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thread-32371
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32371
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How to mention possible mutual interests when applying for a job?
|
2014-11-27T17:01:26.747
|
# Question
Title: How to mention possible mutual interests when applying for a job?
Several advices for job application, recommend to mention faculty that have similar interests and can be future collaborators. What is the best way to do that?
* I have worked on topic T and I would like collaborate with with Dr. A
* I believe that my work can extend the work of Dr. A
And do making such connection is valid for all schools, or can have exceptions in small departments? My concern here, is that specifying some names, may have some negative effects. Since Dr. A, could be leading a research on specific topic or teaching course C, and is not willing to allow other new faculty to compete with him.
# Answer
> 11 votes
Imagine for a moment that Dr A doesn't want any help and would see you as competition. Would leaving off your knowledge of and interest in T help prevent Dr A from suggesting they hire someone else? I doubt it.
Now imagine that you include mention of topic T but don't mention Dr A. Perhaps they will think "this applicant doesn't even realize we have a world expert on T here already!"
Suggesting you can help Dr A may be a bit presumptive. But saying that you love topic T and are already working on it, and that the presence of Dr A in the department is one of the reasons you want to come to this group? That sounds very positive to me.
Is there a reason you aren't contacting these Dr As directly and saying "I'm thinking of applying to your department because I'm so excited about topic T; do you have any advice for me?" That seems like a good use of your time if the number of Dr As is reasonably small.
# Answer
> 4 votes
If your work is closely related to the work of Professor A in the department, that should obvious from your research statement. The committee will likely give much more weight to research you have already done and describe in your statement then they will give to plans for future research.
So the first step is to make sure that you write the research statement in a way that directly shows how what you have done is related to Professor A.
Once that is done, you can also mention Professor A in your cover letter, and indicate that your research statement shows how your work is related. The committee can interpret that mention however they like. They may ignore it, they may view it as a sign that you would fit into the department, they may ask Professor A to look at your research statement and give an opinion.
If you can follow that advice, it can't hurt you to mention someone who you can work with. But only do that if there really is a clear relationship between your work and theirs. I have seen some job applications where the applicant claims they could work with someone, but there is no evidence on their vita or research statement that they can.
For example, they may have studied one subfield of a general field, and mention someone who works in a completely different subfield. In that case, it is not clear that the two could work together easily, and the claim in the cover letter comes off as exaggerated.
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Tags: job, faculty-application, application-cover-letter
---
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thread-32377
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32377
|
Is it appropriate to email some new information to my recommendation-letter writers on Thanksgiving if the deadline is a few days later?
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2014-11-27T19:16:13.687
|
# Question
Title: Is it appropriate to email some new information to my recommendation-letter writers on Thanksgiving if the deadline is a few days later?
I just found out one of my grad school electronic applications is having problem with a third party letter service company. So I have to ask the letter writers themselves to upload the recommendation letters. The deadline is the first day after returning from Thanksgiving so I am thinking to email them today (Thanksgiving) would that be inappropriate? (But if I do, of course I will say Happy Thanksgiving but sorry to bother you....etc)
# Answer
Asking is always possible.
Expecting any response or action ... well, that, as they say, is another story.
> 6 votes
# Answer
Today is the only potentially problematic day. You can mail them today or Friday without harm since either way they will have the whole weekend and Monday to respond. They are all inclined to be charitable towards you, so I don't think it matters whether you do it today or tomorrow.
> 1 votes
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Tags: etiquette, recommendation-letter, email
---
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thread-32369
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32369
|
When during the application process should a candidate mention that their spouse is also looking for a job
|
2014-11-27T16:04:14.263
|
# Question
Title: When during the application process should a candidate mention that their spouse is also looking for a job
*When during the application process should a candidate say that their spouse is also looking for a job?*
The issue of academic spouses who want to find employment close enough to live together is colloquially called the "two body problem", and it is a perpetual challenge for job applicants.
The italicized question came up in a recent comment thread on this site, and I realized there is no post on Academia.SE about it. So I am making one.
I have seen many answers to the question, which usually fall between two extremes:
1. Don't mention your spouse in any way until you have a job offer, then bring up the question of a job for your spouse. Sometimes the advice even recommends taking off wedding rings during interviews.
2. Mention the spouse immediately in your application cover letter.
Each has its advantages and disadvantages, certainly, depending on the specific circumstances of the applicant and school being applied to.
Because many people, like me, have a perspective limited by their own life experience and the schools they have worked at, I expect that there should be many different answers to the question, expressing different perspectives. I think that collection of answers would provide an extremely useful resource for job applicants.
In the thread I linked, another user left a comment:
> ... I'd particularly be interested in seeing answers supported by data, as there seem to be a wide range of opinions, each supported by apparently convincing logical reasons and/or anecdotes.
I don't want to limit answers here to ones based on data, but answers that do include broad data would be particularly welcome.
This kind of question has also been asked on MathOverflow.
# Answer
> 29 votes
**I'd mention it during an on-campus interview.**
In my department, we don't factor "the two-body problem" into an initial evaluation (i.e., do we bring someone for an on-campus interview). So it's up to you about mentioning it in a cover letter or not. I don't think I have ***ever*** read that in a cover letter in chemistry, though.
During an on-campus interview, sometimes it comes up, and sometimes it does not. Keep in mind that usually, the department cannot ask. We *prefer* if it comes up, so that we can work on solving the problem at the same time we make an offer.
When we decide about who gets an offer, the two-body problem doesn't factor into the decision at all.
Why? Well, for one, we want the best person we can get. For another, almost *all* of our candidates have a two-body problem of some sort. Sometimes, it's another academic job. In other cases, the spouse is a doctor, or a lawyer, or another scientist or ...
Suffice to say, once we make an offer, we're trying to do the best to get the candidate to come, and that includes making sure a significant other would be happy here.
I'll be honest. We're much happier if we know there's a two-body problem (of any type) *before* we make the offer (i.e. during the on-campus interview), so that we can start working on finding another position. As I said, we want you to come. Sometimes, we don't find out until after we extend the offer, but that just makes our job more difficult because we have much less time.
# Answer
> 8 votes
If your partner is looking for a job in some non academic field, then the university might be able to help out by giving you information about employment opportunities for the area and even offering the services of a career counselor, but it's unlikely that the university can do anything directly to ensure that your partner gets a job.
So I'll assume that you are talking about a situation in which your partner is looking for an academic position or perhaps you're in a situation where you and your partner would like to share a single position.
Many universities have spousal hiring policies that lay out what the university is willing to do in these situations. The most generous of these policies provide money to help create a position for the trailing spouse in the same academic department or in another academic department. This can be a huge win for that other department if the position wasn't otherwise going to exist. Thus there is some incentive to hire in this situation. Other policies are much more vague and aren't much more than an assurance that the spouse will be considered for some kind of employment. You should check to see if the university has such a policy and decide for yourself whether the policy is flexible enough to deal with your situation.
If there is no spousal hiring policy then this may be because the university simply isn't interested in hiring couples or it may be because these situations are handled on a case by case basis.
My advice is that if you would be unwilling to accept a position unless your spouse is hired then I would reveal the information early in the process whether or not the university has a policy. It's true that you might be passed over because of this, but if neither party is willing to give this up, there's no point in playing the game. If the university is willing to deal with this, then they'll have plenty of time to respond by e.g. interviewing the spouse. On the other hand, if you wait until after an offer has been made to you, then you'll either be told "no", or the process of negotiating the spousal hire will start late and take a long time to complete.
If you would be willing (or might be willing only if you have no other offers) to take a position without your spouse being hired, then you might withhold this information until an on-campus interview or even until you've received an offer. This eliminates the risk that you'll be passed over because of your interest in a spousal hire. Realize that when you do finally reveal the information and ask to negotiate a spousal hire you'll be asking for a lot, and it's likely that the university will take a tough position in negotiating all aspect of your hiring. In many cases there will be other qualified applicants for the position, so it's pretty easy for the university to just say "no" and tell you to take their offer or leave it on the table.
# Answer
> 7 votes
I've been at both a small-liberal arts as well as a research I university. I would not mention it at either at any stage until an offer. The reason for this is this: provosts usually only give departments one slot at a time -- asking for a spousal hire requires getting an additional slot from the provost -- i.e., a lot of lobbying work and justification for the position. In order to commit to this, we have to be 100% sure that you are the person we want (and that we or another department wants your spouse) in order to make that effort.
We really won't know that we want to make that effort until after we've met you for the on-campus visit. Often a candidate just 'clicks' and we are then fully committed to getting them whatever they need to be happy on campus. But until then, the top ranked candidates are just sheets of paper and the knowledge that resources for additional faculty slots are very tight may be enough to push you off the bottom of the short-list. This is of course unfair and discriminatory, which is why it's illegal (in the USA) for us as the hiring body to ask you whether or not you have a spouse.
The one case where I would mention it is if you and your spouse are applying to the university at the same time in different departments/searches or at a different ranked search. In that case, there's really no hiding it and it's not necessarily a zero sum game. In addition, small liberal arts colleges know that their flexibility with spouses (and general higher quality of family life) is a selling point to married couples, so you may have more flexibility with them.
Nota bene: The same goes for any other requests you might have -- for example, that you'd want a teaching release the first year, that you have a disability, that you will need maternity leave, or that you won't touch a salary less than US$150,000, etc. etc. Make all these requests after you've been made the offer. Especially in the case of protected categories (pregnancy/disability), they cannot withdraw the offer without exposing themselves legally.
**tl;dr**: Don't mention you have a spouse until the department has committed to you as the top candidate and is willing to go to bat for the additional resources that will make you a happy scholar.
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Tags: job-search, faculty-application, two-body-problem
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thread-32380
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32380
|
How to deal with bad smelling (smoking) co-student
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2014-11-27T19:27:15.157
|
# Question
Title: How to deal with bad smelling (smoking) co-student
For a graduate project I need to work together with a fellow student who smokes a lot (every time we take a break); the smell is really strong and actually distracts from the work at times. Some days we work from about 8am to 6pm together, which is quite a long time.
I'm not sure how to approach him about it, you can't really forbid someone to smoke, of course. Surely not for the duration of a whole day (I doubt someone who is addicted to it can go without for that long anyway). In a workplace setting, as ff524 mentioned, I might go to a manager, etc, but that is not always an option in academia.
In addition, I'm quite sure that he's unaware of this..
# Answer
I believe the best thing to do is to be honest and tell him that the smell is very strong.
Engage him in a discussion about smoking and ask him whether he has any plans to quit. From my experience *every smoker wishes to quit*. Then tell him that the smell is strong and sometimes you can't focus because of it. Take into account that this is maybe the first experience for him to work in a lab. Later on, he would definitely be aware of this, such as a non-academic workplace.
**Things you can do:**
1. Try not to discuss or meet right after smoking.
2. Share gum with him.
3. Bringing air freshener to your office
In the end, there is nothing you can do if he's not willing to cooperate.
There are related questions discussing the same issue on Workplace.SE containing additional advice.
> 6 votes
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Tags: collaboration, interpersonal-issues
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thread-32333
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32333
|
What to do if an audience member refuses to let you answer their question?
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2014-11-27T00:19:28.203
|
# Question
Title: What to do if an audience member refuses to let you answer their question?
I was reading this question about famous people asking rude questions in talks, and it reminded me of a situation which happened at the end of my academic career. I would really like some advice on how I should have handled it.
I was giving a short talk at a conference and at the end the session chair asked for questions or comments. An eminent Belgian professor said "I really think you should look at X from 197y" and, since I *had* looked at X, I began to reply, and then the professor interrupted my reply with
> "That wasn't a question. That was a comment."
I was speechless. This is Treppenwitz as it was several years ago, but what would have been a good comeback?
# Answer
The question's title does not reveal the status of the obstructionist questioner, and this status matters enormously. Lower-status people behaving this way could not *"get away with it"*. High-status people often can.
Given all the implicit primate-interaction and other presumption in anyone's behaving like that, in particular *denying response*, this should be treated like bad drivers on the highway, specifically, potentially more *reactive* than the indifferent bad weather or bad luck of various sorts. Namely, any substantial response, especially any expression of annoyance or umbrage, will incur a cost that makes whatever satisfaction one had hoped-for too expensive.
Instead, a dumb-happy-innocent smile and "thanks for your comment... then", to avoid *engagement*, is wise.
Sure, this amounts to a sort of impersonal bullying, but you yourself could not likely change the outcome. It'd require the intervention of someone of comparable status, blah-blah-blah.
So, in summary, no, such "comments" are not productive, are status-reiterating, ... and do create a generally stifling status-conscious atmosphere. Not that most human scenarios aren't status-conscious... :)
> 25 votes
# Answer
* The chair asked for questions *or comments*.
* Your title is about being prevented from answering a question, but the eminent Prof was correct in one thing. It was a statement, not a question.
* The eminent Prof acted as if there's a right to make a comment *without you responding to it*. Since your response made the remark look obtuse (saying you should look at something you've already looked at), it seems likely that interrupting you was a ploy to avoid embarrassment.
* It's really up to the chair whether you should respond to comments or not, but usually if the speaker thinks they have a useful response then they should make it. So typically the audience has no right to make comments without allowing a response.
So, any further response you make to the interruption should bear in mind that the Prof is quite likely only interrupting you to avoid looking silly:
* You could treat it as a heckle. If you have a useful remark on the applicability (or otherwise) of X, then ignore the interruption and continue making it. An audience member raised X, you're talking about X: that's what the questions and comments part of your talk is supposed to be for. Remember it's not the eminent Prof that decides who's allowed to speak, it's the chair. So you can speak unless the chair interrupts.
* If you're just defending yourself against an accusation of ignoring X when you didn't, then state that X was considered and move on to the next question/comment.
* If you want to put down the eminent Prof (perhaps because you're at the end of your academic career anyway), then you could try some cutting remark before continuing: "This isn't an answer, it's a response to your comment", "Yes, but your comment is so wrong it risks misleading listeners", "Your mother", etc.
* You could make the point in a much more friendly way, that you're determined to speak about X: "I agree with you, X is relevant and interesting because..." or "I thought the same thing, but it turns out X isn't applicable because..."
---
I've just realised that the eminent professor was quite possibly referring to an anecdote concerning Paul Dirac:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/review-the-strangest-man-by-graham-farmelo/article4289494/
Dirac's incident was the other way around. An audience member said that he didn't understand an equation given by Dirac in a lecture. Dirac gave no response, and when prompted to answer the question it was Dirac who said, "that was not a question, it was a comment".
Therefore, it's possible that your eminent professor intended to come across more funny and less controlling than he actually did. Still wouldn't excuse him trying to prevent you speaking, of course.
> 24 votes
# Answer
"Yes, and I'd like to respond to your comment by saying ...."
I'd avoid sarcasm, put-downs, or anything that could be described as a "good comeback."
> 11 votes
# Answer
I would tell him to accept the consequences of his comments or keep them to himself. Then, reply to his comment. If he has a legitimate concern that hadn't occurred to me, I would thank him for his input and take it into consideration (these are awkward moments, but I always learn so much from them). If, however, he attacks my findings and I am truly certain his attack is unfounded, I would tell him why I think it's unfounded.
Academia is about discovering the truth; status should *never* get in the way of that. If academia weren't allowed to speak their mind, how would we ever discover the truth?
That said, I think everyone has their own opinion on how to deal with these situations where you're unreasonably backed into a corner by someone with higher status than yourself.
> 5 votes
# Answer
Since you had looked at X, a reply saying so is appropriate. There are two ways this could go:
* you should look at X
* in fact I have, and -
* that wasn't a question, it was a comment
* thankyou for your comment, which was founded on the invalid assumption I hadn't looked at X. \[Grin. Adjust body language so you are no longer speaking to questioner but to entire audience.\] Speaking of X, when I looked at it I found...
this approach takes the "it's my stage, buddy" position - you don't need permission from an audience member to do anything. It also puts the questioner down a peg, which might be a dangerous thing to do.
Alternatively:
* you should look at X
* in fact I have, and -
* that wasn't a question, it was a comment
* I see. Well, since I have looked at X, it turns out to be a rather nonconstructive comment. Do you have a question?
This is somewhat ruder and gives up the opportunity to talk about X, but might result in useful dialog should that be your aim.
Depending on the audience reaction to the rude questioner (and make no mistake, telling you what to read as though there was some sort of supervisor/student relationship, interrupting and correcting you, and not playing along with the unspoken rules of Q&A after a talk are all rude, and probably designed to show the commenter's superiority to you) you could also just roll your eyes or sigh and move on to another question as quickly as possible, optionally thanking the commenter first in a bored, polite voice. This is a good choice only if you can clearly tell that most of the audience doesn't see the commenter as superior to you or the comment as a "telling blow" on you.
> 3 votes
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Tags: presentation, interpersonal-issues, seminars, answering-questions
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thread-32315
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32315
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Journal does not tell me why they rejected my paper, even on request
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2014-11-26T15:45:01.617
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# Question
Title: Journal does not tell me why they rejected my paper, even on request
I submitted my paper to one of Springer’s journals seven months ago. One month ago I received a letter from the editor-in-chief:
> Following a review of the manuscript by the editorial board, we have regretfully decided not to consider this work for publication. We thank you for your interest in our journal and...
I wrote the journal an e-mail and asked for the review mentioned in the letter, but received no answer. I also wrote to the editor himself (to his personal e-mail), and asked the fair question: “why the editorial board decided not to consider the work?”, but my question was ignored. I have been waiting for one month for the answer.
What can I do in this case? Note that I only want to know the reasons for the rejection.
# Answer
> "Following a review of the manuscript by the editorial board, we have regretfully decided not to consider this work for publication. We thank you for your interest in our journal and..."
This sounds like an editorial ("desk") reject more than anything else. Hence, there typically is no formal, written review that the editor could forward to you. It is just that the handling editor and/or the Editor-in-Chief have decided that the paper is either of low enough quality, or so clearly out of scope, that running it through the full-blown peer-review process would be a waste of reviewer time. While this is of course a harsh judgement for your submission, the editors are entirely allowed to do this - there is no formal "obligation" that any submission will have to be peer-reviewed before it can be rejected.
> What can I do in this case? Note that the only thing I want is to know reasons for the rejection.
Realistically, not much. Of course it would be nice if the editors at least gave you some informal pointers why your submission was desk-rejected, e.g., "I am sorry but your submission is out of scope for this journal", but maybe if your request was combative enough, the editor decided that she/he rather did not want to get into an argument with you about this. Anyway, I doubt that there is an obligation on the editor's side to always fully justify each rejection. At the end of the day, acceptance of papers is always a discretionary decision by the Editor-in-Chief, and not something you can formally object to.
> 57 votes
# Answer
It does not seem likely that you will get an answer from the journal. The next best thing would be to look among those you know, or those to whom you can get introductions, for people who have had papers published in the journal. Ideally, find at least one experienced professor who is a co-author of a student-written paper in the journal.
Someone who has published in a journal has some understanding of the criteria it applies, including topics and quality requirements. A professor co-author may have guided graduate students through the process of writing a paper the journal will accept.
Ask each of them for their opinion of your paper as a potential submission to the journal. If they all indicate the same or similar problems, that is almost certainly the reason for rejection.
> 9 votes
# Answer
Although 6 months is definitely too long, here is a possible timeline that may cause legit delays in the processing.
* The paper is received by the editorial system, and it might get some time to get to the corresponding editor.
* Maybe the journal offers the manuscripts to the editors, and it takes some time until and editor picks it up.
* Sometimes the editor is not sure about what to do with the manuscript, so it sends it to some colleagues for an informal assessment, asking them whether they think the paper should be reviewed.
* After getting mixed answers at the previous stage, the manuscript has to wait to the next editorial board meeting for the decision to be made.
I don't think this explains easily a six month delay, but it does show that desk rejections are not necessarily immediate.
> 0 votes
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Tags: journals, editors, rejection
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thread-2281
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/2281
|
How much overlap is permitted between a submitted journal article and a thesis?
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2012-07-03T18:19:08.853
|
# Question
Title: How much overlap is permitted between a submitted journal article and a thesis?
I'm currently writing a journal article to be published, and the work from this article is basically the entire work of my Master's thesis.
Clearly a thesis is usually more involved and fleshed out than a journal article, but how much direct copying is usually permitted? Is it okay to directly copy-and-paste an entire chapter (or multiple chapters) of this article into my thesis, given that I wrote it anyway? At what point am I plagiarising myself?
# Answer
Generally, many publishers and fields have rules against reuse of one's own text if that use is a (a) substantial; (b) not disclosed/attributed; (c) published.
How these terms are interpreted varies among publishers and disciplines. Most publishers would not consider a thesis or dissertation to be a "publication" for this purpose (hence the still widespread practice of converting dissertations into "book"). However, to avoid misunderstandings and keep definitively within the rules it is good practice to cite one's thesis, and to provide a brief summary of what content was reused and the extent it was updated, in the cover letter and in an introductory footnote.
> 6 votes
# Answer
You are in a unique position if you can literally copy-and-paste from your thesis directly to a journal article. If that is the case, take that opportunity and don't worry about self-plagiarism. The issue is whether your work has been previously published in some fashion. A thesis that has been submitted to a university is not considered a publication and, generally speaking, no copyright agreements have been signed. This is, indeed, your work. You are plagiarizing yourself when you publish an article and then lift text directly from that article. If your thesis has not been 'published,' then shape it into a journal article and send it off ...
> 4 votes
# Answer
In Computer Science, many publishers (well all of those I published with) have an automated system of requesting re-use permissions. For inclusion in a thesis, these tend to be 'as published' or 'post-review, but not typeset' which allows verbatim copies. Verbatim as in: insert the pdf from the journal into the thesis.
You should check for your field but might be pleasently surprised.
Please check with your advisor what he allows you to do.
> 1 votes
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Tags: thesis, journals, plagiarism, self-plagiarism
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thread-1646
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/1646
|
How to select a Master's thesis topic if your advisor won't suggest one?
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2012-05-22T13:22:14.190
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# Question
Title: How to select a Master's thesis topic if your advisor won't suggest one?
If a master's degree candidate needs to select a thesis topic, but their advisor is unwilling to offer suggestions on the matter, how should one go about selecting a thesis?
* How might one select an area to study?
* How can one evaluate if if is a suitable topic?
* Does the thesis need to focus on an area which is relatively unexplored by prior research?
# Answer
> 41 votes
One approach is follows:
1. Find one or two good recent PhD theses in your chosen area. Read these thoroughly. As you read, write down every question that pops into your mind, write down every time the author states that something is left for future work or needs further investigation. This will have a dual effect. Firstly, you will get a good introduction to a particular research field. Secondly, you will have a bunch of questions that need to be investigated.
2. Prune trivial questions, non-sensible ones, etc.
3. Next, organize your questions thematically and see whether you can find a common thread to these questions, something that could form the basis of your research.
4. Remove any questions that do not fit will with the others.
5. Based on the remaining questions, formulate a couple of coherent questions that your research could address.
6. Write a plan to address these questions.
7. Work through plan.
8. Write thesis.
# Answer
> 25 votes
You'll be amazed at how much the choice of Master's thesis will influence your long-term interest in the field, prospects for jobs within and outside of academia. I'd suggest picking up some mainstream journals or magazines in your field and see what is currently trendy in the field, and what are bread and butter topics. Having a birds eye view of what's going on in the field allows you to be strategic about your topic, with the goal of planning a successful career.
Most likely, a successful career is one that will hook into an existing community of researchers in a topic, with a reliable source of funds that pay for conferences, departments, and students to populate them. A strategic topic is one that has the potential to make an impact in the field, and has the potential to cross-over into related disciplines, or even to have practical applications to real people (god forbid).
Finally, and most importantly, choose a topic that gets your blood flowing. Your master's topic could very easily become a PhD topic, which could then become a career focus. A lot of grad student burn-out is the result of students reaching their limit of interest in a topic, and thus deciding they've had enough.
As you survey mainstream and more specific literatures, be aware of what problems and topics get you excited. Choose something that you actually get excited about, that you can't stop thinking and talking about, and that you can even get other people excited about. That's the topic that will keep you going when you get stuck in the muck of research and don't know if you can keep going for another year.
# Answer
> 6 votes
I would look what are the domain of interest of my advisor, see what he dose, and pick a thesis on one of that domain (In case I can run in trouble he can help). But I will take care to be a topic that I can also find interesting.
# Answer
> 6 votes
I would recommend that you read into some area of your Master which your find interesting. After you have an outline of an idea, then see on your university website which of the professors might be a suitable supervisor.
# Answer
> 3 votes
This is summary of what i got from a blog i read. The link will be provided below
**1.Idea generation**
Rather than look for one perfect idea, it is better to consider several. In the initial stages, you should be open to all ideas, even if they seem crazy. The ideas don’t need to be completely unique, you could start with one idea, then consider multiple variations on a theme. However you approach it, take some time to think of as many different topics as you can.
**2.Testing**
This stage is crucial, and can save you years of pain.
Before you finalise your thesis topic, you need to test potential ideas for viability. Is the project possible? How will you go about it? What do you need?
Ask yourself, what is the simplest first step that would need to be taken, and figure out if it is possible
**3. Elimination and refinement**
It’s OK to let go of ideas if they don’t work or are impractical (and much easier to do if you start with several possibilities). But others may just need a little refinement to become viable.
Check out this blog by James Hayton (http://jameshaytonphd.com/how-to-choose-a-thesis-topic/).
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Tags: thesis, masters, research-topic
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thread-32394
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32394
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How can I tell whether a mathematics journal seems reputable?
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2014-11-28T00:52:16.360
|
# Question
Title: How can I tell whether a mathematics journal seems reputable?
There are some general questions on this site about judging the reputability of journals in general:
I am interested in answers specific to mathematics, that may not have been raised in the other questions.
I received the following email from the "American Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics" ten days after submitting a paper online. How can I tell whether this is a reputable journal? In general, how can I tell whether a mathematics journal is reputable?
> Dear Authors,
>
> On behalf of the Chief Editor of the “American Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics” we are happy to inform you that your article entitled ‘A possible approach proof to proof the Riemann Hypothesis” is accepted for publication in (Jan-June 2015).
>
> Please send DD/Cheque for US $ 250.00 payable to ‘ Vijay Kumar Jha ‘ to our address.
>
> Our address: Vijay Kumar Jha Managing Editor c\o. ACADEMIC RESEARCH JOURNALS (INDIA)
>
> 4383/4A, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi-110002
>
> (M) 08826561892
>
> We thank you very much for your contribution and encourage you to continue submitting your future.
>
> Yours sincerely,
# Answer
For academic mathematicians, it's not so hard to avoid predatory journals. We have a sense of the journals that we "typically" publish in, and the journals we "aspire" to publish in, and we stick mostly to these journals. For journals we don't know yet, we can ask colleagues to get their opinion. One (possibly unfortunate) goal of publishing in academia is to build a vita and maintain/advance your career, and it doesn't help as much to publish in a journal that none of your colleagues or supervisors has heard about.
For people who don't have that kind of professional experience, there are several easier questions you can ask. The better answer to each of these is "Yes". **On their own, none of these questions indicates that a journal is necessarily reputable or nonreputable.** But, if the journal gets a "No" answer to many of them, then I would be very hesitant to submit a paper.
* Does the journal publish with no cost to the author? Reputable mathematics journals almost never charge fees for publication. Some very good journals offer an open-access model as an option, but it is almost never the default at the moment.
* Is the journal indexed by MathSciNet and/or Zentralblatt MATH? These sites aim to be very comprehensive for mathematics journals. Being indexed is not really a sign of quality, but not being indexed is a red flag.
* Is the journal ranked on the Australian Mathematical Society Ranking? Even C-rated journals can be OK, but if a journal is completely omitted I would take that as a reason to be cautious.
* Is the journal either published by a well-known publisher, or affiliated with a university or mathematical society? Most reputable math journals fall into these categories, but not all. Some journals run by professional publishers are still not very reputable, of course.
* Does the journal have a professional looking website? Grammatical errors or parts of the website that seem to be entirely missing are a cause for concern.
* Does the journal have a long history of publication (say, at least 20 years)? Most predatory journals are very young; most math journals are relatively old.
The "American Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics" has a "No" answer to all of these questions. If they really did have a 10-day turn around between receiving a paper and accepting it, as described in comments, I am even more skeptical of the quality of the journal - that is an almost absurdly fast turn around time for a mathematics journal. I would not pay them anything to publish a paper of mine, nor would I recommend it to anyone else.
Of course, you *can* publish in a predatory journal, just as you *can* publish in a for-hire press. But if you are an amateur or "outsider" looking to publish in a math journal, you are likely doing it to get a sort of "seal of approval" on your paper. Journals that mathematicians view as unreputable will not give your paper that kind of recognition among mathematicians, just as degrees from unreputable colleges are unlikely to impress others.
If your goal is just to disseminate your mathematical work, and you don't require peer review, you can often use arXiv.org instead. Depending on the area, you may need to have a professional "sponsor", but the arXiv will keep your paper available for free for the indefinite future in a way that is widely accessible to the public.
> 23 votes
# Answer
The publisher of this particular journal, "Academic Research Journals", appears on a widely cited list of "predatory publishers" who publish open access journals with very low standards and charge authors to publish. You probably don't want a publication in this journal.
See Beall's list at:
http://scholarlyoa.com/publishers/
Also follow the link from the list to the criteria that Beall used to compile the list. New predatory publishers pop up every week, so you really need to consider these issues in evaluating a new journal.
As ff524 has pointed out in the comments, there are actually two web sites using the name "Academic Research Journals" The web site of academicresearchjournals.com could easily be confused with the other academicresearchjournals.org. Whoever put together the .com web site used "Academic Research Journals (India)" rather than "Academic Research Journals" in some places but not others. This certainly looks like a copycat operation.
In any case, the journal mentioned by the original poster has the appearance of one of these predatory journals and should be avoided for that reason.
> 6 votes
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Tags: journals, mathematics, disreputable-publishers
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thread-31842
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/31842
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Is patenting based on theoretical findings possible?
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2014-11-17T11:56:35.940
|
# Question
Title: Is patenting based on theoretical findings possible?
Imagine one, as part of their academic research, makes a theoretical finding of a new material with interesting properties based on a computer simulation. The method used in the simulation is sound and has been proven to provide reliable results.
Can the discoverer file a patent based on this theoretical work or does one need experimental confirmation that the new material indeed has the predicted properties before being able to file a patent?
# Answer
The relevant concept here is "reduction to practice," which means that a concept has been sufficiently realized to make it believable. Where, exactly, this bar lies depends on which field and which country you are dealing with.
The United States, for example, used to have much stronger requirements for working models, but has recently introduced a notion of "preliminary filing" which lets one start the patent process before demonstrating a working model. In some cases, particularly mechanical devices, the device (fortunately) might never actually have to be demonstrated in action. In others, such as many types of biological invention, the science is considered so unpredictable that you cannot be considered to have reduced the idea to practice unless you have an actual working example.
For your particular question of computational material design, I do not know where the boundary of "reduction to practice" currently lies. It is likely to be field-dependent (e.g., is this a mechanical macrostructure like a fabric, a simple atomic structure like a new alloy of steel, or a complex organic structure like a protein agglomerate), will depend on jurisdiction, and is likely to move again in the future as patent offices slowly come to accept the validity of more classes of models. Thus, the overall answer is "it depends" and "talk to a patent lawyer."
> 10 votes
# Answer
I haven't encountered cases like patenting a theological findings. If the findings was a result of a research or a thesis, it would be easy to compile it and have it copyrighted under your name. Note: you can only patent a research study if the creator is you.
> 0 votes
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Tags: legal-issues, patents, theory
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thread-32407
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32407
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References in a PhD thesis in mathematics
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2014-11-28T05:54:11.860
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# Question
Title: References in a PhD thesis in mathematics
I have a few questions about the references in a PhD thesis in mathematics:
1. What would be a "normal" range of items there? I am not sure if there is only a few items in the reference it may not be suitable. Would 30 be good? 50? Or 100?
2. Is there any conventional way to order the references?
3. When I add a paper to the reference, do I really need to read the paper? For example, I may read from some other paper that "the following result was proved in \[1\]". Then can I also add \[1\] to my reference by writing "the following result was proved in \[1\]", without really reading \[1\]? It is possible that \[1\] may be too long/tedious/difficult to read, difficult to find, or not in English, etc.
# Answer
> 7 votes
1. 'Normal' is not really relevant. You must reference your sources. You must not artificially pad your reference section by citing things that aren't relevant. The question left then is how many standard texts etc you reference with regard to things like well-known background. This will probably depend on exactly what you study.
2. Yes, but it depends on field to some extent. In mathematics, references are almost always ordered alphabetically by first author's surname but check your university rules first, then a standard journal or three if that doesn't pin it down enough.
3. I'm sure this must have been answered before. If you quote something because someone else did, are you certain they were right? People make mistakes (and maybe occasionally deliberate false claims).
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Tags: citations, thesis, mathematics
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thread-32412
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32412
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In a computing/software paper, is it acceptable to talk about alternative tools in a literature review?
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2014-11-28T12:36:50.750
|
# Question
Title: In a computing/software paper, is it acceptable to talk about alternative tools in a literature review?
I have to write a short literature review for a practical, technical white paper relating to computer security.
Googling around, I find that most literature reviews focus only on previous papers or books ("purely" literature).
I was wondering if it was acceptable to talk about both literature and tools that are similar to what I'm developing? Or should the focus be exclusively on previous literature?
# Answer
> 3 votes
If your work should be compared to a software tool, then you should compare it to that software tool. Actually comparing, however, can be tricky for a couple of reasons:
1. Closed commercial software often hides its workings, such that it is difficult to tell how it actually operates.
2. Live software projects are a moving target, and features today may be gone tomorrow.
Thus, for example, if you were comparing a contextual text search to the methods used by Google, it would be very difficult to do that just in a "related works" section because their methods are hidden and constantly changing. Instead, you'd need to take experimental data on its behavior in some period (or cite somebody else who had).
For this reason, whenever possible it is generally preferable to reference a paper *about* the software rather than the software per se. Most significant academic software will have an associated website with a section on "how to cite this" or a list of associated papers (e.g., this "further reading" section for TinyDB), which will give you appropriate sources to cite in your discussion.
If there is no such citation available, however, or if the existing citations are not appropriate, then you can cite the tool directly: there are established conventions for citing software tools. I also sometimes cite both a key paper and the live tool, when the tool has expanded well beyond the associated literature.
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Tags: literature-review
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thread-32405
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32405
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Why do some research centres and university department publish a multi-year future strategic plan?
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2014-11-28T04:08:58.397
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# Question
Title: Why do some research centres and university department publish a multi-year future strategic plan?
