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thread-26751
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26751
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Do Asian authors have a different style of academic writing from European authors?
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2014-08-03T15:18:08.120
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# Question
Title: Do Asian authors have a different style of academic writing from European authors?
I'm an Asian student working with a European prof. My adviser told me several times that when he read my writings (our papers), he just wanted to rewrite it. He told me that my English was rather OK, but "the way Oriental people think is different from us". By "us" he meant Europeans.
My adviser could not tell me exactly what was the difference. So I would like to ask if anybody here has experience working with Asian co-authors, and has the same feeling?
Or is this only my problem and my adviser is trying to avoid being straightforward?
Note: I do have problem with my writing. My first conf. paper had been rejected 6 times before it was accepted.
---
**UPDATE**
Thanks for the answers. I just want to make clear that:
* I'm asking about the narrative of a paper, and how the content is represented. I'm not asking about the use of language expressions or passive/active writing.
* Judging the comment of my adviser racist is unfair to him. He treats students like friends and 3 out of 5 of his students, including me, have been Asian (and I guess he has this feeling with all 3 of us).
# Answer
> 74 votes
No, this is absolutely not just your problem! I am also an ESL and this very comment has been given to me numerous times: *Your writing is weird, but I can't really tell how.* After many years of working on it (including reading many books about writing, joining a writing group, publishing some papers, and writing pretty much everyday), my writing is still, well, weird. I have come to terms that I will never be able to conceal my "Asian-ness," and I'm fine with that.
Though, in the process, I did learn some tricks. I hope some of them will be useful to you.
**Have basic grammar all nailed down**
I understand that you are not seeking for grammatical advice. But people don't just judge your work's structure and suspect its lack of European thinking style from the get-go. Small mistakes such as (taken from your question) "By 'us' he *meant* European," and " I do have *problems* with my writing," can prompt readers to think of you as a foreign writer. And once that thought is sparked, a lot of scrutinies will follow.
Side notes: Some friends did give me very thorough diagnoses on my writing style, which may be useful to you: Generally I suffer from: i) lack of agreement between subjects and verbs, ii) wrong use of articles, and iii) lack of conjunctions and connectives. I have been working hard on addressing those problems, and it's probably going to be a life-long project which is fine by me.
**Have him rewrite it**
> I'm an Asian student working with a European prof. My adviser told me several times that when he read my writings (our papers), **he just wanted to rewrite it**. He told me that my English was rather OK, but "the way Oriental people think is different from us". By "us" he meaned European.
Why not? Politely invite him to rewrite a few of your paragraphs. If he cannot name what is wrong, but he can rewrite it, then the solutions lie in the rewritten version. Schedule a meeting with him and go over the sticky parts. By that time he *will* have some ideas about your problems because after rewriting the piece, he will know what he has changed.
Even if he cannot give you any suggestion, with the two versions you can now easily show any writing coach what you wrote and what your instructor thought you wrote. The writing coach should be able to pinpoint the some basic stylistic differences.
**Analyze articles' structure**
When you read an article, read it a few times with different lenses. First, read for general sectioning, then read for information, and lastly read for its syntactic structure. A wonderful book that I have come across on this kind of analysis is Schimel's "Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded." It provides tools and examples on dissecting an article from paragraph down to wording sequence in a sentence. There are many grammatically correct ways to put together a sentence, a paragraph, and an article; this book talks about the subtle effects of those different ways.
**Do not start from your mother tongue**
One old habit that I have successfully gotten rid of is to mentally draft a sentence in my mother tongue and then translate that into English. The process was counter-productive at best because the revision was quite time consuming and painful. A couple tricks helped me through the struggles:
Start from `Subject + Verb` or `Subject + Verb + Object`, then slowly add different modifiers. A wonderful book that teaches me most of these is Williams's Style: Toward Clarity and Grace. If you get a chance, please read it. I still read it time to time as a writing therapy.
Use a mind-map to gather ideas. Mind maps, in my opinion, operate very much in the way that scientists display ideas: using categories, hierarchies, relations, and lists. By focusing on this device, I could make the structure tighter and more coherent.
**Other resources**
I have also grown bold enough to answer some writing-related questions on this site. Here are a few that you may find helpful:
Any place for people with fear of writing?
How can I best edit a paper to help get it published?
Good luck and keep working on it! Your (and my) problem is something that will not totally go away, but can definitely be lessened. Just enjoy the learning process and don't care too much about sounding 100% like a European thinker.
# Answer
> 33 votes
I think your advisor's statement was not well-stated, but there is a kernel of truth: people speaking different languages express themselves very differently, and this carries over to writing. It is not just a matter of "European" versus "Asian"; even among European languages, there is tremendous variation.
For example, consider the use of passive voice. English uses the passive voice much more frequently than German, while German uses it much more frequently than French (where it is to be avoided as much as possible, with the use of reflexive and generic third-person subjects). These characteristics, along with others, show up when people attempt to write in another language, because that is "what they know."
Because Asian languages are so different from European languages in structure, syntax, grammar, and even basic organization (logograms versus phonograms, for instance), it is natural that it will take some adjustment from what can be written in an Asian language to how one would write in English.
However, I would make sure to ask if your university offers training in academic writing in English, rather than just let your advisor do all the work. It will be a skill that you will need to develop in the future regardless of who fixes things now, so it's better if you learn it now rather than wait until you really need it.
# Answer
> 24 votes
I teach at a university in Japan, and I think there are severe differences between the expectations of Western academic writing and at a minimum Japanese academic writing (though I don't have the knowledge to make claims beyond those borders). This might shed some light on where this kind of conflict can be happening. There are severe stylistic and expectation differences in paper writing between Japan and Western contexts.
Let me explain, in my discipline (philosophy), the standard style in America is quite simple:
```
Introduction = statement of thesis and major claims (5-10%)
Body = arguments for the major claims necessary to defend thesis
Conclusion = restatement of major claims and thesis (~10%)
```
and then within body, there should be responses to potential objections.
My sense is that writing in many other fields in English mirrors this -- at a minimum with the claim and argument centered structure.
---
A Japanese academic essay in contrast follows a pattern that I believe originally has a German origin:
```
Introduction = explanation of why you are writing the paper (15%)
*Haikei* = extensive background of prior work in the field (maybe 80% of the paper)
Conclusion = put in things you want to say (5%)
```
This then bleeds over into my students' attempts to write academic English papers.
I think the German one is similar but the difference is what is placed in the background section. From my experience with German articles, you must write in a way that demonstrates general mastery of the literature. In the Japanese version (at least among the many papers I've read), you respond as a reader to things you like and don't like in the literature.
# Answer
> 15 votes
The statement, while somewhat sloopy, definitely true.
Different cultures has different rhetoric styles, and that definitely influence how essays are written and how arguments are built up. I have several Japanese and Chinese co-authors, but more experience with the former ones. E.g. the Japanese style of argumentation is often described as circular, and there is a whole bunch of literature on how this style is different from the Western traditions.
If it bothers you the best thing you can do is to read papers you consider good and understand how they build up their arguments.
ps: While you stated that your command of English is good, it is definitely a major issue with many Asian authors, too. It is very typical to see "recycled" sentences and phrases all over in their writing, which are often used off the context or with slightly misfitting meaning, without real connection to the text. This can destroy the flow of any argument and are pretty big turn offs.
# Answer
> 12 votes
I thought it was just me. I have had the very same feeling. I am married to a Chinese lady and her sister stayed with us for some time while attending to her graduate studies here in Sydney, Australia. I would often review her writing and constantly had the deep urge I wanted to restructure it --- not merely fix grammar and style, but restructure bottom-up. I didn't attribute it to culture or language at the time and usually resisted the urge to rewrite and confined myself to correcting just the spelling, but having read this post, I have to say it deeply resonates! I think there was a difference in the way thoughts were connected and in the flow of reasoning that was employed. I saw connections, but constantly asked myself "why" as if to compensate for something she'd omitted. The mental connections were there but somehow structured differently. I've spent considerable time in Canada, the US, UK, Sweden, Germany, Australia, and China. There are differences between European cultures also, but what I've seen in difference between Asian and European styles goes well beyond this.
# Answer
> 7 votes
I am not sure if it is fair to distinguish between "Asian" and "European" as such. Modern scientific writing is highly condensed and certainly follows a certain style. This style can perhaps clash with other traditional ways of expressing matters such as to never contradict senior scientists and other more regional etiquette based issues.
The basis is to have good command of English and to get to a point where you can express your thoughts clearly and concisely. This is difficult for all and the way to learn it is to follow good examples. You should carefully look at articles you read and try to learn from the good examples (not everything you read will be good!). There are also many books that you can study and use as a reference although reading a book will not be enough. In the end it is only practise that makes perfect and for some of us (being a non-English native myself) it takes time and a need for good examples to follow.
# Answer
> 4 votes
I'll add my data point: From my experience with different co-authors I can not underpin the claim that Asian authors have a different writing style than European authors.
Although the case of the OP seems to resonate with several people I am not really sure if this is really an "Asian/European" thing or even a cultural thing. It may well be a personal thing, i.e. a clash of two different styles of writing and thinking. As far as I see, different writing styles also exist for people with similar cultural background and, vice versa, people with different cultural background may still think and write in similar style.
My personal experience is this: I have written papers with two people from Asia and with both I never felt a desire to "just want to rewrite the paper". I noticed different use of articles and also a little different language but still, I was totally fine with that and the collaborative writing went smoothly. On the other hand, I have written papers with other Europeans (other Germans, like me, to be precise) and sometimes felt the urge "to rewrite anything", also without being able to nail down what precisely was wrong. With some other authors from Germany or other non-Asian countries the writing also went smoothly. So my data is:
* Two cases of Asian co-authors with no problems in collaborative writing.
* Three cases of non-Asian (in fact European) co-authors where I thought about "rewriting anything".
Hopefully, this question and its answers may end up and give some hint how the bigger picture of the issue looks like. So please consider upvoting the answer which reflects your experience or contribute another answer.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Which field are you working in? This makes a big difference. If you are writing in, say, medicine or hard sciences, the differences from region to region would be minor. In other fields, such as history or other humanities, there could be substantial differences in expectations of both reader and writer in organization, rhetoric, and so forth.
Your professor mentions "thinking," which would lead me to think he is referring to "big picture" issues. But I have seen professors react to the "accent" of second language writers with misleading comments, when, in fact, they were simply not reading through the "accent."
I would ask your professor to guide you through a revision of a single page of the paper--a reasonable request--and less vague, more constructive feedback may come through.At that point, I would follow the excellent advice from "Penguin Knight" above, "Analyze article's structure."
Good luck to you!
# Answer
> 1 votes
General advice for clarity (US style):
1. Re-frame your thoughts into facts. No circular arguments nor implications. State them as simply as you can. Write them in bullets points and then add conjunctions. Don't pad them with fluff. Think about how to shorten/simplify for someone who has only 10 years of English. (Sad, but it works) Think about how your words might be interpreted in different ways and re-write it such that they have only one meaning, as simple as you can!
2. Use first-person AND active voice. Not "we might", not "one found that", but rather, "I did this!" I personally don't like to claim individual credit for group work, nor state "fact" for uncertain things, but this style of writing is less ambiguous for the reader to comprehend *sigh*. Put your caveats *after* your claims.
3. Structure: 3a. 20~30% lit review. 3b. 40% your experiment reason, methodology, findings. 3c. 10~20% discussion of findings, future research.
4. Submissions to conferences: don't write it like a publication, ffs. The reviewers usually have a rubric: does it fit the track theme? does it add value to the attendees? what do you plan to do in the session? how *little* do I have to freaking scan before I get the answers. I've had to review 20 submissions in 4 hours, so please just get to the point and don't brag about your achievements.
Good luck with your submissions.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I once rewrote a Ph.D. thesis for a Chinese student on the request of her thesis adviser, who said it was basically unsubmittable.
Everything the student wrote was in 'Yoda' - backwards every sentence wrote she did. Most peculiar it was really. Just wanted to rewrite it after a few sentences you did.
I never found out if she had the degree conferred. The thesis adviser said her work was marginal at best, notwithstanding the bizarre English.
---
Tags: publications, writing, writing-style
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thread-26870
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26870
|
How to maintain a good relationship with advisor when there is no need for it but I want it?
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2014-08-07T00:22:53.923
|
# Question
Title: How to maintain a good relationship with advisor when there is no need for it but I want it?
I want a good relationship with my advisor. But he is very busy with his projects and I am very busy with my master thesis as well. It is very clear to me where my project is going, I just need time to get it done. So basically, for now I don't need to meet my advisor and he doesn't have time anyways. For technical questions I can always ask some PhD students from him and I work usually at home.
I guess emailing once a month with updates would only overload his email address. Do you have any other ideas how to keep a good relationship with my advisor although there is no direct need for it? No matter how good of an advising this is, what can ***I*** do to make a good relationship?
# Answer
> 11 votes
First of, you are absolutely asking the **right** question ("what can I do to make a good relationship?"). The answer depends a bit on the preferences of your advisor - what works for some may not work for others. Here are a few things you could think about:
* You say you work from home. This automatically decouples you from the lab and your advisor. Have you thought whether it would be possible to work in the lab (if they have room for you) for, for instance, two days a week? This would also help make sure that you stay on the track your advisor wants your research to go, see also Nicholas' answer.
* You say you work mainly with some of his PhD students. Try to bond and network with the PhD students you like, and impress them with your technical aptitude and motivation. Thinking back on my PhD advisor, the only master students he really remembered were the ones that his PhD students were constantly praising in *their* meetings with him.
* See if there is a chance to publish something (with your advisor) in the context of your master's thesis. This not only shows motivation, but also has an immediate benefit for your advisor. During paper writing, you will also automatically have a number of meetings with your advisor.
* If you are interested in doing a PhD, indicate this to your advisor and ask for feedback. I have the impression that many professors take significantly more interest in master students that want to stay on the academic path than in those that are about to leave to industry.
# Answer
> 12 votes
Keeping your advisor up to date with how your work is going is important. You might think that your work is going along the correct path, but it is quite possible in research to start heading off down a path which - while possibly interesting - may not be the route your supervisor wants you to go down (at least, not without discussing it first).
One way of damaging a good working student-advisor relationship is to end up in a situation where your advisor is demanding to know why you have taken the research in a new direction, without consulting your advisor for his/her advice.
I do not think that a monthly update is going to overload your advisor's email account - unless he or she is an internet hermit. If you are worried about annoying your advisor with information overload, you could always end your initial email reports with words indicating that you are more than happy to talk face-to-face about your progress, or say that you are happy to make the email updates less frequent.
No advisor wants to be left in the dark about what their students are doing. A good advisor will not consider a regular email update from their student a negative prospect - so long as you don't try your advisor's patience with multi-page long emails. For an MSc thesis project - where time is tight - I think that reporting on a monthly basis is about right.
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Tags: advisor, computer-science
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thread-26879
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26879
|
Can personal projects that required reading other's research make up for lack of my own?
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2014-08-07T04:24:27.310
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# Question
Title: Can personal projects that required reading other's research make up for lack of my own?
I graduated from my undergrad program last December. My grades and GRE scores are good but my school is relatively unknown. I don't really have research in the sense that I haven't published anything, and I don't believe anything I've done to be particularly novel. The school I went to was a teaching college, there wasn't a strong emphasis on research.
That said, I have been known (as my recommendation-writing professors will surely vouch) to do projects wherein I pick a topic, read a bunch about it, and then implement what I've read about. At present, I'm writing a ray-tracing renderer, and I plan to implement a lot of advanced features by the time I actually apply to grad school, such as photon mapping and an BVH data structure. I also plan to implement a few more shiny bells and whistles based on techniques I've read from different SIGGRAPH papers, but I don't believe I will be doing anything that no one else has done before, especially in the 4 months left until my application is submitted.
For what it's worth, however, this project is 100% my own. I never took a graphics class while in college. I work 40 or more hours a week a software developer, and I do most of my work by waking up at 5:30AM and working until I start work at 9. I do most of my research (into papers and topics) when I get home, and during the work day when I have a few minutes.
My question is, how valuable is the information I just listed? Does the attitude demonstrated above make up for the fact that I don't really have terribly original research? What about the fact that my professors probably aren't that well known?
This applies mostly to the top tier of schools. I will be applying to several non-elite schools as well, but it is with the top schools that I am most worried about my lack of research. Do I have even a small chance to get into a top school, or am I simply noncompetitive as a candidate?
-- As for work experience, I have 8 months of experience as an intern at a fairly high profile research institute, but the truth is the work they had me do while there really wasn't research. My current job is developing mobile applications and websites. I find it very underwhelming, and I imagine graduate schools will as well.
# Answer
> How valuable is the information I just listed?
Very, since it shows that you are capable of reading and understanding the literature, and capable of implementing what you read (the true test of understanding).
> Does the attitude demonstrated above make up for the fact that I don't really have terribly original research?
I doubt that any faculty, anywhere, expects undergrad students to have published research. I think the attitude you describe is very valuable for grad school.
> What about the fact that my professors probably aren't that well known?
Well, having a famous professor vouch for you certainly counts for a lot. But not having that network at an undergraduate level shouldn't preclude you from getting into a good graduate course, especially if you have some nicely implemented projects up your sleeve.
> 5 votes
# Answer
I am coming from a very similar background (high performing student in an average CS program, with no formal lab experience). As far as your chances at a top program, this question was recently discussed. I don't think anyone can say for sure except the committee members, but it's definitely possible.
I was accepted with a few independent research projects, none of which had any real "results". What I did (YMMV) was review the literature and come up with incremental modifications or advancements, or in one case an experiment for which the outcome was pretty obvious but which had never actually been performed.
In my interviews, the emphasis was not even the details of these projects, but how I could relate the skills I had gained to the topics my potential advisers were interested in. As Dylan mentioned, even top programs don't require that incoming students are already accomplished researchers (what would be the point of attending?) but that you show initiative and capacity for research.
My advice then, would be to use the 4 (+- 1) months you have until you submit to spin your implementations into independent research projects. Try to push just past the limits of the research you reviewed. If possible, you should document these projects by submitting technical reports somewhere (e.g. your undergrad dept. might be able to assign a technical report number and host the document).
But even if you can't do that, try to clarify in your own mind how the experience of independent study might have prepared you for research, so that you can communicate that effectively. Good luck!
Oh I almost forgot, everything I have ever read about non-research work experience indicates it's basically unimportant... however, if you happen to apply to non-CS programs that need programmers and you have work history showing your ability to build non-trivial programs it could be a significant advantage. This might backfire if your adviser wants you more as a programmer than a researcher, but nevertheless it could help you get in.
> 0 votes
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Tags: computer-science, application, research-undergraduate
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thread-24288
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/24288
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Is it best to avoid all interactions with disreputable or predatory conferences?
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2014-07-02T17:44:56.390
|
# Question
Title: Is it best to avoid all interactions with disreputable or predatory conferences?
Potentially predatory publishers and journals (as listed on Beall’s list here) are springing up more and more often, but they do not always stick to journals and publishing articles. Some host conferences, workshops, or other events with reputable chairs and directors.
If the publishing agency behind a conference is fishy or believed to be predatory, but the conference it hosts is chaired by reputable names, is it still best to avoid the conference?
Has anyone had experience going to a conference or workshop like this?
# Answer
Publishing in predatory journals looks bad on your resume. It suggests that your work was not good enough to publish in a respected journal/conference, and, frankly, you're better off *not* publishing the work.
> 7 votes
# Answer
Why would you spend your time and money to attend one when there is no shortage of good, legitimate conferences? Your time is valuable. Stay away from anything that you even suspect might not be first-rate.
> 5 votes
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Tags: conference, publishers, disreputable-publishers
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thread-26892
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26892
|
Asking for a site visit as a master's applicant
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2014-08-07T10:25:48.163
|
# Question
Title: Asking for a site visit as a master's applicant
I'm currently an undergraduate, and I will finish my bachelors this coming spring. I've been looking at graduate programs, including one physical chemistry masters program in the Amsterdam. I found out that I'm visiting Amsterdam in less than a week, and I am now wondering if it would be appropriate for me to ask the program contact person if I can visit the campus and maybe talk to a professor or two about their research and the program.
I'm concerned because it is short notice, and I haven't started any application with the school. But, I would like to know if the school is a good fit. I don't live in Europe so this is my only opportunity to visit the campus in the foreseeable future.
Would it be appropriate for me to ask if I could visit the college/institute? Also, should I mention a few projects that caught my eye and ask to meet the professors in charge? If so, how would be the best way for me to phrase it?
Thank you for the input.
# Answer
> 5 votes
This is totally appropriate and a great idea.
Simply send an email to the contact person (who may have a title like "graduate coordinator" or "graduate chair").
> My name is Edna Farblefester and I'm a junior at the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople. I am interested in applying to your program next year. I will be in Amsterdam next week and was wondering if I might be able to meet with you or some of your colleagues to learn more about the program and some of the faculty's research.
They should certainly say yes unless there are some extenuating circumstances. Graduate programs are always eager to recruit students, especially in a case like this where it costs them nothing. They probably do these sort of meetings all the time, so it should not be much of an inconvenience for them, even on short notice.
They may also offer to set up a campus tour, arrange a meeting with one or more current grad students (very useful), and provide some information about living in Amsterdam.
If there are one or two professors whose research particularly interests you, you could send similar emails to them directly. (Mention that you are already getting in touch with the contact person, otherwise they will probably suggest that you do so.)
One final note: your phrasing "asking for a site visit" suggested at first that you were going to ask them to pay for the costs of your trip, which would be sort of an unreasonable request (it would be for them to offer if they wanted). Of course, that isn't what you meant, but you might just want to check your phrasing when you write your email.
# Answer
> 3 votes
If you are going to be visiting the city anyways, there's nothing wrong with asking if you can visit the department. The worst-case scenario is that they will simply tell you, "no, it's not possible."
However, visiting the department and talking with staff and students there is often a good way to show your enthusiasm for applying to a particular program, and can help to set you apart from other applicants. I know that a student I supervised in research did something similar and ended up being admitted to the program (one of the few he was accepted to, in fact).
