renewable energy)<issue_comment>username_1: >
> do I have to stick with the work that is going to be published, or can I also present some of the more interesting, newer work?
>
>
>
Absolutely present the improved model.
Conference submissions photograph the state of the work at the time of the submission. But from the submission deadline to the conference, many months can pass and usually people continue to work on their projects. Frequently, by the time of the conference, new results have been obtained, and these surely deserve to be presented.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It depends on the conference and how strict the rules are. My approach would be to use a quarter of the poster space to describe how you have made progress on the model, and how you are planning to further improve it. The rest would describe the model you have submitted.
Upvotes: -1
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2016/10/16
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<issue_start>username_0: I ~~wasted~~ spent like a month or so trying to get two software libraries to work.
They partly worked, but at some point produced only unplausible results.
That might have very well been my fault.
The third one worked right out of the box and it's the one I should have chosen to begin with. The lack of problems with this library suggests that there was either something wrong with the other two, the setup, the system or whatever.
Either way, the conclusion is that I would not suggest to try the first two libraries and go with the third one, no matter how tempting it is to try the two.
I would like to include this in my thesis, because it appears to be valuable information. On the other hand, I'm not a software expert and I might simply have done things totally wrong, which is why those libraries didn't work for me. But despite some effort, I could not find documentation on what could be the problem.
Basically, what I have to say is this:
>
> Tried X and Y. Didn't work. Don't know why. Not recommended. Use Z instead. Works perfectly.
>
>
>
**Is it a good idea to include such information?** It's not backed up by any reference and I cannot include all the related information about the details to reproduce the problem. Partly because I don't know them and partly because that's not what my work is about. I'm also afraid that including this information will make me look incompetent.
**How should I include this information?** I think the best thing to do is to state that under the overall time constraints getting either of the two libraries to work was not explored any further, which is what actually happened. But then this might look like I didn't spent my time efficiently.
Maybe I'm just too much concerned that there will be only glass-half-empty people reading this, trying to see the problem in it.<issue_comment>username_1: Report what *did* work. Forget the rest. Anyone looking to reproduce or expand on your results needs to know the software you *did* use.
**Edit:** I note with some chagrin that I answered other than what OP asked, namely *how to* include unfruitful attempts to use software X and Y.
At the point where you describe your use of package Z, include a footnote that you first attempted to use X and Y, but received implausible results. One sentence is enough. That's enough to warn anyone who cares that you had difficulty, but does not belabor problems that you cannot explain. It might even prompt someone to ask you for more information some day.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: As username_1 said earlier, report in the thesis what did work (Z), and omit everything else (X and Y). Church spent 1 year until he found a 1-liner for subtraction. We know little about his failed attempts. Certain excellent dissertations are 10 pages long proving a theorem. We know nothing about failed proofs.
In some sense, doing research means getting dirty. Very dirty. And after you made the point, you clean off all the dirt, and the main result remains.
However, you were probably financed by someone during thesis writing or received some other kind of help. (<NAME>: "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main".) So do report about the failures, bad experiences, and good experiences to your stakeholders. This is a different kind of report and there, you should mention X, Y, and Z by all means. How you do it (in a weekly meeting / as a technical report / in a research report / as a phone call / during dinner / in bed before going to bed with your spouse ;-) / ...) is very, very project-specific and stakeholder-specific.
In fact, the more I think about it, the more I am likely to encourage you to say that X and Y (in versions xxx and yyy) are poorly written/documented publicly if it is the case. You have a chance of making enemies this way, but, in general, the research community would benefit from it. Boldy (but, unfortunately, truthfully) stated, *we* would benefit from it at *your* cost if you do that.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: You can give the information about technically failed attempts upon request, e.g. in talks or conference presentations. Someone may ask: "You said you used library Z. Why not X or Y?" If nobody asks, don't bother. They are obviously fine with Z working, so should you be.
However, the issue about "unplausible results" is in fact an issue for a closer look. A computational routine may never give flawed results that look correctly, i.e. without at least a warning like "error bounds not met". So if you have found a bug in the libraries, you should contact the developer or support or at least ask some colleagues to reproduce this bug. If you are not sure that it is a bug, you should be careful with badmouthing other people's work in your publications.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: I would have to disagree with the previous answers. I would consider documenting what did not work. I am not saying that I would definitely do it, but I am saying that ruling out the idea, out of hand, is not good advice. I have 27 years of experience in software development and project management, and I would very seriously think about at least a short section where I would lay out what I tried. Sounds like there are some serious holes in your knowledge of those libraries and your attempts to use them, which might make it difficult to document what you did, but I encourage you to give it a shot and run it by your advisor.
In the end, you could take the section out if it ends up detracting from the finished thesis. But I find that kind of honest appraisal of failed attempts to be often more informative than the success stories. I find it to be counterproductive to the community and the researcher when academia is reluctant or completely unable to admit when something did not work or the researcher had a knowledge gap. I find the disarming honesty of "I tried and it did not work" elevates my opinion of a researcher. But there is so little of it, that I find myself going to non-academic sources much more often than not, when I want to find answers that are real and practical.
Be careful in how you write it, and how you make the final decision to include it or not. If you can say, I tried this library. This is what it gave me. This is why it was not suitable. I tried to find relevant documentation to resolve the issues, but no such documentation could be found. And in the end, the ability of this project to integrate a proper library is demonstrated in the use of X library, which worked. If you can frame it like that, informative, honest, yet demonstrating your competence by highlighting, once again, that you did successfully integrate a library that worked, you could add some real value to your thesis.
The main reason for not including such an admission, in my opinion, would only be if your ability to integrate the third library was more luck than real skill, if it did not demonstrate a concerted effort aided by much better features and documentation. If that is the case, then forget what I have said and go with the other answers' advice.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_5: I think in order to answer this, you have to find out why those other libraries didn't work. Maybe talk to someone who knows them well.
* If they didn't work because you didn't do them right, then you **don't include them** because it doesn't help anyone else.
* If they didn't work because there's something wrong with them, then **that's worth at least a footnote.** I would probably write a single sentence about what library you did use, then in the linked footnote mention that you tried these other two libraries but found they behaved wrong due to X.
If there's one thing I've learned as the rare social scientist with a wide range of programming skills, it's that nearly everyone thinks the software they know best, *is* the best. If there's an actual problem with one of the packages, you need to mention that because those who prefer it will just assume it's right and then fail to replicate your results. But I wouldn't pay more attention to it than a footnote.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/16
| 1,041
| 4,599
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<issue_start>username_0: I've observed that many PIs are especially prone to having favorite students in their research group, and will treat these students differently than others. Most of the time, this isn't so obvious and doesn't cause problems. However, from time to time, this will be made extremely clear as the time spent on the "favorites" are orders of magnitude more than other students in the lab. This also includes assignments of better projects etc. Of course, I realize that as humans, everyone has favorites, and it is unrealistic to expect manager figures to treat everyone equally. However, I have noticed that in the few groups I've worked in, some PIs will make it embarrassingly clear. For instance, it will often lead to hurt feelings and lost productivity when something essential is not done for one student's project (i.e. read over drafts, provide necessary components of experiments) while the advisor runs to help another student with mundane aspects of their experiment (i.e. actually helping them do the experiments, or spending a lot of time talking with them while telling others they are busy). This is of course common in all workplaces, but I do feel that the advisor/trainee relationship is different in that in many ways the success of the student is very much dependent on the advisor.<issue_comment>username_1: Personal effort to win the teacher's attention may not be what you want to attempt. The nature of your teacher's favoriticism sounds detrimental. A good teacher should know the difference between explaining things to a student and teaching the student how to decipher the meaning of things by themselves. You can't fix this part of your teacher. However, certain acts of the teacher (as described by you) are unjust and something needs to be done about it.
Anything you do in this regard has to be group effort. A hostile or challenging attitude migh do more harm. Maybe the best people who can approach the teacher regarding this issue in a non-hostile manner will be the favorite students themselves.
It all depends on What kind of a person the favorite student is. I used to be a favorite student in most classes, but I never reserved any private time with any teacher. When the other students had any issue with the teacher focussing too much on me, they used to express their disapproval directly to me.
.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: Your description reminds me of siblings' experiences of sibling rivalry in families.
Different people need different things. Different people need different amounts of things. Keeping this in mind can help prevent hurt feelings and resentments.
I suggest you focus on what you can do to make things better for you and for your group. Here are a couple of ways that might be done. These might not all be a good fit for you and your group -- I am just brainstorming. But I'd like you to do some brainstorming about this too.
1. Make an objective assessment of what you need help with and what you're able to do without help.
2. Assert yourself to get the help you need.
3. Make yourself available to help others in your group.
And don't forget to make plans for how you will do things better when you are a PI.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: An anecdote: my advisor was extremely hands-off for me; we met pretty infrequently and when we met, it was mostly spent on talking about small side issues that came up in my projects. Another student of my advisor had a very different experience. He met extensively with my advisor, he found projects for him to work on (I proposed my own, and my advisor didn't know much of my project until I wrote my thesis). The tension for me reached its climax when my defense date drew near; he told me that he was busy with the other student's thesis and that he will sign mine after he is finished with editing the other student's thesis. He ended up reading my thesis only a couple of days before my defense.
Although this seemed like favoritism, in the end it wasn't. He must have judged me to be an independent and competent researcher, because I got more and better job offers afterwards.
So, there really isn't anything you can do. You should just focus on your own projects, and hopefully your advisor is there when you really can't solve the problem on your own. But if you treat each time that your advisor isn't there as an opportunity to show your competence (whether you think your advisor noticed it or not... it does accumulate!) you'll walk out having become independent, which is an important quality to possess in academia.
Upvotes: 5
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2016/10/17
| 2,172
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<issue_start>username_0: As a graduate student I switch between many tasks during each week. My activities consist of attending classes, doing homework, grading, working on my research and studying for exams. However I notice that from time to time I tend to procrastinate **and this happens mostly** when I have to switch from one task to another or when I feel that a task is difficult and I am not yet sure of how to handle it. It also may occur when I work at home in Sundays or when unexpected lab meetings interrupt me from my schedule.
My situation is not that I do not feel productive, but some hours per week can be lost due to this issue (which is an important thing).
In general the main idea of my problem is: I tend to procrastinate when switching tasks.
To protect me from distractions I have installed browser plug-ins that do not allow me viewing distracting websites more than 5 minutes per day.
I also try to keep track of how much time I spend on each task and have established a relatively stable weekly program.
However I believe I could benefit from better time management advices to handle procrastination...
What are your suggestions ?
p.s. Sometimes what also takes time, is communicating with family and friends. I am an international student and I dont want to lose touch with my people. Although I have a relatively steady pattern of communication with them (usually within weekends) nostalgia beats me wanting more discussion.
----EDIT----
Most answers seem to suggest micromanagement time approaches.
However I believe that micromanagement tends to take a lot of time too.
How can you reduce effectively the time it takes to make a schedule for a specific day ?<issue_comment>username_1: Suggestions (overlapping rather than mutually exclusive; different techniques may work to different extents for different people):
• **Keep *really* detailed to-do lists.** Break tasks into small pieces ahead of time in as much detail as you can envision them. Cross things off one by one so that you don't either a) get lost between tasks, or b) run into a vague item, e.g. 'do report', and drift off to the Internet because you don't have enough to go on in order to get started. Optional: buying an oversized permanent marker so that crossing things off the list strikes you as decisive and worth celebrating.
• **Build some rest-time into your schedule.** If you know you'll need 30 minutes to decompress after teaching that class, put that on your schedule. Otherwise you'll be trying to force yourself to work and it will probably not go well.
• **Carrot and stick.** This is one of the two things that helps me out a lot. I bought a delicious cookie but it has a Post-It Note on it saying that I'm not giving it to myself until I've updated my CV, finished that abstract, and gotten caught up on responding to my undergrads' emails to me. I earn a day off every week unless I'm feeling extremely behind.
• **Compile distracting ideas into a 'later list'.** This is the other. I'm not a major procrastinator, but when I'm being creative and productive, I'm often hit by unhelpful urges from elsewhere in my brain. If I pursue these *instantly*, then they sidetrack me and I lose a lot of time to YouTube/Wikipedia/Google Images/etc. But I don't want to forget about them, either. So I write them down on a sheet of paper, and then put it aside for later. Example might look like:
*Reread hilarious email that [friend] sent me about his cat.*
*Search for [TV show from childhood] on YouTube.*
*Friends having baby. Look up that pattern for a knitted DNA model.*
*Check email.*
*Redesign personal letterhead.*
*Check email.*
*Look for [long-lost magazine issue] on eBay.*
*Did they ever find [missing kid from the 1990s]? Ask Google.*
*Browse Academia SE.*
*Check email.*
*Track down [friend]'s blog and see if his wife has given birth yet.*
*Get caught up on [webcomic I forgot about for a while].*
*Check email.*
*Text goofy note about silly dream to [friend].*
*Can't remember what the word 'palimpsest' means - look it up.*
*Add a bunch of books to GoodReads.*
*Check email.*
*Check email.*
*Okay, really, what are tangerines, botanically speaking? Ask Wikipedia.*
*Track down email address for [friend of friend].*
*Check email.*
*Look up video instructions on how to replace a zipper.*
*See if I can get [Windows 98 strategy game] to run on my laptop.*
*Order book by [colleague] to poke through.*
*Check email.*
*Revive dead LiveJournal account and see if anyone's still around.*
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: To offer an implementation of several of TrikeProfs points: I use a Bullet Journal for organization, which helped me a lot with a set of similar problems.
What is a Bullet Jounal?
------------------------
A [Bullet Journal](http://bulletjournal.com/) is a combination of ToDo-list and a calender that you write from scratch. For each day you create a list that contains bullets, which can be task you want to finish, appointments/events to attend and can also serve as a notebook foe stuff you learned during that day.
```
[✓] Read paper x completed task
[>] Write summary of paper x moved task
[ ] Feed the cat unfinished task
( ) 12:30 Lunch with co-workers appointment
( ) 14:00 Lab meeting appointment
• A Bullet Journal might help note
me to organize my workload.
```
There are rules for handling bullets: If you finished a task, you tick it off and are done with it. If you did not finish a task on that day, you have to move it to another day. If the task is no longer relevant, you have to strike it out. If you adhere to this rules, at least in theory, no task can be forgotten. Once it hits the journal, you are stuck with it.
On the other hand, these rules are more of a proposition and it is quite common for everyone to change them to fit theirs style of work. I added weekly overviews to keep a closer look on my appointments and a monthly wrap-up of everything I have learned and want to keep in mind.
A more detailed explanation can be found on the website. They have a really nice [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm15cmYU0IM).
Why this works for me
---------------------
Most of these points translate to the suggestions TrikeProf made:
* Writing down what I want achieve forces me to have a goal.
* Ticking off a bullet (1) gives me a warm fuzzy feeling and (2) means I can forget about it and focus on the next task.
* I can take notes that I will find again.
* If I really do not want to forget something, I add it to the journal.
Make it work for you
--------------------
As said, for me this works quite well, but that is due to a period of learning. It takes work, but in my opinion it is worth it.
Some things to keep in mind for successful journaling:
* **Write down what you want get done today**: I think this is crucial for your specific problem.
* **Do not overload your days**: If you put too much stuff into one day you might get frustrated. This works for me because finishing tasks is fun. Carrying then with you is not.
* **Create the *right* bullets**: Break down big task into several bullets. This is especially helpful for overwhelmingly big tasks, as it allows you to handle them bit by bit. `[ ] Read paper x` is more intimidating and offer less reward than:
```
[ ] Read introduction of paper x
[ ] Read methods chapter of paper x
[ ] Read conclusion of paper x
[ ] Write a short summary of paper x
```
Which you can handle one by.
Another aspect of this is to write bullets which have a fixed and easy to identify end point. While
```
[ ] Improve runtime of program
```
can never truly be finished
```
[ ] Fix runtime problem in function foobar
```
can either be finished or marked as "unsolvable".
* **Rephrase bullets**: If you can not get a task done, rephrase it or split it up (see above).
```
[ ] Research topic y
vs.
[ ] Look for papers on topic y
[ ] Skim and categorize papers on topic y
... add more as you go along
```
Disclaimer
----------
You might want to be cautious to take advice from me on procrastination. I should really prepare the talk I am giving tomorrow instead of writing stuff on stackexchange. But it helps me to not forget so many tasks. I promise :)
I am not sure if this is necessary here, but: I am in no way associated with the creator of Bullet Journal whatsoever.
Upvotes: 3
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2016/10/17
| 895
| 3,362
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<issue_start>username_0: I am looking for a Precedent of a country that would have done a teaching reform: From many tutors with minimal (or low) salaries to a fewer teachers with bigger salaries and how did it work out...
I was a bit reluctant inquiring here, so have [asked this on meta](https://academia.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/3515/precedent-of-country-that-did-teaching-reform-reducing-number-of-teachers-and-i) and it seems this question does not break any rules as long as we are talking about universities.<issue_comment>username_1: In order to reduce the number of teachers, while still teaching the same number of students, means either increasing the "teaching load" or the *efficiency* of the teaching needs to be increase.
Increases in teaching load require decreases in other job responsibilities. This is essentially the difference between teaching only colleges and research universities in the US and new and old universities in the UK. While teaching only colleges do not generally pay their faculty more, there is evidence/claims that having professors with active research benefits students.
One way to increase teaching *efficiency* is with larger classes. From my understanding moving from small seminars (10 students) to large seminars (40 students) is bad for student outcomes (again no change in how much faculty get paid). I am not sure if going from a 200 person lecture to a 400 person lecture has the same hit in learning outcomes, but logistically, most universities are lacking large (400+) lecture halls. Additionally, logistically, large classes often means less variety to students.
Another way to increase efficiency is for less contact hours (and to an extent less assignments requiring grading). The US and UK teaching models basically hit the extremes in terms of contact hours and grading. The US has lots of student contact and lots of small assessments compared to the UK. I do not know if there is any evidence that one system is better than another, but having US students switch at the university level would be difficult.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Your scenario is to a large extent ongoing in Russia now. In May 2012 "newly re-elected" president Putin signed a number of [bills](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B5_%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B7%D1%8B) for the Government to implement in 2012-2021. In particular, [Bill 597](http://gubernator96.ru/uploads/597.pdf) says that ...
>
> by 2012 average salaries of teachers should reach the average level in corresponding regions
>
>
> by 2018 average salaries of teachers should reach 200% of the average level in corresponding regions
>
>
>
The implementation and the effect of this bill is rather controvertial. It seems that the required government funding for the educational sector was not increased appropriately. To comply with the request, many schools and HE institutions had to reduce the number of posts significantly to report the required increase in average salaries. In practice, many tutors were pushed on 0.5FTE contracts (or less) with increased FTE salary levels, ending up with the same take-home salaries and sometimes higher teaching load. The overall effect on the sector is hard to see at the moment, since it is obscured by other ongoing reforms and political changes.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/17
| 593
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm not so familiar about the regulations regarding arxiv and conference papers.
Recently i submitted a conference paper and it's under review, but i couldn't put all the supplementary materials (proofs and extra analysis, pseudo-code etc) in the submitted paper due to the limited space!
So legally can i put the complete version in arxive, hoping if the reviewer search for the related works he might notice the complete version by chance. Then he can benefit from the extra supplementary materials provided there to better understand the submitted version?
Also arxiv is like putting the paper there, or you also need to wait for the acceptance from arxiv?<issue_comment>username_1: If you have just submitted the paper, chances are you haven't given the rights over to the committee. As long as you haven't agreed to some terms and conditions that gives temporary ownership to the conference, then you should still have ownership of the paper and can do what you want with it.
If you want to be doubly sure, a short email to the conference proceedings editor can erase any doubt you may have.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In the fields I work in (pure math and theoretical CS), it is completely standard. Most conferences/journals have clear policies on what kinds of publication elsewhere are acceptable, which (a) generally do not allow submissions that have been previously submitted or published in other *comparable peer-reviewed venues*, but (b) often explicitly clarify that **preprint servers (e.g. arXiv) and authors’ homepages are not included in that prohibition,** since they’re not peer-reviewed venues.
So: it is almost certainly OK — but you can probably set your mind at rest by looking up (or asking about) the journal/conference’s policies on submission/publication elsewhere.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> Can I put the submitted paper to arXiv?
>
>
>
That depends on the conference/journal policy: check with them. Sometimes the author instructions on the conference/journal website might mention the policy.
For example, [ICASSP 2020](https://2020.ieeeicassp.org/) is [ok](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/134825/452) if you upload to arXiv your submitted paper, but [ACL 2019](http://www.acl2019.org/EN/index.xhtml) is not ok (doing so will result in your paper being rejected).
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/17
| 716
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<issue_start>username_0: I am PhD student in mathematics and am writing a joint paper with a computer science PhD student. As we will submit the paper to a computer science journal we discussed the author ordering and agreed to equal distributions for us PhD students and our respective supervisors.
The computer science student has now ordered the author names in an non-alphabetical order for us PhD students, which makes him the first author, and an alphabetical order for the supervisors, which makes his professor the last author.
Is this common practice in computer sciences? I can understand that it is their community, but this confuses me. I think it should be at least in the same order for both categories.
My supervisor told me to talk to the other PhD student. How can I address this issue without offending anyone?
How does equal distribution authorship in computer science work, anyway?
Edit: I just don't want to be fooled. I understand that being first author is important in computer science, this is why we decided to have both PhD students as co-first authors. Our supervisors are co-last authors. Having a non-alphabetical order for the PhD students and an alphabetical order for the supervisors seems to abolish this equal distributions again to me. I just have no idea how this equal distribution thing works and how to address this issue without messing up everything.
I am not sure if we PhD students will work together again, but I could imagine that our supervisors do.<issue_comment>username_1: Go with your supervisor's advice, talk to the Computer Science student and ask him/her, in a very gentle manner, why the authors were ordered the way they were rather than alphabetic in both sections. This is the norm for equal distributions. Can't imagine what reason the other student would have to go a difference way. If he/she does not have a **very** good reason, ask them to reorder the names in alphabetical order. If they do not comply, you can always ask them, again, in an email copied to the supervisors. At all times, exercise grace and patience - being firm but gentle gets results much more often and burns bridges much less often.
PS: be very careful if you ask that student in an email. Written communication on what could be a negative issue, will by default come across as confrontational. Even if you are not trying to, they will usually see it as you confronting them on something they did that was non-kosher. So if you do email him/her, make extra efforts to explicitly communicate a non-confrontational tone. Maybe start by thanking them for their work in the paper and telling them how much you appreciated the opportunity to work on it as well. Make your question about author order very light, do not point out his/her name came first, just that it was not in alphabetical order and you are wondering why that is, especially since you note the advisors are ordered alphabetically.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Ask the editor. It's unlikely you're the first to submit a paper with two authors who have contributed equally.
If the publishers have no policy how to tell the reader about this, push them to make one.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/17
| 747
| 2,796
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<issue_start>username_0: As a follow-up to [this](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/78359/is-it-right-to-use-x-is-a-new-research-topic-of-interest-to-our-lab-to-indicat) question:
Who does a lab *belong* to? Is the lab the *sole property* of the PI (lets assume a *simple/small* lab with a single PI bringing in all the intramural and extramural funding) or is it a joint venture of the PI and the research staff?
* Should the PI call the lab "our lab" or "my lab"?
* Should researchers (Undergrads, PhD students, Post Docs, Research Fellows) call the lab "our lab", "my lab", or "my supervisor's lab"?<issue_comment>username_1: TLDR; every member of the lab can call it "my lab" or "our lab". It's all the same.
---
Just because one says *"my lab"* doesn't meant that he/she can exercise ownership over it. It is similar to saying *"my country"* or *"my class"*.
If the question is about rights of property, then it depends on *who* bestowed the rights and *what* exactly are those rights.
In the usual case, the management of the institution would give a set amount of rights to the professor to be in charge of a given place. If the professor wishes to form a lab, he/she may do so and appoint an in-charge for the lab. It could a PI or in several cases, the professor him/herself.
If the PI *is* the professor who erected the lab, then obviously the lab is *owned by* the professor. If the PI is someone else, the professor could choose over the rights s/he could delegate to the PI. Examples of such rights could be
* right to rule over certain/all projects done in the lab
* rights over the control of lab property
* right to guide the students assigned to the lab
There are also labs which are maintained by a community of members in the institution. Technically, everyone in the lab *owns* it in such a case, but the place itself belongs to the management of the institution.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: As usual, the answer depends on the country.
In my country, all the equipment belongs to the university, even if it was paid out of PI's grants. If a PI moves to another university, the equipment doesn't move.
Thus, if one strictly looks at the property, no one in the lab would have the right to say "my lab" or "our lab", because it's the university's lab.
But of course, no one looks strictly at the property, and what it counts are the people working inside the lab: for them, it's "our lab". Moreover, usually, almost everyone contributes to the grant requests.
When I was a PhD student, in the group where I did my PhD, we had separate lab rooms for each different experiment, which were run by different people: when speaking among us, I'd have said "my lab" to mean the room where I was running my experiment.