I noticed that a few research centres and university departments provide a multi-year **strategic plan** document on their websites. For example, IIT (Italian Institute of Technology) and Stanford Computer Science Department.
The plan usually describes the main goals and purpose of the institution, both in science and in research management.
**Why do they actually do it?**
Is it just a way professors and researchers try to predict their future? Or is it a solid way to show their future scientific directions to the world?
What happens if the strategic plan is not respected by scientists and events during the following years?
And why so many institutes actually don't do it?
# Answer
> 3 votes
Another reason may be funding at a large scale. Governments sometimes have plans to strengthen the research in a certain area (ex. biosciences). By making an institution-wide plan, you can make a very strong case for the funding agency and possibly secure a large amount of money. The time scale is also important. If you have money guaranteed for seven years, you can buy expensive equipment and hire experts knowing that you will not have to let them go after a year, for example.
In the particular case of Stanford I imagine their main target is private investment. The aim of the plan is then showing off a strong commitment to their objectives.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Writing plans can be useful for a department to come together and find common goals. Putting them in writing and publishing them is way for a department and its faculty to commit to those plans. Evaluating a couple of years later to see whether the plans were actually implemented, can be good way to evaluate the last couple of years. Not implementing the plans is not necessarily bad, unpredictable things always happen. The plan can however be a good way to structure that discussion (why did we not meet our objectives? What did we do instead? Is that equally good or better than our original plan, or did we make a mistake?)
As a tool such plans can play a positive role. They can also go horribly wrong. If it is seen by the faculty as a bureaucratic waste of time, than writing it will be a waste of time. Nobody will then feel committed by that plan. Evaluating it will also be just a waste of time because nobody felt bound by that plan anyhow so what is there to evaluate. Worse, such plans can lead to lots of unproductive fights between faculty and rip a department appart.
So there are good reasons why some departments do it, and there are also good reasons why other departments avoid doing it.
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Tags: research-process, administration, outreach
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thread-32415
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32415
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What software can I use to poll my audience during presentation?
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2014-11-28T13:44:31.857
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# Question
Title: What software can I use to poll my audience during presentation?
I recently attended a lecture where the speaker used piece of software to interactively poll the audience and display the results. The particular solution was ResponseWare. What other solutions are available? Worth the money (if paid)? Pros and cons?
Please note, that I'm not interested in top 5 results of Google search.. I'd be more interested to hear personal experiences with specific software, both as a presenter or audience.
# Answer
> 6 votes
The Software Carpentry instructors do lots of presentations where they need/expect rapid, interactive feedback. They (especially Greg Wilson) have lots of experience of different ways of doing this. Note that their current method, that works extremely well, is to use different coloured sticky notes.
I haven't seen a technical solution that worked better; most are considerably worse. However, this is only practical for yes/no or multiple choice polls.
# Answer
> 2 votes
The organizers of a workshop I recently attended used Socrative to help drive discussion by letting attendees choose among topics that had been introduced during the first half of the session. I found it pretty effective, and since it is HTML5/JS driven, it doesn't need an app or download. You can access the site from any Internet-enabled device and watch the answers come in in real time.
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Tags: presentation
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thread-32431
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32431
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Validity of results recorded in electronic vs bound vs unbound notebooks?
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2014-11-28T18:57:24.503
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# Question
Title: Validity of results recorded in electronic vs bound vs unbound notebooks?
How do we distinguish between the validity of electronic, recorded bound, and recorded unbound notebooks for gauging whether research results are publishable?
# Answer
> 3 votes
Where I have been involved with publications and lab notebooks, in biology, this question has never arisen. Electronic, bound, unbound---I don't usually have any idea what my experimental collaborators are using, and it's not considered relevant. They are responsible for the integrity of their data, and no journal has ever done any sort of "lab notebook check" on us before publication. The only place where I can even imagine this would become relevant would be in attempting to resolve an accusation of academic dishonesty.
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Tags: research-process, note-taking
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thread-32416
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32416
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Interactive poll during the presentation - worth the hassle?
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2014-11-28T13:50:36.077
|
# Question
Title: Interactive poll during the presentation - worth the hassle?
I recently attended a lecture where the speaker used piece of software to add interactive results to poll audience. As a presenter and/or audience - what is your opinion on added value of such exercise? Worth the hassle?
What are the benefits? What problems can it get you into?
In my particular case for example - you could answer via smartphone (app or website) or laptop (website), both of these had to of course be connected to Internet. So automatically - the poll excluded all those who didn't have this option.
# Answer
> 5 votes
When you say "lecture", I'm not sure whether you're talking about a one-shot talk (e.g., a conference presentation, an invited seminar), or about an ongoing series in a class.
While I personally have not taught this way, I know that there has been a lot of experimentation with having students answer questions during lectures with software in the way that you describe. There, the idea is to have the students actually working problem as part of the lecture---essentially, a hybrid between normal and flipped classroom. In at least some cases, this seems to work very well.
For a one-shot talk, on the other hand, I have a hard time coming up with non-contrived scenarios where I think this would be worth it. Why would anybody be willing to install some random app for just one talk, and won't you lose time to getting them set up with it? What could you gain from an online poll that you couldn't get through a quick show of hands? Once people have switched their attention from you to their screens, aren't you just encouraging them to check out and read their email / browse the web? To me at least, the negatives seem to far outweigh the benefits.
# Answer
> 4 votes
I agree with jakebeal that it matters a lot whether you're doing this for one isolated lecture or as part of a class.
As I see it, the main advantage of this is as a pedagogical tool. It's most useful when you're teaching a class, because then you can give small "quiz" questions as interactive polls, and from the pattern of student responses you can get an idea of whether they're understanding the material. I used this technique in a class I taught and found it quite useful. If most of the class was quickly getting the right answer, I knew I could move ahead speedily; if many students got the answer wrong, I could slow down to go over stuff more slowly.
I think these advantages are much reduced in a single-lecture situation. For one thing, at least in my experience, the proportion of standalone lectures that are pedagogical in nature is fairly small. Second, for pedagogical standalone lectures, you typically have a preplanned talk that you're going to give, with little room to adjust the pace based on audience responses. For a class, you can use results from a poll one day to plan and adjust what you talk about at the next class session, but there's no way to do that if the entire thing is just one lecture. Finally, to get at your main question, I just don't think it's worth the hassle for a single lecture. People have to install an app or go to a website. If technical difficulties prevent them from doing so, you have to either use up precious time from your single lecture, or ignore the problems, which makes the poll results less representative. For a class, it can make sense to spend the time resolving technical issues because the polling mechanism can be used again and again over a period of weeks; for a single lecture, any time spent dealing with that is just cutting into the substance of the talk.
If the talk is not pedagogical, I think there's little point to these polls. You don't really *need* audience feedback (at least not until after the talk) if you're not trying to teach them something and make sure they understand it as you go along.
I personally used the iClicker device and software, because that was provided by the institution where I was teaching. This is nice because it doesn't require anyone to install anything or look at a screen; they just use the device, which is like a remote control, to respond to polls you show in your slides. Again, though, in a single-lecture setting, it's unlikely to be worth it to pass out iClickers for everyone and then collect them at the end. The only way I could see this being practical is if your talk, although standalone, was one of many such talks at a conference or something, and the conference provided the iClicker or other poll infrastructure. Then the economies of scale could make sense, because people could participate in polls across many talks. For this to be worth it, though, you'd have to have substantial interest from the speakers, or else they might not bother to include polls in their talks.
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Tags: presentation
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thread-32438
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32438
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Career Paths for Mathematics and Physics
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2014-11-29T01:19:15.560
|
# Question
Title: Career Paths for Mathematics and Physics
I'm just looking at the Mathematics & Physics program at University of Toronto (I think it's like Mathematical Physics, correct me if I'm wrong), I'm wondering what career paths I can choose if I take this program. Would this allow my to work in either field or just in the physics field? And would this allow me to go to grad school for either one I want, or is it restricted to one of the two fields?
If it makes any difference, here's a link to the university's program calendar: http://www.artsandscience.utoronto.ca/ofr/calendar/crs\_mat.htm
Thanks.
# Answer
> 2 votes
For grad school applications, after making it through GRE cuts, the biggest decider will be the research that you've done. You'll want to develop programming skills in multiple languages, even if they don't cover them in class. For math and physics, MATLAB, Mathematica, and R are the most commonly used languages. If you don't find any research opportunities at Toronto, look for REU programs in the summer elsewhere. A math/physics degree can get you into grad school for math, physics, all manner of engineering (I went from astrophysics to aerospace engineering), chemistry. There are probably others as well.
Outside of grad school, the options are pretty varied. Again, if you can program that will open many more doors. My friends from undergrad in physics went on into banking/economics, General Electric, CERN, Seagate, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, the air force, and NASA. The majority, however, went to grad school. That keeps all those former options open, but also opens up the academic track (becoming a professor or a research scientist at all kinds of places like NIST or NOAA, but there are hundreds).
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Tags: career-path, university, degree
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thread-32164
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32164
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What to do about questions that are designed to embarrass the speaker?
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2014-11-24T05:09:00.873
|
# Question
Title: What to do about questions that are designed to embarrass the speaker?
I've attended a lot of seminars and lectures by now, and it's typical for the chair of the seminar to offer audience members a chance to ask questions of the speaker about their work after the presentation.
Most of the time, the questions seek clarification of some aspect of the presentation or focus on a more comprehensive understanding of the research involved.
However, occasionally, I've noticed that questions are purposefully designed to embarrass the speaker. Things along the lines of "That method won't work at all for what you're trying to do. Your results are completely invalid" or "So-and-so's group already did that work years ago. Did you not read their paper?"
Perhaps more disturbingly (I just got back from a really large conference if you can't tell), is that women seem to be more harshly criticized than men, and over trivial issues. For instance, in a few sessions I went to, female graduate students were given really hard times over their presentations while the male grad students were not. All presentations were about the same quality. I guess I'm a little shocked; I'd heard of sexism in academia but hadn't actually seen it (or noticed it) until this conference.
Oddly enough, I've observed that it's typically prestigious professors or researchers that are asking these ostentatious questions. I suppose they figure they have enough "fame" or whatever that their job isn't in jeopardy, and there's no easy way to really prove they're being rude or sexist.
I don't know what's going on here, but it seems to me that these questions, even if they do have technical merit, should be held until after the seminar, where they can be discussed privately with the researcher.
My question here, specifically, is what can be done to minimize these (uncomfortable for everyone) instances? My thoughts are that a session chair should remind the audience to refrain from questions that are accusatory in nature. As a presenter, I'm not sure what can be done in advance to preempt and avoid these questions. Any ideas?
# Answer
Firstly, I should note that the examples you give are certainly somewhat agressively formulated (more so than would be common in my field), but not in themselves invalid questions. It is certainly "allowed" to be critical of the presented work, and there is nothing the session chair can or *should* do about this.
**As a speaker**, it always helps to think in advance what kind of "negative" question there could be, and prepare for them. You know that your work is very close to *Foo et al, 2001*? Good, have a backup slide that highlights your contribution over them. You think people would argue that a much simpler standard approach would have also worked instead of your super-complicated new custom method? Have a backup slide which compares the results of the two methods (you *did* test the standard method first, right?). If your answer does not convince the person asking the question, then much of what I wrote in this related answer also applies here. Specifically:
> (...) try to explain calmly why you did what you did. Yes, maybe that person asking the question will disagree, but so what? The fact that your actual peer reviews are good shows that there are a non-trivial amount of researchers that actually agree with you. The person asking the question is not your supervisor, you don't need to agree with him/her specifically on your research agenda or approaches.
**As a session chair**, you need to step in as soon as a question starts to become an *ad hominem* attack. That is, *"I think this has been done years ago."* is still fine, while *"How the heck did you even get a PhD?"* isn't. Further, a session chair should interrupt a series of questions as soon as he feels that the discussion isn't of interest to the larger audience anymore. I do not think that there is much that can be done in advance. As a session chair, you typically want to foster discussions, not preemptively set out the ground rules.
About the parts regarding **sexisms** and whether **senior professors tend to be mean**: I don't really have much to say about this. Not being a woman, I have not yet noticed any particular pattern about how females get asked questions versus males. The same is true for whether senior professors ask more critical questions - personally, I rather have the impression that fellow grad students and young postdocs or assistant professors are more likely to be extremely critical of other person's work than more senior researchers.
> 73 votes
# Answer
As others have noted in the comments, there's a difference between questions that have legitimate content but an unnecessarily aggressive tone (e.g., "Isn't it obvious that won't work for reason X, you fool?"), and questions that are purely verbal attacks with no real substance ("How did you even get accepted to this conference?").
As a speaker, the best way to respond to the first kind of question is just as if it lacked the harassing component. If you calmly address the substance of the question without getting your dander up, the questioner is the one who will look like a jerk for adopting such a confrontational stance. Of course, it's especially nice if you can cleanly dispatch their question with a concise and accurate rejoinder (e.g., "Actually, Smith and Jones showed in a paper last year that this method works quite well"), but if your research is sound, even a fairly garden-variety response is probably adequate (e.g., "The jury is still out on that question, but our results show it's worth investigating further").
As for the second kind of question, at least in my experience it seems to often take the form of a sort of rambling rant by the questioner, directed less at the current speaker than at some whole research area or methodology. (For instance someone saying, "But don't these kinds of studies always run up against the problem of. . .") I have seen people come of well in responding to these kinds of questions by waiting patiently and then responding good-humoredly but pointedly with something like "I'm not sure I caught what your actual question was."
If the question really is a direct attack or a "gotcha" attempt (e.g., quizzing the person on one particular paper), you'll rarely be faulted for just saying something like "Maybe we can discuss those details individually later" (i.e., in the coffee break or whatever). I think this is the ace-in-the-hole response to many questions that try to derail the question session and turn it into a one-upmanship contest. Of course, it's best only to use it when the question really is out of bounds (or too large in scope to be answered in the question session), because if you try to deflect legitimate questions this way you'll look like you haven't done your homework.
As an audience member, I've noticed that usually when someone asks a confrontational question, it seems to make the audience uncomfortable as well. Often other people have questions and would like to ask them before the question time is consumed by verbal posturing. So it helps to remember that, if the question is really uncalled-for, the audience is probably "on your side" and will not think less of you for simply deflecting it and moving on.
> 46 votes
# Answer
As a presenter I believe that the best advice I can give is **be honest, be yourself, and be prepared**.
This goes for your presentation and any research/material surrounding your lecture.
I have given many presentations/lectures/seminars in the field of computer science. Many of these at one point in time revolved around trade automation within direct exchange fields.
When I first started doing this, I was in my mid 20s. The audience was 90% men, almost all of them 40+. I have to say at first I cringed when we opened things up to questions. Things were anywhere between uneasy to hostile - mainly due to my age and lack of time in the field.
Some general tips:
* Understand that some things you say people will take that as a threat to whatever their "job" is. Change, new technology or new data can make people fear their abilities. I once discussed a way to cut two milliseconds off an exchange execution. This technique threw out a standard industry mechanism. My boss promptly got several calls from executives at two firms wanting me fired. A year later that industry mechanism was a thing of the past.
* Your topic might be interesting but there is a 99.99% chance that it will have little effect on the history of mankind. You can't put off an aura of godliness and not expect a few smartass questions.
* Give credit where it is due. In my case I combined several theories and current technology to produce something that worked efficiently together. I did not at any point in time act like I created everything. I also (depending on audience) liked to give some shout-outs to those who helped or those whose work influenced what I did.
* Know your audience. I like to know who might attend my sessions. I know that people from certain groups might have certain types of questions. Also at the same time try to acknowledge this audience during your time. Often you can neutralize a harsh person by giving a strategic compliment before they have a chance to ask a question.
Quick bits on your specific questions:
> That method won't work at all for what you're trying to do. Your results are completely invalid
>
> **Answer:** Your session should have been clear enough to answer or refute this. If it can be asked without everyone rolling their eyes then you have not done your job as a presenter getting the facts across. If someone asked me this I would calmly tell them why I disagreed (in less than a minute).
>
> So-and-so's group already did that work years ago. Did you not read their paper?
>
> **Answer:** If your work is just an extension of theirs then this should be part of the presentation. And then during the presentation you would tell how yours differed (you don't have to "compare" the entire time) and give your additions. Again if you did not do this you have failed as a presenter and it is a valid question.
>
> that women seem to be more harshly criticized than men, and over trivial issues
>
> **Answer:** People always judge others by how they look. This is a fact of life. I was an ex-football player. I get lots of dumb-jock looks and remarks. You can't get hung up on this. Just answer the questions and keep your opinions of their motives to yourself. (You can despise the person and still answer their question nicely)
>
> it's typically prestigious professors or researchers that are asking these ostentatious questions.
>
> **Answer:** Be self-deprecating, make sure that others know that you don't think you are the smartest person in the world. This seems counter-intuitive but they will soon see that they just spent two hours listening to someone who doesn't think that he/she is smart, so where does that leave them?
As for the chair... People should be allowed to ask questions even if tough. I don't believe in asking certain questions behind closed doors unless the question is truly personal (which I didn't think your examples were). However, the chair should step in if the people asking the questions are keeping others from asking something or if they are just taking too long.
> 34 votes
# Answer
A neutral way to effectively bypass the question could be to ask *"may we have a chat about that in the break?*".
Those sorts of questions are often not productive to answer in front of an audience, particularly if you don't think it's a valid concern. If you have an answer on hand, then you should answer the question - but you don't want to get into an argument on stage with a well-known professor if you cannot give a concise answer.
By doing this, you're also encouraging the audience to ask questions that are concise and clearly answerable.
> 19 votes
# Answer
My method seems to be a bit more... devious... than the methods proposed by other answers. This is something that was handed down in a roundabout fashion from other researchers I know. No one talks about it directly but I've had one on one conversations when it comes up.
As a presenter I try to make sure to lead the audience to what might seem like a couple of 'gotchas'. Just as I control the method and content of the presentation, I think it's important to control, to a limited extent, the questions and post-talk discussion.
What does this mean? I *never* give a talk without a pretty good idea of the worst questions I could get about it. This requires having a group, preferably in your lab, who is willing to give you harsh, constructive feedback. This requires an advisor or supervisor who is willing to listen to your presentation and put their 'asshole' hat on and help you identify those questions. This requires being willing to be told that your baby is ugly. A lot of research groups are very positive and that's good for the most part but when it comes time to present you need honesty and a little bit of appropriate 'meanness'.
Additionally, I typically try to lead the audience to questions during my talk. The 'jerk' questions tend to pop up when others don't have questions. By making a talk that is engaging and encourages questions in a specific vein the presenter is less likely to receive an unhelpful, insincere question. This is a bit more subtle and there's a delicate balance. A presenter should never leave pertinent information out but... there's a line right? With experience a presenter can both know what questions to expect and encourage some questions over others.
It's a bit weird, isn't it? One would think that a 'perfect' presentation would involve precisely describing the topic in such a way that questions are unnecessary but the real world of presentations having questions, having people be engaged is beneficial.
Of course nothing will remove the 'jerk' questions entirely. I once gave a presentation on a visual classification system. A faculty member, a well known faculty member albeit in a different subfield, raked me across the coals. Why? Because *"Training data is stupid, you just need to tell the robot what a chair is. Why are you spending so much time on something stupid!"* Which, for anyone who understands classification systems is... not accurate or very helpful. Sometimes you just gotta let that crotchety jerk get their poison out, say a couple of 'mhmms' and nod while finishing with a "That's very interesting. I'd love to talk more about this with you. Why don't you email me at..."
> 19 votes
# Answer
First, a general method for softening rudely-posed questions is that the session chair can rephrase the question into a more productive form. That is, the useful and constructive content can be separated from possibly hostile tone or affect of the questioner... especially if, as the session chair can probably judge by the affect of the speaker, the speaker is flustered.
This mediation is potentially relevant both in the cases where (apparently) the question is sheer bullying, or (apparently) the speaker is actually mistaken or ill-informed or ... and cases in-between.
> 13 votes
# Answer
> **"That method won't work at all for what you're trying to do. Your results are completely invalid."**
Stay calm and kindly answer:
> "Thank you, I am very grateful for your input. Could you please be more specific about why you think it wouldn't work?"
This way *you* will embarrass *them* \- you will show that you react like a kind person and scientist, while they weren't able to be specific enough. If they don't specify their critique, you are fine. If they do, you turned the emotional argument into rational one, and you can respond factually.
> **"So-and-so's group already did that work years ago. Did you not read their paper?"**
Stay calm and kindly answer:
> "We did a lot of research of the published studies, but all of them were inappropriate for our case because of A, B or C. But we could miss something, so I would be very grateful if you give me the reference afterwards."
This way you present several things: that you actually *did* the research, that you can accept the critics and that you are working like a scientist.
> 10 votes
# Answer
> My question here, specifically, is what can be done to minimize these (uncomfortable for everyone) instances?\`
I disagree with your premise, that one *should* do anything to minimize these instances. These questions (excluding sexist behavior) are not only legitimate, but are a useful mechanism of quality control that forces researchers to perform their research more rigorously. A bad researcher can simply ignore most other kinds of criticism of their work without negative personal impact. But they cannot do that in a public forum.
If your research is solid, you should have no problem to defend it against any legitimate accusations, even in a public forum such as a conference. If, however, the person asking that question has a point, it is their duty as a researcher - and the real point of a conference - to point out your mistakes, so that you and others in the room can learn from it.
> 8 votes
# Answer
To the person asking a malicious question regardless of his/her status depicts lack of etiquette. I think the Chair or Moderator should quickly intervene by asking to discuss the issue after the end of event so that the speaker can adequately respond in more details.
> 1 votes
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Tags: conference, presentation, interpersonal-issues, answering-questions, chairing
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thread-31931
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/31931
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Do I have any chance to apply to a graduate school after a bad junior year?
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2014-11-19T01:10:02.087
|
# Question
Title: Do I have any chance to apply to a graduate school after a bad junior year?
I am a senior at a top 15 public university in the states and planning to apply for graduate school in mathematics. Having been a top 100 Putnam performer and won a couple of medals at IMO in my high school, I believe I have a strong enough mathematical background to be a competent student at a top 5-10 graduate program. However, my application will not be stellar.
In the beginning of my junior year, I got severely addicted to a computer game and my grades suffered from it. Now I have one C in an economics class and an F in summer English class as well as two B's in upper level maths classes. Luckily, I have completely recovered now and performing very well in all of my current classes.
On one hand, my addiction problem in the past would certainly make it look like I am not strong enough to get through long and hard five years of a maths PhD student. But I do know that a researcher in pure maths will be my career and is what I am passionate about the most.
On the other hand, my adviser at the current university believes that I belong to a top school. He said:
> ...a student of your talent really needs to go to one of the best maths programs...
Now I am taking a second course in complex analysis with him and he seems to like me.
Because of my financial problem, I can apply to at most a dozen schools and want to make the best out of it. I thought that top 20-40 is my reach and top 40+ is my safety range. I had completely ruled of the idea to apply to a top 20 program. But what my adviser told me made me confused.
So my question is will it make sense for me to apply to a top 20 school? I have a really tight budget and do not want to waste spot for a school that I do not have a shot at.
# Answer
I think you should not worry about the 'junior' days. You are now equipped to apply anywhere. If you are concerned about not making at the top schools, also apply at say five second choices. If you get accepted at one or more top schools, you can pass the others. Get best testimonials in your hand so you are ready for the next move up. Best of luck.
> 5 votes
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Tags: graduate-admissions, graduate-school
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thread-32451
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32451
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What major is beneficial for a long-term career goal in medical robotics/ robotics/ artificial intelligence?
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2014-11-29T12:12:51.870
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# Question
Title: What major is beneficial for a long-term career goal in medical robotics/ robotics/ artificial intelligence?
I have done my undergraduate degree in a Indian university in electronics and communication engineering and have done a job in one of my field of interest medical image processing and I worked in robotics while doing my degree projects. Now I am going to apply for masters in US universities but I am confused about what major I have to choose. My long term goal is to be a researcher in medical robotics/ robotics/ artificial intelligence also I can work with nano electronics but I have not done any work or not so much study in that before so I am a bit nervous to choose that.
As after masters I will go for PhD so please help me to resolve which of the above field will be favorable. As I have doubts like medical image processing is not a vast and not so many funding is there for PhD students.
# Answer
> 3 votes
Robotics in itself is an inter-disciplinary field, which I assume is why you are asking the question and have no just found it online. There are some programs specializing in robotics, but the main question is what part of robotics you want to work on. Control, Design, Theory, etc.. Humanoid robotics is different than nano robotics.
If your end goal is Nano electronics, look into schools that specialize in... Nano electronics. In that field as well, you should figure out what aspect you are interested in. Department of Physics will sometimes have these majors, or some inter-discipline schools may have a special Nano program.
Purdue has a Nanoelectronics field inside engineering: https://engineering.purdue.edu/NRL/Students/index.html
Carnegie Mellon Univ. has a Nanorobotics lab inside mechanical Engineering: http://nanolab.me.cmu.edu/
Utah State has a bionanoelectronis lab in its Biological Engineering lab: http://be.usu.edu/htm/research/research-labs
As you can see, "nano" is a hot topic, and can be approached by different fields. First figure out what aspect your intersted in, and if you do not want to go directly to PHD, you can major is a more generalized aspect, either Mechanical engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or Electrical Engineering.
If your interested in Artificial Intelligence, then you may want to go into Computer Science.
If you want build medical robotics, it may be useful to have some medical training ontop of your EE background, which may make you attractive to interdisciplinary labs. Or you can do Mechanical Engineering.
Saying your interested in Robotics, is a bit like saying you want to "Build Things". You want to build Sculpture, Houses, Sky Scrappers, Bridges, Circuit Boards. Etc..
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Tags: masters, university, engineering, major
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thread-32449
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32449
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Is concentration an extremely important working habit?
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2014-11-29T09:54:44.490
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# Question
Title: Is concentration an extremely important working habit?
I study mathematics and by "working" in the title, I mean researching and serious reading on my field (reading difficult papers, books, etc.) I believe the answer for other fields would be similar.
Am I right in saying that concentration is an extremely important working habit? I definitely feel that my working habit needs improvement: I stop working and check email/facebook, read news/forums, or even play a few blitz chess games from time to time. I believe that it is very distracting and that my efficiency is low. I also listen to music but this is probably less distracting and sometimes may even be helpful.
Is it right to say that an ideal working habit is that
> Be completely immersed in working, avoid all possible distractions, refrain from visiting any irrelevant web sites, turn off mobile phone and email notification. Work for a few hours until reaching a planned milestone, or when the body forcing a stop (micturition, hunger, low energy level, etc.)?
# Answer
> 7 votes
As a mathematician, this is a very personal matter. Some people work 9-17; some have very irregular working times. Some have a habit of always going to the office to work, to help mentally separate 'work' and 'time off'; some work from home when they have no teaching or administrative tasks to do. Some people listen to music, some don't. Some check their Facebook at work, some don't. Some work in long streaks, some prefer to have a quick pause every half an hour or so.
**Do whatever works for you**. At this point in your career, you have been a student for at least 12 years; you should know yourself and be able to evaluate your productivity objectively.
This is even more true for a mathematician: mathematics is mostly a mental endeavour, and it is easy to start thinking about your work in your head when you are engaged in other activities, such as walking, driving or showering. **Sometimes your best ideas will come when you are not actively working/studying**. Of course, you can't do *everything* like this, but the important ideas often strike at improbable times.
If you are a student starting out with maths, the only advice that I can give you is **plan ahead, and recognize when you are going to be late** if you don't increase your productivity. Many students can't tell when it's the moment to *really* turn off your Facebook and start studying until it's too late. Poor midterms should be taken as a big warning sign.
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Tags: research-process, academic-life, reading
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thread-32436
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32436
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What motivates researchers in industry to publish their results?
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2014-11-29T00:31:33.727
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# Question
Title: What motivates researchers in industry to publish their results?
Are there any references which discuss why researchers in industry publish their findings? For example, they might be motivated/required to publish as condition of some grants, to promote some product/firm, or to contribute to public knowledge.
I am mostly interested in the field of computer science \> machine learning / NLP / data mining, in English-speaking venues and in the USA.
It would be ideal if there were any studies that looked at those reasons directly, but I am also interested in answers supported by experience. I am especially interested in trying to rank those reasons (e.g. 30% of papers were published due to grant conditions, 50% for lab/researcher's credibility, 40% for the firm's visibility, etc.) or at least have a sense of what the main motivations are, and which potential motivations play only a minor role in the publication intent.
# Answer
First of all, it's important to understand that the boundary between "industry" and "academia" is a lot blurrier than may be obvious. It is certainly this way in the United States, and what I hear from colleagues in Europe leads me to believe it is similar over there as well (though the specific mechanisms may differ from country to country). As somebody who straddles that boundary myself, I see a lot of different people in industry publishing for a lot of different reasons. At the end of the day, however, it mostly all boils down to the same core reason as in academia: credibility.
Despite all of its flaws, scientific peer review is still the best established means that our society has come up with for judging the credibility of factual claims (side note: legal and political systems are primarily concerned with justice, rather than facts, which has subtle but significant differences). When a scientist working in industry wants to establish the credibility of their work, peer review is an excellent choice for doing so. The reasons for wanting to do this in industry are very similar to those in academia:
* Scientific credibility from publications improves a researcher's ability to secure funding. This is true both for external funding (e.g., from government agencies), and in competition over priorities for the allocation of internal funding.
* Establishing credibility increases the likelihood that others outside of an organization will choose adopt the ideas or products that you are advocating. For example, published scientific studies are critical to establishing claims of safety and efficacy in the process of drug development.
* Publications also establish a researcher (and their organization as a whole) as a contributing member of the community: as they are sharing information and working openly, so will others be more likely to share information with them and work together in return.
* No company exists in a vacuum: participating in the scientific discourse can help resolve the problems that a company is facing in its own work. This is particularly true regarding standards and instrumentation, but extends more broadly. No matter what organization you work for, most of the smartest people work somewhere else, and demonstrating the scientific value of your problems by means of publication can attract the interest of others to work on those problems for their own reasons.
* Scientific credibility also can improve one's standing in an organization, leading to promotions in your personal position. Some companies even provide a tenure-like status (and I believe in some European countries you can actually get tenure in a company).
* Personal pride plays an important role too: industrial researchers are no more immune to ego and vanity than academics. If you've got a point to make about an idea (or lots of ideas), the scientific literature is one good place to advocate for your view and obtain satisfaction when others respond to it.
Finally, industry/academia collaboration is very common, and even if the industrial partner might not have published on their own, the academic side of the collaboration will want to publish, and the industrial partner will rightfully be included in the author list.
As these apply in general, so to do they apply to machine learning, natural language processing, and data-mining. Certainly this is a good description of why the researchers in these areas in the company I work at publish quite strongly, and fits what I see from others in the area as well.
> 14 votes
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Tags: publications, industry
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thread-32447
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32447
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Has anyone failed coursework requirement and got terminated from PhD program?
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2014-11-29T07:19:27.490
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# Question
Title: Has anyone failed coursework requirement and got terminated from PhD program?
I'm doing a PhD in Economics, a 3-year program. I am required to do 4 coursework and receive a grade of B+. The thing is I didn't meet the grade requirement of all four courses, although I didn't fail the courses. I have a very good research proposal (in my opinion). I've got all the data on hand. I have discussed about this with my supervisor and he said I might get terminated; it depends on the research committee after I defend my proposal. I think it would be very unfair if I've got a justifiable proposal but still got terminated because I didn't meet the coursework requirement. The university regulation does not say clearly what would happen if someone fails the coursework requirement.
So, I was wondering if there is anyone out there who is/was in my position. Did you get terminated from the school?
# Answer
> 31 votes
Yes, it happens. And it has to be this way.
We've had students who do not do sufficiently well in the coursework, but do so well in other regards that they are allowed to continue on to their Phd: the research committee is there to weigh up the positive and negative signs, within the regulations set out for them. Occasionally, we have students who pass the coursework and then struggle with self-guided research. So now we have two gateways: the coursework, and then a year later an upgrade report and seminar, which is their formal transition from an MPhil programme to a DPhil programme.
A department may not get many opportunities to formally remove a failing student. This will vary by institution and discipline, but it can be the case that there are not many opportunities within the trajectory of a single PhD to terminate cleanly and indisputably.
We never like to do it. It's the worst thing we can do. Apart from the alternative, when the alternative is letting a candidate go forwards into a drawn-out and ultimately unsuccessful attempt at completing the PhD. This is exacerbated if they might make increasing demands on staff, and/or might become increasingly disruptive to other students.
If the supply of good potential candidates is greater than the number of available places; or there are financial penalties when students fail later rather than earlier in the process; then the imperative to filter out weak candidates becomes stronger.
Coursework, research proposals, upgrade seminars and upgrade reports, are some of the small selection of tools we have to help us identify weak candidates. Writing a PhD thesis is indeed completely different to doing coursework. And there are candidates that excel at coursework, but could not write a doctoral thesis; and maybe there are candidates where the reverse is true. Nevertheless, the coursework gives us an opportunity to assess a candidate's skills and domain knowledge.
So that's why a justifiable proposal is not in and of itself sufficient (even when it's a self-funded candidate). If successful coursework is specified as a *requirement*, then the regulation doesn't need to say what happens if a student fails the coursework: if any requirement isn't met, then the candidacy doesn't have a right to proceed - that's the essence of a requirement. There might be alternatives to some requirements: these should be in the regulations somewhere. Your supervisors, or the faculty's graduate tutor, or the university's graduate school, should be able to advise.
# Answer
> 26 votes
*Story time!*
At one point in my past life, I was in a graduate program for a certain subject which has nothing to do with computers. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I was not cut out for such work. I ended up missing the cut severely on two courses, and was told I was withdrawn from that graduate program. So, that was it. Just one day, I stopped going to classes, and I was no longer a graduate student.
So, yes, if you don't meet grade requirements, you can get terminated in some programs. This is a very real outcome that you need to consider, if you've been told it is a possible outcome.
Depending on your grade layout, you may get by, you might not. If you needed a B+ in 4 classes and ended up getting a B or a B- in a single class, I don't think the research committee would be out to kick you out. If, however, your performance was sub-par based on their requirements repeatedly, such as a pair of Cs, they may be wary as to keeping you on board if their requirements were B+s.
That being said, **you should probably talk to your adviser about how to proceed.** If the research committee is willing to work on a case by case basis, you might be able to work something out. Either way, your end performance has to be stellar from now on, as anything you do poorly will make it harder to support your case.
Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that no one here can guarantee success. You should, at the very least, consider what will happen if you are terminated from the program, as a safety measure.
