date
stringlengths 10
10
| nb_tokens
int64 60
629k
| text_size
int64 234
1.02M
| content
stringlengths 234
1.02M
|
|---|---|---|---|
2017/02/01
| 1,274
| 5,361
|
<issue_start>username_0: I plan to finish my PhD in climate sciences in about one years time. I’m not yet exactly sure what I want to do afterward but I’m considering a position in academia. A professor at my institute recommended to me to start writing some people now, inquiring about possible positions (which is in line with [this answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/5301/how-long-before-phd-graduation-should-i-start-applying-for-post-doc-positions) I guess).
I have some groups in mind where I know the group leaders on something I’d call a “we recognize each other at conferences”-basis (i.e., they’ve probably read my publications and will probably remember who I am when I write them).
To be clear: I don’t want to apply for any specific position but rather want to find out if there might be a position available in one years time to which I can then apply. Another intention is to make them aware of the fact that I’m looking for a position, so that they might think of me if something comes up.
I recently did a application seminar and the recommendation there was to write a very formal mail (possibly with topic ideas already) and attach a short cv and possibly two main publications. That seems way over the top to me (although that may also be because in geosciences we tend to be more causal about those things than in other disciplines).
**When asking about possible PostDoc positions what would be a good grade of professionalism? How long should the mail be and what should be included? (merely asking if somebody knows something would only take a line or two)**<issue_comment>username_1: If you know them on a “we recognize each other at conferences”-basis, I would recommend bringing the topic up at a conference. That is, if you plan to go to any conferences during this last year.
From personal experience, I can tell you that this works very well. In my case, my entry to the conversation was the fact that one professor introduced an upcoming project during his talk. After the talk I asked him pretty straight forward, whether he still needed postdocs for that. I also told him from the start that I did not know whether I really want to stay in academia and that I will postpone my career decisions until after my thesis was done, so I can focus on that first.
Neither my informal approach, nor my insecurity about future plans seemed to have a negative impact, as he told me immediatley to apply for his group at any time, if I am interested. And he renembered the talk three months later, when I was done and applied in a formal way, including CV, and all the other stuff.
To sum up, I would recommend an informal first approach (in person if possible), and a formal application where you refer to the last meeting, once you are certain.
Edit in response to the comment: If you really intend to get the position, if they have one, I would suggest a rather informal test in the email, but attaching a formal application that contains your motivation, some bragging about why the professor should consider you for the job, and the other usual stuff ;)
If you are just scouting and are not sure whether you really will apply, even if there is an open position, I would keep it informal for now. You have still a year left for a concrete application afterwards. (For me, the time span between the actual application and starting the postdoc position was about two months. They would have taken me already after one month, but I needed time for moving.)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> When asking about possible PostDoc positions what would be a good grade of professionalism? How long should the mail be and what should be included? (merely asking if somebody knows something would only take a line or two)
>
>
>
Obviously you want this to be professional (e.g., *"Hey dude, I need a job"* isn't great in any case), but not necessarily very long or formal. Your milage on this will vary based on the discipline, geographical region, and the individuals involved. However, in STEM fields and assuming this is a professor in the US or Europe, I would opt for an extremely short and informal mail to establish first contact.
*Dear Prof. Farnsworth / (or: Dear Rupert, if you are on first-name basis)*
*as you may know, I plan to graduate in summer and am currently evaluating postdocs options. Given our joint interest in FTL travel, I was wondering whether there could be any openings in your lab that would fit my time line. Alternatively, are you aware of any postdoc stipends or grants that we could jointly apply for?*
*Thanks a lot in advance,*
*username_2*
In my experience, such a super-informal mail has the highest chance of actually being read and is entirely sufficient to get the discussion going. Let the prof. decide what documents, if any, he actually wants to see before progressing (letters, CV, just a link to your Scholar page, etc...).
**Important disclaimer: this really only works because the OP has stated that he assumes the potential postdoc advisor will recognize him when he receives the mail. If you have never met the person, or suspect that he won't be able to match your name to your face, add *at least* a link to your website. If you don't have a website, build one before doing anything else related to your job search.**
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/01
| 673
| 2,782
|
<issue_start>username_0: When giving a talk, if something is past ~1990, there's only the journal publication year to give to the audience. When something has only an arxiv year, then that's clearly the appropriate year. However, sometimes things take a long time to get published (refereeing and/or backlogs) and end up making things become anachronistic. One can now have a result that was posted in 2014, then published in 2016, while another paper is posted and published in 2015 that generalizes the paper in 2014.
How do you give coherent and consistent choice of dates in a talk that are clear to the audience? Is there a guideline of which year to cite?
(I'm in mathematics if that is relevant.)<issue_comment>username_1: I think you are trying to do two different things in one:
1. **Give references:** This should help others to find relevant literature and in fact, during talks one often uses just "Author Name(s), Year" to do so since this information often allows to track down the reference (at least in mathematics where people do not publish too many papers per year). If you want to do this, you should show the year of publication (you could also explicitly refer to the preprint version, but would need additional space…).
2. **Give historical background:** You may want to give the audience a feel for how things developed. My two cents here: I usually do not enjoy the talks that do this very much - I go to talks to learn new mathematics and "historical background" or anecdotes distract me (and also it seems hard to deliver them good). One exception is plenaries of people who are in the business for decades and really have something interesting to say. Back to the point: If you want to give historical background you may need more space and should say "The result, obtained between 2013 and 2015 by A and published in three papers in 2015 and 2016…"
As a consequence, I think that this is a case in which consistency and clearness are not the same thing…
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The convention I've seen, universally (at least in math), is to site the arxiv year until a paper is published, and the year of publication once published. When this is genuinely confusing, usually because publication dates are inconsistent with the intellectual history, people point out when a paper was first available (often in words rather than on slides), but still cite the publication date.
(Anecdotally, due to the vagaries of the refereeing process, a paper of mine was published the year after someone else's paper that built on our definitions and generalized our results. I've seen several talks where describe how Y (2009) extends X (2010), which always looks strange, but everyone in the audience can figure out what happened.)
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/01
| 2,961
| 13,008
|
<issue_start>username_0: As an example ETH Zurich, which is arguably one of the best universities in Europe, [still educates Bachelor's students in German](https://www.ethz.ch/en/studies/prospective-bachelors-degree-students.html):
>
> Please note: the Bachelor’s degree programmes begin in German. In the second and third years of the programmes, some of the courses may take place in English.
>
>
>
This doesn't make sense to me as it's obvious that the vast majority of technical literature and textbooks are published in English. And pretty much every major scientific journal only accepts works in the English language. This also decreases the amount of competition between the applicants as German speakers hold an advantage over others (not to say native English speakers don't hold the same advantage back at home, but English is by far more common).
So why didn't every single major university switch to English already?
**EDIT**: I am mainly referring to programs in the STEM field, such as engineering<issue_comment>username_1: This is quite a discussion currently in the Netherlands, where many -if not most- of the bachelor and master studies switched to English. However, a disadvantage of following education in your non-native language, is that it's harder to understand all subtleties. Another aspect is that in many fields (medicine, psychology) communication skills are also important, and it's weird to practise those skills in another language (one you're probably hardly going to use in the job).
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: Two important factors are
**Convenience**. The materials used for teaching are usually not scientific literature, but custom course material prepared by the lecturers. Usually, the academics at the respective university have a lot of such material available in their home language. Translating everything to English is a resource-intensive task without an immediate reward. Tasks of this kind usually have a low rank on the priority list, since academics are very busy people.
**Lack of incentives for change**. The fact that ETH is one of the best universities in Europe, without giving their courses in English, means that they obviously can get away with it.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: ETH and all other universities in Switzerland are funded by the government and offer college education for minimal tuition. While foreign students are welcome to attend, the primary purpose (at least at the undergraduate level) is to provide education to the locals. Nonetheless, that doesn't seem to be a limiting factor, especially at the graduate/research level since [ETH has been recently ranked one of the most international institutions by Times Higher Education](https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/worlds-most-international-universities-2017#).
There is a wealth of excellent textbooks in German, and many fields still have original research published in German.
Also, the majority of students don't pursue academic or research careers and thus might very well spend their entire career speaking almost only German.
Plus there are practical considerations too: asking non-natively English speakers to teach in English is most certainly going to decrease the average teaching quality. Now if it's to give lectures to a class that is almost entirely German speaking, it borderlines the absurd.
The question seems to be more: why would some universities switch their teaching language to English?
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_4: There are pros and cons for using a native language. The reason why not English is that there is more cons than pros.
They simply do not care enough (cons>pros) about you and your problems with their native language, to change the way the things are. If the university is not commercially making profit off foreigners, it could be that they do not even want you there. You can find many good pros in the answers, but here is probably the greatest pro:
* **People think the best in their native language**
Bachelors are still learning to think, so it makes it natural to teach them by the language of their thinking. They often study old stuff that has been translated a long ago to their native language. In industry they might still use that same language, because their internal things will never be communicated with foreigners. Writing stuff in English is considered extra effort, and without a reason it will not be done.
Fun BTW: In a non-German nation we use German teaching material because it is sometimes superior.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: 1. While original research is dominated by English, good textbooks are available in most languages. Needless to say, having **learning material in your native language** helps a lot, even if you master English.
2. The level of English required to read technical literature is much lower than the level required to express yourself freely and **understand fast-paced speech**. Having all courses in English would eliminate students which are good at their discipline but mediocre in foreign languages.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_6: There are some excellent answers out there, but let's add this:
Not all undergraduate programs lead to graduate studies. In fact, most undergraduates go on to work. We can speculate that the work environment will be in the language of the country. Actually, there's even a place where this is the law. In Québec (Canada), most companies are required to have French as the working language.
Also, how are we to keep the connection between public and science if scientists cannot explain their work in the language of the public?
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_7: Here are some arguments based on my experience why teaching in English-only could be detrimental for students, especially at bachelor level.
Quite often, it's not only the language that's used, but also the culture from which the language is coming and the point of view of such culture. This sometimes leads to the not-invented-here mentality. For example, many English-language books talk about Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem, completely ignoring people who actually published first. Such actions could lead students to develop a skewed world-view which could have detrimental results in the long run. This might also be very touchy issue if the local society has had significant number of researchers who are unknown in English-speaking circles.
Furthermore, English language is not suitable to discuss some topics. A good example would be word "ground" and electrical engineering. There are countless threads on EE.SE due to the confusion this word causes. After a while, engineer will learn to pick up enough context to figure out which ground is being discussed, but this can still be a bit problematic. In my language, on the other hand, there is no such confusion, because we have a separate word for each "aspect" of English ground, completely avoiding the "ground" confusion and the huge amount of energy needed to solve it.
Another example would be AC and DC. In my language, we have a word for unidirectional current, another for current whose direction changes. Then, we have another set of terms for constant current, for current which has one dominant frequency and another set of terms for more complicated waveforms.
Yet another reason could be backwards compatibility, especially for languages which have highly developed technical vocabulary. It's quite likely that a new engineer would need to interact with a bit older co-workers and not knowing their technical cant can make things needlessly complicated, especially when there are no direct translations between English concepts and local concepts. In cases where old technical documentation written by dead authors needs to be read, issues are even greater.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_8: Building on some previous answers, e.g. username_7:
When you learn something in your dominant language, it is more likely you will *own* it, i.e. make it your own.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_9: On the long term, using only English at universities will make it a lot more difficult to be able to communicate about the subject in the native language to lay people or to high school students. The native language will not have developed its own words to denote key concepts as the subject matter evolves over the years. So, a few decades down the line, you would have to explain things in English or using awkward half English sentences, making a technical subject even harder to understand.
Journalist won't bother to write about new developments for native language news reports, and it won't be on the high school curriculum. Beginning students will have less knowledge about the subject matter compared to students in English speaking nations. This effect already exists to some degree, we should not make it worse than it already is.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_10: A lot of great answers, wanted to add culture as a reason by an example of a very extreme example of native speakers / English speakers.
Icelandic is spoken by around 350.000 people and also has perhaps the greatest English proficiency as non-native speakers in the world (Denmark is best according to English Proficiency Index but to me Icelanders would be higher if they were a part of the index).
Icelandic universities teach Computer Science in Icelandic. Very common English computer terminology has Icelandic equivalents fx. `to save` = `að vista` created by a committee but regular usage often involves slang fx. `to save` = `að seiva`. A few Icelandic words have been welcomed by the public.
Even though common usage goes to phrases the industry likes to provide Icelandic oriented software. Coding is primarily done in English but User Interfaces are often provided in Icelandic. One can often see a discussion in Icelandic Programmers Facebook Groups about what people consider a good translation. These are some of the most active conversations.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_11: I studied engineering in France (I'm French by the way) and the vast majority of the students in my university found jobs in France... Where people mostly speak French.
So mastering your subject in your native language is not only more practical, as already said in other answers, it's also often necessary.
Of course, mastering English is required when you do science or engineering, but it doesn't have to be the only language you know.
It's not a question of lack of openness or fear of change, I consider it's enriching being able to speak and think in several languages.
Most native English speakers only know English and I believe it's a limitation, not an asset.
Dutch speak at least two languages, Swiss could speak even more (French, German and Italian are the three spoken languages in Switzerland).
Science is also about meeting and exchanging with people from many places, speaking more languages helps interactions with the rest of the scientific community.
In my workplace, most people speak French and English. Those who speak more languages have less difficulties to adapt to new contexts.
If all renown universities would only teach in English, I think it would also create a uniform way of thinking, and science is also about thinking differently than others.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_12: I am currently doing my Masters at ETH, and my answer will cover why the ETH Bachelors is in German and will hopefully apply to other universities as well.
ETH is not very selective in selecting swiss students for its Bachelors degrees. In fact, since it is a federally funded Institution, it is obliged to admit any Swiss student who has passed (cf. Admission and Education section of <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETH_Zurich>). They have an extremely hard exam at the end of the first year which students have to pass to continue with their studies. Usually, 50% of the students taking this exam fail and eventually drop out of ETH.
So, you are looking at a majority swiss (mostly from the german part of Switzerland) classroom. It only makes sense to have the medium of instruction as the one which most of the class is familiar with. In fact, EPFL, in the French part of Switzerland has most of its Bachelors courses in French (<http://langues.epfl.ch/languages-requirements>).
Since the Bachelors programmes at these universities are aimed at improving the education standards of the populace and to have a skilled work-force, they are in the local languages.
When it comes to Masters courses, which are geared towards research and have an international classroom, the language of instruction is almost exclusively English.
PS. There are plenty of high-quality technical books in German. Widely used books like CLRS are translated to German and they have their own books such as the ones from Duden (<http://www.duden.de/>) which parallel the quality of their English counterparts.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/01
| 305
| 1,349
|
<issue_start>username_0: Some years ago, I published some papers that I'm not particularly proud of. They aren't in prestigious or widely known venues in my field, and I'm sure that few if any people in my field have seen these papers. When I apply for a job, am I permitted to omit these publications from my CV? Or am I, for some reason, obligated to list all prior publications?<issue_comment>username_1: During a CV coaching I once was told that your CV should not contain publications at all. After some protesting, they allowed me to keep the three most important / the free most relevant ones (with respect to the target company/university) in the CV, and maybe add a link to a webpage with the full list.
The coaching was mainly oriented at industrial jobs, but I guess having a selection in the CV and adding a link to the full list is also a good strategy for academic jobs. That way you can keep those unwanted publications somehow seperated from your CV.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: If the CV is for job applications, you can certainly omit publications. If you omit a lot of publications, you might want to title your publication list "Selected Publications".
If the CV is for a grant application or a promotion, there may be more specific rules about what can and cannot be included, so you should check those.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/02
| 567
| 2,356
|
<issue_start>username_0: Similar questions ([privacy/ethical point of view](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/30682/under-what-circumstances-would-a-professor-be-offended-at-students-taping-or-rec),[generic legal point of view](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/56126/is-it-okay-to-record-audio-for-a-lecture)) have been asked before but I am looking an answer from a legal standpoint specific to the state of New York.
I am a Masters Student and one of those who find it very difficult to concentrate in the class. During my last semester, I started using recorded(by the University) lectures for exam preparation and found this way to be way more effective (in terms of marks obtained in exams) and time efficient as compared to actually attending the lecture. During this semester, I am enrolled in a subject where lectures are not recorded. I specifically want to do well in this subject and therefore want to have audio recordings of the lecture. But I am afraid that if I seek the Professor's permission, my gut feeling says that I might not get it(I don't want to dot down my reasons here as I want the discussion to be focused) and of course lose my chance to record lectures in the future. This is a public university in the State of New York.
Can anyone tell me if I were to record his lecture without seeking his permission, will I be breaking the law?<issue_comment>username_1: During a CV coaching I once was told that your CV should not contain publications at all. After some protesting, they allowed me to keep the three most important / the free most relevant ones (with respect to the target company/university) in the CV, and maybe add a link to a webpage with the full list.
The coaching was mainly oriented at industrial jobs, but I guess having a selection in the CV and adding a link to the full list is also a good strategy for academic jobs. That way you can keep those unwanted publications somehow seperated from your CV.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: If the CV is for job applications, you can certainly omit publications. If you omit a lot of publications, you might want to title your publication list "Selected Publications".
If the CV is for a grant application or a promotion, there may be more specific rules about what can and cannot be included, so you should check those.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/02
| 2,243
| 9,387
|
<issue_start>username_0: I have to decide whether I'm staying/leaving my lab soon, but would need a few changes on my PI's part to erase my doubts about whether it's a good idea to stay. Lets assume for all intents and purposes that my advisor really wants me to stay:
1. I need continuous advising. My advisor tends to have really busy streaks where she will basically lock herself in her office for weeks when overwhelmed (grants/papers etc). Although we still see her every day, it's just in passing, and she's mostly unaccessible. This has been at times detrimental to my project, which is also very exploratory. This is the most important thing for me, but I cannot think of a good way to "demand" it. Only good thing is that she makes it clear that she's also learning, and has asked for suggestions for how to improve.
2. I need constructive feedback. For better or worse, my advisor has taken to only praise me and give positive feedback. I'm here to learn though, and this is not helpful. I would like to ask her to teach and mentor me.
I also want to make it clear how important these are to me. If I stay and they are not met, I know I will end up dropping out instead of wasting my time, but that's definitely better unsaid. So I have two questions: 1) do you think I should even have a conversation with her, and would you be offended if you students discussed "expectations" with you (I won't phrase it that way obviously. 2) Any advice on how to have this conversation effectively and politely?
Additional detail: I've never brought up any of this, and have just "sucked it up" with a smile. I can't continue doing that though, as it will be wasting years of my time.<issue_comment>username_1: I think you should absolutely have a conversation with your PI. I also think that you can discuss your needs in a mature, polite, and straightforward way such that there is no ultimatum and no negative feelings.
* Step 1. Email your PI requesting a meeting for this discussion specifically. "Hello PI, As you know, I have to make a decision about transitioning into the PhD program by March X. I was wondering if you could meet with me to discuss this. Thanks, Azzzzzz." This will eliminate the surprise element regarding your conversation with her about these non research related things. That is, if you unexpectedly brought this all up during a regular meeting, it could catch her off guard and lead to a less than positive outcome.
* Step 2. Be open and honest with your PI. But do so in a way that leaves room for your PI to be the mentor. That is, your post has several hints of arrogance and also suggests that you are really worried about there being a potential for confrontation. That is not the right mindset. You need to focus on what you *both* want. Your PI is a mentor, and as such wants the best for you, but you have to actually allow her to mentor you. The tone of your conversation should not be: "I need this and this," but instead, "I'm concerned about my growth in this program and so I want to get your insight about these things..." Be open and honest *and humble*. Keep in mind that you are on the same team.
* Re: continuous guidance. Ask your PI to schedule weekly or maybe 2x weekly meetings with you. This way you have a dedicated timeslot with her regardless of how busy she is. Again, do not present this like, "I want weekly meetings," but rather, "one thing that would really help me is if we could dedicate a time for weekly meetings."
* Re: constructive feedback. I once worked with an amazing PI who would often withhold feedback. But a trick I learned is that if I asked them, "Would you do it like this?" or "What do you think can be improved on XX?" Once I specifically asked, they gave it to me! I appreciated that I had some independence to make my own mistakes and learn from them, but at the same time, whenever I needed a little more guidance I just had to explicitly ask for it.
* Re: constructive feedback (part 2). In addition to using the above method in a more day-to-day kind of way, you could also just tell your PI that you want more constructive feedback. Your PI sounds pretty open to suggestion. It's entirely possible she doesn't know that you feel like you aren't getting enough. Have this meta conversation with her. Again, frame it in a way that does not point fingers at her for not providing it, but instead in a way that humbly asks for more of her input so that you can grow.
This really shouldn't be just the one conversation. You should use this initial discussion as a starting off point where you can be more open and honest about what your needs are and what expectations your PI has. When something comes up address it sooner than later, don't suck it all up with a smile--no one benefits from that.
A final thought is that if you are harboring thoughts related to pay and job offers while in a PhD program, it's possible that pursuing a PhD is not the right fit for you. Even more generally, thinking about "what could be" or "what if" seems unhelpful at best and detrimental at worst. Still, having these thoughts might be a hint about what is the best decision for you.
I hope this helps. Best of luck.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: 1) Unfortunately, this is the same situation that happens with many the professors, and probably most of the high-ranking ones. Professors/researchers are expected to write grant proposals, sit on committees, etc. In my opinion as a professor, this is the single most annoying and wasteful aspect of working as university professor/researcher. I too did not get into my field to push papers, and I feel my time and talents are wasted by doing clerical work (grant proposals are sometimes 10% of innovative work which needs me, and 90% of the stuff that could be done by (talented!) clerical staff, but often we are expected to do all the work.
**So the answer is:** all the good supervisors will have the same problem, so the best option is to ask your supervisor to assign some of her junior colleagues (postdoc or senior PhD student) for day-to-day supervision tasks. Of course, you will have to return the favor to this person by including him/her as a coauthor of your papers, because his work will be in them as well.
2) This is personality issue. I don't think there is way to change that (I assume you are not her first PhD student). But this can be addressed by you - when you discuss your work with your supervisor, alert her to possible problems and **explicitly ask her** whether she thinks something should be changed, adapted, given less or more prominence, etc. She will have to think and answer when directly challenged.
There is also a small probability that she does not care, in that case she is a very bad choice for a supervisor, so run away.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: I don't know whether you should stay or go somewhere else. However, as you are weighing your options, it might be helpful to explore where the "somewhere else" might be.
To improve your working relationship with your current advisor:
* Ask not what your advisor can do for you, but what you can do for your advisor. For example, can you help with putting references into some bibliography software for her? Format an illustration for a paper or grant proposal? Proofread something before it's submitted? Update a web page?
* Consider using email more often. When your advisor is holed up cranking something out under a deadline, she may have an easier time turning to an email from you for 5-10 minutes than interfacing with you in person.
* Learn to streamline your writing. Be succinct. As long as you are not arrogant, there is nothing wrong with skipping the niceties in an email.
* Write up what you have done each week, or every other week, and email these reports to her.
* Learn to knock on her door to ask if she can spare you five minutes, without taking offense if she says no or gets flustered. I don't mean you should be a pest -- but you could try again two or three days after one unsuccessful attempt.
* Spread the mutual constructive feedback out: request and provide feedback more often, instead of trying to pack it all into one annual encounter.
* Express your needs as "I-messages," for example, "When I go three or four weeks without checking in with you, I tend to get stuck, and it's frustrating for me."
* Learn to tolerate more uncertainty. If you are doing original research, and if *you* are the one doing the original research, you can't expect her to constantly guide you. If she did, then who would be doing the original research? She would!
* Ditch the smile (unless there is something genuinely charming or funny that you are reacting to). Your studies are serious business. You are not in your program to demonstrate that you are a nice person.
* Balance out the exploratory work with some work that is not so exploratory. If you have several irons on the fire, then when you get stuck on the exploratory thing, or if your advisor is on the dark side of the moon for a while, you can turn to another project and make some progress there.
* As previously mentioned by someone else, develop a relationship with another mentor, so that you are not so dependent on just one person. In the same vein, develop collaborative relationships with people at your level. (Some of these may be remote collaborations.)
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/02
| 1,011
| 4,106
|
<issue_start>username_0: How often do math professors / math PhDs / postdocs, whose research directions are in abstract algebra and number theory, get hired by the NSA to do some work - either on a short-term contract or longer-term / full-time work? Or is the NSA highly selective and just because one has a PhD in Algebra and / or Number Theory does not mean that one can just "sign up" to work for the NSA, like signing up to join the military but with math skill sets to contribute.
I've read about some high-profile mathematicians who have done some contractual work for the NSA, while keeping their professorships, so my question is mainly on whether this also happens for lesser-known PhDs / profs / postdocs. I asked my own prof this question and he said that the NSA is highly selective - something that he is not sure he could even get, if he applied. Yet, another (more senior in rank) professor that I spoke with says the NSA is one of the largest employers of algebraists and number theorists. So I seem to have two conflicting ideas.<issue_comment>username_1: Being the "largest employer" is easy, because the vast majority of industry has no need for algebraists (or, at least, they think they have no need). NSA might be a larger employer of pure mathematicians than any individual university, but I'd guess that academia as a whole is much larger than NSA. Everything NSA does is shrouded in secrecy, so I'd be very surprised if you could get much reliable information about what kinds of people they hire, or even how many. Speculations are plentiful, though.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> I asked my own prof this question and he said that the NSA is highly selective - something that he is not sure he could even get, if he applied. Yet, another (more senior in rank) professor that I spoke with says the NSA is one of the largest employers of algebraists and number theorists. So I seem to have two conflicting ideas.
>
>
>
Note that these don't necessarily conflict: there aren't many large-scale employers of algebraists and number theorists, so they don't need to have low standards to be the largest.
I have no direct experience with NSA hiring or any classified work, but I'll give an answer since I doubt any NSA employees will volunteer first-hand accounts on this site. My answer is just based on my observations of people who have applied to or been hired by NSA or contractors.
My impression is that full-time hiring at NSA is fairly selective, but not extraordinarily so. You have to be a good mathematician, but it doesn't look nearly as difficult as, say, getting a tenure-track job in a top ten department. You don't have to be particularly well-known in the mathematics community, but you'll need to beat out other good applicants for the job.
It's hard to make precise comparisons between NSA and academic hiring, because of a lack of information. When a young mathematician is hired by NSA, the outside world typically never finds out how successful they became. If a promising student is hired, we don't find out whether their promise was fulfilled; if a seemingly less promising student is hired, we never learn whether NSA identified real talents that weren't obvious in academia. The net result is that I don't believe anyone without a security clearance can do more than roughly approximate how selective NSA is.
There's also a fair amount of part-time and full-time consulting done through private companies. Some of these organizations are extremely selective, so you should not assume this is an easier way to do classified work. (In particular, my impression is that the companies that hire mathematicians are among the most selective.)
>
> Or is the NSA highly selective and just because one has a PhD in Algebra and / or Number Theory does not mean that one can just "sign up" to work for the NSA, like signing up to join the military but with math skill sets to contribute.
>
>
>
Definitely not, it's not remotely like that. Just having a Ph.D. in a relevant field in no way ensures you'll be hired.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/02
| 1,320
| 5,607
|
<issue_start>username_0: I'm senior year undergraduate, and I have to say I love to teach. I have assumed the role of a TA for multiple courses uptil now, including courses in economics, physics and mathematics. I have had the fortune of leading tutorial sessions for almost all the courses I have TA-ed thus far.
I have the following concern:
>
> I feel as if that students are reluctant to express their concerns to me. I try and keep things as formal as possible. This is not to say that I peg the students down to their chairs (after all, they're my peers!); rather, I try and conduct everything as formally as possible. Prior to every session, I send timely, formally phrased emails reminding the class of the schedule of the sessions; I'll typeset the tutorials on LaTeX and distribute copies in the session. I feel as if the students are at times intimidated of the lengths I'll go to make the experience of attending the sessions both worhwhile and learning intensive. Hence, I feel as if they're at times reluctant to express their concerns (about the pace of the sessions, about my ability to explain a particular concept etc.), even though I repeatedly ask them to let me know if the pace is too fast for them etc.
>
>
>
What can I do to encourage/facilitate more communication between an undergraduate TA and a class of undergraduate students? I'd like the students to be ideally express their concerns to me as if I'm a mentor or a helper, rather than a TA who'll probably downgrade them on the next assignment in case they bad mouth me to my face, for instance (I don't know if this is a valid concern among students in general, but let's consider this hypothetical for one).<issue_comment>username_1: You have too romantic idea about how it should work, I think. We have anonymous surveys (possibly *give some scores for the exam* for participation) and keep feedback sessions where couple of students go to (*free*) coffee/lunch with a professor. I do not know about your processes to help more.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: **Tl;dr: Keep it specific, personal and short.**
**One way** to get feedback, that I found useful is the following:
e.g. as you said, they might think, that you are going too fast.
First, find a very specific set of questions on three levels, like "Who would like to see more examples?, Who sees enough examples?, Who would be happy with less examples?"
And then at the end of the lesson you say: "Before we finish I quickly need some feedback. Please raise your hand, if you think I show too few, enough or too many examples?" Then you ask the above questions and count the number of hands.
If you are still concerned, that their answers might be influenced by the presence of their peers ("I don't want to look dumb/like I need more examples"), make an "anonymous survey", where they all rest their head on their table, close their eyes and then you ask the questions. They'll look at you confused, the first time you ask them to do it, but they get used to it quickly.
Another example: If you feel like the way you explained a concept was unhelpful, you may ask "Who made a step forward with that explanation?" or "Who just got confused?".
**Another option**
Ask a student in person directly after class / or before class about the last lesson, if your class is preparation to solve an exercise sheet. Ask them when their peers are around them, e.g. while packing their things. Again, I suggest asking a very specific question, like "I showed you this example, was that any good?", this might also give you an opportunity to ask a follow-up question and with this I made the experience, that often the peers offer their opinion. You may do the same about your LaTeX notes, something along the line of "Is that any good to you?".
I'm aware that this kind of feedback does not give you an overview of the general opinion, but at least it gives you something to think about and improve.
For a more **general feedback**, at the end of the semester I handed my students a small slip of paper (so that they don't feel the need to write a ton of things) with two categories: "That's what I liked best:" and "That could be improved:".
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Here are some things you can try:
* create a simple blog with a post for each session or each topic. Allow moderated anonymous comments where students can post questions or feedback.
* create a simple webform questionnaire and email it to your students.
* distribute a simple paper questionnaire during class.
* ask a friend or colleague to sit in and observe, to give you feedback, and to share his or her impressions of the students' level of engagement.
* after demonstrating how to solve a certain kind of problem, ask your students to work similar problems on the blackboard. For this to work, you need lots of blackboard space, so everyone can go to the board at the same time.
* form small groups and assign a problem to each group. Have them push their desks around so they can collaborate more comfortably. If you want to read more about this -- I think it's called cooperative learning.
* ask them to email you to let you know which problems and which topics they want help with.
* get to know your students better. You can start by asking them to write down three things that help define them as an individual, as well as their academic interests. Review these from time to time throughout the semester. If anyone asks, reassure him or her that this assignment is optional. (Take 5 minutes from class one day for this activity.)
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/02
| 616
| 2,587
|
<issue_start>username_0: The question in the title is motivated by recent comments on other questions on this site that were surprising to me. Is there a precisely defined and widely accepted standard for CVs that would mean omitting one or more publications in a CV is dishonest?
Please base your answer on one or more references and not merely personal opinion.
Note that this question is about honesty, not about whether it is a good idea to omit publications.<issue_comment>username_1: Since there are no rules on how a CV should look like it will be hard to find references. There are also different preferences from different people, so you cannot avoid "opinion based" answers here.
In my opinion it doesn't look good if you just leave out a publication and make it look like those are all of your publications.
However, it is very unusual to include all publications in a CV once the number gets bigger. How many to include is up to you, most of the time I've seen around 10. To make clear that those aren't all of your publication there's usually the phrase "selected publications" and in that case you want to include the "best" or most relevant publications or a very representative sample of the things you did. So the important part is to actually tell the reader that it is only a part of the full publication record, but if you do so it is definitely no problem.
[The guidelines from columbia university say](https://www.careereducation.columbia.edu/resources/tipsheets/resumes-and-cvs-converting-your-cv-resume):
>
> Publications - These can also be listed on a separate page, or you may include a distinct section called “Selected Publications.”
>
>
>
This is also true for awards, fellowships and things like that. Once the list get's very long you might only list the most prestigious ones.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: "Dishonest" may be a bit too harsh for me, but it is definitely a case of "not the whole truth".
Considering that one often sees "Selected Publications" (e.g. short bios in leaflets or short CVs in grant proposals), I would always assume that "Publications" is the headline of a non-selective and complete list of publications.
My conclusion is, that omitting some publications in the list but not using "*Selected* Publications" may make it seem that there may be "a skeleton in the closet". On the other hand, one may argue that "Publications" means "Scientific Publications" and that certain papers, accidentally published by disreputable publishers, are not really scientific, so one may skip these in the list…
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/02
| 309
| 1,137
|
<issue_start>username_0: I want to say got it, but it seems not appropriate.
Can I just reply like, well noted with thanks or well received?
How to reply emails like this?
thanks in advance
EDIT----------------------------------
I work as the TA for the professor. So the usual cases are:
1. he gives me an assignment and I want to reply 'I will do it right away'.
2. I ask him some questions about the assignment and he replies something. And I want to express 'yes, got it!'<issue_comment>username_1: I have found (through trial and error) that a simple "My sincere thanks" can work wonders.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> He gives me an assignment and I want to reply 'I will do it right away'.
>
>
>
Then reply: "I will do it right away".
But if you're going to do it right away, you can probably wait replying until you have finished the assignment, if a reply in that case is expected.
>
> I ask him some questions about the assignment and he replies something. And I want to express 'yes, got it!'
>
>
>
Then reply: "Got it, thanks."
To sum up: as many students, you're overthinking all this.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/02
| 3,863
| 16,429
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am a master’s student in a public university in the state of New York. I do not consider myself to be disabled in any form but I do find it difficult to concentrate in class. I lose focus too often and have difficulty recalling concepts taught during class. So I find resources such as recorded lectures to be very quite beneficial as whenever I lose focus while watching them, I can simply rewind back.
I am currently enrolled in a course where lectures are not recorded. I like this subject and I want to do well. So I want to ask the Professor permission to audio-record his lecture (by just keeping my phone on my desk and not using any distracting piece of equipment). I don't know the professor well but he definitely isn't one of those overtly friendly ones who (you'd think) will surely give you permission.
What I want to know is if he were to deny me, what could be his reasons?
I think I have just one shot at this. So I want to go there prepared.
A vaguely [similar](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/30682/under-what-circumstances-would-a-professor-be-offended-at-students-taping-or-rec) (but not the same) question has been asked before.
---
Update: I asked the Professor if I could record and he simply smiled and said yes.<issue_comment>username_1: At my university they are recorded, automatically and all students are given access, thus students aren't allowed to record anything.
This being said staff can opt out of recordings. I'd be clear with them the purpose of the recording and how it's to be used. If they feel happy then I'm sure they'll consent.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: This is a subjective question, but common reasons I have heard (and reasons I would have) include:
* Fear of students editing records to manipulate what you said
* Fear of having a mistake you made taken out of context and spread widely
* Concern that it encourages students to not pay as close of attention
* Concern that students will not feel they need to attend class if they have acceess to the lecture outside of class.
* Concern that students in the class will not feel as comfortable asking questions or contributing to discussion, since they are also being recorded
* Institutional concern about a course's lectures being widely distributed online, when in fact these lectures are for (paying) enrolled students--a type of "intellectual property" concern
Edit: Also, you might want to be aware when bringing up problems getting easily distracted in the class, a professor could take that somewhat personally. Many committed teachers go out of their way to try to make their class as interesting and engaging as possible. If a student asked to record lectures because they are getting distracted or zoning out during class, one may not hear: "I am trying to do this to improve my learning;" but rather: "I am trying to compensate for your short-comings as a teacher". Not all instructors will feel this way, but that's just something to keep in mind as you broach that conversation.
Edit2: There's a lot of discussion in comments that my last comment about socially navigating the question: it is very true that many teachers may not care. However, trying to frame the request more explicitly as "this is a thing I am doing to improve my learning" could be beneficial in making your instructor agree.
Upvotes: 8 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: One more to username_2's list: **privacy of other students**. Enrollment and participation in a class is FERPA-protected in the United States.
Students may share comments or information that they do not want shared outside the classroom.
For example, a religious student may share doubts about their faith or LGBT status. A student may not want others to know that they are taking a class but their voices or faces may appear on the tape or video. An engineering student may ask a really stupid question or give a totally wrong response that they do not wish transmitted to the outside world and future employers. etc. etc.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_4: I understand that you want us to play devil's advocate to help you think ahead and prepare for the conversation. Good thinking -- it's good to do your research ahead of time.
I would like to play devil's advocate at a more fundamental level, though.
>
> I do not consider myself to be disabled in any form but I do find it difficult to concentrate in class. I lose focus too often and have difficulty recalling concepts taught during class.
>
>
>
Perhaps you have already had a good evaluation to find out why you lose focus often and have difficulty recalling concepts taught in class. But if you haven't yet, then I would encourage you to do so. Your question did raise a red flag for me, and made me wonder what might be behind your difficulties with focus.
If the evaluation were to find some clear reason, that could be documented to the satisfaction of your university's office for students with disabilities, you wouldn't have to struggle all on your own to get accommodations you need.
And now back to your immediate concern. I would guess that common underlying reasons for refusing would be self-consciousness and fear of the unknown, if the instructor had never had the experience of being taped while teaching.
If this is the case, it might be helpful to try it out in office hours, with permission. Another benefit of visiting office hours would be that the instructor would get to know you better, would see that you're working hard and doing your part, and would find you more trustworthy.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: I'm really surprised that nobody has mentioned accessibility yet.
During my time at university, I struggled heavily with 'dyslexia', most notably the inability to write and listen at the same time due to the level of concentration I needed to write coherently.
I was given a voice recorder, and access to software so that I could record lectures, and simply make notes on the timings or certain explanations/sub-categories.
There's also the point to consider that you have paid (in my mind) probably an extortionate amount of money for these lectures.
TL;DR - you should always be allowed to record a lecture for your own personal use, as otherwise would discriminate against those with learning difficulties. However you have no right to upload it to anywhere or share it with anyone else.
EDIT: I realise this doesn't answer the question at all, but rather I answer a different unasked question. Oops, this is my first posting sorry!
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_6: Answering this in a slightly different way: I'd like to point out, that because you are in the state of New York (where wire-tapping requires only 1-party consent), and you are a participant in the lecture, you have no reason to ask the professor for permission to 'wiretap' the lecture.
<http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/new-york-recording-law>
<http://blogs.findlaw.com/law_and_life/2015/09/is-it-legal-to-record-your-teachers-or-professors.html>
I doubt there is any specific rule (for SUNY schools) forbidding you from recording the lecture you are attending.
As long as you are just using the recording for your own purposes, I would advise against asking for permission for something you already have the right to do.
As the idiom goes, better to beg forgiveness, than ask permission. Let's put it this way: you are ENCOURAGED to take notes in a lecture. A recording is simply automated and efficient note taking.
Edit:
FERPA exists to protect students from the school or university, not the other way around. For example, it doesn't cover recordings of the professor lecturing, only questions asked by your fellow students.
<https://nces.ed.gov/pubs97/web/97859.asp>
Edit:
I see you commented earlier that you feel compelled to get permission. I would suggest that it would be better to talk this through with your academic adviser, than the professor. They should be able to talk through any specific university policy on it.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_7: TL;DR: Use books to learn.
Is that a course about some obscure topic? Is a book (or books) available with information about that course?
If a written material (book or lecture notes) for learning is not available
===========================================================================
Ask your professor how could you study the subject on your own if you don't understand dully some of the topics. Tell that you have troubles taking notes of everything and that you are afraid of missing something or making mistakes in notes while you misendurstand the topic.
If the professor tells you that the are no valid books on this subject and the lectures is the only source, ask if you may record the lectures on your phone. Explain that you would use it only for your own learning and audio recordings of lectures help you in other courses because you can pause, rewind and go in your own tempo. It would be quite strange if this gets denied.
If there is a book or other written materials available
=======================================================
Don't record the lectures.
I am teaching myself. If a student would come up to me and ask to record the lectures, I would allow it but I would think to myself that the student is an idiot. To put a more objective term that I could use with students and colleagues, I would say that the student does not know how to learn.
I would allow it because I think your approach to learning is your own business, but I can judge you on that and I think that the approach is wrong.
If you learn on your own, you should always use a book. It's up to your tempo. You can rewind it or skip over whenever you want. It is more thorough, it includes illustrations and formulas from the blackboard and a lot more information than what was told in lecture (but you can choose if you take it all or maybe even less than in the lecture).
A book is usually read more times by more people than a lecture is listened to and thus it is better checked for errors. Professors can and will make mistakes in lectures. And it will be your fault and problem if you misunderstand something because the professor mistakenly mixed up a couple of words and didn't notice it.
I wouldn't care if you recorded my mistake and showed it to someone - mistakes can happen to anyone. But if you genuinly misunderstand a crucial topic and try to put the blame on my mistakes, I will still grade you according to your knowledge and not forgive you because you recorded a mistake. A professor is there to guide you through course, the learning is up to you yourself.
The lectures is an introduction to the topic and gives you the overall picture. It is completely natural if you get distracted or miss something in lectures. No one can remain totally attentive for 45 or 90 minutes. I've missed something in every lecture I've attended yet I've never had problems to actually learn the topics by myself using resources.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_8: About a year and a half ago, I was in a class where the professor is generally amenable to recording, but during which he asked us to not record a specific class. The reason behind this was that this specific session was an open discussion of a controversial topic (currently a "hot-button" topic in American politics). His reasons were two-fold:
* For his professional reputation; he wouldn't have time to fully research any questions and vet the answers through his normal evaluation process. As a result, he couldn't be certain that any answers he might give to esoteric questions would be fully accurate.
* To allow his students to freely speak their minds without fear of public embarrassment and repercussions.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_9: even if he's not very friendly he could accept recording his lecture . This year I asked for the first time my professor whether I could record his lectures, while it was the first time he teaches me and the first time I speak to him. It's because I heard that he's very good and smart plus it was not an easy course(quantum mechanics) . So my advice to you is that you take his permission, so if he said no then its no , but if he agreed you'll benefit a lot . So in any way you'd lose nothing .. even when I get back home and hear the lectures another time , I notice important things that I have forgotten . But I tell you something that he told me not to give them to anyone unless by taking his permission first. I think he meant by that other professors , and find him right about that , but else I find it normal to record the lectures if the professor was really caring and understanding nevertheless his serious or funny character . And good luck :)
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_10: Other answers bring up various practical concerns that may lead a professor to refuse to allow their lectures to be recorded, but one purely psychological reason why they might refuse is that they may simply be a shy or reserved person. Standing in front of a large audience and speaking, which is an unavoidable part of the job, is already intimidating to some professors (even very good and successful ones who end up doing an excellent job with their teaching). I can totally imagine shyness or introverted tendencies playing a role in making a professor not want to have audio recordings of their lectures taken, independently of any practical concerns about the recording being made public and so on, and therefore refusing to allow it unless coerced due to university policy related to, for example, accommodation of students with disabilities.
I should add that while such behavior on the part of a professor might be perceived as annoying or inconsiderate by students such as OP, there is an argument to be made (and I'm not taking a side one way or the other, simply presenting this as what I think is a valid argument) that professors also have a right to some ordinary human frailties and weaknesses and to be allowed to do their jobs under conditions they view as acceptable given those frailties and weaknesses. We are not all superheroes, and it is not self-evident to me that in a clash between the interests of a student who finds it difficult to concentrate in class and those of a professor who finds it difficult to lecture when they know they are being recorded, the interests of the student should morally trump those of the professor.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_11: All of the reasons given above for a professor refusing to allow his lectures to be recorded are real and valid. Concern with them being shared in inappropriate ways is the biggest issue. A recording will miss aspects of body language and other things that can cause problems. And it's not a question of trust: there are cases of student's using a recording of an instructor's class against him out of context to create a disciplinary action. (Sometimes there are classes with a number of students who want to fight instructors, rather than learn from them.)
That said, professors recognize that a student who wants to learn is someone to be encouraged. A LiveScribe pen can help you connect written notes to specific parts of the lecture, and allow you to playback a day's classes. But keep the emphasis on 'for my personal use.' In the same way that you shouldn't bundle all your class notes together and distribute them (they are either the professor's or the college's intellectual property), you shouldn't pass around your recordings of the class. It's your personal copy, for your personal use only. If you emphasize that, that it is for your enhanced learning, few professors would disagree.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_12: Not in any way involved in education, just stumbled on this thread and read out of curiosity.
All of the reasons suggested seem perfectly valid and well put but I'm surprised that no-one has gone back step and said that whatever his reasons, completely valid or totally absurd, or even if he doesn't actually have a reason, isn't it irrelevant? If he states that he doesn't want to be recorded, surely that is his choice and requires no further explanation if he declines to give it. Does not the much vaunted 'Freedom of Speech' in the US extend also to a freedom NOT to speak? Or in this case, a freedom not to have his speaking recorded?
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/02
| 2,359
| 9,777
|
<issue_start>username_0: Many professors got their Ph.D degrees from departments that were much more prestigious than the ones they are working in. So when they train Ph.D students in their current department, (I think)they may have the following comparisons, though they will never speak them out:
>
> "When I was an undergraduate student in Princeton University, I could solve such problems much quickly than you graduate students do".
>
>
> "When I was taking algebraic topology with \*\*\* in Princeton University, we covered the whole book within one semester while you guys...."
>
>
>
At the same time, the students may also have thoughts that they can never make achievements as big as their advisers in the future. For instance, they will get positions in departments that are much less prestigious.
So my question is, what motivates professors to train Ph.D students who aren't nearly as smart or excellent as them? Of course, I am comparing students and they advisers in their schooldays. I know professors just can't refuse students who want to work with them without strong reasons, but what makes them "feel happy" to work with students who are not nearly as good as them?<issue_comment>username_1: As often happens, I'd disagree with significant parts of the implicit and explicit premises of the question.
For example, "as good as" traditionally makes most "sense" in the solitary-hero model of mathematics, in which there is some mystical gift/talent/genius without which one cannot reach the statospheric regions... blah-blah-blah. Further, "fast problem solving" is easy to see, but not much related to serious, long-term research enterprises, so to think about "solving problems faster" is misguided (I claim).
Yes, it is convenient for an individual (as it was to some degree for me years ago) to do well in contests, because this is an easy "success" to put on one's resume. In contrast, a natural affection for mathematics is hard to document, hard to "show", and so on. Many in my cohort at Princeton years ago had done very well on the Putnam, but turned out to not really like genuine mathematics (without quick gratification) enough to finish their PhD.
And, really, should one care in one's heart about the prestige of one's workplace? Sure, in some practical regards it may have advantages in pay and "status", but there are equally obvious downsides: pressure to *generate* status, as possibly opposed to genuinely advancing our collective understanding (for example). Tension and stress. Who needs it?
My own preference is for students who are genuinely interested in math, as opposed to viewing it as a career choice *or* a vehicle for ego. (E.g., some of my students who manifested a sort of mathematical "Oedipal" complex created needless troubles for themselves, and saddened me as well.)
To my mind, the operational difficulty in making interesting, genuine contributions to advancement of our collective understanding is *not* our "lack of heroic genius", but the commodification of research, and corporatization of universities, insofar as it leads to a fake objectification of "research". For example, success as measured by federal funding dollars. Srsly? The federal government as font of sage wisdom about human knowledge? "Even" NSF is driven by its accountability to congress, and certainly never having enough money to fund all the reasonably worthwhile projects people propose.
In summary, I like talking about interesting (to me) mathematics with people who are willing to not try to sucker-punch me or prove they're "better than me", but, instead, "focus on the math". Likewise, I have no interest in "proving I'm better than" anyone else, because I am less interested in those feral (if typical human...) interactions than in understand mathematics better.
The backstory on my possibly-extreme context for valuation of mathematics is that while I greatly enjoyed reading a variety of mathematics books in the public library as a kid, I had no idea at all that a person could make a living by doing such stuff, and was entirely prepared to just "think about math" as a hobby after 5:00 pm at some engineering job. The idea of teaching high school math was out of the question (crowd control), and community college was barely plausible (and pay not so good). The idea that one could teach "as little as 15 hours a week" and think about math the rest of the time and get paid pretty well was amazing and unfathomable to me at the time.
Plus, I claim that "math is not so hard", if portrayed less strictly-orthodox-ly than is common when "requirements" are used as a club to beat people with. That is, the ground question is *interest* and aesthetic, not "genius" (which is kinda a fake thing anyway).
(It is true that some people think their students should go off by themselves and come back only when they've done something amazing, but this seems to me a pathetic waste of the (supposed) accumulated knowledge/wisdom of more experienced people... This ultra-Spartan model connects to the bad hero-model, in my opinion.)
