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2013/10/01 | 1,050 | 4,114 | <issue_start>username_0: How *illegal* is it to cite books that were illegally downloaded?
If they aren't available in the university library, if you can't really afford the books (maybe you will make one reference in one article and the book costs $250+), if there isn't anything else you can use (published articles, reports, etc)... it's one more citation for the author. So in fact you might be helping the authors academic career (here I am considering only academic authors).
I do try my best to find other articles that I might be able to use in my work, but sometimes there is nothing else written, or not enough time to do the extra search.
What do you do?
ps1: I do buy books that are important to my research.
ps2: I do download books that can be important to my research.<issue_comment>username_1: You can cite a reference even if you have not read it, although that of course is a poor practice.
For books in English, you can often get a reasonably good idea about what a book covers by looking at Google books or previews on Amazon. That may not get you as far as you would have liked, but it is better than nothing.
I thought research was an altruistic attempt to expand the humankind's knowledge; have I been wrong all these years???
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: The illegal act of course is the download, never the citation. @<NAME> answered that correctly.
However:
>
> If they aren't available in the university library, if you can't really afford the books
>
>
>
besides the possibilities @username_1 mentioned:
* In many countries there exist inter-library catalogues (e.g. [GVK](http://gso.gbv.de/DB=2.1/)) that tell you which libraries have the book you're looking for. Once you know that (or your local librarian found out for you), you can ask your local librarian to either get the whole book via **inter-library loan**, or
* to order a **partial copy** (e.g. the chapter or the exact pages you need).
* There are also **commercial document delivery services** (see for an example: [Subito](http://www.subito-doc.de/index.php?)). Which offer tracking down documents and again either loan of the book or partial copies.
Even the linked commercial service charges only 9 € per book inside Germany for non-commercial customers and 25 € worldwide for commercial customers but excluding UK and USA (I don't know why).
* If you're talking about a *thesis*: university libraries usually have a copy at least of all PhD theses done at that university, for Bachelor or Master theses you'd often have to ask the institute (or supervisor) where the work was done.
* In Germany, the [national library](http://www.dnb.de/EN/Wir/wir_node.html) has a copy of each book published in Germany or in German (or about Germany) from 1913 on. There are also field-specific large libraries, as for example the [TIB Hannover](http://www.tib-hannover.de/en/the-tib/) for technical literature.
So, *are you sure "can't really afford" is a valid argument?*
(Whether you nevertheless download pirate copies, or ask your neighbour to let you have a look into her book, or buy it despite the fact that the neigbour at the other desk owns it as well, stays entirely your own choice.)
---
If I have to get a book by inter-library loan, I try to make a copy of the vital chapter. This is legal here in Germany (single copies for personal use, reseach or teaching of not too large part of a book).
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Citing a book that you downloaded in violation of copyright law is not illegal. Citation does not qualify as copyright violation because it is not one of the exclusive rights of the copyright holder (e.g., it does not involve modification, distribution, public performance, the creation of derivative work, etc). I am not aware of any context in which simply citing a work would violate a law.
Although there are strong academic norms about citation, these are generally not codified as laws. For example, citing a book you have not read is considered bad form but you would not be breaking any laws if you did it.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/01 | 1,254 | 5,473 | <issue_start>username_0: The simple version:
I've been out of college for 7 years and want to pursue graduate studies in a field unrelated to my undergraduate degree but am not sure how.
The detailed version:
My college career began as a Physics major. I made what I now consider the mistake of changing to a technically driven humanities major (Electronic Media, Arts and Communications) although I completed a great deal of my pure sciences coursework.
Years later I have a very solid job in a field that I hate and want desperately to get back to school to work towards higher degrees in mathematics. I've spent the last five years as a systems engineer with a focus on network distributed video and have a very solid resume in my field, but my academic credentials are poor. A 2.8 GPA (albeit from a strong school) and an unrelated B.S.
I've made it a point to keep up studies in math, participing in a great many MOOCs to try to backfill my mathematical education and keep my skills sharp.
What I *don't* know is how to re-approach academics. Would I need to earn some additional undergraduate credits before applying for a graduate program? I expect GREs will be required, but that's not a major issue as I've been scoring quite well on practice exams.
I *know* that I lack educational recommendations and undergraduate research, and I have absolutely no idea how to supplement this lack...<issue_comment>username_1: As mentioned in the comments, visit the Universities, meet with the professors of the fields that interest you the most (of course, make an appointment to see them). I would suggest emailing professors (not to the point of pestering) - asking them about research papers they've had published - show an interest in and knowledge about their work.
Going further, you have Physics and you have been taking a lot of courses to keep your skill set up to date, so these would work in your favour. On top of that, your work experience provides a solid work-ethic and some more applied skills and knowledge (which, depending on what you are going for, may of a huge benefit to you).
Talk to the admissions people of the faculties in the universities that you are interested in.
Most of all, in all interactions, be truthful about everything including your grades, academic history, work experience and motivations. But speak of the skills that you have gained from each thing you have done.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: To get admitted to a graduate program in math, although work experience may suggest greater maturity, etc., the issues will be letters of recommendation and documentable standard-material background (whether in conventional courses or somehow-verifiable self-study...), and possibly a GRE subject test score if only to show that one is aware that the thing exists and is widely believed to be relevant (even while many, including myself, do not consider it a good predictor of anything much beyond multiple-choice-test-taking abilities).
Unless you've self-studied into a quite unusual state of expertise, you'll most likely not have much success in getting an idea of what contemporary research in mathematics is about, and it might be awkward to attempt a conversation with faculty about their current work. Perhaps such a thing would be feasible in other fields (I have no idea...) it is not typical in mathematics. That is, people going to grad school usually have only a general idea of the direction of their interests, even with a solid coursework background. In particular, funding for graduate work is rarely dependent upon connecting with any particular faculty more than tentatively. (Again, this is evidently unlike other fields.)
Helpful letters of recommendations would be from professional mathematicians actively involved in research, acquainted with graduate programs in mathematics, who can speak from direct personal experience both about what such programs will demand of you, and about your qualifications to meet those challenges in terms of prior preparation and in terms of interest.
Probably the way to put yourself in a position to have such letter writers is to take upper-division or beginning-graduate courses at a solid university, as a "non-degree student", do well, and thereby be able to ask the instructor for such letters. It's not the *credits* themselves, but the information and the certification by faculty (beyond "getting a good grade"). That is, you'll want people to attest to your *future* potential, beyond accomplishments to date, in the sense that (hopefully) "you've only just begun", rather than having peaked-out.
If you *are* an outstanding multiple-choice test-taker, getting a stellar score on the math subject test GRE will catch the eye of many! :)
Other routes for certifying that your self-study has made progress are difficult. E.g., certificates from on-line courses are not worth much, and, most often, those courses are too elementary to be relevant to graduate study in mathematics.
If you are not geographically flexible, going to the nearby universities mathematics departments and asking "what it would take" for admission, \_with\_funding\_ (don't go without funding), and try to do it. The whole process might take long enough that it'd be wise to keep the job you have, even if you don't like it, to support yourself (and others?) through the preliminary stages of gaining entry into a graduate mathematics program.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/01 | 940 | 3,475 | <issue_start>username_0: The [Erdős number](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erd%C5%91s_number) is the academic [collaboration distance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaboration_graph#Collaboration_distance) someone has to [Paul Erdős](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Erd%C5%91s). [MathSciNet has a tool](http://www.ams.org/mathscinet/collaborationDistance.html) to calculate the collaboration distance between two mathematicians (where one may or may not be Erdős). Alas, I am not a mathematician, and if I have an Erdős number at all, it's probably quite large. But the concept of collaboration distance is, of course, not limited to mathematics.
Source: [Wikimedia Commons, user h2g2bob, cc-by-sa](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erdosnumber.png)
Are there any online tools to calculate the collaboration distance between two arbitrary scientists, whether in mathematics or not? In principle this should be possible using any large database of scientific publications. It would be fun to know if I have an Erdős number, or what my distance (and the route!) is to famous scientists in my field.<issue_comment>username_1: While it's always pretty difficult to offer a definitive **“no”** as answer to such a question, I'll go on an limb and say it here:
**No**, the mathematical community is the only large scale community to feature comprehensive collaboration database, and ways to query the [collaboration graph](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaboration_graph). **None of the widely used general publication or citation databases offer such a feature** (I checked Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar). Field-specific databases in other fields (such as PubMed, SciFinder, etc.) do not offer them either.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [VOSviewer](http://www.vosviewer.com/) is a free (however not online) tool developed at Leiden University that can be used to create maps based on network data. Although it does not have any function for the Erdös number, it provides capabilities to view collaboration networks. The example below (taken from the [VOS-viewer web page](http://www.vosviewer.com/maps/)) shows an overview of the scientific world through relations among 5000 major scientific journals. Visit the web-page for more details on the software and additional examples.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: [Microsoft Academic Search](http://academic.research.microsoft.com) provides a way to compare the connections between two authors. From the profile page of an author, you can click on the "co-author graph", and then on the tab co-author path, which allows you to search for all connections between the author and another one.
For instance, [this is the co-author path between <NAME> and <NAME>](http://academic.research.microsoft.com/VisualExplorer#1112639&2037349). I don't know how extensive is the graph for other fields than Computer Science though.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: I have been using <https://www.csauthors.net/distance> for a few years now. It seems to work decent considering I am not a mathematician either. However, it does not work on your name :(
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YafsJ.png)
Upvotes: 5 |
2013/10/01 | 1,182 | 3,965 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm having some trouble trying to find a place to publish. Therefore this question is about how to find these places.
For this I provide the following example, my particular case.
I'm searching for:
* A journal, not a conference, workshop, etc.
* Where publishing is free (no cost for processing the paper)
* That is open access (no cost for readers)
* Where the reviews are transparent/public. I.e. anyone can follow the review process
* Where my drafts are also public (for people to follow the review process) The point is that I would like not to need arxiv.org or similar services to dissuade reviewers from shifty actions
* In the field of computer science theory (like lambda calculus and such)
* LaTeX should be accepted, this is very important
* I don't need trees dying, online publishing is fine
* I don't care about impact factors, as long as the journal is trustworthy
This is my particular case, but I'd like to make clear that I'm not asking for this specific fish for me, but for a good method about how to fish that can be useful for everybody in academia, specially those that are new and do not have this kind of knowledge.
PD: maybe a workaround would be using two services where one should be. Now I am thinking about uploading the paper to arxiv.org (or similar) and asking for reviews and comments on cstheory (or similar). I think that would meet all requirements and *implicit* requirements (implicit for journals) as allowing citations on my paper, proving authorship, etc. I'm not sure about being overlooking something or which considerations should be done to find the right place(s) to publish in this new context.<issue_comment>username_1: The set of journals you are describing is almost *guaranteed* to be equivalent to the null set. You are specifying way too many criteria on the journal. You are basically asking for a complete wish list that no single journal can reasonably satisfy and still survive. For instance:
* How does it pay its ISP hosting bill?
* Who handles the processing and editing of articles?
* Who does the typesetting and copyediting?
* Who maintains the web site?
All of these things require labor, and is not something that anyone is likely willing to donate *pro bono*. That means income has to come from somewhere.
Some of these criteria are not problems (for example, a CS journal is unlikely to refuse a LaTeX submission). However, in total, I think you really need to decide which criteria are required, and which ones would be nice to have. Then prioritize accordingly.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Use this link <http://doaj.org/doaj?func=csv> to download the complete list of journals from DOAJ, with metadata as scientific field, license (if CC) and whether you have to pay to publish.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Here is a [link](http://doaj.org/search?source=%7B%22query%22:%7B%22filtered%22:%7B%22query%22:%7B%22match_all%22:%7B%7D%7D,%22filter%22:%7B%22bool%22:%7B%22must%22:[%7B%22term%22:%7B%22bibjson.author_pays.exact%22:%22N%22%7D%7D]%7D%7D%7D%7D%7D) for DOAJ search listing open access journals specifically involving the no-author-charges condition, and [another one](http://doaj.org/search?source=%7B%22query%22:%7B%22filtered%22:%7B%22query%22:%7B%22match_all%22:%7B%7D%7D,%22filter%22:%7B%22bool%22:%7B%22must%22:[%7B%22term%22:%7B%22_type%22:%22journal%22%7D%7D,%7B%22term%22:%7B%22index.classification.exact%22:%22Science%22%7D%7D,%7B%22term%22:%7B%22index.classification.exact%22:%22Electronic%20computers.%20Computer%20science%22%7D%7D,%7B%22term%22:%7B%22bibjson.author_pays.exact%22:%22N%22%7D%7D]%7D%7D%7D%7D%7D) restricted to the computer science (again with zero publication charges, of course).
Unfortunately, I do not quite see how to restrict the results of the above searches to meet your other criteria(accepting (La)TeX submissions etc.) without checking the specific journals by hand.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/01 | 503 | 2,235 | <issue_start>username_0: When reviewing a paper for peer review, I consistently find that I spend **way** more time on a paper than if I were just reading it for understanding.
How can one increase the speed at which they review papers, without compromising on the quality of the review?<issue_comment>username_1: I think speed primarily comes with experience. Reviewing will nevertheless take lots of time for good reasons. Unlike when you read a manuscript (MS) for referencing in a MS of your own, you need to read everything. You also need to think about what has been referenced in detail and evaluate if omissions have been made in the referencing. You need to look at figures and tables for errors or problems, or just to suggest improvements. If you can, you also can or should comment on the language and structure of the paper. To cap off, you probably need to read the paper more than once, perhaps not in the same detail but one read is not enough. In all, this takes time. With each review this may become easier and you will be able to expedite the review.
I personally probably spend around a working day on a normal MS. Early in my career it may have taken twice the time. Some MS may take even longer. I don't think there exist any dependable short-cuts apart from being well read-up on the subject in general, and being experienced in reading and commenting on MS and reports. I am, however, convinced that the larger reductions in time occur early on since the benefits of experience comes quickly.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You will get better at this as you gain experience… but it will/should never be a blazingly fast process. The two reasons you will become faster at it are:
1. You gain more experience in the process itself, as Peter says.
2. As time goes by, you will probably give up faster on very bad papers. I remember one of my first reviews, where I wrote 2 pages of minute review of a paper, concluding that it should be rejected without a doubt for lack of originality (giving a reference to earlier work which the authors had re-discovered). Now, I would not bother with the in-depth review when it has become clear that the manuscript should be rejected.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/02 | 1,052 | 4,298 | <issue_start>username_0: So, to start with my question... PhDs/research are undoubtedly hard/stressful, but how much is too much? Should I leave my PhD in my 6th year or just take a bit of a leave to try and regroup? (I'm 31 if that makes any difference.)
As with most, my path through grad school has not been straightforward and I apologize in advance for the lengthy background/question.
I received my MS and was planning to continue for a PhD at University A (contingent upon me getting funding + suitable project). Got both of those figured out, but my advisor was told my project would not help her tenure case and had an awkward advisor switch. Got fed up with politics at A then transferred to University B (in year 4) where I have a fantastic and super supportive advisor.
I just started my 6th year, but have not yet taken my qualifying exam. Many reasons for this, but mostly the program at Univ A was more interdisciplinary (better matched to my research) while the program at Univ B is much more traditional/focused on fundamentals. I need to relearn a lot of material which is not really relevant to my research and have been at a complete loss of motivation for months now. Being daunted by oral exams certainly plays a role, but also feel that a PhD is no longer required as my career goals have also shifted.
All of this, switching schools, etc. etc. has taken its toll on my emotionally/mentally to the point where my research progress is practically non-existent. This has all triggered pretty severe anxiety/depression (yes, I am getting help elsewhere too), but even so, I am seriously questioning whether it is really worth putting myself through this any more.
I love my research topic (on good days), but at what point is the stress of a PhD not worth it anymore?<issue_comment>username_1: I have just completed my PhD, so the angst you speak of is still fresh in my memory. I will say that it is good that you are thinking about your options instead of making a rash decision. We can not answer whether or not you should leave your PhD, that decision is yours and yours alone to make.
Having said that, a few things to consider (some of which you have alluded to already):
* Your enjoyment of the research topic - is it stronger than the frustration hat you feel? You mention that the move between schools and the internal politics has had a negative effect on your research productivity, reflect on what is causing that.
* Your career goals have shifted, so is the PhD relevant to what you are planning to do? More so, is the PhD in any way holding you back from achieving the career goals?
* An important question with regards to your PhD, is what is it leading to? What is the 'end game' of it all, so to speak?
* Will taking a year off having a negative effect on your funding etc? Conversely, will the year off allow you to, as you say, regroup - and also perhaps explore that career path.
I am 36, and just finished my PhD - so your age is not that important, you're still young. Never feel that you are 'obliged' to complete the PhD in a certain time frame, if at all - you have to look out for what is best for you.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I was in a similar situation where I had to transfer from Univ A to Univ B which is in a different country! Making that decision took a toll on me for months since my adviser was pressurizing me too. Finally I decided to move with him, but after a year and half at my univ I realized he was a total jerk and ignorant who did nothing for me but help destroy my career for 5 years. I understand you like your adviser and subject which is a plus.
My suggestion to you is that to take matters in to your hands! Work on subjects you like, avoid the negative comments and people (very important), forget about the number of years you spend, send papers out and you will be fine. I have done much much better in the last 6 months of PhD than the rest. From the point where I thought had no research at all, now I feel somewhat confident that I will pass the defense next month! Try to read inspirational books to get yourself going. This website helped me a lot <http://www.marcandangel.com/> or find some other self-help books and get your inspiration back because it is very vital.
Good luck
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/02 | 1,386 | 5,253 | <issue_start>username_0: *Though related to [this question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/890/2700) on undegrad student affiliation, I am in a somewhat different situation…*
I am an undergrad student at the Miskatonic University. For completion of their BSc, students at MU are required to perform a 6-week research project in a research lab, which I did with a professor at another institution: Unseen University. I loved it, extending my stay there for 3 more weeks into my summer break. Now, **we will submit a paper with the results of that internship project, but I don't know what affiliation(s)** to put.
The specifics are:
* I am not paid by MU, and did not set foot there during my research project (not using the library, nothing)
* I was not paid by the research institution (UU), either
* Though I am keeping an eye on the research project, I did not do any significant work since my internship ended (vacations, then too busy with courses)
I think I should put UU as my affiliation, because I used their resources. But maybe UU being the affiliation of the main authors (grad student and professor on the project) is enough? And should I put MU as affiliation?<issue_comment>username_1: [A paper that I have recently read](http://web.eecs.umich.edu/~yinw/publication/mobisys13-final.pdf) may be a good reference (or example). As can be seen, one of the co-authors, <NAME> is under `Baidu, Inc. Shanghai`. The research work was done when she (gender inferred from the name) was done during her internship at `HP Lab`.
She wrote the affiliation as `Baidu`, and used a star mark as the footnote indicating the work was carried out during her `HP Lab` internship period.
---
**Update: Another more relevant example:**
[This paper here](http://www.cs.ust.hk/~qyang/Docs/2005/Sigir05Xue.pdf) is exactly the case. The first author is a student under `Shanghai Jiaotong University` (student and thus, unpaid). The work of the paper was performed when he was an internship under `Microsoft Research Asia`. They adopted the same way: affiliation is still the university and a star footnote indicates the internship connection.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: IMHO being paid or not doesn't matter at all (e.g. a PhD student payed by a scholarship doesn't list the scholarship as affilitation but the university, funding goes into the acknowledgements).
*I'd list both adresses*
What matters is that there is an official relationship. Official relationships the student has with both universities:
* MU for the studies (not going there outside lecture time doesn't matter - you are allowed to study at home after all, and noone forces you to use their library). MU is also where you are now while writing up the paper.
* UU for the internship. Presumably there is some kind of supervision agreement or something.
Possibly an explanation that you were at MU as an internship (summer) student would be good (e.g. acknowledgements: thanking your supervisors - particularly if your MU supervisor is not coauthor of the paper?).
Unlike the situation in the linked question, here it is clear that MU officially wanted you to do the internship (and for the internships I know you usually also have supervisor at MU), and UU officially had you over there to do the internship.
But looking up how we deal with this, I find that all three possibilities are used in practice:
* giving only MU, as this is the "main" affiliation of the student (I think nowadays I'd give both affiliations - but my UU supervisor entered the affilations, so if he's OK with me being MU only, that's fine with me)
* giving only UU (I'm at the UU side, but I know the project is also a consulting project for studies at MU. But AFAIK no supervisor from MU was actively involved in the student's work.)
* giving both affiliations. Having multiple affiliations is increasing in my field as we have more and more interdisciplinary centers, and people give institute adresses rather than the university or the department. Working at a non-university research institute, students here usually have an affiliation with both our insitute and the university.
---
Update: policies
* At my institute, the policy is "discuss with the director".
Hovewer, some universities have policies on the net, e.g.
* [University of Adelaide: Authorship Policy](http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/3503) :
>
> This Policy applies to all staff, **students** and titleholders
>
> [...]
>
> 1.5 All individuals and organisations that contributed to the research outcome (e.g. research assistants, technical writers, funding bodies, **the University**), must be properly acknowledged within the publication.
>
> [...]
>
> 2.5 As an acknowledgement of the institutional contribution to the delivery of research outcomes, **authors must cite their institutional affiliation or affiliations** in any publication.
>
>
>
* [Washington university in St. Louis: Policy for Authorship on Scientific and Scholarly Publications](http://wustl.edu/policies/authorship.html)
>
> Applicability: Faculty, Staff, Postdoctoral Scholars and Associates, Fellows, **Trainees**, and **Students** affiliated with Washington University
>
>
>
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/02 | 1,263 | 4,877 | <issue_start>username_0: I have seen few people who learn better(or mostly) by reading textbooks themselves in private as that gives them more time to think back and forth about the material. While there are other students who are quick at grasping things transmitted orally like in a lecture and despise reading it through books. Few of the former even have this habit of not being able to learn at all sitting in a class as lesser time is devoted to discussion on a particular topic and the lecturer tries best to move to the next topic as quickly as possible(not always though). So should those who like to learn on their own through books be guilty for not attending classes(mandatory like in bachelors or masters programs) since they are anyway not going to assimilate much and it will be waste of time?<issue_comment>username_1: [A paper that I have recently read](http://web.eecs.umich.edu/~yinw/publication/mobisys13-final.pdf) may be a good reference (or example). As can be seen, one of the co-authors, <NAME> is under `Baidu, Inc. Shanghai`. The research work was done when she (gender inferred from the name) was done during her internship at `HP Lab`.
She wrote the affiliation as `Baidu`, and used a star mark as the footnote indicating the work was carried out during her `HP Lab` internship period.
---
**Update: Another more relevant example:**
[This paper here](http://www.cs.ust.hk/~qyang/Docs/2005/Sigir05Xue.pdf) is exactly the case. The first author is a student under `Shanghai Jiaotong University` (student and thus, unpaid). The work of the paper was performed when he was an internship under `Microsoft Research Asia`. They adopted the same way: affiliation is still the university and a star footnote indicates the internship connection.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: IMHO being paid or not doesn't matter at all (e.g. a PhD student payed by a scholarship doesn't list the scholarship as affilitation but the university, funding goes into the acknowledgements).
*I'd list both adresses*
What matters is that there is an official relationship. Official relationships the student has with both universities:
* MU for the studies (not going there outside lecture time doesn't matter - you are allowed to study at home after all, and noone forces you to use their library). MU is also where you are now while writing up the paper.
* UU for the internship. Presumably there is some kind of supervision agreement or something.
Possibly an explanation that you were at MU as an internship (summer) student would be good (e.g. acknowledgements: thanking your supervisors - particularly if your MU supervisor is not coauthor of the paper?).
Unlike the situation in the linked question, here it is clear that MU officially wanted you to do the internship (and for the internships I know you usually also have supervisor at MU), and UU officially had you over there to do the internship.
But looking up how we deal with this, I find that all three possibilities are used in practice:
* giving only MU, as this is the "main" affiliation of the student (I think nowadays I'd give both affiliations - but my UU supervisor entered the affilations, so if he's OK with me being MU only, that's fine with me)
* giving only UU (I'm at the UU side, but I know the project is also a consulting project for studies at MU. But AFAIK no supervisor from MU was actively involved in the student's work.)
* giving both affiliations. Having multiple affiliations is increasing in my field as we have more and more interdisciplinary centers, and people give institute adresses rather than the university or the department. Working at a non-university research institute, students here usually have an affiliation with both our insitute and the university.
---
Update: policies
* At my institute, the policy is "discuss with the director".
Hovewer, some universities have policies on the net, e.g.
* [University of Adelaide: Authorship Policy](http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/3503) :
>
> This Policy applies to all staff, **students** and titleholders
>
> [...]
>
> 1.5 All individuals and organisations that contributed to the research outcome (e.g. research assistants, technical writers, funding bodies, **the University**), must be properly acknowledged within the publication.
>
> [...]
>
> 2.5 As an acknowledgement of the institutional contribution to the delivery of research outcomes, **authors must cite their institutional affiliation or affiliations** in any publication.
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* [Washington university in St. Louis: Policy for Authorship on Scientific and Scholarly Publications](http://wustl.edu/policies/authorship.html)
>
> Applicability: Faculty, Staff, Postdoctoral Scholars and Associates, Fellows, **Trainees**, and **Students** affiliated with Washington University
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>
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/02 | 1,072 | 3,983 | <issue_start>username_0: I hope this question does not offend our American fellows.
I've read in news that the US government is partially closed and many agencies and services run by US federal government is no longer available, for example national parks, many websites, etc. I was wondering if this temporary government shutdown has any negative effects on academic life in US?<issue_comment>username_1: It definitely has. And by that, it has an impact even on academic life outside of the US. One of the most important data and literature resource in medical and life science is the US [National Center for Biotechnology Information](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), running for example the literature database PubMed. Now it has a statement on its website saying
>
> Due to the lapse in government funding, the information on this web site may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the web site may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.
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>
Concerning the National Institute of Health, the website <http://www.usa.gov/shutdown.shtml> states that
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> Research into life-threatening diseases and other areas will stop, and new patients won’t be accepted into clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health
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I'm not sure how to interpret this, but it could mean that the research personnel is on unpaid leave.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In the US most academic institutions are not run directly by the Federal Government and so are not shut down. That is even public universities are run by the states, not the Federal Government, and so are not shut down. So the teaching side of academic life in the US is not really impacted unless the shutdown lasts long enough to interrupt student loan and grant payments.
Research is another issue and it depends on how exactly you are funded. If all of your federal grant money has been transferred to your university then it is there and you can use it. But you won't know when the next installment will come. If you work directly for a federal research unit then you have been shut down and sent home.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Just as an example:
Today I tried to download [this paper from NASA](http://ti.arc.nasa.gov/publications/1370/download/), but failed. It was only then when I realized [the US Government has been shut down](http://www.nasa.gov).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: This affects people outside the US too: some databases maintained by US institutions, like NIST, have been effectively shut down. In the case relevant to my work, I don't have access to the [NIST Chemistry Webbook](http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/) and related databases, which is a royal pain in the buttocks.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: The [Wonder database](http://wonder.cdc.gov/) containing the surveillance data that the CDC collects has been shut down.
Epidemiologists worldwide use these data.
If anyone is searching for the data that was in the morbidity tables from the National Disease Surveillance Survey (NDSS), that data up to May 2013 is [available on github](https://github.com/abought/cdc_mmwr_liberation/blob/master/tabdatafiles/cdc-mmwr-tables_1996_jan-2013_may_25.tar.gz).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: It [appears](http://www.nature.com/news/us-antarctic-research-season-is-in-jeopardy-1.13889) that the shutdown may result in the cancellation of a whole year of research in Antarctica.
[Update](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/08/230445614/shutdown-forces-antarctic-research-into-caretaker-status): The NSF just shut down all Antarctic research, though they have left open the possibility of restarting some of it if the shutdown ends very soon.
Update 2: Antarctic season is "open" but [some projects will still be cancelled](http://www.nature.com/news/politics-the-long-shadow-of-the-shutdown-1.13978) this year due to the delay.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/02 | 347 | 1,467 | <issue_start>username_0: I have two publications submitted but rejected in top conferences. Is it advisable to mention and list them in my CV/resume to show that the work was submitted for publication?<issue_comment>username_1: You can certainly list them as manuscripts. I'm not sure what you are asking exactly: it would be a poor idea to list them as "Rejected from Prestigious conference A", or even "Submitted to Prestigious conference A" if Prestigious conference A has already made its decisions, and it is clear from the non-appearance of your paper that it was rejected.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Until you have them accepted, you can list them as "Technical Reports" on your C.V. Once they are accepted, you can switch out the reference to the conference or journal where they will be published.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: You should not say that they have been rejected from Conference X.
The common practice in my field (mathematics) is to post a preprint (on arXiv or your website) at the same time as you submit a paper. In that case, it would be appropriate to list it on your CV as "Preprint" (and include a link). Of course, people may be able to read between the lines and guess that you are trying to get it published, but haven't succeeded yet.
Hopefully you will soon be revising your papers and submitting them somewhere else, at which point you can list them as "Submitted to Conference Y".
Upvotes: 4 |
2013/10/03 | 906 | 3,642 | <issue_start>username_0: I use active voice for cover letter and while doing that I end up with too many "I" and most of the sentences in my letter also begin with "I". This makes my letter quite boring. I would appreciate if you share your suggestion/tips to avoid this while writing a cover letter.
Since cover letter is the first thing that the potential employer notices, I want to write a concise and attractive cover letter. It will be also helpful if you share a link of a well-written cover letter.<issue_comment>username_1: Because it's a cover letter, I think it's quite natural that you say a lot about *you* in it. That's actually not to be avoided, because you want to give the addressee a good idea of your background, your motivations, your interests, etc. In short, you want to show them who you are, so they *want* to work with you. This is a totally different exercise than usual academic writing.
Now, regarding the redundancy of *I*, it is a matter of writing style. It probably wouldn't bother me much, but if you want to diminish it for some reasons, here are worthy alternatives:
* Instead of *starting* your sentence with *I*, just push it somewhere down in some sentences. That way, you avoid the pattern of *I* as the first word of every sentence.
>
> Looking at your group's wide range of research, I must confess a certain attraction for your recent groundbreaking work on the correlation between [beer-drinking and publication rate](http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0030-1299.2008.16551.x).
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* Use constructions that, while retaining the first person, shift from the subject pronoun to other cases:
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> It has been my intention for a few years now to shift my research interests from pure psychology to experimental psychohistory, and I have thus taken in 2009 a post-doc position at the University of Trentor (group of prof. Seldon)
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instead of *“I decided a few years ago to move to the field of psychohistory…”*. Similarly, you could say
* The standard techniques of academic writing… introduce the pronoun once, then shift the discuss to avoid being the actor, e.g. using passive voice.
>
> During my thesis, I introduced a new data reduction technique called XXZ. This algorithm, when applied to large datasets, was used to univocally establish whether data was being manipulated. In particular, results obtained on the 2000 election showed systematic bias against a specific candidate, highlighting its power as a diagnostic tool for real-life applications.
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Be aware that there are downsides, though: most of these alternatives are longer than a direct sentence starting with *I*, which means overusing them could make you sound windy.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: One possibility is to use "my" now and then: instead of "I am experienced in ...", write "My fields of experience include ...". Another possibility is to use references to previous sentences: instead of writing "I developed the method of ... . I applied it to the problem of ... ." write "I developed ... . Its application to ... resulted in ... .". Also, instead of writing "I'm interested in the position because ...", write "This position will allow me to ... and benefit my ...". The idea is always the same: look at all other words in the sentence and think of whether one of them can be made the subject without changing the meaning or diluting the "importance" of the sentence. If it can, do it. If not, resort to passive voice and other techniques suggested in this thread. If it is still not satisfactory for some reason, just use "I" and go to the next sentence.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/03 | 1,097 | 4,667 | <issue_start>username_0: Nowadays, many journals publish articles online ahead of print, in a state that is given various names by the various publishers: in press, ASAP, just accepted, ahead of print, etc. The final printed paper will be identical with the online one, except maybe for page numbers and color figures… They can be cited through their DOI.
But if somebody, author or reader, were to find a fatal flaw with one such article, what should happen? Would the article be withdrawn (or retracted) before printing, or would it be printed nonetheless, then retracted later? And in any case, would the resulting paper be considered part of the scientific record, or not?<issue_comment>username_1: I think that unless you're talking about a quarterly or annual journal, the investigative process for a retraction would probably stretch past the point where the journal would have to be sent to press. The only exception I can see is a clear-cut plagiarism case.
Therefore, I'd expect most plagiarism cases to proceed as if it were a standard case.
For online-only journals, you might be able to stall publication while you figured such issues out. The article, once accepted, should go through the same treatment as a published article, so a formal retraction should be done. Otherwise, it could look like nothing was ever submitted in the first place, which is wrong.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: In your question you say "fatal flaw" and the answer will strongly depend on the meaning or intent with using these words. A fatal flaw might mean a figure is wrong; you may have submitted an earlier version of a figure you later revised. A fatal flaw may also mean you discover something that negates your results; you used the wrong equation or based your conclusions on the wrong data, both in ways that would pose serious risk. A third way to interpret the term is by personally simply disagreeing with what has been published, but my guess is that this is not what you are primarily thinking about and it is of course not grounds for any actions.
In the second case, retraction could be the only way forward. You should of course make the journal aware of this as soon as possible and ask for their suggested solution. If you have your paper published online but not yet printed, the journal (publisher) might retract it and it will never be printed. If it is printed they might retract it and probably print a note in a following issue to that fact. See examples for why in [The New England Journal of Medicine](http://www.nejm.org/medical-articles/retraction)
In the first case, the journal will likely publish an erratum, publish the correct figure to follow up on the example. Anything that is of a technical nature and can be rectified by providing the correct version will be done so through errata,. In print this will be included also in a subsequent issue.
Elsevier, for example, summarizes [their rules](http://www.elsevier.com/about/publishing-guidelines/policies/article-withdrawal) and provides the following grounds for retraction:
>
> * *Article withdrawal*: Only used for Articles in Press which represent early versions of articles and sometimes contain errors, or may have been accidentally submitted twice. Occasionally, but less frequently, the articles may represent infringements of professional ethical codes, such as multiple submission, bogus claims of authorship, plagiarism, fraudulent use of data or the like.
> * *Article retraction*: Infringements of professional ethical codes, such as multiple submission, bogus claims of authorship, plagiarism, fraudulent use of data or the like. Occasionally a retraction will be used to correct errors in submission or publication.
> * *Article Removal*: Legal limitations upon the publisher, copyright holder or author(s).
> * *Article Replacement*: Identification of false or inaccurate data that, if acted upon, would pose a serious health risk.
>
>
>
In essence, if something is officially published with a doi, there is no way to get corrections made in the pdf or in print. The online version must correspond to the printed and so the solution becomes providing a correction later on.
Anything that has published will be possible to see. A paper that has been retracted will just be associated with a clear sign that a retraction has been made. The paper might live on through older copies on peoples computers or in their desk drawers.
There is an [article in PLOS one](http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0044118) that provides a perspective on retractions in general and which may be of interest.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/03 | 674 | 2,849 | <issue_start>username_0: I am currently a PhD student in a program that I do not find challenging. A part of that may be due to the fact that my advisor has an EXTREMELY hands off approach. He will not return my emails for weeks on end and rarely gives me things to do, despite the fact that I am being paid as an RA.I worked with him for two years as an RA during my masters and I am currently in my first year of a PhD agree.
I also don't know if the program I am in is good for my career. I am generally unhappy with the required coursework I am taking and just weary of my future career options. Given the previous internships I have done at renowned institutions, I think I can do better.
I have been toying with the possibility of switching schools for quite some time now. Here is my problem: How do I apply to a new school without burning bridges with my current advisor? The problem is my advisor is NICE and so amiable. The hands off approach just doesn't work with me. Sometimes I get the feeling that I am not important or the least of my advisor's priorities.
I know that any program I apply to would want a recommendation from my advisor. I just don't know how to proceed! I want to apply to top tier programs in my field -- but want to retain a good relationship with my current advisor just in case I don't get accepted.
1)What is the best way to proceed without burning bridges?
2) Is it possible to apply to a new program without my previous advisor's recommendation?<issue_comment>username_1: This is the answer to everything, but **talk to your advisor**. If he is, as you say, very nice but hands off, you should talk to him. Express your concerns, that you really feel you need a more hands-on approach and that right now you feel like you are floundering. If you're honest and direct without blaming him, asking for help, he may change his behavior or work with you to find a better fit. Either is good for you, but you need to talk to him. He knows he's being hands-off, he just may not know that it is not working for you. You need to communicate that.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Since you received your Master's degree from the same institution, it is understandable that you would want to pursue other options even if you were not having difficulties with your advisor. This might be a good way to approach your advisor without causing unnecessary tension. Ask for a meeting, express your concerns tactfully, and ask for opinions on what your options are (both including going elsewhere, but also discuss what measures you can take to get more out of your program). Hopefully is your advisor is as amiable as he/she seems, this won't be a problem.
I do not know how not having your advisor's recommendation would be received for applications, but it could lead to questions.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/03 | 448 | 1,871 | <issue_start>username_0: I teach a mixed undergrad/grad course that has lecture (300 people) and seminar (15 people) components. Thankfully for me, only the grad students get seminars. I have 2 TAs that assist with the seminars allowing us to break into 3 five-student 1-instructor discussion groups. The problem is that thanks to the miracle of central time tabling this year I have been given a tiered lecture hall that seats 25 people for the seminars. How do you run discussion groups in a cramped lecture hall?<issue_comment>username_1: This is the answer to everything, but **talk to your advisor**. If he is, as you say, very nice but hands off, you should talk to him. Express your concerns, that you really feel you need a more hands-on approach and that right now you feel like you are floundering. If you're honest and direct without blaming him, asking for help, he may change his behavior or work with you to find a better fit. Either is good for you, but you need to talk to him. He knows he's being hands-off, he just may not know that it is not working for you. You need to communicate that.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Since you received your Master's degree from the same institution, it is understandable that you would want to pursue other options even if you were not having difficulties with your advisor. This might be a good way to approach your advisor without causing unnecessary tension. Ask for a meeting, express your concerns tactfully, and ask for opinions on what your options are (both including going elsewhere, but also discuss what measures you can take to get more out of your program). Hopefully is your advisor is as amiable as he/she seems, this won't be a problem.
I do not know how not having your advisor's recommendation would be received for applications, but it could lead to questions.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/03 | 359 | 1,505 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm applying for a post-doc where they ask for two "academic reference letters". Does the adjective "academic" strictly mean they must be from people working in academia? In my field, a good deal of research is performed at meteorological agencies, and I've co-authered several papers with a researcher employed at such an agency. Would a letter from a researcher who publishes lots of papers (5 1st-author articles in 2 years), but is not associated with any university, be considered an "academic reference letter"? Said researcher has a PhD, but further academic titles.<issue_comment>username_1: Better safe than sorry: check with the institution you're applying to, they may have formal requirements about this.
However, I don't think it's likely to be very narrow. The important points are that the recommendation letters come from **people with a good track record**, i.e. people who clearly perform high-quality research, and that **they have worked closely with you** in the past. Whether they're affiliated with a university, a meteorological agency, the NASA, a museum, or even (may God have mercy on your soul) The Industry… it doesn't matter much.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I've never known of an academic program that didn't accept letters from employees at research laboratories. Depending on the field, demonstrating such contacts can be a significant plus. Of course, some academics are only impressed by other academics.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/03 | 528 | 2,194 | <issue_start>username_0: I am about to begin my hunt for post-doc positions. As such, I will be discussing my dissertation work in some detail with potential post-doc advisers.
I am currently in the data collection phase, and none of this research has been published. I am somewhat worried because, as a requirement for my PhD, I have to contribute novel research to the field. I hope to submit a part of my dissertation to a conference; however most relevant conferences are not until next summer, and submissions are typically due early next year. In other words, this research will not be published for a while.
Is it appropriate to ask for some discretion when discussing my dissertation with professors who do similar research?<issue_comment>username_1: You are right to be cautious. better safe than sorry. But as Nate said there is an ethical responsibility on the side of the recruiter to keep things you said during the interview confidential. And since you are considering working for him, you surely do not have reason to doubt his honesty, or else you would have ran away!
So: you should speak about your unpublished work and results. Be careful to mention that it is unpublished, though, to be sure they get it and do not mention it inadvertently to someone else.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I think the following won't apply to you, but may be useful for people in other fields with the same question.
If you work in a field where putting preprints online is an accepted practice, then write up your work and upload a preprint. In this way you clearly establish priority without needing to wait for the article to be refereed.
For instance, in Physics, CS, and Math, most researchers put preprints on arXiv.org.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> Is it appropriate to ask for some discretion when discussing my dissertation with professors who do similar research?
>
>
>
Sure, why not. The correct answer is "certainly". If it doesn't come, run away.
On the other hand, to me it sounds extremely early to look for a postdoc job when you do not yet have any publications about dissertation project (and while you are still collecting data).
Upvotes: 0 |
2013/10/04 | 1,156 | 4,059 | <issue_start>username_0: When you meet new people entering the world of academic research, it is often tempting to try and guess what “sort” of researcher they'll be, based on their personality, character, known qualities, and defects, etc. You'll sometimes hear people say things like *“he's not cut out to be a researcher”*.
But I wonder: **are there any studies that have probed the link between personality/character and success in academic life (and academic research in particular)?**
The sort of studies I imagine would be possible are things like assessing researchers' personalities (e.g. by the well-known [Myers-Briggs classification](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator)) and comparing the distribution against that of the general public… But I could not find anything serious through Google, though I imagine researchers in behavioral sciences, psychology, or other related fields must have tried to address this question.<issue_comment>username_1: **1)** Psychologists on Psychologists:
Helmreich, <NAME>.; <NAME>.; <NAME>.; <NAME>; <NAME>. (1980), "Making it in academic psychology: Demographic and personality correlates of attainment". *Journal of Personality and Social Psychology*, Vol 39(5), Nov 1980, 896-908.
**ABSTRACT**: Examined personality, demographic characteristics, publication rate, and citations to published work in a sample of 141 male and 55 female academic psychologists. Reputational rankings of their graduate schools and current institutions were significantly related to citations, as were components of achievement motivation. Mastery and work needs were positively related to citations, whereas competitiveness was negatively associated with the criterion. Large sex differences were found in citations, with men receiving significantly more recognition and producing at a higher rate. A model of attainment in psychology is proposed, and possible explanations for the differential attainment of the sexes are explored. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
**2)** A more general review paper that includes a discussion and literature on psychological factors:
<NAME>. (1983). "Publication productivity among scientists: A critical review". *Social Studies of Science*, 13(2), 285-305.
available at
**<http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/68920/10.1177_030631283013002005.pdf>**
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There are some small studies that examine the role of personality in academic success. You should search academic databases, if you can.
