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34,933 |
For reference, I am a woman of color in mathematics and I am applying for academic jobs.
I noticed that many of these applications say something like "Women (and other underrepresented groups) are encouraged to apply," or "We especially welcome applications from minority groups, women, persons with disabilities,..."
Yet there is also a non-discrimination clause saying " All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, etc. ..."
**Is preference actually given to these underrepresented groups? What impact does knowledge of the underrepresented group the applicant is a part of have in the reviewing process?**
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34936,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think this depends on the policies at the individual institutions. \n\nFor instance, here in Germany, I believe that institutions are required to ensure that their search committees have, where possible, female faculty members on the committee, as well as representatives from the human resources department to ensure that qualified female candidates are not excluded on flimsy grounds. I have also heard of searches where the faculty especially recruited female candidates to apply. (The recruiters are not the same faculty as on the search committee, reducing conflict of interest issues.)\n\nHowever, in the US, I think the issue is more to ensure that candidates of all backgrounds apply (through job fairs at conferences, targeted advertising, and so on), and ensuring that all candidates are treated equally during search committee deliberations, rather than biasing the choice toward members of underrepresented groups."
},
{
"answer_id": 34938,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "While I am in a corporate position, our process has some similarity, and I also discuss these issues frequently with colleagues in more traditional academia.\n\nWhat I have observed is that at the level of faculty or other primary investigator hiring, direct comparison of candidates is almost always impossible: it is always apples vs. oranges because every candidate is qualitatively different in what they bring to offer the department. Thus there is no opportunity for a simple positive discrimination like \"given two equally qualified candidates, pick the underprivileged one.\"\n\nInstead, any strong candidate will have an advocating faction whose interests they would support, and opposition from another faction whose interests would be better supported by a different candidate. These pragmatic interests are likely to dominate over diversity considerations in the final decision in many cases.\n\nWhere diversity considerations are more likely to factor into the process is earlier on, when candidates for interview are being selected. Here, demographic information can be used so that a group can notice, \"Hey, we're only planning to invite white males... maybe we are being biased in our evaluation and should look deeper into the candidate pool.\" It probably still isn't enough to make up for the implicit negatives, however."
}
] |
2014/12/29
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34933",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22503/"
] |
34,947 |
I have two papers presented at state and national level conferences. These conference proceedings were not published in any journal. Now, should I list these papers in my list of publications or not?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34948,
"author": "Anonymous Mathematician",
"author_id": 612,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/612",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "> \n> These conference proceedings were not published in any journal.\n> \n> \n> \n\nWere they published at all? If there were no proceedings, then they don't count as publications, because nothing was actually published. (You could still list them as talks rather than publications.) If there were official proceedings in which other people can read and cite the paper (not just an abstract) even after the conference is over, then it's a form of publication, regardless of whether the proceedings appeared in a journal or as a stand-alone volume.\n\nThere may be other considerations you should take into account when including this material in your CV. For example, were the papers peer reviewed? Does your field consider them to be archival publications? However, these are more of an issue of how meaningful the publications are, rather than whether they count as publications in the first place."
},
{
"answer_id": 34949,
"author": "Makenna",
"author_id": 27133,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27133",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Depends a little on your field. What do other people in your field do? \n\nBut maybe list it as a presentation rather than a publication. \n\nBecause in some fields, conference handouts are freely available on the personal websites of the presenters and it's totally acceptable to cite other people's conference handouts."
}
] |
2014/12/29
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34947",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12880/"
] |
34,950 |
Is it OK to put my non English internal conference or journal paper on my social media profiles such as Google Scholar, Academia, Research Gate, etc? and also, should I translate their title and other information into English?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34952,
"author": "Davidmh",
"author_id": 12587,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12587",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "It is your work, you can of course take credit for it. Translating it will help the international audience to get a feeling of what you do; nevertheless, in the interest of archiving, you should keep the original title next to it. In case it is not clear, indicate that the original paper was in another language."
},
{
"answer_id": 34953,
"author": "Aubrey",
"author_id": 26682,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26682",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "Yes, it is. English is a *lingua franca*, but that doesn't mean that all scholarly literature **must** be in English. Make sure your paper is in a institutional or disciplinary repository, if you like the idea of your paper to be *open access*. Translate it, as Davidmh suggests, to make it even more available. \n\nRegarding indexing in Google Scholar, that depends by the site you archive your paper into. You can make [some arrangements to be indexed](http://scholar.google.it/intl/en/scholar/inclusion.html#indexing), but in my experience even if you suggest resources to GS you cannot be sure you'll be."
}
] |
2014/12/29
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34950",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/19761/"
] |
34,959 |
Given that undergraduate projects and publications can be of a lesser quality than later works, some may be discouraged from adding them to their CV. On the other hand, perhaps a CV should simply be a raw record of your work, good, bad, and middling.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34960,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Your publications are your publications, and unless they have been retracted, you should list them all on your CV. It is up to the reader how to interpret your undergraduate work, and you have minimal control of that in the rather raw format of a CV, whether or not you list them. But consider: if you do list them, then your degree history makes it clear they are from undergrad and to be judged accordingly. If you do not list them, however, then the reader may easily come across them anyway online and be left to wonder what awful shame you are attempting to hide."
},
{
"answer_id": 34962,
"author": "Nate Eldredge",
"author_id": 1010,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/1010",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "As jakebeal said, you don't really have a choice. A CV is supposed to contain a complete list of your publications, end of story.\n\nBut I don't think you need worry. Nobody expects your first papers to represent the best work of your career. If you are early in your career (e.g. undergrad or grad student), it is much better to have some papers on your CV, whatever their quality, instead of none. And if you are later in your career, nobody will pay much attention to your earliest work. You might be judged based on your best papers, or your latest papers, or your total number of papers, but not on your first papers.\n\nAs to your enumerated concerns: \n\n(A) There's nothing wrong with that. If you do any amount of collaboration in your career (and you should), you will be a coauthor on papers where the main idea came from someone else. That's fine, as long as there are also some where the main ideas are yours. (If you have great ideas, wouldn't you want other talented people to be willing to help bring them to completion? So you should be willing to do likewise, within reason.) \n\n(B) Nobody writes exclusively great papers; every CV has papers that are not so good. Good papers get noticed, not-so-good papers (unless they are plagiarized or egregiously substandard) just get ignored. Mediocre papers don't directly hurt you, they simply don't help you. So don't worry about having written papers that aren't great. \n\n(C) As above, the start of your publication history is not something that people care about, so there's no particular advantage in going to great lengths to ensure that your first (acknowledged) publication is super awesome. If you write that super awesome paper eventually, it will overshadow the others, and if you don't, at least you'll still have something to show.\n\nNote also that a common convention on a CV is to list papers in *reverse* chronological order: newest papers first, and earliest papers at the end, where nobody is likely to pay them much attention."
},
{
"answer_id": 34968,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "The general rule of thumb: List all in a reverse chronological order. (Thanks for pointing the omission)\n\nThe answer to your question will have some subjectivity. In many cases, a person might have done some extremely novel work worthy of elaborating briefly in CV. This enhances chances to get into graduate school or jobs of his/her liking. Most of the jobs people do (from the statistical stand-point) are volunteering or 'Do-it-this-way' kind of projects.\n\nEven if your project/research is not a major endeavor, there is no harm in adding a piece on information. But make sure that you are not incessantly harping on it. Your CV should be a concise document which highlights your skills, interest and character. The person evaluating you should get sufficient information about you. Too much details on any one thing (about a minor project especially) tends to work against you, from my experience."
}
] |
2014/12/30
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34959",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27141/"
] |
34,965 |
I'm a new assistant professor in my first year of my first tenure track position.
For several reasons, I am seriously doubting whether my current position is a good fit and am considering applying to a couple open positions that may provide a better fit. I'm not sure whether the nature of my reasons is relevant but assume
* My reasons do not involve salary or any personal conflicts (they are more related to the teaching load, the types of classes I'd be teaching, the background of the students I'd be teaching, and the possibility of advising PhD students)
* I have no two-body problem or moving reasons for seeking a new job (the open positions are relatively nearby)
My question is: are there any serious problems with attempting to change tenure track positions this early?
* From the perspective of the hiring committee, will this (even with an explanation in the cover letter) raise a red flag that will cripple my candidacy?
* If I did apply, would my current employer be justified in being upset? Is it generally considered unacceptable to leave a tenure track position this early?
Thanks for any perspectives on this.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36433,
"author": "Buzz",
"author_id": 27515,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27515",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "If you have a compelling reason to want to move, you should explain it upfront in the cover letter. How much effect it will have on your job prospects will depend a lot on the kind of institution you are applying to. If you have a strong research record and are applying to another research university, the hiring committee will probably not judge you harshly for leaving a place where you decided that you did not fit. It could still be more of an issue at a primarily teaching school, however. Some people might interpret your leaving so early as a sign that you are difficult to please or difficult to get along with.\n\nLeaving early is probably going to be a net negative for you in your job search, but having already been a tenure-track professor does have a few advantages. You should also emphasize in your letter your experience having a full-time faculty position. Even if you haven't had all the opportunities you wanted to at your current institution, play up what you have learned and accomplished in your limited time at your current job."
},
{
"answer_id": 36471,
"author": "A.S",
"author_id": 22447,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22447",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Before committing to leaving, it might also be beneficial to re-consider the current job situation. You mentioned the reasons for leaving are:\n\n> \n> more related to\n> \n> \n> \n> > \n> > * the teaching load,\n> > * the types of classes I'd be teaching,\n> > * the background of the students I'd be teaching,\n> > * and the possibility of advising PhD students.\n> > \n> > \n> > \n> \n> \n> \n\nRegardless of which aspects of each of these items you consider problematic, it appears your fundamental assumption is that **all these things will be different in the new job**. Until you actually do get the new job and let these four elements play out as they may, this will remain an assumption. \n\nEven if you believe the situation will be different based on some 'inside knowledge' at the universities/departments you are applying to, these are merely perceptions and beliefs at this point. There is simply no way of knowing what the new situation will be like until after the fact. \n\nIn the world of tenure-track academe, these assumptions seem risky.\n\nBased on what I hear from peers working in the academe, and [occasional reading](http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/the-implications-of-teaching-load-increases/30636), your issues are not unique, but are endemic to the professional lives of junior faculty in the academe. \n\nWith this in mind, the problems you are facing may be reframed as truly excellent **opportunities**. As the likelihood of these issues resurfacing in your career is high, what better way to prepare for this reality than wrestle with it a bit during the first years on the job? I can hardly imagine a better means of gaining invaluable experience and proficiency in dealing with these problems! \n\nSee how you might address these issues now. Whether you succeed or not in changing some things to your liking, there will be valuable lessons learned regardless. The process of this learning might involve struggle and compromise, but the result is you will become a better-heeled junior faculty member, potentially capable of mentoring other peers on such matters or becoming (with time) a change agent after spending time in the trenches and earning credibility in these matters among your colleagues. \n\nThese are not simple or quick lessons, but they may be things are will pay of time and again over the course of your career in the long term. After all, your initial years on the job are not an end but a means toward something even more fulfilling later, correct?\n\nAs you see, I got stuck on your initial assumptions before even getting to the questions at hand. But I believe it is well worth to dwell some more on the reasons for leaving, prior to investigating the pros and cons of the actual decision to do so...\n\nWhat if the same issues crop up in the new job? You will be left with a strange-looking one-year-long stint in a tenure track role, stuck forever on your CV. \n\nThe fact that neither salary nor personal conflicts with colleagues are causing any problems is also not to be taken for granted. Entering a new organization always carries risk of new \"people issues\" (conflicts related to personality aspects/working style/opinions/character/attitudes/integrity/whatever). I would count my blessings to be in a workplace where these are not major issues. Perhaps you don't even realize how lucky you are! For these reasons, I hope you might be willing to re-evaluate your current position prior to making the decision and evaluating it purely on the groups of career move timing.\n\n**Bottom line:** Unless the issues you mentioned are absolutely killing you, and you just can't do it any more no matter what, then I guess there is little choice but leave. In which case the question you ask are a mute point. But if you can see some promise in that these experiences might pay off in the long term, then I would encourage you to stick it out a little longer. \n\nAfter all, what does a year after which you leave a challenging job say about your ability to persevere, adapt, and succeed despite hurdles? Not too much. On the other hand, getting a few years under your belt in less-than-ideal conditions, and potentially being on the forefront of improving the situation for yourself and your colleagues, will say a **whole lot** about your professional character. That is worth the time served, in my book.\n\nGood luck!"
},
{
"answer_id": 36472,
"author": "Anonymous",
"author_id": 11565,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11565",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "\"From the perspective of the hiring committee, will this (even with an explanation in the cover letter) raise a red flag that will cripple my candidacy?\"\n\nProbably not. It might hurt your chances somewhat, but if they would have wanted you otherwise, then they will probably still want to interview you.\n\nThat said, remember that the job market can be a crapshoot so I wouldn't worry about this too much. Unless you are a superstar and/or a perfect match for what they are looking for, even without any \"red flags\" the most likely outcome of a small number of job applications is that you won't get any interviews. If you don't have connections at these institutions, then there are no bridges to be burned by a job application; and if you do, then an unsuccessful job application is very unlikely to burn them.\n\nWhat you should worry about is your relationship to your current department -- especially if you only make a small number of applications and are therefore unlikely to be successful. (This is not to say you shouldn't apply for other jobs if you believe they'll be a better fit.)"
}
] |
2014/12/30
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34965",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27148/"
] |
34,969 |
I used wrong font for my statement of purpose, rather than the one prescribed under the department’s specifications. Will this hamper my chances of admission into that university?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34971,
"author": "Wrzlprmft",
"author_id": 7734,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/7734",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "As far as I can tell, the reasons behind font prescriptions are usually:\n\n1. To avoid silly or unreadable fonts such as Comic Sans or blackletter fonts.\n2. To avoid biases.\n3. To be able to quickly assess the character count of a document.\n4. To prevent the circumvention of page limits or similar by using a narrow font or similar.\n\n(Whether one should care about character counts or page limits to the extent that the last two points matter at all is another discussion.)\n\nNow, the if rules were only made with these purposes in mind, they would be something like:\n\n> \n> The statement of purpose must be set in a traditional sans-serif font such as …\n> \n> \n> \n\nor if the restriction is due points 3. or 4.:\n\n> \n> The statement of purpose must be set in Arial, Helvetica, Liberation Sans, … or any metrically similar font (in 11 pt with double line spacing …)\n> \n> \n> \n\nUnfortunately, the people making these rules usually do not know sufficiently much about typography or are even aware of that not everybody has Arial and Times New Roman pre-installed on their computers. Similarly, some applicants may be confused by such instructions. Therefore you end up with prescriptions that just require a Arial or Times New Roman, though probably nobody really thinks that you must use those very fonts.\n\n---\n\nThus to evaluate the impact of your font choice, you first have to find out for which reason the font prescription was made. To this purpose, ask yourself questions such as the following:\n\n* Are other aspects such as font size, linespacing and borders prescribed as well? If yes, the prescription is likely due to point 3 or 4.\n* Is there any prescription on the length by other means as the word or character count? If yes, it’s almost certainly point 4.\n* Is a wide variety of fonts offered? If yes, the description is probably due to point 1, perhaps 2.\n\nFinally, you need to consider, how much your actual font choice sabotages this purpose. Some examples:\n\n* If Times New Roman was prescribed due to reason 1 and you chose another traditional serif font such as Georgia or Baskerville, it will likely be without consequences. Even, if you used a traditional sans-serif font, you might fare well, as whoever is reading your submission may not even be aware of the prescriptions in this case.\n* If Times New Roman was prescribed due to reason 4 and you used Liberation Serif, which was designed to be metrically equivalent (i.e., each character takes up the same space), this will likely be without consequences. You need to have a trained eye to even spot the differences between the two, if you are not specifically looking for them:\n\n\n* If you used Comic Sans and it was not the prescribed font, this will likely have disadvantages, no matter what the reasons behind the prescription are and even if there was no font prescription to begin with.\n\nHowever, at the end of the day, you can only guess the intentions behind the prescriptions and your document may get into the hands of some pedantic who radically enforces for these rules for their own sake (especially, if submissions were to be made in a format that allows to easily control the used font). Thus, if you want to be sure, only time (or asking the university) can tell."
},
{
"answer_id": 34990,
"author": "BrenBarn",
"author_id": 9041,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/9041",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "The short answer is: no, it will probably not hurt you, as long as the font you used is normal-looking and/or similar-looking to the original font. In that case, few people will even notice the difference."
}
] |
2014/12/30
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34969",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27158/"
] |
34,981 |
I'm a computer science student, currently at the Bachelor level. I'm also not a native English speaker. My native language is Dutch. This year, I have to write a thesis.
I've always been told at my university that whilst being a Bachelor-student all courses, assignments, etc should be available to us in Dutch, **but** we've had lectures in English before after an agreement with the professor.
Personally, I find it easier to write in my mother tongue (naturally), but maybe it's worth to go the extra mile and write my thesis in English. Also, all the research I've done so far, has been in English. So it's not really a problem for me.
>
> **Question:**
>
>
> Should a (computer science) thesis be written in English or in the writer's native language? What are possible pros/cons? Can it pay off to go the extra mile?
>
>
>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34982,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "As was suggested in the comments, if you want to share your thesis with researchers in other countries, it is better to write it in English than in other languages.\n\nHowever, I will go further than that and say that in the 21st century, English is the *lingua franca* of communication in most technical fields. If you want to participate in the wider technical community in a meaningful way, developing your ability to express yourself in English, both orally and in written form, is essential. Therefore, you should avail yourself of opportunities to work in English whenever practical. \n\nIt is still important to be able to communicate in your local language, but this is becoming less of an issue as time goes on: for many people, they do scientific work in English, even if their everyday workplace conversations are in another language!"
},
{
"answer_id": 34983,
"author": "RoboKaren",
"author_id": 14885,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14885",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "If your english isn't very good and it would be a considerable hardship to write it entirely in English then there is a third option:\n\n**Write the thesis in your native language but write an extended abstract in English.** \n\nBy extended abstract, I mean a more detailed summation of your key findings than is usually provided in the short (250-500 word) abstract that prepends dissertations. \n\nQuality is better than quantity. I would prefer having a short 3-page well-written English summation that has been meticulously written and proofread than 300 pages of poorly written English."
},
{
"answer_id": 34984,
"author": "fkraiem",
"author_id": 12864,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12864",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "**Pros of writing in English**\n\n* You can share your work with non-Dutch-speaking people. Especially important for graduate school applications, since after that unless you did something really brilliant nobody will care much about your undergrad work.\n* It gives you some experience in English-writing, which it seems you need (since you are still somewhat uncomfortable with it). There is no denying that, like it or not, you will probably need to express yourself in English a lot in whatever your future career is. You want to do it well, beause working in English with people who are bad at it is a real pain.\n\n**Pros of writing in Dutch**\n\n* Avoids having your point obscured by English mistakes, though based on this question it doesn't seem you would do more English mistakes than can be found in the average paper.\n* Less effort, but I would argue that the fact that it is less effort to write in Dutch is an argument for writing in English. It's something you want to fix.\n* You may (the question does not make this clear) simply *prefer* Dutch. Even though I am equally comfortable writing in English or in my native French, I still vastly prefer French, simply because I think it's a nicer language. (Yes, I may be biased.)\n\nAll in all, at this point I agree with aeismail that you should probably write in English. However, due to the point immediately above, I think his answer ceases to apply if and when you have attained a satisfactory level in English expression. Then, you shouldn't feel any need or obligation to use English \"whenever practical\", just because mostly everyone else does it. In fact, I think I do the opposite: I use French whenever practical, and only use another language when French doesn't work."
},
{
"answer_id": 158460,
"author": "tripleee",
"author_id": 20411,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20411",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "Even if you are planning to continue to do a PhD in your field, very few people will want to read a Bachelor's thesis. If you find something interesting during your work on your Bachelor's thesis, write a separate, smaller paper in English and share that.\n\nI wrote my BA in English - against my professor's recommendation - because I was hoping it would be worth sharing with a wider audience; but I understand now that too much of the substance of a Bachelor's is just footwork to prove that you have what it takes to complete the formal requirements of a thesis.\n\nI should perhaps add that I actually found it easier to write in English because so much of the terminology in the field is ad-hoc and/or awkward in my native language. I don't have a problem writing in my own language otherwise, but I felt constrained by having to look up the correct terminology where I had learned all of it in English anyway. (Most of the lectures were in one of the local languages here, but all the literature was American.)"
},
{
"answer_id": 158469,
"author": "fgysin",
"author_id": 5757,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/5757",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Since you're talking about Computer Science: **absolutely write your thesis in English**.\n\nAcademia\n--------\n\nIf you want to stay in Academia, then you'll have to start writing English research texts anyway - so you might as well get started now.\n\nIndustry\n--------\n\nLet's be honest - chances are fairly high that computer scientists end up in industry either after graduation or some years down the line. The *de facto* language for all technical documents will be English.\n\nAlso chances are high that in an IT career you'll have to...\n\n* work with colleagues from abroad\n* work with remote teams in near-shoring / off-shoring locations\n* cooperate on open-source projects\n* communicate on online Q&A sites, message boards, forums, bug trackers,\n* read obscure manuals\n* ...\n\n--> All of this will happen in English."
}
] |
2014/12/30
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34981",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27174/"
] |
34,986 |
I'm going to apply for a Master's program. Although I'm not going to change my general field of study, I'm going to change my 'track' (from Information Technology to Geoinformatics).
In the application form of the aforementioned Master's program, I've been asked to specify *my area of interest* and state a *research topic for my Master's thesis* and describe my *methodological approach*. I honestly have no idea how to fill this part, how can I choose an area of interest and more importantly a topic for my *thesis* when I haven't even started the studies? Besides, can someone please kindly tell me what the part about the "**methodological approach**" means? (Is it talking about choosing one approach between Qualitative, Quantitave, etc. approaches? If so, is it enough to just write down the name and add no details?)
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34991,
"author": "Tim",
"author_id": 12703,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12703",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "You can't really choose your topic definitively until you have \"mastered\" the related material, but you can give a strong, well-informed description of what your topic might be.\n\nA methodological approach is the approach you will take to exploring your topic. For example: \"I will perform neural network simulations of the PFC and BG of a decision making agent while recording neuronal activity and behavior. I will supplement this computational approach with validation of behavioral results in humans.\" The approach should be carefully thought out (as the above example was not) and worded to make it sound nontrivial yet feasible within the scope of your program."
},
{
"answer_id": 138898,
"author": "B. Dada",
"author_id": 115413,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/115413",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "A methodological approach may refer to way in which a researcher intends to carry out his/her research from the specified or known methods in a discipline"
},
{
"answer_id": 138930,
"author": "nick012000",
"author_id": 81424,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/81424",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I’m not super familiar with the specific field you’re researching, but I would say that there are three general approaches to methodology in the IT space: quantitative/scientific, qualitative, and artefact-oriented. Each of these general approaches, in turn, would have specific methodologies encompassed within them (for instance the Design Science Research Methodology within artefact-oriented research).\n\nWith quantitative/scientific, you’re starting off with one or more hypotheses, gathering numerical data, and then using that data to perform statistical analyses to try to disprove your hypotheses.\n\nWith a qualitative approach, you’re taking an exploratory approach to gather categorical data, usually from humans, and then examining it to see if you can spot any patterns within it, without performing any statistical analysis. This might take the form of examining user behaviour interacting with a computer program, or analysis of the contents of social media posts.\n\nWith an artefact-oriented approach, you’re looking at a problem and existing methods of solving it, designing a new method that you think might be better (or applying a method from a different area to the problem), building an implementation of this new method, and then evaluating its performance."
}
] |
2014/12/30
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34986",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26860/"
] |
34,987 |
I remember having heard of a large distributed computer network being operated by several universities. As far as I remember, it would be possible to get several (hundreds) of virtual machines to perform computations, testing, evaluations, etc.
Unfortunately, I do not remember this network's name, but I have the feeling that it was similar to "ResearchLab" or "ScienceLab". However, I was not able to find a network with such a name...
Hope that anyone out there can help. Thanks a lot!
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34992,
"author": "ff524",
"author_id": 11365,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11365",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "You're probably thinking of [PlanetLab](https://www.planet-lab.org/).\n\n> \n> PlanetLab is a global research network that supports the development of new network services. Since the beginning of 2003, more than 1,000 researchers at top academic institutions and industrial research labs have used PlanetLab to develop new technologies for distributed storage, network mapping, peer-to-peer systems, distributed hash tables, and query processing.\n> \n> \n> PlanetLab currently consists of 1335 nodes at 645 sites.\n> \n> \n> \n\nMore generally, there are lots of \"testbeds\" (as these networks of distributed resources are called), including Emulab, PlanetLab, ORBIT, DETER, Seattle, and many others. Each has various advantages and disadvantages, depending on what you're trying to do. These are often *federated* so that users can access resources from multiple testbeds; projects like GENI and FIRE are federations of testbeds."
},
{
"answer_id": 34993,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I am currently aware of two large research networks of this type:\n\n* [EmuLab](http://www.emulab.net/) allows experimentation with large numbers of virtual machines co-located within a facility at the University of Utah.\n* [GENI](http://www.geni.net/) is a large-scale distributed networking testbed that also allows reconfiguration of the network switching hardware.\n\nBoth are primarily sponsored by the US National Science Foundation as public testbeds. I have previously used EmuLab myself and found it delightfully easy to use. I have not personally had an occasion to use GENI; the company I work for runs the GENI project office, though, and I hear that the testbed has been working out well."
}
] |
2014/12/30
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34987",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27177/"
] |
34,988 |
I'm currently working on a PhD in cognitive science, but my research and interests straddle the line between cognitive science and mathematics. Right now, I am most interested in pursuing an academic career, and I've begun looking at job openings for postdocs and assistant professorships just to see what's out there (fully realizing those exact positions will be long gone by the time I graduate). I noticed that some positions listed in statistics/mathematics programs seem to fit my overall interests and skills; however, they almost universally state that a PhD in mathematics or statistics is required to apply.
When the time comes to apply for positions, should I even bother applying to the ones where my PhD is not technically among the ones listed on the job opening? Obviously, if my PhD was in a completely different field than the position in question, my chances of getting it would be low. However, what about positions where my research is within the scope of the field in question, even though my PhD is not (e.g., my PhD is in cognitive science, my research deals with statistical approaches to study cognition, and the position is in a statistics department)? Would I be disqualified on a technicality?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34989,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Different departments handle hiring decisions differently. If your discipline hires according to \"we need someone in field X to teach classes in Y and do research in Z,\" then it's probably not going to help you so much if you don't do X, Y, or Z. On the other hand, if they're recruiting according to \"best talent available,\" then you could be outside what they're looking for and it's still okay.\n\nHowever, the important point is this: **if you don't apply, you won't be hired.** So if you're already sending out *N* applications, why not send *N + 1*?"
},
{
"answer_id": 34994,
"author": "Brian Borchers",
"author_id": 4453,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4453",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "In mathematics in particular, the question that search committees will have about you is your willingness and ability to teach a variety of undergraduate mathematics courses. If you have significant experience teaching main stream undergraduate mathematics courses, then you should make sure to highlight this in your application. If you have no such experience, then it will be a significant negative factor in your application."
}
] |
2014/12/30
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34988",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26958/"
] |
35,001 |
In my PhD program everyone talks about how passionate they are about their field of study, and how they go to seminars because they're fun. Is it expected that PhD students truly love their subject, or is it enough just to do good work and publish papers?
This thread was prompted by discussion [here](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/19859/24384).
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35003,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 7,
"selected": true,
"text": "In my experience, good primary investigators are always rather unbalanced human beings in one way or another. If you aren't intensively passionate about *something* closely connected to the research process, then you can't last, because so much of leading research involves shaping your own agenda. That said, you can still be doing work in research, even at a Ph.D. level or beyond, without having such independence and drive, but instead being a \"super-technician\" following somebody else's agenda and leadership.\n\nThe scientific ideal holds that every scientist should be of the primary investigator type, and Ph.D. programs are typically designed to select for and cultivate this. That said, in practice it depends a lot on the group that you are in. Some professors expect their students to develop their own research agendas very strongly, others are (whether they admit it or even realize it) more looking for good technicians to execute on their grants, and a Ph.D. is more of a byproduct.\n\nWe don't really like to admit this as a community, but with the current market structure of academia, we actually need to have the second type of education and people as well. Look at it from the perspective of simple flux balance analysis: the rate of Ph.D. students entering programs is far higher than the rate at which primary investigators retire or die. If every Ph.D. student either ultimately ends up as a primary investigator or a \"failure,\" then it means most Ph.D. students are failures. But I don't think that is actually the case: people who aren't hyper-passionate to the point where it distorts their lives can still succeed just fine in a Ph.D. program and at research, they just are likely to take one of the other tracks besides being a professor or other form of PI.\n\nThat said, even if you don't end up going the harrowing road of PI-ship, research work is very hard, and there are a lot of easier and/or more financially rewarding ways to make a living. To get a Ph.D., you need at least enough passion for the subject to find more value in this difficult and low-paid path than in any of your alternatives."
},
{
"answer_id": 35005,
"author": "ff524",
"author_id": 11365,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11365",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "Allow me to offer a dissenting point of view. In the words of [5 Brainy Birds](http://5brainybirds.wordpress.com/2013/07/19/if-you-dont-eat-sleep-and-breathe-scienc):\n\n> \n> ### If you don’t eat, sleep, and breathe science, get out of the lab! ... is an antiquated view\n> \n> \n> \n\nI know many successful academics (at all stages of the academic lifecycle) who do not \"live and breathe\" their field of study, and manage to do excellent, creative, interesting work regardless.\n\nDoes it help to enjoy your work and feel passionate about it at least some of the time? Yes, sure. But the stereotype of academics as people who are single-mindedly obsessed with their field of study is unrealistic and unnecessarily discouraging to the huge numbers of PhD students who feel otherwise, and who worry about not feeling \"passionate enough\" (people like [this OP](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27762/practical-strategies-for-increasing-ones-passion-and-excitement-about-research)). PhD students are a diverse group with a tremendous range of passions, motivations, and ambitions. \n\nAlso, all of the PhD students I know personally (including myself) *passionately hate* their field at least some of the time.\n\nHow much love for/devotion to your subject do you *really* need? In the words of [aeismail](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/27639/11365):\n\n> \n> It should be interesting enough to you that you're willing to put up with the failure that is a necessary component of successful research. But it's not necessary, or even practical or desirable, to spend every waking hour thinking about or doing research.\n> \n> \n>"
},
{
"answer_id": 35010,
"author": "Anonymous Mathematician",
"author_id": 612,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/612",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "As I see it, there's a big difference between being obsessed with something (to the exclusion of other interests) and loving it. Obsession is neither necessary nor helpful, but love is certainly helpful and perhaps even necessary if you want to achieve your full potential. Love dramatically increases your powers of concentration, beyond what can be achieved through self discipline alone. Love makes all the little details memorable and engaging, while also drawing everything together into a meaningful story that illuminates the big picture. Of course it's still possible to do good work without love, but that just makes everything harder.\n\nIt's important to keep in mind that different people express love differently. Some people are dramatic and expressive, while others are quieter and more reserved. You can have a perfectly good love for your subject without feeling the need to tell everyone, and comparing yourself to more vocal classmates may be unhelpful.\n\nIf going to seminars isn't fun, then that's a little worrisome. Some people simply don't enjoy attending talks, regardless of the subject, and that's OK. However, if you like talks in general but not so much in your research area, then that could be a sign that you haven't yet found the right area for you. (Or maybe it's just not a very good seminar.)\n\nLove not only makes things easier, but also more rewarding. Having a job you love is a wonderful thing, and if you could better achieve this by following another career path, then that's worth serious consideration. However, you shouldn't feel any external pressure: if you can do good enough work, then nobody else will care what's in your heart. Ultimately, the only person this really concerns is you."
},
{
"answer_id": 35014,
"author": "Chiel",
"author_id": 27193,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27193",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "In my experience, passion can manifest itself in multiple ways. Some people are passionate about their fields, whereas others are passionate about the methodology. For me, the challenge of understanding and modeling of a complex system is my main motivation. I enjoy the process and the model development. I do enjoy my work a lot, but I could be a happy scientist in a different field."
},
{
"answer_id": 35028,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> Is it expected that PhD students truly love their subject, or is it\n> enough just to do good work and publish papers?\n> \n> \n> \n\nI think that whatever you decide your job is, you should love it. Consider you are going to spend a large proportion of the rest of your life doing it, so you better look for something that makes you go out of bed five days a week like you are going to a playground.\n\nIn a PhD program this is particularly important because research can be very, very frustrating. You can easily find yourself thinking about the same problem (literally) for months, repeating the same experiments, validating data, once and again. Then you write a paper and it's rejected and you must spend some more time on the same problem. If you don't like it, it's the closest thing to work in a factory floor you could find. \n\nIn summary. Find what motivates you and pursue it as a career. If it happens to be research, then good luck with your PhD."
},
{
"answer_id": 35074,
"author": "George Flanagin",
"author_id": 27238,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27238",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "The question and its answers have parallels outside academia, and that is something to consider if you perceive one of your options to be \"getting out of academia.\" \n\nI have seen the problem from a few different sides: I was a student. I worked in the private sector from 1985 to 2001, taught university for a couple of years, and I now work in a staff position at another university where I do not teach. \n\nBeing in a field that you \"live and breathe\" benefits *you.* Find it, and get in it, and stay there. In the private sector I always preferentially hired people who demonstrated true interest in their field; it seems to be no different in academia, nor do the reasons seem different."
},
{
"answer_id": 35080,
"author": "Noah Snyder",
"author_id": 25,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/25",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Doing a Ph.D. and working in academia both involve being self-motivated on projects with a long time horizon. For example, it's important to go to seminars in the long run even though any given one is not likely to pay off in the near future. One common place that motivation comes from is deeply loving your subject in a way that means you don't need as much self-discipline to work when no one is looking. But that's not strictly necessary in order for people to be comfortable working in a self-motivated way on projects with a long time horizon. If you work best to external motivation or with clear deadlines, then a Ph.D. program is probably not the best place for you, but living and breathing the subject as such is not crucial."
},
{
"answer_id": 35158,
"author": "WoJ",
"author_id": 15446,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/15446",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "When I was a child I read a lot of books about scientists and decided to become one. Fast forward a few years, I graduated in Physics and decided to do a PhD. I loved the research part, I loved (and still love) Physics but the exact field I was in was not at the same \"love\" level. It was nice, challenging but I discovered what I really liked were computers and simulations.\n\nI started to administer my department servers and gradually got involved with business companies. When getting my PhD I was immensely proud of it, happy to have done research but ready to try something else.\n\nI now work in IT, love it, do not use anything from what I studied but, looking back, I would not have chosen another path.\n\nThis is just to say that what you actually love may not be the exact subject of your PhD studies (and further research) but the academic environment is such an interesting environment (challenges, teaching, how achievements are measured) that it may be the optimum place to blossom. You may also find after some time that your exact interest is somewhere else but your PhD studies helped to reveal it."
}
] |
2014/12/31
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35001",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/24384/"
] |
35,006 |
I submitted my paper by e-mail one week ago. How long is it reasonable to wait for the receipt acknowledgement? What to do if they won't acknowledge receipt of the paper?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35015,
"author": "J.R.",
"author_id": 780,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/780",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "You don't mention when the deadline is. If the deadline is a good two months away, waiting a week or so is nothing to be alarmed about. \n\nMoreover, you've asked this question on the week between Christmas and New Year's – a time when many offices resemble ghost towns. Given that New Year's Day falls on a Thursday this year, I'm guessing it's sitting in someone's inbox, and there's a good chance it will remain there, unread, until Monday, January 6th. Even then, there may be a backlog of email and other submissions, so give it another week after that.\n\nIf the person responsible for reviewing submitted papers works in academia, there's a chance it might even go longer than that, depending on their institution's academic calender. (In other words, they might not get back into the full swing of things before the semester begins.)"
},
{
"answer_id": 35016,
"author": "Peter Jansson",
"author_id": 4394,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4394",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Most journals work with electronic submission systems but some still work with manual handling. Regardless, both systems require a person to handle the manuscript once it arrives. Since the past week has been the Christmas holiday for many and persons working with journals such as editors are usually not employed to work with the journal but do it aside their regular job, it is not strange that not much will happen during the holiday season.\n\nI am sure you will receive notice of your submission sometime in the next couple of weeks into the new year, once the persons responsible will have a chance to have a look.\n\nAs a side note, as an editor, I can see that the number of submissions is slightly increasing before summer (holidays) and Christmas/New Years (holiday season). Authors, naturally, want to get their works away before taking time off, unfortunately, editors and reviewers, naturally reluctant to take on reviews during the holidays, do the same so the increased flux of manuscripts creates something of a traffic jam at these times. From this perspective, submitting a manuscript away from these times of the year will likely result in, at least slightly, faster response and turn-over times."
}
] |
2014/12/31
|
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"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35006",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
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35,018 |
Many books, particularly in mathematics and related disciplines, contain sentences like "the proof is left as an exercise to the reader", which actually mean that the claim should be easy to prove for anyone reading until that point.
Can I write such a sentence in a paper submitted to a journal? Or will the reviewers consider it rude to omit a proof in such a way?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35019,
"author": "Oswald Veblen",
"author_id": 16122,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/16122",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "There are two separate issues here: omitting the proof, and calling it an exercise.\n\nIt is relatively common to omit some proofs in research papers. In particular, proofs that are long but routine, or that re-use the same method as other proofs in the paper, are often abbreviated or removed. It depends on the intended audience for the paper, to some extent. You will get a sense of this by reading more research papers. But caution is needed: one of the first places to look for errors in a paper is in results where the proof was omitted! \n\nThe question whether to call something in your paper an \"exercise\" is more difficult. I wouldn't be surprised if some people do it -- but some people don't write very well. The audience for a paper includes your peers, and you are not really in a position to assign them homework. There are other ways to indicate that a proof is easy besides calling it an exercise: \"the following theorem follows directly from definitions\", \"the proof of the following theorem is routine\", \"the proof of the following theorem is similar to the proof of Theorem 1.3\", etc. Giving a small hint of how to prove the result can make the paper stronger, and it helps any readers who are not experts in the area."
},
{
"answer_id": 35037,
"author": "user155002",
"author_id": 27210,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27210",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think it depends on the context: If it is a research paper, it is definitely rude. As a referee, I would return such a paper to the author to fill it in. If it is a review paper or aims at education in math then it’s fine in my opinion. A different story are textbooks with or without exercises, where it is apropriate."
}
] |
2014/12/31
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35018",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/787/"
] |
35,021 |
I'm writing my Master's Thesis with LaTeX and I'd like to know what are the best margins I should use.
My university doesn't force any template. LaTeX default margins seems to me too large. Do you have any recommendation?
In addition, I would like to know if I should keep two different margins for even and odd pages. I'm using the book class.
Thanks!
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35022,
"author": "Federico Poloni",
"author_id": 958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/958",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "You can find a good and easy-to-read resource on changing margins with the `typearea` package here: <http://www.khirevich.com/latex/page_layout/> A more detailed discussion of margins, text density and binding corrections is found in the [manual](http://mirror.ctan.org/macros/latex/contrib/koma-script/doc/scrguien.pdf) for the KOMA-script bundle (which, incidentally, is a good alternative to `book` if you want a class that guides you more directly in the formatting of a long document).\n\nAsymmetric margins can be obtained with the `twoside` option to `book`."
},
{
"answer_id": 35023,
"author": "Peter Jansson",
"author_id": 4394,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4394",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Your question may not be completely appropriate for academia.sx but probably not for TeX.sx either.\n\nAnyway. rather than focussing on the width of margins you can consider the width of the text area. Research (I do not have references at hand at the moment) has shown that around 65 (within the range 45-75) characters per line is optimal. This means that if you switch type face or size, the number of characters will change. Hence the same text area may not be optimal for 10, 11 and 12 pt or conversely your text optimal area will change with type face and size. To some extent, this is built into LaTeX which is at least partly why the margins may seem less than optimal.\n\nSo to approach the question of margins, try to select the type face and the type size you want to use and then check the resulting text area size for line lengths between 45 and 75 focussing around 65 characters.\n\nThe question of right and left page margins is a matter of simplicity. If you centre the text area on the page the areas will appear the same on all pages. When viewed as a pdf the text will not move around from page to page which can be slightly annoying, particularly if inside and outside margins have widely different widths. So will your text be read frequently in digital format use simple margins, if the print is important differing in- and outside margins may be preferable. Just make sure any printer does not screw up the margins by removing or missing printing blank pages that will result in a shift of left and right hand pages."
}
] |
2014/12/31
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35021",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27200/"
] |
35,025 |
Is common practice to release an academic software before the publication of the accompanying paper in a scientific journal?
What are the pros and cons of a prior release?
Edit: I am not concerned about patents, software will have an open source license.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35026,
"author": "eykanal",
"author_id": 73,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/73",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "This may be field-specific, but within neuroscience, the typical path seems to be as follows:\n\n1. Publish papers detailing new signal processing/statistical analysis/etc techniques\n2. Write software that makes use of these techniques\n3. Continuously add techniques, refine the code, and improve the UI (well, sometimes)\n4. Write a paper on the software itself\n\nThe main benefit of this approach is that the algorithms that power the program are vetted via peer review and the general community even before you attempt to write the first line of software code. The only novelty to the software is that it makes the techniques available to a larger audience, specifically, those who can't write their own analysis code. Even better, as you write and publish new algorithms and analysis techniques, you can eventually add those to the software.\n\nSome software that follows this approach is [SPM](http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/spm/) and [MNE](http://martinos.org/mne/stable/index.html), among many others."
},
{
"answer_id": 35035,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "My experience in computer science has been that papers are rarely about software per se, but rather about the science that is either enabled by or instantiated in the software. Computer science also typically seems to have a fairly open culture where people don't worry much about being scooped. As such, research software is often available on open repositories like GitHub or Bitbucket long before it is published---it's just that nobody notices or pays attention to it before there is a significant paper to motivate them to do so.\n\nSo, to finish answering the question:\n\n* Pros: demonstrate commitment to openness, people might use it before publication\n* Cons: you can't do this with something you want to patent"
},
{
"answer_id": 35052,
"author": "keshlam",
"author_id": 10225,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10225",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Note: In the US, the time window for submitting patents starts when the invention is first disclosed \"publicly\" (which can include publicly demonstrating it even if you don't discuss how it works) and ends a year from that date. Depending on your plans for this work, you may or may not want to release earlier than you must."
},
{
"answer_id": 35059,
"author": "abought",
"author_id": 22693,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22693",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "This varies very widely by field, but also by PI preferences; in my experience, younger faculty (and newer software packages) are more likely to be open early. My experience in Chemistry has been similar to what @eykanal describes (especially when patentable methods or results are involved)... \n\nBUT: software often contains bugs, which may change the results you get in ways that are not obvious from a paragraph description of the algorithm. In some cases, this has lead to [huge, sweeping errors](http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/24647/title/Retractions-unsettle-structural-bio/) (like a retraction of papers cited 729 times), and some journals or funding agencies are adopting policies that encourage release of code alongside the **first** paper that uses it. If it's not already part of your peer review process, releasing the code early might become a requirement in the future. (It is difficult to properly review findings when they depend on subtle, unstated decisions in potentially buggy code)\n\nSo, just be sure to separate what you are *expected* to do from what best accomplishes your goals. Norms involving software are still evolving, and it's a good idea to evaluate your strategy based on time, resources, and expected audience."
}
] |
2014/12/31
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35025",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27203/"
] |
35,027 |
I am not an English native speaker and I wrote my thesis in English. If in the title page of my thesis I would like to write
Advisor: "The name of my advisor"
*M*: "My name",
then what should *M* most commonly be?
My choice for *M* is "student" but am not sure of that.
Note: The common culture of my country makes me write the title page as what I show in my question. I may very well be considered "improper" or even "rude" if I do not do that, and consequently would incur unnecessary judgements.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35071,
"author": "David Richerby",
"author_id": 10685,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10685",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "For any specific thesis, you should check the regulations of the institution the thesis will be submitted to. There are often strict rules about the formatting of the title page.\n\nI've not come across the advisor being listed first. The format I'm most familiar with would be something like the following:\n\n> \n> Why there are no Frogs on the Zuon\n> ==================================\n> \n> \n> Nuis Etmrtrizg\n> --------------\n> \n> \n> Advisor: [Dr Thomas O. Paine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_O._Paine)\n> \n> \n> \n\nThere's no need to write a word before the author's name. It is understood that any title page will contain the title and the author so any name that is not explained as being something else (e.g., \"Advisor:\", \"Editor:\") must be the author. You see the same with academic papers: the authors are usually not explicitly described as authors; it's just implicit that the list of names below the title is the list of authors.\n\nNote also that the name(s) of the author(s) usually come before any other people who have contributed to the document. Authorship is regarded as by far the most important contribution."
},
{
"answer_id": 35073,
"author": "Massimo Ortolano",
"author_id": 20058,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20058",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "Firstly, let me remark that, as other have suggested, it is better to check the preferred format of your university. \n\nIn case you can't find any, a possible alternative to *Author* (or nothing) can be *Candidate*, because, at the moment, you are a candidate to some kind of examination and the thesis is the work you have to present before a board of examiners to pass it."
},
{
"answer_id": 35233,
"author": "Ali Sultan",
"author_id": 24846,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/24846",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Simply write (**By:\"Your name\"**), that's it."