Upvotes: 2
|
2016/10/18
| 1,076
| 4,721
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<issue_start>username_0: I am a Ph.D. student who will be graduating sometime in May 2018. I am hoping to apply to the academic job market in Fall 2017. My goal is to obtain a tenure-track assistant professorship position at an R1 university in a field within computer science and/or statistics.
I recently looked at job descriptions, and found that evidence of grant-writing abilities is highly-valued, especially at R1 universities. I took a short course in preparing future faculty, and the instructor recommended that we ask faculty members in our department if we can help them write a grant. He said that most professors would be happy to have a student help write the grant.
I do feel that I am not a particularly competitive candidate, but that having grant-writing experience would give my CV an edge. However, I do not know what to make of this advice. I do not know if it is acceptable to ask faculty members about this. I do not want to offend anyone, and do not know how to approach it with etiquette and respect. I also do not know if faculty members would even find that advantageous to them - especially if the student is not familiar with their work or writing grants in general.
Would it be wise of me to ask faculty members in my department, as the instructor advised? If so, are there things I should avoid? Things I should be sure to do? Ways to ensure I would receive "credit", "authorship", or at least ways to place it meaningfully on my CV?<issue_comment>username_1: On the one hand, bid writing is a laborious and unforgiving activity, so any offer of help, one would hope, would be gratefully accepted; on the other hand, bid proposals do need to be written correctly and a lot rides on their success, so you are likely to encounter colleagues who are very possessive over them.
Offer to assist would likely be taken more positively than offering to write - and this could involve all sorts of things, attending and minuting meetings with stakeholders, working with administrators to develop costings, doing legwork around gathering information needed for the bid as well as drafting an argument and a case.
How to offer your services?
This will depend upon the culture within your department, however if a research coordinator or other kind of support officer is employed, perhaps they would be someone to approach first. They would be immersed in the network in your dept and will know what's coming up.
I'd dissuade you from sending a round-robin email as this would just be annoying; an informal/social offer of help might work better - perhaps your supervisor could point you in the direction of someone currently or about to work on a bid?
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Getting grant writing experience is important for an academic career. However, as you point out if you are not familiar with their work you will not be much use (at least in the initial drafting process). So it's important to find the right people. Ask staff who work in your area, most probably people who you have already collaborated with, and so you are at least somewhat, familiar with their work. Don't worry about the lack of experience in grant writing, we know that everyone has to start somewhere. Start by asking about the grants they are currently writing, explain you want to get experience and discuss with them where they might need help. It could be useful, for example, for you to draft an introduction section, or a layman's explanation of the grant.
The other opportunity to develop your grant writing skills is to offer your proof-reading abilities. When you hear someone is coming up to a grant deadline, offer to read it through for them, help them find typos and mistakes and/or give them feedback on content. This will help you gain familiarity with the style and content of grants, hopefully successful ones. People are generally grateful to get as much proof-reading feedback on grants as possible, but we're often reluctant to ask people as we know everyone's busy. Offers of help with this stages are generally well received, and even if you don't know the field intimately you can still be a lot of help.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: One of my summer job employers (a professor) told me that grant-writing abilities were rare, and therefore appreciated.
There was one caveat, however: In offering your services to a professor in a particular field or topic, you should have reasonable (not perfect) knowledge of that field or topic. In other words, don't go offering services "blindly" based on your grant-writing skills. That's because the value of those skills would be cancelled by someone's having to educate you "from scratch" in his/her field.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/18
| 551
| 2,354
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<issue_start>username_0: If one has already got a Master’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, can he/she apply to the Masters’ Program in Bioinformatics at another university in another country?<issue_comment>username_1: Broadly, yes.
Previously, I worked with students on masters degree who already had other masters degree or other postgraduate qualifications. Some even had doctorate. Taking a second masters can be really valuable, especially if you are seeking professional development.
It would depending on the institution that you are applying to for your second masters (such as how you meet the entry requirements etc.), so you would need to check with them for advice on your specific situation.
There are two considerations you need to make, however (this is speaking from a UK context):
**Funding**
Some funding, especially in the UK, whether student loans, scholarships from private donors, government money and research grants will not cover someone who is taking a qualification of the equivalent level that they have already obtained. Check this with the university you are applying for.
**Visa and immigration**
I am not qualified to give visa advice, however, you should know that, at least in the UK at the moment, the decision to grant you a student visa might also depend upon whether you are taking a qualification equivalent to the level of one you have already obtained.
If you're an international student and got your first masters in the UK, your chances of getting a visa to stay to do a second masters could be nil. Speak with a visa and immigration adviser at the institution you are thinking about.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Yes.
Realize that you are switching emphases from the "mainstream" of biology to "informatics," a different field that is, in this case, related to biology.
Put another way, you are emphasizing the "applied," data-intensive,portion of your field, rather than the "pure," theoretical portion. Assuming that your grades are pretty good, many programs will allow you to make the "switch."
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: As many have said, broadly, yes. That said, you should have a thorough understanding about why you need to do so to advance your career, and be able to convince potential employers that it wasn't done to put off hard decisions.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/18
| 1,814
| 7,879
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<issue_start>username_0: I have now submitted my thesis. My advisor didn't help me at all during this 3 and half years time. My thesis hasn't been read properly and I fear about the outcome. Unfortunately the culture of my school is not something where you can change things but nothing I can do except getting on with it.
I will feel burdened If I see my supervisor's name with my papers the ones I will get out of this PhD. She hasn't contributed anything than only accepting me to do this project. I also worry she has hand on my data and she can use it for her own publication once I get out of the University.
So I would like to ask, Are these just my own fears or is it something I really deal with it? Has it happened with someone else too? What are the strategies I should adopt?
Thanks for help!<issue_comment>username_1: Many supervisors do not help their PhD students (I do not have statistics, obviously, but experience from different universities and research areas). These students often feel lost and also unsure about their PhD thesis. At least in Germany it is not uncommon that PhD students who have these kinds of supervisors drop out or take exceptionally long for their PhD.
I think the best you can do in such a situation is to get help from other sides (often difficult), and if this does not work out you should finish as quick (and as good) as possible and leave that particular environment.
It is unlikely that you'll fail if you submitted a proper PhD thesis. It is also unlikely that your supervisor will directly use your data or results if she is not really involved in your research. She might give them to the next PhD student, but you (as a postdoc) will probably be much more experienced so that it is unlikely that this PhD student publishes something you also tried to do.
So, I would not worry too much but look for a better place for your future research.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I had exactly the same situation. My supervisor has 2 students (including me) and in the 4 years she was in the department (she joined the same time as me) she didn't publish a single paper with either of us.
Initially I tried to be very involved, deliberately going to see her at least twice a week to discuss things, going through my workings, asking for advice on what literature to read etc. I realised within 3 months she wasn't really engaging in anything and her other student said the same to me. The supervisor published 2 papers in her first year there, both jointly with people she knew from other universities. As I became more involved in collaborating with them I realised she didn't actually contribute anything to the work beyond the most superficial (largely thanks to how her English was better than the collaborators so she always did the writing up...). In one instance she presented "her research" to the group in one of our weekly internal presentations and at the end I leant over to her other student and whispered "Every single result in that presentation [Collaborator 1] sent me 3 months ago, she didn't do any of that!".
To make matters worse she was away the entirity of my 2nd year due to having a child (and when she returned she'd mentally 'checked out'). I felt completely lost and without direction, due to the fact all the other people in my domain were elsewhere in Europe or in the US. Eventually I managed to give myself some drive in the area AND I picked up a 2nd supervisor on a different topic. By the end of my PhD I'd published a paper with the 2nd supervisor, one with the collaborator and one entirely on my own, without her even reading it. I'm also certain she didn't read my draft thesis. She didn't read any of my paper drafts. I once asked her "Have you seen anyone do this sort of approach before" and she said "No", only for the External Examiner of my thesis, whom she picked, to say "I did a similar approach in my last paper". To find that out during a viva was a hell of a shock! I managed to defend my thesis though, my approach and ideas were different but I'd definitely have benefited if she'd informed me correctly.
Her other student wasn't so lucky. Our supervisor actively blocked her taking up a 2nd supervisor. She'd also done enough with the student that the student couldn't publish the work herself without breaking rules. The supervisor sat on a final draft of the student's paper for 9 months! Eventually the other student had to take her to the Head of Department to force her to either sign off on it or fully bin it because the student was approaching the 4 year deadline.
We both managed to get our PhDs and I think I came out of it stronger but it's not something I'd like to repeat. I couldn't say "\*\*\*\* you to Dr [Supervisor] for being useless" in my thesis but all I did was acknowledge her existence. I didn't mention her in any of my papers at all, which might be considered the height of rudeness usually but that was kinda the point... I think the department realised it was something problematic too because she didn't publish another paper and ended up leaving Academia 6 months after I finished.
In terms of ways of dealing with it I found that picking up a 2nd supervisor really helped. Collaborating by email is okay but it doesn't replace a face-to-face discussion in front of a blackboard. Ideally it's in an area with a lot of overlap with your own, it'll make it easier to hit the ground running. By making progress with this second strand of work it reduces the stress of working on your original problem and often that's enough for you to start making headway on your own.
You definitely need to be regimented with your time (though you could say this about doing a PhD in general). With no one looking over your shoulder it can be easy to just become apathetic. Keeping a schedule and daily routine helps to avoid that. If you're stuck on something then don't just stay at home that day, find a paper in your area and try to rederive the results (I was in theoretical physics so lots of maths workings) or work through the details the paper might have glossed over. That way you're keeping the subject active in your mind and who knows, maybe you'll think "Hey, I can do this a much better way!" and there's the spark of a paper all of your own.
At the very least, talk to people. Don't shut yourself off from other PhD students in your group, either socially or professionally. The occasional rant or indepth discussion about some aspect of research can be mentally uplifting.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: (At least in the UK) a PhD student is required to have more than a single supervisor. In other words, here exists a figure of a *secondary supervisor* with whom you can discuss problems that you may have about your main supervisor and general topics about your research when the main supervisor is not available.
This approach mitigates issues where a person is unavailable too often or not interested in the research of his/her PhD students (which I find strange since that should be a good source of ideas for his/her own research). Moreover, it is not uncommon to see papers including the names of the PhD student and the second supervisor (main supervisor not included).
Even more, just the fact that someone is working inside a university allows him to interact with other PhD students and often exchange ideas. I believe that, on at least a single paper, you may have included (possibly not in the authors but maybe acknowledgments) some of your colleagues. That must be worth something.
Nevertheless, you managed to complete a thesis (you submitted it), congratulations! You can argue that it was a difficult journey without the help of your supervisor, but you made it. (Well, almost, but if you submitted the thesis you're a good way towards the completion of the road.)
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/18
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<issue_start>username_0: One of our posters has been accepted with "Strong merit" at ACM DEV 2016. We have finalized the draft and sent the camera ready version to the authority. But this year's venue is Nairobi and a 5 days trip to there will cost about a lot of money. And as a student if I cannot afford to attend the conference, what will they do with my poster? Will they include in their library? If not will it be considered unpublished?
PS: All the co-authors of the paper are undergraduate students and none can afford to attend.<issue_comment>username_1: As someone commented, different conferences have different policies. For those I'm accustomed to, conference papers are usually not published in the proceedings if none of the authors show up at the conference.
If I understand correctly your situation, I would proceed as follows:
* First, contact the conference secretary and explain your critical situation of undergraduate students with no university funding, asking whether they would be able to provide student support (e.g., fee waiving, cheap lodging in student's dormitory etc.) for one of the authors.
* If the previous point is unsuccessful, try at least to find someone from your university who is going to attend and that could bring your poster to the conference, attaching it during the poster session on your behalf. Explain this solution to the organizers and hope for the best.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Different conferences will have different policies. You should discuss this with the conference itself. I have been to venues where this is largely met with a shrug and a blank board, and some where not showing up to present can be penalized with a multi-year ban on submitting.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/18
| 636
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm responding to an anonymous referee who made comments and suggestions on an article I wrote.
Since I don't know the gender, I thought of two possibilities:
1. We agree with the referee on **its** comment...
2. We agree with the referee on **their** comment...
Is either of these the proper way to refer to the referee? Or should I just write "he/she" "his/her" on every occasion?<issue_comment>username_1: The use of [singular they](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singular_they), as in your second option,
2. We agree with the referee on their comment...
is perfectly appropriate. You can also use some [other alternatives](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender-specific_and_gender-neutral_pronouns#Alternatives_to_generic_he), most notably he/she, as in e.g.
3. We agree with the referee on his/her comment...
I would discourage you from using some of the more niche alternatives, such as [Spivak pronouns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spivak_pronoun), in correspondence that's this formal.
On the other hand, your first alternative (We agree with the referee on its comment...) **should not** be used under any circumstances. It is considered extremely rude by native English speakers, since it reduces the referee to the level of an inanimate thing. If you use it you can hope, at best, to come off as someone with a very poor command of the English language.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In "unknown" gender situations, I use constructions like s/he and his/her.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Why not
>
> We agree with the referee's comment.
>
>
>
(I gathered my answer from the question ["Agree on" vs. "agree with" vs. "agree to"](https://english.stackexchange.com/q/73696/31134) on English SE)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: How about "We agree with the referee's comment." In general, less words are just better for conveying a message. If you must pick a genderless pronoun, "he" does not necessarily convey gender, and is perfectly acceptable in most cases. If you feel you must, the first use you could use s\he, his\her, or the like, to prove that you make no assumptions about the gender of the referee, and then use he or him for the rest, because it just sounds better.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/18
| 775
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<issue_start>username_0: Suppose my name is <NAME>, and I am writing a new (single-author) paper which wants to cite a previous (single-author) work by myself.
What is the best style for this?
(1) As we showed in [1], the following condition applies ....
(2) As I showed in [1], the following condition applies ....
(3) As Smith showed in [1], the following condition applies ....
(4) As [1] shows, the following condition applies ....
I would prefer to avoid (4) because it is easier for the reader to follow a discussion where names (rather than numbers) are associated with certain concepts. This leads me to prefer (3), because a specific name is attached.
The problem with (1) is that it can be difficult for the reader to distinguish two meanings of "we" in the context of a (math) paper: first, there is the impersonal use of we as in "we define a group as a set with an operation + etc.", and second there is the use of we as in the actual human writing the paper.
The problem with (2) is that it draws attention to myself as opposed to my ideas, which is the opposite of what I'd like in a scholarly paper
Does it matter if this is in the middle of a paragraph citing a wide variety of authors, only some of whom happen to be equal to myself? For example,
"As Jones showed in [2], ...., As Doe showed in [3], ...., As Smith (or we) or (I) showed in [1], .... "<issue_comment>username_1: Your institution or publisher probably wants you to use a specific style guide. Most of what I've seen other places is consistent with the style guide here: Same citation format as for anyone else, typically inline, surname date and maybe page number; full citation also same format as anyone else.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: To me (3) sounds strange (i.e. to refer to yourself in the third person). Also (1) and (2) are rarely used and may sound odd to some people (to me only to a mild degree). I would certainly prefer (4).
I must admit that I do not see how names of persons would make it easier to me to follow the discussion. Names of *concepts* would certainly do (and often concepts are named after people you don't want to call your own method "Smith's method) but author names are quite irrelevant to me.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: In my field of psychology, it is normal to treat any previous citation as if it was another person. In a sense it is the article that presents the point. This convention is also related to the use of double blind review in many journals.
So you'd just write:
>
> Smith (2015) showed that ...
>
>
>
or
>
> Smith (2015) conducted a study and found that ...
>
>
>
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I have sometimes seen (multiple) authors referring to themselves as "The current authors" and would like to suggest another option:
(5) As the current author showed in [1], the following condition applies ....
It is similar to option (2) but draws a little less attention to yourself, in my opinion.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/18
| 815
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<issue_start>username_0: I have a question about my choice of name for publication.
I recently got married and legally changed my name to my husband's surname (for example's sake: from Hunter to Jones).
So, despite legally being Ms Jones now, I would quite like to use the hyphenated name Hunter-Jones in the professional context and in publications.
This is so that people realise that it is still me and so that I can somewhat keep my maiden name.
Is this possible or do I have to use my legal name professionally and when publishing?
Thank you for any help<issue_comment>username_1: Yes. You get to decide what name appears on your publications.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: In the same tune as @username_1: The best is to keep *one* name for all of your publications. If you introduced a middle name (like <NAME>), keep the pattern, too; and not change once to <NAME> and an other time to <NAME>, for example.
In addition, consider a free registration at Thomson Reuters's Web of Science as [ResearcherID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ResearcherID) ([here](http://www.researcherid.com/Home.action)) or -- better *and* -- [ORCID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORCID). By this you may increase the visibility of your research activities, not only should your name be a more frequently one (Smith, Li, etc.); but should you change to an other research institution. See, for example, the ResearchID bag by [<NAME>](http://kitchingroup.cheme.cmu.edu/blog/) below: This allows everyone to see the bibliographic references he contributed: this compilation is accessible, regardless if one has subscriber access to Web of Science, or not. Obviously, ORCID has a database that lives from your contributions.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/H3etQ.png)
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Thomson Reuters, nor ORCID. And while not affiliated with Kitchin's group either, it is simply historically the first page of a PI I saw with this badge, while researching for his contributions to [Emacs' org-mode](http://orgmode.org/).
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: I know a number of people who, although they legally changed their name upon marriage, continue to publish under their maiden name. I consider that a valid choice.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: You can use any name you like, but consider your goal. Many professionals continue to use their maiden name, if it is established. Consider it your 'business name'.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: Legally and morally there is no issue. Whether changing your name is wise depends on your subject and the databases used in that subject. For example, in mathematics publishing under different names would be no problem, as MathReviews has a database of authors both identifying name changes and different spellings and differentiating between different authors with the same name. In other subject areas changing your name means that users of a database will not find all your publications. This will even be true for the change from Hunter to Hunter-Jones, as many computers will not see any relation between the two. So think about the databases used most often in your area, and search for people who changed their name.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/18
| 1,232
| 4,923
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<issue_start>username_0: So I am gradute student in theoretical computer science.
Throughout my education path up to highschool, I have all been praised a big lot by my teachers, some of them even went to such lengths as to say I was the most intelligent student they have ever taught. By dint of all that, I took it for granted that I must be cleverer than average and before I noticed, I might have gotten on a very high horse.
Then I got into college, and things started getting harder. The higher the horse, the bigger and harder the fall. So my grades stopped being close to full score, but not bad at all. Until I decided that I wanted to do a PhD later, and for that, I have to get very good marks and hope to get a scholarship.
Ever since, at the dawn of every test/exam, as opposed to the relaxed and cool mindset I'd be in before, I get very, very, VERY anxious and very flustered, either out of fear that I run out of time (because of a lived experience), or of not having the answer. That anxiousness would get lifted immeditely when time is up, and on my way back home, all answers or most of them, would start flowing in my head.
Only this morning, I had a test which I failed like never before. I quickly glossed over problems one by one in order, my mind would go blank for a few seconds, then I would deciddeto move on to the next problem and that it is no use wasting time on this one (because I wasn"'t going to find a solution), and that for every exercise. It is for a reason I say I failed today's like never before because I literally could do nothing; my mind was paralyzed and started weating and how I was going to not get to what I want to (PhD). But as soon as I got home and sat down for a few minutes, I solved prefectly 5 problems out 7 in 30 minutes (the test was to do within 90 minutes).
I was one of the most confident people in themselves before, but now I lost every bit of that confidence and wouldn't stop thinking I'm too dumb to make it. I have been struggling with this for two years now, and after today's huge blow, I decided to take to the internet and this board in order to try and find a solution. Chances are Academia is not the right board to ask this question in, but it must be the closest to that out of all other SE boards.
What can I do about my test taking so that my scores are more reflective of my natural ability?<issue_comment>username_1: I too went through a period where I panicked when taking tests. I saw a psychologist for help. Even if you choose not to go that route, you might find my experience helpful.
The problem began when I started taking the kind of tests where even the best students may not be able to answer all of the questions. I'd look at question one, not know how to answer it (at least, not right away), and begin to get nervous. Question two might seem daunting as well, so I'd become even more nervous. By the time I'd looked at question three, I was convinced that I would fail. Eventually I might realise that I knew how to do part of one of the questions. That gave me confidence to tackle another piece of another question, and so on. But I spent too much time panicking to do well on most tests.
The key for me in overcoming this was to realise that it was normal to not know how to answer any of the questions at first. I learned to expect it, but also to expect that after a couple of minutes I would begin to get ideas for solutions. By *expecting* that I would draw a blank at first, while realising that this wouldn't mean I'd fail the test, I kept myself from panicking.
Part of what the psychologist did was to help me understand this. The other thing was that he worked with me to visualise the test-taking procedure:
sitting down at the desk, turning over the paper, scanning the list of questions, not knowing how to answer any of them, then getting an idea, and so on. He talked me through the scenario while I did some relaxation exercises that he taught me.
Take comfort in the fact that your test-taking days are almost over. After you get a postgraduate degree, no one cares whether you passed with flying colours or barely squeaked by. Your publications will be far more important.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Based on the information in your question, your strength is "project" work, and your weakness is taking tests.
In high school,the strength of your project work stood out, and tests didn't stand in your way.
In early college, your weakness at test-taking kept you from getting the highest scores, but your project work bailed you out. Now, the equation no longer holds.
The solution is twofold: The first is to take courses that emphasize project work and de-emphasize test-taking.
The second is to take a "test-prep" course, or even get pychological/testing counseling, so that you will "pass" your tests to a degree that will let your project strengths speak for you.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/18
| 416
| 1,927
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm a business student and I'm really fond of computer science and engineering. Is it possible to apply for cs major in computer science? If not, is it possible to apply for MaSc in Master of Business Analytic then continue to study in CS?<issue_comment>username_1: Your specific degree doesn't matter as much as your other experience. If you are a business student, but have focused on coursework in CS/engineering, done undergraduate research in a CS/engineering lab, etc, you have a better shot.
I am assuming you are roughly a senior undergraduate student based on your question, but I would also advise that if you are truly finding yourself more interested in CS/engineering it might be to your benefit to take an additional undergraduate year and get some of the required courses under your belt for the graduate programs you will be interested the following year. Graduate program staff at your current institution are probably a good resource for what types of courses would benefit you.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: As a "business" student, you should focus your major as much as possible on information technology or computer systems to the extent possible. Most business applications have leanings in that direction, so I would try to take business courses with those kinds of leanings. Perhaps only "marketing" courses have few connections with computer science. Here, I'm not referring to subjects like market research (which have plenty of computer applications), but more to the "behavioral" or sociological efforts of marketing such as selling.
The other way of strengthening your candidacy is to take your non-business electives in computer science and engineering. To get into a graduate program in these areas, you don't need to be the "best candidate" (e.g. an electrical engineering major from Stanford or MIT), only a "plausible candidate.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/18
| 4,643
| 19,979
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<issue_start>username_0: I have come into a strange position and could greatly use some advice on how I should proceed. I am an undergraduate student at an American university in a computer engineering program. For the last several months, I have been hired as a student developer working for the university. However due to HR issues I have been working without any compensation. (I have so far worked over 300 hours for the university without pay.)
However last week they have finally got around to filling out the HR paperwork to officially hire me. My immediate boss feels bad about me working all this time and wants to "make it up". He has suggested doing this by going and "padding my pay" by a few hours each week until the time is covered. However I have been told to not let anyone else know or there will be trouble for it. This feels very shady and I am really struggling over whether this is something that is acceptable or not to do.
I know the thing that most people are likely to comment on is “Why the world did you not just quit?” The reason for this is really twofold. The position is a really nice one, I am able to be doing development work to help build up my resume and pay for school as a freshman student. The second being that I really do need the money from the position to help pay for school, and I was told throughout the entire process that I would start being payed “Just next week”.
I understand that they probably were just taking advantage of my ignorance (this is my first job), but has anyone ever had any experience like this where they can give advice on how I should proceed? (Or if the suggested method of padding hours is acceptable?) I’m told that “People do it all the time”, but also being told “don’t tell anyone” just makes it seem somewhat suspicious.
Any advice that could be provided would be greatly appreciated. (Particularly concerning the legality and ethics of the situation.)
---
This question was originally posted on <https://workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/78016/working-without-compensation-what-to-do>
but as they said academics tends to look differently on "under the table" dealings, they recommended I try to post it here for a better answers.<issue_comment>username_1: I have no clear answer -- but you certainly can't get into trouble for working without pay. Your supervisor and the school might, but not you. That's probably why they prefer you not discuss that.
As for padding your pay -- this may be the right thing for your supervisor to offer, but it doesn't seem legal (I'm no lawyer) -- and if it isn't, you'd be complicit.
I'd be tempted to say just take your lumps, and work your future hours for compensation.
You might have a chat about receiving independent study credit for the free work you did, either in the current semester or a future semester, with all involved understanding when the work took place
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm not a lawyer, so don't take this as legal advice.
First, tell your boss you're not okay with padding your hours unless you get something in writing from HR. You shouldn't take on that sort of risk.
Second, did you get some sort of job offer stating the terms of your work? Does it mention a start date and pay? If yes, it seems like you would be on pretty good grounds. If no, you may be in a difficult spot.