Wait, what was the question? :)
EDIT: ... and I should add that the main benefit of going to a fancy place for grad school was to get the idea that mathematics was not the dreary, grim, tedious, ugly thing that it may be portrayed by people who feel that they are inadequate, or don't really like it after all, but are "in too deep". That was a great relief!!!
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Professors (in my experience) only push PhD students to right direction. It is not like they are some research buddies that work a lot alongside.
Professor is often the manager that takes some executive tasks in administration and manage the courses and their dominion on PhD and postdocs pushing the research to where the grants are made. They may have some research ideas that they execute on their underlings. In tenure track they increasingly move from your postdoc to a full professor that has only a coordinating role.
The hierarchy in academic organization is really flat, and thus there may be an illusion that the professors are actually doing research, but they seldom do have hands on the real work.
And how this links to the question is that the PhD is simply a normal underling for a professor. In this way, universities are similar to business. The professor can still get something done with the less talented person to him, that is worth value for the professor. The professors seldom do any research, so they delegate the work to their underlings. The less talented ones get tasks or research problems that they can cope with.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: Prestigious education, especially at the undergraduate level, is *often* an indication of a student who is (from a stable fortunate background and) hard-working and bright. But I *never* assume that a lack of Big Names on a CV means the opposite. At the graduate level in the United States in particular, name-brand prestige is mostly hype. The best choices of graduate programs usually aren't the ones with the most impressive names, but the ones with a given field's esteemed faculty members who are top-notch supervisors.
An example: my subfield (sociolinguistics) is quite sporadically represented among the Ivy League and other super-prestigious American colleges. As part of a search committee, if I were looking at an applicant with a Ph.D. from Ohio State or North Carolina State, that would likely be a solid attestation of potential because those schools have excellent sociolinguistics labs and some prominent people in the subfield would likely have written those recommendation letters. If I were looking at an applicant with a Ph.D. from Princeton and letters from people I've never heard of, I would frown and think, "Okay...if you wanted to do sociolinguistics, why the heck did you go *there*?!" I mean, you never know (maybe it could be that the student is firmly tied to the local area and had no choice), but these days that would be a pretty strange route to go.
I never think about relative 'smartness' of my students; and even if I wanted to, using the name of the institution that granted the Ph.D. would be a pretty poor proxy for a measure of that. What makes me feel happy are seeing my grad students excited about the concepts and coming up with their own research ideas and joining the scholarly community and completing big papers and learning to give presentations and getting jobs of their own (in academia or otherwise, depending on the circumstances). Couldn't care less about whether the place I work has prestige in general, especially as that's mainly about undergraduate education.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> So my question is, what motivates professors to train Ph.D students who aren't nearly as smart or excellent as them?
>
>
>
In most circumstances, research is not a competition. If I have a student who is working on a scientifically valuable project, then their work does not become less valuable or worthwhile if I have even greater accomplishments myself. Conversely, it doesn't become more valuable if I don't.
When I supervise grad students, I hope they will make the world a better place through research and teaching. How likely they are to do good work matters, as does how much time and effort I need to put into mentoring, but it doesn't matter whether they seem more or less promising than I did at the same age. I might make comparisons with other students to decide how to allocate my time (for example, we do this all the time in graduate admissions). However, if a reasonable investment in mentoring will enable someone to do good work, then I have no reason to care how they compare with me.
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/02/03
| 656
| 2,865
|
<issue_start>username_0: I'm in the process of applying to Ph.D. programs right now, and professors from two schools have let me know that I've been recommended for admission and that the graduate studies department still had to approve the recommendation. In both cases, I was assured that there was no way the approval would be denied.
I don't have any red flags in my application, so this is a question out of pure curiosity. How often does it happen that the graduate school at large goes against the recommendation of the departmental committee, and for what sorts of reasons would this happen?<issue_comment>username_1: In both the private and public R1s that I've been in (in the USA), the departments run admissions. They read through the applications and then send the graduate school their ranked list of admits, a rolldown list, and the list of rejects.
However, technically the **department does not admit students, the graduate school does**. So the department list are only "recommendations."
I would say that 99% of the time, the graduate school acts on those recommendations. They'd be fools not to, since the disciplinary expertise is in the department.
The 1% that I've personally experienced was with a graduate student who had horrible GRE scores but other stellar qualifications. Despite our university annually sending us guidance saying that GREs are not correlated with graduate school performance, very low scores could be cause for concern in their office (likely because of national rankings, but I have no insight there).
The dean of the graduate school wrote to us about that student and held up their admission. We had to write a response as to why we felt other aspects of their application overrode their poor GRE scores, and the student was admitted. But the experience did make it clear that the graduate school does look over admits, and might step in for extreme cases -- and why we have to be careful in our communications with students that we're only **recommending** admission.
Another scenario that might apply is that the graduate school changes its calculation midcycle in terms of how many slots a department might have, or how much funding is available to students (cutting, for example, some fellowship slots). I haven't heard of this happening, but I would imagine the grad school reserves the right to pull such a maneuver, especially as we are asked to submit ranked lists and so it is possible that the 13th student in a 13 member list might be sent off the island in some scenarios.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I think the other answers are correct. In addition, if you publish a controversial pro-(terrorism, rape, Hitler, etc) article after the department recommends admission but before the graduate college formally admits you, they may feel free to not admit you.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/03
| 1,091
| 4,635
|
<issue_start>username_0: I just turned sixteen this January, and I have started thinking about where I will go to pursue research in theoretical physics and mathematics. I live in India, and, sadly speaking, research here in India is awful, even though many claims of scientific advancements in India are made. First, I would like to share what I do at home.
I have mastered differential and integral calculus, and I have independently proved, and discovered some of my own proofs of theorems in Real Analysis(Proofs which I haven't seen in some other source, but they might exist). I have also independently discovered the well known techniques of solutions to certain kinds of differential equations, without having any knowledge of how to solve them. I continue to explore higher level mathematics, and try my best to prove each theorem I encounter myself.
Now, the thing is, nobody at school, neither the teachers nor my friends, know anything about this. Even my parents are not fully aware about all this, but I try my best to share this with them. At school, the curriculum is such that the teachers are teaching to the test, and a heavy focus on contests and olympiads is laid, and to choose subjects of your own choice, you have to score high enough in subjects like Social Science and English, which don't even matter in research. Unnecessary debates and discussions are held, and I try my best to not share anything with these guys, to prevent getting into an hour long debate on what you should pursue.
In India, the major institutions are the Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institute of Science etc, where almost everybody focuses on getting into the IIT. To get an admission in the IIT, a standardised test, comprising of problems from Math, Physics, Chemistry and MAT has to be given. The admissions are solely decided by the score obtained in this test, which comprises of contest-like questions, which do not describe the research capability of the candidate. Even coaching centres have been set up all over the country, which train for this exam(called the JEE exam). The situation is really worse, and recently, I was demotivated by my teacher for not scoring enough in my social science exam. I have gotten used to this.
I would like to get admitted to institutions like MIT, Harvard, and I have read how I apply for them and what are the requirements for admission. The main thing is I have to distinguish myself from others, take part in extra-curricular activities etc, and maybe win math/science contests. But the thing is, I am not great at contests, which are timed, and I rarely would like to participate at school, where conditions are horrible. I have started taking leaves from school, because I think nothing productive is going on there.
Now, I would like to ask if I apply for these institutes, how do I share what I am capable of? As a young mathematician, I think I am really doing well, and will do well in research too. But, other than my notebook, where I write all my thoughts and all my findings, I don't have anything that can show my abilities. If I just tell my abilities to them, like I did here, they would not believe in me, which I understand.
So, my question is, how do I show the institutes my abilities? Is it necessary for me to win contests at national/international levels, which is not that easy?<issue_comment>username_1: If you are not truly a genius there is no way around standard procedures. But if you are:
1. Make a paper
2. Publish it in a journal
3. Get citations and acknowledgements if the work is good
That is how science works.
You can contact a professor closest to you for help. Show some raw paper made by you, and if you truly are capable then he will gladly help. The professor has a realistic set of journals in mind that might be willing to publish your paper. If you have published in some of the top journals, then you have earned a special way around standard procedures.
You do not need any highly branded college diplomas, recognition is all about skill. If you are capable to publish in a top journal without diploma, then I think that you have already accomplished your goal.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: To apply for admission as an undergraduate at ... (MIT, Harvard, etc.) ... their web sites shows the steps you need. There is an exam (SAT, Scholastic Aptitude Test) such applicants may take. Probably there are opportunities to take it in your country as well, but maybe just in one or two cities, so you may have to travel there to do it. (16-year-olds generally haven't published papers.)
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/02/03
| 2,304
| 9,757
|
<issue_start>username_0: Last week I taught my first exercise session. I am a PhD student so the kind of classes that I will teach are exercise sessions about what the Professor explained in the theory class. They essentially have to work problems and I have to explain and help them with their approach in solving them.
Students of the same year are divided into small groups. I had about 25 students and from what I noticed: 17 were working hard, 7 were working more slowly with less interest and 1 was watching videos with his smartphone.
I tried to get his attention in a kind way several times (by going to him and telling something like "I know that videos are funnier than this theoretical stuff but if you want to practice for the exam you should do also exercises") but even if he stopped and started to read the exercises then he always restarted watching videos.
Since I will not assign grades and this kind of class is not mandatory, his participation will change nothing in his final grade.
So at a certain point I just wanted to ask him why is he attending. There are many seats outside the class where he could sit and watch videos, but I just stopped to get his attention and I left him watching videos. I made this decision because he was watching videos/surfing the web without audio and without annoying the other students.
What is the best way to deal with these situations?<issue_comment>username_1: Do you prefer more or less authoritarian style?
More authoritarian: "If you come to my class, I assume you wish to be taught by me and respect my time. In other words, you are to work on your assignments. If you do wish to watch videos or to Facebook, that is fine, but please do not do that in my class - it is disrespectful to me and in fact also to your fellow students who come here to learn. Feel free to leave to watch, and to come back when you are done and wish to return to the exercises."
More liberal: "It is everyone's own responsibility to learn and I will help you to understand the material and how to master it. If you do not wish to engage in it, that is your free decision, but you need to be aware that this is your own responsibility to engage with the material in order to benefit from it [and pass the exam]." - say it once at the beginning, and then perhaps one more time in the middle of the semester. That's it.
Modify as required, this is just a coarse line of action, YMMV.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You certainly seem to be engaged in your lecture, which is good. The thing is, though, that the distribution of student types you describe is very normal. The way lecturers handle unattentive students will differ culturally. At least here in Germany, as a student you are expected to be self-independent. If you do not pay attention, nobody will fight for your attention, as long as you do not disturb the lesson.
In this special case, you have two options:
1. Continue trying to reach him and give him extra attention.
2. Ignore him and let him decide for himself how much he wants to engage.
What is important for you is, that you do not take such behaviour personally. Sometimes people just come to university out of habit and then they'll surf on their phones or whatever. It is their responsibility to study for their exams, not yours to force-feed them knowledge.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: The answers by username_1 and ian\_itor are good. I want to add that you should ask your coordinator/managing professor about this, because the scope of what's acceptable on your part will vary by culture and institution.
Perhaps some professors will say, "Just tell them to leave." Other institutions may highly encourage or require proof of regular attendance for funding or legal purposes, and therefore culturally prohibit telling students not to come to class in any event.
When my father was at any Ivy professional school in the 1960's, one professor could reputedly grab a distracted student without warning by the shirt collar, physically throw him out of the room, and lock the door on him. Surely that's not allowed anywhere anymore.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: You have 17 students that are interested and engaged in the course. It means that you are doing good job in keeping them interested. Focus on them, spend your time with them and help them!
Being given that your exercise sessions are neither mandatory nor graded, I don't think you are expected to motivate the least motivate person out of 25. It's not high school anymore, even if he has reasons or difficulties being concentrated, you should leave it up to him if he refuses your suggestions to work.
By the way, weren't the some third of uninteresteds among students when you were a student? Weren't there someone coming (and even paying) completely uselessly?
I got a story
=============
In Latvia it is common (and even mandatory) that the professors hold *consultations*. I think it's somewhat similar to office time in English...?
Anyways, it's usually a time scheduled every week when students can come to ask what they didn't understand. No one ever comes except before the exam or before tests if the course is a tough one.
In one such course tens of students decided to attend the *consultation* before a test. Before tests there are not only the students that want to ask something but also those who just want to listen to what others will ask and what the answers will be. And there was aso *that* guy.
Mr. *that* came few minutes early (as he always did in lectures), he sat in the second row, you might even assume that he is diligent. He opened his laptop (it's common - many students use the computers for notes, viewing lecture materials, preparing questions etc.). As the *consultation* started, he started playing some silly flash games on his computer (as he always did in lectures). He did it until the very end, then he closed the computer and went away as others did.
Even the lectures were not required to attend. The *consultation* was not near mandatory - it was intended only for those having questions and usefulness there. To this day I haven't understood why he came there late in the evening and spent all that time commuting to play flash games. He was living in the campus so there was no parental control or pressure.
I assume that he just felt that as a student he should attend but seemingly didn't understand what he has to do when attending a lecture or *consultation*. By the way, he didn't pass the course.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: At the beginning of your next class, announce:
>
> Phones and laptops will not be needed in this class. If you must use your phone briefly during class, I will ask you to step out into the hall to do so.
>
>
>
Neutral voice.
If anyone comes in late, you can say it again, after the person has sat down and gotten comfortable, but right before the phone comes out of the pocket; or you can give him or her a handout with the same information.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_6: **Invite the students to the blackboard**
It is unclear how the class is structured in your university. Do the students work on their own, sometimes asking you for personal help? Do they discuss the problems as a group?
Occasionally asking the student to solve a part of the problem at the blackboard in front of the class will make him follow the class discussions better. If the student is working on his own only, he might be tempted not to admit his mistakes in solutions, or only solve an easier part of the problem and call it a day.
It is important to frame this not as a punishment for those who are distracted during the class, but as a learning tool that you provide. It gives instant feedback to the student, and a very detailed one. Ideally, you should invite students randomly or, at least, aim to invite them equally often.
As a side note, 1 distracted student out of 25 is a very good ratio.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: **Let him watch videos**
You are at the **university**, all are **adults**. It is not mandatory to attend, it does **not disturb** your lecture. Why should you even bother?
Your goal is to support the students if they want it and to help those who are interested and can follow the speed of the course. All the other have to look for themselves and should not drain you capacity.
If he misses the lecture, it is his fault. Leave him the freedom to do that as long as he does not distract or disturb with his behavior (you or other students). *Then* you would have to intervene.
Probably, and I've had fellow students which it really was the case for them, he is just bored because he thought already through the exercise. Probably he is to lazy and won't pass or has a lot of work to do at home. Doesn't matter in the end.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: While I agree with the existing good answers, the impact upon the tone of the class has yet to be addressed.
By not challenging this behaviour and not being seen to encourage focus, you implicitly communicate your values and expectations to the class. By allowing/tolerating mild disruption and inattentiveness you are setting the tone that this will be tolerated in future classes and by ignoring it you will be signalling to other students that you do not care if they focus or not.
My advice is to consider what it is that you need and want from the class and your students, make these expectations explicit, communicate the rationale for it (including the impact upon other students), then be consistent with it. The difficulty here will then be in having the self-belief, the confidence, and the respect to enforce it - particularly as a new PhD student.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/03
| 2,791
| 11,336
|
<issue_start>username_0: If a professor in a North American country presents his- or herself by his/her first name in email messages, does this mean that students can refer to him/her by his/her first name? Or is this generally not a good idea, unless the professor has explicitly mentioned that he/she can be referred to by first name? I've noticed that most professors, who prefer to be referred to more formally, do not sign their emails with just their first names, but usually initials or first and last name.<issue_comment>username_1: If you are a foreigner, then you can just ask. Most academics are used to deal with foreigners and know that such subtle and unwritten rules are hard to know. They recognize that just asking is often the least awkward solution.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: It is always safe to ask. Throughout my undergrad and grad career, all my professors have always asked their students to call them by their first name. Some professors say this is because they respect you and because they don't address you as "Mr/<NAME>", then you shouldn't address them as "<NAME>". Other professors explain it's because everyone is an adult and you wouldn't call your boss "Mr/<NAME>".
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: If there's anything to suggest the professor signed the first name out of absent-mindedness, then hold off before responding with "Hi Sally."
Otherwise, you would be okay using the first name.
However, just because you *can*, doesn't mean you have to.
It's always fine to ask, if you're in any doubt. One need not be an international student to ask.
For example, in office hours, you could ask, "What do you like to go by with your students?" or "What would you like me to call you?"
Make sure to notice subtle signs of possible discomfort when he or she responds to a question like this. If the results are contradictory, you'll generally be safe with a somewhat formal approach.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> If a professor in a North American country presents his- or herself by his/her first name in email messages, does this mean that students can refer to him/her by his/her first name?
>
>
>
**Only in some situations.** You can be relatively certain that you can reply to his/her email and say "Hello Alice/Bob, I noticed you said X but what about Y?" . However, in a "Reply All" to that same message you *can't* make that assumption. You *can't* make the assumption about speaking to her/him in class. etc.
>
> Or is this generally not a good idea...
>
>
>
Unfortunately, **there is no "generally" in this matter**. As others have indicated - if not absolutely certain, ask.
>
> ... unless the professor has explicitly mentioned that he/she can be referred to by first name?
>
>
>
**It is not very likely that someone will explicitly tell you how to address him/her.** Not many people make the effort to consider this finer point and actually instruct students on how to address them in different contexts. Also, it's might feel a bit vain to them to tell other people "refer to me as Professor X"; it's like you're expected to defer to them in that sense rather than have them *tell* you to do it. Which means it can be hard sometimes to realize what's the proper form of address (and whose propriety standard you should be adhering to).
>
> I've noticed that most professors, who prefer to be referred to more formally, do not sign their emails with just their first names, but usually initials or first and last name.
>
>
>
Now *that*'s a good indication - in the other direction. That is, if you get this kind of email, stick to "Professor X" unless told otherwise.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: **This depends highly on the culture (and language)**
Address him as he addresses you
The most important part is not how he signed but how he addressed **you**.
So if he uses "Dear Mr." or whatever, use "Dear Prof.". If he uses "Hi username_2", use "Hi Simon". And so on. If he never addressed you directly, stay conservative.
Signing with his first name can happen by "incident" without thinking to much. Or because of other addressed people. It's a bad indication in general (but, of course, should be consistent with the addressing).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: *Just ask.*
It doesn't matter if you're a foreigner or a native, asking someone how they would like to be addressed is not rude or unusual. The answer will vary from person to person, some like having their title used, some like being addressed on a first name basis and (very rarely) some may prefer a nickname.
It is much better that you ask and are sure rather than being confused, and the professor (asuming they are a rational, decent human being) will understand that.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_7: >
> "Dear <NAME> -
> I noticed you signed your last e-mail to me, "Jim." Does that mean I
> should call you by your first name? Are there circumstances when that
> would be appropriate or inappropriate, such as with undergraduates or
> outside the lab?
>
>
> I apologize for asking, but I'm unfamiliar with American academic
> protocol here.
>
>
> Yours sincerely,
> Xxx
>
>
>
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: I'm a professor. I have discussed this subject with many, many colleagues. Here is the consensus.
a) What to call the professor?
As a rule, regardless of which country you are from or what a professor signs off on in his/her email, you should always continue addressing him/her as "Professor Lastname" in person, in email and in any other communications .... UNTIL that professor specifically asks you to do otherwise. The professor MAY ask you to call him/her something different. The professor MAY not correct you. As a default, call him/her Professor Lastname.
b) Can I ask the professor what he/she likes to be called?
NO. Do not ask him/her about his/her preference. Why? Imagine that you are a medical doctor. You're been in school for many years, trained hard and despite all odds, succeeded in getting your medical degree. You of course will expect all patients, colleagues, interns, residents and others in the workplace to call you "Dr. Lastname." It would be odd for one of them to ask you if it's ok to call you something else. If you wanted to be called something else, you would probably say something.
It is the same for professors. Professors have worked many years and long hours to achieve their doctoral degrees. Addressing them by their appropriate title is the respectful and appropriate thing to do.
c) Should I really call EVERY professor "Professor Lastname"? Students tend to more frequently call professors who are not white men by their first name while calling their male, white professors "Professor Lastname". Do not fall victim to implicit bias. See point a) above. You should call EVERY professor - regardless of gender, ethnicity, nationality, etc. Trust me. They will appreciate it.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_9: I am a professor at a Swiss university. I have a lab with >30 members (neurosciences) and my policy is to stay formal with my MSc/PhD students and postdocs for the first few weeks. This is because sometimes things do not work out, and I find it easier to address difficult topics (particularly the prospect of termination) if there is a certain amount of formal distance between me and my coworkers. Over time, however, I offer to everybody that we go first-names. Interestingly, I have two (Italian) postdocs who expect me to address them by first name, yet have always refused (since several years) to address me by first name. They feel uncomfortable with that, they explained to me.
A big mistake that Swiss and German students often do, however, is to address Prof Einstein in English as "Mister Einstein". Call me old-fashioned (or worse), but that really does get on my nerves. If you go formal, then please call me Dr. xy. Or else be informal and call me by first name. But if you do go formal, please address me with my academic title. Particularly if it is a title that you do not (yet) possess!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_10: Here in the United States, in my experience modes of address in written communication are a proxy for the relative professional/social status of the individuals involved, as well as the level of familiarity in the relationship. Especially in an academic setting, the former can be somewhat hard to ascertain in some situations; the latter can be tricky, because if one party assumes too much familiarity where it's not desired by the other, awkwardness ensues.
I would break situations like that of the OP into three categories:
1. **An undergraduate student addressing a professor.**
*Always* address the professor as "Dr. X" or "Prof. X", unless the professor has *explicitly invited you to do otherwise*. ***Always.*** An undergraduate student *always* has inferior "professional status" to a professor, and so any sense of familiarity is pretty much irrelevant. The only exception may be if a particular student has either engaged that professor enough in office hours or in the context of a research project that the student's expertise and status has advanced to that similar to a graduate student.
2. **A graduate student addressing a non-advisor faculty member.**
Similar to #1, but the 'familiarity' aspect starts to become more important, especially as the graduate student advances along the Ph.D. program. Graduate students are on their way to becoming members of the professional research community, so their status is coming loosely in range of that of professors. Familiarity thus becomes more important, and if a student has engaged that professor in extended conversation about, e.g., course material, a first-name basis may be appropriate. In this kind of situation, if such a professor signs an email **addressed specifically to the graduate student** (i.e., not a general class email, for example) with his/her first name, especially on a repeated basis, then I would feel comfortable addressing the professor by first name, at least in an email. I would still hesitate a bit to address them by first name in person, at least until it seemed that no negative reaction was forthcoming from first-name address in emails.
3. **A graduate student addressing a faculty member in a direct advisory role.**
Very similar to #2, with the exception that familiarity with most advisors ends up developing quite rapidly (in my experience, at least). Thus, for all except the newest of students to the research group, as long as the professor is okay with being addressed by first name in general, the students they are advising end up calling them by first name after a very short period of time. As well, by the end of their tenure, most graduate students end up *more* knowledgeable about their specific research area than their advisor(s), almost completely eliminating the 'status' element of the situation.
In all of these cases, such first-name address will probably make the professor aware that the question of the propriety and/or preference in mode of address has arisen in the student's mind. Therefore, pay attention to how they sign future correspondence. If they change to "Dr. X", then ***stop*** using their first name, promptly!
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/03
| 1,793
| 7,172
|
<issue_start>username_0: I have high functioning autism / aspergers syndrome comorbid with ADHD.
During highschool I went undiagnosed, but always suspected I was autistic. I had a few Dr's comment but I didn't really agree with them at that time.
Fast forward now, I got my psychiatric diagnosis, and also found out that I had ADHD. I don't care about being autistic, but finding out I had ADHD and treating it is what really impacted my life the most.
I can conduct myself well socially but have significant difficulties in particular social situations in specific contexts -- ones that I do not have any experience. In addition, I learn in very specific ways and methods.
I'm hesitant to inform my school about this because I don't really consider it a disability. I don't really care that I'm socially clueless (I prefer to be alone most of the time anyway) and my ADHD is being treated and working well so far. I have a few sensory issues and routines but they are under control. My emotional regulation is fine. I'm very "anal" at particular things.
My degree somewhat aligns with my special interests, and I've learnt to better manage doing things I don't like (which was legitimately impossible without my ADHD medication).
Country: Australia, but will appreciate other perspectives
Age: 19, M<issue_comment>username_1: If you are in the U.S., and if you are referring to post-high-school education, there is a sort of bifurcation, by law and custom: there's no point in mentioning any sort of trouble unless you have registered with "disability services" (or equivalent), who will negotiate on your behalf with various departments for reasonable/purposeful "accommodation" (about extra time for exams, or quiet rooms for exams, etc)
In that context (again, in current U.S. college or university) individual instructors are explicitly *not* to make any judgements about disability issues, about accommodations, etc. After all, they/we are not experts in understanding such things.
Similarly, (other) chronic medical conditions (since the previous is biochemistry, presumably) are not within the purview of instructors. E.g., the side effects of anorexia or bulimia can be occasionally debilitating. Despite being able to make inferences, I do *not* want to intrude in peoples' private lives, so I do *not* ask for any sort of detailed explanation for anything. "Medical issue" (as reason for absence or "incomplete") is more than enough.
It is unfortunately true that the "immediacy" of most classroom/exam situations (such as demands for "class participation") are biased against shy or nervous or ... people. The typical rationalization for this is that it is often unhelpful "out in the world" to be shy or nervous or ... so to operate in a way that penalizes that is merely a presagement of what is to come? (Um, wait, don't people pay tuition, not to be filtered only, but to be educated and assisted in that education? Nevermind.)
You might make a more *informal* remark, as pseudo-apology-in-advance, explaining possibly unusual behavior or reactions as due to ... whatever you'd care to say... rather than a negative-critical reaction to whatever's happening in class. But something more on the order of "I have some personal issues that may cause me to behave quirkily at some points, and I don't want you (the instructor) to think that it's at all a reaction against what's going on, it's just me". Or to your taste. No reason to give more details to any reasonably sophisticated college/university instructor in the U.S. (Of course, some are not sophisticated, and further, often themselves having issues that make such sophistication difficult, sadly-ironically.)
A bit ambiguous answer, but reflecting the legalities and intentions of current U.S. stuff, I think.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This is from U.S. experience:
I have Asperger's Syndrome (I refuse to use the DSV-5 revision of Autism Spectrum Disorder) along with Bipolar Depression.
The way I have been going about things has been to work things on my own as long as possible, but I am registered with my campus's Disability Support Services office, just in case.
I have only needed to use the support services in a few situations.
I do tell my professors that I have A.S.(mainly due to the fact I do not hide anything), and that at times I may intensely focus on one task and lose track of what is going on in the class, and may need redirection. Some are understanding of this, some are not. This is where the support services comes in.
Personally, I advise letting instructors know about that which may hinder your ability to fully learn what is being taught. There are certain caveats however.
You need to get a feel for the general attitudes of your professors, and of the departments you are in. This will help you in determining how to broach and explain the topic. And to know if explaining your disabilities will end in a positive or negative outcome.
Here in the USA, even though we have our Americans with Disabilities act, and mental disabilities are recognized, we still have intelligent individuals who do not view mental disabilities as true disabilities. (Have run into a few professors with this mindset)
Good luck with things. I wasn't diagnosed as A.S. until my Junior year in High School 2001 at age 17. 34 now, and I still feel as if I am socially at the level of a 12 year old, but intellectually where I should be. Still working on it though lol.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: It's a very personal decision. Perhaps that is why I see two close votes at this time. (It might be helpful to edit the question and focus more on what the pros and cons might be.)
In this day and age, I personally don't see any cons.
Possible pros:
* Medication effectiveness sometimes varies over time, and it can be hard to predict when and what sort of changes may occur.
* Establishing eligibility while things are going well could prevent possible delays in supports being provided, if the need were to arise.
* If a need were to arise, it would be easier to get supports if one were already familiar with the procedures.
* For some people with neurological differences, it is liberating and empowering to bring the differences clearly out into the open. (Analogous to "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud.") However, this point is especially individual. Not everyone will feel this freeing effect.
* Sometimes it's hard, especially with a new diagnosis, to know what supports will be helpful, and how much difference they can make. Figuring this out has been, for my son at least, an ongoing process.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: Many faculty will recognize ADHD and autism. Some of them will also have ADHD and/or autism. I've worked with faculty with these diagnoses.
It sounds like your concern is that people will try to "fix" you, and you don't feel broken. In this case, your best option is to be open about your diagnosis and feelings, rather than leaving people guessing about what you want and need. Keep in mind that it's normal for faculty to help students, without regard for their disability status.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/04
| 1,474
| 6,322
|
<issue_start>username_0: In my place of work, which has a very incipient progress in the field of research in Computer Science, has occurred this dichotomic situation:
* It has arrived one lecturer that has finished his PhD students in a foreign country. Because he has some research already on the way from his doctoral studies, he has formed a research group within our Faculty.
* There is another lecturer that has only a Master degree, also in CS, but he has some good ideas but he suffers from imposter syndrome.
In this situation the former group minimizes the attempt of the second group to form a research group; stating things like "a research group to be successful should always be led by a doctoral graduate if not is doomed"
The question is, is it needed to have a doctoral researcher inside a research group (sorry for the redundancy)? or in what ways we should encourage the formation of research groups even though they are not lead by a PhD graduate?<issue_comment>username_1: A PhD is a degree supposed to develop (and later demonstrate) the skill of being capable and ready to do independent research. The degree to which that is achieved can vary massively, depending on institution and supervisor.
It is quite possible (and not at all improbable) that a non-PhD person can outshine the PhD person, but, per default, the latter enjoys a priori the expectation that they know more about the process of doing research than the former. However, this is no reason at all not to form a group of interested people, with or without PhD. A PhD member is not a guarantee of success and the lack of one does not presage doom.
The case you mention seems to be of someone who does not want to see a competing group being created (depending on the convention of your location). That being said, make sure you have knowledgeable people in the group. The reason why many countries have a research group led by a professor (not just a PhD) is that the latter not only know how to do research but have had a broad exposure to many methods and perspectives.
Good luck!
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: My background is in finance, mathematics and software engineering. I have two master degrees, but **no PhD**. Normally, I would be working in an investment bank as a quantitative developer or something similar.
Somehow, I was able to get into academics as a bioinformatician. I've currently working for a new research project in computational biology with a team member who also doesn't have a PhD. We're expected to publish to a top journal and attend conferences, we work like a team of postdocs.
Personally, I don't think I'm anyway less intelligent than a PhD. I have the qualification for starting a PhD. Unfortunately, I'm **struggling**:
* I know my goals, but I don't know **how to it**. It's very difficult for someone like me without any research experience to invent a new method. I thought I was smart, I thought it was just like building on the existing methods, but I overestimated myself. As an engineer, I have years of experience in applying existing (and well-known) methods brilliantly, but I'm lost when I have to do something that nobody has ever done.
* I thought I have good understanding about computation. I was wrong, the postdocs in my institution had much better understanding than me.
* I wished I had someone more qualified (like a professor) in my team. Someone needs to give me guidance and direction.
* Anybody who can't publish results will not survive in academics, but this is making me very frustrating. In engineering, I could get away with no documentation. In academics, I'm expected to publish and the writing must be good. I'm slow at my writing (I hate it).
Good ideas are no guarantee for success. I had my own ideas, but everything failed. Although not strictly necessary, a research team **should have a doctoral researcher**, because that's what exactly they are good at. A formal research degree like a PhD is a **better indicator** for success than someone who doesn't.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: If the first group is trying to discourage the second, I would take it as a signal that they expect the second group to fail. The difference between a doctorate in philosophy and a masters is more than added coursework. You spend a huge amount of time failing to succeed at things. You learn your field by failing to succeed. Seemingly brilliant ideas are tested, and fail. You get a good sense of what won't work.
It isn't about being bright. It is about discovering the truth. For my own research, I had to spend tons of hours pouring over bibliographies at the back of articles. Read those articles, then pour over their bibliographies and start over. Although Science Citation Index is wonderful, it only goes back to 1975. A person with a masters degree will not have done that.
You also find you have to leave your field to find what you need. You will find techniques in geology or sociology that are exactly what you need. For example, network diagrams come out of sociology, not computer science. They are very old. You need to borrow and steal from other fields. A person with a masters degree is unlikely to do that.
Finally, all fields deal with uncertainty, but uncertainty is usually not taught below a doctoral level, even in finance. What is usually taught is statistical technique. What isn't usually taught is how that technique can break down. As part of becoming a PhD, you may have to build a new statistical technique.
I wouldn't automatically exclude the second group, but I might do a formal evaluation of the problem they are looking at. Some problems are quite tractable at the masters level, others are not.
Research lead by someone with a PhD often fails. It is less likely to fail when compared to someone with a masters because they have less experience at failure. When I finish this post, I will be writing software and I know it won't succeed, but it will tell me what I need to know to write the next piece of software, that will also not succeed, so that eventually I will (probably) write a piece of software that will succeed. I am using well understood techniques, which is why I know it won't work. I don't yet know what will be future well understood technique, but I am working on it.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/04
| 1,114
| 4,783
|
<issue_start>username_0: If I am in class and I don't feel like doing a boring, uninteresting, optional exercise which won't benefit me in any way, how should I deal with an insecure instructor attempting to force me to do it?
If I pull out my laptop or phone and start watching some harmless, audioless videos, that cannot possibly bother anyone. I feel the instructor should spend time helping and overseeing those students actually doing the exercise, and not waste their time on the smart student that doesn't necessarily need to do some cute little exercise in order to understand a simple concept.
Should I leave the class? Do I have a right to stay? For example, at some point during this (for me) useless exercise, the instructor might happen to say something of value that I might have an interest in hearing, so do I not have a right to stay in case that did happen? If so, how should I respond when my instructor tells me that she is bothered by my innocent act and wants me to leave class, an idea which she sadly got from some [internet people](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/84388/how-to-deal-with-uninterested-students-during-an-optional-exercise-session "internet people")?<issue_comment>username_1: The instructor is literally in charge of what is happening the classroom. She can set the rules because the lecture is for her to teach.
You, on the other hand, as a student have your free will not to attend the classes, leave the classroom in the middle of the lecture, provided that you accept the results.
One thing a student (in your case, I think bachelor's) is surely not qualified, is to decide what should/shouldn't a professor do or if the assignments are interesting/necessary/motivating/good/bad etc. If you find the class uninteresting, do not attend. But attending the lecture and complaining about assignments, and the way professor behaves during the lecture hours is pure sauciness. If she says no laptops, then it means no laptops. End of discussion.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Remember the instructor has no reliable way of knowing whether you are not doing the exercise because it is too easy or because it is too hard. Claiming to not need to do an exercise because it is too easy is a common defensive mechanism of people who want to feel smart without actually having the ability. If you don't do the exercise the instructor has no way of distinguishing your genuine smartness from that effect.
The simple solution is to spend a minute or so doing the over-simple exercise, and leave the completed work prominently on your desk. That way, the instructor can know not to worry about you.
Once you have done the exercise, it would be better to either stay engaged in the class, possibly doing harder exercises from the text book, or to do other school work. A video showing on a laptop can distract those who have the laptop screen in their field of view, even with no audio.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: From the tone of the question and your comments, it looks a bit like you are waiting for someone to tell you you are entitled to your behavior and your instructor is wrong. This someone will not be me.
If your situation is covered by the rules at your university (e.g. if instructors are not allowed to ask students to actually work or step out), as it seems implied in some of your comments to previous answers, then your question is pointless. Let me thus assume otherwise.
You should realize that an instructor has a responsibility toward the group of students to ensure a good *learning environment.* Even if you do not actively disturb the class, being openly doing anything else than working on the course (or related) material *is* influencing the environment in the classroom. You may feel that this influence is mild or even non-existent, but **it is not your call: the instructor is in charge,** not you. You thus should, on that principle alone, respect the rules set by your instructor.
Let me add something: I (and probably all academics reading this) have seen a lot of overconfident students that did good at first, did not work, and ultimately failed; or that thought they were brilliant, and might have turned brilliant with some effort, but instead did not confront to the exercises and failed by a long shot. Even in the best case, where you are indeed smart enough not to need any effort to pass your classes, **being in class not studying is still wasting your own talent** (which is all the more stupid that your talent is great). If the covered material is so simple to you, why don't you ask for more challenging assignments? I know very few instructors who would not put an extra hour designing tough exercises for a student asking for more and acing all tests.
Upvotes: 4
|
2017/02/04
| 451
| 2,078
|
<issue_start>username_0: It is well known that in most fields the order of the authors in a paper indicates the authorship, being the first one the best.
Independently of the order in a paper, does being the person that submitted the paper (*not the corresponding author*) gives any advantage, intellectual property, or academic reputation? If it does, is this field dependent, or academic culture dependent?<issue_comment>username_1: No, there is no academic advantage of being the submitting author of a paper.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There could be one potential advantage which is becoming part of their network (although it is possible that this also extends to the co-authors)
When I submitted a paper on editorial manager, I received a barrage of review invitations (at least four), but in another case, as a first author and not a submitting author, albeit in another journal and management system; manuscript central, I have not received any such correspondence.
Well this is all very speculative.
but what I can say definitively, is that when you are the submitting author, you manage everything that deals with the editor and journal. You manage the cover letters, you can also see little things here and there that are missing. Such as your ORCID affiliation for example. More importantly, if you are first author, you might be interested in making sure that things are done correctly! Keywords, disclosures, agreements about whether you want coloured figures or black and white figures. These are all little things that might not be communicated properly. Some might see these things as trivial and might not even ask for your input.
It also helps to become familiar with these systems. They are not a five minute job, especially when you consider the templates and other requirements that will be stated in the journal page and also restated in the online management system. If you are always co-authoring and you also happen to never submit yourself, then you miss out on some of these administrative subtleties.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/04
| 791
| 3,390
|
<issue_start>username_0: Hello this is the first time i post something here:
I live in Argentina and I'm 18. Currently, I'm giving my evaluation exams to enter UTN university (It's one of the best universities in Argentina, it's public).
I wanted to study software engineering but that is a rare degree in Argentina, however i found a private university (Not as good as the public ones) but i don't have any reference of it. So i don't know if it is going to be worthy studying 5 or more years there at all.
The actual problem is that in UTN i'm studying systems engineering, is the closest degree i know it's going to be worthy but i don't want a systems engineering job in the future. (Although i know people who has a Systems E degree and works as a software E instead).
So i don't know what to do. I wouldn't mind move to another country, the problem is i really have no idea of what to do then, i can't move to another country but not knowing for sure if i was accepted by the university or not!
Also i don't know another's country's universities.
I only speak Spanish and English, but does anybody have an idea of a country exchange or something that asures me i that i have been accepted in university, so then i can move to that country to study?.<issue_comment>username_1: From your question, it seems like there is a misunderstanding about the process of studying abroad:
If you want to study abroad, you first apply for admission (and possibly scholarships). Only if you are accepted (and you accept the offer), you start your preparations to move to the place of study. There is no need to move *before* having been accepted.
You also don't need an exchange program between countries in order to do that. You just apply to a university that you are interested in, using the documentation of your previous studies that you have (e.g., high school degree). Applications from abroad are quite normal in many institutions.
On a related note: for most countries in the world, in order to study there, you need a proper visa. You will only be able to get a visa that allows you to study there after you have been accepted for a program.
As to finding out where you should apply to: this is the more difficult question, as this is quite subjective. There are university rankings that give you an idea of what very good universities are out there. Note that these rankings have their own problems, but they are often a start. Then, you can search for research papers in some sub-area of software engineering that you find interesting. If you find very strong research groups in that area, you may want to find out about the courses of study being offered at their institution.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: 1. Pick a software engineering program at a U.S. university and carefully examine the degree program (i.e. what courses are required, which courses are prerequisites for which other courses). Then carefully read the course descriptions. Preview online the textbooks required for each course.
Now compare all that with the degree program for systems engineering at UTN to find out how much overlap there is.
2. Interview a couple of people in your area who work in software engineering. Find out what coursework and training they found most helpful.
It is often easier to seek admission abroad after finishing a Bachelor's degree.
Upvotes: -1
|
2017/02/04
| 534
| 2,199
|
<issue_start>username_0: Okay so I am a Computer Science student Today was our Programming Fundamentals paper basically I am very good in Programming so I finished my paper early and was so happy after leaving the exam class I was going suddenly I heard a voice It was my friend I thought he gave his paper as well but no he came out of the hall for a bathroom break there was another guy with him who was there to ensure that my friend would not cheat but he allowed me to tell him some answer very quickly so we were standing outside the washroom And i was telling him answer to one pf the questions suddenly the bathroom door opened and it was one of the lab engineer's of our college he heard us over so he took us to the invigilator ho noted our registrations and names Now I am asking you Am I guilty here? And If Yes How Can I Avoid this Because I learned my lesson and now I am scared what if My Paper got cancelled or worse.<issue_comment>username_1: I do have an issue with your description of events. You state he "allowed you" to tell him an answer. This comes across as trying to shift blame for your actions onto your friend.
To answer your question about guilt. You are guilty of telling someone who was still taking the exam one of the answers. Whether or not you did so knowing the other student was still taking the test or not is not up to us to decide.
There is no way for you to avoid being guilty of telling someone taking the test an answer, as you yourself admit you did it.
As far as learning your lesson, this is not up to you to decide. This is up to your institutions disciplinary committees.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> Am I guilty here?
>
>
>
Unfortunately, the answer is probably yes.
>
> How Can I Avoid this Because I learned my lesson and now I am scared.
>
>
>
Being scared and claiming that one has learned one's lesson are such universal reactions to being caught that I wouldn't expect to get much sympathy on these grounds. Moreover, playing the "I learned my lesson" card is also an implicit admission that you did something wrong. A better strategy is to insist that you did nothing wrong (idiotic as it may sound).
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/04
| 3,738
| 14,958
|
<issue_start>username_0: Good day.
I'm currently a PhD student in computer science. I was married and have a daughter with my former wife. There is a probability that our daughter
will live with me. Could you please tell me is it possible to be successful in academia and to raise a child alone? By "to be successful in academia" I mean eventually to receive a professor position. Could you please share your experience?
Additional details: my university has a kindergarten and I live in Germany. My concerns are more about is it enough to have 9 working hours per day for writing the PhD thesis.<issue_comment>username_1: It certainly is possible. I know a lot of professors who are single parents and they are very successful. At least in the US, it is illegal to discriminate against someone seeking employment based on whether or not they have children, or their marital status (among other categories). You will have to find the balance between your work and personal life.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: **Summary**: The older your child is, the easier it is. But by no means it will be easy. Personally, I don't even think it is possible. I present my own observations to support my claim.
---
I am an early career researcher myself, having just graduated with a PhD in a STEM field. I also got married a year before my dissertation defense and became a parent literally a month before I was to defend and graduate.
First, of course, anything is possible. While I may not personally know of any such success stories, I am sure others here do and I am sure you can google and find a few success stories.
But I will describe what I think is the average case instead of the extreme case, resulting from my own experiences and what I saw around me; friends, colleagues, lab partners, advisors, coauthors, other professors, people I met and got to know in meetings and conferences, people with whom I have interacted during my career...a sample size of 30-ish people.
Grad school is hard. Grad school in a STEM field is really really hard. It is very consuming. It consumes your time, eats into your social life, takes up your mental energy, your physical energy, and your emotional energy. It always has an adverse effect on your mental and physical health unless you are very disciplined and exercise, eat, and sleep regularly.
Likewise, being a parent is hard. Being a good parent is really really hard. Kids demand so much energy and they need so much love and attention. Raising a child is more demanding than going through grad school. If there are two of you, sure it helps. But both parents have to put in a lot in raising a child. Being a single parent is even harder because in a way, you are filling in for both parents.
Now on to hard data! Master's is easier so we will only consider doctoral students and above. These are all in STEM fields. I only know of two cases where they had children before starting doctoral studies. One had three kids, another had one kid. One had already made quite a lot of money on wall street and wanted to come back to school to get a PhD so he didn't worry too much about TAing or financial aid. The other was a typical student. They both did finish successfully but it took them about a year longer than was average in their respective fields. And I want to emphasize that they were both with their partners who were both full-time stay-at-home parents.
Next, I only know of myself and one another student, who had children while in grad school. We both had children very late in our studies, when most of our work was done, a paper or two was published, a paper or two was submitted, the thesis was being written or half done. Every single other person that I know of who wanted to have children, were waiting to graduate or even later to have kids.
I have never known nor heard of (a friend of a friend of a friend) a single case, a single parent who has wanted to start a PhD, or has started a PhD, was/in in a PhD, or has successfully finished a PhD.
In all honestly, I don't think that in your case, you can put up hard boundaries between your personal life and your professional life. How can you separate raising a child as a single parent and work on your computer science PhD? It doesn't matter what hours you decide, nine hours a day or 4 days a week. You will come home and think about your dissertation problem. You will think of your thesis. You will think of the comp sci question you are trying to answer. You will think about big and small inevitable conflicts with your advisor, your lab colleagues, your coauthors, your thesis committee, and whether you'll get a TAship next semester or not. Similarly, how can you stop thinking of your child when at work? What happens when the child is fussy or upset and doesn't want to stay with the babysitter or go to daycare? What if the child gets sick or there is another emergency? You'll run out of your lab without even thinking and there goes your rest of the nine-hour-planned-day out the window.
Furthermore, let's say a miracle happens and you get your nine-hours-a-day workdays. From a 24 hour day, taking out the time for sleep, how much time will you have for yourself? When will you decompress? When will you destress? When will you have time for your physical exercise and mental wanderings and distractions such as your hobbies? How often will you be able to just sit in front of the TV and eat cereal the whole day? When will you relax with your own alone me-time? Without hobbies, exercise, relaxation time, grad school will absolutely kill you. Every single person I know who tried this either dropped out or was an absolute wreck by the time they graduated. And these people were not even parents, much less single parents.
In conclusion, the statistics are against you. Sure, your child's age is a factor which makes it easier the older your child is...but it will still be very hard. You are taking two things which are notoriously difficult and intrude upon every aspect of life, and you want to try them both simultaneously, and hope you can keep them separate and succeed in both. I really wish you the best. Good luck!
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Certainly, the responsibility of being a custodial or sole parent might take away some hours of your research and writing time. On the flip side, raising a child is extremely rewarding and can actually improve one's discipline and focus. Caring for a child can have a civilizing influence!
I will now back up a step and try to imagine what might be going on. Perhaps your daughter's mother is not able to care for her at this time, and your daughter is in need of a different living situation, and perhaps you feel a responsibility to step up and create a home for your daughter, as an alternative to... I'm not sure what, perhaps going to another relative such as a grandparent, or going into foster care. Maybe you are wondering how much of a personal sacrifice would be involved if you were to step forward, in other words, maybe you are wondering whether you would have to choose between taking responsibility for your daughter vs. finishing your PhD.
The only part of this I would be able to answer is that last part. In general, people do not find it necessary to abandon their PhD studies because of childrearing commitments.
As to whether it would be the right choice for you, and for your daughter, I can't say.
Tip: Parenting is always easier when one has a good support network, regardless of how many adults the child lives with. (I do not mean to suggest that you can't do it without a good support network.) If you are seriously considering taking this step, it could be helpful to start building up your support network now. Ways to do that include:
* talking to your relatives and close friends about the project: as you talk this over with them, they may suggest ways they would like to help
* lining up a primary care provider (doctor or pediatrician), and finding out practical things like, do the doctor and nurse have a special phone hour?
* getting recommendations of private babysitters in case you need extra hours beyond the kindergarten hours
* find out which parks and play areas give you a good vibe
* looking for a weekend playgroup where you can interact with other families; you can start to attend already, and start to form relationships with the other parents
Note, my experience with such playgroups is that even if most of the parents who attend are women, men are always welcome. (I say that having attended playgroups in Denmark, Germany, France and the United States.)
A book you might enjoy reading: *Commando Dad: How to be an Elite Dad or Carer, From Birth to Three Years*. You can safely ignore the quasi-military theme, and you can skip the early chapters about baby care. But the general attitude of this book could be helpful for your self-confidence -- which is really the key to parenting.
Please note that there are many ways of being a responsible parent. Being the sole custodial parent is not the only way. I lived in Mexico for a number of years, and saw a huge variety of ways. For example:
* An acquaintance, a mother, sent her child to live with her parents in the countryside for his first five years; and then she brought him to live with her in the city, where she managed a small store. Her son played in the store outside school hours. She felt that the store wouldn't have been the right place for him when he was a baby, toddler and pre-schooler.
* Another acquaintance, a young man, was in high school when his child was born. During his college years, he traveled to his parents' place whenever he had more than three days off school, to spend time with his daughter.