Here are a few:
* [Personality, study methods and academic performance](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2273.1970.tb00328.x/abstract)
* [A meta-analysis of the five-factor model of personality and academic performance](http://psycnet.apa.org/?&fa=main.doiLanding&doi=10.1037/a0014996)
* [The Effects of Personality Type on Engineering Student Performance and Attitudes](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2002.tb00667.x/abstract)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I recently stumbled across [this study](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19070437), which postulates that modern science selects for sociability and perseverance at the expense of creativity and intelligence. The successful academic will be agreeable and persevering, but will not necessarily be very intelligent or creative. (These traits are derived from [Eysenk's Personality Questionnaire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eysenck_Personality_Questionnaire).)
In short, dull people are preferred!
I'm not sure I agree with the authors' analysis, since I've met many interesting, creative, and highly intelligent academics, including many in positions which are indicative of *success*--however, as StasK pointed out in a comment, perhaps these individuals are just more memorable. My subjective experience in no way indicates that the majority are not of the dull and agreeable sort. :)
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/04 | 1,155 | 5,032 | <issue_start>username_0: I am an undergraduate student in China. I am currently a junior, majoring at Mathematical Economics and Mathematical Finance. My goal is to apply to a graduate school in the U.S. to learn Finance or Financial Engineering.
What can I do now to better prepare myself for the forthcoming application? How can I leave a good impression on the Admissions Committee? Except for higher GPA, GRE, Toefl, what else also make sense? To win a competition? To publishing papers? Or abundant internship experiences?
I know that the website of each school lists some requirements about the applicants, but those words are too general. Obviously there will be so many applicants who meet those requirements. What else need I show make myself outstanding, making them believe I am a good candidate? I am really puzzled.
**Edit**
I just want to obtain a master degree.
I also want to know that among GPA, GRE, TOEFL, competitions, publishing papers(if possible), good credible recommendation letters, etc, which ones deserve prior attention. It is unlikely for me to be that "superman".
**End of edit**<issue_comment>username_1: Since you already know the minimum requirements, I would recommend looking at the references being taught in the top Finance schools in the US. I have a friend who studied Finance in Europe and after coming to the US, he had to start studying another Master's in order to merge his knowledge to what is taught in the top Finance schools in the US.
Then you can write in your CV about the courses you have taken mentioning the references. Online courses, (e.g. from Coursera) are also very helpful for this purpose.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: One worthwhile strategy (I found when applying to graduate school) is to examine the public profiles of graduate students at the institutions you want to attend. Graduate students (especially senior ones) often post their CVs online, and it's a good way to get information about what their profile was like when they applied.
Note, however, that it is extremely rare for people to list things like their GRE scores on a CV. However, many programs list useful aggregate data about their classes (perhaps what you mean by "lists some requirements about the applicants"), but at least in the case of Berkeley/Haas' [MFE Program](http://mfe.berkeley.edu/community/students/classprofile.html), the information is very specific averages for standardized tests and even work experience/industry prior to entry. Keep in mind that those are the averages for their class, not the minimums for acceptance, so they're a reasonable target to try and hit.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Assuming you are applying to graduate schools for the purpose of obtaining a doctorate, the best thing that you can do to improve your chances is to **foster contacts with people who can write letters of recommendation testifying to your potential as a researcher.**
Awards and prizes are certainly nice, as are graduate coursework, internships, and other experience. But, ultimately, none of those might provide any insight on your capability to do research. Doing research with members of your faculty (or at other institutions) and getting letters of recommendation from them allows a graduate committee to feel that they're taking less of a risk in admitting you.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: Aeismail’s answer points out that you need to *foster contacts with people who can write letters of recommendation testifying to your potential as a researcher.*
This is a definitely a good answer. However, it is hard to get **good credible** recommendation letters in China. You need to have not only strong academic performance but also strong **social background** to get them. The same is true for internship opportunities. When there are more than a hundred applicants competing for 3 internships, the best 3 academic performers with the strongest social background will get them. (The population in China exceeds 1.3 billion).
My answer to the question. *How can I leave a good impression on the Admissions Committee?* Besides high GPA, GRE and TOEFL scores, (and possibly winning a competition, publishing papers, abundant internship experiences) and good credible recommendation letters, the only thing I can think of is an excellent **Statement of Purpose**.
Use that statement to **convince** the admissions committee why you’ll be an excellent student in their school. Why are you interested in finance or financial engineering? What have you learned in undergraduate school? What particular research program in that school you are interested? What do you hope you can learn from that school after you get the master degree from them? What do you plan to do after master degree? Etc.etc. Hopefully, they will be convinced by this statement and then accept you.
This is my 5 cents worth. I sincerely hope experts here who are currently in the admission committees can give us more and effective answers.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/04 | 2,692 | 10,996 | <issue_start>username_0: Recently I have come across a few articles on Google that are really distressing.
I typed in "professor real world" and it just mentions how professors have lost touch with the real world, how they need to step down from their ivory towers, etc.
Why is all that bad? It doesn't make me reconsider my dreams a little, but it does hurt.
Is it ultimately subjective from the pessimists' point of view? I have come to terms with the fact nothing ultimately matters, we are just grains of (smart) sand in the universe. Whether I did industry or not wouldn't matter, since I love academia.
**How can I help others see that academia is a 'real job' too?**<issue_comment>username_1: Firstly, you **do** matter, we all matter in our own way and we have no idea just how far our influence will extend. Never let yourself otherwise.
Secondly, as JeffE said in the comment, some people are just jerks - for whatever reason, the authors of those articles are venting, and as they can not possibly know every professor - they probably have had an awful experience and are venting, generalising across the board. (or they can just be jerks).
*They obviously do not know my professors - the most dedicated educators I have ever had the privilege of working with.*
Ignore those remarks, follow your ambitions, be the best you can be in your field.
Fundamentally, you do not have to prove yourself to anyone, but yourself. So, be yourself.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: There is no point talking to people about the job they cannot do themselves or about the parts of reality they cannot even see, not to say enter. Most of them are, probably, just envious (that's why the words "easy life", "good salary", and "tenure" appear in such articles more often than not). The rest are frustrated that our work doesn't provide any immediate personal benefit for them. As to "stepping down from ivory towers", in Soviet Union the students and professors were sent for a month to collective farms to help with harvesting every year. It turned out that we could do the farm work. Sending help in the other direction wasn't considered practical.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I typed in the same Google query, read the article I think the OP was referring to ([this one?](http://dailycaller.com/2012/05/29/professors-need-to-come-down-from-their-ivory-towers/)), and was filled with a similar hot burst of indignation. (How *dare* they!) But while the author of that article paints with a broad brush, I think it might not be inappropriate for us, as scholars, to examine ourselves with the same brutal honesty that we take to our intellectual disciplines.
Some of the complaints I've heard about ivory-tower academics simply reflects a misunderstanding of what higher education is about -- for example, as a computer science professor I've heard students complain about not being taught how to use Excel spreadsheets and the like. But I've also seen colleagues who have grown complacent and uncaring, whose courses really do shortchange the students. So yes, the author of that article paints with a very broad brush, but I think that we'd do ourselves a disservice if we just blithely ignored him.
I think it's important for us to be able to articulate *why* we do what we do. I routinely explain to my reviewers why my research matters -- I should similarly be able to explain to my students why they should study what I'm teaching;[\*] and I should similarly be able to explain to my neighbors why their tax dollars should pay my salary. (I may not *have* to do these things, but I should be *able* to.) Whatever explanation I come up with -- and it'll be different for different people -- that's the "good comeback" the OP asked for; and if I can't come up with any explanation at all, then maybe some deeper introspection would be in order. :-)
[\*] In my grant proposals I say what difference I think the research will make if it's successful. In my classes I tell the students what I want them to remember of the class five years later. I've found this sort of exercise very helpful for distilling out what I think really matters.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I can only speak to my personal experience, but it stems from the fact that professors are supposed to be training in a new generation of productive people in the work force. If they have not spent a significant amount of time being productive themselves, they are at a disadvantage when it comes to passing on useful education to future productive people. This is not to say that such education is impossible, or even uncommon, simply that the education is typically based on applied theory as opposed to experience.
As an example, I once was in a lecture about [computational complexity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_complexity_theory). My professor had said that if I could take an algorithm from `4n^2` to `4n` that my boss would be happy, but if I could take it from `4n^2` to `2n^2` that he would not be happy. I told her the entire business model of the firm I interned at relied on running our computations as fast as possible, and that if I could cut the time in half, my boss would be thrilled out of his pants. She immediately dismissed this as naive, as such a performance gain would be insignificant: only a reduction in the *order* of complexity would be noticed - simply reducing the coefficient would not.
I called my boss after the lecture, and he said if I could cut our simulation time in half, he would fly me back to work and double my pay (since it would still be cheaper than the expansion of our beowulf cluster we were planning). We looked up the professors credentials, and despite having a PhD and over 20 years experience in academia, her only real world experience was a 6 month internship that, according to the description, consisted mostly of paperwork.
Now, is this representative of most people in academia? I don't think it is. But it does happen, and it's more common than it would seem from the inside looking out. And because it does happen, it feeds the *stereotype* of academics who couldn't engineer their way out of a paper bag. There are stereotypes all over all industries. Software developers have a stereotype of being nerds who couldn't possibly get a date, and yet in North America 70% of developers are married, with only a 3% divorce rate (compared to 40% of the population). While I certainly know some nerds in my line of work, and yes they do feed the stereotype, they really aren't represented by the majority of the population.
The conclusions I would make is that the concerns raised by those yelling about "Ivory Towers" I think are valid concerns. They do not apply to all academics, and of course, research should be judged on the actual research, not the researchers. But you should keep in mind that the there are certain individuals who speak with authority based on experience, while others speak with authority based on the assumption that they have the experience. When it comes to published, peer reviewed research, it's easy to separate the wheat from the chaff. In the classroom settings, where such authority is not to be questioned, it can be very dangerous for young, impressionable students.
So how do you respond to an ivory tower accusation? Well, clearly if you have industry experience, put it forth. If you lack industry experience, make it clear that you have no intention of trying to pass off your education as being backed by industry experience. When it comes to your research, encourage skeptics to review your research on its own merits. If they're true scientists, they will.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: Jossie, you are a scientist, right? Define the 'real job' for us first, please. "The real job is a job in which..." what happens? You get a real paycheck, that's for sure, and if that's the main indication of the 'real job', then you definitely got one. If, on the other hand, you define a 'real job' as the one from which you can be fired, then a tenured professor is not a real job.
Aside from that, there are several layers of complications that your question uncovers. Apparently, you are a smart person with a dedication, given that you were able to finish your Ph.D. It is, however, also apparent to me that you cannot really explain what you do to a layperson. You are not alone in this: the portrayal of academia as the ivory tower stems from this same lack of communication between professors and the general public that just cannot understand the value added that academia provides.
I have worked as an assistant professor on a tenure track for three years, was booted from it, and found home in industry. I can tell very specifically what the value of academic research is for me in my position: it can produce new efficient ways for me to make the product that my company delivers better... where better may include concepts like "more accurate" (I am a social statistician, so that's a relevant dimension of my work), "faster", "more robust wrt various uncheckable assumptions", etc. Unfortunately for me, academic research produces hell of a lot of noise that's irrelevant for me: from ~100 papers in the top general interest journals, I would find 1 to be of relevance to my work. The ratio is of course higher in specialized journals, where it can be 3:1 or so. (*Nature* or *Science* or *PNAS* are out of my league; they may publish statistics papers on a cute little topic from time to time, but generally the ratio will be what, 1:10000?) So I am the natural selection process: out of all the random mutations that academic researchers publish, I am selecting the relevant traits that need to be preserved because there is a survival value in them.
Now, the question that I keep asking myself is, "How much of that random noise does need to come out so that in the month of October 2013, I will read up something that will change the way I work?", and apparently the answer is, well, several hundred papers (out of which I will get may be 10 or so to read). That's a costly enterprise: if an average professor is paid $120K, and they publish three papers a year, then that's $40K per paper (we can ignore teaching: first, nobody really cares about it, and second, you can buy a teacher for $5K/course, way below the cost of a research paper that I just derived). So the total for one usable academic result is [drum roll] $4M for the hundred papers that need to be published. That's A LOT of money... although I would humbly hope that for each disgrunteld username_5, there are hundred other statisticians who would find the other 99 random papers useful for them.
If the ratios are better in other disciplines, that's great. For what I heard in [education research](http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/), the ratios are about the same: at some point, that depository had reviewed ~300 papers, and found only 6 of them to be usable.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/04 | 934 | 4,079 | <issue_start>username_0: I am a second year math major, and I intend to do my PhD from a top math school. Until now, I haven't taken any university level physics course. Somewhere in this site, I saw someone writing that courses related to theoretical physics (heavily loaded with mathematics) are also very important besides the regular math courses. So, my question is: How important are the physics courses? Or any other courses?<issue_comment>username_1: Make sure to have a decent overall GPA. Personally, even though physics uses a lot of mathematics, I would recommend that you take a more basic conceptual physics course, to understand the physics itself and learn it for its own sake. That way you will be better to appreciate the physics. If you are really passionate about math, then take math-related electives. That would show your commitment to the major. Maybe even do math-related research if that is your bent. Treat the physics courses as important, but do not worry if you are not doing as well in them as in your math courses. Because you are a math major, they will pay more attention to your major courses, but don't let yourself be discouraged.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Math grad programs do not look at physics courses on the transcript, or think in those terms.
The point is that higher-level (not formulaic) physics courses can be *beneficial* to math people by providing other inputs for intuition. A common obstacle is that the higher-level physics courses do speak in terms of the lower-level ones, which are often quite alien to/from any sensible mathematical world-view.
But if one skips over those "immediate" things, one can find that there are "physcial imperatives" mandating mathematical "facts"... which might not be obvious on "purely mathematical" grounds.
The grandest example is "Green's functions" ... about which volumes can be written... An immediate point is that the *idea* is wonderful, is necessary, even if one cannot justify it. Green got the idea pre-1850, and it was completely understood in "rigorous" terms by <NAME> in 1950. Not easy, ...
That is, understanding other (very serious) inputs to mathematics is obviously helpful.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: A possible benefit of non-math course(s) in the resume of a PhD applicant in math, is the fact that it shows that he has a wide research perspective and is eager to study different areas. That is definitely a huge plus for a grad student as one of the major sources of creativity, is bringing in ideas from areas that are sometimes totally irrelevant to the area under study. There are a lot of instances of innovations in for example Agile software engineering that came from manufacturing.
Though, as others mentioned, most universities should not care much. But if you target top universities, then you must know that they do receive a lot of good applicants. And this might be something that make your application stand out!
just my 2 cents..
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: In addition to "math" courses, a good math major should take courses in "related" areas; i.e. subjects that either use a lot of math, or contribute a lot of applications to math. Two of those subjects are physics and computer science.
Someone studying advanced calculus will do well to learn physics concepts such as gravity, charge and flux, as used in say, Newton's or Maxwell's equations. These offer the basis of gradients, divergences Gauss and Stoke's Theorems, and others. Likewise, a good computer science course might use mathematical topics such as recursion, graph theory, or various forms of logic. You might also consider Economics (specifically econometrics) courses that cover optimization and systems of equations as well as more advanced applications using partial differential equations.
Just avoid the kinds of courses sometimes referred to as "physics for poets" (algebraic applications only), or "programming for data processors" (elementary programming devoid of advanced mathematical concepts).
Upvotes: 0 |
2013/10/04 | 308 | 1,220 | <issue_start>username_0: **Does anyone know if there will still be NSF postdocs offered (the current deadline is the 16th), given that the NSF website is currently down due to the government shutdown in the US?**
Also, in case it is still open, if anyone has the PDFs that could previously be found at
<http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5301>
regarding the information, application process, and forms to be submitted, perhaps they could mirror a copy on a website, and post the link here?<issue_comment>username_1: Documents are posted [here](http://math.berkeley.edu/~mbtucker/). Extra text so I can actually post this.
I should note that some of the documents are specific to the Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, but some of them are general-purpose (I came to this question from MathOverflow).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I think the answer that we don't know. It depends on when and how the shutdown is resolved. As long as the NSF gets back up to its previous funding levels, presumably it should be OK. I think it's quite likely that the deadline will be pushed back given how close it is, but it's hard to know until something happens in Washington.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/04 | 752 | 2,983 | <issue_start>username_0: Does anyone know of a resource or study that compiles statistics about paper acceptance rates in various journals?
I am more interested in biomedical journals, but this would be a good place to list such resources in any scientific field.<issue_comment>username_1: A few journals/publishers publish statistics about their acceptance rate, but this data is usually rather sparse, and not communicated on the journal webpage itself.
However, publishers often allow researchers in the fields of scientometrics, ethics or psychology access to their (anonymized) database of paper review/acceptance/publication timelines. You can find papers such as [this one](http://arxiv.org/abs/1308.1552) (and references therein), which then analyze the raw data and publish some statistics about it. We learn, for example, that the acceptance ratio for *Physical Review Letters* in 2012 was at 32%.
Other nuggets of information one can gleam include:
>
> in the *Europhysics Letters* study <NAME> expressed concern about comparatively high acceptance rates for July-submitted papers
>
>
>
which is always good to know if you happen to work in that field :)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There are a few studies on rejection rates in specific areas such as [Atmospheric Sciences](http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/2009BAMS2908.1) and [Ecology](http://www.ecobias.org/resources_files/Aarssenetal2008.pdf). In a seminar talk given by Elsevier at my University Library, the indication was that 40-90% rejection rates were not unusual. Typically, high profile journals (usually identified by a high Impact factors) will be at the upper end of the range. I edit a ISI listed journal and we consistently have about a 50% rejection rates. I believe the norm for many fields is in this neighbourhood.
If you are looking for a journal with an exactly known constant rejection rate for a paper you should go for the [JUR](http://www.universalrejection.org/).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: On the [Elsevier journal finder service website](http://journalfinder.elsevier.com/) you can find some data about the acceptance rate, but only for journals published by Elsevier (of course). You have to fill the name of your article and add the abstract, than you will find the acceptance rates between the results (together with Impact factor, acceptance time etc.). Unfortunately, you can´t just browse among journals, you will see only the proposed journals which (maybe) suits to you.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: This is a question I have also asked in ResearchGate almost one year ago, and got no replies. The best I could find out is the following Chinese journal database (in Chinese) which provides a series of metrics including some comments on the acceptance rate.
<http://www.medsci.cn/sci/>
It is, however, quite unclear where the estimates come from. But I think it is still better than naught.
Upvotes: 0 |
2013/10/04 | 2,590 | 11,277 | <issue_start>username_0: I am working for a professor who started out recently. Most new professors get start-up funding from the department which helps them pay for their first students. Right now I am working in the lab with another PhD candidate; both of us have been funded by departmental funds until now.
The PhD is working on a project which has no funding. I am working on a corporate-funded project for my thesis. Now I am the PI for this project internally. So I did the whole project as my thesis and I was listed as the PI on consent form (approved by my university IRB) when I carried out the final testing of my product with the corporate sponsor.
Here is where things turn shady. When I carried out my testing, we paid the participants through my research funds (the account number for the project is listed on some departmental documents that I had to sign to get cheques for test participants). In my GRA contract, it was specified that my funding was coming from the departmental account and when the PhD candidate showed me their contract, it was getting funded from my project account (the stipend account number was my project account number and I have confirmed this with a student departmental assistant). Their stipend was coming from my project funds.
I spoke with few other people in the department, and came to know that when the department gives seed funding to new professors, there is a limit in stipend they can give. So to give the PhD student more funding, my advisor is using my research funds (for which I am PI) to pay this stipend and thus is getting double my stipend. I am still getting funded by the department, so I get a lot less.
Screwed-up thing is this project is highly successful as I did a lot of hard work and I am not getting any financial incentive. In fact, it's all going to the other researcher who is nowhere involved in this project. The sponsor is giving my advisor funding for a second phase next month and also offered me a full-time job at their corporation. I should probably mention that I don't have a good relationship with my advisor and we fought multiple times in past due to some other issues but the PhD candidate gets along very well. They are like family friends and have very good social interactions.
I am graduating this December, so it probably won't matter anyway, but is this ethical? Can I speak with my department chair about this? I had asked my advisor multiple times to increase my stipend but they said they cannot. The questions is not about money — it's more about betrayal by your own advisor who you trust to be fair.
I still have the copy of the departmental documents used to order cheques for testing showing my account project number and a copy of the PhD candidate's contract.<issue_comment>username_1: Not knowing where you are in the world makes this a bit complicated so I will answer from the only perspective I have, which is working in the USA. What you are describing may...possibly...be illegal.
First, save every scrap of paper that has any bearing on the matter. Save every email and text message.
Second, do not go public...yet. Don't call a newspaper, write about it on Facebook, or text your best friend.
Third, figure out what the proper channels would be in this case and go through them first. If you are at a public university there may be an internal auditor who looks at these things. You should be able to talk to that person confidentially, and they should be able to quietly determine if any university policies or public funds were misused. Be very honest about what you know to be a fact with evidence to back it up, as opposed to what you suspect but cannot prove. Don't make allegations that you can't support with documentation. If you have suspicions you can present them but make it clear that you are not sure whether the situation is improper or not. Separate your personal feelings about your advisor from the objective truth of their behavior.
Fourth, if the funds in question come from an external public agency (such as NSF, NIH, or NASA in the USA) then those organizations will have offices that investigate possible cases of financial misconduct. In the USA they are called the "Inspector General".
Fifth,...I don't know what comes fifth. If you get to this point and you still think that misconduct has occured, but none of the normal channels are working or you feel that you have no support, then you face a difficult personal decision. If you are absolutely certain that you have proof of financial misconduct (by the terms of the applicable laws or policies) then you can put your career at risk and go public for the sake of your personal ethics and morals. You will probably pay a high price for being honest. Good luck.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I will disagree with username_1, in that it's quite possible that your advisor is very likely doing something unethical by paying you and your colleague different amounts for the same position in the absence of merit-based arguments to do so, it is quite possible that nothing *illegal* is happening that requires reporting.
The important issue here is that you do not know the terms of the contract between the external sponsor and your advisor. In particular, you would need to know what restrictions have been placed on the funds provided: in some cases, it may simply be an unrestricted "block grant" that the advisor can spend in any manner of her choosing. If this is the case, then the only regulations that might have been broken are departmental regulations.
Now, on the other hand, if there are restrictions on the use of the funds, it is much more likely that something inappropriate has occurred, but without knowing the agreement, you could be setting yourself up for needless trouble, so proceed with caution.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I cannot really tell what you question is about, but let me try and clarify a few things.
First, being the PI on an institutional review board application does not make you the PI for the funded project. It is not clear what you mean by "your" project funds, but from your description it does not sound like it is your funding, but rather funding that your supervisor was awarded and is providing you access to for you to accomplish your thesis.
Second, applications for funding generally have around 3 aims. The linkage between these aims can be pretty loose. It is not uncommon for students working on different aims of the same grant to think their projects are completely independent. Often a grant might not provide funding for all the staff required to complete the aims. In fact a selling point to potential funders is the ability to leverage their funding with "outside" funds like a departmental studentship.
The real issue I think in your question is if it is ethical for your supervisor to use her funding to pay PhD students different amount. The answer to this is that it is most likely ethical. It is possible your supervisor has circumvented the policies of both the funder and the department, but this seems unlikely. It is quite likely that your department has a fixed, relatively low, stipend for internally funded PhD students, but allows for PhD students funded from outside grants to be paid more. In my mind there is nothing unethical about that.
So then the question is why is your lab mate being funded by the grant while you are being funded by the school. No one but your supervisor can answer this. Maybe she flipped a coin. Maybe she thought your the project of your lab mate was closer aligned to the aims of the grant. Maybe, as you say, she likes your lab mate better and cannot be trusted. Before going down that road, you need to remember that it is quite possible that the decision of who to fund from where may have been made prior to either of you applying to grad school.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: While there are a lot of confounding elements to this question (e.g., misunderstandings about who is the PI, different pay levels), the only ethical/legal issue here is if the corporate funds are restricted to paying someone who is actually working on the project. This has three complications:
1. Corporate Awards Are Not Uniform: There is really no way to know without looking at the contract if they care how the money is spent.
2. Contracts Are for Audits/Disputes: From a legal standpoint for a civil contract, contracts are the recourse that you go to when things go bad and you need to sue (or threaten to sue). You often see all sorts of things in contracts that neither party honestly cares about, just to cover all their bases in case something goes bad.
3. Corporations Care About Results: In practical terms, most businesses could care less how you spend the money they give you, so long as they get the products/results they're paying for. Even if your advisor took their money, put it in a ditch, and burned it, but the work got done? (shrug) Why would they make a scene about it? Contrast against the NSF, which would probably audit the heck out of you if they found out $20 in a $2m grant went to pay for a stapler that wasn't itemized in the proposal.
In short, it's immoral only when the sponsor would care about it. It is only illegal if it violates the contract (and even then, it's more of a "breach of contract" issue). Those two issues are not necessarily connected. In either of those cases, most corporations don't care so long as the work got done. These issues are *very* different than for governmental sponsors, which are very picky about personnel on projects, work-in-kind, or any other issues where they're paying people to do different work. Federal contracts also get into real legal issues (e.g., federal laws) as opposed to more general corporate contracts.
Some notes on other issues:
* PI: Being the main person on an IRB has nothing to do with being PI. PI is a financial role and a legal role, primarily. I was involved with a larger project recently, which had 3 IRB's in place (one by myself, two by others). The PI on the project was not the lead of *any* of the 3 IRB's. It's not uncommon at all.
* Different Pay: The advisor might indeed just value the other person more than you. I've seen this a lot in multi-disciplinary projects (e.g., CS students paid 50% more than Psyc). Or, alternatively, they may be unable to provide supplemental funding to you when the department covers you (and likewise unable to shift that student to departmental funding).
Either way, I wouldn't worry all that much about different pay unless you think it will also be reflected in your advisor's letters of recommendation. After all, as a grad student, you're not making much money either way: the payoff is in the next stage. However, I'd still check on it.
You might want to talk to them and say, "I am feeling like that I'm doing my work well but somehow not meeting the bar at this lab. For example, I see that other students at the same level are being paid twice as much. What can I do to reach a higher level?" That puts them in the position of laying out a pathway where you get honest feedback about your skills to work on and that might also lead to higher stipends down the road.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/05 | 1,352 | 6,011 | <issue_start>username_0: I heard that many researchers spend a lot of their time (maybe even a half) writing the grants. I understand the researchers that need to purchase some equipment or fund their PhD students, although does not the department fund PhD students anyway?
But what about pure mathematicians and researchers who need a pencil and paper, a personal computer. Do these apply for grants, what for?<issue_comment>username_1: Generally speaking, the competitiveness for research money is a way to "ensure" that there is scrutiny of projects so that well founded studies get funded and less so may not. Like all systems there are flaws but the general principle is to extract the best proposals as seen by peers).
The funding for researchers through their departments varies substantially between systems and even between universities within any system. Some departments may fund PhD students, some may rely on external funding. Researchers need to go to conferences and publish papers (which may involve costs) so even if you only need paper and a pencil for the research itself, there are other activities that must be covered and the examples I gave are probably not covered by department finances. For most experimental research, costs for equipment, labs or field visits can be substantial.
In my system, partly due to credit crunch and a general interest in cutting costs everywhere, more and more must be covered, even office costs for performing the research and office costs for PhD students.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Speaking as a pure mathematician, there are still plenty of reasons to apply for grants:
* grants contain supplementary salary, the appeal of which should be obvious. It also includes travel funding, so one can travel to conferences one otherwise couldn't get funded. (Also, the funding for conferences comes from grants).
* generally the funding for graduate students is tied to teaching and comes from a fixed pot. So having grant funding allows one's students to concentrate on research more.
* there's an aspect of "keeping score." It's generally hard for say a university administrator to judge the quality of a research program, so a grant is an outside stamp of quality. If one might be interested in getting a different job, it's especially important.
* pure mathematicians actually don't spend a huge amount of time applying for grants; they maybe average one every two years or so. NSF grants last 3 years, with a few extra applications for conference or big group grants thrown in.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: I am a theoretical computer scientists in a top-10 US computer science department. To first order approximation, the *only* reason I apply for grants is to fund PhD students.
* My research does not require PhD students, but it's part of my job as a university professor to advise them, I enjoy working with them, and I am considerably more productive when I work with them.
* Students in my department that are not funded by research grants or fellowships are funded instead by teaching assistantships. Being a TA requires a significant time investment, decreasing the time that these students can devote to research. Being a TA can be incredibly valuable experience, especially for prospective academics, but the first-order criterion for judging the success of PhDs in computer science is the quality of their research output.
* My department competes with peer departments — and I compete with researchers in those departments — to attract strong PhD students. If we/I want to attract strong students, we have to make credible promises of future funding to do research, because that's what our peer departments do. Prospective PhD students understand the previous point.
* I work in a public university in a state with rather significant budget problems. TAs are paid from state money, which is limited. Thus, my department can only support a limited number of TAs. So if I want the department to admit more than a small number of students into my research area, I have to demonstrate that we can fund a majority of those students through grants.
* Students need funding to travel to conferences to present their research results, because they need to build a reputation in the research community. I could pay for my own travel out of pocket if I really had to, but most PhD students don't have that luxury.
There are a few second-order concerns as well.
* The day-to-day functioning of my department requires a steady stream of incoming research grants. Grant overhead pays for a lot of basic infrastructure in my department, including the salaries of all the staff our business office, half of the salaries of most other administrative staff, support for non-instructional non-research computing resources like our graduate admissions database. Grant overhead is also the source of startup packages for new faculty (for which we are again competing with our peers).
* The only equipment I need is "pencil and paper"—or more accurately, a laptop with a stable LaTeX distribution and a drawing program, and basic internet access. NSF no longer allows research funds to be used for general-purpose computing equipment, so I can't include that in my grant budgets anyway. But my university returns a small fraction of overhead directly to PIs, and I can use that to buy new laptops, to pay for additional travel (by me, my students, or visitors), or even to help fund RAships.
* Tenure and promotion decisions, and to a smaller extent raises, do depend in part on professors' proven ability to attract funding, especially in a department (and college) like mine where most faculty are extremely successful.
* Oh right, I almost forgot. I can pay myself an extra month or two of salary over the summer from my grants. The university pays me for only 9 months of each year (although that pay is spread over 12 months), so each month of summer salary is actually more than 10% of my annual pay.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/05 | 852 | 3,539 | <issue_start>username_0: In applying to the NSF postdoctoral fellowship for mathematics, the instructions include the following paragraph for the biographical sketch:
>
> A list of: (i) up to five products most closely related to the proposed project; and (ii) up to five other significant
> products, whether or not related to the proposed project. Acceptable products must be citable and accessible
> including but not limited to publications, data sets, software, patents, and copyrights. Unacceptable products are
> unpublished documents not yet submitted for publication, invited lectures, and additional lists of products. Only
> the list of 10 will be used in the review of the proposal.
>
>
>
My question is what exactly does "unpublished" mean? Is a paper uploaded to the arXiv but not yet submitted for publication in a journal considered "unpublished"?<issue_comment>username_1: I would interpret "published" to mean exactly what the text says — citable and accessible.
ArXiv papers are both citable and accessible, and therefore *do* count as acceptable research products.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: NSF has [an official FAQ](https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/papp/pappg20_1/faqs20_1.pdf) for their proposal guide. One of the entries in the FAQ is applicable here.
>
> *Instructions for the Biographical Sketch Products section indicate that “acceptable
> products must be citable and accessible.” Accessibility may be difficult to
> accomplish in the case of manuscripts submitted or accepted for publication and
> other documents and materials. Access may need to be provided through
> organizational or personal websites. Will that be sufficient to meet the proposal
> submission requirements?*
>
>
> The requirement that all products be "citable and accessible" is not a submission
> requirement, in the sense of blocking a proposal from consideration, but a definition of the
> standard to which proposers should adhere. PAPPG Chapter II.C.2.f(i)(c) also notes that
> full citation information should be included where applicable and practicable. References
> to organizational or other websites are allowable, provided that the site is available for a
> reasonable percentage of the time.
>
>
>
From this statement, it is clear that NSF would consider a preprint server to be a reasonable place for a work product to be located. In fact, the key consideration seems to not be citation per se ([you can cite pretty much anything](https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/book/ed17/part3/ch14/toc.html)), but simply having a clearly defined "thing" that is readily accessible for the review committee to inspect.
Given this statement and the confidentiality of peer review processes, it is next important to observe that there is no way for a proposal reviewer to distinguish between:
* A preprint that has been submitted
* A preprint that has not been submitted
* A preprint that was submitted at the time when the proposal was written, then rejected before the proposal came up for review.
Between this and the shift to a general definition of "work product" it is clear that NSF is trying to give as much latitude as possible for the review committee to say "this person is doing interesting work, let's give them a fellowship." It would make no sense for a committee to be allowed to consider a non-peer-reviewed software repository on GitHub but not a non-peer-reviewed preprint on arXiv.
**Bottom line: material on preprint servers is fine to include in an NSF biosketch.**
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/06 | 1,121 | 4,840 | <issue_start>username_0: As a thirsty graduate student, I've amassed a burgeoning collection of research articles in both paper and digital formats. Right now I manage PDFs and references with Zotero, but I'm still searching for an organization logic for paper documents that allows rapid access and prevents redundant printing and storage. [Some](http://www.bettergradstudent.com/blog/organize-papers/) have suggested organizing by topic, while another approach is to sort by author name. Topical organization has not worked well for me in the past because my research is highly interdisciplinary, confounding my categorization efforts. For a coupled digital-physical organization system I'm considering the following:
* Digital documents and references stored and tagged in Zotero
* Indicator in Zotero whether or not I've printed in the file
* Physical documents stored in manila file folders labelled alphabetically
What is the most effective way that you've found to maintain both paper and digital document repositories?<issue_comment>username_1: I have them organized similarly to the blog post you linked. I'm not sure it is the optimal way, but it works quite well.
* The central search key for me is (First)AuthorYEAR. By now I know my way around in my field so that the author names are meaningful. And easier to remember exactly than title abbreviations.
* I try to have almost all papers also digitally, and organize them with [jabref](http://jabref.sourceforge.net/). I started using jabref before Mendeley, Zotero & Co came up and didn't change.
* jabref allows to assign the papers to topics/groups, which can be hierarchically organized, but a paper can also belong to several of them.
This is important for me, because one paper may be about an application (e.g. tumor diagnostics -> group with tumour or cell type), use specific measurement technique (group that), and maybe use or invent an interesting data analysis technique (group there).
* Jabref stores its information in a .bib file (with a few non-standard fields and some more info in comments at the end). But essentially I can work with this file as with any other .bib file.
.bib and digital versions are in a git repo which basically solved the mess of having lots of copies that go out of sync while I'm still able to work completely offline. As .bib is a text format, version control works fine with that. Papers usually do not change, so it doesn't really matter for the version control that they are binary data.
* When looking for a paper, I usually search for it in jabref, and then look whether I do have a printed copy (I'm too lazy to keep track of printed status).
* physical copies I keep in two drawers with a suspension filing system. One has collections of important papers on topics I'm interested in. The other keeps other physical copies alphabetically by author name (one folder for each letter so far, some will be split soon).
* I tried before with normal lever arch files, but was too lazy to put papers away into their proper place.
* For a while I had the luxury of working with dual monitors. During that time I printed considerably less papers. Now I have to work with only a single (and not too big) monitor again, and again print most papers.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I always store the references in zotero before printing them. I don't print all of the references, therefore I always use zotero to find the references before searching for the printed paper.
In this context what I did is:
1. When I print the paper I write in one corner the date and time when it was added to zotero (always the same corner).
2. When I search for a paper I check that identifier (date-time) and perform binary search on the big pile of printed papers.
I only print papers that are very complex on formulas, though. This could not scale well for hundreds of papers, but it's a handy identifier. One advantage is that papers are usually added to one side of the pile, so old papers can be stored somewhere and I don't use to need to insert a new paper between old papers, if you use folders (or similar) some of them could overflow by doing that.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I always create a collection in Zotero for each of my projects and papers. That places a paper into a proper context. As was already mentioned above, the nice option of Zotero (and jabref) is that you may put a bibliographic record into infinite number of collections.
---
I hope, you know of and use [zotfile](http://zotfile.com/) and [better bibtex](https://github.com/retorquere/zotero-better-bibtex) extensions for Zotero. Zotfile makes sure the PDFs are stored and named properly; and better bibtex creates a `.bib` file for your library, just like jabref (that happens to be useful dealing with TeX).
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/07 | 700 | 3,145 | <issue_start>username_0: What is the best protocol for handling a student whose name has changed from the time when a letter writer knew the student. For instance, suppose <NAME> has become <NAME>. Do we write
>
> <NAME> (*né(e) Jones*)
>
>
>
or is this unnecessary? I would think that the name should match what's in the rest of the application, but I would imagine it would also be helpful to make sure that the name change is noted, just in case there's some inconsistencies in the overall record (for instance, I doubt that all universities would change transcripts of alumni).<issue_comment>username_1: If the student is clever enough, he has both names written on his CV. In some systems, it may even be built into the application software (in France, universities online applications typically ask for both *family name* and *birth name*).
So, I wouldn't bother with it, unless the student asks you to do it. And yes, I would use the student's current name, even though he may have been named differently when you first met him.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Your suggestion of using the `né(e)` construction is the traditional solution in English, i.e. the solution suggested in etiquette manuals. I would do it once at the beginning of the letter to avoid confusion then revert to the current name. Just because the student should mention it elsewhere does not mean your letter should not contain all the information you can reasonably provide.
As a side note I would doubt that any American University would retroactively change transcripts. However, being a person who has never changed his name I have no relevant experience to back that up.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Why not ask the student what they would prefer? I can imagine situations (for example, if the student changed what gender they identify with) where they might not want the name change mentioned too much, or they might appreciate you explaining the circumstances. You're writing the letter for student's benefit, after all.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: In the specific case of an undergraduate who has gotten married after graduation, I think it would be unethical to mention the name change unless the student specifically asks you to. It's emphasizing information (marital status) which the people receiving the letter should not be considering when making their decision, and in fact are legally barred from considering in the US. In places where it's not illegal (and where marital status is mentioned elsewhere on the application) letters should still be concentrating on data relevant to the job and not things like race, appearance, or marital status. Furthermore, given many people's prejudices (both conscious and unconscious) it is likely to actively harm female students. Even if the student you have in mind is male, mentioning marital name changes in general will be harmful to women.
In the case of someone who has a publishing record under a different name, the issue is more complex, and I think it would be reasonable to ask the candidate if they'd like you say anything.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/07 | 633 | 2,664 | <issue_start>username_0: I am finding it difficult to select a topic for my masters thesis (my advisor is unwilling to offer suggestions on the matter). I intend to do thesis in the field of internal combustion engines. To get some good ideas about finding a good topic I want to study some recent PhD theses in internal combustion engines but I don't know where to find them. Also I would like to know about modern research trends in that field.<issue_comment>username_1: In general, doctoral theses do not receive much recognition outside of a university, let alone on an international scale. The reason for this is that nowadays the thesis is nowhere near as widely circulated as the papers that can be extracted from the thesis.
Moreover, if you want to find out about good thesis topics, look up what's going on in the scientific literature of the area you're interested in—in this case, internal combustion engines. Find the most highly-respected journals, and see if they've published recent review articles in different areas related to your topic. That might give you a sense of where recent work has been, and provide you with a good body of reading material to work from.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Many disciplines have prizes and awards for the best thesis in a given year (or longer period). For instance, in our field there is a well-recognized one called *Householder award*. There are many more if you restrict to the national level, often funded by privates or industries.
If you look for past winners, you can be fairly sure that they are outstanding theses. (After that, getting your hands on the actual document might be more difficult, though).
Unfortunately I am not familiar enough with Engineering to suggest you a good one in your topic; you may try to add "thesis award" to your google searches, but sometimes they are tricky to find without knowing the exact names.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: My answer complements the other answers.
While writing my dissertation proposal, I felt the need to look at some other published dissertations in my area (~HCI/privacy). I realized that one of my committee members, who dissertated very recently (2007) has an incredibly relevant dissertation in my area and also won the best dissertation award from her alma mater.
So, that is one strategy. In general, look at the best works in your field and find out if any happens to be the primary work of a PhD student. Chances are, that work will be incorporated into his/her dissertation and if you look at their CV's, often, you will find that they won a "Best Dissertation" award or something similar to that.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/07 | 1,081 | 4,191 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm currently a computer science student at the 3rd/8 level, and there is a competition in scientific researches, including computer researches, at my university for financial aids and I'm thinking of getting involved.
I'm not a fan of theoretical stuff or things can't be applied, instead, I think of writing about Unix and Linux debuggers development and debugging techniques basically something practical that helps to provides the bases and guidelines for someone who want to build Unix debugger starting with the basics of debuggers and then build a proof of concepts small debugger.
I never done such thing before and have a few ideas about writing researches from high-school.
Can this be a research? what type (I need the term so I can look it up) of research is it and it's general structure?<issue_comment>username_1: Take a look at [ACM Crossroads](http://xrds.acm.org/current-issue.cfm).
It is a student journal. You can start submitting an small article to be published as a column like [this](http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/2520000/2517258/p65-zitnik.pdf?ip=172.16.58.3&id=2517258&acc=ACTIVE%20SERVICE&key=<KEY>&CFID=243949817&CFTOKEN=<PASSWORD>&__acm__=1381175675_f3d78fd1e2206b79a792076847b9e822). I have not seen other research journals letting these sorts of tutorials get published. They are usually towards publishing papers that solve an issue, done an experiment, provides recommendations, etc. If you want to write a research paper in those sort of categories, then you will have a lot more choices.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I think you are thinking more of a tutorial than a research object. You may be interested on [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research#Research_methods).
Research is about obtaining some new knowledge. This knowledge can be simply a compilation of some things that are already done and existing but were never put together to compare them (a survey) for instance. IMHO survey papers get a good number of citations because they are in fact quite useful.
There are a number of things to do research in that field, for instance you could
* put something new in that small debugger (beyond the state of the art) or
* try a set of different things in that small debugger to compare them and obtain that comparative knowledge (being new) or
* do a survey of the debuggers that exist, or evaluate them wrt something new (e.g. usability)
* find open questions in the field of debuggers, define a problem that was not being considered before
Basically it boils down to
* finding and defining a problem (which is open in the state of the art (SOA))
* finding or creating solutions (and adding them to the SOA)
* evaluating and comparing solutions (in the SOA to know better how is it)
I'd say all of them are quite pragmatical, focusing on solutions. The point is to
* solve something new (it's quite pointless solving something that is already solved, right?).
* evaluate properly (so that we can understand why is it a solution and what properties does it have, when is it useful and when may not be so useful).