}
] |
2014/12/31
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35027",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/18107/"
] |
35,030 |
I have seen several different metrics that are applied for ranking journals: Impact Factor, SJR, and H-index. Which of these is the most useful and robust for comparisons with respect to the quality and prestige of journals?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35034,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "In short:\n\n* [Impact factor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_factor) is the traditional measure of mean citations per year shortly after publication. It can refer to either the official Thomson-Reuters computation (which has lots of problems), or other competing similar computations.\n* [SJR](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCImago_Journal_Rank) attempts to improve on impact factor by using an algorithm like PageRank to more heavily weight citations from \"better\" publication venues.\n* [H-index](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-index) for journals is just the same as for people, essentially looking for the volume of consistently good work. The only large place I know of that applies this to journals is [Google Scholar metrics](http://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=top_venues&hl=en).\n\nAll of these are subject to manipulation and gaming, all are highly field-dependent, and none are very good actual ratings of quality. Still, they can be used to get a rough sense of the significance of a venue that you are unfamiliar with."
},
{
"answer_id": 35082,
"author": "fileunderwater",
"author_id": 7223,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/7223",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "One difference between the traditional [*Impact Factor* (JIF)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_factor) (the official Thomson-Reuters score) and the [*SJR score*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCImago_Journal_Rank) (SCImago Journal Rank) is that the former is based on the ISI Web of Science database and the latter on the Scopus database. Depending on the field you are in this can translate to differences in coverage, which can affect the relative rank of journals. The *SJR score* is also a weighted score, which takes journal prestige into account, and this is not the case for the *Impact factor*.\n\nThe [*H-index*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-index) is strongly influenced by the number of papers published by a journal, since this translates into the number of \"attempts\" of a journal to obtain highly cited papers. This is the main reason why journal rankings based on the H-index usually deviates quite alot from ranking based on avarage-based metrics (such as the Impact factor and SJR). When using the H-index to rank journals a small top-journal within a field (based on article impact) can be surpassed by large journals. As an example, journals from the publisher [\"*Annual reviews*\"](http://www.annualreviews.org/) generally come out much lower on H-index rankings compared to IF or SJR-rankings. Personally, I find the H-index a poor proxy for journal prestige, but it might be somewhat useful to determine overall influence on a field (as in number of relatively highly-cited papers). Overall, I think that the H-index is much better for evaluating individual scientists than to compare journals. Why Google Scholar chose it as the only score to present when comparing journals is beyond me.\n\nHowever, there also exists many other indicies of journal performance, influence and prestige. [Hocking (2013)](http://library.queensu.ca/ojs/index.php/IEE/article/view/4949/4966) provides a comparison between 11 different journal metrics, using ecology journals as a case study. This study show that while all indicies are positively correlated, they form 3 relatively distinct clusters. The traditional impact factor is closely related to SJR as well as to [*Article influence* (AI)](http://www.eigenfactor.org/about.php) and [*Source Normalized Impact per Paper* (SNIP)](http://www.journalmetrics.com/snip.php), while the H-index and the [Eigenfactor](http://www.eigenfactor.org/about.php) are part of other clusters. This means that journal rankings based on e.g. JIF, SJR, SNIP will be very similar, while rankings based on the H-index or Eigenfactor will emphasize other aspects of journal performance.\n\n### References\n\n[Hocking. 2013. Comparing the influence of ecology journals using citation-based indices: making sense of a multitude of metrics. Ideas in Ecology and Evolution 6(1).](http://library.queensu.ca/ojs/index.php/IEE/article/view/4949/4966)"
},
{
"answer_id": 47712,
"author": "zircon",
"author_id": 36231,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/36231",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "Among widely-available indicators, SJR and the Article Influence Score (AIS) are best for characterizing journals. An important property of those two indicators is that they weigh citations with the relevance of the citing journal, whereas in computing the impact factor (IF) or the h-index all citations are considered equally, regardless of the relevance of the citing publication. While all these metrics are typically highly correlated, taking into consideration the relevance of the citation sources can matter especially when trying to assess journals that are not among the top ones. For example, in the case of a journal that would artificially inflate the IF through self-citations or by participating in a citation ring within a publisher, or in the case of a journal hosting publications of a relatively isolated field, the SJR and AIS would remain relatively low if citations would come from low-quality sources. Another advantage is that the typical values of SJR and AIS vary less among different fields than the values of the IF and h-index. There are established methods for field-normalizing the IF (see, e.g., the [SNIP](http://www.journalmetrics.com/snip.php) indicator), however is more difficult to field-normalize the h-index."
}
] |
2014/12/31
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35030",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/21716/"
] |
35,031 |
I saw the phrase “In Proceedings Of ...” many times on Google Scholar. What is the meaning of that?
For example, “In Proceedings of the International Conference of ...”. Does that mean that you send this paper to that conference and they accept it?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35032,
"author": "Bill Barth",
"author_id": 11600,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11600",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "When it comes to conferences, if there were submitted papers, and they were published as a volume, that volume is called the proceedings. \n\nA paper that was published in the proceedings must have been accepted by the conference. \n\nSometimes the proceedings are published as a standalone work, and sometimes they are published as a special issue of a journal.\n\nIt should be noted that some societies publish a journal that has \"Proceedings\" in the title, such as the \"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\" or the \"Proceedings of the Royal Society\". These should be distinguished as standalone journals and not confused with the proceedings of a conference."
},
{
"answer_id": 35064,
"author": "Massimo Ortolano",
"author_id": 20058,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20058",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Consider this an extended comment to complement Balx's answer.\n\n* Articles published in *conference proceedings* have lengths that can vary from one page to several or many pages, depending on the conference. Each conference specifies the length requirements. Some conferences do not publish proceedings, but give to the participants a list of short abstracts. This is typically called the *Book of abstracts*.\n* *Proceedings* might be published not only by conferences but also by schools. For example the [*International School of Physics \"Enrico Fermi\"*](http://en.sif.it/activities/fermi_school) publishes a series of [proceedings](http://en.sif.it/books/series/rendiconti_fermi) collecting articles and lecture notes from the school's courses.\n* At least one conference that I'm aware of does not call the published volume proceedings, but *digest*. This is the [*Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurements (CPEM)*](http://icpem.org/). I don't know if there are other conferences which don't use the name proceedings."
}
] |
2014/12/31
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35031",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/19761/"
] |
35,036 |
I am submitting a research paper to a journal and they asked me to sign the copyright agreement in favour of the editor before the paper is accepted. Is this right?
And what happens in this case is if the paper rejected?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35038,
"author": "Bill Barth",
"author_id": 11600,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11600",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Have you checked this journal against Beall's list of [Preadatory Publishers](http://scholarlyoa.com/publishers/) and [Preadatory Journals](http://scholarlyoa.com/individual-journals/)? There's little reason to sign over the copyright until the article is accepted, and this practice seems sketchy at best to me."
},
{
"answer_id": 35039,
"author": "paul garrett",
"author_id": 980,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/980",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "Do not sign any copyright release before the paper is accepted, in any case.\n\nThe irregularity of this practice is itself a bad sign about the legitimacy of the journal."
},
{
"answer_id": 35040,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Unfortunately, a number of large-scale publishers expect you to sign over the copyrights before the article is accepted. For instance, the [American Chemical Society](http://pubs.acs.org), as well as the [Materials Research Society](http://www.mrs.org) will continually hound you about the transfer agreement until it's submitted, and moreover will not formally accept the article until they have the transfer agreement."
},
{
"answer_id": 35043,
"author": "Wrzlprmft",
"author_id": 7734,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/7734",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "This is rather normal for **non open-access articles** in my field (Physics), however all journals I have submitted to until now had a clause that the copyright transfer is voided if the paper is not accepted or withdrawn. For example IOP’s copyright agreement contains the following sentence:\n\n> \n> In the event that the Article is withdrawn prior to acceptance, or is rejected, this agreement shall have no effect and no party shall be bound by it.\n> \n> \n> \n\nIf such conditions are included, requesting such an agreement at an early stage seems somewhat reasonable to me, since it would be a waste of time to review your paper if you did not agree with these terms.\n\nIf such conditions are not included, this is a clear warning sign that the publisher may be up to nothing good. However, even with such a clause, problems may arise, as the publisher may just instantly accept your article.\n\nFor **open-access articles** (pay-to-publish), a similar situation holds, however, the copyright agreement usally requires less commitment from you, as you should retain most rights on your article (since the journal does not make money with being the only one making your article available). This not applying to the copyright agreement is another warning sign of a predatory publisher.\n\n**In both cases**, you should read the copyright agreement carefully and ensure the reputability of the publisher."
},
{
"answer_id": 35044,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Many big publishers will often start asking pretty much immediately (I don't know if this is policy or just brain-dead software configuration). You can generally safely ignore these requests until the article is actually accepted, however, because until then the idea of copyright transfer is moot. That is certainly the policy that I follow, and it hasn't caused me any trouble yet."
}
] |
2014/12/31
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35036",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27211/"
] |
35,047 |
My professor, a co-author and I have been working on a paper for more than a year. I was doing the math and simulations, my co-author was responsible for the writing, and my professor was editing the paper. Now editing of the paper is done. Unfortunately, the co-author is no longer available. My professor called me today and told me he has observed that my co-author copied some sentences from the reference papers. So he asked me to check all of the sentences and highlight and rewrite them again if I found that they were copied. He believes that, these days the reviewers are more concerned about the use of similar sentences in the paper.
So, What should I do? Check all sentences with other papers? This is not possible without using a machine. the paper contains more than 8000 words. Do you know what software I can use to do this?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35067,
"author": "Jool",
"author_id": 9004,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/9004",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Your institution may use a standard service which you would have access to - you could contact your academic admin service and ask them. \"Turnitin\" seems quite widely used."
},
{
"answer_id": 35068,
"author": "StrongBad",
"author_id": 929,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/929",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "I am both confused and concerned about the description of your work process:\n\n> \n> I was doing the math and simulations, my co-author was taking the care of writing and my professor was editing the paper.\n> \n> \n> \n\nIt seems clear you are making a contribution worthy of authorship, but as for your \"co-author\" and professor, it is not clear if their contributions are worthy of authorship. the fact that the co-author is unavailable make the situation difficult. High end plagiarism detection software is still not particularly good and I would be hesitant about using any work written by someone who is known to have plagiarised in the past, especially in the absence of drafts to confirm the absence of plagiarism.\n\nThe issue with using software like TurnItIn is not its abilitity to detect and parse copied material, but the limitations on its underlying database. Plagiarism detection software generally does not have access to non-open access publications. If your co-author copied from non-open access publications, then the software will likely miss it. A publishers, like elsivier Edetk a large amount of pay walled material may add their own publications to their database making it easy for them to catch the plagiarism.\n\nMy suggestion would be to rewrite all the material by the co-author. You could either work from his version and maintain his authorship, or if his only contribution was the writing as you say, then rewrite those sections from scratch and drop him from the list of authors."
},
{
"answer_id": 45051,
"author": "Corvus",
"author_id": 27900,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27900",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "While [TurnItIn](http://turnitin.com/) is designed for undergraduate assignments, [iThenticate](http://www.ithenticate.com/) is designed for this exact scenario: detecting plagiarism in academic publications. I've used it successfully in the past, and while it is not cheap you can purchase a license to check a single document at a time."
}
] |
2014/12/31
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35047",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/8294/"
] |
35,048 |
From what I have seen, most people list postdocs under Employment/Experience on their CV. But recently I saw one that listed a postdoc under Employment *and* Education.
Is this typical/appropriate?
NOTE: According to comments on [this](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/29631/746) relevant question and its answers, postdocs are kind of regarded as students, in some cases.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35049,
"author": "Ben Norris",
"author_id": 924,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/924",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "A postdoctoral associate/fellow/whatever [is usually an employee](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/2173/who-actually-is-a-post-doctoral-fellow/2181#2181). While the purpose of the postdoc is educational, it is not \"education\". A postdoc is (usually) not taking classes, following a curriculum, and completing other activities toward the earning of an academic degree/certificate/whatever. Postdocs should have a contract, do not pay tuition (or have tuition paid for them), have a definite end date to their employment (although that can be renewed), etc. Since a postdoc is an employee, it should go under employment.\n\nHowever, in some fields and countries, it may be custom to place the postdoc under education because the postdoc is the journeyman stage of your academic career. Ethically, it should not be listed in both places."
},
{
"answer_id": 35051,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I would more unequivocally state that the only example I can think of a postdoctoral situation where it would be appropriate to list it under the \"education\" section of a CV is if one is pursuing a [*Habilitation*](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habilitation) in the countries that use such a system. In such a case, one is acquiring an actual \"qualification\" that can be recognized. In traditional postdocs, such as those offered in the US (and most other countries), there is no degree track, and no course requirements or anything else that the postdocs are following."
},
{
"answer_id": 35077,
"author": "mankoff",
"author_id": 185,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/185",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "NSF [Grant Proposal Guidelines (GPG) 2015](https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg15001&org=NSF) Biographical Sketch have PostDoc listed under both Education (although they call it \"Professional Preparation\"), and presumably it would be listed under the \"Appointments\" section too. See <http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf15001/gpg_2.jsp#IIC2f>"
}
] |
2014/12/31
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35048",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/746/"
] |
35,062 |
I have added a paragraph from wikipedia in my thesis. Now I need to add reference to that wikipedia page. What is the IEEE formatting and citation style for that? Currently I use as below.
**In chapter of thesis added copied content from wikipedia as below**
>
> The waterfall development model originates in the manufacturing and construction
> industries; highly structured physical environments in which after-the-fact changes are
> prohibitively costly, if not impossible. Since no formal software development
> methodologies existed at the time, this hardware-oriented model was simply adapted
> for software development [1].
>
>
>
**In References page**
>
> [1] (2014, April 22). Waterfall Model [Online]. Available:
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall_model>
>
>
>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35063,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "For correct citation of Wikipedia, see Wikipedia's [guide to citing Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_Wikipedia). Since you are using IEEE styles, you should probably be using BibTeX to manage your citation, in which case you can directly use the BibTeX formatting template provided."
},
{
"answer_id": 35235,
"author": "o4tlulz",
"author_id": 6978,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/6978",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "IEEE Publications use Webster’s College Dictionary, 4th Edition as formatting and the IEEE Citation Reference is available [here](http://www.ieee.org/documents/ieeecitationref.pdf). But as @EnergyNumbers [commented earlier](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35062/what-is-the-ieee-citation-style-for-content-obtained-from-wikipedia#comment78016_35062), primary references to wikipedia are not always well received."
},
{
"answer_id": 35239,
"author": "Has QUIT--Anony-Mousse",
"author_id": 17690,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/17690",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Citing Wikipedia is always risky. Not everybody consides it to be reliable, and high-quality. \n\nMay I suggest a very simple approach: *find a better reference*. \n\nBy definition of an encyclopedia, it is supposed to give a brief and aggregated overview only. So there must be a better source somewhere. \n\nCiting Wikipedia is often indicative of “did not bother to look up the real source, but used the first hit on google”. This is probably not what you want your reviewers to write..."
},
{
"answer_id": 41837,
"author": "Daniel Mietchen",
"author_id": 11244,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11244",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "There are very few circumstances (e.g. if you are doing research *about* Wikipedia) when it is legitimate to cite anything from Wikipedia (or any other encyclopedia, for that matter).\n\nIf you think your case is such a legitimate one, please cite the *specific version* of the article using its [permalink](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Permanent_link)."
},
{
"answer_id": 60003,
"author": "Edward Huang",
"author_id": 46005,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/46005",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Usually a Wiki page has its own reference. Read through the reference for the Wiki page, and maybe cite it (the wiki page's reference) instead citing the Wiki page in your writing."
}
] |
2015/01/01
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35062",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27226/"
] |
35,065 |
I have BE and MS from the University of Tokyo (a research university in Japan) and
I'm planning to study and do research in US as a PhD student.
My questions is: which is more important, GPA at graduate school or GPA at undergraduate school?
I have a GPA of 3.8ish at graduate school and a GPA of 3.4ish at undergraduate school.
So this is a very important problem to me.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35123,
"author": "Roger Fan",
"author_id": 20375,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20375",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "There are several competing concerns that make this question difficult to answer.\n\nAs BrenBarn notes in his comment, more recent information is more indicative of your current skills. Especially if you show significant improvement, which most programs will take into account. Graduate programs will also (hopefully) consist of more difficult classes that are closer to the difficulty level of the material you will be tackling in graduate school.\n\nOn the other hand, applications seem to be very comparison-based. Applicants for a year are compared against each other and also against successful (or unsuccessful) candidates from previous years. This is anecdotal, but I know that some programs explicitly group and rank candidates based on their undergraduate institution for their first round of decisions (e.g. the top couple from each top-5 school are always accepted, the bottom third from most schools are rejected). The fact that most applicants to US PhD programs don't have a graduate degree means that your undergraduate GPA may be more convenient for these comparisons, so it might actually get looked at more.\n\nIn programs that do this, I suspect that your undergraduate GPA will be more important for getting into the group of applicants that will actually be considered, but that your graduate GPA will become more important after that, as the committee examines the borderline applications more closely. But this is probably dependent on the specific program and their procedures, and I don't think that there is a consistent answer."
},
{
"answer_id": 35125,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think the answer is very geographically dependent. If, as brenbarn and Ragem suggest, you are applying in the US, the undergraduate grades will be used as a means of comparison, since that's the common \"core\" that all US students will have. Your additional experience will also be taken into account, and can be useful, particularly if it goes beyond coursework and encompasses research.\n\nIf you are applying in most of the rest of the world, where a master's is expected *before* beginning PhD studies, then I think the rough \"pecking order\" in terms of importance is given to:\n\n* Core graduate classes\n* Core undergraduate classes\n* Elective courses in your major\n* Courses outside your major\n\nSo courses early on (especially in subjects outside your \"main\" discipline) will automatically weigh less in an evaluation. Exactly how much less is impossible to say, but most graduate schools will be willing to overlook one or two weak grades that don't directly pertain to your PhD program. A poor grade in a master's level \"core\" subject, however, would be very damaging to your chances. (As a chemical engineer, I would be reluctant to admit to a PhD program someone who struggled in thermodynamics, for instance.)"
},
{
"answer_id": 82830,
"author": "Jennifer Rae Pierce",
"author_id": 67391,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/67391",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "Every university is different in this regard, so it is a good idea to just ask the admissions department directly. I did this when working on my application, as I had a much higher graduate GPA than undergrad. In my case, I was told that they didn't care about the undergrad grades at all, and would only look at graduate (these were urban planning departments at top-tier universities in the U.S.).\n\nHowever, it might be different if your PhD field matches more closely to your undergraduate field and not your graduate field. It may also make a difference if your graduate work was in another country so that it is harder to compare grades or at a less respected institution.\n\nSo, don't be afraid to just ask! But contact admissions, not any of the professors, since they (1) don't usually make those kinds of decisions and (2) wouldn't appreciate being bothered for this type of inquiry."
}
] |
2015/01/01
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35065",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27230/"
] |
35,076 |
When you take the GRE, you get the percentile score. Do US universities publish such distributional data about how to interpret their grades? Can it be requested specifically?
I ask because if you are charged with evaluating applicants, it would be helpful to know how they performed compared to their peers during their bachelor or master's degree. For example, in the UK first honors is around top 9% of the cohort.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35083,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "The US has no organized system of class rank comparisons. Some individual universities (or departments within a university) may track this, but at the university level the educational approaches are so diverse, even for different options within a single department, that direct rank comparison would make little sense in any case. It is for this reason that a number of high ranked universities (MIT being one example) explicitly refuse to create such ranking comparisons."
},
{
"answer_id": 35084,
"author": "RoboKaren",
"author_id": 14885,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14885",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "My university does not publish cohort rankings. It does award some degrees \"with distinction\" but these like other awards are given by departments on the basis of nomination by faculty, and not by grades.\n\nRemember that you only get grades for coursework, which is a tiny part of your graduate experience."
}
] |
2015/01/01
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35076",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4050/"
] |
35,086 |
I am working on resubmitting a paper to a journal and am working on my response to reviewers. I need to refer to a bunch of line numbers in my response to reviewers and it is frustrating because every time I make a change to my manuscript the line numbers change a bit.
For instance, say a reviewer writes: "you should use the word 'correlate' rather than 'co-occur' in line 243"
I would then reply. "'co-occur' was replaced with 'correlate' in line 245". Note the line number is now higher because I added a sentence to my paper. This is fine, but say I have a whole bunch of these lines, and then I decide to add one more sentence to the beginning of my paper. Right now, I would have to go through my response and update all of the line numbers. I feel like there must be a better way to keep track of these. Maybe with some sort of dynamic field or something in word or open office. Does anyone have a suggestion?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35089,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "This is always a pain, but I find it's not actually hard to deal with, just somewhat tedious. My method for doing so is rather low-tech: I keep a copy of the old document to be able to track the old line numbers, then leave all of the line numbers in the response as XXX until I am done with the revision. Then, for each entry, you just cross-index in both places and write both line numbers, e.g., \n\n> \n> 'co-occur' was replaced with 'correlate' in line 245 [prev. 243]\n> \n> \n> \n\nFor minor wording/grammar edits, however, I usually don't actually respond in such detail, but simplify both my life and the reviewers by just saying something like: \"thank you, fixed\""
},
{
"answer_id": 35101,
"author": "Peter Jansson",
"author_id": 4394,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4394",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Just refer to the line numbers mentioned in the comments. There is no need to go through the pain of also checking where the changes occur in the new document. If you work in Word you can keep the track changes and provide both a file with all the changes visible and one which is a clean version of the new version. If you work in LaTeX you could possibly put all changes in, for example, bold (since bold is usually not used anywhere else in a manuscript, still retaining a version without any highlighted changes. There are a few attempts for revision tools in LaTeX as well but as far as I have seen require intervention with a script or external software.\n\nIn any case, I do not know of any journals, including \"my own\", that would require such extensive reporting so as to keep track of both old and new line numbers for minute changes. This does not mean they do not exists but is is usually way over what will be required. \n\nWhen it comes to small changes such as rephrasing of the type you mention, it would be more than sufficient to provide a letter itemizing all changes and just say \"changed 'to occur' on l. 243 to 'correlate'\". In fact your can also consider lumping all your made minor changes into one statement to the fact that you have made the changes and then follow up on the ones where you have decided not to do so or have done something differently."
},
{
"answer_id": 35102,
"author": "Aubrey",
"author_id": 26682,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26682",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "Also, depending on the field you are into and the confidence with technology of the reviewer, consider using [GitHub](http://github.com) or even a wiki: they have a version-control systems and you can actually add comments coding-style.\nStartups like [Authorea](https://www.authorea.com/) or [Penflip](https://www.penflip.com/) are trying to solve the problem of collaborating on these kind of documents (it's not just the review, but the whole writing papers).\n\n*I'm not affiliated with any of these projects, I just like collaborative tools an think they are important, especially in academia*."
},
{
"answer_id": 35379,
"author": "Jeromy Anglim",
"author_id": 62,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/62",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "My preference where the journal allows is to avoid making references to page and line numbers. It's a time consuming process and can generally be avoided.\n\n* If the change is really simple (e.g., fixing a typo; changing one word), I'll just acknowledge that the change has been made.\n* If a sentence or paragraph has been substantially reworded, I'll first paste a copy of the original paragraph and then a copy of the updated paragraph into my response document, possibly highlighting new text in bold.\n* If text has been added to a paragraph, I'll paste the updated paragraph into the response document with added text in bold.\n\nThe general logic of the approach is to make the reviewer's task as simple as possible. The reviewer generally wont want to have to perform complex cross-referencing of responses with page and line numbers in the manuscript. Instead, I think it's easier for the reviewer to make such responses self-contained in the response document. If the reviewer really wants to check that the changes have actually been made, there's enough text in the response document to enable a quick search on the manuscript PDF to find the location."
},
{
"answer_id": 120477,
"author": "Giezi",
"author_id": 101012,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/101012",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Just asked this question to myself and wanted to add my solution here.\n\nIn latex, you can use a combination of the packages `lineo`, `hyperref`and `xr` to dynamically generate line numbers.\n\nIn the manuscript: \n\n* use `lineo` to number your lines (`\\linenumbers`)\n* enable `hyperref`\n* wherever needed, use `\\linelabel{lne:label1}` to mark the line.\n\t+ You could for instance add `\\linelabel{lne:fromLine}` at the beggining of the sentence you want to refer to and `\\linelabel{lne:toLIne}` at the end.\n\nIn the answer to the reviewers:\n\n* use `xr`to link to the manuscript and get all the labels you defined there.\n* Wherever needed use `\\lineref{lne:label1}` to link to the needed line.\n\nSome lecture on `lineo`: <https://texblog.org/2012/02/08/adding-line-numbers-to-documents/>\nSome lecture on `xr`: <https://texblog.org/2016/08/23/adding-references-from-an-external-file/>"
},
{
"answer_id": 120526,
"author": "allo",
"author_id": 79727,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/79727",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "When I revise a paper, I like to use a `\\revised` command, which e.g. changes the color to blue. When submitting a new version, you just need to change the command and remove it only in the final version.\n\nWhen you now changed your document, you see your changes in blue and can use their line numbers, which will not change when you change the color back to black. This may be a bit faster than looking in the final document for the places where you changed something."
}
] |
2015/01/02
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35086",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27219/"
] |
35,088 |
Is there a comprehensive style guide aimed at academic slideshow-type talks? Googling has given me random style suggestions from various sources of dubious credibility. Most give obvious information, like opt for effective pictures over text. Most seem aimed at business presentations, so might compare the virtues of pie charts and bar graphs.
The issue that sent me finally looking for a style guide is looking for the best practices on "uncovering" information on a slide piecemeal. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't, but I've never used a thoughtful decision process. I would appreciate suggestions about this in particular.
You can, of course, avoid "uncovering" just by putting the uncovered information on its own later slide. So related to uncovering, I'm also interested in ideas about when two pieces of information should be separated into different slides or when it is best to put them on the same slide.
If one exists, I'd like a reference made by an organization known for this sort of thing, e.g. something like AP, MLA, a university committee, or an discipline-specific academic organization. I'm also interested in the general thoughts of practicing academics, whose credibility will be clear from their experience and from upvoting of their answers.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 37708,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "[Edward Tufte](http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/) is classic and well-recognized authority on scientific communication. His book, \"[The Visual Display of Quantitative Information](http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/books_vdqi)\" is a wonderful guide for thinking about your visual communication (including slides). He also has a fierce [critique of PowerPoint](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Tufte#Criticism_of_PowerPoint) which serves as a good negative guide of pitfalls to avoid."
},
{
"answer_id": 38935,
"author": "just-learning",
"author_id": 10483,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10483",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "A book I found quite helpful is \n\nMichael Alley, [The Craft of Scientific Presentations](http://www.writing.engr.psu.edu/csp.html) \n\nIt centers around the assertion-evidence approach described in detail in Peter Jansson's answer.\n\nAlso see two nice short guides\n\nSimon P. Jones, [How to Give a good research talk](http://research.microsoft.com/pubs/67052/giving-a-talk-slides.pdf)\n\nR. Geroch, [Suggestions For Giving Talks](http://arxiv.org/pdf/gr-qc/9703019)"
},
{
"answer_id": 38963,
"author": "Peter Jansson",
"author_id": 4394,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4394",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Hopefully you explored [Michael Alley's site](http://www.writing.engr.psu.edu/speaking.html) for the *Assertion-Evidence approach* (AE) to making slides. The concept involves a total re-think of slide layout and follows on earlier criticisms of bullet point-based presentations. Such presentations tend to be more key points for the speaker than conveying a message to the listener/observer. The AE improves on slide impact on the audience but at the same time puts the presenter under more pressure to provide a good account.\n\nThe site linked above contains examples and more which is easier to take in then the book by the author. The AE has also been [tested in the class room](http://www.writing.engr.psu.edu/ae_comprehension.pdf) and found to yield significant improvements. The basic idea is to head the slides with a conclusion and let the slide and the talk support this *assertion* with *evidence*. This is widely different from the common approach to have heading such as *Introduction*, *Methods*, *Results*, etc. which is just a form of table of content rather than substance.\n\nSo from the supporting evidence the AE is a better way to build a presentation but, it involves significantly more work on the part of a presenter than putting together bullet-point slides. Having tried the approach, I strongly endorse it but will just add that preparing such slides requires both care and time beyond a regular power-point template."
},
{
"answer_id": 75090,
"author": "Michael Greinecker",
"author_id": 1588,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/1588",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "The topic of \"uncovering\" has been adressed in:\n\nDoumont, Jean-luc. \"Striptease.\" [IEEE Professional Communication Society newsletter 43.5](http://sites.ieee.org/pcs/files/2013/05/septemberoctober-1999.pdf) (1999): 18.\n\nDoumont has Stanford PhD in applied physics and understands the needs of presenters in technical fields. You can find an excellent talk on [\"Creating effective slides\"](https://youtu.be/meBXuTIPJQk) by him on youtubbe, which I strongly recommend. \n\nHe also has a book on scientific communication, [Trees, Maps, and Theorems](http://www.treesmapsandtheorems.com/), which I haven't yet read, but which has received a lot of positive reviews, see [here](http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=5313651), [here](http://www.jowr.org/articles/vol1_3/JoWR_2009_vol1_nr3_Leijten-review.pdf), and [here](https://tug.org/TUGboat/tb33-1/tb103reviews-doumont.pdf)."
}
] |
2015/01/02
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35088",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27247/"
] |
35,094 |
My supervisor wants me to include another professors name in my paper just because he was declared as my second adviser on the project. But the problem is that this man has not done anything but giving foolish and useless comments on my work. By foolish, I do not exaggerate since my supervisor thinks the same but it seems that he made a deal with the other one.
What should I do? I can't really tolerate the fact that he will get acknowledged for the work which he doesn't know anything and didn't do anything about.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35098,
"author": "galois",
"author_id": 25375,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/25375",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Have you simply talked to your supervisor about it? You have a valid point, and don't need to worry about upsetting the professor (he likely won't be) by leaving his name out of the list since he hasn't contributed anything towards the actual content of the paper. Your supervisor is more than likely just trying to do a 'fair' thing for the professor since he \"helped out\".\n\nAnyways, the best thing to do would be to simply speak your opinion. If you have real evidence (or there is a mutual knowledge) of the lack of contribution, you'll be fine."
},
{
"answer_id": 35099,
"author": "xLeitix",
"author_id": 10094,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10094",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "Is it possible that you misjudge *why* your advisor wants to see the other prof. on the paper? You say that the reason is that he was \"declared as my second adviser on the project\" ... but then you go on to explain that he actually *was* part of the discussions leading to the paper, so it does not, or at least not entirely, sound like a courtesy co-authorship to me.\n\nOf course, you (and maybe even your advisor) do not value the input he had, but unilaterally throwing him off the paper for this reason is a dangerous road to go down. If he had *any* part in actually doing the research or writing the paper, I would at least talk to the guy first and ask him whether he thinks that he contributed enough to become an author.\n\nHowever, prepare that there is a non-zero chance that the answer to this question will be *\"sure, I advised you regularly on the project since it's start, why wouldn't I be a co-author??\"* (and mean it!). Decide in advance how you will react to this. Note that, if the prof. feels this way, there is likely no way to remove him from the paper without him being annoyed or worse. Your task then becomes to decide whether you want to add him to the paper purely to keep relations intact (or not)."
}
] |
2015/01/02
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35094",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/17830/"
] |
35,095 |
i am a MSc Computer Science student writing on a Work-in-Progress publication for ACM SIGCHI.
This format including PDF drafts is defined here:
(<http://chi2015.acm.org/authors/works-in-progress/>)!
At the beginning of the paper the address for each author is defined separately. Both my mentor (PhD student) and his Professor have their institute address standing under their names, both the same address (institute at our Uni for electrical engineering). Me and my fellow student are studying at the institute for computer science, i.e. another faculty with significant another address and we are not working nor having an office/address there.
What address should be stated under our names?
I think we need an address, under which letters arrive us, which I think is not the case for the electrical engineering faculty nor the computer science faculty of our Uni. Do you think so, too?
Consequently, I think our personal home addresses have to be stated. But then it appears strange or unprofessional, because it looks like we are not affiliated with anyone.
What would you think?
Thanks in advance!
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35096,
"author": "Davidmh",
"author_id": 12587,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12587",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Having a publication is, I think, a good enough reason for requesting a mail box from your institution, so you have a possible solution there. If that was not possible, you can always put the professors' addres as a c/o, so the letters are sent to him, and he will forward them to you.\n\nNote that nowadays, the main use of physical addresses in papers are to send you snail mail spam, like professional societies affiliation offers and such. Almost all communications related to the paper would be via email."
},
{
"answer_id": 35097,
"author": "ff524",
"author_id": 11365,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11365",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "Many templates include a place for authors to put street addresses, but they aren't necessarily strictly required. \n\nIn your case, if you look at [last year's CHI proceedings](http://chi2014.acm.org/proceedings) you can see that plenty of papers omit it.\n\nFor your submission, communication related to your submission will be via email, not snail mail. You can either omit the address entirely, or put the address of your computer science department, it doesn't really matter much. (In the general case, I think it's likely that if a publisher *does* want to communicate by snail mail, they will ask for the preferred mailing address in the paper submission process, not read it off the submission.)"
},
{
"answer_id": 35104,
"author": "David Richerby",
"author_id": 10685,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10685",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Just give your department as your address. In the twelve years since my first publication appeared, I have never received a single piece of snail-mail related to a publication so, to be honest, the address is largely a vestige of the days before emails. It's much more important to make sure that your email address can easily be found: *that* is how anyone who wants to contact you will try to do so."
},
{
"answer_id": 35105,
"author": "Chris H",
"author_id": 8494,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/8494",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "In most departments mail for an undergrad/masters student will go to an appropriate admin office, and they'll send you an email - unless you're well known to the front desk staff who would keep it for you - so you can put your own department's address and not worry about it. It would seem like a good idea to do so as your publication history will match your CV better.\n\n*Some* journals will require this field - or if you don't give it, assume the lead author's address is applicable - again it woul dmake sense ot give the right address."
},
{
"answer_id": 35114,
"author": "Andreas Blass",
"author_id": 14506,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14506",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "The authors' addresses on a publication serve not only (nor even primarily) to help people to contact the authors. They indicate where the work was done, so that the universities or companies involved get appropriate credit. Some journals (most of the journals that I'm familiar with) allow an additional field called \"current address\", where an author who has moved since the work was done can indicate where (s)he can be reached."
}
] |
2015/01/02
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35095",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27254/"
] |
35,106 |
I've come across a problem during my bachelor thesis.
I'd like to cite a single page in a document, but it uses the "section-page" style of numbering pages of the document. It appear like I'm referencing pages 7 to 23, even it is just a single page. (I am using ISO 690)
What's the proper way to cite such page? Thank you.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35107,
"author": "Massimo Ortolano",
"author_id": 20058,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20058",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> It appear like I'm referencing pages 7 to 23\n> \n> \n> \n\nA different symbol should be used in the two cases: when referencing page 7-23, the symbol between the two numbers should be a *hyphen*; when referencing from page 7 to page 23, it should be an *en dash*, which is slightly longer than the hyphen. \n\nSo, use the appropriate symbol."
},
{
"answer_id": 35119,
"author": "Andreas Blass",
"author_id": 14506,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14506",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "You can write \"page 7-23\", so that the singular word \"page\" gives the reader a clue. A range of pages would be \"pages 7–23\".\n\nAlternatively, I would have no objection to \"Section 7, page 23\", though apparently JeffE wouldn't approve of that."
}
] |
2015/01/02
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35106",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27261/"
] |
35,109 |
There are many questions here on how to address someone by their title or current status.
What should one do in the case they are addressed by a title they do not have?
Some example of this:
A student submitting a paper and the editor emailing using the Professor/Dr. title.
A PhD in a research lab (not university) being invited for a talk and a letter stating "Dear Professor..."
A researcher (non PhD) being referred to as Dr.
If this is too broad, the question can be edited to just one situation.
In this type of case, should one reply and directly address the title?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35110,
"author": "xLeitix",
"author_id": 10094,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10094",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "The standard answer to such issues is to **ignore**. By and large, these situations arise because the editor etc. did not care to look up the recipient's real title. There is no malicious intent, actually there is likely no intent at all other than trying to use a catch-all title that the editor assumes will not offend anybody (typically Dr. or Prof.). No harm is done by not rectifying this error, and indeed spending more than a short chuckle on this is too much effort.\n\n(also, being addressed by the wrong title is, at least for me, so common that I mostly stopped noticing it)"
},
{
"answer_id": 35113,
"author": "Bob Brown",
"author_id": 16183,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/16183",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Before I *finally* finished the doctorate, my syllabus said, \"Call me Bob or Mr. Brown, whichever is more comfortable for you. but not 'doctor' or 'professor.'\" Other than that, I didn't worry about it with students. Faculty all call each other by first names anyway, so it never came up in that context. (Now the syllabus says, \"Call me Bob or Dr. Brown, whichever is more comfortable for you.\")\n\nMy professional correspondence (email and postal mail) includes both my degree and my academic rank, so anyone corresponding with me has the correct information whether they need it nor not.\n\nOutside school, I corrected those with whom I expected a long acquaintance, such as a new dentist, by saying, \"Please call me Bob.\" If that didn't work, I added that I did not hold a doctorate. For everyone else, I ignored it.\n\nIn my institution and many like it, \"professor\" is used as a courtesy title by students for faculty who do not hold the doctorate, and less as a title of academic rank. How one reacts to \"professor\" will depend on local custom. Whether to correct those who call you professor depends on how it's used where you are. If one is a faculty member and \"professor\" is used as a courtesy, no correction is necessary. \n\nI am reminded of a novel in which a character addressed as \"doctor\" says, \"Oh, no! Not 'doctor.\" I'm only a humble [F.R.C.S.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fellowship_of_the_Royal_College_of_Surgeons)\""
},
{
"answer_id": 35116,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "When I was a graduate student, I was often called \"Doctor\", and now as a working research scientist I am often called \"Professor.\" I also frequently have people misattribute my affiliation, e.g., saying that I'm at my alma mater rather than my current affiliation.\n\nHow I respond depends on the context. My main categories are:\n\n* *Interactions with an organization that doesn't care about me (e.g., review request from a journal, conference spam):* I don't bother to correct: they aren't making a judgement based on the title, and they may not actually have a reasonable ability to correct it if they do, given that many journal and conference management systems use atrocious software.\n* *Interactions with an organization that really does care about credentials (e.g., serving on government review panels):* Here, I note the misattribution and check to make sure that my actual credentials satisfy the requirements of the organization, because otherwise I might be wasting everybody's time and money.\n* *Interactions with colleagues and long-term interactions with students (e.g., co-advising):* Gentle correction when I feel the misattribution could be perceived as giving me status that I do not have.\n* *Brief, role-based interactions with students (e.g., questions at a guest lecture in somebody's class):* I feel it would be actually rude to correct a student who really doesn't care about the title at all, and just wants some help understanding something.\n\nMostly, I take the stereotypical American position that we shouldn't care too much about title and affiliation, because we are all ultimately judged by our works, and most of the time nobody involved in the interaction really cares all that much about your title. In those cases where getting it right might actually matter, though, don't be shy about inquiring and correcting as needed."
},
{
"answer_id": 35118,
"author": "WoJ",
"author_id": 15446,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/15446",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "There is going to be a large cultural bias depending on the country. \n\nI have been addressed \"Professor\" even though the person speaking to me had \"Dr\" in front of his eyes, just because this was the tradition there. \n\nIn Italy you are a \"doctor\" when you get a MSc. \n\nIn Germany titles are very important, you do not want to make a mistake there.\n\nIn many other countries you address someone who graduated from medical studies as \"doctor\", however in Poland they do use \"*lek. med.*\" as opposed to \"*dr med.*\" -- the first one being the generic title for someone who graduated and is licensed, while the second clearly indicates that he or she has a PhD. You would still address that person as \"doctor\" in a conversation, but would refer to him or her as \"*lekarz*\" (the official name, where the abbreviation *lek.* comes from) when talking in 3rd person.\n\nSo it really depends on the place.\n\nThe only case where I would care is if this gets formalized (in a book, in proceedings, ...) or at the beginning of a long-term relationship."
}
] |
2015/01/02
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35109",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12718/"
] |
35,120 |
Related questions:
* [Should one mention multiple, albeit somewhat unrelated research interests?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/15119/should-one-mention-multiple-albeit-somewhat-unrelated-research-interests)
* [Should I talk about a unpublished paper in my SOP?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34693/should-i-talk-about-a-unpublished-paper-in-my-sop)
Besides physics as my major, my other interest is linguistics, and as you can see, there is no overlap. When I was in high school, I wrote my first article in linguistics. It hasn't been read by any professor or published in any specialize journal, not because it was rejected, but because I haven't tried to do so. I had a graduate student in linguistics review it for me, and it seems that she finds it interesting. As far as I know, there is currently no material on the topic I researched available on the internet, which indicates that the topic is new.
Because (1) it is the first article I have ever wrote, (2) I did it when I was 16 or 17 (although I have updated so much it lately) and (3) the topic is new so far, I consider it my proudest scientific activity. I think putting it in the SOP will make a steady point that "I was born for scientific research." Will it be useful if I do that, or just mention the latest article in physics I wrote?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35175,
"author": "Florian D'Souza",
"author_id": 26958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26958",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I wouldn't mention it. As Chrac C states in the comments, it is not peer-reviewed and is not directly relevant to your area of future research. \n\nMy answer would change if the article were peer-reviewed and/or published in a journal, however. I think demonstrating that you have the ability and motivation to submit an article for publication is a positive attribute for a potential graduate student, regardless of whether the paper is in your field of research or not. For example, my first publication was not in my current research area, but several reviewers of my application later told me that just having a published paper set me apart from other applicants.\n\nSince you claim that at least one person in the field finds it interesting and that the topic is new, why don't you want to publish it? Is there a way to at least submit it for publication before your applications are due? \n\nIn my opinion, it is a little dangerous to put unpublished articles on a SOP or CV. A reviewer might arrive at the (potentially false) conclusion that you're trying to pad your CV or SOP with articles that may never actually be published, which can hurt you. Others might wonder why you feel that the article is important enough to include on a graduate application, but not be important enough for publication. \n\nOverall, I think the safer thing to do is omit it for now. If you end up moving forward with disseminating it further, then I would consider mentioning it."
},
{
"answer_id": 49846,
"author": "Ooker",
"author_id": 14341,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14341",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "*Before continue to read this answer, I think you should read [Florian D'Souza's answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/35175/14341) first.*\n\nWell, after consider many aspect, I decided to take the risk and included it into my SOP. My motto is \"Do whatever that doesn't harm\". The hardest part is to know the distinction between the good things and the looking good things. \n\n**Note: this answer is my own experience**\n\nTurn out that's a good idea. In the interview room, at first of course the interviewers wanted to focus on my \"on-topic\" research. After they satisfied with my answer, they couldn't hide the curiosity about my \"off-topic\" one. I think it's reasonable since I come from the natural side of science, applying to the STEM scholarship but have my first research in social science. They still kept their critical thinking, asking me about the assumptions, the model of collecting data, the explanation, the result, etc. But I think that they also got entertained with my presentation.\n\nUnlike what I was cautioned before, they didn't care if the work was published in any journal or not. In fact, all they care was the research itself. I think this is because they were not linguists, so they couldn't evaluate the value of the work.\n\nBut to be fair, they also didn't ask whether my \"on-topic\" research was published elsewhere or not. I think at the level of mine, a published paper is not expected. But making a research outside my field is also unexpected."
}
] |
2015/01/02
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35120",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14341/"
] |
35,122 |
I have a master in physics and philosophy and have a keen interest in mathematics. Currently I am doing a PhD in philosophy. On a personal level, however, I cherish the interdisciplinary ideal of combining mathematics, physics and philosophy. I am well aware that realizing this ideal requires an enormous amount of work and talent – and that very likely I cannot 'completely' realize it.
On a structural level, I suppose this is an unfortunate side-effect of the level of specialization in academia today. On a subjective level, however, I feel the need to “revolt” against such over-specialization. It a shame that some "philosophers of science" in my branch haven't solved one differential equation in their life; yet they intend to reflect on what physicists do. I am convinced that combining different disciplines is a worthy thing to do. I suspect many people would agree with me, but the competitive reality of academia makes it very hard to realize.
The time one invests in a secondary area of interest (i.e. mathematics, physics) takes away time to do research in one's main area (i.e. philosophy). The reduced time would (on the short-term) make me less productive and successful. However, in the long-term, it might allow me to produce work of more value and depth.
* (1) Is it wise for a PhD student, somewhere below on the academic ladder, to gamble already on long-term investments, or should one give in to the short-term safety and (over)specialize in one area?
* (2) Is there some middle-way between the two extremes?
* (3) Is it more useful in later stages of one's career to have a broad skill-set or have more publications in one (limited) area?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35126,
"author": "BrenBarn",
"author_id": 9041,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/9041",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think this is a good question, but I have only a brief, partial answer: you may have to accept that, in pursuing the interdisciplinary topics that interest you, the time and energy you spend will *not* be repaid with any kind of academic currency, but only in less tangible forms. In other words, you may never get a better job, get an extra paper published, or even get an extra pat on the back from a colleague; but you may nonetheless, in a subtle and unsung way, advance the anti-specialization principles you espouse simply by doggedly producing quality work that embodies them. This may sound cynical, but I mean it seriously. Of course, you need enough tangible reward to keep your career going, but it sounds like you're asking about how or whether to invest the energy to go the extra mile above and beyond that. It's possible to derive internal comfort from believing that you're doing your best to produce the kind of work you think needs to be produced, even if doing so doesn't earn you any praise or advance your career in any concrete way. In the end, whether you continue to do this work will depend on whether you can be happy and sane doing it, and drawing strength from your inner conviction, rather than from external validation, can help with that."