In short, even if you decide that your daughter's primary residence should be somewhere other than with you... I hope you can still find a way to maintain, or build, a relationship with your daughter, even if she is living primarily with someone else -- even a foster parent.
*Personal note: I met my father three times before he died, which happened when I was in my early teens. I am very glad I had those three opportunities.*
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_4: **Summary:** Although it is possible to succeed in academia as single parent/father, it is rather unlikely.
Nonetheless, if you are single parent, then it is probably a good idea to:
1. Build *networks* with other parents (not exclusively in academia).
2. Make strategic use of *institutional support*, like kindergartens, parent-and-child offices or parental leave, which facilitates your work-family balance.
3. Read and learn about the *experience* of other single parent academics.
---
As there is empirical research about the impact of parenting on academic careers of mostly women, there is no need to stick only to anecdotal evidence. I think that much of this research can be generalized to the situation of fathers who actively (and sometimes equally) engage in care work for children. Qualitative research by Sallee (2014) shows that the problems of these more engaged fathers resemble the well-known problems of mother's work-family balance.
Overall, most studies have shown that care for young children lowers women's productivity in terms of publications (Hunter/Leahey 2010). Note that results for the selective group of women engineers and scientists seem more complex. There is no consistent evidence for a motherhood penalty in academia, but there seems to be a fatherhood premium (Kelly/Grant 2012). The latter is likely the result of fathers who work more (to earn more) and take over less child care. Mothers, especially of younger children, show higher levels of family-to-work conflict (Fox/Fonseca/Bao 2011).
Thus, parenting in academia comes with a significant cost. This research applies to careers in academia in general. If you would leave academia after your PhD or a first Postdoc, the productivity loss would be possibly not so problematic. However, it would make it much harder to attain a professorship (especially the hierarchical German system). Single mothers often show up as an especially disadvantaged group in the studies. Probably, single fathers face a similar situation. As a caring father you experience similar constraints as mothers in academia but you would get no equivalent institutional support in form of women's representatives and special funding opportunities.
If you are single parent, then it is probably a good idea to:
1. Build *networks* with other parents (not exclusively in academia).
2. Make strategic use of *institutional support*, like kindergartens, parent-and-child offices or parental leave, which facilitates your work-family balance.
3. Read about and learn from the *experience* of other single parent academics (use e.g. Ward/Wolf-Wendel 2012 as a starter).
---
*Literature about parenting in academia:*
Fox, <NAME>; <NAME>; <NAME> (2011): Work and family conflict in academic science: Patterns and predictors among women and men in research universities. In Social Studies of Science 41 (5), pp. 715–735.
Hunter, <NAME>.; <NAME> (2010): Parenting and research productivity: New evidence and methods. In Social Studies of Science 40 (3), pp. 433–451.
<NAME>; <NAME> (2012): Penalties and premiums: The impact of gender, marriage, and parenthood on faculty salaries in science, engineering and mathematics (SEM) and non-SEM fields. In Social Studies of Science 42 (6), pp. 869–896.
<NAME>; <NAME>; Wolfinger, <NAME>. (2013): Do Babies Matter? Explorations of Place and Belonging. Piscataway: Rutgers University Press.
<NAME> (2014): Faculty fathers. Toward a new ideal in the research university. Albany: State University of New York Press.
*Literature with actual tips:*
<NAME>; <NAME> (2012): Academic Motherhood. How Faculty Manage Work and Family. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: I know it has been a while since this post, but I want to encourage others who may stumble across this. It is possible! I am a single academic mother in STEM. It’s not easy, and you won’t be the top student, most likely. If your advisor is understanding and you are paid it certainly will help. Also do you have to work 9 hour days? Be as efficient as possible. Academia is hard but so are a lot of careers. It has been my experience that, although there are few single parent academics, most academics are pretty empathetic and will understand if you have to flex your schedule at times. Be strong, it can be done if you really want to. Ask for support from family, if possible. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. As your child gets older, she will enjoy traveling with you to conferences and being in an interesting environment when she goes to work with you.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/04
| 1,078
| 4,652
|
<issue_start>username_0: I have a 3 year post-doc position at University A and also have been offered a 3 month post-doc position at Research Institute B. To be precise, the invitation letter from B is worded as follows:
>
> We would like to invite you to spend three months at Research Institute B. For your research work in collaboration with the mathematical community at our Institute, we will offer you a monthly research grant in the amount of XXXX. By accepting this grant you do not become an employee of Institute B.
>
>
>
The position has a flexible time so I can go for any continuous period I like. I would like to accept the invitation and go during the summer so that it doesn't conflict with my teaching duties at A. However there will be a period of about one month of overlap. My idea is to commute during this month, as I only have to teach one day a week at A, and no teaching at B; and it's about a 5 hour train ride. So I could spend about 3 days out of 5 at B and the other two at A, for the period of overlap.
My question is: is it ethical for me to do this? Would I get in trouble with University A or Institute B, if either found out?
I have heard of someone doing something similar, but I don't know the details of how that worked, so I want to be sure that I wouldn't get into trouble for this.<issue_comment>username_1: Grants are not like salary. It is completely unto the conditions of your grant. They can have a condition that makes overlapping grants impossible. But then, you could say no to grant from B and work there on grant A. It should be in your contract, and if not, then there should be no problem. Of course it is good to ask for a permission from your supervisor or such.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: As a department chair at a US university who has on various occasions negotiated these sorts of overlapping/adjacent postdoc arrangements with job candidates, I can tell you that at least in the US (and, I strongly suspect, in many other countries) it would be considered highly unethical to set up an arrangement of this sort without informing and getting the agreement of the directors/department chairs at both institutions A and B, and is very likely to get you into trouble if you are found out (an event which itself seems quite likely, although that is harder to estimate), with possibly very bad consequences for your career. You can be sure that the negative financial effects of those consequences (even assuming money is the only thing you care about, which probably is untrue) would be of a much greater order of magnitude than the extra money you are trying to squeeze out of your third month of stay at Institution B. And keep in mind that this is not just an ethical matter -- at my institution specifically you would certainly be violating some institutional policies, even if in a practical sense you would still manage to meet your teaching obligations. If you are somehow thinking that "it is better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission", please trust me -- this is *not* a situation where that saying applies.
In short, **DON'T DO IT**. Bring the department chairs and/or faculty mentors on board and see how they can help you achieve your goals. As I said, in my department we occasionally try to help postdocs combine their stay at my university with another short-term visit to another institution, and recognize that this can work to everyone's benefit, but it must be done honestly and with the full knowledge and cooperation of all involved parties.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: I don't see much problem here as position in B is flexible. Actually, your bosses/department at A might be even happy to know that you has an opportunity to visit B not on their funding (since it is good collaboration-wise and, most importantly, they pay nothing for that :) There is an issue with your teaching duties at A but there should be windows in your teaching schedule. Another possibility is to formally ask A (i.e. your boss or head of department/faculty) for 3-month research visit to B --your postdoc funding at A can be postponed for three months (typically such postponing is very easy thing if one has a good reason, and making a research visit is definitely a good reason).
Regarding your questions: your suggested one-month overlap scheme with A and B is unethical. I expect that if A finds out that then there would be consequences: imo, you don't lose your three year funding even in the worst case scenario but overall impression in A about you would shift towards 'weird guy'. Indeed, what's the point in hiding a good thing?!
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/04
| 756
| 3,054
|
<issue_start>username_0: I will soon finish my thesis and I researched a lot in this technological area. Basically I want to say: “I have these *n* methods that all didn’t work out; that’s why I’ve decided to pursue *this* final method.” However I’m lacking time for extensively testing all these misleading alternatives, thus I could only state that I barely had empirically tested these hypotheses (which is a bad style to write down in my opinion).
Since part of the thesis is giving a presentation of it, I could imagine to mention all the dead-ends I went in before and describing the difficulties that occurred. But then again I'm not sure if its alright to present data in the presentation that the document never covered.
**Hence**, would it be acceptable to present the methods I didn’t dare to write down (because of the missing tests) as some kind of introduction to my final choice, or is it a total no-go?<issue_comment>username_1: >
> *n+1* methods were trialed; Method X [the one you ended up using] was the most promising [say in what sense], so it was chosen for further study.
>
>
>
I would not *plan* to cover something verbally without documenting it in your written thesis. However, if someone *asks* you about something that's not in your written thesis, you may go ahead and answer to the best of your ability, even if the thesis doesn't have the answer in writing.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> Is it alright to cover additional information in the thesis-presentation than in its document?
>
>
>
No, that would probably not be a good idea.
As mentioned in the comments above, your presentation will be time-limited enough as it is, so wasting precious time in your defense on things that are not covered in your thesis is not a wise choice.
Assuming that your committee members read your thesis beforehand, if they read it carefully enough, they may notice that your presentation contains information not in the thesis text, and that will open up a can of worms that you most assuredly do not want to be dealing with on this very important day in your career.
Having said that ...
>
> basically I want to say I have these *n* methods that all didn't work out, that's why I've decided to pursue *this* final method. However I'm lacking time for extensively testing all these misleading alternatives, thus I could only state that I barley had empirically tested these theses
>
>
>
It sounds like you *should* mention *something* in your thesis text about these other methods; surely, there must be some rationale behind *why* you chose the method you eventually selected, even if you did not extensively test the others.
So, go ahead and add a brief summary of the other methods to your thesis, along with some rationale about why you eventually chose the method you did. Once you do that, you'll be ready discuss this matter briefly during your presentation and be able to confidently provide some much-needed rationale for your choices in your defense.
Good luck.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/05
| 2,822
| 11,522
|
<issue_start>username_0: ### Problem
*This question was triggered by the comments on [this discussion](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/84445/7734), but comments and answers on [these](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/10062/7734)
[questions](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/69588/7734)
confirm the existence of conflicting ideas.*
There seem to be two prevalent interpretations of the word *corresponding author:*
1. The corresponding author is the one who corresponds the (unpublished) paper to the journal, i.e., who performs the technical process of submitting the paper, is available for requests on the review and publishing processes, and so on.
2. The corresponding author is the one who corresponds on the (published) paper with anybody who likes to do so, e.g., because they found an error or like some clarification.
### What I found out so far
Until today, I was only aware of the first interpretation, which was confirmed by my experience: For all papers I submitted, I automatically became the corresponding author and cannot remember that I could choose one of my co-authors for this role. Some of these journals do not even indicate a corresponding author to the reader. Also, there already is a way to indicate that an author is available for questions on the paper (interpretation 2): stating the e-mail address.
On the other hand, other journals do indicate corresponding authorship, which makes little sense for interpretation 1. Also, the value put into this role by some funding agencies for its [implied meaning](//academia.stackexchange.com/q/10062/7734) makes more sense for interpretation 2 (not that I completely agree with it).
Looking for some guidelines from publishers covering multiple fields, I found the following [instructions on denoting the corresponding author](//www.elsevier.com/journals/journal-of-computational-physics/0021-9991/guide-for-authors) from Elsevier¹, which kind-of covers both interpretations:
>
> Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication.
>
>
>
While there are other questions on this site touching this issue, they focus on consequences of the interpretation, such as
[how to assign corresponding authorship](//academia.stackexchange.com/q/18167/7734),
[the implications of corresponding authorship](//academia.stackexchange.com/q/10062/7734), or
[whom to address with a request](//academia.stackexchange.com/q/69588/7734).
### Actual question
What is the **explicit** meaning of the word *corresponding author?* Interpretation 1 or 2 as listed above, both, something else, or is this an extreme example of [academia’s inhomogeneity](//meta.academia.stackexchange.com/a/1212/7734) and the answer depends on the field or publisher? Please answer only if you have more to offer than personal experience and individual journal guidelines. In particular, please address the possibility of a varying meaning.
---
¹ which is separate for each journal, but seems to be identical in content for many journals<issue_comment>username_1: I don't think you're going to find anyone who has the final definition for the term. It is not defined by the law or some government regulation, but instead is a term that is used by speakers in the community who may have different interpretations and nuances on their minds when they use it. As a consequence, I suspect that all you can find is how people *interpret* the term, but you won't get universal consensus. In the current context, it also seems to me that not very much is lost if there is no universal consensus.
To me, and I suspect to most in the community, the "corresponding author" handles both roles: communication throughout the publishing process, and about possible questions. In the past, the corresponding author may also have been the one who has off-prints of the article sitting in his office that a potential reader could request (by mail), but this is no longer happening in times of the internet. Rather, if you have questions, you may contact any of the authors of a paper.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Royal chemical society definition
>
> `On submission of the manuscript, the corresponding author attests to
> the fact that those named as co-authors have agreed to its submission
> for publication and accepts the responsibility for having properly
> included all (and only) co-authors. If there are more than 10
> co-authors on the manuscript then the corresponding author should
> provide a statement to specify the contribution of each co-author.
>
>
> The corresponding author signs a 'licence to publish' on behalf of all
> the authors. Any change in authorship after initial submission must be
> approved by all authors and justified to the editor.
>
>
>
`Duties of corresponding author, described by Willey
>
> The Corresponding author will receive information about proofing directly from the typesetter. Queries should be directed to the Production Editor.
> When the accepted article has been received by Wiley-Blackwell, Author Services will send the corresponding author an e-mail inviting registration in Author Services to track production, and for most journals, for free access to the published article. There may be a short delay from when the editorial office accepts the article and when the alert is sent.Some journals follow a process where all the articles in an issue are sent to the publisher at one time, so the delay for the first few accepted may be several days or weeks. Contact the Production Editor if the delay is more than two weeks.
>
>
>
In page about ***Defining authorship*** by Taylor and Francis company
>
> If an article is written by more than one author, you’ll choose one person to be the corresponding author. This person will handle all correspondence about the article and sign the publishing agreement on behalf of all the authors. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all the authors’ contact details are correct. You should all agree on the order in which your names are published in the article, and ensure that your affiliations are correct, as explained below.
>
>
>
Springer describes duties of the corresponding author as
>
> The corresponding author collects the conflict of interest disclosure forms from all authors. In author
> collaborations, where formal agreements for representation allow it, it is sufficient for the corresponding
> author to sign the disclosure form on behalf of all authors. The corresponding author will include a
> summary statement in the text of the manuscript, in a separate section before the reference list, which
> reflects what is recorded in the potential conflict of interest disclosure form.
> The corresponding author should be prepared to collect documentation of compliance with ethical
> standards and send if requested during peer review or after publication.
>
>
>
My university interpretation.
First author is the one who carries out the bulk of the experiments, while having an important contribution to experimental design, data analysis, interpretation and writing of the paper. The corresponding author is in most cases the principal investigator. He has major contribution in the design of the work, he will supervise experiments, he will verify or even contribute to data analysis and most importantly he will take over most of data interpretation and writing of the manuscript. Of course variations to the above scheme may occur.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: While maybe not a full answer across the fields, in some journals, the papers have a description about what it means.
For example, in IOP papers ([a paper of mine where it does happen](http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2057-1976/2/5/055010/pdf)) it says:
*"Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed."*
Which, considering the paper has already been published, means the correspondence about any further questions one may have about the research/science on the paper. **Note, I did not submit the paper**.
---
However, to give a counter example, IEEE guidelines describe Corresponding author as [(sec 6, page 11)](https://www.ieee.org/publications_standards/publications/authors/author_guide_interactive.pdf):
*The corresponding author is responsible for submitting the
manuscript and managing it through the review and revision
process with the publisher. The corresponding author makes
sure that all authors are kept apprised of the current status of
the work.*
Which could be considered the "submitting author" as in the question linked there.
I guess that the answer is: The definition is not written in stone and different editors/journals use it differently
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: [IEEE](https://supportcenter.ieee.org/app/answers/detail/a_id/1738/%7E/what-is-the-difference-between-contact-author-and-corresponding-author) distinguishes between *contact author* and *corresponding author*:
>
> **Contact Author:** This is the person who is contacted in regards to the submission during the peer-review and production processes.
>
>
> **Corresponding Author:** This is the person who is listed as the author to be contacted in the printed publication.
>
>
>
[PLoS](http://blogs.plos.org/everyone/authors/qa/) states *two types of corresponding authors*:
>
> Please note that the corresponding author for the online submission process can be different from the corresponding author of your published manuscript.
>
>
>
[Copernicus](http://publications.copernicus.org/for_authors/general_terms.html) uses the terms *contact author* and *corresponding author*:
>
> From submission to publication, the authors of a manuscript are formally represented by the registered contact author(s). After publication, the authors of a manuscript are formally represented by the corresponding author(s) specified in the published paper.
>
>
>
Personally, I've seen this differentiation several times. Sometimes the corresponding author is simply a role in the journal system that the submitting author/person can assign to one of the authors during the submission process. The corresponding author might also change during the process.
**Conclusion:**
Some publishers make a difference between the author corresponding with the journal (*submitting/contact author*) and the author corresponding with potential readers of the article (*corresponding author*). Some publishers don't. It's absolutely inhomogeneous and seems also to vary by journal not only by publisher. And it varies over time.
---
**Side note:**
And yes, these publishers are indexed in SCOPUS and Web of Science (Science Citation Index, Thomson Reuters Master Journal List).
Search for the publishers in [SCOPUS](https://www.scopus.com/sources.uri) (select checkbox "publisher") or the [Thomson Reuters Master Journal List](http://ip-science.thomsonreuters.com/mjl/) (TRMJL). The latter includes all journals indexed in Web of Science. Unfortunately, the search in TRMJL is only based on journals and not on publishers. Search for "plos" to see PLOS journals, "ieee" for IEEE journals and e.g. "geoscientific" to see two Copernicus journals. See also [IEEE indexing agreements](http://www.ieee.org/documents/ieee_indexing_agreements.pdf), [Visibility of PLoS](http://journals.plos.org/plosone/static/publish) and [Copernicus metrics](http://publications.copernicus.org/services/journal_metrics.html).
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/05
| 1,537
| 6,630
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am a recent M.Sc. graduate and I have applied for a few PhD programs abroad.
A few months ago, we submitted our paper (which was about my thesis results) to a journal and also uploaded it to a pre-print server. Then, I mentioned the paper in my CV with the status "submitted to journal X". In my Skype meeting with a potential advisor from a university abroad, I mentioned the fact that we submitted the paper and we have not been notified about the result yet. Then, I sent the link of the paper on pre-print server to him according to his request.
Today, I got informed by the journal's editor that our paper got rejected from journal X. Now I don't know if I need to tell this fact to the potential advisor in our next Skype meeting or through other mediums like email? In general, I guess he will not ask about the status of our paper. If he asks about it, I definitely would answer truthfully. But I don't know should I tell him about the rejection even if he does not ask about it?
Actually, the journal quality is very high and we believe that we can publish our paper in another good journal elsewhere. However, the professor is from a different field and he may not know how hard it is to publish in journal X. Thus, I think that this news unfairly ruin my admission chance.<issue_comment>username_1: You don't need to tell them as long as they don't ask. You did not lie in your application, that's all that count.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I don't think that being rejected by a top tier journal of your field should reduce your chances to get the PhD position in any way. Your potential advisor most likely knows this all too well. This is part of the scientific professional life. I would assume that s/he can judge the work you did regardless of his field of expertise our whether it got accepted or not. But if it was well written, presented in a clear and structured way, he or she will appreciate that because it is such an important skill.
You don't need to mention it yourself if you feel uncomfortable about that. However if you want, you can say that you got rejected by X, but think that with the feedback you got you can really improve the manuscript and will try to publish it elsewhere. This will show your motivation. Most likely your advisor will be happy about that.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: I think this question really implies an underlying second question. Breaking it into two parts;
(1) Does getting a paper rejected look bad on your application?
(2) Do you have an obligation to tell your potential advisor?
In regards to (1), the answer is no, not really. Of course, if you had your paper accepted, that would be better...but only marginally. Papers get rejected *all the time*, even really good ones. One almost never gets a paper accepted on the first submission, so taking in the feedback from the reviewers and resubmitting is just a part of the process. Also, keep in mind the professor has already seen the paper. This means they know whether it's a good paper that got rejected as a part of the standard process, or whether it's just such a terrible paper that it will never be accepted. So I wouldn't worry at all about the potential advisor changing their opinion about you based on getting your paper rejected. The only way it would be very problematic is if you said something like "my paper got rejected and it hurt my ego so much I don't want to ever submit again" (PhD's require determination), or "my paper got rejected by a bunch of simpletons who clearly don't understand how great my work was" (arrogance is probably one of the harder traits to deal with in a grad student). On the other hand "my paper got rejected, but the reviewers pointed out a few ways I could clarify/improve my work so I'm going to fix it up and re-submit" is a **great** attitude to have.
In light of my response to (1), I think (2) is not such a big deal either way. I don't think you need to immediately email your potential advisor and tell him the news, that would be kinda weird. If he asks about the paper, you should certainly tell him. Whether you want to tell him if he doesn't ask is up to you. Personally, I think discussing that it got rejected and that you want to resubmit after cleaning it up shows a good attitude, so I would push for that. For example:
Maybe future advisor: "So what's new since last time we talked?"
You: "Well, just got back the decision on the paper we talked about. It got rejected, but the reviewers pointed out that I need to work on X and Y. So I'm going to clean it up and resubmit."
Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with not discussing it if it doesn't come up in conversation either.
Side note: if the above conversation leads to an engaging discussion about the merits of X and Y with your potential advisor, that's just about the best interview you could have in regards to finding out how the advisor/student relation will work between the two of you.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: There are no rejected papers
----------------------------
Assuming that you're doing proper research with no shenanigans, there are no rejected papers - there are just papers that aren't accepted yet, either because they need some more work or they had been submitted to a place that's wrong for that paper (either focus or ranking-wise).
Yes, generally a paper that's awaiting review with unknown status is considered more valuable than a paper with a known negative review, but 'Rejected' is a status of the editor/journal workflow, not generally a status in the workflow of authoring a paper.
Report on what you did or are doing
-----------------------------------
For a potential advisor, the current "paper count" isn't as important as knowing how you handle your research work. What you need to do here is (a) take appropriate actions depending on what exactly your reviews said, which in some cases might even mean simply resubmitting the exact same paper to a less selective venue; and (b) report to the advisor on what you did/are doing and what is the *current* status of the paper.
"Rejected" is a meaningful status only if the review made you understand that the effort should be cancelled - otherwise it's just a limbo for a few days while you make a decision on how to proceed. When you report the paper status, it *should* be e.g. "submitted to the other journal", "rewrite of section Y as per reviewers suggestions", "ongoing extra experiments to clarify effect Z" or something like that. Of course, it also should be that way in practice.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/05
| 1,151
| 4,512
|
<issue_start>username_0: **A**, **B** — my current bosses. **X** — my ex-boss.
**A** — I've spent a semester on sabbatical at the institution of **X**. Here is some data I produce. You have to write 2 papers.
**Me** (after 3 month, working completely independent; I am on the stage of the scientific career that does not need any supervision) — Here is your paper (*it will be probably submitted to a top journal*).
**B** — Very good, only 2 corrections. Add *this* to the acknowledgements and **X** to the authors list.
**Me** — **X** contributed nothing to the work. Besides, (s)he has already taken advantage of my dfg project and made everything possible that (s)he becomes the formal supervisor of the phd student funded by my project (see this [post](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/42708/as-a-postdoc-how-to-deal-with-supervisor-who-keeps-trying-to-involve-my-student)). Why should I add (her)him?
**B** — I need a paper with (her)him so that (s)he writes me a reference letter, don't you know I am looking for a prof. position.
**A** — You have to add **X** to the list of authors, haven't I told you that I spent a semester there. Besides, it is good for **B**'s career.
With uneasy mind I have done what I am told to do. My health is more precious to me... However, I am recurrently coming back to this issue. Have I done everything right?
---
**Comments in response to questions (edited)**
----------------------------------------------
Thank you all for very active participation and numerous questions.
Unfortunately, I cannot provide more information as requested. The question can be closed as unclear, however, I do not want to reveal my identity.<issue_comment>username_1: You'd add X for the same reasons you're adding A and B.
A and B are your bosses, and supervise / advise / host you. Probably they also provide a lot of infrastructure and what I would call "institutional knowledge". Are you sure X wasn't doing anything like that for B?
Also, you sound a little bit hostile (because you think X took your ideas). Hostility doesn't get you anywhere, and this isn't a fight where you were going to win anything. Even if this is an ethical dilemma, you made your case and the decision has to be made by A and B.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: There are a couple of clauses in your question which you may want to reconsider.
* *I worked completely independent* — did you? You wrote a paper working on your own, which is indeed a big achievement. However, you've been working with data, and the data have been obtained by **A** in the lab run by **X**. This definitely does not sound like a *completely independent* work to me.
* *X contributed nothing to the work* — did s/he not? They set up and run a lab, where the data have been obtained. Could you write the same paper without the data **A** collected? Could **A** collect the data without **X**'s lab?
The arguments above do not necessarily mean that **X** should co-author the paper, but this is a matter of agreement between all collaborators. In ideal world, this should be discussed before the project is started; in reality, discussions like you've had are often held too late into the process, and the frustration you're feeling is understandable. Be strong — you will be a completely independent researcher one day very soon, and hopefully you will manage your projects and relations in much more thoughtful and transparent way. Until then it is best not to waste your life in such battles.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: Neither of the arguments brought forth to justify X’s authorship is valid. Hosting another researcher’s sabbatical, being the possible author of a reference letter, or being good for somebody’s career are far from valid reasons for authorship.
As others noted, it may be that X actually did something worthy of authorship with respect to acquiring the data. But this poses the question why A and B did not bother to bring this good argument for X’s authorship. Thus we have to assume that this was not the case (or A and B do care so little about authorship ethics that they do not even know how to base arguments on it).
>
> Have I done everything right?
>
>
>
It was A, B, and X who abused their power over you to make you do this and they are the main culprits. Sure, you could have not complied, but at what cost? How much guilt this imposes on you is a question of fundamental ethics and beyond the scope of this platform.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/05
| 1,003
| 4,265
|
<issue_start>username_0: We are from Kuwait. Our university often has many foreign professors visiting for extended periods.
In my particular department, the head has now begun rejecting professors from the US, and starting to send those back who are here already, the reason being that this is in response to the immigration ban imposed on Muslims from certain countries (however not Kuwait) by the US.
How should one deal with this as a student in this department? My first reaction was that this is obviously wrong and unfair, but I know from my advisor that the department head also feels that it is unfair to the rest of the world's professors that Americans can ban others from entering their country, but in turn can themselves go almost anywhere they want. So it is according to him a fair policy.<issue_comment>username_1: You, as a student, cannot do anything about this other than being heard to be appreciative of those American professors who have taught you. If we assume that the presence of American professors was an asset to your university, those above the department head will notice. You can hope they will take appropriate action.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: As a student, unfortunately there is probably nothing you can do about the situation -- except to remind yourself that one day you might be in a position of power and influence yourself, and able to do things differently.
Things might be different if there were was a particular American professor you wanted to invite to campus for academic reasons. In that case I would express to your chair that you understand his concerns, but talk about what you hoped to gain academically from such a visit.
The immigration ban is strongly opposed by many American academics. If there iss someone particular you would like to invite, you might ask if he/she has done anything to fight the ban (e.g. calling one's senators, participating in protests, donating to the ACLU). In such a situation, your chair might be willing to reconsider.
That said, I would not recommend pushing the issue hard if at all. You are still a student, and as such you don't have a lot of political clout.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Here are some ideas for you to think about. I don't know which, if any, would be safe and comfortable for you. Please check your university's policies, and ask for advice from fellow students and trusted professors, before going out on a limb!
* Speak privately to the visitors who have been asked to leave, expressing your regret.
* Arrange for remote collaboration with the visitors who will be leaving, and the candidates who are being rejected for visits.
* Propose a position statement to a student organization or a campus-wide organization.
* Organize an anti-Trump demonstration. Perhaps you could invite some professors from the U.S. to participate.
* Meet with some university official above your department head -- this might be more effective if you did this with some like-minded colleagues.
* Put a sign on your office door, or where you live, as many private citizens are doing in the U.S. now, for example, "All Are Welcome Here."
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: The entry ban as currently implemented is temporary in nature. It is fundamentally a move in a political game internal to the USA, as the new president attempts to realign his country's power bases.
The ban will eventually, probably in 30 to 90 days, be replaced by a relatively more considered foreign policy. No one, not even The Donald himself, knows what that policy will be.
Therefore I must counsel patience. As a student, you must be doubly patient. You must wait through the period while the real new USA foreign policy emerges, then wait for your university staff and administration to back down from their impatient reactions, and wait some more while the real new university policy emerges. Then you can usefully respond to something that is more than short-lived noise.
The American people, wildly unpredictable even in the best of times, are presently rioting in the streets. Your department head is wasting his time trying to formulate a sane response to the policy decisions a great nation currently in the throes of a political tantrum.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/05
| 298
| 1,300
|
<issue_start>username_0: Why do supervisors normally tell potential PhD students that they don't have funding, hence they can't accept students? does that mean the stipend? I thought stipend is paid through the department?
could someone clarify for me.<issue_comment>username_1: Depending on your country, there may be different kinds of funding, including positions where you're an employee of the university/state/country. Such positions are usually owned by an individual professor. This is different from other funding sources that are not owned by individual professors, like stipends.
So, when you ask a professor if you can be her PhD student, without specifying a funding source, she may assume you're asking if she has a funded position readily available. In this situation, the answer is often no.
In addition, "no funding available" *can* also be a polite way of declining, if there are actually other reasons for saying no.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Departmental stipends may not be enough, and are highly variable from one university to the next, and indeed from one department to the next. Hence, the specific reasons are highly variable. Moreover, such stipends may be paid *through* the department but might still come from a researcher's research grant(s).
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/05
| 653
| 2,711
|
<issue_start>username_0: Say there is an influential and popular research professor who is moving up fast in his research areas - and that he heads a big research group at his school. Then he gets an offer that he can't refuse - from a big time university. He leaves six months or so later, bringing some of his doctoral students with him, too. In general, has this professor burned his bridges with his former university? I imagine he is bringing a lot of talented grad students and grant money in to the new school - and a lot of grant money is leaving the old school.<issue_comment>username_1: In principle no but in practice the decision to leave may lead to some tensions, even if @Karl and @Dan Romick rightly point out that it should not be so.
There is always a element of risk involved in hiring someone: a department has usually invested some time and committee work to hire this person, possibly had to lobby the administration for the position, may have supported this faculty with teaching buyouts so she/he could establish a research program. When this investment suddently disappears, very few will normally congratulate themselves at the thought of starting the process again (especially if the competition to hire the faculty now leaving was hot, and there were multiple good candidates).
Many no doubt will be sad to see a friend leave: there is no more reason to burn bridges than if a good neighbor moved to a new town.
Of course there are people who are truly hated (for legitimate or jealous reasons) and everyone's happy to see them go. In the same category some researchers feel they are not getting the support they rightly (in their minds) deserve. In these rarer cases, the departure can be acrimonious.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: In general, **no**, it is not a problem to leave to a new position after some month. The colleagues know how the game goes and could be in the same situation.
However, in practice it depends very much on the special situation. Some examples where leaving after a short period of time are:
* Being hired on the promise to build a workgroup in a new field that is not present at the department.
* Being hired to teach a special much needed class.
* You promised to submit a large grant proposal that would boost the universities standing if successful (e. g. NSF centers, DFG Sonderforschungsbereich or such).
* You got a large startup funding, spend a lot of money on specific equipment, that is of no use to anybody else.
* You started to supervise many students and other colleagues have to step in to help out.
Probably there are more things, but the bottom line is "Don't be a jerk and you'll be fine".
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/06
| 2,034
| 8,448
|
<issue_start>username_0: Suppose I have devised a way to cheat at cards, exams or any other situation in which secret communication with other people or machines provides unfair advantage. The method is novel and uses original technology and algorithms such that I think they might be worthy of a scientific publication.
The method is *not* a mathematical trick to solve a game while sticking to the rules, in which case I would see no ethical issue with publishing it. Think more of a method to remotely stream answers of a test directly into the retina without anyone else noticing.
I wonder if it would be unethical to publish this method in an academic journal. I personally feel strongly against cheating at exams, a little less strongly about cheating at cards but still, I wouldn't like to be making cheaters' life easier.
In their book "Beat the Market" Thorp and Kassouf write about why they published their method to edge their stock market investments. While the situation is different since using maths to make money is neither illegal nor unethical, some of their arguments might hold in my case.
In short, they say that they chose to publish their trick because **other people will figure it out eventually**, so:
* They might as well get credit for it.
* If everyone knows the technique, it becomes easier to replicate, detect and prevent.
* As Syndrome from *The Incredibles* would say: ["When everyone's super, no one will be."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYmHYQPaHaw)
Any other things I should be considering?
Let's ignore the legal aspects of that process since they are boring and off topic.<issue_comment>username_1: Are there any less ethically dubious applications of your algorithm? I take it this is an incidental finding if you find cheating so unethical. If your main intention is to publish the method, perhaps it world be better to emphasise these other applications?
Either way, I'd recommend publishing anyway. Aside from prescedence and contributing to the literature being good for your career, it may also benefit those working to detect and reduce such unethical conduct. As you say, it's very possible someone less hesitant to use it will discover it so people who could prevent it being misused may as well be aware of it too.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I can’t really tell you what to do with that vague level of detail, but I can give you an example.
There seems to be a team at the Ben-Gurion University in Israel that regularly comes up with obscure ways to transmit data to devices not connected via any network connection.
Stuff like:
* [DiskFiltration: Data Exfiltration from Speakerless Air-Gapped Computers via Covert Hard Drive Noise](https://arxiv.org/pdf/1608.03431v1.pdf),
* [SPEAKE(a)R: Turn Speakers to Microphones for Fun and Profit](https://arxiv.org/pdf/1611.07350v1.pdf),
* and [many many more](http://cyber.bgu.ac.il/tags/air-gap-0).
The only uses I see for that stuff is to either help malware authors and intelligence agencies or make people aware of this communication channels to increase security.
If your findings are anything like this, I don’t see a problem.
**Update**
After you clarified it's about *a method to remotely stream answers of a test directly into the retina without anyone else noticing*:
There are a lot of uses for such a technique which are not related to cheating. Pick some of them as motivation, and then later in your paper describe how this could also be used for cheating. Maybe give hints what some mitigation measures could be.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I'd go by precedents set by large companies such as Google. If you know of specific companies/organisations who would be affected by it, give them a notice period before you publish. After that, publish as you normally would.
Problems don't get resolved unless people are aware of them. If your cheat comes from the actual process, then the process needs to be changed. If it's not, then you've invented a valuable new technique.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: "Cheating" does not warrant a scientific publication, because cheating only works in the dark. Once people know, they disqualify you if you try it, and what's good in a publication that makes itself obsolete the second it is online? Other (non-scientific) magazines might of course like to tell their readers.
(I'm not talking about a cheat that is not really about a specific game, but includes the discovery of a more general human trait or similar.)
If your trick is NOT against the current rules, but you just have understood something about the game that noone else has, then of course it's worth publishing. If the game does have some reputation among academics, that is. Chess, checkers, roulette are fine, some esoteric role-play game from last year probably not. ;-) But if your trick is sufficiently new and scientific, you should be able to transfer the principle.
That's of course generally necessary: You have to show how the principle of your trick is something new and undiscovered, or how it is a transfer from an unrelated subject. If it is bound to the special (faulty) rules of "Monopoly", it's not going to get a lot of scientific interest, and should go to a journal for professional gamblers or similar.
(Ethics is totally irrelavant. Someone else will have the same idea, and use it. It might be ethical to give some people advance notice, but that's hard to decide, as they could also make illegitimate profit with it. Same problem as with security leaks in software.)
(After reading the update to the question: Write the paper about the general technique, and put a notice in it how it could be abused.)
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_5: You have created a novel method is that uses original technology and algorithms for secret communication with other people or machines.
The uses are not limited to cheating.
Someone that may use it to cheat has chosen to cheat.
If there are legitimate uses then focus on them and publish or sell it.
If the only use is to cheat then follow your ethics. And check with a lawyer. You may have created a method that is against some law - but I doubt it.
As far as poker pretty much any information sharing would be cheating. No coaching when the player is in a hand (one player to a hand) and no collusion. In most (if not all jurisdictions) even use of a computer or calculator is not allowed. Even compiling of advanced statistics can be against the rules. For even online play the analytics are limited. It is typically limited to raw data with very limited statistics and cannot recommend a play or give outcome of a line of play. If a good player had access to analytics available in tools today it would be a big difference. The tools alone are not illegal - using them during play is.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: **Every research that contains some information can both help and be abused.** It's not the research author, but rather the research user who can misuse the research.
I would just say that you shall try to present the findings in an unbiased way. I mean, what you find seems to be about secret communication between a computer and human, and not *a priori* about cheating. So just write the paper in this way.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: Say you have found an undocumented hole in https protocol. Are you sure that you are the only one ever before and ever after who found that hole? No, you aren't!
Now you have three options.
1. Exploit it for your personal benefit.
2. Leave it as is and wait for someone else to decide on their own.
3. Describe the hole and make it public.
Option one is unethical. Option two is alibism.
In optin three anyone, who read the documentation, can exploit the hole you have found. **But** https devs can read it as well and have the chance to fix that hole.
The ones that do not use fixed protocol can be exploited and it is their problem, they were warned. And exploits will be succesfull only when obsolete version is used.
Back to your actual question: Describe the method you have found. Describe many uses of it including the cheating. I can assure you that there is someone (including you) that will find ways how to prevent such method for cheating or making it useless.
When grading, the examiner can allow this method and expect students to use it. Then accomodate the test to this new options.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/06
| 510
| 1,925
|
<issue_start>username_0: I'm at a conference and I really enjoyed a plenary lecture by a speaker.
His work resonated with some of the stuff I have been working on myself.
I have a Journal Club presentation coming up soon in my lab and I'm planning to present a few of his recent papers along with other perspectives in the field. Would it be ok to ask for a selfie at the conference dinner to put in the presentation?
In general, is it acceptable to ask scientists for selfies? I doubt that it matters, but the field in question is protein chemistry.<issue_comment>username_1: Here is a better idea.
Ask if you can have your picture taken with them. Ask someone else to hold the camera/phone.
And don't ask at the dinner, ask before or after if the opportunity presents itself. Don't be *that guy* that pushes through people to ask someone for a photo op.
Tell them how much you liked their lecture, etc.
Also, just to cover all bases a [Forbes article on business dining etiquette](http://www.forbes.com/sites/robasghar/2014/05/27/dining-etiquette-the-business-meal-as-a-test-of-character/#38432da3559a) The list at the end is the biggest thing to pay attention to.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Yes, it is acceptable. I heard a rumor that scientists are human beings. I have not been able to confirm it, but it seems like a plausible assumption, and if you are willing to accept this as a working hypothesis, it follows that it is acceptable to behave around them as you would with other human beings.
In particular, most human beings are flattered if you approach them with excitement and admiration and ask to have your photo/selfie taken with them because you want to brag to your friends (or whoever) about meeting them, and would either happily agree or (less likely, but possible) politely refuse. Scientists - even protein chemists! - are no exception to this rule.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/06
| 333
| 1,473
|
<issue_start>username_0: Are there some reasons to include them besides a historical tradion? Let's assume that it's not a requirement by the publisher.
There are some answers (such as [this](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/49095/32707)) which claim that keywords basically do not matter. However, I wonder if there are some empirical results or conflicting opinions on this. Perhaps they help with search engines?
My field is computer science, publishing mostly in IEEE conferences. Feel free to share experiences from other fields.<issue_comment>username_1: The answer you linked to actually lists two reasons, why keywords DO make sense (esp. number two) ;)
I always assumed that the keywords you specify in the webinterface during submission are the important ones, that will be used to catalog your submission. I do not think that the ones you specify on the title page are of any relevance nowadays. Thus, if you are asking about the keywords on the tile page, in order to shorten your publication by removing them, I guess this is reasonable, unless the formatting guidlines of the conference explicitly states them as needed.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Here's one reason to include them:
In some fields, like biology, naming convention are lacking. You might use a specific word for a process, while other groups use another. By stating this other word in your keywords, researchers using that word will find your article/conference.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/06
| 426
| 1,831
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am interested to know, whether an advance stage PhD student (without thesis submission) can apply for post doc positions or not?<issue_comment>username_1: For postdocs that are publicly advertised, read the advertisement. Typically it will say something like "Candidate must have completed PhD before starting date MM-DD-YYYY." That means you can apply before you are finished, but your application will have to convince them that you will be done before MM-DD-YYYY. If you're offered the job but then don't finish your degree on time, you may lose the job. (It is possible, but not guaranteed, that you could be given the option to delay your start until after you defend; or to be hired under a different title, usually with lower pay, until you defend.)
For postdocs that are not publicly advertised, where you have to contact the PI to express interest, your initial contact message can say something like "I am finishing my PhD at (name of school), working with (name of advisor), and I expect to defend in MM-YYYY." If they respond positively, you'll know that's acceptable, and can go on with a full application if needed.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Yes of course, not only you can but you *should* apply for postdoc positions before defending your phd, if you plan to stay in academia.
Postdoc positions are generally advertised several months before the starting date, so as long as you can convince your futur employer than you will defend your phd in due time it should be fine.
Moreover finding a postdoc position is much easier when you are a phd student (even before thesis submission) with money to travel to conferences, an academic email address, people around you to advise you and write recommendation letters for you, than when you are an unemployed doctor!
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/06
| 5,577
| 24,076
|
<issue_start>username_0: In a [comment](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/84388/how-to-deal-with-uninterested-students-during-an-optional-exercise-session/84398?noredirect=1#comment211879_84398) on another question Josef shared an anecdote.
>
> And just another anecdote: A few weeks ago, there was a question hour at the last lecture timeslot before the exam. About ~25 of more than 120 people taking the course where there. Nobody actually had a question. All just wanted to hear the other questions...
>
>
>
I have seen this many times. Sometimes the lecturer can push students and someone will ask "what will be in the exam?" which is obviously useless and just makes the lecturer restate what (usually) is already told multiple times about content and procedure of the exam.
What should the lecturer do in such a case?
Technically it seems correct to just say "if you have no more questions, the session is over" and go home.
Yet there are times when the lecturer had to commute to this specific lecture and it seems travel-time spent in vain if nothing is actually done.
Students have also come in hopes that the session will help them prepare for exam. And usually the average question-session student is above the average from all the courses students, and lecturers don't like to let down the more interested and responsible students who assumed they don't want to miss this event. And usually this is what happens - the lecturer tries to improvise and talk on some subjects that seems more tricky/useful for the lecturer.
What are the best strategies so the lecturer could actually make the "question" session worth the attendees time?
I know it isn't good to broaden the question intentionally, but solid plans how to prepare and avoid the no-question situation at all are also welcome here.<issue_comment>username_1: Your students want to learn (otherwise they wouldn't have shown up), but don't have any specific questions. It sounds like they want a general review of subject material with specific regard to the test. If you have a test from previous years that covers the same material, you could work out selected problems from that exam with the class. When doing a specific example, I am sure there will be questions that will come up more readily than when holding a wide-open Q&A session.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Some specific suggestions:
* You likely know what material the students have been having issues with, based on questions from lecture, office hours, previous homework sets, or whatever. Mention those topics and review them.
* Instead of asking for broad-based questions, go over the syllabus lecture by lecture, calling out specific topics by name and asking whether there was any issues with each of those. It'll help prime their memory.
* Ask the TAs to attend. If that's not possible, ask them to send you common questions ahead of time. They also know what the students are finding difficult.
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_3: A big issue is that they're reticent to be "that person" who monopolizes the time with their questions. They're also concerned about revealing their ignorance to their peers - despite the probability that their peers likely have similar ignorance. Hence this is why you're getting 25 students attending an optional review session, all hoping someone else asks the questions. An added wrinkle is that they're probably hoping you reveal what's on the test, and don't want to inadvertently waste time asking questions about things that are not going to be on the test.
Just because it's a review session for the explicit purpose of asking questions doesn't mean that your students aren't still students. As you're probably aware, students are (generally) *horrible* at in-class participation unless you explicitly construct the environment to encourage it. So I'd recommend pulling out the same bag of tricks you use during normal lectures to encourage class participation.
**One I like is the awkward pause.** We, as lecturers, tend to fill space. Typically it's less than a second between asking "Are there questions?" and then saying something else. You need to wait a good 5-6 seconds after asking before saying your next thing. This gives students time to organize their thoughts and get up the courage to respond. The length of the pause is going to feel awkward and you'll need to fight the temptation to fill the silence. -- That's a good thing. The students will feel the same awkwardness and feel the same temptation - and hopefully succumb by asking a question.
**You also should lower the stakes.** One reason they don't ask is because they're afraid of looking like the unprepared one to their peers. (Yes, despite the explicit purpose of this session is to prepare them.) You need to re-phrase the purpose of the session such that they know it's not just for the bumbling incompetent. This can be rather simple:
* Anyone have any questions? (*\*mumbling\* "No."*)
* So we don't need this review section? (*\*murmured disagreement\**)
* Everyone has this stuff down cold? You are all going to get perfect scores on the test? (*\*vocal disagreement\**)
* There's not *any* topic you want to know better? (It's important to emphasize the "any" here.)
At this point I'm guessing that someone will ask a question, or point to a particular topic they think they should know better. You've just lowered the stakes. It's no longer about playing catch-up for the woefully unprepared, it's now something that's useful for anyone who isn't confident they'll get a perfect score (which is probably everyone who showed).
**Take an anonymizing approach.** They're worried they'll make a fool of themselves in front of their peers or you by revealing that they're ignorant. (Or worse, revealing that they think they're ignorant on some trivial point.) Remove that fear by asking them anonymously. Have them write things down on pieces of paper, and pass them forward without names. Directly asking for questions might not help much if they don't have well formed questions, but you can get around this some by providing a prompt like "Write down what you think the three most important topics for the class are, and how confident you are on your knowledge of them on a scale of 1-5."
You can then get the students' responses and quickly skim through them for topics where a number of people are expressing doubts. (Even if it's only a 4/5.) Then present that topic to the group as one where a number of people are struggling. This will likely prompt people to ask questions about the topic. But if not, you can always take a "peer teaching" approach by asking someone to volunteer a summary of the topic, which should segue nicely into questions. Even if not, you can summarize the summary, highlighting things that they got right and filling in the blanks where things are missing or slightly incorrect. (To encourage participation, be sure to emphasize points where they got things right, and minimize drawing attention to where they got things wrong while still correcting the summary.)
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_4: My usual approach is to begin with a summary of what all the topics are that will be covered by the exam. Or, as I put it, "Here's a list of all the things that you've forgotten we talked about." That serves to break the ice, lower the stakes (as suggested by username_3), and prime their memory about specific topics (as suggested by username_2). After that, I usually get plenty of questions to fill up the time, though I occasionally have to wait them out through an awkward pause (as discussed in username_3's answer).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: If you don't manage to stimulate questions by the methods mentioned in other answers, you can certainly end the review session early. But *you* shouldn't go home.
Announce that you'll stay until the end of the scheduled time, in case anyone has a question they'd like to discuss individually. Sometimes students do have questions but are too shy to ask them in front of everyone, or they think their question wouldn't be interesting or relevant to other students (though usually they are wrong about that). Also, since question sessions are often scheduled outside regular class time, some students may have to show up late; you want to still be there.
This also helps keep you from being perceived as "lazy" by the students.
You can also say "I'll be in my office if anyone thinks of more questions", so that if nobody comes you can get some other work done. But be sure to leave a note on the classroom door for latecomers!
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: Consider drafting an optional block of exercises or applications to do together if this happens in a period. I've used fairly simple conceptual exercises from a completely novel perspective (not a direction they've seen before); or possibly a scan of vocabulary, fill-in-the-blank, or find-the-error questions from the book.
Or even possibly an entirely new optional lecture topic. On the one hand, these are more dedicated students; on the other hand, desire to focus on the test may make them restless in this scenario.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: One technique I have used for this situation (in addition to other other fine suggestions in other answers) is to collect an FAQ list from sessions in previous years. If it all goes quiet and I don't want to force the direction of the material, I show them some of the Frequently Asked Questions (sans answers) and see if any of those questions pique their curiosity. I also include silly questions in the list.
They then may vote for or point at one of the items of the FAQ and the discussion can start.
In the first year of operation I seeded the FAQ myself.
You may find this useful also.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_8: Here's a list of my tips. The formulations may be a bit exaggerated, but you probably get the points…
* **Phrase right.** The phrasing of your own question makes a huge difference. Do *not* ask "Does anybody has questions?". Why not? First: The only correct answers are "Yes" or "No". While this sounds stupid and no student would ever answer with "yes" (one even more so for "no") it still is correct. Second: It sounds like having a question would be something special. Also, I would not recommend to ask "What questions do you have?". I would recommend to start the question session with: "Now we have time for all question you might have about the material. Please go ahead and ask your questions." This makes it clear, that it is perfectly normal that there are indeed questions, and that you very much expect to answer questions.
* **Announce early** so that the students can prepare.