* finding problems (because the first step to solve a problem is identifying it)
Depending on the approach taken then the research and the paper will look in different ways but basically you need:
* an introduction
* an explanation of the background that may be required to understand everything else (this is optional)
* a description of the state of the art, what is out there that is relevant for the proposal
* the proposal (for definition, solution or evaluation of the problem at hand)
* the results obtained with that proposal
* the conclusions obtained from the results
* acknowledgements
PS: If that fails you can simply forget about the state of the art and do research on this as if it was new, without checking properly the literature on the topic before. If you apply the methods correctly and do a good work that could be ok in some contexts (I'm not sure about the context of this question, though). This would not be very practical, because most probably someone did that already decades ago.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/08 | 2,567 | 10,757 | <issue_start>username_0: I have been reading some reflections on research and academia lately, and it has gotten me to think more critically towards what we do, and what the life we are pursuing has in store for us.
Some of you might remember [another recent question of mine](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/12767/project-design-and-scope-interesting-vs-incremental-science), where I was inquiring about the right way to set up projects based on an open-letter I read about how academia is not what it claims to be. Now I have stumbled upon [this blog entry](http://www.michaeleisen.org/blog/?p=1439) which focuses on the shortcomings of the single-blind peer review process overwhelmingly used in biomedical research publication.
Now it all brings me back to a disturbing idea that I had some time ago; that the quality of the research and the truth to all we do is essentially hanging on a rather fragile virtue, what one could call "academic honesty". We count on the reviewers and editors objectivity, we count on publishers **and** researchers naive and good intentions with their work, we count on people not putting their personal benefits before that of the society.
As anyone out on the streets will tell you, we do not live in an ideal world and [*call me a pessimist if you will*] thus I don't believe in the inherent good of the people (at least I do not rely or count on it). I don't see how academics should be exempt from a degeneration in the society that affects everyone else.
That brings me to my question; what measures exist to ensure this "academic honesty" we seem to rely so heavily on? How do we know/ensure:
* that the reviewers do not lose their objectivity, for instance when looking at a manuscript of a competitor
* that there's no collusion between high-profile PIs and editors of "high-impact" journals?
* that academics (at varying stages of their career) do not consider/prioritize "pushing up" the numbers (e.g. "h-index" or "impact factor" etc) when they set out with their research projects?
* that grants/prizes/titles are actually given to the better projects/people from the perspective of the greater good, and not based on how well-connected the applicants are? (after all such committees *need* to have or be composed of other researchers, who else is going to be able to judge the impact and importance of cutting edge research than other researchers?)
I realize that it's a broad question, but I have tried to give a thorough background story to give you an idea about how I got to this idea. Likewise I tried to narrow my concern to one over-arching question (rather than to seek discussion), with a couple of example follow-up questions to make my point clear. I can ask them separately if-need-be, but I think they sit better together, as is.<issue_comment>username_1: I will start by stating, that we probably cannot ensure that any of these problems cannot occur. Doing so will probably mean enforcing structures that are far from democratic and open, it is the downside of the sort of openness we are used to and so we need to learn to live with the system. That, however, does not mean we are without means to work against bad, unethical, behaviour.
*Reviewers*: The vast majority of reviewers do a good job. Some may be socially challenged to provide criticism in polite ways but have the knowledge to provide critical views. Journal editors will play a vital role in not only selecting reviewers but also screen and evaluate the reviews and provide authors with a balanced view based on the two or more reviews that typically are gathered for each manuscript. The same also applies to foundations evaluating proposals. The review process has two levels where things must go wrong to severely affect a manuscript and the role of editors should not be underestimated.
*"Collusion"*: This problem may be more difficult to spot if the issue originates at "top level". I am not sure I see a patented solution in this case but am convinced that publishers will not support such behaviour and the scientific community will most likely pick up on the problem quickly. There is in other words a social control that will sooner or later make an impact on such problems. This does not prevent them from occurring and since the research community consists of humans we have all the human fallacies found elsewhere in society as well. Removing the illusion that we are of equal moral views and chivalry is a good start.
*"inflation"*: There are good services that calculate, for example, the *h*-index for you and in a way that others can double check them. I use [Researcher ID](http://www.researcherid.com/Home.action) but such calculations can be done directly in Web of Science and elsewhere. The main point is that by using such a service, the calculation is open and reproducible and it is possible to trace what has been entered. Hence the indicator indices used should preferably be of this kind so that one can double check the value without any effort.
*grants*: This is similar to the \*"Collution" point above. I cannot see any simple solution that would not involve significant costs for the funding agencies (and hence less money given to research. Social control is probably the strongest point here but it also involves openness so that the public has insights into who gets money and why (I am assuming we are talking governmental funding in one way or another; industry and private sources are different)
So I understand and can share some of your pessimism but the alternatives to our current system are in my opinion worse and likely heavier from, for example, bureaucracy. Openness and good guidelines for and continued discussions on ethical behaviour among all are necessary. It is what occurs behind closed doors that starts rumours and may also initiate the problems you describe.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Let me throw in a few points in addition to @username_1s great answer:
There are "tools" that help with some of your concerns
>
> that the reviewers do not lose their objectivity, for instance when looking at a manuscript of a competitor
>
>
>
* For one thing, most journals I know not only ask for suggested reviewers, but you can also ask that particular persons are not asked to review your paper.
* The journals I know have at least 2, usually 3 reviews. So a firm "reject" means that several reviewers did agree that the paper is bad. While one may have a biased opinion, with 3 rejects it is maybe time to stop and think whether the paper really is good or not.
* Bias in peer-review is one thing, but variance is another. And, from my experience, variance is high. IIRC there are studies about marks on texts by different school teachers which were found to vary between good and barely passed for one and the same text. My guess is that peer review is similar.
* Personally, I'd prefer if peer-reviews were done openly (both sides named, some journals do, though none in my field) as opposed to one side more-or-less blind.
>
> that grants/prizes/titles are actually given to the better projects/people from the perspective of the greater good, and not based on how well-connected the applicants are? (after all such committees need to have or be composed of other researchers, who else is going to be able to judge the impact and importance of cutting edge research than other researchers?)
>
>
>
I think this is fundamentally impossible, because that would imply that it is possible to know which project will be a good project beforehand\*. This may be possible for very applied projects, but those would typically be industry projects, not basic research.
The "interesting" projects always imply a risk that the thing doesn't work out, no solution is found. Otherwise no research would be needed on the topic.
Sometimes, the huge importance of projects is clear only years (or even decades) after they are finished.
\* On the other hand, I think it is possible to find out in advance that a project is poorly designed, so it should not be funded.
>
> that there's no collusion between high-profile PIs and editors of "high-impact" journals?
>
>
>
Of course that can happen. Corruption exists, and I don't think science is fundamentally different from other fields of human professions.
(see below for my thoughts on how to deal with that)
>
> that academics (at varying stages of their career) do not consider/prioritize "pushing up" the numbers (e.g. "h-index" or "impact factor" etc) when they set out with their research projects?
>
>
>
* In a way we cannot, and IMHO it *has* to be expected that scientists are intellectually quite able to understand how to optimize a given measure. Thus, the assumption that e.g. bibliometric measures do not influence the measured system will not hold.
* Whether they actually do it, is another question.
* There is one very important point: the papers are not kept secretly, you can read them. As a scientist, you can, should and do judge the quality of the papers. IMHO peer review does not allow you to switch off your brain when reading paper - I think peer review is meant to be a sieve that gets the "failed" papers out of the system - while what I want to read are not "barely passed" but "excellent" papers. However, there is a tradeoff, and if you push up the rigour of peer review you'll inevitably throw out also good papers, or papers whose importance will become apparent only later on. That is, too strict peer-review may pose a restriction on the publishing system that disfavors really new ideas, and allows to pass only predictable results.
However, you won't be able to help realizing who publishes by salami-slicing and who publishes lots of studies with e.g. very low numbers of patients, poorly designed experiments, and OTOH, which groups take the effort to get meaningful numbers of patients, publish on relevant controls, do their homework validating their findings and so on.
* Also the authors are of a paper are named clearly. And taking together your judgemen of the quality of papers and maybe some citation network tool, you can get an idea who optimizes e.g. citations.
* Attending conferences and workshops and talking to people you'll get to know people personally so you can judge their character. In addition, you'll hear a fair amount not only of "rumours" and "stories" which also tell about people.
All in all, I think this works as "real life" does: how do you know a company is honest you consider dealing with? You put some advance trust in them, and you use your judgment, including what you hear by your peers about them: e.g. were they recommended by someone you consider reliable.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/08 | 776 | 2,722 | <issue_start>username_0: The 2013 Physics Nobel prize went to <NAME> and <NAME>, for their discovery of the Higgs boson. I was wondering why the CERN, as an institution, or the ATLAS collaboration, are not co-awarded the price with Englebert and Higgs. Apparently, “collaborations” cannot be awarded the Nobel prize. Is it a tradition, or something written in the rules of the Nobel foundation? Has there ever been an exception?<issue_comment>username_1: In [paragraph 4 of the statutes](http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_organizations/nobelfoundation/statutes.html#par4), it restricts the price to be only awarded to two works and to a maximum of 3 individuals.
But it also says, that it can be awarded to an institution or organization. Which has been done with the Nobel Peace Prizes to the EU.
>
> A prize amount may be equally divided between two works, each of which is considered to merit a prize. If a work that is being rewarded has been produced by two or three persons, the prize shall be awarded to them jointly. In no case may a prize amount be divided between more than three persons.
>
>
> […]
>
>
> Each prize-awarding body shall be competent to decide whether the prize it is entitled to award may be conferred upon an institution or association.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Apparently, there might have been an [internal dispute behind Nobel physics delay](http://www.thelocal.se/50690/20131009/), on the possibility of including the CERN as a recipient. However, according to this article, some members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science hint that it was not possible with the current rules:
* >
> “It was discussed a lot. But we must follow the (Nobel’s) will as I see it. There is nothing in it about institutions so in that way the decision was dead simple,” said <NAME>, professor of physics at Lund University.
>
>
>
* >
> The chairman of the prize committee, <NAME>, defended the decision, saying it was a “theoretical prize”.
>
>
>
* >
> “Research is changing. If you go back a hundred years it was about a single person doing experiments and making discoveries. And today it’s 6,000 or so people – a sort of collegial research situation,” said Academy member <NAME>, professor of elementary particle physics at the Royal Institute of Technology.
>
>
> “I don’t know if the Academy will open up the possibility to give the prize to organizations in the future – it’s a possibility,” he suggested. “In my view it should be possible.”
>
>
>
So even though a Nobel Prize can be awarded to an organization, it seems that the Royal Swedish Academy of Science does not consider this possibility yet.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/08 | 626 | 2,608 | <issue_start>username_0: So here is the situation:
I am a Math student in a very well ranked French university, and I am going to finish my degree (i.e. 2-year MSc, after a 3-year BSc) in August. Therefore, it is time to think of the future: graduate school. In particular, I have been thinking to apply in the US, where many very good groups in the field I'm interested in are located. I have the highest possible GPA, followed advanced courses, research and teaching experience, potentially very good recommendation letters from well-know professors, received awards, and I'll be writing my MSc thesis at a well-known university on the East Coast.
However, I haven't been able to register for the GRE subject test soon enough due to personal reasons, and when I look at the US math graduate school, **they almost all require the GRE subject test**. Most of them even say that the applications without the GRE and Subject GRE will not even be reviewed, or will be very disadvantaged. The next session is in April, and the results must be submitted in December.
What is the reality of the graduation admissions system in the US? Should I try to apply anyway without the GRE Subject (i.e. **are applications without GRE automatically rejected**)? Should I wait one year to apply, until I can pass the GRE?<issue_comment>username_1: I'm afraid there's not really a lot you can do. Your best bet is, as always, to contact the departments you are interested in attending, and explain your situation to them. You'll need to have a very convincing reason why you weren't able to take the GRE subject test, and would need a waiver. They may be willing to make an exception; they may not.
Beyond that, I'm not sure what else you can do; the policies and deadlines are all well-known and published, and the departments are *not* required to give you special treatment.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Apply anyway.
If you come from a well-ranked university, and have top grades and excellent recommendations from professors there, it shouldn't matter that you are missing a subject GRE; this may disadvantage you slightly, but excellent grades, research and recommendations should easily make up for it. If you came from a less well-ranked university, the lack of a subject GRE would be a much more severe disadvantage.
There may be some universities where bureaucratic requirements will keep you from being considered, but I suspect this is not true at most private universities. The admissions office should be able to give you this information; email them, explain your situation, and ask.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/08 | 892 | 3,696 | <issue_start>username_0: Two friends successfully defended their dissertations yesterday, and many people have congratulated them, calling them Doctor so-and-so. I explained to my wife that they actually don't have that title until the graduation ceremony, that it's similar to a President-elect, who isn't called the President until they are sworn in. So, what title does a doctoral candidate take after they've defended but before they graduate?<issue_comment>username_1: There isn't a formal, universally accepted title here. The general standard has been to call them "Doctor" since everything else is in principle a formality.
The only other note that I'd make is that it's not commencement that makes the student in question a doctor, but rather *conferral* of the degree by the university. Some universities may confer degrees multiple times per year, but only have one commencement ceremony.
So, I would not include "Ph.D." next to my name, but in the education of my CV, I'd write "Ph.D. (to be conferred *Month Year*)," as that is entirely accurate representation of the state of affairs.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In most countries "Dr" is an honorific (in Germany I believe it is a legal title and part of your name) that is typically used when referring to individuals that hold certain types of degrees (most doctorates but not all, for example holders of the JD degree are not typically called doctor, and some non doctorate degrees, for example a BMedSci in the UK). As it is an honorific I think it is perfectly reasonable to bestow that honor to someone during a party to celebrate a doctoral defence. Similarly when seeing someone the first time after the defence using doctor is a nice why of honoring them. In some countries one can pass the defence and still need to make substantial revisions. I would use the honorific as long as the person passed.
In non-formal situations I would avoid it, but then again I avoid using the honorific even for people with doctorates. In formal situations where honorifics are being used I would definitely avoid it. I think it would set a bad tone to go to a job talk an allow yourself to be introduced as doctor. In that situation I would deflect the honorific and say "not yet"
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Formally, they **don't take a title** before the university awards it, and the awarding is usually done by handing out a certificate stating the title (independent of whether that involves a ceremony or not).
In informal situations, it's nice to address them with the title because they are usually happy and proud of their accomplishment, and what remains to be done before they actually get the title is more or less a mere formality. But you shouldn't put any doctoral title on name tags, staff directories, or anything formal like that before they actually get the document.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: In the (British) English Language the correct name for someone who has qualified to graduate but has not yet done so is a [**graduand**](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/graduand).
One could formally say you are a doctoral graduand, but only other academics would understand.
Also, at the ceremonies in British Universities, the point at which you hold the title is when the Chancellor (or similar awarding officer) intones the word "I award upon those students who have qualified the degrees listed in the official record.. etc". Until those words have been said, whatever handshaking and parading has happened, you do not have a degree!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: In Germany, it is "Doctor Des." standing for Doktor Designiert (designated doctor)
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/08 | 507 | 1,921 | <issue_start>username_0: In the cover letter of an application to an academic job, should we write
>
> Dear Search Committee Members,
>
>
>
or
>
> Dear Professor A, Chair of the Search Committee Members,
>
>
>
or
>
> Dear Professor A, Chair of the department
>
>
>
or what else?
In case we don't know who the chair of the Search Committee is, should we write the department to ask?<issue_comment>username_1: The advertisement usually specifies to whom the application should be sent. In such cases, use the name that's listed in the advertisement. If no name is given, then I would vote for the first option, as it is the most inclusive.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I address all cover letters, letters of rec, etc. "Dear Committee Members:" Don't waste your time addressing it to an individual. The only thing you can achieve by doing that is embarrassing yourself and giving the search committee the chance to have a good laugh at your expense. If you do it correctly, it doesn't actually achieve anything; why give yourself one more thing to stress about?
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Following the advises published on **How to write a killer cover letter for a postdoctoral application** <http://www.asbmb.org/asbmbtoday/asbmbtoday_article.aspx?id=48927>
you should adress your Cover letter to future Principal investigator (PI) of the project:
*Start off right. Address your potential future PI properly, as “Dr. (insert surname here).” If you begin your letter with “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern,” your application could be dismissed as generic and untailored for the position. A letter that appears to come off an assembly line is likely to ride directly into the trash bin. **If you do not invest the time to learn about the PI and his or her research, then the PI is not likely to invest the time to read your application**.*
Upvotes: 0 |
2013/10/09 | 1,632 | 6,572 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm an international student. I have been in a PhD program in the US for 1 year and this is my second. My advisor informed me earlier this year that he is moving to another lower-ranked school. [How to cope when PhD advisor quits midway](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/1169/how-to-cope-when-phd-advisor-quits-midway) deals with this issue. This is not what this question is about.
I have not been doing a lot of research and have been overwhelmed with coursework. By the time I finish my coursework, I'll be in my third year already. I also find that my advisor's work (after having spent some time with his group) does not interest me and is very different from what I thought I would be doing. I do research in a very specialized area. My advisor does work in a different area but is interested in how what I'm doing can be applied to what he's doing. However, we disagree on methodology.
I'm also not interested in research/teaching as a career and originally decided to do a PhD to gain more knowledge/training in this very specialized area that is not available in industry. My original plan was to finish my PhD and get a job. However, my advisor's move is making me reconsider this plan. Even though my advisor is moving, he will still advise me remotely until I satisfy my coursework requirements (and then I could move as a visiting student at this point).
**By the end of the second year, I can quit my PhD and get a MSc but I see the following issues**:
1. How should I handle this on my resume? Do I say that I'm doing a PhD or that I'm doing a MSc?
* If I say I'm doing a PhD, how do I explain not getting it?
* If I say I'm doing a MSc, does that violate an F1 student visa?
2. How should I handle my relationship with my advisor? At what point should I announce my plan to quit?
3. Will quitting reduce my chances of getting a job? If I say I'm doing a MSc, then chances are my employer will not seek a recommendation from my advisor but if I say I'm doing a PhD and decided to quit, then chances are my employer will do that and will seek an explanation.
4. Is it a good idea to get an internship this summer before quitting for a full-time position?
**Oct 9** If you have an answer to only one or a few of these issues and not the others, please consider posting it.<issue_comment>username_1: Honesty is the best policy. It means you should not lie. It does not mean you must say everything about yourself on your resume. For example, you do not need to say where you attended high school on the resume. If you do not have PhD, do not say you have it. If you have MSc, say you have it. You do not need to say you were doing PhD **unless** they ask you that question.
If and when they ask you whether you were doing PhD, you should tell the truth with brief explanation why you did not get it. This will hurt your chance getting an academic job. Most industry people would not care that much. They are more concerned with your ability to make money. However, you probably will not get an industry job if PhD is part of job requirement.(Some companies do want PhD only)
You need to ask the international student office at your school or immigration office to see the requirement for F-1 visa. They are the authority to answer that question. We are not.
Internship is always helpful. You gain experience which you can put on the resume.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Your question seems to partly be about how to communicate what you are doing on your resume *while the degree is still in progress.*
**At the point you make a definite decision to only pursue an MSc, you should change your resume to reflect that.**
It will be a negative for potential employers if you claim you are working on a PhD, but then later only end up obtaining an MSc.
Even if the employer doesn't care about the PhD per se, this switch might reflect negatively on you: it shows you attempted something and failed to complete it, and also might seem like you were over-selling yourself to get your foot in the door.
Your explanation for stopping the PhD is reasonable, and if the employer believed that you legitimately had a change of plans, it would probably not be that big of a negative.
However, if the employer had any reason to believe you were being misleading (claiming you were working on a PhD when you already planned to get only an MSc), this could become a big red flag. Avoid this by not making claims about a PhD once you decide to get only the MSc.
I'm not an expert on the visa issues. However, **if you cannot formally change your enrollment status (for this or other reasons), you could change your resume to make a non-specific claim.** For example, you could say "enrolled in postgraduate study of XYZ".
Finally, **you should let your advisor know as soon as you make the decision**. Your advisor deserves to know about your change of plans and may be able to help you with your new focus. I could imagine cases where this might be sensitive, but I see no problem in this case--the advisor's move to a different institution would represent quite a disruption to your education no matter what your plans were, so he ought to be understanding about this.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> Will quitting reduce my chances of getting a job? If I say I'm doing a MSc, then chances are my employer will not seek a recommendation from my advisor but if I say I'm doing a PhD and decided to quit, then chances are my employer will do that and will seek an explanation.
>
>
>
This certainly depends on the field (if you go for a research-based industry position, notably) but otherwise whether you have a PhD or an MSc will not matter.
The country is important as well. A PhD in Germany is a differentiator. A PhD in France is less important. A PhD in the US seems to be on the lower scale of importance (as I could see in the HR process when I was hiring for US-based positions in the US).
**So while a PhD would usually not hurt, having a MSc only sets you at the level other candidates will be.**
If this was for a developer or devops position, the practical knowledge you have would be way more important (and interesting). As a matter of anecdote, I recently hired someone who did not have a MSc yet (he was two exams short) competing against a MSc and a PhD. Just discussing with him showed that he has done so many things on his own that he would be a an immensely better candidate that the others (who had a standard set of skills they were not that keen to extend).
Upvotes: 0 |
2013/10/09 | 1,358 | 5,786 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm in my last year of an undergraduate degree in pure maths, doing my thesis on probabilistic combinatorics. In Australia (at least at my university), Hungarian-style combinatorics is classified as "pure".
I'm currently thinking about PhDs and where to apply. One thing that I've noticed is that combinatorics is often classified under "applied maths" (for example, this is the case at MIT).
One important reason I'd consider pursuing a PhD at an American university is for the coursework component -- I'd like to broadly improve my foundational understanding of mathematics, and I like the possibility of changing my area of focus after deeper exposure to different areas of mathematics. However, I have comparatively little interest in applied mathematics coursework (other than combinatorics, of course).
I have a submitted paper in combinatorics, my undergraduate thesis will be in combinatorics, and by far my strongest reference will be from a combinatorialist. Other than my supervisor, my strongest potential references would come from areas that everyone seems to agree are "pure". The higher-level classes in my transcript will also be almost entirely "pure".
1. For American universities which have both a pure and an applied math program, which one does one typically choose to study combinatorics? Is it flexible? With a cursory search, I wasn't able to find a university quite so explicit about it as MIT.
For universities that classify combinatorics as "applied":
2. Given my situation, would my application be stronger to pure or applied maths?
3. Can one do a PhD in pure mathematics with the (tentative) intention for the research component to actually be "applied" (combinatorics)?
4. Can one do a PhD in applied mathematics but actually take mostly pure coursework?<issue_comment>username_1: If you come here for "general advice", I am afraid you'll be disappointed.
1. You should choose based on the people there. For each school you apply to, look through both the applied and pure departments and see where the mathematicians who work in combinatorics fit in. Most large research universities will list their faculty by research interest, or have dedicated research group webpages. For example, based on [this page](http://www.math.princeton.edu/graduate/faculty-research) you probably do not want to apply to Princeton's pure math program.
Note that many schools do not, at least on the graduate admission level, differentiate so strictly about going into applied versus pure mathematics.
(For choosing the school, since you already have research experience, you should look up articles which you find interesting and find out where those authors currently reside.)
2. It really depends on the school. If a school has no combinatorialist in its pure maths department, and you apply there with an intention of studying combinatorics, your chance of admission is practically 0. Similarly in reverse if all the combinatorics is done in the pure maths department for the school you are applying to.
There is no "one size fits all" solution.
3. This again depends on the school. Some schools allow it, some schools don't. In many departments it is expected that you find an advisor from within the department and do your dissertation research on a subject that your advisor is interested in and/or an expert on. In other departments more leeway are given to students interested in more interdisciplinary subjects to be jointly advised by two advisors (possibly from different departments with different expertise). But remember, if you are going for a PhD you will need to find an advisor in any case. Shoehorning yourself into a situation where it maybe difficult to find a professor in your own department who is willing to advise you is, in my view, generally not recommended.
4. This again depends on the individual policies for the schools. Some departments have very strict requirements on what the students must learn for their comprehensive exams; some, not so much. Most schools with graduate programs have very clearly written information on their websites about what is expected in their degree plans. For example, [here's Harvard's version for the Applied Maths degree](http://www.seas.harvard.edu/audiences/prospective-graduates/what), though it seems they are [a little bit short on the exact details](http://www.seas.harvard.edu/student-affairs/academic-policies/phd-model-programs#applied-math).
The only "general advice" I can give is this:
>
> Don't apply to graduate schools blindly, especially since you have a confirmed research interest. Do your homework and find the experts with whom you would like to study, and apply to study with them. Write to them in advance to confirm that they are interested in taking on students, and possibly solicit advice about other possible individuals if they are not.
>
>
>
A good research school may not be strong in the field of research you want to do. Always, always check before applying.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I think you are overgeneralizing from an example here; the placement of combinatorics in applied math at MIT is due to ancient historical department politics, and regarded as an amusing quirk by those of us educated at other schools. While I completely agree with Willie's answer that you should carefully research schools you want to attend, at most schools combinatorics is regarded as a perfectly fine branch of pure mathematics. If you want to do the pure math coursework, and you see yourself as wanting to do pure mathematics, then probably you should just apply for the pure math programs at places with some strong combinatorialists (Berkeley, Penn, Davis, San Diego, Michigan, Minnesota, etc.)
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/10 | 857 | 3,752 | <issue_start>username_0: I am a web developer reasonably proficient in PHP and front-end development. I had completed my Masters (by coursework) more than 6 years ago and have been working as a web developer. My Masters' grades weren't very good (pass in average with few distinctions and credits). When I did my Masters, rather than focusing in one area, I was pretty much experimenting with different subjects such as natural language processing, multimedia, visual info processing, distributed programming, etc 'cause I wasn't too sure what direction to take.
I contacted few research supervisors after completing my Masters but didn't hear anything positive from them. Then I pretty much gave up and started pursuing career and moved into web development.
I am not sure how to go into research now and whether it is even possible for me. How do I prepare myself?<issue_comment>username_1: Here are a few suggestions (not necessarily in this order):
1. Read up on the latest research in your area(s) of expertise and interest.
2. Narrow the research interests down to a few and make contact with the academics involved - make contact with them, asking good questions about their research.
3. Contact the admissions offices of your selected universities, explain the situation truthfully - put an emphasis on the experience you have gained through your employment, which is now an area of expertise, despite your masters going in many directions.
4. In your readings, you should be able to find an area that is in need of more research, where something new can be contributed.
Remember, your situation is different than it was when you completed your Masters, you have several years of specialised work experience behind you now.
Good luck.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: One thing you don't mention, and I'm quite confused about, is what your PhD would actually be in. Web development and php, while important and valuable skills, do not prepare you for any sort of research I can think of.
On top of this, 6+ years is a long time to have been out of a field. Natural language processing, visual info processing and distributed programming have moved on **tremendously** in that time. Unless you've been doing something day to day which keeps you up to date with the cutting edge, you're going to be very behind.
On the other hand...
Research isn't about getting grades - it's about being able to publish work that is useful to others. When you applied before, all people had to judge your potential to achieve this was your (average) grades. Now though, you've been out in the wild for a few years doing stuff. If you can present things you've done which will convince a potential supervisor that you can come up with novel solutions of a quality high enough to get into a journal, then you've got a shot at it. My (wild) guess would be you should aim for a lab that does applied stuff rather than theoretical stuff, where your prior day to day coding experience might shine through.
~~~
As an aside, have you considered applying to get chartered status in your field rather than a doctorate? It's challenging to get so generally highly thought of (this varies country to country and profession to profession though) and more closely based on industrial experience. If you have six years of that under your belt, along with a relevant masters degree, then you may be well on the way already. The yearly fees once you have it can be expensive, but worth checking out if you haven't already.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: In your situation would do the following:
1. Learn assembly thoroughly.
2. Learn theory of computation thoroughly.
3. Learn algorithms thoroughly.
4. Explore specializations (read papers).
Upvotes: -1 |
2013/10/10 | 920 | 4,087 | <issue_start>username_0: Naturally I would say "of course", but my current situation makes me doubt.
In my paper I'm *briefly* covering various alternative cryptographic constructions. I am (of course) familiar with all of them, but I have not (nor have the time to) read the full papers I'm actually referencing. The reason for this is that they contain lengthy specifications complemented with cryptanalysis.
I'm in doubt whether it's acceptable to reference said papers without having actually read them. Is it acceptable to do so?<issue_comment>username_1: Here is my take. This is not high school and nobody is going to check whether you've read the papers. The idea is to provide references for the readers for further research not to show that you've read all the literature. Naturally, of course, you don't want to cite a paper that has nothing to do with the subject at hand so you need to have a grasp on its content but nobody expects you to be an expert on every detail in the 100 publications that you reference. Sometimes I only read an abstract to decide if I want to reference the paper or not.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Let me answer your question by means of an example. In my on-going research I am using a notion called "Schlichting completion" which is originated from a paper written in German by a mathematician called Schlichting. I can't read German, but using a dictionary, I've found some clues about this notion in his paper. So I cited this paper, even though I have only read about one page of it. The reason is sometimes we have to cite a paper, because some fundamental notion has originated from that paper and we have to give credit to the person who invented that notion. Other reasons for citing papers are:
1. They have a nice review of the subject and/or contain relatively a comprehensive list of references related to the work.
2. They have done some parallel or complementary works.
3. They have some results which are used in my papers.
4. They contain reasons which motivate my work. For example, they ask or suggest a problem which is addressed in my work.
5. They give more examples, applications and/or ideas related to my work.
etc.
So you do not have to read all contents of a paper before citing it. But make sure it is relevant, useful, some how necessary, interesting and/or important paper with respect to the work you are presenting in your paper. As a final remark, it is always nice to point out where in the paper you are citing is related to the discussion, for example specify the theorem number, the page number, etc.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: When you reference a paper within whatever your context may be, you are possibly doing several things. First, you may make claims and use other authors names and reputation in support. Second, you may take "facts" from a paper and propagate these facts through yours.
Nothing wrong with that? Not generally. But, what happens if a paper makes a claim that is not at all well supported by the study? You run the risk of propagating errors so that when somebody uses your paper as a reference the original paper is still further away and after a few such iterations the source may be completely forgotten. There are many instances where either errors have been propagated or where "truths" have slowly been misquoted so that they turn into errors. This is clearly not what we want in our papers.
I would therefore say that one needs to (critically) read a paper enough to make oneself sure that the facts can be trusted and that no misinterpretation has occurred in the paper to be referenced or earlier. Hence relying on, for example, other authors references is a very weak link in the chain. One has to try to back-trace vital information as much as possible. Misunderstandings may not necessarily be born out of malice but just by oversight, but the end result is still the same. To therefore, for example, simply gloss over the abstract and use whatever seems to support some idea or vice versa is far from satisfactory.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/10 | 710 | 2,785 | <issue_start>username_0: A friend has made some nice slides that I could reuse (similar topics). He sent me the slides and commented that if I use them and could cite him that would be nice, I asked him how should I cite the slides but he said that whatever suits better to me he said "Just add my surname in some place where it's not very intrusive".
I'm not sure if he doesn't care or he doesn't want to be too picky, but I'd like to cite him, to each one his own.
AFAIK, they are related to a paper (but not in the paper) and to his thesis, where they could be as a diagram but definitively not animated. The slides (as such) may be available at some URL, he said they will be but they are not available yet (so I don't have the URL yet). If citing by the URL I guess I could use this: "[How to cite a website URL?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/8098/how-to-cite-a-website-url)"
Should I cite slides? If yes, how?<issue_comment>username_1: There are two practical purposes to scholarly citations:
1. acknowledging scientific contribution of others, the borrowing of ideas (mainly) and content (sometimes, in the form of quotes)
2. helping people find relevant content if they want to read it
3. bookkeeping, for scientometric/bibliometric purposes
In your particular case, you cannot fulfill #2 and #3, because your friend's slides are not available for others to read, and even if they were, random documents on the internet are not really used for bibliometric purposes.
So, you want a solution that will achieve #1, i.e. make sure his contributions are recognized by people who will read your slides. To do so, you don't need to give your citation any specific format. I suggest you simply write, at the bottom of slides you borrowed from him:
>
> *Slide courtesy of <NAME>*
>
>
>
or
>
> *Slide modified from <NAME>, with permission*
>
>
>
In addition, you can thank him in your acknowledgements at the end of your talk.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In practice, what I've often seen is to just stick in a footnote saying "slide from [name]" or something similar. To do otherwise could be considered plagiarism. Admittedly, people are not picky about this with slides the way they are with papers; it seems to be tacitly accepted sometimes to borrow figures or entire slides without always acknowledging the source, but still, unless you want to be the kind of person who doesn't care about academic integrity, I think you should strive to credit the sources of your content.
If you want something more formal, you could have your friend upload his slides to [figshare](http://figshare.com/), which will archive them and allow him to claim a DOI. You can then use that DOI for a more standard citation.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/10 | 1,002 | 4,624 | <issue_start>username_0: I have been working on an application where we have tried two alternative methods. Both methods are used for the same purpose, but the first one had several problems. Despite getting results we had to look for another method that solved those problems to some extent.
Can I mention the rejected method along with the accepted method in a research paper?<issue_comment>username_1: I cannot see any reason not to mention what could be labelled "negative results". If you have tried a method and it failed there can be two reasons, either the choice of method was bad (which is likely a trivial unpublishable result) or the method is in some way not appropriate due to reasons not before understood. In the latter case, there are clear advantages to convey this result to others. This may spawn new research or simply help others avoid using the method. Hopefully you will be able to provide deeper insights into why things did not work out as you first thought. In essence, anything that progresses our understanding is worth bringing forth in a publication.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: Yes, especially if most people **would expect the method to work**, but you can clearly describe why it does not work. It has to be done carefully though, because the focus should be on actual results, not on failed methods (this is not a negative result, it's really a failed attempt to get any result).
In my opinion, the **best place to put this** is the introduction. After you state your problem, say which method one would try in a first step, then argue why it doesn't work, and then present you approach to the problem. This approach works especially well if someone suggested the method as a feasible approach to your problem, and you cite that in your introduction.
But **keep it short**: I would think that two to three sentences should be sufficient to describe it. If the failed method is so little known in your field that it requires careful explanation, it's probably not worth being mentioned at all.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: Firstly I will qualify this by declaring that I am not strictly an academic.
I have, however, overseen research for a number of years. This has been government-private partnership industrial research that has been done under full scale production processes of construction - perhaps the largest contiguous experimental research work ever undertaken in hot and tropical climates. This was a 20+ year project involving a number of programmes - some 120,000 data elements and a team of analysts to PhD level.
Needless to say, it is important that this information be published, presented and disseminated - otherwise it is of no value. What is paramount in this process is the benefit that this information and message can give to the audience.
Above all each and every statement must be supported by logic and the data. Try to let the data speak for itself. Try not to wander into speculative territory - some things cannot be explained. And the reader must have enough information to make their own informed decision. We take the view that the researcher has a lot of power - the power to persuade and change an audience and industry to new and better ways. This is research in action.
This brings us to the question posed. For the audience to make an informed decision, it is essential to report on aspects that did not turn out as expected. Often we learn more from things that did not work than from those that did. For example, we established a procedure to carry out full scale temperature monitoring in one experiment, but found, to our surprise, that we still encountered significant ambient (environmental) effects, which prompted us to redesign the experiment until this phenomenon was effectively eliminated. This type of information, to your audience, is quite valuable. It also will build more confidence in your work.
However, it should not be something that one dwells on. Address it, and move on to more important things. Our work tends to go to practitioners, whereas yours may go to other academics. In this situation speculation, although I personally stay away it, may be warranted because it may lead you to new research avenues. These are matters your supervisor or associates will better understand.
Ultimately, research is about objectively seeking the truth - truth, like perfection, being something we may approach but never reach - with successes and failures along the way. Research is amongst the highest of human endeavours, in my view. Try to let your work and your writing convey these principles.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/10 | 548 | 2,605 | <issue_start>username_0: I have created a new data structure, and I intend to submit a paper about it to an ACM conference later this year. However, in writing the paper, I realize there is no specific "question" the research answers. I was simply curious if such a structure could be created. Can I simply write the paper, describe the structure and how it works, and then give a pseudocode example and perhaps comparisons to other data structures? The structure has some rather interesting properties, and I can see specific applications for it in statistical analysis. But beyond that, as far as I can tell, it's just a neat structure with some weird properties.<issue_comment>username_1: I would suggest that you investigate those interesting properties further and then have a paper along the lines of "this structure has this useful property, more-so (or less-so) than these other structures." That is justify why someone would actually use this structure.
Think about it from the editors' point of view. Why should this paper be published? If you can't provide an answer with a straight face then maybe you should wait until there is a purpose for it.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: If you can see some useful applications then I think you have your question: What is the best data structure in ***\_*\_\_\_\_** (situation).
If it is not the best data structure in any situation then perhaps it is better to improve it so that it does something important better than anything else that is out there.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I think "theoretical" papers are welcome! Just make sure to clearly present your contributions to the field, even if they are incremental. Ex: place a table with other related structures and show that your data structure improves on some operation, (retrieval, insertion, or whatever operations you have) operation on which other structures have a higher O().
State your advantages clear in the discussions section but mention them in abstract, introduction and conclusions.
Please make sure that your mathematical argument on why you get the specific O() is sound!
It also could be helpful to collect some experimental data with your proposed structures and current "state of the art". The experiments doesn't need to work on some real problem. It is enough if you can generate some data having a distribution similar to what you might encounter in the real world.
Submit it and remember, reviewers are always right :(
Don't give up if you get rejected, try a conference, or another journal instead.
Hope it helps!
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/10 | 2,010 | 7,757 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm a master student, my master's background is about IT, signal processing, and Telecommunications. It's a "research master", which means that we're trained more to do research than be an IT engineers/specialists.
I've made my choice because I want to do research, but It is also important for me to work after my masters graduation, some of my professors always say that it's very difficult, even impossible to do those two things together. So I'd like some more advice. Here are my questions:
* Is it practically possible to do research and work?
* Is it a good idea to work for a year or two after my masters, and start a PhD after that?
* What kind of internships can I do, and how long should they be, so I can apply to IT companies?
PS: I've some background ans skills in Java technologies, software design, web development, and basic knowledge in networks.<issue_comment>username_1: I did combine PhD and work for 4 years, so, theoretically - yes, it's possible. But I didn't like the process because I wasn't fully invested in either activity. It also significantly delayed my defense. It depends on how productive you are. At times you will be facing certain deadlines and will be feeling torn between two major activities.
I think you should go ahead with PhD if you are serious about it. It will take some 3-6 years of your time, so why to postpone it? I think it's totally possible to get internships at summer time and you may have to develop software as a part of your research, so you'll be practicing your skills.
You can also consider free-lance work so that you have more control over your time.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Yes, its completely possible, at least in Indian universities.
>
> Is it practically possible to do research and work?
>
>
>
yes, but it will be difficult. see the related [link](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/8747/is-it-possible-to-work-full-time-and-complete-a-phd) by Charles
>
> Is it a good idea to work for a year or two after my masters, and
> start a PhD after that?
>
>
>
Depends on you. If you need money, pay loan etc, job may help you.
>
> What kind of internships can I do, and how long should they be, so I
> can apply to IT companies?
>
>
>
not sure how do I answer this.
If you really interested in PhD, then join after masters. All the best :)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: No, being a graduate student in a PhD program is a full-time job.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> Is it practically possible to do research and work?
>
>
>
Yes it is. In fact, once I met one amazing girl that was working as a software engineer, getting a Master Degree in AI and getting a bachelor degree in Fine Arts at the same time. However, as the proverb says, the more you hold, the less you squeeze (does that even make sense in english?). She had to do all of these things half time, and of course that means less money from the job, and more time to finish the degrees. Also it requires an incredible amount of willpower and basically all your free time, so is up to you.
However, there are two more reasonable alternatives here.
The first one, less likely, is to actually get your Ph.D. in a private company. It is rare, but not impossible. I met one guy that was getting is Ph.D. in computer science in a private company. If you are that lucky, you can work and get a Ph.D. at the same time.
The second one is to get your Ph.D. in a university, but getting involved in a research project. Some so called "researchers" in university actually do as much development work as any folk in a private company. That was actually my case. My Ph.D. involved some research, but also a good deal of development. I had to create this application from scratch and deal with the whole development cycle by myself. After I was done with that, they assigned me as a developer in a different project.
The bad thing on this case is that, although you are actually doing development work, most companies don't count your time in university as "working experience". But you will get the experience nevertheless.
>
> Is it a good idea to work for a year or two after my masters, and
> start a PhD after that?
>
>
>
It is possible? Definitely. Advisable? not so sure.
One of my friends was exactly in that situation. She worked for several years after her master, and then started a Ph.D. pretty late (on her late 20s).
Her experience was fine because she managed to get her Ph.D. But it didn't came without obstacles.
To begin with, it is rare to find older people doing a Ph.D. Depending on who works with you, they may ask questions, and sometimes it can be unpleasant. But I wouldn't say this is a big issue.
More important is "getting out of touch" with research. Academia is like a bubble of its own outside the "real world" of companies. When you finish you Master degree you are "on fire" and on your prime to tackle a Ph.D. If you go to work for a few years, you may "cool off" and it can be harder to pick up.
On the flip side, working in a company may give you very valuable skills to deal with the Ph.D. And I'm not talking about technical skills, but about soft skills such as time management or dealing with people.
>
> What kind of internships can I do, and how long should they be, so I
> can apply to IT companies?
>
>
>
Sorry but I have no idea and I can't help you here. You should ask your university as they will be able to fill you in with all your available options.
My only advice from personal experience is that having a Ph.D. can be a big plus when looking for a job, even with no previous experience.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: You can combine Ph.D. and a full time job. However, from what I have seen people who do that generally take a few more years to complete their Ph.D. In some cases, I have seen some people completete their Ph.D. in 6 years instead of 3.
It is a good idea to work for a few years if you need money or some time off. However, personnally, I would advise to directly go to the Ph.D. because the more time off you take, the less likely that you will want to go back studying after that. Besides, if you go back to do a Ph.D. after working a few years, it can be difficult for you to live again with a lower income, as a student. Or perhaps, that you would even have children in the meantime and that would also make it more difficult to get back to study. Also, if you stop for a few years, you may lose some momentum in your research field.
For the question about internship, I don't know. But you can always try to do applied research with a company during your Ph.D. or to do some internships during the summer.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: In short, yes it is most certainly possible to work and complete your PhD at the same time. I am a permanently employed senior software developer and I have just finished my PhD in April 2015.