*Epilogue - I ended up getting a Master's in Computer Science and found a happy career.*
# Answer
> 21 votes
I almost didn't compose an answer because others have covered almost all the ground, but I do have this to add:
> I think it would be very unfair...
If you whine complain about fairness, it will work against you. You presumably knew the requirements going in, and you didn't meet them.
> The university regulation does not say clearly what would happen
If you try to "lawyer" the regulations, it will work against you. Others have already explained that "requirement" means *requirement.*
Talk to your proposed supervisor, ask what, if anything, you can do to remedy the situation, and *do what the supervisor says.* They are giving you a chance to redeem yourself; don't blow it.
# Answer
> 3 votes
Universities will impose some minimum course work (credit) requirement on the students. For example: in my institute I need to take 2 course work and a seminar with a CGPA of 6.0. This rule is strict. Suppose, a student gets CGPA less than 6, he/she should take an extra course and make up for the CGPA 6.0.
In my institute, course credits cannot be compensated by research proposal or a conference/Journal paper.
What I suggest you is, go to acad section of your university and meet Dean/registrar (acad). There will be a committee in every university to take care of all such type of problems. Explain your problem and I hope it gets solved. All the very best.
Even if it doesn't get solved, don't worry. This is not the end of the road. PhD is not life.
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Tags: phd, coursework
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thread-32064
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32064
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What should I ask deans during my interview?
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2014-11-21T09:51:26.883
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# Question
Title: What should I ask deans during my interview?
I managed to snag my first interview for a tenure-track assistant professor job. As I had heard, the itinerary seems somewhat gruelling. What caught my eye in particular are three 45min-1hr meetings with various higher-ups: The Dean of Science, the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, and the Associate Vice-president (Academic).
While there is certainly no shortage of topics to discuss with people in my potential department, I have very little sense of what the above three meetings will be like. So my question is:
> What kind of questions should I be thinking about asking deans/VPs during these meetings?
# Answer
You want to be friendly, of course, and make a good impression. Depending on the school, these meetings are not usually too grueling; one purpose of the meetings is just to put a face with your name. There is a good chance these meetings will end up being shorter than the scheduled time.
* Be prepared to give a very brief "elevator style" summary of your work.
* The deans may ask you about grant funding. You may have a good sense, depending on your field, how important grants are to you getting the position. (Andy W mentioned this in the comments).
Some particular questions I would ask include:
* I would ask all three: *Where do you see the program/college/university going in another 10 years?* This can help you tell whether your vision for a school fits with theirs.
* I would ask the Dean of Science about tenure practices in the college. Do your homework and read the tenure policies before you arrive, of course. As long as you are polite and non-pushy, you can ask for clarifications for anything that isn't clear. You can ask about tenure rates in general, but don't ask anything that would require talking about individual candidates. If you are in a field where grants are important, you should also be sure you know the weight given to grants when they make tenure decisions.
* If you will need anything unusual (e.g. large start-up equipment costs), you should mention that to a departmental representative first, and they can advise whether it needs to be mentioned to the dean.
* If you are trying to arrange a second hire for a spouse, the dean may be able to discuss that. Again, you can talk with the department first. *CAUTION: This bullet only applies to applicants who are also interested in finding a job for their spouse, and who have decided to bring up their spouse before getting an offer. There isn't room in this answer to get into the debate about whether it is preferable to wait until you have an offer to mention that your spouse is looking for a job, which is another commonly advocated strategy for applicants looking to find a job for their spouse at the same institution.*
> 30 votes
# Answer
I am the asker of this question, but now that the interview is done, I thought I might add what my experience ended up being. I guess one thing I didn't really realize before is that they've had these meetings many, many times, and so they know already what topics should be discussed and brought them up themselves. So, as Ben indicated, much of the meeting was me listening or answering questions.
* Much of the the time, the meetings felt more like a pitch to me of how great their university is. This made me feel more confident asking them to address any specific concerns I had about the university and life in their city.
* Most of the meetings were indeed far shorter than the allotted time. The most common topic concerned grants. Mainly the local government funding agency and requirements to get funding from them. Also, discussions concerning start-up funds, and the resources available from the university to help me secure a federal grant.
* There was also discussion of tenure, such as what things to focus my time on in the first few years (research, shockingly). I thought a good piece of advice was to avoid service, but not too much. In particular, that I should try to get myself on the Promotion and Tenure committee for my department so that I have a sense of what is needed for when my turn comes up.
* Discussions about moving expenses and life in the city (typical weather, recreation, schools/daycare for my kids).
* It should be noted that in all of my meetings, the topic of a two-body problem came up, completely unprompted by myself. Although this fortunately isn't really a problem for me, if it was, I would agree with the above advice that it probably would have been a bad idea to bring it up myself, if it should be even discussed at all before an offer is made.
> 15 votes
# Answer
My experience with these interviews is that mostly they will tell you things. For example, I have always gotten a long disquisition on tenure without making any prompts, as well as general discussion about the university. It is possible they'll ask for your thoughts on general topics in education or research (for math, I think the connection between pure and applied math is popular). Grant funding isn't an issue that's come up for me; I don't think it's what people usually have in mind for math but it certainly wouldn't be a surprising topic. Certainly it would be smart to have a few general questions (where they see the university as a whole going, how your department will fit into it) at the ready, just to fill any dead space. I suspect the main thing is to just come across as a normal person. While deans sometimes try to influence hiring based on general considerations (the direction of the department, diversity, etc.) I've never heard of them trying to use their impressions from the interview for this (with the exception of Leon Botstein).
Also, don't hesitate to ask people in the department what it would wise to discuss with the administrators. They'll know better than us yahoos on the internet what their deans' bugaboos are.
> 14 votes
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Tags: job-search, tenure-track, interview, faculty-application
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thread-32473
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32473
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How to get interdisciplinary when your program isn't
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2014-11-29T18:28:01.173
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# Question
Title: How to get interdisciplinary when your program isn't
When I was shopping for graduate schools, I was very interested in a particular subdiscipline of mathematical logic. I got into a pretty good state school, but now that I've been here for two years, I am no longer sure that I want to do research in that field anymore. I still think it's *cool*\- I could fuss with it all day, and I'm sure I could write a thesis on it- but I have lost faith that it is useful. I want to do something that is good for society, and this is decidedly too pure.
We don't have to pick an advisor until the end of this year. I've looked around, but all the professors seem to be working on very narrow problems that don't interest me. What I would really like to do is integrate computer science into my work, since programming has always been one of my most enjoyed hobbies, and since it plays well with logic in general. But nobody is doing that here. Unfortunately, due to family issues, transferring is out of the question.
How does one go about making his research interdisciplinary when he is not in an interdisciplinary program?
Is it a bad idea to just pick an advisor that I get along with, even if his research is not directly applicable to mine, and try to carve my own path? What can I do to make this approach successful?
# Answer
You need to pick an advisor who will *support* your interest in going outside of the area of his own work. More likely than not, that means somebody who you both get along with well and who is tenured, so that they are not feeling pressure to "get work out of you" towards their own career goals. Be up front about wanting to expand your area of interests. You may, in fact, find a professor who is interested in supporting you in this, because they are interested in expanding their own interests, and the best way for two professor to begin collaborating is often to be co-advising a student who stands between them.
Which brings me to my next point: you are likely going to need to start connecting with professors in the other department where you are interested in working as well. Start sitting in on seminars, get to know people, and see where you can find a connection. You might or might not end up needing formal co-advising, but you will certainly need to have at least informal mentors who you can go to for advice in the other discipline.
What is certain, however, is that you need to be very proactive about searching out your interests and taking on risky projects that will let you "get your feet wet" and figure out how you relate to the other field. You are also likely to take longer to graduate. Interdisciplinary research is a much harder path, but also potentially a much more rewarding one.
> 9 votes
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Tags: graduate-school, advisor, mathematics, interdisciplinary
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thread-32421
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32421
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How to respond to “philosophical” questions that aim to undermine a position or derail a discussion?
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2014-11-28T14:20:18.683
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# Question
Title: How to respond to “philosophical” questions that aim to undermine a position or derail a discussion?
A colleague of mine enjoys using philosophical questions to undermine ideas that are different to his own and to derail discussions that are not in his favour. At first I thought he was offering genuine perspectives, but overtime I realised he was just being defensive and finding enjoyment out of disrupting discussions.
To give you some examples, here are some of his frequent techniques:
1. The you-can’t-know-for-sure:
> The evidence may seem to be true but it could be wrong, and we can never know that for sure. You can only believe in evidence. Therefore, making claims about anything, with or without evidence, is meaningless. The human senses and the human mind are limited and fallible, and to say that an idea is more correct than another is just your opinion based on a fallible experience.
2. Disagrees with the definition, or shifts to a different definition, or question the meaningfulness of definitions and language in general:
> I define X as something different to how you defined X, and according to what I think of X, I am right. You can think of X how you want but it doesn’t matter to me.
>
> “X” only means X because humans defined “X” to be X. But “X” is just a subjective idea that doesn’t exist in reality. Therefore, anything you say about X, your ideas are on based on something non-objective and arguable.
3. All things are just perspectives:
> To say that I’m inconsistent with my argument or to say that I’m wrong is just a perspective. There are many perspectives and just because from one perspective I’m a certain way, doesn’t mean I really am.
I usually enjoy genuine philosophical perspectives in all discussions, but this colleague never offers his philosophical ideas at the beginning of talks and never mentions them when we agree with him, but only throws them out selectively against ideas during the middle of discussions. The worst is that he speaks them with a triumphant and condescending tone of voice over everyone else as if he is so clever.
**Question:** When he uses these types of philosophical questions as a way to undermine someone’s idea or to derail a discussion, what is an appropriate way to interfere with his remark in a way that doesn’t confront him, protects the other person from appearing to have being undermined or devalued, and restores the direction discussion to what it was before?
# Answer
Is this colleague really an academic? How on earth did he get a job in academia? How does he manage to retain it? He sounds like a teenage boy from your description of his style of arguing.
He's a troll, so best ignored. He also sounds like he's realised he's way out of his depth, and this is bluster to cover it up.
Formulate a single sentence that lets him know he's been heard, but that it was irrelevant, and that you've already moved on. Use it. Vary it, but keep it short, and always end with an invitation to the interrupted speaker to carry on where they left off. The troll should get the message that he's been sidelined, and troll elsewhere.
"I don't think we need to surrender to nihilism just yet, do we? \[turn back to the interrupted speaker\] Now, as you were saying ..."
Then just exclude him from discussions in the future. Take your fellow discussants to another room, away from the troll, if you have to.
> 35 votes
# Answer
There is a technique - I don't know its "official" name or whether it even has one - I call "Freeze":
If somebody talks to you and you are not interested in the topic or don't want to listen too long don't give him/her reinforcing reactions, neither positive nor negative.
Look, almost stare, at him/her without any movement of any part of your body. Not even the slightest nodding, no movement of any muscle of your face (apart from the natural blinking of your eyes), no playing with the pen in your fingers, no looking at your watch or your mobile, no ... you get the point. Keep freezed all the time looking/staring at the speaker. I he/she stops (such an unusual \[not-\]reaction is irritating) and asks: "What's the matter (with you)?", or the like, simply answer with a neutral voice: "Nothing. I'm just listening.". Nothing less, nothing more. Freeze again immediately after that! Until the next question, which gets exactly the same answer...and the next...and the next...and...ad infinitum.
Normally it doesn't take too long until he/she ends speaking (because of not getting ANY reaction). If he/she ends keep the "freeze" (this is hard, I know, silence becomes uncomfortable after just a few seconds...keep it anyway):
1. either until the former speaker reacts with "What do you think?", or the like. Answer "Thank you for your contribution". Switch to somebody or something else without any further word to the speaker.
2. or after a time that is much more than the comfortable few seconds. Say "Thank you for your contribution". Switch to somebody or something else without any further word to the speaker.
I tried this many times and it worked almost every time. I tried this once with a person who knew this. We were in the same training where we got taught exactly this technique. It even worked with her.
It works best if you prepare yourself in advance, since not reacting to a person who speaks to you personally is hard for people who are socialized normally. Practicing with a person of your confidence helps a lot.
I admit, it works best with just one speaker and one listener. In a group all of the listeners must be prepared (ideally trained) and strong enough to stick to the "freeze" behaviour up to the very end. I have no experience whether this works reliably under such circumstances. I'd say it's worth trying. It can't become worse, can it?
> 11 votes
# Answer
As EnergyNumbers already correctly noted, this is trolling and if ignoring that guy or dismissing him with a single statement is an option, that’s probably the best way. However, given his acceptance in the group or similar, this may not always be possible. Also, the fact that this guy actually manages to derail discussions indicates that he has some support or people are falling for his “arguments”. Under these conditions, it may be an option to outwit him with short arguments that hopefully derail *his* approach and the continue.
Your examples share some common approaches (some more, some less):
* They are true to some extent.
* They are irrelevant to the discussion at hand.
* They attack the fundaments of science or discourse.
Thus, a general short reply could start with of briefly acknowlegding the truth of his statement, if applicable (“Yes, but …”; “Indeed, however …”). If you can come up with a good argument quickly, use it; otherwise you can resort to the undeniable success of using abstractions, science, probabilistic statements, etc, in short: “Science – it works, bitch.” (and probably also pays both your bills). As a last resort, “so what?” seems to be a valid response to all of your examples.
Some examples:
* > The evidence may seems to be true but it could be wrong and you can’t know that for sure. You can only believe in evidence. Therefore to make claims about anything with or without evidence is meaningless.
> — And that’s why all claims we make are not absolute but implicitly probabilistic.
Alternative, more aggressive answer:
> And fortunately, so is your claim. Where were we?
* > The human senses and the human mind are limited and fallible, and to say that an idea is more correct than another idea is just your opinion based on a fallible experience.
> — Indeed, however, as opinions are all we have, we have to stick with them; moreover, since as I just tried to argue, I have reasons to consider my opinion an informed and substantiated one.
* > I define X as something different to how you defined X, and according to what I think of X, I am right. You can think of X how you want but it doesn’t matter to me.
> — Fortunately, reality does not care about what words we use to desribe it.
(Note, that his last sentence is also a good hook for ignoring him outright.)
* > “X” only means X because humans defined “X” to be X. But “X” is just a subjective idea that doesn’t exist in reality. Therefore, anything you say about X, your ideas are on based on something non-objective and arguable.
> – True, but on the other hand, humans have faired pretty well with using the concept of X \[alternatively: defining X as ”X”\], so I stick with that.
* > To say that I’m inconsistent with my argument or to say that I’m wrong is just a perspective. There are many perspectives and just because from one perspective I’m a certain way, doesn’t mean I really am.
> – True, but as I just tried to argue, my perspective is well-founded and thus there are increased chances that you are really wrong.
A final note: It looks as if this guy operates by attacking one’s philosophical foundations and his continued doing so indicates that he does indeed succeed on some people. Thus it may also help to inforce your philosophical foundations and not let him shake them a single bit. Relatedly, it might probably help to answer to him in a self-concious manner.
> 6 votes
# Answer
I would first like to note that you can twist ideas fairly easily if you read Orwell’s *1984,* you may want to read it, you will see the similarities.
Now, not confronting him is not easily done, have you found others that share the same opinion on him? if so, go in as a group and get the approval of the vast majority, then you won’t have to worry about confronting him.
Showing that the speaker is being undermined should also probably not worry you, this is a ridiculous form of undermining and it is to shame the interrupter, not the speaker.
Finally you have two choices for counter-measures:
* Demand that he gives an alternative that cannot be challenged in the same way, that is independent of human interpretation in any possible way, and is solid and concrete.
* Challenge his own proposals in the same way, if he challenges the name of an unknown variable, challenge the name of a number, claim that you define 2+2 to be five, and that five for you is written as 4, i.e. you call 4 *five.*
* As far as the “You can't know for sure” policy, tell him that the same applies to anything he says, and if you constantly reject ideas due to that he should reject his own ideas and accept that there are no answers, solutions, or actions for that matter.
Unless there is some superior who can take care of this issue, there is no way to deal with him in a kind manner (I’m not telling anyone to be rude), you should be harsh, but make sure you have the majority on your side.
Also note, if you check out debating groups, people who study debating and practice it on ridiculous matters as a hobby, you will find out how to counter any junk he uses, I’m sure there are books on this too (there is one by Schopenhauer too).
Again, the most important thing is to be sure the others are on your side, just to be safe and make sure you don’t get into bad trouble, and try to divide the confrontation between multiple people so he can’t cause trouble to just one.
Hope I helped, there is not much clarity in such issues and there are no definitive answers either, as he would suggest, but that’s why we have to choose based on suggestions and speculations, otherwise nothing happens.
> 4 votes
# Answer
I've actually been on both sides of what you're describing, so I think a proper answer is highly dependent on the context; it's even possible that your colleague is making a valid point. As an example, his complaints about the uncertainty of evidence might be because he thinks you're taking some results for granted when you shouldn't. Indeed, as a physicist working in biology, I've had to adapt to the fact that in fields like biology or psychology, even 'established' results can be questionable on many different levels. He may be trying to undermine an idea because he thinks it's wrong, not because it's not his own. Your question suggests that you've convinced yourself that this is not true, that your colleague is just trying to be defensive and annoying. However, if I were you, I'd first make sure other people (your supervisor, for example) agree with this assessment.
Other answers have given good ideas for how to react to your colleague's behavior, but I think the way in which you should react again depends a lot on context. If this is a talk, unless you're either the speaker or the host, there's nothing you can or should do about it. If you are the speaker or the host, you can invoke time limitations and suggest to discuss the issue later, in private. And remember that you're under no obligation to spend time discussing with this person if you think it's a waste of time.
If this is a group meeting, I think it's a good idea to talk to your supervisor about it, see if (s)he agrees with you, and what (s)he suggests you do. Chances are your supervisor has more experience with this than you, and (s)he also has a lot more power to stop your colleague's behavior.
Sometimes the solution may be to just talk to your colleague: *e.g.,* go with his definitions and see where they lead. In the best case, one of you will convince the other and you'll learn something. In the worst case, you will get some insight into the cause of his stubbornness. I think it's a lot more likely that he's just confused about something than that he is actively trying to attack anyone.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Is this guy really a peer? How did he get a job? He sounds immature.
Ignore the fool. Sounds like he's overcompensating for incompetence.
Tell him that you've heard him and that you don't care.
For example, just say, "Okay.", and then go back to the rest of your discussion.
Don't invite him to any more gatherings. Move away from him, if necessary.
> 1 votes
# Answer
> The you-can’t-know-for-sure:
>
> The evidence may seem to be true but it could be wrong and you can’t know that for sure. You can only believe in evidence. Therefore to make claims about anything with or without evidence is meaningless.
Remind the colleague that science doesn't claim to know anything for sure, only to have pruned the world of hypotheses that are inconsistent with the evidence. The point is a *strawman*. Nobody claims to have access to the truth.
> Disagrees with the definition, or shifts to a different definition, or question the meaningfulness of definitions and language in general:
>
> I define X as something different to how you defined X, and according to what I think of X, I am right. You can think of X how you want but it doesn’t matter to me.
Agree to definitions at the outset. Don't argue about definitions. Decide on precise terms and operational definitions or invent a new term just for the sake of communication. His point is moot if they simply insert their own definition for a word that you have used in a different sense. Basically, you could say to him, "True, but that's not what we're talking about."
> All things are just perspectives:
>
> To say that I’m inconsistent with my argument or to say that I’m wrong is just a perspective. There are many perspectives and just because from one perspective I’m a certain way, doesn’t mean I really am.
Is being a "perspective" a negative thing? It seems that he is implying that perspectives are less valuable. Perspectives can be consistent with evidence (i.e. the perspective that plate tectonics explain the broad geological features of the Earth), or inconsistent with the evidence (i.e. the perspective that the Earth has always been as it is today). Deeming a position a "perspective" doesn't save it from scientific scrutiny.
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But, more important, this person's arguments do not seem worth spending any time or attention on. If the arguments are actually presented in the way you have described, he is not interested in following the evidence and logic to arrive at a well supported conclusion. Ignore this guy. Focus on productive conversation, not distractions like this.
> 0 votes
# Answer
I would say something like:
"I really don't think that is relevant for the purposes of the current conversation. I think we can all agree on \_________." Where you fill in the blank with an assumption/axiom/principle that is strong enough to invalidate their relativistic perspective on this topic, and weak enough to be very commonly accepted.
If it is a values question, it might be time to play the Nazi card. It is old and worn, but it works. (EDIT: I think maybe people are misinterpreting this. What I mean is pointing out that relativism doesn't leave one any space to condemn Nazism.)
It also might be necessary to expand on what you think the purpose of the conversation is, inviting discussion. As Davidmh commented, the context is crucially important. If they are interrupting the conversation that you were having with the third party, then you really don't need to consider their goals wrt the conversation (unless something forces you to, like them having power over you). However, if they have been a participant/observer to the conversation so far, then it is important to identify with the third party what you consider to be the mutually understood assumptions at play in the conversation so far, with the idea of reaffirming your commitment to them for the duration of the conversation, or possibly making some insignificant concession(s) to relativism to satisfy the challenger.
A side comment:
You seem to be ascribing a conscious deliberateness to their actions that borders on malice. I'm hesitant to view it that way based on the evidence you've presented, although of course you know better.
These are all extreme relativist arguments that are difficult or impossible to refute logically, and they can provide valuable perspectives in some contexts (IMO). But my impression is that alarmingly many people genuinely believe their practical applicability to be greater than it truly is (one reason being that it allows them to avoid confronting challenges to their worldview).
What evidence do you have that this person actually views what they are doing as simply disruptive and not contributive?
> -3 votes
# Answer
This is typical academic evasiveness. I would simply ignore this weasel or see to it that he does not get a chance to get a word in. Or perhaps, say how astonished you are to hear this.
> -4 votes
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Tags: etiquette, presentation, answering-questions
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thread-32476
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32476
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What to do when asked to do something that seems unethical by a co-advisor which might result in losing credit for my work
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2014-11-29T19:28:50.823
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# Question
Title: What to do when asked to do something that seems unethical by a co-advisor which might result in losing credit for my work
I am doing a course project, and my co-advisor contributed to my design with tips and comments - nothing major. When the system started working he told me no to reveal all the details while presenting my work in the class.
That didn't feel right. I believe that the course instructor has the right to know all details about my design, and naturally, his name should go on any publication that comes out of this.
I heard my co-advisor telling another professor that my work is "his vision". I hate being in a such weird situation. I feel like my co-advisor is willing to unethical things for his own benefit (As an example, he refused to write me a recommendation letter to prevent me from leaving the university).
Also, because designs have to go through a fabrication step which takes along time, I feel that if he put his hands on my design I will lose credit for my work. He already told me that he will have one of his other students complete the other step. I am afraid that he will say that the other student did more work so he should be the first author of any publication coming out this or even remove me from the whole picture. Given his history, I cannot trust him now.
Moreover, I intend to leave the university for PhD somewhere else in about six months (he doesn't know that), so I won't be there when the work finishes.
How to handle this issue ? Should I reveal everything to the course instructor and start a fight with my co-advisor ? or accept this which is byound my tolerance?
# Answer
You shouldn't start a fight with your coadvisor, but you shouldn't let them push you into an ethical compromise, either. (Or perhaps into a *deeper* ethical compromise — most instructors expect course projects to be the work of the students, not the students and their advisors.)
If you're not comfortable hiding details from your class/instructor, say so. Directly and professionally, without accusing him of shady behavior. Exactly as if your coadvisor were a responsible, ethical, adult human being.
> he refused to write me a recommendation letter to prevent me from leaving the university
This is where I would normally write "Walk away". Your coadvisor is using you. Fortunately, it looks like you've already figured that out.
> Moreover, I intend to leave the university for PhD somewhere else
Good.
> (he doesn't know that yet)
Not so good. Why are you keeping this a secret?
> 7 votes
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Tags: coursework, research-misconduct
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thread-32486
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32486
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How to supervise an undergraduate student if I am a PhD student coming from a different field?
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2014-11-30T02:11:59.423
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# Question
Title: How to supervise an undergraduate student if I am a PhD student coming from a different field?
I have joined a new research group as a PhD student about one month before. Few days ago my supervisor told me I should supervise an undergraduate student for a research project. However, the things this research group doing are totally new to me. When I had discussions with the undergraduate, I sometimes find he knows more about me in the project. I find embarrassed, and don't know how to supervise him when I can't quite understand his project.
I know as a PhD student, learning new things is essential (and I enjoy a lots). However, I do not have the time now. The undergraduate needs to have some results in few weeks for some sorts of mid-term review report. I agree to supervise him because I don't want to reject my supervisor, I just join the group and it seems inappropriate to turn down.
What should I do in this situation? I don't know if it is common for a fresh PhD student to supervise undergraduates even you are coming from a different field. Of course, I am doing a lot of reading for this, trying to beef my background knowledge up.
# Answer
The situation may be challenging, but you don't need to be uncomfortable with it. In academic research, it is not uncommon that the one doing the actual project is more familiar with the material than the one supervising it. While it's probably rarely the case in an undergraduate - PhD student relation, it almost becomes the norm in the PhD student - professor relation, at least as the PhD student becomes more senior. Keep in mind that supervising is not only about teaching the material, but also about how to act and conduct research professionally. I hope you feel more confident about the latter aspect!
In your specific situation, there seem to be two possible steps if you feel you need to do something about it.
* Talk to the student you supervise, explain that your background is in a different field, and openly state that you may not be able to fully help on the content side of the project. If the student is sufficiently confident in working more independently, you should be able to be more relaxed as well.
* Otherwise, you may need to talk to your supervisor again and explain the problem. Maybe he can point out an additional member of the group who would be able to help with the aspects you can't cover.
> 11 votes
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Tags: research-undergraduate, supervision
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thread-32500
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32500
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Parts of thesis draft published without proper credit
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2014-11-30T15:10:43.897
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# Question
Title: Parts of thesis draft published without proper credit
My Master's thesis instructor has copied a chapter of my thesis draft into several publications, sometimes listing me as an author and sometimes not. They said it won't cause me any problems so I gave permission in one case but not the others, where I was just informed afterwards. As they were my boss and instructor, was in a hurry to submit the publication and insisted there will not be problems I didn't feel like having another choice.
After consulting with my supervisor I'm starting to feel doubtful, especially if any automatic plagiarism checking is involved because searching for various numeric results and phrases from my thesis in Google returns results with the exact same text and without my name in the list of authors.
I'm supposed to hand in the finished thesis this week and don't have time to rewrite the affected chapter. My supervisor said I should at least include a footnote explaining the situation. What should I write? I wouldn't want to cause trouble for the instructor either, they're a nice person in a difficult situation.
The other publications are all reports or conference proceedings available free of charge from government sources or the university's website so commercial publishers' copyright claims should not be an issue.
# Answer
Too long as a comment so I am submitting as an answer.
While I like the principles of jakebeal's answer, I would like to advise against citing someone committing a misconduct in a permanently archived document without a proper investigation. I am sympathetic about your situation but to any future investigation committee you're simply another party of interest, and it's fully likely for you to accuse the other of misconduct. That's drawback number 1.
Drawback number 2 is that the world comes and goes around. Just because the instructor is no longer in a position to harm you does not mean he cannot do so in another occasion. If you've decided to use the footnote approach, I'd recommend saying a human error was made rather than a misconduct was committed.
This is not to say I would always cover for unethical people, this is to say that without a proper third party's investigation, I will not accuse anyone especially if I am involved in the issue.
And I also think rewriting, as suggested by aeismail is also a good approach if you don't feel like hurting the instructor in any way.
> 11 votes
# Answer
Your instructor has committed serious academic misconduct several times: if it is your words or your work being published, you should be one of the authors and your permission is *required* for publication. It's also not clear from your post whether the *same* material was published multiple times, which would also leave you vulnerable to accusations of self-plagiarism.
It sounds, at least, like you are no longer working with this instructor, which is a good thing. You should always look to separate yourself from seriously unethical people, lest you be tainted by association or involvement in their crimes.
Now you are faced with a problem of cleaning up a toxic mess, because your instructor has also lied to you about this "not being a problem" for you. There are three different aspects of the cleanup that I can see:
1. **What should you do in your thesis?** I think that your supervisor's suggestion here is good: put in a footnote at the beginning that explains where else the various pieces of the chapter have been published (both with and without you as an author), and note that due to misconduct on the part of the other author, you were not listed as an author. Note that I am assuming the instructor is not required to sign off: if they are, this may be a problem.
2. **What should be done about the papers?** Once you are safely graduated and are secure from retribution in another position, you can contact the publishers and request to have the record corrected. The note, signed off in your thesis by your supervisor, will be useful here. If material was inappropriately reused in multiple publications, you might instead ask for some of the publications to be retracted. Don't be surprised, however, if the publishers fail to take action, as many publishers are not very responsive when asked to correct the record.
3. **What should be done about your instructor?** It is very difficult for a student to accuse their instructor of misconduct. Fortunately, it sounds like you have informed a responsible senior individual (the tenured supervisor), and it would now be appropriate for you to pass the responsibility of deciding how to proceed to that person. Unfortunately, it sounds like this person may not actually take any action, so you may wish (again, once you are away and secure from retribution) to contact people who actually have authority over the instructor and may be willing to act.
Finally, be prepared to simply walk away if you need to: fortunately, this is happening only at the Masters' stage, and so all of this mess can likely be rendered irrelevant by your future work as long as you take precautions (like the note in your thesis) to avoid it coming back to bite you.
> 18 votes
# Answer
In addition to jakebeal's fine answer, I want to note that this problem would have been entirely avoided if your instructor had simply included you as an author, as virtually all publishers allow published journal material to be "recycled" in master's and doctoral theses, and vice versa. (It would make life exceedingly difficult for graduate students if they couldn't reuse material from work published during their careers in their thesis!)
The other issue is that you should maintain a paper trail of all of your correspondence with the instructor regarding the papers that were submitted (and I hope you *did* maintain such records!) Without them, all of the allegations will be much more difficult to sustain, as it will become an "X said, Y said" allegation.
One other thing to inquire about: will your university offer you an extension on turning in your thesis? Many universities allow students to petition for a short-term extension (usually a few weeks). If so, then this might give you time to revise the affected text to remove the plagiarism allegations. This might be the best option for you to avoid future problems.
> 13 votes
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Tags: thesis, plagiarism
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thread-32505
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32505
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How common are interviews for Computer Science PhD programs?
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2014-11-30T16:24:49.973
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# Question
Title: How common are interviews for Computer Science PhD programs?
I am applying for admission to several CS PhD programs (in the US), and I am just wondering how common it is for schools to request interviews with the candidates. I will be out of the country for much of January which seems like a prime time for interviews to take place, so I am wondering if I should start making alternate plans. Thank you!
# Answer
## Extremely uncommon
I understand that interviews are fairly common in other fields and in other countries, but they are rare in computer science in the US. In my experience (student, postdoc, or faculty at five different American CS departments; multiple years on graduate admissions committees; dozens of recommendation letters for CS undergraduates applying to graduate school), very few (if any) American computer science departments include interviews as a standard part of the PhD application process.
There are rare exceptions, though, usually involving prospective advisors calling up applicants directly. The most common reason for a phone interview in my department is to assess their English fluency, especially when the applicant's test scores are borderline, or there seems to be a discrepancy between their test scores and the fluency of their statements. I'd be surprised if this happens more than 10 times a year, and we get 2000 grad applications each year.
When I applied to Berkeley's PhD program, I was already a PhD student at UC Irvine. My future advisor and the director of grad admissions called me to ask why I wanted to move when I seemed to be succeeding in my current program (good advisor, good research progress, and so on). I suspect they also wanted to understand the discrepancy betwen my grad school grades (good) and my undergrad grades (terrible).
In short, as long as there's nothing borderline or non-standard in your application, it's unlikely that you'd need to be available for an interview. And even if someone does want to interview you, they're much more likely to want to do it by phone or skype than in person.
> 5 votes
# Answer
From what I've seen, some form of interview is not uncommon (and a good sign, since it means you've passed most of the initial filters and are being considered seriously). In such cases as there is an interview, however, it can often be conducted over the phone or internet. Thus, your travel is unlikely to be a major issue as long as you will have good connectivity and be able to receive messages sent to the contact information you provided.
> 3 votes
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Tags: phd, graduate-admissions, computer-science, united-states, interview
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thread-32514
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32514
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How does a low quantitative score on GRE general exam affect admissions to mathematics PhD programs?
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2014-11-30T20:41:36.777
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# Question
Title: How does a low quantitative score on GRE general exam affect admissions to mathematics PhD programs?
I am applying to pure math grad school for Ph.D. this fall (usually top 20-25).
I just took my GRE test and found out that my Quantitative score for General GRE is 156. I am not sure about the percentile yet for this particular exam, but this is typically around 64th percentile among GRE test-takers.
Thus, if I want to present strong applications to math grad schools like UT Austin, UCLA, Columbia, Ohio State is the quantitative score enough?
The rest of my application is decent with about (3.7 gpa), research and publication. However I scored in the lower end of 600 for math gre. As you can tell I have high anxiety before such tests but I would like to avoid bringing up this point in my application as I am sure that the admission committee sees reason like this on its applications a lot.
# Answer
Unsurprisingly, mathematics PhD applicants are rumored to have very high GRE general test quantitative scores.
I found a few links by web search where PhD programs list the average GRE scores for their students. (Everyone, please feel free to edit this to add more.)
These sites all show average quantitative GRE score is in the high 160s, which corresponds to about the 90th percentile (which was around 795 out of 800 on the old scale). So, if these statistics are accurate, the rumors are true.
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Now, for the more personal side of the question. You asked if the scores are "enough". Most schools have no firm minimum score. If you have sufficiently good credentials, you can overcome the low GRE score. What you will need, certainly, are very good letters of recommendation.
I would include a statement about anxiety in your personal statement, because even if the committee has heard it before, they haven't heard it from *you*.
You may also want to make sure you have diversified your applications: don't just apply to top-25 departments. There are a lot of perfectly fine schools lower in the rankings, which may not be as broadly strong but which may be strong in particular areas of interest to you.
> 9 votes
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Tags: phd, graduate-admissions, mathematics, gre
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thread-32520
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32520
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Add a Collaborative Report in my CV
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2014-11-30T22:05:26.470
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# Question
Title: Add a Collaborative Report in my CV
I'm applying to a PhD program in Biostatistics. Two years ago I was member of a team crew hired by the United Nations to write a report on security. This report was published last year and has my name on it in the Statistics section. A summary of the report is publicly available.
I am considering including this report as a publication but I am concerned that an admissions officer may think that I am inflating my CV.