Either way, I would probably go to HR. They certainly don't want to end up with lawyers involved, and neither do you, so I would think everyone would be motivated to talk about this. Most places have pretty strict laws about employee compensation. The only catch is if the job is worth it for the experience, and you would rather write off the earnings to this point than jeopardize your position going forward. In that case write it off as an internship or unpaid research assistantship, and talk to your boss about labeling it as such.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: IANAL.
This might be typical for more limited circumstances: say, you started work a week before the paperwork went through, and you have a limited part time 5 hr/week student research job, adding those hours to your first week of work wouldn't be legal but it is very unlikely to lead to consequences for anybody.
Your circumstance is way beyond that, but it really sounds like the person likely to be in trouble would be your boss, and not you, assuming it would be clear to anyone that your boss knows how many current hours you are actually working (i.e., if they are always in the lab when you are).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: If you do it then for sure you need to not tell anyone. If you keep it just between you and your supervisor then you could probably get away with it.
The problem is that slight chance you don't get away with it. You would likely get kicked out of school, possible criminal charges, and they may ask for the money back. If your supervisor fessed up and said he was in on it then not likely they would file criminal charges but if he throws you under the bus then you could be facing criminal charges.
Ask for another way to make up for that time.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_5: *Note that this answer is culture-dependant and my experiences will probably not fit directly with the situation in an American university, which you described to be enrolled in. However, the answer can help understand situations in which the described inofficial arrangements can work out, and also outlines why your situation is rather different from those.*
As far as I know, it is very common to pad payment as described for smaller student jobs, so in the end the actual work hours and the actually received sum of payment match. Reasons include:
* University administration/HR departments tend to be (considerably) less spontaneous than what is sometimes required for fulfilling certain research-related tasks. This can become particularly discriminatory towards foreign students, as they might have to wait for documents from other agencies outside of the university (e.g. the agency responsible for foreigners in the respective jurisdiction).
* Workload created by ongoing research is by no means balanced in any way.
* The time available to students is not balanced in any way.
* In contrast to the two above points, student work contracts are often not sophisticated enough to account for that variation. They assume a uniform workload such as *n hours a week*.
Evidently, these issues can create a severe discrepancy between what is confirmed on paper (e.g. "4 hours a week for 3 months starting in July") and what both parties directly involved in the research want to agree upon to their mutual satisfaction (also with respect to not impeding the student's studying). Hence, it seems, distributing actual work hours differently to what the contract says is a way to counteract the negative effects of bureaucracy both towards research projects and the preferences of the people involved, and therefore not ethically problematic.
However, all of these arrangements usually work because they are conducted by people who responsibly handle the relatively large inofficial leeway. In your particular situation, I do see some warning signs that your superiors might not belong to that group, which indeed evokes the question “Why the world did you not just quit?” for me:
* There was no clear agreement between your superior and you about the inofficial arrangement before it started. It seems your superior 'feels bad about [you] working all this time and wants to "make it up"' as late as you have been working for a considerable number of hours.
* Your superior apparently did nothing to change things earlier. The contractual definition of work hours is, among other things, meant as a protection for the employee from negative side-effects (working too much; having too little time for studying; ...). It can seem justified to bend the rules for the reasons described above, but then the responsibility to protect the employee is passed on to the employer's "manual control". When they learn your officially paid hours are not just behind the actual working time by a week or two, but that no payment is in sight yet, it is up to your superior to tell you to pause working and to try and influence HR themselves.
* Rather than knowing more or less the deviation between what the contract says and what actually happens, you were repeatedly told you 'would start being payed “Just next week”'. While it may have been HR telling you that, this should have been another reason for your superior to suspend the inofficial arrangement for the time being, because obviously it cannot be implemented within parameters known to both of you (given that the parameter of how long you will actually have to wait was totally unknown).
As a final remark, you say you "have been told to not let anyone else know or there will be trouble for it". It is not quite clear how this request was phrased and what is meant by "trouble", or especially, who the "trouble" would be directed at. If this is meant to be "trouble" for *you* you are right to consider this quite shady, as apparently, your superior is not going to take responsibility for the arrangement1 on the off-chance that anyone complains, and maybe also that the number of hours you amassed is substantial enough that someone might indeed bother to investigate.
1: At the very least, by describing the arrangement as a way to retroactively make up for the due payment the student missed due to unforeseen administrative issues. IANAL, but while probably a violation of procedures of some kind, it seems unlikely anyone would bother to create consequences as there is no tangible damage *if* the student is paid for the worked time eventually.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_6: I am not a lawyer, but maybe you can ask them if it would be possible for them to provide you with a contract which back-dates your starting date to when you actually started?
I would prefer this approach because then you can list the correct, longer time range during which you worked for them on your CV without worries because you can prove it with your contract (and probably also in their files).
Also, it could be that there are certain rules that forbid students to work more than X hours a week which, if surpassed, may have consequences in terms of taxation/visa/whatever. Sticking to the truth (in this case backdating) can avoid those problems.
I worked a few times as teaching assistant at my university. Usually I got to sign my contract in time before the starting date, but one time the personnel drafting the contracts were overloaded with work, so I started working without a contract. About a month later they finally had created my contract. The starting date indicated was from a month before (i.e. it was correct); I put my signature and the then-current date (i.e. a month later) under it. Had no problems, they registered it correctly at the tax office and the next month I received two months of salary at once.
Generally, I wouldn't recommend working with only the promise of a contract. Luckily, in my case (and as it seems, in your case), it turned out well and promises were honored. Also, I only did it because trust had been earned earlier.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_7: **I am not a lawyer.**
However, the Federal Fair Labor Standards act dictates that they must pay you for your work under various circumstances. In general, if they derived a benefit from your work and you working for them was not a detriment or net cost to them in some way, then you should be paid for it. You do have the responsibility to prove in some way that you worked the hours claimed. This can be a letter from your boss backing up your claim or detailed documentation of the hours and days you worked.
The "right thing to do" is to have your boss file a request with HR to provide you with back pay based on the hours you worked. It should all come in a lump sum and include all the proper deductions.
If your boss is not willing to do the right thing and file this request, or HR is unwilling to fulfill the request, then the next best thing is to get a letter from your boss stating the hours you worked and go talk to HR personally. Remind them of their liability under the FLSA and request that they rectify the situation. If they still won't budge then you need to decide whether it is in your best interests to sue them for the back pay. Assuming you have a letter from your boss stating you worked those hours, you should have no issue winning the lawsuit. Technically, they are also not allowed to fire you for doing so. This type of retaliatory behavior is strictly prohibited by law and could entitle you to further damages. However, if you have to sue them for pay you rightfully earned just to get them to pay you, you should seriously question whether they are someone you want to continue to work for.
In the future, always keep your own personal detailed records of every hour your work, including the date and the times during the day you performed the work. I'm sure there's probably an app for that.
That's my 2 cents on this issue.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_8: Everyone who fills in their own timesheet has wiggle room. What matters is the perception and satisfaction of the supervisor who signs off on it. If he's happy with the situation, it's good. Labor law does not and cannot capture the nuance of this.
My realpolitik perspective is that, as long as you aren't actually being taken advantage of (i.e. you get paid), bringing it to HR is just causing a problem over nothing. That could hurt you as it will cause you to be perceived (say, by your current supervisor) as a stickler.
This isn't legal advice and all that, but I can't see any way this could hurt you. Just don't cop to it, especially in writing.
(As an addendum. I have worked a variety of hourly positions. I have seen people come in and do nothing for 6 hours, write down 8 and call it a day. I have seen workers who are only allowed to bill 8 hours a day but work 12, whether by tacit expectation or otherwise.
It is completely absurd and laughable to me that there would be anything like an investigation, or that someone would call him on it. Quite simply, it would be *fundamentally impossible* to pursue.)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_9: I can tell you, that this is very common practice in Germany, a sort of open secret. At my university at least. I've done it myself and I know many people who've done it. Although the cases I know of were not as extreme (i.e. 300 hours of advance work), I wouldn't have any qualms accepting your supervisors offer.
I'm also not sure I agree with other answers on this being a disadvantage as far as your CV is concerned. I presume the amount of time you're going to spend on the job in total will not be affected, right?
Don't tell anyone you don't trust, though. Or, better yet, don't tell anyone at all. And also the situation in your country might be different.
**EDIT:**
I got @JosefStark's CV remark: the padded contract might squeeze the total hours into fewer months, that is of course correct.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_10: This can go two ways:
1. Nobody notices, or they notice but nobody minds. You get the money.
2. Somebody notices, and it turns out your boss: had no authority to hire you for the work without approval; worst case would never have got permission to hire you for the original work; therefore has chosen to knowingly defraud the University in order to "<NAME>" you the money. You're both involved in criminal fraud to the tune of 300 hours of pay. Perhaps your boss even denies ever having had this conversation with you, in the hope you'll go down for it alone.
So the worst-case potential downside is prison. Probably the money's not worth the risk, but your call.
Even if the worst case doesn't materialise, your boss is saying that if you tell anyone there will be Trouble. This *strongly* suggests that if you don't tell anyone but they find out anyway, then there will likewise be Trouble. So what's the chance of getting caught padding 300 hours? Depends how long you pad them over, whethe the timesheets you submit are plausible, and whether anyone is auditing any of this.
So granted, the worst case is unlikely, and other people are working around the bureaucracy in similar ways. Still, you want to avoid doing anything shady, and this is shady because the people paying the money aren't being told what it was for. That justifies pressing your boss to admit to HR and his boss that he was slack about the paperwork, and request that you be paid for all or some of the work you've already done. It's much better to submit a *truthful* invoice for the work you've done, than a bunch of *false* timesheets for which you can be held liable, maybe even years from now. If the University refuses to pay the invoice on grounds all you had was a verbal agreement with your immediate boss, you can either let it go or you can explore other options to demand payment.
If all that's going on here is your boss doesn't want to have to confess to being badly-organized, then it might not even be that difficult to convince him to face the music rather than do something that probably isn't legal even if it does "come out the same in the end". Really depends on his personality and the consequences for him of anyone finding out what he already did wrong (strung you along for 300 hours of unauthorised work). If he's already committed a sacking offence then you can only choose two of getting paid, staying legal, and continuing to work for him. You couldn't have all three. If he's merely at risk of looking like a buffoon and getting frowned at then maybe once pressed he'll be willing to do that in preference to involving you in something you're not happy with, and you get all three.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_11: Many places of employment have either an official or an informal system of "flex time". Initially I believe it meant that you could work 6 hours one day and 10 hours another day, since it would even out in the wash. But in a community college where I worked, full time in the IT department, it meant I was able to put extra hours into my flextime bank over the course of several months, by working more than 40 hours in the week, and then take hours out (by working less than 40 hours) when I took some college courses in the summer term and needed time to go to class and do homework. Each employee in the department kept track of their hours by just jotting them down. I kept a separate notebook just for that in my top desk drawer. My immediate supervisor shared an office with me, and there was an atmosphere of complete trust.
On the other hand, sometimes a freelance worker is hired for a particular project, and is asked to keep track of his total hours worked. In essence he will get paid for the total number of hours needed for the project, but he may be asked to invoice his hours in a more evenly spread-out pattern than the actual distribution of hours as he puts them in.
What your boss has proposed could potentially fit under either of these schemes.
Note that in an academic setting, things are sometimes more loosey-goosey than in non-academic workplaces.
If your boss has asked you to be discreet, I would honor this request, since he's the one who's going to be signing your timesheets.
Based on multiple personal work experiences with both of the schemes I described, I really don't think you have anything to be concerned about. However, to be sure, you could anonymously call the government employment office in your area. Where I live these offices are called "Workforce New York".
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_12: You're not padding your pay with hours that you didn't work; you're just being paid for hours that you *DID* work, albeit at a different time.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: I have done two projects in the area of molecular biology. I have a Master's degree. So, I find that it requires more than 20 minutes to talk about them. My first-language is not English. I think this is too long, right? I would be tired, and the interviewer may also be tired. We may need additional time to discuss the research projects I did. So, should it be short? How many minutes are appropriate?<issue_comment>username_1: A skype interview is interactive: people will interrupt you and ask questions. So if the overall interview is supposed to last 60 minutes, then 20 minutes may seem appropriate -- with questions it will fill the time. If the interview is scheduled to be 30 minutes, then 20 may seem optimistic -- but it could also be ok.
I think, though, that you're focusing too much about the *length* of the presentation. You ought to be concerned with the content and the level at which you present. Remember that you're going to talk to people who have a decade or more of experience in the field -- they won't need a detailed introduction to the basics of the field.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: They ask about your research experience to learn more about your suitability for the position. They are not necessarily interested in the specific research results. If they are, they will look for publications after the interview or simply ask for more details.
Prepare a sales pitch with three main points:
* background/topic of the projects and also why you participated in them
* main results and conclusions
* what did you learn from doing them (project management skills, exciting new technique, ...)
You should be able to explain this in about 5 minutes. Be prepared to answer questions if they ask for more details.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: My first name is Евгений (it is Russian; the usual transliteration is Yevgeny). I was born in Ukraine in 1990, when it was still in the Soviet Union, where Russian was the official language. I lived there until 2011, when I went to Canada, where I am currently working on a Ph.D in mathematics. The name indicated in my passport is IEVGEN. It has undergone two rounds of changes: first it was translated from Russian into Ukrainian (Евгений => Євген), and then the Ukrainian version was transliterated into English under the transliteration rules that were valid at the time of receiving the passport. If I received the passport under the present rules, it would be spelled as IEVHEN. The issue here is that the sound in the Ukrainian version is something in between of G and H.
I am deeply unhappy with the "name" IEVGEN: it looks odd, it is not pronounced as the Ukrainian version, and it is definitely not how my parents named me.
I really don't want this spelling to appear on my publications, and ideally even on my Ph.D. thesis. Right now I don't know which version I would prefer, but let's consider YEVGENY, which is the closest to the original, and EUGENE, which is the English/French version of the same name. I know that I am the one who decides under which name to be published, but it raises the following question:
If at some point I will need to prove the authorship of a certain publication that bears a name slightly, or significantly different from what is in my documents, will that be a problem?
EDIT: some of the answers suggest me several ways of how to spell my name, and I appreciate them, but it is not what I have asked. My question only had to do with bureaucratic and juridical aspects of the problem.
EDIT 2: The title of the question was changed by an editor to "What author name to list on publications when English translation of Russian name on passport is unsatisfactory?", which is again completely misleading. I am not asking what to put on publication, I am asking about how to prove that the chosen name corresponds to me. So I edited the title back to the original.<issue_comment>username_1: Your question has a lengthy introduction, but finally:
>
> If at some point I will need to prove the authorship of a certain publication that bears a name slightly, or significantly different from what is in my documents, will that be a problem?
>
>
>
No. A slight difference that can be explained by differences in transliteration is not a problem. This is not a court case, people working in academia are human. Some people even change their name completely (in some cultures this was or is common upon marriage) and still they can list articles under both names on their CV.
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by *significantly different* because that doesn't apply here. Just use the transliteration you prefer.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: As a possible solution if you are still worried about it: Get an [ORCID](http://orcid.org/) account.
They basically created an ID, a DOI for researchers. If you link your publications to your ORC-ID, you don't need to worry if your name is very common (e.g. <NAME>) or if someone misspelled your name.
Upvotes: 8 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: The long introduction is important. The answer might differ for academic assessments in different countries. The author might be publishing in two or three different languages with different transliterations suitable to each language (Japanese use Romaji versions of their names for English publications, Kanji versions for Japanese publications).
Digression: All the more reason to use an ORCHID account, and then publish research in the appropriate language and journal,for the appropriate audience. Can audience-targeting-efficiency be given academic credit in publishing impact assessments? Or is it dangerous to use more than one publishing name and dilute the personal brand?
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: As mentioned in [other questions](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/78468/348), there’s no need at all for your academic name to match your legal name as indicated on a passport. So go wild.
More generally, Евгений, I would suggest that you take pride in your name, and maybe challenge the Eurocentrism/US-centrism of science a bit by using your original name *in its original spelling*. — At least in addition to a Latinised version.
[I have mentioned elsewhere](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/78468/is-it-possible-to-keep-publishing-under-my-professional-maiden-name-different?noredirect=1#comment192497_78468) that this is unusual: publishers in particular (but also employers etc) really have trouble dealing with names that contain non-ASCII characters, among other things. But this is actually a shame: **Own your heritage**, and don’t let other peoples’ cultural insensitivity force you to forego it completely.
There’s obviously a balance to be struck between practicality and idealism but don’t make it too easy for people to become lazy with foreign names. On a personal note, I find it rather rude how little regard is often paid in the Western world to original names. Science has a diversity problem, and hiding non-Western culture sweeps this problem under the carpet.
Here’s my recommendation in full:
* On your PhD thesis, use your original name and add your preferred Latinised spelling (e.g. Yevgeny) in parentheses.
* In publications and when dealing with employers, at least *try to* make them use your original spelling alongside your preferred Latinised spelling. Don’t be nasty about it but at least make them realise that *they’re inconveniencing you*.
* Use a *consistent* Latinised spelling.
* Acquire an [ORCID](http://orcid.org/) — though, to be honest, its usefulness at the moment is vastly overrated. Most publishers (in my field) flat out ignore it.
These are my recommendations. But the decision which spelling of your name to use is of course yours — *you* have the interpretive authority regarding your own name. Just don’t let that decision be taken away from you by other peoples’ inflexibility and lack of consideration.
---
Anecdote time: [<NAME>](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Knuth), one of the most eminent computer scientists, is one of the few authors to use the original spelling of names throughout the bibliography in his *The Art of Computer Programming*. This means Kyrillic, Japanese, Chinese etc. letters. I’ve done the same in my PhD thesis where I could find the original spelling.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_5: It is quite common for Eastern European people to anglicise their names when settling in English speaking countries. I had a Hungarian co-worker who was originally named "Szillardi" and he got fed up with people calling him "<NAME>" so he changed it to "Sillars". With first names its even a bigger issue. "Janos" is much harder for most people than "John". So why not change your name to Eugene or even Gene?
BTW: Details on changing the name on your passport may be found at <https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/services/correction.html>
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_6: Orthodox ways:
My first suggestion would be to write "**E. F. Surname**" in the author line of all your papers, with the Latin "E" verbatim, and F being the first letter of your father's name. E.g.: "<NAME>" for Евгений Беньяминович Ухариков and "<NAME>" for Евгений Остапович Бендер-Задунайский. Don't make the mistake to transliterate a middle name such as Беньяминович in full due to an apostrophe having to replace ь: it would cause you endless pain.
As a second choice, the translation of one of the main characters of your dear old Alexander Sergeevich was Eugene Onegin. You cannot do harm by **Eugene Surname**. Subjectively I like it and I have a friend whose first name is spelt like that on technical documents.
Do use ResearcherID, ORCID, and other means to make sure that you don't lose scientific credit.
Unorthodox way:
If you really wish to stand out: leave it cyrillic **<NAME>** or even **Жека**/**Жендос**/... (probably even without the surname) on your papers in the author line and provide a footnote with a romanized spelling "Eugene Surname".
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: I expect you are publishing in English so choose one of the common ways to transcript or transliterate Russian Cyrillic into English latin letters. Some journals will just use the initial E or Y, some will use the full first name. Using one transcription consistently will make it easier for people citing your work.
Others have showed how to connect works published under a different name if that happens.
But if someone will write about you in a different language be prepared that they will use their own transliteration anyway. Jevgenij, Jewgeni, Evgeni, Evgenij, Yevgueni are all common and default ways to transcript Евгений in different European orthographies and using the English transcription in other language sometimes looks very strange.
Using the Cyrillic name in otherwise Latin script name also looks strange, I wouldn't do it. Even in Russian scientific texts the names use the same script as the rest of the text. They are in Cyrillic (even western names!) if the text is in Cyrillic and they are romanized if the text is in the Latin script (usually in the English or other world language).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: If you want to be known as Eugene in Canada (and in publications), go ahead. In your CV you can show the alternate spellings you have published under...
>
> <NAME> (a.k.a. <NAME>, <NAME>)
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_9: As others have written, it will likely not be a problem for you to argue that it's still you despite the different spelling of the name. I would add an (obvious) reason why this should be the case: No competition; there won't be other claimants of the credit for having written your papers than just you. Well, except in very strange and extreme cases.
Something I would suggest practically, though, is that when you write a paper, a dissertation or what-not, always **include a footnote with the original Cyrillic spelling of your name**. This should typically be rather simple since you already have a footnote with your university/company affiliation - just append to that footnote.
And a second practical suggestion: Why don't you try changing your official English transliteration of your name to whatever you want it to be? I don't know how these things work in Ukraine but I would think it's possible.
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: Recently, I was working on some mathematics (number theory) and try to do that just for a math fun. Prior to that, I did not refer to any literature or any research articles, as I was doing this for fun. But I went in very deep and spent almost 15 days on that as it was getting interesting.
After one stage, I was able to represent the numbers in a series representation but was not able to find the equation. After a few more days of work, I was able to extract the equation. Now, I can represent that series in one equation. This makes me very curious, as all this I did just by trial and error method and found on my own.
I know that, making equation of some series is not a big task. But, the way I came to that equation is making me think to publish an article on that.
I thought to search on whether this equation is available or not, and as it was expected the research on that has already been done.
In this scenario, can I publish a research article on the topic?<issue_comment>username_1: An article is not about you. It is not a reward of effort. In an article you try to communicate to the readers, so it needs to contain something that your readers want to read. If something is already done, then why would I want to read it? Maybe, you have variation, or a special case, or a more general case, that makes your equation or your derivation thereof different and interesting. But if that is not the case, then the answer is simply no.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: If you had followed an extremely distinct methodology to get to the same position or have a very distinct proof I would say "go for it".
The suggestion that it was found by trial-and-error, though, seems to indicate to me that the actual value of the work would not add to the existing greater body.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: A mathematics research article need to contain something new. If the result itself is not new, then the method used to obtain it must be new and sufficiently interesting in its own right to be worth an article. The main reasons that the method would be seen as interesting would be either that it is significantly simpler than the existing methods, or that it looks like it might be useful to prove things we don't already know. In the latter case, it would definitely be an advantage if you did use the method to prove something interesting and new, as well as to prove the existing known result.
Note that, if you do try to publish your new proof, it is imperative to cite the existing proof, now that you're aware of its existence.
Upvotes: 5
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<issue_start>username_0: Why do people studying e.g. Business Administration (or similar) receive BSc or MSc degrees? Those guys don't rely on the scientific method even if they may use some mathematical or scientific tools from social sciences sometimes.
Is this just an institutional artifact?<issue_comment>username_1: At [University of Essex](https://online.essex.ac.uk/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-an-mba-and-msc-in-business/) they provide both degrees, and they even give an explanation of the differences. It boils down to the following:
An MBA in Business Administration:
* Takes it's starting point in the student's previous work experience
* Focuses on tools rather than theory
An MSc on the other hand:
* Is accessible to people without prior work experience (more like a normal education)
* Takes it's starting point in theory
More informally, an MBA is often for people who cannot advance further in their career without an academic degree of some sort.
Does that now mean you should regard BA as an academic degree in the same way as eg. chemistry or physics? No, but different subjects has different traditions, and it is generally not very fruitful to play the 'subject x is not a real science'-game.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Professional degrees
--------------------
[Professional degrees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_degree) are a thing, and MBA is generally considered one of them. They are similar but a bit different from the 'general' academic degrees - they follow a similar structure, studies and rankings but one of the main differences is that professional studies will generally focus on acquisition of a large amount of domain knowledge (whether that domain is business administration, pharmacy, dentistry, surgery, engineering or law) and only a minority of students at the very end of their careers will work on what would be "truly" science.
However, those fields have solid traditions that are often older than whole academic disciplines, so they have always been parts of higher education. The details will differ between countries - some will call all of them as 'masters', some will have specific naming for each subfield, and some will explicitly have two 'tracks', differentiating between MSc and the various professional masters degrees.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: Somee University's have found that they actually had no policy to differentiate why some degrees were only offered as a BA or as BS and decided to create (or at least formally define) a difference, [like this story](http://www.academicprograms.calpoly.edu/content/academicpolicies/policies-undergrad/ba-bs-difference):
>
> BA/BS, Difference Between Degrees
>
>
> Background: in 1984, the Academic Senate Curriculum Committee was
> asked to prepare a policy statement which would differentiate between
> Bachelor of Science degrees and Bachelor of Arts degrees at California
> Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The need for this arose
> when some departments at Cal Poly proposed to change their B.A.
> degrees to B.S. degrees. The requests were refused by the Chancellor's
> Office in part because Cal Poly, SLO, had no campus policy which
> specified the differences between the two degrees.
>
>
>
This one University created this type of distinction:
>
> Bachelor of Arts Degree:
>
>
> * is usually less specialized than a Bachelor of Science degree.
> * requires a minimum of 180 quarter units for the degree; 36 units are
> required in the major, of which at least 18 units are at the 300-400
> level.
> * is normally awarded in such majors as the languages,
> literature, other humanities, and history.