},
{
"answer_id": 35127,
"author": "Stephan Kolassa",
"author_id": 4140,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4140",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Good question, but likely to be closed as \"opinion-based\" or \"too broad\". My (opinion-based) take below.\n\nCareer-wise, you can likely luck out or strike out with either approach. You can turn into the world's foremost expert on a *teensy, tiny* special sub-sub-sub-field. If this turns out to be an important field for the next decades and your reviewers like it, then you are in luck. However, every subfield will likely be sucked dry at some point in time, so even the most specialized specialist will need to switch fields, methods or something else at least at some point in their career. Suppose you were the world's top expert on some obscure topic sexy in 1985, as a freshly-minted Ph.D. - I don't think this will still be quite as hot today. So a one-trick pony will need to switch tricks now and then.\n\nNote that you need some consensus in your field that your one trick at the moment is actually hot. It's bad if you write a grant application and your reviewers groan \"not again; he's been milking this particular technique for ten years now, when will he finally stop?\"\n\nAlternatively, you can do what you seem to prefer: become proficient in multiple connected fields. This will mean that you won't be the mother of all experts in any of them. But you may just become the person who can actually see, explain and analyze the connections between these fields. Given that there is more and more emphasis on interdisciplinary research these days (which I'd say makes a lot of sense and likely is here to stay), you are well placed to become the linchpin getting disparate single-topic experts together to write grants or papers.\n\nOf course, you still need to pick fields that actually have some connection with each other. You may be interested in all of Nvikuspeara's plays, high-dimensional complex geometry and parallelized software development, but it will be hard to bring these disparate strands together into a coherent whole.\n\nSo you will again need to impress reviewers that your combination makes sense. If your interdisciplinary approach is reviewed by focused experts, these may not appreciate what they perceive as \"no expertise\" in your research.\n\n(Incidentally, by beautiful wife goes the second route. She is likely not the world's greatest geneticist, nor the world's greatest clinical psychologist or therapist, but she does pretty good *interdisciplinary* research on the genetics of certain psychological conditions and their therapy. Among other things. She started this type of jack-of-multiple-trades approach after her Ph.D.)\n\nI have seen the metaphor of \"T-shaped people\": people who have a limited understanding of a lot of things (the horizontal bar of the T), but are experts in depth in at least some particular topic (the vertical bar). This is the ideal my employer wants us to strive for - we should neither be \"I-shaped\" (all expertise, no general knowledge) nor \"minus sign-shaped\" (all general knowledge, no expertise). This makes sense to me."
},
{
"answer_id": 35147,
"author": "BCT",
"author_id": 27291,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27291",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "I have found that a middle-of-the-road approach works best. Scientifically minded individuals tend to be perfectionists. While it is important to pay attention to details, perfection does not exist and life is short. Keep your eye on the prize and make your mark on the world but don't forget to have a life.\n\nRead some of the books about Richard Feynman. By all accounts a genius but by his own admissions said he was mostly like others but had developed a few special \"tools\" or ways of looking at a problem. So yes, explore avenues that may not have immediate rewards but may have value for the future. Great discoveries are often overlooked by the unprepared mind..."
}
] |
2015/01/02
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35122",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22371/"
] |
35,128 |
I just finished my master's and I am about to start my PhD studies. As I am very used to do many independent projects during my bachelor's and master's, I am willing to continue a side project on a fairly related topic. Actually, this is project is on a topic completely related to my potential PhD project and even during my job interview my supervisor said it is a plus for me to have experience with these kind of projects.
I have been working on this project from second year of my master's and I worked only about 3-4 hours per week on that, so I guess I can manage to keep it as a side project. The thing is it still needs some work to lead to some acceptable results, but I'm sure it will pay off, if I can make it. Yet, learning about the methods used in the project are really helpful for my PhD project as well. The problem comes where most professors want concentration from their students and this might not be Ok with working with another researchers. Besides, my collaboration in the side project seems not to be very efficient since it is a side project for my collaborators as well.
The question is should I discuss this with my professor even if I want to dedicate some of my free time to that? Should I risk my relationship with him in the early stages of my PhD studies (in case he is not Ok with that?)? Do I look like some trouble maker if I ask him about this? Do you think I should continue this project or just simply drop it and concentrate on my PhD project?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35146,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "Let me answer in two parts:\n\n1. With the right advisor, projects undertaken on your own initiative will be *valued* rather than seen as a problem.\n2. You definitely need to talk to your advisor *now* to make sure you're with the right advisor.\n\nExpanding on this a bit... one of the hardest things for many people to learn in a Ph.D. program is how to organize and initiate their own research portfolio. You show signs of doing this right from the start, so as long as you are willing to accept feedback and guidance, this is potentially a really good thing. \n\nWhether it is a good fit for your advisor, however, depends on what your advisor's needs are at their current stage in their career. Some professors really need their students to be focusing on particular problems that the professor currently wants or needs to tackle. Others are able to give their students more freedom to wander intellectually. This is partly based on career stage (pre-tenure professors are likely to demand more focus), and partly on personality (a control freak or an empire-builder will not be mellowed by tenure; a highly confident professor may give much free rein even before tenure).\n\nSo: talk with your advisor about your desires and plans. If your advisor is receptive to the idea, great: now you can sort out how to balance things and make sure you aren't neglecting any responsibilities or making strategic mistakes. If your advisor is not receptive, you need a different advisor."
},
{
"answer_id": 35148,
"author": "teh tarik 101",
"author_id": 26641,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26641",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "I believe it is more productive to pursue your work from Masters to PhD rather than having them running separately, as PhD requires a dedication and focus."
},
{
"answer_id": 35149,
"author": "xLeitix",
"author_id": 10094,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10094",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "As an addition to jakebeal's answer:\n\nI am sort of terrified of an advisor for which a side project of 3-4 hours / week, strongly related even, would be a dealbreaker. That being said, you need to make sure that the side project runs *on the side*. That is, don't let the 4 hours become 15 or 20 hours, and never, ever use the side project as a reason to justify why you can't achieve your goals in the main project.\n\nThis also means that there are side projects which are more suitable than others. It needs to be ok that there will be weeks where you spend a total of 0 hours on your side project, because there is e.g., a deadline in your main project. If there are hard deadlines in your side project as well, you may get into problems if the hard deadlines end up coming in at the same time.\n\nFor example, what is a notoriously bad side project for PhD students is any kind of light consulting work (as my students in applied Computer Science are sometimes prone to take on). Yes, helping some non-IT company with some technical issues now and then takes almost no time and pays quite well, but if there is a big problem at your customer's side at the week of the deadline of our major conference, we *will* get into arguments, *even if you worked more than 40 hours per week* (or whatever your nominal contractual workload is) despite being at the customer's site for a day."
},
{
"answer_id": 68313,
"author": "Jessica Su",
"author_id": 53764,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53764",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "It depends on how good you are at multitasking. You don't want to neglect your advisor's projects because you're working on a side project. At the same time, you don't want to neglect your side project because you're working on your advisor's projects. (Your collaborators will probably be happier parting with you on good terms than collaborating with you on a project that you'll never actually work on.)\n\nKeep in mind that you'll also have other side projects with more urgent and demanding deadlines, like classes or being a teaching assistant. As a PhD student my attention is normally split between two or three tasks, even without external side projects.\n\nIf you want to continue your side project, you should definitely ask your advisor if you can keep working on it, so he knows about all your commitments (and is okay with them). You might even be able to pull your advisor in as a collaborator, and then everyone's happy!"
}
] |
2015/01/02
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35128",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/-1/"
] |
35,130 |
I am currently applying to graduate programs in physics across the US, though primarily in California. I am a New York State resident currently on parole for a violent crime committed in 2005. I have been on parole for over 3 years, and will be released in the Summer of 2016.
I am going to have to transfer my parole with only several months notice, which will be a hassle. My hope is that my academic accomplishments will result in my parole transfer being completed without resistance.
If anyone has any idea what I can expect from a graduate institution in terms of assistance in the process, please respond. I foresee the process being a rough transitions if the state to which I transfer is not welcoming.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35136,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "I can't say I've had any practical experience with this, but my suspicion is that the university will probably not make extensive efforts to assist you in this matter, because it's not something they will have significant experience with, either. \n\nI also suspect their willingness to provide assistance will in large part be dependent on the amount of help they have to provide. If you need letters confirming that you have been accepted to the program, and that they have supported your admission with knowledge of your prior record, that's probably reasonable. On the other hand, if you're expecting them to send a representative to a hearing, or something more intensive, that will likely be much more complicated. \n\nHowever, your best advice in such a situation is **contact a competent attorney** who can provide more guidance."
},
{
"answer_id": 45393,
"author": "Sean Bearden",
"author_id": 27283,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27283",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "To answer my question based on my experience:\n\nI did not find that any institution was particularly wary about my past. Of the many institution to which I was granted admission, only SUNY Stony Brook asked me to go through a review process. Most institutions found my past inspiring. I cannot say how the institutions that rejected my application felt about my history. However, my rejections came primarily from top 10 universities, so it is likely competitiveness of those programs led to my rejection.\n\nI have accepted admission into a Ph.D. program at a University of California institution. In the process of transferring parole, the department of my studies has been very helpful. The chair of the department has provided a letter to parole, and the staff has assisted me in obtaining housing. \n\nMy experience was much less troublesome than I had feared.\n\nMost helpful to me was:\n\n1. Creating connections at my undergraduate institution. I have been an active student regarding campus activities. I volunteered often to help the department. I wanted to create a track record of assimilating into the campus community.\n2. Being honest in my applications and statements of purpose. Many may believe that my history should not be highlighted, but I have found that having a unique story sets me apart from other students. Everyone seems to enjoy a good comeback story. (It has also helped me win scholarships.)\n3. Letters of recommendations from professors with whom I have worked. These letters did not mention my history. They show that I am more than a good student with an interesting story; I have the ability to function as a productive student researcher."
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35130",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27283/"
] |
35,133 |
I've heard anywhere from 2,000 - 10,000 words is typical for a publication in an average journal. What's your experience?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35134,
"author": "galois",
"author_id": 25375,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/25375",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "[This source](http://www.informationr.net/ir/14-1/paper391.html) mentions that they're \"typically 3,000 to 10,000 words in length\". [This page](http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWsections.html) may give you some tips on the length of specific parts of the paper, as well.\n\nBTW, I think the length of the publication can also be dependent on where you are submitting it. Also, you can check yourself creatively by going to sites like <http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/>, and copy+paste the text into a [word counter](http://wordcounttools.com). ;-)"
},
{
"answer_id": 35140,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "A typical publication in the areas of biology that I work in, is like an iceberg. The \"paper\" per se is likely to be only a couple thousand words (for example Nature articles are only 3000 words long, and a number of other high profile publications also have tight limits). That small portion sticking above the surface is typically backed by anywhere from 10 to 50 pages of supplementary material, which contains the bulk of the paper."
},
{
"answer_id": 35174,
"author": "pocketlizard",
"author_id": 21458,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/21458",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "My experiences with \"average\" journals (by which I mean that they aren't extremely high-end like Nature or Science) is that typically a publication is around 4,500-7,500 words.\n\nMy old adviser used to say that if his manuscript reached 30-40 pages (typewritten, Times New Roman, size 12, double-spaced), he would split it into two publications instead. I wouldn't suggest this method because it's a lot of work to write one manuscript, and this way you would have to go through many more drafting stages to get two manuscripts that were thorough, told the complete story, and yet did not overlap."
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35133",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27287/"
] |
35,144 |
I am a Hispanic student (senior undergraduate) from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background pursuing a graduate degree in Physics in US (I just finished submitting my applications). I do not know anyone from my neighborhood that attended college, much less pursued an advanced degree, and I find myself abhorred by the educational inequality in the US (and the world) on a daily basis. I've undertaken some personal outreach endeavors thus far, I act as a mentor via email for minority students in K-12 (for example, I send them updates about what projects I'm doing and links that I think are suitable for their age group) and I stay in contact with minority undergraduates in STEM whom find themselves faced with (socioeconomic) obstacles similar to those that I have faced.
My parents were hard workers, but they had little time (or money) to stimulate me intellectually as a child, and they also had no idea what it meant to pursue a PhD in anything besides a *medical* doctor. Thus, I really only became familiar with the notion of pursuing a career in *scientific research* when I arrived at college; prior to arriving at college, *engineering* was my idea of what it meant to be a "scientist", or, to "do science" as a career.
I would say that over the course of the past three years I have become a relatively successful researcher, and in some ways I have made up for lost time, but to this day I can only cringe thinking about where I (or someone in my same shoes) might be today if I had been exposed to science at a younger age.
**Does anyone have advice as to how I can begin making a significant impact in scientific outreach as a graduate student?** I have a knack for programming, and the majority of my research is computational in nature, so I think I might be well suited for helping individuals learn programming remotely, or something of that effect.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35150,
"author": "user3426338",
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"text": "I can completely relate to you. There are plenty of programs out there where you can do some outreach. You can check out Code2040 : <http://code2040.org/> . Its a program that helps minorities get their foot in the door in the tech world. It might not be exactly what you had in mind but I would try to network with the coordinators maybe they can give you better advice on your journey. You can also try doing outreach through your local library. I know that some libraries offer tech literacy courses so that maybe good place to start. You can also try to create a non-profit organization for your cause as well."
},
{
"answer_id": 35151,
"author": "Davidmh",
"author_id": 12587,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12587",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "Outreach comes in two flavours: creating interest (*wow, this science thing is actually cool!*), and educating (*this is how you program*). I think both are necessary, so take your pick (or both).\n\n~~Also, don't even think of making it a one man effort.~~ I don't advise to do it alone. There will be times where you will be swarmed in work, and then your outreach will just fall out of priority. Instead, team up with undergrads, schools, youth centres... whoever is willing to help you. If your university has something in place, you should probably go for it, as it will probably suit your primary needs the most. If you cannot find anyone, you can always start alone and get people on board along the way, but do make this a priority to ensure continuity.\n\nStory time: when I was an undergrad, I joined the astronomy club at my university and we did a lot of outreach, mostly talks and workshops about different topics. It was a very good starting point, as I met people that have been *in the business* for some time, and could help me avoid some of the beginners mistakes. To give you an idea of our success, in some years, we (a dozen of undergrads), single handedly organised half of the events for the Science Week at the Physics Department, usually getting fully booked in less than a week since opening the registrations.\n\nMy experiences showed that:\n\n* Many teachers are overworked, underpaid, and frustrated; and they would take your activities as a way to relax for an hour. A few others are still passionate and will go out of their way to get you in the classroom and make the most of it.\n* Teenagers are difficult to begin with, but once you break the toughness layer, they have a bunch of interesting ideas. Also, beyond that point there are not many differences between posh and underprivileged schools.\n* Ideally, all fronts should be covered. This includes schools, family activities, talks for adults, elderly centres, giving teachers ideas... But of course, you don't have to do them all.\n* Be engaging. Get small groups, if you can. Prefer interaction in person. I wouldn't recommend teaching programming remotely, as it is too easy to ignore it. It would only work with kids that are *really* interested, but then, there are tons of online resources to learn.\n* Sometimes, kids behave like mushrooms, and there is nothing you can do about it. Don't let that frustrate you. Don't be impervious to (self) criticism, though.\n* Talk to professors active in outreach, even if they are out of your expertise. In my university there were a couple of them from the Optics department, that taught me a few nifty low budget experiments."
},
{
"answer_id": 35159,
"author": "Piotr Migdal",
"author_id": 49,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/49",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Outreach - to start with, once you know something worth sharing (and for sure you do, as you are a PhD student), the biggest thing is your motivation and drive for it.\n\nThere are various styles of doing outreach, and for various audiences (of different age, specialization etc).\n\nIn some sense its up to your taste to choose topic and the audience. As you are from a disadvantaged group you should know the best what kind of help and stimulation would had benefited you the most.\n\nIt's important to look at the \"added value\" - i.e. how much they benefit from it. (Sometimes a spark of inspiration can be better than concentrating knowledge; but also sometimes a lecture can be cool but provide little long-term value.)\n\nWhat you can do?\n\n* Giving lectures.\n* Doing workshops.\n* 1-1 mentoring.\n* Running some blog (but this is less sure, as there is less direct feedback).\n\nIn any case, it's mostly practice, practice and practice. You will learn which things work the best, and which - do not. Which things are interesting for the audience, which - not as much as for you.\n\nIf you are in programming, it is a good way to start, as it gives them tools they can play with by themselves, and it is beneficial in many different job scenarios. \n\nIt's of course good to contact people in your department, who are involved in outreach - very likely they can provide some advice and it may be possible that there are organizations or events you can join (whether run by univ. or something external).\n\nAlso, some of my experiences are captured here: [An independent camp for high school geeks](http://warsztatywww.wikidot.com/en:indie-camp-for-hs-geeks) (some lessons can be used in different settings)."
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35144",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26832/"
] |
35,152 |
Student presentations were a part of my grading policy in one of my classes. I had a student who tried hard to get a higher grade in the class. But after his poor presentation, he persistently asked me to give him full credit on his presentation. I told him that his presentation was not good enough to get full credit. But he has persisted and persisted in asking for full credit.
The student told me that this is what he does in all of his classes. How should I deal with this behavior? He does not deserve the full credit he says he needs.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35153,
"author": "earthling",
"author_id": 2692,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/2692",
"pm_score": 7,
"selected": true,
"text": "There are multiple issues here.\n\nThe first is a student persisting, pushing for higher grades. For this, you should see the link scaaahu left [What to do about \"grade grubbers?\"](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/9014/what-to-do-about-grade-grubbers) If you continue to entertain this student they will keep pushing. Why would they stop? There is no cost and a chance for a gain. However, you need to be strong and clear. \"You got this grade because of your performance. You want a better grade then give a better performance.\"\n\nSecond issue, which I think you mentioned (but I might be mistaken here) is students needing a higher grade than they deserve. I just dealt with this issue (again) this past month. The student (and even an admin on behalf of the student) were practically pleading with me saying \"I really need a higher grade, I know the semester is over, and I know I did not do a good job, and I know I misbehaved in class, but could you pleeeaaaase give me a higher grade?\"\n\nWhen you encounter this second kind of issue remember that you are acting as a judge. Because of this, your decision is going to set precedent which will be held against you (and perhaps others) in the future. So, if you really want what is best for *all students* (including the one asking) then you must hold steady and show that students must do the work for the grade they want. Otherwise, they will think there is a way they can avoid the work and still get good grades and that is clearly not the signal we, as educators, should be sending.\n\nIn short, tough love and make sure they respect the educational process (don't allow them to badger you)."
},
{
"answer_id": 35178,
"author": "Simon Drew",
"author_id": 27313,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27313",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "If **you** have explained the ways in which he has failed to reach the standards required for a higher grade, then **he** should be mature enough to accept your professional, dispassionate assessment. \n\nCollege is where childhood ploys of appealing for leniency should be discarded: hard work and rigorous application are more appropriate behaviour."
},
{
"answer_id": 35183,
"author": "Bob Brown",
"author_id": 16183,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/16183",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "I agree with the other answers: \"No!\"\n\nI want to address specifically grading of presentations. That can look very arbitrary to students, and the appearance of arbitrariness in grading leads directly to whining of all kinds.\n\nHave a rubric for grading presentations, and supply the students with a copy of it early in the term, before they start preparing. A [Google search for \"scoring rubric for presentations\"](https://www.google.com/search?q=grading+rubric+for+presentation) provides a number of useful examples from which one could start.\n\nMake yours as granular and concrete as you can stand. So, instead of writing, \"Information is presented in a logical sequence: 5 points,\" try something like this:\n\nOrganization of the presentation:\n\n* All parts of the presentation were in a logical order and build on one another: 5 points\n* Most parts of the presentation were in logical order: 4\n* Presenter \"skipped back\" to include points not mentioned: 3\n* Presenter skipped back more than once: 2\n* Order of points in the presentation was difficult to discern: 1\n* The presentation appeared to have no logical order: 0\n\nThis is a lot of trouble, but you'll only have to do it once in your entire teaching career. Have a rubric sheet for each student, mark the rubric sheet, preferably with comments, and return them as \"graded work.\"\n\nYou may still get questions, but they'll necessarily be of the form, \"I deserved a 3 instead of a 2 on organization.\" These are *much* easier to deal with, and quickly reach the level of *de minimis.*\n\nOnce I get to that level, I say to students, \"If, at the end of the semester, but before I turn in final grades, you believe this item will change your course grade, I'll look at it again.\" No one has *ever* come back to me at the end of a semester with such a question."
},
{
"answer_id": 35186,
"author": "Lightness Races in Orbit",
"author_id": 12378,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12378",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "What do you mean \"how to deal with it\"? He's behaving like a child. Say \"no\" every time he asks. There is nothing else you can or should do."
},
{
"answer_id": 35207,
"author": "Daniel Wessel",
"author_id": 26614,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26614",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "It seems like the student has learned that \"persistence\" leads to success. Unfortunately, instead of learning from prior presentations on how to continuously improve his presentation, he learned to get a good grade by pestering the instructors. Given that your colleagues have given in, you are in the unfortunate position of disabusing him of this notion.\n\nBut I would not try to outlast the student in endless discussions, but inform him that you will not discuss this grade with him any longer. Because there is nothing to discuss. You have your reasons, you have stated them. A good student can learn from them to improve his presentations. His persistence in the wrong issue is not your responsibility."
},
{
"answer_id": 60163,
"author": "Captain Emacs",
"author_id": 45857,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/45857",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Core message: explain **why** he received the grade and where he lost marks. Don't just refuse to budge. As a student, I remembered that I found fuzzy and indistinct reasons for lower grades unacceptable. If clear criteria and well-reasoned arguments were given, I would accept, and never argue, even where the marks were bad.\n\nHowever, I remembered to have argued to the end with a marker about a downgrading my submission which fulfilled the requirements of the exercise but I happened to understand that differently from those who set the questions (which, in fact, led to a far more complicated, but equally valid, solution). I would not let no pass for an answer here. The marker wasn't interested in the topic and did not exert himself to look outside his immediate comfort zone to look beyond the immediate task. I ended up getting the marks. I didn't care so much about the marks as about the principle. Had he argued that my solution was far too complicated and had lost marks for elegance, I even would have accepted. But he didn't, he just said it's wrong.\n\nIn another case, in an relatively intricate problem, the marker did not see the complications arising in the problem and marked down my (again more complicated) solution. Again, I went to the Prof and argued about that, until he conceded; again, the mark was irrelevant to me (and of minor importance, anyway) - it was about the principle. \n\nI do not have the impression that this is the case in your example, but one should be prepared to concede if one made a mistake. But if you have good reasons for marking him down and you are not handwaving anything, state them clearly and close the case."
},
{
"answer_id": 68560,
"author": "thebishopofcalc",
"author_id": 54015,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/54015",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "Be forewarned, you may well find it all but impossible to dislodge said student from your office if they haven't gotten the \"yes\" they want. Even after telling them that you will not be entertaining any further discussions about re-scoring this assignment, and that any further appeals will have to be done as a larger conversation in conjunction with the department chair, said chair may have to be drafted to get them up and out of your office. \n\nA colleague (/wife) believes one should go even further, advising recalcitrant students that if they cannot accept a well-meaning, legitimately-arrived-at \"no\" and leave, then an advisory that campus police will be enlisted may become necessary, but that has always seemed to me to be a bridge too far. (I know, I know, but I still love her.)"
},
{
"answer_id": 115759,
"author": "jvriesem",
"author_id": 32794,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/32794",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Rather than answering the question and repeat what others have said better than myself, I'd like to add a few comments for when people apply these answers when they encounter similar situations.\n\n1) Context matters\n==================\n\nThere's a big difference between a student who shamelessly begs/whines for a better grade in all their classes and the student who did poorly because of something outside their control (e.g. assault). Insofar as we know the context of a given situation and have the power to be flexible, we must not treat all cases identically; doing so would be an injustice to the student.\n\n(It's important to note that the above case is different than many (most?) other cases in that the student admitted to doing this in all their other classes. We can afford less grace for such a student.)\n\n2) The approach of your response matters\n========================================\n\nYour approach depends on what the student is saying or asking of you. For the students who are whining for a better grade without any justification, a simple, yet firm, \"no\" may suffice. Other students may be asking why they received the grade they did, and then you should explain why. (If you do, a brief explanation is usually sufficient.)\n\nTypically, your response should be clear and concise. If they have questions beyond what you said in your response, they can ask in a follow-up email. Avoid being too standoffish or defensive when it isn't warranted.\n\nBe professional. Don't be overly congenial (which students may mistake for favoritism, or worse), but don't be antagonistic, either.\n\n3) Compassion matters, but use judiciously\n==========================================\n\nUsually, teachers do not know what baggage their students are dealing with. Some students are more sensitive than others, and they may need a more compassionate response.\n\nIt's possible to validate some of their complaints but still be firm. For example, it might be okay to say that you know the student is smarter than is reflected by their grade, but that they didn't demonstrate their knowledge during the class. In other cases, you could say that you know how hard it can be to balance two jobs and taking classes, but that the grade they earned is a reflection not of their overall effort in life, but rather just their performance in this class.\n\nAvoid making judgments about the student's situation. Avoid blaming the student for their situation. If the student put themselves in their situation, you can let them learn from it without heaping blame on them. (I've heard stories of teachers telling students that they're a failure and should drop their program or major. This can be very damaging to a student's psyche. Even when warranted, this is rarely a teacher's responsibility to say.)\n\nAlso avoid being too kind or soft, as the student may try to take advantage of this in further emails, or tell their friends to do so in the future. You don't want to have the reputation of being a pushover.\n\n4) Fairness matters\n===================\n\nBe very careful about making exceptions for one student that you are not able or willing to make for other students. Everything else equal, making an exception for one student is not fair to the other students.\n\nIf you are willing/able to let one student make up some work after the semester, be sure to allow other students to do the same (barring special circumstances).\n\n5) Precedent matters\n====================\n\nIf you decide to be flexible for one student in one thing, realize that you are establishing a precedent that you may be held to in the future, either by students or by your institution.\n\nThis is partly why rubrics are so useful: they set a precedent and expectation for graded work. If a student claims you graded an assignment unfairly, you can point out on the rubric where they lost points.\n\n6) Knowledge matters\n====================\n\nKnow the policies and options at your institution, and know what situations fit with these policies and options. For example, some schools allow teachers to give a student an \"incomplete\" mark rather than a letter grade for special circumstances.\n\nIf you know that it's too late to change a grade (e.g. institutional policy), you can tell this to your student and point out that if they were concerned about \\_\\_\\_\\_ that affected their grade, you could have worked out a solution if they had told you before the deadline.\n\nIf a student persists in pestering you, it's good to know whether you are obligated to respond to them (usually you aren't), and to know at what point to report them for harassment.\n\nFinally, if you really aren't sure how to handle a situation, it is useful to know where you can get help.\n\nSUMMARY\n=======\n\nBe clear and concise in your response. Be firm, but don't be a jerk. Make sure you take context into account when responding. Know what options you have in a given situation."
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35152",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/19761/"
] |
35,154 |
I personally know a male graduate student who works in a different area (in STEM) than mine and who has a potentially controversial view. He opposes to affirmative actions for women in academia and outreach activities for female teenagers conducted by a university. He's repeatedly and openly expressed his idea on his public Facebook post, in his (and my) native language, which is not English.
This particular student is soon graduating and has been granted a post as a post-doc at a very prestigious university in the U.S., from (I suppose) this fall on. I don't think that whoever in charge of hiring him knows his view, since, albeit they are public, his posts are not written in English.
While I don't know if his beliefs should prevent him from being hired, I do think that this may be a potential concern to his future employers.
Obviously I'm really concerned about his views and feel that, since they are expressed openly, it might be appropriate to make sure his prospective employers know about them. Is there a professional way to do this, or is it the case that no matter how baleful and publicly expressed the views may be, I should play no part in informing his prospective employers?
Corrigendum: I should have been really, really careful as to how to put my question. For one thing, I don't see his view *anti-feminist*. The word *anti-feminist* appears there (with quotation marks) because I couldn't think of a good adjective. It could have been anything else. Since so many people are distracted by this, I remove the word completely.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35160,
"author": "JeffE",
"author_id": 65,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/65",
"pm_score": 8,
"selected": false,
"text": "Mind your own business.\n-----------------------\n\nIf you believe that your colleague poses an *actual threat* to someone, it is of course your duty to warn them. But opinions are not threats. It is entirely up to your colleague who he shares his opinions with. Revealing your colleague's opinions to his future employer, no matter how offensive you may find them, would be a violation of his privacy."
},
{
"answer_id": 35176,
"author": "Pete L. Clark",
"author_id": 938,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/938",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> He opposes to affirmative actions for women in academia and outreach activities for female teenagers conducted by a university.\n> \n> \n> \n\nWhile I disagree with that view, I am not ready to call it \"anti-feminist\". Anyway, it is possible to have an academic job and hold anti-feminist views. A postdoc who holds (only) these views does not present an \"immediate danger\", in that it is unlikely that he will be involved in hiring, personnel or policy decisions. \n\nSuch a person is (I think) more likely to engage in poor or unacceptable behavior while on the job. However, that has certainly not happened yet at the postdoc job (it hasn't started yet) and you say nothing about such behavior as a graduate student. Whether Facebook is **public** or not -- it's clearly somewhere towards the middle of the increasingly complicated spectrum of public versus private life -- it is certainly not **professional**: that is, he did not post these things in the context of his job. \n\nIf I had hired a postdoc and received information about such messages on Facebook, I almost certainly would not reconsider the hiring decision. It would be hard for me to forget it, and I might keep an eye on the postdoc to see whether they behave in any inappropriate way...but the whole thing would make me a bit uncomfortable. We hire (especially STEM?) postdocs for their technical abilities, not for their political and social right-thinking. A lot of postdocs are from foreign countries, and I do not assume that foreign postdocs occupy the same position on the socio-political spectrum as most American academics. I assume that they will mostly stay out of trouble, and that if they get tenure-track positions they (as with everyone else) keep an open mind and learn about what their colleagues and superiors value. \n\nI would say that if the writings concern you -- which I find quite reasonable -- then you should consider responding to it at the source: i.e., on Facebook itself. I try to reply to a positive proportion of emails / posts I see which I regard as being sexist / racist / morally wrong: it can be tedious to do so, but you don't want to politely say nothing while other people say terrible things. On the other hand, you may want to simply stop receiving posts from this person. I became Facebook friends a few years back with someone I had gone to junior high and high school with, and I got treated to a barrage of postings about how employers shouldn't have to cover women's health expenses that they didn't morally agree with. I think I responded once or twice, and after that I blocked the posts. I feel much better!"
},
{
"answer_id": 35179,
"author": "keshlam",
"author_id": 10225,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10225",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "I can argue this both ways.\n\nOn the one hand, I do believe that while public speech should be free, people are also free to react to that speech. So if you really believe that this candidate should be rejected for shooting off his mouth, you're entitled to say so. (Exactly as entitled as he was to make the comments in the first place ... which comparison may indicate why you might *not* want to do so.)\n\nOn the other hand, a person's views -- however obnoxious you find them -- are their own. If they *act* on those views, including voicing them in a way/time/place that creates a hostile workplace, that's a problem and should be addressed at that time.\nUntil then, they're entitled to disagree even if you find that disagreeable. \n\nI guess my answer would be: *If asked,* you can certainly voice your concern. I'm not at all convinced it's appropriate to do so if you aren't asked. Remember that the folks accepting/hiring this grad student are perfectly capable of websearching him themselves, and these days have probably done so as part of their HR process. If they've taken him anyway, odds are that you won't change their mind unless there's more going on than you've told us.\n\nAnd really, how important is it for you to sabotage him, and why? Let him get himself into trouble, if he's going to. Or let him learn how not to. It really doesn't sound like he's a danger to anyone."
},
{
"answer_id": 35184,
"author": "Federico Poloni",
"author_id": 958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/958",
"pm_score": 7,
"selected": false,
"text": "**There is no way to do this in a professional way.**\n\nFirst of all, if he has been admitted already, **it is too late** to blow the whistle. Unless what you are revealing is a criminal offence, changing idea and refusing to give him a position to which he has been accepted is legally impossible.\n\nSecondly, sending an e-mail or contacting the hiring committee out of the blue would sound very strange. **You are probably the one that would appear as a 'hater'** if you write to a professor 'hi, you don't know me at all, but I wanted to tell you that this guy is a horrible person --- to prove it, here are two sentences out of context from a Facebook post that I translated myself'. My first reaction would be thinking that you hate him for personal reasons and are trying to destroy his reputation with fake claims.\n\nThirdly, as noted already by other users, you are basically trying to shame him for what *you* regard as a **thought crime**. What you have objections on are his opinions, not his actions. In most countries, freedom of thought and speech is highly regarded. Unless what you are trying to report is something universally considered abject, such as apology of paedophilia or of the Holocaust, the odds are that people will consider you, not him, the bad person. Sexism isn't high enough on the horribleness scale to elicit such a reaction.\n\nThat said, I prefer not to comment at all on whether what he wrote is a sign of sexism and/or morally wrong; this is a different issue."
},
{
"answer_id": 35212,
"author": "reirab",
"author_id": 12999,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12999",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": false,
"text": "**TL;DR**: Don't do this. In the case of a U.S. public university, it would be illegal for them to take any action based on what you want to tell them. Additionally, telling them is a bad idea for the reasons other answers have already given.\n\n---\n\n**Disclaimer**: I'm not a lawyer. The quotes below, though, are from lawyers who also just so happen to be U.S. Supreme Court justices or U.S. Court of Appeals justices.\n\n---\n\nIn addition to the excellent answers already here, what you are suggesting has actually been ruled **illegal** for U.S. public universities (or almost any other government job in the U.S., regardless of whether it's at the federal, state, or local level.) Furthermore, anyone deemed to be acting to discriminate on such a basis on the behalf of the state **can be sued individually** in addition to the state institution itself being sued. If anyone acted on your advice not to hire this person because of his political beliefs, he could sue them. Additionally, he might even be able to sue **you**.\n\nFor more information, see [Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutan_v._Republican_Party), a U.S. Supreme Court case which [ruled](http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=5322176927652912012&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr):\n\n> \n> Today we are asked to decide the constitutionality of several related political patronage practices — whether promotion, transfer, recall, and hiring decisions involving low-level public employees may be constitutionally based on party affiliation and support. We hold that they may not.\n> \n> \n> \n\nAdditionally, see [Elrod v. Burns](https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/427/347/), which ruled similarly:\n\n> \n> Patronage dismissals severely restrict political belief and association, which constitute the core of those activities protected by the First Amendment, and government may not, without seriously inhibiting First Amendment rights, force a public employee to relinquish his right to political association as the price of holding a public job.\n> \n> \n> \n\nIn a more recent case, [Wagner v. Jones](http://www.bna.com/the-eighth-circuit-differentiates-between/), a law professor was able to individually sue the Diap who made an illegal decision not to hire her based on her political views. Due to unrelated technicalities, that case is still winding its way through the courts, though the [8th Circuit Court of Appeals has already ruled that](http://media.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/11/12/102588P.pdf):\n\n> \n> [T]he First Amendment prohibits a state from basing hiring decisions on\n> political beliefs or associations with limited exceptions for policymaking and\n> confidential positions. \n> \n> \n> \n\n[Near the bottom of page 10]\n\nand that:\n\n> \n> Section 1983 provides a civil cause of action against any person who, under\n> color of state law, causes a deprivation of the rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws of the United States. 42 U.S.C. § 1983 \n> \n> \n> \n\n[beginning of Section II at the bottom of page 9]"
},
{
"answer_id": 35214,
"author": "Daniel Wessel",
"author_id": 26614,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26614",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": false,
"text": "Let's look at this question by looking at affirmative action, the university setting, and your role in it:\n\n**Affirmative Action**\n\nIt's hard to gauge his specific position, but being against affirmative action/outreach programs does not mean that this person is against the group that is supposed to benefit from these programs. It can simply mean that this person sees affirmative action as the wrong solution to an issue that might or might not be an actual problem.\n\nFor example, this person can think that the gender of a student should be irrelevant, and they themselves have no preference for, e.g., male or female students. In fact, they do what is ostensibly desired -- they treat men and women the same. Interest, persistence, grades, performance, etc. should count, not whether this person is/identifies as male or female. They might even welcome women if they have similar competence (a requirement for the contact hypothesis to work). [They might see the differences between the percentages of men and women in certain domains within STEM due to a different distribution of interests, not due to discrimination that requires affirmative action](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-6usiN4uoA), or think that Academia is not specifically hostile to women but hostile in general (many PhDs, few tenure track positions). There is also the counter-intuitive finding that affirmative action might hurt those it should benefit. At least for race there was an [interesting \"intelligence squared\" debate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm5eph0g_Ag).\n\nIn the following, I'm assuming that this person has thought about his position.\n\n**University Setting**\n\nNow let's look at affirmative action in the university setting. Unfortunately, some people think that anything but (at least) 50% women in highly prestigious fields like STEM indicate discrimination (ignoring, e.g., prior interests). And for some, it's an ideological issue where questions or an open debate with arguments based on theory and evidence are not tolerated. If you are not for positive discrimination, you are seen as acting actively against women -- even if you just apply the same standards to men and women.\n\nEven worse, I get the impression that some universities get more and more infected by ideology. They are turning into indoctrination places where having the right (or rather: the left) point of view is all that counts (FIRE is an interesting source here). Personally, I think that universities can and should do better. If you cannot discuss \"potentially controversial views\" at the university then where can you discuss them? But realistically, in some universities open discussion of controversial ideas can draw a lot of outrage ([including from students](http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9376232/free-speech-is-so-last-century-todays-students-want-the-right-to-be-comfortable/)).\n\n**Your Role as 'potentially concerned person'**\n\nGiven the explosive nature of the topic for many people, exposing a contrary view of someone *could* cause damage. Not necessarily because of the issue, but because you make it an issue. Especially if it is done without this person's knowledge. Or would you tell him in advance that you translated or summarized his postings and gave them to his prospective employers because you were \"concerned\"?\n\nIf you inform his employers/colleagues, I would hope that they have even a shred of integrity and have a look (and a translation) for themselves. Depending on how thought out his views are, they might conclude that he is not the problem but the informant is. They might even regard the informant as a backstabbing snitch who is envious that their new employee was accepted to \"a very prestigious university\" despite (what the snitch considers) his \"potentially controversial views\". Even if it damages his career (which it easily might), I don't think that the snitch would come out with a good reputation.\n\nIf the new post-doc on the other hand is open about these issues, good. I hope so. Issues should be discussed openly. But considering how easily criticism of a publicly widely accepted view can be misunderstood and misconstrued, it's his decision whether or when and how to talk about it in an Academic context. Personally, I do not think it would belong in a talk with a prospective employer as the topic is too complex and explosive for a superficial conversation and is likely to be misunderstood.\n\n**A better solution**\n\nIf you are \"really concerned\" about his views, then you can -- as others have written -- talk to him. Discuss the issue with him on the platform of his choosing (here: Facebook). Of course, the same ideologues for whom affirmative action is \"not debatable\" might regard *any* person having a debate about the topic as a problem. At the very least you consider something debatable that for them is a no-brainer! And how would you react if he made a point? But perhaps that's a bit too much \"censor in the head\". ;-)\n\nBut *if* affirmative action really is a no-brainer, you should be able to argue for your point of view and try to convince him. Because frankly, no view -- even if it is/were \"right\"/\"true\"/\"correct\"/\"the best solution there is\" -- should prevail just because those who have a different position were stabbed in the back when it came to hiring and promotion.\n\n(edit: spelling)"
},
{
"answer_id": 35312,
"author": "Greg",
"author_id": 14755,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14755",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "My understanding that in said country (you are in USA, correct?) freedom of speech is at least as important right that the \"need to uniformly and loudly support\" a specific policy whatever is your moral concern."
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35154",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/-1/"
] |
35,157 |
I have to defend my master's thesis in the field of computer science in about one week.
Of course I will put the main focus of the presentation on the thesis itself, i.e. the research question, the methodology and the results.
But besides the evident results, I also feel that writing the thesis thought me some really important personal lessons. For the first time in my student career I think I got a feeling about what research really is about to be - Spending long hours in front of a problem, constantly discarding and revising ideas while trying to stay positive when coping with setbacks and self-doubt. That I eventually finished the thesis despite all struggles was a very positive experience for me and somehow I'd like to mention that in the defense.
I know from other answers on this site that such things seem to depend a lot on the faculty. However, the guidelines of my faculty only specify the hard facts of the defense such as number of senate members, the schedule and the like.
So I wondered, if I sum up my personal lessons and experiences in 1 or 2 slides, would you as a senate member feel that this is appropriate or something that totally is out of place within the context of a defense?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35161,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "A bachelor's or master's degree is about the knowledge that you have gained. A Ph.D., on the other hand, is about the knowledge that you have *contributed* to humanity. As such, the defense is not really about you: it's about your work, and you need to treat it as such. Think about the other high-level scientific talks that you have seen (or given), and treat your defense in exactly the same way.\n\nThat's not to say that you can't weave in personal experiences or anecdotes if they make sense as part of the presentation of the technical content. Some of the best talks that I have ever seen have a component of the personal in them. The important distinction is that any use of the personal should serve to illuminate and illustrate the scientific point, rather than standing apart and distracting from it."
},
{
"answer_id": 35209,
"author": "Daniel Wessel",
"author_id": 26614,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26614",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": true,
"text": "That you have made these experiences is probably nothing new for most people who have ever worked in science. Esp. in a thesis -- you do learn a lot. So I think that general issues like:\n\n> \n> I got a feeling about what research really is about to be - Spending long hours in front of a problem, constantly discarding and revising ideas while trying to stay positive when coping with setbacks and self-doubt. That I eventually finished the thesis despite all struggles was a very positive experience for me and somehow I'd like to mention that in the defense.\n> \n> \n> \n\nare personally highly relevant, but not really interesting for the members. To be honest, I think they are expected (in a finished thesis).\n\nHowever, there are a few things you can do, e.g.,\n\n* thank your supervisor in the beginning/end for the support (e.g., during setbacks and self-doubt) **but take care not to damage your credibility or to give the impression that the supervisor did the hard work for you**.\n* move from a personal level to a more factual one. For example, what have you tried/discarded and why? But make sure you have a clear structure and focus on the work that you have done,\n* you can show your enthusiasm in your presentation, e.g., in your voice when you present the solution that worked,\n* mention some personal notes as side-note during the presentation.\n* if there's a question period, you'll likely also have the opportunity to provide some context.\n* **Perhaps most importantly:** Many disciplines want a **critical look/reflection on one's own work during the discussion** (near the end of your presentation). How do you evaluate your work? Can you take a critical look at it? This does not mean to destroy/sabotage your work bluntly, but to point out that -- while it did the job and was really good, it could have done better **given what you have learned while doing the work**.\n\nJust make sure that the focus is on the thesis (which usually has a clear structure) and if in doubt, show the hard facts and what you have achieved. And if you got the chance, do a test run with people who have experience with a defense presentation in your discipline."
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35157",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27300/"
] |
35,166 |
Well, I like maths, I like studying it and applying it. But I always feared the moment when I'd actually have to do a thesis. I'm in my third year of bachelor's studies. What I was wondering about is what kind of topic should I be looking for, for my thesis? It just is hard to me to see how I could actually research and contribute something to the field as a bachelor's student, as in something not trivial and that no one with much more education has come up with before.
From merely passing courses to coming up with something of mine is a huge leap for me, and I can't see how I can do something meaningful with the limited education I have. I'm feeling a bit like in maths, before say a phd there would be nothing new for me to come up with.
I am interested in cryptography, so I was given by one of my teachers a paper on elliptic cryptography that seemed interesting and a nice starting point. But now I realise I don't know where to head.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35182,
"author": "Oswald Veblen",
"author_id": 16122,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/16122",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "What is expected varies dramatically between different schools. In my experience, bachelor's projects in math can vary from trivial to nontrivial, and also from expository to original research, and the two scales are somewhat independent. I have supervised both trivial and nontrivial expository papers, as well as several undergraduate original research projects. \n\nThe concerns you have about being able to do research are common, but they are somewhat misplaced. You can almost certainly do more research than you believe you can do. \n\nHere is an anecdote. In the 1980s, U.S. math departments began to offer \"Research Opportunities for Undergraduates\" (REUs), summer programs for undergrads to work on research. At the time, these were viewed very skeptically by many mathematicians. I have heard personal anecdotes that the NSF and NSA gave out a few initial grants on a purely experimental basis, not expecting to see very good results. But the projects flourished! Now there are [many math REUs](http://www.ams.org/programs/students/emp-reu), and grants that allow schools to offer them are very competitive. The math community went from doubting that undergraduate research was possible to embracing it. Many math faculty are now required, or at least strongly encouraged, to mentor in undergraduate research if they expect to get tenure. See \"[Undergraduate Research\nin Mathematics Has Come\nof Age](http://www.ams.org/notices/201208/rtx120801112p.pdf)\" from *Notices of the AMS*, 2014. \n\nThe key thing is to find a good project - which means finding a good advisor. Your advisor is responsible for finding a question that is accessible to you, for pointing out the background that you need to learn, and for mentoring you as you go. You still need to work on the research - we won't do it for you - but we don't expect you to operate as if you have already earned a PhD."
},
{
"answer_id": 123991,
"author": "Marianne Thieler",
"author_id": 103723,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/103723",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "As the topic is still relevant to many others, please forgive my very late reply.\n(I sincerely hope that the person who posted this question did well and is in no need to read my response.)\n\nMost bachelor theses are like the \"appetizer\" for a specific problem.\nIt contains enough knowledge to get a good idea about the area, but it's kept simple so that \"rookies\" of that area still understand the content.\n\nThe most important questions should be covered. E.g:\n\n(i) What am I talking about? -> Solving a PDE by approximations.\n(ii) Why? -> To approximate the dynamics in fluids\n(iii)Relevance of this thesis\n -> Explaining the advantages and disadvantages of my approach.\n(iv) How? -> Mathematical theory\n(v) How exactly? -> Explaining my code\n(vi) How good is my approach? -> Calculate accuracy\n(vii)Conclusion\n\nAs mathematics often tends to be, I sometimes feel overwhelmed with all the needed input. But as long as the chosen topic interests you (and yes, a good supervisor is very helpful), it's quite nice to deepen one's knowledge in a specific area. \n\nHopefully I could help someone with my experience.\n\nI wish everyone success and passion!"