*Should I include this report as a publication on my CV?*
# Answer
> 4 votes
These kinds of grey literature are often included in CV's but it's important to be clear about the nature of the publication. I would put this after any peer reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings papers in a section titled something like "technical reports and other manuscripts." If you don't have any other publications, then it may make sense to simply describe the project (and what you did on the project in particular) and mention in passing that you were a coauthor on the project report.
For someone just applying to a PhD program, this will look good on your application and certainly shouldn't hurt.
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Tags: publications, graduate-admissions, cv, grey-literature
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thread-31654
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/31654
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Why does U.S. Veterans Affairs only pay for classes which are required for the degree?
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2014-11-13T01:23:04.223
|
# Question
Title: Why does U.S. Veterans Affairs only pay for classes which are required for the degree?
American military veterans funded under the GI Bill (and possibly under other VA administrated programs) can only receive funding for classes which are required for the degree. I can find lots of university websites that mention this requirement (here's a good example), but I was unable to determine where this rule comes from or why it is there. In particular, is it required by the legislation itself or just VA rules? When was the rule imposed and is there any information on why?
# Answer
> 10 votes
It looks to me like it is more or less required by the legislation, although I'm not a lawyer so I may not be interpreting it right. Educational assistance is authorized for pursuing a "program of education" rather than just taking individual courses:
> The Secretary shall pay to each individual entitled to educational assistance under this chapter who is pursuing an approved program of education...
A program of education is defined as:
> The term “program of education” means any curriculum or any combination of unit courses or subjects pursued at an educational institution which is generally accepted as necessary to fulfill requirements for the attainment of a predetermined and identified educational, professional, or vocational objective.
Strictly speaking, this doesn't mean the classes must be required for an academic degree per se, and other sorts of credentials or licenses could count. However, it does not seem to allow taking isolated classes for their own sake, but rather just as required for the overall program.
I don't know the history or why the legislation was set up this way. I'd guess that it's because the goal is to help veterans achieve qualifications that will further their careers, not to educate them for the sake of education. One possibility is that nobody really thought hard about the issue while drafting the legislation, so it wasn't a conscious decision. Another is that it was intended to save money by avoiding paying for frivolous or unnecessary courses. A third possibility is that it was intended to help veterans by putting pressure on them to follow a set degree program (rather than squandering their benefits on isolated courses that might never fit together to complete any degree).
# Answer
> 4 votes
The purpose of the GI BILL program is for Veterans to get a degree or acquire a new skill for employment after active duty. Not flounder around in college for 6 years for a Bachelors degree. If there is a class you really want to take that's not a requirement you can always change your major, then change it back. There are different GI bills with different rules depending when you served in the military. I would talk to the VA or visit the VA-GI bill web site, most questions can be answered there.
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Tags: funding, united-states
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thread-32511
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32511
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Letter of recommendation for grad. school application source
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2014-11-30T19:05:08.497
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# Question
Title: Letter of recommendation for grad. school application source
I am applying for admission to the Master's program next fall. However I am in doubt about the source of reference. I have two options:
1. My mentor at a research institute who was pursuing his PhD. when I was a research intern. However, he did not complete his PhD.
2. Research Scientist(PhD) at my current organization where my role is that of a software developer. Therefore the recommendation is based on my work as a developer rather than on my research contributions.
Both are willing to write strong recommendations for me.
Who would be a better source of recommendation?
# Answer
I would ask mentor #1 (with a master's degree) to write a letter to the PhD research scientist #2, and have the latter (#2) submit a letter for your application. Thus, the recommendation letter is received from a prestigious source, is based on current experience of your work habits and character, but can also incorporate quotes/details from the more junior person. This is not an unusual pattern in my experience.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I would use the first person because it is about your work in research. I think that their qualifications matter very little: What really matters is the nature of your work when you were under their supervision.
> -1 votes
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Tags: recommendation-letter
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thread-32497
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32497
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Diagram of education in the Netherlands
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2014-11-30T10:49:32.370
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# Question
Title: Diagram of education in the Netherlands
How would the dutch educational system be represented in a diagram? Or put differently, what are the different roads that lead to the academic world in the Netherlands?
PS. This question ("What are the different roads to get into academics in the Netherlands?") came up in chat awhile ago, so I drew a diagram and it was suggested I share it as a self answered post as well, because it's a neat resource. Didn't do it back then as some parts lacked, but somebody asked me the same question more generally again so looked up the diagram, finished it and wanted to share it publicly now after all.
# Answer
> 14 votes
PS. I have only been part of the Dutch system for the first 8 years, but I know it pretty well as I know a lot of Dutch people, still I might have made mistakes. If so: apologies.
# Answer
> 3 votes
There are similar diagrams and descriptions of educational systems for the Netherlands and other European countries here:
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/
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Tags: netherlands
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thread-32532
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32532
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Is it a good idea to join a second group as an undergraduate researcher if I don't feel challenged enough?
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2014-12-01T06:42:20.133
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# Question
Title: Is it a good idea to join a second group as an undergraduate researcher if I don't feel challenged enough?
I'm currently a second-year undergraduate physics major, and I joined an experimental nuclear physics (astrophysics primarily) group a few months ago. I joined the group wanting to work extremely hard to learn new things, apply them (and my intuition and previous knowledge) to solve problems, and present my findings and progress on a weekly basis, reporting to the group head on a more frequent basis though. It started out like that at first - the head made me solve a problem, write a GUI/applet for it (just to show that I fully understood the problem), and then implement that into a particular framework that would be used for an actual experiment later on down the road. I noticed that the head also didn't like to be a mentor too much - that is, he only liked to tell me what I needed to know for my task and nothing else, leaving extra learning for myself.
The problem with this is I'm left mentally starved. I've been assisting this other person in my group (relatively new graduate) on preparations for that actual experiment that I mentioned earlier, and that feels good. I've learned more of what's going on behind the scenes (significance of the experiment, theoretical implications of the results obtained, detector and equipment \[and setup\]) through publications, other people within the university, and asking the group head, but all of this was essentially on my own. As a result, I feel that any average joe with minimal work-ethic and intuition could thrive in a group like this. I've learned a lot more about nuclear physics/astrophysics (hence, more about this universe we live in) through sources that I might have otherwise not come across had I not joined the group, so that's good.
Also, just quick side note, the experiment is coming up soon, and I'm sure I'll learn a whole bunch through that process, and sorting out and analyzing the data after the experiment will certainly put me to work.
I've been thinking about possibly trying to join another research group, just so I can quench my mental thirst. There is a nuclear theory group at my university, and even though I know nuclear theory is probably way over my head, I'm willing to put a lot of time into working hard.
**Here is my question:** Is attempting to join another group a bad idea? Should I instead tell the group head how I feel, and see where to go from there, or would that be far too disrespectful?
Please excuse any ignorance of mine.
# Answer
> Is attempting to join another group a bad idea? Should I instead tell the group head how I feel, and see where to go from there, or would that be far too disrespectful?
These two options are not mutually exclusive. You can do either, both, or none of them.
As you see it, you believe your choices are
1. **Talk to your current supervisor** \- You should absolutely do this, regardless of what you decide to do with respect to the other group. Your mentor has no way of knowing what you're thinking unless you tell him; it's up to you to let him know if you need more from the supervisory relationship. Of course, you should do this in a respectful and adult way.
2. **Join a second research group** \- You should consider doing this if you're interested in the research the second group is doing. As an undergraduate, it's to your benefit to experience different kinds of research, different advising styles, etc, to help you understand what you need when applying to graduate school. Note, however, that research is very time- and energy-consuming, and if you spread yourself too thin, you will experience "research" only on a superficial level and won't get much out of it. Only you can determine whether you *really* have enough free time and energy to participate in two research groups in a meaningful way.
Finally, I'd like to comment on your statement
> ... all of this was essentially on my own. As a result, I feel that any average joe with minimal work-ethic and intuition could thrive in a group like this.
You seem to think that because your mentor gives you a lot of independence and doesn't tell you exactly what to do, that standards and expectations in the group are pretty low. That's not necessarily the case.
The ability to work independently is a highly valued skill in supervisees, and it's **great** that your advisor has given you the chance to show your capabilities in that respect. This means that he'll be able to write strong recommendation letters for your graduate applications - much, much stronger than a supervisor who could only speak to your ability to follow focused, specific instructions.
Research is not like coursework. It's *supposed* to be highly self-directed. If somebody is telling you exactly what to do and what to learn next at every step, you're not doing research. If you feel like you're not sufficiently challenged by what you're doing now, *you* are supposed to take the initiative to speed things up.
In other words, don't confuse a hands-off mentoring style with low standards. If the group in general is productive, does good science, and writes solid papers, then standards are what they're supposed to be. From your description, you are learning a lot of new things, starting a new experiment, finding out how research works, and overall describing a pretty excellent research experience.
> 9 votes
# Answer
To echo some of what ff524 has said, I think there could be some difference in your interpretation of what research should be, and what is mentally challenging for you.
Personally the few times I have felt like I was not learning enough, was not because my research was not challenging, but I was not actually doing research. If you are directly given menial tasks by your advisor, that you are not thinking for yourself and just repeating a motion, it may feel not challenging enough.
However, it sounds you are given a good amount of freedom. In that case, it could be that you are just not diving into the research itself.
> I noticed that the head also didn't like to be a mentor too much - that is, he only liked to tell me what I needed to know for my task and nothing else, leaving extra learning for myself.
>
> The problem with this is I'm left mentally starved.
To me, this sounds like you are looking for a challenging class, not research. You want someone to specify a problem and you work through it with them and studying the necessary topic until you can solve it. Otherwise, I do not see how self-learning/teaching and exploring how to solve a problem is not challenging enough.
My suggestion is to talk to your advisor after thinking about what your really looking for. Do you want self guided learning and research but your advisor is not allowing you to tackle challenging problems? If so, first prove you can do the easy ones she/he has given you, and then bring up your need to 'quench the mental thirst'. If you want a more detailed path, maybe think about taking more graduate level classes.
> 4 votes
# Answer
The process of becoming a good researcher is learning how to become an expert in a field you may know nothing about. At some point, *every* real research project becomes a "stab in the dark," as we have to do things that nobody has (or very few people have) tried before. So an advisor who doesn't tell you step by step what to do may be trying to encourage you to learn for yourself, and to take "ownership" for your project.
It may also be the case that, as your first time, you may be feeling bewildered and directionless. This sounds like a case where you need to talk with your advisor to better align your working styles: perhaps the advisor can suggest further directions to explore—and you could broaden your outlook to learning more about the field than just doing what you're told. (If you want to do a PhD, then there will come a point when your advisor *can't* tell you what to do—because you will be the expert!)
> 2 votes
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Tags: research-undergraduate, research-group
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thread-32310
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32310
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Asked about bibliographic search skills for application
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2014-11-26T13:39:00.887
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# Question
Title: Asked about bibliographic search skills for application
I’m applying for a postdoctoral role in the UK, and I am asked to have ’bibliographic search skills’. I’m sort of at a loss as to what that means, specifically – does anyone know? I’m assuming it doesn’t just mean ‘can read a bibliography’. I have a Ph.D., so I’m sort of embarrassed not to know what this means, but there you go.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I would assume 'bibliographic search skills' means the ability to find appropriate literature 'from scratch' as @Tobias suggests. If that's the case, can I recommend a book that helped me with my literature searching, and can be read easily within a day:
```
Booth A, Papaioannou D & Sutton A (2012) Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review. Sage Publications Limited.
```
It's written from a health science perspective, but I found it useful in the social science to identify search terms, databases, perform searches, and filter results.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Adding to @Phil's answer, and per my "literature search" PhD course, that translates into knowing that:
* Not everything is in Google.
* Not everything academic is in Google Scholar (I have encountered cases!).
* GScholar has some "crap" in it, ie., the filters are automatic and the database wide, so you get things that are not peer reviewed.
* You can use other databases (pubmed, web of science, scopus, EDS... whatever applies to your field and your university has paid for).
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Tags: application, literature-search
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thread-32509
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32509
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Is it reasonable to worry about lack of potential for dating in postdoc positions?
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2014-11-30T17:17:00.960
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# Question
Title: Is it reasonable to worry about lack of potential for dating in postdoc positions?
I am 25 years old, and in a few months' time I will have to decide whether to get a job in London or apply for a postdoc somewhere.
Apart from all of the usual pros and cons (eg. job security, salary, lifestyle) associated to each path, one thing that worries me most is my loneliness. I am worried that if I were to get a postdoc (say at some small university in some small city), that I would never meet someone to date and get married to eventually. Most math postdocs tend to be male (I believe) which is fine for me since I am gay. But it seems to me more likely that I will find true love taking a city job in a metropolitan environment where there are many more people. And I am really not sure that the "single life" is amenable for doing a postdoc in a foreign country (where I'll likely have to look to find a postdoc in my field).
I apologise if this thread is not suitable for this board, but it is an important consideration in a potential academic's life. I would truly appreciate your thoughts and experiences.
Edit: I guess I am asking whether I am right to be worried about the lack of potential for dating in a studious and bookish environment like academia, and whether anyone has any advices about how to deal with this.
# Answer
> 31 votes
How is Academia different that any other job? You work for a number of hours a day, and then you are free to use your time solving jigsaws at home or socialising with other people.
Perhaps the academic environment has the advantage of multiculturalism. In most industries, the large majority of the people are from the country; but at universities you can find much more diversity, and thus, easier to find people you feel more comfortable with.
Lastly, in large cities there are, statistically, more potential "suitable partners", but they will be more difficult to find. As a mathematician, you may want to model it as an Erdős–Rényi graph, for the fun of it.
In the end, I think either path will have comparable a priori chances of finding love, so this should not be your main criteria to decide what to do with your life. Being happy with what you do will make you a nicer person, and have a larger impact that the city you are in.
And, to put at ease your concerns, most professors I know are married, and they certainly went down the postdoc path.
# Answer
> 20 votes
From the anecdotes that I am familiar with, there seem to be two key questions:
1. Is the community that you are going to dominated by the academic institution?
2. Would you prefer to avoid dating undergraduates or potential colleagues?
If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then you may have a difficult time finding romance. This is particularly true for some U.S. institutions that are not near anything else (e.g., State College, Pennsylvania), because most of the potential matches that you will meet would be too "close" professionally. Likewise, if you have highly unusual tastes, your only option may be to go to a large city where the population of people you are interested in will be non-trivial. Otherwise, however, your dating prospects are likely to be dominated by constraints on your social life rather than the number of possible matches.
There is a further consideration that is not in your post, but which I think is also important to keep in mind. A postdoc is inherently a temporary position, so if you find a serious romantic partner, the two of you are likely to soon have to confront the two-body problem. This doesn't have to be a show-stopper, but it's probably worth thinking about the degree to which you might be willing to adjust your career goals to match with the goals of a partner...
# Answer
> 17 votes
Great question! I would not worry about the lack of potential for dating. I was a postdoc for three years, and although it was quite a lonely life, I had a lot of friends, mostly **PhD students from outside my own department**. The reasons for this were (a) it is quite hard to befriend PhD students in your own department when you are a postdoc; it's like an officer trying to fraternise with privates and (b) younger academics with permanent positions tend to be married/have children and are not looking for social life.
So although I was shut in my office all day, the graduate community in general was a great way to meet people. However, I did not find anybody. I think key reasons for this were (a) uncertainty about my future (I was doing a postdoc in a foreign country and in an area in which I felt insecure and probably wasn't going to continue, and I think that women found this lack of confidence and future plans unattractive) and (b) incompetence.
Now I am working in industry, and I don't find that single life in industry is any better or worse than single life as a postdoc. It's actually harder to meet people because there is no campus, and the people I do meet tend to be less interesting.
Summary: ignoring the other pros and cons which you mentioned, there might be plenty of potential for dating graduate students from outside your field.
# Answer
> 15 votes
Unfortunately, based on my experiences, I am somewhat more pessimistic than other answerers to the question. As a postdoc I met a couple of interesting potential dating partners, but they weren't interested in getting involved with someone who had to move across the country in a couple of years.
I then began a tenure-track job in a rather small, quiet city. For some people this is exactly their cup of tea and they are quite happy. For me, it represented some compromises that I had to make if I wanted to continue my academic career. Among them, I've found it difficult to meet people with whom I have much in common.
There are many ways in which your situation could turn out well! And, I think most people that decided to go into academia are happy with their choice. You might get a job offer in an appealing big city. You might end up in a small town, meet someone there, and discover that you love it. And at no point, even once you are tenured, do you ever have to commit to any job for the rest of your life. You can always apply for other academic jobs or go into industry.
Nevertheless, I'm afraid that I believe that your worries are indeed reasonable. Best wishes to you, whatever you decide.
# Answer
> 3 votes
How do you know that there isn't someone in this small institution that is thinking, "Damn, there are no dating prospects here."
And then when you meet said someone, well there isn't much competition.
But the fact is if you have a campus that will give you 10,000 choices vs another with 20 choices, it really comes down to there is only "1" and you don't know if that person is in the 10,000 or the 20.
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Tags: postdocs, academic-life, work-life-balance
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thread-32558
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32558
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How much research experience to include on a CV?
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2014-12-01T20:12:48.887
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# Question
Title: How much research experience to include on a CV?
Do I have to include all of my research projects on my CV? I have worked in ten different labs, mostly projects from undergrad, and most of my projects and publications are completely unrelated to my current field of research. I'm concerned that if include all my research experiences, people will not know what my current field of research is. I'm also worried since I am an early stage PhD student and my CV is three pages long and may be too long.
*Should I include or exclude research experiences unrelated to my current field of study on my CV?*
# Answer
> 5 votes
What you will soon realise is that there is no one CV to rule them all. More precisely, you will find that you need to tailor your CV for each job application etc, by (de)emphasising various parts of it. Getting a summer internship at McDonalds? Emphasise the hamburger flipping. Applying for a grant, emphasise the research.
Thus how much research experience you include in your CV depends what you are planning to use your CV for. If it were to get a PhD position, I would say "Yes".
Publications stay. They always count.
Gradually, the research projects you did as an undergraduate will become uninteresting for your CV, for example, as you start filling your CV with new and exciting activities. This always happens. When you are starting your research career, you will be asked to review papers. You can list what journal/conference you reviewed for on your CV. Later you will be on conference PCs or journal editorial boards. Then all of the reviewing experience will become irrelevant for your CV.
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Tags: cv
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thread-32545
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32545
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Changing fields between Msc and Phd
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2014-12-01T15:02:30.067
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# Question
Title: Changing fields between Msc and Phd
I got my Bachelors of science degree in Computers and Systems Engineering from a top university in my country 2 years ago. I am now having a fully funded opportunity (as a research assistant) for a Masters in computing science (Thesis option) at one of the top 50 worldwide computing schools, located in Canada. My work will mainly be in the area of industrial automation as a cloud service. This topic is related to my capabilities and interests. However, I am more passionate with the field of robotics in general and specially the autonomous vehicles field (which still lays in the area of computer science). My main goal is to have a Phd in this field from a university like MIT, Stanford and Carnegie Mellon after having my masters degree.
My main question is; is it O.K. to make such a change in the research topic after having my Masters? Or Should my masters research work be in the same specific area?
# Answer
The most important detail that you need to check is if those Universities that you want for your PhD will accept an IT MSc as entrance for an Engineering PhD. As long as they do, you can continue your research now, get the MSc then move on. If they don’t however, then you’d have a lot more thinking to do about your direction. It's excellent that now you actually do know what you are indeed passionate about. Research interests change all the time and be assured that it's completely natural.
Source: My fiancé has an MSc in Mechanical Engineering but now is keen on doing his PhD in Theoretical Physics and has also approached potential supervisors and so far the response has been positive.
Good Luck!
> 2 votes
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Tags: changing-fields
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thread-32568
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32568
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Importance of having a "connection" while applying to PhD
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2014-12-01T23:33:07.763
|
# Question
Title: Importance of having a "connection" while applying to PhD
I am applying for a PhD to top schools in engineering. Whenever I talk to my peers I hear the word 'connection' very often. I started thinking that it is almost impossible to be admitted to these schools without knowing a professor ! (I am an international applicant)
How important is having a connection when applying? What If I don't know one and I believe that my profile qualifies me for admission? Should I apply or just not bother?
# Answer
At least for schools in the US, it is not necessary for you to have a direct "connection" or contact at a department to be admitted.
In general, where contacts can be useful is if one of the people who writes your letters of recommendations for you knows a particular person in the given department. If that "connection" is good, and you get a good letter of recommendation, that will carry more weight than a typical letter of the same quality, since you will be better "known" than someone who the department doesn't know at all.
That said, though, there is no expectation that you would directly know someone already at the school—although your research interests should align with the department as a whole.
> 15 votes
# Answer
In my experience it differs from school to school, but since you specifically stated *"top schools in engineering"* I would totally agree with @aeismail that a "connection" is not needed, but might be helpful.
Also, I have come across the fact that it is common that PhD positions are "created" with a particular candidate in mind, ergo it is very hard to get a position at first try but an application will often get you to a meeting with the prof / research group representative for the department you are interested in, and will dramatically increase the chances that a position might be "created" for you.
> Should I apply or just not bother?
You should apply, worst case somebody at least had a look at your resume and you will be higher up on the list for the next PhD recruitment ;)
Do note that top universities have the same issues as many other top tier employers, how do you sift through thousands of applications in a responsible manner? The answer is that you don't; you pick the first and best one, which usually is someone known from previous relations.
> 1 votes
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Tags: phd, graduate-admissions, application, networking
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thread-32561
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32561
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Global university ranking for graduates, not research
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2014-12-01T21:00:12.907
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# Question
Title: Global university ranking for graduates, not research
I work at a university that gives a small number of scholarships to PhD students to pay their fees and tuition. Currently, the decision for who to give these to is based on their undergraduate transcript and the global ranking of the university they attended as an undergraduate. If you don't get a scholarship, you have to pay full fees and tuition.
Unfortunately, one consequence of this system is that graduates from certain countries, for example India, are grossly disadvantaged. The highest ranked Indian university is ranked below 250 in the main international tables (and below 400 in `Excellence` at http://www.webometrics.info/en/Asia/India?sort=asc&order=Excellence%20Rank\*) . As far as I can tell, this is mostly because the ranking measures research output and many of the top Indian students go on to graduate school in the US.
Now we can all say how ridiculous it is to be doing this in the first place but that isn't going be helpful. I feel that in order to help address this question I need to give them an easy alternative.
Are there any more relevant league tables that might measure the quality of graduates on a fairer global basis, rather than the quality of research output from the relevant department?
# Answer
> 3 votes
It is not clear what rankings your university uses or what you think is a fairer ranking. The QS World University Rankings ranks on:
> Academic reputation (40%)
>
> Employer reputation (10%)
>
> Student-to-faculty ratio (20%)
>
> Citations per faculty (20%)
>
> International faculty ratio (5%)
>
> International student ratio (5%)
I would think that "research output", whatever that is, would impact both academic reputation and citations per faculty. I am not sure if any of the other factors are fairer for judging academic success, but the nice thing about the QS rankings is you can sort based on any of their factors.
If we look at a couple of the IITs
```
Overall Academic Employer SFR CPF IFR ISR
IIT Bombay 222 160 60 400+ 301 400+ 400+
IIT Delhi 235 199 90 393 329 400+ 400+
IIT Kanpur 300 229 229 400+ 345 400+ 400+
```
Despite any impact of loss of PhD students to international schools, the "Academic Reputation" is still helping the ranking. The Citations per Faculty are hurting them a little, but they are most hurt by a lack of international draw at the faculty and student levels and a high Student to Faculty ratio.
---
Tags: graduate-school, international, ranking
---
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thread-32585
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32585
|
What are the best ways to organize one's research workflow when using multiple Operating Systems?
|
2014-12-02T10:03:07.167
|
# Question
Title: What are the best ways to organize one's research workflow when using multiple Operating Systems?
I have a good memory, but some of the fields I'm working in (NLP, Semantic Web, Information Visualization, Machine Learning) are quickly expanding.
While I do have a good method of keeping track of good research (I only follow the best researchers and research groups on Twitter, Scholar, conferences, journals, etc), sometimes perhaps it's better to save all the interesting papers, add notes to them and put them in context and relationships with other papers (if a paper frequently cites another paper and is a sequel to that paper, perhaps it's better to read those 2 papers together, for example). Essentially the things I want to do are these:
* keep records of the workshops, classes or tutorials I attended, but also video recordings of presentations I have never seen in real life
* annotate PDFs, extract metadata from them and generate bibtex bibliographies
* keep tutorials in pdf + video format synced (where possible)
* keep everything in context - organized in folders, tagged,
cross-referenced if possible (if an article is cited in a paper and I already have it in my library, I want to be able to access it fast)
* I want to be able to search about various keywords/tags regardless of the location where the actual files are stored and OS.
I noticed most of these things are doable in the Apple ecosystem (iTunes, iBooks, etc), but not really on Windows and Linux. Does anyone has any idea about how to do this in Linux and Windows? I happen to absolutely need to use both operating systems (still have some work with SQL Server, Excel, etc), but most of my development work is in Linux (coding in Java, Python, JavaScript and others, but also writing papers in LaTeX).
I would preferably only sync a huge zotero (or similar) folder using Dropbox, and papers/tutorials should be in sub-folders named after their research field, but also tagged so that I can find them regardless of the folder.
EDIT: I have paid Dropbox, but apparently finding free WebDAV is an issue (therefore that would mean an additional 5-10 euros per month). As far as code goes I use GitHub and GitLab.
After seeing your answers, it occured to me that I'm thinking about it too much. Perhaps the best idea is this: the whole workflow should be a webapp - this way it will perform almost similarly on all operating systems, as even if there are differences between browsers, they are not so big as the differences between OSes.
# Answer
Here's what I do, to manage everything between a Mac laptop and a Linux desktop. I usually write code and do heavy lifting on the Linux machine, but when at home or reading / writing documents I use OS X.
* All files of a manageable size are synchronized with BitTorrent Sync. You could also use Dropbox, but that costs money for \>2 GB. BTSync is free, unlimited, cross-platform, and peer-to-peer.
* If I'm writing code or TeX using TextMate on my Mac, but executing it on Linux, I just run `rmate` on a document on my Linux machine and the file pops up in TextMate on my Mac. It's wizardry, I tell you. It beats waiting 5-10 seconds for cloud synchronization to catch up.
* I use Papers3 for my paper library, which synchronizes with my iPad. All the PDFs are kept in my small, free Dropbox account - the file organization is a bit obtuse so Papers3 is in practice Mac/iOS only. Papers3 does have a Windows app, but not Linux. Mendeley will sync with its Linux and Windows apps, so that might be your best multi-platform option for document storage and annotation.
* I have not used Evernote recently, but it runs using Wine in Linux. That's another option for syncing notes and documents.
I'm not aware of a tool for Linux which comes anywhere close to Spotlight for Mac. If there is a program that will synchronize file tags and such across operating systems, I'd like to know about it! Otherwise, for advanced "metadata" and such you're usually restricted to the ecosystem of a particular application.
> 1 votes
# Answer
The fact that you use multiple operating systems is really a red herring. All of your competing work flows (Excel, Java programming, etc) can be done both in virtual machines and via remote desktop. Virtualizing a Mac is probably the hardest, but within a Mac you can create a virtual Windows Machine for Excel and a virtual Linux machine for Programming. If you have reliable network access, you can just remote desktop to the different machines.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: research-process, citations, workflow
---
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thread-32488
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32488
|
Having caused a lab accident, how to mend my relationships with fellow students?
|
2014-11-30T02:31:33.183
|
# Question
Title: Having caused a lab accident, how to mend my relationships with fellow students?
I accidentally caused a fire in my department laboratory. The fire was not big, and luckily no one was injured. However, it triggered the fire alarm and sprinkler system, which led to some of the common equipment being damaged.
After the incident, the department has enforced tighter control on lab safety. For example, all students need to submit a work flow before doing new experiments and complete numerous forms to buy new chemicals. It results in a lot of unnecessary administrative work and greatly slows down our research progress. Many research students are unhappy about that, and since I caused the accident, they have begun to ostracize me. Even some 'closer' students seem becoming less friendly to me.
I know it is totally my fault, but sadly, I already caused the accident and can do nothing to change the fact. Now the problem is, what should I do to mend my relationships with my colleagues?
EDIT: As some of the comments mentioned that it is not clear whether the additional rules actually should be enforced no matter there was the accident or not. Honestly, I don't know, but it is the **extra work** that annoy other students, and it is totally because of me. I guess my department should have complied to the laws before, otherwise they will be in trouble...
# Answer
> 6 votes
> It results in a lot of unnecessary administrative work and greatly slows down our research progress.
If you do something, intentional or unintentional, that causes more work for others, you are going to be resented. In my opinion, the best way to minimize the resentment is if you are seen as being proactive in taking on your share of the new work. I would suggest you step up and take on a significant portion of any new group work related to the fire. If labs need to be move/rearranged to comply with fire safety standards, it would be best if you came in on the weekends/nights to help people. If the department needs a fire safety officer or first aiders, it would be in your best interest to volunteer. If a new committee has been formed to deal with fire safety compliance, ask to be on it.
---
Tags: interpersonal-issues
---
|
thread-32579
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32579
|
How to find an appropriate journal to submit to when working in a new, unfamiliar field?
|
2014-12-02T03:26:27.413
|
# Question
Title: How to find an appropriate journal to submit to when working in a new, unfamiliar field?
I have developed a new method to form a single-atom chain (break junction) in physics, which so far has results from calculation and simulation but not yet experiment.
How can I find out which journal is suitable for publishing the work?
My advisor is not familiar with my research field. I am exploring a whole new field.
# Answer
Having had experience with this type of problem myself, I agree with the suggestions that you have been given in comments: the best way to figure out where to publish is to look at where the papers that you are citing in your related work are being published.
There is an additional challenge as well, however, which is that as a newcomer to the field, you are likely to have a more difficult time getting published because 1) you have not yet established credibility in this area, and so people will justifiably view your work with more skepticism, and 2) you are likely to be insufficiently aware of key concerns and points of debate within the community, which can get you into unnecessary trouble with your reviewers.
I would thus recommend a "publish early and often" strategy: rather than trying to send a major manuscript to a top publication venues immediately, start by sending a couple of more restricted manuscripts to less difficult but still respectable targets. By doing this, you can gain experience with the community's expectations and start building your reputation as a good practitioner in the area, both of which will later help you to be able to publish in higher impact venues.
> 6 votes
---
Tags: publications, journals, physics
---
|
thread-32593
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32593
|
3+ month delay in reviewing the revision of paper, what can we do?
|
2014-12-02T12:57:27.527
|
# Question
Title: 3+ month delay in reviewing the revision of paper, what can we do?
I had submitted a paper in an ISI journal, i.e. in Taylor and Francis. The first submission date of the manuscript was `30-may-2014`. We received the first revision result on `27-July-2014`. Hopefully, the result of reviewing our paper was optimistic as the paper status was `accept with change`; we had only some minor comments. We submitted the answer of revision on `15 Aug`. They didn’t reply our revision yet. How can we write to them to review our paper faster?
Note: Its 2-Dec Today.
# Answer
Aug 15 to at least Dec 2 seems like a very long period for a decision based on a minor revision. Particularly since the procedure earlier seems to be very timely. Sending an e-mail to the handling editor seems in perfect order. There may of course be some natural reason for the delay but after more than three months you should certainly enquire.
As for the content of your request just make is short, to the point and polite. Do not assume anything or be unfairly judgemental, you do not, yet, know the reasons for the delay. If you have some "excuse" for why you are extra anxious to get a response, please mention it. This could be that you need to show your updated publication list for applications or for some other official reason. This will of course not mean you receive special treatment but will make the editor aware of the delay and the possible effects it may have. But, a short e-mail will suffice.
> 5 votes
---
Tags: journals, peer-review, editors
---
|
thread-32540
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32540
|
What can I do when my transcripts have mistakes?
|
2014-12-01T13:02:21.740
|
# Question
Title: What can I do when my transcripts have mistakes?
My transcripts contain a mistake on the grade I took for a course. I applied before two months to change me the grade but the process is slow. Until now nothing has changed and I need to apply for graduate programs. What should I do? **How should I inform them that this grade is wrong and the official transcripts will contain the appropriate number.** What GPA should I write in the online form? This with the wrong grade or the right one (calculated by me).
---
More information:
This mistake was not my fault, it was the professor who accidentally wrote a "D" instead of an "A-". I have contacted him after I noticed it on the online system, but it is a long process to change a grade in my university. Two months have passed already and they told my that the grade will be changed before Christmas, but the deadlines are soon and I need to find a way to inform them. The case is that, in most courses, I have "A" and, in a few of them, "B". I am applying to very competitive courses and this might ruin my chances of getting admitted.
# Answer
> 39 votes
If you can't wait for the school, and the professor agrees that this was his error, ask him for a letter saying so (on school letterhead) which you can attach to the transcript. Ditto for the school itself. If employers have some evidence of the error, and have someone they can contact to confirm the correction, this should be manageable.
# Answer
> 6 votes
Personal experience at the infamous university of Zurich: Get as many people involved as possible. This is a shame for a university, they don't want people to know. I had a mistake in my transcript (they misspelled a course which was substantial for my further studies). I went there, talked *a bit louder* than usual and suddenly had a bunch of other students supporting my cause. It took them less than an hour and I had a correct transcript.
---
Tags: graduate-admissions, grades, transcript-of-records
---
|
thread-32584
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32584
|
Is it OK to upload thesis including published work to personal website?
|
2014-12-02T08:05:44.507
|
# Question
Title: Is it OK to upload thesis including published work to personal website?
I think the question is simple, but answers may be quite different - I fear.
I have recently written my Thesis, which also includes some peer-reviewed published papers. As a general rule, is it ok to post the .pdf of my Thesis on my personal website?
If it depends on the journal and University where the papers have been sent to, what right should I be looking for on the journals website?
# Answer
> 6 votes
The Sherpa/Romeo database (http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/) will give you all the information about journal policies concerning self-archiving.
---
Tags: thesis, copyright
---
|
thread-32597
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32597
|
Is organizing a thesis competition a good way to connect academia and business?
|
2014-12-02T13:56:21.517
|
# Question
Title: Is organizing a thesis competition a good way to connect academia and business?
I would like to ask if you think that organizing an international thesis competition is a good way to bridge the gap between students (mostly graduates) and companies. The idea is to have jury members of industry partners and alumni, which will have access to and judge the theses and thus:
1. Students and graduates will be able to make hopefully valuable connections
2. Businesses will profit from having an insight of what young people write about.
*Is organizing a thesis competition likely to be a fruitful endeavor*?