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Tags: etiquette, undergraduate, europe, visiting
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thread-26872
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26872
|
Should I contact an editor at the journal that rejected my paper, to ask for feedback?
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2014-08-07T02:02:13.867
|
# Question
Title: Should I contact an editor at the journal that rejected my paper, to ask for feedback?
Recently I got a rejection of my paper from a reputed journal. There were two reviewers who reviewed my paper.However reviewer1 accepted it while reviewer 2 rejected with some suggestions that can be well implemented. The strong reason for the rejection mentioned by the reviewer 2 was the some similarity with my earlier paper.
**My Query** One of the associate editor of this journal is the well known author working in my field and he has also received the mail notification regarding rejection of my paper. Perhaps he has reviewed this work as well. Shall I contact him to discuss about this rejection and ask for help to further improve our work as per his suggestions. I am fully confused and depressed with this rejection. As I was expecting this paper to be published in that journal.
I need help and suggestions. It would be of great help if someone could help me in such case how to write mail. As English is not my first language I find it hard to write a convincing mail.
# Answer
No, you should probably not contact the Associate Editor.
First off, referees do not generally make decisions about accepting or rejecting a paper. Referees make recommendations to associate editors and editors, and they, in turn, make decisions. Thus, the associate editor who was cc'ed on the email to you is probably the decision-maker who read the reports from the referees and decided to turn down the paper. This person also knows who the referees were, and is in a situation where this input can be appropriately scaled by the referees review history, level of experience, etc. For what its worth, I consider it bad form when refereeing to make my recommendation known to the author. I give an honest assessment, describe my issues, and then make my recs to the editors in the appropriate fields. (I also make it my personal policy for manuscripts, at least, to never say anything that I wouldn't say to the authors face)
There may be check boxes in the reviews that you aren't privy to. Even your reviewer who seemed to recommend acceptance may not have been all that enthusiastic about it, or may not have thought the paper to be very important.
You should make use of the feedback you got, which suggested that there was too much similarity with another paper of yours. You should make the paper clearer as to what the new findings are. Take a step back and determine if, given the magnitude of this extension, is this worthy of a full paper, or perhaps the field would be better served by some sort of short report. Then pick the appropriate venue for publication.
There are some legitimate cases where you might drop the editor a note. Certainly, if something "very wrong" happened during the review process, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. My experience is that this is rare, and most reviews are fine.
Your most productive action at this point would be to discuss the reviews with a mentor.
> 8 votes
# Answer
**No**, I don't think you should contact the editor. Journal editors are very busy people, and they don't have time to offer individual comments on every paper.
If you think that your paper did not get a fair review, for example if you have reason to believe the reviewer did not read or understand the paper, then that is worth contacting the editor about. But if you simply want to discuss the paper, the editor will likely view your request as not worth their time. They have already given you their comments on the paper, in the form of a rejection decision: in other words, the editor does not consider your paper appropriate for publication in the journal, and a discussion is not going to change that.
I also think asking for suggestions on how to improve the paper would be inappropriate, because you have already been given suggestions, in referee #2's report. My advice: make the improvements suggested by referee #2 and try submitting the paper to a different journal where it might be a better fit.
> 13 votes
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Tags: publications, journals, peer-review, editors, rejection
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thread-26557
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26557
|
Are there any tools for organising literature with tags?
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2014-07-30T06:19:23.113
|
# Question
Title: Are there any tools for organising literature with tags?
So when writing a manuscript I usually go about as follows: When reading papers on my topic I copy/paste or summarise those parts, which may be relevant for me and collect all these bits in a Word Document. It'll look like this:
```
Species A grew taller than Species B (Smith et al. 2013)
Growth rate depends on genetics (Miller et al. 2012)
For Species A growth rate did not differ between experiments (Jones et al. 2013)
```
So basically a list of statements that I then regroup (manually) by topic. However, that last part is quite tedious (and I have to decide on how to group the bits, e.g. by "Species A" or by "growth rate").
So I am looking for a tool (online or downloadable) with which it's possible to collect those text bits, assign tags to each and then select which tag to group by and get the selection of statements.
Are you aware of such a tool?
# Answer
I use Qiqqa to manage my PDFs when writing research papers. It allows you to highlight text or add notes to the PDFs. You can then tag the notes, and run "reports" which essentially will pull all of the tagged sections from all of the PDFs in your library into a single paper (similar to the Word document you mentioned) so you don't have to do that manually. It will show the original snippet from the paper, any notes you've made regarding that snippet, and the citation for the paper. There's also a neat brainstorm function that will let you visualize papers, tags, or notes and move them around/link them together; I use that to organize papers sometimes.
There is a free version which will let you try out some features, and an affordable pay version that has more enhanced options. There are some helpful how to videos on Youtube that provide a nice sense of functionality and may help you decide if it's the tool you're looking for. I've been using it since I started grad school and it's been tremendously helpful in organizing my academic writing.
http://www.qiqqa.com/67642
> 5 votes
# Answer
I prepare a tex file for note taking (I learnt this by reading this answer to the question How to read and take notes on research papers) and I think that this method will help you. If you don't know how to work with LaTeX, it is very easy to learn; but you can make such file by means of any other typesetting software.
You can organize your notes by having each chapter or section for any of the papers you read. For instance, section 1 is for the first paper you read. Then you can use the makeidx package to tag the content and prepare an index for your notes. And after all, you can add references to your notes. Every sentence you write from a reference, you can cite it by putting a simple citation code in front of it.
So, by using three easy codes for indexing, referencing and preparing tables of contents; you will have a PDF file which is searchable, you have the references available and a table of contents which helps you to find your notes of papers. Also, you can categorize your notes of your papers by chaptering your file. For instance:
```
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Topic 1
Section 1: Paper 1
Section 2: Paper 2
Chapter 2: Topic 2
Section 1: Paper 3
Section 2: Paper 4
References
Index
```
Benefits:
* You can easily find your notes of your papers.
* You can have a references list of all the papers you have read.
* You have an index, so can find the keywords you are looking for easily.
* You have the papers you read categorized in each chapter, so you can easily manage your literature review and form the text you are writing.
* You can copy and paste the content of your tex file to your report or paper.
* You can print your file, or share it with a colleague or advisor for review.
> 3 votes
# Answer
Endnote can do such a task but you have to play a little bit with the fields in a reference.
Each reference entry in endnote has some fields, e.g. author, title etc. The aforementioned ones are typical in all references' entry. But, there are some fields entitled "custom". These custom fields can have whatever title you want and can be used in order to make smart categories.
E.g., I have used 2 custom fields. One for sub-fields of my field of study and one with notes. Based on the sub-fields, I have set up smart categories which hold papers-references with specific sub-field tag. Also, I can perform a search and EndNote will search also in the Notes custom field.
> 1 votes
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Tags: tools, literature-review, workflow
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thread-26916
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26916
|
Whether to use the author name with numeric references when describing a particular study
|
2014-08-07T18:49:52.750
|
# Question
Title: Whether to use the author name with numeric references when describing a particular study
I am a little bit confused regarding the best way to attribute a research paper in my thesis. Example:
* " The work in \[1\] proposed a new method for ..."
* " John et al.\[1\] proposed a new method for ..."
Also, when I have the following context:
* " our method results outperforms the results in \[1\] ... "
* " our method results outperforms the results provided by John et al. \[1\]"
Sometimes, due to space limitation, I can not mention the names of the authors every time which pushes me to use the paper only (like examples 1 and 3). Also, I think it is unnecessary redundancy to mention the authors every time.
My question is, is that OK? should I mention the authors of the work every time? Are examples 1 and 3 accepted or weak?
# Answer
There may be slight differences between fields (I am in the chem-phys-mat. sci triangle), but the short answer is no, you do not need to explicitly name the authors.
Stylistically, the "the work in \[1\] proposed" sounds rather forced and exactly as long as "Smith et al.\[1\] proposed". Note I am not a native speaker, so I have no clue what I am talking about. On the other hand I would definitely would leave the name out if I am talking about the same work over and over. Also, if you structure your statements like "This problem has been approached using this \[1\] and this methods \[2\]", giving the name is actually more awkward than leaving out.
I think it also improves readability. Compare "our method outperforms the *name-of-the-method* method \[1\]" with your examples (*name-of-the-method*: you explicitly name what is the main difference). Assuming that the reader do not know the reference list by heart, this kind of reference is more explicit and more informative than the other two.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: citations, writing, writing-style
---
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thread-26913
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26913
|
What is the purpose of peer evaluation of teaching?
|
2014-08-07T18:35:29.267
|
# Question
Title: What is the purpose of peer evaluation of teaching?
At my UK university all new teaching staff, as part of the requirements to fulfil the requirements for a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE), have their teaching observed by a member of their department, a member of another department, and a member of the Education Department (who run the PGCHE course). I don't understand the advantages of being observed by the three different people. What should I strive to get out of each observation?
# Answer
> 8 votes
I'm attending a similar program at my university (also UK based), and I was observed by a senior member of my faculty, and by another attendee of the same program.
The main point was to initiate a reflective process of our teaching. Hence, the observation was not an evaluation, but simply the collection of some pieces of evidence, that described our lecture. Our actual assignment was not the observation in itself, but how we reflect upon the evidence, by describing how we feel about it, how we analyse it, what conclusions do we make about it, and what are the next steps we decide to engage on.
Interestingly, I've collected different types of evidence from my two observers: the senior member of my faculty made some observations in particular related to the content of my lecture, while the observer who was on the same program made some observations related to some of the techniques taught in the program that I used during the lecture. In both cases, all observations were really useful to start the reflective process. I can only assume this is the rationale for you to have three different observers.
# Answer
> 8 votes
I believe the goal of having three people in such different positions is to give you different perspectives.
Someone from your department may well see things very similar to you. After all, you likely have the same boss, attend the same training courses, etc. So, this teacher is there to help you see if you are following the game plan that they think you should be following.
The person from the other department still has the perspective of delivering "content" courses as opposed to teaching teachers how to teach. They should understand things quite similar to you but in a different way because they likely have a different boss (though somewhere up the chain I suspect the bosses merge) and they might receive different ongoing training. So this teacher is to see if your department is on the right path. There is less loyalty between this monitor and you because you might not even know each other but at the very least, you do not work together every day.
The education specialist should understand the theories of teaching better than any of the three, and perhaps better than you. After all, this is their area of expertise. Part of the reason they are there might be to continue their research but the main reason is to see if you have been taught properly. Perhaps even to assess you as we assess each of our students.
I know MANY teachers do not like being observed. I never felt that way. Actually, I always want to hear how I can do better. Honestly, I would prefer to be observed (with meaningful feedback) more regularly - perhaps even once or twice per month.
Remember, just like you are there to help your students genuinely improve, so these observers are there to help you genuinely improve.
---
Tags: teaching
---
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thread-26326
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26326
|
Are there online resources for finding information on M.S. programs that fit my criteria, without having to go through every school's website?
|
2014-07-24T10:50:24.710
|
# Question
Title: Are there online resources for finding information on M.S. programs that fit my criteria, without having to go through every school's website?
I'm looking for an M.S. in Computer Science and I found it difficult to properly navigate all the available degrees. I'm interested in a particular focus (computer graphics, not modelling and that kind of stuff but how to do use algorithms in order to create graphics). I also have some constraints on language: I currently speak both Dutch and English, so no German or French master's for me.
There are other questions on this site about finding graduate programs and their curriculums, but I'm mainly looking for quick preselection (like a top 30 of options I have). I'm looking for a overview of courses as it enables quick elimination which if I have to wait for each uni to answer will take quite a long time
Is there any website or other online resource that will allow me to filter all M.S. programs by my requirements (language or country, research focus) and then find out information (such as the list of courses that comprise the degree) about the programs that meet my criteria, all in one place?
# Answer
> 2 votes
The most useful I found (which also helped me finding one for me) is Find a masters.
It does let you select a country of your choice, provides a summary of program where courses list, research focus and other things important are mentioned.
It also lets you filter by program type (Dip, Cert or degree), by study plan (part time, full time etc) and more.
Lastly, it also provides a link to university website so you can go there easily for complete details if you like the description.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Have a look at this site study in us
They are still in early stages but have most of the information you need. You can filter the colleges based on your requirements and find more details about each college.
---
Tags: graduate-school, masters, online-resource
---
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thread-26624
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26624
|
Teaching a very small class when the students have very uneven proficiency levels
|
2014-07-31T10:57:08.593
|
# Question
Title: Teaching a very small class when the students have very uneven proficiency levels
How should a teacher and student cope with a situation like this.
I've been studying spanish for about a year and enrolled in a successive course. However, the course starts really early and there is only one other student, who should probably be in a more advanced class. The other student has been studying spanish for probably twice as long as me and already knows most of the grammar to be covered during the trimester. Obviously, this puts some stress on me, as I don't feel good about interrupting each exercise asking for translations and slowing the class down. On the other hand, I would definitely be in the right if I did, but that isn't much help.
How can I and the teacher work together to make this situation acceptable for all parties? Honestly at this point I'm thinking about dropping from this trimester and taking the financial hit from tuition fee I will not get back.
# Answer
> 19 votes
Having been that "advanced student" in a similar situation, I'd like to point out that in such a small class environment, there is really no reason that this shouldn't be an ongoing discussion between all three participants, throughout the duration of the course. Everyone has their own pace. In truth, everyone has their own pace through individual topics.
With a little open communication you can likely resolve this in a manner that is appropriate to the particulars of your context. In my case, I had been worried about the student that I felt was falling behind. I not only didn't worry about going a bit slower in class, but I also invited him to a once-a-week study group between the two of us. I've found that teaching concepts is the best way to cement them myself. The entire experience was quite fulfilling, and I consider the course to be a complete success - even from a purely personal educational perspective.
Your situation will be different, obviously, but the I think the only real answer is consistent, open dialog.
# Answer
> 9 votes
If the course has a specific level e.g. A1, A2, B1, B2... It is none of your problems that a guy who most probably belongs to a higher level is sitting there. You should not feel ashamed for that, and put pressure on yourself. Usually each level has its own learning/teaching goals. Look at the learning goals of your current level. If the other guy is above the learning goals simply make yourself comfortable. Continue with your own pace, because its not you who is in the "wrong place" (although the term wrong place might be misused in here). On the other hand if you are below the learning goals, then simply move one level below, this way you will be in an environment where you will feel more comfortable.
If it were up to me, I would not mind if there is a super-duper guy in the class. I would keep my own flow. I would raise my concerns to the teacher, in addition to that, if I were paying for that course I would "force" the teacher to work the situation out.
In the end of the day, it is your teachers problem to provide the best effort and ensure that she/he taught you. But for that to happen you will have to let the teacher know the situation.
# Answer
> 3 votes
There are at least two major false assumptions that many instructors tend to have:
1. The first false assumption: Most students of most classes are very similar, with very little difference in pre-knowledge and conception. Welcome to actual teaching: You always have a diverse body of students. The bigger your class, the more diverse. Assuming that they are all about the same, and that they just understand what you are saying, is damaging and leads many instructors to just keep talking for hours on end, based on a wrong conception of their audience, and are then satisfied because they set "lecturing" (i.e. talking and illustrating) equal to teaching, leaving most students untouched (unless they are good story tellers, but that's a different topic).
2. That brings me to false assumption number two: The idea that your teacher must be a complete expert on the topic in order to be helpful to you. It is certainly useful to know a lot about the domain, but no one is perfect. There are always "gaps in knowledge" and understanding. People might argue that an institution has bad quality control if they let non-experts teach students, but domain knowledge (or "hard skills", which in your case is Spanish) is only part of the equation. In order to help *people* learn more efficiently you need... well... *people* skills, i.e. soft skills. You need good communication, presentation, project management skills, and you need resourcefulness. Soft skills can be just as, or even more important to your teaching efficiency as domain knowledge (given you have at least a good basic understanding of the subject at hand).
In your particular case, you can help the advanced student by finding better, possibly interactive, material and maybe even letting him help you help others. There is a whole body of research showing evidence of teaching being a very efficient learner tool \[1\] \[2\]. If you have the time and motivation, you can even try flipping your classroom entirely. Make sure though that he understands the special role he would play, so he won't feel "out of place". Most of this approach requires you to be a good communicator.
Please consider this article titled "Moving away from teaching and becoming a facilitator of learning" for more information on moving away from archaic models. Don't be afraid to try out something new! "Trial & Error", a general problem solving technique, found in almost every other field, is just not very common in education yet. But if your students are aware of your shortcomings and aware of your "experiments", your attempts of trying out something new, and you are in good communication with the students, you can make the entire experience more valuable than traditional "you talk and they might or might not listen" methods, every single time.
# Answer
> 2 votes
This is a hard situation to be in. I was in the same situation, different language, not all that long ago. It was a tiny class and although I had progressed through each of the preceeding levels with acceptable marks there was a student in the class who already knew 8+ other languages and whose career was based around learning and using languages. Compared to that me, who had never learned a language before in my life, and there was a huge disparity.
How to handle this really depends on a couple of factors.
One of those factors is the instructor. The instructors for the course I was in were nice and sympathetic but, ultimately, unable or unwilling to reign in the advanced student. Without instructor support in such a small class situation you will have difficulty making any changes in what is happening.
That leads to another factor... What are you willing to do about this? I spent an exhaustive semester trying to 'catch up' to this student so I wouldn't constantly feel like I was being left behind. This is tempting for a lot of students in this situation. "I will work harder! And this will make things better!" The problem is that this depends on your other time commitments(can you afford to spend an additional *_* hours every day on this language), your aptitude for learning languages(some people are just slower at learning certain topics than others), your other base knowledge(if you don't remember what a conjugated adverb is then you'll have another layer of learning on top of what you are currently learning), and, frankly, your own frustration level with the course and subject material.
I don't normally say things like this but I think Wolfgang Kuehne's answer is unhelpful at best. Learning a language in a class should be a collaborative effort among students guided by their instructors. I'm iffy about the decisions to have super tiny language-learning courses (my situation became untenable once the course size dropped to 3 students) because when you run into this situation there's no buffer. Things would, I image, be very different in your situation if there was a range of other students in the course with a range of other skills. But as a student there is only so many times you can 'risk' saying something in another language to be immediately, and always, corrected by another student in the course. If there is no give and take, if there is never a time when you are correcting and the other is learning(and vice versa) then it pushes the corrected student into an unfortunate position.
Ultimately, and this may or may not be what you want to hear, I finished off the semester(it was needed to graduate on time) and I dropped the language(which I was planning on taking throughout my student career). Additionally I was put off both on the language itself and the process of learning languages in general. Having been in your situation, and maybe projecting a bit based on my own experiences; if your instructor is unwilling to go to bat for you and make sure things stay at an appropriate level, the other student is not dominating the learning time and you are not left feeling like the 'stupid one' in the class then, if you can, you should drop the class.
You have done nothing wrong. The other student, probably, has also done nothing overtly wrong(though good golly can they seem like jerks in this situation). But it's not going to be a great learning environment for you and, if that's the case, you'll get more benefit by using your time in a less frustrating environment.
# Answer
> 2 votes
First remember: it's *your* class as well as the other student's (assuming that you have enrolled in the class with due regard to any prerequisites or other conditions that were specified). Therefore you have just as much right to be instructed at an appropriate level as he/she does. It's easy to feel stupid when you ask a question that may be obvious to the other, but try not to be overwhelmed by this feeling: as I always impress upon my (mathematics) students, the only stupid question is the one you *don't* ask.
A possible suggestion: ask the teacher if he/she would permit the other student to teach you some of the material during class, with the teacher observing. This could be of real benefit to the other student too: attempting to teach a subject is possibly the best way to find out whether or not one really understands it, and in such a situation the teacher may very well notice some things that the student doesn't completely understand, and by explaining them improve his/her learning too. Moreover, if the other student is learning the language with the intent of teaching it in the future, the sooner they start practising, the better for them!
# Answer
> 1 votes
I've been the "better student" (an advanced beginner) in a language group (French) where the other two parties were a native speaker, and another student (a rank beginner).
The better student tries to teach something to the worse student, and the teacher corrects one or the other, or both, if there is a mistake made.
Or the teacher teaches something to the better student, who passes it along (perhaps in watered down form) to the other student.
When you have one teacher and two students, it's not really a class, but more like a tutorial, that allows for a lot more "one on one" or "one on two" work. In a workplace, it would be like a boss acting as "team leader" with two subordinates, instead of as a "department head" with 5-10 "reports."
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Tags: teaching, language
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thread-26869
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26869
|
Can you get a tenure-track position in philosophy with a J.D.?
|
2014-08-07T00:22:47.243
|
# Question
Title: Can you get a tenure-track position in philosophy with a J.D.?
As stated in the title, I'm wondering if someone could shed some light on whether it is possible to land a tenure-track position in philosophy with a J.D. By way of background, I double majored in philosophy and psychology, and I am heading into my 3rd year of law school. A life as an academic sounds more appealing than it did a few years ago when I chose law school over a Phd., and I'm curious if a J.D. could suffice. Any helpful insight on this topic would be greatly appreciated!
# Answer
Realistically, no.
There's more philosophy PhDs looking for jobs than jobs available in philosophy, and your undergraduate experience while helpful probably won't make you stand out as an expert in philosophy. Or to put it another way, while you've been earning your J.D. which prepares you for law, philosophy PhD earners have been studying the very subject material they will teach.
*But* you might be eligible for positions where they are looking for someone in philosophy of law. Specifically, if they want someone with practical experience (but then they wouldn't want you straight out of your J.D.). Probably a good way to ask this question would be to e-mail Brian Leiter (or someone else) who works in law and philosophy.
> 23 votes
# Answer
It is possible but you'll be competing against people with doctorates in Philosophy and dissertations and publications in philosophical journals.
Usually the requirement for faculty at colleges and university is the "terminal degree in the field." For law professors, this is the JD. For studio artists, the MFA. And most other faculty, the PhD.