The key to finishing is as simple as with any task in life. Planning and sticking to a routine until it is completed. Even full time students drop out due to a lack of routine and I found that work actually helped ensure that I stick to a rigorous routine. Up early, to bed late. :) Best of all, now that I am done, I already have three years experience and can apply to a number of more senior positions. It's hard cracking the job market, and in my opinion experience counts way more than a PhD presently.
I can honestly say that it was a pretty rough three years, but I actually enjoyed both work and study. Might be a good idea to find a job that at least partially aligns with the research that you want to undertake and then start from there.
Good luck, wish you all the best!
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/10 | 1,146 | 4,675 | <issue_start>username_0: I was wondering if there already exists a software/service that allows to build a tree of references/citing articles starting from a selected paper `X`. For example paper `X` has a list of references, call it `bibliography[X]`. This list of references is usually presented in the journal's webpage and, in fortunate cases, the list is also accessible by cross-reference. The idea is then to go to all the papers `Y` in `bibliography[X]` and repeat the process for the papers in each `bibliography[Y]` up to some depth.
On the other hand, we could also look at the citing articles of `X`, which is also displayed in the journal's webpage as well as in other resources, e.g. Google Scholar.
In this way the tree of references/citing articles of `X` up to some depth can be obtained and plotted in a nice graphical framework and perhaps display relevant information of the vertices of the tree like title, doi, etc. In my opinion this would be a very nice and efficient way of discovering new papers related to some paper, e.g. a seminal paper (citing articles tree) or to look into the history of a subject (references tree).
I have been looking for something like that for some time but so far nothing. I think Microsoft Academic Search would have the potential to do this by using the same framework they use for the Co-author path. Also there is this [project](http://sourceforge.net/projects/jabrefprrvp/) for JabRef but it is not what I'm looking for.
Edit:
Something like [this](http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/ase/#video) would be perfect but unfortunately it is not available to the public.<issue_comment>username_1: If you're serious about such a project, I think what you need to do is recognize that this task naturally separates into two parts. It will be **very** easy to find a good, general purpose and freely available program that suits your taste for visualizing/analyzing/discovering networks in general. I think [cytoscape](http://www.cytoscape.org/) is pretty good, although I've only played around with it a little and many others exist.
Now, the second (well, first) part is to fetch and prepare the input data for the citation relationships of interest to you. You need to be very specific about exactly where you want to get this from and for what subset of articles, since it may not be possible (due to license restrictions) or technically feasible (as noted, the size of the network grows exponentially).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: This is a tool if you use Zotero to manage your references and use the Related feature to link references together: <https://www.conundrumescapes.com/zotnet/zotnet.php>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Web of Science has a similar tool called Citation Map. but it is not free even on many public university campuses. I wonder if there are free tools/scripts who do <https://youtu.be/Qr8wQnTHMMg>
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: One way to do this is to use [VOSviewer](http://www.vosviewer.com/). It will not fetch the citation information for you, but you can download the results of a Web of Science search into a (series of) file that contain so called *records* with the cited references of each article in the search.
VOSviewer can build a citation graph from such files, and has a bunch of features to color the graph based on other publication info (publication date, number of citations, ...). The graph nodes may either represent publication, authors or keywords, and the vertices may represent citation, keyword co-occurrence, co-authorship, ...
Still, I wish there would be a better option, for the features of VOSviewer remain limited and the graph layout is not so easy to control.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: This is probably the online tool that is the closest to what is described in the question here:
<https://www.citationtree.org/>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: I was looking for a similar tool! I found four resources with varying implementations/usefulness but they are all **online** and based on doi/paper title search:
* [Citation Tree](https://www.citationtree.org/) (mentioned in another answer, not a lot of information/interactive elements)
* [Inciteful.xyz](https://inciteful.xyz/)
* [Litmaps](https://www.litmaps.co/)
* [Connected Papers](https://www.connectedpapers.com/)
The Web of Science based applications like [CitNetExplorer](https://www.citnetexplorer.nl/) (from the same developers as the recommended [VOSviewer](https://www.vosviewer.com/) above) might be more exhaustive or have more customization tools, but I found them difficult to get working and they required downloading an application.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/10 | 865 | 3,360 | <issue_start>username_0: I would like to ask about the possibility of getting a paid PhD position in Germany.
I am going to defend my thesis in Physics after a few days and I am thinking of applying for a PhD.
My specialization is in nano-science and surface physics.
The average of my Master's degree will be at most 2.7, which is between good and satisfactory.
Does the average play a pivotal rule ? Is it difficult to get a paid PhD position?<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Is it difficult to get a paid PhD position?
>
>
>
In Germany, most PhD positions are paid. In physics, you would typically get a half to three quarters full-time equivalent position as a university employee. I don't think it's particularly difficult to get such a position, if you have the right qualification for it. This will also depend on the place where you got your Master's degree.
>
> Does the average play a pivotal rule?
>
>
>
A lot of professors that I know do care for good grades. And many university regulations ask for at least a good degree for admission as a PhD student (in my place, that translates to 2.5 or better, though there's a tolerance for students from abroad to take care of differences in the grading systems).
My suggestion would be to look for position being announced through for example in:
* <http://www.academics.de>
* <http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/>
* <http://www.drarbeit.de>
and apply or get in contact with the person there to see how far you can get.
Also try to use your personal network: Ask your supervisors whether they know good labs to apply to, or whether they could even throw in a word for you.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: From my personal experience (just started a Ph.D. in theoretical physics in Hannover), it is not difficult. As [@username_1](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/13335/8164) mentions, most Ph.D. positions are paid with about 75 % equivalent of a university employee (corresponding to about 1500-1600 EUR after tax per month). You can look at the Internet for open positions or try and contact group leaders that you would like to work with (possibly after a consultation with your current supervisor). The latter, however, might require some time as the professor will need to find funding.
Regarding grades, some professors might care. In my case, that was not the case and only my research results (i.e., my master thesis) were important. Nevertheless, that is just a single experience and it might be different elsewhere. Anyway, I guess you can always ask about this and, if you can reasonably explain why your grades are not better, this might not be a serious issue.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Good grades can help, but they aren't the be all and end all. If you put together a great CV and have positive references then you've got a good chance of gaining an interview.
More important than grades I think is simply showing that you are, and will be, a good researcher. Not every great academic was a hotshot from Harvard in their undergrad years. And not everyone with a perfect GPA from Harvard would make a good academic.
I can tell you from personal experience that you don't *need* amazing grades to get a PhD scholarship. Just put your best foot forward in proving that you're an excellent researcher and go for gold.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/11 | 1,396 | 5,668 | <issue_start>username_0: (This question is one of three correlated questions: How should I do it? [(second part)](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/13367/is-it-a-good-practice-to-choose-my-undergraduate-research-topic-on-my-own-and-h), What are the downsides? [(third part)](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/13368/is-it-a-good-practice-to-choose-my-undergraduate-research-topic-on-my-own-what).This is the **first** part)
I am an undergraduate student (in Computer Engineering) and I will be starting undergraduate research for my thesis. I have talked with many professors about possible projects and all the projects they proposed to me seemed **interesting enough**.
During summer, though, I read a paper and I was very interested and excited about it, but this paper was **not for the projects** that were proposed to me, but in a **different area**. I would like to do research in *this area* but I have some questions, because none of my professor is doing research in this particular field.
So, my questions are:
1. Should I try to do a project in that area, even though my professors
aren’t doing research in that particular topic (some do research in a close field) or choose one of the projects that were proposed to me?
2. Will any professor be able to help/guide me through the project,
even if he is not doing research in this topic exactly? (I will ask
them if they are capable of helping me, but I want to know, how much
can someone help me if he is in the same field but I am doing
something different than his projects)
P.S. I want to understand whether it will be beneficial to do a project that I want to do because of some paper(s) that I read or it will be better to do a project that was proposed to me. Also, *I would like to go for a Ph.D. after I graduate*.<issue_comment>username_1: So somewhere I've made a moderators life harder, because I thought your three correlated questions were just one question. I think they probably could be, just incidentally. I'm going to answer accordingly, because when it comes down to it, How To Do It, Will I Have Help and What Are the Downsides aren't just correlated - they're interwoven.
My bias: I did my own projects. As both an undergraduate and a graduate student. This worked out quite well for me, but is not without it's pitfalls.
* First, yes, your professor should be able to support you in your research interests - the odds of what your interested in being so far afield from their expertise, when you're an undergrad, is fairly unlikely.
* That being said, there are two elements of support they won't have: infrastructure and funding. It's helpful, if you're working on a project, for there to be grad students and postdocs working on similar things. Code you can use. Helpful little suggestions like "Have you read Smith's most recent paper in Journal of Important Things?" That kind of ambient helpfulness isn't going to be there. Similarly, even if you're working for free, its way easier to justify conference travel, a piece of software, or an open access publishing fee if it helps an existing research project.
As I said, this worked out quite well for me - I got good publications out of it, and I got to work on my own stuff. But its a harder road, for graduate school may take longer, and you lack the security of working on an established project. Beyond that, if it *doesn't* work out well, you don't have an entire lab's worth of effort, papers that might be salvagable, etc.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I answer from my own experience, I wrote my own MA thesis (and published it) on a subject which interested me but which was outside the scope of my supervisor's research, and which my supervisor thought was a dead end.
Depending on your institution, you usually need to have some form of a supervisor. If this is the case for you (it was for me) then you will need to find a researcher who is doing something close enough that they are prepared to take you under their wing. In my case, I was already working as an RA in a lab that was close enough, and my professor agreed to supervise me even though he though I would not get the results I expected. He gave me as much support as he could (including essential financial support!), and a lot of psychological support, but he gave me less *academic* support than he would have had I been researching something fully within his field.
Doing it without a supervisor at all is tough - a supervisor can mentor you, help you keep deadlines, and usually give you some methodological and theoretical support even if it is not exactly within his field. In my case my research was empirical, and so I needed the facilities that my professor could provide in order to run my experiment. However, I designed, built, ran and analysed my own thesis, because it was my idea, and I understood it better than my supervisor did. If I had questions I could turn to my professor or other researchers, but the work was fully my own. I am proud of that, even though it was tough.
It was a similar story when i tried to publish - much of my paper was based on a field with which my professor was not acquainted, and so he was less able to help me with preparing the manuscript. It took a long time and two rounds of revisions, but finally I got my manuscript accepted for publication in a major journal. It feels good, even very good. I am proud of myself, and my supervisor is proud of me, and I don't regret it for a second.
That being said, my PhD is being done on a question that is much closer to my supervisor's heart. I'm not sure if I'd want that level of independence for my PhD!
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/11 | 349 | 1,283 | <issue_start>username_0: I have developed an Internet application that I need people to run across the Internet to collect statistics to see how well the program works. So far, I have used LinkedIn to reach out to my friends from my university and I started an open group. I also have a Git page where the program can be downloaded.
<http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Andrew-Stantons-WSU-Masters-Thesis-6518497?home=&gid=6518497&trk=groups_guest_most_popular-h-logo>
<https://github.com/acstanton515/ThesisLiveExperiment>
I don't think the participation is going to be what I would like, so I need a way to find more users willing to run the program.
Any ideas on how to reach others in academia or elsewhere on a broader level?<issue_comment>username_1: First: If you intend to do research, you have to pay attention to how you pick the participants. If you just take everyone willing to participate, there could be age/gender/etc bias in your results.
Answer to actual question: Standard way to do this is to pay your participants (though not necessarily in cash). Try movie tickets etc.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: If you are ready to invest a small sum, Amazon Mechanical Turk <https://www.mturk.com/mturk/> might be a good place to look.
Upvotes: 1 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/11 | 797 | 3,559 | <issue_start>username_0: I have had two PhD interviews. One of the position (position A) I like more than the other (position B).
Now, I have gotton a reply from position B saying that they will offer me the PhD. However, before replying yes/no, I would like to know what the response is from position A.
Will it be good practice to let position B know that I will answer them once I know what the status is of my other application? Or is this sharing too much information?<issue_comment>username_1: The usual thing to do in this situation is to ask B when they need your response. If that isn't enough time to hear back from A, then it's fine to ask B if you can have more time to decide (you don't need to say why). Of course, they might say that they cannot give you more time, in which case you'll have to make a decision on B without knowing about A.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to consider all your options, and the people from B will undoubtedly read between the lines and understand that this is the situation, but you don't need to rub their nose in the fact that you'd rather be somewhere else.
To echo Pavel's answer, whatever decision you do give to B, you should stick with. If B gives you a short deadline, and you decide to accept their offer before hearing from A, you're committed, and you need to immediately contact A and withdraw your application. It's not appropriate to accept B while planning to back out if A later says yes. Doing that would burn your bridges with people at B (and anyone who they talk to), and it could even be cause for A to rescind your acceptance, leaving you with nothing.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I have been in a similar situation in the past. I told the people concerned very honestly about my choices and that I was waiting to hear back from other programs. They were, in general, very understanding about them.
I did make sure to note down the formal dates by which I would have to notify each such department and stuck to them.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Our research group has an experience of dealing with students who accepted the offer and then declined it because of the better offer received. This is often considered as an impolite behaviour and I will explain why.
Supervisors and heads of a research group usually have ideas of projects to propose to new students before they arrive. When you accept the offer, supervisors are making plans already how to integrate you in the work of the group. When it suddenly appears that you are not coming to the group, because you received another offer or whatever reason, this requires substantial resources for a group to recover and to change their plans accordingly.
* The group needs to start recruiting process again, what is time-consuming.
* If too much time passes, it often happens that the position can be lost, what literally means that the group wastes money and reputation.
To sum up, don't underestimate people. Everyone understands that you can look for positions in many places simultaneously. Be honest, and accept the offer conditionally. If possible, provide the final decision date when you should know application results from all other places. The research group will plan their projects accordingly. Also this will help you to save the reputation.
P.S. Industry is more tolerant to people who change their mind. Usually they have a team of recruiters and their daily business is to solve this kind of problems. Research groups usually don't have so much resources.
Upvotes: 5 |
2013/10/11 | 914 | 3,737 | <issue_start>username_0: I got my PhD in quantum gravity 2 years ago, not from a top university, publishing only 1 paper, no conferences. Couldn't get a post doc, and it has been 2 years struggling in the job market, teaching part time here and there.
I am thinking seriously about getting an MS degree in something that can open job chances for me because all jobs outside academia I looked at required certain skills I do not have, or knowledge never needed during my PhD, all my work was very formal.
My questions are:
1. Would graduate schools/ master committees accept me being with a PhD? (I expect to pay my own tuition for that MS of course.) Do I have any chance?
2. Of course I am not planning to do MS in physics. How about geophysics MS programs? engineering MS programs? Scientific writing MS programs? MBA programs?
I am still evaluating my options for what career path I should pursue, but I just want to know if it is acceptable to do an MS after PhD or I will be rejected right away. (I would hate and regret my PhD if I will be rejected because of it.)<issue_comment>username_1: Yes, you can.
I have personally seen people start and complete an MBA after receiving a PhD in astrophysics. It is certainly possible to study a master degree after a PhD.
If you want to be more rounded, for example, relating physics to the business world, this could certainly help your job prospects, especially in industry.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I'd recommend looking at the job market and seeing what jobs sound appealing to you. Next go to Coursera, Youtube, etc. and see if you like the subject by watching a few online classes. If you think you can adequately self learn the subject then that is the best option. Employers might look at the PhD -> MS like you are a professional student that lacks direction (plus it's a boatload of money). You want your resume to say, I have a PhD in physics which means I'm smart and I self taught myself all this stuff you require for this job because I am self motivated. It shows independence; if you need to learn something new on the job, they know you can do it, because you have done it before. Don't waste time getting an MS.
There are two exceptions to this, and it may apply here. (1) If in your new field of study you can't adequately learn the vast majority of the material without the infrastructure provided by University lab facilities containing tons of expensive equipment, then it would be reasonable to pursue the masters. (2) An MBA program that is all about networking, pretty much requires face to face interactions, although an MBA is usually thought to be best pursued after having some industry work experience.
The answer to your question, however, is yes, you can definitely get into the Masters programs. For most private schools masters programs are cash cows that fund the university. They let in all students they think are good enough to succeed in their program. The bigger question is whether it's a good idea for you to make this career move.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: In general, it's easier to get into a Master's program from a PhD than into a PhD program from a Master's.
Most admissions committees are looking at how your highest level of achievement compares with the level of their program. Unless you are applying to MIT or someplace like that, your PhD "trumps" most Master's programs.
The minimum GPA for most PhD programs is 3.3. For Master's, usually 3.0 (or lower). You're strongly "qualified."
Certainly, you should be very competitive with someone coming into a Master's program from a Bachelor's degree, again, with the possible exception of someone with a 3.8-4.0 from Harvard, Yale, or MIT.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/11 | 593 | 2,551 | <issue_start>username_0: As a potential future researcher I would like to know how much I could focus on my research and how much distraction grants cause. My research interest lie in theoretical cs and logic, however the answers should include other areas so that they may be useful to other readers too.
Specifically, how many hours of your working day on average is dedicated to grant related issues - searching a grant, writing a grant proposal, writing the final report for the funded projects, etc.
I heard in an informal talk that this can be as much as half of the time of the researcher, say 5 hours, Monday to Friday. In such circumstance, I do not think I would be able to focus on the research.<issue_comment>username_1: In my case (pure mathematics) it is about two or three weeks of hectic activity before the October 1 NSF deadline once every 2-3 years. I cannot say that I do nothing else during that time but it definitely distracts me quite a bit. What helps is that we (I and a few my colleagues and friends) often apply for collaborative research grants (so we have well-established separation of labor when writing, which increases the speed noticeably).
The reports are easy if you have something real to show. I would say it takes me at most a couple of hours to write mine. Recommendation letters and reviews usually take much more time.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It very much depends on the field, the researcher, and the grants. To give you a picture of someone who works in public health - in a soft money position - here's some things that occupy my time. I am however not faculty (I'm a postdoc) so if anything this is an underestimate.
* Several weeks a year, almost everything else comes to a halt. Even when I'm not the PI on a grant, if I'm in charge of a section theres reading to do, figures to make, etc. Also often rigging up preliminary data etc., because working on mathematical models of infectious diseases means that for grant applications you have to outline the model itself - a substantial amount of work is already done.
* I've spent probably a good month of productive working time managing a particular grant I have. This grant has been a problem child from day one - issues with the contract, issues paying things, issues, issues...it's depressingly not even for all that much money.
* Usually then per-paper I spend about an hour making sure my acknowledgments point to the right grants, make sure things that should be in PubMed Central end up their, etc.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/11 | 1,824 | 7,221 | <issue_start>username_0: There are a number of lessons I learnt as an undergraduate which I wish somebody had told me much earlier.
Although each of you learnt different lessons with different notions of which way is the right, please share your findings and wisdom so that an eager reader would contemplate over your advice and would not regret avoiding later in life.<issue_comment>username_1: Research can be great, but I learned it can be so hard.
First, Google "should I do a phd" and then "should I do a PhD in ". There are tons of people who succeeded and failed in academia and writing about it, about what's it going to be in Academia, and so on. Two examples:
* [Nature's special on the point of a PhD](http://www.nature.com/news/specials/phdfuture/index.html)
* [You and your research](http://www.paulgraham.com/hamming.html)
Beyond that, here's a few things I've learned:
* Being a researcher is a career job, not so unlike being a lawyer, a manager.
+ After all, a paper has to change the scientific knowledge on the
topic. You're going to teach respected scientists something they
didn't know and something they thought was wrong.
+ I hear that in life sciences, the career aspect can extend to [people sabotaging
fellow researchers](http://blog.devicerandom.org/2011/02/18/getting-a-life/) (that is, competitors).
* Being more intelligent does not (necessarily) mean being a better researcher. If you're admitted to a decent program, you're more than smart enough for research. Managing your work (in all senses) can be more important, even though supervisors can help you with (part of) this in the beginning. But it's also about discipline and character:
+ Choosing a good question to work on (supervisors can help) - the question should matter (or you should make it matter, if you can).
+ Keeping an overview of what you're doing is important: otherwise, you might find an excellent solution to a problem which in the end is the wrong one.
+ Working enough on it (keeping focus among distractions of grad school can be hard).
+ How do you choose which way to approach a problem? Some approaches might not ever work, but others will only work if you keep at them long enough. So you need to be tenacious, and be able to change mind, depending on the moment. You need to delude yourself that you'll succeed until you do.
* A good supervisor is extremely important. Nowadays it's extremely hard to start doing research "by yourself". On the one hand, there's too much written knowledge to navigate (literature). On the other hand, there are often unspoken assumptions which you won't learn from reviewers. It helps if he's available enough for you.
* A supervisor must also fit you, character-wise. You mustn't be friends, but you need to function together, and neither you nor your supervisor study how to occupy your position.
* Communication is extremely important. You're supposed to learn something and then tell your peers (and the world). And nowadays, if your peers don't get it, it's your problem (because your paper gets rejected). Hence, learning technical writing was very important for me.
Of course this is what *I* learned, which is influenced by my weak points, my experience and my field — I'm saying this because I'm sure somebody will disagree.
I'm a programming language researcher, so I invent and design stuff (programming language). And evaluating design is hard. So much that many ideas are not right or wrong per se - you can make it right or wrong by determined work (see also [this](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/13357/8966)). But other disciplines probably experience similar phenomena in different form.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: 1. Don't fly solo. Having initiative, coming up with your own ideas and avenues of research is great, but find someone to take responsibility for you and your success - especially when it concerns funding and advocating for you in the department. Being a ronin grad student involves semi-recurring desperate searches for funding.
2. Don't get too distracted by side projects - they're sometimes quite useful, but it's easy to get bogged down in new shiny things, and a collection of unrelated musings does not a dissertation make. Similarly, don't be afraid of presenting the same thing twice - continually submitting unrelated, novel projects just leaves a bunch of half-done things gathering dust.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Two key pieces of advice:
* **Learn to discern.** You will encounter a lot of new information as a graduate student. Some of it will be absolutely illuminating; much of it will be of at most tangential benefit. Other papers and ideas won't be worth the paper they're printed on (or the bits of hard drive space they take up). One of your biggest challenges will be to figure out what's worth knowing, and what isn't. This will take skill, practice, and guidance.
* **Learn how to learn.** As a researcher, the odds that you will be doing the same thing throughout your career are asymptotically small. Your PhD should not be just about picking up skills for solving a particular problem. Ultimately, it should be about learning *how to become an expert in a field you haven't seen before.*
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: Networking is crucial (it's not only a game of skill and hard work).
It works in two ways:
* most opportunities (positions, workshops, fellowships) spread organically,
* for everything you need to provide 2-3 recommendation letters; if you don't know professors who are well-known and respected in the place where you apply to, it may strongly affect your chances.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: I've seen a lot of people have a bad time until they realized this:
* your supervisor/adviser is somebody you should work with, who can guide and direct your research, but after not so much time, **you, not the supervisor, become the expert in your topic**.
Supervisor is the *more experienced researcher*, and his expertise should definitely be taken into account. But, after months of research into the topic, you start knowing more about your specific problem than anybody else, and should *not* expect the supervisor to be a *fail-safe book of infallible answers*.
Another very important one that I'm happy was told to me:
* you **can't do research as a *side*-activity**. In order to do it well, and to be happy... um... in your life, you have to love research in order to do research.
There might be jobs that are not your dream jobs, but are worth having because of other personal benefits (e.g. proximity to where you live, good salary, etc.) which you can do full time and have a happy and full life beside them, even if you're not working your dreams. Research is just too demanding and too exhausting to do if it is not *the thing* you want to do.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_6: This and related issues were also intensively discussed on ResearchGate, see e.g.
<http://www.researchgate.net/post/What_do_you_wish_you_had_known_about_the_process_of_doing_research_that_you_did_not_know_before_you_started_it>
<http://www.researchgate.net/post/What_things_should_supervisors_tell_their_research_students>
Upvotes: -1 |
2013/10/12 | 1,020 | 4,002 | <issue_start>username_0: Doing research requires exploring a tree of different ideas and then, upon failures, tracking back to some extent, up to giving up on the whole project and changing topics (or even quitting your PhD). You might err on both sides: change approach too much, give up too early, or too late. (See for instance [this answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/8726/8966) or [Half good and some not good results in a research paper?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/10643/8966)). Most importantly, though, often you won't know that you'll actually succeed until you did, and things might look bleak until then.
Does some degree of stubbornness help being a researcher (I couldn't extract an answer so easily from [2](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/13178/8966))? Lacking that, do you know any metaheuristics to approach this decision?
EDIT: I read this idea off the mention of "stubbornness and self-delusion" [in this rant](http://blog.devicerandom.org/2011/02/18/getting-a-life/) - and I've observed this trait in at least some researchers.
EDIT 2: an answer suggested that I talk about persistence instead. And probably that's the right compromise and what you actually should have. But I prefer the more provocative phrasing, also because I've anecdotical experiences of stubbornness as a "professional risk" of the profession.<issue_comment>username_1: Yes, you've got to be stubborn in order to get results, because everyone encounters failures and roadblocks. Giving up too early can withhold good results, but aimlessly slogging towards a dead end can be a waste of time.
I only give up on something when I can justify *why* I should give up.
1. Identify the cause of the difficulty.
2. Find out what you need to do to solve the roadblock.
3. Assess whether it is feasible to solve the problem with the available time and resources.
Most failures are still useful to you, because you can usually find out why those ideas did not work. Learn from your mistakes, and (if appropriate) publish why a method did not work as expected (as a prelude to a subsequent method that did) so that others can learn as well.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Although I understand what you are getting at, I would like to say that stubbornness is perhaps not a good trait for a scientist. My dictionary provides the following: *Stubborn: Having or showing dogged determination not to change one's attitude or position on something, esp. in spite of good arguments or reasons.*
Clearly a scientist needs doggedness and stamina to endure long and hard experiments, field work, often monotonous work on data and theory, as well as other issues met in the workplace. To be able to change footing in light of new evidence is, however, an important trait. So being stubborn, in the sense of the definition, would be very counter productive in our effort to have science progress. **Persistence and perseverance** are perhaps synonyms that better reflect the traits you aim for.
So, yes it is important to be able to endure. Being a scientist is usually based on a deep appreciation for the subject and the research, which is why it is possible to endure the pressures that exist. It is a bit like being a top athlete, very few will excel without a deep love for what they do. As soon as you lose the drive it is difficult to continue because of the demands. Maintaining the drive is therefore a very important aspect of academia and the workplace in which you act.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: As @username_2 makes clear in his answer, stubbornness may not be a good quality to have, but tenacity and perseverance certainly are. See [this post](http://matt.might.net/articles/successful-phd-students/) by [<NAME>](http://matt.might.net/) for an insightful look at why PhD students need persistence and tenacity in order to survive and thrive in what can be an exercise in long-term frustration and failure before reaching success.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/12 | 2,796 | 11,895 | <issue_start>username_0: I've become quite upset with how lectures for my courses are conducted.
Everyday, I attend lectures where the teacher simply writes definitions and theorems on the board straight from one of our textbooks (or another professor's published lecture notes). They then prove a handful of the theorems, or part of them, and leave more than half as an exercise. They do little to motivate the material or provide insight based on their professional experiences, and are often scribbling material onto the board as fast as possible to cover some predetermined amount. And sometimes the professor writes proofs straight from their notes and, when questioned, has a hard time explaining the gaps between steps (as they are simply regurgitating and not really even attentive to what they are explaining).
Ultimately, I feel like these lectures are a waste of my time. To be blunt, I can read a book and I can do exercises. I don't need someone to paraphrase a book for me and then tell me to fill in the rest myself. Moreover, since I cannot afford to live on/near campus, I have to commute an hour each way to sit through such lectures, which hardly seems validated.
I would like to attend lectures where the professor engages the students. Often, my professors are so rushed to scribble things on the board that they take few questions and relegate them to exercises (yes, I had a professor answer a simple question about his proof by assigning it as an exercise). If an instructor wants to cover some predetermined amount of material, I would prefer they assign this as reading beforehand and then take questions on that material in class. It'd also be nice if they presented us with hard problems in class and then we all worked through them together (with students presenting them, everyone critiquing, etc.).
Should I approach my professors about my feelings? How should I go about this?
To be honest, I am becoming quite bored (and frustrated) and starting to skip lectures in favor of office hours (which are far more engaging), reading the book on my own, and working extra problems. I do not like that I am not enjoying my educational experience (since I love to learn math!).
Or should I quit going to lectures and move on to doing what I am tending towards now, anyways?<issue_comment>username_1: This is a common frustration faced by college students, especially in lecture-oriented STEM majors. Unfortunately, the truth is that the lectures may be a waste of time and there is little you can do to change that. If you can cover the material more efficiently on your own time (especially since you're commuting), you shouldn't necessarily feel guilty in doing so. You can see similar sentiments expressed on ratemyprofessor where students often question the value of lectures and simply go to the library as opposed to lecture.
Yes you're paying for the lecture, but if it doesn't help/contribute to your understanding, there is no point in going. I knew students who went every time out of habit, but it was an absolute waste of time.
I've had physics professors who wrote starting problems on the board and then the solution only to say that if we were at his level, we should 'see' the dozen steps in between. Needless to say, lectures were fairly empty after that. He was very well versed in the material and many students would come to office hours, it's just that he couldn't lecture.
Depending on the age/tenure of the professor, they may be receptive to making the lectures more engaging, or they may "brush" you off. Simply express your interest in the subject to the professor and ask them to make the lecture more engaging/be better prepared. Depending on the college/class, the professor may be unable to accommodate you because your peers may not be at your level. Be aware that some professors cannot lecture effectively, or have had unwanted courses foisted upon them. No matter your school ranking or major, you will encounter lousy enthusiasm-killing professors whom you'll have to endure. For many professors, your best shot for a more engaging experience would be to visit them during office hours.
In a certain sense, to quote <NAME>, "Don't let schooling interfere with your education." You won't have this professor forever, though you may unfortunately have them or those like them again. Don't let them dampen your passion for the subject.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: It is difficult to know the reason why the lectures are not working for you without more information about you, the professor, and the course, but there are a few possibilities:
1. The professor is not doing a good job of engaging the students because of a lack of interest or competence.
2. The professor does not have the the flexibility to alter the way the course is taught due to institutional limitations.
3. The professor should not alter the way the course is taught because overall it is working for the majority of the students in the class.
4. The professor is unaware that the lectures are not working and would change the approach if he/she knew.
Of these only #4 will result in a change if you provide feedback but you should go talk to the professor because you are struggling with the class. Struggles do not have to be only low grades, if you are disengaging from the class that is a problem. Your approach should be one of requesting help understanding how the lectures are supposed to fit into the overall learning goals of the class, not one of offering lecture style critique. For the reasons listed above, I can't promise it will change anything but it may offer insights.
That being said, you should still go to the lectures. Lectures are only one part of a course and unless the professor stipulates otherwise, you should consider them non-optional. Your full participation in all aspects of the class is your responsibility as a student. There are lots of things that we have to do professionally that are inefficient (e.g., all my faculty meetings) but participation is a requirement of being part of a professional community and is a prerequisite of gaining the other benefits of that community. For example, I would be very reluctant to invest a lot of time in a student (however promising) who regularly came to my office hours but skipped all my lectures.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> I would like to attend lectures where the professor engages the students.
>
>
>
Well, isn't that what we all want? Some professors are very good at this, and, unfortunately, others are not.
I would recommend attending the lectures, even if you're finding little benefit. Why? I think skipping lectures altogether is a bad idea. You never know when a professor will offer some tidbit of information that will help you on an exam, or help clarify an assignment. It's one thing to miss a lesson every now and then, but habitually missing class doesn't seem like a good way obtain an education.
After class, I would talk to fellow classmates, and see if your feelings are isolated or universal. If your opinions are shared by a majority of your classmates, perhaps you could get a groundswell of support for being very blunt in your end-of-course surveys. That feedback should be candid but constructive. In other words, don't just say, "His lectures sucked," say, "His lectures would have been a lot better if..." If enough students voice a consistant message about the low-quality lectures, perhaps the professor will try to take some of your suggestions to heart, or perhaps the department head will pressure him to do so. That may not help you this term, but it might help other students in the future.
As for the long commute, I feel your pain, but the way I'd handle that is to plan to do other things while you're on campus. Maybe you could start working out at the campus gym, or start writing for your campus newspaper. Driving an hour each way to just sit through a crappy lecture *does* seem like a waste of time – and gas. Driving an hour each way to become engaged on your campus – even if that time happens to include a lecture from a professor who may not be so gifted in teaching in lecture halls – may not seem so bad.
I think it's rare for a professor to drastically change tactics midway through a course, so this is a matter of you making the best of a bad situation. Sometimes, that's part of getting an education, too, even though you won't get credit for it on your transcript. Just remember, many employees like to hire students with degrees, not just because of what was learned in the classroom, but for things that were inevitiably learned in the process of obtaining the education: time management, teamwork, dedication, extra curriculars – and making the most of bad situations.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: This depends on the type of student you are. I got a lot out of going to lectures (this is mostly in maths), because I did concentrate fairly hard and make notes to myself where I didn't understand things. A friend of mine got nothing out of lectures and was better off studying by himself.
A few comments.
* In my courses, lectures set the pace for the course, so it was necessary to know what was going on in the lectures even if you didn't turn up. If you aren't going to turn up, I hope the course has a good web page or equivalent.
* Going to the lectures meant that during the lecture hour I was working on that subject. You need a fair amount of self-discipline to keep up steady work in all your courses without going to lectures.
* As a lecturer (which I became), sure office hours are more engaging, but it is a much better use of my time to talk with a student who has been to lectures but is having trouble than to explain something to some student who could have got the information from the lectures but couldn't be bothered.
* We gave a few marks for attendance, not many. We wanted students to get into the habit of turning up - this is particularly important for those who are not so able or don't have good study habits (yet), or whose background is a bit lacking.
* A couple of times I have heard about courses where there are no lectures, just largely self-directed projects and support in the form of office hours. In these cases there was a small class of highly selected and very able students, the institution had the resources, and the students had a high degree of commitment. We would all love to have such classes, but the reality is different for most of us.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: Sounds like you are just not at a competitive math department.
I am not trying to put you down. I'm only attempting to give a candid answer.
In our math dept, a top 5 department -- and top-ranked in several areas of math, our professors' lectures are pretty amazing.
There's a lot of intuition, elegance, and rigor during the lectures - most of the proofs are actually different from ones found in the books. And the profs explain why they want to do it differently.
Also, there's usually distribution of handwritten notes by the profs - stuff I had never found in the books.
If you want to continue to grad work and really love math and want the lectures that you dream about having, try to get into the strongest math department that you can.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: I understand your frustrations. One positive thing you can get from going to lecture is to interact with your colleagues. Remember. you might be engaged in team projects or study together for an exam or a test. Another thing is, you can always ask your professor questions in class! Even a well written book may not discuss/provide all necessary information. One last thing, some professors like to mention real life examples or stories related to the subject, some might even discuss examples similar to ones s/he will use in exams.
Upvotes: 0 |
2013/10/12 | 1,088 | 4,421 | <issue_start>username_0: (This question is one of three correlated questions: [Can I get enough help? (first part)](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/13342/is-it-a-good-practice-to-choose-my-undergraduate-research-topic-on-my-own-can-i), [How should I do it? (second part)](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/13367/is-it-a-good-practice-to-choose-my-undergraduate-research-topic-on-my-own-and-h).This is the **third** part.)
I am an undergraduate student (in Computer Science and Engineering) and I will be starting undergraduate research for my thesis. I have talked with many professors about possible projects and all the projects they proposed to me seemed **interesting enough**.
During summer, though, I read a paper and I was very interested and excited about it, but this paper was **not for the projects** that were proposed to me, but in a **different area**. I would like to do research in *this area* but I have some questions, because none of my professor is doing research in this particular field.
So, my questions are:
1. What are the **downsides** of choosing my own project instead of
doing a project that a professor is working right now (with his
Ph.D. students)?
2. How **harder** will it be to get something good out of it (in
comparison with doing a proposed project)?
P.S. I want to understand whether it will be beneficial to do a project that I want to do because of some paper(s) that I read or it will be better to do a project that was proposed to me. Also, *I would like to go for a Ph.D. after I graduate*.<issue_comment>username_1: In my experience the topic is normally self-chosen. Your adviser might have some ideas but generally the research (and subsequent writing) requires a significant amount of work.
Because of the amount of work involved, if you are not excited by the topic it might be difficult to follow through with the amount of work required. This might be less true for undergraduate theses but at the graduate level, you will need to really spent a lot of time and, therefore, maintaining motivation can be a challenge.
Of course, if your adviser has some ideas that person might be more willing and able to provide support for you.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Along the lines of [username_1's answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/13388/73), you do have a strong say in your topic, and you'll definitely want to be interested in the topic as you'll be putting a lot of work into it.
However, do realize that, as an undergraduate, you have far less experience in doing research than your advisor. You will save yourself a tremendous amount of work and effort by working closely with him on your project. One way to ensure that your advisor will be willing to invest that time in you is to work on a project that (1) interests him and (2) is related to his research. Even better, both. You are definitely free to choose whatever project you want, but it would be a good idea to choose something on which he can offer his expertise.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I would like to answer you as a senior undergraduate computer science student.
I wanted to do research (I had no prior research experience, so I asked an instructor for support for research. He gave me a topic, I found it OK, and I began to learn about the field and work on an existing paper.
Yet in 2 months I realized that I lacked motivation to go on because that field was completely out of my interests and what I have always wanted was something else. ( I couldn't choose that as my research topic because there was nobody with that field's knowledge)
Research requires deep knowledge and unless you are completely interested in that area, you might find it hard to continue after some point. You should really love and embrace it.
But of course, everyone is different. Yet I strongly advice that if you are gonna work on something, make sure you are really interested in it and not doing it just for the sake of doing research. It can harm your motivation and discourage you from being a determined scientist.
It will definitely be harder to get something out of it as your instructors don't know the topic. If the aim is to get fruitful results, you should choose one of the proposed topics. If your main aim is to develop yourself in an area that will contribute to your personal desires, it is better to choose your own topic.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/12 | 1,675 | 7,066 | <issue_start>username_0: I am employed as a student in a theoretical computer science research group and part of my job was to assist my supervisor with a scientific paper he has been working on.
Concretely, my job was to implement the software that was used to conduct the experimental part of the research paper and also to gather and put together a dataset in order to empirically test the theoretical framework developed by my supervisor using real-world data.
Before the first submission attempt, I was mentioned in the list of the co-authors. However, the paper was not accepted on the grounds that the empirical results only weakly reflected the theoretical claims.
My supervisor thought that the rejection was due to a bug in the code I've developed and afterwards he removed me both from the list of co-authors and from the project. I am very sure that the code didn't contain any bugs.
Afterwards, my supervisor contacted a fellow student who was already working on a different topic, and asked for his permission to use the data from this different topic in order to test the theory.
The second submission attempt of the research paper was successful and the paper was accepted. My fellow student appeared in the list of co-authors but I didn't.
The version of the paper that finally got accepted differed from the first one that got rejected, in that it contained only an extra experiment, using the data from my fellow student. However, the initial empirical experiments that I put together were still there. They have not been removed, nor modified.
Regarding this situation I have a series of questions:
* Is it normal to feel that I have been treated unfairly? I feel that the only reason why I have been removed from the list of co-authors is because the dataset I have compiled simply didn't confirm the expected theoretical results and me getting fired was simply a way for my supervisor to vent his frustration about being rejected.
* Is it legal to publish a paper that uses data and software that some other person developed and not mention this person as a co-author (or at least as a reference)? Are there any laws or rules of conduct regarding such situations?
I'm aware that a variation of this question may have already been answered before:
[What to do when principal investigator publishes your work without putting you down as a coauthor?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/2730/what-to-do-when-principal-investigator-publishes-your-work-without-putting-you-d)
[My research work stolen and published as his own by the co-author without my consent](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/975/my-research-work-stolen-and-published-as-his-own-by-the-co-author-without-my-con)
[My work was published and my name was nowhere to be found: how should I handle this?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/5188/my-work-was-published-and-my-name-was-nowhere-to-be-found-how-should-i-handle-t)
Most of the answers suggested that I should try to approach and discuss this problem in private with my supervisor or with some other member of the research group. I have tried doing exactly this and both my supervisor and 2 other senior members simply refused to discuss this issue with me. The only response I've got was: "what's done is done, let us focus on the future now".
What can I do, or what would be ethical to do in this situation?<issue_comment>username_1: *Assuming that you are giving a totally impartial and accurate account of the facts*:
To your first question: Your Supervisor has a "right-to-manage" in this project since it was his project and you functioned as his assistant. "Right-to-manage" is an euphemism for "authority to fire". Namely, he has the (moral, even) right to "fire" you from the paper, if he believes (rightly or wrongly) that it was your fault that the paper was rejected the first time. Naturally, he wouldn't want faulty work to continue to be present in his paper, now would he? So he went on and scrapped your contribution on which you have labored so hard... but wait: he didn't scrap your work from the paper, but he *kept it in*, without your name. This leads us to your second question: what he did can be legally characterized as "[grand theft](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_theft)", I believe, at least in the US legal system.
What to do? The "cosmic-joke" scenario (but I am not joking here) would be to *actually find* a bug in your code and send a letter to the paper that published the paper, challenging the empirical results (and you will be in an excellent position to challenge them since you know all the details).
The sensible thing to do, given that you have already futilely tried to discuss the issue with the defendant (which was the civilized thing to do), is to indeed "focus on the future" -*your* future this time. With *all* that such a vague phrase may silently imply.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: To answer your questions:
Based on what you say, it does sound like you were treated unfairly.
Leaving you out from the paper given the circumstances is at least unethical. I don't know about legal.
Your collaborators don't sound like nice people. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon in academia, where abuse of junior people is certainly not uncommon, though for obvious reasons statistics are hard to come by.
An obvious option is to write to the journal's editor explaining the situation. If you have contributed significantly to the paper, you certainly have a claim to be considered a co-author. Obviously, make sure you have documentation backing up your claim. If you don't, it is just your word against theirs, and you will quite likely get nowhere. If you have good documentation, it will be more difficult for the journal to ignore your claims, though it is obviously hard to predict what people will do. Given that you were on the first submission attempt, I think that first submission should count as part of the documentation, and should really help your case if you appeal to the journal. It would be easy enough to compare the two versions of the paper. In the first submission, is your contribution described? Also, were the two submissions to different journals?
It is not completely clear from your posting whether the paper has been officially published. If it has, it may be too late to add your name to the list of authors.
Bear in mind that your collaborators will quite possibly try to find a way to get back at you, for any number of reasons. People who behave in the way you described can get extremely petty and unpleasant when they perceive you as "going against them". They also have a remarkable capacity for not taking responsibility for their own actions, and in their own minds will find a way to blame you for the situation. This is not meant to discourage you from standing up for your rights, but just pointing out the reality of the situation.