# Answer
It would be *very* hard to judge these things due to a dearth of objective criteria. Also, getting a panel of widely knowledgeable, senior employees (whose time is short and expensive) to each read and judge at least several theses just isn't feasible - and that's assuming that the field is narrow enough that the judges have the expertise to understand every thesis.
Unless you have a vested and very specific interest in the thesis, there just isn't any point in reading it. A short presentation or abstract is really all that's necessary to get the gist of the research.
A much better solution would be a thesis *presentation* competition. My old university did a university-wide "thesis in three" competition every year. Entrants had *three minutes* to give a presentation on their research, in front of a general audience and a panel of judges from all disciplines (a more specialized competition could allocate more time).
This could have many advantages, including:
* the panel will be able to view all of the presentations in less time than it takes to read just one thesis
* it assesses a very valuable real-world skill: the ability to distil a complicated piece of work into a simple and exciting nutshell
* you can see someone's enthusiasm for a topic
* gathering for drinks and dinner after the presentations will be a fantastic networking opportunity. Job offers could be flying about all over the place.
In the age of the internet, it would be easy to ask participants to create a video presentation if they cannot attend the event (possibly even in the style of a YouTube educational video, with narrated drawings / animations). This way, no one needs to travel across the country or world.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: thesis, industry, research-dissemination
---
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thread-32600
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32600
|
Can I be admitted to a graduate program in Computer Science with relevant work experience, but academic background in Electronic Engineering?
|
2014-12-02T15:08:04.377
|
# Question
Title: Can I be admitted to a graduate program in Computer Science with relevant work experience, but academic background in Electronic Engineering?
As mentioned, I have an undergraduate degree in Electronic Engineering but my work experience (\>3 years) is in server-side software development including development of horizontally scalable and distributed services. I am interested in getting a graduate degree in Computer Science. However, most of the programs I have looked at require an undergraduate degree with computer science courses. There are a few programs that do not have this requirement and I shall be applying for.
My question is; will it be possible for me to prove my eligibility purely on the basis of my work experience and thus get admitted into a graduate program? I am fairly confident that I have (most of) the required skill-set and knowledge base and that I can catch up on the rest easily.
# Answer
> 0 votes
There are cases where you can get admitted even though you have another (closely related) degree because some programs give students a chance to study things on their own, though this usually varies between countries and universities.
Another thing that could affect your chances is the type of computer science that you want to apply for: it's probably going to be difficult to get into a theoretical computer science program (some of my colleagues at my current university have been rejected from a computer science master's program at a respected university because their undergraduate degrees contain the word "engineering"), but it might be easier to get into some more applied field.
The best thing would be to contact someone at your target universities; they are usually able to tell you if you have a chance to be admitted.
Hope this helps and good luck.
---
Tags: graduate-admissions, career-path, computer-science, changing-fields
---
|
thread-32608
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32608
|
What does it mean to be a co-author?
|
2014-12-02T20:11:51.493
|
# Question
Title: What does it mean to be a co-author?
What does acting as a "co-author" entail, and how common is it for first year undergraduate students to be added as co-authors to a paper being prepared by a professor?
# Answer
> 5 votes
Almost any published work has one or more people listed as authors: they are those people who made a significant contribution to the creation of the work. If there is more than one author, they are called co-authors, and one might say they *co-authored* the work. Usage like "become co-authored into a paper" would be non-standard and perhaps non-grammatical; one would instead say that a person became a co-author of the paper (typically for having contributed to it in a significant way).
---
Tags: publications, research-process, authorship, research-undergraduate
---
|
thread-32615
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32615
|
Research faculty I would like to work with not in my department
|
2014-12-02T22:20:51.040
|
# Question
Title: Research faculty I would like to work with not in my department
I'm currently in the process of applying to graduate schools for admission into a graduate program in Computer Science. However, in a particular university that I would like to apply to, labs dealing with the specialization that I would like to work with belong to another department in the university and do not seem to involve faculty in the Computer Science department.
Now, when I write my Statement of Purpose for an admission into the Computer Science department, would it be considerate for me to mention my interest in working with these faculty outside the Computer Science department or must I restrict myself to those faculty and research labs under the purview of the Computer Science department in that university?
Is it possible even for me to be denied an admission if these faculty I'd like to work with and mention about in my statement do not belong to the Computer Science department?
# Answer
Yes, it can hurt your chances of admission if your application focuses on a desire to work with people in a different department. It's fine if you list some people in other departments, for example if they collaborate frequently with members of the department you're applying to (or even if they don't, provided they aren't the sole focus of your application). However, you don't want to submit an application that looks like it's a substantially better fit for another department. You might still get admitted if your application is strong enough, but there's a real risk someone on the admissions committee will try to make room for another candidate by declaring that you really belong in the other department.
This generally isn't a problem if you take it into account while planning. If the best advisors for you are all in applied math or operations research, say, then you can apply to those departments in addition to computer science. The only tricky case is if your advisor works on two very different things, one of which falls into the other department while the other is more traditional computer science, and you want to do the latter. In that case you should explain in your statement of purpose why the computer science department would be a better place for you despite your choice of advisor.
> 4 votes
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Tags: graduate-admissions, research-process, statement-of-purpose
---
|
thread-32620
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32620
|
Applying to a masters program based on university rankings?
|
2014-12-02T23:17:46.530
|
# Question
Title: Applying to a masters program based on university rankings?
I'd very much love to study Math at the University of Copenhagen.
Since I am an International Student and cannot really see the university before I apply, university rankings will greatly affect my decision.
My only problem is that this university ranks quite low according to Times Higher Education (160th)
I relied on rankings to choose to come to Canada and do my undergrad at UBC (32nd) And it has worked well for me so far.
If I happen to be clever enough to get into a top 50 university, would it be stupid to still go to Denmark?
# Answer
Is it stupid to go to a university which is ranked around 160 by Times Higher Education for a Master's degree? You should consider additional information. First, I recommend deciding what you want to do after getting your master's degree. Then consider if the degree program you are applying for will help you achieve that goal. If you are not sure, check the program or school website for statistics, or contact the program's alumni for advice.
Since this is the academia stack exchange, let's assume for the moment you want to continue in academia. In this case, the university's reputation (which is correlated with its ranking) is very important, but the specific program's reputation is even more important. (edit: People who know little about you will judge you based on the institution/program where you got your degree, because it is easy for them.) Working with a well-known faculty member can also have great importance.
Certainly rankings will not inform you if you will like living or working at an institution. Finally, normally each time you change institutions the prestige of your new position will decrease.
> 2 votes
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Tags: ranking
---
|
thread-32612
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32612
|
If I use results from a source I don't have access to, should I include it in references?
|
2014-12-02T21:47:46.770
|
# Question
Title: If I use results from a source I don't have access to, should I include it in references?
Let's say, I am writing a paper. I am reading paper A that cites results in Paper/Book B. I do not have access to Paper/Book B.
In the list of references, do I include only A? A and B?
# Answer
> 8 votes
Be honest. You do not gain anything by pretending knowledge you have not, nor it helps the reader.
Write "According to A, in B it is shown that" or some variation on it. If you have made a good-faith effort to obtain a copy of B (that includes interlibrary loan), but had undue difficulty in doing so, you might want to mention it --- "We were unable to find a copy of B".
# Answer
> 3 votes
You should add both. I assume you, in your text, refer to B as referred to by A in some way. The point is that everyone should be able to trace your information and knowing B is a book and is referenced by A, from which article you took the information.
That said, I would like to add a warning against doing this, it should only be done as a last resort. The problem of using a reference in a reference is that you have not actually seen the original work and you are therefore trusting that A, in this case, have cited B correctly. Many cases exist where misconceptions have been propagated by trusting the judgement of others and not checking the original source.
---
Tags: citations, writing
---
|
thread-32617
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32617
|
Are bibliographies/reference lists generally included in page/word counts?
|
2014-12-02T22:48:15.003
|
# Question
Title: Are bibliographies/reference lists generally included in page/word counts?
I regularly assign my undergraduate students papers with a range of expected page/word length (e.g. 10-12 pages or 2500-3000 words). Is there any sort of rule as to whether or not to count a works cited page(s0 (and its equivalent in the other citation styles) in determining if a paper meets this limit? I've discussed this with colleagues and heard varying answers.
# Answer
> 2 votes
In the scientific world, whether citations count against length limits or not varies wildly by publication, including hybrid models like AAAI which allows six pages text and up to one page of citations.
I think that which way you go depends on what you want the students to learn. Some examples that would push you one way or another:
* If you want them to focus on prose, don't count citations in the length.
* If you want them to learn to express complicated thoughts concisely, use a short page limit and count citations (e.g., the IEEE six-page format)
* If you want them to focus on referencing, count citations and text separately.
Either way it shouldn't matter too much, because you're using a range and probably have some flexibility in how you apply your rubric, so you can adjust for common sense.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Should not count.
A six-line main text can pack more convincing arguments compared to a one-line main text. That's why it's important to make sure all students have an equal share of area or real property to build upon.
A six-line citation does not necessarily bring any advantage compared to a one-line citation. For that reason, I don't see why we should penalize students who had identified some information with more authors or a longer title; that is not how we teach them to examine the credibility of a paper.
If you're concerned about them citing too many things or citing mindlessly, you may put a limit on the number of citations like some journals do. However, I wouldn't include them in the word count.
---
Tags: teaching, undergraduate, research-undergraduate, grading
---
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thread-31541
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/31541
|
Should I list all of my scientific writings and technical reports (including those written for coursework) on my resume?
|
2014-11-10T16:15:55.840
|
# Question
Title: Should I list all of my scientific writings and technical reports (including those written for coursework) on my resume?
I am an undergrad preparing my resume for grad school application. During my undergrad I have done many projects, including a few real research projects and also those for courses as final projects, that were just about designing something rather routine (a simple robot for example), or a compilation of other research works. Most of these class projects have had a report **(a writing).**
Since I have just one official peer reviewed conference paper, is it a good idea to list all those technical reports in my resume in the *Publications* section? Or, conversely, adding these may decrease the value of that peer reviewed paper and making the resume look unprofessional?
# Answer
As Sverre says in a comment, you should make sure that your peer-reviewed publication stands out. It is common, in an academic CV, to put such publications into their own separate section.
As far as your other technical writing, my inclination would be to include these *only if* they are available to the public in some way, as opposed to just being pieces of coursework. For example, if you have an undergraduate thesis which is lodged in your university library, or have (co-)written a technical report which is available from your department, then these should be included in the CV. They are a class of publication. But essays and reports that were only submitted for assessment are not the same sort of thing. You can certainly mention them in the part of your CV where you talk about your various courses and projects, but it would be misleading to list them among your publications.
> 3 votes
---
Tags: publications, graduate-admissions, cv, research-undergraduate, coursework
---
|
thread-32635
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32635
|
University website says "when such conduct [unauthorized collaboration] is common, it becomes acceptable" - does this mean plagiarism is allowed?
|
2014-12-03T03:37:55.433
|
# Question
Title: University website says "when such conduct [unauthorized collaboration] is common, it becomes acceptable" - does this mean plagiarism is allowed?
I have been accused of plagiarism from my prof, since I have an answer from a Facebook page based on our course, and a lot of students got their answers from there. The Facebook page has previous labs and assignments from graduate students or senior students who have already done the course, thus there were around 14 students with the same mistake including me. But I went through my university web site and it states for the TEACHING ASSISTANT (TA) that:
> Academic Dishonesty in Laboratory Environments
>
> Academic dishonesty is a serious problem in undergraduate labs. This is partly because the culture of lab courses sometimes fosters plagiarism. Lab exercises may remain unchanged for years, making it relatively easy to obtain lab reports from previous students. Since students generally work in pairs, the distinction between acceptable and unacceptable collaboration can become blurred. And sometimes lab work is simply not taken as seriously as other scholarly work. The main forms of academic dishonesty in laboratory classes are:
>
> Plagiarism in laboratory assignments and reports
>
> Among some students there is an academic culture that accepts a certain degree of academic dishonesty in labs. Students buy and sell lab reports from the previous year and some try to "help" junior students by "handing down" lab material. When such conduct is common, it becomes acceptable, and many students may not realize the element of dishonesty involved. In addition, in most cases the entire class is writing up the same report, so there is bound to be an enormous exchange of information.
I think the paragraph above says that at this point this academic dishonesty becomes acceptable. Does that sort my issue at any point?
# Answer
> 14 votes
You are misreading that passage.
"It becomes acceptable" is intended to mean "acceptable *to the students*". To rephrase:
> When such conduct is common, students come to believe that it is acceptable.
But such students would be mistaken in that belief, from the institution's point of view. I think the clear meaning of the passage is that such conduct is *not* acceptable to the institution and is considered plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
# Answer
> 4 votes
The text that you quote is written a bit confusingly: I think that it is trying to say that even if *students* view a behavior as acceptable "because everyone is doing it", that behavior is still not acceptable.
In the end, dishonesty is dishonesty. If you claim to have done a piece of work, but you did not do that work, then you are being dishonest. When that work is a creative effort, we call it plagiarism.
Even if somehow your institution had a policy that allowed such dishonesty, it would still be dishonest. When you progress further in academia or industry, if you continue to engage in such behavior, it can end your career in an instant when it is discovered.
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Tags: plagiarism
---
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thread-32456
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32456
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How to address being interested in two areas in statement of purpose
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2014-11-29T14:14:45.750
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# Question
Title: How to address being interested in two areas in statement of purpose
I am applying to graduate school in US. I am wondering how I can write statement of purpose If I am interested in both signal processing and communication system. Should I talk about why I am interested in both and talk about researches and projects I have done in both areas and my future research in both fields since I like both equally?. However I was thinking this is too much and is going to pass the word limit for statement of purpose. I am looking for some advice about this. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I assume when you say "communication" you mean an area of engineering closely allied to signal processing, rather than communication in the context of the arts or social sciences.
In this case, you may as well just talk about some specific problems you are interested in, without worrying too much about how to categorize them. If you can talk in detail and with confidence about your past projects and potential future plans, then you can write a good statement of purpose. It is more important to spend words on demonstrating your understanding of the actual research problems (What do you want to do? Why is it important? Why is it hard? Why is it original? etc.) than on classifying topics within the overall field. The former is what readers really want to know about.
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Tags: graduate-admissions, graduate-school, statement-of-purpose
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thread-32616
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32616
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What makes good research questions good?
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2014-12-02T22:23:01.133
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# Question
Title: What makes good research questions good?
I am in Computer Science and currently in my proposal phase. For my problem statement, I want to come up with good research questions. However, at the moment I am struggling with the definition of "good" research questions. My professor usually comments that my current questions are not "why" questions, but instead are "yes/no" questions.
Any recommendations what make good research questions good?
# Answer
* Do you want to know the answer? Really?
* Do you realistically have a good shot at finding the answer, in a reasonable amount of time? Really?
* Will lots of other people be happy to learn the answer (even if the question had never occurred to them before)? Really?
* Are you sure nobody already knows the answer? Really?
If you can answer yes to all eight questions, it's a good research question.
(Unfortunately, some of these points may depend on what the actual answer is, which of course you don't know.)
> 7 votes
# Answer
In my opinion, a good research problem has at least the following properties:
1. It is a small piece of a big problem. In other words, it needs to be both small enough so that you can reasonably make progress on it, yet connect to a larger problem.
2. It is possible to do a small "pilot" to sanity-check your approach and whether results are promising. Most research problems can take a lot of work to really tackle. It's good to have milestones along the way that can let you figure out if you are on the right track and whether the project is likely to be worth the full investment.
3. Something can be learned from the work, whether or not it comes out the way that you hope. A large fraction of interesting research projects don't work out the way it was hoped: either the driving hypothesis was wrong, or turns out to be too hard, or something else shifts and things end up obsolete. A well formulated project will still contribute knowledge, whether or not it actually ends up advancing you toward the original goal.
Let me illustrate further with nice example that I saw recently: a group of undergrads at NCTU Formosa put together a project to modify E.coli to manufacture PBAN neuropeptides to stimulate pheromone production in the *Heliothis virescens* moth. This is a really specialized and esoteric-sounding goal, but relates to a much bigger idea: doing this could lead to a general approach to radically improved insect traps that could greatly reduce the need for industrial pesticide use. The narrowly scoped project they set for themselves thus connects to a much larger goal, but has a set of clearly delineated milestones along the way (e.g., create PBAN-expressing sequences, verify they work in E.coli, test the extract on female *Heliothis virescens* moths, verify the increase in trap efficacy, pilot tests with local organic farmers, etc.). Furthermore, even if it turns out the bigger vision can't be achieved, there still can be a lot of things learned about neuropeptide engineering, which may turn out to be relevant to a great many other questions, both foundational and applied.
> 6 votes
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Tags: phd, research-process, research-topic
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thread-32626
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32626
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Can I apply for PhD without recommendation from my masters advisor?
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2014-12-03T01:53:18.313
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# Question
Title: Can I apply for PhD without recommendation from my masters advisor?
I am currently applying for a PhD in a very competitive top tier university, which requires three references. I have two referees (my tutor and my undergraduate research project supervisor) who I am quite sure would write very good references for me.
I am stuck with the choice of my third referee:
I am currently doing a masters, but my masters supervisor is overly precise and temperamental. Although he is the "ideal" choice as my referee as he can comment on my research capabilities and working in a laboratory environment, I am certain that his reference will be lukewarm or may even be negative as I am currently having difficulty getting along with him. **(ADDITION: I had only worked with this supervisor for 2-3 months. I also had an undergraduate research project supervisor who can also comment on my research abilities).**
Alternatively, I have asked one of my lecturers (who I get along with very well) in my undergraduate, and he is very happy and eager to write a reference for me. I am quite sure that he will write a positive reference in support of my application. But he is unable to comment on my research abilities (just my academic capability and personality). Additionally, wouldn't the admissions tutors suspect that something is going on if all my referees are undergraduate even when I am taking a master's course??
What should I do?
PS. The problem is that he initially offered me a PhD position despite the fact that I wanted to pursue and applied for a masters programme. I turned it down as I was not interested in the PhD project and when I told him about my applications to other, top tier universities, his attitude towards me has changed and became very impatient, frustrated and uninterested. This is the reason why I am quite certain he will not be writing a positive reference for me.
# Answer
> Can I apply for PhD without recommendation from my masters advisor?
Yes, you can *apply,* but you may experience great difficulty in getting accepted.
> Additionally, wouldn't the admissions tutors suspect that something is going on if all my referees are undergraduate even when I am taking a master's course??
Most likely, yes.
> I am certain that his reference will be lukewarm or may even be negative as I am currently having difficulty getting along with him.
As others have suggested, the very important first step is to *ask* your advisor for a strong recommendation letter. If he agrees, no problem. If not, and there is nobody else that can comment in a strong, positive way about your research capabilities/potential, you may need to take a break from your studies and come up with a plan about how to move forward. I have been in such a situation.
I had a falling out with my MS advisor. I *knew* that he wouldn't write me a strong letter (I was not on speaking terms with him and I can't say much more than that). I also knew that I would need several strong recommendation letters commenting on my research capabilities/potential to continue on with my goal of pursuing a PhD. To get strong recommendations, I decided to go back into industry for a few years. In my field, a good percentage of industry jobs that I qualified for are heavily R&D focused. A good couple of years back in that environment landed me some solid opportunities to work on some cool stuff and impress some people who were very willing to help me out with pursuing my long-term goals.
I'd like to point out that this is still not a fail-safe approach: several schools I applied to explicitly asked me to submit a recommendation from my MS advisor. I explained to them my circumstance (it's actually a pretty good story), but that did not matter to them. I was very fortunate that one of my industry-based references was considered a big shot by several top schools I applied to, and for those schools that did not ask for a reference from my MS advisor, that worked out well for me. While there was a lot of hard work that went into my plan, I also feel in some ways that I got *very lucky.*
So, if you cannot get a strong recommendation from your MS advisor, be prepared to take some relatively drastic measures to improve your chances of success. Also, if it is possible in your field of study, leverage the skills you have obtained to build up some strong research references.
> 6 votes
# Answer
You are applying for PhD to a top school. This means intensive research skills and abilities are needed and not having a letter from your advisor is a big red flag. Your advisor is the one who is most qualified to comment on your research.
Although many universities don't state this directly, you MUST have a letter from your advisor.
If I were you, I would just go and ask him for a STRONG letter of recommendation. See what he says. Most professors give indications on how supportive their letters are going to be. If you feel that his letter will have a negative impact, then there is not much you can do.
Try to find someone willing to comment on your research and take his recommendation (Department head or maybe a professor who knows your work and research).
> 4 votes
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Tags: phd, advisor, application, recommendation-letter
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thread-32632
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32632
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What grading policy applies to undergraduates taking graduate courses?
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2014-12-03T03:03:04.390
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# Question
Title: What grading policy applies to undergraduates taking graduate courses?
I have heard that the range of grades in graduate school shrinks and grades mostly range from A to B-. What if an undergraduate student takes a graduate course, what is the grading policy for him/her?
The reason why I am asking is because he/she is in a graduate course so his/her grading can't be different from others, but getting B- for an undergraduate student does not mean he/she is failing, so his/her situation is different from graduate students.
# Answer
> 3 votes
In my experience, it's not that the grade range shrinks because the graduate students are graded differently, but instead because of the following three factors:
1. Graduate classes typically focus more on *illumination* than on *certification* in their grading policies (see this answer for more on the distinction)
2. Graduate admissions mostly filters down to a population of people who would have been getting pretty much only As and Bs in their undergraduate classes too.
3. Graduate students often have less classes or more closely related classes, enabling them to focus their energy more effectively.
Thus, the undergraduates are likely to be graded against exactly the same standards as the graduate students. If they're well-prepared, interested in the material and willing to put the work in, they'll probably earn the same A and B grades as well, and also will deserve them.
Why then, is a "failing" grade for a graduate student a "good" grade for an undergraduate? It's just that the expectations of graduate student performance are much higher, as also indicated by the previous point on filtering at admissions.
# Answer
> 2 votes
When an undergraduate student takes one of my graduate courses, they're graded in exactly the same way as the graduate students in the class. Numerical grades are assigned for individual homework assignments, exams, and projects, and a weighted average is used to compute a percentage grade for the entire course. Letter grades are then assigned on a scale where 90-100 is an A, 80-90 is a B, etc. I reserve the right to ease that scale (e.g. at the end of the semester I might lower the cutoff for an A to 88% or even 85% if I feel that the cutoff was too high.)
Our university has no rule that explicitly prohibits undergraduates from taking graduate level courses (although the courses may have advanced undergraduate prerequisites that would keep out all but the most advanced undergraduates.) However, since the graduate courses won't satisfy requirements for the bachelor's degree there's little incentive to take a hard course that will only be useful as an elective. Most of the time when we see undergraduate students in graduate level classes it is because they're in our 5 year BS/MS program or they're committed to going on to graduate study somewhere else. These are highly motivated students who are generally well prepared.
It's certainly been my experience in teaching graduate courses that most of the grades that I assign are A's and B's, and that this is very different from undergraduate courses where I often assign lots of C's, D's, and F's.
However, this happens mostly because all of the students in the graduate program are students who consistently earned A's and B's as undergraduate students (they wouldn't have been admitted otherwise) and they typically continue to perform at the same level as graduate students. In those few cases where a graduate student does earn a grade of C, D, or F, it's often because of some significant non-academic problem (illness, depression, death in the family, etc.) rather than lack of ability or effort.
At the undergraduate level, the majority of low grades (D's and F's) are assigned to students who simply don't put in an effort to pass the course. A few undergraduate students try hard but genuinely lack the ability to do well.
When undergraduate students who are well prepared (with A grades in advanced undergraduate courses) take my graduate level courses they typically do almost as well as the graduate students in the class. When poorly prepared undergraduate students have attempted to take my graduate courses they've often ended up withdrawing from the course or failing.
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Tags: undergraduate, coursework, grading, policy
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thread-32531
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32531
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Does living in university housing mean that they will own intellectual property you create there?
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2014-12-01T04:59:58.407
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# Question
Title: Does living in university housing mean that they will own intellectual property you create there?
So I was wondering. Most IP policies at Universities state that you must work on inventions, software, etc. on your own time in order to keep your rights to it. Most also say that you can't use University facilities in the process. But if you live in student housing, wouldn't this count as a "University facility." So wouldn't it technically be impossible to patent something while keeping your rights?
# Answer
> 8 votes
University IP policies generally have a separate category for intellectual property created using resources "usually and customarily provided" by the university. In every policy I've ever seen, even if the university generally retains ownership of IP created using university facilities, this excludes the above category (which would certainly include standard university housing).
For example, at the University of Illinois:
> Traditional academic copyrightable works created using university resources usually and customarily provided are owned by the creators. Such works need not be licensed to the University.
>
> When determining ownership and license rights in copyrightable works, "University resources usually and customarily provided" includes office space, library facilities, ordinary access to computers and networks, or salary.
At the University of Arkansas:
> *Creator is entitled to copyright ownership and right to revenues subject to compliance with conflict of interest and commitment policies.*
>
> This category applies when the faculty or staff member constructs the materials using nothing more than university resources usually and customarily provided. These include but may not be limited to office space, library facilities, ordinary access to computers and networks, faculty development workshops, or salary.
>
> The author owns the copyright and is entitled to receive all revenues for commercialization, subject to the conflict of interest and commitment policies.
An alternative terminology for the same concept is to distinguish between "substantial" and non-substantial use of resources. For example, at Minnesota State:
> *Substantial Use of Resources.* Substantial use exists when resources are provided beyond the normal professional, technology, and technical support supplied by the college, university, and/or system office to an individual or individuals for development of a project or program.
Or at CMU:
> Substantial use of university facilities means extensive unreimbursed use of major university laboratory, studio or computational facilities, or human resources. The use of these facilities must be important to the creation of the intellectual property; merely incidental use of a facility does not constitute substantial use, nor does extensive use of a facility commonly available to all faculty or professional staff (such as libraries and offices), nor does extensive use of a specialized facility for routine tasks.
# Answer
> 1 votes
First of all, how should be defined "University facility" in this context? I don't think that housing would make part of the definition. They must consider labs, machines and so on. Therefore, I believe that it is possible to patent something and still hold the intellectual property.
Anyhow, you should read carefully the IP policies at your university and find out what they actually call "university facility"
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Tags: intellectual-property, patents
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thread-31553
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/31553
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How often do authors actually perform and publish the work they indicate as the future work they plan to undertake in a publication?
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2014-11-10T20:23:24.103
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# Question
Title: How often do authors actually perform and publish the work they indicate as the future work they plan to undertake in a publication?
Quite often authors indicate that they will carry out some more work to complete /extend the project in the future work / discussion section.
E.g.:
> We need to automatically create new entities; this is work in progress.
or:
> In the future, we plan to deploy more sophisticated copy detection mechanisms, such as those in \[10\].
I have a high respect for the paper I used as an example, but I have first-hand witnessed other authors who write strong commitments like "We will do X in a future work" without any intent to do so.
Hence my question: Is there any research/study/survey that looked at how often authors actually perform and publish the work they indicate as the future work they plan to undertake in a publication?
I am fully aware that some formulations seem to indicate a strong commitment, while some are more suggestive ("some ideas thrown in the air").
# Answer
> 2 votes
It depends on two factors: how well the researchers are organized and funding. I would say less than half of the research groups I know in Computer Science manage to follow their future work plans. The ones that do manage to follow their plans, have clear areas in which they are active and write their projects after half the work was done :)
Funding has repercussions on what you do at work: most of the time you will have to do the tasks related to your funding as opposed to what you would like to do (future work of your favorite article). The problem is funding stops at some point and then you take another project without getting to the future work from your previous article.
If you had worked well in a field, had some articles, there is no reason to abandon that work just because the funding ended, but you will have to follow it between the funded tasks and in your free time.
There is also the alternative that you write a follow-up research project and get to do a part of this future work in the second project.
I have gone through all these phases:
* I have future work that was never done
* I have future work that was done in the follow-up project (precisely a sequel project)
* I have future work that was done in projects that were not related
* I have also seen future work from some of our articles implemented as commercial project at a start-up by some of the co-authors of the papers
If you work around the clock and if you like the field you're working in, you will definitely find a way to integrate your long-term research goals with the current project goals or with the next project goals.
EDIT: At least in CS there is no survey/study/article about such a thing, as far as I know. There are though articles that look at how often a certain technology gets into a new company.
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Tags: publications, reference-request
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thread-32657
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32657
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Mentioning advisor qualifications in statement of purpose
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2014-12-03T15:20:28.167
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# Question
Title: Mentioning advisor qualifications in statement of purpose
I am doing my master's in a relatively unknown institution, but with an excellent faculty. Most of them are graduates from top universities (TOP 10) and my advisor is one of them.
Is it OK to mention this in the statement of purpose for PhD applications? I want to show that I have been under good instruction even if the university is relatively unknown. Basically what I am thinking of writing is "I had the prevliage to have taken courses under the instruction of alumni of \[That university with big name\] and worked under the supervision of Prof. X who has long professional experience in \[Relevant industry\]".
# Answer
It should be obvious from your CV who your MS thesis advisor is, and you might want to mention it again in your statement of purpose as you describe your MS thesis, but I wouldn't mention where your advisor got his PhD.
There are basically two possibilities here:
1. Your MS advisor is well known in the community. In this case, there's no need to talk about where the advisor did his PhD since the reputation of the advisor will already be established in the reader's mind. The reader is likely to be more interested in your advisor's recent research activity than where the advisor got his PhD.
2. Your MS advisor is not well known in the community. In this case, mentioning where the advisor isn't going to help much- having a PhD from a top institution means little if the advisor hasn't been active in the research community since getting that degree.
> 4 votes
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Tags: phd, application, statement-of-purpose
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thread-32648
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32648
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What path should I take to make my vision a reality?
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2014-12-03T08:33:42.827
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# Question
Title: What path should I take to make my vision a reality?
I love German literature, but I am not interested in literary criticism/theory; just in close-reading, by which I mean, "reading while analyzing the grammar, syntax, usages of words, etc."
As my future goal as a researcher, I am thinking of compiling some sort of detailed guidebooks that will help the reader understand how the sentences parse in a systematic fashion; for no one has ever done that, at least not in a detailed, fool-proof kind of way, as far as I know after much research, both in the university library and on the Internet.
What sort of path should I set myself upon to pursue that kind of vision? Is it even a legitimate research goal?
Thank you in advance.
# Answer
> 4 votes
As a rule of thumb, you cannot possibly know what has and has not been done in a scientific area if you are not part of this scientific area. @xLeitix offered his suggestion about linguistics and his suggestion is good. So, search there, ask specific people about this, read the accompanying textbooks first and then focus on recent papers. It is very hard for an amateur researcher to think of something that has not been done before. It might happen occasionally but it is not that common.
Also you need to consider, that if there is not a scientific area about what you want to research, it might mean (again it is not 100% sure) that what you are suggesting is not that interesting after all. Why e.g., focus on a specific book for example and not on all books written by the same author? What are you hoping to achieve and why does it matter? These are questions that need to be answered **before** starting the actual research.
So, initially I would try to identify and align my research agenda according to the greater scientific area most close to my scientific interests. Once, you get a good grasp and knowledge of this specific area, you could then try to form your individual research and find what differentiates your work from the rest of the bunch. Identifying the area is a very major step, because otherwise even if your work is seminal you still need to find a journal that would publish your work. And without knowing where to publish it would be very hard to disseminate any scientific work.
# Answer
> 0 votes
> detailed guidebooks that will help the reader understand how the sentences parse in a systematic fashion
Detailed guidebooks may be hard to follow unless someone is really motivated to do so. So along with its accuracy and novelty it is good to know if there is anyone in actually interested in reading or using it.
Plus, the problem is general, it is unlikely that no-one have tackled a similar approach before (did you talk to local experts in this field?).
If it is a very systematic thing, you can try to write a computer program doing it - which may, or may not, be useful or insightful contribution.
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Tags: university
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thread-32656
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32656
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What to reply to your former supervisor that wrote that your paper "isn't worth much" before submission to a journal?
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2014-12-03T15:13:05.207
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# Question
Title: What to reply to your former supervisor that wrote that your paper "isn't worth much" before submission to a journal?
I am a recent Ph.D. graduate in computer science. In the last few months, I wrote a paper about an aspect of my thesis, with the collaboration of my former supervisor. We found a call for papers for a "special section" of an important journal, that is a section focused on the data set we are exploiting. The submission deadline was set to the end of November 2014, but surprisingly we just discovered that it has been post-poned to the end of March 2015, a four month delay. I did not know if it was better to send this paper to this "special section" or to the "normal track" of the journal, so I asked here on Academia.
User Geoff Hutchison suggested to me to contact the editorial board and ask them if I could have all the original time schedules. That means to have all the notification and re-submission dates as they were not post-poned, except the final publication date. It seemed reasonable to me, so I wrote to my former supervisor (who is also the co-author of the paper, even if his contribution to the project and the paper is only around ~5%).
He replied to me in a very **ill-mannered, thwarted and angry way**, stating that "writing this request to the editors may cause a lot of problems", that I am "not able to understand how lucky we are for the existence of this special section", "having the paper accepted in this special section may be the best thing that could ever happen to our our paper", that I "should focus on how to improve the paper, instead of inventing new ways to create problems", and I should "**understand that the paper isn't worth much**".
**What to reply back to this *"gentleman"*?**
The paper is mine, comes from the doctoral thesis of mine, from an idea that I had, and was written entirely by me. My former supervisor just reviewed and corrected it. I am not going tolerate this disrespectful behavior, and cannot stand having a co-author that considers my paper "not worth much".
**\[EDIT\]**: Thanks to all for your contributions. I'm asking to you all some suggestions on how to manage this situation: should I trust someone that is the co-author of my paper and thinks that the paper "isn't worth much"? In my opinion, this statement is in contrast with actually being a co-author of the paper. How to let him know that I did not like his ill-mannered way to reply back to me, without damaging my perspective paper submission?
# Answer
> In the last months, I wrote a paper about an aspect of my thesis, with the collaboration of my former supervisor.
That means that the paper is not 100% yours. Do not add or remove co-authors on the basis if you like them or hate their guts.
> Having the paper accepted in this special section may be the best thing that could ever happen to our our paper
Sounds like excellent advice. Special issues are more focused, have shorter response rates and usually easier acceptance for more focused papers.
> Writing this request to the editors may cause a lot of problems"
Also excellent advice. You want to contact the editors to do the review of your paper sooner just for you? This is simply stupid.
> should focus on how to improve the paper, instead of inventing new ways to create problems
You have four months to improve the paper. Are you sure that it cannot be improved? Are you afraid that your competitors might publish sooner? If yes, submitting to the journal now, will not save you anyway. Could you not upload on arxiv? You should also discuss this with your advisor.