* **Rewards.** Once I had the question session at the same date when I had print out of the lecture notes ready. I started the question session and when the first guy asking a question I first answered the question, said "Thanks for the question! Here have a copy of the lecture notes." I did not say anything more about that (in fact, I had announced earlier that everybody will get lecture notes) but still, it sparked more questions, and the students noticed, that questions are appreciated. Also other small rewards like sweets can be used (haven't done that myself, but people told me that it works, too).
* **Give the students time to think.** After you said "Now it's time for your questions." you should wait in silence. Don't say anything more to encourage questions for some time. And with that I don't mean 5 to 10 seconds (which would actually feel like a long time for you) and I also don't mean 30 seconds (which feels like eternity for you) but I mean 1 to 5 minutes. I am serious. Think about it - how long does it take to formulate a question in case you aren't prepared? (And it seems like the students came unprepared…) I have been in questions session where there have been a few minutes silence (believe me, I looked at the watch) before the first question came, but then the questions kept coming… In some cases you may sense (after a minute or so) that further encouragement could be helpful. I would not suggest to say the same thing again, but
* **Make clear that questions are for the students benefit and their responsibility.** To put it bluntly: "If nobody has any question, then I do not have any answers." I actually say that in class, and it helps. If there are really no questions, follow the suggestion by username_5.
* **Do not ask questions and answer them yourself.** Once once you started to ask a question for the students, answer it or review some material on your own, the students will be back to "lecture mode". They'll takes notes, think about what you say, but will be passive again. I also had question session that ended with no questions and that was that. If this happens to you, it would be good, if the students would get a second chance to ask questions. An alternative approach could be, to ask extremely simple questions (well, you may think that they are extremely simple…) and wait until somebody from the audience answers. When I ask questions, and nobody answers, I usually say "okay, well have to leave this here, but if you have any answer at a later time, feel free to interrupt" or "okay, we may come back to this question at a later time".
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_9: I've done this before: Show questions that were given on previous exams.
In the case of essay questions, I've also shown some answers that were given by students, and explained why one answer was scored higher than another. This gives the students a better idea of what I'm looking for in an answer to an essay question.
Other problems can be given to students to work out in pairs, with a class discussion afterwards.
In other words, if no one has any questions, simply say, "Okay, then - if you don't have any questions for me, then I have some questions for you," and give them some problems that do a good job representing the kinds of things they might find on the exam.
I've found this to be effective, but you'll have to do more prep work than you usually do. However, at least you'll have a backup plan if the student-led discussion goes nowhere. Moreover, the real up-front work comes early on. Once you have a library of sample or former questions to draw from, those can keep getting reused from year to year.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_10: First, I warn the students in advance that these sessions will be entirely based around their questions, and that I will *not* be preparing any specific material for them.
At the revision session itself, I start with a quick reminder of the major topics that we've covered in the course (i.e., that the exam will cover) so that students have a "menu" to choose from. I then take as many questions as students come up with, recording them on the board, *before answering any*.
I find that the "menu" is a good way of getting students started asking questions. Once somebody starts, either others agree that topic X would be a good one to revise – which helps me to know that it is worth spending some time on it – or they see that no-one has asked about their own bugbear, topic Y. Either way, it doesn't take long to gather enough questions to last the whole session. Then I can choose to answer in whatever order makes most sense – by topic, or easiest ones first, or whatever.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_11: One of my professors used to hold "Online Office Hours" on Sunday afternoons from the comfort of his living room couch.
The Software used was [Adobe Connect](http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html) (no affiliation on my part) and allowed him to use his Ipad as a streaming and doodling device.
Questions could be asked either by typing in a chat box (this grants anonymity and makes it easier for insecure students to ask) or by voice as in any conference call.
All in all doing it like this may lower the bar for actively participating and as an added benefit you do not need to commute.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_12: This is somewhat echoed by other answers, but only as part of a longer list of suggestions. From past experience, I think it's crucial to:
1. Tell students well ahead of time that they're expected to bring
questions, and that you're not supplying pre-packaged material.
2. Nicely point out after asking, "Who has the first question?" that
you're willing to wait silently for as long as it takes. This can be
minutes! After facing ~30 seconds of silence, I've suggested to
students that they talk to other students near them for a few
minutes, and come up with questions. This works well.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_13: You can ask the students to send questions to you before the session and go over them during the question session. This way students have more time to phrase their questions, and don't have to be the one that asks "dumb" questions in front of their peers.
You can also communicate beforehand that if there are no questions send at all before a certain deadline (say, one day before the question session) you will cancel the question session to not waste anyone's time.
This is what some of my professors did, and I feel that this way there are more questions than in other question sessions.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_14: You can propose:
* One extra point for them who asks dull question.
* Two extra points for them who asks good question.
* No point for them without question.
You can also set up open and anonymous forum, where students can chit-chat and discuss the subject. Join it after some time, one month perhaps, and answer as many questions as you can/want. Serious ones seriously, funny ones funny, but correct, way. Bring some of them to the Q&A session.
Joingly...
When I came to university when we were leaving sequences and upgrading to functions our math professor stated, that he was bored and generated pi for us to show us what real numbers are. When he showed fifth slide full of digits, he had had to be really bored, he covered the small ellipsis in the end and said "And this is just rational number... I was also so bored that I changed one digit... Who will be the first one to find it?"
He got the answer right before midnight. And confirmed it at 3 AM.
He gave us all the questions in the exam. All 12 000 of them. In Q&A sessions we can discuss them, and we were. The sessions took 3 hours each...
This was the best course I have attended so far.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_15: Adding to R.M's suggestion about taking the anonymizing approach. Google Slides has this feature called [Slides Q&A](https://blog.google/products/docs/slidesqa/) which lets the audience ask question whenever they like anonymously or by name. In my experience, this has increased the amount of questions asked in lectures. The lecturer can now choose when to answer certain questions and filter out less important questions.
But an other suggestion is to let the students set up an agenda before even inviting to a question session. This can be announced a week ahead and that if enough problems, topics or other discussions are submitted by mail, you will set up a extra lecture for preparing for the exam. This will change the format of the sessions a bit, but will most likely get the students to state what they need help with.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_16: Ask them to send you questions in advance, and begin the session with questions received in advance. Include in the announcement of the Q&A session that you will spend the first *n* minutes on those questions. Those questions and their answers will likely inspire more questions and get the session going. (If no-one actually sends you a question, you could reuse an old one or plant a fake one just to get started.)
Prepare a list of topics - either a handout or a slide (or both). (This can be the same as the list on the review sheet, or an outline of the sections covered.) If/when no-one has a question, refer to the list and ask which topic they're most interested in or least prepared for; if you can rattle off subtopics they can narrow it down. If that doesn't inspire any specific questions, it will at least give you an idea what part of the material is most valuable to review.
It can be hard for students to translate a lack of understanding into a particular question. (When I took undergraduate Statistical & Thermal Physics we spent a lot of time in uncomfortable silence, understanding too little to form useful questions, the professor speaking far over our heads.) If students come in hoping to hear questions from others I expect that to mean that they know they don't understand it all but they haven't been able to find the right questions to pursue to connect all the dots for themselves, and you have the difficult job of guiding them to that. There doesn't seem to be any general solution to this problem, but I usually start by trying to discover particular gaps in understanding, which I hope my suggestions above will help with.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_17: Our teacher create a shared document for "open questions" one week before the exam. Everyone can write into this document questions related to the course material with reference to one or more specific slides. That's how we do it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_18: Omitting for the time a discussion of many other variables, effective teaching, including Q & A sessions, is based on the quality of the relation between the teacher and the student. A major factor in the development of such a relation is time spent feeling personally connected. In a class, the likelihood of feeling that connection probably has some sort of inverse relation to the class size. Long term, more discussion on optimum class size
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_19: One of my lecturers would ask people to email him questions for a question session.
This worked well because it allowed him to prioritise questions and if he had a large amount of questions he could book an extra session.
Email has other benefits like anonymity to other students, removing the problem of students forgetting the question and allowing you to respond to any issue with a question before the session
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_20: One thing that works well for me is, the class before the problem session (so 2 or 3 days earlier) pass out copies of an old exam for the class. Ideally, choose a hard but fair one. Tell the students that I would appreciate it if they would look at this, think about how they would do, and come prepared with questions about things they might have had trouble with.
Not all of them do it, of course, but enough do to get the discussion started.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_21: The easiest thing I would say to do is to bring up hypothetical problems that are on the exam, maybe make one up on the spot, or use some from previous assignments and ask them if they know how to answer it. This may answer questions about a topic that the students didn't even know they had. Also constantly encouraging students to ask questions can be beneficial - some students may have questions but are too nervous to ask. From personal experience, teachers who consistently encouraged my fellow students and I to ask questions were always the ones that got me out of my shell and got me talking.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_22: In my experience, students are always hungry and poor (ok, a bit of a generalisation, I know).
So a good ice breaker can be to offer something for free such as chocolate bars to bribe people to ask questions. A chocolate for everyone who asks anything until the bag runs out will likely get questions started, and once the ice is broken there'll likely be more questions thought of.
As an anecdote, I know a real estate auctioneer who gives a bottle of champagne away each auction. Not to the person who wins the auction, but to the first bidder, to get things started.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/06
| 2,315
| 10,357
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am a teaching assistant in an undergraduate bioinformatics course. A few weeks ago the students in the course handed in the final assignment (which is worth 80% of the final grade), which we (me and the other members of the course staff) are currently in the process of grading.
The lecturer in charge of the course wants to give the students only their final grades for this assignment without any feedback on why points were taken off.
Her justification for this is that she do not want students to pass the feedback to the next class that will take this course and thus avoid copying of answers.
While she did not say so explicitly, my impression from some things she did say is that by avoiding a more detailed feedback she hopes to discourage student from appealing their grades. My university's regulations state that a student can appeal any grade, but in the appeal form the student must specify exactly which question/part of the assignment they appeal and why do they think that points were taken off unfairly, so no feedback - no appeal and thus no extra work for the course staff.
I am rather uncomfortable with this attitude for several reasons:
1. From a didactic point of view I think that merely giving a student their final grade without any indication what was his/her errors is wrong is it does not allow them to improve.
2. Not giving feedback will not prevent students from passing their work to the next class. It will just mean that the errors of student from this class will propagate to the next class.
On the other hand, I am uncomfortable from insisting on this issue from several reasons:
1. This is my first year as a TA, whereas the lecturer has been giving this course for many years, so it is possible that her judgement is better then mine, even though it seems wrong to me.
2. It is unlikely that I will teach this course again (I intend to graduate and move to another university later this year). Thus, even if I do manage to persuade the lecturer to give a more detailed feedback, I will not be around to face the consequences she is afraid of whereas she will, so insisting on this may be a bit unfair to her.
3. The other TAs in the course do not seem to share my opinion (they did not voice any strong opinion of this matter).
4. I do not want to start a confrontation with the lecturer, as I might need a reference from her in the future.
There is still a window of a few weeks until we are supposed to give the grades, so theoretically I can reopen this discussion.
Basically, I have two questions:
1. Given all of the above, should I attempt to persuade the lecturer to allow more detailed feedback?
2. If I should, how can I persuade her?
**EDIT**
Some additional information that seem relevant is light of the comments and answers:
1. As per the lecturer's instruction we keep a detailed record of the grading of the assignment (this also includes that lecturer, with respect to the parts of the assignment that she grades herself). So detailed feedback is available. Thus we can rule out the possibility of laziness or unwillingness to waste time on detailed grading.
2. **Assessment and feedback during the course**
Many of the classes in the course included practice sessions during which the students were supposed to complete on assignment. These assignment were not handed in or graded, but were meant solely for the students' learning. During these sessions the students were able to consult the course staff if they did not understand or were unsure about a certain question.
In addition there were two midterm assignments, each worth 10% percent of the final grade (I would mention that at my institution it is quite normal that the final exam/assignment makes 80% or even more of the final grade, but is not normal not to give feedback on it).
For the first of these midterms we did not give students individual feedback, only the final grade. We did mention in class some frequent errors and issues in the assignments. Formally students were allowed to approach us for more detailed feedback but as far as I know few if any did that.
For the second midterm assignment we give detailed feedback.
The in the grading policy between difference between the two midterm assignments is that the first assignment was submitted only electronically via the course website and in the second assignment the student were also required to hand in a hard copy of the assignment. The lecturer refused to allow feedback on the electronic submission because this would be easier to pass to the next class. Initially she wanted to require hard copy submission of the first assignment too (presumably to allow detailed feedback). When I asked prior to the issuing of the assignment to the students why an electronic submission is not enough she changes it an electronic submission only. **I did not realise at the time that this would deprive students from feedback. She only informed us about that after the assignments were handed in and we were about to start grading**.<issue_comment>username_1: No, you should not confront the lecturer again ("reopen") over this issue. That would not be an efficient use of your time.
You've talked to the course instructor. She has explained to you her justification. Presumably she's observed both cases of giving and not giving feedback for the final in the past (you have not). You do not have the power to compel her. You don't have other allies on the grading staff. You are ending your engagement there in the immediate future. You will not deal with this issue again. Move on.
Keep this in your list of "things I think I could improve on when I become a lecturer" for the future. Hopefully this will be a memorable case to experiment with later on your own. And you'll get to observe another institution's practices for comparison in the meantime. You may well be right, but you triply don't have the time to redirect this in your current position.
Upvotes: 8 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: **You would not expect detailed feedback for a final exam so why for a final assessment?**
This does not seem abnormal to me. Feedback is given through the course to help students improve, and then they are assessed on what they have learned during the final assessment. Were this assessment a final exam there would be no expectation of detailed feedback, so why expect it for a different form of assessment?
Feedback is not "free"; it hugely increases the amount of time that marking a piece of work takes. For a final assessment the chances that the feedback will simply be ignored by any student is substantially higher since there is no further assessment of that material, and the value of that feedback is also lower. It is not unreasonable to hold assessments without feedback to students.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: If there are any issues, they are between the instructor and the students. One would assume that if a student approached the instructor with questions about the grade, then she would be responsive to that request. If she is not, the student has the responsibility to pursue recourse.
The best you can do is to grade as quickly as possible, so that students will have the ability to ask questions soon.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: What the lecturer is doing is reprehensible, but there is nothing you can do about it.
A vast amount of educational research demonstrates that prompt feedback improves learning. The lecturer appears to be systematically avoiding giving any feedback, which is absurd.
Why would the professor do such a thing? You list her stated reason and one suspected reason. Neither of these is a valid reason for her to abdicate her responsibility to run the course in such a way that students receive feedback. Another quite likely reason is simply that she's lazy. The bare minimum she has to do in this course is show up to the lectures. Anything else added to the structure of the course will increase the amount of time she has to spend. If she assigns the students graded work, then even if she doesn't have to read the work herself, there is some nonzero amount of time she has to spend handling that, even if it just means entering scores into a spreadsheet or something.
>
> Her justification for this is that she do not want students to pass the feedback to the next class that will take this course and thus avoid copying of answers.
>
>
>
There is a very simple solution to this problem, which is that she needs to stop reusing the same final project semester after semester. It sounds like she's too lazy to do that.
The reason this is an unwinnable fight for you is that when someone is this lazy about their job, it's because that's the kind of person they are, and they are strongly motivated to keep things the way they are. Offering sound ethical and educational arguments to the contrary will not work, because an unethical person will never agree with an argument when agreement would mean having to change their behavior.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_5: There was one professor at a college I attended who, knowing that grading is the least pleasant part of a professor's job, wrote a "quiz" program that automatically graded student assignments without him intervening. Students kept complaining about it in course reviews, and he kept tweaking it, sometimes in ways students found very strange. (At one time, his students could get zero credit for a good chunk of a working solution; at another time his students could get partial credit for what turned out to be very minimal.)
That "quiz" program was the reason he didn't get tenure, and that was the only time in academia that I have seen sheer delight on the part of a student who just heard that a professor was not extended tenure.
Others are, unfortunately, probably right in assessing the politics and saying that the problem is not one you could straighten out or should try. I'd love to give you some pixie dust that would give the necessary clout, but I can't.
Meanwhile, you have provided perhaps a lesson for the rest of us that a large portion of a professor's obligation to students is to answer the question, "How could I have done better?" Your own situation may be immovable, but you've given everyone else here a valuable "Heads up!"
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/02/06
| 1,797
| 8,095
|
<issue_start>username_0: I have been teaching various subjects in programming for a couple years. What I struggle with most is getting the students engaged in the basics - the first few lectures.
For example, it's simpler to come up with a design pattern or a hands-on project when you are talking about intermediate or advanced subjects like database connectivity, security, networking, and so on. There's so much more to work with in those later topics. Where I have trouble is with the absolute basics - the data types and basic logic statements. It's hard to think of a sample project that is simple enough to build without getting too advanced too quickly, but still enough of a challenge to get them experience with the basics.
I get a lot of comments from students saying that they learn the material better when there is a hands-on project to do, yet for something as simple as data types, this is difficult to come up with.
**Class Setup**: It is a professional setting and I have been given two different formats to use. One format is an hour lecture with an hour lab or coding exercise afterwards, once a week, and the other is a condensed workshop format where students watch videos on their own about the material and then they come to a workshop for Q&A about the video content, and then we spend most of the time on a lab or exercise. The videos take the place of lectures, that way we have more time in class for in-person interaction and Q&A during hands-on project work. The workshops are two hours long, and take place every three weeks, and the videos they watch cover material from three of the subject units from the standard format.
**Class Scope**: As for the class topics, the class is on Java and we go from the very beginning, primitive data types and logic, for those who have never used Java or even studied programming, then we move on to object oriented design, logging and string processing, collections and streams, working with input/output, exception handling, working with tools like Eclipse and Maven, writing test code, and by the end of the class we go through database operations, security and threading, web services, and more advanced language topics like generics and lambda expressions.
**Audience**: The audience varies pretty widely but everyone has at least a bachelor's degree in a technical field, most of them in computer science or CIS. It is as varied as your average IT workplace would be.
Does anyone have any ideas, or know of a coding project (of any size) that would be effective at helping students grasp the more basic subjects (like data types, language syntax, and logic), and yet interesting enough to keep them engaged and want to finish it?
EDIT: As suggested by eykanal, I reverted this question to its original form which is specific to computer science. I understand that when a question concerns graduate level pedagogy as this does, it is still on-topic.
EDIT2: I've added more information about the class setup and audience that I typically work with.
---
We basically made a one dimensional battleship game just to start with, then converted it to 2D and talked about data types and arrays and such, then converted it to an object oriented design, then upgraded it to have saved games (for I/O and exception handling material), etc.<issue_comment>username_1: Create games that apply some basic concepts. You'll need a progressive set of games. Start out by setting up your game board (homemade is fine) and your paraphernalia. Your student will prick up his ears right away. Explain the basic concepts needed to play the first game. The game should be exciting but quick.
Each set of paraphernalia should have a number of variant games that can be played with that set.
Suppose a game involves converting a decimal number to Base 2. You don't need to explain in detail, prior to playing the game, WHY computer scientists are interested in Base 2.
Many games will involve rolling one or more dice and then doing something that requires applying some technique.
Example: each player will, on his turn, roll five 0-1 dice (each side shows either a zero or a one). These five digits define a five-digit binary number. Write down the number you've rolled. Now figure out what that number is in Base 10. Say the answer is 12. Move your guy 12 spaces on the game board. Set up your game board like a simplified Chutes and Ladders, to make it exciting.
**Edit #1**:
Responding to the new version of the question. It is tempting to want to give students the background information needed before giving them a hands-on project, because from a teacher's point of view, that is the most efficient way for the learning to take place; but sometimes it's useful to throw something at the students and let them flounder a little. Then you'll have their attention when you explain why something didn't work, and what's really going on behind the scenes. Have you ever tried that?
**Edit #2**:
You could ask the students to program a simple game, and then have them try out their neighbor's program.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The core problem is that programs that are simple enough for your beginning students are really very dull. I was able to get excited about printing a simple series, but that was in 1967 and I had not grown up with computers.
Much of real world programming is modifying existing programs to add or change features, rather than programming from scratch. I suggest writing a simple GUI program, such as a calculator or game. Each exercise takes the form of a new requirement that is best implemented using whatever has just been taught.
The first exercise would be to add to an existing statistics reporting facility, so that the hooks for collecting the data are already in place, and they just have to calculate e.g. mean and standard deviation.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: After gaining more experience tutoring, both privately and professionally, I’ve come to understand that most beginner students struggle with the same basic concepts, concepts which are very simple but which manifest themselves in difficult and complex ways when applied to a specific problem.
I’ve seen that the most effective technique personally (on an individual scale, not so much a classroom setting as the accepted answer addresses) is to hit the two basic building blocks of all code hard, and breeze over the rest, as the syntax varies wildly from one language to another anyway. The two basic building blocks are **logic** and **loops**. Coming in as close third would be functions. Students which can put these basic parts together to solve problems tend to do well, while students who cannot tend to struggle with even the simplest problems.
Declarations and assignments are the next most important bits, but they are simpler to learn and don’t seem to cause continual trouble.
One of the most well-received analogies I’ve found for explaining loops is a washing machine: controls at the top, and the load (code) in the middle. It seems to click quickly with students that it spins through the same code over and over.
For basic logic I just show them simple if statements and explain in terms of language and logic: if you say, “It’s raining” that statement can be either true or false. Computers can easily test this same basic logic to make decisions.
Then I tie it all together with why we use computers in the first place: automating tedious and repetitive tasks (using loops) and making small decisions quickly (using logic).
For functions, the most often misunderstood concept, I explain that a function is like a chapter of a book, and main is like the table of contents. I relate passing by value versus passing by reference using an airplane analogy. Passing by reference means the airline takes your checked bag and when you get it back, it (should ideally) be the exact same bag. While passing by value is like them making an exact replica of your bag and its contents, and upon your return, the copy is destroyed and your original bag returned.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/07
| 5,977
| 24,788
|
<issue_start>username_0: I've been a long time member of academia.SE but I created this alt account because the question is a bit embarrassing. I finished my PhD 4 years ago and after a 2 year postdoc at a different university secured a contractual lecturership. During my PhD I never realised I had fear of public speaking, because I always felt secure presenting in front of my supervisor. Even at conferences, his presence in the audience was enough to keep me relaxed.
Fast forward to my postdoc, I was mostly working and publishing by myself. So, even if I had to present something it was to my coauthors, with which I am okay. But as a lecturer doing research part of my time, I am involved in projects and seminars where I am expected to present my latest work. Being on my own has brought out my inner anxiety, so much so that I choked during a presentation, had to drink water to calm my nerves and apologise for my breathlessness and slurred speech. That was the most embarrasing thing in my life. Please note that the anxiety is not the result of me not publishing or doing research. I have published more than most in my department. Knowing that hasn't helped with the anxiety though. I am constantly making excuses to get out of project presentations and seminar talks. Fortunately, the anxiety is less intense in teaching and I am able to manage.
How do I survive as an academic? Now even conference presentations seem daunting. I can publish exclusively in journals, but how do I get out of giving project and departmental presentations? How can I politely refuse to present without revealing my situation? Or better yet, how do I fix the whole thing? That one bad presentation has really messed me up.<issue_comment>username_1: Years ago, I gave up on the idea of a career in music when I developed severe performance anxiety. After I gave a terrible performance in front of a large crowd, I decided the thing I was going to do was 'face my fear' by signing up for something even scarier and going through with it. Result: an even *more* terrible performance in front of an *even larger* crowd, which I had nightmares about for ages, and I never performed again. So I know the feeling and can tell you that - based on my experience, anyway - throwing yourself off the deep end might be counterproductive. Suggestions instead:
**Talk to colleagues about the issue**, especially those you're close to and/or those who are openly supportive of mental-health stuff. I get the feeling that this is more common than most academics generally let on. I once watched an absolute legend of a faculty member in my subfield admit to considerable nerves in front of an unfamiliar crowd, which astounded me but shouldn't have.
**Professional assistance**: As 101010111100 says in a comment, it might be worthwhile to see if you can find a therapist who'll be on your side and work with you to find a way through or around this.
**Toastmasters**? I watched a former student of mine with major social anxiety gradually work through it with the help of a local group. The student went to a meeting and said nothing, and then went to another meeting and said nothing, and then introduced themself, and then gave a 10-second speech, and little by little practiced low-stakes public speaking until the idea of doing it felt a whole lot less terrifying.
**Remind yourself about the 'spotlight effect'**: Not that I want to sound as if I'm trying to trivialize your feelings, but odds are that your audience paid a whole lot less attention than you did to your embarrassment. In general no one will notice a verbal slip-up or two, and even if you do come across as nervous or choke on water partway through, the audience is likely to be thinking much more about the *content* of your presentation rather than your delivery and state of mind. I saw a fascinating talk at a conference last spring and at lunchtime congratulated the undergraduate who gave it. The student blushed and admitted to an immense amount of embarrassment over having been so nervous. I said that while I could see *some* nerves in the presentation, I was thinking so hard about *what* was being talked about that I didn't care (beyond hoping the presenter remembered to breathe).
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: For what it's worth, I don't think this is an uncommon problem - you're by no means alone in this. A few thoughts:
**Learn to see the humour in everything.** Some of the time, you're going to get up there to give a talk and everything's going to go wrong - you're going to trip over the power cord, your demo's going to fail, you'll have forgotten what you're going to say, some angry-looking professor in the front row will start heckling you, etc. You can't fully control these things; all you can control is how you react, and that only to some extent. In this situation, you've turned up to give the perfect version of an important talk, and at least to some extent, it hasn't gone well - you know it, the audience knows it. The job, to be blunt, is in no way a good'n'. Moreover, they're now all sitting there wondering what you're going to do. This is the perfect time to show them that you're self-aware and that you don't take yourself too seriously - crack a self-deprecating joke, make a humorous comment, or enthusiastically launch into telling them something interesting. Essentially, there's a lot of truth in this:
<http://48laws-of-power.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/law-28-enter-action-with-boldness.html>
**Leave yourself room to improvise.** It's common to want to plan an important talk within an inch of its life, to make sure that you know exactly what you're going to say. Unfortunately, this can stress you out trying to remember what to say next, and make you sound stilted. I would argue that it's better not to plan the actual talk too much: instead, practise improvising. That way, when the inevitable problems arise, or people interrupt you, you'll know what to do. It's fine to have a rough plan, but be prepared to adapt it to the circumstances on the ground.
**Publicly acknowledge your weaknesses and work on them.** If presentations scare you, admit it - tell everyone, and ask them to give you lots of opportunities to present to help you get over it. Chances are, the people around you already know what your weaknesses are; by acknowledging them yourself, you neutralise them. Instead of being the person who's scared of presentations, you become the self-aware person who's scared of presentations but is dealing with it, which is a much better position to be in. The goal is to make the issue so intensely dull that no-one besides you will want to waste any time caring about it.
**Detach your ego from your work.** The aim of your talk is to tell other people something at least somewhat interesting and to help advance the field. You're there as a humble contributor to the great wall of human knowledge. You're not there to defend your work, except in so far as to make sure that other people gain a correct and fair understanding of it, and how it fits into the rest of the field. You're definitely not there to defend yourself - ultimately, you're just a curious person trying to help the field advance. If people have a problem with your work, help to focus the discussion on the evidence, and be prepared to agree with them if you're wrong. By avoiding the temptation to feel defensive about yourself or your work, you make yourself more relaxed, and better able to respond to input.
**Finally:** If you can, try to make the idea that anyone would want to focus on you rather than the field at hand seem ridiculous. As a speaker and as a researcher, you're human and flawed: you should know it, and you shouldn't be afraid to let them know it if the situation demands it. The point is that despite those flaws, you've turned up to do your best to make a contribution to the field. People who care about the field will respect that, and the rest don't matter.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: You may want to discuss a medication called beta blockers with your doctor: <http://www.anxieties.com/159/beta-blockers#.WJlJxyOU28U>
I am suggesting you consider this type of pharmacological solution because it doesn't sound like your main problem lies with some deep-rooted insecurities/anxieties about the quality of your work but rather with the "mere" delivery of your presentation. By reducing your heartbeat, beta blockers remove the physical effects of the performance anxiety and can be very effective at eliminating e.g. the dreaded breathlessness, shaking, and slurred speech that many people will exhibit when in speaking in front of a crowd. Talk to your doctor about possible medication s/he would prescribe. Sometimes, removing those physical symptoms is enough to let one deliver lectures and seminars with confidence despite the kind of nerves you described. Good luck!
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: Your body gears up for hunting the mammoth, for escaping from the saber-toothed tiger, or for giving a scientific talk, by releasing adrenaline.
It is impossible to predict how you will react to the adrenaline *next* time, based on how you have reacted to it *previous* times.
(Once, while recording an audition tape, adrenaline made my one good ear go temporarily deaf, leaving me with a very muffled perception of my playing, through my other, impaired ear. It sounded as though someone was playing my piece in another room, with the door closed.)
So, what can you do? Over-prepare. In music, this means: analyze the technical requirements of each passage, and get your body comfortable executing them reliably, so they will come out right even on a bad day. For a scientific talk, this means, write out everything you want to say (but don't use that as a script while giving your talk). Do three practice talks instead of one. Give a simplified version of your talk at your local senior citizen center. (You can also volunteer to give a general talk about your field to a sixth grade science class.) Put your talk on your laptop, on a thumb drive, and in the cloud. Prepare slides that will allow the audience to get your main ideas even if there turns out not to be any intelligible narration.
A few additional thoughts:
* The Toastmasters idea from username_1 is good.
* In the same vein, some people find it helpful to take acting classes.
* Practice slow breathing every day, filling your whole trunk with air -- keeping your shoulders relaxed. When you think you've gotten reliable in slowing your breathing, practice doing it under (non-academic) stress. Note that fast, shallow breathing can induce hyperventilation.
* While giving your talk, bend your knees a little, to keep everything flowing properly in your body.
* You had a traumatic experience giving a talk. There is a special short-term therapeutic technique that can be helpful in recovering from trauma: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing ([EMDR](https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/)). It's generally not hard to find a therapist trained in this approach.
* You may want to talk to your doctor about medications.
And one slightly crazy idea, that I've never tried. Put a large photograph of your advisor on the back wall with masking tape in the room where you'll be speaking.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: I have been fighting with this type of anxiety myself secretly while giving the impression of being an incredibly relaxed speaker to everyone else. Anything in this answer I might have gotten from some source that might have a scientific reasoning why it works, but I don't remember. For the sake of this answer, these are just coping mechanisms I tried and that did work for me (in order of how much I like them).
**The world is but a stage and we are merely players**
This is not about me! I am not presenting my own work, receiving criticism for it and standing up in front of a scientific crowd. This is just a stage play. And I love acting. Today my role is that of a bright young scientist, presenting her work at a conference. The audience is going to be wowed by the performance. Whenever I get nervous and struggle my mantra is "This is just a play. There will be applause when it is over. Nothing here can hurt you because you are doing it for your own entertainment." It works. The earlier I can get "in role" beforehand, the better. And after the applause, you are back to your own self, as always.
**The imaginary friend**
There are multiple options for this. If there is a person who's presence makes you calm, imagine them sitting in a place where you can see them. Smiling, thumbs up, positive everything is going to be fine. Or select an unknown audience member to take their role. Smile at them when you get nervous, imagine getting a smile back. It can make you feel more secure and the audience will receive you as very present and pleasing.
**The power position**
The students are not listening or seem to be silently laughing at my teaching? I will show them who the lecturer is. This is my lecture, my topic and whoever is diminishing the wisdom I teach will have the results served to them at the exams and in the assignments.
I am not that bad. I am nice to students. But sometimes being the hard one internally makes it easier to be the nice one externally. Because you know what you could do... although you never will misuse your power, of course.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: The answer is really simple - take a public speaking course. It'll be a trial by fire at first but you'll improve with practice just like with everything else. You'll be amazed at the difference it makes :)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_7: I had similar problems with performing at folk clubs. Even though I knew all the people there, and I knew they were all my friends, it was still incredibly stressful to stand up and perform. This inevitably took its toll on my singing and playing, of course.
I found [this self-hypnosis CD](http://www.sambrown.co.uk/self-hypnosis-for-musicians/) made a massive difference for me. In particular, there was one visualisation exercise which really took care of my stagefright. I still get nervous in public, but now it's a normal level of adrenaline which is simply excitement. I'm similarly more confident with public speaking as well.
I'm sure there are plenty of similar products around, and there may be some better tailored to public speaking. All I can say is that that's the one I used.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: Instead of using different psychological methods and drugs, I want to recommend you **going for sports**. And by that I actually mean any physical activities - even simple regular running will give you much more confidence. But to have better results, buy a subscription to a gym or start attending any sport training.
I am not talking about having some complexes about your appearance or anything, it's just about how you feel your own body, because that's what people see when you perform a lecture. And gaining confidence is really important for delivering good performances - instead of thinking about how you're nervous and want to end it as soon as possible, audience will better listen to what you have to say.
Moreover, being stressed **harms your health**, while doing physical exercises will reduce harm and make use of that adrenaline that your body has generated.
People of mind work often dig themselves too deep in their thoughts, while for interacting with other people you use your physical form - so, when you gain better control of your body, better "know yourself", you will see that it is still frightful to make presentations, but you can handle it. When you know you can handle it, fear will go away eventually.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_9: With regard to my own experiences of music performance, I would say there are two parts to this. Firstly there is how well you know your material, as has been discussed. However, as you and I both know, no matter how well one knows one's material, one can still be anxious. This is where you can start to look after your physical and mental wellbeing through other means.
You may think it's unusual, but never underestimate the importance of diet on improving one's mood. Before my big, majorly important master's performance which I had been dreading for months, I looked after my diet a lot, especially the few days leading up to it. I didn't eat unhealthily, I ate a lot of oily fish [mainly salmon], which gave me a feeling of contentment and mental wellbeing. I also drank less. Additionally, physical exercise. I worked out the morning of my performance: this helped to take a lot of the physical tension out of me and to relax me more.
Additionally, deal with your emotions. If you feel upset, worried etc, don't be afraid to cry about it to let it out. About three weeks before my performance I had to do so [unusual for me], which was a lot of the tension coming out. But it was good for me and I did feel better afterwards. All of these things combined worked because I ended up getting a distinction in my performance.
So we can have therapy etc, but sometimes the simplest things - food, exercise etc - we discount because we forget how effective they are and we don't think they will make enough difference. We tend to think other things will be more effective, but looking after how we treat our bodies can have a massive effect on our minds.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_10: Whether it may be mathematics, mastering an instrument or public speaking, to become proficient at any feat, one has to *practice*.
While there have been some clever suggestions made in the previous answers, what is surely to work is to continually expose yourself to this level of pressure and anxiety, either to the same degree, or gradually bit by bit, such as starting off with a presentation in a small group.
As an example from sport, the famous Williams sisters in tennis were subjected to verbal harassment by kids while they'd practice, who were paid by their father, to prepare them for playing in front of an audience. The point is not to go to such extremes, but rather that you can't expect to perform well from the get-go unless you learn to adapt these conditions.
[Professor Cuddy](http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=491042) from Harvard University, who has authored many papers and presented a TED talk on preparing for situations like public speaking and interviews, has many suggestions on dealing with these, such as what she calls power posing which noticeably decreases cortisol, a hormone related to stress.
I'll end with something tennis player <NAME> said, which is that *pressure is a privilege.* While these public speaking opportunities may be mortifying, that you are called upon to present your research and have an opportunity to contribute and interact with other researchers is a privilege, one worth learning to adapt to and perform well in.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_11: I'd start with professional help. Anxiety is often a treatable disorder, with cognitive behavioral therapy showing a success rate of about 50%. Start with a cognitive behavioral therapist. They treat anxiety disorders for a living. See where it goes from there.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_12: There are lots of things you can do:
1. Be prepared: the better you know the subject, the less you can have problems. In top of that:
* You might need some backup (cheating notes, e.g.) for in case you get into problems.
* Before giving a presentation to anyone, first give it to a friendly audience (when I needed to give my dissertation speech, first I gave it to my promotor and two of his assistents, they afterwards told me that it was good and explained me what to take care of, I followed their advise and gave a good dissertation speech)
2. Follow some courses, about presentation techniques, public speech, ..., and very important, follow courses where you can really test yourself: it makes no sense listening to somebody giving a great presentation if you don't get the opportunity to test yourself. By giving small public explanations about little things, you can get feedback from the rest of the class and you can build further from there.
3. From the courses, get some small but useful tips and tricks, don't try to implement everything you learn from the course on your first presentation (be aware that it's an evolutionary process, which you'll learn bit by bit).
* From my public speech course, I remember that I spoke very fast (I was so anxious that I wanted the presentation to be finished as soon as possible). During some try-outs one time I imagined that all people in the public were foreigners, not native speakers (although this was not the case), and because of that I started talking more slowly and I articulated very good. Since then I'm always using this trick.
* From my presentation course, I remember the idea that the purpose of a presentation is to "Inspire" people. Not only does this word mean what it says, it also contains the structure of almost every presentation:
In : Introduction (extremely important)
S : Situation (what will you talk about)
P : Problem (which problems will you tackle)
R : Resolution (how will you solve those problems)
E : End (also extremely important)
4. Know yourself: every person has his or her own issues while dealing with public speaking: some people don't move and just stand there like a statue, they should move more. Others don't stop moving and they need to be aware not to do that so often. Some people need to hold something into their hands in order to have something to calm their nerves on (I always carry a pen), ..., all those things can be detected by yourself and the friendly audience from point 1.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_13: look for some experts in behavioral-cognitive therapy. It is very suitable for your issue and very effective (based on true scientific studies), you will little by little overcome your fears.
**Don't start taking any drugs like some suggests, they are luckily not for you.**
I am saying that because I am following this path for something way more hard than your problem and it is very beneficial.
Regards,
Andrea
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_14: Glossophobia (fear of public speaking) is the #1 fear in America. What has worked for many people (including myself) is to practice in a low-stakes environment until you build confidence. That confidence you want is sure to come the more you practice and refine your techniques. With enough practice, the nervous fear you experience now will turn into positive energy which makes your presentation exciting. The more nervous fear you experience now, the more energy you will have as a polished speaker.
A group like your local Toastmasters club is a great place to practice. If you do a search, you'll probably find a club very near you, possibly at your school.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_15: What sets public speaking apart from many other tasks where anxiety could mess up things, is the fact that anxiety is normal here, many people will either feel quite anxious wen giving talks or if they don't feel anything a heart rate monitor would betray that they are under some level of stress . So, the problem isn't so much that you have some level of anxiety, rather that it is too much or your body overreacts causing problems. And then you're bound to get extra anxiety because of the anticipated problems due to anxiety.
The best way to deal with this problem is to do what JamalS says in his answer: you must practice a lot. You then make your presentation immune to your anxiety. If you feel anxious, you'll tend to fare better sticking to what is routine, a well practiced presentation may actually end up being presented better due to anxiety compared to when you're feeling very relaxed. And if things go well a few times, your level of anxiety due to feeling anxious will drop because you won't worry anymore about feeling anxious. You can just classify what you feel as a good level of excitement that will help you give the talk.
Another thing you should do is to do regular exercise. When we exert ourselves the body redirects blood flow from its organs and the brain to the muscles. If you are not used to exercising then you'll get such effects already at moderate exertions like when you're a bit anxious before and during a talk. If you are used to running half an hour a few times per week at a heart rate of 150 bpm, you won't notice much when giving a talk even if your heart rate is increased to, say, 80 bpm from a resting heart rate of 50 bpm.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/07
| 592
| 2,575
|
<issue_start>username_0: I had a skype interview a week and a half ago. I believe that the interview went well. I had a brief e-mail exchange with the head of the search committee on the 26th.
How long does it take to move from Skype interviews to campus interviews?
Shall I email them to ask about the status of my application?<issue_comment>username_1: Emailing will not help anything. They haven't forgotten about you, and are undoubtedly either (i) deciding who to interview in person, which could take any amount of time from a few hours to a few weeks depending on how many people are involved in the decision, or (ii) starting on the in-person interview process, in which case you'll find out if you've been selected.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: We don't know the schedule of skype interviews for this particular institution, or the review process that happens after skype interviews and before candidates are invited to campus. In my recent experience of chairing search committees, the top candidates got invitations for on-campus interviews within a week of the end of the skype interviews (which typically took us about a week to do.) It's obviously in our interest to do this as quickly as possible. However, this process could be delayed by administrative indecision (e.g. if the administration is uncertain about whether or not they'll have enough of a budget to actually hire someone.)
It's quite possible that the search committee has sent out invitations for on-campus interviews. If you contacted the search committee chair he/she would probably tell you whether or not this has happened.
Even if the initial round of invitations have gone out and you haven't gotten one, don't give up hope yet. It's possible that some other candidate will decline the chance to interview on campus and you'll get an interview later. In the past I've had to say to candidates something like "We sent out invitations for on-campus interviews to three candidates earlier this week, and we're still waiting for responses from two of them. We may be sending out additional invitations." This doesn't tell the candidate anything specific about whether they might be next on the list or much further down (or even off the list entirely due to a bad phone interview.)
I can't think of any reason not to politely ask the search committee chair about the status of the search. You could also start checking the institution's calendar for seminars to see if anyone that looks like a faculty candidate (or is explicitly named as such) might be scheduled.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/07
| 994
| 4,419
|
<issue_start>username_0: I give quizzes in my recitation classes. I write down the problems on the board. My handwriting is okay but not great and most students can read what I'm writing but because of chalk marks, bad writing, bad vision or whatever some students copy down the problem incorrectly. Mostly the changes are trivial (I wrote a 2 and they wrote 12, but the computations are the same). Sometimes the way they copy down the problem significantly changes the problem.
I don't want to penalize the student for misreading. But I don't want to be unfair if the problem is harder or easier for that student.
How should I grade these problems?
EDIT: I have 80 students. I give 21 quizzes in a semester. That is 1680 quizzes in a semester. Maybe 1 or 2 of those are miscopied to the point of being different problems. I am not going to change how I give quizzes for such a tiny irrelevant fraction of quizzes.<issue_comment>username_1: There is a real problem here in trying to deliver exercise/quiz questions to the students when they are not received in a consistent manner. Grading really should apply a consistent procedure so that it is fair to all the students. So it is my suggestion that when the problem arises just throw out this exercise/quiz. Then start again with a clean slate.
The clear solution here, in the absence of authorization to use paper and ink for physical handouts, is to leverage modern technology. Distribute the "handouts" in electronic format. The distribution method can take a number of paths:
1. Each student would have submitted an email address as a requirement to attend the class or the institution. Paste the text of the handout into an email body and send to all.
2. Create a PDF file of the handout and store that file at a commonly known file server location at the institution.
3. Copy the handout as a downloadable file to a web site that is used by the department for such things. The download could also be the convenient PDF type file.
4. Create an HTML web page at the department web site that shows the handout material.
5. Utilize the educational cloud services package that is in use for this course and make the handout available using the appropriate features of that package.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: My solution is rather boring and simple. What if, after writing the problems on the board, you read the problems outloud with and or to the students. Hearing the problems will reduce many mistakes due to mis-seeing what's on the board.
After reading with or to them you can then ask the students if anything is unclear on the board. They ask and you can clarify your handwriting.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: If the problem the student solved is pretty similar to the one you intended, then don't take any points off. You really have to decide whether you are testing your students on their understanding and mastery of the material, or their ability to decipher your handwriting.
There are many reasons a student sometimes solves the wrong problem. Sometimes he simply misreads what he himself wrote. Sometimes he misreads a typed, xeroxed problem. But the important thing is whether he can solve a certain type of problem.
If the problem the student solved is significantly different, then treat the quiz the same as if s/he had missed class due to illness.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I was a TA for a class where an exam question asked students to find the inverse of an exponential function that had a constant added onto it. Since many of the students were new to logs, including that constant was important as it revealed whether or not students understood log rules (and many did not).
When solving the problem, several students left off the constant altogether- whether they missed it in the problem or chose to ignore it wasn't clear.
If they did that, and then solved the problem they wrote down correctly, they could get partial credit. We treated those answers the same as ones where students acknowledged but misused the constant.
So if you can identify how exactly the student has oversimplified the problem, then give them no credit for that part of the question, but let them earn partial credit for rest of the question.
Whatever you choose to do, make sure to state it up front- perhaps students will be more careful about copying down the problem in that case.
Upvotes: 1 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/07
| 290
| 1,003
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am about to submit an article to an international conference (<http://www.mldm.de/>). I am thinking also to submit to arXiv as well. Is there any problem with this?<issue_comment>username_1: The way journals handle arXiv submissions depends entirely on the journal. Generally, it should be allowed since arXiv is a well established service. The only way to know for sure is to read the FAQ/Terms and Conditions or ask the publisher/editor.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: MLDM seems to publish the oral papers in LNCS, see [oral presentations](http://www.mldm.de/au_oral.php). LNCS allows preprints on arXiv: [LNCS on Sherpa/RoMEO](http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/0302-9743/). See also the [Springer Authors' Rights](https://www.springer.com/gp/open-access/authors-rights/self-archiving-policy/2124)
If you want to submit for a [poster presentation](http://www.mldm.de/au_poster.php), you should contact the editor. I couldn't find their policies so far.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/07
| 890
| 3,612
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am setting up mid-term exam paper for engineering students.
As a new Assistant Professor, I will like to know is it okay
to put "All the Best with your exam" or "Happy Problem Solving" at the end of the question paper?
Will it be frowned upon by my colleagues or taken sarcastically by my students?<issue_comment>username_1: As a student, I'd appreciate my professor wishing me the best for the exam.
If I were to make a suggestion though, it'd be better to write "All the best" at the start of the paper, right after the general instructions section.
Even better if you could drop in before the start of the exam and wish the students in person.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: It actually does not matter that much, as the students appreciate the quality of teaching and the professor's ability to solve their doubts. The students like it if the questions in the exam reflect the material discussed in the class.i.e. if they are able to solve the questions without any extra knowledge except the material discussed in the class.
The "All the Best" slogan does not hurt but nor does it help.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Your goal with adding such a sentence to the exam sheet is to make the students relax a bit. You do that be making them feel familiar with the situation, remind them that although the situation is somewhat artificial, this is the same material you covered in class, and that it is going to be all right.
To do that, you need to write something which the students will feel is a greeting from you. That is, your 'teacher persona', the impression you give your students.
So: What are the students' general impression of you? If you are an empathic teacher, worried about the well being of your students, 'All the best..' is probably good. But if you are generally perceived as a very strict lecturer, it would not be well received. If you are perceived as a bit nerdy, a pun relating to the subject could be good. If you have a phrase you often use in lectures, use that.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: "Happy Problem Solving" is inappropriate. Saying or writing that would be trying to forcefully inject artificial cheerfulness into a high-stakes situation that is, for many if not most students, decidedly stressful and *not* happy. There is no way that it would do anything to lighten up the atmosphere or portray you as an empathetic teacher who is sensitive to what their students are going through when they sit to write an exam; quite the opposite, I should think - it could only serve to highlight the asymmetry between the students' stressful situation and your relaxed and "happy" demeanor as a professor giving an exam, ostensibly to share with your students the pure joy of problem solving. Resentment seems like the most likely emotion this will evoke.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: My personal favorite:
"Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer."
*<NAME>*
Excellent effect on the class every time...
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: I personally like including 1. well-wishes, and 2. a joke to begin my exams, my apologies to username_4. My eyes in the sky tell me a number of students (those who scored high, those who scored low alike, and those who scored somewhere in between) have no strong opinions on the well-wishes, and the jokes are well-received, even if they induce some eye-rolling. I have no idea if the jokes actually reduce exam anxiety, much less boost the scores of the students.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/07
| 930
| 4,000
|
<issue_start>username_0: My question is similar in spirit, though different in context (I think) to the question posted [here](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/82085/will-papers-published-in-other-sub-disciplines-matter-for-graduate-admission/82088).
My professor and I recently submitted a paper on arXiv (submitting for publication soon) that falls in the domain of quantum physics. Here's the [link](https://arxiv.org/pdf/1702.01609.pdf). I really liked enjoying working on the project, and I found it to be a valuable learning experience.
I, however, don't wish to apply to graduate school in physics and specialize in quantum mechanics -- and the study of open quantum systems etc. Ideally, I'd like to join a mathematical physics research group, working of such topics as quantum gravity etc. with a mathematical focus or working on the mathematical aspects of various sub disciplines (quantum mechanics, topological insulators etc.).
I'm aware that being able to demonstrated the ability to do research prior to the graduate level is highly valued at US universities. My question is how will the graduate admissions committee(s) view this (potential) paper? It's already hard to get a spot in various mathematical physics research programs. Will they consider this publication as having no value to them, since the paper doesn't directly coincide with their sub-discipline? Or (if I spin it right), is it possible/expected that they'll view this as an indication of the student's ability to work outside of classroom, work on a project etc.