Personally, I think people *should* stand up for their rights, but at the end of the day it is your decision.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/13 | 1,325 | 5,408 | <issue_start>username_0: I would like to know what is graduate school supposed to be like? I started grad school for mathematics 2 months ago and I find myself studying all the time with no time for anything else (except activities of daily living). Is this typical?
Some notable advantages that I have:
I commute from school to home.
I am a U.S. citizen and obviously did not have to venture outside of home for any of my schooling.<issue_comment>username_1: Short answer: Yes.
Grad school is an extremely time intensive activity. Depending on where you went and what you did for undergrad, you may feel overwhelmed. Rest assured that grad school is designed to eat up all your time and you are expected to dedicate your life to it. That said, it should eventually be somewhat enjoyable.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Graduate school is an experience and like any other experience, it differs for different people.
You may or may not let your work overwhelm you. That is entirely your choice unless you have to catch up with your cohort. [Time management](http://www.gradview.com/articles/graduatestudies/graduate-school-time-management.html) is one of the most important skills to learn in graduate school and as I understand, it carries over to real life significantly later on.
Therefore, specifically in response to your question, your current experience is typical for *certain* graduate students but **not** all graduate students.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Most graduate schools take a "firehose" approach in the first semester or two, so a heavy workload is to be expected, although it's certainly not desirable. That said, however, it should not be all-consuming—but it's also true that it can eat up all of your time, if you allow it to happen.
One of the things that I tell all of my students is that time for relaxation and non-study based activities is just as important as finding time for classes and preparing for examinations. In fact, not having the "outlet valve" can make you less productive overall; mentally and physically such behavior is not sustainable over a long period of time.
Therefore, I tell my students—as well as undergraduates that I mentor who intend to go to graduate school—that they need to *schedule* relaxation time into their week. What they do and when and how they do it is up to them; but there needs to be something to balance the stress of being a graduate student.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: I have had a slightly different experience that what is mentioned here - I have worked full time while completing my PhD. That means a lot of time management, as well as stress management is required.
Break up each task into smaller manageable subtasks and allow yourself rewards and most of all, as has been mentioned, time to enjoy some hobbies and recreation. This is critical - you'll potentially burn-out other wise.
Having a job (volunteer or paid, full or part time) is also a good way to force you prioritise tasks and deadlines, the job also provides a break from study and vice versa - this is a mindset that develops over time.
You will be busy, but be sure that you are doing something that you enjoy, it won't be a chore, it will be something to look forward to.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: In addition to the other good answers, "Yes." It is a situation in which there's no such thing as "being too good", of course. People who've been easily top-in-their-class are now "average" in the population. Very disorienting. Also, as noted, there is a pretense that people "catch up" at super-high-speed by doing 30 hours of homework each week, etc.
So, yes, the pretense, the hype, the mythology, and the disorientation seem to tell people to spend every waking moment "studying".
Among the bad/silly side effects or versions of this is the one wherein one merely *frets* all day, rather than doing anything constructive. Or "obsessing" about small things, individual homework problems that are of dubious significance, etc. Pointless.
Also as noted, it is important to get sleep, exercise, and reasonable food, to say the least. Chronic sleep deprivation (and dubious diet) is all too typical in the relevant age-group in the first place, and having added seeming-motivations to sacrifice sleep, exercise, and diet just makes everything worse.
As many people have said on many occasions, getting a PhD in mathematics is not a "career choice", because it's waaaay too much work in comparison to the (extra-mathematical) rewards. It only makes sense if one is fairly obsessed with math in the first place, and can continue to have that degree of irrational interest despite workload and temporary loss of self-determination.
That is, by normal standards, it is not reasonable to aim for "a normal life", whether in grad school or thereafter, because it's maybe not possible, any more than performing musicians have "normal lives", whether classical or jazz or pop or... The idea is that it's a hobby that, quasi-miraculously, pays a living. (This is different than engineering, apparently!) If one can keep that feeling, then it's fine!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: Short answer is yes. Grad school can be very time intensive, especially if you are coming from a small undergrad program into a large grad program, as your background knowledge may not be up to snuff.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/13 | 949 | 3,905 | <issue_start>username_0: Quick background; I study Computer Science and have been asked to take the role as a paid student teacher for college students.
I am extremely nervous about it, although it's a fairly familiar role as I'll be teaching what I learned only three years previous.
I'm far from the extrovert type and as such, find it really difficult to hold a room. **How do I keep the attention and respect of students that are almost my age?**<issue_comment>username_1: A few tips:
* **Practice.** Get some friends, go to an empty room, and practice. Practice in front of the mirror. Practice in the street, in the subway, in line at starbucks, and at the bar(well you're <21 so that might not work). You want people to look at you. To stare at you. To ask, "who the hell is that and what the heck is he talking about?"
* **Prepare.** Obviously, come prepared.
* **Get over yourself**. Chances are that your first lecture will be awkward. Possibly very awkward. But then it'll get better and you'll eventually know what you're doing.
* **Identify with the students**. They're roughly your age so it'll be easier to identify with them. As a student, you know how you wanted to be taught and what you wanted to hear. Follow that.
* **Responsive.** Be responsive to the class. Don't shy away. There's no benefit for anyone.
Have fun!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Calm down! easier said than done. Remember you know more than they do but do not put on a suit that does not fit. If you get questions you cannot answer, do not get nervous, simply say: it is a good question and you will check up the answer. Don't start putting out excuses that you are inexperienced, haven't done this before, or whatever. Let what you do speak for itself, I am sure it is more than fine.
Now that the emergency is over, what can you do? Be prepared. Check out the material ahead of time and if you are in a lab or have to help out in exercises, run through them yourself to figure out where problems may arise. This takes a little time but will help you run things smoothly. In the case of a lecture situation, you also need to be prepared, read up on the material, make a good series of slides. Show what you plan to do to someone more experienced to perhaps get feedback and pointers on improvements. A typical rookie mistake is to overwork things, put too much stuff into a lecture and set the level too high. Assessing the right level is something you learn but if you have a chance to look at others' lectures or perhaps go back to what you experienced, you may be able to find your level quicker.
If yo want a quick check on what you have done you can do a quick feedback at the end. Give each person a small piece of paper (e.g. index card) and have them write one or a couple of things they found good on one side and something they think could be improved on the other. Do not use the word "bad" on that side, you want to know what you did well and what might improve. Collect the feedback and check it immediately. It may help you get a sense of how you came across. You can do this on a regular basis if time permits.
In the end, it is tough to get started, we have all been there with different amounts of self-confidence, experience etc. Expect some things to go less well, it is bound to happen, we all have off days. If something is less well, use it to improve. Use your colleagues as support if you find it rough, everyone has some experience of that sort.
I wish you luck. It can be really fun to teach. Look for pointers on teaching on the web and check out journals for higher ed. teaching to get ideas. There is no reason to approach teaching less seriously than what one would do, say research. The butterflies you will inevitably feel when you start will disappear and your confidence will grow with experience. Just keep calm and on top of matters.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/12 | 1,995 | 8,590 | <issue_start>username_0: I am in the early stages of my PhD and I am trying to put together a literature review of my topic. My intention is that this review will eventually be included in my thesis, something like "*the chapter that describes the state of the art in the domain*."
My subject is soft matter physics and a large number of theses have already been written this topic. When looking at the literature reviews included in these other works I've noticed that:
* The sequence of ideas is often the same (this makes sense, so why not?)
* Cited papers are always the same, even though 20 years elapsed between the first and last thesis. Moreover, papers from the 30's are cited but no one in my lab seems to have a copy available?
My hypothesis is that these theses are derived from some sort of a *Mother of All Thesis*, and that paraphrasing the work of the previous student is OK.
**So, what makes a good literature review?**
**How do you notice that a literature review is sloppy?**
PS: I posted this question because I assume many of you have experience with this process either in your own PhD work, or as a supervisor where you have had to deal with paraphrasing of your students.
PS2: I am not asking about making proper citations, LaTeX+BibTeX handles that like a charm.<issue_comment>username_1: There are couple of points i like to make from my perspective.
1. Bibliography is something which evolves during your PhD. I would recommend not to write it at the first place. As you read more and more, relevant to your area in Soft matter, you can keep adding it to your bibliography
2. Soft matter is a really huge area. One who works on Molecular dynamics may not even touch crystal defects while writing his bibliography. In that way it is really topic specific and not the entire area.
3. You said, you saw some say 30 papers in every thesis. This is not because of magic, this is only because they are path breaking. If you are in MD area (which is mine), and you are using a thermostat, it is 99.9999 % sure that you cite Nose-Hoover paper. It is no magic.
4. There is no point in saying none from my lab is cited. It depends on how many groups are working in that "specific" area and what impact had the papers published from your lab made in their research.
This all points out to the fact that one does not simply write a bibliography of an entire area :)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The purpose and expectations of a PhD literature review is likely to vary from field to field. My PhD was in Physics, but my views might be taken to apply generally.
There is likely to be some repetition or paraphrasing between students in the same research group, when it comes to the literature review. However, perhaps the comments below might help.
A literature review should be an enjoyable to read (!) introduction, survey and guide to the state of the art. You want to introduce your reader to the field (assuming a clever, but non-expert reader), setting out what has gone before, and perhaps to some extent showing where the gaps are in the research - raising the opportunity for you to present your research as that which fills a gap (Next chapter: "Aims and Objectives", or similar).
My primary hallmarks of a poor, or sloppy literature review is that papers are listed **without any helpful context**. A dreary literature review, to me, is a listing of papers that we all already know about, without any guide to the reader why the trail leads me to hold the present thesis. No-one much likes reading a dry chronology of papers. I personally, want to be told the story of the research and the literature review plays an important part of that story.
The opportunity exists here to *review* the field - what are the general trends in the literature? For example, Paper A was the first to introduce the theory that drove the authors of Paper B to perform experiment Z which is now the standard technique. However, Paper C suggests that an alternative method may be more effective, etc.
Note that your review shouldn't attempt to be a complete review of the field - whole standalone papers are written on this, usually by invitation. Your PhD literature review should be more focused, but still a recounting of the Story So Far.
Since your literature review is to be a nice, focused review of the path to your contribution, it is likely that you will read far more papers than you will need to cite in your literature review. Those papers that do not contribute to the Story So Far can be excluded from your literature review. Going off on a tangent, like in any story, can lose and confuse your readers. If you feel a need to refer to these papers, perhaps you can refer to a decent review article which discusses them in detail, for the interested reader.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: References and bibliography are to be read and digested in a progressive manner. References that might have been not so intuitive become useful over time as we gain more experience.
One needs to document them in any suitable way and:
1. Add new references and connections with current work.
2. Track these references and revisit them when and where you touch base again with them.
3. Revise the entry with new information or clearer understanding of the subject.
4. Remove any parasite or related paper that you think is no more directly related to your work - clear clutter up - this is important to stop accumulating lots of bibliography which can become non specific!
5. All of the references you might accumulate may not be useful for the final bibiliography. There is need to sort or classify these references as biblio, self learning references, state of art, related (first order, second order) and so on and so forth.
Doing this using a wiki would be advisable - and if there is a team involved group updates would be preferable! Basically one needs a good sense of organization while writing the thesis.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I think [Nikolas' answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/13413/4249) is already pretty great. I'm not doing physics, but I'll try and stay as general as I can. Here's some specific advice I got from my supervisor and things I realized while doing my own lit review:
* It is normal for a big section of referenced papers to be the same across a lot of survey / literature review papers. Those would be the **papers that *first introduced*** a problem, a concept, an approach.
* In addition to the *seminal papers* from your (sub)field, you usually want to describe **the current state-of-the art**. This would be based on current papers based on the original problem, concept or approach that adopt the problem for a different environment, apply a concept for a different purpose or represent an improvement to the approach.
For example, in Computer Science, it would be okay to talk about a structure or a problem (*seminal paper*) and then talk about the *current best algorithm(s)* to solving the problem (*state-of-the-art*) without mentioning every single "evolution step" of the algorithm.
Basically, to sum up and dump up these two points: you cite the "first" and the "last" paper dealing with the same thing.
Of course, there's exceptions to this: if there's any groundbreaking papers between the "first" and the "last" paper, sometimes intermediate papers can also be viewed as "seminal papers" for the subject/field.
* This might depend slightly on the type of document you want to produce, but usually it is okay for you to explain the technique / method in detail, while for practical uses of the technique, you just **mention** (and cite) **several successful applications of the technique** without going in to detail about how exactly the method was adopted.
* Finally, if your goal is to *publish your literature review as a survey paper* (which is usually worth a shot), you should think about how to "get a new spin on things".
Every paper, including survey papers, is supposed to be a scientific contribution. That means that you have to **find something that makes your survey useful**, or in some context better, then all the existing surveys. This might be a change of context in which the methods are examined, it might cover more material, offer new classifications of the methods or new links between them.
I would say you have to think of at least one type of reader (a reader with one type of goal) who will take your review and say: *"That's it!"*, while he can not say that any of the current surveys out there are exactly "it" for him.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/14 | 902 | 3,860 | <issue_start>username_0: I need your advice, dear visitors. Currently I am finishing my BS in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, and trying to apply for a PhD program in Computer Science to universities in the USA.
But I have a real problem.
The topics on which I worked with my adviser are purely mathematical (differential geometry). I began to study this branch of math 2 years ago. But 1 year ago, due to a suggestion of my friend, I started reading articles on Theoretical Computer Science (namely algorithms on planar graphs and in Linear Algebra but nothing related to numerical methods) and became carried away by that. For some reasons, I couldn't have abandoned the work on my topics. One of them is that the results in differential geometry we eventually obtained are excellent (together with my advisor we have two articles in good mathematical journals). Since this is the last year of my education at my University, I haven't changed the field for my diploma (it would have had no sense and it would have been impossible in some way, but let me not tell about it).
Differential Geometry is very interesting and I know much about it but I feel that algorithms is the field to which my future research will be dedicated. I am not interested in any other field of CS. By the way, my scientific advisor knows about my future plans (reported to him half a year ago). He also heartily agreed to write a strong letter of recommendation for me.
So what have I got? Good mathematical skills: a wide spectrum of knowledge on many fields including algebra (linear and abstract), advanced analysis, differential geometry (as mentioned before), functional analysis, combinatorics, algorithms, graph theory... I also have medals and prizes earned on mathematical olympiads (IMO, IMC). So math and TCS background is not a problem for me. After all, Theoretical Computer Science is the same math (we also state and prove theorems like in math)!
Why a PHD? Because I absolutely know that one-two years spent on getting a MS finished will be just a waste of my time.
So I feel difficulty when composing a Statement of Purpose. I just don't know in which way I should put the description of my personal experience forward in such a way so it would be clear and laconic. I don't want the reader to be confused about my goals. I don't want my statement of purpose to be a fruit-salad. I want the reader to understand that a PHD in CS is what I need since I am completely determined about my intentions.
A lot of sincere thanks to whoever will answer my question. Maybe, one can give me a link to a sample of SOP similar to my case.<issue_comment>username_1: The best advice any of us could give you is to do an [internet search](https://www.google.co.nz/#q=statement+of+purpose) for what others have written, and use such examples to help structure your own personal statement.
Essentially, you want the following points:
* What previous experience (particularly research) do you have in this field?
* What are your future research goals? How do these goals tie in with past experiences?
* Why do you want to do this research?
* Why should *you* be chosen above other applicants?
No one here is going to help you write it or proof-read your statements. If you have further **general** (i.e. not field-specific) questions that are well structured, they are much more likely to elicit a good response than the floundering "where do I start?" that I see here.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I think you've essentially written an outline of your SoP in the question. Namely,
"I'm interested in theoretical computer science and mathematics. I've worked in differential geometry, and here are my results, but I'm now fascinated by algorithms research, and I have extensive math background".
Now just expand on it.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/15 | 842 | 3,800 | <issue_start>username_0: I am working towards a PhD. My supervisor and I decided upon a topic which interested both of us. I did an exhaustive literature survey, and found that there have been heavy work in this area in the past 2-3 years. The problem statement we started with seems to have been primarily solved, and now extensions to those are appearing in top journals and conferences.
Now, he feels that the work remaining in the area is not worth a PhD so we should look for something else, but he still asked me to explore the area. Now, I am clueless what exactly I am supposed to do and where to look for new problems (given that I have already invested my first year into this along with the course work).
Is it normal during the PhD that the problem that you expected to have not been mostly worked upon, already has so much work done ?
Now, in this case, how should one proceed to look for new problems or extensions of the problem that are worth a PhD ?
My area is Computer Science.<issue_comment>username_1: With the vast output of science it is not surprising that more may be done than what might appear at first. Science is about advancing science and so if your original question has been answered the question becomes what is not answered? A key aspect of all research is that new question spring out of answering (or trying to) question. This leads to the point that one must read up on the literature in the field of interest so that you can identify the new questions that emerge. This is one way of interpreting your advisors suggestion.
It will be very difficult to isolate oneself with a question since others will likely arrive at similar ideas sooner or later. Defining a PhD study can therefore be tricky since it means working on some line of questions for several years. "Knowing your opposition" is therefore a good thing. You need to read up on material not only to identify unsolved questions but also to get a sense of what others are working on. Going to key conferences in your subject is one good way to see what is going on.
At the end, I want to add that I do not think it is your sole responsibility to do all this, after all, your advisor should now more about the field and who is doing what among peers. Getting a PhD is about learning to become an independent researcher and to ask too much of you early on is thus not realistic. What you can do is as stated earlier to read up on literature and build your own picture of the (sub-)field. You will need this knowledge under any circumstance.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Don't consider your time reviewing the field necessarily wasted. You say that you've discovered that the research topic that you wished to pursue has already been thoroughly investigated. If this is true, then you are in the happy position of finding this out *now* before having invested more of your time.
Now, *is* it indeed true that the topic has been exhausted? Perhaps this is the basis of your supervisor's request that you continue reading around the topic. Is there a line of investigation still remaining that you can work on? Are you sure all the extensions to the primary findings have been looked at? Is there a way of extending into new and unexpected territory?
On this last point, **talking to many other people in the field** - or closely related fields - might spark off ideas in your head. Discuss with them whether they think all aspects of the topic have been considered. Find people who are not experts in the specific topic, but are conversant with it who might offer a difference perspective. These people might draw you toward research across two fields. Can the results of the research topic you were looking to work on be extended into other, surprising areas?
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/15 | 407 | 1,829 | <issue_start>username_0: I want to continue working on the research I used to work on when I was in school.
The thing is that I am not a student anymore, and I also do not work for the company that works on the research project I used to work on. It used to work on the research project by myself while I was in school (a little help from professors), meaning I can probably work/project on it by myself.
My question is that since I am not in school anymore, do I need to concern the license issue as commercial? All I want to do is do my personal/individual research project and submit a work to academic purpose, such as journal or conference. I see some software or programming library I am using say "Acedemy" or "Commercial", and since this is for the academic purpose, I am not so sure which one I need to follow.<issue_comment>username_1: You need to read the exact terms of the licenses, and see what they call “academic” or “commercial”. There is no general definition, these types of licenses depend entirely on the software publisher.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: In adddition to @username_1's point:
As your situation is different from both the usual academic and the usual commercial situations, maybe you could email the developer/author/maintainer of the library.
Whatever the license says, software licenses are almost always non-exclusive\*. That means whoever holds the copyright to the software can grant you another license that covers your use of the library. This can be as easy as an email saying "go ahead and use it under the terms of the academic license" and would give both sides legal certainty.
\* Or at least, software with exclusive license usually doesn't make its way legally into the public. Although one could think of an exclusive license granted to the public...
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/15 | 1,685 | 6,726 | <issue_start>username_0: Even though title itself seems quite similar to other questions asked here, my question is a bit different from other similar questions. I know it's a bit long, but I do appreciate anyone who has a read through it.
I am a Ph.D. student in UK and it has been 5 months since I started. My topic was something completely new (to me) so as one might guess, I've spent these 5 months reviewing the literature and covering what I didn't know. Problems started right here.
I am working at a Research Institute that has expertise on something totally different than my Ph.D. (let's name it field A, and name my Ph.D. field B). Simply, A and B have nothing in common (except both are engineering topics, but sub-fields are different). As a result, this laboratory doesn't have the required equipment or facilities that I need for my Ph.D. **most importantly**, there is not a single person around me in the lab who has a single bit of knowledge about my topic, thus no practical help or chances of hands on experience. Speaking of the good parts; I am getting a proper work experience (since this research institute has industrial focus), my scholarship is a substantial amount and my supervisor (even though he is sort of clueless about my topic, he is a *huge* figure in field A) is quite impressed with my progress.
But, as always, I have an alternative. There is another lab in my university which has expertise on field B (my Ph.D.). In this lab, there are people who have expertise in field B and of course, director of the lab is a powerful figure in field B. I know it sounds good so far, but here are the cons of this alternative: Lab director can't give any sort of guarantees regarding a scholarship (which means I have to pay tuition fees as well, good old UK) and wants me to work in a new project(a new field, field C). This field C, again completely different from A and B, is a newer topic compared to B and there are lots of research going on in this field. Field B is sort of an established field, I am just trying to squeeze whatever's left out it.
So on one side, I have a good working experience, Ph.D. in field B, an impressed supervisor, yet no practical help about field B or collaboration whatsoever. On the other side, I have a group of people who have expertise in field B and C, yet no money. I personally don't have any problems about changing my Ph.D. from B to C, the only disadvantage will be losing 6 months of work and naturally, getting 6 months of extension in the end. On the plus side, I already have a paper waiting to be published (in field A though, not in my Ph.D. topic field B). Therefore, these 6 months won't be "that" lost.
So, both sides are waiting to hear from me as soon as possible. I have to make a decision by this Friday. Last thing that should be mentioned is my current lab is located in city 1, whereas the other one is located in city 2. I hate city 1 (current city), whereas I am in love with city 2.
Financially, I am promised by the other professor that depending on my performance, I can get funding. I do know I can't trust this, though I believe I can cover my expenses throughout my Ph.D. including tuition fees. So, money is not a big problem right now.
If I go to the other lab, field C will be my Ph.D. as well as my work, hence shielding me from dividing into two as I do right now for field A and B.
My question is simple, what would you do if you were me? I have exhausted my friends and my family about this issue and I need a fresh pair of eyes and neurons to help me out. I do appreciate any questions and comments.<issue_comment>username_1: Whichever makes you a happier person. Life is short and not worth spending 5 years in a condition you don't like. If you have the money, go for it. If not, here is my longer answer.
The work experience you are getting in field A should not be a priority because you are there to do research, to contribute to science. Work experience in that field should be just a tool so that you can earn money and live properly. The excellency of people in field A are also irrelevant, as your research is in field B.
But, life does not always present us the best options. If you cannot get a scholarship when you switch to field B, then I would definitely stay at where you are now. You say you can cover expenses, but if you don't get a scholarship, how much will you lose in 5 years? That's a big number and imo not worth it (unless you have a million in some account)
I would stay there and from time to time, consult professors that work in field B. After some time, as you dig deeper, you will know more than those guys anyway.
It really depends on your budget I guess. I am not rich so I don't like the idea of Ph.D. level scientists' paying for it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I would move to another lab if I were you. The reason is, I want to do my PhD and the research in the field I like. Otherwise, why would I do it?
After reading your question a few times, my impression is that you like field B the most, field C the next, field A the last. Please correct me if I am wrong.
If you stay in your current lab, everything will be the same as the past 5 months. You have the money alright. What else do you have? You don't have experts in B around you. You don't have equipments/facilities to do research in B. It looks like there is no way to finish PhD in B in that lab.
On the other hand, you'll have experts in B to talk to you and equipments available if you move to the other lab. There is a good chance for you to finish the PhD in B if you have a choice to do B.
Field B is probably a dead end, you are trying to squeeze something out of it. What if you find nothing after 2 years of squeezing with or without help from other experts in B? What are you going to do? Do you want to do A? I would not if I were you because I don't like A. But, you can choose to do C if you move.
I think the lab director says he can't give any sort of guarantees regarding a scholarship because he wants you to do C. The scholarship is the incentive. If you don't have problem changing from B to C, I think you will get some sort of financial help after you move there (no guarantee, of course). If my interpretation of your question is correct, C is acceptable to you, at least it's better than A.
This is what I would do if I were you, I would ask the other lab if there is some chance to get some financial help if I move there. If the answer is not 100% negative, I would move. (I must be able to get some food to eat while I am doing research.)
If the answer is an absolute no, I would stay and look for other opportunities to move later on.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/16 | 764 | 3,201 | <issue_start>username_0: There are quite a few question aiming at or hinting towards avoiding academic burn-out, but I couldn't come across one that targets interaction with a colleague that has suffered from a serious burn-out, which can be very tricky as I am learning nowadays.
Background: A colleague of mine (office-mate actually) has suffered a pretty major crisis over the past year and had to take an extended leave of absence due to stress. The person in question was/is close to disputation but due to the fact that they could not handle being at work anymore, everything was postponed.
After several months away, my colleague is trying to get back in the game by starting off 20%. I heard that it didn't work out all too good the first attempt, a couple of weeks later they are attempting to start again. As we were chatting the other day, I realized that I can't really say much without tripping my colleague off, in the sense that the subject often raises old issues somehow and causes some frustration/stress for my colleague. That partially originates from the fact that most of what we have in common and talk about is work oriented somehow.
My natural reflex when I realize that the subject causes discomfort is to not feed the conversation and attempt to change the subject. But that doesn't really work too good, as it's not very discrete. I also suspect that specially avoiding small-talk with my office mate isn't very nice either, I don't want the person to feel isolated and alone. I mean the fact that a person had a stress-related problem, it's not something that one should be ashamed or embarrassed about, it shouldn't be awkward socially, but somehow it does feel like that.
Does anyone here have any experience about how to tackle a situation like this?<issue_comment>username_1: It is a tricky situation, and there is no 'guidebook' way of helping your colleague or how to deal with their recovery - I can only offer an account of when I burnt out.
When I burnt out, my colleagues - both work and academic, rallied around and helped me get back on my feet. The way they did it was to be there and to simply **listen** - this was the key thing that helped me rise up. They also kept things as normal as possible and understood the times when I needed to vent - which over **time**, became less and less.
They also gave me my **space** - like an open invitation for me to join in the conversations or activities when I felt I could.
Having also been in the situation from the other side, listening and giving time and space did help.
One more thing, you have to take care of your own well being as well - you are doing the right thing, by being there, it is not an easy road - but believe me, you *are* making a difference.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_1: We can give suggestions, but the only person who knows how your colleague wants to be treated is your colleague. I would suggest discussing it with them directly. Maybe something like this:
>
> I didn't realize until now how much I talk about work. I don't want to make you uncomfortable by bringing it up, so if I do, feel free to stop me or change the subject.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/16 | 3,089 | 13,199 | <issue_start>username_0: Often, when speaking English in research, you can find a great variety of (mostly, non-native) accents. Since I started moving in academic circles and a more international environment, I slowly learned to understand some of the accents much better. I can currently understand well most mild accents and some specific accents even if they are strong, but there are still both *researchers with very strong accents* and *types of accents I have a very hard time understanding*.
As networking, communicating, and generally talking to other researchers is very important, it got me wondering about what I can to to **overcome this "accent barrier"**.
I've encountered this "accent barrier" in at least three different settings, and there's always problems arising for that:
* speakers and presenters on conferences (or other big events)
I usually try and decide from the slides (and what I can understand) how relevant I think the presented material is for me, and then I would read the paper later on my own.
Still, it means that I could *miss some interesting papers*, *miss some of the authors insight on the problem only mentioned in the presentation* and *loose a certain amount of time, because listening to a talk is much faster than reading* (especially if one just wants to understand the basic idea).
* poster sessions and social events on conferences / other manifestations
This one is a bit more tricky since it's more personal interaction. I would usually try and ask the person to clarify or reformulate the question, and then if I still don't understand try talking about something related to "keywords" that I succeeded to identify. If it's a social occasion, I would try to look attentive, smile, and excuse myself the first acceptable opportunity I get.
And again, I might be missing on some great ideas this way. Missing making some potentially useful contacts with the people from the community, and even possibly looking rude if I didn't understand something crucial.
* interactions with people from you team/close environment.
With this one, I'm totally at a loss. I know how much team dynamics is important. If something like that happened, I would probably try and avoid one-on-one communication with that person as much as possible. Still, it would probably make me feel constantly uncomfortable.
What **are some suggestions on how to act in such situations?** They generally make me feel uncomfortable, and often afraid that I'll offend somebody. Again, I do believe that a little practice and effort can go a long way to understanding different accents, especially when they are not *too strong*. But (and I guess this also depends on ones mother tongue) I think a lot of people have problems with (probably different) strong accents.<issue_comment>username_1: Accents are tricky... It's a problem that one often hears/talks about at conferences. English being the *de facto* language of communicating science (well, anything really) internationally, I feel native speakers of English are at a major disadvantage when it comes to accents (perhaps it's only fair since they likely have an easier time reading/writing in English).
It might be counter-intuitive but, a native speaker has a very clear idea just *how* a particular word or expression is supposed to sound like. As a non-native speaker to two languages I speak most in my daily life (including English), I have to point out that learning a language is hard work, especially later in life. I was lucky enough to learn these languages when I was young enough, and my teachers have always been native speakers. Not many are so lucky...
That being said, what can one do when talking to a person with a very heavy accent? Allow me to put forth my two-cents;
* **lecture/talk:** I don't really have much else to say other than try to take notes of the subjects, figures and references the speaker mentions. Then try to keep your communication on a written basis. While it's not very nice, you can always excuse yourself for misunderstanding or not-catching up with the talk and ask for details that way.
* **poster sessions:** I think this is a two-sided coin; if you are the person visiting a poster, and can't seem to communicate with the presenter, it's essentially same as above, get the headlines and move along, then keep communication on a written basis. On the other hand, if you are the presenter it's more tricky. I have had occasions where a very interested researcher (young or senior) comes forward and tries to either fire shots at the project or inquire more about details of what I'm presenting, for instance how it's relevant for their work etc. I hate it when they have so much to say and just can't get themselves understood. I suppose it's a matter of being polite and trying to get them to rephrase, help out with choices of words (important to be very subtle) etc. If all else fails, resort to the ugly backup plan, ask them to mail you with their questions instead.
* **colleague:** I think it's essentially the most relaxed case, just help the colleague to formulate his/her questions or ideas. If you have a good enough relationship, advice them to improve their english and make it clear (in a friendly manner) that the impact of heavy accent is a hinder for their own success in communicating with others, and ultimately their chances of succeeding in academia. Give tips about how they can improve. It's of course problematic if the colleague in question is significantly more senior than you.
I know it's not much but I hope it helps anyways. Finally, if there's a particular type of accent that you find really hard to decipher, expose yourself more to it! Maybe that helps with the choice of the next vacation spot? ;)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm not a native English speaker but I do understand your frustration. Here are some of my experiences:
**Embrace the elephant in the room**
Time to time I found people around me are too "polite" to not tell me that they don't understand what I say. I have had a course evaluation saying that "the instructor is great but time to time I had hard time understand some words he said. For example, it took me a few weeks to realize he meant 'result' when he said 'ray-sult'." I was actually amazed by how much money this student spent to be confused.
Now, at the beginning of the course, I surrender myself and introduce the elephant. "I have accent, and if any of my pronunciations is off, you're more than welcome to correct me. Your input will help me to become a better speaker." Then move on.
I think the situation is the same in the native speaker's shoes. If you have trouble understanding a colleague. Tactfully ask for a few repetitions in an informal conversation, and then confess that you sometimes may not catch the full gist of the speech, and proceed to ask for a blanket excuse in the future should you need another repetition again.
**"Fully understand" is likely an illusion**
Your point about missing important materials in conference is well taken. Here are two reflections I have: i) realize that even you get the whole sentence, it's still a foreign language to the speaker and there will always be some loss in translation. ii) In a conference, it's probably hard to pick up all the little bits of information. On this point, you can Zen that over like watching a firework; let that go. Or if the curiosity is killing you, approach the speaker after the talk and clarify. If the conversation goes well you can consider exchanging business cards, and ask for a copy of their presentation over the e-mail.
**Hold on to an ad hoc interpreter**
When I teach in foreign countries, there would be English speakers whose speeches are beyond my cognitive reach. This is how I deal with it: i) Keep smiling, and rephrase the question as best as I can, and I know I'd fail, then repeat step i) for a few more times and keep calm and smiling, ii) eventually some participants who are more proficient would volunteer to translate. If no one does, embrace the elephant in the room and say "I guess I'm a bit stuck here, would anyone tell me what I missed in the question?" iii) once the question is clarified, answer it, facing the original questioner. For myself, I prefer to slowly pace up to the board, and write down my talking points. I think this would enhance the questioner's understanding if he/she has trouble listening to my speech.
Often enough, no one would help. And the questioner may just wave his/her hand and give up. Don't be frustrated. Invite the person to stay and talk, and perhaps then you can employ things like paper and pen to better understand each other.
**Use writing**
When communicating with colleagues who have heavy accents, I'd also rely a bit more on writing. Using e-mails, or using a white board in a meeting may help. On that note, I also bring a stack of index cards with me to meetings and classes.
**Use international "language"**
Smile, drawing, ... etc. are always good substitute or supplement to verbal communication. Avoid using very specific body gestures because one friendly gesture here may deem insulting in another culture.
**Learn some foreign languages**
It's actually quite interesting that comparing to my colleagues who are native speakers, I actually have an easier time filtering other countries' accents. I attributed to the fact that when sitting through English classes, our teachers put extra emphasis on highlightin how our mother tongue may cause some English words to be mispronounced. Then in university I picked up a couple foreign languages, and then now I have virtually no problem listening to people from those countries speaking English.
It may actually be impractical to learn all the languages. Here are a couple tricks I have used: First, just learn their basic pronunciation system first and if you have time, figure out how to say some basic [general words](http://www.towerofbabelfish.com/the-method/vocabulary/base-vocabulary-list/#.Ul6VVxB2GrY). In the process, evaluate how the system may work if it's used to pronounce English. For example, Japanese system does not differentiate r and l, so you may expect hearing "running" and "learning" or "lighting" and "writing" pronounced identically. Mandarin does not have the -th and Th-, so Mandarin speakers may compensate with -ve and F- (e.g. A "fief" instead of a "thief".) On the contrary, Mandarin has an elaborated series of s or s-like sounds: si, zi, and ci, with different tongue-teeth positions and amounts of air blowing through the lips. So, you may expect emphasis on some syllables that would have been only lightly pronounced if spoken by a native speaker. Italian speakers, on the other hand, tend to clearly pronounce syllable-by-syllable and attach an -e or -a after some words. Once we put the same nouns spelled in English and Italian side by side, the reason would become apparent.
Second, read some books on how to get rid of accents or how to speak in British and American accent. Most of these books would have a chapter or so dedicated to explain major mistakes made by speakers from different systems. For example, Japanese speakers may have an extra "-gu" after all words ending with -ing; Chinese speakers may not distinguish clearly between -s and -th. These tips are not for native speakers, but by learning some major traits, native speakers can quickly filter the noise and get to the content.
**Make an effort**
It takes time to understand accents. But as you speak to a certain foreign person more and more, you should be more at ease. This is particularly important when dealing with your colleagues. Keep talking and keep categorizing their speech traits, and you'll get better at talking to them. Most of these advices may make you feel vulnerable or even stupid, but as an ESL and also a foreign language learner, when it comes to language, I think we cannot be overly reserved.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: The other answers here are fantastic. Just to add my experience, **know that these conversations will take more of your time.** I'm in the US, and I've been working with a team in India for some of our coding for the past few months. I quickly realized that simply slowing everything down by about 50% improved communication significantly. Speak slower, wait longer for responses, provide and ask for clarification about twice as much... you'll have much better success if you simply accept that what would be a 15 minute conversation with a local colleague may be a 30 or 45 minute conversation with someone less familiar with the language.
On a related note, not all conversations have to be in person. I've had a lot of success with one of our contractors **limiting our interaction to email and IM**. This person is very uncomfortable speaking English, and using text-based communication has made our communication more painless and more frequent. There are still many instances when each of us has to ask for clarification, and when using IM I definitely slow down my own typing so as not to dominate the conversation, but it has helped immensely.
Upvotes: 4 |
2013/10/16 | 1,196 | 4,861 | <issue_start>username_0: I am a 4th year computer engineering undergraduate student who will apply for Ph.D. programs this winter/spring, for the next fall semester. I have decided to become an academic 2 years ago, and head of department said "keep your gpa high and you will be fine". Well, I have increased my gpa, from 2.5 to 3.5 but now I see that I need research experience to be admitted to good programs. ( I can't afford masters program)
I thought I didn't need a research experience, yet while I was thinking that, I see that undergraduate students all over the world were doing research. I admit I was naive to think so but I was guided that way. So few months ago I am trying to learn about admission process and I see many people over the internet with tons of research experience and even papers waiting to be published, or already published. And the most important part of SOP is research experience.
And guess what? There is no lab at my university. And not a single instructor that does research in the field I want. It is a very small department (5 full time assistant professors).
So obviously, I cannot get into a top or very good program with these conditions, and they have every right to decline me. But I believe it is my right to get into a good valid program that matches my interests. I shouldn't take the whole responsiblity of non existent opportunities that other students had in other universities.
I would like to know, from experienced people, about what I should do to get into a Ph.D. program without direct proof of research capabilities. No lab work, no research, nada. Just reading many papers in the field I am interested in for last few months, and high motivation.
Or is it a point where I should say "That's life and never fair" and have plan B and plan C?
Thank you<issue_comment>username_1: If you need research experience for a program, *then you need research experience* and there's not much you can do about it besides gaining that experience. Even if you did gain entry into such a program, you will lack the research skills of your peers. You'll be starting off on the back foot.
A PhD is a long-term commitment to poorly paid slave labour. What if you find out you don't even like research, 1 year in? I would strongly advise the "try before you buy" approach. Get a Master's degree or a postgraduate diploma, that has a reasonable research component.
A good PhD program will want you to prove that you have the commitment and research skills to pull it off. Once you can do that, you have a good chance for admission. If research experience is a *requirement*, then you can't just shrug it off.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I agree with the above answer by username_1, but do not believe that your hopes are gone. I have been active in analysing the academic market for a while now, and I used to think that it was necessary for Graduate students to go to to a tier 1 institution in their respective field, if they wanted to one day have a TT position in a respected university. While it doesn't hurt to do so, you should apply to more programs, that may not be ranked so high, but trust me, if you do well, you will have an equal chance to everyone else to get a TT position (tenure track position) at a respected university. Apply to programs such as ERAU (PhD ECE) or UA. Take on a research interest that is big right now, such as Radar Signal Processing, Electromagnetics, Big Data, Cyber Security, and do well in it. As one who is actively involved in advising and has talked to students, faculty, etc., as well as my own experience, you will be just fine. If you are going to only try for a tier 1 school, then it may be more competitive obviously, but in my humble opinion, is not necessary. I can tell you one thing, if you get into any PhD program I'm on familiar with institutions in the U.S., and a select few in other countries), in the USA, with a PhD program and research component, and you get your PhD, and you do well, you will be in the same boat as everyone else. If you really want the name, then finish your PhD where you get in, and then do a postdoc for a year or two at a tier 1 institution.
That being said, ERAU, UA, and many other schools, although may not be ranked as high, are excellent institutions that are not necessarily "easy" to get into.
I wish you the best on your future endeavours.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I met someone in one of the top 10 US CS PhD programs who got in with no research experience. This person said they focused really *really* hard on the subject GRE and got a very high score (much higher than mine, and I got into the same program, albeit with some modest undergrad research). So it can be done. A masters with a focus on research as others suggested might be less of a gamble though.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/17 | 2,628 | 10,810 | <issue_start>username_0: I have no formal work experience. I have a BA in sociology and went into graduate school for education. Instead of following my instincts or really thinking about whether I could teach childhood as a job, I told myself it would feel more natural. It has not.
I will fail this program if I have to teach full-time, which is required to graduate (as is an exam that's so new there are no prep books, and it is required to stay in this program). I am in my mid twenties and have zero formal work experience. Foolishly, I'm one of those people that could barely juggle a full courseload and work. I've always chosen school and realized too late that graduate school was a horrible choice for me.
In terms of anything resembling work, I've assisted as a volunteer in classrooms, written papers and portfolios, and have put two years into this program but am incredibly unhappy and cannot finish, nor do I want to be in this profession anymore. I thought it was the one way to put my useless liberal arts degree into a professional path.
Before that, I went through a year and a half after graduation looking for entry level office job, bookstores, retail...no callbacks. Maybe three interviews in the whole time. Temp agencies stopped responding and when I called one to ask why they weren't calling me in to offer advisement, they said they'd have to call me. I graduated with a 3.0 but my resume was too weak, I guess. I had friends look at it to see that it was passable, but as I said I have no experience and I'm now in my mid-20s. (And for what it's worth, am incredibly ashamed of myself.) No experience, no work. My family says I am "unemployable" and I fear they're right--I was in this program two years and should have pulled out sooner. It looks suspicious. If nothing else, it is damaging because I went to school full-time instead of working.
The time, money, and effort I spent on this makes me feel bad, but the lack of a degree/ANY work experience in all that time makes me feel worse.
So there it is, I have no work experience AND no degree to explain the time gap. Can I salvage this? I feel embarrassed even to put the school on my resume b/c of the lack of a degree, but it's the only thing I have to show for the last few years.
(This is in teaching/early childhood. I don't know how to spin graduate school into first experience in even a basic clerical job.)<issue_comment>username_1: The skills acquired as a graduate student are often very employable outside academia. I was doing a PhD in Linguistics with a focus on corpus linguistics. As part of my education, I learned statistics, Python scripting, Mandarin Chinese and technical writing. Those skills ended up getting me a job offer from a major computer software company, which I accepted and left grad school to take.
You probably have more employable skills than you think. Spend some time thinking about what skills you possess and what professions need those skills. a PhD to your name is not the first thing employers look for - they look for whether you have the skills that they need.
Stop thinking about your degree and start thinking about your skillset.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I don't know if I have much of value to add, but here is my two cents for what it is worth.
First it sounds like you have (in your opinion) gone down the wrong path, and are panicking a little bit. This is understandable. The first thing I should say, is, join the club. We've all been there. Everyone makes mistakes. The thing to do it to learn from them, and try not to repeat them. Though this is easier said to done. Also, try not to panic. It really doesn't help. If you are panicking, try to calm down. You could also try things like yoga. It can have a calming effect, apart from the health benefits.
You said you are in your mid-twenties. This is not really old at all (by any definition). Many people at this time in their lives are still trying to figure things out. So, again, don't panic. Spend a little time making a calm assessment of where you want to go, and what you want to do.