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35166",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27306/"
] |
35,167 |
Is it of any value to mention a course one is following on www.coursera.org, in a SOP?
For instance, if I have a Bachelor of Computer Science and want to apply for a Geoinformatics Master program, would it help my application at all to mention that I am currently following a Geoinformatics course on coursera.org to get familiar with the field?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35168,
"author": "Florian D'Souza",
"author_id": 26958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26958",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "I don't think it would necessarily hurt your application. However, if you have a limited number of words for your SOP, I think a better use of space would be to explain why exactly you want to obtain a degree in geoinformatics. Your Master's coursework will give you all the background (and probably more) that you need in the field, so it might be better to explain your motivation behind applying for the degree in the first place. Of course, if the Coursera course was a primary driver in your decision, that is highly relevant and should be mentioned."
},
{
"answer_id": 35286,
"author": "user3550416",
"author_id": 26840,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26840",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I'm familiar with a couple of the geospatial-themed MOOCs offered by coursera. Mentioning in your statement that you're following the class would show initiative and a genuine interest in the subject (good things in grad school). However, I would emphasize on mentioning the topics or areas of GIS or geospatial computing that during the MOOC caught your attention, rather than just stating that you signed up and followed the class. If you completed the MOOC and earned a statement of accomplishment, I'd certainly mention it as well. \n\nP.S. I'm currently in academia and working as a geospatial professional."
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35167",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26860/"
] |
35,170 |
I am currently a postdoc at a research university. I had originally intended to stay at my postdoc for two years, and this was the understanding I had with my postdoc adviser.
However, I decided to speculatively apply for a few faculty jobs, intending to defer any offers for a year. I have now obtained a faculty job offer to start at the end of one year of my postdoc.
After much reflection, I believe that it is better for my family life not to ask for a deferral and to start the faculty job earlier.
In the event that I take the faculty job offer,
I still intend to continue and finish the research work
which I have started with my postdoc adviser,
so I will not be hurting my adviser by starting but not finishing my postdoc work.
**Question:** Do I have an ethical obligation to stay at my postdoc for two years, because that was my initial plan and was what I told my postdoc adviser?
Should I expect him to be understanding when I choose what is best for my family?
The following timeline may explain the sequence of events more clearly:
* **March 2014** I was applying for postdocs, and I told my potential postdoc advisor that I was intending to stay for two years at the university if he were to give me an offer.
* **April 2014** I was hired with a one-year contract starting August 2014. My adviser explains that there is a good chance my contract will be renewed at the end of the year.
* **Sept 2014** I decide to apply opportunistically for a few faculty positions just in case I can get a good offer, and intend to ask for a deferral, so that I would only start my faculty job in August 2016.
I told my postdoc adviser that I was applying opportunistically only for a few jobs,
and that if I got a job offer, I would ask for a deferral.
* **Jan 2015** I get a faculty job offer to start in August 2015.
By this time I changed my mind and feel that starting in 2015 is better for me and my family.
**Additional relevant details:**
* My research area is applied mathematics,
so the only requirements for my research are
a decent computer and an Internet connection.
I can collaborate productively with my postdoc adviser effectively
even if I am not physically in the same location as he is.
* I did tell my postdoc adviser that I received a job offer.
However, my postdoc contract has not yet been renewed for the second year,
and we have not yet had a conversation about when to renew the contract.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35177,
"author": "Oswald Veblen",
"author_id": 16122,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/16122",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "Congrats on getting a tenure track position! \n\nYou are not the first person to whom this has happened. Of course, there may be specific circumstances that make the early departure more difficult - say, if you are the only person who can operate a certain instrument in a lab. But people do leave post-docs early, from time to time - it's not at all unheard of. And, if you applied opportunistically, you probably have a job that you are happy to take. \n\nMy advice is to break the news to your advisor as soon as possible - once you have made the decision to accept the offer. Your current institution might still be able to find a replacement for next year, which would be good for them. If you reflect on it, it's hard to see real advantages of telling your advisor *later*. And there is a good chance they will be happy for you that you got a tenure track position. \n\nRemember that you will still be in touch your advisor professionally, so you want to try to keep the relationship on the best terms that you can."
},
{
"answer_id": 35185,
"author": "Andreas Blass",
"author_id": 14506,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14506",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "This answer is undoubtedly affected by the fact that I'm in pure mathematics and can do my research even without postdocs (unlike people in experimental sciences who may need postdocs to keep their labs functioning properly). If one of my postdocs gets a tenure-track offer, at a good place, before the end of the scheduled postdoc period, I could not in good conscience try to get them to stay as a postdoc."
},
{
"answer_id": 35193,
"author": "Pete L. Clark",
"author_id": 938,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/938",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "In my experience, most academic contracts last for a single academic year. For instance, I am a tenured (associate) professor, but I still sign yearly academic contracts. Postdocs are often offered with an \"expectation\" of N years, and the expected value here depends on the institution. \n\nIn my opinion there is no dishonor in leaving any academic job after the current academic year contract expires (and before signing another yearly contract). In some cases you will be missed if you leave: that's just part of the situation. I have multiple graduate students and am scheduled to teach several classes next year, more than one of which would probably be cancelled if I couldn't teach it. If I wanted to leave my job next year, I most certainly could. It would be honorable to take an active role in covering for my own departure, but it is not strictly necessary. Presidents of entire universities often give less than one full year's notice of their departure: that's just the situation.\n\nWhen it comes to postdocs: a postdoc is by definition a temporary job. Those who supervise postdocs want (or should want) nothing more than to have their postdocs eventually land a suitable permanent job. In my department (mathematics, UGA), when a postdoc leaves early it is a bit sad to see them go, but we definitely view it as a success story.\n\nA postdoc who is doing key research on a PI's project may be more like a tenure-track faculty member in the \"weight\" of their leaving, but I don't see how that changes anything fundamentally. If a postdoc is doing something so valuable on a project that someone else can't be trained to do it over a period of months, then something is wrong: that's a PI-level of indispensability. (In fact postdocs should be *assuming* that they will depart in the relatively near future and start training others as soon as they have the skills themselves.) There is no doubt that a postdoc has a legal right to leave at the end of the academic year. Any PI who would not be able to deal with that one way or another in the face of a permanent job is someone that I would distance myself from all the sooner.\n\nAnyway, the OP's particular case is the best possible one: **the OP doesn't have a solid offer from his institution for the next year's employment**. So the OP can leave: case closed. If the institution actually regrets his leaving then there's a real lesson there: don't string valuable personnel along on serial year-long offers. You can't have it both ways."
},
{
"answer_id": 35292,
"author": "Jon Custer",
"author_id": 15477,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/15477",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Congratulations on your new position. \n\nIn the research group I manage, I make it as clear as I can that the job of a post-doc is to get a job. We will do everything we can in terms of having good, well structured projects to enable that, but the post-docs should always be thinking about getting a real job. If somebody is good enough to go get a real offer in the first year, well, we probably got a lot of good work out of them, they moved the projects along nicely, and we have an opportunity to go find another post-doc. Also, we hope we have made a new friend in the research community that we can collaborate with (and get good post-docs from in the future). More power to them, and to you. \n\nDon't agonize, take the position, make sure you get publications out on whatever you haven't finished up, and go out and do great things."
},
{
"answer_id": 143624,
"author": "Max Gottlieb",
"author_id": 108452,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/108452",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Actually, you are not being fair to your advisor. They might have actually turned someone away because they preferred you. That person unlike you might have actually honored their promise to stay 2 years. Defer for a year, and keep your promise. Otherwise, why should anyone trust you to ever keep commitments?"
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35170",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27308/"
] |
35,172 |
For example, if I am going to apply to 3 REU programs that ask me for 2 recommendation letters each one.
Can my 2 professors who I asked the recommendation letters send the exact same letters to the 3 REU programs?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35173,
"author": "Anonymous Mathematician",
"author_id": 612,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/612",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Yes, they can. Sometimes letter writers make minor changes to the letters, for example to add information specific to a given program, but this sort of fine tuning is optional (and almost nobody makes major changes). The default is to send the same letter."
},
{
"answer_id": 35181,
"author": "Florian D'Souza",
"author_id": 26958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26958",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Yes, they can send the exact same letter. In fact, trying to come up with a new letter for each individual program can be overly burdensome. \n\nI would, however, make sure that your letter writers either make no specific mention to the individual programs or make sure they change them appropriately. If one of your letters to program X says \"This student would make a fantastic addition to program Y,\" then a reviewer at program X might be turned off to your application. I don't think it's as bad as mentioning program Y in your SOP (where you have complete control of what is said) to program X, but it's an error to be avoided if possible."
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35172",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27242/"
] |
35,187 |
I know people say in Europe (say in Computer Science) a PhD normally takes three to four years. My concern is: is there no way to know the number of years in advance? Is it not something I can "agree" with the supervisors before hand how long it will take? Exactly? Not approximately, rather exactly. In other words are three year long phd programs common?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35189,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "**Almost certainly not.**\n-------------------------\n\nEven in programs where the PhD research phase is supposed to have a defined length (for instance, when students receive a fellowship to cover their work for a certain period of time), it is not possible to guarantee that the PhD program will actually be completed in a certain period of time.\n\nIt *can* be possible to finish; however, without knowing how well a student will perform in advance, advisors can only estimate how long a PhD program will take. There is simply **no way** to guarantee in advance how long your student will need to finish her program. The main issue that we have is that research is inherently unpredictable, and if things don't work out right, it's difficult to say people can finish.\n\nWe can try to work with a student to *plan* to finish in a certain period of time, but we wouldn't try to guarantee that until the middle of the student's PhD progress."
},
{
"answer_id": 35205,
"author": "keshlam",
"author_id": 10225,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10225",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "If anyone knew in advance how long it would take to produce meaningful research results, it wouldn't be research worthy of a PhD Adding something worthwhile to human knowledge takes as long as it takes, and is subject to variation either because candidate capabilities vary or because unexpected problems arise. It is entirely possible that the research project fails entirely due to a basic flaw, and does so in a way which is not itself publishable, in which case you get to try again from the beginning.\n\nRemember, even a BS degree sometimes runs over the nominal four years, and that should be much more predictable. (My BS thesis missed the due date by three days. And I should probably have dropped a few classes (and in retrospect should have changed majors slightly, which could have extended things.) PhD is, by design and intention, a larger and less predictable commitment.\n\nYou can probably find a school which *will* absolutely graduate in three years with a PhD... if you don't care that nobody else in the academic or business communities will respect that as a real PhD. \n\nYour plans should allow for these possibilities. If you can't tolerate that risk, you may want to think again about whether you really want the PhD. \n\nAnd, in fact, that's an important question: Why are you looking for this specific degree? It sounds like you're not patient/dedicated enough for this kind of research to be your career, so perhaps you should be looking at other paths such as engineering. For that purpose, an MS -- or a second MS -- might serve you better. \n\nFor that matter, even in academia there are fields where an MS is considered a \"terminal degree\" and -- together with some real-world experience -- would make you a suitable candidate for professorship. I know someone who's been looking at \"Professor of Practice\" positions, which are exactly this. \n\nTake a step back, ask yourself whether you really want to earn a PhD or only to have earned it. If the latter, you probably aren't a good candidate for any respectable program."
},
{
"answer_id": 35215,
"author": "Piotr Migdal",
"author_id": 49,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/49",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "In many places there is an limit after which you stop receiving funding (in Europe typically 4 years).\n\nYou can ask what are official PhD times and what are typical (usually: longer).\n\nIt is a great idea to talk in advance when it comes to advisor's expectations (e.g. how many papers and in journals of which rank) and expected time span. But at best, he can give you a honest estimate (perhaps: lower limit).\n\nHe cannot guarantee that you will do it at all, much less - in a given timeframe.\n\nYet, it is certainly possible to set a time and act accordingly. It may be wise to set it 6-12 month before the final deadline, as delays are rather a norm than an exception. So, if you want a contract which is de facto for 4 years, in many place it is doable."
},
{
"answer_id": 35218,
"author": "Nick",
"author_id": 27349,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27349",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I concur with the answers to the negative above. However, I would like to mention that most (+80%) of those who get their PhDs don't discover anything of value during their studies. This percentage may be somewhat lower at the more prestigious universities but is still well above 50%. So getting your PhD is mostly the result of you convincing your supervisor (and the committee) that you made the effort and learned something in the process. I got mine in less than 3 years and while I still managed to get a publication past the peer review I don't think Computer Science is any better as result of it. And while my uni is not prestigious I also happen to know similar cases (less than 3 years with modest or even non existing publication record) at top universities. So, nobody would expect miracles from you. At least, most supervisors wouldn't. \n\nYou have to be, however, very careful when choosing a supervisor. A supervisor can make or break a PhD. I know some who treated their students as rubbish and some who were father figures of sorts. So the quality of support varies drastically *within the same university* - and, again, this applies to top universities, too. I would advise you to talk to students of your prospective supervisor and find out how happy they are."
},
{
"answer_id": 35231,
"author": "rumtscho",
"author_id": 103,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/103",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think you have the hidden assumption that a Ph.D. \"program\" is similar to a Master's \"program\". This is a very dangerous assumption, which is not true at all, and can cost you a lot of time if you don't \"get\" it quickly. \n\nAs a Master student (or similar degree), you are presented with knowledge somebody has compiled for you, and asked to learn it, as many people before you have done. At the end, you are given a well defined task of modest dimensions and difficulty, which is related to a possible job to the field you are majoring in. It's not a research level task, it's more of a task of the type which is typically solved by a professional in your field. And your supervisor knows how it should be solved, and can guide you if you are stuck. In the end, you finish it, document it, and this is your master thesis. \n\nA Ph.D. position is a job position as a researcher (at least in Europe - I think it involves some credit taking in the USA). You are doing original research. You have to first find a topic which is interesting enough for the research community to get published, Goldilock-dimensioned so that the answers are not trivial but can hopefully be found in a reasonable amount of time, and fits with your supervisor's interests. Then you start finding the answers to your research questions. **You are hampered by two things: 1) You have never done research before, so you are learning by doing, and 2) Nobody has ever found the answers to these questions before, so neither you nor anybody else can tell you how long it will take.** Your supervisor will only be able to help so much. \n\nThe bottom line is that, if you manage to do very little mistakes, and also work overtime to correct the mistakes you've made, you'll just about manage in 3 years. If it takes you longer to figure out how to produce good research, and/or you don't work overtime, it will take you longer. And you will make mistakes. Most prospective Ph.D.s spend their time from 6 to 23 learning how to learn efficiently - but this skill is very different (although a prerequisite for) the skill of doing research efficiently."
},
{
"answer_id": 35234,
"author": "Benoît Kloeckner",
"author_id": 946,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/946",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "In France there is a relatively strong policy of enforcing a fixed time frame for PhD theses, at least in STEM (things are very different in different fields, notably humanities tend to have longer PhD studies). The official duration of the PhD is 3 years, as in most Europe (the LMD system has uniformized that), and in many university a PhD student and her advisor will have to ask for a derogation *and* find additional funding in order to be allowed a fourth year. So, in principle it is possible to start a PhD with a three-year time frame planned, and it should in fact be the norm (but see below).\n\nThe above fact will probably astonish other answerers, as one in principle cannot pledge to find new pieces of knowledge in any given amount of time. I therefore feel it necessary to make a few observation about this before going on.\n\n1. Please have a look at your last grant proposal before claiming that no one can pledge to make a significant discovery in a given amount of time.\n2. There are two points of view on PhD duration: either we decide what is worth a PhD and have PhD students continue until they meet that standard or quit or are sacked; or we decide how much time should be spend for a PhD thesis and at the end of that time, depending on what was achieved it is decided to award the PhD or not (with the possibility that the PhD is awarded but with reports that make it clearly insufficient to continue in academia, a common event in my experience). Both points of view are conventions, none is intrinsically *the good one*. It happens that France has mostly the second point of view, with the provisio that derogations for a fourth year is pretty common, and even without it many applicants only defend a few month after taking another job (many European post-docs can be started before the PhD is awarded, provided it is close enough to completion).\n3. These considerations are strongly field-dependent. Fields where researchers work on large teams can in principle (but see below) more easily have PhD student participate in projects whose completion in the next years make little doubts, while still having them learn how to do research. Some fields may be richer in subjects with low competition and high chance of success than others, etc.\n\nHowever, I know from a very close relative that even making it clear at the beginning that a three-year long PhD is strongly wanted by the applicant, and even a clearly and definitely stated agreement by the advisor may not be sufficient to have your advisor really doing her best to make it happen¹. In experimental fields in particular, PhD students are close to free labor for the teams getting them, so it is a strong temptation to have them stay another year to have a stronger paper, and it is very difficult for a PhD candidate to measure by herself whether she has a case for defending earlier. In other words, my conclusion is even worse than that of other answers: \n\n> \n> you should not consider a three-year PhD granted **even if such a promise is made to you.** \n> \n> \n> \n\nTo end in a slightly more positive word, one of the key point is, as mentioned by another answerer, to choose your advisor wisely; in your case, this includes having a look at how long her former PhD students needed to defend, an information not always easy to track down.\n\n¹ Which would include: assess honestly the difficulty and uncertainty of the proposed subject, giving access to tech help and helpful kits when time comes short, be available in a timely fashion for helping writing papers, accepting completion of a lesser, still publishable paper instead of a better paper that would take much more time to complete, etc."
},
{
"answer_id": 35279,
"author": "Robert Buchholz",
"author_id": 19905,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/19905",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Judging from your comments on some of the answers, you did not ask the question you want answered. Your actual question seems to be:\n\n> \n> I am not willing to spent more than three years in a PhD program abroad. It there a way to guarantee that I will obtain the degree in that time?\n> \n> \n> \n\nThe answer is: No, there is not even a way to **guarantee** you'll get a PhD **worth having** at all!\n\nHere's the basic concept behind the PhD degree: A PhD certifies that you have **demonstrated the ability to conduct independent research that produced new results**. And the duration to produce new results is inherently unknowable. It may take you one year, three years, or you may not be good enough to do it at all.\n\nAny program that is *guaranteeing* that you will obtain a PhD in three years is either lying, or the corresponding institution is willing to set the bar for the degree so low that the degree wouldn't have any worth, because it does not certify your ability to do anything. In the former case, you wouldn't necessarily obtain a PhD in three years; in the latter case you would essentially just be guaranteed to obtain a worthless piece of paper with your name and the text \"PhD\" on it. The degree would only certify that the institution stood by their guarantee to award you the degree after three years. It would not certify any ability on your part. \n\nBut I don't think the lack of a guarantee should stop you from pursuing a PhD abroad even if you are not currently willing to spent more than three years abroad: I am guessing you did not have a guarantee that you would obtain a Master'a degree either. You just had to try. And if you hit any serious problems or delay, you had to decide for yourself whether the Master's degree was still worth pursuing. It that respect, the PhD is not less certain than the Master's was. You just start despite the uncertain outcome, and you continuously evaluate whether the goal is still worth achieving along the way."
},
{
"answer_id": 35322,
"author": "Robert Buchholz",
"author_id": 19905,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/19905",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Reading more of your comments on already given answers, I think two of your underlying assumptions on this issue are wrong, and lead you to have unrealistic expectations.\n\nThe first assumption seems to be:\n\n> \n> Master's degrees have a fixed time frame. If a PhD program does not, then that is due to organizational deficiencies on part of the supervising professor or the institution.\n> \n> \n> \n\nAnd thus you seem to look for an institution or supervisor that does not have that deficiency, or a way to mitigate its effects.\n\nBut there is no deficiency! A master's program can have a fixed time frame, because it only teaches stuff that is **already known** and has been taught before. Your job as a Master's student is to learn that pre-determined set of abilities and apply it to pre-determined problems in a pre-determined time frame.\n\nBut a PhD program is nothing like that. There is nobody telling you what to learn, and which knowledge or abilities to apply to which problem. And **that lack of a structure is not a deficiency, but is the core idea of, and therefore inherent in a PhD program**: A PhD certifies that you were able to produce new scientific results independently and under these uncertain conditions. If a PhD program was structured like a Master's program, the PhD degree would only certify the same abilities as the Master's degree you already have, and thus would be pointless. \n\nYour second assumption seems to be\n\n> \n> I got a \"degree either in X years or not at all\" guarantee for my Master's. Such a guarantee is useful, and I therefore want it for my PhD as well.\n> \n> \n> \n\nBut that guarantee for the Master's was no guarantee of success at all. Rather, it was an additional restriction! All degrees certify that you achieved a certain level of proficiency in a given field. For your Master's, that \"degree either in X years or not at all\" guarantee was simply the additional restriction, that they will only give you X years to achieve that level of proficiency, and won't give you any degree at all if it takes you any longer. A PhD simply does not have that additional restriction. So not having what seems to be a guarantee actually makes obtaining the degree easier. \n\nThe bottom line is: **You don't need that 3-year guarantee.** It only means that somebody else is allowed to force you to abort your efforts of obtaining the degree. Not having that guarantee actually gives you the freedom to decide when and whether to abort, or to continue your efforts. If you need it, you can easily give you your own \"three years at most or no degree at all\" guarantee by deciding beforehand that you will leave the PhD program after three years. That would have exactly the same consequences for you as the guarantee you are trying to obtain."
},
{
"answer_id": 37318,
"author": "Rebecca Cors",
"author_id": 28197,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/28197",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "FUNDING and duration of PhD work are, as some other commenters point out, are two different things. In Switzerland, at least, many PhD students in the sciences have 3 years of funding if they receive money from the Swiss National Science Foundation. The Teacher Training Universities offer 4 years of funding. Of course, how long it takes to complete a PhD program depends so much on the student and on the advisor AND on how well they work together. Advisors can sometimes offer office space and/or additional funding to support students when their PhD work goes beyond their originally funded period."
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35187",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/-1/"
] |
35,191 |
I have following situation. No good quality phd is available in my country (field: computer Science). On the other hand leaving my country for too long is also a little bit difficult for me mainly for family situation. My question is: is it not possible that I negotiate somehow with possible supervisors etc. that I do some part of my Phd remotely? Or say I visit the University for 6 month, then next 6 month I will spend in my country, etc. Or similar arrangements. I know sometimes they call such programs also Sandwich phd programs. Field is computer science so I don't need to be there in some "lab" all the time. Do you know if this is possible? And where/how can I find such programs? Who do I have to "negotiate" it with and how?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35192,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Yes, this can be done, but this has to be discussed with the school and program in advance. At previous work places, I've seen PhD students on site who were working \"remotely\" essentially full-time. Usually, for this to work, you need to have a \"local\" supervisor who is known to the PhD advisor who will be able to oversee your work.\n\nOne other important note: you will most likely be required to spend at least a certain portion of your time at the degree-granting institution, as most schools have some sort of \"residency\" requirement."
},
{
"answer_id": 35232,
"author": "Alexandros",
"author_id": 10042,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10042",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Let me give you a different perspective to your question.\n\n> \n> No good quality phd is available in my country\n> \n> \n> \n\nIt is good that you aim high. But you must see things through the PHD admissions' perspective. Good universities and good PHD programs have a lot more candidates than PHD positions. Why should they choose you over the other candidates? Is your undergraduate research work that good? Are your grades excellent? Is your university reputable (probably not). If the answer to these questions is no, then the main issue is that you would not get accepted to these programs anyway, regardless of your plan to do it remotely or not.\n\nAlso do you have a MSc degree? In many countries in Europe you need a MSc degree before doing a PHD and in USA you need to pass some courses before conducting the actual PHD research. This simply (in either case) cannot be done remotely\n\nAlso from your comments I understand that you also want to have funding during your PHD (you would also agree to a reduced funding). In other words, you want someone to hire you (and pay you) to do research, coming from an unknown university, remotely, without actually having a first hand experience of how you can perform at this level, coming directly from an undergraduate university and with no industrial real-world work experience. This is too big a bet for any advisor and university to undertake, unless you have already proven yourself as an extremely talented individual. In that case, exceptions may be possible but still a remotely done PHD is still a major gamble for the advisor and the univesity. Without funding the stakes are smaller but as @xLeitix said remote PHDs do not always work that good. But I think expecting funding for a remote PHD is highly unrealistic.\n\nThe only solution I can think of, is for you to work a couple of years on site for a PHD (if you get accepted to a good PHD program) and after proving your\nworth there (with some good publications) during the second-half / dissertation writing portion of your PHD you can ask / convince your advisor to work part-time / remotely from your home country."
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35191",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/-1/"
] |
35,194 |
Books covering primarily academic topics, from philosophy and neuroscience to physics and geopolitics, are usually written (not surprisingly) by experts in the field, which are normally academics themselves. **I wonder how these academics secure the time and funding to write such books**?
To give a few arbitrary examples, I refer to books like these (note that these are not college textbooks):
* [Nihil Unbound: Enlightenment and Extinction](http://amzn.to/1xELP76) - at the time of publication, the author was an associate professor of philosophy;
* [Phi: A Voyage from the Brain to the Soul](http://amzn.to/1rQbirC) - the author is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin;
* [Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter](http://amzn.to/1xG1cJh) - the author is a professor of biological anthropology;
* [The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy](http://amzn.to/1AnLYd0) - the author is a professor of economics.
Is this something academics normally work on in their spare time, or do they get paid to actually do it? Are there grants or donations involved? Is it a privilege that comes with tenure? I'm mostly familiar with life science research, where people will constantly publish papers in journals and that's it - there seems to be no time nor funding to write anything beyond that, at least not as a part of the job.
Apparently, the amount of books written by academics also varies with discipline - e.g. there are more books by professors of philosophy compared to professors of physics. Is this also due to the differences in funding mechanisms and day-to-day job duties among various disciplines?
What are the main factors that influence this?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35195,
"author": "Florian D'Souza",
"author_id": 26958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26958",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "First, I think a desire to publish a book is required. You could have all the time and funding in the world to publish a book, but if you're not motivated to do it, it won't be done.\n\nIn my experience, the summer \"break\" offers the best chance of completing side projects like book writing. During the academic year, most people are too busy with teaching classes and doing research; however, during the summer, these obligations become much lighter, especially with regards to teaching. My undergraduate advisor (a life scientist) published his book by writing the vast majority of it over the summer when he had no teaching duties.\n\nI would also surmise that funding does play a part. Someone who is funded primarily through teaching might have more time to polish his/her lecture notes, which in turn might make turning them into a book easier. In fact, I've read several books/textbook where the author explicitly mentions that the book was born out of the classroom. Someone who has no teaching responsibilities doesn't have as much inertia to write a book, and it might even be detrimental to try because it takes away from research and/or publishing research papers in journals."
},
{
"answer_id": 35197,
"author": "Cape Code",
"author_id": 10643,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10643",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "You correctly observed that monographs are more common in the humanities than in experimental sciences. Often, researchers in humanities publish their PhD thesis as a book (typically during their early post-doc years), and the output of the tenure-track years is a second one, etc. Articles are also usually expected, but they can have much less weight than monographs.\n\nFor experimental sciences, (senior) researchers write *handbooks*, because they enjoy their field, they see it as a way of organizing their thoughts, and it's a great reference material for the classes they teach. The time and funding is related to teaching appointments. Some say, some even made a few bucks out of these, but I have my doubts.\n\nOtherwise, publishers regularly ask prominent researchers to edit books about their field. These persons proceed to ask around to find people to write chapters for the book that are similar to very thorough literature reviews. Here the funding situation is unclear, researchers know that it's good for their CV and network to author a chapter and make time for this, generally to the expense of their free time."
},
{
"answer_id": 35201,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Another route to finding time and funding for creating a book is a sabbatical. While my own position gives me no personal experience with this, I have often heard colleagues talk about using sabbaticals for book-writing. The semester or year of freedom from other work that a sabbatical provides is often an excellent time for faculty to execute larger-scale projects like writing a coherent book."
},
{
"answer_id": 35206,
"author": "keshlam",
"author_id": 10225,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10225",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I've also seen quite a number of textbooks which were originally a professor's lecture notes. After teaching the same class for some number of years, refining the lectures and the notes each time, writing down a combined version of the lectures and notes is mostly a matter of investing the time and effort.\n\nWhether the result is a *good* textbook depends on the professor's teaching, writing, and editing skills -- and the skills of anyone they bring in to help with the project as co-authors -- and on the skills of the editors and technical editors the publisher assigns to that book."
},
{
"answer_id": 35208,
"author": "Massimo Ortolano",
"author_id": 20058,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20058",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "From those I know who wrote a book in the field of engineering, the writing is frequently done during spare time -- nights and weekends -- and during the periods where academic work is reduced. The time needed to complete the book can be around 2-3 years. No specific funding is provided.\n\nFrom the prefaces of technical books, you can read writing times which range from a couple of years to 7-8 years (not many authors declare the writing time, but some do). Such long times are probably a sign of part-time writing. Shorter times can be declared by those who took a sabbatical leave."
},
{
"answer_id": 35210,
"author": "RoboKaren",
"author_id": 14885,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14885",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "I'm an associate professor in a humanistic social science (anthropology). Anthropology is different from pure humanities in that monographs are usually based on extended participant-observation fieldwork.\n\nBefore getting tenure, I wrote two books (monographs):\n\n* The first book was an extension of my original PhD dissertation. I revised and submitted it to academic presses in the first three years of my first tenure-track job. I used a portion of my third year leave to do the final editing of the ms.\n* I used the remaining half of my third-year leave to do some of the research for my second book. I also changed universities and used another year of leave provided by them for additional fieldwork. The second book was then written during summers and other leave periods.\n\nSo in the twelve years or so years since my doctorate, I've finished two books. I'm currently working on my third using a portion of my triennial leave to focus on writing it. Each book has taken around 4-6 years to research and write -- which is on the fast side compared to some of my peers. I should note that one of my senior colleagues in history has written a book every two years -- he is considered exceptional by most. \n\nTo answer some of your specific questions:\n\n> \n> Is this something academics normally work on in their spare time, or do they get paid to actually do it? \n> \n> \n> \n\nWriting books (for faculty in the humanities / humanistic social sciences) is considered part of our research output -- the same as when natural scientists write journal articles. We try to do secondary research and write during the school year and do our primary field research in the summers and when we can get research leaves (sabbaticals, triennials, etc.). \n\n> \n> Are there grants or donations involved? \n> \n> \n> \n\nI used external grants to conduct the field research for the books. I also used internal grants for book completion (copyright clearances, indexing, production offsets, etc.).\n\nIt should be noted that the royalties for most academic books (except popular textbooks) are very modest. At best, you might earn a few thousand (US) dollars on royalties on an academic book. Many don't make any money at all. Advances on books are also very rare. \n\n> \n> Is it a privilege that comes with tenure?\n> \n> \n> \n\nNo. If you want tenure, you have to write. At most R1s, you have to have at least one monograph for a strong tenure bid (in humanities/humanistic social sciences). \n\n> \n> I'm mostly familiar with life science research, where people will constantly publish papers in journals and that's it - there seems to be no time nor funding to write anything beyond that, at least not as a part of the job.\n> \n> \n> \n\nIn disciplines where monographs are important, journal articles are slightly deprecated in importance. \n\nNote that monographs are also separate from edited volumes. In disciplines where \"books\" are prioritized, this almost always means a single-authored monograph from an academic press. Edited volumes count much less in value in terms of promotion and merit raises."
}
] |
2015/01/03
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35194",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/17810/"
] |
35,221 |
I have to write an (poster-) abstract for a conference in April. Back in November I already wrote an abstract for a similar conference. Since I have not gained many new results on the same research topic, I made some minor changes to the 'old' abstract and was thinking about submitting this 'reused' abstract for the conference in April.
Is that professional? Or is this even plagiarism, since I copied work that is already published (I am first-author of the 'old' and 'reused' abstract)?
I am not lazy, but the abstract that I wrote last year seems to be very good and I don't see the point in rephrasing it.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35222,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "Assuming you're talking about a one or two paragraph abstract, the question here is not really about the abstract per se but the contents of the poster. In my opinion, you don't need to worry about self-plagiarism per se from a brief poster abstract because it's not a real publication in the first place (if it were a 1+ page extended abstract, that would be a different matter). \n\nInstead, the important question is whether your research community will find it acceptable to have you presenting essentially the same material in two different conferences. In many communities, this is OK, taking the view that it is essentially raising visibility of a result with different groups of people; in others communities, however, it may not be viewed as acceptable. Consult with your supervisor to see what the standard is for your community."
},
{
"answer_id": 35223,
"author": "Florian D'Souza",
"author_id": 26958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26958",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "You might want to check the policies of your conference. Some conferences ask that all submitted abstracts/posters be original or unpublished. Since you have already presented the abstract at a previous conference, this would prevent you from submitting the same abstract again without considerable changes being made (i.e., a new analysis, etc.). Then again, some conferences would be ok with you submitting the same abstract. I think the best course of action is to be honest with the organizers and ask whether such a submission is acceptable."
}
] |
2015/01/04
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35221",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27354/"
] |
35,225 |
I am very surprised that I could not find any similar question here.
It seems to me that researchers from all universities are willing to write papers about their research for free and hand them into a journal to gain reputation. On the other hand, some other researcher do voluntary check the paper in order to examine if the paper is acceptable for the journal. Therefore, the main work is done by researches.
The remaining work for the journal is to offer a platform where researchers can communicate and making sure that the reviewer is selected anonymous and to bundle many articles to a journal.
Now everyone has to pay a huge amounts for the papers, they are not accessible for free to the general public, even though that most researchers are financed by taxes and only the journal is making profit.
Now I wonder, should it not be possible to create a network page for researchers which contains methods to imitate the review process of a paper? So that all papers can be downloaded at the website for free. I guess most researchers would be very happy if everyone could read their work. Also the money that is spend on journals by universities could be spend to this huge network page instead in order to keep it running.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35228,
"author": "Aubrey",
"author_id": 26682,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26682",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "Please meet the [Open Access](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_access) movement. \nIn the last twenty years, many scholars and librarians did try to address the problem you pose. \nIt is, in fact, a huge issue, and things like this don't change overnight. \n\nThe OA movement focused on two main strategies:\n\n* **Publishing in peer reviewed open journals** (*gold open access*): the idea is to create a brand new journal (or to change the model of an old one) which will provide articles free for the readers, without the current subscription model in which libraries (meaning, taxpayers) pay. The crucial factor of Gold OA is the presence of *peer review*: organize real journals costs a lot of money, and at the moment the major business model is APG (*author processing charges*), meaning that the author (often, the faculty behind it) pays for being published and cover the journal costs.\nWe're still in transition, and there are a lot of drawbacks: there are [predatory publishers](http://scholarlyoa.com/publishers/) who try to scam authors, and big publishers offer the \"open access option\" charging huge fees (this is also called *double dipping*, because a hybrid (both Open and Closed) journal will receive the money from subscriptions **and** the money from the authors. It is important to remark, also, that big publishers make a lot of money with subscriptions and they are actively challenging the open access model. \n[PLoS](http://www.plos.org/), for example, is one of the new Gold OA publishers.\n* **Self-archiving in repositories** (*green open access*): it is the model of [arXiv](http://arXiv.org), [Repec](http://repec.org/), and thousands of other repositories. They can be \"institutional\" or \"disciplinary\", and they accept mostly pre-prints, but also post-print articles.\n\nOf course, there are some experiments in the field:\n\n* [PeerJ](https://peerj.com/) has a very interesting [business and pricing model](https://peerj.com/pricing/).\n* [Epijournals](https://gowers.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/why-ive-also-joined-the-good-guys/) (from my understanding) are journals created selecting papers from arXiv and other repositories.\n\n### References\n\n* [Open Access](http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/hoap/Open_Access_%28the_book%29), by Puyey Suyer, MIT Press, 2012.\n* Wikipedia \"[Open Access](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_access)\" article. Accessed 4 Jan 2015.\n\n*Full disclosure*:\nI've worked as a digital librarian in managing OA journals from University of Bologna. I'm biased towards OA and open knowledge in general. Please keep it mind that my answers reflect these bias."
},
{
"answer_id": 35230,
"author": "Superbest",
"author_id": 244,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/244",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "The traditional publishing model has in fact been heavily debated over the past decade or so, and there have been several reinventions. Among these are Open-Access journals, repositories like arXiv, academic social networks like ResearchGate and publishing the paper and the data through repositories such as GitHub.\n\nSome of these are also attaining a great deal of success. The biggest reason we're \"not there yet\" is inertia. There are two reasons for this inertia.\n\n* Publishers don't want to lose their revenue stream, and [produce propaganda](http://www.michaeleisen.org/blog/?p=1439) claiming open access or other alternative models don't work, and traditional paywalled journals are the best.\n* There is a very strong culture of judging the worth of research by the journal it's published in. So in practice, if you have a very good paper, you make a decision: Do you compromise on your pro-OA sentiment and publish in a prestigious journal, or do you risk undermining your future job applications by publishing in an OA journal?\n\nUltimately, it appears to be the case that applicants who are seriously considered will be evaluated on the merits of the papers themselves, not where they published. However, when there are hundreds of applicants for a position that need to be quickly screened, will the overworked committee have time to read several papers of every single one, or will they start scanning the CVs for journal names?\n\nOA will surely prevail in the end. Recent past has shown that in practice and in theory, there are no major reasons why it shouldn't. Perhaps after that, other more revolutionary changes will follow. However, OA will not \"win\" until faculties overcome the bias that OA journals are lesser journals and papers published in OA journals are not good enough for traditional ones. When they do overcome this bias, post-docs and graduate students will happily switch to publishing in OA, now that it's not endangering their career."
}
] |
2015/01/04
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35225",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/21266/"
] |
35,244 |
By theory, I should cite `page x` (page ten) like `[Krusche1999, p. x]`. If it were on `page iii` or `page xi`, it would look better, such as `[Krusche1999, p. iii]` or `[Krusche1999, p. xi]`. However, it is on `page x`, so we end up with `p. x`. At least to me, I won't understand, what `p. x` means at first sight. What do you think? Any good ideas?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35246,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "You shouldn't be veering from the style guide (you are of course following a style guide, right?), and style guides cover such meticulous points as this. Even if you feel their advice is a little off and you might have a better solution to a readability problem, you should never contradict it. (Why you should not contradict it is a lengthier topic, and I think this answer stands without going into it.)\n\nSo, the right thing to do is consult your respective style guide whether it's AMA or Chicago or anything else, and do what it says."
},
{
"answer_id": 35247,
"author": "eykanal",
"author_id": 73,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/73",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "To expand on AAA's answer, the correct answer to any question about citation style is always \"check with the guidelines of the journal in question.\" To give one example, the Chicago Manual of Style [clearly lists how to cite introductory page numbers](https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/03). Your journal will link to something similar; check their documentation and do whatever they say."
}
] |
2015/01/05
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35244",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14804/"
] |
35,254 |
In both [this comment](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34481/is-it-expected-that-a-part-time-masters-student-publish-before-transferring-to-a#comment76514_34492) and [this answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/35197/12454) it is conveyed that it is often the case in the humanities, that PhD thesis are viewed as a first draft of a book and are often published. There are probably a number of factors that have led to this view.
I'm interested in a number of issues. First of all, is there hard data that shows how many PhDs by discipline get published as a book?
I have no knowledge of the publishing process but it would be interesting to know in this case where the driving factors are. Does the student themselves seek to publish or does their supervisor/committee/department inform the student that they think their material could be a book. Do the publishing companies actively seek material to publish or expect the author to approach them. Are there other factors unique to the Humanities that mean the book is a preferred publishing route?
So to round up, what are the main factors that mean Humanities PhDs appear to often get published as book?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35257,
"author": "Pete L. Clark",
"author_id": 938,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/938",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> Are there other factors unique to the Humanities that mean the book is a preferred publishing route?\n> \n> \n> \n\nThe boundary between Humanities and Social Sciences is fuzzy in many places, and indeed the phenomenon of theses commonly being parlayed into books happens in some social sciences as well: e.g. history. But there are some factors common to these disciplines as opposed to non-STEM ones, yes.\n\n* The length of the thesis.\n\nAverage (in any of several senses) thesis lengths vary widely by discipline: see [here](https://beckmw.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/how-long-is-the-average-dissertation/) for a nice treatment. Theses in history (the longest) are almost three times as long as those in mathematics and bio-engineering (the two shortest). (Note that history is followed by anthropology and political science: all social sciences. English comes in at sixth longest in the list of 50 disciplines.) In order to have math theses average about 100 pages, they must be counting pages with respect to the spacing one uses in the officially submitted copies. So when math theses are single-spaced -- as they would be in any published form -- the average is more like 50 pages. [See here if you don't believe that a math PhD thesis could be much shorter than that.](https://mathoverflow.net/questions/54775/what-is-the-shortest-ph-d-thesis)\n\nAnyway, the moral is clear: in some disciplines a perfectly good PhD thesis has length closer to (or equal to) that of a journal article than a book. \n\n* The independence of the chapters of the thesis.\n\nIt is my understanding that in many STEM disciplines, a perfectly good PhD thesis is several independently written articles stapled together. (This is less true in math but not unheard of.) But in the humanities a thesis is usually one long, sustained argument such that it would detract from it to publish it in parts.\n\n* The prior publication status of the work of the thesis.\n\nIt is my understanding that in many (most?) STEM disciplines outside of mathematics, the sense is that a PhD thesis should contain some already published work! Whether the work got published in a reasonable place becomes part of the committee's evaluation. Clearly this works against publishing as a book.\n\n* The amount of time that one spends doing the work and writing of the thesis measured as a portion of one's academic career.\n\nIn the humanities and many social sciences, postdocs are no longer unheard of but are still quite rare. A lot of STEM PhDs are awarded to people in their mid to late 20's at the point where they have demonstrated that they can do **one** novel, sufficiently substantial piece of research. They then go on to 2-5 years of temporary faculty positions where the real work is done. In the humanities (and...), getting a PhD much below the age of 30 is pretty rare, and most tenure-track jobs -- even very strong and research-intensive ones -- hire straight out of PhD programs. One might say that a PhD in the humanities is more like a European *Habilitation* in the sciences: it's just a more mature, substantial piece of work. \n\n* The feeling that someone outside of academia might just possibly be interested in buying a copy.\n\nI have actually occasionally read and even bought books that I presume originated as a humanities / social sciences PhD theses. Though I am having trouble thinking of a truly gripping read, some of these books certainly make more of a concession to the general reader than STEM theses do. I have never bought a book describing five experiments the author did in someone else's lab..."
},
{
"answer_id": 35265,
"author": "Massimo Ortolano",
"author_id": 20058,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20058",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "My guess -- a wild guess, actually -- is that in humanities, or at least in many sectors thereof, authors need to publish their theses mostly as books and not as journal papers due the strictly local value of many topics, which would not find their way to international journals.\n\nFor example, if I'm doing my PhD in literature digging in the life and works of an obscure Italian poet lived in the middle age, writing in *lingua volgare*, how many papers could I expect to be accepted by international journals? Probably not even one. Indeed I could expect a better acceptance from specialized Italian journals -- if I could find one -- but those would count next to nothing when applying for a faculty position. So, let's publish my findings about that obscure poet as a book."
},
{
"answer_id": 35268,
"author": "StrongBad",
"author_id": 929,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/929",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "> \n> First of all, is there hard data that shows how many PhDs by discipline get published as a book?\n> \n> \n> \n\nI doubt there are meaningful data available on this. I don't think total number of \"thesis-books\" is meaningful since this would depend on the size of the field. The percentage of thesis-books would ignore drop out (although potentially drop out rates are consistent across fields). My understanding of tenure and promotion committee meetings is that at top universities, the representatives from STEM fields discount books while the representatives from the humanities discount journal articles. At lower ranked schools, where research productivity is less, fewer books are published.\n\n> \n> Does the student themselves seek to publish or does their supervisor/committee/department inform the student that they think their material could be a book.\n> \n> \n> \n\nMost of the so called \"book\" fields publish single author papers and books. The student (or former student) seeks to get the material published as a book.\n\n> \n> Do the publishing companies actively seek material to publish or expect the author to approach them.\n> \n> \n> \n\nA little bit of both. The publishers encourage authors who they think are doing good research to submit a \"book proposal\", but they get hundreds of unsolicited proposals.\n\n> \n> Are there other factors unique to the Humanities that mean the book is a preferred publishing route?\n> \n> \n> \n\nIn some ways the optimal publishing strategy for a humanities thesis is to carve one chapter from the thesis into a journal article and have this published in a good journal. Book publishers are okay with some of the material being previously published (as long as copyright issues can be handled). This article/chapter then becomes the basis of the book proposal that is used to \"sell\" the book idea to the publisher. The problem with this approach is that for many theses in the humanities, craving out a single chapter is difficult. The research problems that humanities students tackle are simply larger in scope than the problems STEM students tackle and the problems cannot be neatly subdivided. \n\n> \n> So to round up, what are the main factors that mean Humanities PhDs appear to often get published as book?\n> \n> \n> \n\nHistorically, in the US PhD students in the Humanities would do multiple years of \"field work\" (often in archives, but sometimes in the actual field) and tenure at R1 institutions is based on one or two books being published. In the UK, the shorter PhD duration and the pressure of the REF to have 4 publications, leads to many more thesis being published as articles. The type of PhD projects conducted in book and article based cultures varies significantly."