>
>
> Bachelor of Science Degree:
>
>
> * typically involves technical fields.
> * requires a minimum of 180 quarter
> units for the degree; 54 units are required in the major, of which at
> least 27 quarter units are at the of 300-400 level.
> * is normally
> awarded in such majors as the physical and biological sciences,
> engineering, and agriculture
>
>
>
Here's [a different take on the same issue](https://catalog.uwsp.edu/content.php?catoid=1&navoid=50):
>
> The BA is a liberal arts degree intended to develop skills and talents
> essential to succeeding in a global society. It combines study of the
> arts, humanities, historical perspectives, and the natural and social
> sciences with advanced critical inquiry and an in-depth knowledge in
> an academic discipline (major). The program develops cultural, social,
> and political literacy, including the abilities to communicate
> effectively and clearly in writing and in speech, and to understand on
> a basic level a world language other than one’s own.\* In so doing, it
> fosters the ability to understand and actively participate in
> discourses both within and beyond the field of your major (such as a
> minor or second major), and it promotes engagement with cultural,
> social, and political difference.
>
>
> The BS is a liberal arts degree intended to develop skills and talents
> essential to professional work. It combines study of the arts,
> humanities, historical perspectives, and the natural and social
> sciences with advanced critical inquiry and an in-depth knowledge in a
> specific academic discipline (major). The program develops an
> understanding of empirical analysis, scientific methodology and
> protocols, and mathematics and quantitative techniques. In so doing,
> it equips you for continued engagement in professional research within
> your chosen field.
>
>
>
What's the actual difference in terms of coursework, other than the choice of major itself? The BA requires a foreign language (2 semesters) and a few extra humanities classes, while the BS has no requirement for foreign language but adds an extra natural science lab and extra math class. It's mostly a nonsense differentiation that means nothing, but it sounds fancy and gives the illusion of choice if you don't know why you want to go to college - so it's an effective part of the marketing to some audiences.
But in all of these note that no mention is made of the scientific method, math, or any classically recognized type of 'art' (such as painting, literature, etc). The words art and science are not well defined in this way across academia, and so in the end they are used in whatever way the school decides they want to use them.
There are some other classifications in use as well, such as bachelors of: music (BM), applied science (BAS), fine art (BFA), and even a [Bachelor Of Business Administration](http://michiganross.umich.edu/programs/bba) (BBA).
One final note is the classification sometimes ends up purely as a result of what 'school' or 'college' within the University grants the degree. Some schools define themselves as liberal arts/humanities schools and only offer a BA, some define themselves as technical/technology schools and only grant a BS, business schools are more likely to offer something branded as a BBA/MBA, schools of "letters and science" often offer both, etc. In such schools the difference is who is in charge of that particular degree, more than it reflects a genuine difference in what the classification means to students or other community members.
And all of this is just in the US system!
---
TLDR; The difference in a BA/BS and how "business administration" will be classified (as BA, BS, BBA, etc) means something only within the context of a given school, varies widely between schools, and sometimes means nothing. Each institution generally chooses for itself what, if any, difference there is, so you'll need to refer to each school for reasoning on why they do things they way they do - and sometimes the answer will just be tradition. 'Art' and 'science' in academic degrees don't necessarily mean the same thing as they do in the vernacular.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: I just got a paper accepted without revisions in a prestigious journal. This is of course nice. Reading the referee report makes me a bit worried, though. It is clear that the referee has gotten the basic ideas of the paper, and has identified what we also think is the primary contribution. It is, however, also clear that quite a lot of details regarding the implications of the primary result, were not correctly understood by the referee.
What actions should I take from here? I of course want the paper published, but I am worried that people in general will misunderstand the parts about implications. Should I contact the editor and ask for another reviewer? Should I ask permission to re-write that part of the paper? Or should I just shut up and be happy to be accepted without revisions?<issue_comment>username_1: As is the custom on this site (or at least it should be) let's assume the premises of the question are correct - that is that it is indeed a *prestigious* journal.
**Do nothing.**
In fact no: celebrate acceptance in the way you find most appropriate.
The fact that some people misunderstand what you're trying to say is not a basis to act after acceptance. It might indicate that you presented your results in a not so clear manner — which would speak in favor of refining your writing for future articles — but that would not be an exception in the scientific literature. At any rate, edits (other than very minor ones such as typos) after final acceptance are generally not allowed.
If you see *errors* in your article that are not trivial and you feel need addressing, the appropriate way to handle this is to publish an erratum. I imagine most journals have a standard procedure for that.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Celebrate the acceptance, but **rework the sections that were apparently poorly understood**.
You will want your readers to fully understand and appreciate your contribution. A clear paper is not only more useful, it is also more frequently cited. If a reviewer, who more closely looks at your paper than the usual casual reader, misunderstands, this is a warning-signal.
In practical terms: You could approach the reviewer (via the editor, to be sure) with your concern that parts of the paper were not as clear as they could have been and politely ask whether she might explicate which passages could be improved in terms of their transparency. You could also ask other colleagues to have a look at your paper, focusing on the clarity of your writing. Also signal to the editor that you would like to make some minor stylistic revisions before submitting the final manuscript, so the editor knows what to expect and when.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: It often happens that referees have no time to understand the papers they are supposed to review. It's a systematic consequence of the imperfection of the current peer-review‒system. At the moment, not so much could be done about it. Said that,
* there is **no reason for celebration**, since you are not sure whether your paper was intelligible,
* there is a reason to **feel satisfied** since the paper was accepted,
* but **actions** as you mentioned are **neither required nor
expected**.
If you really wish to do something, you can improve the text at the earliest point the reviewer had a problem with. Of course, you could ask the editor to issue a request to the referee to tell you this earliest point, but the editor or referee may choose not to answer: it goes beyond the usual duties of their roles.
Too many improvements could be regarded as deviating too much from the accepted part. Typically, improvements are regarded as acceptable only if they address the concerns raised by the reviewers.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I can't comment due to newness, but wanted to support username_1's answer with additional thoughts:
**Do Nothing**. As the author of a paper, you cannot prevent any reader from forming their own conclusions. Any reader, like the referee in question, will have variance with the precise point you would like to drive. Also, when a reader sufficiently internalizes the material, his/her own way of expressing the idea will be quite different than your own.
If it were me, I would first examine the referee's comments as though he/she wrote the paper. Does the conclusion seem compatible with the point I was trying to make? If so, I personally would leave it alone. If it does not seem compatible and I had such recourse, I might reach out to the referee and ask for deeper feedback regarding his/her unexpected response.
Only if the reader's conclusion were totally incompatible with the one I was trying for **and** such erroneous conclusions were contrary to the furtherance of the discussion would I request to retract or rewrite.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: If I were in your position, if I could infer from the referee's report the nature of the misunderstanding, and if that misunderstanding could be alleviated by adding just a few clarifying sentences to the paper, then I'd add those sentences. I'd tell the editor exacty what I had done: "I added sentences at page X line Y, to clarify a point that the referee might not have completely understood." I would also tell the editor that, if (s)he doesn't want me to add these sentences at this stage of the process, or if adding them would lead to the inconvenience of another round of refereeing, then I'd be willing to remove those sentences.
If, on the other hand, I can't tell what the referee misunderstood, or if alleviating the misunderstanding would take more than a few new sentences, then I'd leave it alone and just hope that not too many other readers join in the referee's misunderstanding.
In the preceding paragraph, "leave it alone" refers to the version of the paper that will be published. If you're in a field like mine (mathematics) where there's a good preprint server that just about everyone uses (the arXiv), then I might, if I can find the time, make whatever revisions, even substantial ones, I consider appropriate in light of the referee's misunderstanding, and I'd post that revised version on the arXiv.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/19
| 441
| 1,894
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<issue_start>username_0: I have a professor that I've gotten to know pretty well. Currently we're going through and learning about a newer area of mathematics just for the fun of it. It was my idea to do it and now he's looking to do more with it. He wants to do research on an application of this area of math next summer through next fall. We plan to continue studying this area for this coming apring semester as well, but I would love to actually work on this project with him.
Because we know each other so well, I think he would enjoy me working with him on it overall. The problem is that he's going abroad to do the research. What I want to know is if there's any potential for me to work with him on this and on whether or not I should ask him for the opportunity? Or should I just wait and see if he approaches me on it?
I should point out that I will have graduated by next summer.<issue_comment>username_1: Yes, you should ask! Don't be shy -- there's nothing at all to lose. In the worst case, he'll point out that the logistics of collaborating remotely are hard, or something like that. No one is ever upset that someone is enthusiastic about working with them. If you're worried about the lost opportunities of doing research with someone more local: having a project you like and an advisor you work well with seems far more important than local convenience here -- it's not like you're in a field that needs a lab and hands-on training.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: It sounds like fun, but shouldn't your primary focus right now, in the area of planning for the future, be on figuring out what structure you want your life to have after you graduate? It sounds like the idea of doing research is intriguing for you. If so, you may want to apply to grad school.
Perhaps this particular professor and this particular project will be compatible with that.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/19
| 487
| 2,102
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<issue_start>username_0: I have been invited to give a seminar related to applying for a postdoctoral position. The professor has been very kind and seems like a very nice person. He also helped me look for a postdoctoral position for my girlfriend. Now I have received the tickets to travel to the university with first class accommodation and luxury amenities. The trip involves international travel and also that I have been talking with other professors to see my best options.
Does this force me to accept the position or is it common that researchers give these nice invitations?
Do I need to mention to the professor that I am exploring other options?<issue_comment>username_1: If you are getting excellent treatment, that likely means they are fairly keen to hire you. They are working to recruit you. Accepting nice accommodations and amenities from them during the hiring process places no obligation on you--none at all. That being said, this sounds like it might be a really good place for you. Use your judgement about what will be optimal for yourself.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I am not completely certain I am interpreting your question correctly, because your English isn't completely standard. I *think* you're saying that you have been invited to give a job talk, with your travel expenses paid, and that the job you are interviewing for is a post-doc position. I will answer based on that understanding.
Only go if you are seriously interested in the job.
(Side note: keep in mind that you may have to pay income tax next April on the travel costs paid by the university that invited you.)
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: It is quite common for universities to invite candidates for a visit and to offer a high-standard accommodation and make your stay as pleasant as it can be. Afterall, if they find you to be a good fit for them, they would also like you to feel the same. This does not indicate that you will be offered the job. If you are offered the job, you are under no obligations to accept the offer because of the nice treatment you get.
Upvotes: 2
|
2016/10/20
| 693
| 3,120
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<issue_start>username_0: I have heard from quite a number of PhD students, that one can get a good post-doc, if the summation of the impact factors of the journals published by a PhD student is nearing 10. Is this true? How does the impact factors that you earn before your post-doc have an effect on getting a good post-doc? I am talking about the field of computational biology...<issue_comment>username_1: [Note: my experience is from mathematics. I guess most will still be applicable in other fields, but I don’t have first-hand experience.]
**It probably doesn’t matter directly.**
For any kind of job application, grant application, etc, you will be assessed on (among other things) the quality and notability of your research.
*How* exactly people assess that will depend on how close they are to your work. Specialists in your own subfield will be able to judge your work on its own merits, regardless of where it’s published. People in related fields will have to judge it indirectly, and may look at (among other things) the prestige of the journals you publish in — but they probably have a better idea of the journals’ reputation than just the impact factor. The impact factor may matter most when the assessment is by people outside your subject — for instance, some government research agencies or university administrations have official criteria that include impact factors or similar metrics.
For post-docs (at least in my experience in maths), the main people judging your application will be your potential research group leaders, and their immediate colleagues. So they will be able to judge your work directly — so impact factor probably is not too relevant there.
Long-term jobs and grant applications are much more likely to be assessed, in part, by people not in your own field, or according to fixed criteria. So for these, impact factor and similar metrics are more likely to matter. (How much they matter depends a lot on the specific country, institution, and field you are in.) However, I’ve never heard of the criteria being as crude as “the sum of the impact factors of the journals you published in is close to 10”.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The answer highly depends on very specific scientific culture. For instance, in high energy physics, I know many peers who have applied successfully to post-doc programs, and their publications record have a great dispersion. I know one guy who completed his PhD at a very respectable university without any publications(only conference proceedings, which in physics in not regarded as a proper publication), and have been hired based on a grant from CERN. Moreover, I know another peer who have completed the PhD based on multiple publications having difficulties finding a post-doc. Hence, the publication record matters indirectly, being a variable specific to the domain and culture. Either way, in a limited resource world, the connections of the supervisor might play a major role. We hope that in the future there would be no problems for PhD students to advance in their research. Good luck!
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/20
| 406
| 1,653
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<issue_start>username_0: I really can not find a justifiable answer to this question. Are they used interchangeably?
One answer that's i found to be true is that we use the term literature review in writing thesis and related work in the writing research paper. but i am not sure if it is correct or not?<issue_comment>username_1: I've been looking last week for the difference between the literature review and the background. And I found this which may help you, a good definition of what the literature supposed to be (in my opinion): <https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/49629/57676>
I'm not sure, but I think the literature review can be regarded as related work in more storytelling style. And yes, related work is more frequent in research papers because you don't have enough space to "build a conceptual structure that ties together all the key ideas". Therefore, you just describe briefly what has been done and maybe try to compare it theoretically against what you're proposing, I think.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I have also faced this problem of defining the difference between these two terms. I got to write a paper to a conference and since it's my very first paper I was searching for some tutorials on youtube for 'writing a related work section in the paper'. What I found was mainly related to Literature Review. So I guess these two things are almost the same. Also, as it was said previously Literature Review is more frequent in thesises.
Maybe you may find this article useful <https://guidetogradschoolsurvival.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/how-to-write-related-work/>
at least for me, it was.
Good luck!
Upvotes: 1
|
2016/10/20
| 820
| 3,457
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<issue_start>username_0: My paper has been rejected four times in last two years. I have tried two journals. They don't even have good rankings but it was rejected repeatedly. I improved the article by taking reviewers comments into consideration but still it comes back with rejections.
What frustrates me is the fact that I can see some articles which I followed getting published in same journals. They explore country context, whereas my article investigates the same problem in another country context (a developing country) which indicates there is a contribution.
It's been a long time that I have worked on this article. The data that I used is getting outdated since the business environment keeps changing rapidly.
So my question is, what course of action I should take given my current situation? Should I dump this article and move on with something new? Or just keep sending it to other journals?<issue_comment>username_1: It depends. That is my answer.
If you really believe that your paper offers an interesting contribution, then:
* **Try to improve your manuscript** by doing this:
+ Extend and update the state of the art (maybe adding those related papers you mentioned in your question).
+ Be honest, be thorough, be critical: What are the *weak parts* of your manuscript? (Are the introduction, the theoretical aspects, the conclusions... bad written? Is your contribution not clearly highlighted and/or explained? Could you add some numerical examples to your manuscript (if this applies)?) Identify them, and go and try to improve them.
+ Try to add an explanatory chart of the process/method/solution you are describing or proposing. (Relevant) drawings can help people to understand your article and can make it more appealing to referees.
+ Get your manuscript reviewed by a colleague you trust. This is a must-do. Maybe you are not seeing something that is obvious to other people.
+ Of course, double-check the language usage. Ask some expert to review grammar, vocabulary, etc., if necessary.
* Maybe the problem is not with your paper. **Try to look for the right scientific journal**. Some hints:
+ Look for articles related to your research topic in the Web of Knowledge (WoK, <https://webofknowledge.com/>) or Google Scholar (GS, <https://scholar.google.com/>) and see in which journal they were published (for instance, you can use some keywords related with your paper).
+ Similar to the previous one: If you are interested in sending your manuscript to a certain journal, look for articles related with your manuscript that have been published in that journal (using advanced search in WoK or GS). If you don't find any match, probably it is not the right journal.
If you already tried *all* the above suggestions and they did not work, then consider to publish your research as a technical report before quitting, at least.
EDIT:
I also recommend you to read these two articles:
* <https://www.elsevier.com/connect/8-reasons-i-rejected-your-article>
* <https://www.elsevier.com/connect/8-reasons-i-accepted-your-article>
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There is a well know technique called "Skyscraper". Although it is more related to SEO but you can implement it in your article too.
1. Detect the reason why your article gets rejected.
2. Try to rectify that problem.
3. Come up with a better article.
4. Re-submit article.
5. Hopefully get selected this time.
Upvotes: -1
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2016/10/20
| 1,084
| 4,478
|
<issue_start>username_0: This semester I was assigned as a TA to a Class that I am not very familiar with.
As a result, grading takes me too much time.
For example, for a class of 74 people, it took me 24 hours to grade their assignments (7 exercises per person). One of the reasons it takes me that much time is that I have to study in order to refresh the content in my head before grading.
What should I do in order to make the procedure more time-efficient?
Should I tell my concerns to the professor I am TA for and as well as my PhD supervisor ? I fear I might seem lazy or unproductive.
To cope with workload whenever I have grading to do I make sure I finish it within one day so that I can focus on the other stuff I have to do in the next days of the week.
-----------------------Edit with answers to questions-----------------------
Since people asked more questions about my situation here are answers:
I keep office hours for 2 hours per week.
I have to grade 3 packages of these assignments for the whole semester.
The first package was for 91 people the second was for 74.
The was provided with indicative solutions but the answers are open-ended<issue_comment>username_1: Definitely, you should discuss this with the professor teaching the class, since 24 hours to grade a problem set is almost certainly more time than they want you to spend on it.
What makes sense depends on how the timing works out. For example, you say you have to study the material yourself before grading. If you are spending an hour doing that, then that aspect sounds reasonable, and the issue is just whether the overall workload is too high. If you need to spend five or ten hours a week on that, then you probably aren't the right person to grade for this class, although it could be a worthwhile experience if you want to put in that much time.
Aside from time spent studying, the big question is how much time it should take to grade a single problem. Anything takes a long time when you multiply it by 74, so it could be that the class is just too large and they need to hire a second grader to help. 24 hours for 518 problems averages out to about 2.8 minutes per problem (including study time). For some problems, such as lengthy proofs where the students try diverse approaches and need personalized feedback, 2.8 minutes per problem would be quite efficient. For routine calculus exercises, it would be painfully slow. It could be that you are putting more effort into this than the professor actually has in mind, so it's important to have a conversation about expectations.
Don't worry about disappointing the professor. It's much better to find out about these issues early on, and nobody puts that much weight on grading anyway. (Nobody thinks it's the most important thing you should be doing as a grad student, or a true test of your abilities, so nobody will judge you too harshly.) I'd bet the most likely outcome is that you'll be told you are too conscientious and just need to do what you can in a reasonable amount of time, rather than doing a perfect job. But the only way to find out is to have the conversation.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Given the details you have provided 2 hours of office hour a week plus 3 24-hour grading tasks comes out to around 8 hours a week (assuming a 12 week semester). Adding in another 3-5 hours a week attending the lectures and a couple of hours of prep time, puts you at maybe 15 hours. Often TA contracts are for 20 hours a week. If that is the case, 24 hours to grade these problem sets is not unreasonable. If your contract is only 10 hours a week, then it might be too long and they might need to hire additional TAs.
Another way to look at it is you are grading 518 (7\*74) problems. That is under 3 minutes a problem. If you are expected to provide feedback beyond a score, it is going to be hard to grade much faster than that. If you are expected to spend less time grading, then you should discuss alternative marking schemes with whoever is in charge of the class.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: One thing I might do in your shoes is to grade all the answers to the problems one at a time.
That is grade problem 1 on the assignment for all 74 students, then grade problem 2, and then add up the scores for the seven problems at the end.
That way, you can "prepare" for one problem, grade it on an "assembly line," and then forget about it after you go on to the next problem.
Upvotes: 3
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2016/10/20
| 2,090
| 8,591
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm about to defend my Phd thesis in November 2016 in software engineering. I started my Phd in February 2010. One of my thesis reviewers stated in his review comments that my bibliography references are too old: the most recent work I have quoted in my bibliography is from 2012; that was when I was elaborating my thesis' state of the art. He stated that I have to check main works done in the field of research since 2012.
I am not excited about completing a new literature review two weeks before my defense. Thus, I was planning to say at the defense that the bibliography is old because my thesis began several years earlier. Is this an acceptable response? What would you do in this situation?<issue_comment>username_1: First, if a reviewer stated that you should better do something, then you better do something (in most cases, do what the reviewer says, unless you have a very good reason to do something else).
Second, the reviewer is right here. You have to keep up to date with the literature, and provide a literature review in your thesis which is up to date at the time of submission. Four years is a pretty long time for fast-moving fields, and even for slower-moving fields it is still not negligible. On the other hand, refreshing a literature review for four years of new research is a doable task.
If it really is the case that you did not keep up with the literature in the past four years, it may be that you missed some important developments. Many things may have happened and I can't answer the question "what now?" without knowing more details.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: While writing *a* lierature review early is a good idea, it's a mistake to regard this as *the* literature review. The early literature review is better though of as something for your own use (plus your supervisor and any internal requirements).
It's quite possible that you've kept up with the literature but not demonstrated that in the thesis -- which is essentially the same as not putting the thesis in context.
From where you are now, it seems like you really should *update* (not rewrite) it. If you have kept up this shouldn't be too hard. Even if you haven't you could be lucky and find a good recent review paper that you can use as an index to developments with some context and weighting. Even if you're unlucky and there isn't such a paper, looking for it is helpful to writing your review. Check for recent/relevant publications from anyone involved in your defense.
Actually getting stuck in to recent literature on your subject is a good way to prepare; although the writing side of it is a chore, you're not in such a bad position as you seem to fear.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: The criticism is that you're not up to date on the current state of your own field of specialty, and it is not a light matter. If the "reviewer" is some sort of committee member that can throw a wrench into your exit process, you should address the criticism.
The real issue is how to address it. My assumption here is that your defense will be "typical", with a formal presentation followed by some sort of closed session.
You have a very limited amount of time before your defense, and you need to use it wisely. To start, I'd pick the five most relevant citations to your work that you have, and search them forward to see who cited them, and read those papers-- there will probably be less than 20. If nothing earth-shattering has happened, you will eventually add those to your reference list, and all should be good. If there is something earth shattering and pertinent to your work, you probably have more research to do at this point.
How will your reviewer know you did it? Well, for the closed session, you should have a slide in your rack entitled "review of recent literature". In closed session, make the opportunity to say "in review, a criticism of how up to date my knowledge of the field was came up. This was accurate, and this is how I've responded... I think I've covered this, and will continue to stay up to date with the literature".
To add, they may require a bit of a rewrite-- that's actually fairly common-- but worry about that when the time comes. The strategy is to to convince them that you've done the work, and you're ready to do that rewrite. You don't have the time to do it between now and your defense, and my experience is that the document is largely sealed until it's defended anyway. You're trying to set things up so your revised dissertation will be signed off on without a thorough going-through.
Upvotes: 8 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: There are two very different things in your question, and I get confused because you mentioned it like the same thing.
1. Your literature review is only until 2012.
2. The latest paper you cited is in 2012.
IMHO, 1) is OK, and 2) is not. Actually I did 1). In my thesis, I had a small subsection of only 3 pages, called "state-of-the-art", which briefly summarized all the techniques and more importantly their limitations up to 2011, the time I started my PhD. This helped showing my motivations to choose the topic, and what I had achieved in the thesis (in one paragraph).
After 2011, there were papers that developed alternative approaches to mine. There were papers that were incremental to my work. My reasoning is that if I put them all in the literature review, one may ask why I propose the slow technique in Chapter 1 (published in 2012), while there are already much faster technique in the literature review (published in 2015, and based some parts on my work).
For each chapter, I have a related work section that cited all the papers up to that time. Therefore, my bibliography is complete until 2015, although literature review is only until 2011.
My thesis is not a good one, an examiner in particular commented that "thesis reads in place like a bundle of papers rather than a thesis". However, both examiners are very established in my field (also Software Engineering), and none of them complained about the literature review.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: Many of the answers above are quite good, and I don't want to re-state them except to highlight things that they have already said:
1. Surely you have been reading papers over the past 4 years, and have used this scholarship to enhance your own research. Part of your response to this reviewer can highlight this fact.
2. You should take this reviewer's request seriously. This person gets a vote on whether you graduate or not. The only reason not to do so is that ***literally every other person on your committee thinks this guy is an idiot*** and that they will vote to support you regardless.
In addition to this advice, I would also add:
1. You should also find out what your advisor thinks. Do what your advisor says.
2. Do not waste too much time on this. Do good work, but do the minimum work necessary. Unless software engineering is wildly different from physics, this is not a "book field," that is, you do not get tons of credit from writing a scholarly book. Instead, peer-reviewed articles are the preferred form of scholarship.
My own thesis was printed and bound in a gorgeous black volume with gold embossing. It has sat on my shelf, lo these (not so) many years. Instead, I cite the 3 peer-reviewed articles that form the basis for this thesis. In fact, my own dissertation was written using the "staple method" taking these three peer-reviewed articles and weaving them together in about an hour. This may make @qsp's disgruntled examiner even more disgruntled, but that is the way that my field is moving...
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: It is a serious problem. It means that you don't know what happened in your field during the last four years. You should try to update the literature review by adding newer references, including at least some 2015 and 2016 references.