I don't think the Provost would raise any issues with your hiring in terms of credentials, but the more difficult thing will be to convince the hiring committee (consisting of mostly philosophy profs with some other humanists) that you're the right person for the job.
Be prepared to articulate why you'll be capable of not only teaching PHIL101, but PHIL2xx, 3xx, and 4xx. If you're at a university, would you be capable of mentoring PhD students? The assumption will be that you don't have that experience, so the burden of proof will be on you.
Many JDs figure it's just as easy to get the PhD with a few more years of school and emerge with a JD-PhD.
\[Editorial Aside: That all being said, I think you're a bit nutso. Have you seen the starting salaries for law professors? They are earning $150,000+ in the few few years and often have tenure by their 4th year. If I were you, I'd go into the teaching of law and teach very philosophical law classes.\]
> 14 votes
# Answer
At a theoretical level, it's certainly possible. Saul Kripke never went to graduate school at all, but that didn't stop Princeton from giving him tenure in philosophy. If you're the next Kripke, then nobody will care what sort of degree you have.
At a practical level, you can't get hired in philosophy with just a J.D., assuming you aren't talking specifically about philosophy of law (which might draw on your legal background on an equal footing with philosophy). If you are, then that's worth a more detailed and specific question regarding the necessary background and experience. For a start, see these comments by Brian Leiter. If you want to do philosophy of law with a primarily legal background, it sounds like the chances are higher if you look for a law faculty position rather than a job in a philosophy department.
On the other hand, if you have in mind a philosophical career that does not make heavy use of your legal background, then the J.D. will be essentially useless. It's a terminal degree, but not one that certifies any level of background or experience in philosophy, so it will be irrelevant. The only way to get a job in a philosophy department at a four-year college or university is to convince them that you have the equivalent of a Ph.D. in philosophy (including not just basic knowledge, but also advanced seminars, carrying out research, and writing a dissertation - even if you won't be doing further research or teaching graduate courses).
This level of experience would be rare among law students, and even if you genuinely have the equivalent of a philosophy Ph.D. you should expect to have a difficult time making a convincing case for this.
I haven't seen your particular case (applying for philosophy jobs with a J.D.) in practice, but I've seen similar sorts of job searches in other fields (arguably with closer degrees, since Ph.D. degrees in related fields are more similar to each other than either is to a J.D.). In order to pull this off, you must have credible and compelling recommendations from mainstream faculty in the field you're applying to. So one key question is what the philosophy faculty at your current university think of you. Are they willing to write letters making a case that you are as qualified as their own Ph.D. students? If so, then you may have a shot at this, and you should talk with them for advice based on your personal situation. If you don't know any philosophers who are willing to write that sort of letter for you, then that will be a major barrier to getting a job in a philosophy department.
> 10 votes
# Answer
I think in part you're mixing up (or at least not clearly distinguishing) two separate questions:
1. If you have a J.D., could you become a philosophy professor without getting any additional formal qualifications? (Yes.)
2. If you have a typical resume for someone just finishing their J.D., would anyone hire you to be a philosophy professor? (Almost certainly not.)
To go to an analogy that might be more familiar, your question is a bit like asking "Can you go to Harvard if you get a GED?" The answer is yes in a certain formal sense; I'm sure there are people whose highest qualification is a GED who have gone to Harvard. Probably, somebody, somewhere, with a JD has gone on to being a philosophy professor without getting an additional degree, but that doesn't mean it's something a reasonable person should expect to do.
The important point here is that having a degree (even a very specific kind of degree) is not the primary qualification for becoming a professor. It's publishing in your field, convincing important people in the field that you are smart and good at what you do, and being able to teach undergraduate and graduate students in your field. A PhD helps you become a professor because it gives you a chance to do those things in a conducive environment, not because you get a sheepskin at the end. If you are able to do those things, maybe you can be successful in philosophy. It doesn't sound from your question like you've had much of a chance to do them yet.
> 7 votes
# Answer
The fact that you are a freshly graduated JD, and not a PhD cries out loud that you don't have any substantial research in the chosen field (neither other academic field). I don't think it is a good sign...
> -1 votes
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Tags: phd, career-path, tenure-track
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thread-26934
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26934
|
What are the ethics of getting help from online forums?
|
2014-08-08T01:08:37.283
|
# Question
Title: What are the ethics of getting help from online forums?
As an engineer, sometimes in my research I come across a mathematical problem that either is beyond my mathematical skills, or I know that someone, somewhere must have seen something like it before and can point me in the right direction, hence saving me time.
Asking on math.stackexchange often does the trick, but I wonder what the ethics involved are. For instance, if someone provides a complete answer, and the result turns out to be integral to the paper, should I offer them authorship?
PS: I'm not talking about a result that is novel in itself - i.e. it would not be considered as a contribution to mathematics. The result will be an application of standard mathematics to a particular engineering problem.
# Answer
> Asking on math.stackexchange often does the trick, but I wonder what the ethics involved are. For instance, if someone provides a complete answer, and the result turns out to be integral to the paper, should I offer them authorship?
If someone else made an *integral contribution* to your work, it seems appropriate to offer them coauthorship, yes. You go on to say:
> I'm not talking about a result that is novel in itself - i.e. it would not be considered as a contribution to mathematics. The result will be an application of standard mathematics to a particular engineering problem.
I see what you're getting at, but still: if you did not have the knowledge to write the paper, then asked someone for help, then based on their help you can write the paper, then it seems that they deserve to be offered coauthorship even if what they provided was from the perspective of their discipline completely routine and well-known.
One example that springs to mind is the Hardy-Weinberg Principle: this is a famous (and, in my understanding, rather important) law of genetics whose mathematical content really does seem to amount to: if p+q = 1, then p^2+2pq + q^2 = 1. The history of this is not what I had assumed it to be: it is *not* a collaboration between Hardy and Weinberg (Weinberg was a German physician who had independently discovered the law at about the same time). Rather Reginald Punnett was having trouble defending Mendelian genetics against an argument of Udny Yule that dominant alleles would weed out recessive ones and thus genotypic frequencies would not remain stable in the population. Punnett brought this up to (the great analytic number theorist) G.H. Hardy who happened to be his cricket partner, who duly submitted a letter to the journal *Science*. As the wikipedia article points out, Hardy makes his take on his "contribution" pretty clear, e.g. in the phrasing "a little mathematics of the multiplication-table type is enough to show...." It is interesting that this is *not* called the "Hardy-Punnett Law" (though there are Punnett squares, which seem to my inexpert eye to be pretty much the same thing). One striking thing about this example is that the mathematics here is *really* trivial: it is hard to imagine any mathematician (or engineer, etc.) who would not have been able to answer the question.
Of course, just because you offer someone coauthorship does not mean that they will take it. Most mathematicians I know are not interested in being coauthors of papers in other disciplines for which their contribution was purely mathematical and is regarded by them as "trivial", "well-known" or both. If someone declines coauthorship then it seems largely agreed upon that you can go on to write the paper by yourself and include a clear acknowledgement of their contribution.
> 15 votes
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Tags: ethics, mathematics, authorship, collaboration, engineering
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thread-26907
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26907
|
Citing a result due to a single author that appears in a paper with multiple authors
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2014-08-07T17:12:49.010
|
# Question
Title: Citing a result due to a single author that appears in a paper with multiple authors
Let's say that Jones and Smith publish a mathematical paper containing a result (Theorem 3.1, say,) which is said in that paper to be due to Smith alone but appears for the first time in her joint paper with Jones. How should I cite this result?
Here are a few examples of ways I might cite the result if Jones were *not* a co-author of the paper (for definiteness let's say the paper is number 7 in my bibliography):
1. "By a theorem of Smith \[7, Theorem 3.1\]..."
2. "Our argument is based on that of Smith \[7, Theorem 3.1\]..."
3. "...implies the hypothesis of Smith's theorem \[7, Theorem 3.1\]..."
How might I adapt these phrasings to the situation described above?
# Answer
> 9 votes
I would just cite it as "Jones and Smith" and not worry about it. The standard in math is to cite papers by their authors. If Smith wanted to be cited alone, she should have published the result herself.
I think this situation has some precedent in other fields. I might be wrong, but think some journals such as Nature (see http://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/#a5.5 "author contributions") make the authors disclose who did what. It does not mean that the paper needs to be cited differently depending on what part of it is used.
# Answer
> 6 votes
This is an unusual situation in mathematics: I'm not sure if I've ever seen a singly claimed theorem in a multiply authored mathematics paper except when the theorem has its provenance in explicitly mentioned earlier work of the single author. (I would be interested to see an example.) I'm pretty sure there is no "standard" answer.
One idea would be to bail out of listing either author's name: you could just say "Our argument is based on \[7, Theorem 3.1\]...." This is not ideal: I think that when you cite someone's work in a critical way then their name should appear in the text itself rather than be pointed to / abbreviated in the bibliographic citation. But this is not a hard and fast rule, so far as I know.
I suppose that if the paper itself says the theorem is due to Smith alone and not Jones-Smith, then you should attribute it that way in your writing. Thus all of your suggested phrasings seem appropriate to me. Readers who see "theorem of Smith \[7, Theorem 3.1\]" and then flip to the end to find a paper of Jones-Smith may be a bit surprised...but then they'll read the paper and see that you've reported the attribution as Jones and Smith themselves did.
If this is a really famous theorem then the community at large -- or even different portions of the community -- may have its own feelings about how to refer to it. (A vaguely similar instance in contemporary mathematics is that some people speak of Maynard's Theorem and others speak of Maynard-Tao...) In this case, by saying one thing rather than another you may be signalling some kind of political allegiance / personal fealty....Such issues are beyond the scope of this answer.
# Answer
> 2 votes
The examples you suggested are fine even when Jones is a coauthor of paper 7. In fact, I see it as the best way of conveying the information. I have seen such citation being adopted, e.g., in this paper. If you have access to it, see page 258, where the authors wrote
> ... in Budal’s original derivation \[12, eqn (5.2)\],
although the cited paper 12 is a two-author paper, as you may find in the references. In this example, one of the authors who cited paper 12 was a coauthor of that paper, so he knew that the derivation was due to Budal alone.
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Tags: publications, citations
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thread-26873
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26873
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What makes a MSc in Computer Science difficult for someone who has no specific background but 10 years of experience as a programmer?
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2014-08-07T02:14:51.963
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# Question
Title: What makes a MSc in Computer Science difficult for someone who has no specific background but 10 years of experience as a programmer?
I enrolled at my current MSc in computer science program last year having never completed a single computer science course in college. I decided to apply because 10 years after college I had a fairly successful career as a front-end web developer and figured it would be great to have a degree so as to look like a more legitimate programmer than what my anthropology B.A. degree might imply. I had taken several math and physics courses in college and did well, so I figured a computer science degree could be manageable.
Now, it's been over a year since my program started (I attend part-time). I dropped a core class in basic algorithms in my first semester because I couldn't understand algorithms and decided to enroll in the same course offered this summer. I'd hoped to do well this summer, but it looks like if I pass I'd be just barely scraping by. It feels like everyone is doing much better than me and can solve problems faster and more accurately. If you were me would you quit the program? I'm not sure if it is:
* a lack of a background in undergraduate computer science
* the fact that I am an older student who is nearly 40
* a lack of aptitude for this subject
Any thoughts from others in computer science, engineering, and mathematical sciences would be much appreciated.
EDIT: It's been 7 months since I posted this and I've realized the problem. Front-end web development quite frankly is *nothing* like computer science. Many concepts in my basic algorithms course requires a good grasp of recursion, which I didn't have before entering the program. All the programming I had done in the past was iterative. Once I was able to understand and (more importantly) correctly apply recursion to everything from Towers of Hanoi to dynamic programming the algorithms course got much easier. To anyone starting graduate school in computer science--never underestimate the importance of recursion! Even if you think you understand it, test yourself with other students to make sure your understanding is solid!
More generally, my advice to anyone starting out in computer science is to figure out what it is you are weak at and work to get stronger in it. That can be hard to do initially if you are overwhelmed by the material and everything just appears really difficult, but talk to your professor and ask him or her to help identify your areas of weakness, never give up, and you will be able to master the material soon.
Btw, I did take a one year Intro to CS course for students without engineering/math backgrounds, but it mostly focused on object-oriented programming and glossed over recursion.
# Answer
> 45 votes
**Survival guide from someone who's been in your situation**
I think you're getting many discouraging comments here which doesn't help you a lot. You already know you don't have the best possible qualifications, you don't need people reminding you. The question is, *what can you do about it?*
I'm a CS major, but I started out as a physics undergrad. I had the kind of courses you're talking about, multivariate calculus etc. This means that when I had my algorithms course (following the same book as your course), I hadn't had any discrete math at all. The discrete math helps you understand the data structures. The data structures are used when implementing the algorithms. Proof techniques from discrete math helps you understand the correctness and runtime complexity of an algorithm.
Even though having a vast knowledge of (discrete) math would aid your understanding of algorithms, it is a great overstatement to imply that you can't get by without it. I picked up all these things during my algorithms course. If I, like you, had asked people whether I should quit because I had zero knowledge of graphs and trees prior to taking the course, I would probably have received discouraging comments as you do now. As it happens, I got a perfect score for the course because I studied hard at exactly what the exam demanded. I rehearsed every single proof in the syllabus (mine was an oral exam). I don't know what type of exam you're up against, but I suggest you narrow down the syllabus as much as possible, and concentrate only on what you're supposed to know that will *get you to pass*.
'Introduction to algorithms' is a very comprehensive book and there's a lot of stuff in there you don't need. A lot of people here are perfectionists and think you ought to know everything, I've even seen someone here suggesting you should know Lagrangian mechanics, I really don't see the relevance of that at all. This is not a physics course.
Finally I'd like to add a comment about recurrences T(n). This can be hard to understand because the book doesn't give you an exact recipe for this. It's helpful to think of the recurrence relation T(n) as the behavior of the problem. The problem is the input to the algorithm and is expressed in terms of n - the size of the problem.
Example: I assume you're familiar with Mergesort. With the algorithm Mergesort you take the problem n and divide it into two equally large problems (you can tell from looking at the algorithm). These problems are half the size of the original problem, so you get a recurrence that says
T(n) = 2T(n/2) + O(n)
The recurrence basically says that the problem starts out as n and then becomes two problems of half size, which the algorithm is then applied to (hence the T). (You might notice then, that the recurrence relations are only applied to recursive algorithms). The O(n) expresses the linear cost it takes to merge the two problems together once they have been solved (because we know this is performed by the subroutine Merge). This step is not recursive, as it is performed after the problem has "come back" from being recursively solved.
So as you can see, the recurrence relation is gleaned from looking at the algorithm. The relation is then solved by either the master theorem or the substitution method or gleaned from drawing a graph of the recursions (recursion tree) and then proved rigorously with the substitution method. The solution will tell you the nature of the runtime, i.e.: If you increase the size n of the problem, how much do you increase the runtime?
For Mergesort the answer is Theta(n log n) which means that the increase in runtime will be a function of the type f(n) = n log n. You compare runtimes by looking at the steepness of the slopes of these functions. If the runtime is Theta(2^n) then the slope will be extremely steep, and the time it takes to run the algorithm will increase very fast, so the algorithm is said to be very slow. This is the answer you're looking for when you construct the recurrence.
And finally: don't despair, it might seem very difficult at times, but you'll probably be closer to understanding than you think. A very good tool for me was to watch the lectures on algorithms and datastructures from the MIT opencourseware. http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-006-introduction-to-algorithms-fall-2011/lecture-videos/ and http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-046j-introduction-to-algorithms-sma-5503-fall-2005/video-lectures/
Good luck!
# Answer
> 50 votes
It sounds like you fell into a couple of common traps at the same time.
**Trap 1:**
*I am good at front-end web development, I am surely good at computer science as well*
As you likely learned by now, it is possible (quite common, actually) to be a terrific *programmer* and still struggle with fundamental CS topics, such as algorithms. There may have been a time when programming was really applied algorithms, but today the skills required to write your average web application is relatively disjoint from what you learn in CS 101.
**Trap 2:**
*I did decent in (undergrad) maths and physics courses, surely those (master) CS courses will be ok.*
This is a combination of multiple fallacies I have seen. Firstly, you may have not taken into account that master-level CS courses are, well, for students on master-level. They assume a strong command of the basics, which, by the sound of it, you lack. Further, doing ok in maths and physics is a good indicator that you'll do well in maths and physics, it by no means qualifies you directly for a CS master.
**Trap 3:**
*I know what I need to know, I just applied to the master because I need a better degree.*
You say that:
> \[I\] figured it would be great to have a degree so as to look like a more legitimate programmer than what my anthropology B.A. degree might imply
I find this statement very concerning, as it seems you are more interested in getting a degree than in learning CS. If that is the case, you should seriously reconsider whether the degree is actually worth the trouble. Frankly, for most programming houses I am in contact with, 10 years of experience count for more than a master's degree anyway.
**Now to answer your concrete question:**
> If you were me would you quit the program? I'm not sure if it is a lack of a background in undergraduate computer science, the fact that I am an older student who is nearly 40, or a lack of aptitude for this subject.
I would not assume that you are just "not good enough", and the age shouldn't really be an issue either. It definitely sounds like you are lacking background, and the fact that you are doing the master part-time surely isn't helping either. All in all, that does not make for very favorable conditions.
Nobody but you can tell whether you should quit, but given the information, I would re-evaluate whether (a) a master is achievable for you, and (b) whether getting a master's degree is actually worth it for you.
# Answer
> 14 votes
I think the lack of background is a huge factor.
I *already have* a master's in mathematics, graduated 14 years ago. I'm certain I couldn't do a master's in mathematics now without going back over undergraduate material first. I'm fairly sure that revisiting that material would take rather more than just the spare time that I have left over after doing a master's in the spare time from my job. Of course mathematics isn't the same as CS, but I think the same consideration would apply.
Doing OK in maths and physics at undergraduate level *might* have prepared you somewhat for a CS master's (although like everyone says, it's by no means guaranteed to be enough). But 10 years is long enough to forget even what you had, quite aside from the fact that what you had was a few courses rather than the syllabus of a mathematics major. It's not just the content of the course (most of mathematics is irrelevant to CS), it's the mindset of "being a mathematician" and "doing mathematics formally" that's similar to the formality required in your course, but is mostly absent from everyday apps programming. If you're anything like me, you have to some extent forgotten how to operate in the necessary mode, it no longer comes naturally.
As a test, take a look now at the harder mathematics and physics problems from the courses you took. Can you site down and do them now with anything like the ease you did then? Even with an "open book" to look up definitions you don't recall? If not, then you're less prepared for CS now than you were then, and like everyone says you weren't fully prepared then.
I think your best source of information is whoever decided you were qualified for the course. They must have thought you could get up to speed. Check with your professors whether you've done the sorts of things they think you would have to do to prepare, and whether that preparation is feasible on your schedule. Until you deal with the lack of background I don't think there's any way to tell whether you lack aptitude.
Age shouldn't inherently be a problem, since people take degrees in all subjects at all ages. However, your life being full of other stuff *is* an obstacle to some extent. Part of the reason I was much better at mathematics 15 years ago than I am now, is that 15 years ago I did it every day, usually for several hours. So I was simply in a better position to accept information delivered in a "mathsy" way, which I think CS courses basically are. No doubt there's material out there specifically intended for part-time students, that could help you attain and maintain "the zone".
> I can't understand recursive equations like how you construct T(n)=log(n)+O(1) from an algorithm
If explanations that work for your colleagues don't work for you then you might consider one-to-one tutoring. Naturally that's extremely expensive, but if the class hears "and then throw the Master theorem at it" and knows what that means and how to fill in the details, and you don't, then clearly they have background you don't and so you need things filled in that they don't.
> If you were me would you quit the program?
If I were you I would probably be asking the university (a) whether there's anything else I can work towards with the course credits I have, (b) whether there's an approved means to take the program more slowly, giving more time to fill in any missing background as I go. I have no idea what the answers would be, but I'd want to know my options before seriously thinking about quitting.
If it's just this one course (admittedly an important one, presumably other courses later require it) then it's entirely possible that you'll crack it eventually. There was one undergraduate course that I repeated (informally: my problems weren't being graded the second time) even after completing it the first time to what would have been a passing standard if my university worked that way (not in the US). It was *way* easier after that. You've seen some of this course twice, but some of it not at all (since you dropped it the first time and haven't reached the end this time). Personally I wouldn't do anything hasty until I'd at least reached the end of the course once. And if you scrape a pass that doesn't mean you can't visit the tougher material at the end a second time, and the early material a third. Although presumably if you wanted to be re-graded you'd have to formally enroll in the class yet again?
# Answer
> 8 votes
I think first you need to start taking the subject seriously.
> I had heard that CS is mostly math, so was under the (mistaken) impression that doing well in math means doing well in CS.
That's like "I had heard that basketball is mostly running, so was under the (mistaken) impression that doing well in running means doing well in basketball".
Yes, you'll need your running. No, it does *not* at all save you from training like the others. Because everyone *knows* it to be a prerequisite.
> I had a fairly successful career as a front-end web developer and figured it would be great to have a degree so as to look like a more legitimate programmer than what my anthropology B.A. degree might imply.
A front-end web developer qualifies you for a computer science degree like typing 100 words per minute qualifies you for a typewriter mechanic.
> If you were me would you quit the program?
Before quitting, it might be worth checking what it would take to *start* for real. Only *then* are you in a situation to judge whether the effort is feasible/possible for you and worth it. For a programming job, a CS degree is of somewhat marginal value.
For a programming job in Scheme, I'd probably look and interview carefully before making a decision between someone with a degree in ancient Greek and Arabic or in Computer Science. Chances are that the former is so much better at thinking analytically and out of the box and not being scared of challenges that coming from an entirely different discipline is causing him less trouble than being schooled in a different programming language paradigm does the other.
Seriously. So if you are going to try doing a CS degree, don not make it about getting a degree. It is a completely different and new skill set. If you want to work in your current profession, you might not even be able to put it to much use.