@username_1 made some useful suggestions. You said in response that all you wanted is a "basic entry level office job". Well, I don't think you do, really. If you have a functioning brain, you would hate it. I think if you are feeling that you want a job, any job, it is because you are feeling demoralized, and like a drowning person, you want a lifebelt to cling to. I think you can aim a little higher than that. Are you actually interested in (for example) statistics and computers/software/programming (per @username_1 posting)? If you are not sure, then I suggest learning a little about them, and seeing what you think. You could start by taking some basic college classes. If you aren't interested in these fields I *do not* recommend going into them. The world is already too full of programmers who aren't interested in programming and just want to make a fast buck. If you are, then you could consider a graduate degree in these areas and see where it takes you. More generally, you should consider seeing what area of specialization you think you would like. If you are an intelligent person, you probably won't be happy just dropping out of school. Most good jobs these days require some degree of specialization. You say you are "fed up with school", but this may just be a reflection of your experience in your particular program.
Specific suggestions - if you want to learn basic computer programming, try learning Python. It is about as accesible as any language out there, and very popular. It is also not a toy language; many people use it for real work, including in research contexts. Are you familiar with the world of free software? If not, try installing Debian and see what you think of it. Debian is a fairly obscure operating system, but also has some claim to be the worlds best. Other similar Linux based operating systems would probably also work. Check out unix.stackexchange.com for example.
Learning on your own about a more academic discipline like statistics is more difficult, but you could take a look at R.
You can at least respond intelligently to questions people have put here, which is more than many people seem to be able to manage.
Admittedly, none of this really has much to do with academia.
Also, again, I suggest revising your question to include the information that you have given in the comments, so people don't have to look all over the place for it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: You are frustrated because you feel that you are stuck. You want to leave academia and don't know how to find a job outside.
I'll answer a practical issue first. When you write your resume, you can say
>
> Education
>
>
> BA in sociology, University A
>
>
> Graduate study in early childhood teaching, University B
>
>
>
Prepare to explain why you did not have graduate degree from University B. Your explanation can be that you are not interested in early childhood teaching anymore. This is not uncommon. Many people change their career in their twenties, thirties or even much later.
As your employable skills, I believe you already have some. You may not know you have them. For example, writing is a very important skill. You may be surprised to find out many workers don't know how to write when you enter the job market. If you don't have the skills current in use, then acquire them. Go to job training. There are plenty available. Find what you like to do and acquire the skills needed.
Now, back to academia. I don't know what you don't like about your current graduate school. Early childhood? Teaching? Or graduate school in general? I cannot tell from your question. It seems to me that you are worried about the upcoming full time teaching program. I guess you need to be with kindergarten kids for a while. If this is the problem, I think you entered a wrong area. If one wants to study early childhood teaching, of course he/she needs to go through such a real program. Otherwise, everything you have studied is just on the paper, no real value.
If you don't like graduate school, then I would advise you to leave as early as possible. If it's the program you don't like, I would say you should consider changing your field of study. Only you know the answer. Good luck!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Short answer is yes, it is so easy to salvage the situation that over half my friends can say ‘been there, done that’. A book I found helpful at the time is ‘What Color Is Your Parachute’, by <NAME>, which is about and figuring out what you want to do, and finding work you like.
Things that I or friends have done while straight out of school and clueless: SAT/GRE tutoring, boring clerical work, low paying internships, living with parents while looking for work, or networking with friends, family, and random strangers and finding good paying jobs within a month or two. I’d strongly recommend the last one, although you can get by on the others.
You just need to find a starting point. Ask around your family and friends to shadow people at the office and get an idea of what goes on in different departments and industries. Once you have a clue what you want beyond ‘earn money’, it will be easier to focus your job search efforts. It sounds like so far you’ve just thrown your resume into the air, and gotten a copy to recruiters who have a few hundred more just like it. Instead, figure out something you’d like to try doing, and make an effort to meet people in that field, and ask them for work.
You mention that you have no skills, and then you mention you’ve taught, so you can do public speaking. You’re a graduate student, so you’re an above average writer, and probably know how to think. If you’ve worked with kids, you’ve probably done customer service type work with their parents. You say you’ll have an inexplicable time gap. Just say ‘I was in graduate school studying X, but decided that field wasn’t for me, so I left.’ I used to explain a one year gap as ‘A bunch of unrelated short term jobs that wouldn’t fit on a resume.’
Think about things you enjoy. Do you like writing? Solving puzzles? Thinking about problems, and coming up with solutions? Helping people solve their problems? Organizing and carrying through on your commitments? People skills? Marketing involves a lot of writing and strategizing, computer programming is all about solving puzzles (why I love it), or customer service lets you help people while puzzling out what their problems really are. People skills will help you out in any field you choose.
You haven’t ruined your life, or even your entire 20’s. Quit beating yourself up, and start actively looking for something different.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/17 | 512 | 2,085 | <issue_start>username_0: What information is important to provide when citing from a PhD thesis that has appeared as book?
* The publisher (even if it is a 'dubious' one that might vanish in the near future)
* or the institution and that it is a phd thesis.
As for bibtex, I wonder whether I should use the @book or the @phdthesis entry type.<issue_comment>username_1: Provide the citation form that you think will be **most useful to readers in the middle or long term**, or **provide both**.
If it's self-published, then cite it as you would cite a thesis. On the other hand, if it was published in book form by a respectable publisher (i.e. it will be easy to find 10 years from now), then cite the book. This is commonly done in some fields of humanities.
Citing both is also an option, and it does not have a downside, except it's a bit longer.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: If a thesis is published as a book with an ISBN number (or ISSN-number as is the case with theses in my university system) then the thesis is traceable and identifiable. There may even be a doi associated with it. An unpublished thesis can of course be traced back to the department where it was produced, or at least the university. But, often such theses are found on fragile perhaps unmaintained web-pages with uncertain life-span. So given the information you provide both can be quite fragile, but with the published version the traceability might be better.
One has to realize that theses are treated and stored in varying ways in different university systems. In some cases there are central repositories for unpublished thesis, in others there are not. They may even only exist as working copies for the examination committee. In my system they are printed and provided as part of a publication series (with and ISSN and ISBN number). So while there is nothing wrong with citing a PhD thesis using as you suggest bibTeX' @phdthesis, I would argue that using a published @book is better because of the official traceability (provided it has ISSN/ISBN/doi).
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/17 | 585 | 2,522 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a doubt regarding the Statement of Purpose for grad school.
Toward the end of the essay, should I specify the list of professors who I am interested to work with? For example:
*"...Since research in this field is very active in Dr. A's, Dr. B’s, Dr. C’s groups at XXX University, I would like to apply to your program..."*
My concern is: though doing so may indicate that I have read about the professors and their works (which is a plus I suppose), it is risky at the same time. What if Dr.[A-C] are not able to accept more people to their labs? Will the admission committee automatically disqualify my application in this case?
Hence, I would love to hear more advices from you of how to play it safe: whether such specifications are needed, and how to phrase them properly.
Thanks!<issue_comment>username_1: If you have *specific and substantial* reasons for wanting to work with a particular professor, definitely mention them by name and say why. But do not lie, do not bluff, and do not just drop names and paper titles. Admissions committees already know you can use Google; anyone can read the department web page. But actually incorporating appropriate technical details from someone's papers into your own research plans will generally draw their attention and impress them.
>
> What if Dr.[A-C] are not able to accept more people to their labs? Will the admission committee automatically disqualify my application in this case?
>
>
>
It should. If you want to be a student in department X specifically to work with Prof. A, but Prof. A is not taking students, then joining department X anyway would be stupid. In that case, you should *hope* that Department X rejects your application.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: **Disclaimer:** I am still a graduate student and my experience is limited to my own application process and as a student member of my department's graduate admissions committee.
I have seen that specific reasons are almost always better than general reasons. When I was going through the application process, my SOP always mentioned current specific projects that my POI's were doing and how I could be an optimal choice for those projects in the near future with my background and current research. This approach seems to have worked well enough for me.
During multiple interviews in the application process, my SOP was often alluded to, especially in context with these specific projects and my fit with them.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/17 | 835 | 3,434 | <issue_start>username_0: This is one bit of academic etiquette I'm not sure about. When I write to another researcher, a peer (we're both professors). I've never exchanged with before and never met him but I know of him (and he probably knows of me).
Erring on the side of formality, I write to him *“Dear professor Mortimer”*. I sign with my first name, because that's how I've always signed my emails (there's a formal signature block below, with full name and contact details) and I think it indicates a willingness to be called by my first name (which I prefer, but I don't want to force people one way or the other).
Is that going to be well received? Will people take the hint? Or should I just start using first names from the start? (it does sound weird to write *“dear Philipp”* to someone you don't know)<issue_comment>username_1: It is of course never wrong to use the title of the person to whom you write. In general I think it is fine to use Dr. since that is the degree most have. This may not work so well in cultures where titles are more of an obsession or where hierarchy is still well established. If the person writing is a professor, then you are of course writing from the top position and so you will either direct letters to someone at the same level or lower. This simplifies things compared to if you, yourself were not at the professor level.
As an editor of a journal I often use the term Colleague instead of Dr. this or Professor that. This is because the tile may not be completely obvious from the manuscript and I do not permit myself time to Google every author to find out. Since I am also a professor, it feels relatively safe to call everyone a colleague.
To sign off I often use my first name except if the mail has some formal aspect where, if it was a letter, I would have used my full name. In all my e-mail correspondence, I have found almost without exception, that once I sign with my first name, the mail reply will inevitably greet me by first name and be signed by a first name. I try to be a little sensitive about it but not overly so; I have "my" culture, the person I correspond with his or hers and none is above the other in my view. So In any correspondence I will open the first mail with Dear Colleague or Dear Dr. So-and-so. If the response is signed by first name then: titles away. Otherwise I will countersign correspondence with first name to break the ice.
It seems e-mail is often more forgiving than regular letters or traditional contacts. I think internet has an informal context which implicitly signals to everyone that it is less formal. I have not seen research on this but I can see, for example how students can ask quite blunt questions over e-mail while almost trembling and excusing themselves when standing at my office door (not that I am in any way trying to be intimidating).
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Using titles may sometimes be not that easy. E.g. in Germany you would write "<NAME> Prof. Dr. Smith" while in other countries one never uses the "Dr." if a "Prof." is present. Moreover, I've heard that some people would even prefer to see their kind of Dr. (e.g. Dr.Ing.).
In cases I am not sure about the title I usually go for the full name, i.e. start with "Dear <NAME>,". If you know the full name this is not wrong and I think only very few people will mind if no titles are given.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/17 | 638 | 2,742 | <issue_start>username_0: The title mostly says it all.
I am writing an article on a rarely researched topic in my field - 4-5 articles exist, as far as I know.
I recently published a related article, still making this topic a rarely researched one.
Would it be a bad practice to include my own published article in the literature review?<issue_comment>username_1: No, not at all. You should cover all publications which fall within the scope of the review, and if one of them happens to be a paper of yourself, then of course you still have to cover that in your review. Just make sure that you try to be **objective** in the way you discuss it. Best practice would be to review your paper as you would review a paper by any other author.
Maybe you have a coauthor in the review who was not coauthor on the research paper? Ask him/her to do the review section about that research paper.
Also note the positive aspect of this situation: having published a research paper in the area you are reviewing gives you more credibility as an author of a review in that area.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: No, I don't think its particularly bad practice at all, assuming that the paper is indeed relevant to the topic, rather than being a stretch.
1. The reader is reading a review paper to get a picture of the field as a whole - by not including your own papers, especially in a small field, you are in effect denying them an understanding of a significant percentage of the topic.
2. Many fields have review papers invited (or proposed as "Would you like to invite...") by people who could be considered experts in that field. I think there's a pretty clear expectation that the people best qualified to write a review work in the field, and may end up mentioning their own papers.
3. In meta-analysis, failing to include your own papers (or including your own unpublished work) has the potential to bias your findings. While your paper might not be a meta-analysis, the principle still holds - the paper should be an in-depth review of the available literature.
That being said, treat your own work with an even hand and, as has been suggested, possibly have someone else read it over to make sure no "Clearly the right answer is (Me, 2013) whose staggering genius is beyond the scope of this paper" has slipped in.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: It is common to cite own works in science, and this is not considered a bad tone.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: I just received a referee report a few weeks ago where my referee told me I needed to cite more of my own papers in the literature review section. So it definitely doesn't seem like it is bad practice, especially in mathematics.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/17 | 862 | 3,570 | <issue_start>username_0: Do you think it is against the academic code of conduct to present a paper at a conference or a departmental seminar that has already been submitted to a journal for publication?<issue_comment>username_1: There are two aspects to your question:
* **“Duplicating” a publication by having both a conference paper and a journal paper about it.**
This has been [discussed here before](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/5820/2700), and a short summary is that this usually not a problem: apart from Computer Science, where conference papers have a rather different status that in other fields, [*“publishing a paper does not normally prevent you from presenting your work at a conference”*](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/5823/2700).
* **Presenting as-yet-unpublished results in a conference/seminar**.
There's nothing wrong about that at all, and I think more people will actually enjoy you discussing recent results rather than old stuff. Customs, here again, depend on your field: I've seen more people discuss unpublished results in physics, and fewer in chemistry… but even in fields where it is less common, it is not forbidden.
One thing to note: if the paper is not yet published, it is probably polite to inform your co-authors (or ask for their permission, depending on your relationship) that you are going to present it at a conference. At least, that's what I do (and expect my co-authors to do).
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In addition to username_1's answer:
it may be good to tell the audience that the corresponding paper was submitted/accepted and give the corresponding reference, so they can look up the paper once it is out.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I do not know of any journals that do double-blind review. Having said that, here's a related scenario where there might be a problem.
>
> You have submitted a paper to a **conference** that requires
> anonymized submissions, and you give a presentation at a public
> **seminar** on the material while the paper is under review.
>
>
>
Here, while there isn't an issue of misconduct, there's a sense of actively breaching the double blind guidelines. Again, there are caveats here: some venues are more relaxed about this than others.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: In addition to username_1's answer:
I not only don't see this as a problem, but I think it is a great thing to do! By presenting a submitted (or not yet submitted) paper at a conference, you get instant feedback by a self-selected sample of people who were interested enough in your research to attend you talk - basically, the mother of all peer review. Of course, it won't be as in-depth as the reviews you get from the journal submission, but it can still be extremely helpful. And you can (and should) use the feedback from the conference to improve your submitted paper in the review process.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: While I think it is rarely an issue in the practical sense, I would still heed caution. Unless you are publishing your paper for open access, you are most of the time signing a publishing agreement with the journal and in so doing transferring copyright to them. While most journals have a liberal agreement when it comes to preprints, some do not. Hence, it is a good idea to check with your journal before you decide to publish something. Wikipedia has a helpful list of publishers and their preprint policies [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_academic_journals_by_preprint_policy).
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/17 | 890 | 3,771 | <issue_start>username_0: The blog Retraction Watch posted an interesting question the other day [about reviewing the same paper twice, rejecting it both times, and then later finding out it was published in a different journal](http://retractionwatch.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/ask-retraction-watch-whats-a-reviewer-to-do/). The reason for rejection was that the author(s) failed to mention previous work using the same dataset; seemingly a case of [very similar publications](http://familyinequality.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/one-case/) (or [piecemeal publication](http://www.asc41.com/Criminologist/2012/2012_September-October_Criminologist.pdf), or borderline plagiarism, however you want to describe it).
So what is an appropriate course of action for the reviewer in this circumstance?<issue_comment>username_1: Now that the paper has been published, your role is not that of a reviewer anymore, but is the same as any reader. Anyone might read the paper and draw the same conclusions as you.
As such, you can act just as any reader would act, without having to disclose your earlier role as a reviewer. It seems to me that you then have a choice of three options:
1. Write to the authors
2. Write a comment to their paper
3. Write to the editor, mentioning your doubts about the adequacy of references to the existing literature (including previous studies by the authors)
In your particular case, the only additional information that you (as a former reviewer) have is that the authors have been journal-shopping for their paper, and do not want to make the necessary modifications to it. This means that solution #1 is probably not going to be productive, because the authors acted in bad faith. So, you're left with #2 and #3.
If you choose to write a public comment, you definitely cannot say that you were a reviewer for a previous version of the journal. On the other hand, if you write to the editor, I think you could reasonably give him that information (*“I was a reviewer of this particular paper for another journal”*), because (i) it may change his point of view of the author's honesty, (ii) he will treat it as confidential information.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I would suggest contacting the editors of the journal where it was published and pointing out the problem. However, the problem of salami slicing (to chose one expression) publications are not necessarily grounds for retraction so not much may happen. What will at least be achieved by such a contact is to make editors aware of the behaviour, which may be a very small victory in the battle against such publications.
In cases like this it also pays to look at cases brought up by the [Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)](http://publicationethics.org/). I found one case on [An attempt to publish data already published elsewhere](http://publicationethics.org/case/attempt-publish-data-already-published-elsewhere) which may be interesting to read. Each individual case must be weighed against these COPE cases and evaluated separately. In the linked case, retraction of both papers was in fact the resolution. It may be useful to point the editors towards the COPE site and any COPE case that might be applicable.
I handled a case where someone published a paper in what they thought was in-house "publication" ("" indicating the didn't see it as published). The submitted paper was more or less a copy of the other with another years worth of data added. The problem was that the in-house publication had an ISSN number and had to be counted as a real publication. We rejected the paper much to the dismay of the first author. The point is that some people try to publish and from pressure or ignorance end up in these bad situations.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/17 | 3,178 | 12,857 | <issue_start>username_0: I love my full-time job and do not wish to leave it (statistician in a small-ish research institute within a large university) because I believe the research we do will someday benefit humanity and because I get the freedom to pursue my own research and several open-source statistical software projects I'm developing.
However, I am not making enough to provide for my family, and we are starting to feel it. I'm looking for something low-risk that I can do from home and on my own schedule, so finding an adjunct position someplace is not on the table. I'm looking into ways to commercialize my software and teaching myself about investing, but neither of those will be reliable income streams anytime soon.
So, I would like to solicit people's stories/advice on how they got into freelance statistical consulting or any other "low-hanging fruit" jobs.
Also, are there specific types of businesses that are known to hire free-lancers to do survival analysis, repeated measures regression, and all-around R programming?
I'm not trying to be the next James Goodnight, just to find a way to make some extra cash doing stuff I find easy and other people find difficult. I'll do web development if I have to, but I figure there should be a more profitable niche where I put my less common skills to use.<issue_comment>username_1: I have a few friends with similar stories, though in different fields of science. Overall, they realized that their specialty is not their only skill, and that as successful researchers, other generic skills are more in demand. In particular, you can be a **scientific or technical editor, scientific writer, copy-editor, technical translator** (especially if you live in a country where English is not the primary language). These tasks are in very high demand, and allow you to work on a “as needed” basis.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: This is more of a brainstorming session/life hack than an answer specific for academic, hopefully this can spark some more inputs. As a disclaimer, I identify with you as I am also working in the field of biostatistics and epidemiology, though I have not actively sought after extra income. However, I have always been a financial life junkie and I used to love to daydream how to be rich or at least to enjoy retirement with dignity. Here are some of my thoughts and, well, refined thoughts.
**Saving = Income - Expenses**
We should first recognize that you can save money by either getting more or spending less. Before going to get more, I'd recommend sitting down with your spouse and go over the financial situation. Here are a few exercises that I found easy to pick up, and once you have started, you may see if this route is good:
1. *Create a happy matrix for your spending:* Print out your credit card statement(s), item by item, grade how each of them makes you happy (Likert's scale, etc. you know the drill.) Identify things that are not contributing any satisfaction and avoid making the same purchase again. For those that truly make you happy, evaluate if you can cut back (usually, from all my reading, the culprit is often the $7.90 something Starbucks grande latte and a scone for the breakfast), or substitute with cheaper options such as shifting to other vendors or make them at home. I especially recommend everyone to check their credit card bill, bank bill, and cell phone bill: When I first started this routine, I found out that I have $280 sitting in my credit card as cash back! I just never claimed it.
2. *Have an energy audit of your house:* Most local government should be able to point you to some free energy audit service. They will evaluate your house's insulation, electricity usage, conditions of the heating system etc. and provide you a list of improvements and expected return on investment. For example, you can spend about $1,200 to inject foam in between inner and outer wall, and drop your heating bill by more than $200 per year. Other gadgets like motion sensing switch, smart thermostat, and CFL light bulbs may also help.
3. *Take public transport or bike:* I actually use this method. I don't drive and I live about 9 miles away from work. I commute on bike in spring, summer, and fall; and use subway in winter.
4. *Commit to be green:* This sounds like quite off. But I have come to realize that once you want to cut down on trash, you can't help but cut down on consumption. For example, I bring my travel mug and a collapsible box everywhere in case if I need to buy a drink or food. Since packaged food is automatically out of the equation (which are usually more expensive per weight), I save some money there. I also go to wet market or farmer's market for food, and I don't consume processed food. If I need an item I check out local flea market and freecycle websites (I give away stuff through freecycle as well.) For level 2 difficulty: Commit to be a vegetarian or vegan. Meatless lifestyle simplifies life tremendously.
5. *Use your educator's identity:* [Many vendors](http://www.giftcardgranny.com/blog/the-complete-list-of-66-teacher-discounts/) provide discount to educators. Since you work in a university, you can flash your staff card and get some good saving here and there. I'd also encourage you to check with your university's benefit page. I got a 24% discount on my phone bill just because I filled in an extra form.
**Then up a notch**
If you have mortgages and complicated insurances, etc. Consider talking to a financial planner. Most of them can point you to some restructuring to make the system more streamlined. Simple things like grouping the insurance to one company can save monthly payment. I have even read about an extreme case that a couple actually ends up saving more by having one of them stopped working because the commute, childcare, and other expenses were eating into the take-home income so much.
**Now, zoom out**
I do understand that you value your biostatistics skills. But when it comes to making money, you don't have to only work on biostatistics. For me, after 9 hours of coding and reading outputs, I'd rather see something else. Once you have broken out from the box, you'll feel more liberated. Reassess your passions and hobbies, and see if you can pursue an instructor position somewhere. For example, personal trainer, yoga teacher, musical instrument teacher, handcraft, carpentry, gardening, etc.
On my own spare time, I write video game walkthroughs, and post them on various websites and my own wiki sites. In the walkthrough I put affiliated links to vendors and in the wiki I earn Google Ads money. Given I am not very prolific, I don't earn a lot, but I can usually pocket about $300-400 a year if I happen to have written a walkthrough for a popular game.
**Finally, zoom back in**
Now, back to your question. There are many ways a biostatistcian can expand their job repertoire. Here are some examples:
1. *Consult your local classified websites such as Craigslist:* Check for consultant type of jobs. You may even post an ad if you are so enticed. I used to do some consultation on and off as a student and got to charge $50 to $100 an hour.
2. *Propose a course to local adult learning center:* Most cities should have some adult learning centers the provide classes on hobbies or professional skills. Meet with the director and propose a course (on R, for example). You can build clientele and enlarge your social network as well.
3. *Statistical editor and reader:* You can also contact local editors and discuss on possibility to be an ad hoc statistical editor. I am actually working towards this direction. In my institution there are a lot of orphan data: grants ended, staff left, no body works on it and publishes the work. I found my niche of being a data undertaker, and I grew to be very interested in writing as well. Other than editors, you can also sell your skills to students who are writing their thesis. Most of their works can benefit by having a round of quantitative examination.
4. *Look for an adjunct position:* I know you don't want to, but I'd urge you to be a bit more adventurous on this option. Since online education is actually picking up traction, your skill in biostatistics and website building may actually be a good combination for some institutions looking for a way to move their program online. For remote course you usually just need to meet the student in the first 1-2 weeks or every other week, which can still preserve your flexible time table. Use online chat or billboard for office hour, give students feedback using track-changes, etc. You can do most of these at home.
**Closing remarks**
I hope I didn't sound patronizing. But I wholeheartedly hope you may find some of these useful. I used to have mindset like you do, thinking of how to expand my income sources (I have my own expense and family in my home country to support), but after a few rounds of thinking, and sorting out what are the most important, I didn't feel like that any more. Now I make sure I have good pre-tax saving taken out first, save at least 10%, allocate money for family, allocate minimal expenses, keep about 5% or so for entertainment, buy used, give away or sell my own used goods, bike to work, stop all cable TV, lend to people on Kiva.org, simplify my closet, practice the motto of "buy the experience, don't buy the stuff"... etc. I realize that I still have enough, and I am not really sure what I was fussing about in the past. I'm happier, calmer, and definitely feeling clearer about what I want. And I certainly hope you'll be able to find your solution as well!
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: My answer complements the other, nicely crafted answers.
**Disclaimer:** My core competency is that of a statistician as well and I am still a graduate student.
I don't really *need* to earn extra money. However, in the recent past, I have been hired on as an analyst or statistician for various projects by other professors or researchers in my university or in other universities.
**How did this happen?**
Personal networking I presume. I don't really make an effort to network at conferences or their ilk (I mostly attend talks which I want to ; the poster sessions and hang out with whomever is most fun. :))
However, through formal and informal interactions with professors in my department and elsewhere, I have come to understand that I almost always position myself (*to them*) as a researcher coming from a math/stat background who is trying hard to understand and put on curious foot after the other in the interdisciplinary world of HCI/privacy etc.
This unintentional (*and honest*) positioning infrequently results in conversations like " **Hey ! We have a cool dataset and need to publish a paper which answers some of these research questions. Do you want to lend us your skillz in return for money/19th authorship?** "
Usually, in such cases, I almost always take the authorship offer but I have also done it for payment in the past as well. Sometimes, if its a really cool collaboration, it yields both !!
Therefore, I advise you to reach out through your contacts, other researchers in your institute/university/college/department informally (lunch/dinner/happy hour) or formally (seminar/colloquium/email) and see what opportunities might be there in your own backyard. You never know.
Good luck !
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I found ***private tutoring*** to be a great way to earn money on the side as an academic.
This often just involves going through exam papers with your tutee (e.g. studying Maths A-levels, GCSEs etc).
Here are some advantages:
* Great pay: ~£15-30/hr (depending on whether you are free-lance or via some agency or academy)
* Flexible hours: Often demand for tuition is after school hours ~5-7pm
* Rewarding and satisfying, your students remember you and may one day be great interns
* Self-improvement:
+ Keep up to date on pre-university curriculum/vocablurary (good if you need to lecture 1st year undergrads)
+ Keeping afresh the fundamental concepts
+ Great way to network with parents who may be in areas of business you may be interested in future
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: Have you tried [Zombal](http://zombal.com)?
**Disclaimer**
I have nothing to do with Zombal. I don't get paid whatsoever.
I am a statistician working in the government sector, and I don't earn a lot. So I too was looking to get some side income. I found Zombal through [this blog](http://robjhyndman.com/hyndsight/zombal/), which makes Zombal look quite good. I have yet to give it a try because I don't quite have the time (yet) and like @penguin\_knight, I am not sure I want to do more stats after work.
But since you are asking how you can get side jobs, I am throwing this out as an option.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/17 | 891 | 3,944 | <issue_start>username_0: Recently I caught a paper which had plagiarized my paper. Several sentences had been copied from my article without citing my article. Some of the copied sentences had been shuffled, so the words were the same but the order of the words had been changed. Some other sentences were exactly copied from my article. Besides, all the copied sentences in the new article appeared in approximately same places to the original sentences used by me in my article. I am not inexperienced in academia and without any severe bias, it was quite obvious that they have picked my sentences. Even the citations at the end of my sentences had been used in the same order in the new article... Moreover, the style of my sentences were unique to my article and not inspired from another article. So it was not possible that those authors were copying from another source other than my paper.
I said all the above points to the editor of the journal. I also highlighted all the copied sentences and put very detailed comments beside each highlighted sentence in the new article and attached the new article and my article to the journal editor so he could see for himself. He didn't respond. So I searched for and found the email addresses of all the editorial members of the journal and emailed them the same letter, frequently. All the emails were correct and running. Only one of the addresses bounced my letter. So I am pretty sure they have received my emails.
However they again didn't do anything about it, nor they did respond to me... So I wonder what else can I do?
I intend to report them to as many authorities as possible. I know a couple of them, but don't think they will do much about it. I need to know what can I do about it? What those authorities are legally able to do? And that should I sue them in court or not? The plagiarizing journal is in Turkey (not my country) and I don't know can I sue them in a court of my country? Are there other routes for filing copyright theft complaints?
Any suggestion is appreciated for when the journal tries to hide the plagiarism or doesn't care about it.<issue_comment>username_1: * Document everything.
* If you can't get a reply from the editors of the journal, write to the publisher. Or if it's the journal of a learned society, contact them.
* You probably can't act alone, but you may get more powerful allies (deeper pockets) on your side. There are others around you who have a vested interest in your work.
In particular, the journal where you published your work… given that you transferred them the copyright, I suppose they might act in their own name against the plagiarist. Even if it does not escalate all the way to a legal action, the publisher of the plagiarized work might respond (or respond faster) to a well-known publisher.
Your employer may also have an interest in helping you enforcing your copyright. They may also have a legal department who can advise you on this matter.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: If the journal editor(s) did not act (a question is of course how much time they should have before "doing" something), it should be possible to contact the publisher. If the editor(s) are not interested in digging into a problem, a serious publisher will probably think differently. So, the step beyond editors will be the publisher.
You should also look at [the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)](http://publicationethics.org/). COPE has a library of cases where assorted possibly unethical behaviours have been assessed. COPE is not intended for individuals but for editors to handle poor behaviour. But, by looking at their case studies you may find additional support for your case to influence both editors and publishers.
I cannot answer the questions on legal actions but considering theft of, for example, copyrighted music, fashion and technology around the world, plagiarism will be low on the scale.
Upvotes: 4 |
2013/10/17 | 410 | 1,450 | <issue_start>username_0: When selecting an American business school, we look for certain accreditations specific to business schools, like ACBSP, AACSB, CHEA, , etc.
For European universities, we look for Equis, AMBA, etc.
What about British universities? (For pursuing a PhD in a UK business school.)<issue_comment>username_1: Same as EU: UK has [16 schools](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_accreditation#UK_.2816_schools.29) with triple AACSB-AMBA-EQUIS accreditation, which is a good sign that it follows the same agencies as the rest of the world (or at least, as the rest of EU).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I am not sure how valuable accreditations are. I would suggest going by reputation rather than a binary is/isn't accredited. I think it would be rare for a school to have a "good" reputation, but lack critical accreditations. There likely is variability in the accreditations that schools with questionable reputations have. I would still base my decision on reputation and then only when deciding between a few schools with very similar reputations give any weight to accreditation. As for finding out about reputation word of mouth, league tables (e.g., the [Guradian](http://www.theguardian.com/education/table/2013/jun/04/university-guide-business-management-studies) tables), and the [RAE](http://www.rae.ac.uk/results/qualityProfile.aspx?id=36&type=uoa) are reasonable starting points.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/18 | 2,169 | 8,727 | <issue_start>username_0: Somewhat similar to [this question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/4784/7921), but looking for resources (books/articles, etc) for undergrad students who are not very familiar with designing effective surveys, (for example, one student is creating a survey in [SurveyMonkey](https://www.surveymonkey.com/) to evaluate nurses' attitudes toward their work). **I'm looking for a resource to help my students develop survey questions that will return meaningful, non-biases responses.**
Note: this is in the social sciences, but would welcome resources that will be helpful to undergrads in any field.<issue_comment>username_1: What they need is proper training in survey design and analysis. Let's say, around 80 hours of teaching and then a lot of practical work, assuming they've already got a basic stats grounding.
It's a serious technical skill, and you won't do them any favours if you don't treat it as seriously as any other tool they might use.
**One option might be to work with a colleague who does teach survey design and analysis.** They may well have students who are looking for some material on which to practice their new skills. Perhaps your colleague can set for them, as homework, the task of working with one of your students on the survey design. That way, your students get to introduce their students to their subject (learning by teaching), and they get to see survey science done reasonably well (assuming your colleague has taught them well).
Just because survey design looks easy and online tools enable any fool to do it, doesn't mean that any fool **should** do it.
A complaint about "giving them a well when they only need a drink", doesn't hold water. How could any teacher encourage their students to do bad science, or cultivate a contempt for other experts' fields?
(are they [physicists](http://xkcd.com/793/)?)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Some advice, but not a resource.
* As something that you want to happen quickly, EnergyNumbers' advice to
find a colleague who does this or teaches a class on it is
appropriate. Ask this individual if they would be willing to come to
your class for one or two sessions to give the students an overview
of the process, including examples of good and bad survey questions.
A whole lot of success can be achieved by mimicking the successful
behavior of others, even if you do not have time to get into the
underlying theory (cf. memorizing basic arithmetic facts instead of teaching children to construct them *a priori*).
* As an exercise, have each student write two or three survey questions independently and test them on the rest of the class.
Depending on the number of students in the class, extreme biases
should emerge under review by the class.
* Strive for a neutral tone in the questions. If you are asking an opinion question, do not ask how strongly they agree/disagree with **one opinion** on the issue. Give them a range of opinions and let them pick the one they agree with most. Let the respondents provide the bias (otherwise, what are you looking for). Let's go with the nurse example proposed in the question. Let's look at two questions about shift length:
>
> To what degree do you agree or disagree to the following statement: "My shifts are usually longer than I would prefer."
>
>
>
1. Strongly agree.
2. Somewhat agree.
3. Neither agree nor disagree.
4. Somewhat disagree.
5. Strongly disagree.
>
> Please select the response that most closely matches your opinion regarding the lengths of your shifts.
>
>
>
1. Most of my shifts are too short. I could work longer shifts if it was needed.
2. I sometimes have shifts that atr shorter than I would like, but most of my shifts are of an acceptable length.
3. I like the lengths of my shifts. They are neither too long nor too short.
4. I sometimes have shifts that are longer than I would like, but most of my shifts are of an acceptable length.
5. Most of my shifts are too long. I would prefer to work shorter shifts if possible.
6. Other (provide a spot for written comments).
Both questions are after the same info - how nurses feel about the length of their shifts. The first question is biased - it is asking nurses whether they agree with just one (negative) opinion about shift length. You have given them just one opinion to agree with about an issue instead of a range of opinions to agree with. The second one is not *as* biased. It goes after the same information, but in a different way - by providing a list of five opinions about shift length running the gamut from *too short* to *too long* and asking each respondent to pick which one they like most.
* Provide an **other** option. Notice that my second question has this option. That way you can capture the few of the more unusual opinions without railroading the respondents into just the choices you provided.
* Use simple language. Do not use flowery language or more complex wording than necessary. Notice that my second question did not read:
`Please meditate on the durations of your shifts and select the
response that most closely matches the harmonious resonances of your
soul.`
* Avoid technical jargon unless that technical jargon is understood by all of your respondents (and then think twice about it) or if the survey is about technical aspects of the respondents' work. Jargon related to the nursing field would be appropriate, but be careful. Jargon used by a geriatric nurse might not be understandable to a nurse anesthetist. Since you student probably does not know much nursing jargon, such jargon should be avoided.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: Zimmerman I think I can help you out. I have a resource where students can create and deploy surveys. It also has a tutorial that helps you create a survey from beginning to end including tips on creating neutral non biased questions.
Check out SurveySidekick.com
The site should be especially useful for beginner survey designers. It was created by Teachers College Columbia University and meant for any higher-ed students so I think this is appropriate for your students.
Hope this helps!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Everybody can design a good question, right? Just like everybody can build a car engine. Or everybody can cook Boe<NAME> a la <NAME>. Or everybody can write a speech for a candidate in a state governor election. Instrument design is a professional work that requires understanding how people respond to questions, which in turn requires some psychology on the respondent's end, some statistics on the data user's end, some computer graphics on the GUI end, etc. As a professional survey statistician, my professional duty is to discourage your creating a false sense of "doability" here. Rectifying the user-written instruments is an unpleasant part of the job that a team of survey methodologists in my company has to perform more often than we would have liked to.
Having said that, I would encourage you to lookup something like ["questionnaire design class syllabus"](http://lmgtfy.com/?q=questionnaire+design+class+syllabus). The [JPSM/UNC class](http://www.irss.unc.edu/content/pdf/Questionnaire%20Design%20Fall%20%2711%20Syllabus%20Final.pdf) looks good, and refers to right books. The reading list of the [UIC course](http://www.uic.edu/classes/chsc/chsc577/Syllabus.pdf) is very comprehensive, if not intimidating. If you don't have the time to read any books, the minimum self-check list is available through the [RTI's Question Appraisal System](http://appliedresearch.cancer.gov/areas/cognitive/qas99.pdf).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: I have found several resources that are helpful for introducing motivated undergrads to the concepts of survey design and analysis. My own favorites are
* [Survey Questions: Handcrafting the Standardized Questionnaire](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0803927436)
* [Methods in Psychological Research](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1412977886)
These books provide a good overview, and are accessible to beginners.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_6: I know an answer has already been accepted but I will add this for future searchers.
Coursera has a module called [Questionnaire Design for Social Surveys](https://class.coursera.org/questionnairedesign-001). Since it's free and you can pick and choose which video lectures to watch, your students might find it quite helpful.
One example of the lectures included is "Measurement Error: Bias and Variance" but there are also plenty of others to not just measure bias but also reduce it.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/18 | 947 | 4,054 | <issue_start>username_0: I am doing my PhD research in a new multidisciplinary field within Computer Science. It is new in the sense that there are still no tools/implementations publicly available and several workshops co-located with different conferences. Many papers targeting this new area, have been published in different conferences and journals. As a PhD student and besides the scientific contributions, I would wonder what other *soft* things I can do for the field?
So far I have developed a tool for one of the main models in the field. I am documenting it to make it public. I thought about maintaining a bibliography. but not sure how beneficial it is.<issue_comment>username_1: You should remember that as a Ph.D student, the instruments at your disposal are limited. Having said that, maintaining a bibliography is a useful way to collect all relevant information in one place, especially given the multidisciplinary nature of the area. If you do this though, be careful to
* make sure things are always kept up-to-date. There's nothing more annoying than a half-baked reference page
* Be very liberal in what you include in the bibliography. It shouldn't be perceived that you're being a gatekeeper for the area.
* If possible, provide some structure to the bibliography: sections, maybe some annotation, etc. Depending on how web-savvy you are, you might be able to create a form for people to enter information in themselves.
The primary benefit for you will be access to the entire body of work in the area, and some credit for maintaining the page. There will undoubtedly be name recognition benefits if you are perceived not only as the librarian, but as an expert on the topic.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: **Disclaimer:** I am also currently a PhD student.
My research lies at the intersection(s) of HCI, privacy, location based social networks, mobility theory and spatial statistics. This means that the work in this area gets published from computer science-y journals like ACM CACM, IEEE Privacy & Security to communication-y journals like New Media and Society to conferences like CHI, SOUPS and MobileHCI.
I adopt 3 strategies to organize my own work. If I do not do this then the existing literature and new critical thinking about my area will spiral out of control for me.
1. I maintain an annotated bibliography for any relevant work in this area. As username_1 pointed out, its generally up-to-date and quite liberal in nature. This is not public but I always email it to folks who ask for it. I find that maintaining a bibliography in [Mendeley](http://www.mendeley.com/), exporting as a BibTeX file and writing a couple of sentences about each article works for me. I make sure that each article is filed under some loose sub-heading. For instance, one such general sub-heading in my area could be "**Location Privacy and Surveillance.**"
2. I write scripts in order to extract, manipulate and analyze data and I always publish them on [github](https://github.com/). This is public. Usually, I write scripts in php, python or R. Its great to see other folks forking my projects or following them and making them better than I could. :)
3. I write *short* blog posts about my impressions on certain topics and also post some simplistic visualizations and analyses of my work there. I take special care in making sure that these are short but to the point. Nobody likes to read long, rambling blog posts. :P
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: One very valuable thing you can do is to try to form or contribute to an online community of researchers in your subfield. In my area, these communities tend to form lately on Google+ and/or Twitter. You can start by following/adding to your circles people you know who use these social networks. Then when you read (or write) an interesting paper, post your commentary for others to read.
On G+, if you add the #spnetwork tag to your posts, they will also appear on <https://selectedpapers.net/>, giving them wider exposure.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/18 | 738 | 3,253 | <issue_start>username_0: I am currently dating a PhD student in the same department as me (I am also a PhD student). Not the same research group, but closely related topics anyway. We're both happy with it, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but I am worried about possible negative consequences on the job.
So, what rules (written and unwritten) should be followed when dating someone like that? that is we do not work together everyday but we are still working closely, both geographically and scientifically.<issue_comment>username_1: Concerning written rules you need to find out if any exist in your department, university etc. you will certainly not be the first or the only couple in this "situation". Unwritten rules are perhaps what you need to care more about and then I am actually not so much thinking about rules as such. First off, people know more about your relationship than you think. Or perhaps more precisely, they think they know more, in other words rumours and gossip might spread. so the advice is to be open about it and think about it as two adult persons in a relationship. It is your life, it is not a secret and most importantly, it is natural.
Regarding your work, you need to act professionally (like any other should). You need to help each other prioritize your respective careers and make sure your relationship can function despite the pressures graduate school inevitably involves. So in my opinion, you should worry more about balancing work and relationship so that you both can spend the time necessary to succeed. this means making sure the relationship does not directly or indirectly affect others on a professional level.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: One possible thing to watch out for: in some departments, graduate students may work as teaching assistants for graduate courses. You should ask not to be assigned to TA courses which your significant other is taking (and he or she should do likewise), as this would represent a possible conflict of interest. Even if you can grade your SO's work objectively, there might be a perception of unfairness among other students. Likewise, if any other situation should arise where one of you might be in a position of authority over the other, you'd need to disclose the conflict of interest and be prepared to resolve it.
Otherwise, as username_1 said, relationships between graduate students are very common and aren't likely to cause academic concern. Just stay professional about it (e.g. don't make out in the hallways).
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: As long as you and your partner aren't put into any "boss-subordinate" professional relationship, it is nobody else's business what you are doing. So, it is perfectly fine to be in the same research group, the same class, etc., as long as it is not a direct "teacher-student" relationship. In the latter case just check what the university rules are.
The only (but major) negative consequence for the job is that if your relationship gets serious, you'll get a two-body problem to solve. I've been trying to solve mine since 1995 with no really satisfactory results (at best I could rank the arrangements I had as "tolerable"). So, watch out!
Upvotes: 4 |
2013/10/18 | 1,598 | 6,174 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm just had a look at my citations and they are in an aweful state. Most conference papers that I imported into my citation manager have different styles, e.g.:
```
IEEEE Conference on Emerging Txxx Bxxx Qxxxxxxx, 2009 (ETBQ 2009)
IEEEE Conference on Old Wxxx Yxxx Sxxxxxxx (OWYS), 2009
IEEEE Conference on Txxx Txxx Xxxxxxxx, 2009, (TTX 2009)
IEEEE Conference on Gold. 2009 (Chicago)
```
Am I allowed to bring all conferences into the same format?