It does not matter when you started your work. Even if you started your Ph.D. in 2010 and did the literature review in 2012, you **should** have updated your literature review during the last few years. You need to keep the literature review up to date.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: I'm surprised he or she did not encourage you much sooner to include more recent literature. Other than seminal work, often including research older than 3-5 years is discouraged by advisers. I don't think you can get around "modernizing" your literature review and always do what your dissertation chair says if you want to finish on time!
Upvotes: 1
|
2016/10/20
| 1,392
| 5,570
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<issue_start>username_0: The internally funded Anne McLaren Fellowships at The University of Nottingham state in their eligibility that "Candidates for the Anne McLaren Fellowships must be female and pursuing a career in a STEM subject". ([link](https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/researchwithus/fellowships/internally-funded.aspx)) One of the benefits of the fellowship is
>
> The linking of the Fellowship to an indefinite academic post, subject to performance against a high-quality threshold and the continued right to work in the UK
>
>
>
What this means is that fellows will be presented 2 contracts. The first is a 3-year fixed term research only contract with a start date mutually agreed upon by the university and fellow. The second contract is a permanent research and teaching contract with a start date immediately following the end of the first contract. The second contract has stipulations regarding if you get terminated during the first contract (e.g., due to a loss of the right to work in the UK or performance issues) then the second contract is also terminated. There is no hiring process at the time of the second contract.
The Equality Act 2010 protects people from being treated less favourably because of their gender during recruitment. Section 159 of the Act does allow positive action (e.g. favouring an underrepresented group in a tie-break) but as those not classed as female are completely excluded from applying then this appears to be unlawful discrimination not positive action.
It could be that The University of Nottingham has a general exception due to being a charity. But then it would need to be included in the aim of the charity and the University's Charter of Incorporation contains "16. The University shall treat students, staff and other people solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential, regardless of gender".<issue_comment>username_1: In the UK, there are a number of fellowships exclusively for women (e.g., [L'Oréal WISE fellowship](https://www.womeninscience.co.uk/apply)). The Equality Act of 2010 allows for [positive action](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/discrimination-at-work/what-doesn-t-count-as-discrimination-at-work/discrimination-at-work-positive-action/) outside of recruitment which these fellowships likely fall under. The Equality Act of 2010, however, does not allow for positive action in recruitment (apart from giving preference for equally qualified applicants).
The Anne McLaren Fellowship is a little strange in that it is a fellowship that is linked to a permanent job. If you view it as a fellowship, it legal positive action. If you view it as a job, it is illegal positive action. I think the key thing is that when the school is making a decision about the job, the gender of the applicant is not considered. It is obviously very relevant to the school that the applicant has a fellowship as generous as the Anne McLaren fellowship, but the fact that the fellowship is limited to women does not matter in the hiring process. So the Equality Act of 2010 is likely not being violated.
Providing fellowships that only women are eligible for may go against the university charter or may be illegal in some other manner, but I do not think it runs afoul of the Equality Act of 2010.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: Such fellowship is a strategy to promote diversity in academia by encouraging participation from underrepresented groups of people. The underlying motive here is the general acceptance that diversity correlates with productivity. The fact is that women are underrepresented in STEM subjects. A striking [example](http://blogs.royalsociety.org/in-verba/2014/09/24/gender-balance-among-university-research-fellows/) is two years ago, when only 2 out of 43 recipients of Royal Society University Research Fellowship were women. Even if we accept this as an anomaly, on the whole only 20% of all URF recipients are women. Even if the whole evaluation process has been fair and unbiased, such statistic does seem to suggest that women have not been given a fair chance to succeed in science.
I think the relevant part of the Equality Act 2010 here is [Part 11](http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/part/11) concerning advancement of equality, which states that if "participation in an activity by persons who share a protected characteristic is disproportionately low", then "treating a person (A) more favourably in connection with recruitment or promotion than another person (B) because A has the protected characteristic but B does not" is *not* prohibited. In accordance with this, the offer of such fellowship to women only is a positive action, rather than unlawful discrimination towards others who are not women. The number of awards offered for non women are presumably the same, so non women are not disadvantaged in any way. It would be a different case if the number of awards for these other general fellowships is cut. This would perhaps go against the provision of the Act.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: There is a long tradition of grants, fellowships, bursaries etc which have very specific eligibility requirements
These are usually charitable bequests from an individual or organisation and are more like gift or inheritance than an offer of employment.
The very fact that it is called the **Anne McLaren** fellowship implies that it is funded by an individual bequest and just administered by the university ie it is effectively a gift given to a person who fulfils specific criteria.
Upvotes: -1
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2016/10/21
| 489
| 2,030
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<issue_start>username_0: I have a question in regard to choice of recommenders.
I'm applying to my dream school and I want to make the best choice for my LOR. I have two recommenders, one is a professor and he doesn't really know me, but I got an A in his class. Another one is a faculty, he knows me better than the other one, and he asked me a lot of questions in detail before writing the letter, but I only got a B in his class.
Which one should I choose to have him write me an LOR that's going to my dream school?
PS. I asked them both because I wasn't sure which one would be willing to write me the letter, but I only need one letter.<issue_comment>username_1: The B instructor's letter is promising; it may be more insightful and more diligent. An impersonal letter that says "the student earned an A" may not sway any admissions committee. You could even inquire directly whether or not he's going to mention the B grade in the letter.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I would go with professor B. If the admissions committee wants to know about your grades, they'll check your transcript. You want your LORs to give them insight into who you are as a student, username_2 your specific strengths are, etc. This information is supposed to supplement your transcript, and may even be more important than your grades for certain programs. The fact that professor B 1) agreed to write you the letter and 2) asked for more details, suggests that he'll write a good letter for you. The LORs I have read typically do not mention grades, and if a professor knows you well the difference between an A or a B will likely not sway their letter.
Edit: I even asked a professor who knew me extremely well to directly address the most obvious weakness in my application, to make sure that wouldn't raise questions with the committee. You want your application to represent you well, and your grades are only a small part of who you are as a student (depending on the program you're applying to).
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]
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2016/10/21
| 1,663
| 6,612
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<issue_start>username_0: I am a female undergraduate taking classes from two professors, Prof. A and Prof. B, in the same department. I have some concerns about Prof. A.
First, Professor A has been trying to involve me in his attempts to get Professor B fired. I have never had a problem with Prof. B.
* He asked me to bcc him on all my e-mails to Prof. B, in case Prof. B does not pass me in his class. He says he can defend me to the dean but needs documentation to prove I asked for help during the semester.
* He asked me to write a detailed outline to him about Professor B and all of the things he has not done correctly in my class and then sign it and include my name, the company I work for and my job title. He wants to turn it in to the department chair to have Prof. B fired. He told me that Prof. B was supposed to have been placed on a performance improvement plan, but the school has gone through 4 chancellors so Prof. B did not receive any disciplinary action.
I am also uncomfortable with other conversations I have had with Professor A:
* Another time, he asked me to look at an invitation his wife created for a fall fundraiser for the school. Both he and his wife want my opinion. I work in corporate America, but never did fundraising. He asked for my cell phone number to give it to his wife. I didn't think anything of it and gave it to him. He texted me in the classroom so I would have his number. I thought it was very strange. I have stalled the meeting because I am busy with school and work. Plus it seems weird to me.
* He also gave me his business card that his wife made him in case I want to contact him outside of school. Apparently, he is a musician when not teaching during the week.
* He waits until after class to have these conversations.
* He told me he records all conversations on his phone when he speaks with the administration to use it against them in case the administration tries to get rid of him. I think it is unprofessional and unethical to say any of this to a student.
The semester is half over with and I only want to pass the class and never speak to Professor A again. I have not committed to anything because he creeps me out! I feel like he should be reported to someone, but I don't want anything negative coming back to me. Can someone please help me with what I should do?<issue_comment>username_1: you sound very sensible to me. my advice, fwiw, is:
keep records. all the emails you have received but also your thoughts- keep a diary. do this to protect yourself.
he records phone conversations??!! that's just illegal in many jurisdictions. in any case, never again talk to him on the phone if you can help it.
you definitely do NOT want to get involved in this. you do not have a dog in this fight. play it strategically: never commit, for either side. just observe. and learn! if you're young and getting started, treat this as a learning opportunity - this kind of stuff happens a lot.
you might think "somebody should do something about this!" well, unless you have very very *very* clear evidence of wrongdoing, steer clear. faculty politics are very complex and there is almost certainly more going on here than you know about.
just try to keep both sides happy, or at least not pissed off, and get the hell out as soon as possible.
of course if you think one or the other side is threatening you in any way, that's a different story. but even then, be very careful. just because you're right does not mean you will get justice, especially if you're going up against powerful people. better to be shrewd than to be right.
hth
g
good luck!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This sounds like an instance of mental health problems on the part of the Professor A...
Probably it is simplest to behave "incomprehendingly", to just be unresponsive, disengaged, listless, and generally not react at all to the machinations of the person.
It is unfortunate, but does happen, than people (apart from gender issues) get caught up as "dupes" or "accomplices" in the schemes of mentally ill people who've managed (despite their problems) to get into situations where they have considerable power over others.
While in principle one can file grievances and/or hire lawyers (e.g., in the U.S.), this is often a path that has great costs, psychological, personal time, and one's reputation (even if one "wins").
So, as often is the case, again, if it is feasible, "playing dumb", being unreactive, and just letting the drama pass you by, is probably the most desirable/happiest approach.
(No, "justice" is not served ideally-well by this approach, but it may be served as well as can be...)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: A may very well be right about B, but he is very wrong about enlisting your help.
Either B is tight with the head of department/school, or B is regarded as a lost cause they do as little about as possible. In either case, A is right to be fed up with the situation, but he should either put up with it or leave, only to find that every other academic department on this planet is equally poorly (one might even say: corruptly) led.
None of this is your concern and it may be negatively impacting your ability to study.
And yes, you are justified in believing that a firm rebuttal of his insistence might affect your grade.
I propose a little subterfuge: get a friend to phone you whenever A accosts you (or arrange to be called right about that time after class). Say sorry I have to take it, act shocked, shout sorry I gotta run and run.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: From what you report, it doesn't sound like it's your fault. You are very unfortunate to encounter such a situation.
There are some really strange people out there, but they are rare, though, as you found out, they exist. There is a reason why we avoid "zombified" people on the street - but, of course, in your situation, they have already built up a link to you.
Try to present yourself as bland; listless; uninteresting for Prof. A. Chances are Prof. B knows A's spleens already and doesn't care much about them, but you should not end as a punching ball between them.
One more point - between the lines I read that he is male and you are female? If so, there may be other unsavoury ideas brewing here. You are very right to tread carefully here, but at least the motives may be a bit more transparent in this case. It will be more difficult to try get out of Prof. A's focus, but if he ever should make a pass, at least a university should have proper mechanisms in place to deal with this, these days.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/21
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm a PhD student at a university in the UK. The head and director of graduate studies at my department are trying to get me removed from the department.
Almost all of this is going on over my head, but my supervisor has told me about a number of meetings and emails that have gone on about this topic.
On the basis of what my supervisor tells me, along with my own previous interactions with the head of department, I feel quite sure that what they are doing is discriminatory against me due to a disability that I have.
However, since I am not included in any of the emails etc. about this, I have almost no evidence. This makes it very difficult to defend myself against what they are doing and saying.
While my supervisor is on my side and doesn't want me to be kicked out, he has a very poor understanding of disability issues and discrimination. His number one priority, of course, is protecting himself - ultimately it looks really bad for him to have a student that the head of department warned him would be trouble and ends up getting kicked out.
So he will tell me about these things in person, but not by email - if I ask him anything by email, he asks me to come to his office to discuss it.
Should I secretly record a meeting with him where I bring this up so that if it comes down to it, I have some evidence that the action is discriminatory?<issue_comment>username_1: No.
Such action should be the very, very last resort, and only undertaken if you have taken legal advice on whether it is advisable to do so.
As a UK student, you should have support available to you from the Student Union, which will almost certainly include disability representation.
The Student Union will be able to advise you on how to proceed on this matter, and possible provide you with a third party representative to join you at any meetings you have.
Also, you mention emails that exist 'about you.' You are within your rights to request these to see what they say by making a freedom of information request. Again, seek advice first before undertaking this action.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: I have a comment, but it's too long to be a comment, so I'll record it in the format of an answer. But this is not an answer in the true sense of the word.
If you were asking about this for the U.S., I would say: you could file a Department of Education civil rights complaint under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. You would not need a recording in order to file a successful complaint. When the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigates a complaint, it asks the educational institution for information and documentation, and it conducts interviews with key parties. You could describe in your complaint the various things you were told. OCR would follow up and decide what documents it wants to see and whom it wants to interview.
I don't know about secret recordings even in the U.S., in the university setting. I do know that there are rules about this, defined state by state, for kindergarten through 12th grade. In my state of New York, for example, secret recordings aren't allowed. However, you always have the right to record a meeting, as long as you do it openly. However, in some states, you have to inform the school a certain amount of time in advance.
When filing a disability discrimination complaint, it is helpful to outline, unemotionally, the harm caused by the discrimination.
I am sorry I don't have any information specific to the UK. Everything I wrote is about the U.S. I am contributing that information in the hopes that it will give you a starting point for finding out what your options are in the UK.
You need to start reading your university's policies and procedures. There should be clues and pointers there to what recourse a student has in your situation.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: *(Originally, this was a comment: I don't know that much about the UK legal system and describe the situation in Germany. However, employment and anti-discrimination law has a good chance to be similar throughout EU).*
In Germany, secret recording of such a meeting with your supervisor/boss would be a legal reason for your employer to terminate your contract without notice. There's a court decision in a workplace harrassment lawsuit judging that secret recording was an unnecessary violation of the employer's rights in case of a meeting where confidentiality is usually assumed - a witness (see below) would have been an adequate and legal alternative.
With regard to anti-discrimination law, I'd be very careful not to undermine your credibility by a secret recording - that may severely hamper your standing with regards to showing credible indication of discrimination.
So if your university actually wants to get rid of you, you secretly recording a meeting would be the best possible thing *for them*.
Instead, bring a trustworthy witness to the meeting, e.g. someone from staff council or maybe the university anti-dicrimination office has someone (or, of course, a lawyer). That also has the advantage that these people should have experience with the issues at hand and it is actually their proper job to take care of such conflicts.
* You can also ask for a (verbatim) transcript to be written or the meeting to be recorded - recording is fine if it is agreed on. Of course that would not be secret.
* You can write a transcript yourself (taking notes in the open or recoring your memory immediately after the meeting) and then send it to the other parties. That gives them a possibility to object to protocol statements they don't agree on. The point is that at the end of this process, you have a written document that all parties agree on and which can be used legally.
You then also have a paper-trail of what statements the other parties did not agree with.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: Simply put, NO (caps intended since I do not like seeing people go to jail) unless you receive credible advice from an attorney (or Barrister where you are in the UK).
For example, [California Law Penal Code § 632](http://codes.findlaw.com/ca/penal-code/pen-sect-632.html), enacted under the California Invasion of Privacy Act, makes it illegal for an individual to monitor or record a "confidential communication". This is true even where the communication is carried on among the parties in the presence of one another or by means of a telegraph, telephone, or other device. Put another way, California is known as a "two-party" state, which means that recordings are not allowed unless all parties to the conversation consent to the recording.
Although it may make sense to collect evidence of wrong doing, remember this is the law and is not intedned to make sense!
Upvotes: -1
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2016/10/21
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<issue_start>username_0: My advisor has been asking me to generate plots I am uncomfortable with, since they overestimate the success of our approach, or make the data seem less noisy than it is. He says this is okay because the numbers in the paper don't matter as much as the high level message. What should I do?
We haven't fabricated data per se but some of the analyses are sketchy. For example in one plot we are comparing our approach to a baseline, but due to lack of data, any point that our approach fails on will also register as a failure when we apply the baseline method to it, meaning our approach will always look better.
Due to lack of data, there's no obvious "alternative plot"; the alternative would be not generating any plot, or generating a plot that underestimates the success of our approach (which he says is just as bad as overestimating its success). In some cases, our plot and another plot are equally defensible, but our plot looks a lot better so we kept it.<issue_comment>username_1: Standard definitions of scientific misconduct consider omission of conflicting data an instance of data falsification, see, for example, the guidelines as applied by [the BMJ](http://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/forms-policies-and-checklists/scientific-misconduct), or [Gupta 2013](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3700330/) on fraud and misconduct:
>
> Falsifying data means altering the existing records. It is the deliberate distortion or omission of undesired data or results.
>
>
>
If your advisor asks you to deliberately produce a figure that downplays undesired results, he or she is asking you to falsify your data.
So, what should you do?
Speak again to your advisor. Tell him or her that you don't feel comfortable with the suggested plot, and explain that you feel obliged to report the data faithfully, including weaknesses of the analysis and conflicting observations.
If your advisor insists on using the falsifying plot, you should consider choosing a different advisor, because the present one may not teach you proper scientific conduct.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I agree with username_1, for the most part. However, if there is truly no 'alternative' plotting method (hard to believe) or way to represent your data (even harder to believe) and your advisor forces the issue then I think the best way to handle it is:
1. Point blank ask them, preferably in an email, what they are asking you to do. This keeps a paper trail down the road.
2. Make it extremely clear **exactly** what you did in the methods section.
3. Refuse to have your name on the paper as an author if it comes to it. Or if the journal you're submitting to has a section for it, list the advisor as the one who designed the experiments, wrote the paper, or whatever is appropriate. This will make it clear what your contribution was - and who is accountable for what.
Again, as username_1 said, have an honest discussion with your advisor. If your department has one ask the ombudsman what you should do.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: As far as I understood you aren't fabricating numbers,right?
I don't know which research field is yours, but when reporting on research results, it's necessary to discuss decisions of the experimental design that show how the results can be interpreted.
A useful framework for organizing this thinking is the collection of "validity" criteria: [construct validity](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construct_validity), [internal validity](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_validity), [external validity](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_validity), etc.
Maybe you just have to admit the limitations and describe what you did to minimize systematic errors.
Best,
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/22
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm an undergraduate writing my CV.
I've given two presentations at undergraduate conferences on my (unpublished) research projects. I independently prepared my presentations but my lab mates/supervisor helped with the research. I want to list these presentations on my CV.
So my question is:
**How do I properly credit the contributions of others for these conference presentations?**
Should I just state the title of the talk and the conference name? Should I include the names of all the people that helped with the research? Since we didn't publish any papers, how do I determine what order the names should go in? Would it okay to list them alphabetically?
Note: these aren't peer-reviewed conference papers or anything. Any undergraduate student can submit an abstract and give a talk.<issue_comment>username_1: All official and known conferences will need the authors to present their accepted work in oral or poster manner, and will publish the proceedings of the conference. I am not sure what you mean by `undergraduate conference`. But a presentation, where no paper has been presented to the research community, is not a big shot to be declared in CV, at least because there is no clear evidence for such accomplishment.
If there were any paper, You would mention the paper in a typical manner in your CV (considering yourself and any other one, who had any contribution) and insert an **unpublished** assertion in front of it. But in this situation, the better idea could be citing the thing in your CV, as a `Given Presentation at blah blah blah Conference`. If you do it, you might better explain something about `undergraduate conference`, because the reader may not be aware of this term, leading to confusion.
Good luck
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Note: Conventions differ between fields. Mine is mathematics/TCS.
Conference contributions are listed on my CV (and on many others I've seen) in two places:
1. Extended abstracts in refereed proceedings are listed as a subsection under publications, complete with all coauthors.
2. Presentations given are listed as their own section, with a distinction between invited conference talks and other presentations. As a presentation is only given by a single presenter, there are no coauthors listed here.
Of course many contributions show up in only one part: If there are no refereed published proceedings, there is nothing listed there. If someone else gives the talk, I don't have a presentation to list.
Thus, in your case, I would not acknowledge the other's contributions on my CV at all (yet). Once there is at least a preprint, your coauthors will be listed there.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/22
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<issue_start>username_0: As I check forums to compare top UK schools (specifically: Oxbridge and Imperial College) v.s. top US schools (MIT, Stanford, Caltech, etc.), most of people have mentioned the subjects, just like stuffs below, to consider higher priority for electing US schools:
* The UK academic system is archaic, as the yearly system of examination has a very important role in the students' studies.
* Students must choose their major, at first, and continue to the end.
* ...
But, all of these cases are about the **undergraduate studies**.
In the case of graduate studies, one often consider *all top ten schools in the same level, roughly, where the most important factor could be the coherency between the graduate student and her supervisor.*
If we confirm *above argument*, there is no real difference for an international student, in view of the academic system. Actually, the remained factors would be the whether, funding and stuffs like that?
**Is there any important factor (except supervisor) for an international graduate student, to opt between potential offers the top universities in US and GB?**<issue_comment>username_1: A year and a half ago I found myself applying to top Ph.D programs in the US and in the UK in Mathematics. Having been accepted in one of each, I considered the following factors carefully:
The most important factor, in my opinion, is the **availability of funding** for international students: In top US programs, funding is virtually guaranteed as a teaching assistantship or research fellowship; the amount of the funding is enough for one to cover all basic living expenses, and then even save some, hopefully. But even in top UK programs, such funding is not guaranteed, and even in the case when there is some funding available, the amount of the funding will not be enough to cover everything.
Unless your family is rich or you are comfortable taking some huge loan, it would be necessary to search for external scholarships, but these, in turn, may demand your time after graduation (for example, if sponsored by a foreign government, sometimes you will need to go back to the foreign country and work there).
If funding is not an issue, then another important factor is the **time it takes to complete the degree**: in UK, 4 years appears to be very common, since the program is far more focused on research from the very start. In top US programs, however, it can take anywhere from 4 to 6 years, because one has to pass written qualifiers, pass certain core courses, etc..
Finally, another factor to consider is that, depending on the career you're studying, one country or the other may provide better opportunities in practice to get your desired job later. If, for example, you want to work as an academic in the US, studying in the US will make networking, visa issues, etc. much easier. An analogous observation holds if you want to work in Europe instead (although, with the UK exiting the EU, this may change in the relatively near future).
Best of luck in your decision-making!
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm not sure about master's degrees, but there are a few important differences between US and UK doctorates.
**Duration**. UK doctorates can be (and most often are) as short as 3 years. There are now 4-year degrees (the so-called 1+3 degrees), which combine master's degree and doctorates much like the US programmes, but normal 3-year doctorates are still the norm. US doctorates take at least 5 years to complete, and you can often exit with a master's degree. One of the downsides of the shorter doctorates in the UK is that the number of papers you publish during your doctorate will be typically less than the number of publications of someone who had 5 to 8 years to complete their doctorate.
**Funding**: Unlike undergraduate and master's degrees, which have been turned into a business, where universities are all too happy to accept international applicants who pay exorbitant amounts of money (at least 2 times the fees of UK/EU students), the situation in the UK with doctorates is quite different. Since doctoral candidates are getting paid, the funding is typically reserved for UK/EU students because the funding body is British/European. There are, of course, funding opportunities for international students, but they are much rarer and competitive. [This answer may be of interest to you.](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/67058/41814) I think the US funding bodies are more generous with their funding.
**Application**: The application process is also very different. In the US, as far as I know, you apply to a department and you don't have to decide on a topic or supervisor for some time. And even then, it's easier to switch topics/supervisors. However, in the UK, when applying for doctorates, you need to write a research proposal and preferably to have already identified a supervisor who can supervise you. Some places even require you to have a supervisor who has agreed to supervise you to support your application. And if your funding is tied up to a supervisor, good luck trying to switch supervisors.
**Content**: UK doctorates are very focused. There is no coursework, no TAing if you are properly funded (unless you want to), or any of that. Just full-time research on a topic you've already chosen.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]
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2016/10/22
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm an undergraduate student in the Netherlands, and as the title states, I'm encountering an annoying situation. How should one deal with the situation of constantly being asked for the notes of a lecture, summaries of book chapters, flash cards, etc by other, fellow-students?
I do not mind to share my stuff with my study-group, because everyone is working hard in the group, and we all benefit from each other, however what I do mind, is strangers (from my course) approaching me for my work; it even went as far as people offering me money for summaries, and other work of mine.
Also, I don't mind when someone approaches me asking for an explanation to something; I like to explain material to other people; since I benefit from that as well. I, and others, however feel that it would be unfair to give away the work, on which we worked on very hard, to someone who didn't do anything.
I know it would be easy to just give in, and thus having dealt with the problem. I just fear that:
* The students will come back for more
* They will give me the guilt if they can't study with my notes and don't receive the grade they wanted
* It will go around and more and more people will come to ask
So, how can one politely deal in such a situation? I do not want to appear as hubristic or miserly.<issue_comment>username_1: Giving course notes is probably ok, if you are happy to provide them as a one-off.
If becomes a regular occurrence and the person has no very good reason to not take their own notes (disability or serious family constraints), I think it is perfectly reasonable not to be "their mule". Once is fine, twice is perhaps ok, three times is being exploited. You are not being rude by saying no. It is simply unfair to you for them to exploit you. Don't let *them* define what is acceptable middle ground, they clearly push the limits to their own advantage.