# Answer
> 7 votes
First, talk to your advisor. He/She would know your situation much better than us.
I would not quit right now if I were you. I think quitting now is a premature decision. I think it is understandable that you cannot catch up very fast especially you attend only part time. You probably should take lower level courses (probably undergrad level) to refresh the knowledge you acquired 10 years ago. If you still cannot do them very well, then consider to quit.
# Answer
> 6 votes
At the undergraduate level, "Data Structures and Algorithms" is typically the weed out course for our department. Students take it in their second year after having had intro to programming. The sorts of problems you encounter in that course will help you reason about coding, however it's very possible to work in front end web development without encountering them. Typically, the place where this sort of logic is most useful is in the backend not the display layer.
The graduate version of that course is likely to be the hardest course you have to deal with and the most unfamiliar to your skill set. It's also one of the few places where a firm understanding of discrete math is going to be very helpful. It's very common for Graduate students arriving from other disciplines or universities that did not cover this well to have trouble with this course. Frequently the solution is to have them audit the undergraduate course first.
As for whether you should continue, If you find that after some experience you are interested in "data structures and algorithms" and "formal languages and automata", then a theory focused computer science degree may be interesting to you. If you don't, then focusing on management relevant courses like software engineering may be interesting to you. If you're in this program because you want to learn more for your own sake, that's great you will get out of it what you put into it. If you're in this program for career advancement, this degree might help you land management level positions but will have little or no effect on your ability to find developer level positions for frontend work. It may open up some new opportunities for back-end work, however if that's your interest the certificate route might be a lot cheaper and faster for you. As a developer, your 10 years experience is far more valuable than a masters in cs.
If you have not already, I recommend taking the undergraduate discrete math, undergraduate data structures and algorithms, and undergraduate formal languages courses before continuing with the hard subjects in computer science. If you need to take some graduate level courses at the same time, take some soft subjects like software engineering which will likely be much more familiar to you.
Also, while the coursework for algorithms is fairly well defined, not all books are equal. I recommend http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/introduction-algorithms.
# Answer
> 5 votes
Had to leave a separate answer because I don't have enough rep to put it as a comment on @Lacoppidan's answer.
First, I salute you on your attempts to become a *proper* programmer ;)
Second, I want to scotch some of the BS that other's have written:
1. You do not **need** an undergrad degree in CS, **unless the course says that you do**. Many Masters courses are **designed** to accept cross-discipline students, which yours **clearly** is, as it wouldn't even *have* a DS&A module if it weren't!
2. Age probably isn't a major factor. Yes, neuroplasticity drops as you get older, but all that means is that you need to work harder **not** that you can't do it. Certainly, I've found that there are things that I can understand intuitively now that I couldn't when I was younger. Also, if you have a settled/stable home life and job, that's going to put you at a massive advantage compared to many, as anxiety is the biggest blocker to learning you can get.
It smells to me like you've got two separate things working against you:
1. You're doing part-time.
2. You're *worrying* about passing; about whether you can do it.
Part-time is ++hard (see what I did there? ;) ) - **the** most valuable resource you have at university are your peers. I found that just having other people to talk about stuff with helped me enormously both in improving my understanding and consolidating my knowledge as well as building my confidence.
So, my #1 tip to **anyone** undertaking a university-level course is: find people on your course(s) that you get along with and build relationships with them around the work. Don't worry about 'the age thing', worry about if those people help you understand what's going on or not.
Also, don't worry about asking someone 'super clever' for help - you'll actually be doing them a *favour* by getting them to explain it to you in a way that you can understand. Sounds strange, I know, but having to explain something to someone (who may or may not be as clever as you), **forces** you to understand your subject better; to organise your own thoughts. I'm sure you know from your real-world experience, that being 'good' and 'clever' isn't enough - you *have* to be able to communicate your ideas to others and work collaboratively, because interesting software is non-trivial and non-trivial software is too big & complex for one person to do on their own.
Worrying about succeeding or not will always hold you back. It's something that I've struggled with many times.
One strategy I found works for me, is to just focus on learning *stuff*; just learn *anything* that's related to the course. Read for the sheer hell of it! Focus on the stuff that you find interesting. And write lots of code.
By focusing on *just learning* you'll get much more out of the time you put in and you'll be more satisfied with what you've learnt. True, it may not help you pass your course, but chances are, it will, because when you've got back into the habit of just learning stuff, you'll find it easier to learn the stuff you need to pass.
Another strategy is to *write more code*. One thing I definitely didn't do enough of as an undergrad, was write enough code. This is particularly important for stuff like DS&A - the only way to get really familiar with an algorithm or with things like pointer manipulation, is to do it. Lots.
If you can do it and can explain how it works, then you understand it.
This should be where your broader experience comes in; you've got 10 years experience of writing code, so you've no doubt picked up lots of techniques and skills that will help you. Use them!
Use things like dry-running (something that I don't think is taught much these days, but it's still a fantastic tool, particularly for learning DS&A) and/or interactive debugging to step through your execution.
The third technique I found really helpful is mind-mapping. I used it as a way to fill the gaps in my knowledge, by breaking a topic into its constituent parts, exploring the things I didn't understand and then return to the parent topic while this new knowledge was fresh in my mind.
For example (sorry, no pictures), the subject of 'linked lists' might decompose into:
* list
* pointers
* head
* tail
* dynamic memory allocation
I'd then look at each of these and ask myself "do I *know* what each of these is?" If the answer is 'yes', then I move on, if 'maybe', I check my knowledge against Google, if 'no', then I create a separate sheet and work on it until I do (decomposing further as necessary). That way, the next time I'm coming to a subject I and I see "linked list", I will either:
* know what a linked list is and how it works; or
* have a good set of notes that I can quickly use to refresh my memory
Again, practice, practice, practice. The more code you write and have to debug, the better you'll get to understanding what's going on.
This turned into a much longer answer than I'd intended, but I do hope you find it useful.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I am mildly confused about where you started with your Masters? But here's my experience as someone in similar shoes.
I have an undergrad degree in Political Science but wanted to pursue a Master's in CS. In order to do this I had to start from the ground up and delayed my undergrad graduation to take the prereq classes for the Masters. Now here's the thing for anyone: getting into CS late in the game is hard. You have had no experience whereas others have had ample (as so many are coming from either being self taught or seeing it in high school).
Learning CS can be daunting and I would guess from what you said your job is that you don't realize a fundamental thing about programming, and that's to make it easier for other programmers. From what I've seen of many web based programming is that there's a lot of backdoor programming going on. That's not a bad thing but as others have pointed out, programming is different than CS.
To be honest, this sounds like a personal choice and not really heavy on pros and cons that aren't personal. You aren't getting it because you're out of options, because you've always wanted to learn it or because your job demands it. You're going because you think it might help you on paper. i'm not saying that's a bad reason, but it certainlt isn't helpful in the motivation category.
I've known a lot of people getting their BS in CS and they suck at it. They fail at almost every class (or just barely scrap by). But man are they still sticking with it (for better or worse, who really knows). So what I'm saying is, your not alone in finding a CS topic hard or confusing. It's more, is it really worth the effort for you at the end of the day?
Oh, one last thing, are you afraid to ask questions being a more senior member of the class? Do you just sit there hopelessly but afraid that everyone knows more than you? If so, stop that. They don't know more than you and quite possibly don't get it even worse. Go back to 20 year old you in undergrad, what would you do then? You would talk to your classmates and teacher to get a better understanding. If you do this already then good for you, but if not, you might just be surprised about where you actually stand in the class. (I've had classes where just scrapping by is considered an achievment as there is a tramendious failure rate)
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Tags: masters
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thread-17673
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/17673
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Community College or extension programs as a way of preparing for a Masters in Mathematics
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2014-03-03T15:58:46.193
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# Question
Title: Community College or extension programs as a way of preparing for a Masters in Mathematics
I wanted to get some directions on how to prepare for a MS Degree in Mathematics.
Background:
1. I'm interested in getting a Ph.D in Statistical Learning or related area in 5-6 years.
2. I took some courses in Mathematical Statistics and I struggled because I do not have recent coursework in Analysis, Measure theory, etc.
3. I studied electrical engineering with a very heavy mathematical component from a very decent University 20 years ago however, it is amazing how much I've forgotten.
4. I've always been fascinated by mathematics and I'm very tempted to build a solid foundation before partaking in doctoral study.
5. I am working at the moment - my job is flexible and I'm saving to take off a year or two for the final years of my doctoral work.
6. I have a couple of graduate degrees in the area of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence
Plan:
1. I'd like to build up to where I was 20 years ago: calculus, linear algebra, diff equations, calculus of complex variables, frequency domain analysis.
2. I'd also like to take courses that are typically reserved for math majors like proofs, analysis, group theory, algebra, etc.
**I think the best way to accomplish the plan would be a decent community college or extension program like (UC Berkeley extension) that offers online classes -- any recommendation?**
# Answer
I fear that not so many community colleges would offer the upper-division courses a math-major sort of person would want, especially to aim toward graduate school in mathematics. Further, you'd be needing letters of recommendation for grad school, and community colleges would not generate letters that would help you, since the letter writers (by far most often) would not be familiar with grad school from the side of mentoring and supervising grad students (even if they themselves did have a Ph.D.).
It is true that community colleges are usually much cheaper than "universities", but the coursework, context for coursework, and outlook of faculty teaching the upper-division courses you need, and their letters on your behalf, are things that you can't avoid but need.
> 7 votes
# Answer
Unless you are using the term "community college" different than I am use to for in Canada and the US, then **no**.
If you mean a local state or government funded **degree** (4-year) granting universities then perhaps. Another possibility, if they exist anymore are one or two-year *junior college* which acts like a feeder, or extension campus to a 4-year university.
Not the 9-months to 3 year **diploma** granting colleges which tend be vocational oriented. (Similar to a bit lower academic standard than Polytechnical post-secondary schools in Europe)
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You should be able to find introductory classes (years 1 and 2) via distance education through out the world easily.
In the interests of cost and legitimacy, I recommend avoiding privately owned/run distance education programs including online universities. This does **not** mean government owned or run distance education like Open University or Athabasca University, those are great and affordable.
At an university you should be able to register as a "non-degree program" (or similar) student, either part-time or full-time. This is commonly used for preparing towards a degree program in the future for not-fresh-from-high-school student enrollment cases.
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> I have a couple of *graduate degrees* in the area of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence
(emphasis added)
This makes *no sense* when you previously said "I'm interested in getting a Ph.D in Statistical Learning." If you have a M.Sc. or Ph.D. in Computer Science (I don't know off-hand of any place that grants *degrees* in AI).
Do you mean you previously have taken graduate level *courses* in CS and AI? If so, I would expect you to start your search from that university unless geographic reasons prevent it, at least speaking to them as a starting point for recommendations.
> 0 votes
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Tags: masters, mathematics
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thread-23403
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/23403
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Applying to PhD programs; do I need to include transcripts from unrelated master's degree program?
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2014-06-14T18:49:58.580
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# Question
Title: Applying to PhD programs; do I need to include transcripts from unrelated master's degree program?
I'm interested in pursuing a PhD in a particular humanities field and I feel that my undergraduate GPA is strong enough for me to get into such a program at a top school. However, my path to deciding this has been somewhat circuitous. Along the way, I completed a master's degree in a completely unrelated subject which I became uninterested in and disillusioned by while I was in the program. I decided to complete it anyway and as a result of my lack of passion for the field, I didn't perform very well in my master's program and just did the minimum to complete my degree.
Now when I look at PhD applications, I see that every school's admission page says you must submit transcripts from *all university level courses taken* even though only a bachelor's degree is required for admission. My question is, if by omitting transcripts from my master's program, would I be violating most admission policies and/or risk having a misleading or unethical application?
# Answer
> 13 votes
*"All university level courses taken"* means *"all university level courses taken"*, so yes, you should submit it too. Otherwise, if at any point they discover that you had been enrolled in that masters, you could be in trouble for lying.
Even if they don't require you to submit it, you will have to explain what were you doing during that time. And a bad master's is far better than sitting at home doing noting.
Now, you don't want it to hurt your application, so you should consider explaining in your cover letter why you did poorly. That shouldn't be too difficult, I think a good bachelor and a bad master is still better than just a good bachelor.
# Answer
> 12 votes
If the requirements say
> You must submit transcripts from all university level courses taken
Then yes, you must submit transcripts from your unrelated master's. To do otherwise would be a violation of the policy, which clearly states you must submit all university-level transcripts.
# Answer
> 1 votes
In fact completing a Masters degree is a positive aspect in your application, regardless of not being in the same (or similar) field of studies.
Since the topic of why you believe yourself to be a suitable candidate for the Ph.D. program will be part of your application at some point in the process, you should present the experience as a positive one, where you both demonstrated your ability to do graduate level work successfully, and that it lead (wholly or in part) to your realization that you were not as interested in that subject as you expected to be.
This should be followed up with some justification why you expect to remain focused and interested in the longer and more detailed Ph.D. program, but I view that as an essential requite to anyone's success in a graduate program anyhow, so you will need to figure how to make a strong and convincing argument. For own state of mind, as well as your admissions application.
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Tags: phd, graduate-admissions, masters, application, transcript-of-records
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thread-26918
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26918
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Is there a name for the inverse of the impostor syndrome?
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2014-08-07T19:56:50.257
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# Question
Title: Is there a name for the inverse of the impostor syndrome?
**Question:** The impostor syndrome seems to be common in academia and there are quite a few questions about it. I wonder if there is something like the inverse impostor syndrome.
I'm not referring to the Dunning–Kruger effect, I don't feel particularly superior to anyone. That's not it. Metaphorically: I don't feel like I have a greater slice of cake because I don't see any cake, even though everybody speaks about how big, moist and delicious their slices are and how knowledgeable they are about cakes.
To me, **everybody feels like an impostor**. (And everything feels like a lie)
Is there a name for this feeling? I deeply and seriously wonder about how accurate and shared it may be, if it has a name then most likely I'm not alone in this and therefore maybe I would not be completely mistaken.
**End of the question.**
**Examples** (in case you need them, I work in computer science):
* Head of the department speaking about "big data" for an excel file of several megabytes.
* Planning setting the deadlines looking exclusively at the calendar (and not the work).
* Gantt where activity A ends before activity B starts. A requires B.
* Becoming an expert on a topic overnight because it's trendy and a buzzword.
* Correcting English grammar and paper structure, for the worse.
* Paper reporting evaluation results before any code has been written.
* Paper reporting evaluation results when the code does a different thing.
* Coauthoring a paper, without even laying their eyes on it.
* Directing a thesis, not checking the formulas, only the "easy" parts.
* A researcher makes the GUI, gets all the credit.
* Constant meetings with no agendas or minutes (or effects)
* Micromanaging without actual managing
* Powerpoint before actual research or Powerpoint instead any research
* Re-selling old ideas with new labels and minor cosmetic changes that are for the worse
* Most of the tweets with the tag #overlyhonestmethods. However that's being sloppy, I mean being an impostor, focusing solely on how things look because:
+ Doing some research formally (writing proofs) and empirically (developing a system and testing it with a benchmark, creating a benchmark!) and writing about it on a paper takes much longer than
+ Writing some fiction on a paper, which anyway takes much longer than
+ Subliminally collaborating on a paper and putting your name in it.
BTW: one of the problems why there are so many impostors (as I see it) is that open source code is not requested.
# Answer
> 55 votes
I have on occasion felt the same myself (sometimes still do), and know of many disillusioned PhD students who felt exactly like that. There are dark moments in the night, when you are wondering whether funding for CS will be cut down entirely eventually, when funding agencies also get to the conclusion that CS is one big science of imposters.
However, what you need to realize is that this **is in fact impostor syndrome** \- only that you are not comparing yourself to your peers, but rather you *and* your peers to e.g., other sciences. However, the reason why it happens are the same: you have unrealistically high expectations of the research community, which it cannot possibly live up to in reality. You know the shortcomings of your community all too well, but do not have enough insight to see that other research communities or professions are also far from perfect. Yes, all the crap you mention happens on occasion, but guess what? We are all human, so it is simply unrealistic to assume that every professor will always be a good manager (or even a decent human being), that every dean will always still be an active and good researcher, or that every paper is always published with the most noble intentions.
I should also mention that your conclusion that, if you are not alone in this feeling, you surely need to be right, is fundamentally flawed. History has shown all over again that *many* people can be wrong in the same way at the same time.
**Edit:**
By the way, I think your question title is wrong. The opposite of the impostor syndrome is, as you say, more or less the Dunning–Kruger effect. What you are referring to is not the opposite.
# Answer
> 19 votes
> Is there a name for this feeling?
If there was a name for this feeling, that would imply that this interpretation was just a feeling and wasn't real (and that impostors are not the norm in your field).
You don't believe that your feeling is wrong? Do you?
The actual term you're looking for is probably cargo cult worshipers and that's not the feeling you have, but the label you'd use to describe the impostors in your field. Richard Feynman even coined the term "cargo cult science", which would imply that he found the majority in such a science to be negligent and most of them potential impostors.
See this entry in Wikipedia on cargo cult:
> The metaphorical use of "cargo cult" was popularized by physicist Richard Feynman at a 1974 Caltech commencement speech, which later became a chapter in his book Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!, where he coined the phrase "cargo cult science" to describe activity that had some of the trappings of real science (such as publication in scientific journals) but lacked a basis in honest experimentation.
See his explanation:
> Following is an excerpt from speech (taken from the book).
>
> In the South Seas there is a cargo cult of people. During the war they saw airplanes land with lots of good materials, and they want the same thing to happen now. So they've arranged to imitate things like runways, to put fires along the sides of the runways, to make a wooden hut for a man to sit in, with two wooden pieces on his head like headphones and bars of bamboo sticking out like antennas--he's the controller--and they wait for the airplanes to land. They're doing everything right. The form is perfect. It looks exactly the way it looked before. But it doesn't work. No airplanes land. So I call these things cargo cult science, because they follow all the apparent precepts and forms of scientific investigation, but they're missing something essential, because the planes don't land.
I suppose that term "cargo cult" could be used as a qualifier for many different areas. For instance, if one was so inclined, one could say "cargo cult academia", or "cargo cult business", and so on...
# Answer
> 8 votes
There actually specific terms/descriptions for what you are experiencing. A few of them are "becoming jaded", "cynical", or - depending on what connotation you'd prefer - "being a realist". This isn't rare, and in general is a side effect of increasing knowledge and experience.
The impostor syndrome and Dunning-Kruger effect is all about a false, biased impression of reality. If you have simply become a cynic, this can become a bias where you come to just assume - and automatically perceive - everyone to be full of it, regardless of whether or not they are.
I have found as I get older and learn more about the world I have to actively fight this bias and assumption that everyone else is full of it, for a simple and all too common reason: people are in fact very often full of it. But let's look at why:
1) As humans we usually do not know what we do not know.
2) Being wrong actually feels exactly like being right, all the way to the very instant we realize our wrongness.
3) There is so much to know about the world that even the most brilliant of us can know only a tiny fraction of what there is to know.
4) The world is complicated and difficult to predict.
5) We have very limited knowledge and ability to predict things, yet we must try to be the masters of our fate and make decisions anyway.
6) Our very physical bodily makeup causes us to be drawn to confidence, and it is often easier to be confident when one knows little. In the words of Bertrand Russel, "The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt."
7) Bluffing can be a highly effective real-world strategy ("faking it" is often a highly profitable strategy).
...and more.
One of the "treatments" for this bias, if you will, is to remind yourself that while all the above is true, it is just as true of ourselves as it is of others. Most material in the world might very well be chaff, but sometimes you find something of great value, and it isn't good to just plug one's ears and believe nothing or to believe everything.
In other words, work towards a healthy skepticism instead of biased cynicism.
Another issue, dealing with #3 above, is as one learns one quickly develops knowledge that is greater in that specific area then the vast majority of living people. As a simple example, a basic undergraduate course in statistics can give you greater understanding of stats and probability than over 95%+ of all people in the entire world (if you pay attention and think about the material, anyway). With such training you almost immediately notice that nearly every use of statistics in mass media (to say nothing of politics) is wrong, biased, an outright lie, and is at least fundamentally unreliable.
This applies to all of your bullet examples. If we assume most human skills and traits are normally distributed, it suddenly becomes no surprise that most people (managers or otherwise) aren't very good leaders, aren't remarkably honest, tend to exaggerate or make stuff up, and so on.
However, this is all very much the reason why we have science in the first place: to err is human, and oh how oft we err. If we weren't so prone to such errors, we wouldn't need specially developed methods refined over many, many years to help us move towards correctness.
I personally feel that much of the reason for doing science is precisely this realization that most of what we know and believe is probably wrong - and if we are right about anything, it's mostly an accident. And anyone who pretends otherwise is full of it, whether they know it or not - and that includes me, too.
# Answer
> 7 votes
A literal answer to a literal form of the question ("is there a name for this?") is "jumping on a bandwagon". :)
CompSci obviously has the blessing/burden of the internet. Probably the only other things equally over-hyped (!?!) are gambling, porn, and various fraud possibilities. The only "completely legal" one of these four is CompSci... but the pressures to fudge are amazingly great.
A comparable bandwagon-corruption (at least in the U.S.) was/is "basic science", esp. math and physics, after WWII, where the "bandwagon" was that this would "save us from the commies" (because building The Bomb had ended WWII... crypto was still secret). So then we had the NSF (National Science Foundation) throwing money at people in math and physics for a while... so NSF funding became a test of credibility, and often at R1 universities nowadays it's impossible to get tenure if y're not vetted by the NSF. But there's not enough money to go around, etc. Unsurprisingly, the NSF has evolved into (pardon my saying-so...) an intensely bureaucratic entity, decisions made in ever-deteriorating fashion.
Similarly, not everyone can successfully author a video-game or internet-app or ... "Market saturation" is another very-relevant descriptor in such situations.
"People tend to jump on(to) band-wagons."