},
{
"answer_id": 48089,
"author": "henning",
"author_id": 31917,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/31917",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I would like to add to the good answers above that until recently in Europe, examination regulations in the humanities in general required the writing of a single, monographic thesis and its subsequent publication. The doctoral title is awarded not until publication. A dissertation that is \"stapled together\" from finished papers was unheard of. This has started to change over the last few years, but out of tradition and for the reasons named in the answers above, it has not yet become customary. Thus, **part of the answer is that regulations required a published monograph**.\n\nI am generalizing a bit here, my first-hand experience being in the German system and in law and the social sciences (political science, cultural studies, sociology). Even beyond those fields, what in Germany is called a \"cumulative\" (non-monographic) dissertation was possible only in [12 percent](https://www.academics.de/wissenschaft/die_kumulative_dissertation_56018.html) of local universities back in 2007.\n\nThe usual procedure after submitting the thesis was to (more or less) revise the thesis for publication and maybe extract one or two papers from it for publication in a journal. These of course need to be self-contained enough to count as separate publications; for example, they could be a summary focused on a particular aspect of the thesis. Thus, *in general*, while the STEM fields tend to write separate papers and then staple them together, the humanities write a monographic thesis and then rip it apart."
}
] |
2015/01/05
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35254",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12454/"
] |
35,255 |
I'm applying for a scientific research position at a Wemst university and one of the desirable skills is to demonstrate an understanding of the bilingual nature of the University.
As I am fluent in Wemst, I would like to add a sentence to my cover letter stating that I am a bilingual. I would like to write something that makes them feel that it is important to have someone that can speak Wemst and that this would benefit the university.
Can anyone suggest an appropriate sentence to include?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35259,
"author": "A.S",
"author_id": 22447,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22447",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "To address your specific question, I would propose the following sentence for your letter (or something similar to your liking) to highlight your language skills. I would position it toward the bottom, in the concluding paragraph:\n\n> \n> I also believe that my fluency in Wemst will contribute to my ability\n> to effectively support the university's bilingual nature.\n> \n> \n> \n\n(alternative wording): \n\n> \n> ...the university's mission of bilingual service.\n> \n> \n> \n\nI would not worry about providing any additional evidence of Wemst proficiency (as a letter written in the language) as you only want to submit the exact documents required in the application, nothing more. If there will be any need to ascertain your language ability, it can be easily done in a quick chat as part of your interview process or by phone.\n\nGood luck!"
},
{
"answer_id": 35270,
"author": "Eric",
"author_id": 20424,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20424",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "I would go beyond what Aymor said and write a paragraph of your cover letter in Wemst where you discuss the importantance of the bilingual philosophy. Stating you are fluent is quite different than demonstrating it."
}
] |
2015/01/05
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35255",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/25341/"
] |
35,261 |
I have been invited to a symposium related with my research field within a conference devoted to a broad area in Mathematics, not really associated with my field. This symposium is organized by a researcher that I met in previous, well-established and respectable conferences.
The problem is that I have never heard before about that conference to any colleague in my field, if we exclude the emails sent by the conference organizers asking researchers to attend *or to organize* a symposium within the conference (I have received myself a lot of them in my email *spam* folder). Indeed, I am really confused about the reputability of the conference itself, and I tried to find it out without too much success in [this](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/34723/how-to-know-if-the-icnaam-conference-is-good) closed question.
I have decided not to attend the conference given the information that I have at hand, since as a young researcher I want to stay as far as I can from *potential predatory* conferences. Also the funding money for attending conferences is limited and I think I will get a better value for it on another conference.
Now, my question is regarding the **way and etiquette for rejecting the invitation**. My initial idea was to be honest and tell the symposium organizer about my reason to not accept the invitation (not feeling confortable in that conference), without making up any excuse such as problem in the dates or whatever. But maybe in that way I will hurt his/her feelings, something that obviously I do not want.
**What will be a honest and polite way of rejecting this invitation?**
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35264,
"author": "Bill Barth",
"author_id": 11600,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11600",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "Just say \"no thank you\" or say nothing. You don't have to make an excuse to not attend a conference symposium. You appear to be a junior researcher, so I'm assuming you were invited to participate not to give a keynote address or be honored otherwise. The symposium organizers will have invited more people than they can actually host since they know many will decline. There's no need to antagonize your colleague by accusing them of being involved in a sketchy conference or worse accusing them of being associated with something *predatory*."
},
{
"answer_id": 35267,
"author": "xLeitix",
"author_id": 10094,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10094",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "You basically said it best yourself:\n\n> \n> the funding money for attending conferences is limited and I think I will get a better value for it on another conference.\n> \n> \n> \n\nThis seems to me like a perfectly acceptable reason which needs to be enough for any reasonable person. You can't go to every conference where somebody you know asked you to go, and this one isn't high enough on your priorities list.\n\n*(personally, I would not lecture the other person about what you perceive as a spam conference that (s)he is involved with - just say friendly and truthfully that this specific conference is not of great interest to you, and that should be it)*"
},
{
"answer_id": 35277,
"author": "Matthew Leingang",
"author_id": 5701,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/5701",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> Thank you very much for the invitation to this conference. It seems like a very interesting event. I will not be able to attend, but I wish you the best of luck with it.\n> \n> \n> Yours, etc. ...\n> \n> \n> \n\nThis is polite but firm. Like Jile says in the comments, it is possible to increase the apparent (or intended) sincerity of the message by being more specific about why you think the conference will be interesting. And it is *true* that you are unable to attend because you have given higher priority for your limited travel budget on other events."
},
{
"answer_id": 35331,
"author": "Adam Davis",
"author_id": 11901,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11901",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "There's no polite way to say, \"I believe your conference has no value, and isn't worth my time.\"\n\nSo I'm glad you are asking for an honest and polite method to decline, rather than an open and polite method to decline. I don't believe you can be open, honest, and polite in this case.\n\nI don't believe you can honestly express regret that you cannot attend, but you can at least express a wish that the conference be successful, or that they achieve their goals with the conference and speakers. If you expect to check on the conference proceedings afterwards, whether out of curiosity or professional interest, it might be worthwhile expressing that as well.\n\n\"Thank you for your kind invitation to present at conference XYZ. While I must decline, I do look forward to reading the conference proceedings.\"\n\nKeep it short, simple, and straightforward.\n\nIf this is a close friend, and you believe they are headed down the wrong path, it's probably worthwhile to follow this up with a phone call (no need for this conversation to be in writing!) and express your underlying reasons. If you are on the fence, call them prior to sending the refusal and see if they have evidence that it isn't or won't turn into a predatory conference.\n\nThe reservations you have may be valid, but expressing them when you decline the invitation is unnecessary and impolite. Keep those reservations to yourself, and only share them if asked, or if they are a close colleague or friend and you wish to save them from later difficulty."
},
{
"answer_id": 35332,
"author": "Ntabgoba",
"author_id": 27439,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27439",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "In today's world, it is difficult to predetermine an outcome of a conference, unless you are aware of the list of the participants. In the research field, every bit of new information is valuable, thus you might not be exact at outweighing the symposium, based on limited information.\n\nAdvice: \n\n1. Politely request your inviter to give you extra information, the usual 5Ws. If any of the *who*, *when*, *what*, *where*, *how* are not coherent, then depict them and inform him that you did not feel attracted because of A,B,C.\n2. If financially, it does not match, be specific and tell him that you do not have the financial means.\n\nA researcher is a civilized person and would not be hurt by valid reasons.\n\nNB: Having emails in Spam boxes does not mean that they are spams. It just means that their email server is not green listed on your email's red flagging."
}
] |
2015/01/05
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35261",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20897/"
] |
35,280 |
If I use photos in my thesis that I found on Internet, should I cite them? If so, how should the photos be cited? Should I write something like "In Figure 4.5 [9]" or should I cite it in the Appendix? Or should I add the source in the caption?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35281,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "You *must* cite them!\n---------------------\n\nFailure to cite photographs and figures is just as much plagiarism as stealing quotations. To some extent, it is *tougher* to use pictures from other sources, because you need to make sure you have the permissions to use them.\n\nYou should add the citation in the caption, as well as the requisite acknowledgments required by the author or publisher."
},
{
"answer_id": 35287,
"author": "test",
"author_id": 27407,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27407",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "here's usa library of congress copyright source:\n\n<http://www.copyright.gov/>\n\nfor using other's copyrighted photos you need reproduction rights permissions.\n\nfor using your own photos, you should protect your own copyright with the three-part copyright notice mentioned at loc - copyright symbol or word, date, name - on or near the photo. otherwise you have put your photo into public."
}
] |
2015/01/05
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35280",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/15949/"
] |
35,296 |
It seems that NSF only supports researchers affiliated with academic institutions. For instance, if a researcher is in the industry, is there a chance to get funding from NSF for a pure academic research?
Let's say the researcher's employer is not a scientific/research establishment, maybe it's a manufacturing plant, and the researcher's interest has nothing to do with his/her daily job.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35298,
"author": "Bill Barth",
"author_id": 11600,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11600",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "NSF's Grant Proposal Guide section I.E addresses eligibility. [I.E.3](http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf15001/gpg_1.jsp#categories) addresses for-profit corporations and states:\n\n> \n> 3. For-profit organizations - US commercial organizations, especially small businesses with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education. An unsolicited proposal from a commercial organization may be funded when the project is of special concern from a national point of view, special resources are available for the work, or the proposed project is especially meritorious. NSF is interested in supporting projects that couple industrial research resources and perspectives with those of universities; therefore, it especially welcomes proposals for cooperative projects involving both universities and the private commercial sector.\n> \n> \n> \n\nMy read of this is that it is certainly possible for a company to submit a proposal, but the introductory language certainly hints that not all programs will allow for-profits to submit: \n\n> \n> Except where a program solicitation establishes more restrictive eligibility criteria, individuals and organizations in the following categories may submit proposals: \n> \n> \n> \n\nWhich is to say that many RFPs limit submissions to categories 1 and 2 from that list (universities and other non-profits, respectively)."
},
{
"answer_id": 35300,
"author": "Geoff Hutchison",
"author_id": 21869,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/21869",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "[Another answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/35298/21869) quotes the Grant Proposal Guide, which is of course the essential resource.\n\nThe NSF does solicit proposals (like other agencies) for the [Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program](http://www.sbir.gov).\n\nBut I'd also say that whenever you have questions about NSF funding for a research idea, I'd figure out an appropriate program officer and send them an e-mail. For example, I'm in chemistry, so I go to the NSF chemistry website and guess an appropriate sub-program.\n\nIn general, I send an e-mail saying something like:\n\n> \n> Hi, I have a research idea that I think might fit in your program but I have some questions. Would there be a good time to talk this week? [etc.]\n> \n> \n> \n\nSometimes I'll even get a call back promptly from the program officer, or a polite message that program X might be a better fit, etc.\n\nIn all cases, the NSF program officers want to fund the best research they can, so they are very helpful at suggesting appropriate approaches (e.g., if it's possible for them to fund your idea)."
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35296",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14179/"
] |
35,302 |
I contacted a lecturer from my alma mater. He replied me a few days later that he had funding, explained me his project and application process and even attached a detailed research proposal. He asked me to skype with him.
In such case, please advise me what kinds of questions during interview can be asked.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35304,
"author": "Ben Bitdiddle",
"author_id": 24384,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/24384",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "He probably wants to talk about his project and your research background/interests. He may ask about some past projects you've done and what kind of work you are interested in. It's best if you can demonstrate sincere interest in his project and read some previous papers of his that seem relevant to the proposal."
},
{
"answer_id": 38305,
"author": "Ian",
"author_id": 22000,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22000",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "This doesn't sound like an overly formal process as you're already known to the interviewer. However, in my institution at least, the process is becoming much more formal (person specifications, training for interviewers, etc.) and so there are definite areas that the interviewer will be trying to explore:\n\n* Do your skills match up with what you claim on your application? Expect specific questions on your application, particularly on relevant projects, or reports, or dissertations.\n* Can you communicate? Particularly, why do you want to do a PhD, why in this area, with this person, etc. This also covers language skills, if you're not a native speaker. Expect more general questions probing your motivation.\n* Can you link together different areas of knowledge? Show that your earlier studies have gone in and you can see where they're relevant to the PhD topic. Expect detailed questions on key techniques for this project, maybe linking back to courses you've taken (if they don't make the link, it's a strength when you explicitly do).\n* Do you know what you don't know? There's a lot to learn in a PhD and the best candidates will (a) know that, and (b) want to fix that *themselves*. Communicating what areas you need to improve, and how you want the supervisor to help you improve, can be a strength (provided it isn't key background for the PhD!). This is where you should show you've read the research proposal, and also the papers referred to in it: you don't need a detailed understanding of it all, but you should clearly show *what* you've understood, and *how* you'd go about learning what you haven't.\n* Evidence of problem-solving skills. Talking about projects, reports written, group work done. Show that you understood what you did (even if strongly directed), that you can communicate it clearly, and how you generated ideas.\n* Can you connect with the potential supervisor? This can be purely personal, and is the hardest thing to do in a Skype call. If possible, try and make it a conversation instead of a question and answer session. Also, try and prepare some questions to ask them, particularly around the research proposal.\n\nAs I noted at the top, if you're already known to the interviewer, and if there's no formal university process mandated by central administration, this could well be an informal chat. Even then, I'd make sure you've read the research proposal, and researched its background, so that you can genuinely talk, and not get a huge information dump."
},
{
"answer_id": 70938,
"author": "Paul Symonds",
"author_id": 56282,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/56282",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "He certainly seems to be considering you for inclusion if he gets the funding. I would make a clear list of all your achievements both academic and non-academic and be clear in your own mind what you are looking for in the future. The project may not be something you actually want so make sure to include questions that help you to judge if this is something which matches your own goals. \n\nSo I would include questions about the scope of the project, who else is involved and be clear on what funding will be available and how long it will last. Do not be afraid to ask these things.\n\nRegards Skype, the camera is often not where you will look directly because you will be looking central screen at the video relay of other person. Just relax and do not worry though as Skype is easy. Just make sure you remember the different times zones if this is applicable. \n\nYou might also find this article useful <http://www.socresonline.org.uk/21/2/12.html> because it goes into details about Skype for academic purposes."
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35302",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27421/"
] |
35,306 |
**tl;dr**
Faculty don't think teaching is as important as their other responsibilities; how do we change that?
**Long version**
I've been working in academia for a long time and whenever I see instructors half-assing their teaching the go to excuses are that they have no time, or that it doesn't get any respect/grants/promotion/tenure/etc. I don't doubt they're busy, and I know departments don't typically reward teaching excellence (or punish teaching mediocrity...) but the students are suffering as a result.
How can we (faculty that care about teaching and staff supporting faculty) change this situation? What can we do short-term to make faculty care about teaching *now* and what can we do long-term to make departments care about excellence in teaching, and not just in research?
*Note:* I'm aware research brings in money. Keep in mind most faculty are adjuncts who aren't doing research but still have tenured research faculty that don't care about teaching as their role models.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35307,
"author": "BrenBarn",
"author_id": 9041,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/9041",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "You don't hire people who don't take teaching seriously, and if you do happen to hire them accidentally, you deny them tenure and kick them out.\n\nMore generally, you reward those who take teaching seriously and/or punish those who don't. This means you give the former time (by reducing the number of classes they have to teach), money (by paying them more, giving them department funds for research, whatever), and/or other perks (nice office, free parking pass, first dibs on teaching the particular classes they'd most like to teach, whatever), and you don't give those things to the latter."
},
{
"answer_id": 35308,
"author": "Brian Borchers",
"author_id": 4453,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4453",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "Putting in place a better system for evaluating teaching than today's student evaluation forms would be a good start. Getting serious about the assessment of student learning outcomes (rather than simply assigning grades) would also be extremely helpful."
},
{
"answer_id": 35310,
"author": "BrianH",
"author_id": 6787,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/6787",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "**Step 0:** Talk to/with existing faculty. How do they view their teaching skill, it's relative importance, motivation to do better, what do they think would improve their own teaching and/or the teaching of others? I would hope the actual people on the ground know a thing or two more than some random fool on the internet (such as myself).\n\n**Step 0b:** Probably prioritize what people actually think at your institution over what I'll say below. Further, educated people are generally incredibly resistant to having random diktats imposed on them (and professors who are renowned for valuing their positions autonomy all the more so), so you'll need people to buy into things and embrace things. That takes some great implementation skill, diplomacy, and care - good advice followed poorly is rarely a boon. But with that said...\n\n**Step 1:** Clearly, effectively communicate what is valued in the department/institution - to existing faculty, students, prospective faculty, and the world at large. \n\n**Step 2:** Actually value those things - don't just pay them lip-service. Are meaningful teaching awards given? Are special posts/chairs given for teaching excellence, with funding and reduced other-than-teaching workloads optionally reduced? Can a person be a great teacher and a not-so-good researcher and expect to be respected and have job security comparable to a star researcher who can barely teach at all? Research/grants are often tied to equipment, labs, funding for students/assistants/projects - must teaching be solely it's own reward at your institution?\n\n**Step 3:** Measure what's important. Is a respected teaching-quality rating system in place to poll students before/during/after courses, program entrance/graduation, etc? How do you know who is doing a great job and who's doing a bad one? Do people even know if they are doing a good job? Does everyone else know who's doing great things? Is student success/learning solely the responsibility of individual faculty to determine and measure - as though assessment were somehow trivial and easy to do - and thus one class/semester/teacher cannot be meaningfully compared or evaluated? Tight feedback loops are necessary for flow experiences and improvement - tighten the loop.\n\n**Step 4:** Provide mechanisms for improvement. Feedback from students, constructive advice/encouragement/criticism from senior faculty - especially previously identified great teachers, funding for workshops/conferences specifically about education/pedagogy/teaching, bringing in outside faculty/speakers to speak and hold workshops, etc. Teaching is a skill, just like researching - it must be learned. As some people have very little teaching experience (sometimes having won fellowships that exempted them from teaching), it is generally unwise to just cross your fingers and pray people figure it out on their own. \n\n**Step 5:** At the end of a semester/year, appraise the situation. What is going well, and what isn't? Make a plan to do better next year, implement the plan, and follow up again next semester/year. Do it again. And again. And again. There are no real shortcuts, just consistent hard work performed by many, repeatedly, over a stretch of time.\n\n**Step 6:** Align decisions at ever greater (and lesser) levels to match what is truly valued. Student selection, graduate program admittance, postdoc positions, faculty hiring, tenure decisions - if teaching isn't important to the department/institution, it is strange to expect it to be treated as though it were actually important none the less. This doesn't necessarily have to mean everyone must be amazing teachers or else - just that it must be a factor that really does matter and holds value. \n\n**Warning:** *Anything that hints of punishment, job insecurity, lack of respect, or unpleasantness will lead to both intentional and unintentional gaming/sabotage/resistance to any process of improvement or assessment. Trust is valuable, hard to build, and incredibly easy to lose.* \n\nIn the end, some people are naturally motivated and take it upon themselves to be better and better teachers. For those people you likely need only give them what they need and don't step on them or get in their way. But social systems are powerful, and can rob people of their desire and motivation just as they can encourage the better angels of our nature and inspire us. It must then be decided what system you have now, and what are you willing to and able to do about it?"
},
{
"answer_id": 35330,
"author": "J...",
"author_id": 20760,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20760",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "The fundamental problem is that research and teaching are two *entirely* different skills. Imagine you're hiring a chef who is also expected to spend a third of his or her time waiting tables; the simple fact of reality is that specially talented individuals will rarely excel at both of these tasks. \n\nYou can't *convince* a professor to be a better teacher than they are - most simply do not have the personality type, passion, inclination, or even inherent capacity to be excellent teachers. They haven't trained those skills nor have they required them to get to their current position in life. It isn't what they were hired for, it isn't what they are good at, and it isn't what they have spent their lives wanting and learning to do. Professors are hired to perform and manage research activities and are only incidentally required to also perform *custodial* teaching duties. They would likely also do a terrible job if you required them to pitch in cooking lunch in the cafeteria twice a week.\n\nAt least in my part of the world, secondary school teachers are not even allowed to apply for a job without an appropriate degree in education. This is to say that, in addition to having the required qualifications in the subject that they are teaching they are also required to be qualified *teachers*. I see higher education eventually following a similar model - as teaching becomes more important, professorship *must* eventually branch into two or three largely separate streams.\n\nWith specialization being so critical in almost every other professional activity it is almost unbelievable that professorship is such a haphazard occupation. While the training and demonstrated excellence for the position is almost entirely based on research and scientific acumen, professors are nevertheless required to also perform at least two entirely different functions - teaching and management. Surely some PhDs would love to only teach while others would love to devote entirely to research. Likewise, how many late-career professors could continue to produce invaluable research if not burdened by the need to both teach and project-manage a large research group; the very skill they excel at is squandered while their time is occupied performing things they are often neither good at nor that they enjoy. \n\nIf you want good teachers, hire teachers to teach. If you want good researchers, hire researchers to research. If you want well managed research groups, hire managers to manage them. If you want chaos and headaches, pick some clever boffins and get them to juggle it all at once. Occasionally you will get lucky and find professors who are excellent researchers, excellent teachers, and excellent managers but, in my experience, these are very rare creatures indeed. Higher education would do well to reconsider its organizational hierarchy, I think."
},
{
"answer_id": 35343,
"author": "I Like to Code",
"author_id": 8802,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/8802",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "In a nutshell: **Competition** between departments\nfor students and funding\ncan be one of the important reasons\nto cause departments to care about the quality of teaching.\n\nI give the following anecdote to illustrate the above principle.\n\nIn my undergrad institution,\nwhich is outside the US and is fairly large (~30 K undergrads),\nthe introductory math classes taken by engineering students\nwere taught by professors in the math department.\n\nI had heard from people in the math department that\nsome in the engineering department\nwanted to teach the classes themselves,\nso as to gain more funding and be able to hire more headcount (faculty).\nBecause the math department did not want to\nlose this funding and headcount to the engineering department\nthey sent their best teaching professors to teach the intro math courses.\nThis allowed the math department to defend their position and say,\n\"We're doing a good job teaching this course,\nas evidenced by good teaching evaluations,\nso why should you rock the boat?\""
},
{
"answer_id": 35362,
"author": "Paul Smith",
"author_id": 16116,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/16116",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Much mention has been made of Reward for good teaching, but I would like to suggest an old fashioned and out-of-date idea: Punishment. If someone fails to deliver on their contracted responsibilities to the agreed quality and standards, then they need to face the consequences of their actions and decisions, resulting if necessary in formal disciplinary proceedings. It is not like their students are going to get another chance, so why should the teachers? \n\nHowever, this means taking responsibility for setting those standards and auditing progress to ensure that they are met, which is something most facilities seem reluctant to do."
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35306",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27290/"
] |
35,311 |
In programming, there are these so-called "[esoteric programming languages](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esoteric_programming_language)" like "LOLCODE" or "Nvikuspeara," which really have pretty much zero usefulness. They are just kind of a novelty, or if a computer science professor is feeling like being particularly obnoxious he can choose it as the language for one of his assignments.
I was wondering if there is anything similar for citation styles. Citation styles are a "language" of sorts, and in principle you could have the analog of "LOLCODE" for making citations. I have never heard of such a thing, and I was considering inventing one---you know, something for a Humanities professor to require if they are feeling like being particularly obnoxious---but I wanted to make sure that such a thing didn't already exist.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35320,
"author": "Koldito",
"author_id": 12314,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12314",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Off the top of my head, an esoteric citation style would be one that uses exclusively doi and/or ISBN numbers instead of author-year or similar styles ---e.g., \"as doi:16.1244/0979e.98 says in his reply to 12-9809-090-09...\""
},
{
"answer_id": 35335,
"author": "Federico Poloni",
"author_id": 958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/958",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "The syntax of `.bst` files (bibtex style files) is obscure enough to be borderline to an esoteric programming language, in my opinion. [Example here](http://kinglab.eeb.lsa.umich.edu///pub/biblios/bst/nature.bst).\n\n(And don't get me started on TeX error messages...)"
},
{
"answer_id": 35351,
"author": "BrianH",
"author_id": 6787,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/6787",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "May I humbly suggest [footnote labyrinths](http://xkcd.com/1208/)?\n\n\n\nAlt text: Every time you read this mouseover, toggle between interpreting nested footnotes as footnotes on footnotes and interpreting them as exponents (minus one, modulo 6, plus 1)."
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35311",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/9765/"
] |
35,313 |
My master thesis is an improvement of a code. I gave this code about one year and half ago from the author of the one paper.
After working on his code, I improve the result. but my implementation is not a lot. My added part to his code is less than 300 lines.
The base paper was published on 2013 in the journal with impact factor 2 .
My question is "improvements works" have the ability to send to a journal? Or when you can send your work to journal which you should develop the whole things.
By the way the issue which I am working on is one of the new standard.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35314,
"author": "ff524",
"author_id": 11365,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11365",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "For purposes of publishability, it doesn't really matter whether your implementation was built from scratch or from an existing codebase, or how many new lines of code it required.\n\nWhat matters is *whether your results contribute some new knowledge* to the field....\n\n... which we can't evaluate for you here. You need to read the literature and the previous work, and identify what you're contributing that's new. (It's not measured in lines of code.)"
},
{
"answer_id": 35317,
"author": "David Richerby",
"author_id": 10685,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10685",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Publishable? Yes. Everything is publishable, as long as it's original work and you can find a journal that thinks it's interesting enough. Publishable in a good journal? We've no idea: ask your peers in your field. *Ask your advisor*: it's what s/he is there for!"
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35313",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/19761/"
] |
35,321 |
I'll be giving a 30-min public talk as a part of my PhD defense next month. It would be attended by the examination committee (consisting of my advisor and two examiners). I reckon that some professors/lecturers from the university might also join it apart from my colleagues and friends.
What would be a suitable - neither too short or seemingly-snappy nor too long and boring - way to address the audience at the very beginning of my talk? For instance, starting with
>
> Hello everyone
>
>
>
sounds a bit too informal to me. Personally, I am inclined to starting with
>
> Respected members of the examination committee...
>
>
>
but I am not sure if that, because of the "*Respected* ", may be considered too traditional (unfortunately, I don't recall how my colleagues who graduated in the last years did it - you never focus on such aspects until it is your turn :-$).
Should I refer to the examination committee using names, as in:
>
> Respected members of the examination committee, Prof. X, Prof. Y, and Prof. Z
>
>
>
or better not?
For peers and friends, addressing could simply continue as
>
> ... and dear colleagues and friends.
>
>
>
Should I also try to sandwich another category specifically for the other professors and lecturers? If so, what could be a suitable way to address them?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35323,
"author": "Stephan Kolassa",
"author_id": 4140,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4140",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Ideally, you would already have attended similar defenses of your advisor's earlier Ph.D. students before and picked up the prevailing social norms there - also concerning other \"soft factors\", like whether to feed everyone afterwards, with what etc.\n\nI gather this didn't happen, so I'll second [Koldito's comment-answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35321/how-to-greet-the-audience-at-the-beginning-of-a-phd-defense-talk-presentation#comment78790_35321): just ask your advisor. And/or talk to other people in your institution, even if they work in other areas. Such things will likely be more specific to your regional culture than to your specific subfield."
},
{
"answer_id": 35324,
"author": "Peter Jansson",
"author_id": 4394,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4394",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "The answer lie in the comments to your question. \n\n1. Check your local customs. Have you not attended a single PhD talk during your time as a PhD student? What have students done so far? And ... talk to your advisor.\n2. Do not overdo it. If you try to work in lots of complex thanks and courteous comments, you are very likely to stumble and forget and the impression becomes unprofessional or insecure at best. Thanks area also easily managed by adding a slide with thanks to advisers, funding and whatever you feel is necessary. You can use that as the last slide of your presentation since the audience will then know the presentation is over."
},
{
"answer_id": 35336,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "I would like to second both xLeitix and Koldito's comments and convert them into an answer:\n\n* In most cases, there is no requirement, and you can just say, \"Good [morning/afternoon], my name is [name], and welcome to my thesis defense.\"\n* A very few institutions have a much more formal set of requirements. For example, when I was an examiner for a defense at TU Delft, I had to learn a few words of Dutch in order to ask my questions with the required formality. Also, I had to come a day early to get fitted for a special archaic form of suit. Don't worry about this, though: if this is the case for your institution, then somebody will make sure that you are instructed in what to do."
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35321",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/18210/"
] |
35,325 |
I'm currently in the process of applying to college for undergraduate degree in software engineering. I really love everything about electronics from hardware to software. I find it difficult to choose between electrical engineering or software engineering till I decided to take software engineering then continue my education for master in electrical engineering. Though, I'm not looking to offer myself more job opportunities, I literally want to know every single bit about hardware and software. My question:
Is it possible to study software engineering and then masters in electrical engineering?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 40217,
"author": "enthu",
"author_id": 15723,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/15723",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "It depends on the program you apply for your masters degree. Some universities and educational systems accept changing fields for masters degrees and some others not. Some programs may require the applicant to study some more courses from the bachelors syllabus to help them be more prepared for their masters program.\n\nI think you would better ask the program you want to apply to, to see whether they accept and consider applications with different bachelors degree or not."
},
{
"answer_id": 95615,
"author": "Joseph August DeLeonardis",
"author_id": 79514,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/79514",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "I know this it is a late response but maybe this will help others. If I was in that situation I would get an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering. Computer Engineers have to take software and hardware courses. At many universities, they can specialize in either by taking senior electives. However, it really depends on what you want to do. Computer Engineers will not usually take courses in Electromagnetics or Device Science. Those courses are specifically for Electrical Engineers."
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35325",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27438/"
] |
35,326 |
I'm applying for a fellowship wherein they ask for a long proposal about what I'm working on (a PhD thesis in pure math). Then they advise me that some of those evaluating me will be from non-math departments, so the proposal "should be jargon-free."
Right off the bat I guess [PSL2(Od):Γ] < ∞ is out of the question... I could explain what a manifold is to a mixed audience, but I think they'd need to do some homework before they followed what it might have to do with finite index subgroups of Bianchi groups (or whatever topic you might be studying). Without the "jargon" I feel like my whole language for it is gone. Afterall the reason we have so many definitions is because each one refers to a distinctly defined thing that we previously had no name for!
I can see that I could take a more historical, conceptual perspective, but I'd still be dancing around what I'm *actually doing*. It's especially hard to summarize something that is not even fully developed. I think that for people who don't study math, the only reference point is science applications, but those don't really exist here because then it would be applied math and not pure math.
I'm coming up short looking for anyone addressing this online. There are multidisciplinary tips about writing proposals, but I think the accessibility problem is at its biggest with pure math.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35327,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Hint: what you are doing is \"non-Euclidean crystallography\". Then explain somewhat aspects of those two concepts, and *why there is still research to do*. I.e. Euclidean crystallography was all worked out long ago, but ..."
},
{
"answer_id": 35328,
"author": "J Fabian Meier",
"author_id": 27442,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27442",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "What I did in that position: \n\n1. Explain some \"motivation\", even if it is far-fetched, from physics, economics, computer science ... for the general field of study.\n2. Try to paint some geometric picture of some (very simplified) version of your field.\n3. Make sure you stress that there are unsolved questions and that the solution would contribute to a general picture.\n4. Give some \"hard\" mathematical details at the end, coming with some disclaimer, to convince any mathematicians on the committee.\n\nGenerally, I would try to give an overview of the general aim and direction of the field and stress that there are \"important problems in it\"."
},
{
"answer_id": 35337,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think that the key idea here is that they want to know *why* you are doing what you are doing more than *what* you are doing. \n\nLet's say you're diligently working towards establishing an isomorphism between soliton elves and the christmas-tree singularity. That's all well and good, but:\n\n* There are lots of properties in the world. Why is isomorphism between soliton elves and the christmas-tree singularity an interesting property to try to establish?\n* Is there a higher-level strategy to your approach than \"just do lots of math until the problem is solved\"?\n* Why is the approach that you are taking a good one?\n* If you establish this property, what are the consequences, and what comes next?\n\nA really good and clearly written proposal should be able to have its logic grasped by pretty much any scientist, whether or not they are capable of judging its originality, plausibility, and significance in detail."
},
{
"answer_id": 37153,
"author": "j0equ1nn",
"author_id": 27475,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27475",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "*I'm adding a different answer based on the advice I got from my adviser, which is the method I ended up going with since after all he is my adviser. If I do end up getting the fellowship I will most likely change my selected answer to this one (though as you'll see the other strategies suggested are actually a part of this one). Here's what he told me:*\n\nMainly, don't worry about the idea of it being accessible to people from other departments. When they say to write it that way and keep it \"jargon-free\" it really is kind of misleading compared to what they're actually looking for.\n\nThe important thing is that it look serious and professional, and writing in a more friendly tone can give the impression that the project is elementary. The evaluators (especially those not from the math department) will pay the most attention to the introductory portion of the proposal, so that is really the place to include the type of content suggested in the other answers. In particular, @J.\\_Fabian\\_Meier's itemized list would end up with the first 3 items done quickly at the beginning, and the 4th item would take up the remaining majority.\n\nAfter setting up the general motivation and context in the first couple of pages, go ahead and get into the mathematical details as though writing for a mathematician to read it. The other people on the evaluating committee will be looking for the math representative to confirm that what you are proposing is well considered and properly formulated. Moreover the more complicated and confusing the explanation looks to them the better. After all most people not in the math world gauge mathematical sophistication by their own inability to understand it, so just go ahead and scare them!\n\nI will add though that I think the process of trying to explain my research to a mixed audience was really good for me in developing a broader perspective, even though my adviser had me start over again after that. I think that in the future, even if I don't end up using it (like what happened this time) I might take some time to write an outreach-style exposition of my project first, just to get that farther-reaching view of things."
},
{
"answer_id": 37154,
"author": "Inquisitive",
"author_id": 27985,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27985",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "My only suggestion would be to describe how the work you do could eventually be applied to improve the human condition. I simply don't accept that pure mathematics can't be of benefit to humankind."
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35326",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27475/"
] |
35,329 |
There are many reports out there that say you should not go get an MBA or JD unless you are going for the Top 5 or Top 10 schools respectively. The rationale is that the lost salary and tuition does not make up for the expected NPV difference (get a professional degree vs. do not get a professional degree).
I have never heard this about medical schools. It seems reasonable to assume that most patients do not inquire about their doctor's alma mater and that there is a lot of standardization in the final board exam. Also, most medical schools have an extremely low dropout/failure rate (<5%). However, there is huge variability among the selectivity of medical schools, [ranging from an average undergraduate GPA and MCAT score of 3.35 and 20 respectively, all the way up to 3.89 and 38](http://www.startmedicine.com/app/medstatistics.asp?iMD=Y&iSO=MC&iST=&iCO=&cSU=%20%20Refresh%20School%20Info%20%20).
What advantages does a Duke M.D. have over a Marshall University M.D.? Am I correct in assuming that the average salary distribution over all US medical schools is relatively flat?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35347,
"author": "mkennedy",
"author_id": 5711,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/5711",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "The consequences of rank apply to medical schools just as they apply to undergraduate or graduate education. **[A more highly ranked medical school can make it easier to get a residency that you want or acceptance into a better quality residency.](http://www.mdorbust.com/single-post/2016/05/09/does-it-matter-which-medical-school-I-attend) It may also make you better prepared to pass board exams.** \n\nIf you want to do medical research, then you should look for schools that are performing similar research, just as you would for a non-professional graduate program. \n\n---\n\n**Update per comments** --\n\nI don't have any experience with medical schools (I knew at 5 I didn't want to be a doctor), so I contacted my resident expert, a relative who both graduated from the Ohio State University School of Medicine and was a professor there. In her words: \n\n> \n> Harvard and Yale grads can be more picky about the residency programs\n> they apply to. But the other comments are true also [that I sent to her]. \n> If they almost\n> flunk out of school, have an abrasive personality, have poor test\n> scores, etc., they will need to set their sights lower for residency.\n> \n> \n>"
},
{
"answer_id": 42600,
"author": "IamNotaSmartMan",
"author_id": 32414,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/32414",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "I disagree. There are very little differences between medical schools so long as you do well on your STEP I through STEP III exams. Basically what really matters is how you rank compared to the national average. \nI have interviewed residency candidates from around the country-their alma mater means very little to me. Their STEP scores and extracurricular activities matter as well as their personal statements. Don't worry about medical school ranking-just worry about Step exam scores-that will really help you get into any residency program you want."
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35329",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/8090/"
] |
35,344 |
A professor of mine gave me a paper, because he wanted to show me the kind of work that we might do together in future. It is the advance access version of the paper, but I've found some errors, like typos, and wrong references of some figures in the text. Should I warn him about those things? If so, what would be the best way to do that?
*Update*
* I'm from Italy, but I would love to know about other different cultures as well, especially USA;
* My professor is very open minded, nice and easy-going;
* Let's put it this way: if I was a computer I wouldn't understood the meaning of the figures because the references in the text don't match with the right plot, but since I'm human being I've understood that he meant the other figures.
I believe that pride is less important than the truth, especially when it comes to scientific publications. I mean, everyone can be wrong, there is nothing bad about it in my opinion. But I know that not anyone think the same, so I've asked this question because I wanted to know if it's worth to risk what @littleScala pointed out, to spread higher quality articles around the world and to show meticulousness in reading the paper.
Basically I thought:
* Maybe a professor could be nicely impressed by such a level of attention;
* What if he find its own errors? He might think that I didn't read the paper with caution.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35345,
"author": "David Richerby",
"author_id": 10685,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10685",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "Ask him. It sounds like none of the errors is serious so if your question is just one of etiquette, all you need to say is that you think you found a few typos and little mistakes in the paper and ask if he'd like a list.\n\nIf the final version has already been sent to the publisher, it's probably too late to fix that, though there's the opportunity to correct small typos when reviewing the galley proofs. In many fields, people put their papers on their web page, too, so he'll probably appreciate the opportunity to fix that version, even if the version in the journal is already set in stone."
},
{
"answer_id": 35353,
"author": "Fadecomic",
"author_id": 17379,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/17379",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "I don't know where you're writing from, but it would be perfectly fine for you to say something here in the US. I know etiquette varies with culture, though. If one of my students came to me with errors in my papers, I might be sheepish, but certainly not offended. On the other hand, if it's already published, and the errors don't affect the content or the point, there's probably not much of a reason to point them out. You'd be hard-pressed to find a paper that doesn't have at least one typo."
},
{
"answer_id": 35360,
"author": "Bee Kay",
"author_id": 27464,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27464",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Yes, but ask in the form of looking for an answer.\nHow does this work? I don't see how this piece aligns this way, or this formula looks transposed incorrectly, is it?"
},
{
"answer_id": 36379,
"author": "Patrick Tudor",
"author_id": 27481,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27481",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "There's a balance to be maintained.\n\nFirst, I always assume grammatical and spelling errors to be matters of style and typographical errors. Clearly if someone has typed \"teh\" or \"peaked\" it should be noted. But otherwise, use the red pen to note style and readability. \n\nBut when someone more learned than myself makes claims I as a student would contest, it's better to frame that discussion as, \"Could you explain to me why...?\" Certainly the most expert among us make errors. But on both sides, it's more likely to be caused by ignorance than intention. As the mentor I might not have encountered a scenario that raises questions; as the student, likewise. So many, although one may be certain in a claim, frame it with a subtle doubt as I just did.\n\nBeware though of your own hubris attacking someone else's pride. The professor can make a mistake and be grateful you politely advised them privately. Likewise many students are eager to raise their hand and say, \"That's wrong!\" only to invoke the ire of public humiliation as the professor either tactfully acknowledges their statement or more often suggests they engage in further research and report their findings."
},
{
"answer_id": 36415,
"author": "Hi Lo",
"author_id": 11938,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11938",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Definitely no.\n\nI did the same and it *did not* go down well. Smiles yes and thanks, but after that we had a bit of an icy relationship.\n\nThis nearly cost me my M.Sc.\n\nDon't!"
},
{
"answer_id": 36426,
"author": "Adam Davis",
"author_id": 11901,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11901",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I'm sure they could have had it proof-read by many people if they wanted. He gave it to you as an example of the work you might be involved in - not in order for you to correct. There's no need for you to bring these issues to his attention, but keep it in mind when you write your papers - have it looked over by others even if you think it's perfect.\n\nIf you can't resist, though, don't ask us - ask him. I'd make it a short throw-away question that's part of a larger discussion about what he really gave you the paper for:\n\n*\"Thanks for the paper, I see that you've researched/studied x and shown y. It looks like the next direction is z, or possibly a, or b. I'm interested in... \"* ... have the discussion with him that the paper is intended to start...*\"...Thanks, this was a useful discussion. Oh, by the way, I noticed a few minor issues in the paper of a purely editorial nature. Maybe it's too late to send corrections, but if not are you interested in having me mark it up?\"*\n\nYou aren't criticizing his work - in fact you just spent a great deal of time discussing it with him, hopefully in a positive light. You are offering your help in improving the presentation of the work. If he declines, no problem. If he accepts, go ahead.\n\nKeep in mind that you may, however, be seen as volunteering to proof-read all the work he is involved with, and later that may actually become a burden you don't want to have."
},
{
"answer_id": 36436,
"author": "Ben Bitdiddle",
"author_id": 24384,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/24384",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "I would wait until you are actually his student. At this stage he probably has lots of potential candidates and it's important that he sees you as friendly and easy to work with."
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35344",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/25315/"
] |
35,352 |
I've been studying for my PhD in Sweden (I moved from the UK in January 2014). It's been alright. I've had difficulties before, and I've thought of quitting it, but I pushed through. I don't speak the language, but I'm in an academic environment where everyone speaks English anyway. I've got on with people here, but being back with my parents for Christmas has made me realise just how much I miss things here.
I can't afford a city apartment abroad, so I live with a family as a lodger in the countryside. I can never quite relax there. It's an old house with thin walls and easily damaged doors, so I have to take care with everything. I have a small room and I don't quite feel comfortable expressing myself around somewhat-strangers. We get on, but I never feel comfortable speaking with them, and they don't really know me. I can't really move out either, since I would be moving on in six months as per the program, and would it really be worth it to find a new place for that amount of time?
Folks at work are nice, but I've never felt completely comfortable around them either. We just have different interests and are different ages. They're nice, but I've felt the urge to prove myself and do well and that's isolated me. There is a LOT of support available, but somehow I still find things difficult. Socialising outside of work is very hard due to the language barrier, the distance from the city (which makes weekends abysmally dull unless I want to spend all day on a trip to the shops) and the way things are organised there. It's not impossible, but it takes great effort.
It's not necessarily the work which is getting me down, but I've realised that I've gotten by this year by devoting myself to work. I've made many mistakes (not all of which can be cleared up), but my supervisor doesn't really mind and still thinks I've done well enough. He's probably right, but as I'm so focused on work I notice all the possible small mistakes, and when they could come back to bite me. And that sucks. I do dread going back to work, as I will have to finish this project somehow, and it won't be as good as I had hoped it would have been. But I will finish it.
Some of the later projects (in my department we work on several different but related papers for a PhD) so seem better, and I can usually get back into things, but I don't have a burning passion for the field. I took the PhD because I was struggling to find a job, and I was considering academia. The PhD was related to what I considered that I wanted to study in the future, and my old masters supervisor recommended it.
As I've said, this isn't the first time I've had doubts. Last year I had a very bad period when I wanted to quit too, but it passed when I felt like I was doing better. Every time I'm back in the UK for a few weeks or longer I feel even more rubbish going back, because things are so much easier here. I know my way around, I speak the language, I have friends I can easily relate to and family nearby that loves me... And it'll only get worse when I have to move to Australia in six months for the next part of my PhD, as the PhD is jointly hosted with another uni in Sydney.
I really feel like I want to come back to the UK. I'm not even sure a PhD is right for me; sometimes it feels okay, but it never quite feels wonderful. It feels more like a job than a life. I'm already on medication for depression/bipolar, and I'm autistic too, if that makes a difference. I get the feeling that I just want to be around folks who get me, which for me seems rare to find over there in an environment so devoted to work.
I feel so lonely right now. I have such an *empty* life, and it sucks so much. Even this kind of work feels kind of wrong for me too: I don't want to be stuck in an office doing facts and figures forever, especially not for four years. I always thought it was what I wanted, but now I feel like I'd much rather go out and help people somehow as my life's work, or find a boring-but-menial job and focus my life outside of that. Even without my work problems, I've felt like this for at least six months. My PhD seems like a temporary thing to me now, and after it I hope to do something else. But four years like this? I'm not sure if I could handle that.
My passion for my work has gone, I suppose.
There are other things to consider too: I'm transgender, and still struggling to get hormone replacement therapy. Sweden is supportive, but they're told me it'd take a year to begin due to the necessary psychological tests. Which I've already done in the UK. Every time I go somewhere else I have to start the whole thing again.
I am scared that I just feel this way because I'm afraid of how my project will turn out. I'm going to go back and get it done, and see how I feel then, but even then I think I'm afraid I'll just slip back into feeling generally miserable again.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35355,
"author": "gnometorule",
"author_id": 4384,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4384",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Even before you mentioned it, reading your detailed description made me wonder if you might be dealing with depression. \n\nA lot of what you feel is likely due to that. A depressed person is unlikely to feel passion (or what you think that might be) for *anything*. Feeling a burning void, a lack of purpose, are common, and would probably be with you whatever you target (I am depressed and empathize). \n\nYes, going home helps, as you say, as you have a support network there. Sweden must be among the better countries to actively support uncommon life circumstances - transgender, depressed, autistic; and you indicate that you feel tolerance (I don't know as much about Australia). Before you drop out, and fall into a possible alternate void in part because of how your mind is wired, I'd strongly consider finding an analyst in Sweden, and working on opening up and finding support in Sweden (transgender groups, other depressed people, people at your school, giving your guest family a shot, and talking to your adviser). I don't know how hard that is considering you say that you are autistic too, but it really is essential to not feel alone; and I see no way around trying.\n\nI would make that my primary focus for the next 6 months, also considering that - for some - depression peaks in winter. If you still feel the same then, I would consider asking for a break of your PhD first before completely dropping out. If granted, try to work as an intern or such in one of the other fields you mention, and see how that feels. My guess though is that it wouldn't necessarily be all that different as long as your depression is strong, but you would have an actual point of comparison."