However, in my time some students produced LaTeXed versions of course notes for everybody to use. If that's what you want to do, it's your perfectly acceptable choice (but it would be a good idea to check with the lecturer - in my time, our lecturers were enthusiastically in favour of a student-typeset version of their lecture which could even serve as a basis of a book; these days, copyright issues may make some lecturers wary of agreeing to that, so - ask!).
Giving out homework is a strict no-no - it's an assessment offence (collusion), and plus, you do not really help them this way to learn.
Addendum: since you are worried that they blame you for later failure, if you give them out make a clear disclaimer that the notes are incomplete and inaccurate and you take no responsibility for their content.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Actually it’s not bad at all to say no even at the first time. I am a student from Netherland and study in University of Padova, Italy. I have asked to few of my classmates to share their lectures and they refused to share by saying “sorry”. And I did not mind. On the other hand one girl said she will share her notes but when I asked to give she made excuses that I will bring tomorrow and then next day and then next day. I really felt bad because she didn’t say NO and actually played with my belief !!!!. So i recommend to simply say NO on a very first time.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/22
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<issue_start>username_0: I teach a first year undergrad class in MATLAB programming, and one of my students is completely blind. Quite amazingly, the student memorises the whole chapter before class and regurgitates with the help of someone saying what the output is.
I wonder if anyone has some advice to help the student? I have heard of [Emacspeak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emacspeak). There's also the issue of interpreting graphics - is there any software available that may help with this?<issue_comment>username_1: Yes, this is all possible, but I recommend seeking specialist advice. Blind support organisations often have technical advisors who are aware of the latest software and hardware adaptions that are available.
I taught a totally blind student through a whole computer science degree, including 3d computer graphics. The student had a box which was connected to the computer and supplied audio through an ear piece. This translated the screen pixels into sound so images could be perceived much as a hand-held scanner might. As the mouse was moved the pixels at the mouse location were translated to sound. In addition to text-to-speech and other features the student had a complete picture of what was on the screen.
Actually, it was better than that. The student could see windows hidden behind windows, because they saw it in three dimensions in their mind and the rest of us were limited to the limitations of a flat 2d screen. We were totally out-classed and out-performed by someone who although blind could perceive the screen images better than we could!
Ask the student if they have looked into the devices available or already have support from appropriate blind organisations. If they do encourage them to follow up. If they do not, go through the appropriate special needs support office at your institution who are likely to have the right contacts.
Never underestimate the abilities of differently equipped students!
PS: I see you are in the UK. The [RNIB](http://www.rnib.org.uk/) is likely to be able to assist. They have appropriate technical officers if the University does not.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: **It is completely possible with the right device**
One of our student of physics is 50 years old, blind since ever, works 80 % in a company as a coder (!) and he studied computer science when he was 20 years old. So everything is surely possible.
How he does it: he has a device, which is connected to the computer and displays the line in Braille by moving small pins up or down. He then can *read* around 20 letters a time, reaching the end, the device changes it's pins again to display the next 20 characters.
Additionally, a screen-reader often also helps him to navigate and understand things.
This way, I wrote once a lab report together with him in latex, no problem at all. And he regularly writes code and exercise-sheets. Quite impressive!
I **highly recommend** your blind student to get such a device (you may first ask if he is even able to read Braille as not a lot of blind people do) and get used to **screen-readers**! If he has problems reading mathematical expressions, he can in most cases ask the publisher for the latex-version.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: I credit your ambition in this area, but the best answer offer is "talk to the professionals, after talking with the student". Your school will have specialists in some office that are very familiar with available accommodations for students who are visually impaired. They will be able to find resources faster than you, and likely better resources than you can find on your own. They will likely be able to make funds available if the necessary tools need to be purchased. This is what they do, and my experience is that people like this are very good at their jobs. In the US, such people are more or less required for schools to meet their regulatory obligations. I'm not sure for your country, but I can't imagine that the resource is non-existent.
As I stated in comments, I encourage you do work *in conjuntion* with the student. You might approach the student and ask who he is working with already, and if he feels he's getting the tools he needs. If he isn't using these resources, you should ask if he's comfortable if you try to help match him up with these resources, or if you could provide an accurate description of the needs of a person in his course to the people assisting him.
Be sensitive. This sort of help is not always welcomed or appropriate. People are often very good at using the tools they have to accomplish what they need to accomplish, and might resent other people telling them that they need help.
Don't be afraid to talk to the student, and be up front about asking the questions you want to ask. Don't skirt the issues or euphemize. Don't be offended if you receive a polite "no thank you".
Upvotes: 3
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2016/10/22
| 915
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<issue_start>username_0: I am an associate lecturer and it's my second term with the undergraduate students.
I noticed some of my students laugh when I teach. It's the most annoying thing I have ever felt in my academic life so far. I always think, why some laugh while others appreciate my way of teaching? It's very puzzling.
At the end of my first trimester I received a very positive feedback from the majority of students. But just those couple of giggling students ruin my whole confidence.
I don't speak funny and I look average too but why why that happens to me?
Is it normal in academia? Did this happen to anyone else? And how I can deal with them?<issue_comment>username_1: In my experience, there are some students who just cannot take class seriously. They may not even be laughing at you. Rather, they may be talking with a classmate and find what they are discussing amusing. They may not be paying attention to you at all. When they take a test and do not do well, they may react by thinking that is funny. If it bothers you enough, you should talk with the students after class and explain that their behavior is distracting to you, and probably to their classmates. This might appeal to whatever sense of fairness they may have. If they continue to be a distraction for you, a pointed remark about immature behavior may be appropriate, again after class. You may, if you wish, indicate that their behavior shows a lack of respect for you, the course, and their classmates.
I would not call the students out in class. I would also consult the department chair for suggestions on how to handle the situation.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: Maybe ask one of your colleagues to attend a lecture and observe. They may be able to tell you what the students are laughing about. (Who knows... maybe you look like a TV star they all watch. Maybe you sound like a certain politician.) And your colleague may be able to tell you whether the same thing happens in other classes.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Young people are always laughing. They could have an inside joke. They might have said they even love the way you say a certain word or it's from a song they like. It's usually not them focusing *on* you.
Young people will laugh in a beautiful way at things we've learned to find mundane, just an accent or if a word sounds like a dirty word. When I taught French my whole class laughed when I said *dix-neuf* (19) which only slightly sounded like "dees nuts" or "these nuts" from rappers as in when they might grab their crotch and say "suck these nuts."
I was relatively new but I was able to laugh it off and ask what the joke was. I pretended to laugh even though I just thought it was kinda dumb because I couldn't "hear" it like they could. They asked me to repeat it a few times. I humored them and they kind of forgot it about it but it was a chance to bond.
You never really know. It's OK to let loose a little and laugh to bond with students. I taught high school, so less formal, but I had no regrets. Or if they are laughing at you ... it could be a chance to laugh at yourself a little and show you're human if it's them just finding your accent cute or something.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I am a sub and my 5th grade students started laughing, then looking at me and laughing again. I never figured out what they were laughing at. While they worked I decided to make myself a desk in the back and sit behind them. They immediately stopped laughing and started working. I can see their computers and now they are the ones looking over their shoulder, not me. Change your perspective or position that may help.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/22
| 1,862
| 7,663
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<issue_start>username_0: Or is a PhD a ceiling that they'll never be able to reach, no matter how hard they worked?
By average intelligence I mean a person who has an IQ of 100.<issue_comment>username_1: I recently reread <NAME>'s book *Outliers*, which has a discussion of this very point, i.e., IQ versus academic success. The gist of it is that, like it or not, the IQ test robustly measures something so that a score below X will, with high probability, prevent academic success at level Y. E.g. a child with an IQ below 50 will have trouble taking classes with other students. I just checked the passage, and he claims, quoting from <NAME>ensen's book *Bias in Mental Testing*, that with high probability someone with an IQ of below 115 cannot graduate from a university with grades that will get them into graduate school.
One key phrase in the above is **with high probability**. Thus no one is claiming that such success is impossible, but it becomes significantly more unlikely. Another important point -- in fact, the whole point of this part of the book -- is that while having an IQ *above the threshold* seems to be important, the importance quickly disappears past the threshold. In particular, though we may disagree whether the IQ threshold for getting a PhD in mathematics is 100 or 115 or whatever, beyond a certain level *there is no significant correlation between IQ and academic success*. You might expect someone with an IQ of 175 to have a huge mathematical advantage over someone with an IQ of 125. But this really seems not to be the case.
Let me say finally that this answer should not in any practical sense be discouraging to anyone. If you or anyone else is wondering whether you have the intellectual capacity to get a PhD in mathematics -- you don't find out the answer by taking an IQ test, you find out the answer by studying mathematics and doing the best you can. Someone who has a measured IQ of, say, 95 but gets a degree from a reputable university with excellent grades in challenging courses and competitive test scores: of course such a student should seriously consider getting a PhD in mathematics if they are interested, and should not be dissuaded at all by their "low IQ".
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It's hard to get a PhD with an IQ of 100, but not impossible.
There are several ramifications of "IQ." One possibility is that someone of an average (100) IQ will take longer to master a subject than someone with a 115-120 IQ or that the lower IQ person will need to repeat some courses. If such a person "gets it" eventually, that person will need to work longer and harder than some others, but can achieve the PhD eventually. This is known as the [speed versus power](http://www.psychometric-success.com/aptitude-tests/speed-versus-power-tests.htm) dichotomy.
In another instance, the lower IQ might refer to a "cap" in the level of someone's intellectual ability. That is harder to deal with than the situation in the previous paragraph, and more planning is required. For instance, someone with a 100 IQ who is good in mechanics might be a poor candidate to study atomic physics, but his/her knowledge of everyday mechanics might make it possible to get a PhD in "lower level" physics.
As the New York Times [reported](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/opinion/sunday/the-difference-between-rationality-and-intelligence.html?_r=0), psychologists <NAME> and <NAME> have found a distinct difference between "intelligence," and "rationality" (both of which are important in physics). Thus, a person of average "intelligence" might be highly rational, which is enough compensation, at least for the more mechanical, less theoretical part of physics.
In fact, a person with a high IQ that lacked other essential qualities such as rationality/logic, diligence, and tenacity might have a harder time getting a PhD, at least in physics, than some others.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Brains (IQ level) may get you into post-grad study but character (perseverance etc) is, by far, more significant in graduating... as a PhD will require personal qualities that IQ does not measure...
With fewer formal assessments and milestones than an undergraduate degree there is a greater requirement for these characteristics. Things that I found important were persistence, imagination, literacy, time management, able to take criticism and respond appropriately and so many more.
As there are many bright people on the planet who did not have the interest or opportunity to study at university level, people for whom a PhD would be readily achievable it is unwise to make arbitrary decisions based on a couple of IQ points. Consider emotional intelligence and various other measures of human characteristics as well e.g. Autism Spectrum conditions
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: While the question has some merit, I still think it is ultimately the wrong question because it puts too much stress on number evaluation.
Choosing a subject for study is mostly not for pure interest, but to choose what you want to do in your professional life afterwards (Another thing is if you really get to work in this specific job, but *noone*, *really noone* I talked to repented studying his favorite subject).
So if you have a keen interest in physics and/or math, the best thing to do is trying it out. If you are not qualified, you *will* soon see reason because you seem to be incarcerated in inscrutable reasoning. The thing is if you are qualified, you will have precious light-bulb moments, their frequency increasing with your ability.
Feynman, the Nobel Prize winner, gloatingly declined the invitation to Mensa, the intelligentsia club, because he had only a 125 score. And many, many experimental physicists are struggling with math requirements, but are
shining in their necessary strengths of meticulousness and perserverance. Intelligence is an umbrella term for many kinds of thinking, so yes, you may have weaknesses, but also strengths and if those strengths allow you to study math and physics, do it (While I have now decades of English experience, languages are not loving me and vice versa).
**So the answer is: Yes, if you have the necessary other talents, even average intelligence will allow you to get an PhD**.
I suspect there are other reasons why you are asking, especially because you asked for the PhD, not studying itself. The problem is that many people, *especially parents*, simply do not understand or do not want to understand that **success in math and physics cannot be achieved by sheer willpower and perserverance**. If you do not have the talent (intelligence one core talent, but not the ultimate deciding factor), pursuing math and physics is wasting lifetime. To make progress, you must (!) understand the concepts involved because they are the fundamental basis for the next steps, see how they are interact with each other and get a "feeling"/"view" for the situation. This is the basis for the next step and so on and so on. Rote memorization is useless.
On the other hand, if you have the talent, both willpower and perserverance are godsends and it is unlikely that you will succeed to get an PhD if you do not have those qualities.
The often-heard Edison phrase in this context *"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."* is a severe misconception because it is highly dubious that Edison ever personally worked on or invented himself something. He simply had his payed workers and took credit for the things other people developed. Innovator, not inventor.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/23
| 600
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<issue_start>username_0: I just got my PhD recently and have a postdoctoral position now. I started applying to faculty jobs (tenure track/US/engineering/R1) for this cycle. I know that the whole hiring process is complicated, can/may involve politics, luck etc. and since most applicants don't hear back from search committees, how can I evaluate/compare my application to others (especially those who got interviewed/hired)? I would like to hear opinions from those who have served in search committees or are involved in the hiring process. Any tips or information will be much appreciated.<issue_comment>username_1: Unfortunately, there's little you can do on your own. One huge obstacle is letters of recommendation, which play a major role in screening applications. You probably won't know exactly what's in your own letters, and until you've served on a search committee yourself, you certainly won't know what the letters look like for the applicant pool as a whole. This makes it really difficult to gauge how impressive your letters are: you just won't be in a position to estimate whether a given opening might receive three applications with letters comparable to yours, or thirty. This makes an enormous difference for estimating your chances.
Partly you'll have to rely on advice from experienced mentors, who have years of experience seeing how job searches play out. Partly you'll just have to guess, and apply to a slightly broader range of jobs than you hope for, just in case. But you can at least make quantitative comparisons with recently hired people at universities you aspire to. (Number of publications, prestige of journals/conferences, number of citations, etc.) Don't take these numbers too seriously, since they can offer at best a crude impression of your track record, but they will show whether you're in the same ballpark as the successful applicants. If your application looks quantitatively similar, then it may be reassuring. If it doesn't, then that will at least show what you need to emphasize in your application. (E.g., if you have relatively few publications, then you'd better make sure readers are impressed with their quality.)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: @Anonymous\_Mathematician has some good advice. Another forum that contains useful discussion and advice, including commentary from a range of people who have been on search committees in various academic fields at various types of universities and colleges can be found at [The Chronicle](http://www.chronicle.com/forums/index.php/board,26.0.html "The Chronicle Forums").
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/23
| 422
| 1,951
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<issue_start>username_0: My supervisor has not finished marking my master's thesis.
Am I allowed to publish it in a journal before he finishes marking it? I asked him the question twice, but he never replied to me.<issue_comment>username_1: I suppose your advisor will be coauthor in whatever paper you write that is based on your thesis. In such case, you need their approval of the manuscript before submitting it for publication.
If you are considering submitting for publication and you are not considering putting your advisor as a coauthor, I would strongly encourage against it if the norm in your field is to include your advisor. If your advisor has already signaled that they do not feel comfortable being an author, you should strongly reevaluate whether your work is worthy of publication before submitting it for publication.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: If it's any help, I was in a very similar situation to yours. I wanted to publish my master's dissertation before I handed it in. In the end I decided to do one thing at a time - submit it to uni first and then ask for approval to publish from my supervisor, which is what I did. I missed one journal deadline because of this but I thought it was the right thing to do.
I did get approval pretty quickly after that so I submitted it for publication a couple of months before the mark came in and in time for the journal's next deadline. In your case I would wait for approval before you submit for publication because your relationship with your supervisor pre and post degree result is of great importance. I know only too well the urge to submit for publication but it's important that you get the green light first. I can't see a reason why you'd be denied it, but I would personally retain a good working relationship and wait. If you have a pressing deadline, write again and copy in another departmental member, or go in and see them.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/24
| 1,129
| 4,978
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<issue_start>username_0: I have been working very hard on my thesis and I have reached a point with my data where I am required to code.
I am no where near experienced in coding, and there is also not enought time left to learn it.
Simply, the coding is required to re-format the information and figures I already have.
I have used an external source (freelancer) to re-format my data and provide instructions as to how he has done it. I asked for instructions so I could carry out the task myself, and the reformatted data so I could check this against my work. Now, I am not sure if this is ethical and could compromise my degree?
I have not used the re-formatted data or instructions yet - as I am now unsure. I want to ask my supervisor about the ethics of using external assistance but I am unsure if this is a good idea?
In order to re-order my information and make it easier to process my initial formula instead of the manual way which I have been doing (there are close to 980,000 rows), the excel freelancer constructed a macro to essentially do the same work (which I still have not completed manually). I 100% want to give credit, and of course do not want to do anything unethical which is why I am asking here for advice.
What I mean by reformat is creating a macro/code that performs a process. I have been doing this manually and have not scratched the surface considering the large volume of data. The creation of the macro gives the same answers I have been getting manually. So essentially it is not creating anything new, except for the macro. I hope this clarifies things. Again, I do not want to pass any work as my own so I would appreciate any more advice!
What concerns me is that I paid this freelancer to create the macro, a very small fee. Nonetheless, it does not sit right with me. So, What exactly should I explain to my supervisor? Should I mention I have already found someone? Or will this raise suspicion?<issue_comment>username_1: From what you've said in your question, it doesn't sound like there's a problem here. You said the information and the figures are your own, you've just had some assistance with making the data easier to work with.
It doesn't sound like what's been done is much different than if someone had pointed out that Excel already has a function that does what you were doing in a more streamlined fashion. Of course, this would be perfectly fine.
It's quite common for a student to have had the help of someone else in the course of working towards their thesis. This is particularly the case in technical matters like coding. You just have to make sure that you acknowledge their assistance appropriately (typically, by saying in your Acknowledgements that they provided assistance with your data). It's perfectly acceptable to get help from other people in your work. Seeking advice from people whose expertise is different to your own is an extremely common part of academic work. Where it becomes problematic is when you don't acknowledge that the advice came from someone else, and you (even inadvertently) pass it off as your own. I don't see that the fee changes this at all.
If you want to know for certain that this is acceptable then you should obviously ask your supervisor. Just explain the situation in full and ask "Is it okay to include this work in my thesis?" The thesis has not been submitted yet. So in the case that what you have done is inappropriate then no damage has been done. You would just ensure that the figures that appear in the thesis were not those that the freelancer produced.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: When in doubt, give credit.
As Ian\_Fin states, this doesn't sound like an ethical problem. But it never hurts to be explicit in stating, either as a citation, or as an acknowledgement, that you had assistance.
There are two cases here. Either there is no problem, and giving an explicit acknowledgement changes nothing to do with your thesis, or there was a problem, and you've made the ethically correct decision by being honest about it.
Unless you're getting a degree in Excel formatting, and showing that ability was the point of the thesis, I don't see this as a likely problem.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: If you can manipulate a **smaller dataset**, say 20 rows, to reach the same stage of data manipulation, which you reach after the excel help, there is **no new subject matter content** added by the excel helper.
It **might hurt if you mention it**, verbally or in writing, because one can never be sure how much the reader would understand about the extent of help received.
But be sure to **not use the excel file directly** provided by the excel expert. Use the given instructions and generate it yourself, so that you can ensure **repeatibility** of the analysis as well as instruct others, if need be. If you cannot do it without help from that person, there would be no option than to acknowledge the assistance.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/24
| 1,698
| 7,367
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<issue_start>username_0: this is my first post here, I'll copy and paste a recent answer I asked in the physics and resulted a little bit inappropriate. I do physics so I'm mainly looking for answers for people in the field that maybe had some similare experience, but I think any opinion could be useful, so if I'm not out of context, thank you for any answer and here's my question:
I'm just starting what's basically the master in theoretical physics (I'm sorry, I'm not sure about the correspondence between italian and USA/UK studies. To be clearer: it's basically two years courses after the bachelor degree).
I'm having a little problem with the lectures and professors and I'd like to study and prepare exams on my own, but I'm not quite sure about this choice. The problem is that theoretical physics is very mathematical, and I don't ask you not to use it, but I require that you, as a physicist, don't put aside the physics to do just math. That's the point, we're doing all the math, all the calculations but we lack of things like physical interpretation of what we do, or physical reasoning, which, added to the abstractness already present on its own in theoretical physics, makes those lectures look like mathematical lectures. It's like those lectures could be done without any problem by a mathematician(with all respect to mathematicians). I'd like them to teach me how to do physics and give me tips and insights to get it, which is in my opinion the hardest thing. I can work out the mathematical passages on my own or look for them, but for the physics, at least in my case, it's way harder to figure it out and really get the physical meaning of something.
So basically I'm looking for opinion and help, to get me towards one, or the opposite direction: I'm so insecure cause I always followed lessons and this would be the first time i quit lectures and study just on my own, but I just can't stand me "paying" for physics and them "selling" me math.
So can someone help, give opinions and advices? Thanks again.<issue_comment>username_1: Although many physicists tend to like more the physics than the mathematical details, it is crucial for a physicist to master the required mathematical details. Understanding all the mathematical concepts give you a high level of mathematical techniques which can be applied to various theories in physics. My advice would be to go to the courses, and also to study in great detail what you really like in your spare time, perhaps guided by a professor. Unfortunately, in physics, one must learn the mathematical language, and then the physics associated.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: OP's question touches a subtle point.
Physics looks like it is a form of math, but it is very different in how it is approached. This complicates the physical interpretation.
Let me start with a tacky comparison - think of the following: physics is like programming in a dynamic language (say Python), math is like programming in a statically typed language, (say C++). In the latter, you declare all ahead of time, make the assumptions clear and build things up just as if you knew where you wanted to go all along.
In the former, on the other hand, you can build up your concepts just on the fly, as you go, and, while in programming that's probably bad practice, that's what actually happens in physics.
The property of physical concepts are, even if they are of mathematical nature, essentially "duck-typed" - you use whatever feature you want from them, and when it fails, you tack on some other concept, just as required. Just look at pseudo-vectors (e.g. angular momentum) - they are indistinguishable from vectors for almost all operations, except when you mirror them (in 3D), that's when the equivalence breaks down.
A mathematician would exclaim in horror that a pseudo-vector constitutes the wrong concept and the right thing to use instead would be a 2-form. It is clear that the mathematician would have wanted the concept to be defined/agreed upon in the beginning, while the physicist is happy to adjust his interpretation post-hoc, as phenomena (in this case, a computational/theoretical one, but it could be experimental) are discovered.
This causes the main misunderstanding between mathematicians and physicists; and I believe it is also at the core of your question - when you ask, where is the physics, I suspect you find it difficult to disentangle where one just runs down a mathematical/computational formalism, and where true (physical) assumptions are made.
For this, I recommend actually taking the mathematician's stance and to pull apart what the assumptions are in a model from the computations that follow from these assumptions. The idea is to make it precisely transparent what is a physical assumption/property of your space, and what is a mathematical consequence. It is then the job of the physicist to fill the conclusions with physical meaning/interpretation.
You are not being taught to do proper modelling and interpretation? No surprise, this is not something that happens often, usually only at paradigm shifts, so your professors will be out of practice in this respect. No, your professors most likely do not sell you math. Rather, I suspect, they sell you some conglomerate of mathematical notation and derivation, "duck-typed" with physical assumptions throughout.
There are some books which are a bit cleaner about separating the levels (e.g. Wu/Sachs for General Relativity), and I am sure there is more, but I am out of the field now and am not up-to-date about further good literature to get a clearer handle on things.
**In short:** It is not the math-heaviness that you most likely suffer from, but the lack of clarity which part of the discussion presented to you is physical assumption, which part is abstraction, and which part is technical derivation.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I think you should ask this on the Physics site too.
It sounds like this department might be a mismatch for you. You might want to look around for a different school to transfer to. Before deciding, visit some classes that you would take next semester and next year. Maybe the professors you have this semester are not representative of your department's approach in general.
I understand your trepidation, your reluctance, to stop attending lectures. On the other hand, I understand the temptation. Not attending frustrating lectures might give you more time and energy to focus on your self-study.
I would suggest that you avoid an all-or-nothing approach. Pick one class to experiment in with your non-attendance idea.
There is the tiniest chance your current state of mind could be part of a change in your medical condition. It couldn't hurt to go get a check-up and let the doctor know how school is going for you.
But I think the mostly likely explanation of your current frustration is that
(a) not all physics teaching is good;
(b) sometimes a class is taught well but it's not a good fit for an individual student;
(c) you may have had bad luck this semester -- the ideal scenario is to have a variety of courses at any given time, so you can do some work that emphasizes mathematical manipulations, but have balance out with experimental work that helps you grasp the physics in a meaningful way.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/24
| 576
| 2,516
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<issue_start>username_0: this is a somewhat specific question aimed especially at people who have experienced in serving in tenure-track search committees that use Mathjobs.Org.
Many of the job descriptions say something in the lines of "Review of applications will start on 1 November" (or any other date) or "For full consideration please apply before November 1", etc.