# Answer
> 3 votes
My two cents: Academia is a very competitive field. Many smart people have to compete for a small number of opportunities, such as (but not limited to) funding, grants, positions, publications on prestigious journals etc. In such a highly competitive environment it is partially necessary to oversell yourself (and your team's) abilities and the importance of your research, otherwise better "salesmen" might easily steal your "spotlight", even when their research might be less significant (according to who is another question) than yours. Of course the more important your research is and the more prestigious your position is and the more weight you carry in the scientific community, allows you not always having to oversell yourself and your abilities. But for the most of us who do not belong to those chosen few, networking, connections and advertising our work is certainly necessary in most of the cases.
In this scenario, how much each one of us oversells himself is a question of personal ethics, upbringing and aspirations. Many go overboard and might fit the negative scenarios you describe. But this type of behavior is not Academia specific and the world is full of such people in any profession. This is a fact of life and you have to "deal with it". In some cases, it is useful that such people actually exist for you to realize what not to become and who you really want to be.
But as a friendly advice, you also need to to calm and vent down. Focus on the positive aspects of life and your work and make your own rules on how you play the game. If your working environment is toxic, minimize its effects by living a full, meaningful life outside Academia. Our work is only a part of who we are and in the long run and there are many more important things in life.
# Answer
> 3 votes
False humility.
> deprecating one's own sanctity, gifts, talents, and accomplishments for the sake of receiving praise or adulation from others - Wikipedia on Humility
The "impostor" doesn't realize how awesome they are, and downplays themselves. When you see that you are smarter and more aware than those around you, but choose to not see this, that is exactly what impostor syndrome is.
From Wikipedia:
> The impostor syndrome (also spelled imposter syndrome), sometimes called impostor phenomenon or fraud syndrome, is a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments. Despite external evidence of their competence, those with the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved. Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they believe themselves to be.
In your case, you go on to consider that the others around you should know better. And because you don't accept and represent your true nature that is "smarter"/"more aware" than those around you, you become an impostor like them.
In effect, it is two sides of the same coin. You're looking at those around you as being on one side of the coin, and you on another. The truth is that you're both the same coin.
We are brought up to believe that it is "good" or "right" to be humble. And to an extent, this is truth. I'm not arguing that. However, it seems that you've taken this point to the extreme where you're now falsely humble.
*It is false humility that is the impostor you are looking for.*
# Answer
> 1 votes
It is called realistic worldview or healthy criticism. Once one has a sufficient impressive publication list and good political sense, academia can be a very nurturing place for laud incompetence. A friend of mine called it "Stephen Hawking syndrome" referring said authors competence in philosophy.
One problem is the hero worship: "If someone is smart / talented than she/he is competent in anything". At a (or more like beyond) career point most people in academia really believe this and applies to themselves as well as other people judged.
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Tags: terminology
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thread-16057
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/16057
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What is a fast way to get the reference in a specific style?
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2014-01-22T15:51:13.150
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# Question
Title: What is a fast way to get the reference in a specific style?
For example, if I want to get the reference in APA, what web resources provide this style? I found a way through Refworks, but it requires several steps. Is there a faster way?
# Answer
With Zotero you can choose a format to export items among several, including APA. Then you can drag and drop a set of items and the references are formatted according to what you chose.
You can even define your own formats with some Javascript programming if you plan to do this very often.
PD: you should have added the reference before in Zotero before, which is a one-click operation (assuming the data is right), or you can import a set of references from BibTex and other formats.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Write in LaTeX, and use BibTeX which will automatically format your references in various styles.
> 12 votes
# Answer
Google Scholar has a nice tool for this. If you search for the article, under each of the search results is a "cite" button which will automatically show you the reference in MLA, APA, and Chicago.
> 4 votes
# Answer
I recommend using **bibtex**: the procedure is very simple:
1) Create an empty file and name it "myreferences.bib" (or any other ".bib" name)
2) Go to the website of the paper you would like to reference to and download the bibtex code. If this option is not available you can search for the article in Google Scholar and click "Import into BibTeX"
3) Copy/Paste the cose into your ".bib" file
4) Enter your latex article, add the references at the correct points, and write, just before the *\end{document}*, command:
```
\bibliographystyle{plane}
\bibliography{myreferences}
```
For a list of bibliography styles see for example: http://sites.stat.psu.edu/~surajit/present/bib.htm
5) Compile your code using Latex. Compile your code using Bibtex. Compile your code using Latex.
You are done!
> 4 votes
# Answer
If you are writing in MS Word, just go to References and select APA.
Then Insert Citation, Add New Source and fill in everything you need.
This will handle your in-text referencing as well as your "Works Cited" section.
Once you have added a reference, using it again is as simple as Insert Citation and clicking the existing citation.
> 3 votes
# Answer
To be honest, I've found that just taking the time to actually learn the style guide is MUCH faster in the long run than putting everything into a citation tool. Using a citation tool basically adds *at least* one extra step, and that equates to lost time. You have to be able to identify the correct information either way, and you have to know what the final citations should look like either way. But if you type them in yourself, you save yourself the extra steps of 1) opening another program/accessing another website, 2) reviewing what that tool spits out at you, 3) copying it over to your work, and 4) adjusting any formatting as needed after copy/pasting. Knowing hotkeys for italicizing/bolding/underlining as needed is also a time-saver.
> 0 votes
# Answer
I have been working and academia for many years, and recently as a developer of Paperpile I came across this problem several times.
All modern citation/reference managers rely on CSL, the citation style language. For more information on this, see http://citationstyles.org/.
Among these 7,000+ styles, it is, however, difficult to find the citation format you want to have. For this purpose, I would suggest to use the CSL editor search by example (http://editor.citationstyles.org/searchByExample/).
You can type in the inline citation and how the formatted citation should look like, and it will find the citation style that matches most closely. Once, you know the name of the citation style you want to use, you can actually use Paperpile to get the formatted citation (including bold and italic formatting). You select the reference you want to create the citation for and simply hit Control+C. You will find it in your clipboard and can copy it to Word, Google Docs, and others.
> -2 votes
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Tags: citations, writing-style
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thread-26862
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26862
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How can we find who owns an old book's copyright?
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2014-08-06T21:16:03.237
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# Question
Title: How can we find who owns an old book's copyright?
How can we find who owns an old book's copyright today, especially if the publishing company who printed said book no longer exists? This would also apply for other (non-book) publications.
# Answer
> 3 votes
Columbia University Libraries has a helpful document that provides guidance on determining the copyright status of books published in the United States. The guide provides links to online resources to allow you to determine the copyright holder.
> Researching the Copyright Status of a Book: Protected or Public Domain?
>
> A project of the Copyright Advisory Office Columbia University Libraries
> Kenneth D. Crews, Director
>
> www.copyright.columbia.edu
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Tags: publications, copyright, books, publishers
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thread-2071
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/2071
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What are useful tips and tricks for collaborating remotely?
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2012-06-19T19:55:02.307
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# Question
Title: What are useful tips and tricks for collaborating remotely?
**What techniques have you found to improve collaboration with a remote colleague, in particular to make it feel more like collaboration in person?**
The majority of my collaborations are with colleagues outside of my state. The simplest model I've used is that we each write up certain proofs, and then eventually one of us organizes the various pieces into a draft of a paper, which gets passed back and forth via email until we agree that we're ready to submit. However, this typically feels quite different from collaborating in person. One technique that I've used with surprising success is to skype with my colleague. He was actually able to write on the chalkboard so that I could read it. What techniques have worked best for you?
# Answer
One of the hardest parts of remote collaboration is making sure everyone is on the same page. Agreeing on work flow in advance is critical. To me the most important thing is that everyone has a good understanding of the roles and expectations of the individuals. A good timeline, that is flexible, is also very useful. Agreeing upon software, programming, and writing style issues at the outset is also useful.
> 6 votes
# Answer
A good Revision Control!! I use Git coupled with github being an efficient way (and free) to share and complete a collaboration, especially for `code` and `latex` files.
Else, google docs is also free, allows to multiple persons to edit the same file at the same time, and you see who is doing what. You can do most "Microsoft Word" formats and things. You have also have as service free video-conference and chat.
I highly **discourage** `Dropbox` to share files edited per **more than one person**.
> 15 votes
# Answer
We use virtual world Second Life for team meetings. It is fun and we feel like we have traditional F2F meeting. We deal with the research of virtual team management. Some of our findings are available in my publications
> 3 votes
# Answer
If you have some money to spend, GoToMeeting will hands down make your collaborations feel as if they are in person. You can have a meeting with video, screen sharing, etc. and I believe they have a 30 day free trial.
If you are looking to go the free route, try out Dropbox for sharing drafts. It will automatically keep version history and it eliminates all the emails. You could also hold meetings over Skype, however, it is only free for two video feeds.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I am in a mixed group of wet lab and dry lab (bioinformatics) people, and preferences are very different (Word vs. LaTeX), but the last three papers we have written in Google Docs. It has quite some benefits.
* Use of Google Docs is free, you just need an G+ account
* Every one has immediate access to it
* You can write the manuscript collaboratively in realtime. You see the cursor positions of the other blinking.
* Since June 2014 Google Docs has "track changes".
* You can also easily exchange files (even huge files with Google Drive)
* No need to send multiple MS Word files around the globe and merge them afterwards
* Inserting references and formatting the bibliography works perfectly with Paperpile. Also collaborators that do not have Paperpile installed see all the references and citations properly formatted.
* Google Docs has excellent MS Word and PDF export.
As of writing the current free storage in Google Drive is 15 GB for regular users.
> 2 votes
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Tags: tools, collaboration, workflow
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thread-26964
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26964
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Techniques to "digest" large amounts of textual data (academic papers, books, etc)
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2014-08-08T15:48:35.897
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# Question
Title: Techniques to "digest" large amounts of textual data (academic papers, books, etc)
I am a faculty member in a research-oriented university. I teach and I do research in social sciences. Similarly to most academics, a big part of my job involves reading.
A portion of my "reading list" requires accuracy. When I review papers, grade exams, or work on my own research, my attention needs to be 100% focused on the task at hand. The main reason is that reading these documents usually leads to an output (e.g. a grade, a review, a paragraph in a paper, etc.).
However, a large portion of my "reading list" requires digesting fast large amounts of textual data. I monitor several journals to stay up to date, I investigate new literatures, I read books in my field, I read every year the papers assigned to students in my syllabi, etc. This does not require accuracy. The main goal is to have a big picture vision, a broad idea.
The main trick I found to digest large amounts of textual data pretty fast is to use a text-to-speech software that I use on my phone. I found it makes me more productive than sitting at my desk and helps me claim additional reading hours (e.g. gym, errands, commute, cleaning, etc.)
What techniques would you recommend to "digest" large amounts of text?
Note: I asked a related question this morning but was told that it was too "tech" oriented. I deleted the former question and posted this one.
# Answer
> 5 votes
Speed reading techniques can, for some people, greatly increase the amount of text that you can cover in a given amount of time. If I am reading for a big picture vision in a not-extremely-technical subject, I can routinely read at 500-1000 words per minute, far faster than speaking. It is, however, very important to know when you're reading something that requires time for reflection; you have only the most immediate reactions to work with at such rates.
Anyway, there are a variety of speed-reading books out there--I have one by Tony Buzan that seems decent as long as you don't believe too fervently that he always knows what he's talking about. (Peter Kump's book is better with exercises.)
There's also a speed-reading app by Spritz, which I have not tried. Other fast readers I've talked to have given mixed reports: it's definitely fast (it forces you to be!) but since going back is difficult it tends to limit comprehension in those spots where you need a little extra focus.
Also, you don't necessarily even need to read everything you're supposed to read. Various sorts of skimming can let you pick off the key ideas and decide whether you need to go into more detail: look at chapter headings, read the first couple and last couple sentences in each chapter, glance through for any graphs or tables or sidebars. You might take an extra 10% time doing this sort of thing, but more than 1/6th of the time you'll find that you don't need to do any more at all, saving you time overall. And if you do have to read the whole thing, it's easier to remember when you've already had an overview.
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Tags: productivity, reading
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thread-27015
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27015
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Do I have to submit transcripts from school I transferred out of for grad application?
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2014-08-10T00:30:54.190
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# Question
Title: Do I have to submit transcripts from school I transferred out of for grad application?
Every grad school requires to submit transcripts from all undergrad and grad instatutions applicant attended including studying abroad.
Personally I am confused with one case. I entered first University just after the high school, but a year after I dropped it and entered another University (a branch of a well-known University that had been opened that very year). The main reason was that the latter University had a program with more advanced and fundamental courses in math and CS and with a researh component as a part of curriculum, and it generally better fit my interests and desires (another reasons were e.g. better professors, better ranking).
I feel that this episode of my life is worth mentioning in my SoP (I preferred to waste a year because I wanted to dedicate my life to science and therefore get better training for this goal). However I'm not sure if I had to get transcripts from that first University even if I just studied there for a year and wasn't satisfied with it's level of education.
Can anyone answer if I am obligated to get and submit this document?
# Answer
> 5 votes
If a graduate school requires transcripts from all your undergraduate institutions, then I would understand that to include the university you attended for just a year. Under the circumstances you describe, the content of that transcript should not have much effect on the admission decision (or on fellowship offers), but omitting it seems risky because it could get your application rejected (or ignored) on a technicality.
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Tags: graduate-admissions, transcript-of-records
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thread-27017
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27017
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Filling in gaps in lecturer's instruction
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2014-08-10T00:57:40.730
|
# Question
Title: Filling in gaps in lecturer's instruction
I am studying a Honours level Reading Unit. A Reading Unit is quiet unlike the traditional be lectured to type units. It is based on the principle that everyone in the unit has mastered how to do research, and that teaching is the best way to learn. Over the unit there are a number of areas to be examined. For the first half of the unit the class is broken up into groups one group for each area, and ask to research and present on the topic. (The second half is a project, and ensuring you know all the areas covered for the exam)
The unit has 5 hours of content lectures, in which it described the basics of all the topics, so that everyone has some context to start there research in.
In one particular topic area, the free lecturer admitted that he was less informed about it, than the other areas covered by the unit. Which is fair enough -- he was asked to teach this class with short notice after the normal lecturer went away.
I am well informed on this particular topic -- at least to the extent it will be covered in this unit. It forms basic knowledge that underlies my honours thesis, and I have studied a unit though a online university purely about it. I have made the lecturer is aware of this.
During the lecture on the basics of this area, I felt that there were some improvements that could be made to what/how it was covered:
* A few times the lecturer hedged his statements. Saying things like "I think that...", "It is my understanding that", "I don't believe anyone does ...". Indicating his own uncertainty. I could confirm that he was right, or clarify this.
* A few times he used a term that no one with in the field would use to describe the technique; because that term is used in-field to describe a different technique. It was a very apt way to describe it, but if anyone tries to research the term, they will get this other technique. As well, if anyone every tried to discuss it with a researcher in the field, that researcher would probably say: "no it isn't `X`, it is `Y`". (Infact `Y` uses lowercase `x`)
* A statement in one of the slides was slightly misleading.
I resisted the urge to clarify him during the lecture, because I felt that would be disrespectful and would interrupt the flow of the class -- which was already on a tight scheduled.
---
Now I am considering what I should do. Options I see are:
* Do nothing, hope that the students covering this section in more detail will make it clear for everyone.
* Pass this information on the students covering the area, possibly also with some other useful recommended reading.
* Post my clarifications on the the units online discussion forum.
* Email the lecturer saying: "I feel I can clarify a few things", shall I post to the discussion forum? But not include full details in my email to him.
* Email the lecturer saying: "Here are some clarifications of the area for your edification."
What is the correct way to go about making something more clear, that was not wrong, but might be missing or misleading from lecture content?
# Answer
> 3 votes
Remember that this is a postgraduate degree. The lecturers aren't there to serve it to you on a plate. You are a grown-up now, you're doing a higher degree. That means you should be expecting to do most of the work for yourselves, and to think for yourselves.
As there's an online course discussion forum, that seems like the perfect place to work with other students to fill out the richer tapestry of knowledge that the lecture was on; post something there about useful key terms to find relevant literature, along the lines of the following:
> I found these papers (give linked DOI or other robust form of link) on the Dunning-Kruger effect. My search terms to find them were: "cognitive bias", "self-assessment". I looked in these databases / used these search engines.
Fill in gaps. Don't try to look smarter than the lecturer. It's not at all likeable, and you're only risking looking foolish later.
So if the lecturer talked about solving a particular problem by applying X, and you've found examples of people doing it by applying Y, say just that. If you can link to a paper that compares X and Y, even better.
Please do bear in mind that the presence or absence of expressions of uncertainty ("I think that ...", "I don't believe that") do indeed often mark the difference between expertise and weak knowledge. But in the opposite way round to the direction you might think. *Presence* of expressions of uncertainty often indicate *deeper* knowledge and expertise. The person who says to fellow academics "I am sure that ...", "I know for a fact that ...", "No one in the world tries to tackle it this way ..." is often, in doing so, flagging up their own *lack* of expertise.
And yes, all lecturers are mortal, and not every statement they make will be accurate. And that's alright. A degree is an exercise in learning to think, at least as much as in acquiring knowledge. Develop your critical thinking on all materials provided to you, whether they are written, spoken or however they're delivered.
---
Tags: etiquette, communication, lecturer
---
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thread-27026
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27026
|
Present tense or past tense for presenting someone else's paper?
|
2014-08-10T07:06:55.617
|
# Question
Title: Present tense or past tense for presenting someone else's paper?
I am supposed to present the famous Gregor Mendel's 1865 genetics paper. So what tense I am supposed to present it in? Whether I must use present tense or past tense? A general advise regarding presentation viewpoint would be helpful.
# Answer
It depends on your sentence construction. Use the past tense when talking about what Mendel did, since he did it 150 years ago; use the present tense when talking about what the paper says, since the paper still says that now. For example, "Mendel did experiments on pea plants. His paper describes the results."
> 9 votes
---
Tags: presentation
---
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thread-13496
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/13496
|
Resources for students designing surveys?
|
2013-10-18T00:06:01.327
|
# Question
Title: Resources for students designing surveys?
Somewhat similar to this question, but looking for resources (books/articles, etc) for undergrad students who are not very familiar with designing effective surveys, (for example, one student is creating a survey in SurveyMonkey to evaluate nurses' attitudes toward their work). **I'm looking for a resource to help my students develop survey questions that will return meaningful, non-biases responses.**
Note: this is in the social sciences, but would welcome resources that will be helpful to undergrads in any field.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I have found several resources that are helpful for introducing motivated undergrads to the concepts of survey design and analysis. My own favorites are
These books provide a good overview, and are accessible to beginners.
# Answer
> 5 votes
What they need is proper training in survey design and analysis. Let's say, around 80 hours of teaching and then a lot of practical work, assuming they've already got a basic stats grounding.
It's a serious technical skill, and you won't do them any favours if you don't treat it as seriously as any other tool they might use.
**One option might be to work with a colleague who does teach survey design and analysis.** They may well have students who are looking for some material on which to practice their new skills. Perhaps your colleague can set for them, as homework, the task of working with one of your students on the survey design. That way, your students get to introduce their students to their subject (learning by teaching), and they get to see survey science done reasonably well (assuming your colleague has taught them well).
Just because survey design looks easy and online tools enable any fool to do it, doesn't mean that any fool **should** do it.
A complaint about "giving them a well when they only need a drink", doesn't hold water. How could any teacher encourage their students to do bad science, or cultivate a contempt for other experts' fields?
(are they physicists?)
# Answer
> 2 votes
Zimmerman I think I can help you out. I have a resource where students can create and deploy surveys. It also has a tutorial that helps you create a survey from beginning to end including tips on creating neutral non biased questions.
Check out SurveySidekick.com
The site should be especially useful for beginner survey designers. It was created by Teachers College Columbia University and meant for any higher-ed students so I think this is appropriate for your students.
Hope this helps!
# Answer
> 2 votes
Everybody can design a good question, right? Just like everybody can build a car engine. Or everybody can cook Boeuf Bourguignonne a la Julia Child. Or everybody can write a speech for a candidate in a state governor election. Instrument design is a professional work that requires understanding how people respond to questions, which in turn requires some psychology on the respondent's end, some statistics on the data user's end, some computer graphics on the GUI end, etc. As a professional survey statistician, my professional duty is to discourage your creating a false sense of "doability" here. Rectifying the user-written instruments is an unpleasant part of the job that a team of survey methodologists in my company has to perform more often than we would have liked to.
Having said that, I would encourage you to lookup something like "questionnaire design class syllabus". The JPSM/UNC class looks good, and refers to right books. The reading list of the UIC course is very comprehensive, if not intimidating. If you don't have the time to read any books, the minimum self-check list is available through the RTI's Question Appraisal System.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I know an answer has already been accepted but I will add this for future searchers.
Coursera has a module called Questionnaire Design for Social Surveys. Since it's free and you can pick and choose which video lectures to watch, your students might find it quite helpful.
One example of the lectures included is "Measurement Error: Bias and Variance" but there are also plenty of others to not just measure bias but also reduce it.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Some advice, but not a resource.
* As something that you want to happen quickly, EnergyNumbers' advice to find a colleague who does this or teaches a class on it is appropriate. Ask this individual if they would be willing to come to your class for one or two sessions to give the students an overview of the process, including examples of good and bad survey questions. A whole lot of success can be achieved by mimicking the successful behavior of others, even if you do not have time to get into the underlying theory (cf. memorizing basic arithmetic facts instead of teaching children to construct them *a priori*).
* As an exercise, have each student write two or three survey questions independently and test them on the rest of the class. Depending on the number of students in the class, extreme biases should emerge under review by the class.
* Strive for a neutral tone in the questions. If you are asking an opinion question, do not ask how strongly they agree/disagree with **one opinion** on the issue. Give them a range of opinions and let them pick the one they agree with most. Let the respondents provide the bias (otherwise, what are you looking for). Let's go with the nurse example proposed in the question. Let's look at two questions about shift length:
> To what degree do you agree or disagree to the following statement: "My shifts are usually longer than I would prefer."