**Edit -- How I intend to spin it.** I'd like to use this paper to convince the graduate admissions committee follows: I come from a non-physics background ( major), and I have been studying physics/mathematics (in class, out of class etc.) for the last 2-3 years, and I wish to apply in 1-2 years. I started working on this paper after 1 year of studying physics in class. My first year was quantum mechanics (QM) heavy (three courses). The professor suggested the problem, which mostly used ideas from QM and some basic ideas from quantum information. I worked on the project with him and given my experience of having made the transition, making the first year of transition QM intensive and then working on a QM related problem and producing something with/with the help of a professor (regardless of its impact), I'm thinking of selling it as an indication that I can work outside of class, even when I (had to) make the transition; more importantly, given a problem related to the material I had covered after making the transition, I could produce something.
I know I'm more of "selling it" rather than "linking it with my future research interests." How does this sound in terms of having an impact on the committee and how they'll evaluate me (and my unusual situation).<issue_comment>username_1: Evidence that you can complete a research paper is a definite positive. Many good students are not cut out for original research, so this should help make you an attractive candidate. As you suggest, it is up to you to explain how the existing work does or does not relate to your intended research program as a graduate student.
NB: I am in the social sciences.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Whether a paper in another discipline has a positive impact or no impact for an application highly depends on the admission committe and your way of handling it.
If you simply list the publication in your publication list, it might be just noticed, not even be recognized or lead to a question in your interview. I doubt that there would be any negative impact.
Depending on your personality you could also be more straightforward and add a few words on this publication to the job application letter. Use it to highlight your ability to think outside the box or to learn the ropes. These are positive attributes. And yes, this technique indead could be called "selling it" but not necessarily in a negative way.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/07
| 1,077
| 4,524
|
<issue_start>username_0: I (foolishly) corrected my physics professor as he was about to teach fifty students a blatantly wrong simplification, and since then he's been out to get me. I get grades of 20% or lower on tests where I get all the answers right, but don't solve the problems in precisely the way he wants.
He answers all my questions with banal truisms ("Just use the provided equations and pick a decent reference frame and you'll get the right answer"), and even makes an effort to leave before collecting my assignments.
I'm afraid to complain, because he has a lot of political connections on campus, but I'm terrified that he's going to blemish my perfect GPA. Also, I can't withdraw from the class without falling behind in my coursework and needing to stay an extra semester.
What course of action would best protect my grades, and my future, from a vindictive professor?<issue_comment>username_1: I think the only way to go is to rectify your relationship with said professor (or to suck it up).
Trying to fight the grades out will most certainly not be productive. If your tests are anything else than multiple choice, you will have a hard time to appeal the grading. "Everything correct but different derivation" may mean many different things and I can imagine many situations where you have 1) no chance to appeal or even 2) the deduction in points may be justified (e.g. if the point of the problem was to show that you mastered a certain technique but you preferred to use another technique).
So, how to get the relationship back on rails? Since I don't know too much detail, I can't get too concrete. But was *is* clear from what you've written: You interrupted the professor in a way that he found inappropriate (note, there is no judgment here, as to what you actually did). You can honestly apologize to him - no problem with that (and be careful, not to draw the subject matter, i.e. the "blatantly wrong derivation" into play here).
Only if you can manage to get the apology through you may start to discuss the "wrong derivation" on plain grounds. As I understand, derivation may be wrong but still be useful. Many derivations use simplification to get some point across. Sometimes it is even useful, to first teach an oversimplification and then, at some later point, show the more complete picture.
As to how to get the chance to apologize again depends. Going to office hours seems good. You may also ask for an appointment via email. I would not suggest to catch the professor after or before class, and also not to discuss the matter on to phone. Having a good email conversation may turn out to be very difficult.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Without knowing the professor, my bet is that you - unfortunately - will have little possibility mending your relationship with him. Maybe he is a believer in second chances, but judging from your description, I doubt it.
The first thing you need is a reality check - are you really being treated unfairly. You need to get a hold of some more senior students or friendly faculty members, it could either be at your own university or in an online community. Show them your graded coursework and the syllabus, and have them asses whether you are actually being treated unfairly. If you get down marked by 80 % or more, it should be obvious.
If you are, then your should contact your local dean immediately. Let him or her know the full story, it is their job to listen and deal with these things. Make it clear that you would like to just get this over with as easy as possible, but you don't feel safe taking the exam with this particular professor. If you are lucky, they have a procedure ready for these things. When you approach the dean, stay descriptive, and don't feel like you have to fight for your right. It should not matter, but unfortunately it does.
Make up your mind in advance whether or not you would be ok with transferring to another course. Even though it may slow you down a bit - or force you to read faster - it may be your best option.
When all this is done and over, just stay clear of that professor, and you should be ok. If I should guess, I would say that unless this is a very young professor, this is not the first occurrence of such a situation, and the professor will have a 'rumor', even among his political connections. You should be very unlucky if this comes back to bite you, and it would also be very unlikely that the professor would actually go out of his way to harm you.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/08
| 535
| 2,355
|
<issue_start>username_0: I have noticed that it seems like every other conference has it's own citation style; even in the same field, or subfield.
Or at least each provide their own bibtex style (.BST) file.
* Are they actually different styles?
* Is there a historical reason for this?
* Is there a ongoing practical reason for it today?
(I am in Computer Science. I am not sure if this is field dependent)<issue_comment>username_1: Style, tradition and reputation. Different styles fit different uses; typographic design is more of a opinion thing than the truth. The things have been done some way and the people assume and often want that they are done in a such manner. And you can bet that Harvard will fight for Harvard-style, not least because it brings them a lot of reputation.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: It is a matter of history, technology, and personal preferences. Different citation styles have arisen in different times to serve different needs.
A citation answers many questions, often including:
* **Who did it?** Sometimes the citing author wants to give credit to earlier work, and sometimes the reader is just curious.
* **Is it new to me?** The reader often wants to know whether they are already familiar with the cited work. I use a combination of authors, title, publication venue and/or year, depending on the article. Other people may prefer using other information.
* **Where can I find it?** Traditionally we needed information like publication venue, publisher, volume, issue, and page numbers. DOIs and URLs are often better in electronic publications. Many people just do a web search with the title and use the rest to confirm that the returned result is correct.
* **Where was it published?** Some people are interested in the prestige of the publication venue. Many want to keep track of interesting venues.
* **When was it published?** Publication years help to establish a rough timeline of events.
The in-text style also depends on the typical amount of citations in the venue/field. The less work you cite, the more of the above questions you can answer in the text, and the reader does not have to jump between the text and the bibliography. On the other hand, verbose citations can get confusing, if you have too many of them. In such cases, it is better to refer to the bibliography.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/08
| 602
| 2,792
|
<issue_start>username_0: I’m doing my first review of a journal paper.
The paper looks good other than a few spelling/grammar typos and one formatting issue where a line has a single letter extend into the center margin between the two columns. These issues are not ones that confuse the content of the work in anyway.
My decision options include *accept, minor revisions needed, major revisions needed,* and *reject.* Should I be choosing *accept* or *minor revisions needed?* Do these small types warrant a revision for journal papers? Or is it ok to accept these issues?<issue_comment>username_1: Most journals provide copyediting service to correct spelling. If this journal will copyedit accepted papers, then I would recommend the editor accept the paper. If the journal does not provide copyediting service and requires the authors to provide a "camera ready" version before acceptance, I would recommend "minor revisions" to the editor.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Unless you are reviewing for a truly lazy editor, it shouldn't matter. No matter which selection you make, the editor will see from your report that you are asking for extremely minor revisions and act accordingly.
Generally, I recommend minor revisions in such a case, because authors might not be given the chance to correct typos in a straight acceptance, and they might appreciate a second chance to do what they should have before submitting (but almost no one does), which is to find more typos and correct them. For every one that you found, they will probably find another one.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: You should recommend to accept the paper. As a reviewer you are asked to judge upon the scientific content of a paper. As long as the typos do not change the paper's meaning or render it ununderstandable, it's the journal's responsibility to deal with them. The format of the printed final version is likely to change anyways, so you couldn't even forsee if those formating issues would still be present.
You can easily write in the report that the list of typos/grammar mistakes and the formatting need to be corrected for before publication in order to make your opinion clear on that point. It will then be the editor's decision on whether to send the paper back to the authors or to rely on the journal's copyediting service.
*Minor revisions* are meant to be chosen in case the paper in general can be recommended for publication, but there are some flaws that need to be revised. Examples could be
* missing factors in a formula, which once inserted do not contradict the statements made,
* left-out definitions,
* unsufficient explanations of a generally sound method
* too strong or too weak statements, which could easily be corrected etc.
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/02/08
| 581
| 2,694
|
<issue_start>username_0: I want to reuse, in a new work, some period drawings and paintings that are held in various libraries and archives. Presumably this means paying for their time spent helping me. To make the process go as smoothly as possible, what is the correct process for obtaining high-quality copies of these materials and permission to republish them? Will I need to already be working with a publisher before acquiring the artwork? Will I need to sign a terms-of-use contract with each archive? Will I be allowed to crop and adjust color levels to improve print quality? Is there anything in particular to watch out for?<issue_comment>username_1: Any creative work is either owned by its copyright owners, or is in the public domain.
When it is in the public domain, you can reproduce and alter the copies anyway you like.
When there is a copyright owner (and from your question I would suspect that this is the case), then most reuses of the creative work requires permission of the copyright owner. Some copyright owners will be very liberal in what they allow you to do, while others will be very restrictive. Some will demand money, others won't.
So, the first step is finding out who the copyright owner is. Then the second step is to propose your plans with the creative work to them, and see whether they allow this and whether they require any (monetary) compensation.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Before requesting publication rights for images it is best to have an arrangement with a publisher, as most institutions require you to provide details about the publication venue, the type of publication (print or digital or both), the print run and so forth when you are requesting the images. Then you have to make a request to the image holder (provided the copyright is not an issue for your, as you indicated in a comment to another answer) either using a web form or by email (in most cases you should be able to figure out from their website who the contact persons for such requests is. They will inform you about the costs, and then you can decide if you go on with signing an agreement (yes, you have to sign a contract with each institution providing images even in the rare cases when the images are provided for free), and they are expected to provide you with high resolution images after the payment (if they charge a fee, as most such institutions do, at least in my field). You surely can crop and process the images as required for the production of your publication. Keep in mind that in the worst case, the process can take months, so it is best to start it as soon as you reach an agreement with the publisher.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/08
| 417
| 1,764
|
<issue_start>username_0: When applying for PhD in US or EU, do universities give any importance to the summer schools (7 days/15 days) candidate has attended? I mean, are the summer schools a worthy addition to the CV?<issue_comment>username_1: If you did something relevant that relates to the PhD position you are applying to, then it should be fine to include it in the CV.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: My contacts in the chemistry department at my institution have told me that "summer schools" don't really count that much, and that your research experience/publication record, letters of recommendation, and coursework rigor/performance are worth much much more.
Let me tell a story. A certain institution has been putting on a "summer school" for graduate students in a certain branch of mathematics for a few years now. One of the graduate students from my institution went one year. He told his advisor that quite a few students attending treated it like a paid-for vacation (indeed, I thought the attendees were paid an obscene amount to such sit in on a few lectures upon finding out how much they were paid). Those people simply didn't show up to the lectures or, if they attended, were just doing their own thing (reading something else, on their laptops, sleeping, etc.) during the lectures.
So it would make sense, at least to me, there would (and should) be little to no weight put on a summer school that consisted of not requiring any 1-on-1 interaction with faculty nor any sort of submitted written work on the part of the students. Or not requiring doing anything in a lab, in this case I suppose.
Certainly it doesn't hurt to include a summer school on your CV though, I just can't see it helping all that much either.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/08
| 723
| 3,221
|
<issue_start>username_0: Can we list papers/Journals in reference section, but do not quote them in thesis. It may happen that I read some papers which are close to my area of work, but I may not use any idea from that paper. So in such case, I may not quote anything from that paper. But since I have read that paper, can I list that paper in reference section?<issue_comment>username_1: Many journals require you to reference every entry in your list of references somewhere in the paper. That is probably also a good rule of thumb for a thesis.
The reason for this rule is that people do not typically just read through the list of references by itself. They read through the text, and in places where another publication is referenced, they will look it up in the list of references at the end. If the list of references contains entries that are not in fact referenced anywhere in the text, nobody is likely to ever look at that entry.
In practice, if you think that a paper is *relevant* for your thesis, then there ought to be a place in your text where you should cite it. If you cannot find a place where it would be worthwhile to cite it, then the paper is likely not relevant.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The correct answer for you will depend on your field's citation style. In styles more common in the humanities, you might have a Works Cited section, a Works Consulted or just Bibliography section (MLA style), which together work quite different than APA/IEEE/ACM styles.
The Works Cited section works as the Reference section does in APA/IEEE/ACM style, and only the works cited section needs in-body citations. If you do not cite and properly integrate the work into the body of your paper, you do not include it in the works cited/reference section.
However, some styles and fields use the concept of a more general "Works Consulted" or "Bibliography" section, and listing here does not require you to cite it in the body of the text at all. Here you are explicitly required to include any materials you read, consulted, or which may have materially contributed to your work, even though they were not explicitly cited, quoted, or more directly referenced. This style of work believes in acknowledging much more generalized/abstract "indebtedness", and proponents of this practice often argue that it is more scholarly honest. In fields that don't use it, the argument tends to be that it's overkill, unproductive, and unnecessary, and thus is not used. The fields that use this style also tend to allow secondary sources, and thus both primary and secondary sources end up being listed somewhere even if you only cite the primary source.
You should refer to your own field's style guide and norms, or other explicit rules of your program and institution, to determine what is required of you in your work. In fields where you must actually reference the work directly in the text, it is not appropriate to "stuff the references" with work you did not cite directly. In fields with works consulted/bibliography sections, it can be considered plagiarism and scholarly dishonesty to not list items that you did not even explicitly reference in the text body.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/08
| 1,390
| 5,507
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am a future PhD student here in Germany and I am worried about whether the PhD German title (Dr.rer.physiol.) will be accepted internationally in general and in Germany in particular. In fact here in Germany there are many different titles that is possible to get after the PhD, the most common is Dr.rer.nat (literally, Doctor in natural sciences), but then You can be also Dr.rer.med, or Dr.rer.phil, Dr.ing. or whatever (<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_doctoral_degrees_awarded_by_country>).
But my question is; which is the relevance of one or another title?
Could be really make a difference get one instead of another?
I am really wondering about because there are not really clear info on this topic and I would like to know what is better for my future career!
Thanks a lot
I am looking forward to any answer!
Marta<issue_comment>username_1: The title depends on the faculty/department. So Dr. rer. nat. is only given in biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics. At some universities these departments give more specific titles, so for a biologist a Dr. rer. nat. is equivalent to a Dr. rer. biol.
A Dr. rer. medic or Dr. sc. me. or Dr. sc. hum. is given by various medical faculties for (natural) scientists that may not treat patients. Only if you are allowed to treat patients after the "Approbation", you can use the Dr. med. you earned at the faculty ("medical doctor").
More and more one can also get a "Ph.D. in blabla" degree certified instead of a "Dr. rer. bla".
Note that there are different customs whether one tries a Dr. E.g. in engineering, it is quite rare for an engineer to have a Dr. Ing. Only for high-rank faculty staff ("Chefingenieur", second to the professor who is head of the institute) and of course for the professors a Dr. Ing. is usual. In chemistry, however, more graduates proceed to a Dr. rer. nat.
Most of the time, only the Dr. is used, so one cannot tell if it is actually a Dr. rer. nat or Dr. sc. hum. (The only exception are the medical doctor Dr.med., Dr.med.dent., Dr.med.vet. as the indicate also the "Approbation".)
It is almost never possible in Germany to start a Ph.D. programme only as a B.Sc. graduate.
I assume a Dr.rer.physiol. would be given by a medical faculty. It may happen that with a Dr. from a medical faculty, it's more difficult to get the "Prüfungsberechtigung" (the right to give grades to students) at a natural science faculty even if the research field would match.
However, all this knowledge is quite useless for you to plan your own career. The choice of subject and supervisor is more important to you. This would automatically determine the department and thus the title you would get. If you choose both only for some letters in front of your name, your scientific interest in the subject is too low to endure all the work and frustrations. You can't plan scientific results, so you can't plan a scientific career.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: The part of the degree after the "Dr." indicates the discipline in which you obtained your degree. Depending on potential future employers, it can be an important signal about your technical qualification. Especially university department can be quite selective in choosing only candidates with the "right" type of degree for post-doc or faculty appointments. It may also play a role in some industry positions, but probably to a lower extent.
Many university departments offer only a single type of degree - engineering departments the Dr.-Ing., natural science and mathematics departments the Dr. rer. nat., and so on. Sometimes there's multiple degree options in one department - in that case mostly the area that your supervisor is supposed to work in will determine which degree you can be awarded.
It seems the specific degree you are looking at, the "Dr. rer. physiol.", is a **degree from a medical department**. Doctoral degrees in medicine, traditionally the Dr. med., are a special case in the German academic community since they typically require much less work (a year) compared to other fields (three to six years). Therefore, graduates with a Dr.med. degree are often not perceived as fully qualified scientists, especially in international contexts (see e.g. [the German Wikipedia article on Dr.med. degrees](http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doktor_der_Medizin)) for a short discussion of this point). On the other hand, many people looking for medical treatment would see any practicing medical doctor who **does not** have the Dr. med. degree as not fully qualified. And as far as I am aware obtaining the Dr. med. degree also requires that you get the full training as a practicing medical doctor, so it's not suitable for example for scientists with a biology or chemistry background who just want to do research in medicine.
In order to cope with this dilemma, the medical departments in Germany have introduced a range of additional doctoral degrees, among them the Dr. rer. physiol. (see [www.zeit.de/2009/43/C-Doktor-Med](http://www.zeit.de/2009/43/C-Doktor-Med) for an article on that). The common feature of these degrees is that they don't qualify you as a practicing medical doctor, but on the other hand they hopefully will require more research work than the Dr. med. degree, and in this way qualify you better as a scientist. Nevertheless, if there is the alternative to get the Dr. rer. nat., it's maybe a safer way career-wise to go for this more traditional natural science degree.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/08
| 1,698
| 7,086
|
<issue_start>username_0: In [this question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/84576/lecturer-in-a-course-im-taing-refuses-to-give-feedback-on-student-assignment/84581?noredirect=1#comment212366_84581) a person working as a TA was asking if and how he should try to persuade a lecturer to change her practice, in which she gave grades for final assignments but not detailed feedback. Many of the comments there expressed sentiments such as this being an "injustice", "reprehensible", "unethical behavior", "moral duty", "refusing to do her job", and "worth firing for".
Now, I must admit that I was somewhat surprised by these reactions. My experience throughout my academic career is that this is usually infeasible for a number of reasons, e.g.:
* The institution may collect and impound all final exams after a day or two.
* Final exams may be given on an institutional computerized platform, for which no per-item feedback is available to either students or instructors.
* Students don't usually have time to come back to campus after finals are given.
* I don't think I ever received final exams back throughout my undergraduate days.
* I didn't get comprehensive exams back or feedback from the end of my Master's.
I think there's even an argument to be made vis-a-vis the [formative vs. summative assessment](http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/howto/basics/formative-summative.html) distinction that final grades and feedback should *not* be overlapped, and that doing so is actually not helpful to students. (E.g.: "Summative assessments happen too far down the learning path to provide information at the classroom level and to make instructional adjustments and interventions *during* the learning process." [Link.](http://ccti.colfinder.org/sites/default/files/formative_and_summative_assessment_in_the_classroom.pdf)) In that sense, one could conceivably give copious feedback early in the semester with no grade, and then a course grade only from a final assignment at the end, after one is done with all feedback cycles.
Personally, I try to find ways to give final feedback to students if they are in critical need of it (usually by email), but I actually have to wrestle against my institution's procedures to make that happen. (I'm at a large urban community college in the U.S.) But my intuition was that it's at least a judgement call, and most common to *not* expect to see feedback from a final.
So: Is there consensus that not giving feedback on final exams/assignments is obviously unethical? (Side question: Are there any statistics on how common it is one way or the other?)<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Author's note: I'm having a difficult time separating this question from the other one (for which I have only read the question and not answers so as not to be biased), so this answer may undoubtedly need changing or be moved around to the other question.
>
>
>
Mean, maybe. Unethical, no. The practicality of getting exams back after the course has ended usually involves students going to the office to pick up their tests when I took the class.
As to whether the feedback helps a student at the end of a semester, I'd say **not at all, if the grade is final**.
The emphasis on no feedback at the end of a written assignment implies that the professor is unjust in not providing feedback. That is not necessarily the case. **Could the student have received feedback during the course, while writing the assignment?**
One of the biggest resources during the semester is typically **access to feedback from the professor to ensure the student is meeting the professor's expectations.**
When you write a paper for an assignment, you can typically know what you'll receive as a grade. If you don't cite your sources at all, you're probably going to get a nice F. If you write with your conclusions before your intro, you're probably going to lose points. But all of these can easily be countered by talking to the professor and getting feedback during the course.
Story time, from my waning days of grad school, in an elective course that had a final paper due.
I submitted my 95-page final paper and received a grade back within two hours. I guarantee he did not read anywhere close to the half the paper in those two hours. *That doesn't mean he just said "Good job, you wrote a lot."*
Throughout the semester, I had submitted drafts and questions to my professor, and he provided feedback to me in the form of addressing anything I was lacking, i.e. more examples, better use of sources, and so on.
In effect, the professor didn't even need to read all 95 pages of my paper in those two hours because he definitely spent time reading my paper when ever since it consisted of only a one-page introduction. By the time I had submitted my paper, both me and my professor knew that I had written an A paper, and so the only feedback that I was provided was "Can I use this paper as an example for next year?"
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I think there's a distinction between automatically providing feed, and having access to feedback.
Like many people, I give little to no feedback on final exams for basically the reasons you describe: students don't have a chance to see it until the next semester, and very few of them bother to.
On the other hand, when a student does come see the exam, I'll spend a few minutes answering questions and explaining the grade. I think this is necessary, because students should have the option of asking for mistakes or inconsistencies to be corrected, and they have no way of doing so unless they know why they were marked the way they were.
Many of the accusations of unethical behavior in the discussion on the question you linked to seem to be driven by concerns about the latter issue: the suspicion that students wouldn't have access to any feedback if they requested it, and that this was an intentional attempt to prevent students from appealing their grade.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: No, as a general rule I don't think it's obviously unethical to not offer feedback on final assignments, but it *may be* unethical, depending on the situation. In the question you linked to it sounded like the lecturer's decision not to offer feedback was motivated by non-education-related considerations having to do with her own selfish interests of minimizing the amount of work she does, preventing the students from scrutinizing the quality of her grading and filing appeals, and preventing her students from sharing potentially useful information with fellow students who will be taking the class in future years. It is this motivation, and the fact of the lecturer putting her own selfish interests ahead of those of her students, seemingly in contravention of institutional norms (as evidenced by the grading policy described by the question's OP, which wouldn't make any sense in an institution where no feedback is offered on final assignments), that makes the behavior unethical - not the mere fact devoid of all context of not offering feedback.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/08
| 2,223
| 9,401
|
<issue_start>username_0: I will be meeting with a professor tomorrow who I previously asked to supervise me. I believe he has the right knowledge to assess the standing of my work in the interdisciplinary field I work in and help me moving forward.
He said yes and gave me some suggestions which I partly followed, but the last time we spoke was in May.
I am currently struggling with issues related to mental health ([see this question here](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/83059/how-to-deal-with-fear-of-failure-as-a-phd-student)) and have been in the past months, although it took a while to realize the depth and take action. They are not diagnosed but they probably include a mixture of: low self-esteem, impostor syndrome, anxiety, and acts of self-sabotage. These are linked and the names I feel are not strictly important. I am currently seeing a psychoanalyst (to address the root causes) and the well being/mentoring program of the university (to get practical suggestions and coping strategies). Fighting on.
I seek two things from the professor:
1. Relevant advice and (within reason) some mentoring whenever my
cross-field preparation is weak.
2. An external commitment device that provides motivation for work and
help me overcome some of my issues.
I think I have 1. covered, but I am looking for suggestions on how to discuss 2, especially whether I should break the information about my mental health issues with him.
I see two possible ways to go:
1. I can simply set the pace by saying "I would like to meet every week to discuss my progress" and not mention my (alleged) conditions. This will be enough to set a weekly deadline for myself and would surely be helpful.
2. I could mention my issues to some extent. One of the reasons I didn't
ask him to meet before is an ongoing self-sabotage/perfectionism
which makes me unwilling to show my work until it has reached a
satisfactory level. I now realize that, essentially, this
satisfactory level is short of publication-grade material and
clearly impossible without expert feedback. I am afraid of course
that this could: sound like an excuse for my absence and lack of
advancement; mark me as a "bad apple"; monopolize the conversation
away from content; be plain awkward; as I write this answer I am also concerned about [him having to disclose this information later on](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/66343/my-advisor-said-he-has-to-mention-my-mental-health-condition-in-recommendation-l).
This is ill-timed, as the meeting is tomorrow (but I wanted to break the cycle of postponing this and I could always go with 1. right above and postpone breaking the mental health "coming out" to a more appropriate time), but any suggestions from you would be a great help.
**EDIT**
I ended up doing something midway between telling and not. I have hinted at the fact that I was somewhat stressed out and partially disclosed a concrete example (checking a computation for over three days out of a fear it might be wrong). He said he understands this kind of difficulties as well as my need to have someone to talk the fine details over. I believe he caught the implications and was overall very kind and sympathetic. Unfortunately, he will be entering a half-year sabbatical soon and might not guarantee his presence until the start of the next academic years, but said he would like to read what I am working on and pointed me to others who might be of help.<issue_comment>username_1: First, congratulations on taking that first step towards recognizing yourself for who you are and seeking assistance to change yourself and get closer to becoming the person you would prefer to be. That is a huge step that many people are not willing to take, and I must applaud you for your courage.
Now, the issue at hand is whether you should reveal your current state of mind to your advisor. That's a delicate and deeply personal issue which can really only be left to your choice. That being said, if I were in your shoes, I would do so. In fact, I did exactly just that, both to my advisor during school and all my supervisors at work, and I benefited greatly from it. (Note that this is personal experience. If your advisor's personality is… less than accommodating, you may have a different experience.)
One of the most important roles of an advisor is to make sure that their students stay on track, both in terms of the scope of their research and their timelines. The last thing a professor wants is to be an inadequate advisor and as a result have a student take longer to graduate or turn out mediocre papers. Of course, this does depend on how busy the professor is, and they may ask other faculty for help or ask you to be mostly responsible for your own work (the last of which is relatively rare but not unheard of).
Psychological issues can cause many problems, including motivation. You can only benefit from having external motivation to keep you from deviating from your intended timeline, especially from someone you respect. At the same time, having that someone understand that you have difficulties will release you from the pressure of wanting to not disappoint that person, which ironically would have possibly caused you to stress out and as a result end up disappointing that person, then get stressed out from that outcome in a vicious cycle. Inform your advisor of your issues, and then together you can work out how to best manage your workflow. Perhaps you might need more frequent reminders, or require a little more detail with advice/instructions. Most advisors that I know love being helpful to their students, and hopefully your advisor will be the same.
Please note that you wouldn't be using your current state of mind as an excuse. You are already self-aware of your issues, which means that you will recognize when you attempt to avoid doing something and are capable of changing the course of that behavior when it occurs. Having that external motivator could be the extra push you need to help you turn away from avoidance and back to getting things done.
As for the issue of disclosing your psychological condition, it is not required unless it is directly relevant to the matter at hand. In fact, as mentioned in the answer to the question you linked, it can be considered unethical to unnecessarily disclose such information. If your adviser does find it necessary, let them know about your concern and work together to word it so that it minimizes any undue negative connotations.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: No hurry in sharing everything in the first meeting. Most advisors meet with their students weekly anyway -- certainly mine did -- and you can ask, "Shall I come see you once a week to discuss my progress?" with an eager expression. (If he says no, don't give up -- you may be able to steer things that way later, and you may form a study group that meets at least once a week.)
That said, if some or all of your health vicissitudes happen to come up in conversation tomorrow, that's okay too.
It's exciting to hear about the two types of support you have. In addition, you may want to ask your treating therapist, or a special evaluator, or your primary care provider, for the needed documentation to establish yourself formally with your university's office for students with disabilities. This is a great way of carrying an umbrella in case of rain, and of doing self-care. You never know when having this recognition may come in handy.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I don't have first-hand experience with mental/psychological difficulties, but I did have a dear friend with such (but more severe) issues while we were both pursuing our doctorates. I'll tell you what I told him when he asked me the same question: no, don't tell your supervisor that. At least not at the very beginning.
First of all, there's no reason to do this in one sitting, if you really want to do it. You will have lots of meetings with your supervisor, and many chances to divulge little pieces of information about your state here and there. I can't really tell you how to do that gradually though. That's something that you'll need to figure out for yourself (assuming you want to).
Next, think about pros and cons. What is the best case scenario? How might telling your supervisor ultimately help you? I think you'll find that even if your supervisor is a very accommodating and understanding person, there isn't much to gain by telling him/her. What is likely to happen is that you'll get a free pass when things get tough. Do you want that? If, at some point, things do get extremely tough and you need a little space, talk to your supervisor then.
On the other hand, and without more information to go on, there's a bunch of things that might go awry. Things might get a little awkward between you, perhaps because the supervisor is a bit inept and without any experience of her/his own; (s)he might think that perhaps you are asking for a free pass, when in reality you are perfectly fine, etc.
I'm probably going to be one of the very few who advocate not telling your supervisor; if you want to take something from my answer, let it be this: don't do anything abrupt. Test the waters first. And weigh pros and cons. After all, you seem to be fully aware of your issues. Plus, you are seeking outside help.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/08
| 1,194
| 5,176
|
<issue_start>username_0: I'm wondering how can a professor encourage students to complete their problem sets on their own in undergraduate classes. I'm not saying that every student cheats off of other students; rather, I'm saying that some, if not most, students free ride and copy the solutions from their peers (or from the Internet). In addition from my experience, I feel as if this problem is more pervasive among the non-science majors/students (at least science majors are given assignments; the number and quality of them and the level of studens' interest to get on with them are spectate issues). I've even heard a professor remark: "since I know most of the uninterested students in the class are going to simply copy off solutions, I won't be giving assignments; the serious students amongst you (who'll go to graduate school) can do assignments over there." Frankly, I was appalled upon hearing this statement.
I come from a college/place where the local cultural norms are such that students don't like to sit down and devote week in and week out on problem sets, and the professors (for the most part) don't make a serious attempt to give problem sets that really consume a student's week or so. I'm sure the professor who'll dare to give a problem set every 3 lectures (as is the norm in most U.S colleges) will be frowned upon by most students.
>
> Given such a context, I am interested to know how can professors, in the larger scheme of things, encourage their students to independently solve problem sets on their own? Also, are there any good strategies that professors can use to make problem sets which the students would eagerly wait to solve week in and week out. I know one can only change the mind set of students from the ground up. But how can professors teaching at the tertiary level cope with such (deeply rooted) problems?
>
>
>
Thanks.<issue_comment>username_1: A few (by no means exhaustive) suggestions:
* **Use extended-response or open-answer style questions.** What such a question would look like is completely field-specific, but it's definitely doable in every field (yes, even the technical ones). In theory at least, this makes it harder for several students to copy off of another student without commiting actual plagiarism.
* **Avoid assigning problems directly from a textbook.** This requires more effort on your end, but it prevents students from being able to just copy out of a solution manual.
* **Make the students propose the problems.** Similar to my first suggestion -- if the problem is that students are uninterested, give them the chance to do something that *is* interesting for them. Obviously you need to put bounds on this, but even within the confines of a single problem set this is doable. For example, in a course on Data Structures in CS, you could ask something akin to "write a simple program that uses data structure *X* and methods *A*, *B*, and *C*." What they do is up to them, but you still test their comprehension.
* **Use a [flipped classroom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipped_classroom) model.** This is probably the most involved suggestion, but if done properly it means the students are working on homework right in front of you. Makes it a lot harder to just copy answers when the instructor is walking around the room.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: As an undergraduate student, here are some things that motivate me to complete problem sets that are regularly given out:
* Have the problems be interesting to think about, and lean towards difficult problem sets due less often rather than easy busywork due every class.
* Encourage collaboration, while having harsh penalties for copying. The students should be discussing your problems, if they're interesting and enjoyable. This isn't always a bad thing!
* If you're really worried about cheating, have a problem set that they are not allowed to discuss or do interview grading - 10 minutes talking with the students will allow you to tell if they understand the material.
* Use problems that would come up in the real world, that are related to what students may want to do in the future.
These are a few things that I've had professors do that I liked, that encouraged me to work hard on the problem sets. Of course, there will be cheating, but if students are interested in your subject, these are ways to encourage that interest.
(Note: I am studying computer science, so these answers may not apply to your subject.)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: 1. Customization
make the parameters of the problem specific to each student. Customization is the only way that keeps students from being able to just copy and paste the solution from each other. It also still keeps them engaged as they have to tailor the solution they might find available to them.
2. Flip the Classroom
Make them create some questions and answers, and then other students have to solve it. This way, they can not come up with some questions or answers. randomize the allocation every week. grading can also be allocated the same way, but normalization of grades might be an issue depending on difficulty of questions.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/09
| 3,610
| 15,386
|
<issue_start>username_0: I plan to apply for PhD programs in foreign policy this upcoming year. It's a field I'm passionate about and something that, after much deliberation, I am positive I want to pursue. With that said, I'm currently in a field unrelated to politics/policy - having studied business in college. I have been working in this field for several years.
I've always dreamed of traveling the world, experiencing other cultures, and having some time to myself to learn a new language/write a book. In the past, I've always been a working hard in school or work to do these things for myself - and I'm sure I won't have the time upon starting a PhD program.
Thus, in a perfect world, I would like to quit my job, travel the world, and have the experience of a lifetime as soon as possible - for as long as possible - until the start of my PhD program. My main worry is that, in approx. 8 months when I apply for PhD programs, I will have to put 'unemployed' and attempt to explain to admissions what I've been up to for almost a year (as opposed to putting down a very good, well respected job - albeit one in a different field).
I want this experience of a lifetime but, at the same time, I don't want to jeopardize my chances at top programs. Some people I have consulted have said that taking on such an experience can actually be seen as unique and increase my chances of admission (though I am skeptical of that).
I am extremely grateful for any tips/advice. If anyone has familiarity with the admissions process of top PhD programs and how they would view someone with a current 'unemployed' status, please provide any insight you can.
Thanks so much!<issue_comment>username_1: The way PhD admission works is that you usually apply during the fall, receive admission decisions in the following winter/spring, make a decision around April and enroll in the fall. This means that there is usually a four-month(ish) long gap between the admission process and enrollment. Many students fresh out of college will use this period to relax, maybe even travel around the world. So if you can afford to quit your job or make certain arrangement with your employer, this time window could be a compromise between your need to enjoy life and appear productive, since people don't usually expect you to work hard just before you formally enroll in the program. On the other hand, if you urgently need to travel well before application and still want to impress the admission committee, my general advice is that a generic travel plan will not achieve the goal here. For your travelling to be viewed positively, it should yield concrete outcomes demonstrating excellence in whatever skills valued in your field of study.
I should also say that this is based on my experience with Ph.D. programs in science. A political science Ph.D. may have difference culture/expectations.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Adding *some kind of work* to your trip, that's what could make a difference for an admission committee.
Examples: Visit all or a lot of european parliaments and trial some sessions open to the public. Contact some foreign NGOs and learn about their ideas and activities. Some activities like this could even be postive for your application.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Let me start with a disclaimer: I am a math professor and have no knowledge of how admissions to foreign policy PhD programs (or any other aspect of such programs) work, so take my answer with the appropriate grain of salt.
That being said, I personally think your plan is totally awesome, and am already somewhat impressed with both your desire to grow as a person and with the specific plan you have come up with for doing so. To me, your desire to learn about other cultures not from books but from actively traveling in other parts of the world speaks to a much higher level of curiosity and independent-mindedness than almost anyone I can think of who has come up with some pretentious-sounding plan for filling the year before starting grad school with some internship, work experience or other CV-padding gig. Moreover, I strongly believe that at least in the US the value of traveling abroad is seriously undervalued by most people, even within academia. My personal philosophy is that traveling (if done seriously and with the right intent, and ideally if done for extended periods of time) is far from the frivolous, hedonistic activity it is made out to be in popular perception, and can actually be a profound learning experience that changes people and their outlook on the world and even on themselves in ways they could not appreciate beforehand. So again, your plan really resonates with me personally. Now, it's quite possible I am not representative of anything or anyone, but I thought it worth stating my position in case you find it useful to know that people like me exist. After all, if I hold such views then quite possibly there are others like me who can recognize the value of what you are thinking of doing and be impressed by it. Maybe some of them will upvote my answer or weigh in in the comments section.
Now, getting to the practical question of whether your travel plan may undermine your grad school applications: I can't say with anything approaching certainty, so definitely seek advice from better informed people. One thought I have though is that if you present your plan correctly it might mitigate the effect of being technically "unemployed". For example, you hinted that you plan to write a book. Well, that by itself is a wonderful idea that is sure to make you stand out (especially if you realize the plan successfully); suddenly your trip can be not a sightseeing trip but a book-writing/research expedition, and you no longer sound so unemployed while you're doing it - see what I mean? The point is that your travel-the-world idea is actually (in this one person's opinion at least, as I said) very worthwhile, so the trick is to find a way to communicate that value in your CV, statement of purpose and other application documents. If you do that successfully, I think it's indeed quite conceivable that you will actually put yourself at an *advantage* rather than a disadvantage compared to other applicants. Anyway, good luck, and send us a postcard.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Employment is necessary to pay the rent. But you have built up some savings, so that's apparently not an issue. Whether it is or not is none of the admissions committee's business.
I haven't sat on any admissions committees, but I would think that the committee will be trying to predict, from your application, whether you seem likely to succeed in the program you're applying to. I would think that your undergraduate record, your essay and your references would carry much more weight than a precise accounting of how you spent the gap between finishing the degree and submitting your application.
People take breaks from academics all the time for family and other personal reasons. It isn't necessary to explain the details when it's not a very long break. Three years would take some explaining, because some fields change quickly, and one could get rusty with some of the material and skills learned as an undergraduate.
If you enjoy writing, go for it -- but please go into it without high expectations of size of readership or income gained. Just do it for the satisfaction of writing and perhaps being read. Given the unpredictability of the success one might have as a professional writer, it would raise the stakes too much for you during your gap time to set too specific a definition of "time well spent."
Just follow your instincts, using your hunches about what would bring you personal growth, and what would help you prepare for the hard work of the PhD to come. Experiences living abroad can help you get perspective, and build your self-confidence.
(I personally would recommend that you consider picking a small number of destinations, so you can immerse yourself in a language and culture, rather than skimming the surface in a grand tour; but only you can decide what sort of itinerary would be best for you.)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: I don't know how admissions work in your country, so I'll leave the others to advise on that, but here's something that I learned after completing my PhD:
**A PhD will put the rest of your life on hold until you complete it and pass your viva (and you better do much more than simply *pass* your viva).**
My wife and I both got Physics PhDs, emerging out the other end practically in our thirties with no money, no house, no marriage, no kids, no relevant industrial experience. This might not be as much of an issue for you as you've already been in work.
Additionally:
**A PhD is only as good as the amount of time and effort you put into it, and there is practically no ceiling to this investment.**
If you want your PhD to be worth more than the certificate, you need to publish good, novel work and make yourself known to the community. If you want to be *really good*, your PhD will drain everything from you.
To conclude:
**I would advise you to do whatever it is you want to do now, before starting your PhD, because you won't be able to justify the time away from your work during it.**
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: I'll speak about my experience from a workplace perspective, as I've not experienced your particular problem, but have had to deal with periods of unemployment for various reasons. I'm from the UK, and when I was 22 I quit my job (working in a call centre while I studied for my Master's degree) and left to go travelling in Canada, as it was something I was keen on doing. I'm a bit older now, have a good job and recently bought a house.
I'm so glad that I went to Canada as it was a great experience, and I wish I'd actually made more of it! Now I have a lot more responsibilities, I can't imagine just dropping everything and doing that. It's something you really want to do and you have a chance before things start getting serious, so go ahead and do it. Don't worry about things in the future, if you're passionate enough about the subject that will guide you to it. I also ended up getting a casual job for a small research company while I was in Canada that helped me get my first proper job role when I came home, in a field I really wanted to work in. Like others said, if you work while you're out there, it will be seen as a good thing.
Although not academia, lots of people worry about how periods of unemployment will be seen when applying for jobs, and you probably will get the question. But all you need to do is be honest about it if they ask and that's it. I've been sacked from a job before because I got in a dispute about a lot of workplace standards, my next employer asked me why I had a period of unemployment and I just told them the truth. That was it. I was so worried about how it would be seen, I thought I'd never get another decent role again, but in the end it was absolutely nothing. You won't be the first person to have a period of unemployment and you certainly won't be the last. Truthfully, if somewhere didn't want to take me on because I'd been unemployed for a bit, I wouldn't want to be there.
I'm more writing this just to say **don't end up regretting not doing something fun that you really want to do when you've got the chance.** You can't predict what others will think, so there's no point in worrying about it. You only get one life, so you might as well make the most of it!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: Yes! Do it! I did it, and I am in a PhD program. There are a couple ways to go about it.
One way is to apply to a program, get accepted, then defer the start date. Not all programs allow this. Check the top programs you are interested in, and see how long enrollment can be deferred. This is what I did. It is called "Delayed Matriculation"
Another way is to travel until you are ready, then do the applications. Do some charity or church work while you travel - it makes spending a month in a place much more enjoyable anyways. I have found when I travel that work and helping people seems to jump out at you. (disclaimer: I have never been on an admissions committee, so not sure if this is ok.)
Yet another way is to travel a few years, re-enter the work force, then apply.
Yet another way is the Peace Corps. Travel for 8 months, join the peace corps for a year or so, then do applications.
Another way is the "back door" method. Some programs allow graduate students to take a few courses before application. With this was method, you can get some A's in some courses, get to know some faculty and do a research project. Then, when you do apply for formal entry into the program, you'll be a known entity. It won't matter if you travel before or after this plan.
Yet another idea is to approach a faculty member that you are interested in doing research with prior to application or your trip. You can then combine your travel with your research project - which will help with entry to that particular school, or other schools as well.
Yet another idea is to start the program for a year, then take a break while in school. This way is fairly common - in my program, I had to take a semester off for family reasons. They had me enroll in a class to maintain my status as an enrolled student. Not all programs will have this option. I forget what it was called!
The big problem for me was that a year wasn't really enough - I wish I had about 3 years, but I had funding issues.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: Yes do it, it is the best way to growing up and understand the world in much of its aspects from a different point of view as in your home town now. All the experiences you will absorbe in this time will help you so much more with your study after. Take the risk, without risk you have nothing in live what is real value to you. Wisch you all the best
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_9: I am in my second year of PhD in theoretical physics in France, and I took a year to travel and focus on personal projects before applying to the PhD program. I guess it strongly depends on local culture, but in my country there is nothing wrong about it as long as you can justify why you did it.
As it has been stated in other answers, it would be even better if you combine your travelling with a personal project : writing a book, doing some volunteer work... (for me, it was recording an album). The key point is to convince your PhD admission committee that you had a real motivation to travel. As sad as it may sound, if you don't provide such reason they might assume that you just needed time to think because you weren't sure about going for a PhD program, which from what I read in your question is absolutely not the case.
If you are convinced that this gap year is a good thing for you and that you have a solid project, then go for it ! It will even be an *advantage* in the eyes of an admission committee as it shows you possess qualities that are very valuable to a young researcher : hard work to pursue a personal project, creativity, or the ability to adapt to an unfamiliar environment. And then again, you definitely won't have time for that once you start your PhD so now is the time ! Good luck.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/09
| 1,265
| 5,418
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am currently a second-year undergraduate double-majoring in math and computer science. I am currently doing a joint research paper with one of the faculty in my university.
My advisor gave me research problem A. I thought about the problem for one week and managed to break problem A to sub-problems A₁, A₂, ..., An. Next, I started researching on A₁. After reading several papers, I found that an author had already solved problem A₁. I repeated this for A₂, ..., An and they have **all** been solved previously. Now I take the solutions for all of them, with proper citations of course, and piece them into a solution to my original problem. I write a paper and get it published.
Now here is my problem: **I feel like a fraud**. I have not personally solved any of the Ai. Heck, the only work I’ve done is to break down the problem, searched for solutions to the subproblems, and to combine other people’s solutions. Is this really what research is about? I really feel disheartened and want to know other people’s opinions. I feel like anybody can really do what I did.<issue_comment>username_1: Research is not just about inventing things. Finding out the best options to solve the sub-problems is also part of research and is also a major part of why people publish — to have their work used for a purpose.
Research can simply be anything that *makes a contribution to science/knowledge/understanding* (see [here](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/15196/why-do-academics-publish)) which can be any of the following.
* Finding novel approaches to existing problems
* Formulating new problems and solutions to them
* Doing an in-depth study on an established field
* Making meaningful connections between the unrelated
* Extending on top of existing developments
* **Combining the best practices to solve subproblems of a bigger problem**
* ...
The list can go on. The main point here is as long as you have cited the existing solutions A₁, A₂, ..., An and that such a combination has not been published before, then you have no need to feel guilty of the work you did. You have done real work to search for the best solutions to each subproblem and went through the trouble of combing them to get a meaningful result — you have achieved an advancement in research.
Summarizing the comments:
* A subproblem Ai may as well be ensembles/extensions of previous work.
* If no-one else has published the work before, then it is not as trivial as you think it is.
* The [imposter syndrome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome); it is common for many in their research career. Overcome it.
* You shed light on how problem *A* can be solved which might be overlooked before.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: It is not at all inappropriate **unless you claim that you have done more than what you have really done**. Any small advance over existing knowledge is research. A large, completely original advance is great- but doesn't always happen right at the outset of your working on the problem!
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The technical term for what you did is called secondary research. Basically you collated/synthesized existing literature to address objectives/question you had in your own research. Your contribution was in combining what has already beem said in a somewhat unique way.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_4: It would help the discussion a bit if you can tell us the value of n, to put your feelings that you are a fraud into context. In any case, it's clear that you are not a fraud, however neither should your achievement of publishing a paper be touted as something more than it is. You have simply discovered something that all experienced researchers know, which is that not all research that gets published is highly difficult, original or exciting. The feeling that you are a fraud comes from [cognitive dissonance](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance) - you had a preconception that research papers that get published contain highly original new ideas and are only written by really really smart people who have to work really really hard, and now that you've published one yourself without working very hard or (necessarily) having to be very smart or original, you are having a hard time reconciling that with your prior beliefs, and conclude that you must be a fraud. But the correct resolution of this contradiction is not that you are a fraud, but that your prior beliefs about published papers were incorrect.
With that said, only *some* research papers are as easy to produce and (supposedly) uninteresting or unoriginal as you perceive your paper to be. There are many, many excellent papers that get written every year and contain profound, original, and exciting ideas. Most successful professors have written at least a few such papers in their career, and some lucky ones wrote many. And most of us got started by writing papers that solve relatively easy problems and are not necessarily very exciting or interesting. That is precisely as it should be - one has to learn to walk before running. Stick with it, and hopefully someday in the not too distant future you'll come up with something truly original and exciting that you will feel really proud of. And in the meantime, you should still be proud of making a genuine contribution to your area, however modest it may be.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/09
| 1,942
| 7,975
|
<issue_start>username_0: In Germany and Austria¹, it is possible to have your doctoral degree noted on your passport, official ID (Personalausweis) and similar documents of identification.
Whether allowing this is a good thing in general is debatable but the subject of another question (that is arguably too opinion-based for this site).
Having acquired such a degree, I fail to see any strong arguments for or against making use of this as an individual (and the Internet does not provide much searchable information on this issue either). Obviously, it flatters the ego and can be used to impress some people, but then it involves some effort and may come off as arrogant to others. But **I am wondering whether there are some situations where there is a more clear advantage or disadvantage or whether I am grossly misestimating the situation.**
Note that I do not ask you to make this decision for me. I am fully aware that I have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages myself. I am just asking for arguments.
---
¹ which seem to be the only countries where this is possible if some websites are to be believed
*Finally, for the search engines: Was sind die Vor- und Nachteile davon, seinen Doktorgrad im Personalausweis vermerken zu lassen?*<issue_comment>username_1: I did add the degree to the passport, and I can tell you that so far it only had disadvantages (though no severe ones).
1. I added my master degree, and did not need a new passport since. So now that I have my PhD, its not even accurate anymore.
2. In China, authorities looked at my passport and me very sceptically, when I did not add my degree to the train ticket, and thus the name differed between passport and ticket. They did not understand my explanation, but let me pass on the train anyway ;)
3. Most time I book a flight ticket, I can only select Mr/Mrs as title. So I have to think everytime, whether I should add the degree in the name field. Usually I don't do it, hence again the ticket and the passport show different names. It caused a strange look in America, but no serious problems.