What format would you recommend? Should I drop abbreviation, year, or place of the conference as it is repeated? I think the year might have to stay because e.g. a coference might be held in Dec. 2009 and the papers are only published in Feb. 2010, hence the 2009 date would be lost. I also like the abbreviation as it helps my to identify the coferences in one glimps.
**Second question:** Should I add "Proceeding of the" in front of every conference?<issue_comment>username_1: It is clear that the papers from the same publication should follow the same format. The proceedings or journal should provide a suggested reference format for the papers. This should point you to what is a correct way to reference them and format the entry in your database.
When you enter papers into a data base you should try to follow the suggested reference in terms of what information is suggested to be included. I use bibTeX and enter the full name of the publication. I can also provide the formal abbreviation of the journal since the format for references in journals vary, some use full names some use abbreviations. There is a [data base for journal abbreviations](http://images.webofknowledge.com/WOK46/help/WOS/A_abrvjt.html) established by ISI that should give you the correct abbreviated format for all. I assume many if not all reference managers have ways of handling full and abbreviated names, probably using full names as a standard. With proceedings that are not included in the list you ave to follow the suggestions from the proceedings and also use the correct abbreviations for specific words as suggested in the ISI data base.
Many authors do not know about the correct abbreviations, or do not bother to follow them, which causes confusion in databases. I have papers that occur under up to 4 different posts because of inappropriate journal names, wrong volume or page numbers etc.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: As conferences are very important for computer science, here is this [list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_science_conference_acronyms) on wikipedia.
And at the end it also lists [conference acronyms from LNCS series](ftp://ftp.springer.de/pub/tex/latex/llncs/LNCS_Conference_Acronym_Index.pdf) published by Springer (LNCS publishes roughly half of CS conferences).
[This link](http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/conferences.jsp) lists correct names for IEEE conferences, and [this link](http://dl.acm.org/events.cfm?CFID=257044285&CFTOKEN=<PASSWORD>) lists those for ACM conferences.
All-together, those would cover 85% of conferences in Computer Science:)
Personally, I would advise to not go for journal-like shortening of conf names, which is IMHO last century, now we don't have a problem of storing longer strings in the database:)
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: There is an important and unfortunate caveat for managing citations that I bring up because this refers to IEEE. In IEEE, ACM, and many other computer science and electrical engineering venues, it is often the case that there are strict page limits and the citations are counted toward that limit. This happens mostly with conferences, but sometimes even with journals.
Because of this, I often find it necessary to maintain both a "master" reference database and an ad hoc "abbreviated" copy of the database used for a particular paper. In the master database, I keep the full everything in all its bibliographic detail to the best of my ability. In the abbreviated copy, conference and journal names get shortened as necessary to purge the bibliography of [widow and orphans](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widows_and_orphans)
and extract those last few lines necessary to get the text to fit. It's a nasty, undignified practice, and I consider it the lesser of two evils if it can preserve technical content without decreasing the ability of a reader to locate citations.
The ability to find the citation, though, is sacrosanct. Authors, title, year (and volume and issue if available), must never be trifled with. As such, the shortening targets that tend I use, in order, are:
* "Proceedings of the..." can always go, as can the location of a conference.
* "International Conference on" goes to "Int'l Conf. on" and then vanishes
* Most EE/CS conference have acronyms: an exceedingly well-known conference can be entirely replaced by its acronym.
Thus, for example, "Proceedings of the 23rd International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Beijing, China" can ablate all the way down to "IJCAI", saving 1-2 lines in typical IEEE format bibliography. It's an ugly business, and maybe I shouldn't admit to it out loud on the internet, but it's a useful practice that I still find ethical as long as the spirit of readily locatable citation is preserved.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: *"Am I allowed to bring all conferences into the same format?"*: **Yes**, please do it, and please make sure that you **always give the abbreviation**, because this is the only way to easily recognise the conferences.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: If you are publishing specifically with the IEEE then I would recommend looking at their [Citation Reference Guide](https://ieee-dataport.org/sites/default/files/analysis/27/IEEE%20Citation%20Guidelines.pdf) which also explains the way common words from conferences are abbreviated and what you should include.
For example, the word "Proceedings" is abbreviated to Proc., Conference to Conf. etc and a paper from a conference would look like this:
[1] <NAME>. Author, “Title of paper,” in *Unabbreviated Name of Conf.* , City of Conf., Abbrev. State (if given), year, pp. xxx-xxx.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/18 | 269 | 1,014 | <issue_start>username_0: While I am writing the references for my paper, I usually **copy and paste the bibliographic** information and use it **directly**. AFAIK, most of them are in the full version, meaning that all the author names are spelled out, e.g. *<NAME>*. *(They can be really long!)*.
Also given the fact that some conferences do have a **page limit** (e.g. 6 pages maximum), directly using those tedious full names is sometimes a luxury I cannot afford.
**Under this type of circumstances, should I shorten the author names?**<issue_comment>username_1: Sure, why not? There's nothing wrong with using first initials consistently.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: This is almost always dictated by the style guide of the journal/conference/whatever to which you're submitting. Check with them, or better yet, use a bibtex style definition file provided by them (e.g., [IEEE](http://mirrors.ibiblio.org/CTAN/macros/latex/contrib/IEEEtran/bibtex/IEEEtran_bst_HOWTO.pdf)).
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/19 | 534 | 2,268 | <issue_start>username_0: Perhaps it is too early to ask this, but I will go ahead anyway, to satisfy my curiosity. I am currently studying Arts in a University, aiming to get a BA Honours in English and German. If I went ahead to get a Masters, would I have to choose one of them, or could I continue with both? And similarly for a Doctoral, if I get that far, does it have to be one subject at a time?<issue_comment>username_1: If you do research based Masters and/or PhD, you could probably find a specific research that combines elements of both - quite often (not always), these types of projects turn out to be the better ones, as they force the researcher to establish, rationalise and justify the links between them.
Even though my research has not been in linguistics, rather in the applied physical sciences field, my research combined a few subjects together - in my case: atmospheric physics, programming and signal processing.
So, it is very possible to do, in your case, relevant elements of both English and German in a single research postgraduate degree.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: If you're question is:
>
> Can I do a 'double master's' in English and German the same way I can 'double major' in English and German?
>
>
>
The answer is **not easily**. The reason for this is that admissions to master's programs are normally decided by the department, not by the university as a whole. Therefore, admission to one program (say, a master's in English) does not give you the right to get a master's degree in the other program (here, German). You would have to apply to the programs separately. It is also difficult to study for multiple master's degrees simultaneously, since the coursework tends to be disjoint sets, and therefore you would probably need to complete the degrees sequentially (at best).
The doctoral thesis topic would allow you to combine the two disciplines. However, it may be administratively difficult to have two different departments listed on your degree; this is an administrative issue rather than an academic one. There is usually an approved list of fields that can be listed on the diploma; if you want something else, you will have to petition for it, which could be a difficult process.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/19 | 1,003 | 4,394 | <issue_start>username_0: I want to ask the authors of a paper if they have thoughts on an application of their work. I'm not sure who to email.
The first author is a grad student, who is supervised by the last author - however, the authors are in alphabetical order so I'm not sure if there is any meaning to the ordering. The paper is in economics, which traditionally goes alphabetically, I believe.
Should I email all the authors in one bulk message? Just the professors? Choose one of the authors at random and email them?<issue_comment>username_1: Papers usually have one (or more) designated **corresponding author**, or “contact author”, or “author to whom correspondance should be addressed”. That's whom you should contact.
Sometimes it's indicated by a footnote, an asterisk, or at the end of the paper. Sometimes, it's indicated by the fact that only corresponding authors have their email address listed.
**If there is no corresponding author, then email either the first author or senior author**, depending on the nature of your question and how confident you feel in communicating with them. **I would refrain from copying the email to all authors** (except maybe if there are only two): if he wants to, the author you will write to can forward your query to others.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: While this involves a little more work, it might be possible to do some digging to see who's the prime mover on the paper. For example, if one of the authors has a series of papers on the topic, or if it's part of an author's thesis, and so on. If you're able to find such a person, then it might help to email them directly. If not, then @username_1's solution is fine.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: In fields like pure mathematics, where authors are given equal credit, I'd recommend e-mailing all the authors unless there are an awfully large number of them or special circumstances apply (you know an author personally, you happen to know that your question is most relevant to a specific author, etc.). The reason is that if you single out a specific author, then the other authors may try to guess why. Is it because the author you chose is the most famous? Because you mistakenly think they deserve most of the credit? Because you are ignoring a woman in favor of her male coauthor? Of course nobody will know why you made your choice, so they won't get too upset about their speculations, but this is not a great start for your interactions with the other coauthors.
If you e-mail several people about a paper at the same time, it's best to send a single e-mail. Every so often someone will send the same message separately to me and to a coauthor, which just increases the chances that we will waste time by both replying without ccing the other.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: This applies to the case where there is no corresponding author.
Talking about my field (applied CS), where many experiments depends on experiments which are not *always* easily repeated, and code are usually not available\*:
I think it is more effective to go directly to the supervisor (or supervisors) - [last and second to last authors - since this is the order usually followed in applied CS]. These authors usually takes higher care of their reputation in the field. Because of that, they will force their students (i.e. first author and/or second) to give explanation. (**example**: This happened when my supervisor received a question about a paper of his with another post-doc. I am sure that my supervisor did not work much on the details of the paper, but his name must be included - that s an engineering tradition I believe. The supervisor made sure to call the post-doc and asked for explanation. The supervisor forced the the post-doc to send an email back to the question sender).
If you send a question directly to a PhD/Msc student, he would ignore you most likely - from my experience. Because many PhD students hide their mistakes intentionally - just to have their thesis accepted later. (**example**: I heard a PhD student that he made some mistakes in his MSc thesis and he hid them intentionally. He said "this is to make whoever work on my work find trouble matching the paper results and the new experiments results".
But honestly, at the end, *we cannot generalize*.
(\*)This one of the biggest mistakes in applied CS.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/20 | 1,200 | 4,009 | <issue_start>username_0: I have this line about the article:
```
BioMedical Engineering OnLine 2007, 6:16 doi:10.1186/1475-925X-6-16
```
I think the volume is **6**.
Then what is **16**?
**How should you correctly cite the Bibliography in Tex?**
My BibTeX
```
%
% Published abstract
%
@ARTICLE{vladimir,
author = {<NAME>, <NAME> and <NAME>},
title = {Heart energy signature spectrogram for cardiovascular diagnosis},
journal = {BioMedical Engineering OnLine},
year = {2007},
volume = {6:16}
}
```
I am suspicious about the author and the volume field.<issue_comment>username_1: That notation is standard for volume and issue no. For instance, the following is a ACM citation for one of my journal articles:
>
> <NAME>, <NAME>, <NAME>, <NAME>, and Caren
> Heller. 2013. Cross-campus collaboration: A scientometric and network
> case study of publication activity across two campuses of a single
> institution. J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci. Technol. 64, 1 (January 2013),
> 162-172. DOI=10.1002/asi.22807 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/asi.22807>
>
>
>
If you will notice, after the name of the journal (JASIST), there is the notation 64,1. It refers to volume 64, issue 1.
In your particular example, which I found [here](http://www.biomedical-engineering-online.com/content/6/1/16), on the top right hand corner, volume 6 is clearly mentioned. The structure of the citation leads me to believe that it is issue no. 16.
In BibTeX, issue no's are default. There is nothing particular that you have to do.
After perusing your author field, they also seem to be well aligned with the actual article. What are your suspicions?
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: From the title, it seems that the journal is an online only journal. Many such journals don't use page or issue numbers, since there is no need for these in an online journal. Instead, such journals number articles subsequently as they appear throughout the year. In conclusion, it seems that in your case, 6 is the volume number, and 16 is the article number.
For BibTeX entries, I usually use the `pages` field to enter such article numbers. The reasoning behind it is that, in classical journals, page numbers are used to refer to an individual article, while in online journals, it's the article number which takes this role. Also, there are several BibTeX styles which use a citation format with `:`. For these, using the `pages` field for the article number will be compatible and will turn out as you show in your citation:
>
> BioMedical Engineering OnLine 2007, **6:16**
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: As others have already said, it's an article number.
You can verify on the [publisher's website](http://www.biomedical-engineering-online.com/content/6/1/16) that papers in the same volume have indeed consecutive numbers.
As far as I can tell there is no bibtex field for an article number, so you'll have to work around it. Personally I'd go for `volume=6, number=16`, and no page field (it's not mandatory for an `@article`). The publisher's own bibtex file (go on "download reference" from the article page linked above) reads `VOLUME = {6},NUMBER = {1},PAGES = {16}` instead; that said, publishers' bibtex files are often quite bad, don't take this for an authoritative answer.
More importantly, the formatting of the `author` field is wrong. It should be `<NAME>. and Polyshchuk, V. and <NAME>.`, or even better (if you know their names) `<NAME> and Polyshchuk, Vladimir and <NAME>.`. Note that the correct format is `surname, name` or `surname, n.`, with "and" as the author separator. What you wrote would be parsed as two authors, one with given name <NAME> and surname <NAME>, and one with surname only <NAME>. Abbreviations and sorting could go wrong with such a field.
For more information on formatting `.bib` files, ask on <http://tex.stackexchange.com>.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2013/10/20 | 1,855 | 8,154 | <issue_start>username_0: A normal process of learning in a graduate school looks like taking courses that include a broad perspective on some subject. This also includes the instruments of control: exercises, tests, problem sets, and exams. Let's suppose this control exists only to show where a student has gaps in his knowledge.
A student takes such courses to learn things she will apply later in her work.
But in practice each course include much material that the student will never apply in her work, even in academic research.
Many notable scholars mention that they pick up necessary tools, while disliking the idea of a university that offers too much in general, so students have to disperse their efforts.
Why does academia use this push process of fixed course program and control for all students in the course, instead of a pull process, when students have their own research interests and just pick necessary tools when the need arises?
Shouldn't students in general use a selective, not linear, approach to getting necessary knowledge? It's obvious that students need some overview, but what prevents them from getting this overview as they work through the problems of their own?<issue_comment>username_1: You're presenting a false dichotomy: most graduate programs are not *completely* specified. There are a certain number of required classes—to ensure that all students have the same "core" knowledge that they will be expected to have, both as graduate student researchers as well as professionals in the field—and usually a number of elective courses, that can be chosen as the student chooses to meet the needs of their research, or to satisfy their interests.
But if you're really asking "why is there a core curriculum," it's because, as I mentioned, there are expectations of what an advanced degree holder in such fields will know. However, there are large discrepancies and variations in curricula between departments at the undergraduate level. Therefore, to "level the playing field," and make sure that all students have the expected knowledge and skills, they offer the courses that will guarantee proficiency at the required level.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: My immediate answer is they shouldn't. The problem is that there are differences between graduate systems. Aeismail has provided a good answer for one such system. Where I work each graduate student has an individual study plan and the idea is to tailor make the studies for each. this tailoring involves taking parts of a course and not for credit in the sense to go through examination. In our system all courses at graduate level is pass/fail. To understand the differences one has to look at the position of a graduate student as well.
In some systems a graduate student is more or less a bit more than an undergraduate (a "super student"). In my system a graduate student is pat of the employed body of the department and in that sense also a colleague. The point is that this involves both rights and responsibilities and further involvement in department affairs. This position has old traditions where a PhD was not awarded until much later in life, the term graduate student simply did not exist, there were, for example, intermediate teaching positions for those who had not yet completed the PhD yet. The thinking about courses is thus to ensure that the student does not waste much time on unnecessary material, just as you stated in your question.
So from this position, there is no right or wrong in terms of courses, the PhD programs differ so much between systems. The reason for the differences comes from deeper differences in the university systems and views on what the PhD student profile after completion. We had discussions about mandatory (tailor-made) course for students to provide a common base in the subject, but we have scrapped this approach because the field is simply to wide and then it will be up to each to read upon their sub-field.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Affirming the remarks in the two earlier answers, and continuing some of the themes:
At least in mathematics, although it is vitally important to have direct, sincere enthusiasm about projects and questions, inevitably these are not well-informed from a beginner. That is, projects grounded in ignorance of established ideas, while temporarily often very beneficial, simply aren't "professional-quality" projects. That's fine, temporarily, but certainly not in the long run.
So, in addition to "common culture" awareness, as mentioned earlier, there is the genuine and awkward problem that beginners may not have an inkling of what they'd like to know if only they were aware of it. Can't easily learn a thing if one isn't aware of it ... perhaps all the more crazily so if there really is a wonderful new concept that is unfortunately more than one remove from the familiar.
At the same time, I do agree with the questioner that all-too-often the "required" courses take a too-adversarial approach, too much homework, too tricky exams.
Certainly varying depending on the subject and on the program, many graduate courses are given in a not-so-adversarial fashion, with "grades" playing no serious role. Rigidity and an adversarial attitude are not universal.
But, again, yes, encountering an adversarial and coercive attitude is polarizing and unfortunate. Creates a bad attitude, and this can be a long-term ill, also.
Equally dangerous, though, is concluding too soon and too strongly that one is "ready to go", when, in fact, one is not merely missing some important things, but perhaps unaware. Sure, one should have enthusiasms, and follow them, but be absolutely sure to maintain at least one other thread in which one looks around fairly broadly, cultivating serendipitous encounters with helpful things one may have failed to imagine.
(Required courses are a clumsy approach to the latter, yes.)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: This is a good question. I think the idea is to make sure, as username_1 says, that all grad students have the same core knowledge after having gone through the program. However, in practice this approach has major problems.
1. Many disciplines are so big that it is often not clear what the core
*is*.
2. Additionally, some areas are changing so fast that even the core
becomes outdated.
3. Also, my experience with going through such courses is that it doing homework
problems does not really make one understand the material as, say, working on
a research problem does. Also, a homework problem might be a page of
argument which is by definition well understood. This is poor preparation for
research work (assuming that this is the goal) because a research paper is
more than one page long, and does not consist of well-understood material. In
practice one spends a lot of time when writing a research paper worrying
about such things as graphs/figures, suitable notation, and organizing the
material. These are issues that simply never come up in course work. Even an
end of semester project in practice is not big enough to provide a suitable
ground for exercise.
4. Often different parts of the core (depending on the subject) are rather
different from each other, and as you say, a graduate student, of necessity,
is forced to specialize quite quickly in one area, and will likely never
need to know about those other areas. So, in practice, much of this is time
wasted.
I think part of the idea is that someone who is excessively specialized is not in a good position to cross-pollinate ideas across different disciplines. The very idea of interdisciplinary work is that ideas in one area are useful in others. But I'm not sure that forcing a set curriculum has the effect of creating a more *rounded* researcher. I think such adventures are best driven by curiosity and need.
Additionally, my experience is that beyond basic/core courses in a department, the more specialized courses may just reflect the (possibly non-mainstream) research interests of the faculty, and can be a real waste of time if such courses are made a requirement.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/20 | 657 | 2,909 | <issue_start>username_0: During my literature survey for a project, I came across papers that have very interesting results and have decent number of citations. Unfortunately, the sub-area I am exploring doesn’t have any standard datasets on which I can test my implementation of the algorithm presented in their paper. The authors have generated the dataset by applying certain actions on a subset of publicly available information, which are Flickr images in my case.
So I have contacted the authors, asking whether they can provide me with their code or the dataset that they used for their implementation so that I may use it to perform my experiments and possibly try to extend their approach. But almost a week has passed by, and I haven’t received any response from them. Does that mean that,
1. My method of asking was not correct? (In that case, what would be appropriate?)
2. They don’t have the code or dataset available? (The papers were published in 2004.)
3. They are not interested?
Would it be polite to remind them again?<issue_comment>username_1: The reason for no response may be anything from what <NAME> mentions to what you list. I would wait at least a month before writing off an answer; I have received answers even later than that. It is possible they are working on improvements themselves as well. In short, if you do not get a reply, you can only try again and perhaps express your request differently.
You seem to have contacted all the authors. Sometimes the project leader may be too busy to pick up on questions and the younger team members may be more inclined to answer. They may, however, want to talk it over among themselves, and it is probably not a high priority.
So try again in a couple of weeks. If you do not get any response, then there is probably not much you can do. You probably need to think about what can do to improve the chances for a reply. The word "collaboration" is sometimes a good way to "sweeten the deal". Sometimes, just to give a perspective, I get requests for data that are of the sort, give me this or that, give me everything, and I often end up asking myself, why should I? having laboured to generate the data. I am not saying you must follow such an approach to be successful but considering why the other researchers would want to help you may also help towards solving the communication problem.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: If they don't respond to e-mail, I'd try to give them a call. Many people get a lot of e-mail (running projects, requests to be hired as postdoc, etc, etc), so it is hard for you to get attention in this large amount of mails. Calling them makes it personal, you have their undivided attention at that moment. I would first ask them if they have time right then to answer your question, and propose to reschedule your call to a time that they are available.
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/20 | 1,784 | 7,668 | <issue_start>username_0: I currently teach at University X and am applying for a job at University Y. Should I write my cover letter on University X's letterhead, or use a blank page?<issue_comment>username_1: No. It is you as a person who is applying, not you as a representative for your university. Univ. Y would probably look very negatively on an application on such lerterhead, as would Univ. X. Letterheads are intended for your official business of your position at X as teacher, researcher etc. Applying for a job or for example writing somewhere for your private business is just that, private. You can, however, create your own private letterhead to use for such instances but this should reflect your private standing and show only private address, phone and e-mail.
So keep the official business separate from your private. As alluded to this also applies to e-mail, something most people forget about. It is good to have your own private e-mail for instances such as this.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I personally side with username_1 on this one (do not use an institutional letterhead if you're not conducting business on behalf of your institution), but you will have to note that **this position is not universally shared**. I cite only one example, of [somewhat high-profile blogger/consultant](https://theprofessorisin.com/2016/08/26/why-your-job-cover-letter-sucks/), who says:
>
> Your letter must be on letterhead if you have a current academic affiliation of any kind. This is not negotiable.
>
>
>
I think it may be a field-specific and/or generation issue: some people, and some fields (humanities/law/medicine) have more attachement to older traditions and think a letterhead is a crucial part of correspondence etiquette.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: I would ask a senior person in your field. In my experience in mathematics in the US, no one gives a flying flip how you format your cover letter; in all likelihood, no one will read it. Using department stationary is common, though far from universal and I don't think affects anyone's thinking one way or the other.
I don't think this advice is universally applicable; I know in many other disciplines, cover letters are read carefully, and thus their professionalism will have some salutary effect. My personal feeling is that using your current institution's letterhead, your office address, etc. looks more professional, but obviously this isn't a universal feeling, so all the more reason to check about your field specifically.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: One point that I'm missing so far, but which IMHO makes quite some difference is the position which you are in:
* My "default" opionon on this question is not to use your employer's letterhead, nor your email at your employer's.
The reason is that unless your relationship with your current employer is really bad (in which case *you* don't want to use their letterhead), (ab)using your employer's letterhead demonstrates illoyality: not only are you not acting in as an official of your employer, but as @scottishwildcat already pointed out, you are presumably acting against your employer's interests.
* But in academia, there are certain situations where your old university is anywhere between quite happy with over positively encouraging you to expecting you to apply for another job.
You may be in a stage of your career where a change of university is expected or at least reasonable and you and your employer agree on this (close to finishing your degree, did a postdoc abroad but want to move home again, want to move for family reasons, want to become a professor which in some countries you cannot at your "home" university, ...), or you are on a project position and for external reasons they cannot keep you.
In this case, IMHO you may use the university letterhead (although I'd probably still not do it). But if you do so, you should make sure the university where you apply knows unambiguously that your university is happy with your application for their position, e.g. by naming your current supervisor as reference.
As for the email, free emails are available also with sober username and sober providers, so that shouldn't be a problem, neither.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: In academia, if you are applying for an academic position (e.g., assistant adjunct prof applying for assistant prof), regardless of whether it is at the same of different institution, it is absolutely essential that you use the letterhead for the institution with which you are currently affiliated. I realize that this is different for private companies, where "company" letterhead implies official communication on behalf of the "company." But in academia, the letterhead is an indicator that you are recognized as a member of a scholarly community and you have the rights, privileges, and responsibilities associated with your academic appointment. In academia, it does NOT mean you are conducting official institutional business. Official institutional business will have "Office of the Chancelor" in the letterhead or "Office of XYZ Department Chair." If the chancellor or department chair were to apply for jobs, they would probably still use institutional letterhead but not have this "Office of the \_\_" line in the letterhead.
Using your institutional letterhead is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL when applying for academic jobs. Even (especially) if you are a grad student. Everyone knows that you are not speaking on behalf of the institute, the letterhead is an indication of your membership in that scholarly community.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: I fully understand the notion of not writing on letterhead except in an official capacity, but consider the tradition of using a hotel's letterhead when staying with them as a guest. I appreciate this is perhaps almost akin to sending a picture postcard (and an advertising opportunity for the hotel), yet this *clearly* is not a matter of the hotel's business activity.
This practice extended to the English with houses large enough to have guest rooms, where the etiquette is to provide headed notepaper of your own for your guests to use.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: Completely agree that you should not use letterhead from the academic institution you are trying to leave. I put those letters at the bottom of the pile when reviewing job applications for teaching positions. Only caveat is when you hold a postdoc, but if you are tenure track or more, then no, use your own.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_8: Do whatever you want.
There are strong and conflicting opinions on this ("it would set off a red flag" to not use institutional letterhead, etc. vs "I put those letters at the bottom of the pile.")
We should ask ourselves, as academics: if we are evaluating people's job applications using such incredibly fine distinctions in academic etiquette, either:
1) we are prioritizing completely useless information and probably introducing a good deal of bias against folks like international students and first-gen college students along with it!
-OR-
2) academia is so irredeemably petty that getting this right is actually an important sign of success in an academic position.
Either answer doesn't make academia sound like a place you'd want to work. I have faith that people are not actually making such important decisions using trivia. I therefore suggest that the original poster should choose whichever option allows them to make the content of their letter clearer, i.e., if you need the space for more information, don't use the letterhead!
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/21 | 1,354 | 5,958 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm applying to graduate math programs and my subject test score was abysmal, but I'm very confident that I will have excellent letters of recommendation from my professors. Will these LOR offset the bad test scores? I know every situation is different, but in general what is your opinion?<issue_comment>username_1: You state yourself that every situation is different, and that really is all we can tell you!
At a school that receives a high volume of applicants, your GRE score is likely to matter a lot more than at a school where lower numbers of applications are received. An overworked applications committee is much more likely to toss an application with a low GRE score (without even reading the letters) than a committee that has enough time to properly assess each candidate.
GRE scores (can) matter a lot, and then once you pass the gatekeeper they don't matter very much any more.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: **Disclaimer:** I am a current graduate student and my experience is limited to being the student representation on the graduate admissions committee of my program.
One of my advisers always reminded me of the following principle:
>
> **GRE scores will not get you in but can keep you out**
>
>
>
**What does this mean?** GRE scores by themselves will never get you admitted into any program worth its salt. However, they do act as a nice way of filtering candidates, especially in schools which received hundreds of applications for its programs every year.
Once you make the initial GRE/TOEFL filter, you are good. Your application will then be vetted on the basis of academic achievements, research, statement of purpose and letters of recommendation. Ergo, if you are removed at the initial stage by virtue of your GRE scores being rather low, then chances are, that nobody will even look at the rest of your application.
However, if your GRE scores are bad (but not ***that*** bad) then your good LORs might serve you better in the later rounds.
Of course, for quantitative oriented programs (like math), you might be expected to get a perfect (or *near* perfect) GRE Math scores and respectable Verbal scores.
I hope this makes the process a little clearer.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: This varies wildly from program to program. Most people on admissions committees recognize that actual graduate work does not resemble a multiple-choice timed test given one Saturday... but there is difference of opinion about how much it means, exactly.
If you are from a good university with letter-writers who are well-known, terrific letters from them can substantially compensate for a terrible GRE subject test, although elite programs would still use the GRE as a "weeder".
So, in summary, it's hard to tell what will happen... but only a matter of degree, really, since there are so many factors in play. E.g., if your coursework background is solid and letters are terrific, and your personal statement is both very positive and perhaps notes that you feel your performance that day did not indicate your preparation or ability, chances are only slightly worse...
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: My reaction is pretty different from everyone else's here.
The short answer is: in my experience, yes, outstanding letters from credible, well-known letter-writers will outweigh poor GRE scores any day. Few applicants get really outstanding letters from a credible, trusted letter-writer, but when we do see a letter like that, it carries a *lot* of weight.
It does make a lot of difference whether folks on the admissions committee know and trust the judgement of the letter-writer. Does this letter-writer see a lot of students headed for graduate school, and see which ones are and aren't successful? Does this letter-writer work with graduate students? Does this letter-writer have a successful research program? Do people on the admissions committee know this letter-writter and trust him/her? What sorts of letters has this letter-writer tended to write for previous applicants, and if any of them were admitted, how did they work out? These factors weigh heavily in the admissions decision.
It also matters a lot what the letter-writer says in their letter. I don't know how you can possibly know how strong your letter will be. A letter that says "this student did really very well in my class" is actually a weak letter (contrary to what you might think), because it gives very little information beyond what is already on your transcript. In contrast, a letter that describes successful research you did with them and your contributions to the research project and how they were critical to the success of the research project carries a lot more weight.
Poor GRE scores might not trigger a kneejerk rejection, but they will certainly cause the admissions committee to ask questions and scrutinize your application closely before admitting you. "Why did this applicant score so poorly? Are they lacking basic knowledge? We'd better go look more carefully at their grades in their undergraduate classes. Is their poor performance on the GREs a hint of fundamentally insufficient preparation, or is it a one-off anomaly?" That's the sort of conversation you should expect committee members to be having. If the admissions committee can answer those questions to their satisfaction and the rest of your application package can survive close scrutiny -- if the rest of your application package is strong -- then I would not expect poor GREs to sink your application. On the other hand, if your GREs are poor, your grades are mediocre, and you don't have incredible accomplishments to counter-balance those flaws in your application, then you might be in trouble.
This is based upon my personal experience with one particular admissions committee, so I have a very small sample size. It is possible that other committees might do things differently.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/21 | 794 | 3,100 | <issue_start>username_0: It's embarassing, I failed my quals (in PhD ECE). The school is going to give me a terminal masters (w.o. thesis). My gpa is also not that stellar (3.4+), from a mediocre school. But I have a strong will to do a PhD (I enjoy doing research).
My supervisor (along with other co-authors) are supportive in the sense that they are willing to write good letters (i.e. I have a quite decent publication record). So, I am planning to apply this year, my specific queries are --
1. Is it really worth a shot? as I have a "bad record" now (although my transcript will not convey such information, but I am not willing to hide it either)
2. If no.1 is "yes", then how should I justify this to the adcom ? For example, explaining my financial and family problems that I faced during my last years (probably in the SOP)?
3. Is it possible to go to a better school/lab compared to my current one ?
Some particulars:
* I am an international grad student in the US.
* I have a 3.8+ undergrad score from south-east asia (used to be a class topper, if that helps)
* My GRE was also decent.<issue_comment>username_1: Consider applying to a different school or switching majors in the same university. Yes it is certainly worth a short. And no do not mention financial or family problems in the SOP.
Also consider joining the workforce. It is good to have options in hand. A PhD is not very useful unless you want to stick in academia which means low pay, being stuck in small city in the middle of nowhere, dealing with procrastinating students, begging NSF for funding etc.
ECE Masters are paid well in the industry and most PhDs I know work on "stuff" that a Masters can easily do. There are always exceptions to everything.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: You can't let one setback keep you from pursuing your goals or dreams. Yes, it's bad that you failed your quals, but that doesn't mean you should just give up. Having supportive committee members will help a lot when applying to other schools or programs.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Do whatever is up to you to achieve your goals. Don't focus on the previous events but rather try to get some lessons from them not to repeat them in the future.
Try to focus on your advantages. It seems that you are not in a bad situation. You have a supportive supervisor, not bad scores. Besides, if there is a procedure of reapplying, it means that they also know that someone may need a second chance.
So, answering your questions.
1. Certainly. At the end you may say, at least I tried everything. Just keep moving and you will see the directions. If you are staying in the same place, you will never know whether your path is right or not. Give it a try.
2. You don't have to justify anything. If they ask, then slightly explain the situation. They are not monsters.
3. You can apply to a few places simultaneously. Of course it is worth trying. If you have time to manage that.
As it was mentioned, you can also try to apply to another programs in your or other universities (if you want)/
Good luck.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/21 | 1,810 | 6,709 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm currently reviewing a paper that has an uncommonly large number of references compared to the average number for that particular venue (more than 60 versus around 30). This is a regular paper, not a survey one, and although there does not seem to be wrong references, it feels like some are not really necessary, and the fact that one particular author is cited more than 15 times makes me worry that this paper is used to inflate the number of citations of that author (the submission is anonymous).
Should I mention this in my review, and try to examine which submissions are "abusive", or just let it go?<issue_comment>username_1: I do not think that there are inherent problems with citing *some* "extra" papers, if they are appropriately relevant. The purpose of citations is to help us form a network of research. If a paper is not cited, then it will not join that network. However, one does not need to cite every paper that an author has written in the past 5 years in order to maintain that network!
Rather than spend time examining each citation, perhaps you could ask the author why there are so many citations. If the author(s) has been inflating citations without due cause, then any academic worth their salt should promptly correct that indiscretion.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I can only see one way to resolve this and that is to critically assess if all references are necessary. Self-citation can be a problem but it may be perfectly fine in situations where the author is a leader in, for example, a small field. Excessive citations can also be a sign of the author not being able to weed out the critical papers from the "mass". In some cases, it may be tempting to provide all the literature found on a particular topic wher perhaps a review paper or relatively new paper summarizing past work could be referenced using the form "(e.g. author, yyyy)", indicating it is one of several possible references on the topic. I think it is perfectly fair to ask for such changes if the excessive referencing is clearly just excessive.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: It's really a judgment call… some people consider that more references is good, because it gives the reader a wider perspective into the issue, and some people consider it a bad practice (in old times because it wasted paper, but nowadays mainly because it obscures the more valuable information inside a long wall of text).
I have, as a reviewer, sometimes asked authors to cut down on the number of references, so it is certainly an acceptable practice. Here are some factors you may consider when making the decision:
* Does each individual reference bring something to the paper, i.e. is used to back up a fact, idea, or to give credit for a specific (and relevant) new idea that it introduced?
* Are references cited in block? I tend to consider it is very bad practice:
>
> A series of recent experiments have shown systematically that current human-powered aircrafts are not suitable for mass transportation [refs. 9–21]
>
>
>
Each paper (or group of two or three papers, at the very most) should be used with regards to a specific point in the discussion.
* Somewhat disguised form of the earlier: are long lists of claims and references justified? Sometimes many citations are used as “examples”, where a few would suffice.
* Could some of the citations be replaced by one or two reviews on the topic?
* Are the work cited really the seminal work on each topic/idea/experiment, or are there also less “worthy” works cited?
Finally, it is true that there are some unethical practices that can lead to inflated number of citations. **Excessive self-citation** is certainly one, but there are others. For example, **some authors cite very widely papers from all groups in their field**, even when it is not really warranted, in an effort to help their chances at peer review: the idea is that the reviewer is less likely to be harsh to a manuscript that cites 5 of her own papers.
And in conclusion, if you believe that self-citation was the motivation, there is nothing wrong with reporting your doubts to the editor.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: I wonder if the authors considered the question [When you reference an article, is it always expected that you have actually read it?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/13305/442)
I can imagine multiple likely reasons for the high amount of citations by one particular author:
* The over-referenced author is a member of the same group as your paper's authors (or even themselves) and they try to promote their own work. This may be adequate if the cited papers honestly led to the new one, but if they are just loosely related (if at all), the amount of citations should be severely reduced
* that author is one of the big-shots in the field, and the submitters either want to acknowledge that fact or they know that person is likely to also review the submission and would insist on these citations anyway - maybe this is actually already the reaction to such requests. And don't say this doesn't happen...
Unfortunately no matter the reason, to judge fairly you basically have to read at least the abstracts of said citations and check their relatedness. However, as [F'x' answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/13573/442) suggests, if there are "obvious" signs of over-citation, e.g. block citations of more than, say, three publications, you shouldn't bother with that and rather directly state your concerns in your review.
Once the amount of references surpasses a sensible amount, the authors should maybe more directly justify the citation themselves instead of forcing each reviewer to figure that out on their own...
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: One1 thing2 that3 hasn't1,4 been5-7 mentioned8 yet1 is3-5 the9 effect10,11 on2,7,10 readability.12 References13 are14 a15 necessity16 but17 loading18 up19-21 a22 manuscript23,24 with25 too26 many2 will27 often3-5 make5-7 it28 more9,29-31 difficult17 for32 me33 to34 follow35,36 and37-39 can40 be3-5 a13-15,19,21-23,25-27,29-33,35-37,39,40 deterrent.41 If2,3,5,8,13,21,34 a3,14,15,19,26 paper2,7,18,28 turns1,6,18 off1,4,14,21,35 its1,7,32 readers,2,23 it's4,8,15,16,23,42 not6,28 doing1,2,4,8,16,32 its2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19,23,29,31,37,41 job.42
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_6: There should be a Goldilocks-range for this, and what this supposed to be depends on your field, topic (whether relatively new or not), and most importantly, your advisor and thesis committee.
([Image ref. PhDComics.](http://phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1821))
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/21 | 1,191 | 5,197 | <issue_start>username_0: I am writing a motivation letter to be used in applying for masters from German or Finnish Universities. I have the following points explained in my motivation letter:
* How I see this technical world
* Why I chose Computer Science in my undergraduate
* What I learned in undergraduate
* What are my interests
* Why I want to pursue Masters
* Why I chose their University
What could be the format of a good motivation letter?
What other points could be included to make it better at explaining myself? And how to arrange those points? How to connect a motivation letter to your CV?<issue_comment>username_1: Well, just typing "motivation letter" or "cover letter" into Google seems to spew up links to loads of hints, tips, and how-to-s, so I guess it's not so hard to find materials outside of here.
So, instead, I'll focus on the advice that was given to me last year when I had to write one, since it worked for me :)
An important thing to realize is that a *cover letter* is supposed to **complement your resume, not duplicate the same information**. Thus, your qualifications and achievements should mostly stay in the CV.
Also, you should **focus** mostly **on the position you are applying for, what makes you want it and what makes you think you would be good for it**, which means that *"how I see this technical world"* probably does not deserve much elaboration (one sentence should be okay in my opinion). You are trying to convince them that **you are the One** and show them what makes you different from the bulk of people applying. What makes you more suited, more likely to succeed, or a better fit than other applications they're considering. (I would guess it's easier for a Master studies application since they will be admitting more than one/a handful of students).
Finally, the structure that I used, and will probably use the next time I will have to write something like that, is **dividing the letter in to three parts**:
* **you:** here's where you'll put information on you. While you're not supposed to list *all* your achievements here, you should emphasize or elaborate on specific achievements, skills and motivations that make you especially suited *for the position you're applying for*
* **them:** it is important to "prove" that you're not sending out generic application letters. You demonstrate that you're familiar with the work done in the university/lab/research group you are applying for.
If you're applying as a PhD student to a lab/professor, you might want to mention a specific paper or project and write an intelligible sentence or two about that. If you're applying for a University, you might want to pick some specific of their programme that especially caught your eye.
* **you and them together:** first section is about how awesome you are. The second, how awesome *they* are. Now (to conclude), you have to show why you thing *you would be awesome with them*. Why do you think you're a good fit, right there? This section is *not only* about what they can do for you, you also have to try and convince then of *how they can benefit from you*.
Finally, the letter should **not be longer than one page**. Somewhere, you can even find this as a hard limit on an application. In my experience, you should also not have more than 3 sections. I managed to put an introductory sentence and an finishing sentence just fine in the "sections" I mentioned. Also, **your writing should be impeccable.** If you can, get a native English speaker to check your language. Use a spell checker. **Pay attention to details**. Getting an address wrong, or a letter in a name, shows sloppiness. Maybe it does not consciously affect the decision, but it might on some level.
And the last advice I got, which I did follow, but you *don't have to take it as a hard rule*: **avoid negative statements**. It's supposed to give a better tone to your letter. So, instead of saying, e.g. "Unfortunately, I couldn't find and internship during my last summer", you should write something like "Having a free summer before my last year, it allowed me to spend more time reading upon the areas of my choosing". The positive statements should help you present the facts in a more positive light.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I can talk to you by my own personal experience following a Master´s in a Finnish university (about the German case I am ignorant about that). Anyway Finns are very laconic people, try to submit your motivation letter as concise and direct as possible. I have taken a look at the questions that you are plan to answer in your motivation letter and they are just fine.
In my case I submitted my CV separated from the motivation letter, but a big plus would it be to show that you have some sort of research experience; for example if you have made some research article during your undergraduate or you have been a research assistant. In case that you do not have that, you can express your interest directly to make research in the field that you are applying for your master´s degree (I think that you have covered that part also in your questions stated before)
Good luck!
Upvotes: 0 |
2013/10/21 | 1,053 | 4,382 | <issue_start>username_0: Having experienced academia through masters, and work via part-time and full-time jobs, I plan to pursue PhD and keep working full time. However, my plan is to create a mutual relationship between work and PhD program in which research feeds work and leads new assignments, and work assignments helps research through results and my employer as well.
* I am not sure about the case in the other fields, but I think this should be valid for CS people. Do you think or know whether this is possible? If so, do you know any examples of such programs or people who work in this particular way?
* The other questions is how might this relationship help or hurt PhD studies?
There is already [a question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/8747/is-it-possible-to-work-full-time-and-complete-a-phd) about possibility of working full-time and pursuing PhD simultaneously. However, this question considers working in a completely unrelated area with respect to PhD program.
There is [another question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/708/is-it-possible-to-work-on-extra-activities-start-up-project-during-phd) that explores the possibility of working on extra activities such as start-up project while pursuing PhD.<issue_comment>username_1: It is not unheard of to have people work outside of an academic setting on their PhD thesis. For instance, in the US national laboratory system, there are a number of graduate students working on their PhD thesis. It's not a large number—maybe a dozen or so per laboratory—but it's not zero, either. In countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, it is also not uncommon to be employed as a PhD student in industry; however, the financing of that is somewhat unclear to me. (They may receive the equivalent of their stipend, or they may receive a "professional" salary.)
That said, I suspect it will be difficult to find an arrangement which will allow you to work full-time and receive both a graduate stipend and a full-time salary. Such arrangements would be generally frowned upon by both university and the external sponsor.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: **Disclaimer:** This originated as a comment to @username_1's answer but rapidly got too long and complex to warrant being an answer. It's however intended to complement his answer primarily...
I can't speak for Germany or Netherlands but in Sweden you are officially employed as a PhD, thus you do get a "professional salary" and not a stipend, albeit that salary not being on par with what you could earn out in the industry. I cannot say for sure but I have heard that it's a similar system in Germany.