1. Strongly agree.
2. Somewhat agree.
3. Neither agree nor disagree.
4. Somewhat disagree.
5. Strongly disagree.
> Please select the response that most closely matches your opinion regarding the lengths of your shifts.
1. Most of my shifts are too short. I could work longer shifts if it was needed.
2. I sometimes have shifts that atr shorter than I would like, but most of my shifts are of an acceptable length.
3. I like the lengths of my shifts. They are neither too long nor too short.
4. I sometimes have shifts that are longer than I would like, but most of my shifts are of an acceptable length.
5. Most of my shifts are too long. I would prefer to work shorter shifts if possible.
6. Other (provide a spot for written comments).
Both questions are after the same info - how nurses feel about the length of their shifts. The first question is biased - it is asking nurses whether they agree with just one (negative) opinion about shift length. You have given them just one opinion to agree with about an issue instead of a range of opinions to agree with. The second one is not *as* biased. It goes after the same information, but in a different way - by providing a list of five opinions about shift length running the gamut from *too short* to *too long* and asking each respondent to pick which one they like most.
* Provide an **other** option. Notice that my second question has this option. That way you can capture the few of the more unusual opinions without railroading the respondents into just the choices you provided.
* Use simple language. Do not use flowery language or more complex wording than necessary. Notice that my second question did not read:
`Please meditate on the durations of your shifts and select the
response that most closely matches the harmonious resonances of your
soul.`
* Avoid technical jargon unless that technical jargon is understood by all of your respondents (and then think twice about it) or if the survey is about technical aspects of the respondents' work. Jargon related to the nursing field would be appropriate, but be careful. Jargon used by a geriatric nurse might not be understandable to a nurse anesthetist. Since you student probably does not know much nursing jargon, such jargon should be avoided.
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Tags: teaching, undergraduate, methodology
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thread-7774
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/7774
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How do academics reconcile simultaneously collaborating and competing with colleagues?
|
2013-02-04T17:20:04.597
|
# Question
Title: How do academics reconcile simultaneously collaborating and competing with colleagues?
In many fields of academia, a professor must get grants to fund his research (e.g., medicine, biology).
Early in academic career, a scientist can have naive expectations about how things work in academia and later may be surprised by the reality. One such surprise is the compete and collaborate paradox.
Later in career, it may be not so simple to collaborate and share fully your ideas, since twice a year (or so) we all submit grants and we suddenly are less friendly colleagues who share ideas, but we compete with each other or between "groups". For example, we don't let anyone see our full grant submissions. (e.g., NIH medical grants - full text must be requested by freedom of information act and only abstracts are on the web).
* How do you handle in every day life, at conferences, in hallway conversations this paradox of collaborating and competing at the same time in academia?
* How do you determine what to share?
* Do you avoid colleagues who are known to 'tell only the minimum' at congresses and then surprise later with an accepted grant?
Philosophically, it is impossible to collaborate and compete at the same time and one has to have some ethical structure but everyone's boundaries seem to be different!
# Answer
> 41 votes
> How do you handle in every day life, at conferences, in hallway conversations this paradox of collaborating and competing at the same time in academia?
I ignore it, except around known jerks. I'm lucky enough to work in a research community that generally values collaboration over back-stabbing. There are a few exceptions, of course, but they fall under the category of "known jerks". I'd much rather gain a coauthor and get the result out together than to keep secrets and risk being scooped.
Yes, I have developed coauthors this way. Yes, I have published papers this way that might not have been published otherwise. Yes, I have been scooped, but only by people I had *not* discussed my ideas with.
**Your mileage may vary.**
> How do you determine what to share?
I don't share ideas or problems that students (either mine or not) are actively working on, without the students' explicit permission. Otherwise, I'm open about everything, except around known jerks. In particular, if you want my latest grant proposal, just ask.
> Do you avoid colleagues who are known to 'tell only the minimum' at congresses and then surprise later with an accepted grant?
No. Why should I?
# Answer
> 17 votes
> How do you handle in every day life, at conferences, in hallway conversations this paradox of collaborating and competing at the same time in academia?
It is very difficult indeed. Motivation for pursuing a career in academia vary significantly, and accordingly, what is considered as ethically acceptable.
From experience, it is often the issue of the *man in the middle*, which in practice is *the* major source of frustration. Individual A talks to Individual B about his ongoing (unpublished) research. Individual B then more or less forget about where he got this information, and speaks to Individual C, who implements it, unsuspectingly. Everyone behaves ethically at his level, but globally, Individual C effectively can be perceived to *compete* aggressively with Individual A.
A solution that some people seem to adopt in conferences in my field is to only present/discuss *published* material, which makes attending conference less interesting, as it only involves outdated research. Another sub-optimal approach is merchandizing, i.e. present one's research at a superficial, advertising level, so that the actual real issues/breakpoints are effectively not discussed.
On the other hand, research thrives in confronting honestly different perspective on a given typically complex problem, so there is a lot to be gained in collaborative behaviour. Modern research is also fairly specialized, and conferences are the one place where you are likely to meet experts in your field who have given some thoughts to the problems you are interested in.
In the end, everyone has to balance these things out. My advice would be to behave on the cautious side, but then again I tend not to follow my own advice. Another approach is to make sure you are so much on top of things that it does not matter :-)
> Do you avoid colleagues who are known to 'tell only the minimum' at congresses and then surprise later with an accepted grant?
Well, life is short, so interact preferentially with colleagues whose motivation for doing research seem to overlap most with your own.
**UPDATE**
Striking a balance between collaboration versus (unrestrained) competition is not specific to research/academia in fact. It is the basis of civilization! What is a bit specific to academia is that it is (poorly IMHO) self-regulated. There is no such thing as academic police/justice. I found this RSA Animate to be instructive to get a measure on how a small amount of policing in enough to get the system working.
Another point worth mentioning is that predatory behaviour is in fact not that common, if only because people are too busy with their own train of thoughts, and also because it takes time for new ideas to percolate. To understand why a given idea is novel, typically requires having spent some time thinking along similar lines.
---
Tags: research-process, career-path, funding, collaboration, interpersonal-issues
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thread-27029
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27029
|
Necessity of MoU for researcher exchange or collaboration
|
2014-08-10T08:31:45.277
|
# Question
Title: Necessity of MoU for researcher exchange or collaboration
In my research institute, there is a fair amount of discussion around wanting to collaborate or create exchanges with other labs, especially outside of the country (we are in Asia). From myself and a few other researchers, we have connections to labs in the US from graduate school and previous research.
On my own initiative, I exchanged interns and research assistants between my lab and one in the states. It was specific on the people we had, such that a student interning in my lab would benefit from going to the lab in the states and vice versa, as we worked on a common project.
The higher-ups want to make some "official" exchange, which may be some asian culture at play. From this, the conversations are always around signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU). For the exchange I worked on, we had specific people and specific goal, so a general Lab to Lab MoU did not seem as relevant as a mutual agreement of what the purpose of the exchange was.
My question is, how important or useful is an MoU, are there pros and cons to this? I don't think it has any legal weight, so does anyone have experience with this type of collaboration and see why it is necessary in an overall scale? Is signing an MoU the only way for an institute to call an exchange 'official'?
# Answer
MOUs serve several purposes in my experience. First, they put down in writing what the two labs have agreed to do together. This formalizes the relationship a little and allows the participants to refer back to their commitments. Sometimes people get busy and forget to do some parts of the agreement. The MOU allows the other side to gently remind their partners that everyone committed to something and ask them when they will start on their part. People don't generally intend to shirk their responsibilities, but academics and researchers get busy, so informal and unpaid promises are first to slip. MOUs which formalize the relationship are often enough to make sure each side holds up its end.
Second, they allow others inside and outside the respective organizations to recognize that the relationship exists. Labs have directors, their directors have bosses (often department chairs, deans, or research vice presidents), and their bosses have bosses on up the chain. Having an MOU between labs establishes a formal relationship that can be recognized by these people. In fact, depending on the organization, the boss of the lab director may have to sign off on the MOU (not just the lab director themselves), which gives the agreement some level of officialness.
This official recognition generally doesn't get used for much more than promotion of the relationship between the labs. Though, it may also serve as the first step in a deepening relationship between larger parts of the overall organizations (departments, colleges/schools, and even whole universities or government entities). These formal relationships can also be helpful in pursuing government funding in some countries to help support the collaboration.
I've never used an MOU to formalize a simple summer student exchange. Those, in my experience, were always done with a verbal or email agreement. However, everything longer than a summer or more complicated than a student exchange that I've been involved in has had a written MOU. They lay out the expectations and give the signers cover with their higher-ups when the questions come about what two groups are doing together.
It's not generally seen as a contract, but does up the seriousness of the relationship to have an MOU.
> 5 votes
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Tags: collaboration, student-exchange
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thread-27055
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27055
|
How reputable is the online journal scientific.net: Materials Science and Engineering
|
2014-08-11T02:11:25.360
|
# Question
Title: How reputable is the online journal scientific.net: Materials Science and Engineering
How reputable is the online journal "Scientific.Net: Materials Science and Engineering"
http://www.scientific.net/
# Answer
> 2 votes
It isn't. Scientific.Net: Materials Science and Engineering is a journal publisher.
It publishes, for example: http://www.scientific.net/MSF *Materials Science Forum* ISSN 1662-9752
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Tags: journals
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thread-26988
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26988
|
Is being a good teacher a bad thing at a research intensive university?
|
2014-08-09T08:28:05.623
|
# Question
Title: Is being a good teacher a bad thing at a research intensive university?
In Do student reviews of teachers matter?, there are a couple of comments which suggest that being labeled a "good teacher" is a bad thing at a research intensive university. I have heard this in the past, but have always thought it was based on the fact that you wanted to be known for your research as opposed to your teaching. In other words that you want to be known as a "good researcher" as opposed to a good teacher. The way the comments are used in that question it sounds like you should in fact strive to be known as a "bad teacher".
Is it bad to be known as a good teacher? Is it good to be known as a bad teacher?
# Answer
> 21 votes
No.
I work at a university that focuses almost exclusively on research (we have only graduate students, most of whom are Ph.D. students, and the number of postdocs, research staff, etc. is approximately equal to the number of students). A few faculty members are well known as excellent teachers, and a few are commonly known to be poor teachers. In general, I don't think the distinction has very much influence on the respect accorded to each within the university (and even less in the larger academic community). But I think the good teachers are better liked, both by their peers and the administration. I certainly appreciate it when I find that students are well prepared thanks to having taken a course with a "good" teacher. And bad teachers are occasionally so bad that they cause administrative problems, which makes everyone unhappy.
Part of each faculty member's annual review is an evaluation of his/her teaching (by the dean). A positive review is definitely a good thing.
# Answer
> 11 votes
I made that comment so here's my answer:
Yes and no.
There are many great senior researchers at my r1 university that are renowned teachers as well. That is, they can easily hold four hundred undergraduates enthralled for hours on end. They are no doubt Great Teachers in the truest sense.
But there are also a great many junior faculty who did not get tenure at my university (our tenure rate was less than 1:4 for past several decades, although it has gone up recently).
The common reason given for their negative tenure decisions is that they spent too much time on students and not enough time on their research. That is where the faint praise, "at least they are good teachers," comes in.
**Tl;dr**: for senior faculty, good teacher is high praise as it presumes excellent research scholarship. For junior faculty, it is dangerous faint praise as it assumes misplaced energies.
Note: You should post a separate question about the "Curse of the Teaching Award"
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Tags: teaching
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thread-26928
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26928
|
Should I inform students that there are cheaper alternatives to the on-campus book store?
|
2014-08-07T22:52:21.110
|
# Question
Title: Should I inform students that there are cheaper alternatives to the on-campus book store?
The bookstore at my American university is an outpost of Barnes and Noble, charges much higher prices than can be found on Amazon, and in my opinion offers very poor service. Among other things that upset me, they prohibit students from browsing the stacks of textbooks -- instead you are supposed to tell the staff what you want, so they can retrieve it for you.
I prefer to mass e-mail my students in advance of the course and urge them to buy their books for my class at Amazon, used if at all possible.
Is there anything unethical, or that could possibly get me into trouble, about this?
# Answer
**Politically?**
Sure, but there is always a chance that you will step on someone's toes if you do anything. I fully agree with Nicholas that you have subtle ways to do it.
**Ethically?**
In the given situation the bookstore is a for-profit entity that gives below-average service to your students on an above-average price. Whatever approach you use to define the main mission of a university, it should include a good and fair service to your students for their 10-20-30 k$/year they pay. So I would say **it is unethical to not tell them** that they are not obligated to use a sub-par money-sucker service, and they are free to buy from internet, e.g. Amazon. If anyone is unethical in this situation, it is the person who is supervising the B&N shop's license to run at your university. But it is again a politically sensitive issue.
> 31 votes
# Answer
Not **wrong** per se, but as others have mentioned, you may well be stepping on some toes. If you don't feel like dealing with the owners of said toes (whether in the bookstore, or the relevant person in the university), then there are ways to do so without blatantly stating that the bookstore is ripping off students. (Note that I'm not implying that you are *blatantly* saying any such thing!)
**One option** is to tell the students on the first day of class. The obvious downside to that is that many students will already have purchased the needlessly expensive bookstore texts by then.
**A better option** is your practice of mass-email prior to the start of the course. Instead of urging the students to buy from Amazon (which may imnply that you are affiliated), why not just provide information on prices from the bookstore as well as the prices --for new and used-- from several vendors (Amazon is just a starting place, Abebooks, Ebay, Textbooks.com, etc, come to mind as well). Also, as others have mentioned in the comments, students will appreciate if you mention whether the latest edition is required, or if the previous (much cheaper!) edition will also work. The savvy student will know what you are implying for the alternate vendors, and the rest... well, perhaps they deserve to pay the bookstore prices!
**Additionally**, if your institution has a formal or informal student exchange, students may be able to buy used textbooks from a student who took the course last semester. You might be able to put your incoming students in touch with this network, as well.
> 18 votes
# Answer
I wouldn't *specifically* mention Amazon. It's just one vendor. Just let them know that they don't need a new copy and are probably able to order cheaper used versions of the book "online".
I don't think they'll have any sort of trouble understanding what you're trying to say, and it sounds a lot more reasonable and less rebellious to the rest of the university.
> 17 votes
# Answer
First, facetiously, if you consider yourself beholden to your university, so that you must shill for all their money-making activities, then, yes, you are not doing what they'd want. :)
Second, many universities' bookstores have become financially-independent, in effect for-profit, entities, taking advantage whenever possible of convenience and misunderstandings... Their being for-profit already corrupts their function, and their selection of available (=profitable) books, not to mention their pricing structure.
Third, for-profit textbook-writing is a huge industry, with the pursuant corruptions (wherever there's a dollar to be made...). New editions with pointless changes, ... In my opinion, given that the internet exists, we, collectively, can do better, in many ways. Information is not entirely free, but it's not as expensive as all these scalpers (!) would like us to believe.
> 9 votes
# Answer
Writing an email to your students advising them to obtain their textbook from somewhere other than your University's preferred supplier - B&N - might well earn you a telling off.
Helpfully informing your students - in a lecture, not in writing - that your preferred textbook is available at the University bookshop - **as well as from other sources** \- is less likely to cause you trouble. It is, after all, a completely true statement, and in the best interests of your students. Everyone knows about Amazon and I would expect any thrifty student to refer to Amazon's website for competitive prices for the textbook.
> 9 votes
# Answer
**Urging** student to buy from a supplier rather than another can be seen as advertisement and it's not something a professor should do.
Suggesting to look for alternatives or simply mentioning the book title and letting them do the math is probably the best way to go. You may imply that the most recent version has very small (or no) changes so clever people can go and buy the previous version from other students or used-book stores.
As a final comment I noticed that no-one mentioned to push (in this case urging is allowed) the students to use the University (or the City) Library: books are free to peruse and to borrow, what better option is there?
> 4 votes
# Answer
The only thing wrong about it is that you should be telling them to look not just on Amazon, but everywhere on the internet. A convenient aggregator is dealoz.com (there are many other similar sites).
Amazon is perhaps more reliable than many other sellers, but it is usually more expensive too. And: If you just say Amazon, it might sound like you're getting a commission from Amazon!
Also, especially for many of the more popular textbooks, it is not difficult to find free PDF copies somewhere. This may or may not be legal, but considering how evil the US textbook industry is (and the university bookstores as well), it is arguably the morally correct thing to do. You can phrase it in an ironic fashion in your email, e.g. "You may or may not know, but there are many free and illegal PDF copies of this book online. I strongly discourage you from downloading these."
ADDED TIP: Use older editions of the textbook and tell them it's OK to get an older edition (indeed, try to design your class so that it's no big deal even if they use an older edition). For the most popular textbooks, the evil textbook companies pump out a new edition every 2 or 3 years (even for things like Calculus or Spanish 101 where probably no radical advances either in research or pedagogy are made even once a decade!) As a student I was always annoyed when the professors would by default just ask you to get the newest edition, because it's just the simplest/easiest thing for the professor to do, but of course it could cost me easily $50 more.
> 3 votes
# Answer
If you have the student's best interests at heart, you can mail them that you'd be following the (n-1)th edition of the textbook, where n is the most recent version. That way, they can get the textbook at less than the price of a cup of coffee(or even free!), and there's almost always the exact same content!
> 3 votes
# Answer
As soon as you've selected the textbook for an upcoming class, post the information, including the ISBN, on your web page. Books available in electronic form have different ISBNs; list the electronic version, too. If you require a particular edition, say so. If an earlier edition will do, *explicitly* say that. I try to include a link to the publisher's site for the book, which will have the publisher's list price, information about electronic versions, and sometimes even free resources for students. Here is one of my textbook listings:
```
Required Textbook: Stallings, William and Lawrie Brown [_*Computer
Security Principles and Practice, Second Edition.*_][1] Pearson / Prentice Hall,
2012; ISBN-13: 9780132775069. The second edition has been revised
substantially. Only the second edition will do for this course. (Note: This
book is available for rental as an e-book on Google Play. Kindle editions
and rentals are available on Amazon as well as in the university bookstore.
Other options may also be available.)
```
I haven't told the students where to buy the book, but I've given them everything they need to make informed purchase decisions. The "other options" note is *surely* enough of a clue to set people to searching.
> 3 votes
# Answer
My informed guess is that students know anyway, and there's no need to tell them.
FWIW, I don't believe that publisher-direct is a much better option, and I also believe some of the electronic "rent-for-a-semester" deals from the publisher are not that hot.
Interestingly, the publishers are going to track purchases from your campus bookstore. My own experience with one publisher is that they gave me tons of problems about providing me with access to electronic teaching resources associated with my text because they didn't feel the bookstore was selling enough copies.
Without going into too much detail, there are some real interesting (let's just call them) "issues" with modern academic publishing. In some ways, there are problems in that area that are somewhat analogous to what record labels have been dealing with during their recent history. There are just better ways to distribute information these days, and if publishers don't tweak their business models, they'll become dinosaurs.
If there is ONE THING you should be sharing with your students, it's that finding and using illegal electronic copies is THEFT. I'm certainly no hero for the publishers, who I don't have much sympathy for, but I'd love to see textbook theft by electronic or other means specifically listed in our academic honesty language.
> 2 votes
# Answer
There is no need to specify a particular source lest it border on advertisement, but recommending alternative sources for materials has been fairly common in my experience. In fact, our campus bookstore's website even lists a price comparison tool for all the major online retailers. Taking that as a baseline I think it is only honest to provide information to the students if you find it particularly informative. It isn't uncommon for professors to email the class in the weeks leading up to the start about alternative versions and how compatible they would be with the class "just in case" they are having trouble acquiring the book. Even so far as "I have heard some sources are even 'selling' an electronic copy" has appeared as a subtle nod to the fact that there is a pdf that can be downloaded out there somewhere. Some universities will be happier than others in this regard, but as long as you avoid dropping specific names of retailers in any mass correspondence then I don't see anything outside of standard practice here.
> 1 votes
# Answer
As long as Amazon is really the best place to buy them it couldn't be unethical.
It feels wrong for me because Amazon competes unfairly due to it's size. It may also feel wrong because you're telling students not to follow the norm.
Bottom line? You're helping your students. That's what you should be doing! Keep it up!
> 1 votes
# Answer
Just from my own personal experience and less about ethics: my teachers tell me all the time to not waste money at the bookstore. And actually, unless you're a freshmen or a *really* lazy college student, no one buys from them anyways. I haven't bought a textbook from the university store in years unless (and boy do I hate this) it's a "university specific" text book that you literally can't get anywehere else.
Also, I never, ever buy books until at least the first week of class to better gauge if I actually need them. I'll get them if a teacher makes a point of saying I'll need to (and even then it usually is a 50/50 shot of if they use it or not -\_-)
What I would recommend is to just verbally tell your students in class to buy the book from somewhere else (this allows no direct trail from you saying to *not* buy from the bookstore).
Another suggestion some of my teachers have done is to list the book and then, as others have said, give the bookstore price and an amazon/ ebay price as well and let the students figure it out.
But really, I would say, just tell them in class. Your students should really already know to never buy from the bookstore and it creates less liability (if there were ever to be one) on your part.
> 1 votes
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Tags: ethics, books
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thread-20082
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/20082
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Is reading novels helpful for GRE Preparation?
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2014-05-01T06:21:13.057
|
# Question
Title: Is reading novels helpful for GRE Preparation?
I'm going to start preparing for GRE. I have great enthusiasm for reading novels rather than memorizing words. Will words learnt from novels be helpful for GRE vocabulary? Which novels/writers books should be read for GRE vocabulary?
# Answer
> 23 votes
No doubt you can encounter useful words in novels, but you will encounter them at a much slower rate than with targeted study. If your goal is to learn GRE words quickly, a simple GRE study book would be more efficient. At the least, you should take a practice GRE test and see how you do on the vocab sections. If your vocab needs major improvement, reading novels is probably too slow to be of use for passing the GRE.