4. My new colleagues (in a foreighn country) looked at me like i was crazy, when they saw it.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I have my “Dr.” degree in my German ID as well as in my passport. The process was very simple and I made these changes when I had to renew the documents anyway; therefore it did not mean any extra work for me.
(However, I do not have it on my doorbell or letterbox, since it might give potential burglars the wrong idea that I have many expensive things at home. I also wouldn’t like it if a sick person thinks that I would be a medical doctor and asks for help in the middle of the night.)
In my experience, it makes no significant difference whether you have it in your ID or not, neither in a positive nor in a negative way.
Typically, the degree can be noticed on international travels. Many employees working at a hotel reception, a car rental service, or an airline check-in (sometimes even on board a plane when you are flying in business or first class and the cabin crew has the time for such gimmicks) will happily address you with “Doctor”.
Passport checks by border officials have always been without any problems. In most cases, the officers don’t talk so much; thus, I don’t know if they even look at the degree in my passport. Only in one case upon leaving the Schengen Area in Frankfurt Airport, I was asked by a German Federal Police officer what kind of doctor I am (he seemed to be disappointed by my answer “chemistry”).
The only occasion when I had to explain that I am not a medical doctor was with locals in Tanzania. Nevertheless, they happily called my “Doctor” all the time.
In a professional setting where your degree would actually be relevant, you usually don’t have to show your ID. Therefore, the few people who might be genuinely interested in your qualifications don’t see it. You cannot use it to quietly remind contacts of your degree or to impress clients.
However, I sometimes have to visit nuclear facilities where I must hand over my ID at the entrance. The security guard is not really interested in my degree but uses a copy of my ID for a temporary visitor pass. This has to be signed by my contact in the facility, which gives that person the rare opportunity to actually see the degree in my ID.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I recently discovered this possibility to add doctor (or professor) in many documents in Germany as I moved to Berlin. So I asked about the why and impacts to my colleagues (I am working in a research laboratory; so it was several doctors from different countries at the table).
Every foreigner at first agreed on how pretentious someone has to be to ask for adding it anywhere. Germans agreed and told no impact **except** if you are doctor in medicine then it can be useful in plane (as the company should then know there is a doctor on board) and for your neighbors in case of a true emergency. And for same reason they recommend to do it for medicine doctors (hence, it would make sense to do it for nurses and firefighters as well, no?).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: I'm a German, living and working in Austria, and I never added my "Dr." to any official document, and I always left the "title" fields blank, in paper or computer forms unrelated to my job.
I consider the use of academic degrees in Germany and Austria outside academia rather anachronistic.
I do not see any advantage of using it.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: It is also a possibility, and indeed common in Hungary. However, as Hungarian culture is much different from German, I can list some advantages I heard about, but they might be less relevant for you.
* I have heard about police officers being more lenient when they see "Dr." in your driver's license. I even have heard about getting away with speeding because of that.
* Medical doctors are also generally more friendly when seeing it in your ID. (Please note the level of the Hungarian health care here.)
Actually these are (imho) because lawyers in Hungary are legally required to put "Dr." into their ID, so when they see it, they are afraid you will sue them.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_6: To add to the existing answers: Systems which automatically process your passport (such as certain airline online checkins, e.g. United for international flights) might have problems matching the name on your ticket with the name on the ID, and refuse to complete the online checkin, which can be a nuisance (e.g. since you have to queue up at a counter). For the same reason, specifying a title on the ticket can be an issue, since not all airlines' systems are able to process that properly.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_7: Many countries do not have a place for any form of title or honorific, but for those that do so, I can see only a handful of pros or cons.
On the pro side:
1. Some people, after seeing your document, may treat you better than other people in anticipation of a better outcome for themselves, such as a tip or good review.
2. It may serve as verification of a degree in some employment situations.
3. If you were emigrating to a nation that permitted certain high value professions in, the document may assist in verification.
4. If you have a common name, it may better identify you so that you may not be mixed up with someone on a no-fly list or similar thing.
On the con side:
1. It may identify you as a target for thieves if a hotel worker uses the information to identify you as a potentially valuable target
2. It can create confusion if travel documents do not match your official documents.
3. Governments have sometimes created kill lists for members of the intelligentsia. The Khmer Rouge did and Russia currently has a list of professionals to be killed in Ukraine. The listing of a degree may make someone vulnerable in revolution or war.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/09
| 806
| 3,405
|
<issue_start>username_0: I was wondering if it is appropriate to have my phone out on my desk face down during class. I have done this for some time and have never been told to put it away.
On the one hand, putting it out shows the teacher, *Here is my phone, I'm not using it.*
On the other hand, putting it out might imply, *I am waiting for something more important than your class.*
Is it generally inappropriate or acceptable to have my phone out during class?<issue_comment>username_1: This ultimately ends up as a very situational issue, depending on culture, professor, individual, and past experience. I generally wouldn't consider it automatically a bad thing - and I tend to do it myself.
The main issue is not so much the phone, as how you use it and interact with it in the context of a class. I had a professor who explicitly asked for no electronic devices to be out in class, so in that case obviously they were clear that they didn't like to have phones out, so you'd generally want to abide by that. I, on the other hand, made a point of pulling out my phone quite visibly when a due date or assignment was announced to put it in my digital calendar, or if someone asked a question the professor was unsure of, or if the professor said something I doubted the correctness of I'd squint and tilt my head, and then Google it on my phone to confirm or clarify (and would offer to share what I found if something interesting resulted).
In theory, I blatantly violated the rule, and this would be considered something you shouldn't do. On the other hand, I am A) older, and less likely to be accused of being hooked on Facebook, B) someone who had already established themselves as a good student, and C) I made a point to make it clear I was using my electronic device in a pro-social, pro-education, productive way, which added to the class in a positive manner. The result was the professor actually changed their policy to be explicit about not wanting devices to be used as a distraction or unrelated to class, instead of a blanket ban.
If you use any device in way that makes it clear you are not paying attention, engaging with the class, or generally are not respectful of the time and work being done by people you are present with, that is going to be correctly interpreted as rude and disrespectful. I don't particularly recommend having it out just to have it out, though - if you aren't going to use it in some way, just put it away because it's a waste of work space. But if you are indeed going to use it in class in an appropriate, productive way - and make sure it isn't going to make noise, even by vibrating on the table - there is nothing wrong with having the phone on the desk in most modern classroom environments. If the professor explicitly has a no device policy, then you can politely defer to it any put it away unless you want to make a point in some way.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I'm not sure which is worse, interacting noticeably with a phone during class, or putting it in a pocket that's too small, or perching it on your chair and expecting it to stay put, resulting in a clattering drop on the floor, apologies and thanks to all your neighbors who dove for it, scraping their chairs in the process.
If it's not needed during class, why not turn it off and tuck it away neatly in your knapsack during class?
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/09
| 757
| 2,992
|
<issue_start>username_0: My thesis has around 100 references. What do you think if I highlight most important references (for example with bold text)? does it add more value to the work?<issue_comment>username_1: Your thesis should have an introduction. You can highlight the most important references by mentioning them in the introduction and explaining why they are important.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Generally, this is not something you do in your thesis, and should be solved in the text (as mentioned in the comment of NMJD).
But it's not completely strange, the entire series of [Current Opinion in XXX](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09581669) journals have marked references:
>
> • of special interest
>
>
> •• of outstanding interest
>
>
>
They're also marked in the text like:
>
> [40••]
>
>
>
But keep in mind that only reviews are published in these journals, and those are generally not comparable with a thesis.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: If you are not forced to order your references e.g. alphabetically or in citation order, you can simply sort them by what you consider importance (and state so). Then it's rather clear that few-digit references are more important than many-digit ones.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: You're probably thinking by analogy with the indices of some books, which boldface the pages that cover the concept in detail. So, for example, an entry might read "Widget 17, **25–28**, 34, 41, **50**", meaning that widgets are discussed in detail on pages 25–28 and 50, and also mentioned on some other pages. People look at the index because they've just picked up the book and they want to find information about a specific topic; they look at the index and then start reading. The boldface guides them to the most important things to read.
The references section works in exactly the opposite way. People who are already reading the book (thesis, paper, ...) consult the references to find out more information about some topic. Since they were already reading the book, you've already had the opportunity to guide them to the most important references first by writing text that does that. ("Widgets were introduced by Einstein [14] and the theory was fully worked out by Woeitg [73]; see also [12, 44, 56–58].") Further, the information that a reader seeks is often spread across the whole references section, as in the example I just gave. You'd have to check seven different entries to see which were the important ones. So I don't think that would add much information. In addition, people don't *read* the references section: they just refer to it, so they won't expect to find extra information hidden in there.
Having said that, boldfacing the actual citation would add information, in a concise way. I've never seen it done but "We now discuss widgets [12, **14**, 44, 56–58, **73**]" does seem to have exactly the benefits of boldfacing in indexes.
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/02/09
| 3,173
| 12,091
|
<issue_start>username_0: I've been studying uses of quaternions to study various types of orbifolds. The important thing here though is that I came across an absolutely incredible result due to Vahlen in 1901, that apparently received no attention until Ahlfors revamped the idea in 1985 using more contemporary methods. The result (Vahlen matrices) is central to my research.
The problem with Vahlen is that he was about as much of a Nazi as a person could be. He was in the SA, the SS, accused brilliant Jews of plagiarizing Aryans, helped the Third Reich expunge Jews from the scientific community, etc. He even supported the Nazi party *before* its infamous rise to popularity.
My questions are:
* What is the likelihood that Vahlen's results were neglected due to this political misfortune?
* What are some similar instances, particularly in mathematics?
* What is the etiquette of discussing a great result by a person who lead a morally reprehensible life?
Regarding the third question, Ahlfors simply writes about his math, which I think is the right way to go for a journal article. But what about a lecture or more general discourse among the community? I would feel weird if I were to give a lecture where I'm praising a guy who may have contributed to the extermination of an audience member's family. I have kind of a dark sense of humor, so I'm likely to mention the Naziism and poke fun at it ... maybe use it as an example for why you have to check everyone's results regardless of their other results. Personally I would find it funny to denote the Vahlen matrices by a swastika, but obviously this would be extremely inappropriate.
A more specific issue I'm having is that there is a lot of conflict about the notation for Vahlen's discovery, as other notation was developed for 84 years without it. It is an obstacle because we literally have different definitions for identical symbols all over the place. My feeling as that the clearest notation would be to use a $\mathcal{V}$ for the Vahlen matrices (which I have not seen in any papers thus far) and move on, but I wonder if there is a tendency in the academic community to avoid even that. I don't want even an iota of a suspicion of being sympathetic to this man's priorities.
An important note here is that Vahlen's matrices are in the domain of pure math. That means their development had nothing to do with any sort of experimentation, and are quite disjoint from these other aspects of Vahlen's life.
**Follow-up:** Without naming any names, some very established mathematicians I've been discussing my work with have unequivocally recommended omitting Vahlen's name from any constructions I use in my paper, specifically because of the political history. As in, don't call them "Vahlen matrices," call them "Ahlfors matrices," and things like that. Regardless of whether or not one agrees with that sentiment, to me it is concrete evidence of Vahlen's Naziism's effect on what credit he might receive for his mathematical work.<issue_comment>username_1: The fact that you would make a joke because of someone's political attitude shows that you lack professionalism. Mathematics has nothing to do with politics, and it is totally inappropriate to mix it with politics/ideology. Not giving credit to someone just because you don't agree with his personal opinion is also disingenuous. <NAME> and many other scientists worked on the atomic bomb; would you try to ignore them because of this?
"It would also be hilarious to just use a swastika [...]".
This speaks for itself.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I think there is no academic issue here.
>
> The problem with Vahlen, as you may have guessed by the title, is that he was about as much of a Nazi as a person could be. He was in the SA, the SS, accused brilliant Jews of plagiarizing Aryans, helped the Third Reich expunge Jews from the scientific community, etc. He even supported the Nazi party before its infamous rise to popularity.
>
>
>
I looked into [Theodor Vahlen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Vahlen), and I agree that he was a morally reprehensible individual. But this is irrelevant to a discussion of his work: he proved the theorems that he proved whether he was good, bad, or whatever. As is well known, [the Unabomber](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kaczynski) is a published mathematician. His six papers have eight citations on MathSciNet, three of which came long after his capture, e.g. [see here](http://www.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp/EMIS/journals/INTEGERS/papers/o42/o42.pdf). (Though I do not know for sure that the author of this paper was aware that the <NAME> whose work is cited is the Unabomber, it seems likely: the author is an American, and among Americans this name is well known to say the least.)
>
> I was wondering what the likelihood is that his results were neglected due to this political misfortune. I was also wondering if people know of similar instances, particularly in mathematics. It seems like whenever I look up the politics of a respectable mathematician, they are either nonexistent, or equally respectable. I don't know if we tend to discredit people like this, or if people like this tend to not produce good results, or what.
>
>
>
In my opinion this is unlikely. There are very famous mathematicians who were, to lesser or greater extents, participaters in the Nazi movement. Perhaps [<NAME>](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Bieberbach) and [Oswald Teichmuller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswald_Teichm%C3%BCller) are the two leading examples: these are household names in mathematics, and that they were intimately (and reprehensibly) involved in the Nazi movement is also very well known. (For that matter, I am not convinced that Vahlen's work is so little known. It is described in the wikipedia article linked to above, for instance.)
In my personal opinion, *it is worth knowing* when a mathematician (or other academic) has done reprehensible things in their personal life. Some years ago [I compiled a list of "greatest mathematicians" on MathOverflow](https://mathoverflow.net/questions/10103/great-mathematicians-born-1850-1920-et-bells-book-%E2%89%B2-x-%E2%89%B2-fields-medalists): I limited myself to choosing at most one mathematician born in a given year, but in some cases I included "honorable mentions." When I got to Teichmuller, I did not want to use the word "honorable" to describe him, so I wrote "dis/honorable mention." That was a personal decision (and by the way, I am partially of Jewish descent, so it is really not for me to forgive or forget such things). But I included him on the list anyway: that he was a terrible person does not influence his mathematics one way or another.
>
> I'd like to just use a big-ol' script V for the Vahlen matrices (which I have not seen in any papers thus far) and move on,
>
>
>
There is no problem with this.
>
> but I don't want even an iota of a suspicion of being sympathetic to this man's priorities.
>
>
>
We don't endorse the life of Teichmuller when we talk about Teichmuller space or Bieberbach when we talk about Bieberbach's Conjecture. We credit them with their work, as we must.
>
> It would also be hilarious to just use a swastika, but that joke might not be funny to some people (understandably).
>
>
>
I am not laughing at all. Please do not do this.
Finally, you can read much more about mathematics in Nazi Germany [from this book](http://press.princeton.edu/titles/7558.html). Again, I think it is good to know these things.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: As @Rudiger says, we should tell the truth so far as we know it (and make an effort to know it!), and give credit where credit is due, regardless of the possible failings in the other parts of a person's life.
I disagree with @Rudiger's claim that mathematics has nothing to do with politics, at least insofar as all these things are mixed together and affect each other in the larger human enterprise. After all, Nazism affect mathematics profoundly, by affecting mathematicians profoundly (killing some, driving some to suicide, and driving others to the U.S. and other places far away from Germany).
So far as I know, in Vahlen's case, the lack of attention is not so much about his abhorrent politics but that people did not find his mathematical work terribly useful (whether or not you yourself do).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> I was wondering about the etiquette of discussing a result by such a person. Ahlfors simply writes about his math, which seems probably the right way to go. But it still feels weird if I were to give a lecture where I'm praising a guy who may have contributed to the extermination of an audience member's family.
>
>
>
You need to remind yourself why you are there giving a lecture to this audience member in the first place. *What is the goal that your lecture is trying to achieve?*
**Is this a lecture about mathematics?**
or
**Is it a lecture about the history of Nazism?**
If this is a lecture about mathematics, *talk about mathematics*. Think about it this way: if you invited a speaker to give an algebra seminar at your department and they instead went on a 10 minute digression about the history of automobiles and inserted icons of automobiles to stand for mathematical objects instead of Latin or Greek letters, would you think that was appropriate, or would you think that it detracted from the goal you had in mind when you invited them to give a talk, namely to learn about their work and mathematics related to it?
It's okay to tell little historical anecdotes about the people behind the mathematics in talks; we are humans, not robots. Nonetheless, I'm willing to bet that your hypothetical audience member whose family was exterminated by the Nazis is still there primarily to hear about interesting mathematics and not about historical anecdotes or to see cheap gimmicks ostensibly making fun of the Nazis, and ultimately doesn't care that much to have any of that stuff brought up. Your use of a swastika as a mathematical symbol may or may not offend him; will certainly not strike him as funny; and will probably just annoy him for being a distracting gimmick that undermines the primary goal of the talk.
To summarize, no one really cares what "feels weird" to you - that's your own private feeling; to the extent that that feeling is causing you to want to give an unfocused talk that goes on irrelevant tangents and annoys people, the correct thing to do is to ignore that feeling and instead give the best *mathematical* talk, which focuses -- as a mathematical talk should -- on the mathematics. (Hmm, and that's basically what Ahlfors is doing in his writing isn't it...?)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: *This community wiki answer was created from answers-in-the-comments.*
>
> What are some similar instances, particularly in mathematics?
>
>
>
* At least according to Wikipedia, the non-subscription of "Deutsche Mathematik" outside Germany caused problems in the development of Teichmueller theory, as many of the papers of Teichmueller's were thus not available for researchers in the field.
* Wagner's music was not publicly performed in Israel before the current century.
* <NAME>'s "political views were radical and pacifist", to the point of quitting academics, harassing people trying to publish his work, and living into reclusion. That did not prevent him from getting prizes (that he refused) nor to be abundantly quoted. He is often referred to as one of the founder of modern algebraic geometry. He was the opposite of a nazi, but actively involved in political activities that may shock / derange. If anything, this added to the awe that the mathematical community has for him.
* <NAME>. Fortunately the uncertainty principle is no less amazing and cool because its discoverer was working to help the Nazis develop an atomic bomb.
* <NAME>
* <NAME>
* <NAME>
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/09
| 644
| 2,954
|
<issue_start>username_0: I have been working on a paper that is now ready for submission. I put a lot of time into polishing my figures in Illustrator, which are very detailed bioinformatics visualizations. I sent the figures to the main responsible PI. The PI has now sent me a draft of the manuscript, with the suggested arrangement of the figures. All in JPEG format. A scrutiny of the person's publication record implies that this is also likely to end up being the case for the final product. I realize that the paper has the potential to go fairly high in terms of impact, if appropriate work was put into the presentation. To be frank, none of the more respectable journals today will accept figures presented in this fashion, and if they do it would demand a lot more in terms of the underlying science than some PDF-using competitors might get away with. So, with a reasonable fear of triggering certain latent ego issues (which appear to be quite common among PI:s in academia), how would I go about convincing this fairly established and high profile PI (as an unsignificant Phd student) to fully switch to vector based figure layout?<issue_comment>username_1: From the comments I gather that you are afraid to criticise your PI for producing low quality images, which is natural.
I think that a good course of action here would be an e-mail where you tell your PI that your journal requires vector based images. Then you say that you know that he is a busy man and that you are willing to reproduce his images in Illustrator if that is okay with him (assuming the pictures are easily reproducable). That way he will probably thank you for going the extra mile and taking work off his shoulders.
I would refrain from telling him to make better pictures himself, because he has probably done it the same way for decades and it is hard to change such habits.
Good luck with your publication!
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: While this specific instance obviously has been dealt with, others might find the following useful.
It is professionally acceptable, usually even desired to establish work delivery in certain file formats.
Ideally this is done before work is started or as concerns become apparent.
I see no issue if the quality requested by OP (with third parties like publications in mind) enhances the overall presentation.
In fact, I'm in agreement.
Print publications not only frown upon using lossy compression formats, they have standards regarding resolution as well.
Vector formats can be scaled without images becoming pixelated, so are superior to bitmap formats with insufficient resolution.
So to clearly answer the question at hand as well:
Politely and neutrally suggesting to adhere to the standards required by print media (as mentioned, research on the site of the journal in question or industry standards) should be enough to convince anyone to prefer certain file formats.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/10
| 510
| 2,160
|
<issue_start>username_0: Is there a (reasonably common) verb I can use meaning *to perform the practical work* of one’s PhD thesis that I can use to put in the following blank:
>
> I have \_\_\_\_ my Ph.D. in the laboratory of Professor <NAME>.
>
>
>
I can’t use *completed* because I’m lacking my defence as of I-don’t-yet-know-when-exactly.<issue_comment>username_1: From the comments I gather that you are afraid to criticise your PI for producing low quality images, which is natural.
I think that a good course of action here would be an e-mail where you tell your PI that your journal requires vector based images. Then you say that you know that he is a busy man and that you are willing to reproduce his images in Illustrator if that is okay with him (assuming the pictures are easily reproducable). That way he will probably thank you for going the extra mile and taking work off his shoulders.
I would refrain from telling him to make better pictures himself, because he has probably done it the same way for decades and it is hard to change such habits.
Good luck with your publication!
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: While this specific instance obviously has been dealt with, others might find the following useful.
It is professionally acceptable, usually even desired to establish work delivery in certain file formats.
Ideally this is done before work is started or as concerns become apparent.
I see no issue if the quality requested by OP (with third parties like publications in mind) enhances the overall presentation.
In fact, I'm in agreement.
Print publications not only frown upon using lossy compression formats, they have standards regarding resolution as well.
Vector formats can be scaled without images becoming pixelated, so are superior to bitmap formats with insufficient resolution.
So to clearly answer the question at hand as well:
Politely and neutrally suggesting to adhere to the standards required by print media (as mentioned, research on the site of the journal in question or industry standards) should be enough to convince anyone to prefer certain file formats.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/10
| 985
| 4,232
|
<issue_start>username_0: I've been offered a position in the lab I worked in as an undergrad, starting this spring upon graduation. One of the perks of my position would be that I get to register for 5 credits (~one class) per quarter for free.
Let's say I want to take advantage of this, and my boss in the lab is willing. I see I have three options to take classes this way:
1. I could take more classes in my major (linguistics) that I didn't take before I graduated.
2. I could take classes that would prepare me for the sort of work I want to do in graduate school (closer to psychology than theoretical linguistics) beyond what I already have done and learn in the lab.
3. I could take entirely unrelated classes I have interests in but didn't take in undergrad. For me, I would probably take a language class. It keeps me sane, and they're often scheduled early in the day so I would miss less work.
All else being equal, how would a graduate admissions committee look on me for choosing each of these paths for a year or two before I apply for grad school? I imagine (2) would be best, but there's still lots of interesting classes in (1)
and (3) that are hard to pass up.
I do want to say I'm not just doing this to make my grad school apps look better. There a lot of undergrad classes I'd love to take in both options (1) and (2), and like I said, learning a language keeps me sane, but I thought I'd get all the variables before I did anything.<issue_comment>username_1: If you have time, you could audit one class and take one for credit. A language class is particularly well suited to auditing. Taking two classes might work best if the language class isn't very challenging.
The advice given in a comment of trying out one approach during the next quarter and then adjusting your direction as needed seems sound.
In terms of preparation for grad school, you might be able to detect one or two particularly helpful courses by looking carefully at the program of studies and the sequence of prerequisites in a couple of target programs.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Linguistics professor here (at a big public university in the U.S.). I think this is an excellent question.
The first thing I want to point out is that all else being equal, that extra year of lab work is going to be an asset when it comes to graduate applications. It attests to you having research experience and lends additional credibility to the areas of interest that you point toward on your statement of purpose. A big extra plus is if the extra year helps to net you any presentations or publications.
That aside, this is an interesting dilemma. On the one hand, this is your last real chance to enroll in classes outside your major; a Ph.D. in linguistics would not typically leave any room for it. Having other interests is still possible in grad school, but a reasonable expectation is that they will be squeezed into a corner (you might read the occasional book about them, for instance). On the other hand, an admissions committee will see your entire transcript, and if you take courses to help you prepare for graduate school, that will not go unnoticed.
My advice is as follows: compile a list of Ph.D. programs that you want to apply to, and then pay very close attention to the preparation they want to see among applicants to their program. Do they strongly advise applicants to have completed a class in linguistic field methods? Do they like seeing applicants with background in (e.g.) phonology or syntax or morphology beyond the introductory courses in those subfields? Is having training in statistics an advantage?
If you've already maxed out on the requirements for the program(s) you apply to, then you have some freedom to select other classes. If you are missing something recommended (or optional but clearly well regarded by the department you're applying to), this is a chance to fill in the gap and become a more competitive applicant. Similarly, one of my colleagues tells gap-year applicants that if they have completed a core linguistics class but scored below about the B-minus level, taking that class again in an attempt to mitigate the weak spot on the transcript is advisable.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/10
| 959
| 3,893
|
<issue_start>username_0: I'm a non-EU postdoctoral researcher in Europe who recently started looking for company jobs. I just informed my advisor that. He asked me where, and I said the name of the same city we are in, because that's my most preferred choice. Now, my postdoc is till the end of the year (if not renewed), and I know that I've the right to leave at any time I like with probably a one month's notice.
I initially intended to tell him only *after* getting an offer, but I felt he should know it in any case, because if I leave abruptly in a month, that'd be a sudden blow on him.
He didn't say much, except asking when I'm looking to join. I said I didn't get any offer yet, and plan to finish what I started, if the company allows that. **My only fear is: can my postdoctoral advisor try to sack me because of this?** Did I just make a mistake? Our relation is okay (not superb), and I report regularly to him.
What would *you* do if you were a postdoctoral advisor in this situation? Thanks a lot!
EDIT: Okay he had a small chat with me just now. He told me that if I find a job soon, he's okay if I start immediately, he'd not have anything against it. The reason being that he thinks the project might take longer than a year, and he himself isn't sure about the funding status for the next year yet.
So it seems not to be a bad sign yet.<issue_comment>username_1: I may be naive, since I had a way to good relation ship to my PhD supervisor. But I would assume that he only asked you where, to a) think about whether he knows someone he can refer you to, or b) to see whether he could create an industrial cooperation with your futur company, now that he might get a foot into the door.
At least that is what my supervisor would have done, I can not give you any information from the other side ;)
However, I think that it was definatly the right call of you to tell him, after all, one does not want to burn bridges. He will probably be thankful for the headsup, and if there is no other reason for bad blood, you are on the safe side this way!
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: My feeling is that most supervisors/PIs are aware of the realities of being a postdoc, having been one themselves at one point. I suspect that he valued your honesty, and understands that most people would like a well paid job with stability.
Unless he's shown some signs of being an awful person, I would assume he was asking you out of personal interest, and so that he organise his grants and find a replacement if possible.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Our postdocs are a bit our children as well, so we know that (i) they will eventually grow up and leave the nest, and (ii) we're proud if they find a good job. We hope that (iii) they stay in contact and that that maybe leads to future collaborations.
So your postdoc adviser was probably not surprised to see that you are applying for jobs, but may be sad to see you leave. That's at least how I feel about my postdocs, but then I also help them with their applications when they apply for jobs.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: A postdoc is not a permanent position and it partly has a *training* component, so it should be expected that you may be looking for other opportunities. I'd lean towards being honest and open. I think it's good to get an understanding up front: If I decide to look for a job, how should we handle that? How much notice should I give you? Do you have any concerns about this?
You want to remain friendly with your supervisor since you probably want letters of recommendation etc. Best to put yourself in his/her position: What would you want in a postdoc? Given that they are not slaves, how would you handle their career aspirations? You do want to leave them with something of value -- finish your code, get a patent, fulfill some item in the grant or something.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/10
| 681
| 2,761
|
<issue_start>username_0: I'm 2 weeks away from being done with my program. A classmate & myself got caught looking at the quiz answers while the teacher left the room, but all of our 10 other classmates were benefiting from the answers also. Technically they were cheating also because they didn't go tell the instructor. We both got a 0 on our quiz. We go to a private college. Their policy says either suspension, warning or expulsion. I don't know what to do. My director told me I wouldn't get expulsion & she met with the school education director yesterday to make a decision, but was never told anything. Can they possibly kick me out with 2 weeks left of my program? What about the other 10 girls who were getting the answers? Shouldn't they technically be cheaters also because if the teacher wouldn't had walked in they would had the answers. Help!! I'm slowly dying. I own up I was wrong for doing what I did. I apologize to my instructor & director because that's not the type of student I am at all. I don't know what made me do what I did, but I happen & I know I am an adult.<issue_comment>username_1: That all depends on how important this test was. You say 'quiz': is it an informal test, a larger assessment, an exam? On the one hand your teacher should not have left the room [I have known this to happen before in university exams too] but you should also not have succumbed to temptation. You say other student 'benefited' from the answers? What does this mean - they didn't look at the answers themselves but they asked questions to those that did? A lot here is not clear.
It's completely down to a] the importance of the 'quiz' and b] your college. I would not expect them to suspend/expel you for a short test or assessment, but a major exam, maybe. Really I don't think anyone can give you a definitive answer, since it's so relative to your college. But at least going forward you'll know not to do this kind of thing again.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Usually they let you off with a warning if you are caught. However, it depends on the level of examination you are appearing for. It's good that you apologised for your mistake and have realised not to go for it again.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: You probably won't get suspended without a warning. Please learn a lesson and don't do it next time.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: I'll address something the others haven't addressed yet.
>
> What about the other 10 girls who were getting the answers?
>
>
>
It is absolutely none of your business what happens to the others in the class and not your judgement call to make. Forget about them and focus on yourself. Learn from your mistake and never let it happen again.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/10
| 2,210
| 9,328
|
<issue_start>username_0: I think PhD is the first time, mostly, when a person does original new work and in this process they gain the skills to do research. So, I was wondering why do people do postdoc(s) when they already have those research capabilities which they can practice even being a Professor or in Industries. Is there something else left to be learned?<issue_comment>username_1: In many countries, you need a good publication record to be considered for a permanent position, and the only way you can get a good publication record is though postdoc work. There are also far more applicants than there are permanent positions (in all of the places I have worked, anyway); a postdoc once told me of a job interview he had in Oxford, where he met two senior professors applying for a junior permanent position; needless to say, they weren't too pleased to see each other. I don't know what it's like in the humanities, but for some reason, many jobs, both permanent and contracted, prefer applicants who have had some degree of mobility, i.e. have done research abroad, and a postdoc is a good way to do this, while building an international network.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Because the requirements for the majority of professorships are such that very few people can be considered serious applicants right out of their PhD.
Also, the number of PhD holders looking for a professorship far exceeds the number of available positions which creates a "backlog".
The two are obviously correlated since the higher the demand to offer ratio, the pickier the institutions can be.
So even in the case where people developed the necessary skills to conduct professor-level research and teaching during their PhD (which should not be underestimated, that level usually requires more experience than what a typical PhD can give), they usually need to spend some years conducting independent or less closely-mentored research along with students mentoring and teaching as a postdoc until they can secure a position.
Note that the majority of postdoc researchers never get a faculty position.
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_3: In the sciences, the simple answer is the production of Ph.D.s far exceeds the number of faculty positions (see [here](http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v31/n10/fig_tab/nbt.2706_F1.html)). In the days of yore (1950's - 1970's), academia was expanding and new Ph.D.s could more easily land faculty positions.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/O2FyJ.jpg)
I believe the postdoc position was invented as a natural way to take advantage of the oversupply. What professor wouldn't want to have a seasoned academic researcher who has already published on the team, for a low rate? It's true there are more skills newly-minted Ph.D.'s need to develop, as noted in the other answers. But that was the whole point of junior faculty positions.
The more recent advent of postdoc positions in the humanities is discussed in [this article](https://chroniclevitae.com/news/593-a-brief-history-of-the-humanities-postdoc).
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_4: The answers by username_2 and username_1 cover some central reasons someone would pursue a postdoc, but there are some other reasons--as well as reasons a school might rightfully find that post-docs are better prepared to be research professors.
**Diversification of research experience.** If your only training in independent research is your PhD advisor's research, it can be challenging to strike out in a new area. Most PhDs don't want to be a copycat of their advisor's research: it leads to interpersonal tensions, and you're more likely to get scooped when you're starting. Taking your expertise to a new field in your postdoc can be valuable in:
* Broadening the research techniques you're familiar with (e.g. specific instrumentation, models, or lab measurements)
* Broadening your field of expertise
* Developing your own core research questions, which are not copies or derivatives of your advisor's
* Contributing your specialty to a new field to make an impact with a different perspective
**Learning How To Manage Researchers** When you're a graduate student, you're in the trenches doing the actual work. When you're a professor, you're managing a group of people who are doing the work. Managing well is very tricky. Are you going to micro-manage them? This might get the work done faster, but then you're preventing your students from developing independence, because you tell them exactly what to do at each step. Also, you might be missing out on important research questions that they are asking and interested in pursuing. Are you going to be very hands-off? They might spin their wheels unproductively, and even quit the program after you've spend the time and money training them. How do you find a balance? Do you think happy and satisfied and curious graduate students do better work? How do you make sure they are happy and satisfied and curious while still getting work done and papers written? Effective group management is a set of skills that you are not typically taught as a graduate student. However postdocs often mentor graduate students and could even manage a small research focus within the group, and this can build these management abilities with guidance from the PI.
**Experience Writing Grants.** Sometimes graduate students write grants or help a professor write grants, but not terribly often. A postdoc can be a good opportunity to co-write a grant proposal with your PI, to give you experience in grant writing. Being able to fund your research as a professor is integral, and how to write grants effectively is a skill that we don't typically teach graduate students.
**Becoming more of a presence in your field.** To be a successful professor you need to: get funding, publish papers (i.e.: get papers through the peer review process), maybe find collaborators, be invited to give talks, etc. That all comes a bit easier if people in your field know who you are. There's a lot of work to do to set up your lab and recruit graduate student as a new professor, and you'll also have departmental obligations (like committees to serve on), and teaching requirements. If you can start getting your name out there as a post-doc by going to lots of workshops and conferences, it's a little less pressure on you when you're trying to get all your other ducks lined up for tenure.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_5: *The following description is valid at least in Germany as I experienced it in the natural sciences. I am not sure whether it is also the case in other countries.*
In Germany, you have to do teaching when you have a professorship at a University. There are a few exceptions. Additionally, you are expected to lead a working group, attend faculty meetings, supervise PhD students, grade Bachelor's and Master's theses, obtain third-party funding and probably some minor things I forgot. It is a secure position and you earn good money but there is not much time left to do research .
As PostDoc (but also as senior researcher with permanent contract) you also have some of these responsibilities - but not all and often you can choose more flexible what to do. The important aspect is that you do have more time available for doing research (compared to being a professor).
Moreover in the past, a "Prof." (and also a "Dr.") had a very high reputation in the society. It changed in the previous two to three decades. You have to deals with students -- particularly in their first year -- (and in recent years their parents!!!), who claiming for good grades and a higher quality of the lectures. The latter is actually a positive aspect. However, in my experience people are often not adapting to the university-kind of learning and expected highschool lessons instead of lectures (but that's another discussion).
**Summarizing**, a professorship a German universities is better paid and a more secure job than a PostDoc position but it also brings a considerable amounts of responsibilities taking a lot of time, which you loose for your research).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: To understand the question it is important to understand the role of postdoc in an academic career. How I see it:
* PhD student
A training to be a researcher. May end up as a **researcher outside academia**. Even some business manager positions require MBA or PhD.
* PostDoc
A full time **researcher within academia**.
* Tenure Track (Associate etc.)
A gradual change from a full time researcher to a full time manager.
* Proferssor
The managers of the university.
PostDoc is a way to keep the researchers within academia. They conduct the best research because they are no longer students, but they have none of the managerial responsibilities of a professor. As always, things may vary between every parameter you can name (time, place, field, attitude...).
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_7: Positions at research universities receive hundreds of applications. Applications from fresh PhD's are difficult to evaluate (and thus have almost no chance) because it is usually impossible to know which of the ideas in the PhD thesis came from the student, and which came from the advisor.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/10
| 810
| 3,267
|
<issue_start>username_0: I currently have Bachelors in Economics and Math, and I'm doing full-time research in Economics right now.
My initial plan was to do PhD in Economics and work in academia, but after doing research, I realized that I'm not very interested in doing research in Economics, but rather I'm interested in teaching Economics at a post-secondary level.
However, I do know that professors in major universities are usually very researched-driven, so I was considering teaching in community college level (or PUIs, as commented by @NMJD). However, even to teach at community college level, at least Master in Economics is required, if not PhD.
While I'm open to the idea of doing Master in Economics, I feel that it doesn't have much value, other than the certificate of graduation itself, because Masters in Applied Economics is very similar to advanced undergrad Economics that I've taken (at least when I looked at their courses). I've already taken multiple PhD courses as undergraduate, and doing research in Economics in my workplace is generally considered equivalent to completing Masters. Financial burden of enrolling in Masters program is undesirable as well.
My question is: Should I pursue Masters in Economics, knowing that I'll repeat many courses that I've taken as undergraduate while putting myself in a debt? Or should I go to PhD, even though I understand that PhD is a very research-intensive degree?
NOTE: I've read similar article
[Can you teach at a community college with a master's degree?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/16946/can-you-teach-at-a-community-college-with-a-masters-degree).
Although it is similar, it doesn't not quite answer my question, as my question is Economics-specific, and I'm comparing the option of doing Masters or PhD to teach in community college.<issue_comment>username_1: A large portion of the community college workforce is part-time. When there are full time job openings, they are quite competitive. I will assume you are looking for full time work. I have observed that many community college job advertisements say that a PhD is desirable, and I think that the applicant pool will typically contain many PhDs. So I would suggest getting a PhD.
Be sure that during your PhD, you demonstrate that you know how to teach. You can find quite a bit of information about how to obtain a job at a community college in columns on Inside Higher Ed. If you earn a masters in the course of earning your PhD, teaching part-time at a community college during your PhD could be a good strategy.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: If the master's program you are contemplating enrolling in has nothing to offer, then look for a different master's program.
Some ideas for what you might look for:
* a program with a specialty in something challenging and/or intriguing, something *different* from what you've already done
* a program that would allow you to be a teaching assistant, with a stipend and tuition deferment
* some other area that can help you with your employability, for example education (pedagogy), business or public administration
You can of course start applying for jobs with your Bachelor's under your belt and see how it goes.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/10
| 827
| 3,511
|
<issue_start>username_0: I have seen professors clearly stating that they do not accept visitor students or postdocs.
So, what are the disadvantages of having such positions?<issue_comment>username_1: This can vary a lot from professor to professor or even school to school. Some ideas:
* **Cost.** This varies heavily from school to school. At some schools, tuition is waived for graduate students but not for visiting students, and the professor would have to pay tuition for a visiting student. If tuition is waived and the professor only has to pay the research stipend, the graduate student stipend is typically cheaper than the postdoctoral stipend. If visiting students come from abroad, there can also be immigration costs and living stipend requirements that the professor must provide for.
* **Training time vs. research produced** How long it takes to train someone varies from field to field. In my field, it's probably about a year of training before you can really pull your own weight. If you're a visiting student who will only be here for one year, you might be a net-drain on the research production in the group: we spend a lot of time training you, and then you immediately leave. What do we get for that sunk time?
* **Fear of being scooped.** Less so for a postdoc, but with a visiting student present for a short time, some professors in highly competitive fields might be concerned that the visiting student will go back to their "main" lab and work on very similar projects, potentially scooping the group that hosted them.
* **Desire to focus on graduate students.** Some professors especially later in their career, enjoy mentoring and working to develop new scientists. Often you see the most progress and development from graduate students, who are with you longer and have had less training. For some professors, this can be very gratifying.
* **Minimizing group turnover and recruiting.** Some professors might prefer to have students for longer periods of time, to allow them to focus more on research and less on the periphery of recruiting and training new members, especially if professors are retired or near retirement. Graduate students are typically around for 4-7 years, whereas visiting students may be around for as little as 8-10weeks, or postdocs only 1.5-3 years.
* **Transitioning into retirement.** Some professors when they are considering retirement will try to focus exclusively on getting their last few graduate students finished with the program. (On the other hand, some professors might prefer postdocs who could more easily be pushed off into a job whenever they decide to retire.)
Edit: If you're seeing this on a website, the professor may not have a standing rule against visitors or postdocs, but may simply not have room or funding for them right now.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Many professors receive a lot of unsolicited emails from people asking to come to their lab/department for a summer internship, sabbatical, collaboration visit of several days/weeks/months/years, etc. The professor to whose web page you linked seems to have gotten tired of these requests and therefore declared that he will not be taking on any visitors. I doubt his strategy has much effect, but that's why he's doing it. It has nothing to do with a disadvantage of having visitors, and everything to do with the disadvantage of receiving many tedious requests from people you don't know or have any interest in working with.
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/02/10
| 1,008
| 4,238
|
<issue_start>username_0: I have been invited as a Guest speaker to a scientific workshop at a University. I know there will be faculty members but will there be students present as well? This is my first time as a Guest speaker, so any information of what happens in such events would be helpful.<issue_comment>username_1: The answer to this question will vary from school to school. **Typically speaking, you could expect faculty, staff scientists, post-docs, and graduate students at a generic guest speaker's presentation.** As such, you might aim your talk for an audience of educated scientists with familiarity to your field (but not experts of the field).
If you want more certainty, **you could ask the organizer** who invited you what audience you can expect.
If you are comfortable adapting to your audience on the spot, and you are comfortable being somewhat informal, **you could ask for a show-of-hands at the beginning of your talk**. E.g.: "Show of hands, how many post-docs are there in the audience? ... Graduate students? ... any undergraduates?"
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: This varies tremendously by venue, as it depends on exactly why the talk is being held, is influenced by who is funding the talk and why, etc.
As an example, one set of public talks may be held as part of a series for "public and community outreach". At these talks there will be a mix of a few scattered faculty members, students of various programs, and up to half will be members who live in the surrounding community, including retired people, professionals with only a vague general interest in the topic, business people who might have an interest in the field, etc.
Another set of talks might be purely directly at students. There may be only a few faculty members (1-2 wouldn't be unusual), mostly undergraduate students from the specific hosting program and a few from related/other programs (who may be required to be there, or receiving extra credit for a class), and a few grad students (who are there because they are really interested, and/or may be hoping for some fee snacks). Other talks are held specifically for grad students, and there will be very few undergrads (if any), and yet another set of talks might have mostly faculty, post-docs, staff, and a few scattered grad students.
Administrators (deans, department heads, etc) attend some types of talks, but tend not to be found at others.
However, it is always acceptable to ask your host about the predicted audience, and they usually have a pretty good idea of who can be expected to show up. You should certainly be prepared for this prediction to be less than perfectly accurate, and the general assumption is you'll have a range of intelligent, interested, people attending, though few will be anything resembling experts in your specific area.
If your workshop has limited attendance and sign-ups, you could even send out a survey to try to learn about your audience, but this a luxury that's not usually available if it's just an open talk.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: This is really hard to answer since it depends on so many factors.
In our relatively small math department, the average guest talk had a small handful of faculty, and maybe 6 students or so, and it was usually those of us who spent a lot of time on campus because of the times of the talk (mid-afternoon).
If you want any metrics that could help determine, I'd ask the host:
* what time the talk is (the further from noon, the less people you should expect)
* if they know of any professors/instructors offering extra credit to students if they go to these talks (in a couple cases, a graph theory talk filled the classroom, another had to be moved to an auditorium).
Also it depends on the general attitude towards your topic in the school. For example, are you a Knot Theorist going to speak at a small liberal arts school? I wouldn't as expect many to come, compared to if you were speaking at a large polytechnic university.
In the end, unless you're worried about having enough handouts, or something like that, don't waste brain space thinking about how many people. You can give a talk to 1 person the same way you can give a talk to 1000.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/10
| 914
| 3,913
|
<issue_start>username_0: I was invited to give a talk at an upcoming conference. The abstract has myself and two other authors listed. Is it unreasonable for me to back out of the presentation (they were only paying for the hotel, food and conference registration fees and not flight) and have a co-author do it? The reason for me backing out would be over extending myself due to a combination of poor planning on my part and some luck on grant pre-proposals.<issue_comment>username_1: Unless this is a keynote address (where the organizers specifically want *you* because you are a bigshot in your field) it is usually sufficient if any of the listed authors presents the paper. Many conferences have "no show" policies which prevent the inclusion of the paper/abstract into the conference proceedings (and hence prevent publication) when none of the authors shows up.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: One question is whether your coauthor will do as good a job of speaking or otherwise contributing to the conference. If you are well known as an excellent speaker and your coauthor is not, or if you are a much better known researcher, then the organizers may be unhappy with the substitution. Another potential issue may be if your name has been used to advertise the conference, on posters or the web. However, if you and your coauthor are more or less on an equal footing, then I doubt the organizers will object.
I'd recommend apologizing for being unable to make it due to reasons beyond your control (without going into detail), and offering your coauthor as a potential substitute, while still giving them the chance to decline and just cancel your talk or replace you with someone else entirely. I'd make it clear that you are suggesting the coauthor as a possibility without having asked the coauthor yet, so that they don't feel trapped by not wanting to insult a substitute you have already lined up.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I'll assume "Can I send a coauthor in my place?" doesn't mean "is this legal or possible?" (obviously yes) but rather "is this an ethical or collegial thing to do?" for which the answer, I'll claim, is "no." The organizers invited *you*, not your co-authors, for some real reason -- maybe they expect you to speak well, or you're the leader of the work and can comment best on its future directions. And more importantly you *agreed* to speak. Barring personal or medical emergencies, this means you should do what you agreed to do, and what you were invited to do. Your time management skills are irrelevant. (And frankly, I find the complaint weird -- so what if you have to work on grant proposals? If it's so urgent, do this during the N-1 hours of the meeting that aren't occupied by your talk.)
Having organized symposium sessions, I'd be annoyed if an invited speaker flaked out because they were "busy," and it would not leave me with a good impression of their abilities.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_4: I'd say it **depends on what the invitation was like**. If all three of you were addressed, and were asked to have someone be the invited speaker, then it's perfectly reasonable to *ask* to replace yourself; and impolite but tolerable to announce a replacement. If you were invited personally, then - no, it's not appropriate.
However - and this is even more important than what I said above so I'll increase the font size:
### It is infinitely better to say you cannot make it because of fatigue or just any excuse, than to collapse and cancel at the last moment, or show up completely unprepared.
in your specific case, it sounds like you're just going to have to postpone something else, even if that means reduced chances of getting a grant, missing a submission deadline etc.
PS - It's a question of ethics as well, not just of etiquette, which is why I retagged. You don't get off that easy...
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/11
| 335
| 1,107
|
<issue_start>username_0: Recently, I am looking for a PhD position.
I emailed a professor and he said I chose a day for Skye, I did.
Then he said that afternoon is OK with him, and asked me a bout time difference between my country and his country.
then he did not answer me for 3 days and yesterday was the day we were supposed to have Skype.
now, I do'nt now how to remind him<issue_comment>username_1: You could just send him an email about it. It is unlikely that professors would forget about any interview. In any case, you can send him an email about your scheduled interview.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: This is a starting point. You can adapt this to your own style.
>
> Dear Prof. X,
>
>
> I hope all is well with you. Did I misunderstand when our Skype appointment is? I thought it was yesterday. Maybe I should make sure I know what your skype ID is. Is it profx? Mine is maryam.
>
>
> If you have time next week -- days that would work for me are m, n, or p.
>
>
> I'm attaching my unofficial transcript.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> (name)
>
>
>
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/11
| 999
| 3,230
|
<issue_start>username_0: I received a very low grade in one of my Master classes. This is not a failing grade but close to it. Such low scores are highly unusual in this country (Japan), 90/100 or more is the norm and even a 80/100 is frowned upon sometimes. My score is much lower. Therefore, although I will obtain the credits for the class, there may be prejudice.
The strange thing is that this class was anything but hard. It consisted in about a dozen of lectures, one every week, done by different scientists. The evaluation consisted in a very small quiz (A5 sheet) at the end of each lecture, to be answered in 10 minutes. Usually the question was: *`what did you think of this lecture, and how does it relate to your research topic ?’*. I would answer it normally, in a few paragraphs.
Because my final grade is so low, and because I was very surprised, I asked the responsible professor for the details of my marks. I would like to know how well I performed in each individual test. Unfortunately, he refuses categorically to provide me with this info. Is this legal or common behavior? What should I do?<issue_comment>username_1: Unless university policy states otherwise, seeing your markings should be a incontestable right.
First, sincerely ask the reason he refuses to show. If he does not give a reason, discuss the matter with department head or dean. Ultimately, you will need to form a complaint about the matter.
But before starting the process, ask yourself the question *would it really worth going through these unpleseant processes?*
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I read (skimmed) through the [statues in Japanese law](http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S22/S22F03501000011.html#1000000000009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000) and the associated statutes it links.