The question is: I am waiting for a couple of papers to be accepted (already have reviews, but no official acceptance since the editorial process sometimes takes longer). I know that applications can be updated in Mathjobs. Do the committees print all the Mathjobs application on November 1, or they look at them online? I'm asking because if I update it, say, on November 15 (suppose a paper is accepted by then), then maybe the won't even look at the updated version and only at the old one. On the other hand, if I don't apply now and wait until Nov 15, maybe it will also be ignored since it will be too late.
Do you have any particular recommendations?<issue_comment>username_1: I have not seen anyone print any files from MathJobs.org, but only look at them on-line, so certainly any updates will be seen.
Also, even when deadlines are relatively early, it's not the case that the relevant committee or other people are so eager to start looking at files. It's just that when people *do* start looking, they'd want files to be as complete as possible, rather than there being a reason to have to do another pass, or two, through the whole "pile".
Seeing that papers are "submitted (to X?)" is worth something, though obviously "not as good as" "accepted", status-points-wise.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It's relatively easy to download a set of applications from mathjobs.org as a huge .pdf file. In our last search, the committee members looked at the applications in that way rather than looking at them online. Thus in our first round of evaluations we would have missed any updates that were submitted after the deadline. For candidates that made it to the phone interview stage, we did keep track of updates to the application, but in most cases the applicant sent us an email saying "... Also, my paper XXXX was just accepted for publication in YYYY..."
Thus I wouldn't count on any update to your mathjobs application that comes after the deadline being seen by the search committee. If you do update the appliction, you should probably send an email to the search committee chair.
Upvotes: 4
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2016/10/24
| 312
| 1,367
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<issue_start>username_0: How do you cite (in APA) the authors last name when it is a foreign language with special unknown characters that can't be identified by most word processors.<issue_comment>username_1: Try shapecatcher.com and detexify.kirelabs.org to identify the characters. Then proceed from there by inserting a Unicode char in a Unicode font or a latex command (depending on whether you are using MSWord or some form of LaTeX). Once you have identified the character, also try an online search engine to find out spellings easier for you, e.g., the romanized ones.
If everything else fails, ask the sources where you got the name from. The contact person can be an editor, a publisher, a coauthor, or the author himself/herself. Some authors maintain homepages with a correct spelling of their name; if it is the case for the author in question, take a look at their HTML code.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Google the webpage of the author. If this is unicode, then cut and paste the special character into Google. Otherwise, find his name rendered in unicode somewhere on the internet, and Google the character. This should take you to a webpage that tells you what the character is. You can then Google to find out how to type it in your word processor. Or (depending on the word processor) you can just cut and paste the unicode.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/24
| 1,793
| 7,191
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm being offered a postdoc position at Penn State University.
[The recent rise in salary sounds good](http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2016/08/nih-sets-new-postdoc-stipend-levels) (about 4000$/month), but I wonder taxes may be not included. Any help?<issue_comment>username_1: You will be taxed like any other employee in the US, unless you are in the US temporarily and the US has alternative tax arrangements with your home country (see below). Salary is always reported in pre-tax terms. Your actual take-home pay will depend on deductions for things like healthcare, and the taxes in your state. At the new annual ~$47k level for postdocs, you can expect this to be in the vicinity of $2800-$3000/month, depending on your marital status, dependents, etc.
There are many online calculators for you to figure this out, for example [HR Block](https://www.hrblock.com/get-answers/w-4-calculator.html#/en/payCheck) or [Intuit](http://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/paycheck-calculator/).
It's possible that if your home country has a particular [tax treaty (link to IRS)](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/international-businesses/united-states-income-tax-treaties-a-to-z) with the United States your tax situation may be different. If this is the case, you may want to adjust your tax withholding accordingly, though you may also owe taxes to your home country. If you have taxes withheld that you do not actually need to pay, you can get them back when you file a tax return at the end of the year (typically in February-April), but you are essentially giving the US government an interest-free loan.
The institution you work for should have some resources and can help you with sorting out your tax situation. Local/state laws, countries of origin, your visa type, etc. can all influence your tax situation. The information I provide here is a guideline to know what your approximate income will be to help you make decisions about housing, etc before you start a position, but you should always study or get guidance on the particulars of your tax situation to avoid needing to correct things in the future.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: I am a postdoc at a major research university in the US. Unfortunately, taxes can be quite complicated for postdocs. The answer is very different between fields (biomedical science, engineering, ..) and institutions. My experience is in biomedical science.
**You definitely will owe taxes, and they will definitely be owed out of the amount they are quoting you ($4K/mo. or whatever).**
You should call your employer and ask these questions:
* Will my income be reported on a W-2 or a 1099-MISC form?
* Will the cost of my health insurance be added to my income?
* Will you withhold income from my paycheck for taxes?
Will my income be reported on a W-2 or a 1099-MISC form?
--------------------------------------------------------
Most American employees receive a W-2. Many postdocs receive a 1099-MISC, especially (but not exclusively) those on individual fellowships.
If you receive a W-2, then the answer is very very simple (congrats!). You are receiving normal earned income and you can pay taxes just like any normal employee using the normal forms. Receiving a W-2 also entitles you to employee benefits (such as being allowed to have a retirement plan, commuting benefits, etc.).
However, receiving a 1099-MISC means that your income is not considered "earned income". You are considered more of a contractor (like a house painter) than an employee. Employers do this because they don't have to pay your Social Security or FICA tax, so it saves them money. Unfortunately, it is sort of a gray area whether the postdoc is supposed to pay these taxes either.
You have two options:
Option 1: Declare yourself a "self-employed contractor". This means that you will pay a special self-employment tax to cover your Social Security tax. It also entitles you to deduct many living expenses as business expenses. This can save you money but will be a lot of paperwork.
Option 2: Pay your taxes as if the 1099-MISC income were normal income on a W-2. It's a bit of gray area because the income is simply marked as "other/miscellaneous" on the form, leaving it unclear as to whether the university considers you self-employed or not.
Probably one of these options is correct and the other is incorrect, but it is currently unclear to me which is which. Your institution may offer tax advice sessions to clarify this. My institution told me that they cannot tell me either way because they do not offer tax advice.
Source: <http://evolvingpf.com/2012/03/earned-income/>
Will the cost of my health insurance be added to my income?
-----------------------------------------------------------
It is not unusual for postdocs to owe taxes on the cost of your health insurance, even if your institution pays for this insurance. The cost of your health insurance would be added to your tax form. This is sometimes called "imputed income".
Source: <http://www.columbia.edu/cu/vpaa/docs/postdoc_fellow_benefit_policy_memo_and_FAQs.pdf>
This is a very unusual situation in non-academic industries so this can be a bit of a surprise for many people.
Will you withhold income from my paycheck for taxes?
----------------------------------------------------
If the answer is yes, then your life is a bit easier, because the institution will guess at how much taxes you will owe and pay about this much to the government out of every paycheck. Then at the end of the year, you file a return to correct for any over- or under-payment.
If the answer is no, then you must estimate how much you think you will owe and pay your own estimated taxes. These are due quarterly (approximately every three months). You still file a return at the end of the year to correct for any over- or under-payment.
<https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes>
Conclusion
----------
Being a postdoc is such a weird job category that almost nobody (including accountants) will know any of this, unless they have specific experience with academia. So don't be surprised if they are confused too!
By far the easiest scenario is if your institution pays you as a normal employee, in which case you will receive a W-2, they will withhold, and you will not owe taxes on your health insurance. I hope this is the case for you.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Check your visa status first. Your visa, your country and the time you spent in US will determine what regulations are applied to you. I strongly recommend to check the international student office of your university as they generally have new tax information and they generally organize free consultation to students (undergrad, grad) and postdocs for tax forms.
Do not take automatically the advise of your American colleagues , as their situation is most probably very different from yours. Average people have no idea about the notion residency for tax purposes, and give you incorrect advice in spite of their goodwill. Most accounts has no idea about applying rules neither, as few foreign postdoc has money to pay them.
Upvotes: -1
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2016/10/24
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<issue_start>username_0: I am at a stage to apply for an academic job, but can not find enough recommendation letters (3 typically). Currently, I am on my own grant, and mainly working alone on some relatively small, independent projects. Thus little collaborators.
When it comes to job application, they typically requires three recommendation letters. It there a way to get around the recommendation letter requirement? Apart from the supervisors/collaborators, who else can write those letters?<issue_comment>username_1: No (assuming you mean something like a TT assistant professor position). Recommendation letters are a vital piece of any faculty application. While supervisors and collaborators make good reference writers, there are lots of other people you can ask:
* People who have taught you in graduate school
* People you have been a TA for
* The chair of your current department
* The director of graduate studies of your graduate school department
* Colleagues in your field, who are more senior than you, who are familiar with your research
* People recommended by your supervisor (who should be ashamed for letting you get into a situation like this)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: **Yes** (somehow). In Germany you *must not* submit any letters of reference together with your application for faculty jobs.
Instead of recommendation letters, the search committee will find reviewers to write reports on the shortlisted applicants (often each reviewer reviews all shortlisted candidates in one letter). Also, it is not even necessary that the reviewer knows all the candidates personally and there are even rules that forbid to review somebody who has too close relations to you (believe it or not, the PhD advisor is explicitly forbidden...).
So, most typical "letter writers" in the US system will not play any formal role in the hiring process in many states in Germany. However, it is still important that you are part of some research community and that your work is known and appreciated. In principle, a reviewer who does not know you personally has to (and will indeed) have closer look and your papers and will judge their importance, comparing you and your work with the other applicants. So if you do really great work and can present yourself well in an job interview, you will get hired without any "letter writers".
In view of this, saying something like "in the German system it is all about who you know" is out of place. It is about you, your work and the community.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: **Who else can be referees?**
Someone who knows your work.
If the position involves teaching: someone who knows your teaching.
If the position involves interacting with colleagues: someone who knows how you interact with others.
Upvotes: 0
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2016/10/24
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<issue_start>username_0: I live in the UK and I have a foreign name of the form
<NAME>
where both words and the space are part of my first name. Due to common UK standard everyone usually assumes either that Efghjkl is my surname or, more often, that Efghjkl is my middle name and proceeds to omit it.
I am fine when people omit it in speech, as Abcd is an acceptable shortening of my name, but I really detest it when I receive emails starting with
>
> Dear Abcd,
>
>
>
instead of the appropriate
>
> Dear <NAME>fghjkl,
>
>
>
I usually let it slide whenever I know this is a one off interaction and point it out at some point otherwise.
Lately I have been at times adding a remark at the end of my emails:
>
> Just to let you know, my first name is <NAME>, with the space. I know, it's crazy!
>
>
>
I would like suggestions on how to deal with this very common occurrence. I see two options, but feel free to add more.
1. Keep such a message on a need-to basis, in which case I am looking for suggestions to make it more pleasant. Especially, I am not trying to make the other party feel guilty for the misspelling. I am not mad, this is a minor mistake and it's comprehensible given the running convention in the UK. Ideally, if there was a graphical/non-confrontational way to silently point this out, I would resort to that.
2. Add a fixed message in my signature either with the same tone of the above or a little more formal. I am a little concerned that this might look odd and somewhat aggressive though.
Any suggestions?
PS: I write here as most of my daily contacts where this interaction happens are academics.
Edit: I am referring to my first name in the above, I do have a family name or surname as well, which in our notation and taking some suggestions from the answers, would be: MNOPQR.<issue_comment>username_1: I would make a point of signing my emails Abcd Efghjkl. If they don't catch on after recieving your reply, add a friendly PS just as you have been doing. It's your name and you are completely justified in wanting it said properly.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: You could modify your P.S. slightly, to make it easier for native English speakers to relate to. For example,
>
> P.S. My name is spelled as two words that go together to make one name, similar to "<NAME>" or "<NAME>".
>
>
>
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: The simplest solution is to add a hyphen between the two words: John-Paul. The hyphen indicates that your first name (or the meaning of the word in general) comes from the combined words, not from separate components. Modifying your name (yourself, your identity, etc) might be a wise choice to adapt to the environment. This will save you a lot of time and energy to educate people, not in email context, but also in paper.
However, if you really want to use the blank space instead of hyphen, in email context I would say that adding the PS automatically is a little bit redundancy for familiar contacts. I suggest you to have a text expanding program to mitigate the typing time.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: If you have a website or online profiles that people ever look at, you can put this information there in the section about you. This is a nice way to put the information out there without having to distract from conversations.
I did this to describe the pronunciation of my last name.
Upvotes: 1
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2016/10/24
| 634
| 2,894
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<issue_start>username_0: In February I submitted a paper that was sent back asking for minor revisions. I revised and re-submitted the paper (with rather significant changes) much later, in October, and it was accepted for publication three days later.
Given the extent of my modifications I'm surprised that the process went that fast the second time around; should I be worried? Can I safely assume that someone from the journal's editorial office has re-read my paper?<issue_comment>username_1: Unless you have some reason to believe your revised paper has some serious additional problems, I don't think you should worry. It may not be best practices for referees and editors to operate this way (just looking to see whether the changes requested in the first report have been adequately completed). Ideally, the referee should check over carefully that none of the changes have introduced new problems, but that isn't always done.
The referee and editor may have felt that the revisions were not really that big a deal. You may have been overthinking things when you made the changes; they might have intended some considerably less sweeping editing. Or the referee may have seriously underestimated how much additional work and explication would be required to fix the problems the referee pointed out. The referee might even have told the editors that another round of refereeing would not actually be necessary; if you made the changes, then the paper would be ready for publication. (For several of the journals I have refereed for, this is one of the options in the recommendation menu of the reviewing software; however, I also know, as an author, that this part of the review is not shared with the authors.)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: This probably means that the editor checked that you had addressed the comments, and did not feel the need to send it back to reviewers (which is often the time-consuming part). It's still a fast turnaround, so think yourself lucky!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: It's perfectly possible to review a revised paper in a short time (assuming it even makes it back to the reviewer). I've seen more than one reviewer turn around a short (few pages) paper with minor revisions in a couple of hours; I've done same-day myself. If the reviewer has a copy marked up with the changes, then the changes themselves need a proper review against the initial report, but the rest of the paper only needs eneough attention to check that the whole thing makes sense taking into account the revisions.
If you turned the revisions round fast, the paper could still be fresh in the reviewer's mind, or they may have taken good notes or have a good memory. If the paper is noteworthy to the reviewer (first they've reviewed or first in a long time; particularly interesting) they're likely to remember it quite well.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/25
| 514
| 2,157
|
<issue_start>username_0: I've noticed that my advisor (non-native) sometimes makes minor spelling/grammatical errors in academic papers. I believe this is due, in part, to the fact that until very recently, nobody in the lab was a native speaker.
Is there a way that I can bring this to my advisor's attention professionally? I would like to also let him know that I'd be happy to proofread any of his papers prior to submission, if he would like. Obviously, I make mistakes as well, so I'm sure I will make similar errors at some point in publications, but I would always want someone to point it out to me.
Edit: I should note that I have no intention of trying to correct his spoken or informal English.<issue_comment>username_1: I am not a native speaker either and it is not unusual for non-native speakers to have some more minor issues as you suggested. I think that telling your advisor that you are interested to read more about the topic that they are working on, asking for the paper and providing some feedback about grammar and what need to be clarified should be welcomed by them.
However, if the person is sensitive and easily offended, I would try to stay away unless I am specifically asked to do that task!
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Some non-native speakers of English are eager to improve their English and grateful for corrections. Others have, unfortunately, a very different attitude. username_1 correctly suggests caution if your adviser is easily offended, but it may be difficult to determine whether he's easily offended. So I'd suggest beginning with just one of your adviser's errors, perhaps a spelling error where it's easy to check in a dictionary that it really is an error. See how he reacts to that before correcting more errors.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> Is there a way that I can bring this to my advisor's attention professionally?
>
>
>
Yes.
More specifically, tell him that you think you've found some minor English grammar issues and ask him politely and carefully whether he would be interested in feedback. If you don't get a clear "yes", forget it.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/25
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<issue_start>username_0: Of course the exact status of the title has changed in different places and times.
I mean it most specifically in the sense of <NAME>'s title at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen in 1923: *nicht beamteter Außerordentlicher Professor.* But I doubt there is a standard translation for that specific situation.
My question is, as in the title, is there a current, standard English translation of the basic phrase *Außerordentlicher Professor*?
By a standard translation I mean one that is currently in widespread use, in contrast to one that I or another person thinks should be an accurate way to describe the position.
However, a look at the confusion of the English language [Wikipedia Ranks in Germany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_ranks_in_Germany) convinces me there is none so I was in process of deleting this question when an answer appeared. Now I will wait and see what happens,<issue_comment>username_1: The concept of *Ordinariat* (a Latin word used in the German-speaking academic circles) is similar to the English *chair*. A non-ordinary professor is a professor who does not have the responsibility of a chair.
So that would translate often to "associate professor" depending on the individual situation and local practice.
Keep in mind that since academic hierarchy varies a lot between countries and that it is not always possible to translate positions, and that is not a question of language. In doubt the safest thing would be to use the original title.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: As a counterpoint to username_1's answer, in Austria an Außerordentlicher Professor generally has tenure, at least in the sense that her or is position is not time-bound. The main difference here is that a "full" professor holds a chair ("Lehrstuhl") and has been appointed through a (nowadays international) faculty search with all its formal procedure. An Außerordentlicher Professor has often held a long-term postdoc in the same university when (s)he applied and received "Habilitation", and has been made Außerordentlicher Professor and received tenure as part of standard habilitation practices.
An Außerordentlicher Professor formally holds no chair and is instead associated to a specific chair in the university hierarchy, although what this means in practice varies widely given that an Außerordentlicher Professor is still a professor with all the guaranteed independence of teaching and research. The widely accepted English translation is "Associate Professor", although this transports the (wrong) message that Außerordentlicher Professor is an intermediary career step from which there is a clear progression to a chaired professorship. Instead, many (or in some institutions, most) researchers who become Außerordentlicher Professor remain in this position for life.
In Austria, this position is now widely considered a legacy of former times. Automatic promotion to tenured Außerordentlicher Professor when successfully defending a habilitation is as a practice discontinued in most departments, and there is no formal way to become Außerordentlicher Professor in the traditional sense otherwise. Many departments nowadays use this title much more in line with the US meaning. That is, younger new hires sometimes are hired on the rank Außerordentlicher Professor, with a an agreed-up promotion to regular professor after an evaluation phase (e.g., 5 years).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: First, the expression "außerordentlicher Professor" is no longer in current widespread use in Germany (although still understood; the exception is, as so often, Bavaria); a non-ordinary professor position is now usually referred to as "W2" (after the pay scale) or, in some states, "W3 ohne Leitungsfunktion". Most people who now hold such a position would translate it as "associate professor", although there are a number of significant differences between the positions that make this translation misleading in some regards.
It is also a very different position from the one Emmy Noether held (which was unpaid, for a start). In fact, Emmy Noether's position was actually that of an "*außerplanmäßiger* Professor", a title given to tenured university assistants after their habilitation, which entails most of the academic, but very few of the administrative, rights of a university professor. (The "nicht beamtet" previously disambiguated the two positions; the title was renamed during the Nazi regime.) This position -- which no longer exists in the German system, and, confusingly, was called "außerordentlicher Professor" (and now "assoziierter Professor") in the Austrian system -- has no analogue outside the very hierarchical traditional German system. Hence there is no canonical translation; if pushed, I would translate it either as "tenured research assistant" or "lecturer" (if there is no danger of confusion with the UK title, which would give the wrong idea), both capturing (different) aspects of the position.
Especially in a historical work, I would therefore do exactly what the English wikipedia article on Emmy Noether does -- use the original German title and give a parenthetical explanation:
>
> the title of nicht beamteter ausserordentlicher Professor (an untenured professor
> with limited internal administrative rights and functions)
>
>
>
Upvotes: 4
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2016/10/25
| 3,441
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<issue_start>username_0: Today I met with a student who had plagiarized answers on an exam from online sources. She explained to me with apparent honesty that she had spent too long answering the first two questions and then run out of time. In her telling, being a non-native speaker makes grammatical writing in English very slow going. On this exam, I expected the students to write approximately ten to twenty sentences in an hour.
Sometimes our academic counseling department requests disability-related accommodations which allow certain students 1.5x or 2x time for an exam. However, I've never seen one related specifically to speech and language.
Does non-native speech warrant extra time when writing exam answers?<issue_comment>username_1: Disability conditions are applicable when there is an uncontrollable disadvantage that prevents the person fairly demonstrating their knowledge, skill and ability in the same timeframe.
This is not the case for a person who has and takes the option of moving to a country or region where their language proficiency is not sufficient to demonstrate knowledge or skill.
Such a person has the choice of developing their language skills to sufficiency or of simply studying at a university where the common language is one they are fluent in. They control the situation and therefore, it is their obligation to resolve it, not the assessor's duty.
Where these two groups intersect is a case rare enough that it should be handled on its own merits according to any applicable policy and law (which most likely will mean the extra time is given to account for the disability).
Upvotes: 8 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There are two separate issues here, but both come to the same answer.
If the student is studying maths, physics or engineering, then using fully grammatically-correct sentences should not be part of the marking scheme. So long as the maths/physics/engineering is clear and correct, supporting text is secondary. Any exam should not generally be asking for long essay-form questions because it is not an appropriate way of assessing the course. Since there shouldn't be a need for large amounts of writing in English, there should be no need for extra time to be allowed.
If the student is studying some subject which requires discussion, conversation and writing in English, their standard of written and spoken English has to be good enough to allow this. This applies just as much for native English speakers as non-native English speakers. Native English speakers are often not taught English grammar at school to academic-level standards, so a native English speaker may well have the same problem as a non-native English speaker with written assessments. Regardless, the ability to communicate in written English is a core requirement for the course. If the student cannot meet that core requirement, a foundation year to get all their skills up to scratch may be more appropriate for them, but you can't allow them extra time to cover their lack of core skills.
For a further problem, your student has clearly cheated in the exam, been caught cheating, and admitted cheating. Your organisation should have a standard policy for dealing with cheating, and saying "I couldn't finish the exam in time" is not a justification. Students who approach their teachers/tutors/lecturers with their academic problems ahead of time are likely to get some kind of help, whether that's extra mentoring in English or whatever. Students who cheat and then say "I couldn't do it" as justification can only get what the disciplinary process says they deserve though.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: In short: no, not speaking the language a course is taught in is not enough in its own right to warrant extra time.
As @username_1 pointed out, it is the student's choice to have attended this particular academic institution, and they chose to attend an institution where the spoken language is not their native language. An exception would be if it is in the academic institution's policy (i.e. for some institutions where a significant portion of the student body are international students, it may be the case) to grant this student and others extra time based on language.
Another issue here, it seems, is that the student is using this as an excuse (or at the very least, as justification) for committing plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Every student has the choice to cheat or not, and this student decided to cheat. There **should be absolutely no excuse** for academic dishonesty, and there **is absolutely no justification** for it.
It should have been apparent to the student *before* taking the exam that the language the exam was presented in would cause them problems, and the student should have sought help by either the professor (you?)/T.A./academic department with authority to grant extra time. In the event that the student may have been overconfident in their abilities to read/write/speak the language, the student should have approached you immediately afterwards to explain the situation and request extra time.
I would also like to point out that the university I attended had a policy to translate an exam into a student's native language upon request, and I've heard of several other institutions with this policy. These policies were presented in the acceptance materials for my university, and I was not registered as an international student. My point being the student should have been aware of their options before the exam, and it is the students' responsibility to seek these options.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: Most schools I researched when choosing a uni, required non-native English speakers to prove their proficiency at English via a certified exam (IELTS, TOEFL, or schools' own exam). Required level of English was never lower than C1 on CEFR scale, which implies that the student
>
> * Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer clauses, and recognize implicit meaning.
> * Can express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.
> * Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
> * Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
>
>
>
I.e. if a student does not satisfy those, he/she should not be at school in the first place.
In my personal experience as a non-native freshman, ENG 101 essay was not very hard to write in dedicated time (150 minutes for 800-1000 words). Most complications rose from structuring the essay, not picking the right words - the latter is fairly easy acquired, even by watching TV or playing video games.
If your course requires extensive writing with complicated vocabulary, then it would be nice of you to warn your students of possible complications.
One other thing from my experience (I'm studying in a non-English speaking country, but medium of instruction is English in my uni) - there are a lot of people who can barely conjure a sentence, even despite the facts I mentioned on the top, and the fact that my school has a prep school to get people up to B2-C1. Somehow those people just get through - but it's their responsibility from then on. After all, C1 (in my case it's not even C1, it's 6.5 IELTS) is actually a threshold at which you are eligible to study in a uni, the most basic level at which you should be comfortable.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: If the test isn't about language skills, design it such that people with weaker language skills still can complete it. In most but not all cases **tests should test knowledge and understanding, not speed**. So if you're worried that people with weaker language skills can't complete in time, just allow more time for all students and allow students who finish early to leave early. If you want to ask more questions in less time, you can always use more multiple choice or similar types of questions.