In the long term, I think reading novels and other texts is a better (and more fun) way of learning how to actually understand and use a wide range of vocabulary, but for the short-term goal of improving your GRE score it may not deliver as much benefit.
# Answer
> 6 votes
In general - no. The GRE is similar to the SAT2 (is that still around). Studying for the GRE isn't fun, but the best way to do it is either to
1) purchase several study programs, books and set aside time each day to study them
OR
2) pay (usually a few grand) for a GRE prep class
Studying for the GRE was one of the low points of my life. Just focus on getting into the school you want
# Answer
> 3 votes
It's worth considering semantics.
If in the sense that if you spend 5 hours every day reading novels, you will do better on the GRE than if you spent those 5 hours staring at a wall, then I suppose that is true.
But compared to actual methods of study, I don't think so. Hour for hour, just getting cracking with a deck of flashcards will improve your score much more. It is obviously hard to spend as much time on flashcards because it is boring - but even if you spend much less time than on reading, I would predict that the benefit to your score will still be higher with flashcards (and you can still read in all the time you aren't practicing with flashcards).
For learning words, the problems with the "reading novels" technique are:
* There's a question of what novels you actually read - if all you read is Twilight and Harry Potter, I doubt it would help much.
* Most of the words in a novel won't be new, so most of your time is not spent learning or practicing words. It is very inefficient.
* There is no guarantee that the novels you read will focus on common GRE words.
* In my opinion, GRE words tend to be deliberately obscure: Besides a core set of "basic" words, ETS includes many words which are hardly ever used and have probably went out of style, for the sake of having words that most people will be unlikely to know (unless they practice specifically for the GRE).
* Unlike flashcards or similar methods, it is difficult to gauge your progress (eg. how many common GRE words you have learned) with novels.
* It is easy to infer the meaning of a word in context (and also easy to end up with an incorrect belief about what a word means). GRE often gives words with absolutely no context, and probably sometimes in misleading context. Recalling the "official" definition of an isolated word, and having a feel for how its usually used in prose, are quite different skills - novels will train one, but the exam depends on the other.
For improving reading comprehension, books are possibly more helpful. Still, there is again a set of caveats:
* Books are often long, while GRE tests comprehension of relatively short articles.
* Books usually do not ask you explicit multiple-choice questions, where the incorrect choices are subtly different from the correct ones, and deliberately designed to be confusing.
* It is hard to gauge your progress - for instance, how fast you are able to read a given GRE-level paragraph, what sort of questions are you able to answer correctly often, etc.
For training reading comprehension, there isn't as clear cut a method as "flashcards" (flashcards are very, very effective for memorizing words). However, I would argue that simply doing hundreds of practice questions over and over is a far more productive use of your time, if the primary goal is to have a high GRE score.
If you really wanted to read something, I would say it's better to read a high-brow "culture" magazine like the Atlantic or the New York Times. Even with books, it is probably much more effective to read collected essays rather than novels - since all you will ever have to read on the GRE will be essays. Although still, the crucial feedback element is missing - it's hard to tell if you've "really" understood an essay (in the way that the GRE wants you to) when there is no set of questions with correct answers.
The last bit you could ask about is the writing prompts. Here, "just reading" (although again I would suggest essays versus novels) would probably be more helpful, at least relative to the alternatives - unfortunately, it's hard to train GRE writing skills because one cannot mass produce question banks as with other sections. Moreover, what constitutes a good essay to GRE is arguably very different from more generally accepted criteria. Ultimately, the best option is to somehow obtain a personal essay coach who is familiar with the GRE grading rubric, and write dozens of practice essays for him to grade, rather than reading novels.
# Answer
> 2 votes
If you read a lot of adult fiction then you will have a broader base vocabulary of useful words. With that in mind this is more of a 'long game' strategy than a 'I'm taking the GRE in 6 months and need words!!!' strategy.
That being said if you want something a bit less onerous than flash cards and contextless memorization I would suggest looking for novels that specifically use GRE words. When I was studying for the GRE I found several short story collections and novels that focused on telling a story using the top 350 or 500 GRE words. They weren't great stories but learning the words in a context really helped me.
That being said I'm pretty sure you could just guess 'frustrated' or 'stubborn' for every word on the GRE and get rough 75% of them right. /s
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Tags: gre
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thread-9259
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/9259
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Difficulty in admission to online software engineering graduate programs
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2013-04-09T16:44:17.453
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# Question
Title: Difficulty in admission to online software engineering graduate programs
I am currently in my junior year of undergraduate work at Creighton University and have found out that my employer may possibly pay for me to work towards a Master's degree. I don't know all the specifics yet, but I have been browsing schools that offer Graduate programs in software engineering (or computer science with a focus in software engineering). It appears that the only school near me is the University of Nebraska-Omaha, so I have been checking out online programs as well, since I would have to stay in the Omaha area. It looks like USC has an excellent program in computer science, and I have also looked at Penn State and Drexel. So my questions are:
How difficult are these programs to get into?
Is it worth it to work towards a Master's Degree right after undergraduate?
What other programs should I be looking at?
I currently have a 4.0 GPA in my Computer Science Major, but I still have 4 classes left to take. I am also minoring in Business Administration and Interactive Web Development(basically Graphic Design classes).
Thanks ahead of time!
# Answer
Kgvnova,
Congratulations on all of your success so far and your decision to consider furthering your education. I'm in a very similar position as you and I'm currently considering distance education for a Master's degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering. I'll do my best to answer your questions the best that I can.
1) The difficulty of getting into programs varies, but I would say it's probably easier to be admitted into an online program than the live/in-person program. I was accepted into all programs that I applied to. (I graduated with a science degree at the top of my class, have good test scores and work experience, so I'd say I'm a strong candidate for most programs.) Just be careful about some "diploma mills". Some schools are "for profit" and let everyone in. Just try to find an established school that has a distance education component and you should be in good shape.
2) Whether you go straight to a Master's degree or not depends on you and your life situation. You can consider your situation from a few angles.
**Job Opportunities/ Return on Investment**: I think that most computer related careers are available to people with a technically-oriented bachelor's degree so the return on your investment might be neglible since you already have a bachelor's. You mentioned that your employer may pay for it, so your investment might just be your time and energy.
**Timing and Other Life Events:** If you are willing and able to invest 20-40 hours per week for the next 2 years or so, then getting a Master's could be a good idea. If you're planning on having a family in the next few years, maybe it's a good time to get this done. If you're just starting a family or have other commitments, then maybe you should wait. Graduate schools aren't going anywhere.
**Certainty:** How certain are you that this is the career/industry for you? Do you have significant experience working in software engineering? I just ask because you may find that this is not what you actually want to do, especially if you've never done it before. I've changed my mind a lot in the past. Since I've graduated a few years ago, I've worked in sales, health services, teaching, insurance, and web development. I always thought I was going to enjoy those fields until I actually worked in them. Once I started doing web development and LOVING it, I decided it's worth pursuing an education to take me a step further.
3) There are a lot of programs to consider. I started by looking at US News to see a list of highly-regarded schools. I then visited their websites to see if they had distance programs in Computer Science. Another few schools that I've considered are:
* Brandeis University - Master's in Software Engineering
* University of Bridgeport (CT) - Master's in CS with Software Engineering Concentration (ranked in top 10 online CS programs nationally)
* Harvard Univerisity - they have an Extension School where you can get a Master's in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Software Engineering
You should also consider the finances and "pacing" of programs. Some programs are really expensive. Also, some degrees are accelerated and take 18 months, while some programs take 3-4 years to complete.
Sorry for the long response. I just wanted to give you the information I've been researching this for several months. I wish you the best of luck with everything.
> 3 votes
# Answer
> How difficult are these programs to get into?
It is going to be different with every school. Some will require you to take the GRE or GMAT, while some will admit you as long as you had a halfway-decent GPA in your undergraduate program. Some won't admit you unless you have a few years of experience working in the field.
> Is it worth it to work towards a Master's Degree right after undergraduate?
Again, it depends. Is it going to advance your career? Perhaps. Having a Master's Degree as a software developer (assuming that is what you are aspiring to be) does open some doors that might otherwise be closed to you. Will you get a raise or better pay increases because of it? Probably not. And I don't know if I agree with going to graduate school immediately after finishing your bachelor's degree, but that is a decision you need to make for yourself.
For me, I needed 13 years before I was ready to go to school again...and it paid off. I found that I had an easier time with my classes, because I had already worked with most of the technologies that I studied in grad school. Not just because of familiarity either, but because I had worked with them enough that I already understood *why* they worked the way that they do.
> What other programs should I be looking at?
Not all computer science/software engineering/IT-based graduate programs are created equally. Many are geared more towards IT management, and go little into the technical side. If a technical deep-dive is what you want, you need to look really hard to find it.
Also, many programs will be either practicum or thesis-based (or give you an option to choose). A thesis-based master's program may sound daunting, but again, it opens doors for you. If you are considering an academic career path at some point, you will want a program that requires a thesis.
Another thing to consider, is to work at least a year before going back to school, just to get used to your workload. You will probably find that your employer will want 45-50 hours per week out of you (maybe more). Going home on a Friday night to work on a paper is a lot tougher to do after you've already been writing code for 10 hours.
> 0 votes
# Answer
You may want to check out Virginia Tech Online. They have Master's degrees in Computer Engineering and Information Technology (in which you can specialize in Software Development) and it doesn't look like their admissions process is too hellish. I actually spoke with the Director of Admissions for their IT program and he's a really cool guy. Spent time going over the whole admissions process with me and answered all of my questions.
Virginia Tech Online Master's Degrees
> 0 votes
# Answer
I'm completing an online Masters in Software Engineering from Penn State. I have 17 years professional experience and started the program when I had 15 years experience.
Having the benefit of past experiences I would recommend spending a few years (\<5) doing hard core software development and moving up the technical ranks to Senior Engineer before pursuing a masters.
The main reason why is you'll have the practical real-world knowledge that will help anchor the theory they will thrust at you in the Master's program. If you decide to pursue your Master's right after your undergrade, be forwarned that much of what they teach you in academia is theory which means it won't make much sense to you until you start to use it. Even then, you'll have a conflict since the real-world != academia and it's the real-world that is the truth and academia is just a nice cozy padded room.
One con to waiting to take on your Master's is the double workload you'll be carrying. It was extremely difficult for me to handle both a full work load (50-60hours a week since no engineer worth their salt only works 40hours a week.) and be full time student. Another con is the fact that companies typically advertise educational benefits, but they can be very hard to obtain. It took me three companies before I finally landed at one that would pony up the cash. The other three companies said they would, but never did so after a few years I told them to suck it and moved on.
That being said, looking down the long road and if I had it all to do over again, I'd of pusued my Master's ~5 years after completing my undergrad. After 15 years (17 when I finished my Masters) of experience, much of what I learned earning my Masters was nothing new. I think you'll get the best mental and career boost if you follow the timeline I mentioned.
That all being said, I am happy I pursued my Masters and obtained it. The company paid for all of it (minus books) which was just south of $36k.
> 0 votes
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Tags: graduate-admissions, online-learning, computer-science
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thread-15316
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/15316
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What options does college dropout with great grades, research projects and CV have to return to university (or thinktanks)?
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2014-01-03T12:20:04.443
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# Question
Title: What options does college dropout with great grades, research projects and CV have to return to university (or thinktanks)?
I studied Social Sciences (Development Economics concentration) at one of Europe's top ranked universities and achieved excellent grades, but had to interrupt my studies just before taking two final exams, entirely due to personal reasons - thus not completing my undergraduate degree.
While I was at uni, I obtained grants to run a new research project in my field with sponsorship by some well-known professors. The progress of my work was published in an international journal and also a few industry magazines. I was also heavily involved in other projects around the university. I mention these little details just to make it clear that I was not at uni just for the sake of getting a qualification, but because had a genuine intention of contributing to my field, to research and maybe become a professor.
While I was addressing my personal issues, I started working, first freelancing but later at a mid-sized company and have worked my way up to middle management. My job is somewhat related to what I studied and also very analytical, although it's obviously business-focused.
I am wondering what options I have... \- if I wanted to return to a research based position; \- especially, if returning to university might turn out to be too hard/long (might have to re-do the entire undergraduate studies while working) \- and whether it might be easier (but also possible) to try applying straight into think-tanks and development focused positions.
One of my concerns is that despite my good CV in business, I don't have the same quantitative-analytical and research skills of someone who studied at postgraduate level. It's one of the subjects I enjoyed most and even enjoy at work, but how can I prove myself to future employers?
I think my question boils down to: how much do my achievements matter, and what else do I need to do to make up for no degree?
**UPDATES / Answers to questions in comments:** I dropped out of my own, for very personal reasons. In fact, I almost disappeared without notice and had to leave to another country. I am also a bit reluctant to discuss with my university about what those personal reasons were, but trust me they were very serious. So I would have mixed feelings about returning to the same university. I am sure I have disappointed many people there, and they would not understand why I left...
**UPDATE 2 / Answers to rocinante's update :)** There must have been a misunderstanding. I didn't mention nor imply anywhere that I considered faking my credentials to advance my career. I started at entry level with my current employer and progressed from within, i.e. there were no academic requirements when I started, but I proved them that I had the skills required for my current level. To be more specific, I am asking about whether there might be chances for alternative training to get into a more advanced research path. Adult learning, online courses, non-degree professional certificates. For example, I have heard of several people getting into MBA programs after 5-7 years of work experience, but no degree. Are there analogue routes into research? I hope this clarifies.
**UPDATE 3 / Answers to Ben Webster and rocinante** Thanks both of you. It's true I should consider my old university; I am just very afraid that it might not work and considering what alternatives I may have should my attempts fail. I am also not belittling the value of degrees, BUT simply wondering how else I could prove myself, improve my knowledge, use a professional body route rather than academic etc. if the old university option won't succeed. I know many doors will close, but I am determined and convinced that my potential, passion and skills far outweigh what's on paper.
# Answer
> 7 votes
I'm with @rocinante here: you're handicapping yourself if you can't get past whatever block is preventing you from discussing this personal issue with people from your past university. I don't know whether it's embarrassing or emotionally painful (and you don't need to tell us, we're just yahoos on the internet), but you have to be able to give some account of it:
1. First of all, you should make a good faith attempt to finish your degree at your old institution. I'm sure you did burn some bridges there when you left, but if you can't get past that to try, that doesn't sound especially driven to me. Credentialism may be a little silly, but you're locking yourself out of a lot of doors if you don't finish your degree.
2. Also, if you want to be successful getting a position in any area of research, recommendations from "one of Europe's top ranked universities" would be pretty helpful (for getting into a graduate program of any description, they are essential). I know less about think tanks, but in most graduate admission committees, even with a completed bachelor's, no letters from professors you had as an undergraduate and an unexplained gap in your transcript that's not explained extremely well in your personal statement would be an immediate disqualification. So, not only should you go back to your old university, you need to set up meetings with the professors you disappointed, apologize sincerely, explain your situation, and knock their socks off with where you are now.
# Answer
> 0 votes
You need to establish a working relationship with of *some* kind with *some* department. Once you have that you can start working on your "deficiencies" (i.e. the courses you either have no record of taking or have a record of not finishing successfully).
Once you have that relationship you can talk to the department hear. You're probably going to have to tell him or her *something* about this mysterious personal emergency.
But here is the thing, (at least in the US) the requirement to have a Bachelor's degree to start advanced work is a gate-keeping tool: the department uses it to avoid having to filter out at lot of self-deluded know-nothings. Once they *know* that you know something the odds of them letting you simply start graduate studies go way up.
So how do you get started? Apply as non-degree or apply as an undergrad with a lot of transfer credit (they are likely going to ask you to take at least a year's worth of course-work).
The important step is to get a foot in the door and establish a working relationship with them.
There is something to be said for choosing a a small-to-medium sized department for the campaign.
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Tags: research-process, graduate-admissions, career-path
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thread-27054
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27054
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Can a dean expel a doctoral student without a trial?
|
2014-08-11T01:13:50.120
|
# Question
Title: Can a dean expel a doctoral student without a trial?
My friend, a doctoral student, is being accused of harassment/stalking by the dean, yet law enforcement has not contacted my friend, and the dean refuses to substantiate his accusation, for fear of retaliation. My friend has not been given a trial, yet the dean is preventing him from completing his PhD, suspending him from the university. The dean kept my friend's adviser completely in the dark regarding the accusations. It seems the dean is harassing him, pure and simple.
What should he do?
thanks
# Answer
Universities do not in my experience hold "trials" in order to reach their decisions, however weighty. So the answer to the literal question asked is probably "yes".
I guess what you mean to ask is whether the dean has the unilateral power to do this. I'm not entirely clear on what "this" is: what does "preventing him from completing his PhD" or "*effectively* expelling" mean, precisely? But even if I did, I would have to know the rules of your friend's university rather intimately in order to answer. (*Someone* in your university has the power to do this. As @Paul comments, probably more than one person was involved in the decision. Just because the action looks single-handed to your friend does not mean that other university officials were not involved.)
One tip: if your friend's adviser doesn't know, get your friend to tell her!! (i) Could it make things any worse? (ii) Won't she find or sooner or later? Sooner may be soon enough to at least try to do something about it; later, maybe not.
**Added** "It seems the dean is harassing him, pure and simple." Well then he should report it to....oh. Seriously, if by this you mean that you think the dean has some kind of vendetta against your friend which caused him to simply fabricate these charges: though obviously I don't and can't know the situation, I find that very unlikely. Though there may be no "trial" system in the university, there will be some kind of clear guidelines and procedures for expelling students. If the harassment is simply made up then the expelling couldn't possibly have followed these procedures, which would open the university up to a trial, possibly an embarrassing and costly one. I think I understand this clearly, but a dean understands it like I can't even imagine.
> 19 votes
# Answer
Is there an ombudsman at the university? That would be the obvious person to go to after trying your advisor, director of graduate studies, and department chair (in that order).
Also the proliferation of the administrative ranks at universities often means that there are usually multiple Deans and associate provosts that you can talk to.
As with Pete Clark, I highly doubt that a Dean would try to expel someone with no cause. While the Peter° Principle operates at the administrative ranks, Deans and Provosts have no job security (they only have tenure if they are also faculty, which many are not) and are thus unlikely to do deliberate grievous harm. \[They are more than capable of grievous harm through incompetence, indecision, or an adherence to rigid bureaucracy, but that doesn't appear to the case here.\]
° n.b.: Pete Clark != Peter of the Peter Principle as far as I can ascertain.
Try to inquire with faculty to ascertain if there is more to the story (if it's your business, which it may or may not be; there are many things which regardless of FERPA or HIPAA should not be discussed about fellow students).
> 12 votes
# Answer
Deans are human: there are good ones and bad ones. The bad ones are capable of this sort of behavior, although in my experience Deans of this ilk tend to focus more on faculty than on graduate students.
In *any* university, the keys to these things lie in the University's policies. *In the United States of America* Deans are typically granted a fair amount of latitude, but even so they must stay within policy guidelines. Again, at American universities there is usually some sort of appeal mechanism for this sort of suspension. That is the place for your friend to start: what internal University mechanisms exist on his campus? If there are none, there is informal appeal through the campus's Chief Academic Officer (usually called the Provost). He also needs to confer with his dissertation advisor about the next steps.
As has been noted, you have only one side of the story and that from an interested party. It's said that God helps those who help themselves. It was also said that we get by with a little help from our friends. Your friend needs to take some actions to help himself. If the facts of the case really are on his side, he will likely get some help from his friends along the way.
> 2 votes
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Tags: harassment
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thread-27087
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27087
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Why do national laboratory presentations contain so much info per slide?
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2014-08-11T22:06:26.857
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# Question
Title: Why do national laboratory presentations contain so much info per slide?
I've seen many, many examples of scientific presentations from the National Laboratories in which virtually every slide is oversaturated with information. If this were an isolated event, I wouldn't have given it any thought. But I've noticed this pattern in presentations over many years from among presenters hailing from US national laboratories. Though my field is computational science, I've seen talks from national laboratory scientists in other fields and their presentations also have this same characteristic.
In academia, I've been taught to keep slides as simple as possible, with as little info per slide as necessary. My understanding is a presentation should be though of as an "advertisement" for the paper to be published. Thus, presentation slides should be designed to preserve the audience's interest. One method of keeping the audience interest is to not overwhelm them with too much information all at once (e.g., not too much text and not too many pictures in a single slide). I presume this is universally true, regardless of discipline.
However, the overwhelming majority of national laboratory presentations that I've seen seem to fill up virtually every available space with as much information as possible. Why do presentations from national laboratories tend to contain so much information per slide? How does this meet the needs of their target audience?
# Answer
> 12 votes
Let me try to answer for the tendency in my own discipline (particle physics) where we have this problem across the board (i.e. universities too).
Much like questions and answers on a Stack Exchange site, those slides are expected to form a resource for future investigators. We *know* there is too much there for anyone to absorb in the meeting, but we also know that more people will dig these slides out of the archive over the next year and *study* them then actually attended the meeting in the first place.
Yes, in an ideal world there would be a technical report *and* a deck of slides, but in fact there are only the slides.
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Personally I try pretty hard not to do this, and the result is a lot of backup slides and a lot of little URLs hanging around the bottom of the slides.
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As an aside, I think that PowerPoint and similar polished slideware makes stuffing them (over-)full way too easy. I use a LaTeX base for mine (just the old slides class with my own library of macros for a long time, but I've started using Beamer) and these tools encourage a better style.
Alas, I know all the tricks to squeeze on just one more thing.
# Answer
> 5 votes
My guess is that it's a cousin of the same problem in the armed forces, which has been a problem for two decades. (Note one link is from 2000, the other from 2010.)
On another level, the culture of the national laboratories has been trending in a more corporate direction, and many of the presentations that they need to give have limits on the number of slides to be presented. Managers want the whole "story" told in a handful of slides, which leads to over-compression of information.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I think it is just presentation style. We have the same in our universities: hey, let's put 3 topics and 5 figures on this slide, so everyone will be impressed! I don't say that everyone should talk like Steve Jobs or the TED presenters, but I believe that presentations should comply some basic rhetoric and design principles.