Conclusively, cool down. As a PHD graduate and not a student anymore, you must behave always as a professional. Perhaps your paper is not that great (perhaps it is). That is not an insult - it is the sincere scientific opinion of one of your more senior peers (who contributed to your success). Do not burn bridges with your supervisor, just because he expressed his honest opinion (even if you do not agree with that).
> 22 votes
# Answer
It's hard to tell what your former supervisor is thinking from just the few out-of-context fragments you give. I think, however, that they may have some good points and that you may be reading it as much more disrespectful and confrontational than it actually is.
From what you have written, it sounds like what's really gotten you angry is the "isn't worth much" statement. The unfortunate truth, however, is that with extremely rare exceptions, most individual scientific papers aren't worth much on their own. Since you are quite early in your career, each paper may seem very important to you---and a few high-impact papers can make a big difference in getting postings. In many cases, however, both impact and career are built more cumulatively from a collection of good but not world-shaking publications.
It's not possible to judge for certain without knowing your particular research, but your former supervisor may simply be giving you an honest assessment of the likely impact of this particular piece of work. This likely doesn't say anything bad about you or the work, but is just pulling back from the hyper-focus of a dissertation towards the bigger picture. The same goes for the other comments you highlight.
If it were me in your shoes, I would not be likely to read this as a set of insults to a former disciple, but rather as your former supervisor beginning to talk to you more as a peer and collaborator.
> 17 votes
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Tags: publications, advisor, interpersonal-issues
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thread-32653
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32653
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How to ignite your research career when your advisor is so disappointing?
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2014-12-03T13:17:05.697
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# Question
Title: How to ignite your research career when your advisor is so disappointing?
How can I ignite my research career when my advisor is so disappointing and I can learn nothing from him?
He rarely publishes academic papers, but he has his fingers in many pies(engineering projects) and has no time to give any suggestions and directions for my MS project. I think nothing can be learnt from him. How can I startup my own research career under such a condition?
# Answer
As mentioned in the comments, if you are not happy with your advisor, find a new one.
I think there are some misconceptions underlying this question. Typically graduate students write papers, not faculty members. Publishing is up to you, not your advisor. Faculty are typically not trained as managers. Therefore it is up to you to give yourself direction. I think you should consider these features important in an advisor:
* Can obtain funding you need to complete your research.
* Can add to your reputation and connection to other researchers.
* Knowledge of the discipline (less important because it's easier to get this elsewhere)
From a faculty member's perspective, the best way to achieve all of these things is to be involved in as many projects as possible.
> 3 votes
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Tags: career-path, advisor
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thread-32649
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32649
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Administrative recognition of frequently-cited unpublished manuscripts
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2014-12-03T09:54:59.007
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# Question
Title: Administrative recognition of frequently-cited unpublished manuscripts
This is not a question about academia per se, but about the academia-administration interface.
When I was a postdoc, I wrote a paper that started to be cited quite often (by the standards of my particular subfield) as soon as I uploaded it to the usual public repository. These were largely good citations, along the lines of "this is a really neat idea" rather than "this author doesn't know what he's talking about". Eventually, I decided against submitting it to a journal, mostly because the unpublished manuscript had already become relatively popular and it wasn't really worth going through the extra work of the journal publication process for essentially no additional benefits re: the visibility of the paper or my reputation in the field. I've been listing it in my CV as a "frequently-cited unpublished manuscript" and everybody has been happy about it.
Now that decision is coming back to bite me in the ass. I am applying to a tenured job and I have to submit copies of representative publications. However, I can't submit a copy of this paper specifically because it has never been published in a journal. I have enough quality publications that this is not a problem, but it annoys me because I'm quite proud of this particular paper, which is as representative of the quality of my work as any of my papers in top journals.
So the question is, those of you who have similarly popular unpublished manuscripts, how do you convince administrators that a paper doesn't have to have a journal DOI attached to it to count as a representative piece of work?
# Answer
> how do you convince administrators that ...
You don't and you can't, and I endorse Alexandros's suggestion.
The department to which you have applied, if they want to hire you, will try to convince the administrators of exactly this. The admins don't know you and don't trust you, but they might listen to such complaints coming from someone they trust.
In the meantime, in addition to any other benefits, submitting your paper to a peer-reviewed journal will signal to the hiring committee that you are doing your best to make their lives easy.
> 2 votes
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Tags: publications, job-search, administration, grey-literature
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thread-32675
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32675
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Can my degree be revoked if my relationship with my advisor sours post-defense?
|
2014-12-03T20:17:07.380
|
# Question
Title: Can my degree be revoked if my relationship with my advisor sours post-defense?
I defended my thesis last year and was granted MS degree. After that my advisor pressurized me to work more with him and write papers. I refused after some time and my relationship with him became sour. Can this cause any problem in the future such as thesis being taken away. Note that there is no dishonesty in my thesis at all, but there are some weak areas.
# Answer
> 43 votes
Once a degree has been conferred, it is exceedingly difficult to retract at without clear evidence of misconduct. Having a souring of relations with your advisor definitely does not rise to the level where you should have to worry about your degree being revoked. It is definitely worth mending your relationship with your former advisor just on professional grounds, but the "safety" of your degree shouldn't be one of them.
# Answer
> 23 votes
As Aeismail already said, you would have to have commited some serious misconduct for your degree to be revoked (at least in any reasonable academic and legal system). And even then, the proceedings for doing so will cost your supervisor quite some time and effort.
Most importantly, however, it’s almost impossible for your supervisor to revoke your thesis without shooting himself in the foot:
* If there is any lack of quality in your thesis, the reviewers should have noticed. And the main reviewer usually is your supervisor.
* Misconducts that are not directly obvious from the finished thesis such as plagiarism, rigged data or employing a ghostwriter are much more difficult to perform under proper supervision. Thus making a corresponding accusation against you will almost certainly lead to allegations of improper supervision against your supervisor.
* Revoking your thesis causes some noise that also reaches potential future students of your supervisor, moreover if you stir that noise up and have good arguments against the revocation. These students will think twice about choosing your supervisor as a supervisor, which will almost certainly not make up for the damage of a few papers not written by you. It may very well destroy his workgroup.
Finally, these points would also apply to a second reviewer to some extent, which gives that person good reasons to work against allegations against your thesis.
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Tags: advisor, degree, interpersonal-issues
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thread-32650
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32650
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Editor said I may apply reviewer's suggestions and resubmit "if I wish", what are the consequences if I don't?
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2014-12-03T11:22:18.740
|
# Question
Title: Editor said I may apply reviewer's suggestions and resubmit "if I wish", what are the consequences if I don't?
Few months back I communicated a paper. I got the reviewer's report in a positive direction. But he asked us to add some results if we wish and in the end he wrote:
*"I leave it to the decision of the editor for further process."*
Now I got a mail regarding this from the editor:
*If you wish you may send a revised version according to the suggestion of the referee.*
My question is will they reject our manuscript if we are not interested in updating our work as it will long time to finish. I am in dilemma. As the editor started his words with *"if you wish"*. What could be the possible consequences if we are not interested in sending revised work.
# Answer
> 5 votes
When you submit a paper to a journal, you are implicitly agreeing to make a reasonable effort to publish the paper in that journal. But you are not signing a contract that requires you will make absolutely *every* change that the referees suggest. In the end, it's your name on the paper.
If the editor has actually *rejected* the draft (e.g. "revise and resubmit"), and you are not interested in sending revised work, there are few direct consequences. You only need to write an email to the editor saying that you have carefully considered the referee's reports, and that you would like to retract your submission. It is polite to acknowledge the referees at the same time, since they have spent time on your paper. But see the note of caution below!
If the editor has *accepted* your paper (e.g. "accepted with minor revisions") then I would recommend making a good faith effort to revise the paper. This is what you implicitly agreed to by submitting to the journal. Of course, you do not have to make all the changes, or make them exactly how the referee wants. But you want to make a good-faith effort to address them in your own way. You don't want to cultivate a reputation as someone who is not willing to make even reasonable changes to a submitted paper.
**One word of caution:** it is not entirely "safe" to retract a paper and then submit it in the same form elsewhere. The new journal might end up picking the same referee! Here is a different answer on this site about this exact issue. I recommend reading that entire Q & A thread, actually.
# Answer
> 8 votes
First, a reviewer can only make recommendations for revisions. The editor should make clear what changes should be made but it is still up to you if you see fit to do so. Of course, if an editor says you should make certain revisions and you do not, particularly without indicating any good reasons for not doing so, the risk is that rejection decisions may follow. From this point, you may see that providing good arguments why such revisions cannot be made are necessary.
The fact that revisions take time is not by itself a good argument since it may mean your manuscript is currently sub-par but that is up to you to convince the editor when you submit your revisions. The revision process is in this case a sort of give and take process where any revision not made has to be clearly argued from a scientific point (not from a point of time constraints or other irrelevant aspect).
The comment you quote seems a bit lazy on the part of the editor because I think there should be additional qualifying statements indicating if any comments are more important than others and set the review(s) in perspective. How you should decide to respond is therefore hard to judge since the editor has, at least seemingly, not provided any guidance on what needs to be done. This, unfortunately, opens for decisions in any direction. Your experience with your field, should, however, provide some guidance for what should be expected of a study such as yours and also checking the standards of the journal should add some pieces to decipher what must be done. In the end, you will need to provide feedback on the reviewers comments that allows the editor to understand the scientific reasons and ramifications of your revisions (or lack thereof).
# Answer
> 4 votes
It is always a good thing to imagine that at the next conference you will be having a dinner with the reviewer without knowing it.
An alternative to running the experiments is to add a paragraph discussion about the suggested results. If they are related to the paper, it can go to the paper. If it is not, that a reasonable explanation why the certain property is not interesting to the paper should come in the rebuttal letter, along with clarification of the paper's focus.
For example, in your paper you are examining how green the alligators are (to gather empirical evidence that all alligators are squared bodied). Your paper measures the greenness level, and the reviewer suggests you need to measure the redness as well. Now, that requires hunting down the same alligators and recollecting the data.
You update your paper to emphasize that you examine the level of the green hue irregardless of other hues, and add possible future research direction to examine how different colors mix. In your rebuttal letter, you thank the reviewer for the suggestion for an interesting future research. State you updated paper to clarify the focus on greenness only. The redness effect is out of scope for this paper, but would make a nice extension in the future work.
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Tags: publications, journals, peer-review, editors, rejection
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thread-32686
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32686
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How to write a decent report introduction on work you have created?
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2014-12-04T00:21:07.773
|
# Question
Title: How to write a decent report introduction on work you have created?
I'm finding it quite difficult to start off a report I have to write. So to write a report you will probably know that you are not allowed to write in first person. But the problem I'm having is writing an introduction not in first person, as the report is to be on the topic on two websites that I have created, one using web standards, and one with a content management system.
I just can't figure out what to point out in the introduction, as there isn't a problem involved, it doesn't really cover a specific question, it's just two websites I have made, that's it.
I don't really know how to explain my problem very well, but hopefully you will understand what I mean, thanks for the help.
# Answer
> 1 votes
First and foremost, despite the conventional wisdom to the contrary, it's actually often entirely acceptable to write technical documents in the first person. Unless you are specifically required to avoid it, it's OK. Furthermore, even if you can't keep it, you can always start by writing in first person, and then transform to passive voice later.
From there, a good general skeleton of an introduction is sort of a "cone" funneling a reader towards more specific information:
* What is the context for the work that you have done?
* What was the goal for the work?
* What exactly did you accomplish, and how can it be quantified and verified?
* What are the implications of this work?
Finally, if a piece of work is genuinely simple, it's OK if the introduction is quite short. I have written some reports whose introduction went on for many pages, and others that were a single paragraph, depending on what needed to be explained and in what detail.
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Tags: research-process, writing, university, undergraduate, introduction
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thread-32562
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32562
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How to overcome feeling that published articles lack public interest?
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2014-12-01T21:13:35.783
|
# Question
Title: How to overcome feeling that published articles lack public interest?
I am a MSc graduate student, still trying to get a PhD position, but with no success at all. During and after my graduation I struggle to publish some articles (right now I got 6, mostly published in IEEE conferences or indexed in Scopus), but I do not feel happy at all.
The problem is that I see my publications as having a lack of public interest. I would like to publish more interesting, formal and mathematical stuff (I am in the field of Computer Science), but the problem that I have is that in my current place of work almost all my time is dedicated to lecturing. Also, and because I am working in a university of applied sciences; the research made here is highly applicable and less theoretical. All this things has put me in a state of deep depression.
What should I do to start looking to my research and my made publications with a different attitude? Should I seek for medical counselling?
Thanks
# Answer
> What should I do to start looking to my research and my made publications with a different attitude?
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that your problem *isn't* that you are working in applied sciences vs. theory. Further, I am not sure if your problems are of medical nature (but this can of course not be ruled out from what you wrote). Let me recap some things you wrote and provide some interpretation. I am not sure to what extend this will answer your question, but I hope my ramblings will provide input and perspective anyways. Maybe somebody else will provide a more direct answer to the question.
**You are a master student who published 6 papers during his masters at a university of applied sciences. All of the papers have been in IEEE/Scopus venues. Yet you still can't get a PhD position.**
First of, *IEEE conferences or indexed in Scopus* isn't the quality label you maybe hope it is. There are *terrible* venues for which both of these things are true. The fact that you say you have very little time for research, and still wrote 6 of those things indicates that the quality of your papers *may* be not all that super. If this is the case, the problem that prevents your papers from having impact isn't that they are applied, it is *that they may simply not be very good*.
This may also be the issue with your PhD applications. For me, and many others, papers below a certain (subjective) quality standard count for next to nothing. Really bad papers may actively work against you. Again, "IEEE conferences or indexed in Scopus" does not rule out either of these cases, so try to evaluate your publications independently of these labels. For instance, pick a few PhD student papers from the group that you are applying to. Try to neutrally evaluate whether your papers play in the same league as those. If all papers of PhD students of the prof. or lab you are applying to are much better, and/or have appeared in much better venues than your papers, I am uncertain how much your publications will help your case.
**You worry that your papers do not have a strong impact.**
I think this point warrants some additional explanation. One of the sad realities of research is that *most papers in all but the very top venues of your field* (think ICSE or CHI for applied computer science) have very little to zero impact on the research community - and even the papers in the top venues often have close to zero impact on anybody *outside* your research community. Papers that really get the attention of your fellow researchers are few and far between. I have written papers that I personally consider good to great, which remain pretty much uncited (and, presumably, almost unread) to this day.
**You want to progress as a researcher, but you work almost exclusively as a lecturer.**
Try to see your situation as it is. Similarly to above, your problem isn't so much that you are working in a university of applied sciences - your problem is that your current position is incompatible with your career goals. You want to do research, but your job is teaching. Your situation would be none the better if you worked as a pure lecturer in a research institution (maybe this would in fact be even more frustrating for you). What you need to do is either (a) find a job or stipend that allows you to do what you want to do, or (b) accept that you are currently not on a research track.
> 37 votes
# Answer
I think that to be happy in research, you have to be doing it for *you*. Not for external validation.
Are the papers that you published in your opinion good? Did it give you fulfillment completing them?
And ... most importantly ... are you looking forwards to doing more? Looking forwards purely because you like doing them, and it fulfills your academic curiosity?
If the answer to these is no, then you may have a problem of doing what you're doing for external validation (IE you want to feel good about yourself based on what others say about you).
As a comparatively senior (age) person I can tell you from life's experience that this is a recipe for depression. In order to have a fulfilling life, you need your validation to be coming from inside. If you are relying on others for your self-worth, you are always going to be let down.
This is true in any field of life, but especially so in academia, where lets face it no-one really cares about your little area, no matter what it is (unless you are one of the lucky lucky few ... do you want to base your happiness on that chance?).
This stuff sounds simple but can be hard to get your head around and mentally fix up. A good counsellor can help a lot: you don't need to go to them because you are "depressed", you can go even if you are basically healthy but need to have your self validation improved to enjoy life more. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is one good technique for this, if you are wondering what "kind" of help to look for.
> 8 votes
# Answer
**Aim High, target top conferences and take your time when doing research.**
@xLeitix gave a nice answer. I would speak from my experience here.
I was in a similar situation when I finished my Master degree. I published several papers with my advisor, all in ranked C conferences and two in unreputable journals. This was partially because I was new to research. I thought publishing *anything anywhere* is something good; obviously this was not true. I am now 2 years into my PhD and I have not published a single paper. The result: I am happy now that I have a manuscript that has a good chance to be accepted in a top conference.
I assume part of your feeling of depression is because you do not believe in your results. You do not see them as being as *good* as other (even uncited) related results. This might be true. And this is a good sign that you are in the right track of becoming expert in your field. **Take your time in doing research**. Instead of publishing every single small idea you have, try to combine them into one more solid paper. The bottom line: if you work on something, you have to believe in its merits and fight for it.
For theoretic versus applied research, I believe this is a personal preference and interest more than anything else. If you see yourself more as someone who is into the theoretic aspects of the problem, then do theoretic research. Either ways, the joy of research is that 1) you give crazy ideas a try 2) believe what you did is something really good 3) people (at least the reviewers) either admit it is good or provide a learning experience through constructive criticism.
> 6 votes
# Answer
If you really want to write for the public, consider trying to write "popularizing" articles for magazines/newspapers/websites that the public reads. There's definitely a market for well-written articles that explain new discoveries -- or even old discoveries, interesting techniques, and basic principles -- on a level suitable to someone who is science-literate, generally curious, but not deeply steeped in your field.
Scientific American used to have magnificent examples of this kind of writing, though my perception is that they've gone downhill in recent years. Technology Review magazine often has good examples, though they're obviously biased toward articles contributed by the MIT community.
Steven Jay Gould's extended series of essays in Natural History magazine were a great example of explaining fairly subtle aspects of science -- and of the history of science -- in near-layman's language. Anthologies exist covering just about the entire run -- including pieces where he corrected his own prior essays when new information became available.
As a much older example of the scientific essay form, Berton Rouche was just about synonymous with the "medical mystery" form, in which a puzzling (preferably real) case is presented in semi-story form, which is then used as a springboard to discussion of the biology, chemistry, history, diagnostic technique, or whatever else the essay is really about. Most of his pieces were originally published in a magazine (the New Yorker?) but subsequently collected into anthologies; it shouldn't be too hard to find them and they're fun reading if you're a scientific omnivore.
Of course those two were excellent writers as well as having scientific knowledge. I'm just suggesting that, if your focus is on the public, that's the kind of ideal you might aspire to. You'd need to be able to write well and clearly, have something to talk about which they'll find interesting (or that you can quickly convince them they should be interested in), and be able to discuss it in terms of things they're already likely to have at least some knowledge of (or be able to define your terms as you go without losing the reader along the way).
Of course as with any kind of writing, don't expect it to come quickly or easily. Popularizing articles are a craft of their own, the market isn't huge, expect to see lots of rejection letters unless you're "self-publishing" onto the web (fewer as you hone your craft)... all the usual platitudes and advice about writing for the public apply.
And as Gould demonstrated, this can be done alongside a productive research career producing results *not* immediately accessible to the public. Doing both simultaneously is a lot more work, but it's one way to reconcile the conflicting goals of advancing the field and advancing public knowledge about the field.
> 0 votes
# Answer
**You are not alone**
I somewhat recently wrote a paper that makes multithreaded programming easier, guarantees that there are no data races and offers more optimization potential. Seeing how multithreading is one of the major topics at the moment and how much my system improves that I expected to get the Turing Award by now. I sent my paper to a couple of experts on the matter and only got one replay that said *sorry no time*. The conference I sent it to said *Sorry, this is off-topic this year*. I am not even convinced my professor actually read it. This is probably the greatest contribution to science of my life and nobody cares. It is indeed very frustrating.
**Medical help**
Seeking medical help will most likely not work out for you. I am no psychologist but the gist of it is that if you get sad because something bad happened that is normal and there is nothing to be done about it. If good things happen to you and you still get sad for no reason that is a depression that can be treated. Seeing that you are upset about a real problem, solving the problem will help whereas therapy will not.
**Solving the problem**
Send the paper and presentations or articles about it to conferences and journals. When they reject your paper (they will!) they will give you reasons. Some of those reasons actually make sense, so you can fix your paper. Find local meetups or study groups to present it and get feedback. Sometimes you just didn't word the point in a way that people understand it and in a live audience someone may ask the correct question. Keep improving the paper. Make real applications that solve real problems, don't just keep to theory and paper writing. This is a lot of work that we should not need to do and are not particularly good at, but I hope eventually someone will "discover" us and it will be worth it.
**TLDR**
Don't give up, keep at it.
> 0 votes
# Answer
I was always thinking about the visibility issues and finally I come up with a reasonable strategy, I also hope that these steps can improve the data dissemination of your research.
1. I may suggest using arXiv preprint server for your works and of course you should have a web page and googlescholar account.
2. If you developed a simulator for your work, try to improve it a bit and make it opensource (upload it to github or something similar).
3. Prepare a walk-through for your simulator and upload to youtube.
4. Prepare a presentation for your paper and prepare a video of your presentation and just the sound via a video editing tool. Uploading this presentation to youtube also improves the visibility and dissemination of your findings.
P.S. You should start with the work that you are most satisfied :)
> -1 votes
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Tags: publications, emotional-responses
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thread-32698
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32698
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Completing premed requirements after Bachelors
|
2014-12-04T05:47:16.897
|
# Question
Title: Completing premed requirements after Bachelors
I'm thinking about applying to medical schools in the USA. Many medical schools require a two-year course in chemistry including organic chemistry and a year long course in biology, as well as requirements in mathematics and physics.
I have already satisfied the mathematics and physics requirements and a portion of the chemistry requirements during my undergraduate study. Are there any programs that will let me cherry pick classes to satisfy the application requirements?
# Answer
Yes. At many (most?) universities in the United States, you can take courses as a non-matriculating student to get your premed requirements.
> 3 votes
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Tags: graduate-admissions, coursework, medicine
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thread-32722
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32722
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What is Cumulative Impact Index of a journal?
|
2014-12-04T16:05:04.187
|
# Question
Title: What is Cumulative Impact Index of a journal?
I recently came across the term "Cumulative Impact Index". I came to know about it here, which includes the statement, "publication of 5 International Journal papers, **each Journal having a cumulative impact index** of not less than 2.0".
I knew of peer-reviewed, but as this term was bit new I surfed the web and visited Impact Factor on Wikipedia, but it is still not clear. Can any one of the learned members may kindly explain to me, preferably with an example?
# Answer
The term "Cumulative Impact Factor" (or cumulative impact index) has been used with different meanings by different authors.
One definition is that the cumulative impact factor for an individual author is simply the sum over all papers that the author has published of the impact factors of the journals that the papers were published in. e.g.
You've published 3 papers in Journal A that has impact factor 1.2. You've published 1 paper in journal B that has impact factor 1.9. You've published 2 papers in journal C that has impact factor 1.7.
Your CIF would then be
CIF=3\*1.2+1\*1.9+2\*1.7=8.9
Like all bibliometrics, it's a very crude measure. You can get a high score on this measure by publishing a lot of research in journals that aren't very prestigious, or by publishing a very small amount in highly prestigious journals.
Furthermore, the metric says nothing about the impact of your research compared with other papers in the journals in which you've published (e.g. you might have published a very widely cited paper in a journal with a low impact factor but you won't get any extra credit for that.)
The term "cumulative impact factor" has also been used for measures of the impact factor of a journal over extended periods beyond the usual definition of impact factor. See for example:
http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/papers/impactofcumimpfacs.pdf
I don't believe that ISI has ever defined this term in their formal reports on the impact factors of journals, so I'm afraid that any use of the term will depend on the particular group or person that is computing the cumulative impact factor.
> 5 votes
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Tags: publications, journals, bibliometrics, impact-factor
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thread-32704
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32704
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Is it possible to acquire a letter of recommendation without meeting face to face?
|
2014-12-04T08:16:59.050
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# Question
Title: Is it possible to acquire a letter of recommendation without meeting face to face?
Of course it is not a good idea, preferably one would meet up with the professor to make the agreement.
In my case, I've talked to the prof for a year, and then went off work for a year, now I need a recommendation letter. In September I emailed him my situation WITH the invitation for a meet up at his office. He told me he is willing to provide a reference, but did not address the meeting up issue.
Now it is close to application deadline and I've yet to received the letter from him despite a few follow ups. I'm worried it is the reason is that I did not meet up with him so he might have forgotten who I was (which is understandable). I will attempt to email him once more with a more urgent tone, perhaps he will respond this time, but should I also invite him again to a meet up or is it too late?
Any profs care to share their ideas?
# Answer
I write letters all the time for students I've taught, but whom I haven't seen for a long period. I do ask for specific information:
* **Tell me what the deadline is!**
* Include your student number.
* Remind me which of my classes you have taken, and when.
* How did you distinguish yourself in those classes?
* How would you describe yourself? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? I am going to have to answer those questions when I write your reference, so the more details the better. I have to have personal knowledge of anything I write, so remind me of those things I may have forgotten.
* What are some of your academic and nonacademic accomplishments that I may not know about?
* Tell why you're particularly qualified for the job, educational program, or award you're applying for.
* What makes *me* particularly qualified to write a letter for you? That is, why should the recipient of the letter value it over a letter from someone else?
* Include a copy of your application essay.
Put that stuff together, write the professor a note saying, "As the deadline of \[whenever it is\] is approaching, I thought the following material might help you. Thank you again for agreeing to write a recommendation."
The professor who has that material to hand can complete a letter in a much shorter time than if it all had to be looked up and remembered. People (that would be me) tend to do the easy things before the hard things. Make this one an easy thing!
> 6 votes
# Answer
> Is it possible to acquire a LOR without having a face to face meet up/agreement?
Yes, of course. It happens all the time. People are not always geographically co-located with their letter writers.
If you are worried your professor might not remember who you are without a face-to-face meeting, then the major concern is whether he will be able to write a strong letter for someone he barely remembers without a visual reminder - not whether you have met to discuss the letter in person.
> 10 votes
# Answer
If you are within driving distance, I would suggest trying to meet the professor at their office hours and show up with a resume and a letter explaining your purpose for whatever you are planning on pursuing. By doing this, you can get in front of them and show urgency in the letter. This is a very common tale, and you are certainly not alone. Be appreciative of the LOR, but also be firm in the need for it. Offering coffee is always an option too.
Hope this helps.
> 3 votes
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Tags: graduate-admissions, application, professorship, recommendation-letter
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thread-32730
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32730
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What is a good amount of time to wait to check up on a recommender after the initial request?
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2014-12-04T19:48:10.590
|
# Question
Title: What is a good amount of time to wait to check up on a recommender after the initial request?
So, about a month ago, I sent three requests for letters of recommendation. Since then, two of them have finished their letters and one (I imagine) is quite busy and told me he probably won't be able to get to the letter for another two weeks \[about a week prior to the application deadline\], and the application is due on January 1 \[which is a bit less than a month from now\].
Would it be wise to send a reminder e-mail to him, and if so, how long should I wait?
\[Please feel free to edit the title; I realize it's not very clear.\]
# Answer
I would definitely not contact him until the week before the week he said he could get to the recommendation letter. Anything earlier could just lead to the same answer as before. I wouldn't stress it too much, however. My recommenders this year submitted their letters within the last two weeks of the deadline. One of them submitted it two days before the Thanksgiving break (at the end of which, some applications were already due).
> 1 votes
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Tags: etiquette, recommendation-letter
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thread-32112
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32112
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How much detail about mental health issues should one include in "Special Circumstances" section of graduate school applications?
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2014-11-22T12:57:21.023
|
# Question
Title: How much detail about mental health issues should one include in "Special Circumstances" section of graduate school applications?
This question is inspired by answers and comments to the question "Should a postdoc talk about his depression with his mentor?" on this website.
Suppose that an applicant to a graduate program suffered from some mental health issues during the completion of his previous degrees, and that this situation had a noticeable impact on his academic performance (for example, significantly lower grades or part-time status for one or several semesters).
Most graduate school applications have sections dedicated to providing explanations for such special circumstances, and it is of course strongly recommended that any applicant with unusual drops in academic performance should mention something about this in the special circumstances section. Otherwise, the admission committee will be left to guess what might have happened, which is likely to decrease the odds of being admitted (indeed, it seems a consensus that the more tangible information an admission committee has about an applicant, the more confident they can be about the fact that admitting him will be a sound investment).
Many answers/comments to the question "Should a postdoc talk about his depression with his mentor?" seem to recommend being very careful about revealing details on one's mental health conditions, given that there is still a lot of stigma attached to mental health conditions. However, in the case of PhD applications, not mentioning anything is *not* an option.
This then leads to the following question: If not making any mention of health issues is not an option (such as in PhD applications), how much details should one go into? To avoid stereotyping associated to any particular disease (such as depression=unreliable, learning disability=not smart) one could limit the description to "health problem", but could this lack of details be seen as suspicious and/or still a situation where the admissions committee will have to do guesswork?
# Answer
> 12 votes
You **do not have** to disclose your personal health history (including mental health) to graduate schools when you are applying -- and even while you are enrolled.
There are occasions where you may **want** to. For example, if there is a semester in your undergraduate record where you did particularly poorly because of (mental) health issues, you may want to note this is in your diversity statement or special circumstances portion. However, you can be as vague as you want -- saying "In the fall of my junior year, my health declined which led to poor performance in a number of my classes. I recovered the next semester and you can see that my senior year grades were all of the highest rank."
If you have faculty writing letters of recommendation for you who know about this incident, you may want to tell them: 1) if you want them to mention it or not; 2) what language to use ("she became depressed following a family death" vs. "She struggled with the additional family issues following the death of her mother" vs. "There was a family crisis that took her away from school that semester", etc.etc.).
Otherwise, your (mental) health record is your personal medical information. The professors in your department do not need to know it -- any more than they would need to know that you had HIV or were on dialysis. If you need accommodation (such as taking Wed and Fri off for dialysis, or for therapy) you may want to disclose that to some people but you should feel free to **compartmentalize** the information to certain people and to not disclose everything about your condition.
For example, it is entirely appropriate to tell just your advisor, department chair or director of graduate studies -- or external to the department: your university ombudsperson, disability services officers, or associate provost or dean -- some of the details of your condition and what accommodations you need to be a successful scholar, but ask that the information not be shared with faculty members in the department. But again, this is your choice.
# Answer
> 4 votes
It's not possible to give specific advice without knowing such things as legal jurisdiction and the equal-opportunity commitments of the institution behind the grad school. Be aware that, while there is growing recognition that prejudice against mental-health issues is indeed prejudice, this is a prejudice that is widely tolerated.
Nonetheless, a request for information about "special circumstances" is not an invitation to feed the prejudices of the search committee. Clear, historically objective matters such as:
1. Suspension of studies or retaking a whole year, for whatever reason
2. Behavioural problems that were officially sanctioned by the University, especially violations of anti-harassment rules
will need to be documented and the candidate needs to be ready to handle questions about why such events occurred.
The kind of special circumstance that you should not feel particular need to bring up are
1. Receiving a psychiatric diagnosis
2. Seeking or receiving informal advice about difficulty handling stress or motivation problems
3. Unusual causes of stress from home life, such as mental health issues, physical health problems, abusive relationships, handling infirm relatives, etc.
The fact that one of these issues could influence the decision of someone on the search committee is not sufficient reason to raise it, for the same sort of reason (bar possible absence of equal opportunities legislation) that issues concerning sexual orientation, or religious/ political beliefs: they are not in and of themselves issues in one's academic career. It may be wise to allude to these issues if they explain the former kind of event, but it is unlikely to be wise to do so in lurid terms. If someone retook a year because of a breakdown, saying that they were unable to handle the stress is reasonable, especially if it is possible to show that this was a learning experience and can now be handled in a way that will not undermine their academic career. The existence of the latter kind of issue is not ipso facto a career issue.
Overall, I recommend not being prejudiced against oneself. Nobody lacks mental imperfections, and indeed many mental traits can be problematic in one situation but efficient in another. The advice Sheryl Sandberg gives in her *Leaning In* deals with prejudices against career women, but the point she makes in her last chapter about not handicapping oneself applies here as well.
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Tags: graduate-admissions, application, health
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thread-32736
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32736
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How to decide whether to publish your paper in conference proceedings, as a journal article, or as a book chapter?
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2014-12-04T22:23:36.667
|
# Question
Title: How to decide whether to publish your paper in conference proceedings, as a journal article, or as a book chapter?
I thought that this simple question has been already asked here on Academia, but it seems to that it did not happen (or, I was not able to find it). So, I will ask it.
You have accomplished some good results in your scientific project, and you want to publish a paper about it. **How do you decide you would like it to be published into some conference proceedings, or as a journal article, or as a book chapter?**
I am considering that all these three options envisage **peer review**, and are all top-A destination for your paper.
I work on **computer science** so any particular advice and opinion in this area are strongly appreciated.
# Answer
As one of your fellow computer scientists, I often think of it this way:
* Start with a conference paper: the page limits mean you'll likely only be able to present the core elements of the work, but it's a fast route to feedback, publication, and beginning to get your results noticed by the community.
* Next, upgrade to a journal paper: this is where you put out the nice full version of the work, with all of the details and supplementary information. Generally a bad idea to do before you've got a version in print somewhere else, because many computer science journals are *dreadfully* slow (I think this might be because we've got conferences for a fast option, so journals feel less pressure than in other fields).
* Use book chapters only for reviews and similar. The problem with book chapters is that they're generally much more difficult for people to find. Most conferences will either be open access or will go into an archive like IEEE Xplore or ACM DL that most institutions have access to. Books, not so much, and it seems to make a quantifiable difference.
There is also the option of workshops, which you did not mention. These, I think, are a great place for preliminary work or for work that you want to discuss with a very particular community.
> 11 votes
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Tags: publications, journals, career-path, conference, books
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thread-32720
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32720
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What are the differences between Peer Reviewed Journals and Refereed Journals?
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2014-12-04T15:34:00.547
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# Question
Title: What are the differences between Peer Reviewed Journals and Refereed Journals?
I would be interested to know the differences between peer reviewed journals and refereed journals in these aspects:
1. Conditions for the acceptance of papers for publications.
2. The time length of paper stage after submission.
3. Amount payable by authors.
# Answer
> 23 votes
To expand on Yuichiro Fujiwara's comment, "peer review" and "refereeing" are exact synonyms, and no differences at all are implied by the names. For historical reasons, some fields are more likely to use one term than the other (for example, mathematicians talk more often about refereeing than peer review). Publishing practices also differ between fields in other ways, such as the length of the reviewing process. There might be a weak correlation with the use of terms like peer review and refereeing, since both issues are heavily influenced by which field you are looking at. However, I'd bet that any correlations are small, and in any case this is not a productive way to investigate journal differences (since knowing the field would tell you enormously more than just knowing which term the journal uses for peer review).