The so-called "industrial PhD"s come in multiple flavours. The type I have seen most commonly are employed by a company which has a certain interest in a particular type of research. Basically by establishing a collaboration with a research group in a nearby university where there might be more resources (time, instruments and most of expertise) they send this student to do a PhD "in-between" the two organisations, figuratively speaking. It's usually a beneficial position for all parties involved, at least on paper, since;
* the company gets the research done, with near-minimal costs.
* the research groups gets a grad student that is practically free
* and the student gets well-paid (often better than her colleagues in the research group) and usually gets better deals through her arrangement with the company in question.
Another way the industrial research might work is, if the company in question decides to have the necessary resources to conduct research in-house. Then you are practically working as a regular employee, you just get to do R&D and publish your results (usually after being filtered to a level which your company is content with).
Finally, about keeping a full-time job and a full-time PhD position at the same time, if you do pursue such a course, make sure you double check your contract(s). Because we are government employed here (in my university for sure, but I think it applies to the rest of Sweden as well) and have pretty decent salaries, we are required to prioritise our research duties. In other words, we are *required* to not have any other full-time commitments besides our employment. I can imagine that similar fineprint might exist elsewhere as well
Upvotes: 1 |
2013/10/21 | 468 | 1,898 | <issue_start>username_0: What should the last section of a scientific paper be called? Conclusion or conclusions?
I always felt like conclusions were things to take away from a paper, and a conclusion was the end of something (a book).<issue_comment>username_1: According to the [*Little, Brown Compact Handbook*](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B006YY4JQ2), in MLA style the final section is called the "Conclusion", while in APA style the final section will be labeled "Discussion". When using either citation style (and I would assume this holds no matter what citation style you are using), this section will contain your summary/interpretation, the conclusions (**plural**) that you wish the reader to take away from the paper, and perhaps a call to action or an outline of future work. So you are right,
>
> conclusions [are] things to take away from a paper, and a conclusion [is] the end of something...
>
>
>
though not necessarily the end of a book; a conclusion can be the end of a paper, article, etc.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There is no real right or wrong here. "Conclusion" is quite common; "Conclusions" indicates that there is more than one, although I am sure that is not the intent. It is also possible to replace the conclusion with a "Summary" or "Synthesis" (both often occur in review papers). In some cases the discussion and conclusion is combined in "Discussion and Conclusion(s)". In other cases, the last section might be "Recommendations".
In short, the last section might be called many things but it should summarize the important points of the discussion. That is the main point of "Conclusion" and its "relatives". So from the point of view of content it is all the same.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: If only one 'concluding factor', then use Conclusion. If more than one; then use conclusions.
Upvotes: 0 |
2013/10/22 | 1,267 | 5,093 | <issue_start>username_0: My University has recently started recording lectures and posting them online. We have also, in the past few years, noticed a considerable drop in lecture attendance across the whole Physics and Astronomy department (even in courses that are not recorded).
I expect that the advent of recorded lectures is a significant contributor to this. However in the tutorial classes as well as lectures, it wasn't uncommon for attendance in the course I was TA for this semester to be below 50%. Myself and the lecturers are at a loss.
I am not necessarily against offering pittance marks for attendance, however I think that it is rather poor practice as it does little to encourage students to become genuinely interested in the material. Encouraging students to discuss science among themselves and become emotionally invested in the topic is the best way to get them out of bed and attending classes.
Does anyone have any "success stories" to share where they have significantly increased the level of student engagement in their course(s)?<issue_comment>username_1: My school has a mandatory attendance policy (which I know several members here disagree with) but because of that policy I have had to face with engagement in a different way that you. Still, I hope this answer will help.
Without engagement I find myself in large classes (sometimes >100) and classroom management gets to be a real challenge (for me and the other students). So, after trying a few different things I've found that challenging the students almost like a game show seems to be useful.
For example, in one module, I will give them scenarios (one at a time) to analyze (with multiple choice answers where each requires them to come up with their own reasons why that is the right answer). The scenario is short enough to fit on one slide and while the students are encouraged to read before class, they can still participate even if they did not do the work. This is particularly helpful to me since the ones who do not do the homework tend to be the hardest to control and, therefore, are the most disruptive to the learning environment. They tend to find it a challenge to see who can 'guess' right.
On top of this, I try to inject a little humor while walking around the room asking for analyses which tends to add a little entertainment aspect to the whole event.
For another module, I assess through an extremely difficult test which is quite common to fail unless extensive research is done. In this case, I alternate lecturer sessions (where I do most of the talking) and discussion sessions (where students do most of the talking). Engagement is not quite as strong with this module but I'm still honing it.
On a somewhat related note, you might check into [this article](http://www.academia.edu/346077/Does_Discovery-Based_Instruction_Enhance_Learning_A_Meta-Analysis) on discovery based learning. I found it quite interesting.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I think the definitive answer is not within our grasp. There are interesting studies that indicate that improved quality of lectures is one of few possibilities to improve attendance (e.g., [Univ. of Wollongong Online Research](http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1743&context=commpapers)). The causes of absenteeism can be related to many factors including demographic factors such as
age, paid employment (e.g., [Australian Journal of Teacher Education](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1571&context=ajte), [Accounting Education](http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0963928042000310788#.UmaOXxDfnCc), [South African Journal of Ecomonics](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1813-6982.2004.tb00137.x/abstract)). It appears that the reasons for the attention drop has to be found in changes of student conditions, both in terms of academic experience and conditions relating to life in general. In other words, the world is changing and that demands adaptation from the university system. A study in [Engineering Education](http://exchange.ac.uk/journal/index.php/ee/article/viewFile/144/216.pdf) (also in the aforementioned study in Accounting Education) provides indications that attendance and accessibility to teachers out of class hours correlate. The study also conclude that class performance and attendance are highly correlated. This means that academic performance is a selling point for attendance. The role of incentive schemes in achieving higher attendance may, however, not be a key to success as exemplified by a study in the [Australian Economic Papers](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-8454.00163/full) so the means to improve attendance requires more attention.
So whereas I do not have any good examples of how improvements can be made, there are studies that point at both causes and effects, positive and negative, which should be considered when trying to improve attendance. Some aspects lie with improving lectures but some concern understanding the changes occurring outside the university and adapting to these.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/22 | 1,704 | 7,111 | <issue_start>username_0: I submitted one of my paper to an ISI journal in September 2011. While I was waiting for it, I inquired about its status (I needed the paper to complete my PhD), and the journal wrote back saying that my paper was under review and the referee was not answering. I was thus waiting.
But after more than two years (about 26 months), the journal sent me this:
>
> By a QUICK view on your paper, it is not interested for our journal and so we reject your paper
>
>
>
I think they could have answered earlier. Unfortunately, now my work is still not published and some authors published my results in another journal. **So, I want to complain to the journal, and possibly get them eliminated from Thomson's lists. How can I achieve this?**<issue_comment>username_1: First, to quickly address your explicit question in boldface, here's the official words from <NAME> regarding their journal selection process for Web of Science and annual review:
<http://wokinfo.com/essays/journal-selection-process/>
While they apparently take timeliness and peer review very seriously, my impression is that a single instance of slow external review is not a strong enough reason to remove a journal. As [this recent blog post on Nature](http://blogs.nature.com/news/2013/06/new-record-66-journals-banned-for-boosting-impact-factor-with-self-citations.html) shows, they do ban journals rather aggressively when they feel necessary. But those dropped journals are serious offenders of abuse and are clearly hurting Thomson Reuters' business.
Every researcher experiences unfair rejection in some way or another once in a while. I understand that it is very unfortunate that this has happened at a very early stage of your career. But this seems to be a lost cause at this point. And if you are sure that it was unjustifiable and if you do want to take some action, the best you could do seems to be let Editor in Chief know exactly what happened by writing a letter from an objective viewpoint in polite language and in sober tone and ask them to consider what they might be able to do to improve contributor experience. If you do not receive a satisfactory reply from them, you might consider reporting everything to the publisher that owns the journal.
But before you take any action, you should ask opinions from experienced researchers in your fields, such as your advisor. This is very important because different fields have different cultures in academia.
I assume that you are enrolled in a Ph.D. program in mathematics; I saw your post on MathOverflow. If this is the case, you might want to take a look at the most recent yearly report by American Mathematical Society on how long it typically takes for a paper to get accepted:
<http://www.ams.org/notices/201210/rtx121001473p.pdf>
As you can see, the median time from submission to final acceptance varies greatly from journal to journal. You might want to notice how it takes a long time to get your paper reviewed by some of the most respected mathematics journals. For instance, Annals of Mathematics, which is arguably the most prestigious journal in mathematics, takes **24 months** on average for review. The Memoirs of American Mathematical Society averagely takes more than **18 months** from submission to acceptance. Granted that the practice of these journals is more of an exception than the norm, two years of review is certainly not unheard of in mathematics. So, while I tend to believe that your paper could have been reviewed much more quickly because a typical paper certainly does not require two years, it is impossible for us to tell if it was unjust or not without more context.
As for the priority issue you brought up, if it is in mathematics, I must say that you should not be surprised if you do not receive much sympathy. Reading your post, it appears that you did not make your preprint available to other members of the mathematics community before or soon after submission. Because mathematics has a much longer review process than other fields, it is quite common and, I think, very important to disseminate your results as soon as possible by, for example, uploading your preprint on arXiv or directly sending it through email to people you are sure will be interested. In fact, some journals explicitly encourage authors to upload their preprints on arXiv upon submission.
With that said, I understand that arXiv and other means of "pre-publication" are not for everyone. In mathematics, for example, [one Fields Medalist mentions unpopularity of arXiv among East Asian authors he noticed during his little experiment on arXiv usage](https://plus.google.com/103703080789076472131/posts/e2cwzcu9B4t). As someone who was born and raised in Japan and received a Ph.D. from a Japanese university, I know how people may have their own valid reasons not to make their preprint public. You may have some strong belief or policy regarding science publication models as well. I din not use arXiv when I was a graduate student in Japan, either. However, you should not complain when someone "beats you to it" when you could prevent it by following the normal practice in the community.
Now, if you managed to read this wall of text this much, that means that you are the good kind of person who can stay calm and be in control of yourself in a tough situation. And, obviously, you have good math skills with which you proved new theorems worth publishing. So, if there is one thing I am sure of, it is that you have been heading in the right direction as a graduate student.
If you feel like the journal caused an unnecessary delay or "gap year" of some sort to your career, I guess you're right. But personally I try not to overthink, and try to think it's just another unavoidable glitch that often gets us out of the blue in our lives. (Notice the word "try." I fail very often.) You know, there are so many horror stories like yours out there in mathematics... (And never ask why I've been doing a postdoc for so many years!) It sucks for sure. But probably the best you can do now is talk to your advisor, who is there to give you advice anyway, and get back to your math life as soon as possible to prove more theorems. Good luck!
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: **It can't be done** (sorry). Clarivate Analytics is not related to the journal in any way. They do impose some quality criteria, such as not having excessive self-citation, but turnaround time is not something they use. One can hardly blame them for this, because turnaround time is not public info, because it is highly varied, and because it has no bearing on the quality of the work that's published. Besides, they're not going to arbitrate a dispute between you and the journal - it's none of their business.
To use an analogy, what you are trying to do is similar to getting the Academic Ranking of World Universities to delist a university because of how they mistreated a single student - short of you buying over Shanghai Ranking Consultancy and forcing the change through, it's just not happening.
Upvotes: 0 |
2013/10/22 | 3,103 | 13,432 | <issue_start>username_0: OK, I know this is a pretty basic question but I haven't been able to come up with any really satisfactory solutions. (I have searched around on this site, but none of the related questions precisely answer my problem.) I'm a first-year PhD student working mostly in evolution, phylogenomics, and conservation biology. I'm looking for basic tips on how I can become more effective at finding papers when I need to research a subject for any of the usual reasons like developing a methodology or drafting a proposal.
Right now I seem to be pretty bad at this. My search strategy pretty much consists of putting likely keywords into Web of Science and Google Scholar, and then looking at whatever papers appear that seem like they might be relevant to my query. Frequently this fails to yield satisfactory results, even when the subjects that I am researching seem like they ought to have a significant body of existing work behind them. I know I must be able to do better, because I see other people coming up with papers that I don't seem to be able to find.
What are some basic best practices for conducting a literature search? I feel like this is a big gap in my existing skillset, and something that will really hold me back if I don't get on top of it soon. Again, I realize that this is a pretty remedial-level question and I appreciate your patience and guidance here.<issue_comment>username_1: If you limit yourself to only internet searches, your success will depend on your key search words as you mention. Doing such a search is of course an integral part in the approach but what you also need to do is the following
* Try to figure out what constitute key journals in your area based on your web searches and start browsing the table of contents of the journals for articles. Start from the latest issues and go backwards (as far as you find useful). You can either find out new search terms for additional web searches and/or find other key publications on the subject. Keep an eye out for upcoming issues and new manuscripts accepted by the journals since they are often posted online once accepted.
* Once you find recent published papers, check their reference lists for other relevant literature (papers/books/proceedings). This way you will start to get an overview of what other find of interest. Just remember you cannot find anything more recent referenced than the paper itself. In other words this is a way to search backwards in time.
Now put all this together and work on all fronts in parallel and your overview will grow rapidly. Doing literature searches will inevitably take time but you will learn to find your way through the mass of information more and more quickly.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Literature search, to me, is like the recipe of potato salad: everyone has at least one, and they always claim that theirs is the best. In fact, we just use what we feel comfortable and, so far, has not caused any major meltdown. So, bear in mind that these are just what work for me, and you should modify them along the way.
**Schedule a meeting with a librarian, now**
Talk to a librarian at your institute. In our school we have a medical librarian and perhaps you may find one specialized in your field as well. They are trained to locate useful information and are up to date with related technology. Give them a clear field of study and even a gist of your research, and ask for a good list of databases. I may go so far to say that a good database list is half of the game. Apart from the list, learn Boolean and learn them well, pick up a good electronic reference manager software. Your library should have these resources.
Also, ask your library if they have any library consortium. Some major institutes have large amount of subscriptions which open the gateway to many full articles. If your institute is tight on budget, a lot of the time you can just find abstracts sans full text. Having a consortium library card may grant you access to other bigger institutes' library, in which you can print or photocopy their articles. On the same note, ask for an introduction on doing inter-library loan and how much you're supposed to pay.
**Learn systematic review**
[Systematic review](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systematic_review), simply put, is performing literature review as a scientific research. It's problem-based, protocol-focused, and the process is meticulously documented and hence readily replicable. There are plenty of publications about this skill. I have been using Booth's *[Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0857021354)* and so far it serves me well.
Focus on the chapters about question formulation and ways of collecting data. I think even we are not heading for a formal systematic review, learning how to keep a clear search records, draft a conceptual framework, and maintain a paper trail would still be very beneficial.
**Understand the cataloging system**
In biomedical field (where I work) we have [MeSH (Medical Subject Headings)](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh) which shows the hierarchy and grouping of keywords. Consult the librarian and see if such thing exists in your field.
**Read a few systematic reviews or literature reviews in your own field**
To get the general picture, I actually first start from Wikipedia and encyclopedia. If you already have some background knowledge, you can probably skip the first phase. After meeting with the librarian, use the new-learned technique to find a few literature reviews or systematic reviews (hereafter "review") in your field. Review articles provide general scopes and a rich pool of keywords for your later use. You can also perform a reference tracing technique on these articles because they usually have unreasonably nice and comprehensive bibliography.
Spend some time with the online search engine and really read the "read me first" and "how to use this site" links. Learn how to massively download cited articles from a hosted article and export them to your manager software of choice.
Another good reason to start with these articles is that they are all required to report the information retrieval in details. Which engines were used, how articles were screened, what were the criteria, etc. You can get a good sense of how researchers do it (or appear to want to be seen doing in order to look trustworthy.)
**Start casual**
Through this snowballing technique, a small body of articles should start to form. Pay attention to their use of words, keywords, etc. It's still somewhat a toying phase but you should start using your tools seriously. The only recommendation from me is at least one electronic storage/manager software should be used. Make sure you can integrate this software into the word processing software in a harmonious manner, and be able to export a formatted document on the fly. For the rest, it's personal choice: index cards, Post-it notes on the wall, writing on a poster size paper, etc.
Now, many fun tools are available... [mind map](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map) allows you to cluster the ideas and words, [citation map](http://wokinfo.com/products_tools/multidisciplinary/webofscience/citmap/) allows you to trace the ancestors (cited) and offspring (citing) articles of any indexed articles, [word cloud](http://www.wordle.net/) allows you to identify the most frequently used words, some of these functions are also embedded in manager software such as [Qiqqa](http://www.qiqqa.com/), which is largely free and powerful.
**Then get serious**
After a week or so, you should have a good command of the tools, the software, the databases, and the keywords. Now you just need a question. Personally, all literature review should be problem-based. If someone asked you to "go and understand the field," that is just simply absurd. It's like searching an encyclopedia without anything to search; while there may be people who enjoy randomly reading wikipedia entries (I do, to confess), but that's not the best use of PhD time. Isolate the questions from your study before doing any literature search.
Now, what to search? I work in biomedical field so your and my paradigms may differ. For me, I usually go by this sequence as a starter:
*Definitions:* How does my field define XYZ? What are the controversy of the definitions?
*Operationalization:* How does my field capture/measure different contexts? How do we approximate "poverty"? How do we call a good "user experience"? etc.
*Data source/Research design:* What does my field do when they study the phenomenon of XYZ?
*Analysis:* What is some specific analysis for a certain type of design?
In a way, use the first literature review to solidify and fortify the understanding of every single phrase in your research questions and specific aims. Then expand to other questions (you WILL have branching questions along the way, trust me. It'd be hard to suppress them). Stop when you feel you have somehow exhausted the answers, and/or you're happy with the results.
Never start a literature review without a question, or you'll find yourself still only reading paper 18 months into the PhD, and that is probably not good.
**PhD is not a between-people competition**
You mentioned that sometime you saw others finding stuff that you did not. I'd suggest just ask them how they did it. Just because you asked them doesn't mean you're worse than they are. If they found something you didn't, get the references, read them and incorporate them into your manager, and instantly you're as well informed, if not better informed.
**Talk to experts**
Find some prolific faculty members and researchers, and ask them for tips. Collectively you should be able to get something more out of just talking to the librarian. Experienced researchers also tend to know more about the seminal work. And if you can get that list, compounded with the ability to trace the work's offspring, you can pretty much recreate the family tree of a particular key research theme.
**Use crowd-sourcing**
Websites like [Mendeley](http://www.mendeley.com) and [Research Gate](http://www.researchgate.net) utilize social bookmark approach and you can refer to other people's collections of articles/citations. If you have a good peer in your team, you may also divvy up the work and then evaluate the findings together, exchanging references, etc. Also some young researchers may be on other social sites such as [Reddit](http://www.reddit.com/) (but refrain from checking funny videos) or crowd sourcing sites such as [GitHub](https://github.com/)... you may consider setting up an account and set up a chat thread or a project for others to contribute.
**Exploit all services of journals**
There are at least a few services that you should see if your field's prime journals provide:
*1. Mail alert:* Some journals or search engines will send you e-mail when an article containing any of your preset keywords is available. Get like a weekly notice from them, and you can keep yourself somewhat up to date.
*2. Twitter:* Same as above, but through Twitter.
*3. Digest:* Some journals may boil down their published works into short pieces then feature them in the form of an online billboard. Occasionally a third party may do that as well for a nominal fee. For example, [MDLinx](http://www.mdlinx.com/) summarizes key medical journal findings and e-mail them to subscribers as a 5-minute digest every day.
**Pay attention to "grey literature"**
Notice that in some fields there is a tendency to favor publishing results that are statistically significant. Relying solely on literature database is only unbiased in the domain of the published literature. Sometimes, grey literature such as conference abstracts, documentaries, unpublished papers, white papers, proof-of-concepts, blog posts, grant proposal archives, trial registries, patents, personal communications, and general mass media may needed to be explored as well. Each field has their own literature graveyard and atypical channels of documentation, you'll need to talk to some specialists in your field.
**Be always on**
To me, literature search is really more of a lifestyle change rather than an activity. Now I have camera to take snapshots of posters, take verbal and written notes. I bring index cards for writing. Etc. When talking to people I often drive the topic to what cool papers they recently found. That's my best way to deal with potentially tricky water cooler conversation; either I'll learn something or they'll leave me alone.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: You've got some great answers here. What I can suggest is trying [Scizzle](http://www.myscizzle.com/), where you can set up your feeds based on the things you always search for. It's more of a tool to keep up and stay on top of the literature rather than previous literature search, but it will help you going forward.
The problem with only using eTOC is that you limit yourself to just those journals and may miss something that is still important to you just because it was published in a journal you don't follow. Not to mention you might flood you inbox with all those alerts.
I love the analogy of the potato salad, it's so true, you just need to develop your own workflow and practices that fit your own style.
Upvotes: 0 |
2013/10/23 | 557 | 2,476 | <issue_start>username_0: If one applies to a graduate school and gets declined, is it considered okay to ask for the opinions of admission staff or committee, about their thoughts on the person's application package (gpa, experience, personal statement, recommendation letters), for better adjusting his plan of applying to other schools and career?
Thanks!<issue_comment>username_1: There is nothing wrong with asking, but don't expect an answer that is particularly helpful (although you may get very helpful answers). You may get a standard response that doesn't tell you much, and I would think it pretty rare for someone to take the time to craft a detailed response.
If you do ask, make sure you do it in a professional manner, with a couple of key questions about particular issues, like those you mentioned. I would avoid a generic email that simply asks, "Why didn't I get the job/an acceptance?" or "What didn't you like about my application?" Obviously, if you do get a response, follow up the response with a brief thank you email (and definitely don't get in an argument about the response if you don't agree with it!).
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Tricky. The selection committee may refrain from telling you anything very specific about your case, because if they don't walk carefully and say something dumb, there can be a lawsuit. So, mostly you'd get some cookie cutter responses such as "it's not a good fit" or "the selection process was highly competitive" or something like that.
To soften them, I'd suggest sending the chair of the committee an e-mail thanking for their time to evaluate your case. Express a reasonable amount of sorrow but show a strong will to pursue this degree or career. Propose an informal meeting or a phone conversation to lessen their stress of crafting a written response (stress "informal"). Schedule a time, and meet or call. In the communication, never ask why you were not selected. Twist the question a bit by asking what are the traits they value in this field/industry, and in light of your application, how you can enhance your portfolio so that you can become a stronger candidate in the general pool.
Also, one school's rejects can be another school's successful candidates. On top of this very institute, you should talk to other institutes or at least attend their open day as well. The comments of the committee of the next school you'll apply probably matter a lot more.
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/10/23 | 934 | 3,999 | <issue_start>username_0: *The topic of [reproducible research](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproducibility#Reproducible_research) is attracting quite some press these days, yet much remains to be done. In this spirit, I am asking what can be a reviewer's role in this — I'll explain fully below.*
Like many people, I would like to see academic research moving toward a more “open data” model, especially because the principle of reproducibility of research is central to the scientific method. However, I know that at least in my field (theoretical chemistry), the usual standards are pretty lax. I'll give two examples:
* If you develop your own simulation/modeling code, you do not have to make it public in order to publish your results.
* If you use an existing modeling code (available for free or commercial), you do not need to include your full/raw input files with your publication.
When I peer-reviewed papers for publication in the past, I typically did not ask for this, because (a) maybe my standards are not other people's standards, and (b) the role of the reviewer is more to advise on the quality of the science and analysis of the results.
But, over time, I'm not really satisfied with this approach any more. So: as a reviewer, how much information do you think is reasonable to request from the authors? **Should you follow the customs and unwritten standards of your field, or is it okay to push it toward the direction you'd like to see it go? And how much can you push?**<issue_comment>username_1: If there are other reasons to reject the paper, then it's certainly unnecessary to request code/data. If the paper looks like something that might be accepted, then you should ask yourself:
>
> Can I certify the correctness and significance of this work, to the necessary degree, with the information that is available?
>
>
>
Of course, the key is the phrase *to the necessary degree*. To make things more concrete, you might consider:
>
> Would I feel comfortable if the whole world knew that I refereed and recommended acceptance of this paper?
>
>
>
If the answer is *no, I don't have enough confidence in the results without seeing the raw data/code*, then you should ask for it. You're really doing the authors a favor here -- giving them the chance to convince you by providing additional evidence.
I would be very polite and make the request through the editor. If the code and data are not forthcoming, you should probably say in your recommendation something like
>
> I find the results in this paper compelling if they are correct, but I cannot recommend it for publication without verifying the data/code that underlies those results.
>
>
>
Of course, the degree to which a referee is expected to verify the correctness of results varies greatly between fields. But you can always choose a personal standard higher than what's usual in your field. Just realize that good refereeing takes a significant time investment.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Here are my two cents.
Yes, if there is code, you should ask for it (if possible). If you get it, then test it. Bear in mind if the authors don't have usable code, they probably aren't going to give it to you, but it doesn't hurt to try.
If the authors have provided code, the authors will probably be delighted if you test it. Most of the time people don't bother. They'd probably be seriously thrilled if you provide useful feedback and suggestions for improvements. This practically never happens. Personally, if an academic reviewer was to provide useful feedback on some code I had written, I'd think I was dreaming.
In particular, if you can't reproduce the results using the code, then I suggest documenting your reproduction difficulties in the review. I believe that such a failure is not considered a dealbreaker in academic research, because the ideas are the most important thing. However, it is still nice for everyone when this is possible.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/24 | 3,002 | 11,892 | <issue_start>username_0: I do scientific research, and I noticed for a lot of plots, the different curves are represented with different styles, but they are all black. For instance, one curve may be a solid line, one may be a dashed line, one may be a dotted line with triangular markers, etc.
However, this makes it hard for me to differentiate between the curves. Color is *much* more effective for helping people distinguish between data (and I’m taking a data visualization class that has research to prove it).
So... can I do this in my research article? I imagine most people are keeping their plots black and white because of printing restrictions on color, but at the same time they include colors in all kinds of other figures in their document. Also, how many people actually read printed articles anymore? For scientific work, I look all of it up online.
Are there good reasons for me to stick with this backwards black-and-white scheme?<issue_comment>username_1: Basically, the reason is as you suggested: historically, it has been very expensive to print in color, which made it unattractive for most research groups to do so.
Now, however, it is increasingly common for most distribution of journal articles to be in PDF form, which can just as easily use color as not. Many journals will let you do "color online" for the same cost as black-and-white. However, if you are planning to use colors, then they should be used in [an intelligent manner](http://tristen.ca/hcl-picker/#/hlc/6/1/816D92/57ECC5). Arbitrarily using colors in a haphazard manner can make understanding even harder than using black and white. (Don't forget that many people are color-blind!)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: *Why might be reasons for you to stick to black and white:*
* Some legitimate scientific journals, even in the beginning of this 21st century, still have publishing fees for color figures and do not allow the combination of “color online and B/W in print”. It's sad to realize, but I know some in my own field.
* Having color figures allows you to have a higher density of information on a given figure. Yes, it sounds like a good thing and it usually is, but it is a double-edge sword. First, because you may end up making figures that are just too dense and difficult to interpret (if the caption requires more than 3 sentences, you may have a problem). Second, because if you do not choose your colors well, it may be actually *less* readable than a black and white figure.
* The rendering and perception of colors in printed materials and in video projected presentations is not at all the same. Thus, if you want to provide top-notch material, you might need to make two versions of your figures, which is extra work.
---
Mortiarty has said that the choice of colors is crucial. This is very true (and under appreciated by many), both for rendering and perception. I would advise you to read a book about color theory or color design ([this one](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1592534333) is the one I read to strengthen my understanding of these things).
To given an example, the software I love for drawing figures ([Grace](http://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/)) has an almost unusable default color palette (left below), but with some practice I could change it to a palette that is quite nice to use (right below):
 
Look in particular at how the basic colors have been desaturated: red, blue, green, and yellow.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: When making plots, I like to use reasonably subtle colours and *combine them with different line or marker styles* (e.g. blue triangles and red circles, or a black solid line and a blue dotted line). If printed in black and white the figure is still easily readable, and the colour version makes things a little more differentiable.
Stick to dark or pale colours, and they will enhance the appearance and readability of your document.
**Do:**
**Don't:**
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_4: Some journals will ask you to pay a per-figure fee for your print figures to appear in color. If color really enhances the figure, then this is worth it. But if, say, you're just using a monochrome red colormap instead of grayscale, it's not.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: **Hail to Colorbrewer**
I use Cynthia Brewer's website [Colorbrewer](http://colorbrewer2.org/) to pick color schemes. It's also embedded in [ggplot2](http://ggplot2.org/) which is a common choice of graphing package in R. It allows users to specify colorblind-safe and photocopy-able color schemes. It's meant to be for map making, but the idea works for visualization all across the broad.
**Other color specialists**
For graphs that are used in more eye-catching media such as reports, posters or infographics, you may consider taking some advice from fashion and interior designers (See the graph below proposed by Japanese Shigenobu Kobayashi). Each combination can conjure a certain type of feeling, color schemes that seem absurd may work in other settings.
**Works on data visualizations**
You mention there is research backing up the use of color, which I do believe there must be. Though for that, I'd just like to share another point of view. <NAME>, whom I consider the guru of visualization in science, advises that color should actually be avoided. In his book, he lays out this hierarchy:
I may not go thus far to suggest color is worse than area and volume, but I do agree that positioning along non-aligned scales is much better than color. In other words, if I have two curves to show, I'd opt for paneling them onto to their own coordinate then put the graphs side by side, or plotting them together using line with different styles or grey scales over using colored lines.
The baseline for me is, ***the added colors should have their dimension (aka variable) to represent***. If there is anything that does the same job, remove the colors because now the colors are "non-informative ink," as described by [Tufte](http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/).
**Human eyes are prone to visual tricks**
I do agree that colors catch attention, but just because it gets attention does not mean people can distinguish them well and can isolate the information well. Particularly, colors interact; just by pairing with some different colors, the same color can look different. For instance, here is an example borrowed [elsewhere](http://www.sibleyguides.com/2010/05/color-illusion-and-thrush-identification/). The brown and the orange tiles pointed by an white arrow are actually of the same color.
**Why care about black and white?**
And you asked "how many people actually read print articles anymore?" I would think that there are a lot. Schools in developing countries may not have color printer, and not every student has access to computer and the Internet. Their only way to learn about a journal article may just be through photocopies. Even in the US, with the rapid adoption of tablets, I still see a lot of journal clubs and meetings relying on B&W photocopies.
Now when I go to deliver any workshops in other countries, I always photocopy a few sample pages of my handout to make sure they are still legible. And Brewer's work has been a lifesaver for me.
**Closing remark**
In a nutshell, I embrace data visualization and the increasing acceptance of colors thrills me. Though in the process I believe we should remind ourselves to be humble and do not create works that very disproportionally benefit people who are riding high at the technology tide. <NAME> laid the groundwork of some graphical [exploratory data analysis](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0201076160), <NAME> made a [visual](https://web.archive.org/web/20130816224418/http://studio.coe.uga.edu/seminars/visualization/minard.html) with rich amount of variables like 150 years ago and yet still considered to be pretty bad-ass by today's standard. How many colors did they use? Just one.
At the end of the day, I would probably argue that ***design trumps all***. It's not about color or non-color, it's about if they are used efficiently to maximize information transfer and minimize noises. At this moment, for me, lines, dots, shades along grey scale, and empty spaces are my staples; colors are my spices.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_6: Some might claim that having black and white is better because it's cheaper to print and keeps the focus on the content.
But I disagree with using black and white and think that the content is better supplemented with color. There is research that if your mood is changed positively when learning (with our 5 senses), humans retain more information. (Example: don't you retain more when you eat dinner with your friends in a new restaurant versus sitting at your desk and talking to someone on the phone?) This is not true if the brain becomes conditioned to the environment (or restaurant in my example). So the environment should continually change to increase one's ability to learn. Thus, you should have a web interface to keep changing the theme to something new each day they visit the research. If it's on paper, then you're S.O.L.
You could keep it in black and white if it's on paper and just spray some good smelling perfume on the paper. That may allow others to retain more with smell than with color, because smell has more of an impact on the brain than color.
```
Sight
Hearing
Touch
Taste
Smell
```
Another way would be to put it in a card that plays classical music. When listening to classical music while learning, you will retain more. Hearing is on the list of 5 senses.
I found this the other day that might help you.
<https://kuler.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/>
**Then click the "Explore" hyperlink. And finally click the "Most Popular" hyperlink and the "Most Used" hyperlink.**
I'm not sure which one is better.
You will find the work of many Adobe geniuses that might make your research a lot easier, rather than re-inventing the color wheel.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: Many journals will either charge for the use of color (especially those that still appear in print) and a few I've run across outright ban its use unless it's essential for an understanding of the figure (some photographs, etc.).
That being said, there's no reason you *can't* use color if you're willing to pay the fees, publish in online journals, use color in electronic supplements, etc.
One essential thing I find, that I always check as a reviewer, and find appallingly uncommon in color figures: make sure they're still understandable in black and white. It doesn't have to be *as good*, but someone printing out your work on their office printer should still be able to understand what you did. Distributed in PDF or not, I can't read things for comprehension on a screen, so I print them out - I know a fair number of colleagues who do likewise. And I have yet to encounter a figure that *needed* printer unfriendly colors to be understood.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/24 | 1,237 | 5,131 | <issue_start>username_0: In science/engineering subjects, it's not yet commonplace to use a laptop or tablet in class as most people still take notes with a pen and paper.
What is some good etiquette for laptop use in classes, so that I don't annoy or distract either my fellow students or the professor? Should I ask the professor if he/she would mind me using a laptop?<issue_comment>username_1: Professors don't share the same rationale so mileage may differ. Usually, the younger ones are more forgiving. Those born before late Generation X (aka 1970 or before) are more likely to feel awkward because in most of their education life, portable computers had not been made popular. So, personal computer and laptop were/are much less integrated into their daily life.
In fact, it's not the laptop, it's what the laptop being used for and the manners of the owner's. Here are some guidelines, most are in my syllabi as well:
* If the syllabus does not require a labtop but you'd like to use one, inform the professor through e-mail for permission. This step, however, can be skipped if the majority of the students have started using one since the beginning.
* Sit to the side or back so that your screen will not interfere with other students' line of eyesight.
* Mute all sounds.
* Be courteous about where to plug your charger and make sure no one will trip over the wire.
* Type quietly.
* Refrain from doing anything other than tasks related to the materials being covered (no Facebook, Reddit, Youtube, games, porn, jokes, e-mail, IM, shopping etc. even you think you have nailed down the contents).
* Occasionally establish eye contacts with the professor.
* Ask questions, keep engaged.
* If there are very few students and the interaction becomes more of a meeting, angle your laptop to either or your side by about 40 degrees so that it's not becoming a wall between you and the professor, or you and other students.
I also ask my TAs to sit at the back of the classroom so that I can make sure karma finds its way when I tally up the in-class performance portion of the final grade.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Follow the directions given. If nothing was said with respect to laptops, you may use one but be ready to fold it if asked to do so.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: In addition to other useful information given earlier: yes, some "older" faculty are very sensitive (I almost wrote "hyper-sensitive", but that would have been judgmental...) about electronic devices of any sort in the classroom. Thus, no matter what you're doing, even if it's note-taking from their lecture, it will upset them.
Some of that reaction is due to the greater difficulty of telling exactly *whether* you're paying attention, or not. The point is that *most* other "inattentive" activity is more easily distinguished from "attentive" activity... so that part of what is upsetting is that it's no longer possible to easily distinguish.
Indeed, when I was in high school, one of the great attractions of my hobby of mathematics was that writing technical-looking stuff in a notebook *looked* just like taking notes in class... which was a great trick for me, personally: make occasional eye contact with teacher, then go back to what I was doing. :) An astute chemistry teacher did make a very cryptic comment which I only later realized was meant to let me know that, although no action was taken, not everyone was fooled. :)
But/and, in fact, "even many old people" realize that "paper" is being significantly supplanted by electronics. In my *graduate* courses, students have the PDF notes called-up on their tablets, and mark on them using the touchscreen corresponding to the "added value" I (attempt to) provide in my lecture/discussion of the material. This is entirely reasonable, and certainly preferable to everyone printing out their own copy to physically mark on... ?
Similarly, if/when I give references during lecture/discussion, how could I discourage a person from looking up the reference document (assuming it's available on-line)??? I realize that a well-prepared student may often have "extra cycles" available, so that they can legitimately pay attention well-enough, while looking up the peripheral stuff...
And, similarly, in fact, I realize that a well-prepared student can fully follow what I'm doing while intermittently carrying on an email/facebook/text-message discussion with friends. Why not? Is this worse than daydreaming, looking out the window? :)
I think the genuine operational issue is not whether-or-not faculty are offended, to which the answer is something like "yes, but that's not the only thing that offends faculty, ...", but whether it would be genuinely appropriate to try to actively prevent or "police" electronics use in class. This seems like a hopeless battle, beyond the larger request for ordinary civility in *all* things.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: It might give an impression that you are doing something else on laptop and this might make someone angry. The tick tick from keyboard can also be disturbing.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/10/25 | 1,258 | 5,104 | <issue_start>username_0: I am proofreading and editing a dissertation proposal for a student for whom English a fourth language--cleaning up the language for clarity and grammar, etc. The student has asked me to paraphrase the information of some articles so that s/he can use what is most relevant to her research. Is this commonly against school policy?<issue_comment>username_1: It normally comes under plagiarism to do paraphrasing for all dissertation. But if student does it by himself/herself it should be fine to proofread and suggest how to improve that.
Just noticed kigen wrote same thing in the comment.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You may want to be sure of the policies as to what your university considers as plagiarism, if this is not clear, then ask what is the boundary.
But, to be absolutely certain, I was advise to do as has been mentioned, that student needs to learn to paraphrase, even more so importantly that English is their 4th language - especially if they are pursuing a career in academia, paraphrasing is something the student will need to do themselves.
You're heart is in the right place, but, by not doing the paraphrasing for them (rather editing etc), you will do yourself and the student favour in the long term.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I would maybe like to add that since a collaboration is an important part of research, **explaining** or **summarizing** the articles **you already read** would be okay in my opinion.
When somebody new comes to my team and either has read something relevant to my research or is researching something where the articles I have read will be of help, we will often sit together for an hour or so, and the one who has read the relevant articles will explain the basic ideas, point out to relevant examples and/or results.
In my opinion, this is fine, since there's no point in duplicating the time invested. Of course, I always read the articles in question after such talks, and I hope the other people do to. But, the explanations help reduce the time it takes me to fully understand the paper.
So, to *summarize*, **sharing the knowledge and research findings is okay** and even encouraged in PhD level, but **not researching and summarizing the relevant materials** for somebody else; that is something I imagine high school professors would do for their pupils in the classes.
Oh, and as a sidenote, proofreading is completely fine and I would gladly do it for any of my friends and colleagues whose English level is lower than mine (provided I have time).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> *I am proofreading and editing a dissertation proposal for a student for whom English a fourth language--**cleaning up the language for
> clarity and grammar**, etc. The student has asked me to paraphrase the
> information of some articles so that s/he can use what is most
> relevant to her research.*
>
>
>
That is fine.
>
> *I am proofreading and editing a dissertation proposal for a student for whom English a fourth language--cleaning up the language for
> clarity and grammar, etc. **The student has asked me to paraphrase the
> information of some articles so that s/he can use what is most
> relevant to her research.***
>
>
>
That is abhorrent in two levels. First, the student had the guts to even ask. Second, the task itself involves significant amount of intellectual input that is not of the student's.
I understand you wish the student to do well, and the work would reflect on your mentoring ability. But this is just identical to parents helping children with art project the night before school. It can be a fun and educational experience for kids, but outlandish for a grown up PhD candidate.
At the very least, make the student do the major part of the work:
1. Highlight the parts that he/she feels relevant. The selection of articles and contents should never be done by you. Discuss with the student on the rationale of the selections, and use this as an educational opportunity.
2. Paraphrase 5-10 various statements and hand them to the student as a guideline/examples, ask him/her to replicate on a dozen or so, check and give comments.
3. Send him/her away with a complimentary copy of a thesaurus, or some URLs like <http://thesaurus.com>
4. Identify the ESL center in your institute, and ask the student to work with the ESL staff along the way.
5. Recommend the student to identify an editor. His/her English standard will not become any better. Now you are helping with proposal, a couple years later you'll help with dissertation---vicious cycle.
Also, as how I define it, if English is my mother tongue, then all languages I would learn are my second languages. It'd only be a fourth language of this student if, say, he/she has Russian as mother tongue, then learned Chinese in Russian, then learned Thai in Chinese, then learn English in Thai. I don't think that is a very viable pathway, and you may want to hook the student up with a Russian English teacher/editor.
And lastly, where were you when I was working on my PhD?!
Upvotes: 4 |
2013/10/25 | 634 | 2,451 | <issue_start>username_0: Is it possible for an Indian student with M.Sc degree to do M.S course in USA? I heard BS degree in USA is of 4 years, but in India MSc is done after BSc.<issue_comment>username_1: So long as you meet or exceed (but not by too much!) the graduate admission requirements of a department, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to study there. There's no fixed rule that says that you can't do a master's in India then do one in the US as well. (If there *is* such a rule, it applies only to the departments or universities that impose them; there are no universal rules that govern US graduate admissions.)
The best bet is, of course, to contact the schools you're interest in attending and ask them directly what their policies are.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Honestly, it really depends on the University. Some universities do *not* allow you to do a masters in the same field, twice - for example : <http://cs.stanford.edu/admissions/faq#a2>
Some of them will waive GRE/GMAT scores if you hold a master's degree (couldnt' post the link here, apparently I need 10+ reputation to do this). Other universities are more interested in whether your graduate degree had a research/thesis component to it, or if it was just a course based masters, like the one from NorthEastern (CS dept), for example, where a thesis is optional.
For the most part, masters in science, AFAIK, are seldom course based, and more research oriented - so any university worth its soul will not want its students wasting time/resources on a second master's degree in the same subject - they encourage applicants to consider a PhD instead.
However, if you hold a master's degree in, say, Physics - and want to pursue graduate studies in computer science, this is usually okay.
Could you post details about which subject you've done your masters and bachelors in, whether your graduate degree was had a paper/thesis component, and what you want to pursue in the states? That may help narrow down the answer.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Absolutely!
M.Sc. from a recognized Indian university usually meet the admission requirements in the US. Except if you had a M.Sc degree from IISC, IISERs, IITs, NITs and a couple of *good* universities; I think its advantageous to apply for a MS in the US in the perspective of research experience. Else and if you wish to do a PhD in the US, better appear GRE.
Upvotes: 1 |
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