Moreover, [a legal case called the *Toyama Daigaku*](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AF%8C%E5%B1%B1%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6) incident clarifies that universities have large leeway in these matters. Here's the opinion of the Japanese supreme court:
>
> 大学は、国公立であると私立であるとを問わず、学生の教育と学術の研究とを目的とする教育研究施設であって、……一般市民社会とは異なる特殊な部分社会を形成しているのであるから、このような特殊な部分社会である大学における法律上の係争のすべてが当然に裁判所の司法審査の対象になるものではない。
>
>
>
Translated:
>
> A university regardless of whether it is a national or public university or a private university is an education institution with the objective of the education of students and academic research ... Since these differ from normal society precisely in being founded to be a special type of society, the features of these institutions with respect to this special society, of course, do not fall within the purview of the court to investigate.
>
>
>
While I think it's terrible, I can find no basis for requiring the professor to supply you with the rationale for the grade you received. If anything, there's wide berth for professors to determine grades.
Your specific institution may have more precise rules but most of the institutions I looked at specified:
* 60% as passing
* 15 class sessions of 90 minutes each
* grades based on some combination of classroom attendance, tests, and papers
(this is also the same where I am teaching).
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/02/11
| 827
| 3,595
|
<issue_start>username_0: I read in the instructions for one conference:
>
> Please do not use arXiv references for papers that have been published at official venues such as conferences, journals or workshops. Please make the effort to identify these at least for all papers prior to 2017.
>
>
>
What are the downsides of using arXiv references instead of conference/journal references?<issue_comment>username_1: Using arXiv *instead of* a conference / journal reference has an obvious disadvantage: readers won't know that the paper eventually passed peer review and was published. This is important context, especially if they want to cite the paper themselves later.
Using arXiv *in addition to* a conference / journal reference might make sense, but some might consider it redundant.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: Venues are **important for judging if a paper is worth reading**.
ArXiv is a mixed bag, as it is not peer reviewed, and may even have been changed!
If I look at references, and they come from some predatory publisher or fake conference, I don't bother reading them. Experience tells me they are at most a rip-off of some other work, and in the worst case simply copy&paste from Wikipedia.
Now if your work is based on these things, I would be rather skeptical if it really works. Even many papers published in top conferences are nonsense and not reproducible.
So please, indicate which papers have at least passed some peer review, and in which venue - to at least hint at their quality.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: One reason I haven't seen mentioned is indexing of citations. Some services that create citation statistics might not correctly associate the preprint with the published paper.
But linking to the arXiv version is always a good idea:
* It's a lot easier for the author to update an arXiv preprint than the version in a Journal.
E.g one of my papers has some (minor) errors in the published version
which are fixed on arXiv.
* Not everyone has access to paywalled journals, especially not all
the time (e.g. from a mobile device).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: The arXiv version is not always updated to match the published version, which is the official "version of record" (although these days it is rarer and rarer that the arXiv version is not updated to match the published version).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: The main concern should be to assist your future readers as much as possible, including to enable them to track down the source article. If you can direct them to the latest version and provide a DOI for them to track it easily, then it would be beneficial to do so.
If that version happens to be a reputable peer-reviewed journal, then all the better to get your readers to trust your claims. If submitting to a journal they will also use your references to determine whether your topic is relevant for their publication, they expect you to have cited publications in the field including their journal.
Disclosure of the version you've based your claims on is a valid concern. In my experience bioRxiv updates manuscripts to the published version but it may be worth checking that the aspects you've based your citation on have not changed, particularly if they've been retracted. However, it does look good to show that you have included the latest findings in your field in your literature review. Perhaps it may be suitable to cite the published version and include a sourced at arXiv note or url? Similar to how you would give the date accessed (version) for a website source.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/11
| 747
| 3,347
|
<issue_start>username_0: I received some help during my thesis under the following circumstances:
1. Took "neutral" classes for coding from a online tutor
2. The tutor helped me in sharpening my coding skills
3. I took his help (held discussions) in understanding a solution (how to code, which library to use)
4. The Tutor helped debugging at times when I got stuck
I wrote everything by my own but this person helped by "tutoring", "discussions", and "debugging".
Am I fine here?<issue_comment>username_1: Activities 1-3 are perfectly fine, and fall within the category of teaching and learning. There is no more issue with these activities than if you undertake approved university courses during your program. Activity 4 is the only one that could potentially raise issues, depending on your field of study and the extent of the assistance. If you are undertaking a thesis where the primary activity is coding and debugging, where you are expected to do these activities yourself, then it might not be okay to have assistance on this task. If you are outside of that field then debugging assistance in your coding is probably analogous to copy-editing services for the textual elements of the thesis, and in that case you should seek guidance from relevant standards applicable to your university (here is an example of [applicable standards for copy-editing of theses in Australian universities](http://iped-editors.org/About_editing/Editing_theses.aspx)).
In any case, you should raise this matter with your thesis supervisor, disclose the details of the assistance you got, and make sure you give an appropriate acknowledgement in your thesis, so that the reviewers are aware of the matter. Your supervisor will be able to point you to relevant policies that apply at your university, and will be in a good position to assess whether the help you have sought raises any issues. Unless your thesis is specifically about programming/debugging tasks, there is probably reasonably wide scope for basic debugging services (analogous to light copy-editing services) and so it will probably not be an issue.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Under certain circumstances, unfortunately not stated in the question, even point 4 would be ok. This is work at the graduate level, and even there, not every student is a great programmer. Moreover, there is a lot to CS that isn't really about programming, even when it depends on programming at some level.
My question, rather, would be, *who designed the program and the work that it contributes to*. If it was the OP, then I see no issue at all in having someone help debug the program(s). The line would come when debugging moves over to design of the code. But even then, there might be more to the research than the code. If the OP has designed the research and knows enough to come to appropriate conclusions, I see no problem. (Old and retired CS professor).
The first three points in the question raise no issues for me at all. But the person giving help should be acknowledged, of course.
---
If I can draw a parallel with work in other scientific fields, it isn't necessary that the lead author of a work have personally performed all of the experiments on which the work is based. It is enough that he/she had a key role in design and giving direction to the work.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/11
| 783
| 3,314
|
<issue_start>username_0: Does he know immediately (from some internet / intranet access) which students in his classes are undergraduates, masters students, PhD students, non-degree students? Does he typically have access to his students' transcripts, thesis work (dates submitted / approved / topic), and knowledge of his students' academic / research advisors?<issue_comment>username_1: At my R1 state university in the U.S., I do have info on whether students in my classes are undergrads or grads or non-degree, which are auditing and which taking it for a grade.
I have *no* information on their transcripts, nor thesis work nor status, nor academic or research advisors.
For students that are my advisees, yes, I have such information. In fact, for PhD students or MS students whose *committees* I'm or have been on (that are still active...), I do also have such information. But not for any other students.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It varies widely.
First of all, [federal privacy laws](https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html?src=rn) allow information to be shared with "school officials with legitimate educational interest", without needing student consent. Professors are generally presumed to fall into this category.
Basic information like the student's graduate/undergraduate status are usually listed in the course roster, and the professor very likely has seen that information (which is not to say he remembers it).
Beyond that, there is a range. Some institutions, based on their own interpretation of the law and risk/benefit analysis, choose as a matter of policy to make full transcript information available to all faculty members. Others choose to impose various restrictions on who has access to such data; e.g. academic advisors, department heads, administrative personnel, etc. I don't think they are generally obligated to tell students what those policies are, though if you ask around you can probably find out. So all you can really say in general is "maybe" and you should be prepared for either extreme.
In particular, as a student, you shouldn't assume this information can be kept secret from a professor. Even if she doesn't have direct electronic access to transcripts, she can likely get this information easily. In many cases, it would suffice to write an email to an appropriate person with access, often an administrative staffer, and give some plausible reason: "Dear Joe, could you please get me a copy of so-and-so's transcript? I need to check on blah blah blah." She could also just ask around: "Hey Alice, you are so-and-so's advisor, right? What are you two working on these days? How is it coming along?" Faculty usually don't hesitate to share such information with each other.
On the other hand, if there is some academic information about you that you think is important for the professor to know, you shouldn't assume that he will automatically know it. Even if he has direct access to those records, faculty usually wouldn't bother to read everyone's transcripts without some reason to do so. If there's some aspect of the course that is particularly relevant to your interests, based on your advisor and research topic, don't assume the professor knows / remembers that information: tell him!
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/02/12
| 1,926
| 8,281
|
<issue_start>username_0: I have noticed many academic conferences are held in small resort town. Why? Why not held in something like a 4-star hotel in the city center?
Attending a conference is a paid job, why should we travel to somewhere remote?<issue_comment>username_1: This is an example of a [social norm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_(social)), which is a kind of large-scale [Nash equilibrium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nash_equilibrium). Namely, there is no special justification for why academics benefit from the perk of being able to travel to attractive tourist destinations for their professional meetings, other than the fact that this is the norm that has developed historically, and once the norm has developed, it is stable against disruption, since no particular player in the game (in the sense of game theory) that is academia has an incentive to disrupt it. The only people who might object are funding agencies who may prefer if conferences were organized in drab, cheap locations, but if ever any such agency were to propose to cut off funding for conferences held in interesting places, the people being funded would cry out that this would hurt the competitiveness of their conferences relative to other similar conferences being organized by people funded by other more permissive funding agencies, and the reform would be scrapped. This is precisely the general dynamic at work that helps maintain many Nash equilibria/social norms.
That being said, the tradition of having conferences in nice places also benefits scientists, and therefore science, by allowing them to do their work in a pleasant environment that is conducive to stimulating creativity. Of course, people in other industries would also enjoy these sorts of conditions, but they can't all arrange them for themselves, so perhaps the right question to ask is not why academia can do it, but why other industries can't.
Another thought is that holding conferences in attractive tourist destinations also provides an economic stimulus of sorts to the travel and tourism industries of many countries, so may not be a bad thing, and by providing employment to multiple economic sectors it attracts political support that again makes it difficult to eliminate this particular "market inefficiency" (such that it is).
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: I cannot talk about general customs, but for whatever it’s worth, a major conference in my field is held in a ski resort, **off-season**. This has two advantages:
1. This is what the resort does to survive during the warm seasons. Therefore I presume that it may be a relatively cheap option.
2. Except for hiking, there is nothing to do there. With conferences held in cities, it often happens that attendants take some time off to do some sightseeing or similar. Here, getting to the next (touristically boring) city requires you to rent a car and takes one hour. Therefore, the conference gets more attention.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: That differs a lot by discipline: in mine (sociology) the annual conferences of the different associations/societies/sections/etc. are typically hosted each year by a different university, and the conference takes place not in a resort or hotel but on campus. Only the really large conferences have to get creative in order deal with the large number of participants.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: In my field (and the field I was in during my Ph.D.) important conferences are *never* held in small resort towns. So at the very least this is specific to some fields rather than others.
I think that generally this is a bad idea, since it discourages attendance by graduate students and interested members of the general public - and that the touristic/"vacationish" attractiveness of the experience to the people more central to the conference doesn't justify this. Also, if pricing is somehow an issue, you would think these conferences would be held on some university grounds, which I'm guessing should be cheaper.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: As a young academic in a third-world/developing nation (albeit not one of the bottom tier nations), I can address another issue not yet covered by the answers thus far, that of *profit*.
Conferences in my field of study (STEM) and in my region of the world (Asia) tend to not just be in visit-able places (not necessarily resort towns though, depending on the country), and the recommended hotels also tend to be in tourist-y sections of the town. This serves several purposes:-
1. Availability of services/amenities suitable for travelling individuals (laundry services, cleaner restaurants, public transport and/or Uber etc.)
2. Greater access to tourist-friendly resources, such as a larger proportion of English-speaking locals outside the hotel/conference center/resort itself.
3. "Additional" services unique to the destination (or of high desirability), such as local exotic cuisine, massage parlours, or even accessibility to the local red-light districts (anecdotal based on a conference I've been involved in before).
All of the above matter because one of the reasons (arguably a primary reason) for holding conferences is to generate an income, and that income depends primarily on participants being willing to come and attend (especially participants from outside Asia from more prestigious institutes). A destination which is boring, while suitable (based on the other answers) for well-established conferences is actually a disadvantage for less well-established ones.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: There are many possible reasons, depending on the field and the conference.
* Many resort towns are no more remote than most cities for international participants. Some major cities have better connections, but hosting conferences in them tends to be expensive.
* Hosting the conference at a university is usually the cheapest option, but suitable facilities are not always available.
* In fields with many conferences, the conferences have to compete for participants. An interesting location can attract more participants to the conference.
* While small conferences are generally run by volunteers, larger conferences may have to use paid help. Such services are often cheaper in resorts than in cities.
* A conference is supposed to bring people together. This works better if the participants cannot escape to other activities.
* Sometimes conference participants vote on the location of future conferences. As the alternatives are not necessarily known in advance, it can take very little to sway the opinion to support one location or another.
* Volunteer-run conferences often have a shortage of volunteers. If there is only one reasonable offer to host the conference, the volunteers effectively decide where the conference will be held.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: I think they like to feel they are on vacation. Some people told me how excited they were to go to Malaga and drink the specific sweet wine, eat some local sea food, go to the beach and swim, etc. Of course the pretext was they are attending a scientific conference.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_8: I would say the main reason lies in the asymmetry between what is cheap for the presenting organization (say, the International Society for the Study of X) and what is cheap for its attendees. Take Hawaii, where my field has a conference (5000+ attendees generally) this year. My field frequently has conferences in Hawaii because Hawaii's conference center is made available FREE to the International Society for the Study of X. This is a totally separate economics from the fact that it is terribly expensive for all of us to get there from our respective Universities. But, this is generally how it works. Touristic places will allow the presenting organization to pay nothing or next to nothing. What the touristic place gets in return is an economic boost of an additional influx of a few thousand tourists who will spend on food, drink, lodging etc. on their Universities' expense accounts. (And contrary to some answers above, if a conference has thousands of attendees it would not at all be cheaper to hold at at a University than a convention center.)
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/12
| 367
| 1,562
|
<issue_start>username_0: About a year ago I submitted a paper to a very good math journal.
After 10 months I asked the editor for its status,
and he said it is still with the referee, and that he will remind him about it.
Two more months have passed. Should/could I write the editor again? or am I risking annoying the editor/referee? How much time should I wait between such inquires?<issue_comment>username_1: If it has been an entire year, then I think you are well within your rights to enquire about the status of your paper. You have been remarkably patient.
Does the journal publish metrics on time-to-publication? Can you work it out from looking at the submission dates of articles published in the most recent edition?
If 12 months is unusual for this particular journal then something is not going as it should, and in the least the editor should keep you informed.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: As an editor of a number of mathematics journals, I would be pretty irritated to receive two queries from an author within two months. What exactly is achieved by emailing a journal to ask for an update in the first place? Mostly, it helps on the (perhaps not so rare) occasion where the paper has fallen through the cracks, as happens when someone agrees to review the paper but then forgets about it. What would be achieved by emailing the journal twice in two months? It's hard to imagine it resulting in your paper being reviewed any sooner, and easy to imagine it annoying the editor. I would wait six months between queries.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/12
| 745
| 2,133
|
<issue_start>username_0: I will use [this](https://math.stackexchange.com/a/58756/130361) proof in manuscript. It is clearly plagiarism if I just write down the proof and do not cite the original content.
However, how do I cite an answer in StackExchange? It is neither a blog post, nor a text in a personal website. It is an answer to a question. Should I go with traditional style such as
>
> [1] <NAME> (stackexchange username) “Answer to Question
> 'Unique ways to keep N balls into K Boxes?' ”
> <https://math.stackexchange.com/a/58756/130361>. Aug 2011. Last accessed:
> 2017-02-12
>
>
>
or is there any formal method to do this?<issue_comment>username_1: There is a link at the bottom that provides a citation in bibtex or amsrefs format;
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6r5nIm.png)
Clicking on this particular link the bibtex citation generated is;
>
> @MISC {58756,
> TITLE = {Unique ways to keep N balls into K Boxes?},
> AUTHOR = {<NAME> (<https://math.stackexchange.com/users/14274/gjergji-zaimi>)},
> HOWPUBLISHED = {Mathematics Stack Exchange},
> NOTE = {URL:<https://math.stackexchange.com/q/58756> (version: 2011-08-21)},
> EPRINT = {<https://math.stackexchange.com/q/58756>},
> URL = {<https://math.stackexchange.com/q/58756>}
> }
>
>
>
You could put that in your `.bib` file. From that point, it really depends how the rest of your citations are being formated. You might get something like;
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TXa4T.png)
That seems like a pretty standardised way to do it.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Here is another, more specific example:
Over on Mathematica.SE a rewrite of a minimization algorithm to save computational time helped the OP of [this question](https://mathematica.stackexchange.com/q/4700/26956) to complete some data analysis and publish a paper. The reimplementation was cited in [the paper](https://www.osapublishing.org/oe/fulltext.cfm?uri=oe-21-21-25291&id=269163#articleReferences) as Ref. 35.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/12
| 1,079
| 4,327
|
<issue_start>username_0: When I read other theses, I am often astonished by the sheer number of people whose help the writer is acknowledging in a multitude of ways. Here's an example to demonstrate what I am talking about, but I am sure you get the point: <http://www.mit.edu/~alvarso/thesis-phd/Acknowledgements.pdf>
In comparison, in the thesis that I am currently writing, I am getting close to the end, and the draft for my own acknowledgment section is currently
>
> I would like to thank my advisor \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*, as well as my close colleagues at the department of \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* at \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*.
>
>
>
I might spice it up with some adjectives, but that's pretty much it.
Are acknowledgement sections, like the one I linked to, the norm? If so, would a paper with a lackluster acknowledgement section be considered potentially subpar?<issue_comment>username_1: You seem be concerned that people may judge the quality of your thesis in part based on the length of the acknowledgments section. I don't think that anyone will do that.
You may be missing a required acknowledgment of one or more grants from a funding agency.
A separate question is whether you have overlooked people who could to be acknowledged in your thesis, or whether it would be appropriate to include a more specific and detailed acknowledgment of the individuals you are acknowledging. As the Ph.D. is the culmination not only of years of research but of years of your life, it's not unusual to think more broadly regarding acknowledgments than you would for a paper. You may want to include, for instance:
* Faculty outside of your committee or university who also mentored you or gave helpful comments and suggestions;
* Anyone who developed code that you used in your thesis;
* People who helped you do a better job with the writing itself, e.g. through teaching you better grammar, better Latex skills, etc.;
* Family members (particularly a spouse) who have supported you during your doctoral work or inspired you to be a scholar;
* Fellow students who have given you encouragement or proofread or otherwise commented on your work.
I suppose you *can* go too far in being inclusive, and perhaps the example you linked does, though I doubt anyone will get very upset about that either.
In my own acknowledgments I tried to be rather specific about what each of these individuals did, or how I benefitted from their help. For instance, I acknowledged my advisor
>
> ...not only for providing continual support and guidance, but especially for allowing (and even enthusiastically encouraging) me to pursue research that I found fascinating but that is only indirectly related to his own research program.
>
>
>
Some of these kinds of acknowledgments would be considered out of place in a journal article, so the thesis gives you an opportunity that you may never get again (unless you publish a book) to express gratitude to these individuals in a somewhat official way. You have nothing to lose by being more inclusive in expressing your gratitude, and you may make someone who reads it very happy by including them.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I want to discuss one point in username_1's answer.
>
> You seem be concerned that people may judge the quality of your thesis in part based on the length of the acknowledgments section. I don't think that anyone will do that.
>
>
>
There are many things to judge from the acknowledgement. It tells a lot about the relationship between the author and his/her PhD advisor, and the working environment in the group.
When I was applying for a PhD, I read a lot of PhD theses' acknowledgements to understand more about the PIs. Here are some sentences that I still remember, not exactly word by word though.
* No acknowledgement at all? a big red flag here.
* "I thank my advisor for introduce the problem A to me" -> What? that's it? I will not apply to be a student of this guy.
* "I thank him for give me the freedom to explore blah blah" -> Oh, you are great, but I'm not independent enough to work with this guy.
* "I thank him for countless discussions and encouragements" -> This guy is good.
* "He supports me when PhD is not my first priority" -> This guy is awesome, who cares a lot about his students.
* ...
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/13
| 1,393
| 5,806
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am a university marker TA, and after midterm exam I met with a student who would not accept that he was wrong. He thought his answers were correct but didn't explain to me why his answers were correct. He just didn't accept my explanation. He also blamed me marking his assignment wrong, but later I found out it has nothing to do with me. It is my first time being a TA. Should I just tell him to talk to the instructor, and that my job is just marking?
Actually, I didn't explain too much because I don't know how to help him understand he is wrong even though he read the sample answer. And he didn't tell me why he is right.<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Should I just tell him to talk to the instructor, and that my job is just marking?
>
>
>
Yes. There's no point in getting into an extended argument with this student. The student thought his answers were correct and you explained why they were not correct. Since you've denied the student's appeal of the grade, the next appropriate step is generally for the student to appeal to the instructor.
It's a good idea for you to warn the instructor that the student is likely to appeal the grade and to provide whatever information you can (such as a photocopy of the marked up exam question and any grading key that you used).
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_2: Don't explain to the student why he is incorrect; place the burden on him to demonstrate that he is correct.
Propose a deal with the student that would give him most of the power by conditionally accepting that you are wrong. Tell him that you're willing to hear his side, admit that you are wrong and reconsider your marking of his assignment **on the conditions** that he:
(1) explain to you, in a comprehensible way, with facts and plain English (not hypotheticals, slang or colloquialisms), why you are wrong; and
(2) show you some empirical, verifiable, credible evidence to support that his answer (that you marked wrong on his assignment) is correct.
This gives him almost all of the power, but also places on him a burden that he will likely fail to meet. If he actually does meet this burden, then his answer should be marked "correct." In all likelihood, though, he will have no choice but to accept that he cannot explain to you why you are wrong and cannot show you any evidence that his answer is correct beyond, "I'm correct merely because I say I'm correct." Unless he suffers from some mental incapacity, he will understand (even if he won't admit it) that the failure is on his part and not yours. If he thenceforth continues asserting that you are wrong, you can remind him that you gave him an opportunity that he chose not to take or failed to bring to fruition.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: In cases where the student does not agree with your reasoning and grading and discussion does not help, I recommend the procedure, I have described [here](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/9014/what-to-do-about-grade-grubbers/9029#9029):
Say that this will be dealt with by the instructor of the course and to let instructor do this the student **has to write down on paper why he thinks that the grading was not correct and in which way it should be corrected**. Explain to the student, that the instructor will evaluate the complain and that **the student will get a reply from the instructor in written form.**
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: As one of the commenters noted, you have all the power and he has almost none. You must consider the possibility, albeit remote, that he has a point, but might just not be able to get it across. That doesn't mean you have to argue with him forever. On the contrary: Move things into writing. **Tell him to submit his appeal in writing** (and say that by email rather than only face-to-face), and to make sure he:
* Explicitly states what is wrong in his opinion with what you did (calculation, comment, wording of the question etc.)
* Explains why his answer is correct
* Explains why the official answer is incorrect (if that's relevant in your case of course)
and that you will not further consider the matter unless he does so. (Note that you haven't committed your instruction to this position, but you have hinted he should do so rather than talk to the instructor. It's his choice.)
Now, if he doesn't submit a written appeal - the problem has gone away; he might talk to the instructor but you've "covered your ass". If he does submit it, then you'll consult your instructor regarding which one of you should handle the appeal.
If you believe he has a problem in bringing across a message which might be psychological, or having to do with some learning disability, and if you sense he's very frustrated or angry - don't tell him any of that, but **you might also suggest to him he could consult a student union rep or a the faculty member "student advisor"** about how to handle these situations. I don't think that would change anything substantive but perhaps having a "shoulder to cry on / shout at" that's not the evil TA who gave him a low grade might be helpful for him. Again, make sure it doesn't sound like you're accusing him of acting inappropriately, since if you do that he'll probably just hate your and not let go of the matter...
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: You may want to move your interaction to paper - email or written comment. If the student thinks that their grade is unfair, have them document why, and respond in kind. That way it doesn't turn into a weird explosive situation and it will force them to really think about whether or not they deserve a better grade. This also removes you from the liability inherent in a verbal conversation that is hard to prove.
And yes, next step is the instructor.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/13
| 1,575
| 6,838
|
<issue_start>username_0: I'm an undergrad and kind of new to this whole research thing. I've been doing research for the past ~9 months as a requirement to graduate with my bachelor's (there's the research track and software development track, I chose research).
I was told to try and submit my paper to conferences/journals (depends on their deadlines) to see if it gets accepted. But, one thing my professor said really stressed me out. If my paper gets accepted, and people find a serious mistake in it (ones that could cause your conclusion to be wrong, etc), it would destroy my whole career before it even began.
Can anyone with more experience go into detail about what could really happen? Assume, that the paper really gets accepted. On one hand, I'm not entirely confident of myself, and on the other, I have found a passion in research and would love to continue on for a PhD in future and this might help boost my resume a little given it is my only research experience.<issue_comment>username_1: Congrats on your paper. No, it wouldn't destroy your career but it would be awkward and embarrassing. It could potentially hurt your career if the mistake was the result of obvious sloppiness, gross incompetence, and worst of all, outright dishonesty. But for the first two of those, the damage would very likely be containable and if you keep doing research, after publishing another paper or two that had no mistakes, no one would remember this minor incident.
With that said, your advisor is correct that it's best to avoid publishing papers with mistakes in them if at all possible, so do make a sincere effort to check everything to the best of your abilities before submitting the paper.
Upvotes: 8 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I have a feeling that your advisor is using fear to make you work with extra care on the paper. While his intention is good, I don't like this method at all. He is definitely exaggerating.
Unless the mistake is a scientific misconduct, statistically speaking only one paper can't have much impact in your career, either in a negative or positive way.
Many published papers contain a lot of mistakes, even the most important ones. You should always write the best papers you can. But if errors happen, then just move on.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_3: What is research? Finding new stuff that no one knew about or did before! If you get all too worried about not doing mistakes, you will eventually do "safe" stuff and chances are that this will not be the new stuff you were looking for. It's probably best to stay away from people like your professor that take mistakes too serious. Research thrives in relaxed environments but is ultimately doomed to fail if it gets competitive.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Probably not.
The "mortal sins" you definitely want to avoid are plagiarism and fabrication. Hopefully your supervisor has explained to you the ethics of scientific research, so that there is no chance you will commit these.
Everything else is forgiveable. Your most likely mistakes when starting out with research will be leaving out citations to some important previous work, or accidentally introducing bugs in your code or math. There are three lines of defense against such errors:
1. You yourself should do a thorough literature research, and carefully proofread your paper and test your algorithms;
2. Your supervisor presumably will check over your work before approving it for publication;
3. The reviewers of your paper will spot some (but probably not all) potential errors that slip through.
Once the paper is accepted, any remaining errors will be visible for the world to see. But note that you can publish errata or revisions to your paper later on on your own personal web site, which is where *most* readers will download and read your paper (in the field of computer science, at least). So if you spot a minor error down the line, you still have a chance to announce and fix it.
What if there is a huge, gaping, embarrassing problem with your paper, and the reviewers miss it? That's still not the end of the world, provided that your good work outweighs your bad. Many years ago in computer graphics, a researcher published a fundamentally flawed paper at a top-tier conference (it wasn't obvious at the time, but it relied essentially on the false premise that rotations commute.) This spurred unrelated researchers to publish the report
[Errors and Omissions in <NAME>’s "Linear Combination of Transformations"](http://www.cbloom.com/3d/techdocs/lcot_errors.pdf).
You know you're in trouble when people start pointing out your "errors and omissions"! But <NAME> went on to become a very well-respected professor in computer graphics.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: Nothing will happen if your conclusions are "wrong", but were appropriately drawn.
Researchers make wrong conclusions all the time. Conclusions are based on the information available at the time. In a research paper you describe what you did, how you did it, and the conclusions that you drew from what you did. One task of peer review is to decide if your conclusions can be reasonably drawn from what you say you did and the results you got.
In your paper you should describe what you did and how you did it. I can't comment on your specific field. But you should describe what inputs you used and the settings and methods you used. In my field it is fair to say I used a value of "x" for "alpha" based on the approach in "Smith and Jones, 2008" and a clarification like "we believe this value to be applicable to our situation because..." or "this is the only published value available". And in the discussion you can talk about how different values of alpha or different approaches may affect the result and conclusions (providing an analysis of how a different approach affects your results is a bonus, and may be requested by peer review.) You need to frame what you did in such a way so that if the conclusions aren't "true", what you did wasn't a "mistake" but was the logical conclusion drawn from a logical approach. You will have to decide what is the equivalent in your field.
As an undergrad doing research, you should be practicing making logical conclusions from logical choices in method. Research papers don't often have complete answers (the are often too narrow), they take a step in the direction to finding answers.
That being said, conclusions that are "right" (i.e. that are reproducible) are always better.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_6: Perhaps, but not correcting it will cause a lot more damage to your credibility. Science makes mistakes. But it corrects the record and move on. You know what you need to do, you just don't want to face the consequences. You don't get a pass as an adult.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/13
| 815
| 3,424
|
<issue_start>username_0: There are a lot of people/websites/organizations that I want to include in the acknowledgement section of my master thesis.
I think it does not look good if I name all of them in sequence with a brief explanation.
Would a numbered or bullet list or even a table be acceptable for this purpose? Do you know some useful template?<issue_comment>username_1: In our format, acknowledgement is part of foreword which is at most 1 page, which goes usually something like this:
>
> Working with Thesis has been pain but thanks to my colleagues fun. I want to acknowledge my supervisor and advisor for their effort... I could not have finished my Thesis without the support from... Also special thanks for those that use Latex instead of the hideous WYSIWYG, you have saved my eyesight.
>
>
>
You should see previous Thesis from your university or department for an example about how you do it.
EDIT: Here is an example: <https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/36413/Thesis.pdf?sequence=1>
, but it could be that your department does it in a different way.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Best to check your university's style guide for this, if one is accessible.
A bit of advice I had when I asked my supervisor a while back, he said that it is important to keep it concise and to the point - maximum of one page, but ideally, less than this. It should include:
* acknowledging key people - usually advisors/supervisors, family and other academics who have had a significant contribution to your understanding of a topic. Also, if anyone specifically provided practical assistance related to your dissertation.
* acknowledge groups, this would include forums, sites like Stack Exchange etc.
Only those who have had a significant impact on you completing your work. The order is up to you - however, one way to proceed is to put the most significant first. Then a final sentence/paragraph for your family (if you wish).
What you shouldn't do is to list every single person who did something. For one thing, it'll make this section too long.
For each, write a sentence of their contribution. I found that the people assessing my dissertations (Honours, Masters and PhD) did not even acknowledge the page as it is often considered to be a personal page.
Just to repeat, this was the advice I was given when I asked about this - there is no universal template for how this section is written - but, consult your institution's style guide to see if they have any guidelines, also, ask to see other dissertations and perhaps go by what you see in them.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I have read hundreds of acknowledgements of both masters and PhD theses, just for fun. They are always about half a page, written in full sentences with about three paragraphs, and virtually always follow the following format:
* Paragraph 1: Advisor, then other significant academic help you received from professors and other related people.
* Paragraph 2 and possibly others: Less significant help, possibly funding sources, other academic people, websites, etc.
* Paragraph 3: Fellow students, friends, family, in that order. Then significant other last if you have one.
It's perhaps a little surprising that they all are so consistent, but for some reason it just feels right to write this way. Chances are, you can fit the most significant contributions in this way!
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/13
| 1,055
| 3,368
|
<issue_start>username_0: An assessment I'm looking at contains a few questions along the lines of:
>
> Arrange the following in the correct sequence:
>
>
> * `__`: The third in sequence
> * `__`: The second in sequence
> * `__`: The fourth in sequence
> * `__`: The first in sequence
> * `__`: The fifth in sequence
>
>
>
What is the standard method for grading such a question?
The correct sequence of numbers to be written into the `__` spaces would be 3, 2, 4, 1, 5. However, if a student misses, say, the correct starting point, but has the remainder of the sequence correct relative to each other (eg: 2, 1, 3, 5, 4), does one generally consider the entire sequence incorrect, or is partial credit of some sort more appropriate? If the latter, are there any ways to easily automate the evaluation process?
One option that comes to mind is to create a list of possible options and convert the question itself to a multiple-choice question.
Eg:
>
> * A. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
> * B. 5, 1, 3, 4, 2
> * C. 3, 2, 4, 1, 5
> * D. 2, 1, 3, 5, 4
>
>
>
However, (a) I feel that it then becomes a bit more confusing to *answer*, and (b) I'm not sure if it is really assessing the same skill at that point.<issue_comment>username_1: You could give points for the longest subsequence in the correct order.
Alternatively, you could make it an open question: "Describe the process step by step, make sure to include in your answer 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5." Then grade by a few essential insights that need to be in the answer. This eliminates any easy guessing and shows you why the student misorders the process.
Also a possibility is to only let the students place 1 element of the process in the correct spot. For example:
```
Where in the process does 1 happen?
A. before 2
B. after 2, but before 3
C. after 3, but before 4
D. after 4, but before 5
E. after 5
```
Another possibility is to focus on the parts of the process that directly follow each other. Suppose the student answered "1,2,3,4,5", you could look at the pairs (1,2), (2,3), (3,4) and (4,5). Then give a point for (1,2) if 1 directly precedes 2 in the correct sequence, give a point for (2,3) if 2 directly precedes 3 in the correct sequence etc.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I don't know any *standard* method for grading such questions, but I have the impression that we get the best correlation between student knowledge and grades if we base the grading on the number of *wrongly ordered pairs* (or in other words, the [Kendall tau ranking distance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendall_tau_distance) between the given answer and the correct one). A *wrongly ordered pair* is a pair of items (x,y), where x occurs before y in the answer, but should occur after y. So, for example,
* (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) has 0 wrongly ordered pairs,
* (1, 3, 2, 4, 5) has 1 wrongly ordered pair, since 3 should occur after 2,
* (3, 1, 2, 4, 5) has 2 wrongly ordered pairs, since 3 should occur after 1 and after 2,
* (2, 1, 5, 4, 3) has 4 wrongly ordered pairs, since 2 should occur after 1, 5 should occur after 4 and after 3, and 4 should occur after 3,
* (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) has 10 wrongly ordered pairs.
The minimal number is 0, the maximal number is n(n–1)/2. For grading, define some function that maps the interval [0,n(n–1)/2] to points, not necessarily in a linear way.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/13
| 856
| 3,454
|
<issue_start>username_0: I took a pause from school during personal problems and started it again half-year ago. Now that I've finished almost all of it, the last thing I have left is to finish my thesis-work.
My professor stated that for my work I need to look up references that validates and proves for what I've stated in my report (Which is logical), but my problem is what the title is given out.
* **How do I know that the reference is valid?**
* **Where is the best place to find references? (For my case it's about software-development**)<issue_comment>username_1: **How do I know that the reference is valid?**
For thesis work, valid references are generally ones published by reputable journals and have been peer-reviewed. Generally, books and articles published on educational or governmental websites are safe.
**Where is the best place to find references? (For my case it's about software-development)**
As @Emilie mentioned in the comments, your university library would be a great place to start. If not, then a public library. You could ask your professor for recommendations as well.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: In general, these questions indicate a quite fundamental gap of knowledge in how science works. It is a pity that your coursework has not prepared you better for your thesis.
>
> How do I know that the reference is valid?
>
>
>
There is no magic wand that tells you that. You will need to carefully read the papers, consider their limitations and threats to validity, and decide for yourself whether the paper is useful as a source to support your argument. That being said, as a *first approximation* you can look at the venue that the paper has been published in (is the journal or the conference very good?), and how often the paper has been cited by others (you can see that in Google Scholar). However, again, keep in mind that all of this is just supporting data - ultimately you need to decide yourself whether a given piece of research is valid and useful.
>
> Where is the best place to find references? (For my case it's about software-development)
>
>
>
There are three common strategies for finding literature:
1. Searching a digital library (in your case e.g., [IEEEXplorer](http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/home.jsp) or the [ACM DL](http://dl.acm.org)), searching through [DBLP](http://dblp.uni-trier.de), or using [Google Scholar](https://scholar.google.ch). In all of these cases, you can investigate a lot of different journals and conference proceedings at the same time, but you need to be aware of the right keywords to search for.
2. Browsing journal back issues or conference proceedings. That is, after you have identified important journals and conferences in your field (for you [ICSE](http://icse2017.gatech.edu/) might be a starting point), go over previous iterations and look over all paper titles and abstracts. The most convenient way in computer science to do this is via the aforementioned DBLP.
3. Once you have a few good papers as starting point, start following the chain of references. Look at both, the papers that your papers are citing, but also which papers cite the papers you already found (Google Scholar has a feature for this).
You can find a summary of this also in a [presentation](https://speakerdeck.com/xleitix/some-tips-and-tricks-for-surviving-the-ase-seminar?slide=4) I recently did as part of my own seminar.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/13
| 443
| 1,693
|
<issue_start>username_0: I finished my thesis writing and my supervisor ask me to send it to another professor who he want to referee my thesis, I don't know this professor either he don't know me, The problem my supervisor refuse to talk with him first, just to tell him that he want him as a thesis referee.
I don't know what to say to him in the email when I send him my thesis.
Could you help me, please?<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Hello Dr. Foo,
>
>
> My advisor, Dr. Bar, recommended that I should contact you to referee my thesis, "Underwater Basket Weaving." I was wondering if I could meet with you to provide you the thesis and answer any questions you may about it beforehand. Please let me know if you'd be interested and, if you are, the best time and location for me to meet you. Thank you for your time.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> Spongebob
>
>
>
Be polite, be clear, be accommodating. Your professor is unlikely to introduce you two because he probably doesn't want to appear as if he's using the potential referee as a resource rather than as a colleague. Furthermore, interacting with people you don't know through e-mail and real life is commonplace in academia, so it stands to reason your supervisor would want you to try it out.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In addition to the suggestion provided by "username_1", one idea might be to also motivate why his professional accomplishments make him suitable as a referee for your particular thesis. For instance: "Given your experience with A, B and C... ", "I believe that your knowledge about [super specific topic D] makes you the most suited ... of my thesis regarding E"
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/13
| 359
| 1,543
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am a PhD student in a UK university. As I was putting my thesis together, I did not know how I should order the preliminary pages, which are as follows:
* Abstract.
* Dedication.
* Acknowledgment.
* Declaration.
* An empty page with a quote at the top.
I have found that different people ordered them differently. Is not there a "standard" order for them?<issue_comment>username_1: No, there is no general specification, but your suggested content is perfectly reasonable. There may be requirements specific to your institution, so I strongly recommend that you check with a representative from your own department to get a definitive answer.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There is no formal order that applies 'worldwide' no. Though you should consider getting in touch with the service responsible for thesis publication at the university (usually the library I'd expect), there may be a format that you need to meet regarding the front page, back page and potentially abstract page.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Your university may have specific guidelines as to how your thesis should be formatted (this is VERY common, actually - please consult the appropriate office at your school so there are no surprises). My university has the following ordering:
* Title Page
* Abstract
* Dedication
* Acknowledgements
* Contributors and Funding Sources
* Table of Contents
* List of Figures/Tables
* Nomenclature
Again, it depends on what your university says they want.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/14
| 774
| 2,345
|
<issue_start>username_0: I'm in the habit of putting a motivating quote on the top of each of my syllabi. For my introductory programming course, I'd like to focus the class on the theme of **testing and verification**. Of course, this is also an important theme in non-CS disciplines, as well.
So I'd like to find the best possible short, positive (not sarcastic or negative), informative quote on the issue of testing and verification. Ideally this would be from someone fairly well-known or influential in the CS field, but that's not necessary. Web searches for this tend to dredge up pages on automatic testing suites and the like, so I'm hoping that someone here knows of a good one.
What is the best motivating quotation on the importance of testing, checking, and verification for freshmen college (STEM) students?<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Testing by itself does not improve software quality. Test results are an indicator of quality, but in and of themselves, they don’t
> improve it. Trying to improve software quality by increasing the
> amount of testing is like trying to lose weight by weighing yourself
> more often. What you eat before you step onto the scale determines how
> much you will weigh, and the software development techniques you use
> determine how many errors testing will find. If you want to lose
> weight, don’t buy a new scale; change your diet. If you want to
> improve your software, don’t test more; develop better.
>
>
> [<NAME>](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_McConnell) in [Code Complete](https://books.google.it/books?id=LpVCAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA501&dq=esting%20by%20itself%20does%20not%20improve%20software%20quality.%20Test%20results%20are%20an%20indicator%20of%20quality,%20but%20in%20and%20of%20themselves,%20they%20don%E2%80%99t&hl=it&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwis7prQg4_SAhXHxxQKHaiIA9QQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=esting%20by%20itself%20does%20not%20improve%20software%20quality.%20Test%20results%20are%20an%20indicator%20of%20quality%2C%20but%20in%20and%20of%20themselves%2C%20they%20don%E2%80%99t&f=false)
>
>
>
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_1: >
> Program testing can be a very effective way to show the presence of
> bugs, but is hopelessly inadequate for showing their absence.
>
>
> [<NAME>](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsger_W._Dijkstra)
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/14
| 1,225
| 5,086
|
<issue_start>username_0: I applied for a post doctoral position a few months ago. The initial response from the professor in charge was warm and enthusiastic and he even made a verbal commitment to hire me. But then he just stopped replying to my mails for sometime and then out of the blue he told me that the regulations have changed and I would have to be interviewed by another person. Following that, he scheduled my interview several times only to be canceled at the last minute. Now he has again stopped responding to my queries, which I make at intervals of at least 10 days. Is this normal in post doc recruitment? How long does it take to process post doc applications? Should I start looking for other positions?<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Is this normal in post doc recruitment?
>
>
>
No, this is obviously not normal. There is something going on, and your guess is as good as mine as to what that is exactly. Maybe there is indeed some sort of administrative chaos due to changing regulations. Maybe the professor hired somebody else and is trying to weasel out of his earlier commitment to you. Maybe the position just got cancelled, and the prof is trying to find funding to hire you anyway (and failing). Maybe it's something completely different. There is just no way to tell from the outside.
>
> How long does it take to process post doc applications?
>
>
>
That really depends. However, "a few months" certainly sounds like the upper bound for how long selecting a postdoc should take.
>
> Should I start looking for other positions?
>
>
>
Yes, independently of what is really going on, I would not get my hopes up that there is indeed a position for you in this department in the future. Maybe you get lucky and it works out after all, but at this point *relying* on this post seems to be very optimistic.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: If it starts like this already, before you get a real chance, this will likely not end well. Independent of what position it might be. This is not normal for any kind of position. It's disrespectful to cancel an interview at the last minute that was scheduled. Think about the other way around. Would you hire someone, who once accepted an interview and then cancelled at the last minute?
In my opinion, always search for other opportunities and positions you're really passionate about as soon as possible and you will be much more happy in the end.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: I'll make two observations:
1. What might have seemed like a commitment *to you* might not seem like a commitment *to him*. I'm just in the process of interviewing for a post-doc position after having been made something like a commitment - or at least, listening to the text you would have thought it a commitment; but I *actively* interpreted it as no more than a statement of willingness to consider me. And, indeed, the tone in writing is less enthusiastic, less committed; and there's an official interview process.
2. If it really was a bona fide commitment to employ you, and if he really wanted to make good on his promise - he could very well get past the regulation change. He would tell his superiors the agreement had already been made; and that it should count as an offer made before the regulations changed; or he could even have you and him back-date a signed written agreement to the time you made the oral agreement, and wave that in front of people. There are solutions to these problems.
So, either you misinterpreted or he's had a (partial) change of heart. IMHO.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> Is this normal in post doc recruitment?
>
>
>
It's not normal in *any* recruitment.
>
> How long does it take to process post doc applications?
>
>
>
How long is a piece of string? But, in my experience, interviews tend to happen a couple-few weeks after the application deadline and successful candidates are notified within a few days and receive a formal written offer a few days after that. (It may take much longer to notify unsuccessful candidates, because you don't want to reject the $n$th person on the list until one of the first $n-1$ has actually accepted the job.)
>
> Should I start looking for other positions?
>
>
>
Yes. Absolutely. The problems you're having at the moment are the fault of the professor, the department, the university or some combination of the three. The fact that the professor routinely ignores your emails about such a critically important subject shows that at least some of the fault is theirs. Even if you do get the job at this university, working there will almost certainly be a total pain in the backside.
If you finally do get a written offer from this place, you'll have to consider whether the certainty of a probably-bad job is better than the uncertainty of waiting for another opportunity. You should definitely apply for other positions and, if you get an actual offer from some competent university, take it! You owe nothing at all to the professor and university that have been messing you around.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/14
| 798
| 3,402
|
<issue_start>username_0: Recently my paper was accepted in one of the best computer science journals in Elsevier. In less than 12 hours, I received the galley proof of the paper. Initially, I was surprised at the speed of conversion of the paper into the final format, but when I saw the paper, it turned out to be in a terrible condition.
I wrote my paper with LaTeX; it appears to have been converted to Word, and the typesetting of all of my equations is ruined. The arrangement of figures, algorithms, and tables was OK in pre-print, in a one-column format; now, it has become a terrible mess.
What can I do now?
* Email to the publishing editor to reconsider the final preparation of
the article?
* Prepare the paper in a two-column format myself and resend it to the journal's office?
* Ask the publisher to publish the paper typeset in LaTeX?<issue_comment>username_1: In such extreme case (which, by the way, are disturbingly frequent at larger, very expensive commercial publishers) I recommend sending an e-mail to the editor, including the proofs to show that you are not talking about a misplaced comma, and simultaneously answering the production that you do **not** allow them to proceed. Beware not to sign or click anything that might make them able to pretend you allowed them to send the paper into production (as it would be much more difficult to get things right then). Ideally (i.e. if you are not forced through a web platform) you would e-mail the production team with copy to the Editor in Chief or handling editor for the record, or the other way round.
I don't recommend trying to fix manually an absurd amount of problems in Galley proofs: 1. Many libraries put a lot of money to pay for this work, you and your institution should not pay with your time; 2. you are bound to miss some of the bad stuff, half your corrections might be ignored, and new problems could be added *after* galley proofs (I would not believe that if I had not seen it myself -- my first paper actually).
I don't recommend sending a new version and suggesting they start back from that. It is pretty unpredictable what they could imagine doing, and if they use the same process again it will not be pretty.
Any diligent Editor in chief, when receiving your e-mail, should reach out to the publisher's management to have things sorted out. Without management involvement, the production team will probably do what they are probably asked to by default: treat things quick and dirty.
Last, I hope you put your preprint on the arXiv. If you did, you can at least have this as a version of record (and Elsevier allows you to update it to a postprint, including referees' remarks). If you did not already put the preprint on the arXiv, then Elsevier's policies are too complicated for me to understand and remember.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: They sent you a proof, so review it and respond with the things you would like to change. **Don't** send a "camera ready" version with how you wished it would look like. The paper was most likely re-typed in whichever typesetting software they use so that would be useless.
Your question seem to indicate you are mostly dissatisfied with the cosmetics of the paper, that's the journal's responsibility. Simply focus on issues where the content is altered in a way that might change the meaning of what you wrote.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/14
| 777
| 3,290
|
<issue_start>username_0: I'm currently thinking of applying to PhD in Economics, after much consideration and reading through answers in my previous question: [Should I do master or phd to teach in community college](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/84884/should-i-do-master-or-phd-to-teach-in-community-college/84915#84915).
Basically, I'm interested in teaching in post-secondary level, and I have little interest in doing research (though I'm currently doing full-time in a research institution). However, PhD is recommended to teach in post-secondary level in most institutions, at least in United States.
As I'm thinking of preparing for Statement of Purpose, I'm conflicted as how I should mention my passion in teaching, since SOP is meant to show research interest. Should I not mention anything about my desire to teach? If I do mention, should I mention that I'd like to teach rather than do research upon completion of PhD? How do admission view applicants who are more interested in teaching?
Similarly, I'm unsure of how I should talk to my professors who agreed to write recommendation letter about my deviation from being an enthusiastic researcher. I have two professors from undergraduate that I'm close with, but they only know that I used to be very interested in research when I was in college, and they do not know that I have lost much interest in research after graduating and working in a research institution. Should I let them know that my interest has changed? How about my current research advisor, from whom I'm thinking of asking for my third recommendation? Should I let him know as well?<issue_comment>username_1: I'm going to suggest that you do a graduate degree in education, with research in pedagogical methods, which, of course you could give an economics focus to. In fact, you may even be able to find a degree program designed around exactly such a combination.
A degree in education would make you an attractive candidate for a teaching position; it would help you become a more effective teacher; and it would fit well with your interests.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: For a SOP, you may mention something about your desire to teach. However, I think at most higher-ranking economics departments, this would not be viewed as positively as having a strong research interest and agenda. You may gain a small benefit if the reader of the SOP gets the sense that you are a "team player" who will do a good job TAing and not make a fuss about it.
(I will note here that my advisor has told me that some faculty are extra suspicious about investing effort when they hear too much discussion of teaching from a woman - they already think of women as being less serious about research because of biases and discussion of teaching by a woman can support their stereotypes. So note this if you are a woman.)