# Answer
> 2 votes
I could be mistaken, but the correlation that I believed to exist was that refereeing was common in fields where works where fully self contained. E.g. with mathematics you do not need to additional research to (in)validate a work, as long as the steps are correct the conclusion is correct. Contrast this to a field like medicine where you would need to redo all the experiments as well to truly 'referee' a result, whilst peer review 'simply' means somebody went over your work and gauged it's reliability.
Now, I could well be mistaken and it's *definitely* not a clear cut line, but that seemed to be the general trend I observed. Then again, I don't know that great a number of fields that use the term 'refereed' over 'peer-reviewed' in the first place, so I could well be mistaken.
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Tags: publications, journals, peer-review, paper-submission, terminology
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thread-32739
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32739
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Conflicts with colleagues as a postdoc - reason enough to start looking for the next job?
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2014-12-04T23:58:26.600
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# Question
Title: Conflicts with colleagues as a postdoc - reason enough to start looking for the next job?
I have recently started as a postdoc at a well-regarded foreign university. I like the place and I have no particular problems with my professor (even though his style isn't exactly to my taste, but I could live with that and take the difference as a learning opportunity).
However, I have a major problem with my fellow postdocs and other junior colleagues. I get the feeling they're just too full of themselves -- but whatever the reason, the situation is that I simply want nothing to do with them. Given that our research group is the only group at the department whose research I could plausibly participate in at the moment, this leaves me with practically no opportunities for fruitful daily scientific interaction.
I'd like to return to my home country after a couple of years of postdoc positions abroad, so I'm feeling some pressure to get the most of my time. I have often heard that the most valuable thing you get out of postdoc positions is the contacts you make. If this is the case, I'm probably wasting my time at my current job. On the other hand, my current institution has much more resources, scientific activities and opportunities to meet distinguished visiting researchers than pretty much any place else I might get to.
So the question is: what should I prioritize when deciding whether to continue at my current job? Is it worth tolerating intolerable colleagues for the opportunity of working at a prestigious and well-endowed university?
I'm sure a recommendation from my current professor would weigh a lot when looking for the next job, but I'm also quite sure I haven't been able to prove myself to him yet.
---
*(Copied from an answer posted below by the original poster:)*
I was deliberately vague about the nature of my issues with my colleagues, but I do understand it's relevant.
Of course, it might be just culture shock, as someone suggested. On the other hand, I do feel there's a very unpleasant group dynamic in my research group.
We're conducting research on the beetles of Borneo. I used to be in a group that studies the beetles of New Guinea, and we often have guests who study the beetles of Java or even some other island. But the general atmosphere among my colleagues is that only Borneoan beetles are worth studying. My earlier work is considered definitely useless and irrelevant - and this was also told me explicitly, right after I had presented my work.
The professor seems to share the attitude in some respects, but he's old and experienced enough to understand that even though he might himself care only about the beetles of Borneo, others might still care more about beetles elsewhere. My junior colleagues just think that if it isn't Borneo, it's bullshit.
If I isolate myself, I will have problems learning about Borneo. If I try to learn about Borneo from my colleagues, I'll have to endure constant putdowns of my own interests and earlier work.
(To anyone who actually studies beetles: I'm sorry for using you as an example.)
# Answer
> 9 votes
> I have often heard that the most valuable thing you get out of postdoc positions is the contacts you make.
I always thought the most valuable thing you get out of postdoc positions is the research experience and the research papers. The contacts/connections would be the by-products after you conduct quality research.
You said *"I'm also quite sure I haven't been able to prove myself to him yet."*. If you leave now, you wasted all the efforts you spent to apply for your current postdoc job and the time you spent on the job so far **only** because you don't like your colleagues?
I understand you are at a well-regarded **foreign** university. My guess is that many of your colleagues came from different cultures/locations than yours. That's probably why you feel that they are intolerable.
My advice: **concentrate** on your research (which is your job). Work with your professor and those colleagues if needed. Do your best.
**Edit** after the OP put in some more details:
Your example sounds like you are in the wrong group in the sense of research direction. I don't quite understand why you went there in the first place. But, you are there now. I would try to stay there for a while if I were you. I would **collaborate** with my colleagues. I would learn beetles of Borneo from them. I would show them why beetles of New Guinea are also worth studying. I'll do my best. If it still doesn't work out after a while, then I'll quit and find another postdoc job, the right one this time.
# Answer
> -4 votes
Even if you have a good postdoc, you should keep an eye out for one that is even better. However, if you stay in your current position less than a year you may be viewed as unreliable by future employers. (US perspective)
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Tags: postdocs, job, interpersonal-issues
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thread-32685
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32685
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How can editors and reviewers detect data manipulation?
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2014-12-04T00:19:03.790
|
# Question
Title: How can editors and reviewers detect data manipulation?
I am preparing a paper in the field of Computer Science.
In order to report test results, we usually run a number of tests and report the average of those tests.
For each test, we generate random data.
Because of the randomness, at some points, the results may come out not as expected.
For instance, a graph may be like:
Usually, one should explain why on points 8, 11 and 12 there is a decrease on the plot. Probably, it is because of that randomness.
Not hand-crafting all the graph, but just manipulating a few points makes the graph acceptable:
Since three weeks or so, I work my ass off and try to figure out why my resulting graph looks like the first one. Sometimes I feel like yielding to temptation and just modify the raw data before I go crazy.
I believe, at this point the title became misleading, so let me make it clear:
I am not seeking an advice on data manipulation. I will not manipulate my data. However, I ask to myself "how the hell this can be detected?"
And now, I don't only ask to myself, but to whole community. How is this detected? For editors, referees out there, have you ever detected something like this?
# Answer
> 26 votes
The image manipulations reported on Retraction Watch are most of the time naive collages of gel photographs or spectrograms. They get caught, among other things, because repeating patterns in the noise appear on closer inspection, or linear disruption of the noise are visible, see this.
For 1D data, the case you mention, there is the Benford's law and other statistical tests that can indicate potential manipulation of data. It usually relies on human beings preferring certain digits over others, even unconsciously, thus generating data that has a non-random variability.
Also, many journals ask for graphs to be submitted in vector format, which means you are actually sending the data points, and not just a rendered figure. Things like editing out a few data points to smooth a curve will be apparent.
Now, to the best of my knowledge publishers and, even less so, reviewers don't systematically screen for these things, they only do so if they have suspicions, because the scientific publishing process is based on good faith. But if the paper gets any sort of attention it will get caught by post publication review.
**Don't fabricate/manipulate data.** It's adding unwanted noise to an already noisy signal, it's dishonest towards your coworkers, the people who fund you, the publisher and the readership, and it will ruin your career.
# Answer
> 14 votes
Cape Code pointed out that in fields that involve use of gel photographs or spectrograms, sloppy image manipulation can be detected by experienced readers.
In other fields, data can be flagged as possibly fraudulent for being "too perfect." For example, here is the abstract of a report that led to the investigation of a social psychology researcher:
> Here we analyze results from three recent papers (2009, 2011, 2012) by Dr. Jens Förster from the Psychology Department of the University of Amsterdam. These papers report 40 experiments involving a total of 2284 participants (2242 of which were undergraduates). We apply an F test based on descriptive statistics to test for linearity of means across three levels of the experimental design. Results show that in the vast majority of the 42 independent samples so analyzed, means are unusually close to a linear trend. Combined left-tailed probabilities are 0.000000008, 0.0000004, and 0.000000006, for the three papers, respectively. The combined left-tailed p-value of the entire set is p= 1.96 * 10-21, which corresponds to finding such consistent results (or more consistent results) in one out of 508 trillion (508,000,000,000,000,000,000). Such a level of linearity is extremely unlikely to have arisen from standard sampling. We also found overly consistent results across independent replications in two of the papers. As a control group, we analyze the linearity of results in 10 papers by other authors in the same area. These papers differ strongly from those by Dr. Förster in terms of linearity of effects and the effect sizes. We also note that none of the 2284 participants showed any missing data, dropped out during data collection, or expressed awareness of the deceit used in the experiment, which is atypical for psychological experiments.
This report is obviously the result of some non-trivial effort. But some of the symptoms described (exceptionally good fit, no experiment participants dropping out, atypically large effect sizes) can raise alarms for any experienced, diligent reviewer, possibly leading to a more formal investigation.
# Answer
> 10 votes
First of all, don't do it.
You probably wouldn't be detected, because peer review isn't generally hunting for subtle data manipulation. Methods like those the answer by CapeCode could be applied, but even then a small number of data points like you are showing would not likely produce a terribly conclusive indication of dishonesty. But it will be in the literature forever, and you never know...
But really, that doesn't matter. Whether or not you get detected, *you* will certainly still know you that you lied. You'll be voluntarily throwing out the one thing that nobody can take from you: your integrity. Will it stop there, or will you do it again, the next time something's not quite perfect? How much of your work will be tainted? Pretty much all of us researchers struggle with impostor syndrome, but if you go down this path, you'll know it's true. Do you really want to live that way?
Not only that, but you will have lied and compromised yourself over something really stupid, just to make a graph a little bit prettier. If you have real results, they will stand, even with noise. If the noise is big enough to actually be a problem, then that's not a problem, that's an opportunity. As the quote attributed to Asimov goes:
> The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka” but “That’s funny...”
A lot of important emergent phenomena in computer science get discovered that way as well. If you lie, not only are you compromising your integrity and risking total damnation if it ever gets discovered, but you are also cutting off the possibility that you might stumble over something more important than what you were doing at first.
In short: don't do it.
# Answer
> 9 votes
Why not run the experiment enough times so that you can produce your plot with error bars on the points? This will make it possible for the reader to understand how much random variation there is in the measurements.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Others have provided useful input but I am not sure they completely addressed the “How can editors and reviewers detect data manipulation?” question.
The simple answer is that mostly, **they can't and they don't**, certainly not in fields where researchers don't routinely share code, raw data, photographs and the like but only statistical tests or basic plots. If you are really sloppy, you might end up with incoherent numbers that could not possibly have been produced by the analysis you claim to have done (I have seen things like that) but more subtle manipulation is not so easy to detect.
There are a few fascinating techniques to detect bogus data (including but not limited to Benford's law) but very few people actually have the expertise required and reviewers do not routinely check for that. In most cases, such an analysis can give you a strong presumption but no solid proof. Some famous data sets have been thoroughly analyzed without reaching a consensus (e.g. Cyril Burt's work on intelligence and heredity).
If you look at some of the high profile cases of fraud exposed in recent years (Jens Förster but also Diederik Stapel or Dirk Smeesters), they were mostly found out after many many fraudulent publications and not always because there was anything suspicious about these publications. The more “greedy” the fraudster is, the clearer the pattern becomes and some people might have had private misgivings at some stage but the fraud is only exposed later, usually after someone blew the whistle and not because a reviewer noticed it.
You can look at this as a glass half full (fraud is eventually detected) or half empty (How could it go on for so long? How many others are out there?) but the fact is that it's only in the aggregate that the results look suspicious, not at the level of a single graph or article.
Not that I advocate doing that, of course. Ethically, it's clearly wrong and the cases I just mentioned show that you can get found out in other ways and face very serious consequences. But reviewers and editors usually can't detect fraud directly, that's not how the systems works.
# Answer
> 0 votes
At the point at which you only have the figure, or the underlying processed data, you cannot detect "well crafted" manipulation. One aspect of reproducible research, which is becoming more popular, requires that others be able to reproduce the data. This means making code available, describing hardware in sufficient detail, and also proving things like seeds and states of random number generators. This allows reviewers to recreate your data and then test how sensitive they are to slight perturbations.
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Tags: publications, peer-review, editors, data, research-misconduct
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thread-21243
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/21243
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Copied Letter of Recommendation?
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2014-05-21T07:06:15.320
|
# Question
Title: Copied Letter of Recommendation?
I asked one of my professors whom I've known for 2 years to write a recommendation for me now that I'm planning for graduate school— about 3 years later after he left to another university. He asked for my full name, and just copied a letter from the web and sent it to me via email. I expected to get an accurate letter that highlights my strong points and improve my chances of getting to a good school; instead, I got a banal letter that doesn't set me apart from your average student, and which its copy can easily be found online.
I'm reluctant to add his name on the list of Referees in my application now, but I can't find a third professor other than him who is willing to write a letter for me.
* **Would his letter hurt my chances of getting accepted to a good school? Even if one of the other 2 letters was relatively stronger(slightly better) compared to this one?**
* **Can I get a letter from a professor who didn't teach me? Or a professor from another university(a family friend)?**
# Answer
A professor whose idea of a good or even appropriate letter of recommendation is to copy a letter off of the internet and send it to you is a knucklehead. (That is a technical term: I am after all an academic professional. I could have used stronger language...) At least, he is in this respect: in the comments the OP mentions that he got a job at Waterloo, which is a university with a high international reputation. So he must have some other good things going for him. In the fullness of time, I have to believe that he will learn how to write a reasonable recommendation letter.
But that's not your problem. I would advise you to look at the fact that the professor gave the letter directly to you -- which is itself irregular and, in certain circles, inappropriate -- as a real blessing. He could have just sent this miserable excuse for a letter quietly to all the places you're applying to, and you would be the one (in the short term, at least) to suffer the consequences. I strongly disagree that you should work further with this guy to write a better letter. (In particular, I vehemently disagree that you should write the letter yourself. As I have said before on this site, I find that "immoral and wrong" -- a recommendation letter is a commissioned expert opinion. Looking over the opinion desired by the person you have been commissioned to evaluate and deciding whether or not it requires any modification is not how expert opinions work. But I've made my feelings on this moral issue clear enough already. Here let me push the practical side of this: as a student, you cannot write for yourself a good recommendation letter. There are components of such a letter that require expertise and personal experience that you necessarily lack.) It is time to start fresh and get a letter from a new person.
The part of your response that jumps out at me is "I can't find a third professor other than him who is willing to write a letter for me." That's the real issue here, and I hope it will serve as a warning to other students in your position. All undergraduates should be thinking -- from their first year -- about building good relationships with their instructors that will lead to multiple people being able to write them strong recommendation letters. It is all too easy to go through an undergraduate program -- even, perhaps especially, to excel at it -- while having very little contact with the faculty outside of the classroom and regular coursework. That is certainly a mistake.
Okay, though: what do *you* do? You ask whether someone who has not taught you in a course can write you a letter. The answer is certainly **yes**. You want the letter writer to (i) have stature in the academic community and in the particular area you're applying to, and (ii) have something meaningful to say about your academic background, skills, work ethic, and prospects for success in graduate school. Someone that you have done research with can speak to aspects of that as well or better as people who have taught you in a course in which you quietly got an A. In a pinch -- as you seem to be -- I would advise you to try to make contacts with people who satisfy condition (i) and try to rapidly achieve (ii) with them. Thus for instance if you've done any research at all in the field you're intending to study, you could send a paper (or code, or interesting data, or whatever) to an expert in that field and mention that you'd like a recommendation letter. This is a bit irregular, but if your work is solid, why not? I would do it.
I strongly recommend that you work harder to find the right person to write you a strong letter than to have further dealings with someone who has already proven to be hopelessly inept at the job.
> 49 votes
# Answer
Look at it from his point of view: He most likely gets dozens of requests for recommendation letters.
I would suggest making his life easier for him by saving him writing time. If he's the kind of guy that would copy & paste a letter from the internet, he's the kind of guy that would let you write your own recommendation and sign it for you. You don't have to write the entire letter for him (although this is possible). It's not immoral or "wrong" as the professor has to sign off on it and if the letter contains something he doesn't agree with he can just refuse.
The tactful way to approach this would be to reply to him and say that you appreciate his letter but wanted to make a strong case for your strengths in *XYZ*, and therefore would it be possible to add these paragraphs to the letter.
Also, yes, you can get recommendations from family/friends but I would suggest that you disclose your relationship. I know someone that got into grad school with a recommendation written by a former classmate.
> 30 votes
# Answer
Your resume, statement of purpose, and any work you submit in your application package are your part. Writing your own LoR would be redundant. Letters of recommendation are other's contribution in support of your bid. They should be written by those who have confidence in your work. If you can't come up with another professor to support you, I recommend taking post-bacc classes, doing research, and doing your best work in the coming year. In your applications next year, hopefully you will have three professors to support you.
Incidentally, when submitting your application, you should elect not to review your letters of recommendation. This shows that you have confidence in your abilities, work, and reputation among your professors.
> 6 votes
# Answer
While it probably won't hurt your application, it doesn't really add much to it. If it's just one letter and the others are decent, then think of it as just filling the one requirement missing. Statement of purpose, CV, GRE and other components of your application are also important.
> 1 votes
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Tags: graduate-admissions, recommendation-letter
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thread-32755
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32755
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GRE Expiration Date
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2014-12-05T12:37:35.167
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# Question
Title: GRE Expiration Date
How long is the expiration date of GRE? For example, if I am going to sit for the GRE in January 2015, how long can I use the score for my graduate application?
# Answer
Your GRE score is valid for (approximately) 5 years since the taking of the test.
> **How long are GRE scores valid?**
>
> For tests taken on or after July 1, 2016, scores are reportable for five years following your test date. For example, scores for a test taken on July 3, 2018, are reportable through July 2, 2023.
>
> For tests taken prior to July 1, 2016, scores are reportable for five years following the testing year in which you tested (July 1–June 30). For example, scores for a test taken on May 15, 2016, are reportable through June 30, 2021.
> 10 votes
# Answer
It's valid for 5 years, as stated on their official website.
> 4 votes
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Tags: gre
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thread-13796
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/13796
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How to cite (Chicago author-date) papers your paper is about
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2013-11-01T19:27:00.993
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# Question
Title: How to cite (Chicago author-date) papers your paper is about
I'm writing a philosophy essay. The essay is required to answer a particular question by analyzing, in turn, four particular philosophy essays; the essay needs to follow the outline below.
1. Restate the question.
2. Introduction.
3. Analyze essayW by Mills
4. Analyze essayX by Shue
5. Analyze essayY by Locke
6. Analyze essayZ by Hospers
7. Answer the question with information from essay analyses.
Where do I need to write (Author, Date) in my analyses? Each analysis will be about an essay, and will reference that essay in most of its sentences. Do I need to include the same citation in every sentence that references that essay? That seems like it would aggravate the reader.
# Answer
I am not knowledgable about the specific best practices in philosophy, but I would say that you should cite in the least obtrusive fashion, while still being unambiguous.
For example, if your four essays have four different authors, and you do not cite other works by these authors, I would:
* Cite each essay when you first introduce it, e.g. in the introduction.
* Then avoid using citations, e.g. simply saying *“Hospers relies in is essay on concepts X and Y”*
* In the first sentence to each of the separate analyses (your parts 3 to 6), make clear what essay you are looking at and cite it again:
> In this section, we offer a detailed analysis of *essayY* (Locke, 1698), looking in particular at …
> 2 votes
# Answer
I often see this issue when reading student lab reports in psychology. So for example, a student is paraphrasing a number of claims made by Smith (2000), so they write:
> X is related to Y (Smith, 2000). The cause of some stuff is blah blah (Smith, 2000). Then the system does that (Smith, 2000). But several reasons for this include A, B, and C (Smith, 2000).
One problem with this form of writing is that it does not make explicit the link between statement and citation. There are many possible links between citation and statement (e.g., Smith asserted a claim; Smith conducted research and obtained a finding; Smith is one reference among many where a generally accepted fact in the field is asserted; etc.).
In general, if you are writing critical commentary about a particular article, then your writing style will need to be explicit about claims made in the target paper and what is your analysis. One way of restructuring the text is to make the author explicit in the text. E.g.,
> **Smith (2000) proposed** that X is related to Y. **He found evidence that** the cause of some stuff is blah blah. **He went on to show that** the system does that. **He proposed** several reasons for this including A, B, and C.
Note the full in-text reference is provided in the first sentence. The remaining sentences make it clear that the propositions are related to the citation in the first sentence. Furthermore, the connecting words (e.g., "proposed", "found evidence", etc.) provide further information on where the propositions came from (e.g., theory, mere assertion, empirical evidence, etc.).
> 5 votes
# Answer
The brief answer is, yes, you need to cite your source each time you refer to it. If you have ten places you make use of a paper, be they quotations, justification of claims made, indications of further places providing supporting evidence, then each of these ten uses must be backed up by an inline citation. However, as Jeromy notes, this is not as onerous as it sounds, since if you write in a natural style and describe who carried out the work, then you only need to add the date in parentheses. The *Chicago Manual of Style* (CMoS) provides several other mechanisms to minimise the amount of text taken up by inline citations, which is important for readability.
## Background on Chicago's author-date system
The current (16th) edition of the *Chicago Manual of Style* (abbrev. CMoS-16) gives extensive documentation on how its author-date citation style is defined and to be applied in chapter 15: the style is one of two supported citation styles, the other being the notes&bibliography approach, where citations are generally given in footnotes using the title of the work, rather than the date. Note that both the author-date and notes&bib citations styles are used in philosophy: *Proc. Aristotelian Society*, e.g., uses author-date, while *Ethics* uses notes&bib. The system described in the 16th ed. is a substantial simplification of that in the 15th edition of CMoS: make sure you refer to this edition.
## Example
The following citations might appear in the body of a text. I've put an example of using a citation possessively, which can help quite a bit in making citations blend naturally into text.
> Strawson (1950)'s critique of the theory of descriptions put forward by Russell (1904) has generated a considerable literature (e.g., Donnellan 1960, 1978; Dummett 1973; Kripke 1977; Ludlow and Neale 1991). Ludlow (2005) provides an overview of this body of work.
Then there should be a references section at the end containing each cited work. I've given examples of works with multiple authors, two works by the same author, citations from a book as well as from journals. Note that titles of books and journals are italicised; titles of articles and book chapters are placed in quotation marks.
* Donnellan, Keith S. 1966. “Reference and Definite Descriptions.” *Philosophical Review* 77:281—304.
* ————————. 1978. “Speaker Reference, Descriptions, and Anaphora.” In P. Cole (ed.), *Syntax and Semantics 9: Pragmatics*. New York: Academic Press, 47—68.
* Dummett, Michael A. E. 1973. *Frege: Philosophy of Language*. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
* Kripke, Saul. 1977. “Speaker Reference and Semantic Reference.” In French, Uehling, and Wettstein (eds.), *Contemporary Perspectives in the Philosophy of Language*, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 6—27.
* Ludlow, Peter, and Stephen Neale. 1991. “Indefinite Descriptions: In Defense of Russell.” *Linguistics and Philosophy* 14:171—202.
* Ludlow, Peter. 2005. “Descriptions.” *The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy* (Summer 2005 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.). Retrieved from `http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2005/entries/descriptions/`.
* Russell, Bertrand. 1905. “On Denoting.” *Mind* 14:479—493.
* Strawson, Peter F. 1950. “On Referring.” *Mind* 59:320—334.
> 0 votes
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Tags: citations
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thread-32744
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32744
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How much do my career prospects suffer if I start a mathematics/CS PhD. at the age of 27?
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2014-12-05T04:36:51.100
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# Question
Title: How much do my career prospects suffer if I start a mathematics/CS PhD. at the age of 27?
I was doing a PhD in a different subject and that was going nowhere and I lost interest in everything that I was doing. But I always loved mathematics and during the dark days of my 3rd of my (former) PhD. I happened to meet some exceptional theoretical CS people who encouraged me a lot. One of them got me as a TA and I am starting afresh in this new field.
How optimistic should I be about a career ahead?
I want to be a researcher/faculty.
# Answer
> 16 votes
> How much do my career prospects suffer if I start a mathematics/CS PhD. at the age of 27?
Not at all. 27 is not considered "old" by any stretch of the imagination.
Also see this answer on MathOverflow and this question here on Academia about a PhD student who is *actually* unusually old.
# Answer
> 3 votes
Suffered compared to what? What is the alternative?
If the alternative is completing your current program that appears to be going noowhere, how long will it take you to complete that? And, given that in your words you have no passion for it, how good that research would be?
If the alternative is dropping out of PhD program? Well, your odds of becoming a faculty with no PhD are zero.
Take what you can from your current field, and go where your passion is. It is 30 years career ahead of you. By already working on a PhD, you learned basics how to do research, write papers, etc... The fields will be different, but you still have a head start. And whatever your other field was, you will bring a new, fresh perspective to your new field.
# Answer
> 2 votes
You're not alone and you're not old. I started my PhD when I was 25, hated it after 1.5 years, actually found out what I fancy doing, applied for a PhD in that field and I'm starting that PhD next month. Losing 1-2 years is way better than spending 3+ years in a field that you don't like (moreover, you're likely to perform below your potential since, well, you don't like that first field. Imagine what you can accomplish in a field you actually feel excited about).
# Answer
> 2 votes
As some people have stated before, 27 is not really that old to be in continuing education. I work with a colleague at GTRI who is just starting a Math PhD at 27 so its not as unusual as you would think. I think it would really depend on which industry you are involved in or plan on being involved in.
If you like/want to run in startup scene than the time you spend earning a PhD may not serve you as well as trying to get involved with an incubator program.
If you are in industry, but not doing R&D, than you may not need a PhD either. Most CS is not at the PhD level, even when technically advanced.
If you are working for a research lab affiliated with a university, or working with a company that does/funds PhD level research programs in Computer Science, than go for it. Especially if you are going to be working while you are enrolled, many people roll their career work into their research project.
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Tags: phd, career-path, age
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thread-32767
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32767
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Options for a teaching position in a liberal arts college in Europe vs US?
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2014-12-05T17:06:01.773
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# Question
Title: Options for a teaching position in a liberal arts college in Europe vs US?
I am a 4th year PhD student doing Computer Science in an Ivy League School. During the past months the question of what I want to do once I graduate in the next 2 years seems to absorb most of my time during the day.
I have crossed industry out, and I don't feel particularly strong for a research position in an academic or research institution for various reasons. Instead I realize that I am more intrigued by the teaching process, since I love interacting with students and helping them discover the numerous possibilities that CS has to offer. I would love the idea of following a teaching path in a liberal arts college but I have many concerns that derive from conflicts of interests (in my head). I would love to hear your opinions and advice.
1)In theory the easiest way to follow would be to apply for teaching positions in liberal arts colleges in the US. My concerns are: I am an international student, that means that they would need to sponsor my visa status. Why would they choose me instead of an American candidate, since they wouldn't have the language barrier and would cost significantly less. More importantly, since the PhD program I am currently enrolled is heavily biased towards research I feel that I cannot demonstrate an impressive teaching portfolio. My teaching experience is limited in a couple of courses I have TAed and seminars on didactics and pedagogics. There might be a possibility of teaching a class on my own before I graduate, but it is a long shot and something that does not happen really easily in my department. If I wanted to follow this path what advice would you give me in order to better prepare myself and become a more competent candidate?
2)Given that I come from Europe I am more inclined to return closer to home. Every time that I search for teaching opportunities in Europe though I come to understand that it is extremely hard to get in an educational system that I do not speak the language, I do not have the corresponding citizenship, and I am not particularly interested in doing research. The descriptions of the jobs that I am finding are in German, French, etc, and I do not speak any of these languages. Is there even the notion of teaching schools in Europe? How can a holder of a US PhD try to acquire such a position? I am even more lost here since I have no idea where to look for jobs and if there are any that would match the profile of a professor in a liberal arts college in the US.
# Answer
As ff524's comment suggests, you seem to have a couple different questions, so this is only a partial answesr:
One thing to consider is that, if you have little experience teaching, you may not have an accurate view of how much you will like it as a career. This is not to say that you're wrong, just that you might want to view teaching jobs not just as a chance to "do what you love" but also as a chance to explore options and find out what you love.
Also, liberal arts jobs and teaching jobs are not synonymous. At least in the US, there are a number of teaching-focused jobs other than those in liberal arts schools --- notably visiting professorships and jobs at two-year colleges. As the name suggests, visiting professorships typically last only for a limited time, perhaps a year or two. However, this could be an advantage if you want to take a shot at a teaching career: you get a chance to teach for a while, and at the end of your time in that job, if you like it, you have more teaching experience can more confidently apply for a permanent teaching job; if you don't like it, no problem, since you're leaving anyway.
Jobs at two-year colleges ("junior colleges" or "community colleges") are also an option. These jobs are often perceived as less prestigious than jobs at four-year colleges, and pay is often lower. However, there are a lot more of them than teaching-jobs at four-year colleges, because essentially every community college faculty position is devoted primarily to teaching. This, again, can make it a good option if you would like to gain teaching experience and see how you like the teaching life. It will probably be easier to get a teaching job at a community college than at a liberal-arts college.
As Brian Borchers notes in his comment, there are also "regional" colleges that offer four-year degrees but are primarily oriented towards teaching. These are somewhere in between community colleges and big research schools. At these schools, research would be part of your job, but not as much as at a major research university.
If you have the chance to teach a course before you graduate, do your best to make it happen. If that turns out not to be possible, try to get some other kind of teaching experience. For instance, you could teach a workshop or short class as part of a conference or the like. As you might expect, it's difficult to get a teaching job without teaching experience, so if you really want to do that, you should make maximum use of your remaining time in grad school to get whatever teaching experience you can.
> 1 votes
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Tags: teaching, job-search, united-states, europe
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thread-32709
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32709
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I submitted a paper to two journals, and the first published it, but I agreed to publish in the other; what can I do?
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2014-12-04T09:36:37.780
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# Question
Title: I submitted a paper to two journals, and the first published it, but I agreed to publish in the other; what can I do?
I submitted my research paper in journal X on 7th July, 2014. Journal sent me one thanks email immediately. After that I waited for one month for any response from editor but nothing came from editor side.
Than I submitted my paper in other journal Y. My paper was accepted in that Journal and sent for review from editor side.
At 30 August, 2014 I received one acceptance email from the editor or journal X that my paper has accepted and I was asked to submit publication fee of 90$. But I could not reply this email due to busy schedule and I was also not interested to publish my paper in journal X. After that I could not receive any email or revision or anything from this journal X.
I continued to work with journal Y, modify paper according to reviewer comments, sign copyright agreement and now paper is in publication phase.
Yesterday, by chance I open my Google scholar account and find paper that was published in journal X to whom I was not interested and who was demanding 90$. When I checked the online paper, I was astonished that the journal published my paper in its July issue and date of publication was 1st July, even I send this paper on 7th July and journal X notify me about acceptance and fee payment on 30th August.
How its happened that Journal X published my paper without my consent and published it in back dates. Now what I should do because the same paper is in final publication phase in journal Y to whom I have signed copyright agreement also. Please guide me tell me any forum to raise voice against that journal X. Because I send many emails to editor of journal X but receiving no reply from editor side. Any penalty or any other thing which I can do.
# Answer
> 109 votes
The fault here is **yours.**
You should **never** have the same paper be submitted in two different journals at the same time. This is an absolute rule that protects both you as an author and the journal as the publisher from duplication of effort, as well as avoiding situations like this.
If you had wanted to stop the publication in journal X, then you should have sent them a letter **clearly retracting** your submission. This would have ended the process at journal X, and allowed you to submit the paper to journal Y with a clear conscience.
Now, however, since the paper has been published by journal X, you are stuck. If journal Y publishes your paper, you will have the same article published in two different journals, which is also a violation of ethical standards, and could lead to *both* copies being retracted by the publisher. So, unfortunately, you are stuck paying the fees to the journal X, and the work you've done to improve the paper with journal Y is now "lost" to the literature.
As has also been pointed out, journal X appears to be quite sketchy, and I would avoid any future contact or involvement with them. But for now, consider this a lesson learned for the future.
# Answer
> 48 votes
I am sorry to say that you have ended up in a tricky situation totally on your own, and apparent lack of understanding of publishing. What you need to do? On the face of it the paper is accepted for publication in X and you need to withdraw the paper from Y.
Your description contains so many twists where you have seemingly dug yourself deeper that your best outcome is to learn from the mistakes and go on.
Some pointers:
* You should never send papers to a journal where you really do not want to publish, or, I do not see the point of sending papers to a journal where you do not wish to publish
* You should never send papers to more than one journal at a time. If the first choice rejects your paper, it is ok to pass it onto another
* If you send a paper to a journal that charges for publication, there is no excuse not to follow up on those charges. Yo have essentially agreed to paying by submitting.
* Your own time crunches is solely your problem. If you cannot answer E-mails or other correspondence in time, the world will not stop and wait for you.
So regardless of how you dislike journal X you have put yourself in a situation where you may have to accept the fact that the paper is with X and because of that Y should not be able to publish it.
# Answer
> 4 votes
You ask what to do with journal X, but I think it is more important to do the correct thing with journal Y first.
You should reread the copyright agreement that you signed for journal Y and see if you misrepresented the status of your work. (Typically when one signs these agreements one is representing that the work in question has not been published before and is not under submission at any other journal.) If so, you should immediately inform journal Y of your mistake and of the true publication status of your work!
# Answer
> -5 votes
I can't believe how everyone is blaming the OP.
Since you clearly did not sign an agreement with the journal X, I think you should talk to the lawyer and sue them. Laws may change from country to country regarding this, however it seems quite illegal to me that they demand $90 from you for something you did not agree for.
Does your university have a legal department to deal with such cases?
EDIT: I clearly understand that it's OP's fault to submit into 2 journals. However I clearly see 2 distinct issues here: 1. The OP unethically submitted to 2 journals. 2. Unethical Journal X supposedly published without the OP's agreement, as OP himself stated.
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Tags: publications, journals, paper-submission
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thread-32779
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32779
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Online Computer Science Degree
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2014-12-05T23:11:53.603
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# Question
Title: Online Computer Science Degree
I read that Georgia Tech recently created a MOOC for CSCI, and I am interested in this program.
Has anyone done this program? there is not much information regarding the online degrees.
0bviously these degrees benefit working class professionals. Are they well regarded to employers or academics?
# Answer
I can't really address your individual program, but I can address online/part-time degrees in general, especially in the computer science field.
Specifically, when you receive a degree from these places, it does not read:
*Online Master's in Computer Science*
It reads the same as a normal Master's degree, whether or not you take it online. So if you're after the Master's Degree, there is no stigma just because you got it online, or part-time (which online-degrees are a subset of).
The degree you receive as a full-time graduate student versus as a part-time professional are equivalent, in that you have achieved Mastery in Computer Science.
That being said, what you do to achieve mastery are very different if you go through a full-time or part-time/online program. I don't believe any part-time degree has a requirement for a thesis or research (it may be optional, but I don't believe it is a popular avenue due to the situation of being a full-time professional taking up normal working hours).