},
{
"answer_id": 35371,
"author": "ventsyv",
"author_id": 27409,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27409",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Don't sweat it, what you feel is perfectly natural. I moved to the US when I was 19 and the first year did suck. It just takes a while to get used to the country, meet people you have things in common, get a car etc, etc.\n\nYou already spent a year, I think you'll soon find that the worst is over, just stick with it, get your PhD and with that in hand you can do pretty much whatever you want. You can go in academia, you move to the private sector or whatever.\n\nIf you are worried about your job, go talk to the manager. I'm sure you are doing just fine, everyone makes mistakes, even seasoned professionals who should know better, just be honest about it and fix it. \n\nTry meeting other English speakers, I would imagine that Sweden has a sizable British, Americans etc community. Check with the local universities, embassies often have mixers where you can meet people.\n\nI would seriously consider getting a car or moving somewhere closer to town. Get a roommate if you can, that way it's cheaper and you get someone to hang out with. Having a place to go home where you can feel comfortable is super important, it will make you feel much better."
},
{
"answer_id": 49786,
"author": "Pete L. Clark",
"author_id": 938,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/938",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "You are the one who gets to decide what constitutes a valid reason for dropping out of a PhD program. Feeling lonely and uncomfortable is a valid reason for ceasing to do almost anything if the feelings are intense enough. \n\nThe situation of studying abroad in a foreign country where you don't speak the language and don't have an ideal living situation is well known to be difficult. I was an American living in Montreal on a work permit for two and a half years (as a postdoc, not a student). This is certainly the easy end of the spectrum -- how many people living abroad can take a bus to their hometown? -- but it was more difficult than I was expecting it to be. That said, this is a relatively common difficult situation which many people do get through and even come to enjoy. \n\nYou also mentioned that you are bipolar, autistic and are transgendered. Not only transgendered but in a transitional state which is being impeded by your living in a foreign country. Wow, that's a lot of stuff to deal with at once. Again, you are the one to decide whether it's too much stuff, but I have little doubt that it would be too much *for me*. If it were me, I would only continue as a student if the PhD program were going amazingly, excitingly well, to the extent that I could clearly see the wonderful academic career that these personal hardships and sacrifices are setting up. It doesn't sound like your program is going that well, and more importantly it sounds like the prospect of a future academic career is not a source of deep pleasure and satisfaction to you. \n\nIn summary, you sound like you are quite unhappy, and you are in a situation in which those feelings are more than justified. What one life change, however large or small, would make you more happy and fulfilled? That's a tough question and one worth really thinking over. If the answer is \"Dropping out of the PhD program and moving back to your home country\": great, because you can absolutely do that. If it's something else, try doing *that* first and see what happens. \n\nGood luck."
},
{
"answer_id": 49808,
"author": "damian",
"author_id": 27812,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27812",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "The other answers are excellent, but let me add one thing:\n\n> \n> I don't speak the language, but I'm in an academic environment where\n> everyone speaks English anyway.\n> \n> \n> \n\nBelieve me - this is a great misunderstanding (though it is a common one). I work at a University (and did my PhD there) in another country as well - but i **do** speak the language, just as many - but not all - of my international colleagues. Also in our department, most official stuff is done in English, and people are happy to speak English with new colleagues who don't speak the local language. \n\nBut this can actually be pretty dangerous as well: It creates the false impression that learning the local language is not neccessary. Technically speaking, it indeed isn't. But actually, it is. It is simply impossible to feel at home if you cannot do any normal stuff *without everyone else having to make an effort they wouldn't make if you weren't there.* Yes, people might be fluent in English. But that it something different than actually wanting to talk English (= your mother tongue, not theirs!) all the time. To be honest, I think it is perfectly understandable if you go out for a beer after work and you know that inviting person X to join would result in having to speak another language the whole evening, that people don't invite X.\n\nYou are the only one who can decide whether to quit or not. But let me give you an advice: Learn the language. In fact, the very act of taking such a class gives you many new contacts as well, and you might find some friends there as well.\n\nGood luck and all the best!"
},
{
"answer_id": 56467,
"author": "funmi",
"author_id": 42845,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/42845",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "It's normal to feel this way at the beginning, but once These Feelings persist for longer than a month or two, then they cease from simply being the normal 'moving to a new environment' jitters. I say, if it does not suit you, and the programs benefits are not worth it enough for you to stay (e.g. you may be more likely to get a secure Job, but it may be in Sweden, still away from Family and/or you may not be happy with that Position, as is already what seems to be the case from reading your Story), then I do not see the harm in either taking abreak or stopping indefinitely. Sure, the work that you have already completed would have lost its value, but in the Long run, you will thank yourself tremendously for making a decision that would inform your happiness. Another alternative is to enjoy your own Company and seek out at least one like-minded individual by joining an Organisation or speaking to someone within your course of study about going out for Jritkh, etc. \nNever allow your emotions to control you, rather, you control your emotions by doing what is best for yourself in both the short and Long run. Hey, maybe sacrificing a bit of happiness now may yield your happiness for the rest of your life once the program is over and you are more financially stable. True, Money does not bring happiness, but lack thereof is just as burdensome."
},
{
"answer_id": 56484,
"author": "Fábio Dias",
"author_id": 41208,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/41208",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "Phds are seldom easy. It does get better afterwards (postdocs/professors have way more say in what/how they do stuff). Indeed, what I'm doing now has little relation to what I did during the phd...\n\nAll these doubts and insecurities are common. But I'll reinforce the advice: go for professional psychological support. I know from experience that helps, and you have a lot going on :) And, maybe, a hobby, something to take your head of stuff for a while... If you go to australia, try to get a more confortable place to live. For me at least, it really helped...\n\nIMHO, the decision of continuing or not is almost irrelevant. You will do what you think its best and live with it, which is nothing new for you. I would only say that it wouldn't be very wise to decide stuff that is that important while feeling that bad. Clearheaded decisions are always best, but not always possible :)"
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35352",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/21337/"
] |
35,354 |
One of my student’s MA thesis is very well done. I know him and I worked with him enough to notice that something is going on. I talked to him and he always seemed confused about what he was doing and he did not seem to know the source so well.
Is it possible that he just translated and paraphrased another thesis from his native language, which is Spanish? How can I find it out?
The thesis contains citations and everything but it’s too accurate and I have some doubts.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35364,
"author": "ff524",
"author_id": 11365,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11365",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Your question suggests that you are not sure which of the following is true:\n\n* Your student worked hard and produced an excellent thesis\n* Your student plagiarised a thesis from another language\n\nIn either case, this warrants extra attention from you. \n\nThe first step would be to [discuss the work with him further](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/18158/11365). If he was able to discuss said work intelligently, this would be an indication that he did write the thesis. However, you said that you spoke to him, and he seemed confused about what he was doing, which raises legitimate suspicions. \n\nTo find out whether he can (and has) produced good written work, but finds it hard to discuss said work in person, you can ask him to edit his written work. Unless the thesis is 100% perfect in every way, you can identify a potential area of improvement that should not place an undue burden on the student. For example, you can ask him/her to\n\n* add some extra detail to one section\n* compare to another related work in the literature review section\n* etc.\n\nIf the student did the work and independently produced a great thesis, this is positive attention that will help improve the work. If the student did not do the work, it will become evident when he tries to improve it following your suggestions. \n\nOf course, if you know someone who speaks the student's language and who can be counted on to keep your request quiet, you can (without sharing the student's name) ask him/her to search the web in the student's language for publicly available theses on the subject, and see if a match turns up."
},
{
"answer_id": 35366,
"author": "Tom Au",
"author_id": 755,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/755",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "Apparently, the professor's concern is that the student's \"brilliant\" thesis is too far out of line with his other work. It's possible, of course, that this student excels at one academic aspect, i.e. prepared writing. But the possibility ought to be considered that the student hired a \"professional\" to do his work for him. \n\nThe first thing the professor should do is try to get a sample of the student's other writing. The most obvious source is an in-class test (not a take home). Of course it will be less polished than a thesis, but even so, there should be clear badges of common authorship. Otherwise, the professor might even ask to see one of the student's other papers. Perhaps this could be co-ordinated with one of the student's other professors. \n\nPerhaps the best possibility is to consult an expert in \"Spanish,\" and specifically the \"kind\" of Spanish where the student comes from. Such an expert would know how a \"native\" would likely translate his sentences into English, and whether it is at least possible that the translation came from him, or from a \"different\" Spanish speaker. Perhaps the Spanish expert can also quiz the student in Spanish to see if he understands the material in his native language to the degree implied by his submitted thesis."
},
{
"answer_id": 46842,
"author": "mafu",
"author_id": 5640,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/5640",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "I'm just adding a small idea which was not contained in the other answers.\n\nIf his work contains references, you might try to check which articles in the student's language have the same or similar references.\n\nI'm not aware of a tool that automates this process, but you could use e.g. Google Scholar to get a list of all works which reference a particular source. Add those to a list. Repeat for every reference and note down the repetitions of each item.\n\nFinally, you will have a (hopefully not too long) list of works with similar references. Those with the highest count are your best bet to check.\n\nObviously, more 'obscure' references are more useful in this process, while very widely cited sources add no value and can be omitted. If the work only cites widespread sources, this 'fingerprinting' approach is unmanageable without writing an appropriate automation tool first."
},
{
"answer_id": 188741,
"author": "Mariusz Bojarczuk",
"author_id": 162682,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/162682",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "It is not unethical \"to be suspicious on your student because he has done his job very well.\" It is called having a reasonable doubt. The student obviously has not demonstrated an appropriate intellectual level during the course. That is why we have Turnitin. Nothing unethical about it."
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35354",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27460/"
] |
35,356 |
If an email message sent to one's professor is not answered promptly, is it rude to forward it without comment to the original recipient as a reminder? If so, how long should one wait before doing so? Assume the professor is teaching a class the sender is taking.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35357,
"author": "paul garrett",
"author_id": 980,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/980",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "On the whole, I'd say \"yes, this is a rude way to send a reminder to a non-peer.\"\n\nThe premises are tricky: what is \"prompt\" to one person is not to another, and not everyone checks (work-related) email at every available opportunity. E.g., some seem to only go through email once a day, on weekdays, or even less often.\n\nThere is the other issue about acknowledgement of receipt, even if one's response will be delayed.\n\nBut/and if one is teaching a course with 30 or 100 or 250 students, individual responses to daily can be a time-consuming occupation... so that \"acknowledgement of receipt\" becomes unappealing and an arguable waste of time... if a proper understanding can be reached.\n\nI've tried to cultivate in my students a sense that emails should have a \"greeting\", a \"body\", and a \"closing\", much as old-timey paper letters did... if only so that one can tell whether a thing was mis-sent and/or truncated, not to mention some overt acknowledgement of the identity and dignity of the recipient.\n\nSo, if *I* were to receive a fowarded copy of an email that had already been sent to me, I would consider it quite rude, yes. I do attempt to respond within a few hours of receipt of all email, even if only to acknowledge receipt. Whether or not I had done so, I'd view a merely-forwarded email as uncivil, apart from issues about peer-or-not."
},
{
"answer_id": 35358,
"author": "marsisalie",
"author_id": 10017,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10017",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I would be at a minimum annoyed and further less receptive in such a situation where someone would send a plain forward of an already sent email.\n\nOn the other hand, when I need to take such action, I do not send a plain forward but instead I assume the recipient took knowledge of the original email, and add some recent relevant developments (eg: since our last exchange, two new students joined our team efforts and work is really being done. Regarding the original email, everything still stand, please give us an update whenever you can...) or something to that effect"
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35356",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/269/"
] |
35,370 |
Consider someone invited on a job interview (in the sciences) at a university or a national lab or something of that sort with a regular seminar series. As part of the interview, the person is asked to give a talk as part of the seminar series.
Is that appropriate for inclusion on the CV as an invited talk?
I saw one related question to this but it was different enough that it didn't really answer my question:
[Do presentations given during interviews count as invited talks?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/1157/do-presentations-given-during-interviews-count-as-invited-talks)
However, the thread really just has a couple answers with equal support for opposite positions. The difference here is the distinction that the talk is given as part of an interview but **also** is part of a regular seminar series. I was wondering if this changed people's feelings on the matter at all.
It seems to me that any other person would list that as an invited talk. It also just seems to get grayed a bit by the fact that it is technically being used as part of a job interview.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35375,
"author": "Oswald Veblen",
"author_id": 16122,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/16122",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Here is a possible rule of thumb: if they list your talk on the web page for the seminar series (in the list of talks given that semester), then you should not feel bad at all about listing it on your own C.V.\n\nPersonally, I would view any talk that you are invited to give that is \"open the public in the way a normal talk is\" to be an invited talk. But I do divide my talks into conference talks and seminars on my vita."
},
{
"answer_id": 35378,
"author": "JeffE",
"author_id": 65,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/65",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> Is that appropriate for inclusion on the CV as an invited talk?\n> \n> \n> \n\n**Yes.**\n\nIf someone invited you to give a talk, then it's an invited talk. It is perfectly appropriate to list it on your CV as such."
},
{
"answer_id": 35380,
"author": "Andy Putman",
"author_id": 4513,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4513",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "There is no need to overthink this. Every job talk I've ever given or attended was described either as a seminar (say, a geometry seminar) or a colloquium. List it on your cv like that. There are many job talks on \nmy cv (see my webpage), but they are indistinguishable from the rest."
},
{
"answer_id": 36400,
"author": "StrongBad",
"author_id": 929,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/929",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "I think there are two points of view in regards to talks related to a job search. The first is everything associated with the search should be lumped together, and if listed on your CV, it would be under something like \"positions interviewed for\". On my full CV, which I use for keeping track of my activities, I group positions interviewed for into off-campus and on-campus. The other approach is to separate out the \"public\" aspects of the job search and list them separately (e.g., under research seminars and guest teaching). I take the later approach since an issue with the former approach is that sometimes after giving a research seminar (or potentially guest teaching), you might be asked to apply for a job, which of course then blurs the lines.\n\nIn general, prior to making a campus visit, I ask for information about the audience of at the different activities (e.g., teaching demo, research talk about past research, and chalk talk about future research). The response about an activity is usually something along the lines of \"it will just be the search committee\" or \"it is open to everyone and their might be a couple of interested undergraduates in the audience.\" From that I can usually decide if it is a public or private activity. Once I decide an activity is \"public\", I think it is not only entirely appropriate to list it the same as any other talk on your CV, but that leaving it off is misleading. I would consider it the same as if I found out someone was leaving \"questionable\" publications off of their CV."
}
] |
2015/01/06
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35370",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27474/"
] |
35,372 |
If a TT position is announced in a medical-related field in a research-intensive university, and they request to apply using 1) a letter of interest and 2) a CV (No research statement is required). They say the candidate's time would be divided between research 60%, teaching 20%, and service 20%. Would you still submit a research statement or would you just include in the letter of interest more details about your current and future research (this might require making the letter little longer ~3 pages)?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 35375,
"author": "Oswald Veblen",
"author_id": 16122,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/16122",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Here is a possible rule of thumb: if they list your talk on the web page for the seminar series (in the list of talks given that semester), then you should not feel bad at all about listing it on your own C.V.\n\nPersonally, I would view any talk that you are invited to give that is \"open the public in the way a normal talk is\" to be an invited talk. But I do divide my talks into conference talks and seminars on my vita."
},
{
"answer_id": 35378,
"author": "JeffE",
"author_id": 65,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/65",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> Is that appropriate for inclusion on the CV as an invited talk?\n> \n> \n> \n\n**Yes.**\n\nIf someone invited you to give a talk, then it's an invited talk. It is perfectly appropriate to list it on your CV as such."
},
{
"answer_id": 35380,
"author": "Andy Putman",
"author_id": 4513,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4513",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "There is no need to overthink this. Every job talk I've ever given or attended was described either as a seminar (say, a geometry seminar) or a colloquium. List it on your cv like that. There are many job talks on \nmy cv (see my webpage), but they are indistinguishable from the rest."
},
{
"answer_id": 36400,
"author": "StrongBad",
"author_id": 929,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/929",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "I think there are two points of view in regards to talks related to a job search. The first is everything associated with the search should be lumped together, and if listed on your CV, it would be under something like \"positions interviewed for\". On my full CV, which I use for keeping track of my activities, I group positions interviewed for into off-campus and on-campus. The other approach is to separate out the \"public\" aspects of the job search and list them separately (e.g., under research seminars and guest teaching). I take the later approach since an issue with the former approach is that sometimes after giving a research seminar (or potentially guest teaching), you might be asked to apply for a job, which of course then blurs the lines.\n\nIn general, prior to making a campus visit, I ask for information about the audience of at the different activities (e.g., teaching demo, research talk about past research, and chalk talk about future research). The response about an activity is usually something along the lines of \"it will just be the search committee\" or \"it is open to everyone and their might be a couple of interested undergraduates in the audience.\" From that I can usually decide if it is a public or private activity. Once I decide an activity is \"public\", I think it is not only entirely appropriate to list it the same as any other talk on your CV, but that leaving it off is misleading. I would consider it the same as if I found out someone was leaving \"questionable\" publications off of their CV."
}
] |
2015/01/07
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35372",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/21650/"
] |
36,381 |
In elementary school we are taught to give an apple to your teacher as a sign of appreciation. Obviously it doesn't work anymore in academia.
I wish to maintain a relationship with a professor after his class, so to establish a relationship that maybe worthwhile longer down the road.
What are some of the ways to show appreciation to your university prof. without resorting to excessive (and often empty) flattery or sending him gifts which maybe in violation of university policy and land everyone in trouble.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36382,
"author": "Amstell",
"author_id": 24782,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/24782",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "After I finished my undergraduate degree I wanted to thank those professors who were the most influential to me and my studies over the past years. In particular, those who wrote all my graduate school letters of recommendations and took the time to help me through the process. I thought about getting them a gift, but felt it was inappropriate. \n\nWhat I ended up doing was typing a letter to them which thanked them for all they did to me and provided a specific example in which they were influential to me that helped steer me in the direction I was going. I then mailed it to the department so they received it unexpectedly. All of them emailed me to thank me for the nice letter and that it was their pleasure.\n\nThis would be a really nice thing to do that isn't flattering and full of praise, but what you actually got from them that was beneficial. \n\nHope this helps :)"
},
{
"answer_id": 42784,
"author": "Daniel L",
"author_id": 381,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/381",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Some institutions have awards for outstanding instructors that students can nominate people to receive. If you believe your instructor was outstanding, you might submit a nomination for a teaching award."
},
{
"answer_id": 42801,
"author": "O. R. Mapper",
"author_id": 14017,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14017",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I am first going to point out how the actual application of any answer to this question is *very* dependent on the culture that you are in, and afterwards, I am going to suggest a few abstract ways how to do this.\n\n---\n\nAs I said, answers to this question will be extremely culture-dependent. Starting with your example of giving an apple to an elementary school teacher, this could be seen as bordering on corruption in some places (especially in elementary school, where it can be surmised that the child did not buy the apple themselves, but was given the apple by their parents and asked to hand it over to their teacher). (Aside from the more practical question, unless you expect to be treated in a special way compared to your classmates, which would leave an extremely sour taste concerning your little apple gift, what the teacher is supposed to do with some 20 (or whatever the size of your class) apples.)\n\nSigns of appreciation, and the degree at which appreciation is expressed, vary a lot between cultures. I grew up in Germany, and seen with a German cultural background, most praise expressed in English-speaking cultures sounds way over the top. Conversely, Germans are often perceived as cold and uncaring by people from English-speaking cultures, as a simple \"Thank you for the interesting class.\" would already be quite a strong praise in German, but is not necessarily perceived as such by native English speakers. (Some of these differences are outlined quite well in an [essay](http://usaerklaert.wordpress.com/2006/09/18/warum-amerikaner-briten-kanadier-nicht-sagen-was-sie-meinen/) that was translated to English by [Thorsten S](https://travel.stackexchange.com/users/7442/thorsten-s) in his [answer on Travel SE](https://travel.stackexchange.com/a/38192/13104).) There is even a region in Germany that is especially well-known for that trait, and one of their sayings goes \"Absence of ranting is sufficient praise.\" While it's not actually quite that bad and that somewhat humorous saying should be taken with a grain of salt, it demonstrates well different cultural attitudes toward expressing praise.\n\nThe same applies to more material ways of expressing praise. Depending on the culture and circumstances, the way in which a gift (for saying thank you or otherwise) is presented might matter more than the gift itself. To cite just two examples:\n\n* In some cultures such as in China, a gift might be simple, but needs to be well-chosen. As pointed out by the [graphic](http://www.illuminantpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Illuminants-Chinese-Takeout-Vol-04-Enter-the-Dragon-Gifts-72dpi.png) linked in [a Travel SE question](https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/40415/are-candles-a-welcome-gift-in-china), an apple might be an ok gift, but by no means switch it for a pear.\n* Wedding gifts in Germany typically involve some money, but the most important aspect (the one that will actually be appreciated and memorized) is that a lot of fantasy and crafting went into them. cf. [this](http://grossstadtprinzessin.de/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Gesamtansicht.jpg), [this](http://s33.dawandastatic.com/Product/3926/3926198/product_l/1361458510-945.jpg), or [this](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VH3cs.png).\n\n---\n\nAfter establishing that the actual contents and wording is very culture-dependent, there might still be some generic suggestions for how to place the statement of appreciation:\n\n* At the end of the last lesson, when you see the professor for the last time: If you hope to collaborate with the professor in the future, just talk to the professor and express that you'd be interested taking more classes/participating in projects in the research area of the professor or their department. You can then easily start such a conversation by pointing out that one of your main motivations for that goal is that you found the current class very interesting (or, if the topics do not match a lot, at least that it was very well organized and/or well-taught).\n* Once you have something specific in mind, such as a project, point out that you found the class very interesting then. You can postpone your praise till that time; being on the professor's \"gave praise, but didn't have anything concrete\" batch will probably not help a lot, anyway."
}
] |
2015/01/07
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36381",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20070/"
] |
36,384 |
I've seen candidates for tenure-track positions in computer science that managed to negotiate a starting date that is a year later than originally planned. During that additional year, they all seem to be doing a PostDoc in various places.
I'm wondering what the benefit of this is. Many departments provide you with a lighter teaching load during your first year, so it seems to me that the overhead with moving to a new place (for just a year), working on a postdoc salary, and then, before the 12 months are up, moving again, doesn't strike me as an efficient way to develop one's career.
Is there some big advantage of doing such a postdoc rather than immediately starting your tenure-track position that I'm missing?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36386,
"author": "RoboKaren",
"author_id": 14885,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14885",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "Once you have a t-t position, you're in a race against time to get as many publications as you can before your tenure clock runs out.\n\nA postdoc effectively gives you one more year of focused attention to research and publications before you have to start teaching. \n\nNote that teaching can be highly disruptive to research and publications, especially in your first year."
},
{
"answer_id": 36388,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "In addition to postponing the tenure clock by a year, there's another benefit that can accrue from a postdoc: you get to learn a new area, and work with a new group of people, which will improve your group management and leadership experience, and broaden your knowledge base for the future."
},
{
"answer_id": 36437,
"author": "mako",
"author_id": 5962,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/5962",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think there are three main benefits:\n\n1. **Delay the start of the clock.** When a TT position starts, you have a fixed amount of time until your tenure case goes up for review. At that point, your whole portfolio of work and letters from scholars in your field and everything else will be evaluated. If you have more time to publish and build a reputation, you can do more in this regard and build a stronger portfolio and a stronger case for tenure.\n2. **Focus on research.** Tenure cases are evaluated almost completely in terms of research productivity, quality, and impact. Post-docs are usually full-time research positions. TT jobs are largely teaching and service. In this sense, there are some ways that it's easier to build a tenure case *without* a tenure track job!\n3. **Work in another institution.** If you have a job at University X but have an offer for a post-doc at University Y (perhaps a more prestigious institution) this way you can still take the job and add the CV line for Y. It's also a great way to build your network and start collaborations.\n\nOf course, post-docs certainly not without costs once you have the TT job in hand. For example, post-docs generally can't apply for grants as principle investigators and this is something that often matters for tenure."
},
{
"answer_id": 36475,
"author": "user155002",
"author_id": 27210,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27210",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "I can't comment so take it as a possible answer to what has already been correctly said. Usually, postdoc positions are tax-free (at least in Canada for a limited number of years). It is certainly not the main reason to delay tt but a rather pleasant one."
}
] |
2015/01/07
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36384",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/24769/"
] |
36,406 |
Say a student who wants to further her study in a specific field, so she applies for multiple programs at several universities.
Each of these prospective universities requires her to submit at least two recommendation letters.
The question is that how many recommendation letters should she ask a Professor to write?
If she has applied for 5 programs at 5 universities, then she needs to submit 10 recommendation letters. She knows 10 professors of her former school, in this
case, should she ask each professor to write one recommendation letter for her,
or ask the two professors she knows best to write 10 recommendation letters for her?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36407,
"author": "Brian Borchers",
"author_id": 4453,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4453",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "From my point of view as a recommendation writer, it's not much harder to send out 5 recommendation letters for a student then it is to send out one letter, since the letters vary only slightly and in most cases the letters can be submitted online. In my experience, when students ask me for recommendations I typically end up sending out four or five letters per student. \n\nThus I don't think that it is at all unreasonable to ask your recommendation writers to send out multiple letters (within reason.)"
},
{
"answer_id": 36408,
"author": "Nate Eldredge",
"author_id": 1010,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/1010",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Normally, you should choose the two people who know you best and can write you the strongest letters, and ask each of them to send one letter to each program to which you are applying. Each of them will write one letter and send copies of it, with minor modifications if needed, to every program, so it isn't much more work than sending one letter.\n\nThis is to your advantage (you get the strongest letters) and also minimizes the total amount of work.\n\nIf a program needs more than two letters, or you think another professor would be a more suitable writer for one particular program (for instance, if they have connections to that institution), then you can ask for letters from them as well. But there's no need to get letters from more different people purely for the variety."
},
{
"answer_id": 36411,
"author": "Aru Ray",
"author_id": 948,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/948",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "Your goal should be to get the absolute best letters possible. \n\nMost likely, of the ten professors the candidate knows, there are two that will be 'better' letter-writers than the others - in the sense that they know her better, have taught her in multiple classes (more than the others) that she has done well in, the candidate may have done some research/reading course with them, etc.\n\nIn general, these two should be asked to write a letter each that they would send to the different programs. If a student were to come to me and ask me to send letters to five different programs, I would not write five entirely different letters. The letters might have some minor differences if the programs have some significant differences (applied vs theoretical program, or something like that), but they would be mostly identical. \n\nThe only situation where you might ask a third person is if they are a better choice for a particular program, e.g. they might be an alum of that program, or might know someone there personally, might have had the candidate in courses that are particularly relevant for that particular program, etc. In that case you would ask them to write a letter for that particular program in lieu of the default choices."
},
{
"answer_id": 133009,
"author": "Prof. Bill Randall",
"author_id": 110598,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/110598",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "As a professor, the student gets ONE letter. With dozens of requests each year, writing them is very time-consuming and somewhat daunting when one has a \"to do\" list with multiple students. To be honest, it seems that some students just ask every professor they've had to write one, which is poor planning and perhaps \"letter shopping\" for the best one. \nStudents should accept a generic letter that will suffice for any program. I teach nursing so usually, it's for a student's first job as an RN. A few years later ask for a letter when applying for graduate school. I have agreed to those \"only\" if I know the student very well. Since I do not teach classroom courses anymore, usually I refer them to faculty who know their academic work (not just their clinical work). I hope that's helpful."
}
] |
2015/01/07
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36406",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27408/"
] |
36,414 |
Is there a process one could follow when assessing the prestige of a specific supervisor when evaluating PhD programs? I ask because in the academic world, the professor almost trumps the school. I am not sure if that statement holds for industry. How can one assess if the PI's reputation is large enough to offset the fact that conferring institution is not in the top 5 or ten schools for that discipline. I am aiming for of an entrepreneur/industry trajectory and in an ideal world this would not matter. I want to believe that as long as you stellar work experience, the sky is the limit. I just have in the back of my mind in a hypothetical situation where you are trying to pitch and idea for VC funding having that pedigree may be helpful.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36407,
"author": "Brian Borchers",
"author_id": 4453,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4453",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "From my point of view as a recommendation writer, it's not much harder to send out 5 recommendation letters for a student then it is to send out one letter, since the letters vary only slightly and in most cases the letters can be submitted online. In my experience, when students ask me for recommendations I typically end up sending out four or five letters per student. \n\nThus I don't think that it is at all unreasonable to ask your recommendation writers to send out multiple letters (within reason.)"
},
{
"answer_id": 36408,
"author": "Nate Eldredge",
"author_id": 1010,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/1010",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Normally, you should choose the two people who know you best and can write you the strongest letters, and ask each of them to send one letter to each program to which you are applying. Each of them will write one letter and send copies of it, with minor modifications if needed, to every program, so it isn't much more work than sending one letter.\n\nThis is to your advantage (you get the strongest letters) and also minimizes the total amount of work.\n\nIf a program needs more than two letters, or you think another professor would be a more suitable writer for one particular program (for instance, if they have connections to that institution), then you can ask for letters from them as well. But there's no need to get letters from more different people purely for the variety."
},
{
"answer_id": 36411,
"author": "Aru Ray",
"author_id": 948,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/948",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "Your goal should be to get the absolute best letters possible. \n\nMost likely, of the ten professors the candidate knows, there are two that will be 'better' letter-writers than the others - in the sense that they know her better, have taught her in multiple classes (more than the others) that she has done well in, the candidate may have done some research/reading course with them, etc.\n\nIn general, these two should be asked to write a letter each that they would send to the different programs. If a student were to come to me and ask me to send letters to five different programs, I would not write five entirely different letters. The letters might have some minor differences if the programs have some significant differences (applied vs theoretical program, or something like that), but they would be mostly identical. \n\nThe only situation where you might ask a third person is if they are a better choice for a particular program, e.g. they might be an alum of that program, or might know someone there personally, might have had the candidate in courses that are particularly relevant for that particular program, etc. In that case you would ask them to write a letter for that particular program in lieu of the default choices."
},
{
"answer_id": 133009,
"author": "Prof. Bill Randall",
"author_id": 110598,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/110598",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "As a professor, the student gets ONE letter. With dozens of requests each year, writing them is very time-consuming and somewhat daunting when one has a \"to do\" list with multiple students. To be honest, it seems that some students just ask every professor they've had to write one, which is poor planning and perhaps \"letter shopping\" for the best one. \nStudents should accept a generic letter that will suffice for any program. I teach nursing so usually, it's for a student's first job as an RN. A few years later ask for a letter when applying for graduate school. I have agreed to those \"only\" if I know the student very well. Since I do not teach classroom courses anymore, usually I refer them to faculty who know their academic work (not just their clinical work). I hope that's helpful."
}
] |
2015/01/07
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36414",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10097/"
] |
36,419 |
I emailed some tutors from several years ago to ask for a meeting (as described in [this question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35350/why-might-my-tutors-from-several-years-ago-not-respond-to-my-email-request-for-a)). I am happy to tell you that I have received another reply from my former school teacher. She had a trip to Japan for weeks and had not read any emails. She agreed to meet me at my former school.
I want to further my study and I want to seek more information from her.
I know that she is very busy, so should I make use of this opportunity to ask her to write to any recommendation letter for me even if I have not applied for any programms at a university?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36422,
"author": "Florian D'Souza",
"author_id": 26958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26958",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I'm not quite sure what you're asking. What \"more information\" do you need?\n\nI think it is unlikely that any professor or teacher will write a recommendation letter for you in the absence of an application deadline. Otherwise, she might be wasting her time (e.g., you never end up applying or decide that a letter from another professor would be better). Since you say that \"she is very busy,\" I would be careful about asking her to write a letter if you aren't applying anywhere right now.\n\nThe only situation where I would even consider asking about a recommendation letter in the absence of a plan to apply soon would be if you think her memory of you will substantially wane between now and when you apply. If that's the case, maybe reconnecting with her will help jog her memory. On the other hand, many professors will ask for a CV or draft statement of purpose before writing a letter, which can also serve the same purpose."
},
{
"answer_id": 36423,
"author": "marsisalie",
"author_id": 10017,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10017",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "Definitely, you should tell her that you would like to further your training. And since your former tutor know you well, she is one of the capable person to write this letter. \n\nMeanwhile, she doesn't have to write it now and then - if you manifest the possibility of asking her in a near future for such a letter and she agree, this will still stand in a year or so. \n\nIt is hard to write a good and relevant letter in advance without knowing on which desk it will land on - so better make precision when you know more details, such as the institution, concentration, which possible supervisor, with hyperlinks to relevant pages in case she want more context."
},
{
"answer_id": 36429,
"author": "Jessica B",
"author_id": 20036,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20036",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Take the opportunity to ask if they would be willing to write a reference for you at a later time (when you email them the details), giving an indication of when you expect to be doing applications.\n\n(As I have said elsewhere, if your referee is busy (or even if not), try to allow your referee to write their letter and send it to as many places as needed in one sitting, rather than spacing out requests and so taking up more time.)"
}
] |
2015/01/07
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36419",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27408/"
] |
36,428 |
I've seen on this site several posts about how to handle [silly](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/16265/you-are-paid-to-answer-my-questions-how-to-handle-silly-questions) or ["trolling"](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/16319/how-do-you-deal-with-trolling-students/16387#16387) questions, but I recently faced the opposite situation. Several students in a class I'm teaching continuously bring up questions that are relevant to the lecture and/or interesting; however, they ask so many questions that it tends to disrupt the lecture by throwing off the pace and flow of the presentation (e.g., I lose my train of thought or I have to speed up to finish the lecture on time). I don't want to discourage questions, but at the same time, I don't think it is fair to entertain so many questions if it results in a lowering of the lecture's quality.
A solution that I tried is telling the students that they can come to office hours or make an appointment with me to talk. However, most of them don't take me up on those offers, and those who do take advantage of my offer sometimes come with so many questions that I cannot answer them all within the time I've set aside for office hours/teaching appointments.
Since this is limited to a small (but vocal) subset of my students, I don't think the issue is with the quality of my teaching. Otherwise I would expect (and hope) that more people would be asking questions or giving some other indication that I'm not being clear.
Is there any way to handle this sort of situation without coming across as uninterested in student questions or discouraging questions from being posed? I truly am interested in making sure everyone is understanding the material, but at the same time, I cannot be devoting large amounts of time above and beyond what I'm already devoting to teaching.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36430,
"author": "ff524",
"author_id": 11365,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11365",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "As a student, I find that waiting to ask *all* questions in office hours or the end of class is not a great solution. I don't mind delaying non-urgent questions, but sometimes if I don't understand something presented in the first ten minutes of the class, I might then miss out on the rest of the lecture if I don't have a chance to ask a question. So I appreciate when instructors give students *some* chance to ask questions during the lecture.\n\nA good way to allow this and also control *when* and *how many* questions are asked is to invite questions in each class at times of your choosing (and let students know you'll be doing this).\n\nAt the beginning of the lecture, say, \"I'll pause and ask for questions at regular intervals, so you'll have a chance to ask your questions then.\"\n\nDecide ahead of time where you will pause and ask for questions (at convenient places to break the lecture, or places where you know students often have questions).\n\nDuring the lecture, pause at the predetermined places and say something like:\n\n> \n> \"I'll pause for questions now. We have time for three or four questions.\"\n> \n> \n> \n\n(and you can decide how many questions to take depending on how the lecture is going, time-wise.)\n\nStudents with too many questions in office hours are an entirely different issue. You should ask these students to schedule a separate appointment, and determine whether the questions are a sign of a problem (i.e. they may need tutoring or similar services) or a good thing (i.e. they are looking for enrichment and need some pointers on how to find it)."
},
{
"answer_id": 36432,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "I too have struggled with this as a teacher, particularly because I don't want to stifle engagement from students. My main approach, which I think works well with relatively small classes but would not scale well to more than a couple dozen students, is to change my lecture structure so that rather than just presenting material, I am asking students to actively reason about what should come next. That way, the exploration of ideas is built into the lecture and becomes part of the education rather than distracting from it.\n\nTo illustrate this, let me give an example from a lecture that I gave last semester:\n\n1. I started by presenting a basic algorithm on the topic of the lecture.\n2. Next, I worked an example, having the students say what would happen at each step.\n3. We then worked an example of a situation that was problematic for the algorithm the same way, and we talked about what more general circumstances would cause the problem.\n4. I then led a discussion where the students tried to figure out how they might change the algorithm to improve its behavior. After a little while, we'd come close enough to the ideas of the more sophisticated algorithm that was the next thing I wanted to present, and I moved to presenting that algorithm, explaining how they had nearly reinvented it.\n5. We then did the same thing for one more cycle, covering a total of three important algorithms in the lecture and ending with a discussion of the general trade-off space they were representative of, as well as assumptions and pragmatics to be concerned about in real-world usage.\n\nThis approach requires a lot of thinking on your feet, but I think it can be rewarding because it illustrates the students not just how the material works but also where it comes from. I think it also helps build confidence in their own intellectual abilities when (with a little coaching) they can develop the same insights that created the advances they are learning about.\n\nThe downside of this approach is that you probably can't pack as many things into a single lecture. I think this is often OK, because you end up teaching more about principles and how to think about a subject, which means the students will be more able to pick up related material if they need it. You also need to be really confident in your material. I also have no idea how it could scale to large classes.\n\nOther things that I think are important for making this type of approach work:\n\n* Call on different \"areas\" of the class (e.g., \"let's hear from somebody in the back\", \"let's hear from somebody who hasn't spoken yet\"), to keep things from being dominated by the same students.\n* Be willing to let a silence stretch long enough for students to think and gain confidence to speak.\n* If any chunk of discussion is going on too long, you can say something like, \"These are really good ideas, and they lead right into the next thing I wanted to show you...\" or \"That's an excellent question, and we'll come back to it later in the lecture...\" and just move forward. It won't feel as much like discouraging questions in this mode, since after all you've just been leading a discussion!"
},
{
"answer_id": 36460,
"author": "Chris H",
"author_id": 8494,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/8494",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "It sounds to me like there are 2 types of question relevant here \n\n* *What did you mean by ...?*\n\nThe answer is brief and not answering would affect a student's ability to follow the rest of the lecture.\n\n* *What are the implications of ...?*\n\nThis is a question that might lead to a longer answer or some discussion. \n\nI suggest that the first kind should be answered when asked, the effect on the flow of the lecture should be small. The second kind is more amenable to deferring to one or more of \n\n* the end of the lecture or section\n* office hours\n* the next lecture\n* a seminar/problems class\n\nIn many of these cases you *and more importantly the students* can take some time to read about the question (you might need a 5 minute refresher, it might take them an hour).\n\nOf course at first it will be up to you to say \"let's save that question\", but you can be clear about what's a good question to handle inline and what is best kept to the end. This distinction may serve them well in, for example, postgrad seminars if they go on to such things later."
},
{
"answer_id": 36468,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "You're very lucky to have this problem, which is not really a problem but rather an opportunity. You don't say what field this is, but for STEM fields, there's a great deal of research (see [Fruakan] for a review) showing that straight lecturing is the worst possible mode of instruction, and that the methods that work better involve some kind of active engagement by the students.\n\nSome of the comments on jakebeal's answer seem to show that a lot of people are really hung up on a strict 19th-century interpretation of what \"lecture\" means. Just because it's referred to as \"lecture\" in the college catalog, that doesn't mean that it has to be taught using techniques that have been demonstrated to be ineffective.\n\n> \n> I don't want to discourage questions, but at the same time, I don't think it is fair to entertain so many questions if it results in a lowering of the lecture's quality. \n> \n> \n> \n\nThe research shows that the opposite is the case. The lowest quality of instruction will result if you give a straight, smooth, highly organized, noninteractive lecture.\n\n> \n> they ask so many questions that it tends to disrupt the lecture by throwing off the pace and flow of the presentation (e.g., I lose my train of thought or I have to speed up to finish the lecture on time)\n> \n> \n> \n\nYour concern about covering all the material is a natural one, given traditional expectations that students will be spoon-fed the material in class. Active learning techniques can only succeed if the instructor makes it clear that the students are responsible for reading *before* the material is covered in class, and enforces this expectation using grades, typically by giving easy, multiple-choice questions on the reading. The purpose of the class meeting is then to wrestle with the material, not to introduce it. For an example of successful practices, see [Mazur].\n\nFruakan et al., \"Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics\" -- <http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/05/08/1319030111>\n\nMazur, Peer Instruction: A User's Manual, 1996"
},
{
"answer_id": 36477,
"author": "Myself",
"author_id": 27563,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27563",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Frankly it sounds like you are the issue here. As the questions are on topic you are a lucky teacher to have students as interested in the topic. As a student (of the questioning persuasion) I can't stand to be told that my questions are \"out of the scope if this class\" etc. Learn your material backwards and forwards an in-depth. You aren't there to read the text book to them."
}
] |
2015/01/07
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36428",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26958/"
] |
36,431 |
It's been 8 days since my TOEFL scores were sent to me by ETS and I chose for them to be sent directly to the university I am applying. However, the official score reports won't be sent there before the deadline. Is it okay to copy-paste (since there is not a "print" option) and upload the scores that were electronically sent to me 10 days after the test date and notify the university about the delivery of the official score reports? Also, will I be notified by ETS when the university receives the official score reports?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36446,
"author": "JustStarted",
"author_id": 18043,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/18043",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "ETS says \"Official score reports will be sent to your designated recipients approximately 13 days after you take the test.\" at [this link](https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/scores/send/)\n\nThat means, if your deadline is 20 days from now, and you take your TOEFl today, then score would be sent within 13 days (7 days before the deadline.) and finally will be received by the university after 13+7 days (it might take more). You can mail the university asking them to consider your report if they receive it wthin 2-3 days. They can wait for 2-3 days, if requested, but totally depends on the school. Talk to them, request them. Otherwise, your application will be considered as INCOMPLETE! and it would be considered in the next Round.\n\nI don't think that the candidate is intimated about the delivery of the report as they send it via postal mail."
},
{
"answer_id": 36493,
"author": "user141592",
"author_id": 27327,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27327",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "In my experience, universities don't have a deadline for official scores. They do however have a deadline for when you should have taken the exam. If you took the exam before the deadline, they either know that the scores will arrive before they actually start reviewing your application, or they don't consider the scores until later in the process. You can always contact them and ask if they would like an unofficial score report, but if you took the exam before the deadline it will not be a problem."
}
] |
2015/01/07
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36431",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/23239/"
] |
36,438 |
This [case](http://www.ssmlaw.ca/2012/11/noteworthy-cases-pridgen-v-university-of-calgary-2012-abca-139/) in Canada was between students who were complaining about a professor and the school who claimed doing so was misconduct. The school lost because the punishment infringed on students' freedom of speech.
By this logic, does freedom of speech protect students from punishment if they were to release details of a test question while complaining about it in a similar manner? What legal right do universities have to mandate confidentiality of such things? (I hope this doesn't sound facetious)
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36439,
"author": "Ben Bitdiddle",
"author_id": 24384,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/24384",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "From your link:\n\n> \n> Where a government-funded or affiliated entity such as a University attempts to limit the freedom of expression of its students it must carefully consider the students’ Charter right to freedom of expression, and ensure that any limitation is **reasonable, justified and compliant with the Charter.**\n> \n> \n> \n\nIt seems like the difference between punishing people for sharing test questions and punishing them for criticizing professors is that one of these is \"reasonable and justified,\" while the other isn't."
},
{
"answer_id": 36440,
"author": "fedja",
"author_id": 6118,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/6118",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "In all reality, there is no way to keep people from talking to each other in pretty much any way they want and the boundaries between what is officially \"legal\" and \"illegal\" here are so uncertain, that whatever one hundred volume treatise an army of crooks may write on the subject, it will just confuse everything and clarify nothing. \n\nAs to the formal question, AFAIK, the freedom of speech act won't help you much if you are doing something utterly ridiculous (like posting the questions you were explicitly asked not to spread on billboards, online or otherwise), and any legal dispute will be resolved based on the circumstances more than on the action itself, if you decide to bring it to that stage. In general, universities can and do enforce written academic policies against obvious violations and within reasonable limits, but, like it is with copyright, speed limits, and other things, it is understood that an attempt to stick to the letter of the law no matter what will make more harm than good, so you can get away with \"minor infringements\" more often than not.\n\nAs a side note, a professor officially complaining about students complaining about her makes me just laugh: if we had all followed the pattern, the courts would have to work day and night for the next few decades. The article carefully avoids telling what exactly the posts were (and, knowing what our students write in the evaluations, I am ready to believe that some of them might be offensive enough to merit a good slap on the face) but going the official way about such stuff just doesn't seem to lead anywhere. If you are dealing with legitimate and civilized criticism, you'll just have to swallow it, though you may prefer to stay at your own opinion, and if you are dealing with morons, you will just waste your time on them and gain next to nothing even if you win. You'd better leave the judgement about the validity of student complaints about you to your colleagues and other students: most of them aren't blind or stupid and know who is worth what."
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36438",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27526/"
] |
36,441 |
So I am inquiring general tips from experienced individuals of academia and industry. I am a recent graduate from a top university with B.S. in math. I had goals of doing PhD in stats, but recently changed mind. I have a bit of family pressure to get a job and work to build income. I am from lower middle class, and am 30 years old. I've worked at a leading hospital and my boss encourages me to do a PhD.
However, it seems better to work full time at a company which will pay for the masters or some of it. My strategy is that at 33-35 years old, I would be working full time and working on a masters instead. Thus at this age I could have work experience, income, and a graduate degree.
It seems like an unwise choice to pursue a PhD and graduate at age 35-36 without work experience and having to start earning income.