Giving a short time limit mostly tests who's performing better under stress and who's better at learning answers by heart - which is perfectly fine if that's what you want to test.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_6: Unless the quality of the language is part of the exam, tell students you do not care about the small mistakes in the grammar. As long as these mistakes do not make the sentence difficult to understand, or even change the meaning so that the answer qualifies as incorrect. "A transformer", "the transformer", "a transformers" - why a physicist should care much.
This will eliminate the possibility of the foreign student to complain that lots of time has been spent perfecting the grammar.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: **Does the student even *know* it's acceptable to make grammar mistakes in the interest of efficiently explaining their ideas?** Literally if the instructor has never *taught* this then the student has no chance of *knowing* this. It may be worth observing that both in "the real world" of industry and later on in academia the majority of communication is naturally done hastily and under time pressure, in the form of a stack of email that must be resolved before one can get on with work. And email, of course, is influenced by the speaker's own conversation style, and it is usually clear enough.
ESL speakers can become fluent while making more or less systematic categories of grammatical deviations that are more or less within the bounds of business English. But the entire culture of written examination in school emphasizes the wrongness of the deviations and not the fact that the communication itself is clear and fluent, and this *may* be the main issue with your student's struggles.
A certain amount of grammar mistakes only modestly impacts readability. Even if it moderately impacts readability, **not penalizing these mistakes in a time-pressure quiz or test format is a good idea.** This applies to all students. ESL and all students deserve time offline to polish.
Work with your student to find compromises between what they can express fluently and efficiently, and what they can express grammatically in the allocated time. The student may understand this as a bargain: they focus on clarity, and you forgive mistakes. I would suggest being collaborative with the student. Perhaps you will have a need to penalize some mistakes that compromise clarity, but the student deserves the chance to work through which mistakes are better to make.
I want to emphasize an important point about this answer: **I advocate no special treatment in grading for the ESL student here. username_8cation should be specialized to the students in need, and changes to evaluation is a last resort.** (Of course reflecting on this situation may lead to new perspective in grading, but that's the point of asking questions like this in the first place.)
Now, the OP's question can be answered independent of the act of plagiarism, but I do have something to say about that regarding the circumstance: I would emphasize that inasmuch as justice is about punishment, it is also about when punishment *ends* so that the perpetrator may get on with their time in society. In this case, it means not depriving the student of their right to quality education assuming the punishment is anything less than expulsion. At the risk of being political, I might suggest that part of what turned the student to this crime was lacking any other way to succeed. *That* is within your ability to impact as an educator, and relating this empathy to a path forward in this student's education has nothing to do with lessening or excusing the offense.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: Unless the exam is about the English language itself, non-native speaking students should have an extra time because they take more time to read, understand and write in English.
An example to this question.
Cisco CCNA exams are only available in English in most countries. The exams in English speaking countries must be solved in 90 minutes, while in non-native countries must be solved in 120 minutes (they have more 30 minutes).
One might think it is unfair that non-English speakers have more time to solve the exam and have a better grade. But they spend more time reading, understanding and writing, **which is less time on thinking, the main objective of the exam**. Hence the extra half-hour.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_9: There are great answers already, but I hope my personal perspective may also be helpful.
I have team member who is deaf, which is considered a disability by most. But he will not accept that he is disabled and has held himself to the same standard as everyone else, which makes him a great asset to our team. He doesn't communicate verbally, but performs his responsibilities as well as anyone else on the team. He isn't afraid of difficult tasks and rises to whatever challenge we throw at him.
I teach a class with a "hearing-impaired" student who also insists that she does not have a disability. She is very bright, capable and a good learner, in part because she has had to work a little harder. From each of these individuals, I have learned that while some accommodations should be made for special circumstances, if we go too far, we do more to handicap the student/employee/friend/family member than their actual condition.
For the student mentioned in the question, if she is allowed to use the language barrier as an excuse for cheating and to receive special accommodations for future tests, she will be further handicapped, not helped. If you care about her personal and academic development, you need to hold her to a higher standard and convince her to believe in herself and put forth the effort required to succeed despite the obstacles and challenges. In the long run, she'll be miles ahead if she breaks this shell on her own.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_10: I think this depends on whether you give other people who might write their answers slowly additional time. For example, people with [dyslexia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyslexia) also write and read more slowly.
I think that in general, if people with dyslexia also get extra time (which is, in my country, usually only 20% (at most) of the allotted time extra), then you can consider giving the same extra time to that person. I know this is done for high school exchange students.
However, I would only do this for a **limited period of time**. After, say, a year (or maybe even earlier) of university, it can and should be expected that the student knows the language well enough that he or she is not slowed down by it extremely, especially if the test requires only ten to twenty sentences an hour, which is not a lot. If they still don't know the language they're expected to know after a year, they are going to have a hard time when studying anyway.
I tried to write this answer primarily for students who didn't cheat, by the way. I think that is currently irrelevant to the question. However, in such cases, you might of course decide that the student has wasted their right on extra time.
Upvotes: 0
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<issue_start>username_0: I found a one-panel comic that is relevant to the content of a course I am taking. I think my professor would enjoy it. Is it socially acceptable to send him a hyperlink to it?<issue_comment>username_1: Given the title I thought my answer was 'definitely no', but I think you might have made it to the borderline. It probably depends on the specifics of the situation.
As EnergyNumbers has said, they are probably swamped with emails as it is. However, some professors may be interested if there is sufficient link for it to actually be relevant to teaching the material.
You haven't given enough context for me to tell whether it would fit, but I'd suggest instead taking it to class and sharing it with the class at the end while people are packing up. If it's too big for that, and you really feel you want to email, I would suggest something along the lines of 'I saw this and thought it gave a helpful illustration of this point because...'
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: If you need to ask this kind of question on Stack Exchange then the answer is no.
You're contemplating engaging with them on a personal level, which requires a some degree of a social relationship with them. You clearly don't have that relationship.
If, on the other hand, you had a good social relationship with your professor - shared tea and cakes during your supervision meetings, say - then of course this would be appropriate, but you would know that already.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: I've done this before.
I would not recommend it however unless you had some level of relationship with your professor where they *know who you are*. I also would make sure the content is "clean" - not just to you, but in such a way that an overwhelming majority (99% of people) would not find it objectionable.
This is important because a lot of things people find funny are not funny or are just plain disrespectful to others.
Overwhelmingly this will depend on two things:
* Culture at your institution/country
* Your specific relationship with the professor
Only you can know the answers to both of these. In my case, the class was heavily discussion based, relatively small, and I was quite vocal in-class and had interacted with the professor enough that she definitely knew who I was. I also expected from her personality as a professor she would enjoy it.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: Definitely no if you just send the hyperlink. Do you want the professor to spend time deciding if it's a scam and take risk to open it? If it's comic, you should be able to get the picture and attach it if you decide to send.
On the other hand, if you are sure there's nothing wrong with the content (check username_3's answer), and you hesitate just because you don't know each other well, then sending it would be fine. When you send, write a very short intro of yourself and the content (25 words say).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: As others have said, it depends on your relationship with the professor.
As an alternative, have you got somewhere that you can put it so that the professor could see it along with the rest of the class? This is a good way of bridging the gap between directly contacting the professor and not showing him at all, plus it might brighten the day of some of your fellow classmates.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: Somewhat counter to some, though not all, existing answers to me the key-point is not how familiar you are with the professor, but rather how relevant the content is to the course and how you present it.
Personally, I would not mind to receive an email as the one below even from a student I barely know or do not know at all (if the content matches reality of course).
>
> Subject: A comic related to your course on {Subject}
>
>
> Dear {Name},
>
>
> I am a student in your course {Subject}. I just came across the following comic in {Some source, plus reasonable link} that I feel illustrates the point on {Something} you made last week during class in a nice and playful way. I thought it might interest you.
>
>
> Best regards,
>
>
> {Your name}
>
>
>
By contrast:
>
> Subject: Some fun
>
>
> This is a comic I found funny. {Some dubious link}
>
>
>
Is something that tends to annoy me even if from closest friends or family, especially when sent as bulk email.
The point is in the first case it is clear that somebody made a genuine effort to share some information with me that they think might be relevant to me, while in the latter case it seems like a pure distraction. Moreover, as mentioned by others, there is the aspect of needing to decide if the thing is genuine or malicious.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: Are you 1000% sure that it won't be misunderstood?
Have you let it wait for couple of days and you are still 1000% sure it won't be misunderstood?
If both answers are Yess, then go for it. Otherwise let the fun rest in your head instead. Good indication is whether your professor makes fun of his own work sometimes or whether they are always serious.
---
I often print comics from [PhD Comics](http://phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1896), [XKCD](http://xkcd.com/1739/) or [Buriden's genetically modified donkey](http://en.bugemos.com/?q=node/12) if they are on-topic and I am sure my colleagues won't be offended by them and place them on a whiteboard in the corridor.
Upvotes: 2
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2016/10/25
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<issue_start>username_0: A few weeks ago I've enrolled in a Coursera course offered by university A, without asking for a certificate. I've completed some of the work, but now my university holds a course on the same topic, to which I am enrolled for credit.
Consequently, I decided to stop doing assignments from the Coursera course and focus on the course I'm enrolled in.
University A is one of the universities I am planning to apply to for my PhD studies next year, possibly in the topic of the course (or even with the professor teaching it).
How likely is it that the professor and/or the committee will check whether I've already been enrolled in something offered by them, and will get a bad impression because of me dropping the course? (e.g they might conclude that I'm not serious/committed when it comes to studying.)
Do committees generally look for academic information on applicants other than in the documents they provide in their application?<issue_comment>username_1: Things happen! People drop courses all the time for various reasons. In no way should it look bad. If you weren't going for a certificate, it doesn't really matter.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Certainly not.
I highly doubt any university even has a mechanism for looking this up easily (since it isn't public info), or if they are even allowed to do so (might be against their privacy policy).
Also, MOOCS have extremely low completion rates ([this](http://www.katyjordan.com/MOOCproject.html) says 15% on average) to begin with. These online courses, unlike traditional university courses, don't require a commitment or have any real effects from not completing it.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: AFAIK Coursera is not for credit, thus should not impact your phd record in any way.
Upvotes: 5
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2016/10/25
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<issue_start>username_0: I am applying for postdoc this year. I was given standard one hour for my job talk. I prepared for a 45-50 minute talk and 10-15 minutes for Q & A. But probably I spoke bit too fast and also people didn't interrupt me, my talk was over by 30-35 minutes. Is it really bad for getting a job?<issue_comment>username_1: Giving such a short job talk is a negative rather than a positive. Generally the point of a job talk is to engage and impress the audience with (i) your research and (ii) you as a potential research colleague. They want to hear a narrative that starts from a place they know and builds up to some impressive results, ideally that they would like to hear more about over the coming months and years. If other candidates are "filling the space with good content" and you come up 33% (or whatever) short, then you risk creating the impression that you don't have 60 minutes worth of good things to tell them.
That's just an impression though. People who care will look back through your dossier, so you needn't worry too much about that. Moreover, usually there are only a small number of candidates brought in for job talks and interviews, and a talk / interview has to be really bad indeed in order for those who were supporting you (in the current job market, getting interviewed is certainly a very strong show of support) to change their mind. Ending very short doesn't seem to qualify in my opinion: people who are not in your favor may point out that your talk was short, while those in your favor will think "So what? S/he's still a good candidate..."
You shouldn't be thinking in terms of having killed your chances for a job but rather of having not fully exploited the opportunity you've been given. Based on what you write I will guess that you are not very experienced giving 60 minute talks. (And in fact that's how you're going to look more than anything: inexperienced at giving such talks.) That's something that's easy to improve upon: practice more at giving such talks. Nowadays most people use powerpoint/beamer, which makes it pretty easy to control the pace. For something like a job talk, you should have at least one "dress rehearsal," i.e., a practice talk in front of real, live people who will stop to ask you questions. If you did that and still came up that short, there's something to figure out: did you get so nervous that you skipped a lot of material? If so, you can compensate by making more slides.
Let me end with an anecdote. When I was on the job market, I gave one talk much earlier than the rest: it was from my perspective before the semester even started. For this and various other reasons I did not have a "dress rehearsal." I had the opposite problem: I had way too many slides (I mean actual slides, printed onto clear plastic and put on an overheard projector; this was 11 years ago) and I ended up plunking down slides full of dense text and then skipping most of the text. I went on to give three more versions of the same talk at other places, all of which were much more polished. Where did this shaky job talk take place? At my current institution. They hired me anyway, though I heard that one of my colleagues was motivated to look back at my teaching letters for reassurance.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There is really no way to know how this was perceived by the audience, and there is nothing you can do about it - so I wouldn't worry about it.
However, I think there is a chance that some people could interpret this in one of the following ways:
1. You were not prepared well enough - either by not planning the talk for the correct amount of time or by going through it too fast.
2. You were not prepared well enough - since you did not bother to ask what is the common practice with respect to questions and/or were not able to adjust accordingly.
3. You did not have enough material to fill the expected time.
Personally, I never attended a job talk that was 15 minutes shorter than it is supposed to be.
In the future, I suggest you prepare better by practicing and designing the talk accordingly (e.g. have optional extra material). Also you should try to inquire about the expected length and whether people usually ask questions during the talk.
But again, it might be a non-issue in your specific case.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The time itself is not likely to be a problem ,although, for those with an ax to grind, it provides the grit. A job talk is to sell yourself, and we can't tell how well you did that. If you were prepared for questions, and none were forthcoming, that would have been a good time for fill material. Of course, from our perspective, you could have nailed it, and your audience left with big smiles on their faces. I have never applied for a post doc, but I imagine the problem would be to contain your 'pitch' to an hour. My advice is always rehearse, rehearse, rehearse (practice). That is not always possible, and you didn't ask for advice. If you made and answered your arguments well, you should be good.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: The time itself is not a big problem; there are more important questions.
* Was your speech fluent and logically ordered or chaotic?
* Was it easy to hear you speaking or it sounded like lullaby?
* Was your speech exciting or boring?
* Were your slides accurate, well designed and well ballanced or it was heap of text, full of blurry (or boxy) figures?
* Was your speech well supported or there were major flaws?
The only way the length of your speech can affect your chances is when the choice is reduced to you and someone with very same qualities except for the speech length.
**Tl;dr**
30 minutes of exciting talk is way better than 55 minutes of pure boredom or nonsense.
---
#8 Phase transition
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Xbj5f.jpg)
Boredom is condensig.
Upvotes: 3
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2016/10/25
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<issue_start>username_0: I am an undergraduate student in mathematics. My academic performance is really good but many people tell me "you are too stressed up", including people who know me for a few weeks.
Due to some serious family issues the last few years have been hell.
As the time passes everything is returning to normal but the professors who don't know about those events might think this is how my personality is.
I am going to ask letters of recommendation from those professors for a graduate school application. Do you think this will negatively impact my application? What I can do about it?
**edit:** It's just the **air** around me. Some professors mentioned this: "You are too tense, don't worry you will go alright". Not sure how to explain this better.<issue_comment>username_1: Giving such a short job talk is a negative rather than a positive. Generally the point of a job talk is to engage and impress the audience with (i) your research and (ii) you as a potential research colleague. They want to hear a narrative that starts from a place they know and builds up to some impressive results, ideally that they would like to hear more about over the coming months and years. If other candidates are "filling the space with good content" and you come up 33% (or whatever) short, then you risk creating the impression that you don't have 60 minutes worth of good things to tell them.
That's just an impression though. People who care will look back through your dossier, so you needn't worry too much about that. Moreover, usually there are only a small number of candidates brought in for job talks and interviews, and a talk / interview has to be really bad indeed in order for those who were supporting you (in the current job market, getting interviewed is certainly a very strong show of support) to change their mind. Ending very short doesn't seem to qualify in my opinion: people who are not in your favor may point out that your talk was short, while those in your favor will think "So what? S/he's still a good candidate..."
You shouldn't be thinking in terms of having killed your chances for a job but rather of having not fully exploited the opportunity you've been given. Based on what you write I will guess that you are not very experienced giving 60 minute talks. (And in fact that's how you're going to look more than anything: inexperienced at giving such talks.) That's something that's easy to improve upon: practice more at giving such talks. Nowadays most people use powerpoint/beamer, which makes it pretty easy to control the pace. For something like a job talk, you should have at least one "dress rehearsal," i.e., a practice talk in front of real, live people who will stop to ask you questions. If you did that and still came up that short, there's something to figure out: did you get so nervous that you skipped a lot of material? If so, you can compensate by making more slides.
Let me end with an anecdote. When I was on the job market, I gave one talk much earlier than the rest: it was from my perspective before the semester even started. For this and various other reasons I did not have a "dress rehearsal." I had the opposite problem: I had way too many slides (I mean actual slides, printed onto clear plastic and put on an overheard projector; this was 11 years ago) and I ended up plunking down slides full of dense text and then skipping most of the text. I went on to give three more versions of the same talk at other places, all of which were much more polished. Where did this shaky job talk take place? At my current institution. They hired me anyway, though I heard that one of my colleagues was motivated to look back at my teaching letters for reassurance.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There is really no way to know how this was perceived by the audience, and there is nothing you can do about it - so I wouldn't worry about it.
However, I think there is a chance that some people could interpret this in one of the following ways:
1. You were not prepared well enough - either by not planning the talk for the correct amount of time or by going through it too fast.
2. You were not prepared well enough - since you did not bother to ask what is the common practice with respect to questions and/or were not able to adjust accordingly.
3. You did not have enough material to fill the expected time.
Personally, I never attended a job talk that was 15 minutes shorter than it is supposed to be.
In the future, I suggest you prepare better by practicing and designing the talk accordingly (e.g. have optional extra material). Also you should try to inquire about the expected length and whether people usually ask questions during the talk.
But again, it might be a non-issue in your specific case.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The time itself is not likely to be a problem ,although, for those with an ax to grind, it provides the grit. A job talk is to sell yourself, and we can't tell how well you did that. If you were prepared for questions, and none were forthcoming, that would have been a good time for fill material. Of course, from our perspective, you could have nailed it, and your audience left with big smiles on their faces. I have never applied for a post doc, but I imagine the problem would be to contain your 'pitch' to an hour. My advice is always rehearse, rehearse, rehearse (practice). That is not always possible, and you didn't ask for advice. If you made and answered your arguments well, you should be good.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: The time itself is not a big problem; there are more important questions.
* Was your speech fluent and logically ordered or chaotic?
* Was it easy to hear you speaking or it sounded like lullaby?
* Was your speech exciting or boring?
* Were your slides accurate, well designed and well ballanced or it was heap of text, full of blurry (or boxy) figures?
* Was your speech well supported or there were major flaws?
The only way the length of your speech can affect your chances is when the choice is reduced to you and someone with very same qualities except for the speech length.
**Tl;dr**
30 minutes of exciting talk is way better than 55 minutes of pure boredom or nonsense.
---
#8 Phase transition
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Xbj5f.jpg)
Boredom is condensig.
Upvotes: 3
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2016/10/25
| 656
| 3,044
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm currently in the job market for tenure-track applications in mathematics. I have seen that some of the positions ask for undergraduate or graduate transcripts (both unofficial and official).
I have an issue, especially with graduate transcripts: I obtained my Ph.D. in France, and I didn't had any coursework or anything, only my thesis. Thus there are no transcripts per se, only a certificate that I completed all the requirements. Would such a thing be enough for positions asking for transcripts?<issue_comment>username_1: Why don't you call the university to which you're applying and ask? It's not uncommon for schools to deal with students or applicants from other countries. If you're worried that this question might make you stand out then ask at a university you're not interested in.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: The request for transcripts makes sense for students from PhD programs in the US, since the PhD program typically includes a substantial amount of course work. In your case, all that you can provide is documentation that you completed the PhD. I've seen many applications like this. That should be sufficient to get your application to the search committee although the committee may be uncomfortable with your lack of graduate level courses.
For positions in which teaching is important, and the candidate will be expected to teach a variety of courses, it is reasonable for the search committee to look for evidence that a candidate has a broad enough background to teach a variety of courses as well as a willingness to do so.
You might be surprised by the breadth that is necessary. For example, although my PhD dissertation was in optimization, I've taught lower division courses in calculus, discrete mathematics for computer science, linear algebra, and differential equations, plus upper division and graduate level courses in linear and nonlinear programming, combinatorial optimization, numerical analysis, numerical linear algebra, mathematical modeling, vector calculus, probability and statistics, stochastic processes, time series analysis, and discrete event simulation. I acquired much of the background for this by taking courses in my PhD program and preparing for and taking preliminary exams in several areas of mathematics.
In my experience interviewing candidates for faculty positions, I've often been disappointed by candidates with non-US PhD's who were too narrow in their background and teaching interests.
Although you don't have a transcript of courses from your PhD, it would be in your interest to provide a transcript of courses that you took in your undergraduate and master's studies to provide some indication of your breadth. You should also make a point in your teaching statement of explaining what you would like to teach, what you could teach even if it isn't your favorite area, and what you wouldn't feel properly prepared to teach. This is also a question that is likely to come up during interviews.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]
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2016/10/25
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<issue_start>username_0: I am a mathematics professor, and recently I invited (using my own grant funding) a speaker to campus give a lecture on popular math. As I expected, he gave a wonderful talk that any undergraduate could have enjoyed.
I decided to try to publicize the event widely, and I failed in a big way. Our Director of Public Relations (whom my chair urged me to contact) and one of his subordinates were very helpful, and they gave me a large list of people (with their e-mail addresses) to further get in touch with.
But, then, I then e-mailed these people individually, and wrote messages tailored to their job positions, and ..... nothing. Nobody even wrote back. It was humiliating. Ultimately, these efforts were all useless; it was essentially only people in my department that got back to me or helped me publicize the event.
I have been stewing about how incompetent our administrators are, but I wonder if this is foolish on my part. Might I have gone about this in a different way? (Perhaps admins rely on the phone and don't check their e-mail?) Or perhaps I was naive or presumptuous to attempt this at all? I hate to admit this, but I have been wondering if I should bother in the future.<issue_comment>username_1: Not sure which of these things you already tried, but here goes (note you don't have to do all of these -- I'm just brainstorming here):
* create flyer (letter sized)
* create poster (not sure of exact dimensions -- I think it's about 11 x 17, somewhat glossy)
* ask the people on the list you were given to put up copies of your flyer (attached to your email)
* put flyers and posters up on bulletin boards and in elevators
* involve students in your publicity efforts
* get an article in your campus newspaper and your town or city newspaper, in advance of the event
* do direct outreach to target relevant sectors of the community
* liaise with relevant student organizations
* plan to serve refreshments, and mention them in your flyer and poster
* arrange a back-up larger venue in case your publicity efforts have too good an effect
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm not sure if this will be helpful to you, but I think there are generally several good (empirically tested) strategies for publicising events of wide interest.
**Mailing lists.** The administrative services at your university (whether at departmental or university-wide level) should have various mailing lists which split all available university email addresses into different partitions. So, using these mailing lists, you should be able, at least in theory, to send emails to, say, all undergraduate students, or all students taking particular courses, or all people from a certain department, etc.
There are also, depending on your field (definitely in mathematics), various public mailing lists, to which sometimes hundreds of people subscribe.
**Newsletters/digests.** Don't know how common these are, but both my department and my university send weekly digests of interesting events on campus, among which various talks, seminars, lectures, etc. Many people read them.
**Social media.** I don't really use social media, so I can't tell you much about how the publicising is done, but I know that people (especially younger people) do rely on it to get informed about different events. I believe Twitter is more widely used for such things, but I can't tell you for certain.
**Notice boards.** This may be a UK thing, but a lot (most?) of the events on campus are advertised on the notice boards in common rooms and areas throughout the campus.
**Web pages.** My department has a web page (on the intranet, so not available to the general public) which lists all upcoming events on campus which may be of interest to the people here. Universities also often have searchable lists (generally available to everyone) of upcoming events on campus, e.g. <http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/whatson/> .
**Lectures.** If you think the event may be of interest to your students, you may advertise it before/after lectures. Even put this information on Blackboard or whatever.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: What you did was an incredible thing to do and you shouldn't feel humiliated at all. What you did is what lacks in education these days and it's a shame you couldn't get the support needed. On the other hand, you probably held your hopes to high and thought it would grow faster than it normally does. I've taken part of a few independent iniciatives inside my school and what I noticed is that the best way to publicize your event is **through the people that attend to it.** If they like it, they'll absolutely tell other people and it will naturally grow. It might take some time, but that's just normal. For that, you need to **create a regular schedule** with the lectures, so people know when to find it without too much effort. Maybe you can turn it into a weekly round table with a lecturer every last week of the month to make it less expensive?
Another thing that might help you out is to **use your own students to back you up.** Create something that will instigate them to go to the lecture, hence raising the numbers of your audience. Maybe you could give and extra point for each student that attended.
Lastily, as nice as it seemed, I don't really think that Director of Public Relations was professional at all. I mean, he is the **Director of Public Relations**, he should be in charge of creating the announcements or at least answering you **the very same question** you are asking here. If I were you, I'd return to him with specific problems you need help with and inclusde him in the process. You do the math, he does the talking.
Upvotes: 2
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