I would say that it is not inappropriate to talk to your recommenders about your desire to teach economics. However, I would tend to frame it as and interest IN ADDITION TO research. You can say, I really see myself ending up at an institution that combines teaching with research - what would you recommend I do at this point to make myself the most competitive for those types of places?
Upvotes: 1 [selected_answer]
|
2017/02/14
| 2,121
| 9,159
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am an international PhD student of 2nd year (my PhD is supposed to be for 3 years). When I just came to this lab, my professor mentioned a possibility to go to an international conference or visit some other lab. Later when I asked him, he said that I don't have any result (I have done a lot of work but didn't get the result which he was expecting) and why then go to a conference. I explained that I would like to a) discuss my work with other people and possibly get some new ideas and b) I want to get a postdoc later and need to do some networking, if possible, at an international level. My professor responded that a conference is not necessary for getting a PhD degree, and as I don't socialize much in lab (I am rather shy), he doesn't understand how I can discuss with others at a conference (he thought it is a very funny joke).
In my PhD 1 year progress report presentation, one of the opponents said that it could be beneficial for me to go to another (specific) lab for a couple of weeks, but my professor ignored it and when I tried to remind him later, he changed the subject. This opponent is from another institute, unfamiliar to me and I can't just contact him and ask for assistance.
I am concerned because I am new in this domain and thus without going anywhere I am unlikely to meet people for possible collaboration in future.
All other students here (around 10) have already participated in 2-3 conferences minimum (and in some cases, research visit for several weeks), including two other students of my professor (but they both have a second supervisor, so my professor doesn't have as much control there as in my case). Many have found the funding through the lab, so I don't think that the lack of funding is the reason.
What should I do? How I can convince him that it is really important for me? Any idea is appreciated.<issue_comment>username_1: Are there any conferences with PhD Symposia in your field of expertiece? Usually you need to submit an abstract for those, which will be peer reviewed, but in general accepted. Having an accepted abstract at a PhD Symposium might convince your supervisor to let you go there. Additionally, presenting your current state of research there helps both for your current research and eventually for training your defence.
At least in my area it is very uncommon to go to a conferance without having a paper accepted for it, so I udnerstand that attitue of your supervisor. But some conferences provide travel and registration grants for students. That might also be way to convince your supervisor.
Other than that, I could only suggest writing a paper about what you think are your current results. Maybe upon seen the paper, your supervisor will realize that there is more to it than he thought, and let you submit it to a conference.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Tight question and hard to answer without knowing the details. It may be that your advisor is right in that your results are not good enough to publish and that other colleagues you ask are just polite and it may be that your advisor is wrong…
From the perspective of your supervisor it looks like this: Sending you to a conference will cost money from his budget or grants and it can contribute to his reputation if good results are presented from his work group and it could harm is reputation if bad/shaky/unfinished work is presented. On top of that, your advisor has genuine interest to promote his students appropriately. However, many supervisors do not send students to conferences without own contributions - maybe a rationale behind this is that you have to earn this privilege.
Let me comment a bit on the things you wrote. You say your arguments have been
>
> a) discuss my work with other people and possibly get some new ideas and
> b) I want to get a postdoc later and need to do some networking, if possible, at an international level.
>
>
>
I can relate a little bit to the response of your supervisor. Conferences are great for sharing ideas and for networking but it actually easy to go to a conference and fail in both respects. Often there are tons of people, many knowing each other, other actively networking and for somebody new (especially if a bit shy) it is not straightforward to get involved. In fact, it is harder to network at conferences that to share ideas within your workgroup. Also, a talk at a conference is a great way to start networking and without a contribution, networking gets even harder.
You got the advice to try more local conferences in a comment and responded
>
> There were some local conferences, but only the people from our (small) community presented. I mean that if you go and see only your colleagues' talks, it will not really help you in networking...
>
>
>
In view of the above, this sounds like a strange response. You say you don't think networking on the local level is beneficial but only international networking is helpful? That doesn't make sense. Start small, practice networking with locals and then go for more. Also "local" does not necessarily mean you workgroup or university, but could mean "within your region or country". Actually, networking within the own region and community is very important (and a bit different than international networking).
In conclusion, the conflict between you and your supervisor seems to be, that he thinks that your contributions are not good enough for the conferences you proposed and you disagree on this.
So here is a suggestion: You should get qualified external feedback on your work, probably even anonymous:
* Submission to a journal. Does not seem like a good idea. The feedback will take a long time, higher chances of rejection (even with mildly positive feedback). On the positive side, the feedback can be quite detailed.
* Submission to a mid prestige conference with peer review. On the positive side, there is a fixed time frame for the feedback. Depending on your field, the feedback may be very brief.
* Find a double blind refereed venue (so a bad feedback would not harm your supervisor reputation). Pro and cons for conferences and journals are the same as above.
Then there was this piece:
>
> one of the opponents said that it could be beneficial for me to go to another (specific) lab for a couple of weeks
>
>
>
To go from here, contact that very person and if you can manage to get an *invitation* from that lab, your supervisor should be happy to let you go (if the person is not from this lab, you may ask him to introduce you to the people from that lab). Even more so, if the lab could even contribute to the costs of the visit.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The way you describe your request may indicate part of the reason your Professor isn't convinced: You seem to be treating this as though it was a cone of ice-cream for a child: You didn't the chocolate ice-cream last time, so you want him to buy you a strawberry flavored cone now.
No. Just no.
It's not your advisor's choice whether you go to a conference - it's yours. You decide whether you go or not. The advisor may help you with funding, and perhaps with introductions and recommendations regarding who to talk to and which sessions to attend, but it's *your* research, *your* career. So - just go. Will it cost you money? Maybe. If you're strapped for cash, try to use [BeWelcome.org](https://bewelcome.org) or [HospitalityClub.org](http://www.hospitalityclub.org/hospitalityclub/rules.htm), or personal academic contacts, to find a place to stay for free. Or stay in a multiple-bed room in a hostel.
(The only exception to the above is if your lab work is such that requires constant presence, or the experiment timing is delicate etc., but you haven't indicated that is the case.)
Once you decide you go, you ask your advisor for financial support - after you've told him you believe the conference is important for you to attend and that you're going.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Perhaps in this instance you could start by looking for an appropriate *local conference* in your State or country or a *remote conference*, so that you can attend something without the larger expense of an international conference. It may be easier for you to get funding from your research group or university (or bear the cost yourself) if you can remove the costs of international travel and accommodation. With the COVID pandemic shifting many conferences online, there should be opportunities at the moment to "attend" a conference without the normal travel costs.
From your general description in your question, it sounds like you may have a broader problem with your progress, and perhaps your supervisor is not happy with your progress. Speak to your supervisor about your general progress and the expectations on you, and ensure that you are not falling behind. If you can attend an online or local conference, that will give you a chance to attend some talks and perhaps also present your own research ideas, which will set you in good stead for opportunities for attendance at an international conference later on.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/14
| 913
| 3,607
|
<issue_start>username_0: I'm an italian student,attendig the university, and I have to apply for a Work placement during this year, in order to complete my path and graduate. I have already found a firm in London and I would like to send as soon as possible my request. The point is that it's my first time and I have some doubts:
**Should I send, with my CV, a motivational letter in order to introduce myself or this letter should be done only for jobs or accademic application like PHD and Masters?**
I read this thread below very carefully, and I loved it!
[A good motivation letter](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/13574/a-good-motivation-letter)
**Could be the first answer from @penelope a good structure also for my application?**
Thank you so much!<issue_comment>username_1: It's better to send resume and CV along with motivational letter. Here is a letter which might help you.
>
> Dear Sir or Madam,
>
>
> I am writing to you to apply for a summer work placement at your department.
>
>
> My name is AB and I come from Finland. This semester I am studying at the University of Sheffield as an Erasmus Student. I study Human Geography programme with specialisation in regional development and regional policy. I would like to utilize the opportunity of studying in the United Kingdom and extend my stay beyond the end of the semester over summer holiday. My plan is to spend this time by work placement at a regional planning department.
>
>
> I have explored your internet pages, and I was very interested in the topics you are dealing with, such as the creation of Local Plans, Joint Structure Plan or Local Development Framework. I would like to apply for a 4-week placement in June or July, most preferably at the Department of Forward Planning.
>
>
> During my prior studies I have been working on several training developmental projects. We were mostly engaging with rural microregions’ strategic plans. During this projects I have learnt basics of regional planning and the creation of strategic and developmental plans. I also have a good theoretical knowledge of the European Structural Funds.
>
>
> I think I could bring a lot of assets to your team. I can offer strong commitment to work. I am very reliable person who can work hard. I learn quickly and after short training I am perfectly able to work independently, but at the same time, I am a team player. I believe, I could enrich your team with my international background and perspective.
>
>
> The stay in Yorkshire gave me a good opportunity to get in touch with local environment and people, and, I have to say, I really got to like the region. I am excited by the pace of the changes, it is currently going through. The opportunity to actually take part in these changes would be priceless. Furthermore, I believe, the placement would really help me in my future studies and prospective career. At the same time I believe, I could be a useful member of your team and bring a lot of positive elements into your department.
>
>
> Please find my enclosed CV. Thank you for considering my request. I am looking forward to your reply.
>
>
> Yours Faithfully,
>
>
> AB
>
>
>
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I'd send a CV and a motivational letter - it might be a good idea to call as well if you are unsure exactly where to send it.
Penelope's answer is good, but recruiters can spot a 'template' motivation letter a mile away - I'd try and do it from the heart as much as possible.
Also, make sure you include contact details on both your CV and covering letter!
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/15
| 347
| 1,250
|
<issue_start>username_0: When the next sentence in the paper or thesis shares the same citation with the previous one. Should cite one time only at the end of the 2end sentence or cite 2 times - one for each.
For example:
In the following paragraph, 2 sentences follow each other share same citation. Should I remove the 1st citation or not.
>
> Hybrid ... registration method. **(Mani and Arivazhagan 2013)** Combine
> the output of intensity method or f... method will be the input of another.
> **(Mani and Arivazhagan 2013)**
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: I've heard that in fields different from mine this is referenced with **[(Ibid.)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibid.)** for footnote-style citations. I am not sure about inline citations, but the [Chicago manual of style](http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Documentation/faq0242.html) says it is ok. If you google for "ibid references" you get more hints how to use this.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I would recommend asking your subject-matter librarian. They are usually very familiar with the various citation methods used within your field and would be able to provide advice. Or, they'd know where to look for a potential answer.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/15
| 7,392
| 32,641
|
<issue_start>username_0: Many (most?) universities have a system of allowances for students with particular medical conditions/learning difficulties including dyslexia, dyspraxia and others. The most common allowance is extra time in exams. Sometimes this can be an extra half or whole hour but in other cases can be, for example, 8 hours allowed for a 3 hour exam.
There are various arguments in favor of giving this extra time but of course the merits of doing so can also be debated.
When the student graduates, as far as I know no universities include a record of this extra time on their official transcript. This appears to hide an important piece of information from a potential employer and also makes it very hard to compare one set of grades with another or to interpret the significance of any particular set of grades. Of course an employer might not care how long it takes a student to solve a problem or write an essay as as long as they do it well. But for some employers it might make a crucial difference.
Why don't universities provide this information on the official grade transcript that a student gets?<issue_comment>username_1: You already gave the actual reason: to hide it from employers. Why? Because it is irrelevant.
Diplomas/grades from university are the same, for all students. Period. It does not matter how you acquired it, the university recognised you meet the criteria (skills, know-how, ...) for having this diploma. That's all the employer needs to know.
Edit from comments:
The employer just has to know the grades/diplomas are assumed to be given objectively.
Time is irrelevant, because extra time allowance is here to level the student impairments to give him a fair chance at proving his/her skill on the subject. Time is usually a factor because there has to be a point where it's finished. The duration is not a factor of evaluation. Diplomas and grades are the same for all students because they evaluate the skills/knowledge of the students and not his/her performance.
If an employer needs someone who can do things in some timely manner, they are the one who needs to test candidates on that criteria. Universities just don't do this.
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_2: * It would mark people as having some type of disability, which the
university may not be allowed to disclose. Noting on the transcript that the student used extra time is equivalent to disclosing that the student has some form of disability that allowed them to receive this extra time.
* It is tedious to keep track of which students are allowed extra time and which of them actually used it and more importantly, for which subjects. E.g. I have dyslexia, but do not recall ever using extra time (note: this is not true for everyone with dyslexia).
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: College degrees are not a tool for evaluating employment eligibility.
Despite the way it has been used in recent times, college diplomas are a certification of higher education in a particular field - they were not designed to be a measure for employers to look at and evaluate for hiring employees, and they *still* aren't designed that way.
There is a strong association between having a higher education degree and getting a job - and that is because employers *do* look at the higher education their prospective employees have.
This doesn't obligate the school to modify their curriculum for those employers. While there is an incentive, because schools that have a high number of graduates find employment in their field of study are far more popular, this is a secondary goal of education, and always has been.
You can argue otherwise if you wish, and some academics may even agree with you, but the point is they don't *have* to agree with you, and they don't have to disclose additional personal information about a student just because it would be convenient for you. And that includes any 'extra time' they may need to complete course materials.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_4: Revealing Disability Accommodations Is Against University Interests
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Disability accommodations serve the interests of the University in a variety of ways, and anything that penalizes, prevents, or causes students not to seek appropriate accommodations (such as fear of forced or unauthorized disclosure, or an "asterisk" on their grades) is harmful to these interests. Just a few of these interests:
* legal and ethical obligations to serve disabled students (Americans With Disability Act of 1990 in the US, FERPA, civil rights laws, among multiple others, and many more in other nations). Office of Civil Rights gives very specific, related advise on [what should and should not appear on a transcript](https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-qa-20081017.html) in primary/secondary education, which is similar in many respects to post-secondary education:
>
> **May special notations, including asterisks or other symbols, appear on a transcript for a student with a disability who received
> accommodations in general education curriculum classes?** In general,
> no. Because the use of accommodations generally does not reflect a
> student’s academic credentials and achievement, but does identify the
> student as having a disability, it would be a violation of Section 504
> and Title II for a student’s transcript to indicate that the student
> received accommodations in any classes. For example, a notation
> indicating the use of Braille materials is not related to whether that
> student mastered all the tenth grade objectives for her literature
> class. The only purpose of such a notation is to identify that
> student as having a visual impairment. Because accommodations are
> generally understood to include aids and adjustments to enable a
> student with a disability to learn and demonstrate knowledge, this
> notation could identify the student as having a disability and
> therefore constitute different treatment on the basis of disability.
>
>
>
* legal and ethical obligations to protect private medical information (dozens of laws restrict and control medical information in most parts of the world)
* ethical obligations to assist under-served and at-risk populations (unemployment rates of the disabled are often twice that of the general population, due to both unavoidable restrictions from the disability and unlawful discrimination)
* practical interest of the University in having more enrolled students (tuition, etc) would be reduced by not sufficiently accommodating disabled populations
* practical interest of the University in having access to the best and brightest students, regardless of disability status - losing a brilliant and talented student because you didn't provide a wheelchair ramp, or testing accommodations for someone with dyslexia, or a reader for someone with other vision impairment, would be purely counter-productive
* practical interests of ease of assessment for instructors. Most tests are designed as "power tests", where time should be more than sufficient for all students, and having more time would not improve your score (you either know the material or you don't). Practical issues of room availability and class scheduling limit the time slots available, so rather than give everyone 4 hours when most don't need it, holding the room and instructor (and possibly torturing students who will not benefit from the extra time, but feel compelled to stay until the last minute to review and obsess over answers), it's simply easier to only give extra time to those who really need it to be assessed fairly.
* revealing accommodations would have the *de facto* perverse incentive of discouraging students from getting assistance that would help them succeed in University, and hopefully also in life beyond, as they would correctly fear this private information would be required to be disclosed, potentially harming their future careers. They would thus be positively encouraged by the University to suffer and be more likely to fail, in violation of all of the above reasons for the University to provide appropriate accommodations in the first place.
* as a simple matter of marketing, it would be hard to imagine how the University would want to risk it being known that they will take your money for years, claim to accommodate you and give you an equitable education, and then mark your transcript in such a way that it could make it harder for you to find a job
* Universities often report and are judged partly on their placement rates (unemployment) of their own alumni, and providing any information on their graduates that could risk making it hard for them to find an retain gainful employment - especially by making it easier to discriminate unlawfully against their own alumni - would be a remarkably self-destructive stance to take without a compelling good reason
It's just better for the University, selfishly, to provide appropriate accommodations - even if you remove legal compulsion to do so. Of course, you can't actually ignore that - there are laws at multiple levels that restrict how a University must handle such things as medical records, including anything that would disclose a medical condition or disability. Saying that the transcript would only be disclosed on student request does not magically absolve them of their responsibilities, or legal and ethical duties under the law.
Revealing Disability Accommodations Is Against Business Interests
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Requesting transcripts is generally safe under the law as it is easily defended as having a legitimate business interest, while at the same time not exposing the business to information they are legally prohibited from considering. Adding an indicator of disability accommodation to a transcript would have a perverse incentive of making it legally dangerous and inadvisable to accept or consider transcripts at all.
Why? At least in the US, employers are partially protected from discrimination claims by making it clear that they did not have access to, request, or accept information that could be used to engage in unlawful discrimination, such as receiving medical diagnosis data, disability information beyond disclosure of a requirement for reasonable accommodation under the law, etc. Heck, even credit reporting agencies must take steps to mask medical collection data to prevent disclosing anything related to a diagnosis. Simply having an indicator on a transcript means that the business can be expected to conclude, by any reasonable person standard, that the applicant must have had (or now has) some form of disability that previously required an accommodation. Their decision making is now tainted, and they cannot plausibly claim they didn't even know about the disability and thus couldn't be discriminating on that basis.
When it comes to information you are legally prohibited from considering, it is simply better that you not have the information. Otherwise it is far easier to establish a *prima facie* case of discrimination, exposing your enterprise to very real penalties and expense. It would thus be wise for the business to stop accepting transcripts entirely, to avoid even the possible appearance of impropriety.
Finally, as a practical matter, it is not in the interest of business itself to discriminate when reasonable accommodations in the current workplace were in fact 'reasonable' or not necessary at all. It is simply better that agents do the best they can to pick proper employee placements, and giving them access to information they should not consider (legally, ethically, or practically) harms their ability to make good decisions that are in the best interests of the business itself.
Revealing Disability Accommodations Is Against Student Interests
----------------------------------------------------------------
Disability disclosure is a difficult decision (where, when, who, and if to disclose at all) that is hard for anyone with a disability to make. If anyone, such as the University, will be revealing that information to others - or *de facto* revealing it to others by stamping official transcripts with such identifying information, even if not fully specific - then students must reasonably struggle with whether or not they should disclose to the University at all. This makes it harder for them to make a decision that is best for them, and makes it harder to get accommodations that would benefit their education, lives, and careers.
Further, a *de facto* required further disclosure of such medical status to attempt to seek employment effectively robs the student of a measure of their basic human right to privacy, dignity, and self-determination. You could say that an employer might want to use the information to further their own agenda, but you must inevitably admit that this is explicitly done to reduce the effective power and control of individual students over their own disclosure and records. Whether you think that is an acceptable trade off or not, it is clear that this would be against the interests of students with disabilities at the very least.
If the business has a compelling reason to care about how fast someone can complete a given type of assignment, they are absolutely free to conduct or require their own assessment. They would need to be ready to defend it's *bona fide* business interests, among other legal considerations, but it is a common enough practice if appropriately narrowly tailored to the actual requirements of the business.
Revealing Disability Accommodations Is Against Wider Societal Interests
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
As evidenced by numerous laws protecting the rights of the disabled - and by extension every one of us, as we may all develop such a disability at any time in our lives, temporarily or permanently - there is a wider societal interest in ensuring anyone in need of reasonable accommodations receives them, both in education (at all levels) and in employment, with full dignity and without discrimination. To have capable members of our society rendered unable to contribute for any reason other than inevitable necessity, is a waste of human potential to contribute to themselves, to their communities, and to the whole of our civilization. Morality compels us instead to charity, lest these otherwise capable people be rendered destitute and homeless, which is a far inferior result by any modern measure. The mere possibility of such outcomes as discarding human life and potential also makes real a fear that the very same fate will befall us, as factors outside our control could wrack us at any moment - compelling us to act out of personal interest, if not out of moral compulsion.
It is thus possible that there could even be a compelling business reason for an individual to use medical, disability, or accommodation information to discriminate against a person for their own business's profitable gain; yet this does not mean that we need to enable such a discrimination through our institutions or personal action. There are lots of things that could bring a few people profit at the expense of our society, ethics, and personal/collective rights, and it is part of our job as citizens to decide if we should compel - or even passively permit - such activity. Over the last century, modern societies have consistently ruled that discrimination of this type - even if individual actors might actively want to engage in it - is harmful and should be put down, for the good of all of us (collectively and individually).
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_5: I think username_1's answer gets the gist of the issue, but I'd like to expand on that a little.
Essentially, the intent of assigning grades is to summarize a student's knowledge/mastery of the content of a particular course. Adding a rider such as "student received extra time on exams" defeats the purpose of the grade, since you are no longer summarizing.
To take it further, suppose we decide that extra time on exams is a relevant piece of information that should be noted on transcripts. But immediately we can see that there are other factors that could contribute to a student's mastery that aren't already included on transcripts. For example, how much did this student take advantage of study groups or university-provided tutoring? How about outside tutoring, such as paid third-party services? Why not also detail how the student was evaluated? Some professors might weigh homework quite heavily, some might not include it at all. As you can hopefully see, there are simply too many outside factors that contribute to a student's knowledge and mastery of a particular course for all of them to be noted in transcripts. This of course leads us right back to the concept of summarizing all these factors into an easy-to-digest grade.
If an employer needs to hire with a specific emphasis towards one or more of these factors, it is their responsibility to interview with that in mind. This is why some interviewers give practical problems to be solved in the interviews. It's also why interviewers for entry-level positions will often ask questions about the structure of the courses on the transcript, in order to gauge whether the particular skills the employer desires are actually reflected in the final grade for the course.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: I will pose the following question: What would you do in the case of a faculty member who gives all students unlimited time on all exams, gives them help on the exam if they need it, and allows them to take the exam as many times as they want? The instructor then inflates grades as the final step in this seemingly unending saga.
I don't see any way in which one can effectively monitor how grades are assigned to students regardless of whether they do or do not have disabilities.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: As many answerers have pointed out, indicating the usage of extra time or any other accommodation is a way of pointing out that the student has some disability, and is a violation of some established regulations, not to mention an invasion of privacy.
It's also not often relevant to an employer. Disabilities come in a broad spectrum, and an asterisk noting that a student "got extra time on x exam" doesn't really offer much useful information to the employer, other than the fact that the student had some recognized disability *at the time* that allowed them to be given an accommodation. This doesn't mean that the disability was permanent, or offer any sort of information about the type or magnitude of it. The university can't attach that information to the footnote without violating privacy regulations.
For example, if a student received extra time on two exams during their sophomore year of college due to a recognized disability of major depression, and then received treatment and has had no accommodations or disabilities since then, it isn't really relevant to the employer that at one point in their life they had a disability.
If an employer wants to know if a prospective employee has a disability that could impact their job performance, the best (and most legal) way to learn is to ask them. If they're concerned abut whether or not their degree qualifies them for the position, they should evaluate their performance and knowledge in an objective way that they can apply to all employees, because degrees from different schools (even the same school but different professors) offer a different evaluation of the student's performance and knowledge.
Because this information is not particularly relevant to employers, universities don't see a need to start collecting and cataloguing it. Recording who actually used their offered extra time, and communicating that on a transcript, requires time and effort from university staff. Not to mention that if a university is known for publishing that on students' transcripts, students who have disabilities may choose to attend a different school where their disability is not a part of their final transcript, hurting the university's enrollment rate, with no net gain.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: Since nobody seems to have mentioned it yet,
**it is very likely illegal**
-----------------------------
In the US, at least, several laws (including the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act) prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act also prohibits unauthorized disclosure of a disability or presumption of disability without the express permission of the person in question. It could be argued that marking those who received accommodations for a disability is disclosing their status as disabled, thus violating this law.
And while it may be helpful for an employer to know if a prospective employee is disabled, this is generally only helpful if the employer wishes to discriminate. Why else would they need to know of the disability **during the application process**? If an accommodation is needed, this can be taken care of after the application process, once the possibility of discrimination has been severely reduced. Of course, one does need to disclose a disability to receive accommodations for it, but only if one wants accommodations. For example, as a disgraphic, I cannot write legibly and type most of my work. If I were working as say, a software engineer, I would not disclose because I need no accommodations (and the disability is therefore irrelevant to my job).
[This source](https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-qa-20081017.html) explains it far better than I can, but it seems
>
> Under Section 504 and Title II, recipients and public entities **may not** provide different or separate aid, benefits, or services to individuals with disabilities, or to any class of individuals with disabilities, **unless such action is necessary to provide those individuals with aid, benefits, or services that are as effective as those provided to others**.
>
> Essentially, because notating use of accommodations is not related to to providing "aids, benefits, or services" to help mitigate the students' disabilities, it is prohibited by law as discrimination on basis of disability.
>
>
>
Incidentally, the College Board and ETA got in trouble for this exact action a few years ago. [source 1](http://www.fairtest.org/no-more-scarlet-asterisk) [source 2 - note that SAT flagging was removed after the article was published](http://articles.latimes.com/2001/feb/08/news/mn-22757)
On a further note, [many feared this would allow abuse of the accommodations system](http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/15/us/abuse-feared-as-sat-test-changes-disability-policy.html), but these fears proved unfounded. In fact, many students, including me, [were not able to get the accommodations they needed in a timely or even any manner.](http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/02/24/feds-eye-disparities-in-supports-for-sat.html) They've supposedly reformed that this year, but we'll see how that works out...
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_9: Just a minor sub-answer, but to my mind reiterating an important point: although the "school model" of assessment makes limited-time-exams a crucial player, this is artificial, almost entirely for convenience, and to serve certain assumed ends.
For example, it is convenient to assume that being able to do more things in a shorter time frame is a sign of greater competence. But this is (observably, to me, in graduate mathematics and research mathematics) not the case. That is, *some* very competent people are quick, and some quick people are competent, but there's a very flimsy connection in the first place. So, in principle, I'd give students taking an exam as much time as they wanted... also having observed that having extra time if one is clueless doesn't help anything (for a reasonably structured exam).
In other words, the artifactual aspects of academic assessment are already heavily caricatured (only teach what can be tested?), *and* the arguable "corruption" of allowing extra time really doesn't change anything (although admittedly would create logistic complications).
True, if "extra time" meant months or years or decades, then, sure, that might be "unfair", ... but, still, if a person did finally understand a thing ten years later, what's the problem?
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_10: Either the accommodation levels the playing field or it does not.
If the accommodation does not level the playing field, the university should not have given it. Since the university did give it, the university believed that it leveled the playing field.
Since the university believes that the playing field was level, there is nothing to disclose. Employers already know that universities do their best to level the playing field. With a playing field leveled to the best of the university's ability, the university believes that all grades have the same meaning.
It is the university's job to determine whether or not people meet the minimum standards required for receiving each diploma they grant. If a person does not meet those standards, they should not get a diploma. If they do, they do not deserve any asterisk or black mark.
In any case where the university feels such a mark is necessary, it should instead evaluate whether the recipient meets the minimum standards or does not. If they can't do that right, they have no business granting degrees.
Surely at least some people who receive accommodations easily meet the minimum standards requires for the degree and even exceed them. Why do those people deserve a black mark? And once you're deciding on an individual basis, as you must to be fair, you're back to just not giving people who don't meet the minimum standards a degree.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_11: The is no good case for mentioning the extra time.
The reason is that the work seeker could have contracted their disability after graduation and there would be no record of it on their university report, assuming someone has no disability because they did not have it when graduating shows a gross lack of diligence on the part of the recruiting team.
If they cannot detect the disability in the interview then it cannot be that bad. If they detect it and it matters then what may or may not have been on the report is irrelevant. A bit like hair styles and dress sense in a specific job, they may be relevant but they may have changed since graduation.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_12: One interpretation of your question might be "if some students are less good at the material and need more time to write the exam, isn't it true they don't really deserve the mark they earned and employers should be warned they are not as good as they appear?" And the answer is that your premise is flawed. The extra time isn't to compensate for a student not being as good at the course material as others, but not being as good at test mechanics as others. Since most employment bears no resemblance to tests, it's important to test mostly knowledge, and to have test mechanics almost irrelevant to the final mark. That isn't possible for all students.
To elaborate, the student's mark in the course is supposed to reflect their knowledge of the material and, in some cases, ability to perform specific tasks that might be included in a job. So if the course is "introduction to C++" the mark should indicate how well they know the basics of C++ and how well they are able to write and debug C++ applications. Anyone hiring the student will expect that two students with the same mark have a similar knowledge of C++ and would perform similarly on the C++ aspects of a job.
Now the thing is, if one student is very slow when handwriting answers, even though they can type code quickly, and know the language well, then that fact alone might mean they didn't manage to answer the last question on an exam, causing them to earn a mark substantially less than their actual mastery of the material. Giving that student extra time makes their mark accurate once again. Or if a student writes code well, but has some processing issues that make it difficult to "match items on the left with definitions on the right", again their mark may not truly reflect what they know, but instead their ability to handle the mechanics of a particular type of question. As educators, we often don't even like giving marks, but if we're going to give them, we want them to be accurate, otherwise they are pointless. Accommodations, whether in the form of extra time, allowing answers to be dictated to a scribe, omitting certain kinds of questions (eg multiple choice), not taking marks off for spelling when the intent is clear, or whatever, all serve one purpose: making the student's mark accurately reflect what they know, not how they do on tests.
Since almost nobody is employed to answer multiple choice questions or write page long essays on topics related to their education, this works out well for everyone. The student gets a mark that reflects what they know, and the employer gets a mark they can use to help in their decisions on who to hire. Adding the details of what it took to make that mark a fair and accurate measure of the student's knowledge is completely pointless. The point is that it's accurate as-is, and needs no disclaimers or asterisks.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_13: Without necessary accommodations, we'd be testing the student's disability rather than his mastery of the curriculum. That is, we'd be measuring the extent to which his disability limits his ability to demonstrate what he has learned.
In other words, accommodations are needed so we can test the student, not the disability.
To disclose the existence of the accommodations would defeat this. It would be like saying, "The grade this student with a disability received doesn't count." And there would be no point in providing accommodations in the first place.
A system that doesn't allow a student with a disability to be tested fairly is discriminatory and illegal in the United States. (I would like to hear about how things work in other countries -- see [What protections exist in the European Union against discrimination in an educational institution?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/79897/32436).)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_14: Extra time is given to balance the student's disability compared to other students. Thus, if you want a "completely objective" certification (i.e. to prove that the extra time given is appropriate), you would need to quantify the "degree of disability" to compare that with the extra time given. And that's impossible. And without this comparison, it's useless to know the amount of extra time given, unless you want to discriminate the disabled person in question.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_15: Because non-disabled students would likely react negatively to finding out or being reminded that disabled students were given special treatment over them. People tend to like to think that they're the ones getting the special treatment or that everything is fair - not that they're the ones at a disadvantage. And universities generally want to keep their customers happy, like other business.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_16: (if we skip related legal issues...)
An exam is a strongly artificial situation. In real life, most persons never faces a situation where:
* they can not know nor plan the activity until the moment of start it,
and activity is only a few hours.
* they can not use external resources like internet, books, own notes...
* they are not in a team or posibility to ask a collegue or team leader
* ...
These characteristics made exams invalid in lots of situations because they fail in their objective of measure learning stage. In some other cases, exams must be improved: different support media, variable allowed time, etc, in order to still use it in some subjects or with some persons.
I known universities that doesn't use exams at all; in primary and secondary school, continuos evaluation is a rule. We could say exams are deprecated.
Allow me to finish with a joke: I can not imagine any school that adds to its reports "we have need to adapt our obsolete evaluation method to still use it with this person".
Upvotes: -1
|
2017/02/15
| 684
| 2,834
|
<issue_start>username_0: Recently I received comments from two reviewers on my submitted manuscript as major revision. Both the reviewers have given a few major comments along with some minor comments. The major comments are something like this:
1. It is essential to analyse.
2. Please add some more explanation on this.
3. Please discuss with xyz method and check the difference in the results.
4. Why didn't you do it?
The due date is 45 days.
I finished the first 3 major comments in a week. However, I have planned to work on comment number 4 as my future research. I had also mentioned it in the manuscript before submission. But still one reviewer commented as "Why didn't you do it?" So I have explained little more about it (why am I skipping it here) in the revised manuscript.
Now my question is, can I submit the revised manuscript now? Isn't it very early i.e. 38 days earlier than the due date?
If yes, will it give a bad impression that I have another 6 weeks, still I am skipping comment number 4?
Note: The reviewer has not told me work on comment number 4. I am also not interested in including it in this manuscript.<issue_comment>username_1: **Yes, it is fine to submit revisions early.**
The timescale doesn't really come into it. Either the revised paper is good enough for publication, or it is not. The logistics of when you carry out the work and how long it takes are entirely up to you. The important thing is that, in your covering letter, you explain in detail why you have chosen not to follow recommendation 4.
In fact, submitting the revisions early could even benefit you. It will mean that the paper is fresh in the editor's mind, which could mean they are able to make an informed decision more quickly.
Note that if you *did* want to do number 4, but 45 days was not long enough, it would be very reasonable to contact the editor to explain this and ask for an extension.
(NB I don't quite understand what point 4 is asking, so it's possible there is some subtlety I am missing. `This is Okay!! Why didn't you do it?` What is "this"/"it" and what is meant by it being "okay"? I presume these are not the exact words that the reviewer used.)
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You don't necessarily have to reply to the reviewer's comments by making revisions directly in your paper. You can always make a rebuttal to the comment in the covering letter, as long as your response is justified. Of course, if the reviewer is pointing out significant flaws in your experiment or discussion then this will not be sufficient.
In the end, it is the editor's decision. If they are satisfied that you have addressed the other comments and that it is suitable to address comment 4 in future work, then the sooner the revised manuscript is submitted, the better.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/02/15
| 2,272
| 8,708
|
<issue_start>username_0: I have an interview for a PhD position (engineering) at a Central German University. I am not sure what to wear (formal wear for woman). Since certain countries are very particular about what you wear to an interview, I want to make sure that I don't look out of place. Any suggestion about formal wear for woman would be appreciated.<issue_comment>username_1: EDIT: [In Germany](http://businessculture.org/western-europe/business-culture-in-germany/business-etiquette-in-germany/)
>
> Women also dress conservatively, in dark suits and white blouses or
> conservative dresses. This form of dress is observed even in
> comparatively warm weather. Do not remove your jacket or tie before
> your German colleague does so.
>
>
>
I would [dress professionally](https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers-advice/university-interviews/university-interview-dress-code). You are interviewing for a job at a university, not a tech startup. So for a woman I would wear something more conservative - perhaps a nice skirt and blouse? However, the important thing is to be comfortable! That's how you'll do your best.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I think this is highly field dependent, but in general overdressed is better than underdressed. In fields close to mine (math, computer science) things are quite relaxed, so no one would expect a (skirt) suit (although this would be ok) and nice trousers (usually including jeans) and shirt are most probably ok. Ragged jeans and t-shirt may not always work, though. Avoid wearing something revealing.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_3: I can tell you that as a female grad student in Sweden in mathematics, I wore a nice pair of jeans, a (ironed!) white shirt, ballet flats, and discreet jewelry (small gold studs and a thin gold bracelet) for my interview. I got the position. I did not stand out in any way from the other interviewees or professors.
In general, I would perhaps switch the jeans for a pair of slacks, and if it's cold outside, switch the ballet flats for a pair of (freshly polished!) boots. Then you would blend, but be on the nicer side, in any northern European science department I've ever visited.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_4: From Germany here.
Generally at the Math department things are less formal. Most of the time people are wearing jeans.
At the Engineering faculty it seems like professors always are wearing suits so I'd suggest that. Trousers and white shirt with a jacket should do the trick.
Good luck!
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: Scientific academia in Germany is very informal these days; dress codes barely exist at all, and there is no expectation to dress up, or to dress gender specifically. This includes engineering.
In general, for interviews, the rule “better overdressed than underdressed” applies of course. *However*, in my experience it’s even more important that you feel comfortable. I’ve been in a very similar situation to yours and felt uncomfortably overdressed, which made me nervous and certainly didn’t help my chances in the interview.
So: if you feel comfortable dressing formally, do that. If not, I’d suggest dressing slightly less formally rather than facing discomfort. At any rate, as others have noted, I’d avoid a *too* casual/careless clothing style, as for any interview.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_6: Here are two tips:
1) Look at the current faculty's (or PhD students') departmental headshots and webpages online. If most people dress in a suit or blazer for the photos, then I would suggest you dress in that way for the interview.
2) If you wear a pantsuit or slacks/blazer, try to wear a shirt underneath that would also be perceived as appropriate without the jacket (i.e. no sleeveless shirts). Then you will be able to remove the jacket and leave it with your luggage if you perceive yourself to be overdressed.
I know these don't precisely address the German context, but I thought the ideas might be helpful to the OP.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_7: The dress code in engineering in Germany varies widely. I know one institute where the professor forces his PhD-students to show up in suits every single day. At the other end of the spectrum are institutes where even professors just wear normal clothes all the time, even for interviews with candidates.
I would recommend to look at the homepage of the institute you're applying to and check out the pictures of your potential supervisor and his/her PhD-students. If all of the students are wearing suits on their pictures, wearing something similar for the interview is definitely a must. If even your potential supervisor wears something very casual, you should be fine with a clean t-shirt and jeans. For the cases in between, I would recommend a blouse combined with a skirt or slacks. (I would even recommend this for the casual supervisor, just to be on the save side. You will never appear as overdressed if you dress like this.)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_8: First, as said by others, do as "they" do, whoever they are. We don't really know what's en vogue at your place.
This triviality aside, I would strongly suggest for you to look past this interview and, along with a possible new job, decide on which style you are seeing yourself sporting in the future. Do you wish to come accros as a hands-on "techie"? Do you see yourself in a management position in 5 years?
Put yourself in that mindset, and wear appropriate clothes. I know you are asking *which* the appropriate clothes are, but I suggest that it is most important four *you* to decide which image *you* want to portrait. Google "woman business clothing" and switch to the image search, everything you see there will be appropriate for about any professional setting in Germany, from universities to companies.
Looking at said google image result, not being a woman myself, I believe the most important choice you have to make is whether your clothes end above or below the knee, or at the shoes. That is a personal choice for you, as in Germany, most everything will be accepted (with a certain minimum height which should be pretty obvious). And it will also depend on your character a bit, and what makes you comfortable.
Being comfortable is of the utmost importance, so if in doubt, do as you really want to!
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_9: Wear the same kind of clothes that is worn at a conference in your field. At most a slight bit more formal if you want to be recognized from a distance as the applicant.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_10: You can't go wrong with a pants suit. That's why women politicians favor them. You don't look overdressed in a pants suit; yet they also fit when the men in the group are wearing a suit and tie. You would only look overdressed in a pants suit if you were attending an informal outdoor party! And even there, you'd be okay, by just taking off the jacket.
The top worn under the jacket should be a simple knit top (not form-fitting as you might wear to a nightclub, but not baggy like a T-shirt you'd wear for sports). It can be long sleeved in the winter if you wish. Avoid anything sleeveless. Make sure that even when bending forward, no under garments or straps are visible.
Wear comfortable shoes in case there's a lot of walking to do. (Thank you to Robokaren for this advice on another clothing question.) Don't wear perfume or scented personal hygiene products (e.g. deodorant). If your shampoo or conditioner has a subtle perfume, that is okay, however.
Note, if you are a person who likes wearing a skirt instead of slacks, that's fine too.
Blouses are a bit unusual these days, but you could wear one if that's your style. However, please avoid ruffles, lace, garish colors, or partial transparency.
Don't forget to let your personal style come through. If you are someone who enjoys wearing a warm Scandinavian style sweater in the colder months, go for it! As long as the sweater is still in very good repair (no pilling or thread pulls). If you wear a pullover, make sure you have a formal sort of top on underneath, in case you find yourself in an overheated room and need to take off a layer.
To play it safe, do not wear jeans. Once you know the group better, you'll know whether jeans are okay or not.
Make sure your winter coat is warm, clean and tidy.
If the weather is bad, do not hesitate to wear sturdy boots that will keep you warm and dry.
The ballet style shoes that someone else mentioned -- if that's your natural style, go for it. But please don't feel you suddenly *have* to invent a super-feminine persona for an interview.
In short, **dress for success!**
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/02/15
| 432
| 1,607
|
<issue_start>username_0: I would like to know what are the (academic) requirements (in general) of a **Dipl. Math.**?
What Dipl. math. Is good for (in math Academia)? More general what is a Dipl. Math.?
(Some reference for cover letters for Dipl. Math.)<issue_comment>username_1: *Dipl.-Math.* stands for *Diplom-Mathematiker.* It is a [German academic degree](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplom) and equivalent to a master’s degree.
Before Germany adopted the bachelor/master system, a *Diplom* (diploma) was awarded to students after finishing about five years of study and writing a thesis.
Almost all German universities now award bachelor’s and master’s degrees, but at some universities, students can choose to have their degree called *Diplom* after completing a master’s program.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: A diploma of mathematics is about equivalent to a Master in mathematics. It permits you to write a dissertation in mathematics.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: The answer would be country specific. For example: in India, such a degree never existed. Rather, there is something equivalent such as "Master of Philosophy" or "M.Phil." for short. You could consider it as a "Pre-PhD" degree. It is mostly for 1 year, but there is no course and mostly full of research (though it again varies from universities to universities). Note that it is not mandatory to have an M.Phil. degree for Ph.D. admission. For M.Phil., the requirement is that the student must have a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree.
For Germany and other countries, this being already answered.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/15
| 683
| 2,707
|
<issue_start>username_0: An increasing number of funding agencies require recipients to make all research papers it funded open access.
Does any scholarship require the benefiting student to make open access any research paper they wrote during the scholarship period?<issue_comment>username_1: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funds [scholarships](http://www.gmsp.org) and has an [open access policy](http://www.gatesfoundation.org/en/How-We-Work/General-Information/Open-Access-Policy):
>
> [...] We have adopted an Open Access policy that enables the unrestricted access and reuse of all peer-reviewed published research funded, in whole or in part, by the foundation, including any underlying data sets. [...]
>
>
>
The Max Planck Society in Germany funds [scholarships](https://www.mpg.de/5724370/scholarships) and has an [open access policy](https://openaccess.mpg.de/policy).
These are the two examples I remembered directly.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Yes. Most research funded by the US Government (both internally by government employees and externally by outsider researchers receiving funding) is *supposed* to be available for the public. This would cover both direct scholarships/fellowships as well as grants and contracts to Professors that cover graduate assistantships.
This is not open access per say, because the research can be published in closed-access journals, but then is made public after an embargo period on a US Government page or publisher's webpage. The Association of Library Reseachers [discuss this](http://www.arl.org/focus-areas/public-access-policies/federally-funded-research#.WKXbWRIrLa4) and has more details about specific agencies. Additionally, *Nature News* has a press release on the [topic](http://blogs.nature.com/news/2013/02/us-white-house-announces-open-access-policy.html). Last, Columbia's Library also has an informative [webpage](http://scholcomm.columbia.edu/open-access/public-access-mandates-for-federally-funded-research/) on how different Federal Agencies meet the open access requirement. From an academic practitioner's perspective, this is probably the most informative page of the three I listed.
As final point, to revisit the "*supposed to*" caveat. Not all US funded research is covered (e.g., sensitive/classified Defense research). Some agencies may have not setup their methods for storing and releasing publications. Different agencies may enforce the open access policy with different levels of strictness. As a final caveat, most of the open access requirement policy is driven by an Executive Order rather than a Congressional mandated law. This makes the policies more easily subject to change.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/02/16
| 591
| 2,426
|
<issue_start>username_0: I have included a pretty complex map with about 10 different colors in my scientific paper in forest ecology. I am looking for a standard formule which is applied in this case, something as : ***For interpretation of the references to color in this figure caption, the reader is referred to the web version of this paper.***
However, in my caption I do not use the description i.e., *red* represent rats and *green* ~ herb, thus I do not want to start with *For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure caption...*
How can I correctly write: *please, for color representation of the figure, refer to the web version of the paper*?
I am not an English native speaker.
Could be the following formulation correct?
***The reader is referred to the web version of this paper for the color representation of this figure.***
If not, do you have some better suggestions?
thank you !<issue_comment>username_1: Do I understand correctly that you just want to tell the reader that the colored figure is available online (in case they printed it b/w)?
If so, then the usual approach is to do the following:
>
> Figure 1: (Color online) This is the caption and there is some stuff here.
>
>
>
This may depend on your field, but [the American Physical Society (APS)](https://journals.aps.org/authors/guide-acceptable-color-online-figures-h24) recommends this.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: While in general I agree to the previous [answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/85149/68353) by ian\_itor (I have regularly used simple "(Color online)" remarks myself), be aware that some journals will require that also the b/w or grayscale print version of your paper must have fully distinguishable details in all figures.
Take for example a graph figure with three curves in red, green and blue; you would have to ensure that those colors map to distinct grayscale colors in the print.
This might be difficult to realize in a figure like yours with 10 different colors; so be prepared that you *might* have to include further distinct features like hatching to ensure proper grayscale readability.
In this case, also your description of the figure may need to be written in a way such that any reader (of the grayscale print only) will be able to fully understand all details of the figure even without access to the online colored version.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/02/16
| 1,078
| 4,625
|
<issue_start>username_0: I'm currently working on my CS masters thesis. The timeline is set up to 5 months with developing the software and writing the thesis itself. My supervisors and me had a nice idea that would (if it were implemented successfully) be a great contribution to a currently running research project of one of the supervisors.
I started out with checking whether the first of the two main problems of the thesis would work at all (I implemented that part of the software, it worked and so we were fine with that). After that, we felt confident to finally and officially register the thesis, so that eventually, with that day, those 5 months of officialy working on it started.
Today, 2.5 months later, I'm stuck with the second part of the problem. Since starting to work on that two months ago this one great problem was cut down into many smaller ones of which a few are solved, others aren't.
Those few unsolved problems are a major issue now. On the whole, our "great idea" with which we started works under the condition that those few unsolved problems would some day work, but currently I feel
* that some of the unsolved problems can't be worked out in the remaining time
* few of them I might not be able to solve at all - literature on them is very rare or non existend; I suppose we're the first people to try to accomplish that fuctionality with these tools
In conclusion I currently don't believe that the whole "great idea" we initially had can be put into software within the time horizon of my thesis (or at all).
**The questions** now are:
1. I think I need 6 weeks (more likely 8 weeks) for writing the text of the thesis, so my time is running and I fear I cannot finally and certainly find out which of the remaining problems can be solved; *What to do (and write) in that case in my thesis?*
2. I think my supervisors expected this whole thing to work out, being implement in code. I fear I'll not satisfy that expectation. What to do about them telling me I could have done better, worked more, harder?<issue_comment>username_1: First of all, you can relax about the fact that you won't solve everything. In research, it's **the default case** that you will solve some of the problems, and leave plenty of others as future work. (There's a great [inspirational comic](http://matt.might.net/articles/phd-school-in-pictures/) about this truth.)
1. As a criterion for selecting the remaining problems you want to work on, I recommend to select the ones that will help you to a tell good overall story in your thesis. For example, it's better to deliever a program that works in *certain cases* and under *certain assumptions*, rather than a program that never works, but could possibly work if certain remaining problems would be solved.
2. Make sure to have the facts on your side. For example, prepare a table with the specific tasks you solved/tried to solve, the time you spent trying to solve them, and the specific issues that made the tasks hard to solve.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Whenever you find a subject that it is considered A GREAT contribution to the area (and you find yourself in the middle of a huge problem that might need to be solved) ... ask yourself the following question: why this problem was not addressed before? Perhaps previous seniores researches with more experience than you faced that very same questions and, even so, it still lacks a resolution.
Is this problem marked on surveys from this subject as an open research opportunity? Did someone try to do this before (even remotely) ? Why didn't they succeed? I think you already kind of answer this questions to yourself when you stated that there is no time to solve your problem.
When I did my master's I faced a problem similar to you.. you need to narrow down the comprehensiveness of your thesis... focus on a particular subject inside of this huge contribution you would expected to give.. Only this way you have a chance to do a work your are proud of..
Be clear to your advisor about what is going on.. then you two should decided together how your going to proceed (cut of a slice of your good pie to present as a mater thesis and perhaps bake the rest of the cake on a PhD proposal ou research assistant position - what about that?).. I am afraid you reached a state of anxiety because you know you can't handle the hugeness of your work and in order to delivery something good, you need to get ride of these feeling.
Hope my advise helps.. good luck and have in mind that you are not the only one who is going (or went) through this
;)
Upvotes: 1
|