My interests are to work in industry, and research centers. I do not believe PhDs would guarantee job security, higher wages, or happier careers. A masters would suffice. I argue that a PhD is not necessary.
Is my logic sensible? On a personal note, I am quite disenchanted/burned out with higher education.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36445,
"author": "Orion",
"author_id": 19732,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/19732",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Be honest to yourself. Are the arguments against truly yours or are you echoing your family? If they are yours, you have your answer. \n\nIf you are echoing your family, do your homework on job security, salary, etc. There are salary surveys. PhD does bring you a higher salary and very different job. Job security should be higher with PhD since you are hired for your uniqueness - hence you are irreplaceable, or least it is much more difficult to replace you. \n\nWith Master in stats you help others make sense out of data with the existing toolset. Most of your project will be successful. They will be relatively low risk too. If you prefer to feel mastery of the subject, go for MS.\n\nWith PhD in stats you invent new tools. Your day to day life is uncharted waters. The risk is higher, and you never feel you have mastery. There will be lots of unknown, dead-ends, and fails. There will be occasional successes, which will make it all worthwhile.\n\nLastly, I have a feeling that age is the unspoken factor. You have a 30+ career ahead of you. Few years don't matter much. Choose what fits you better, because it will be 30 long, miserable years ahead otherwise."
},
{
"answer_id": 36462,
"author": "Stephan Kolassa",
"author_id": 4140,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4140",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Background: I have a math Ph.D. and am working as a statistician in industry.\n\nI'll try to address both the general question you ask and your specific situation.\n\n---\n\n**M.Sc. vs. Ph.D. in stats in general**\n\nThis quote of yours is key:\n\n> \n> I do not believe PhDs would guarantee job security, higher wages, or happier careers.\n> \n> \n> \n\nAnd you are right about this. A Ph.D. won't guarantee any of these.\n\nIf you do a Ph.D., you will end up with a different qualification than with \"only\" an M.Sc. In doing a Ph.D., you will be spending multiple years thinking up *new* methods or algorithms. You will become an expert on an (admittedly small) topic, which you will know more about than your advisor. In contrast, in doing an M.Sc., you will learn a lot of different techniques and apply them, but you won't develop new ones. (Some M.Sc. students do just that - exceptions exist.)\n\nWhat does that mean for your job prospects? If you are looking for a job as a \"consulting statistician\", \"data analyst\" or similar, an M.Sc. will usually be enough. Employers may balk at hiring a Ph.D. for such positions for multiple reasons:\n\n* Ph.D.s usually ask for higher salaries\n* Ph.D.s are older, possibly less flexible (families) than entry-level M.Sc.s\n* Ph.D.s may feel underchallenged and try to leave for more interesting work elsewhere\n* Ph.D.s may be specialized in one field - but an M.Sc.'s knowledge of *multiple* methods is more recent\n\nSo with a Ph.D., you would be applying for more \"conceptual\" positions, where you don't only *apply* your knowledge, but actively create new statistical methods to solve problems.\n\nThere are more jobs out there that require *applying known methods* than *creating new ones*.\n\nYou may be lucky and find a job opening that requires a Ph.D., or (even better) one that matches your Ph.D. research interest. (I wouldn't count on this last possibility - research is so specialized these days that it is rare to find a position in industry that closely matches what you did in your Ph.D. career.) If so, your Ph.D. pays off. If not, you may be in for a long search, or you may need to work for lower wages, and still need to convince an employers that he is better off hiring you than a new M.Sc. graduate - at the same wage. If this happens to you, you will definitely feel like the Ph.D. was a waste of time.\n\nOverall, I would only recommend doing a Ph.D. if you are passionate about it, if you genuinely want to devote three to five years of your life to research. Don't do a Ph.D. for the career value if you plan on leaving academia. It likely will be a step backwards in terms of lifetime earnings or your career progression. (Around me, I see no correlation between having a Ph.D. and job security or higher wages - I can't judge the happiness of my colleagues' careers.)\n\n---\n\n**Your specific situation**\n\n> \n> I have a bit of family pressure to get a job and work to build income.\n> ...\n> \n> \n> It seems like an unwise choice to pursue a PhD and graduate at age\n> 35-36 without work experience and having to start earning income.\n> \n> \n> ...\n> \n> \n> ... On a personal note, I am quite disenchanted/burned out with higher\n> education.\n> \n> \n> \n\nI see a lot of skepticism about doing a Ph.D., and much focus on your alternatives. I don't see anything indicating you would love to do research for research's sake. (Please don't misunderstand me: I'm not saying you are lazy. I am pointing out what your priorities seem to be, based on your question.) Compare this to my recommendation above.\n\nIt does not seem to me that doing a Ph.D. would be a wise move for you.\n\nNevertheless, we can't usefully help you a lot with your decision. I'd recommend you talk to people who know you and your specific situation.\n\n[This](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/18300/pure-math-phd-careers/18309#18309) and [this](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27638/is-a-phd-right-for-you-if-you-hate-doing-research-in-your-free-time-but-love-doi/27643#27643) earlier answer of mine my be helpful."
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36441",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27534/"
] |
36,443 |
Is there some quantifiable difference between those who seek master's degrees and those who seek doctorates? If there is, does the difference justify the current distinction between the two?
The distinction seems like a product of institutional culture rather than anything practical. But that's just my view as an outsider. Regardless, I'd love to get y'all's insight in this matter.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36459,
"author": "Maarten Buis",
"author_id": 14471,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14471",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> The distinction seems like a product of institutional culture rather than anything practical.\n> \n> \n> \n\nThe distinction between masters and PhD is very practical: a PhD is in essence vocational training for future researchers, while a master is intended for those who want to know more than they learned in their bachelor but do not want to become a researcher. \n\nSo a meaningful dimension on which you could expect Master and PhD students to differ would be their intended future career. Notice that this is not a hierarchical dimension like intellectual and technical capability, it is just a difference in kind."
},
{
"answer_id": 36463,
"author": "A.S",
"author_id": 22447,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22447",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> What is the practical difference between the training someone\n> receives in a PhD program verses a masters?\n> \n> \n> \n\nIn one sentence, experience with planning and conducting scientific research in a particular subject domain. \n\nA Master's degree may be viewed as an fast-track apprenticeship program. If done right, it allows the apprentice to get their feet wet in a knowledge domain, try out a relatively small-scale, \"practice\" project of independent research, and get oriented in the general space and culture of graduate-level academic (or \"serious\" professional, as in applied fields like business) life and work through a 1-2 year period of focused study. \n\nIn comparison, a PhD is a substantial, systematic program of study with a duration, structure, and checks and balances intended to make it difficult to cut corners, and instead to fully invest one's intellect in training of research in a particular knowledge domain.\n\nThis is a big area though, encompassing a fairly long laundry list of competencies, from subject matter knowledge (including past research, currest state the art, and future prospects), analytical thinking (both in the intricacies of the subject matter as well as practical issues of how to formulate, address, and communicate findings related to questions answering which is of value to the field and hopefully society at large).\n\nAt the end of the day, as has been pointed out, both are types of vocational training intended to provide a foundation upon which one might build themselves to become a professional in a particular area.\n\nIn some sense, both Masters and PhD are indicators of commitment to a particular occupation. It is relatively easy to try something out for a year or two, requiring some but not a very large amount of commitment, time, and effort. \n\nIt is relatively more difficult to do this for an extended period of time (typically 5-6 years) and invest oneself fully into a large, long-term research project where much time-on-task is expected and personal discipline, perseverance, and abilities to overcome challenges and make a recognized contribution to a field are put to the test.\n\nThe **practical difference** is that a person with a PhD would be expected, ideally, to be that much more effective in doing these kinds of things and exhibiting these types of qualifies as applied to a research-intensive occupation, all other things being equal. That is the working assumption, and the 'why' in 'why do a PhD'.\n\n> \n> Why should I be willing to rank a PhD higher given the same amount of\n> time in field?\n> \n> \n> \n\nWhether you are willing to rank a PhD above MA/MS depends on the value you attribute to the practical difference between the two (previous question). If these differences are relevant to your concerns, then you will probably interpret a PhD as carrying more 'weight' in terms of these relevant characteristics. So to some extent it is a matter of personal perspective. Also to some extent, you may want to defer to the \"institutional culture\" in ranking a PhD higher if your personal perspective aligns with that culture (stated differently, if you subscribe to the same premises). \n\nOne example of this is if you consider yourself sharing the cultural norms which exist in certain settings, of valuing greater ability in academic writing, experience conducting scholarly / scientific research (e.g. selecting appropriate methodology, planning/conducting the study, acknowledging methodological limitations, and clearly writing up the background/method/results/discussion). \n\nWhat it boils down to, in my opinion, is the assumption that experience equals ability. The practical purpose for earning a PhD is formally engaging in a multi-year program of professional development with the assumption that it will yield greater skills/knowledge (ability) in a particular subject domain, as well as in some transferable skill areas such as research competency, as in the example above.\n\nSome resources:\n\n[What's the difference between a masters and a doctoral degree?](http://www.idealist.org/info/GradEducation/Resources/Options/Difference) (see paragraphs \"Purpose and uses of a doctorate\" and \"Purposes and uses of a masters degree\".\n\n[More focused discussion in reference to computer science](http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-main-differences-between-a-Masters-and-a-PhD-in-computer-science)\n\n[A related question on Academia](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/7252/what-are-the-main-differences-between-undergraduate-masters-and-doctoral-thes)\n\nHope this helps. Good luck!"
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36443",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27536/"
] |
36,444 |
Is there a global/worldwide database of dissertations? If not, how can I access French, German, Italian, etc. dissertations online?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36450,
"author": "Maarten Buis",
"author_id": 14471,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14471",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "For German dissertations it is often a requirement that the dissertation is \"published\", which used to mean published by a publisher, though many universities have made this requirement less strict to allow for the new possibilities of the internet. However, publishing with a publisher is still common practice in many disciplines. This means that many German dissertions are not downloadable from the internet. If you have a concrete dissertation you want to read it can help to contact the author directly, they may be willing to sent you a copy."
},
{
"answer_id": 36455,
"author": "magnetometer",
"author_id": 23443,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/23443",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "I am not aware of an international database, but basically all german dissertations have to be submitted to the German National Library (Deutsche Nationalbibliothek), so if they exist in physical form they can be accessed at the libraries in Frankfurt and/or Leipzig. If they only exist in electronical form, they are still registered at the library. The following link is going to give you a list of all german dissertations that are freely available online:\n[DNB search](https://portal.dnb.de/opac.htm?method=moveDown¤tResultId=hss%20all%20%22diss*%22%26any&categoryId=onlinefree)\n\nThe DNB also has a manual about searching for dissertations, however I could only find a german version that is available [here](http://www.dnb.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/DNB/netzpub/anleitungSucheDissertationen.pdf?__blob=publicationFile)"
},
{
"answer_id": 42871,
"author": "Jaap Eldering",
"author_id": 1605,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/1605",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Dutch doctoral theses can be found at:\n\n<http://www.narcis.nl/search/genre/doctoralthesis/coll/publication/Language/en>"
},
{
"answer_id": 42879,
"author": "Benoît Kloeckner",
"author_id": 946,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/946",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "For French PhD thesis, the most important repository is [TeL](https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/). Many university now make it mandatory to deposit one's thesis there, so it has a very good coverage for recent years."
},
{
"answer_id": 42905,
"author": "Massimo Ortolano",
"author_id": 20058,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20058",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Italy\n-----\n\nIn the past, all PhD dissertations in Italy were to be sent in printed form to the [Biblioteca nazionale centrale di Roma](http://www.bncrm.librari.beniculturali.it/index.php?en/1/home). It appears, however, that those dissertations [can only be read there](http://www.bncrm.librari.beniculturali.it/index.php?en/101/tesi-di-dottorato). The library has an [online catalog](http://193.206.215.17/BVE/ricercaBase.php) which, however, doesn't seem to index the dissertations (from the library's website it appears that the PhD dissertations catalog is only in paper form).\n\nFor further information about dissertations deposited there, I suggest you to contact the library directly. There is also an international interlibrary loan service ([Prestito Interbibliotecario Internazionale](http://www.bncrm.librari.beniculturali.it/index.php?it/875/articolazione-dei-servizi-al-pubblico-con-indicazione-dei-responsabili)).\n\nNowadays, instead, all universities in Italy have online repositories, and many recent dissertations should be available from these repositories."
},
{
"answer_id": 57985,
"author": "Federico Poloni",
"author_id": 958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/958",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "Some university thesis databases are registered and indexed by the international [Open Archives Initiative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Archives_Initiative) organization. So you can find links to many theses via their search engine [OAIster](http://oaister.worldcat.org/)."
},
{
"answer_id": 57986,
"author": "agold",
"author_id": 36623,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/36623",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "In Spain the dissertations are listed on the website of the [Ministry of Education](https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/irGestionarConsulta.do), and the [Network of Spanish University Libraries](http://rebiun.baratz.es/rebiun/?&locale=en_EN).\n\nMost theses of Catalan universities can be found in digital form on [tdx.cat](http://www.tdx.cat/)."
},
{
"answer_id": 68571,
"author": "Sara",
"author_id": 44158,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/44158",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "There is also DART-Europe <https://www.dart-europe.org/basic-search.php> which aggregates info about openly available European PhDs."
},
{
"answer_id": 165751,
"author": "MCan",
"author_id": 137957,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/137957",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "You can find both master and phd thesis in Turkey from the following website:\n\n<https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/giris.jsp>"
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36444",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/9425/"
] |
36,449 |
I'm a high school student also enrolled in a computer science class at a local college, and earlier this week I noticed that my grade for the class had dropped. I checked the online gradebook after noticing this, and there was a 0 for a programming assignment I had submitted. I sent my professor several emails (instead of asking him in person because the college is currently on break) asking why there was a 0, and he responded after a few days by telling me to wait for the disciplinary committee to contact me regarding the assignment.
And only after sending my email did I remember that I had taken bits of my program from an online one written for a problem very similar to mine--and it even used techniques we never learned in class. It was months ago, when I was really overloaded with work, and I thought I was safe because I paid to access the code online. And a lot of my friends who were full-time undergraduates seemed to be overtly cheating pretty often.
And only after he responded did the full gravity of the situation sink in on me: I had plagiarized, and there was no excuse. I had used someone else's work without much remorse while I was doing it, lacking moral responsibility just like a sociopath might. I did something might ruin my life.
At this point, I'm panicking and desperately need advice. I feel terrible, and I'm finding it hard to concentrate on my work for high school or even sleep. I had an amazing opportunity to pursue something I really loved at a higher level than most people my age, and I completely blew it. And what's more, I might not have the chance to do it again now.
I was recently admitted to my dream college Early Action, and it was the only college I applied to. But now I'm afraid that I'll get rescinded because I'll probably be dismissed from the college I'm currently enrolled in, and even if the disciplinary committee doesn't let my dream college know directly, it probably has a way to find out.
And even if I don't get rescinded, I'm worried that I'll need to send this information to all of the grad schools I apply to, or if not, they'll just have it anyway.
I know there's not much I can do until I hear back from the committee, but what should I do right now and after I hear back? If I'm brought before the committee for a hearing, what should I do? What are the chances I'll be rescinded? Will this prevent me from getting into a good grad school?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36461,
"author": "Benoît Kloeckner",
"author_id": 946,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/946",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "An important part in your situation is that you understand the seriousness of what you did, and that you regret it. \n\nI would think that a disciplinary committee, while it probably will and certainly should take a disciplinary measure against you, also probably will and certainly should mitigate that measure if they are convinced that you sincerely understand and regret your action. The good news is that there is a wast array of possible measures, as giving the lowest grade, giving an official blame, public or not, etc. You should expect something, but there is no need to anticipate something dramatic. Do not relax too much though, that might reflect badly on you."
},
{
"answer_id": 36481,
"author": "Pete L. Clark",
"author_id": 938,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/938",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "You sound quite naive about what constitutes plagiarism or academic wrongdoing at the university level (in particular the thought that **paying for the code** makes it okay or even less likely to be caught is pretty much exactly wrong). But this naivete is quite well explained by the fact that you're a high school student.\n\nIt's great that you realize that you did something seriously wrong: I agree with you. But you're not a sociopath: rather, you are a teenaged minor, and your behavior is well within the normal operating parameters of such entities. Many (perhaps most) minors do at least one really stupid thing that if they were an adult would get them in real trouble. But unless their actions cause irreparable harm to others, the adult world tends to be forgiving: there has to be a time in which you can make mistakes and learn from them. \n\nI think it is *very unlikely* that your actions would cause the university in which you've been early admitted to rescind its offer. This is on the border of being so unlikely as not to really be worth worrying about...but someone in your situation is going to worry. Here's how to allay your concerns:\n\nYou should go to your professor and explain very calmly and honestly everything that happened. Your position should be that you are thoroughly repentant and will not contest whatever penalty to your course grade you have received. You have just one concern: you don't want the academic dishonesty to appear on your transcript, because -- be honest -- you think that might jeopardize your collegiate career. If it comes to it, you should make clear that you would rather get a failing grade or an unsatisfactory withdrawal from the course. (This is a difference between your situation and that of most normally enrolled university students.) If the professor is not willing to agree to that on the spot, then you should talk to others -- in particular, to your parents -- about how to proceed next."
},
{
"answer_id": 89289,
"author": "dragoncat16",
"author_id": 71136,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/71136",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "A first offense will generally not get you kicked out. I speak for my own institution but probably most others have a similar policy. Probably the worst that will happen is that the zero grade will stand for that assignment. It's when students habitually plagiarize that they get into real trouble. Just learn from this mistake and don't let it happen again."
},
{
"answer_id": 100121,
"author": "drsnark",
"author_id": 83555,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/83555",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "You sound like you've punished yourself plenty too on this issue. We all make mistakes. Own the mistake and use it as an opportunity to grow personally and professionally."
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36449",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27539/"
] |
36,458 |
I am having very frustrated at the turn of events and review process. I had sent a paper to an International Journal. The paper was based on my work and well received by PhD committee of my Institute. The paper was submitted 3 years back. The paper was in status "Editor Assigned" for 6 months. After that its status changed to "Under Review". After 9 months in this status (15 months after submission date), I sent a polite mail to editor asking about how much time it will take to complete review? There was no response. After I month similar gentle mail was sent. There was no response. After month, I again sent query (18 months after submission). At that Editor replied saying that they could not review the paper as assigned reviewers either refuse to review or did not agree to review. The paper was rejected after 18 months without any review comment.
So how does one know where it requires improvement? If paper was not of required quality why they kept with them for so long?
I feel that it is wrongly rejected.
Is it correct answer?
How can it show status as Under Review and then Editor says no Reviewer did not accept or refuse. My understanding is that paper goes in "Under Review" state only after "Reviewer" accepts to review. So what would have happened? Why Editor requires 3 months just to tell the status and comes back with mail like this? Editor did not bother reply to mail. Is it that he got angry because of persistent queries.
I had even worst experience with next Journal. The paper was submitted and it remained in status "With Editor" for 9 months. Wiser by experience, I asked Editor about status? After persisting with it for about 2 more months, Qheef Adipog said that they rejected paper based on quick review as paper is not suitable to Journal as it does not meet its criteria like Originality, Depth etc. Again there no review comments about improvement.
It is not sour grape, I do feel that around 60% papers in that Journal do not possess these qualities and have been published in 6-8 months (after revision).
If paper is not of required standard, they could have rejected in 2-3 months, why it took them such long time. If I would not have sent mail, probably it would have remained with them for long time. This work is now 3 years old not published anywhere and I even do not know what to do to improve. I am feeling very bad and really do not know what to do?
What would happened? Is it wrong to ask editors about status even after 9 months or year? Our University requires two Journal publication for PhD thesis submission and really do not what to do?
Many friends are suggesting that publish in Open Access Journals.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 40216,
"author": "Peter Jansson",
"author_id": 4394,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4394",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I would not say your manuscript is wrongly rejected. What I would say is that it should perhaps not have taken such a long time.I can see many reasons for the delay, all dealing with personal issues, some understandable and some not so. Sometimes you just have to live with it. So the real problem here seems to be a lack of response as to why exactly the manuscript was rejected. It could be low quality, it could be out of scope and thus very different reasons. I think it would be only fair to ask the editor for a clarification, based on the fact that you accept the rejection and wish to see how it can be improved. \n\nI think a journal should provide feedback on reasons for a rejection but also note that the reasons one journal rejects the manuscript may not be the same reasons another journal does so, if, for example, the reasons for rejection is \"out of topic\". So trying to get a sense of the reasons may be key to how you should proceed.\n\nAnother, to me, obvious way forward is to have a peer look at your manuscript so that you get feedback that can help you decide how to proceed.\n\nFinally, Open Access is not equal to easy to publish. Yes, there are murky waters where shady open access publishers reside but you need to chose your journal with some care., Having a publication in a low quality or even dubious journal will not be of much use to you. So Open Access is not an either or choice but one of the alternatives and chosing the right journal includes also Open Access journals."
},
{
"answer_id": 40226,
"author": "Benoît Kloeckner",
"author_id": 946,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/946",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "The delays you mention are really excessive (note: I feel that way even though I am a mathematician), and your anger is quite deserved for that.\n\nFrom what I heard from editors I know, it can happen that a paper is sent to successive referees who decline to referee, or worse accept and then don't do the job and do not respond to queries. At some point, the editor have to either do a referee's job themselves, which usually do not happen, or reject the paper. Usually, this happen with papers that are not clearly wrong or uninteresting, but that are difficult to read and do not *really* interest the tentative referees. In some case, you can have better result by submitting to a different, e.g. more specialized journal.\n\nIn your case, what bothers me is that being in a PhD, you have an advisor. What does she think of the paper? If there is no obvious problem in it, did you submit to journal suggested by her? On what ground? Is it possible that your institute, whose PhD committee you says received your work well, has much lower standards than international journals?\n\nIn any case, the only effective answer to your question is: seek feedback from a knowledgeable individual. It could be your advisor, but if needed it could also be another senior researcher in your field and institute, or even someone working elsewhere in your field. The closer the better, as it increase the probability of getting the feedback and the probability that it will be honest.\n\nLast, as already mentioned, open access journal can be as toughly selective as subscription journals, and should not be considered easy shots when everything else has failed. I would not recommend submitting to a shady journal, let alone an OA one since shady OA journal often charge several hundred of dollars for publication."
},
{
"answer_id": 40236,
"author": "Zarrax",
"author_id": 30688,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/30688",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "I have had this happen a couple of times. In my case it meant that the paper was incomprehensible, and the referee(s) couldn't figure out what to make of it. The solution was to rewrite the papers in question and break them up into pieces, and more generally work on the exposition. Eventually I got all the work accepted into journals although it took a few years to sort everything out.\n\nAnother possibility I suppose is that you are a \"crackpot\" and your writeups were technical gibberish. But I will give you the benefit of the doubt here and assume that this is not the case. At any rate, if you are a crackpot nothing we say here is going to really help anyhow :)"
},
{
"answer_id": 40238,
"author": "Johnathan Clayborn",
"author_id": 29299,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/29299",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I happen to be an editor for a new Open Access journal. I concur with the the general sentiment of the other commentators. I have had similar things happen to me before as well. One Editor flat-rejected a paper of mine on the grounds that \"there were already a lot of papers on that subject\", even though I had conducted an exhaustive search and even enlisted the help of my school library team and we could not find even one. \n\nThe biggest advice I can give you is this; whether you choose a traditional journal, or an Open Access journal, they should have their guidelines clear. In their submission guidelines section they should clearly enumerate what fees are involved, if any. Many Open Access journals like mine don't charge a fee to read or publish. They should also clearly explain the turn around time from the editors. Some journals are published Quarterly so a review period of several months is common, but I have seen many journals with a turn around time of 4-6 weeks. The journal should also clearly explain the review process. For example, in my journal, I first quickly review the article for topic-fit to the journal. If the submission is within scope, then it is submitted to two different reviewers who conduct a double-blind review. At least one reviewer is a methodology expert and at least one is a content expert. The helps to ensure that the article is accurate. We also explain clearly what the outcomes are and what each one means. This is also a pretty common practice. If it is taking that long and the articles are being rejected by the reviewers then it sounds like either: 1. the journal you submitted to doesn't have a very large pool of reviewers, 2. the journal editor has too many submission to handle and is overwhelmed, or 3. the journal editor isn't going through and keeping the list of reviewers clean and is trying to assign articles to inactive reviewers. \n\nIn any event, don't get discouraged, just look for a different journal and try again. Check to see when the journal published an issue last and if they have their policies spelled out on the site. Good luck!"
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36458",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27543/"
] |
36,464 |
Lets suppose that I see an open PhD position in the field of Machine Learning, area whose I have only some very basic or general knowledge, but that I am willing to learn more about it. I wonder what I should put in my cover letter to show that I have a genuine interest in the subject and that I am willing to learn more about it. I mean for what I know, the first year in a PhD program is for a student to gain knowledge about the theoretical parts that will help him or her to continue their PhD studies. I have seen that also some of them receive aome training that will help them to narrow their interests into one specific topic before the writing of the thesis start.
I am somewhat traumatized after once I applied to a PhD position and in the interview when I mentioned that "I was willing to learn more, enroll into courses and being self taught for the research that they were making"; and the professor in charge reply to me in a harsh way "You are not here to begin to learn, we need people that already know what we are doing". That shocked me somehow.
So bottomline, how can I express in a cover letter my genuine interest in learning the field in which the research group is working, without being rejected?
Thanks
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36467,
"author": "Florian D'Souza",
"author_id": 26958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26958",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Might I ask what country/countries these programs are in?\n\nI think the professor you quote was a bit harsh and that PhD applicants do not need to already know what they're doing completely. If you already knew everything about the field, what would be the point of the PhD?\n\nAt the same time, I would be cautious about applying for a PhD position just because it exists or because you just want to learn more about the subject. A PhD is a long and hard degree to obtain, and most successful PhD students have a certain level of passion for the subject of their PhD ([this](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35001/do-you-not-belong-in-a-phd-program-if-you-dont-live-and-breathe-your-field-of-s) is a useful post for you to read on that subject). There are definitely easier ways to learn about machine learning than getting a PhD in it. \n\nI don't think anyone has a magic formula to guarantee you getting accepted to the programs to which you apply. The best you can do is put together the best application possible and hope for the best. In terms of the cover letter, you should highlight what attracts you to the field of machine learning and possibly how a PhD will help you in your future career in the field. You might be rejected from a few places, but if you never apply, you can never be accepted."
},
{
"answer_id": 36469,
"author": "xLeitix",
"author_id": 10094,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10094",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Florian is completely right - the level of knowledge of the field typically expected from new PhD students varies a lot. In many places in Europe, for instance, a Master's degree is a formal requirement for starting a PhD, and the first year is most definitely **not** there for gaining fundamental knowledge about the field. You are supposed to have a solid working knowledge of the field from the start.\n\n> \n> \"I was willing to learn more, enroll into courses and being self taught for the research that they were making\"\n> \n> \n> \n\nThere is also the other problem with this statement that it is (sorry) incredibly bland and generic. *Of course* you are supposed to learn more about your field and do related courses. If that is the best you can say about how you are going to get up to speed in the field, I can understand that the professor you were talking to was not exactly blown away by your zeal."
},
{
"answer_id": 36488,
"author": "zbicyclist",
"author_id": 27573,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27573",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "\"I have only some very basic or general knowledge, but that I am willing to learn more about it.\" \n\nThis tells me that you should take a couple of courses in the field (which might or might not carry graduate credit in a program later) in order to see whether this is a field you really like and want to spend years mastering (PhD and after). This would also show not just vague interest to schools, but real interest.\n\nI'm reminded of a woman I interviewed for a job who had four masters' degrees. I asked her why, and the conversation went something like this:\n\nI thought I was interested in X, so I got a master's degree in X.\nBut then I got a job in X, and it wasn't that interesting.\nI got interested in Y, so I got a master's degree in Y.\nBut then I got a job in Y, and it wasn't that interesting.\nI got interested in Z, so I got a master's degree in Z.\nBut then I got a job in Z, and it wasn't that interesting.\nI got interested in W [the field the job was in], so I got a master's degree in W.\n\nHer flaw was that she jumped into programs without really understanding what the ultimate work would be about."
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36464",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/6144/"
] |
36,465 |
I was wondering is it possible to study an MSc in applied mathematics with a background of a masters in chemistry? I have an absolute passion for mathematics and would love the opportunity to study a single year masters.
Would I be given the opportunity to take the entrance exams without formal training? Or would I be discounted instantly?
I have read extensively into the content of the course I have in mind including looking at all their past papers.
I understand it is going to be an individual basis depending on the university and my grades but wanted to hear has someone done or heard of anything similar?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36467,
"author": "Florian D'Souza",
"author_id": 26958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26958",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Might I ask what country/countries these programs are in?\n\nI think the professor you quote was a bit harsh and that PhD applicants do not need to already know what they're doing completely. If you already knew everything about the field, what would be the point of the PhD?\n\nAt the same time, I would be cautious about applying for a PhD position just because it exists or because you just want to learn more about the subject. A PhD is a long and hard degree to obtain, and most successful PhD students have a certain level of passion for the subject of their PhD ([this](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/35001/do-you-not-belong-in-a-phd-program-if-you-dont-live-and-breathe-your-field-of-s) is a useful post for you to read on that subject). There are definitely easier ways to learn about machine learning than getting a PhD in it. \n\nI don't think anyone has a magic formula to guarantee you getting accepted to the programs to which you apply. The best you can do is put together the best application possible and hope for the best. In terms of the cover letter, you should highlight what attracts you to the field of machine learning and possibly how a PhD will help you in your future career in the field. You might be rejected from a few places, but if you never apply, you can never be accepted."
},
{
"answer_id": 36469,
"author": "xLeitix",
"author_id": 10094,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10094",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Florian is completely right - the level of knowledge of the field typically expected from new PhD students varies a lot. In many places in Europe, for instance, a Master's degree is a formal requirement for starting a PhD, and the first year is most definitely **not** there for gaining fundamental knowledge about the field. You are supposed to have a solid working knowledge of the field from the start.\n\n> \n> \"I was willing to learn more, enroll into courses and being self taught for the research that they were making\"\n> \n> \n> \n\nThere is also the other problem with this statement that it is (sorry) incredibly bland and generic. *Of course* you are supposed to learn more about your field and do related courses. If that is the best you can say about how you are going to get up to speed in the field, I can understand that the professor you were talking to was not exactly blown away by your zeal."
},
{
"answer_id": 36488,
"author": "zbicyclist",
"author_id": 27573,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27573",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "\"I have only some very basic or general knowledge, but that I am willing to learn more about it.\" \n\nThis tells me that you should take a couple of courses in the field (which might or might not carry graduate credit in a program later) in order to see whether this is a field you really like and want to spend years mastering (PhD and after). This would also show not just vague interest to schools, but real interest.\n\nI'm reminded of a woman I interviewed for a job who had four masters' degrees. I asked her why, and the conversation went something like this:\n\nI thought I was interested in X, so I got a master's degree in X.\nBut then I got a job in X, and it wasn't that interesting.\nI got interested in Y, so I got a master's degree in Y.\nBut then I got a job in Y, and it wasn't that interesting.\nI got interested in Z, so I got a master's degree in Z.\nBut then I got a job in Z, and it wasn't that interesting.\nI got interested in W [the field the job was in], so I got a master's degree in W.\n\nHer flaw was that she jumped into programs without really understanding what the ultimate work would be about."
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36465",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27553/"
] |
36,470 |
This past semester has seen an unusually high number of students plagiarizing in one of the subjects I teach. To be specific, it was five times the previous maximum I had seen. This has lead me down the path of digging into ways to reduce plagiarism from my students.
I read [this question](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/26996/2692) which was great and had several good answers but it was broadly focused. I would like to dig a bit deeper into one specific area: **How can assessment design be used to minimize plagiarism?**
I realize that exams are less likely to have plagiarism but I want to avoid those because they are timed and I don't want my students to be assessed in non-real-world situations like that. So, **I want the assessments to be take-home** but I don't want to put more constraints on this question.
I really want to know **what research has been** done showing the effect of different assessment design and how it has impacted student-plagiarism (with a focus on what minimizes plagiarism)?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36889,
"author": "Raydot",
"author_id": 13535,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/13535",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "I don't know the answer from any direct experience (could point you to pages like <http://drexel.edu/dcae/assessment/assessment-plans/>) but two things I can think of off the top of my head without knowing what subject you teach or at what level: 1) Have students have some input into their own assignments built around objective criteria that you specify and 2) have the students take some part in grading one another."
},
{
"answer_id": 37141,
"author": "Inquisitive",
"author_id": 27985,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27985",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "[DoeZB and Kicob (2013)](http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/47/2/397.abstract) ([preprint](http://cepa.stanford.edu/content/rational-ignorance-education-field-experiment-student-plagiarism)) conducted\n\n> \n> a field experiment that evaluated the effects of a web-based educational tutorial in reducing plagiarism. We found that assignment to the treatment group substantially reduced the likelihood of plagiarism, particularly among student with lower SAT scores who had the highest rates of plagiarism. A followup survey suggests that the intervention reduced plagiarism by increasing student knowledge rather than by increasing the perceived probabilities of detection and punishment.\n> \n> \n> \n\nPotentially including an educational tutorial in your assignment design would reduce plagiarism."
},
{
"answer_id": 37270,
"author": "Adrienne",
"author_id": 13729,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/13729",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "According to your profile, you teach management. So we are looking at writing, rather than equations? \n\n[This review article](http://www.ojs.unisa.edu.au/index.php/IJEI/article/view/761/576) discusses steps taken at a university in Australia, and provides some lit review. It is open-source. In regards to research on assessment design, it recommends:\n\n1. Regularly change the questions/prompts\n2. Projects should require original analysis rather than be summaries or definitions.\n3. More marks should be associated with the process of project creation, rather than the final draft. Examples of intermediate assignments are research journals, annotated bibliographies, and first drafts.\n4. Change product from text-only to something else - a poster, an oral presentation.\n\nAbove is the \"answer\" to your question. You may also want to consider why your plagiarism is suddenly increasing. The linked article points out that many students plagiarize because of lack of training in how to effectively write without copying a source. If you have a cohort of students from a background of poorer preparation, I would recommend a module on how to write without plagiarism. \n\nBest of luck."
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36470",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/2692/"
] |
36,479 |
I am an undergraduate and I was wondering if it was appropriate to ask someone (who isn't an author) to help revise the draft of a conference paper that I am writing.
I am new to writing and this would be helpful to get input from as many people as possible.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36480,
"author": "Nicholas",
"author_id": 1424,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/1424",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "It is not just acceptable -- it is to be recommended!\n\nIt is generally a good idea to have people read your work before it is submitted, or in your case, presented at a conference.\n\nHaving someone from outside your specific research area read your paper is particularly good. Even if your reader isn't familiar with the fine details, they should still be able to follow your general argument from background, through your method, results, analysis and finally to your conclusions.\n\nApproach your intended reader and very politely ask if they would read your work. Make sure you are clear about what you want from them. If it is a colleague who is familiar with your work, you can perhaps ask and expect questions or comments on the finer points of your work. For someone outside your particular field, you can expect general comments on structure or questions on the broader aspects of your work. \n\nAt a previous institution, we were all expected to hand our draft papers around for two internal reviewers to read, neither of whom were to be from the particular research field on which the paper was written. This was a very valuable exercise."
},
{
"answer_id": 36482,
"author": "Aru Ray",
"author_id": 948,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/948",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "It depends what you are asking them to do. \n\nYou should definitely ask someone (maybe multiple someone's) to read your paper, give you comments about what was confusing/particularly clear/incomplete as well as suggestions on how to improve the paper. (In fact I would recommend this to anyone writing a paper at any stage, not just an undergraduate.) This might be done by your advisor if you have one, and you should thank them in the Acknowledgements section for their help (and personally too, expressing gratitude is always good!)\n\nYou should not ask someone a non-co-author to actually edit your paper and make changes to it themselves. Any actual editing should be done by you or your co-authors, otherwise plagiarism becomes a concern."
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36479",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26850/"
] |
36,483 |
I am pursuing PhD in Computer Science. I am working on writing my PhD dissertation proposal.
My main contribution in my work is going to be about data classification and prediction model.
How should I phrase my potential contributions / tasks in which technical contribution is about clustering/classification and prediction?
I am also planning to propose potential performance improvement in clustering / classification techniques that currently exist in my domain. What all should I plan to achieve? How can I go about phrasing it in the proposal?
I know most answers cannot be specific to my question but any pointer towards direction that I should take...where to look for answer etc. regarding this is much appreciated...
|
[
{
"answer_id": 38208,
"author": "Aaron Brick",
"author_id": 14140,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14140",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "one rhetorical framework you can use is this one: problem X exists; model Y has been proposed previously; i propose model Z, which solves X better than Y in certain cases.\n\nJeffE is right to point you towards your advisor. helping you develop an answer to this question is a big part of her job."
},
{
"answer_id": 41138,
"author": "MrMeritology",
"author_id": 17564,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/17564",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> \"If the proposed research is successful, there will be three main\n> contributions. First,.... Second, ... Third,...\"\n> \n> \n> \n\nWhat you need to fill in is the ***specific nature*** of your contributions. It's not enough to say that your algorithms will be \"better\" or \"interesting\" or even \"useful\". You might use these questions to form a list of specific contributions:\n\n* Will you be discovering *something new about the problem* of data\nclassification and prediction that no one knew before, or only\nunderstood poorly?\n* Will you be combining two or more methods that had never been combined before?\n* Will you be simplifying the problem in some non-trivial way? Or expanding it? Generalizing it? Making it more specific or concrete?\n* Will you be formalizing the analysis in ways that have not before? What will your formal analysis be proving?\n* Are you applying an algorithm or formalism from another domain, that has never been done before in this one?\n* Are you demonstrating through experiments or other empirical research the viability of theoretical methods that have little empirical support?\n\nFinally, imagine that you have completed your dissertation, and maybe you have published articles based on it. Now imagine what other researchers might need to use your work and build on it, and therefore to cite it. Why would future researchers need to use your work or build on it?"
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36483",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27569/"
] |
36,485 |
Say if you were a graduate of ABC university, and
When you want to thank a teacher of this university because she used to help you a lot in some courses or because she has the same hobbies and interests as yours, and you want to be friends with her:
1. Should you just send a thank you letter to her or buy her a present?
2. If you choose to buy her a present, should it be a brand-named and very expensive one?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36487,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "A good thank-you note is always appreciated by a former teacher. \n\nI would recommend that if you are a current student at the university, and may have that former teacher again, that you *not* purchase a gift with a significant price tag, as that could be viewed as creating a conflict of interest. On the other hand, a small memento of personal, but not monetary, value is still appreciated. (For instance, a photograph or small handmade item or perishable good would be OK.)\n\nIf you are an alumnus, then the rules are obviously different. However, before giving an expensive gift, you might want to consider if there's an alternate use of the money that might be even more appropriate or appreciated (e.g., a donation to a charitable organization in the teacher's name)."
},
{
"answer_id": 36490,
"author": "Vladhagen",
"author_id": 14518,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14518",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "As a college instructor, the one thing that has meant the most to me in terms of thanks has been when students tell my superiors how much they enjoyed having me as an instructor. Even just an email to my boss from a former student was a very solid form of thanks. It made me look good; it also made my supervisor proud of himself for one of his lowlings having success. For me at least, this was the ultimate thanks."
},
{
"answer_id": 36562,
"author": "brnz",
"author_id": 27594,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27594",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I'll suggest that you write a note. Use paper. \n\nYou can add a small gift to this - something that she can keep on her desk, a souvenir perhaps, that is related to her passion/subject. \n\nOther than the great advice above, simply in terms of writing the thank you note, you may find this link useful:\n\n```\nhttp://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/10/23/the-art-of-thank-you-note-writing/\n\n```\n\nI'll mention the main points here, and you can use the link for a more elaborate guide.\n\na. Always write the note as soon as possible. \n\nb. Send it through the mail. \n\nc. Use real stationery.\n\nWhen writing,\n\ni) Begin by expressing your gratitude for the gift/service. \n\nii) Mention specific details about how you plan to use a gift or what you enjoyed about an experience. \n\niii) For some recipients, add some news about your life. \n\niv) Close by referencing the past and alluding to the future. \n\nv) Repeat your thanks. (in short) \n\nvi) Valediction.\n\nI hope this is useful in penning the actual note.\nCheers!"
},
{
"answer_id": 36565,
"author": "Sarah Boyd",
"author_id": 27632,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27632",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "No gifts. Words speak volumes. If you must give gifts, something handmade is better than anything purchased. Purchased gifts, especially more expensive gifts, may, in fact make your instructor feel uncomfortable and skirts the line of appropriate teacher-student relationships. \n\nAt the very minimum, a handwritten, thoughtfully articulated note is the easiest way to thank a good teacher. \n\nA handwritten letter to the department Chair is even more powerful, but the **best** way to thank a truly outstanding teacher is to nominate him or her for a teaching award. Most institutions have teaching awards that give excellent instructors public recognition, something to enhance his or her resume and best of all they sometimes come with a small monetary reward."
},
{
"answer_id": 36582,
"author": "DS R",
"author_id": 27610,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27610",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Sending a not very expensive gift but chosen carefully, with a personal note, as suggested above is good. \n\nHowever, teachers often appreciate if students stay in regular contact with them, discussing future career/family plans and sharing updates about batchmates. It all depends on the kind of teacher and the level of your relationship."
},
{
"answer_id": 36584,
"author": "Alexander Gruber",
"author_id": 4545,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4545",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "It is traditional at the time of graduation to give your stole to someone who has provided you with an unusual amount of help and support. A lot of times this is given to one's parents, especially if they have paid for it, but it can also go to a mentor, as a profound expression of gratitude."
},
{
"answer_id": 36901,
"author": "Thomas Lee",
"author_id": 24823,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/24823",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "If you google \"rate my professor\", you will find some very popular websites that you can provide good feedback. Most of those who use such websites, are for giving negative feedbacks."
}
] |
2015/01/08
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36485",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27408/"
] |
36,489 |
The quality of university level education in developing countries (North Africa in my case) is mediocre at best, especially in the sciences (my interests lie primarily in mathematics). I've found that the appropriate places for getting this education would be France or Russia, more specifically ENS and *l'École Polytechnique* in Paris (I'm aware that going to the *classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles* is strongly advised, but how can I avoid going there if possible?) and the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow (which teaches in Russian which I will vigorously try to learn).
Can I study in my original country for a little while then go there? How do each of them cost? How can I proceed to achieve this almost impossible goal?
If you know of any other good mathematical institution that accepts student from North africa, please suggest it.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36491,
"author": "Arno",
"author_id": 12047,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12047",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "The African Institute for Mathematics (<http://www.aims.ac.za/>) is an institution meant to help those in your situation. Essentially, it is supposed to offer talented budding mathematicians from Africa the fundamentals to be competitive to apply to the top places all over the world."
},
{
"answer_id": 36507,
"author": "SCO",
"author_id": 27590,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27590",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Let me clarify the classes prépatatoires stuff : their sole function is to prepare student to a competitive exam.\nI don't know if as a foreign student can directly apply to the competitive exam.\n\nHowever, as a foreign student you can apply for this instead :\n\n(<http://www.admission.polytechnique.edu/home/ingenieur-polytechnicien-program/the-ingenieur-polytechnicien-program-23948.kjsp?RH=1252490031181>)\n\nIt states that :\n\n> \n> The Ingénieur Polytechnicien Program of Ecole Polytechnique recruits\n> the best students who have completed two or three years of\n> undergraduate studies in Science or in Engineering\n> \n> \n> \n\nPlease check this admissions conditions as well:\n\n<https://www.admission.polytechnique.edu/home/ingenieur-polytechnicien-program/admission-requirements/admission-requirements-24008.kjsp?RF=1262268322650>\n\nYou should give a phone call to the schools you mention. It's very likely they will help you sort this out!\n\nAs per this :\n<http://www.admission.polytechnique.edu/home/ingenieur-polytechnicien-program/finance-your-studies-how-does-it-cost-to-study-a-l-x-/>\n\nTuition fees are 4.000EUR, 12.000EUR, 8.000 EUR for 1st, 2nd and third year.\n\nPlease let me add that Polytechnique is the most prestigious school in France. Not being able to find the aforementioned elements by yourself is a kind of concern. I really don't want to be rude, but really want to emphasize that the education level is very very high!"
},
{
"answer_id": 36515,
"author": "Cape Code",
"author_id": 10643,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10643",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "One alternative, if you wish to study in a French-speaking country is the *École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne* (EPFL) in French-speaking Switzerland. It ranks highly in international rankings (overall [higher than the schools you mentioned](http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2014-15/world-ranking/region/europe), although I don't know specifically for maths), and costs about 1300$/year in tuition (4.5 - 5 years to get Bachelor and Masters).\n\nOn the contrary to the French institutions you listed, the selection does not happen before you start the studies, but during them. The school is typically easy to enter, but there is a high dropout rate. \n\nThe typical route for prospective students who do not have a Swiss high school diploma is the [*Cours de mathématiques spéciales*](http://cms.epfl.ch/) (never mind the silly name). It's a one year intensive math program to get you ready for the EPFL programs.\n\nThere is a significant community of French-speaking North-African students there, so it looks like this route is popular for you fellow nationals."
},
{
"answer_id": 36552,
"author": "Jessica B",
"author_id": 20036,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20036",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "(Your idea of a 'good' institution seems rather strict to me.) \n\nMontreal is home to a number of students from north Africa (and many other places), and gives you a choice of two languages (although English will be needed for most research careers in mathematics). Their fees are relatively low (although that might be changing)."
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36489",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27574/"
] |
36,498 |
I am currently a final year undergraduate, majoring in Pure Mathematics. My aim is to become a Maths lecturer in a university. With this in mind, I need to apply Phd in mathematics in the coming year. However, I'm not the person who likes to do research (not to the extend of hate, but I would not dwell myself for the whole day just to do research) while Phd is mainly research-based.