## For a Future in Industry: Yes
The classes provided at my Master's program covered software life cycles, enterprise development, and database management, which are practical skills used in the industry. Classes that would be more geared towards academia, such as those covering machine learning and quantum computing, were not normally taught. Most of the skills you develop will be industry-standard practices. In fact, about 90% of the technology I used in the Master's program, I am actively using at my current employment.
In most cases, our classes involved us building fully functional applications as if we were a start-up entity. Off the top of my head, I built a game of Clue, a database-driven MVA, and an e-commerce website.
As always, learning new things is a major component of advancing in the CS industry. From my personal experience, my Master's *majorly* accelerated my job growth.
## For a Future in Academia: It Depends
If you're planning a career in academia, a part-time or online degree may not provide you the background in research that I would normally associate with academic work.
That being said, the avenue still allows you to teach as an adjunct professor at the very same institutions, if you so choose. Most of my professors were in industry and worked day jobs, and just taught for fun during nights.
One major caveat of an online degree compared to an in-person degree is that it may be more difficult for you to get a decent letter of recommendation for PhD work, in my opinion, if you take all your courses online, due to the lack of actual interaction with your professor. For this reason, I tried to take all of my courses in-person when possible. It's also been mentioned repeatedly that in-class work provides more focus to students, and students typically learn better in those environments.
> 3 votes
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Tags: computer-science, online-learning
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thread-32781
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32781
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How free are you to take mathematics courses as a computer science graduate student?
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2014-12-05T23:56:27.190
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# Question
Title: How free are you to take mathematics courses as a computer science graduate student?
Does anyone know the restrictions one might face if they are a graduate student in a computer science program (let's say doing theory) and they become interested in taking a course from the mathematics department or become interested in working on mathematics problems? Is this something where you need to full on change departments or is it generally more acceptable?
# Answer
This is frequently very easy: the boundary between mathematics and computer science is pretty blurry, especially for the more theoretical side of computer science. In many universities, you will even find classes that are shared between math and computer science departments.
I suppose that If you are a masters' student, you might run into problems fitting in the classes that you want to take if there are a lot of other program requirements. For Ph.D. students, however, there are typically less constraints.
> 8 votes
# Answer
It depends somewhat on your advisor, and less on departmental policies. If you can convince your advisor that you need to take some math courses to be more comfortable in your research, its unlikely you would be prevented from doing so by the dept.
Of course, if your advisor wants you to focus on research and not take any additional courses, that may be an issue - but you can still take the class informally (non-credit).
> 5 votes
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Tags: computer-science, mathematics, coursework
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thread-32663
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32663
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How to politely follow up after contacting potential postdoc advisor?
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2014-12-03T16:08:00.937
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# Question
Title: How to politely follow up after contacting potential postdoc advisor?
After sending an unsolicited email to a potential postdoc advisor, and receiving no response for a while, what is a very polite way to follow up?
Based on past experience lack of immediate response does not necessarily mean a lack of interest, they might just have been too busy at the time. This question is about how to best phrase the followup email to be as polite as possible, and not to seem pushy.
# Answer
> 9 votes
I've encountered this situation recently. My personal strategy has worked well on multiple occasion.
Send back the first e-mail with a beginning similar to this (I suggest you adapt it): Dear Dr Smith,
I'm afraid my precedent e-mail arrived in your junk mail. Just in case, here it is again. Thank you very much for your attention.
Edit: I don't resend an e-mail after only a week. I usually wait 2-3 weeks...even more !
# Answer
> 0 votes
First, perhaps consider your timing. It's the end of the semester on the day you posted your question. The faculty focus is on finishing up, grading and grant reporting, etc. Next are the holidays. Then, the first two weeks of the semester are about committees, budget issues and helping students set up. There are sweet spots before midterms, mid semester, and a few weeks before finals when faculty exhale. I suggest, if you have time, week 3 of the new semester. I realize for students this sounds odd; however, when there are a lot of students/classes as professor/teacher it's important for us to finish well and it's amazing how many letters come in on everything from car problems to job offers to health issues.
If you don't have time, here's a second strategy. I often receive reference requests that are so general/vague I have no idea where to start. When students send an "outline" of what they're looking for I can respond much quicker. For example, perhaps note the request, purpose, a reminder of particular projects, dates, assignments or papers in your follow up email. This sounds crass but sometimes a request comes a year or two after a class and I remember the student but not enough detail to support a recommendation. I don't need the letter written for me, I need something akin to a mind map to bring the student and course to mind in a way that adds value to the recommendation. Also, bluntly, from your course experience you probably know if the professor/teacher is organized to the level that you can count on him/her for a recommendation.
Lastly, a few ideas for students. A couple of days before most college applications are due is less than an ideal time for ask for recommendations due to the numbers of last minute requests received. Select faculty you worked with beyond attending class who will have something to say; I often receive requests from students who chose to remain somewhat anonymous in class and I don't know them well enough to offer something insightful. Faculty have posted office hours. An ideal reference situation is when a student comes in with a single page paper noting the dates, a few details of the course and reintroduces him/herself. Then we have a chance to chat for a few minutes. In that time I "travel" to our work and am excited to hear about the student's potential opportunity. This lends an enthusiasm to the reference.
I don't want this to sound like it's all about the faculty, I'm trying to nicely say you would never believe the requests that come in, I could write a post only on funny/sad/shocking email I receive every semester. There is great joy in seeing students transition to their next level of education and we're happy to write recommendations when we have the information to do so. Student consideration of timing, ideas/details provided and a referential conversation create a better opportunity for meaningful reference letters.
This advice goes beyond post grad; however, when I advised post grad students, up until last year, many of the issues were the same and I think the approach crosses education levels.
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Tags: job-search, postdocs, united-states, email
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thread-32775
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32775
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What features should be included in your actual accomplishments and skills to be accepted in a top university like MIT
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2014-12-05T21:21:27.137
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# Question
Title: What features should be included in your actual accomplishments and skills to be accepted in a top university like MIT
I was wondering about how can one apply for a PhD program in a top ranked university. I can tell you about a namely accomplishments and skills which is labelled as 'very good' for a graduated M.Sc student in an average university so that you can consult me and the people who almost have a similar accomplishments and skills.
To be more precise I would like to know:
1. How can one be accepted and get the scholarship for a very top-ranked university like Berkeley, MIT. For example are the following accomplishments and skills satisfactory?
2. If not, which points should be added or improved generally?
3. How much is it matter how old are you for applying for PhD at these places?
4. What features differentiate the CV of someone admitted to a top school (MIT)versus someone admitted to an average school (Calgary Canada).
P.S. I have B.Sc and M.Sc in Electrical Engineering.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Although your question doesn't specify it, I assume you're looking for admission to a top-ranked PhD program in electrical engineering. I'm one step away, in a top-ranked program in computer science, so take my answer with a grain of salt.
> Two ISI papers Including one 'Power systems, IEEE Transactions on' and 'Electric Power Components and Systems'.
Since you already have a master's degree, having a couple of publications is a minimum requirement for admission to a top PhD program. Where the papers were published is of secondary importance (although your emphasis of "ISI" over "IEEE" is a little worrying). What really matters are the **actual results** in the papers. Are they *good* results? Are they well-known to people in your field? Are your papers likely to be highly cited?
> IELTS and GRE meet the minimum requirements.
"Meet the minimum requirements" is not what top programs are looking for, on any axis. Fortunately, test scores don't really matter all that much (except, at public universities like mine, the spoken English test).
> Having a very good recommendation letter as my supervisor professor is one of the top guy (top 50) in his field.
The fact that a top guy in your field wrote the letter matters far less than what the letter actually says about you. A weak letter will kill your chances, *especially* if it's written by someone well known in your field.
> Two years teaching experience in a small university as a lecturer.
Hmm. Okay. can't hurt.
> If not, which points should be added or improved generally?
You really haven't given enough detail to point out anything that needs to be improved. What matters most is the quality of your actual research contributions, and that's just not deducible from the information you've given.
> 3) How much is it matter how old are you for applying for phd at these places?
Not at all. Age discrimination is illegal in the US.
> 4) What does a namely CV should contain when applying to a top university as opposed to one that is an average university (like Calgary Canada).
I assume you mean "What features differentiate the CV of someone **admitted** to a top school versus someone **admitted** to an average school?" (No matter where you apply, your CV should accurately and honestly reflect your accomplishments. Don't add bloat. We can tell.)
You may be able to gain admission to a lower-ranked school on the basis of grades and test scores. But the competition for admission to the very top ranked schools is absolutely fierce. (My department gets 2000 graduate applicants per year, from which we admit about 100 PhD students and about 50 MS students.) If you want to be admitted, you really have to manifest like a successful PhD student already. You don't just want *papers*. You need high-quality, high-visibility, well-written *results*, ideally which would not have been possible without your contributions. You need the beginnings of a well-reasoned and compelling research vision. You need to display intellectual strength, depth, maturity, and taste. Well-known leaders in your field must sing your praises in technical, personal, and credible detail.
If you have all that, your CV will take care of itself.
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Tags: phd, funding
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thread-32782
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32782
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How free are graduate students to choose research topics given their department?
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2014-12-06T00:05:13.467
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# Question
Title: How free are graduate students to choose research topics given their department?
I'm sort of foggy in general about how this works. If you are, say a a computer science graduate student, what kind of freedom do you have to pick a research topic that focuses more on something like cellular biology, swarms, or string theory? Do you need to change departments? Do you need to illustrate some connection back to CS techniques? Do you just have to pursuade your advisor to issue a blessing?
# Answer
> 5 votes
This will vary based on your adviser, your level of study (i.e. what degree you're going for), your committee and your department. In almost all cases for computer science, you will be required to demonstrate mastery of the subject. Incorporating outside knowledge from another subject area, say, cell biology, where you re-implemented or improved a gene matching algorithm, for example, would probably be allowed.
Simply doing an experiment from cell-biology with no tie-in to CS would almost certainly not be approved--but, this is where your adviser, et. al. come in. If you've got a smashing idea, a good adviser/committee will help you try and find a way to tie it into your degree and PhD students are typically given more leeway here than Masters students.
Though, be prepared, in some cases, an adviser will play a big role in determining what your thesis will be. Also, if you are being funded by a particular grant under a PI (principal investigator--typically a research professor), it is traditional (at least at my University) to pursue research related to what the PI is doing. Though it's definitely easy just to ask to be exempt from this tradition.
So, basically, the answer to your question is it depends. Almost certainly you will be required to do something Computer Science-y for a CS degree, but there can be a lot of leeway in determining what Computer Science-y means.
# Answer
> 3 votes
There are a lot of factors. Generally, your research topic is whatever you and your advisor agree on. In principle, you often have a dissertation committee that must also agree, but typically that is mostly a formality unless someone is totally off the rails.
So if you want to do something unusual, the hard part would be getting your advisor to agree. In deciding whether a topic is appropriate for a PhD dissertation, they should generally consider:
* **Is it significant?** Is this a project that will be a genuine contribution to the field? Is it in an area that is generally recognized as important? Is it difficult enough to be worth a PhD? A project in a fringe area, or one that would advance the state of the art only infinitesimally even if successful, or one that is at too low a level, would likely not fly.
* **Is it original?** The project should not primarily duplicate something that has already been done (unless you are trying to reproduce previous results, which in some situations would be considered valuable). Your advisor will have to be convinced that your literature search is thorough enough that you fully understand the context of your project and how it will extend previous work.
* **Is it feasible?** Your advisor needs to be convinced that you have the necessary knowledge, expertise, resources, and funding, and that the project is of an appropriate difficulty and scale that you have a good chance of completing it within a reasonable period of time (some departments have firm limits on how long you can take to finish a PhD).
* **Are they qualified to advise you?** Does the advisor have the necessary expertise to accurately evaluate the significance, originality and feasibility of the proposed project? Will they be able to help teach you some of the things you need to learn? Will they be able to judge your progress along the way? Will they be able to provide you with, or help you acquire, resources you may need?
So in most cases, if you have a particular area in mind, in order to pass the fourth test you will need to choose an advisor who is an expert in that area or something closely related. If nobody in the department qualifies, or none of them are willing to be your advisor, then you probably cannot work on that project in that department. Sometimes it is possible to take on a co-advisor from another department who does have the appropriate expertise. Otherwise, you either need to change departments (often tantamount to reapplying), change institutions (which means actually reapplying) or work on something else.
In many cases, the easiest way to meet all four criteria is to work on a project suggested by your advisor, even if it is something that you hadn't previously been interested in. This is particularly true in fields that are highly specialized, and where a beginning graduate student would not be expected to easily recognize interesting problems to study.
# Answer
> 2 votes
For students in the physical sciences and engineering, a major issue is getting funding to pay for required research equipment and supplies. This nearly always comes from a grant that has been awarded to the academic advisor. Thus students working in these disciplines are very constrained in their choice of projects- it has to be something that fits with the available funding.
Even if the student's research doesn't require expensive equipment and supplies, if the student is working on a research assistantship then the student will normally be expected to do a thesis or disseration that is part of the research project that funds the assistantship.
Some students work in areas where there isn't any need for expensive equipment or supplies and some students also have funding (a fellowship or a teaching assistantship) that isn't tied to a particular research grant. In such cases students can have a much greater say in what their thesis project will be. However, the project still must be acceptable to the advisor and the thesis or dissertation committee. It is not uncommon for advisors to simply say "no" to a student request to supervise a project that the advisor doesn't think is worthwhile. Even if the advisor says "yes", there are often other levels at which the project must be approved (e.g. by the thesis or dissertation committee, the department chair, or even a graduate dean.)
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Tags: graduate-school, computer-science
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thread-32795
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32795
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How to prevent desk rejection when trying to publish papers which are counter to the prevailing view (but still legitimate)?
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2014-12-06T13:46:33.223
|
# Question
Title: How to prevent desk rejection when trying to publish papers which are counter to the prevailing view (but still legitimate)?
I wonder if there exists, at least in plans, a centralized system that examines editors' decisions in journals, a kind of "appellate court" in peer-review publishing.
Recently I have been trying to publish a paper which tends to support a hypothesis heavily counter to the prevailing view in the field. I had to try eight journals before it was accepted. In most of those trials the paper was rejected without going to peer-review, but editors didn't point out specific flaws. Instead, they used general statements like "your paper is certainly interesting, but we get so many even more interesting papers, so unfortunately we cannot publish yours". In one journal the editor simply replied that the paper is out of the journal's scope, which is plain-out false (the paper deals exactly with one of the major topics of the journal). In another journal the editor passed the paper to peer review. In two months it was rejected "in view of reviewers' comments". But - amazingly! - all reviewers recommended publication, with certain revisions. I tried to contact the editor, but he did not respond. Clearly, this is utterly unethical, with respect both to the author and reviewers (at least, the editors could reject it right away, why stealing two months?).
Now I am going to submit a follow-up paper, but I am sure I will face the same difficulties and lose a lot of time. Could anyone give any recommendations as to how to safeguard oneself against unethical situations like those described above?
UPD: I do not mean here any complaints or rants. If in one of those journals my paper had been rejected after peer-review in which reviewers did actually recommend rejection, there would be no this topic here.
# Answer
> 38 votes
> I wonder if there exists, at least in plans, a centralized system that examines editors' decisions in journals, a kind of "appellate court" in peer-review publishing.
In cases of unethical behavior, professional societies can investigate a journal, but your description includes nothing that appears unethical.
> In most of those trials the paper was rejected without going to peer-review, but editors didn't point out specific flaws. Instead, they used general statements like "your paper is certainly interesting, but we get so many even more interesting papers, so unfortunately we cannot publish yours".
This may be frustrating and reflect genuine bias against your ideas, but it's a reasonable and standard way to run a journal. Some sorts of bias are unethical (for example, discrimination based on the author's race, ethnicity, gender, etc.), but intellectual bias is almost unavoidable. There are a few journals, like PLOS ONE, with the mission of publishing anything that's new and not clearly defective, but most journals try to filter based on interest and importance. That necessarily involves judgment calls by the editors regarding what is likely to be satisfy these criteria. In particular, part of running a prestigious journal is favoring some topics and approaches over others, and the community judges the editors based on how well they manage to select interesting and important papers. To reject a paper without review, there's no need to identify a flaw. Instead, the editors can simply decide that it's not interesting or promising enough to justify the effort of formal reviewing, or that the chances of acceptance are low enough that sending it out for review would just waste the reviewers' and authors' time.
> In one journal the editor simply replied that the paper is out of the journal's scope, which is plain-out false (the paper deals exactly with one of the major topics of the journal).
Scope can include both subject matter and approach. Some journals like to publish controversial papers that may well turn out to be wrong or misleading but will at least lead to interesting discussion and follow-up work. Other journals are more conservative and have no interest in going out on a limb with a risky theory that reexamines what the editors consider to be well-settled science. I don't think the editor in your case was lying to you about the subject matter scope, but rather indicating that your paper is outside the scope of the type of work they want to publish.
> In another journal the editor passed the paper to peer review. In two months it was rejected "in view of reviewers' comments". But - amazingly! - all reviewers recommended publication, with certain revisions.
This is an awkward issue, and it would have been helpful if the editor had clarified. (E.g., "While the reviewers' comments were largely positive, the editorial board felt that they did not make a strong enough case for publication in comparison with other recent submissions.") But I can appreciate the editor's position. Sometimes you get a submission that is unusual and unconventional, one you know a lot of the community won't like. Who do you choose as reviewers? You can predict many people's opinions in advance, which introduces an intrinsically political aspect (if you want to kill the paper, it's easy to choose conservative reviewers, and vice versa). One approach is to ask sympathetic, open-minded reviewers but hold them to a high standard by seeing whether they can convince you to accept. The question isn't whether they recommend acceptance, and in fact the editor may know in advance that they have a soft spot for this topic. Instead, the question is how compelling and forceful a case they are able to make for this specific paper.
Of course I have no proof that this is what was going on here, but I'd bet it was. If the editors were determined to kill the submission, they would have rejected it without review or deliberately assigned unsympathetic reviewers. Instead, I think this journal gave you more of a chance than any of the other six.
> Could anyone give any recommendations as to how to safeguard oneself against unethical situations like those described above?
As I explained above, I don't think these situations are unethical, but they are still worth avoiding. One factor to consider is how often a journal publishes unorthodox or unconventional work (even if it's not on your exact topic). If they sometimes do, then they are likely to give your paper a fair hearing. If they rarely or never do, then that's probably because they are reluctant to do so.
# Answer
> 7 votes
You got your paper published and I am sure many others have had similar experiences with much more mundane topics (whatever your is) so I do not see the fact that your paper was rejected in journals a major issue as such. In fact, one could interpret your view as your paper should have been accepted by default, unfortunately that is not how things work.
It is true that some papers may be unfairly treated by an individual journal or editor but that is the result of the fact that humans are involved and publishing is not a black and white yes or no business. You provide several different types of responses and judge them from your point of view, which may be correct but will be difficult for others to assess.
So as a whole, I think your question is bordering on what is sometimes referred to as a rant on this site.
Having said this, one can respond to the general issues you raise.
Coming up with science indicating paradigm shifts (which is how I interpret your description) will always be met by scepticism. This is normal. If the process was such that everyone switched direction for every new idea that appeared chaos would ensue since no direction would be disseminated in detail. The back side of it is that ideas becomes so engrained that they approach a dogma. To add to this, many researchers may have put all their effort into developing an idea and having to change all thus is daunting, to say the least, and so the eagerness to accept and change is weak. This is human. Thus publishing something that goes against the stream will meet scepticism for both scientific and personal reasons and sometimes the latter are the most difficult to break through.
The responses you have received all seem poor on the face of it but since we do not know the details at least some of them may be correct judgements from the side of the editor in view of what they perceive is publishable in their journal.
Going completely against reviewer recommendations definitely seems like a step too far and too soon. Granted we do not know how good the reviews were but in the worst case of two really poor reviews an editor should try to get more opinions in. Yes, it appears to be a waste of time for all concerned which could have been avoided. But "stealing" and "unethical"? Not really. Unfortunate and perhaps unnecessary? Yes.
Editors have the right to deem a manuscript unsuitable for a journal and reject it without review. If you think it is suitable, it is your opinion but the editor's opinion differs from yours.
So you got your paper published and now you expect the same problem again. Probably yes, if you decide to go to the same journals. But, since you now have your basic publication out, the next paper has something peer reviewed to stand on. I am sure there will be continued resistance to change and this will only diminish with growing number of studies supporting your claim being published over time. How quickly this happens, if it happens, is beyond my possibility to judge.
# Answer
> 7 votes
To add to the other answers already given: another approach that can be useful is to begin by publishing your work in a venue such as PLoS ONE that is credible but aims to select for only for validity and not "significance" or "topic." Since it seems the main problem you've had is editors deciding that the paper is not of interest for their journal, this would nullify that problem.
PLoS ONE is an entirely respectable place to publish, though not high prestige. It is thus a fine place to get a fair review for the early papers of an unconventional topic, and to build reputation of the work that will make it easier to get accepted in more community-specific venues later. If you have problems publishing in PLoS ONE, however, it is likely that your work has serious flaws in either substance or presentation that you are not aware of.
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Tags: publications, ethics, peer-review, editors, rejection
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thread-32801
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32801
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Can I lose my job over writing a negative comment on (anonymous) faculty evaluation of institution?
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2014-12-06T16:21:30.910
|
# Question
Title: Can I lose my job over writing a negative comment on (anonymous) faculty evaluation of institution?
I'm faculty and I work at a place that does faculty evaluations of our institution. I wrote a pretty harsh, but true comment on the back. While it's supposed to be anonymous, I'm still afraid it could be traced back to me. I know, it was a dumb move, but it didn't occur to me that writing the comment would be. Do you think I will lose my job over it? Maybe another dumb question, but I'm stressing right now.
# Answer
The true anonymity of "anonymous evaluations" is a key issue (in academia and also in the workplace). If you say an evaluation is anonymous, can you later take them to task for something they wrote that you regard as problematic?
This happened at my university a few years back. Student course evaluations are done electronically now, and they are said to be anonymous. However, one student "contributed" an anonymous evaluation which criticized their instructor for their sexual orientation. The university IT staff got involved, did in fact trace the evaluation back to the student, and the student was prosecuted for it. In particular, IIRC their name was made public (I read about this in the university paper!) and they may have had to write a letter of apology.
This is a good problem for an ethics class: should the university have done this? After reflecting about it for a while, my feeling is that the university did behave unethically: not by tracking down a comment that violates rules of university conduct (not to mention the rules and conventions of civilized society about treatment of minority), but by not being open with the students that the anonymity in the evaluations was meant as a policy decision, not a factual description of the way the technology is implemented. They could have designed the system so that university IT staff would have no way -- or at least, no standard, built-in way-- of tracking it back to its origin.
Anyway: yes, it is probably technically possible that the evaluation can be traced back to you. The moral of the above story is that unless you specifically know and trust the mechanisms that prevent that, you should regard the anonymity as being at the level of policy -- i.e., you are honorbound not to act on the knowledge of the identity -- rather than a true lack of knowledge of the writer's identity.
As for the rest, you ask:
> Do you think I will lose my job over it? Maybe another dumb question, but I'm stressing right now.
That doesn't sound like a dumb question *for you*. However, in my opinion it's "a dumb question" (rather, an unfruitful one) *to ask us*. We don't know:
* Who you are, and what are the conditions of your employment.
* Where you work, and who your colleagues are.
* What you wrote.
Without this information, our best guess at the answer is nowhere near as good as yours. I understand that because of your closeness to the situation and reasonable anxiety, it may be hard for you to view objectively. I suggest that you confide in someone you can trust and who is closer to the situation.
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@Trevor Wilson asked:
> Was it this case: nytimes.com/2008/01/20/magazine/20wwln-ethicist-t.html ? If so, it sounds like the evaluation was handwritten.
Nice find! I checked it out a bit, and...I think it is likely that this is the same case, and that it was long enough ago (longer than I thought) that I am not quite remembering the particulars. It is also interesting that this made "Ask an Ethicist"...and the Ethicist said very much what I said above. Adding to the irony, I suppose I am now criticizing my university a bit by weighing in on this. I think they can take it.
> 18 votes
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Tags: professorship, anonymity, academic-freedom
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thread-32804
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32804
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Cover letter and feelings - use or avoid
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2014-12-06T17:15:27.763
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# Question
Title: Cover letter and feelings - use or avoid
A couple of cover letter use:
* I believe that I could ..
* I am confident
* I am very interested
What do you think about them? Should they be mentioned with evidences or avoid since they are feelings and may indicate uncertainty?
# Answer
> 13 votes
Personally, I think your sentence fragments all suggest both a lack of evidence and a lack of confidence. But more importantly, I think you're simply asking the wrong question.
Instead of focusing on the detailed language of your cover letter, focus on the **content**. Who are you? What have you done? What makes you an asset to your target departments? Instead of expressing your interests, demonstrate your accomplishments and your vision. Instead of stating your beliefs or your confidence, show the reader clear evidence of your expertise and your impact. **Show, don't tell.**
The advice that I give my own students and colleagues when they apply for graduate school or for jobs or for tenure is to **aim for the next target**.
* Graduate applications should not say "Please admit me" but rather "I will become an independent researcher. Let me get on with it."
* Thesis proposals should not say "Please let me pass" but rather "I will have a strong PhD thesis. Let me get on with it."
* Thesis defenses should not say "Please let me graduate" but rather "I will get an academic job. Let me get on with it."
* Job talks should not say "Please hire me" but rather "I will get tenure. Let me get on with it."
* Tenure packages should not say "Please give me tenure" but rather "I will be a full professor. Let me get on with it."
And the way each application should "say" its message is not by stating your *interest* or *belief* or *intention* or *confidence* that you'll pass the next stage, but by presenting clear and compelling **evidence** that you'll pass the next stage. And of course you never want to actually suggest the impatience implicit in the phrase "Let me get on with it"; rather, you want to convince your audience to let you get on with it.
Don't try to convince that reader that *you* believe that you'll be successful. Make the *reader* believe that you'll be successful. Show the reader that you will be successful.
# Answer
> 3 votes
There is nothing inherently wrong with expressing your feelings in a cover letter. Your feelings, however, are not generally useful information for the reader of your letter: they don't know you, and so what basis to they have for evaluating how your feelings relate to your likelihood of making a good addition to the department?
As such, statements about feelings are generally low-value at best, and can be problematic if they are expressed in a way that causes people to have doubts about you. You *don't* have to pretend that you're a robot: it's fine to say something like "I find the interdisciplinary opportunities of this position exciting." Just know that it's an inherently low-content statement, and that more value will come from the places where you show more concrete evidence of your connections and value for the position that you are applying for.
# Answer
> -1 votes
The listed phrases don't necessarily convey uncertainty. Infact, if supported with evidence, they can become strong leading points into reading about your experiences and skills.
For example, consider the following statements in your cover letter:
1. **I believe that I can** give the a different dimension with my skill set because I have been awarded .
This interests the recruiter as (s)he would be interested in knowing how you can bring new dimension to the job and what special skills you possess that makes you stand out from the crowd.
2. **I am confident** that I have which I believe is essential for the role as I have had (say) over 5 years of experience in this field with honours.
This would again intrigue the recruiter to believe your confidence (if it is ofcourse supported with solid evidence!)
3. **I am very interested** in the because I believe that having already done , this role can help me develop my career in the field in the following ways and in turn I can help the organisation grow .
The recruiter would be interested in your past experience and look to understand how you can grow and make the business grow.
I hope that the examples are adequately clear.
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Tags: faculty-application, application-cover-letter
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thread-32811
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32811
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Difference of a PhD program for students entering with BS and MS
|
2014-12-06T20:31:29.253
|
# Question
Title: Difference of a PhD program for students entering with BS and MS
Students who have a BS can apply for PhD programs like students with a Master's degree (in the US). I was thinking why should students with only Bachelor degrees be admitted while many with Masters degree apply too. I thought the program may differ for these two admitted students. So, my question is basically this:
Is there any difference between the PhD program that an admitted student with a BS starts, and the PhD program that a student with a Master's degree goes through? (assuming they are admitted to the same program at the same university)
# Answer
PhD programs in the US typically have coursework requirements in addition to the PhD dissertation, and depending on the program, these course requirements can be quite significant (as much as 50 credit hours or 2-3 years of course work.) A student who enters the PhD program after an MS will often be given credit for much of these course work requirements based on their previous MS degree. However, it is often the case that students are required to "make up" particular courses that they have not previously taken.
Most programs have minimum credit hour requirements (total credit hours including courses and dissertation credits.) A fairly common rule is "60 credits past an MS degree or 90 credit hours past a BS degree."
These rules vary a lot between universities and even within the same university, so it's important to understand the local rules that will apply to you when you apply to enter a PhD program.
> 5 votes
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Tags: phd, united-states
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thread-32829
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32829
|
Recommendation letter from a PhD-to-be?
|
2014-12-07T04:32:34.737
|
# Question
Title: Recommendation letter from a PhD-to-be?
I am applying for Master programs in Educational and Clinical Psychology. And I am in the process of choosing people for writing my recommendation letters. I have a BA in Psychology and I wasn't much involved in research - except when I did my year aboard, I participated in a research project launched by a teaching assistant who was then a PhD student at that college. We conducted the experiments together, collected and analyzed the results. In the end, he supervised my Research Project Thesis.
It was a valuable hands-on research experience for me. And I am thinking about asking him to write my recommendation letter. However, though he is still actively involved in several research, he hasn't yet obtained his PhD degree (he will in the coming year). So I am concerned that a recommendation letter written by him would look nice, but at the same time it would lack some sort of legitimacy and affect my chance of being shortlisted for further interviews.
So my question is - would a recommendation letter written by a non-PhD referee carry less weight and even not taken seriously? Should I ask this person to write the recommendation letter for me?
Thanks for viewing my question and I look forward to your answers. Thank you for your help!
# Answer
Typically reference letters should come from faculty, as you implied. If you were supervised by a graduate student, ask the graduate student's faculty advisor to write the letter. Very likely the faculty member will ask the graduate student for assistance in writing the letter. This will get you the legitimacy and the content you need. It can be awkward because faculty need to create the impression they wrote the letter themselves, but you can finesse it. When I was a PhD student supervising undergraduates I just told them that I would ghostwrite the professor's letter.
> 6 votes
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Tags: masters, recommendation-letter
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thread-32827
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32827
|
Do community college transfer students have a disadvantage when it comes to graduate school admissions?
|
2014-12-07T02:58:36.820
|
# Question
Title: Do community college transfer students have a disadvantage when it comes to graduate school admissions?
I spent a year at a community college working in industry straight out of high school. I recently got into a top cs program and will be attending starting spring 2015. However, the school only gave me until spring 2017 to finish my degree, which means I will be at the 4-year university for 5 semesters. Will I be at a disadvantage when applying to top graduate schools in comparison to my peers, who have been at their university for 4 years? I am a CS major who will attend a top cs program.
Also, due to my transfer situation, I feel that I am severely disadvantaged in terms of research opportunities. This is because for most of the labs at my school, professors have formal requirements which often entail good grades in high-level electives specific to the research. Unfortunately, I probably won't have time to complete many of these electives, and even if I do, it will most likely be during my last year. I want to get started in research as soon as possible, but I also know that I don't have much specific experience for my fields of interest (which include AI, NLP, machine learning, and data mining). How should I reconcile these gaps, and what tips do you have for a new student getting engaged in research?
# Answer
Simply having attended a community college earlier in your academic career is not going to hurt you if you have a degree, good grades, good letters of recommendation, etc. from a top program as well as all the other stuff that matters like good tests scores and research experience. Having attended a lower status school is not a permanent black mark and simply will not matter if your subsequent work proves that you are top-notch student and researcher.
Having less research experience than your peers who are applying for the same graduate positions will put you at a disadvantage. Ben Bitdiddle's answer on how you might go about getting that given your relatively shorter period of time at a research university is good as are the answers to many other related questions on this site about getting research experience as an undergraduate.
> 6 votes
# Answer
Some things you might consider:
1) Doing a master's degree at a good CS program before applying for a PhD. This will give you an extra year or two to participate in research.
2) Contacting professors outside your university for research opportunities.
3) Doing unpaid independent studies with professors and later graduating to paid, formal research opportunities. (Many professors won't have time for this, but it's worth a try I think.)
The usual advice for contacting professors holds (be enthusiastic and demonstrate a sincere interest in their work).
> 4 votes
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Tags: graduate-admissions, research-process, masters, transfer-student
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thread-32826
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32826
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Should I contact a PhD student or his supervisor for potential collaboration?
|
2014-12-07T02:24:47.777
|
# Question
Title: Should I contact a PhD student or his supervisor for potential collaboration?
I found some recently published papers which are related to my research and am interested in contacting the authors for potential collaboration. However, in those papers, the first author is a Ph.D. student while the second author is his supervisor, who is a well-known professor in my field. In my field, the order of author is based on contribution, which means the Ph.D. student contributed more to the paper than his supervisor.
Hence, I don't know whether I should contact the student or his supervisor to initiate the collaboration. I can see that the advantage for contacting the student is that he should know more about the research than his supervisor. On the other hand, I also look for someone that can write a reference letter for me in the future, and the supervisor sounds better.
# Answer
First, check the fine print in the paper itself. Some journals ask the authors to designate one person as the "contact author" or "corresponding author", and distinguish that author with a notation and a mark on the author list. If that is the case, then that is the person that you should write to.
Beyond that, since the professor is well-known in your field, know that you are unlikely to end up doing much direct collaboration with them in any case, simply because they probably already have many different projects in progress. The student is also more likely to respond at all for the same reason.
You can't know before writing, however, whether you'd mostly likely end up working with this Ph.D. student or somebody else: if the student still has some years to go, you'd likely end up collaborating with them; if they are about to defend, they might either be "taking the project" or handing it off to another student. So if there isn't one person designated as contact author, write to both (as ff524 suggests in the comments), and let them decide how to respond.
> 7 votes
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Tags: collaboration
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thread-32835
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/32835
|
Should I write to invite a professor to be my PhD thesis examiner?
|
2014-12-07T06:54:02.987
|
# Question
Title: Should I write to invite a professor to be my PhD thesis examiner?
My supervisor has already invited formally the professor to be my examiner. Do I need to invite the professor personally as he may learn more about my work? Is there any conflict of interest to do so?
# Answer
The way in which doctoral examiners are selected will differ between countries, between universities within countries, and within schools. Ask your supervisor for advice on what you should do here and follow their instructions.
> 11 votes
# Answer
Ask your supervisor but I've never heard of PhD students being expected to invite people to examine them. You're right to worry about conflicts of interest and appearing to try to influence your examiner by contacting them.
> 2 votes
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Tags: thesis
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