Question: Is there any university which offers Phd in mathematics with emphasis in teaching? Also, what are the alternatives to become a lecturer in university besides applying Phd in mathematics?
UPDATE: Anonymous Mathematicians mentions 'Doctor of Arts' (DA) in his answer below. [Here](http://www.isu.edu/math/docs/DA_Math_Alumni.pdf) is the list of graduates from DA program offered by Idaho State University. Don't the data give a sense of difficulties, in such a way that it is difficult to enroll in the DA program? Also, I see most graduates end up working at university.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36499,
"author": "Brian Borchers",
"author_id": 4453,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4453",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "\"Lecturer\" is a title with very different meanings in different countries. \n\nIn the US system, the title typically indicates either a part time instructor or a person who is a full time teacher but not a tenured or tenure track faculty member. In the UK and many other commonwealth countries a \"lecturer\" is the equivalent of an assistant or associate professor in the US. \n\nMy answer below is in the context of the US system. \n\nWithin the US system, if you want to be a \"professor\" of mathematics at a prestigious university then you have to be an active researcher. It is sometimes possible to earn a PhD and do some research and then move onto a career as a tenured faculty member at a less prestigious college or university while doing very little research after the PhD. However, the competition for such positions is extremely intense (hundreds of applications for a tenure track position are common) and many colleges that wouldn't have cared about research in the past can now expect to hire faculty who will be active in research. Many universities at all levels have non tenure-track positions for instructors, but these jobs typically are part time or pay very poorly and offer little job security. Finally, there are full time and permanent teaching positions at community colleges where some of the instructors may have PhD's, but its also common for instructors to have only a master's degree. \n\nThe typical career path is for students to complete a strongly research oriented PhD program and then (after one or more post docs or visiting assistant professor positions) to attempt to find a tenure track position at a reputable university. Most of these students end up either leaving the field entirely or end up in teaching oriented position at a lower ranked college or a community college. A relatively small number of PhD's end up with tenured faculty positions at research universities. However, the system still very much requires students to complete a research oriented PhD before \"settling\" for a teaching position. \n\nIf you're not seriously committed to research and you really do just want to teach mathematics, then I would discourage you from entering a PhD program. Rather, you might consider an MS program that has a good track record of getting its graduates into community college teaching. \n\nI should also mention that there are PhD programs in \"Mathematics Education\", but the focus in such programs is typically on education more than mathematics. Graduates with PhD's in math ed are highly employable in the US right now. Typically, they are hired to supervise developmental, remedial and lower level courses (up to say the level of calculus) while regular tenure track faculty teach higher level courses."
},
{
"answer_id": 36501,
"author": "Anonymous Mathematician",
"author_id": 612,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/612",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "The [\"doctor of arts\" degree](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Arts) was created in the 1960's to solve this problem. It's like a PhD, but it doesn't require original research for the dissertation. The goal is to prepare students for teaching careers that do not involve research.\n\nSeveral universities in the U.S. offer DA degrees in mathematics, but they have never become popular. Many people aren't even aware that such a degree exists, and those who know about it generally consider it inferior to a PhD. Even institutions that do not expect their faculty to conduct any research at all often prefer to hire candidates who have some research experience in the past, in which case they would prefer a PhD to a DA. (And many institutions require at least a little research to get tenure.)\n\nFor most people, getting a DA would be a bad idea: the time and effort required are comparable to a PhD, with worse career prospects. However, there are some narrow circumstances in which it could make sense. For example, some institutions (particularly high schools and some community colleges) don't require a doctorate at all but pay a higher salary to faculty with a terminal degree. In that case, a DA might work just as well as a PhD."
},
{
"answer_id": 36504,
"author": "Jessica B",
"author_id": 20036,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20036",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "One alternative is to slightly drop where you aim to teach. In Quebec you can apply for positions at CEGEPs with just a masters [(reference)](http://caps.mcgill.ca/graduate/articles/2008-2009/december/teaching.php), and half of the students are at the same point in their education you would be teaching as an instructor in a US university. In the UK the same level positions exist at sixth form/further education colleges, but you'd need a teching qualification. There are probably equivalent positions in other countries too."
},
{
"answer_id": 36542,
"author": "Flounderer",
"author_id": 5842,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/5842",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "There is a whole field of research called [Mathematics Education](https://www.math.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/our-research/research-groups/mathematics-education.html). Some mathematics departments have groups devoted to it. Doing research in this field is nothing like doing research in pure mathematics; it is [more like sociology](http://www.math.upenn.edu/~wilf/website/PSUTalk.pdf). Perhaps you would be interested in doing a PhD in this field? Then you would still have the qualifications to become a mathematics lecturer.\n\nEdit: sorry, I just noticed that this was also discussed in the comments to another answer. You might also consider the field of [ethnomathematics](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnomathematics)."
},
{
"answer_id": 36549,
"author": "ABrown",
"author_id": 27621,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27621",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I am not allowed to comment, yet, so I will post here.\nI attended NCTM (National Council for Teachers of Mozhematics) in 2012 in Philadelphia. It was a great experience, and learned a whole lot about new ways to teach. The main focus is on the public schools, but coming from a community college, I still found applicable material.\n\nOne of the talks that I attended was on choosing a Doctorate program in Mozhematics Education. The main take-away was that you will need to do a lot of research into schools that will pay you to do your doctorate, and whether you get a PhD or an EdD won't really matter, as long as you do it well.\n\nAdditionally, if you are interested in \"getting your feet wet,\" many community colleges (like mine) hire students with Bachelor's degrees in Mozh, or a related field, as adjunct faculty. I did this for three years, while earning my Master's degree. It helped me refine my teaching, as well as prepare myself for the community college students, and how different they are from University students.\n\nAfter working at my college for three years as a full-time faculty member, I'm not sure that I would enjoy going into a University, except into researching Education. Our community college has a fairly heavy emphasis on Education research, and encourages faculty to \"play\" with different pedagogical ideas.\n\nGood luck!"
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36498",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/18108/"
] |
36,500 |
My paper has beed accepted by Elsevier's [International Journal of Electronics and Communications (AEUE)](http://www.journals.elsevier.com/aeu-international-journal-of-electronics-and-communications).
I want to know how long I should expect to wait until I receive the notice of online proof correction.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36499,
"author": "Brian Borchers",
"author_id": 4453,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4453",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "\"Lecturer\" is a title with very different meanings in different countries. \n\nIn the US system, the title typically indicates either a part time instructor or a person who is a full time teacher but not a tenured or tenure track faculty member. In the UK and many other commonwealth countries a \"lecturer\" is the equivalent of an assistant or associate professor in the US. \n\nMy answer below is in the context of the US system. \n\nWithin the US system, if you want to be a \"professor\" of mathematics at a prestigious university then you have to be an active researcher. It is sometimes possible to earn a PhD and do some research and then move onto a career as a tenured faculty member at a less prestigious college or university while doing very little research after the PhD. However, the competition for such positions is extremely intense (hundreds of applications for a tenure track position are common) and many colleges that wouldn't have cared about research in the past can now expect to hire faculty who will be active in research. Many universities at all levels have non tenure-track positions for instructors, but these jobs typically are part time or pay very poorly and offer little job security. Finally, there are full time and permanent teaching positions at community colleges where some of the instructors may have PhD's, but its also common for instructors to have only a master's degree. \n\nThe typical career path is for students to complete a strongly research oriented PhD program and then (after one or more post docs or visiting assistant professor positions) to attempt to find a tenure track position at a reputable university. Most of these students end up either leaving the field entirely or end up in teaching oriented position at a lower ranked college or a community college. A relatively small number of PhD's end up with tenured faculty positions at research universities. However, the system still very much requires students to complete a research oriented PhD before \"settling\" for a teaching position. \n\nIf you're not seriously committed to research and you really do just want to teach mathematics, then I would discourage you from entering a PhD program. Rather, you might consider an MS program that has a good track record of getting its graduates into community college teaching. \n\nI should also mention that there are PhD programs in \"Mathematics Education\", but the focus in such programs is typically on education more than mathematics. Graduates with PhD's in math ed are highly employable in the US right now. Typically, they are hired to supervise developmental, remedial and lower level courses (up to say the level of calculus) while regular tenure track faculty teach higher level courses."
},
{
"answer_id": 36501,
"author": "Anonymous Mathematician",
"author_id": 612,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/612",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "The [\"doctor of arts\" degree](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Arts) was created in the 1960's to solve this problem. It's like a PhD, but it doesn't require original research for the dissertation. The goal is to prepare students for teaching careers that do not involve research.\n\nSeveral universities in the U.S. offer DA degrees in mathematics, but they have never become popular. Many people aren't even aware that such a degree exists, and those who know about it generally consider it inferior to a PhD. Even institutions that do not expect their faculty to conduct any research at all often prefer to hire candidates who have some research experience in the past, in which case they would prefer a PhD to a DA. (And many institutions require at least a little research to get tenure.)\n\nFor most people, getting a DA would be a bad idea: the time and effort required are comparable to a PhD, with worse career prospects. However, there are some narrow circumstances in which it could make sense. For example, some institutions (particularly high schools and some community colleges) don't require a doctorate at all but pay a higher salary to faculty with a terminal degree. In that case, a DA might work just as well as a PhD."
},
{
"answer_id": 36504,
"author": "Jessica B",
"author_id": 20036,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/20036",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "One alternative is to slightly drop where you aim to teach. In Quebec you can apply for positions at CEGEPs with just a masters [(reference)](http://caps.mcgill.ca/graduate/articles/2008-2009/december/teaching.php), and half of the students are at the same point in their education you would be teaching as an instructor in a US university. In the UK the same level positions exist at sixth form/further education colleges, but you'd need a teching qualification. There are probably equivalent positions in other countries too."
},
{
"answer_id": 36542,
"author": "Flounderer",
"author_id": 5842,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/5842",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "There is a whole field of research called [Mathematics Education](https://www.math.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/our-research/research-groups/mathematics-education.html). Some mathematics departments have groups devoted to it. Doing research in this field is nothing like doing research in pure mathematics; it is [more like sociology](http://www.math.upenn.edu/~wilf/website/PSUTalk.pdf). Perhaps you would be interested in doing a PhD in this field? Then you would still have the qualifications to become a mathematics lecturer.\n\nEdit: sorry, I just noticed that this was also discussed in the comments to another answer. You might also consider the field of [ethnomathematics](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnomathematics)."
},
{
"answer_id": 36549,
"author": "ABrown",
"author_id": 27621,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27621",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I am not allowed to comment, yet, so I will post here.\nI attended NCTM (National Council for Teachers of Mozhematics) in 2012 in Philadelphia. It was a great experience, and learned a whole lot about new ways to teach. The main focus is on the public schools, but coming from a community college, I still found applicable material.\n\nOne of the talks that I attended was on choosing a Doctorate program in Mozhematics Education. The main take-away was that you will need to do a lot of research into schools that will pay you to do your doctorate, and whether you get a PhD or an EdD won't really matter, as long as you do it well.\n\nAdditionally, if you are interested in \"getting your feet wet,\" many community colleges (like mine) hire students with Bachelor's degrees in Mozh, or a related field, as adjunct faculty. I did this for three years, while earning my Master's degree. It helped me refine my teaching, as well as prepare myself for the community college students, and how different they are from University students.\n\nAfter working at my college for three years as a full-time faculty member, I'm not sure that I would enjoy going into a University, except into researching Education. Our community college has a fairly heavy emphasis on Education research, and encourages faculty to \"play\" with different pedagogical ideas.\n\nGood luck!"
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36500",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27581/"
] |
36,502 |
I read a lot of computer science papers, and have to understand a lot of equations. Most of the time the concept is so easy, that someone could explain it to me in 5 minutes. I one the other hand need up to an hour to get it.
It is difficult for me to search for the variables in the text, and often I print the paper out and write the meanings of each variable down on the side.
**My questions:**
So why is it not common to make equations and algorithms more readable?
Is there some PDF reader plugin which highlights the variables in text?
Any tips on how to improve in reading such papers?
Why do authors not add an additional list to each equation with a list and explanation of each variable. Should I do that?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36503,
"author": "xLeitix",
"author_id": 10094,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/10094",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> So why is it not common to make equations and algorithms more readable?\n> \n> \n> \n\nThe simple reason is paper space constraints. You can only add so many reference tables and clearly separated equations into a paper before the page limit runs out. And given that many CS papers do not *only* consist of maths, but also need to have some space for a good evaluation, comprehensive related work, and various other sections, paper space is often at a premium, even at journals.\n\n(and, given that most authors are really used to writing papers this way, they often also keep up the same style in those journals without an explicit page limit)\n\n> \n> Is there some PDF reader plugin which highlights the variables in text? Any tips on how to improve in reading such papers?\n> \n> \n> \n\nI doubt that there is a plugin for that, but doing what you are already doing (keeping notes with the meaning of the more important definitions and assumptions) seems like a pretty good start to me.\n\n> \n> Why do authors not add an additional list to each equation with a list and explanation of each variable. Should I do that?\n> \n> \n> \n\nIf you have the space in your manuscripts, sure - whatever helps the readability of the paper."
},
{
"answer_id": 36514,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "I do not believe that the problem is fundamentally about space, but rather is a cultural problem that stems from three things:\n\n1. Reviewers do not demand clarity in their mathematics\n2. There is often a perception that \"fancy\" or \"difficult\" math means more important science (related to #1)\n3. Really clear presentation of mathematics is difficult and takes a lot of work\n([\"I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.\"](http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Blaise_Pascal#Quotes))\n\nUltimately, a community tends to get what it rewards. There is no reason that math must be impenetrable. Even if one is faced with a space problem, you can play the same sort of games that you do with figures and data in order to fit. Right now, however, it is typically understood and accepted that you don't have to do that with your mathematics. In fact, some scientific communities will *punish* a researcher for presenting mathematics more clearly, because it makes the work look \"less significant.\"\n\nTechnology cannot help solve this, because ultimately it is a problem of human communication. Anyone who is bothered by mathematical impenetrability can, however, take their own small steps towards changing this culture:\n\nIn your own work:\n\n1. Include tables and clear explanations in your papers.\n2. Use as few symbols as possible, and choose the symbols to improve clarity, e.g., matching the symbol to the first letter of its description.\n3. Buffer your equations with explanatory prose that restates their content in plain English.\n\nWhen considering other people's work:\n\n1. Call out mathematical impenetrability as a reviewer\n2. Ask for tables, clear prose, etc. in the papers that you review\n3. View the mathematical impenetrability of a work as a flaw rather than a good thing.\n\nThis is a very difficult problem, and unlikely to change any time soon, but it can be made better one paper at a time. Moreover, it is my belief (and experience), that clearer mathematics can make for a higher impact and better cited paper, so it will likely be valuable to you in the short term as well, unless you are in a community that has a toxic relationship to mathematical impenetrability."
},
{
"answer_id": 144487,
"author": "Jakob",
"author_id": 119679,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/119679",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I love the `LaTeX` package `\\hyperref`. There you can link every variable to its definition. (If you use \\usepackage[hidelinks]{hyperref} it does not change the visual appearance of your text, but makes variables clickable or you can [color the links](https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/50747/options-for-appearance-of-links-in-hyperref).)\n\nYou can link other symbols to their definition too (e.g. see <http://docdro.id/HZMP7Uy> from <https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/360871/128042>). See <https://www.overleaf.com/read/mbbqrdpwbqfk> for a simple code-example.\n\nThe advantage of this solution is that there is no additional distracting content that might annoy experienced reader that are familiar with the used notation, but those reader who forgot the meaning of a certain variable can just click on it.\n\nAdditionally, I personally think, sometimes there would be even more possibilities to improve readability by using\n\n1. `\\underbrace` to explain certain terms,\n2. `\\overset` like `$a\\overset{\\text{Th. 1}}{=}b+c$` to indicate that a=b+c holds true because of Theorem 1.,\n3. highlithing/lowlingthing to indicate more,\nand less important parts of complicated equations,\n4. and probably many other ideas ...,\n\nbut every time you do something creative/unconventional, you will have opponents. I use many of this tools and often get very positive feedback in return, but some people don't accept unconventional things which definitely makes it harder to get accepted to certain journals.\n\nAt least `\\hyperref` is accepted or even recommended by the majority of the scientific community."
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36502",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27584/"
] |
36,506 |
The [fellowship I'm about to apply](http://home.vef.gov/download/2016_VEF_Fellowship_Announcement_ENG.pdf) requires me to express my past leadership experience in the personal statement. Why? I understand that leadership is a soft skill that everyone should have, but this is academia, not business. People in this environment put cooperating before leading. Of course, even in business, there is no group that work like in military, the person in low level still can suggest idea and change the leader/manager's mind. The role of the leader is inspire and amalgamate separate people to one united unit. But in academia, everyone should inspire themselves, and the science itself are the glue to attach people together, right? So why don't these fellowships require me to show my past cooperation, rather than leadership?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36509,
"author": "Davidmh",
"author_id": 12587,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12587",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Precisely because we cooperate a lot, we need good leadership. A good leader is someone who can bring the best of everyone in the group. For example, encouraging everyone to voice their ideas, assessing which ones have actual value, but without making the group pursue all the wild geese. A good leader should also be able to recognise the strong points in the members of the team and assign tasks accordingly.\n\nI accept that everyone here should be motivated, but it is important for the group to keep it up. No matter how eager I am, if my professor were to start giving me contradictory orders, unreasonable workloads, or dismissing my ideas without explaining why, I can tell you, I would not remain that motivated after four years. After all, I can be motivated to work \"in the grand scheme of sciency things\", but not necessarily in the particular group I am in."
},
{
"answer_id": 36510,
"author": "silvado",
"author_id": 3890,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/3890",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Scientific breakthroughs are rarely achieved by a single scientist, but by a research team. It is important that the team leader can identify relevant research questions and direct the group members' work to use suitable approaches to solve them. Often, the breakthrough results are associated more to the group leader than to any group member, even though the group members may have done 80 to 99 % of the actual research work.\n\nFellowship funders try to look into the future of your career. You will only stay in academia after the PhD or maybe Postdoc level if you have the ability to lead a research group. That is, apart from rare exceptions, you will only be able to associate big scientific results with your name if you have leadership abilities. And these results are what funders try to support in the end."
},
{
"answer_id": 36516,
"author": "Floris",
"author_id": 15062,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/15062",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "The description of this particular fellowship includes the phrase:\n\n> \n> Winners are chosen based on individual merit, including academic performance and preparation, intellectual capability, English proficiency, and the potential for contribution to scientific education and research in Vietnam.\n> \n> \n> \n\n\"Leadership\" means the ability to work *with* and *through* others. It is much harder than people think - a good leader is humble yet decisive, a good listener yet able to motivate; he can synthesize the thoughts of the group into a common goal and vision, use that vision to obtain resources and allocate them in a way that helps the group achieve its goals. Doing all that without appearing to be \"the boss\" is real leadership - something that comes with practice. Selling cookies to support your local charity is initiative; getting together with your friends to sell lots of cookies and build a new school, that's leadership. I have heard it said that\n\n> \n> Leadership is what bridges the gap between responsibility and authority\n> \n> \n> \n\nLeadership lets you change the scale of your impact; and since this particular fellowship is explicitly created to find individuals who will have impact on scientific research and education in Vietnam, you need people who have both the academic skills and the skill to translate this into impact \"on the system\".\n\nDemonstrated leadership experience is an opportunity for the selection committee to explore whether you will be able to make an impact - they are not looking for the next CEO, but you will be amazed how much difference a good leader can make in any collaborative environment.\n\nIn the US this trait is becoming so highly valued that some high schools have an explicit course \"Leadership\" on their curriculum - a chance for students to develop and practice these kinds of skills, often in the context of community projects.\n\nIt is obvious from the selection summary that intellectual ability, preparation etc. are most important - but I hope you can see that leadership as I tried to define it here has a place in this academic environment."
},
{
"answer_id": 36651,
"author": "Tom Au",
"author_id": 755,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/755",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "While research is your **primary** goal, a secondary goal of universities is to produce people that can \"lead.\"\n\nThis is first done as a teacher in a classroom. But ultimately, universities will want their researchers to be able to \"consult\" for government or corporations, where leadership skills are necessary. \n\nAfter all, a university is a \"beacon\" in society."
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36506",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14341/"
] |
36,519 |
I am an international student, and I am going to be doing an MS in Structure and Materials in Aeronautics at MIT. Before I arrive, what do I have to do?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36522,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Some key things that any international student will typically need to do before arriving in the USA:\n\n* Obtain a student visa. Your institution will be able to support you, but you are likely to need to lead the process yourself, including going to a US consulate in your country. This can take a long time, so it is important to start many months in advance.\n* Make sure you have any required vaccinations and health certificates (I'm not sure whether this is part of the visa, or separate; your institution and the US consulate can advise)\n* Find housing. Some universities will help with this, many do not. For example, MIT is notoriously bad about this, and the Boston rental market is insane.\n* Ensure that you will have health insurance. The US (still) does not have a national health system. Your institution will likely provide insurance, and may assist you in enrolling, but not all institutions will.\n* Ensure that you will have access to money from your bank accounts, if needed. This can sometimes be a difficulty, and many things in the US are much more difficult to do without a working credit or debit card.\n* Ensure that you will have a working cell phone. The US does not use the same standards as most other countries, though this is slowly changing. Just changing to a local SIM card may or may not work.\n\nCaveat: I might be missing some things from this list...\n\nRegarding scholarships: the USA does not have any organized system of scholarship exams. In many cases, however, graduate programs in STEM fields ensure financial support for their students through TAships or RAships. Any reputable Ph.D. program will do this, but Masters programs are much more mixed. Check with your particular program to find out what they advise."
},
{
"answer_id": 36526,
"author": "Aru Ray",
"author_id": 948,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/948",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "To add to jakebeal's answer: \n\nWhen an international student is admitted to a US university, they will be contacted by the Office of International Students (these offices go by various names, which are usually a permutation of the words office, international, students, and/or scholars). \n\nThe folks at the international student office are the best (and in fact the appropriate) people to contact with any questions about the logistics and details of being an international student, including visa issues, housing, travel, etc. Many of these will be addressed on their websites, see for example: [ISO at MIT](http://web.mit.edu/iso/), [OISS at Rupefj](http://oiss.rice.edu/), [Berkeley IO](http://internationaloffice.berkeley.edu/), [Harvard IO](http://www.hio.harvard.edu/), etc. \n\nIn addition to the international student office, you should consider looking up whether there is a community of students from your country at the university. Some of these organizations also help out incoming students, and might have helpful information on their websites. For example, [Sangam at MIT](http://sangam.mit.edu/), [ISAR at Rupefj](http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~isar/new_students.html), [KSAS at Stanford](http://web.stanford.edu/group/ksas/cgi-bin/), etc. (There are often active Facebook groups/pages as well, where you can ask specific questions.) In addition to information specific for your community (e.g. best ways/rates to call a particular country, closest places of worship, etc.) these organizations are also helpful for more informal things, like finding a roommate from your country. The graduate international student organizations at my graduate institution also picked up students from the airport, which was extremely helpful. \n\nAnd some things to think about doing, which haven't been mentioned yet:\n\n1. If you can find out which textbooks are going to be used in your courses, it'll possibly save you a bunch of money to buy them ahead of time in your home country\n2. Same for kitchen utensils, clothes, shoes, etc.\n3. Certain food items are hard to find depending on where you will be. E.g., in a large city like Boston it's not hard to find Indian spices, compared to being roughly impossible in smaller collegetowns.\n4. Be careful about bringing electrical items from your home country. US power supply is 110V, unlike several other countries. If you must bring electronics, e.g. a laptop, make sure you have an appropriate power cord/adaptor (the power outlets in the US are also a different configuration than in several other countries).\n\n---\n\nSource: I was an international student in the US both for my bachelors and doctoral degree. I was also heavily involved in the graduate Indian student organization at my graduate institution (Rupefj University) and occasionally worked with the office of international students and scholars there. In fact, I compiled a [\"Starter Pack\"](http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~isar/documents/starter_pack.pdf) for incoming Indian graduate students to Rupefj which might be helpful to you."
},
{
"answer_id": 36528,
"author": "user141592",
"author_id": 27327,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27327",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I just started as a graduate student in the US, and here is what I learned from my experience and that of some of my friends:\n\n1) Get the visa and book tickets to fly in\n\n2) Book a hotel / hostel for the first night. Even if you manage to get a rental before going there, it is unlikely that you will be able to sign the contract and get your keys on the first day.\n\n3) Try to find a place to live. Your university may have a site where students who have an apartment can look for roommates, and if the rental market is really bad, this is a good place to start looking. Don't freak out if you don't have a rental before flying to the states. You can be more efficient once you have arrived. I stayed in a hostel for 3 weeks when I first got here, before I could find a place and move in to it.\n\n4) Make sure you have health insurance / travel insurance / home insurance for the first few weeks. If you get health insurance through MIT, it will likely not start covering you until term starts, and you can get stuck with a $5000 bill for a broken leg or food poisoning or something like that. Not a fun way to start your time here.\n\n5) Look at phone contracts online and pick one that would suit you. If you have an unlocked smartphone, you can just go to a store your first day in the US and get a SIM. Smartphones from the rest of the world are compatible with the US system, as long as they are unlocked. You will need a working phone pretty quickly here, so this should be prepared before you go. If you don't have an unlocked smartphone, you can buy a simple phone for $10-$20 with some number of minutes on it.\n\n6) Make sure you have access to plenty of money. The first few days will be expensive when you are setting everything up. Figure out how much money you think you will need, and make sure you have access to double that in an emergency, including a few hundred dollars in cash (if your bank decided to shut down your card for accessing it abroad). You won't need all of it, most likely, but unexpected things will pop up and you will be grateful that you budgeted extra money."
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36519",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27599/"
] |
36,527 |
A couple of months ago I submitted a paper for which a referee review came back recently, recommending minor corrections. There are two methods to calculate some quantities in the literature which do not agree between each other. My paper agrees with one of them and not with the other, which I know is incorrect. However, in my paper I did not point this out (that it is incorrect, I do mention the other method), but simply focused instead on the method I use.
Now, the referee seems to be eager for me to profusely comment on the incorrect method and specifically refer to several papers written by people from the same group using this particular method. I get the impression that this referee is trying to use me to criticize them. I would prefer to be as diplomatic as possible, and remain in good terms with the others who use the incorrect method, who I have met in person several times. However, openly stating their method to be wrong, even if choosing the wording to be as nice as possible, would make that difficult.
What should I do in this case?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36529,
"author": "Peter Jansson",
"author_id": 4394,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4394",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "First, remember that the review is not \"the word of (your) god\", it is a professional view of a peer. Now, it is customary to report on aspects that support and do not support your findings. Whether it is reasonable to mention the second, apparently flawed way to do a calculation, cannot be judged here but you should see if it can and indeed should be at least mentioned. In the end, you also have the right to have a different opinion than that given by your peer reviewer. Hence, you should provide your view to the editor on why you think following this particular point is superfluous. It does not appear to change anything in your conclusions and of that is correct it seems as a *no-brainer*.\n\nSo first consider if you can work in a comment to the fact that there are other ways to do a calculation, if need be with an argument why you have chosen as you have done. Second, make your point clear to the editor stating that you do not see a major point in dwelling on the reviewers point since it does not affect the result you have arrived at. How and what you express will of course only be possible for you to judge."
},
{
"answer_id": 36530,
"author": "jakebeal",
"author_id": 22733,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/22733",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "In your paper, you do need to acknowledge the existence of the other method, especially if it is a frequently used alternative. This is because you need to explain why you chose the method that you chose.\n\nYou do not, however, need to criticize the other method as wrong. Instead, you can simply explain what are the advantageous properties of the method that you are using.\nA good way to think about this is to remember that you are not actually choosing between Method A and Method B. Rather, you are choosing Method A as sufficient for your purposes, regardless of the existence of Method B or the opportunity to try to create a new Method C."
},
{
"answer_id": 36539,
"author": "Oswald Veblen",
"author_id": 16122,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/16122",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "You can contact the editor directly. Explain your position calmly, as you have done here - you feel you have addressed the issue, and that you think the reviewer's approach is too strong, or why it is not a good fit for your paper. In my experience, editors try to be fair, and if the editor will require you to make the change, they will be able to tell you so directly."
},
{
"answer_id": 36540,
"author": "Korem",
"author_id": 17394,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/17394",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "In my opinion, having a proof that a method is incorrect and keeping it to yourself due to diplomatic/social concerns is neither the scientific nor the friendly thing to do. \n\nIf I was working in a group which uses a method frequently I'd expect a friend knowing that it was flawed to share his/her concerns with me in a constructive and friendly manner, knowing that the next researcher who discovers such flaws might not be friendly about it. I'd also hate to be putting time and effort based on something flawed.\n\nOnce that was done by that friend, we could find out between us whether the method is really flawed. If it is, I won't be offended if it's published in a paper he wrote."
},
{
"answer_id": 36541,
"author": "kbh",
"author_id": 27423,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27423",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "We're all in the same pursuit in science - we want to understand what's happening on a fundamental level. If there are disagreements in calculated or measured/observed quantities, I should think that the natural response to reported discrepancies in those quantities should be **\"Why do we disagree? What is happening here that we obviously don't understand fully?\"** or similarly. These disagreements can be turned to something constructive and really ought not be seen negatively by anyone worth their salt in academia. Or so I would think. \n\nThere was a similar instance in my own work previously. If you're particularly concerned with a personal outcry from these other researchers, what you could do is reach out to them personally to tell them your findings and try to discuss the answers to the questions I stated above. This way, you're free to publish your results and you might even have a \"stimulating discussion\" that would allow for future work or collaborations on similar measurements. After all - these might lend themselves to better comprehension of your field of study, and isn't that your end goal?"
},
{
"answer_id": 36587,
"author": "Floris",
"author_id": 15062,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/15062",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Reach out to the group that has published the \"wrong\" method and discuss it with them. There may be more to their method that you realize. If at the end of that conversation you agree that there is a problem, they ought not to mind if you publish. If you get to see their point of view you can include it in your response to the editor.\n\nNobody likes to be surprised by a negative publication (so give them fair warning/try to sort it out) and in scientific publishing you should state the truth as you see it, with appropriate language to convey what is fact and what is speculation. Deliberately leaving things out is inappropriate: there is an old saying in Dutch that \"gentle doctors make stinking wounds\"."
},
{
"answer_id": 36599,
"author": "Dewi Morgan",
"author_id": 27663,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27663",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Seems like there are three possible cases here.\n\n1) Do you get comparable results with your data, using both methods? Then that's a useful thing to say: \"I chose to use this method, but similar results are obtained with the other method\". You can leave it at that.\n\n2) If you get DIFFERENT results, then that's rather more important: you need to describe the difference in outcome, and to explain why your cherry-picked method represents a true interpretation of the data, and why you feel that the differing result from the other method should not be heeded.\n\n3) If the method affects data-gathering, so that you can use only one or the other, then you can't compare them without running the experiment again... which is someone else's job! You have already mentioned the other method, and explained which method you have used. Your method is the mainstream one. Papers exist on the topic of which method is better, and about discovered flaws, but your paper is not *about* this, so you don't even need to cite those papers: it is an irrelevance.\n\nIf it is a bugbear for your reviewer, that's nice for them, but it is not relevant to your paper, and you do not need to go into depth about your selection of the most mainstream method. If you were choosing a minority method, an explanation is relevant, but otherwise it's sufficient to say which method you used, so that people can reproduce your experiment."
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36527",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/14695/"
] |
36,531 |
I am a Chemical Engineering undergrad, and interested in pursuing a Masters in Artificial Intelligence and/or Machine Learning. I have taken a few courses in the CSE department as a part of my minor curriculum plus a few other courses, and also doing some projects in the same side-by-side. Now in the past I have faced some difficulties while taking some courses in the CSE department, and not really sure if it is going to be easy (if at all possible) to switch my majors.
What challenges am I going to face in terms of application/selection, and how can I get by them?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36535,
"author": "kitty",
"author_id": 27408,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27408",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think pursuing a master in the major that you are interested in would be much easier than doing a PHD in similar area. To be selected and become a PHD student, applicants always got to have very good CGPA results in their Bachelor's degrees. \n Some of my former classmates who were doing their PHDs all graduated with CGPA higher than 3.6 something. \n\nHope this help!"
},
{
"answer_id": 36699,
"author": "Florian D'Souza",
"author_id": 26958,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/26958",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I assume that CSE = computer science engineering? \n\nLike Kihtf said, pursuing a Master's degree in a different area/field might be easier than a PhD, at least in terms of admissions. Many PhD programs like to see applicants with background in the subject so they can tackle the more advanced courses immediately. As such, they might be more reluctant to take a chance admitting a Chemical Engineering major for a PhD in AI compared to admitting one for the Master's degree. In addition, PhD cohorts tend to be much smaller than Master's level cohorts, which means Master's level admissions might be (relatively) less competitive compared to PhD level admissions. You might also want to check out the discussion [here](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36464/applying-to-a-phd-in-machine-learning-without-much-knowledge-of-the-subject) (slightly different, but still relevant).\n\nPersonally, I switched fields from undergraduate to graduate school, and I got admitted to most programs to which I applied. I think the biggest challenge is explaining why you want to make the switch. A question that came up during my interviews was why I was trying to switch fields at the graduate level instead of the undergraduate level (i.e., answering the \"if you are interested in this field so much, why did you get a Bachelor's degree in something else\" question). If you have a good answer to this, I think you'll be at least moderately successful. \n\nReviewers of your application might also want to see that you have the necessary intellectual skills for the degree, but if you did well in your chemical engineering major, you should be fine because the math, science, and writing skills should all be transferable. You mention that you had \"difficulties\" in the CSE classes, which you may need to explain, depending on what exactly those difficulties were.\n\nOther than these, I think you'll just face the same challenges as everyone else applying in terms of making sure your recommendation letters are strong, standardized test scores (if applicable) are good, et cetera."
},
{
"answer_id": 40346,
"author": "JP Janet",
"author_id": 28045,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/28045",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I was in a similar situation, coming from a chemical engineering background and moving into CSE. I second the advice to do a master's degree first, even if it adds a year to your timeline. I am more in applied maths than computer science but I think it is probably not too different. \n\nI went the master's route, and it really gives you a chance to see what life is like in maths/CS department. This does not need to be a top 10 program as you may not be competitive for admission to such a program from the wrong undergraduate major. I would recommend finding a masters program in your target field that you can afford/ be funded for, and that has a lot of coursework options. In my case, I am doing a 2-year masters in Europe. I won't lie, it is not easy, as suddenly your classmates have 3 years of area-specific knowledge over you - that can make you feel lost and unintelligent. However, after a few months and some hard work you will find that it is not so bad. I think getting some specific technical training (i.e. courses at grad level) in your target area really strengthens your applications going forward. Doubly so if you can spin a paper in your new field out of your master's. \n\nI managed this, and even if it is not the most spectacular work ever done, it shows that you have provable commitment to your new field. There are lots of eng undergrads who say \"I want to go into maths/CS/finance\" etc, and having some actual experience in a relevant department helps show that you are serious. When it came time for PhD applications I got in everywhere I wanted to go and I will be attending a top five US CSE PhD program in September.\n\nOne more thing, talk to the people you would like to work with, both at a master's and PhD level. Everyone I met was super helpful and understanding of the difficulties that come with changing fields. For example, my master's program helped make a sensible curriculum that covered, more or less, what I was missing. I was surprised at the number of math grad students (and even Professors) with engineering backgrounds."
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36531",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27607/"
] |
36,536 |
As graduate school application deadlines roll around this season, I believe this site would get a lot of questions concerning letters of recommendation, including sending reminder e-mails to professors about this.
My question is now what is the best approach to sending a *second* reminder to a professor concerning writing an LOR? A couple months ago, after having discussed my graduate school plans with the professor, they agreed to write his letter and have me send them the e-mail link to the LOR. I sent the first reminder last week, but they did not respond. And this professor is normally responsive in e-mails about other things, such as coursework and advising. I suspect the professor is beyond busy, and I hope that is the case; I just hope they haven't forgotten about the LOR or changed their mind about it.
I would like to add further that my two other recommenders have already submitted their LORs. I am still waiting on this professor now. Should I mention this in my second reminder e-mail to them, if I should send that second reminder at all? What should I be saying in the e-mail, to politely remind them for the second time?
Any input helps.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36538,
"author": "Aru Ray",
"author_id": 948,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/948",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "A week since your first reminder is somewhat on the short side - personally I would wait a couple more days (maybe two weeks since the last email) to send another email. \n\nA week before the deadline is a good point of time to send a reminder. There is no need to state that this is a second (or nth) reminder. A short email, roughly of the form 'thanks again for agreeing to write a recommendation letter for me. I just wanted to quickly remind you that the deadlines are one week away. Please let me know if you need any more information from me. Thanks again for all your help, etc.' is sufficient."
},
{
"answer_id": 36626,
"author": "DS R",
"author_id": 27610,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27610",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Send a polite email. Also contact by phone. But do not hesitate to show the needed urgency. You might also want to request a fourth person to be ready to submit a recommendation for you, in case this one doesn't do it, finally, due to whatever reason. Waiting till one week before deadline is too risky.\n\n(P.S. Three years back, I was in a similar situation. Only one professor, who was usually quick to respond to any email, was holding back due to some reason. Ultimately, close to deadline, I had to request a fourth professor who immediately obliged. )"
},
{
"answer_id": 78590,
"author": "MissMonicaE",
"author_id": 36330,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/36330",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I wouldn't re-follow up in just a week unless (a) the particular prof usually sends you \"Thanks for the reminder; I'm on it\"-type responses for this kind of thing or (b) the deadline is quite soon.\n\nWhen you do follow up, I find it helpful to include a specific question (to prompt a response), such as \"Should I resend the link?\"\n\nIf you want to give them a bit more of a nudge, send your second reminder as a reply to the first, so that they'll see they already got a reminder."
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36536",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/-1/"
] |
36,543 |
I am a fresh PhD student and I have a question regarding the scientific publication process.
Let's say that I have submitted a paper to a certain journal in Springer, Elsevier etc... and it has been published.
The editor will charge 31.95$ to anyone who would eventually download my article.
How much do I get from it (as the article's writer) ?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36544,
"author": "Anonymous",
"author_id": 11565,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11565",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": true,
"text": "> \n> How much do I get from it (as the article's writer) ?\n> \n> \n> \n\nNothing.\n--------\n\nMoreover, through subscription fees, your university is very possibly paying a substantial amount of money for access to your work."
},
{
"answer_id": 36545,
"author": "Buzz",
"author_id": 27515,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27515",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "You will not receive any royalties from an academic publisher (for an article---books are different). You may even need to pay to have the article published, although in many fields, the best journals are free to publish in.\n\nYou will, of course, get the benefits of exposure and possibly opportunities to network with other researchers. But there are no financial benefits from publishing scholarly articles."
},
{
"answer_id": 36546,
"author": "aeismail",
"author_id": 53,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/53",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "You normally get *nothing.*\n---------------------------\n\nUnlike a book, where you retain the rights as author to some of the proceeds from the sales of the textbook, unless you have some very special arrangement in place with the publisher, the publisher normally keeps all of the proceeds from subscription fees.\n\n(Note in part that very few copies of articles are sold through the publisher. That's one of the reasons why they're so expensive. In general, most people who want such an article do so through interlibrary loan agreements or by directly contacting authors.)"
},
{
"answer_id": 36556,
"author": "Geremia",
"author_id": 9425,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/9425",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "Cf. [my answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/32107/9425) to the \"[How much do Springer-Verlag authors make per book sold?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/19333/9425)\" question:\n\n> \n> If the Work is sold electronically as part of a Springer e-book package, Author will receive an equitable share of royalties from the income generated by Springer from the e-book package. The share formula for each individual title within the e-book package will be determined by Springer no later than April for the preceding calendar year. This amount will be paid in addition to the royalty described above and shown separately on the annual royalty statement.\n> \n> \n> \n\nThe same stipulation might hold for articles, too."
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36543",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27619/"
] |
36,548 |
I did a master's degree in computer science and wrote a thesis. I'm interested in submitting the work in my thesis to a second-tier conference in my research area -- if it is accepted, it will be a stamp of quality for my work.
Nevertheless, I'm not really interested in presenting the work in case it is accepted, because (i) I've moved on to a PhD somewhere else, and it would be troublesome to ask my former advisor for travel funding or presentation advice, and (ii) I've moved on to a different research area (still within the same broad area.)
Can I submit to a conference and choose not to present? If not, what can I do?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36550,
"author": "ABrown",
"author_id": 27621,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27621",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Another route to consider would be journal publication. You can poke around some of their sites to find the submission requirements and to see whether their journal sounds compatible with your work.\n\nChecking with a few other conference FAQs, it seems that if you are accepted, they will ask whether you would like to present. I'm not sure what that will get you, if you say 'no,' other than personal validation that you did good work."
},
{
"answer_id": 36551,
"author": "o4tlulz",
"author_id": 6978,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/6978",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "In many conferences, the work has to be presented in order to be included in the conference proceedings and considered published otherwise a submission, even if accepted, will be removed.\n\nIf you really want to have the paper in a conference you can submit it to one that a friend or colleague is attending and he can present your work for you. It is not an optimal situation and might be frowned upon by those attending the presentation, as realistically you cannot expect a decent Q&A session afterwards, but many of the conference organisers tolerate it and it quite a common practice in an environment with budget cuts or less travel money available."
},
{
"answer_id": 36566,
"author": "Bill Barth",
"author_id": 11600,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11600",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "It is somewhat if not outright unethical to submit a paper to a conference with peer review with the intention of not attending and presenting. The program committee and reviewers will have to put in volunteer effort to deal with your paper only to have you withdraw it or simply fail to attend. \n\nYou should not do this."
},
{
"answer_id": 36581,
"author": "DS R",
"author_id": 27610,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27610",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think you should submit and present if it is chosen. If you don't present it, you take away someone else's chance who needs the break in that conference more than you do. Everything is competitive nowadays. Why to create un necessary competition ?"
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36548",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27622/"
] |
36,553 |
I want to do a thesis masters with a specific teacher in the field of Antennas. I am supposed to meet with him to discuss about this in 2 weeks. I am undergraduate in electrical engineering graduating this May.
How can I prepare for this meeting?What to expect?
I guess I should bring my CV and transcript. Maybe personal projects.
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36555,
"author": "mkennedy",
"author_id": 5711,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/5711",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "I've never done this, but I would send via email or drop off a package with your CV and transcript now or at the latest a week before the meeting. This is so he can review it beforehand rather than be flipping through it at the meeting. \n\nIf you haven't, you should review his recent papers and website, if he has one, to gain knowledge about his current research interests. If possible, you might also try to review master's theses or Ph.D dissertations that he was the advisor for. Try to come up with some ideas on ways to further that research."
},
{
"answer_id": 36759,
"author": "ff524",
"author_id": 11365,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/11365",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "When I meet with potential students, I am trying to find out whether we have mutual interests and compatible working habits. Sometimes I have a specific project in mind that I'd like to staff, and I am looking for a student with specific skills or background. Hopefully, the student is trying to find out whether he/she wants to work with *me*. There are a few things you can think about in advance to have a more productive meeting.\n\n* Look at some of his recent publications, and recent publications of students he is supervising. You don't have to read every word, but you should get a sense of what the advisor works on. If you happen to think of an intelligent question or potential extension to his work, great, you may bring it up in the meeting if it seems appropriate, but if nothing comes to you, don't force it.\n* Expect that he may ask questions to find out more about your interests, strengths, and goals, so be prepared to talk about these. I often ask potential students questions like,\n\n\t+ What kind of work do you like to do?\n\t+ What specific areas of research are most interesting to you?\n\t+ Are there any classes that you especially enjoyed?\n\t+ What do you want to do next (e.g. after the MS)?\n* Think about what questions you might want to ask him. For example, depending on your own working habits and goals you might want to know:\n\n\t+ Where do his students end up? Do most go on to industry jobs, or PhD programs?\n\t+ How does his group operate? Does he have regular one-on-one meetings and/or group meetings with students he supervises? Is his group very collaborative or do most students work individually? Does he have specific expectations about when his students will be their offices, or is he OK with students who work unusual hours or from other locations?\n* If you have *specific* technical skills that you believe will be helpful in your MS research, be prepared to bring them to his attention. (For example, if you have taken a course with a lab component that involves techniques relevant to your research interests.)\n\nAnd yes, it might be helpful for you to bring your CV and transcripts to the meeting, and also email them to him a day or two before. I usually like to look at these *before* a meeting so that I can see if there's anything specific in them that I want to ask more about. (\"I see you're taking [some course] this semester, how are you finding it? \")"
}
] |
2015/01/09
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36553",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/12807/"
] |
36,558 |
I'm applying math graduate program and know that some program reads "gre math subject is not required". Does that mean I can't send gre subject score to them?
And if I also want to apply cs program, can I send gre math sub score to them to exhibit my mathematical ability?
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36567,
"author": "user141592",
"author_id": 27327,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27327",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "You can still send it in. You can always add more information to your application, but there is no guarantee that they will consider it. I know a few schools have stopped asking for GRE subject scores because they don't feel that it's a good way to predict performance, and if that is the case they will not look at it. Assuming you have a good score, it will not count against you."
},
{
"answer_id": 36579,
"author": "DS R",
"author_id": 27610,
"author_profile": "https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27610",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "You can and should send them. Not required means it is not essential; they don't want someone who has not taken that exam to worry. But grad schools would typically want to know about a candidate from as many sources as possible and getting your subject GRE scores is really a good plus point for your candidature. Of course , additional fee for each report has to be borne"
}
] |
2015/01/10
|
[
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/36558",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com",
"https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/27477/"
] |