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Tags: presentation
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thread-27078
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27078
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Are there any drawbacks in adding hyperlinks in PhD application email?
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2014-08-11T14:41:04.297
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# Question
Title: Are there any drawbacks in adding hyperlinks in PhD application email?
I'm writing an application email to a professor for a PhD program. One dilemma that I have is whether I should add hyperlinks and if there are any problems in doing that. Consider the imaginary paragraph below:
> ... *and I currently work under supervision of professor Foobar in laboratory of blabla at University of* ...
Is this a bad practice? Is there any chance that they neglect the convenience of a single click because of a the visual incoherency of the text?
P.S. Are still any email client that shows the actual url instead of hyperlink text?
# Answer
> 4 votes
My personal remark:
I am not particularly fan of clicking all around links in an email I just got from a stranger, however natural and official looking it is.
From reader engagement point of view:
Links directly included to the text actually invite the reader to interrupt their reading and click and go to the website of another university, reading this and that there, **instead of reading your mail**! It is exactly you don't want, becasue you want her/him to stay and read your mail from start to end. If you really want to link, I would make a separate short paragraph at the end or in P.S., something like "for your convenience, here are links to blablabla". That way the reader easily can reach those websites, IF she/he chooses and AFTER she/he read your message.
# Answer
> 3 votes
There are a few holdouts who only read emails once they have been printed. With the advent of smart phones and the decline of lab or research area secretaries this number has gone down but there are still a few. I know of at least 2 in my area of research at my alma mater that still worked with only printouts and both were, if a bit stodgy when it came to fancy technologies like emails, were brilliant researchers.
For that somewhat silly reason I would definitely find a way to put URLs inline in any emails to professors you aren't familiar with. Something as simple as:
```
... and I currently work under supervision of professor
Foobar([www.school.edu/~foobar][1]) in laboratory of
blabla([www.school.edu/~blabla][1]) at University of ...
```
# Answer
> 3 votes
I think I'd write it "straight," and give the links in a closing paragraph at the end. That way, links don't distract from the point you're trying to make`*`, but you've still provided the information that may be wanted. I'd surely put the full URL, instead of a blind link. So:
```
You can find Professor Foobar's page at www.school.edu/~foobar The Blabla
laboratory maintains a page here: blabla.school.edu
```
`*` For an example if distracting links, see any Wikipedia page. (It *is* getting better, though.)
---
Tags: application, email
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thread-23777
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/23777
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How to correct plagiarism in my own Master's thesis, years later?
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2014-06-22T05:31:15.433
|
# Question
Title: How to correct plagiarism in my own Master's thesis, years later?
My situation is somewhat similar to this question, but I'm the plagiarizer.
Six years ago I did my Master's degree by coursework at university X, and wrote the Master's thesis under supervision of well-known Prof. A. For many reasons that I don't want to list here, I plagiarized. The first part of my thesis was background, and the second part was the original contribution.
In the background part, I copied an entire chapter from textbook T about algorithm S. Algorithm S was invented more than 50 years ago, and is described in several books, including the very well-known T. I didn't paraphrase at all, I started by citing T, and then copied the whole chapter word by word.
The contribution part is actually contribution. One year after I left the school, Prof. A found another student to extend it and published the extension with me as the second author. (The paper included the algorithm and experiment in my thesis, but I didn't write a single word of the paper.)
I have moved to university Y to do a PhD. I have published several papers in top conferences and have very good relationship with several well-known researchers. I want to advance in academia.
Will the Master's thesis destroy any possibility of a future academic career? If someone read my Master's thesis, it is very easy to recognize, since the part from the textbook is in perfect English, and the rest is in **extremely** poor English.
Can I contact the university to submit a revised Master's thesis which re-describes the algorithm S? This is the last thing I want to do.
# Answer
> 21 votes
I cannot tell you what the university will do if you confess; I am not employed in a position which would be involved in such a decision, and besides, I think that this will depend on cultural and legal factors, plus the personality of the decision makers in your case.
But I still think that it is better if you confess. There are several reasons for it:
1. Your own inner peace. By contemplating confession and posting here you show that you have matured and have higher integrity and a better understanding of academic rules and the seriousness of plagiarism than back when you submitted your thesis. If you don't confess, you will have to live with both 1)the guilt of not only having made the mistake once, but still actively deceiving people, and 2) the anxiety of being discovered someday. I have been on both sides of a "hidden guilt" situation (although when it was on academic matters, it concerned milder cases), and I can tell you from experience that it is a bad situation, especially for the person who feels guilty and dreads discovery. It burdens you with a stress which can permeate to many unrelated areas of your life and make you miserable.
2. Your risk of discovery rises with time. Nowadays, universities start to routinely employ plagiarism software. Who knows what funky electronic agent will snuffle in your old thesis ten years from now? Twenty? What if such software becomes so ubiquitous and cheap that employers start running it on your old theses when you apply for a job?
3. If you confess, you will suffer negative consequences - but not nearly as bad as if you are discovered by a third party. Confession, especially if you are repentant, shows that you are capable of feeling remorse, have high integrity, also courage, and are willing to take responsibility. Being caught makes people see you as a cold-blooded fraud not deterred by social emotions like guilt and remorse. This makes you dangerous to them and reduces their empathy for you. They are much more likely to be lenient if you confess than if you are caught by others.
4. The later it comes out, the worse for you. If you are either caught, or confess yourself much later (e.g. because you notice the negative effects of guilt and anxiety - and yes, this happens, I have witnessed such late confessions), it will have negative effects on your career. But right now, you are at its beginning.
* You have relatively little to lose yet. If you wait until later, you will have much more to restore after such a reputation blow.
* The younger you are when it happens, the more time you have to build a solid career without having to start anew. At times when you advance into more leading positions, it would be better that this story is a thing of the past, forgotten by most, than that it hits you out of nowhere.
* The sooner you confess after the mistake, the less reputation you lose. The less time you carry the problem hidden around, the less callous you appear, and also people feel less deceived.
* Once it comes out, everybody who has relied on your thesis being correct will be miffed. The more your life progresses, the more this number of people grows. If you confess early, you limit this number.
5. Your university is not interested in a public scandal. The dean doesn't want to open the morning paper and see a "university duped by brazen plagiarist" title. They will be unpleasantly surprised by a private confession too, but they will not feel that the situation is out of their control, or that the worst that can happen has already happened. They will have some incentive to cooperate with you, as long as you confess. If you are caught, their best strategy becomes to distance themselves from you and denounce you.
6. Time has shown that redemption is more beneficial to society than punishment-as-deterrent. This has been repeatedly shown in many situations: religious context (most of the New Testament is based on it, even though many Christian churches have historically been on the side of harsh punishment), law enforcement (prisons which are pleasant for the prisoners show better reformation rates) and parenting. So many people who have advanced to leadership positions have the wisdom not to mete out severe punishment for misconduct. Especially if you indicate that you are unlikely to repeat the mistake (and a confession is a very important part of it), they can be lenient. There is no guarantee that the leaders of your university will share this belief, but it is not exceptionally rare either.
They will still have to enforce some consequences. It would be both unfair to the students who played by the rules to get their degree, and damaging to the university's reputation to just let you have your degree when you did not follow all requirements for it. But they will not be vengeful, seeking to end your career. This is something which certainly happens when academic misconduct is caught much later by a third party after the fact, see the German examples Peter Jansson cites (and notice that in some cases for the German politicians, their plagiarism was limited to a few sentences), but also cases like this one in which a renowned professor's academic career came to an end after academic misconduct (although not plagiarism) was proven.
You may want to find support before you go straight to the people who have the most to lose from the news. The behavior of your current employer is also hard to predict (they might be legally required to terminate you if a Master's degree was required for your acceptance into the Ph.D. program), but if you think they will be on your side, you might want to talk to them first so, when you come to the university, you have somebody who can testify that your current level of work is as good as one of a person who obtained a Master's degree regularly. Especially if you have coauthored with somebody with a good standing in your community, they may be interested in helping you rather than having a publication in coauthorship with somebody whose reputation was destroyed (but gauge them as a person too, some people will prefer to just drop you and forget you).
I hope everything turns out to the best for you. As Nikana Reklawyks said, we are all human and make mistakes. If you are willing to repair the damage yours caused, this makes you a better, not a worse, human being.
# Answer
> 18 votes
Plagiarism is plagiarism and your existing thesis is the one which got you your degree. Since you have received your degree, the possibility is to confess to the plagiarism resulting in, possibly retraction of the thesis and removal of the degree. There have been a few highly publicized cases of plagiarism of PhD theses by people who have come to hold high positions in society (Example one and two). The exposure of these cases have led to them losing both their position and their degree. Having plagiarized your way to the degree could easily backfire at any time if, as you say, someone finds out. Now, we all make mistakes in life so I would think the best way to act responsibly is to contact a lawyer or the legal department of the university to discuss the matter and a way forward.
Regarding your publication, it seems as if it would not be affected by the story since it is your original work that has been published and I doubt that the authors copied the plagiarized chapter into the paper.
# Answer
> 12 votes
I realize that I may be late in seeing this and answering this, but I believe confessing is the way to go. I am a university administrator who has handled cases of plagiarism. In some cases, the plagiarism was discovered years after the student had received the degree. On discovery of plagiarism, the matter generally goes to a disciplinary committee. For academic misconduct, disciplinary committees look for remorse on the part of the student in considering penalties. In instances where sufficient remorse is shown, students are given the chance to revise their thesis instead of depriving them of their degree. In your situation, the revision is not difficult because it is in the "review of literature" part rather than the "innovation" part. There is no issue of whether the revised work will be degree-worthy, which makes it easier on the examiners who will have to review and approve the revised thesis.
# Answer
> 9 votes
Edited completely, given correct comments below stating that I seemed to be advocating non-confession.
I think the comment above both understates the case re punishment - you likely would lose your degree and your place on the PhD programme and admiration for your confession won't count for much - and overstates your likelihood of being caught. Universities archive dissertations for x years then pulp them.
What is strong is this: you lied, the weight of that won't make for a comfortable career and you deserve a consequence, at least on the facts as presented.
In short, should you confess, be prepared for another career.
Apologies for coming across like I don't take the ethical issues seriously. My intent, very badly put, was rather to prepare you for the worst if you come clean.
---
Tags: thesis, ethics, plagiarism
---
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thread-27097
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27097
|
Can one professor hold more than one endowed chair?
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2014-08-12T02:06:18.410
|
# Question
Title: Can one professor hold more than one endowed chair?
Are there examples of one person holding more than one endowed chair at the same university?
# Answer
> 14 votes
I had personally never heard of anyone occupying two endowed chairs at the same time at the same university. Even if a person had two appointments in separate departments at the same university (for example, History of Science and Psychology), they were usually listed as the:
* Dunning-Kruger Professor of Psychology and History of Science
or alternately, if the endowed line (the DK-Professorship) had been bequeathed specifically to Psychology for example:
* Dunning-Kruger Professor of Psychology, Professor of History of Science
So the short answer is: no.
But that being said, there are always exceptions. A little digging around at universities that have separate sub-units revealed that, at Harvard there is a person in History who holds two endowed chairs and one regular position:
* Annette Gordon-Reed
+ Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History at Harvard Law School
+ Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radcliffe Institute
+ \[Harvard U. FAS\] Professor of History
I personally think that this exception proves the rule since the three professorships are at nominally separate entities (HLS, Radcliffe I, and Harvard U FAS) that are under the singular Harvard conglomerate umbrella.
---
Tags: university, professorship, career-path
---
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thread-27065
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27065
|
Is it OK to ask my host for an externally organized stay which hotel is being booked?
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2014-08-11T09:12:09.473
|
# Question
Title: Is it OK to ask my host for an externally organized stay which hotel is being booked?
I will be spending 2 weeks in China later this year, to visit a university and talk to the various research groups. The host university will be paying all my expenses.
My contact person at the host university has asked me if I would like for him to make hotel reservations for me or if I would like to do it myself.
Ideally I would like for him to make reservations, as he knows his own city. But am I "allowed" to ask to see the hotel first, before he makes reservations for me? Or is that considered impolite and rude as they are paying for me?
# Answer
> 17 votes
Given that it's in China (and I'm assuming you're not Chinese), I would let the host do it for three reasons:
1. It's important to be gracious to the host. This is a general rule in most cultures, but particularly in East Asian ones. Letting your host be a good host is part of this. Trust your host's judgement here.
2. My experience with Chinese hotels from Shanghai to Xinjiang is that there is minimal to negative correlation of the quality of the hotel to the website or the official star rating. It is highly doubtful that you could ascertain anything superior from afar than what the local person would know.
3. Logistics. The host may want to put all of the people in a particular hotel (or spread them between a particular few) because of logistical reasons: geography and they have only one van to pick everyone up, etc. etc.
I would let your Chinese hosts handle everything. If you have particular needs (room must face towards the south; hotel restaurant must have halal food; etc.) then let them know. Otherwise, let your host be your host.
# Answer
> 10 votes
If you have specific requirements regarding the hotel (accessibility, star level, kitchen availability, etc) you may want to send them to your host. The chain of command in academia is rather long. I would suggest that in your case it is something like
you -\> your host professor -\> their secretary -\> their travel agent -\> hotel
Each time you want to change your request, it has to pass through the whole chain, which makes the process particularly time-demanding and reduces the efficiency. It is a good idea to keep the number of such iterations as small as possible.
# Answer
> 5 votes
If all you want to do is get information about what hotel is being booked, you can always ask them to provide it so that you can share the information with your family and friends as well as the people in your office so that they know how to get in touch with you in case of an emergency.
# Answer
> 4 votes
If you want to have the final decision on which hotel to book, then ask your host for a recommendation of local hotels and how much he's prepared to support your housing expenses. With this information you can book the hotel yourself, and if it exceeds your host's housing support you can pay the difference. Remember that your host is not your travel agent.
However, I think you have a much better chance of getting a superior hotel for the same money if your host makes the housing arrangements. As a local, he likely gets better rates than you are as foreigner. Also the hotel proprietor will be eager to get the *next* guest your host invites.
---
Tags: conference, etiquette, visiting
---
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thread-27116
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27116
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Explaining switch of research interests in Statement of Purpose
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2014-08-12T12:59:57.397
|
# Question
Title: Explaining switch of research interests in Statement of Purpose
For most of my Masters studies, I worked in the area of Quantum computation and wrote my thesis on that. But following that, I lost my interest and switched to Computer Vision and worked as an intern for a few months. Now I plan to pursue a PhD in the field of Computer Vision even though my Masters thesis was on a different topic. How should I convince the admission committee about this switch ?
I had published 2 papers while working on Quantum computations (one from my Thesis and another one as a student job) and 1 in Computer Vision from my internship. But I was not interested in Quantum computations because it consisted mostly coding and there was no hardware to work on (at least in my university). Whereas computer vision is a branch I am very comfortable with since I directly get to see the impact of the changes in algorithm visually. I also have very good grades in the area related to computer vision. But I cannot really frame a convincing story as "visual feedback" is not enough concrete to convince a potential guide.
Please give me your inputs. Thank you.
# Answer
> 6 votes
You don't have to convince the admission committee about the switch.
You do have to convince the admission committee that you are able to complete a PhD in Computer Vision.
Work out what skills will be needed, and present your evidence that you have those skills.
Work out what knowledge will be needed as a prerequisite, and present your evidence that you have that knowledge.
Work out what the other pre-requisities are (funding, contributing to the internal life of the department, whatever), and present the evidence for that too.
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Tags: graduate-school, statement-of-purpose
---
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thread-27030
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27030
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Received offer to work for free, how to negotiate for a salary?
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2014-08-10T09:21:55.363
|
# Question
Title: Received offer to work for free, how to negotiate for a salary?
I was an international student and graduated 3 years ago. Now I want to continue my research career instead of working in the industry. I worked for free for a professor for one month last year. It was a good experience and we had a good impression to each other. I approach her again and asked to get back to her lab, she said that she could consider to work together on a project for 1 year, but she has no money. On one side, I was always excited about to be back to a lab to do more researches, and expecting to extend it to a PhD study; on the other side, I couldn't be glad and work well without enough money. I am going to meet this professor soon, I was wondering:
1. Why did she asked me to work for free?
2. How to negotiate or should I just give it up?
# Answer
> 8 votes
The question you have to answer is:
> Can you go for one year without eating and living under a bridge?
As I assume the answer is no, you simply tell her you cannot work without getting paid. She shouldn't be offended by this.
Even if she has no money, she may know other labs that have, and can recommend you My master's advisor came one day with a friend of his and said "this is Prof. Smith, and he is looking for a PhD student in a project I think will interest you".
Lastly, depending on the country, working for free may be illegal. In Spain it is common to do PhDs unfunded, in Sweden it is considered slavery.
# Answer
> 2 votes
You need to be clear what you wish to achieve. Working "for free" is never great, but it might be tolerable if it helps you to get somewhere you want to be. Once you've decided what you want to get from this, then discuss this with the professor and ask how she can help you get there. For example, it might be possible to write a grant application to fund you for a PhD, if that is what you want. Be prepared to walk away if the prospects don't seem worth the risk.
You might also ask whether there is scope for earning money from other sources - say, from teaching. Be cautious about vague promises that don't ever materialise into anything concrete.
Above all, decide what this is worth to you, and what your exit strategy is going to be if things don't work out according to plan. Once you've worked for free for several months, it's easy to think "well, just another month... perhaps something will come along". This is unlikely to be a good situation to be in...
# Answer
> 0 votes
I see two questions here, one is what Davidmh clearly mentioned. The other is
> If it is a common practice to do so?
To this second question, I will say it depends on the student's aims and advisor's funds.
I know one of my friend doing the same in KTH, Sweden. Another friend of mine did a research for 2 months in a UK university after her masters for free. The value you get is recognition for working in a good lab and may be some research papers if you can manage.
I assume your professor recommended so thinking you are enthusiastic about research and may do so even if she could not provide you with some money. If this is not the case, you can tell her politely, it is not considered offensive at all. *I also guess here that you have not told her about your intentions to extend this research to a PhD later*. If you do so, she may tell you later if she gets funds or may direct you to another lab if you discuss with her.
# Answer
> 0 votes
If you demonstrate value you should be compensated for value-added that you bring to her project. If she really wanted to pay you then she'd find a way.
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Tags: research-process, job, salary, international-students, negotiation
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thread-26759
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26759
|
Should I switch to PhD or graduate with a Master's?
|
2014-08-03T19:57:58.930
|
# Question
Title: Should I switch to PhD or graduate with a Master's?
I am doing Master's in Applied Science in Civil Engineering. In my research I work with big data analysis which has gotten a fancy new name in past few years "Data Science". When I joined the master's program I didn't knew much about programming and had basic knowledge of statistical analysis. Over the period of about 2 years I learned a lot about data analysis in R language, developing data apps, creating interactive documents, etc. Although my research area had no direct relation with any of those things, I enjoyed learning them and using them in getting insights about data.
On the other hand, this journey has been very frustrating because I could get very little useful knowledge for my research study. My 2 supervisors have been very supportive and both have asked me to continue my work and switch to PhD.
One part of me long for getting out in the 'field' and have a 9 to 5 job with set amount of tasks everyday. But at the same time I am afraid to leave academia as this is all I've ever done in my career (worked as a Lecturer previously and now have graduate assistant positions). Money is another concern as I've not yet determined how much I would be able to get in scholarships/ grants during PhD. I don't know how to keep myself motivated continuously during research, so there are always some days when I just don't do anything. I am really confused at this stage as to what should I do, complete my master's in next 4 months and graduate or go for a PhD. What are your thoughts/ experiences?
# Answer
You shouldn't stick around for a PhD because you're afraid to do something else. A PhD is something that you should do because you're motivated to use the skills you acquire in the PhD in your later career (either as a researcher, or in a research-oriented field).
If you're not excited about being a PhD student, then it's not worth it in the long run to be miserable for several years of your life to obtain the degree. Moreover, because the PhD can limit your ability to take certain jobs—because of the perception of overqualification—if you're not motivated, don't do it.
In other words: Choose to do something because you want to be there—not because you're afraid to be somewhere else!
> 7 votes
# Answer
FYI: Big Data analysis and Data Science are two different things, that can certainly involve one another, but one does not have to involve the other.
Also, Data Scientists don't fully know how to define data-science (i.e., is it a singular person with specific multiple overlapping skills, or is it a team of people with multiple overlapping skills? How is it different from a statistician? How is it different from a programmer?)
Anyways, I'd take a job then come back and get a Ph.D. if you still want to go that route. It will be clear to you a few years into your job if your heart was really in academia or not, and if your heart isn't fully in academia you'll at least have a clear rationale for what the value added of a Ph.D. would be for you.
> 1 votes
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Tags: phd, motivation, career-path
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thread-26745
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26745
|
What is the value of journal publications outside academia?
|
2014-08-03T04:03:20.000
|
# Question
Title: What is the value of journal publications outside academia?
I am an economics PhD student; I'm seeking to wrap up my PhD and do something outside of academia.
If I don't plan on ever being in academia, is there any value (career-wise) for me to get any of my work published in economics journals?
Ideally I'm looking for answers pertaining specifically to economics; but information on other fields is welcome too.
*To elaborate (following some comments):*
The reason I do not want to stay in academic economics is that too much (though certainly not all) of it is bullshit I cannot believe in. (This of course is just my humble opinion.) If I wanted to stay in the game and do well, I feel I'd be forced to manufacture similar BS that I simply don't believe in.
In other words, doing this PhD was for me a mistake. If and when I do get my PhD, I will not even feel proud about it. But now that I'm near the finish line, I reckon I may as well cross it, if only for the credential.
Right now I'm looking at working for one of the MOOCs. I enjoy teaching and believe that teaching/education is important. But it is also possible that I might do something completely different; I don't quite know yet.
So now I'm thinking: Should I just try to graduate ASAP with the lowest quality work possible? Or should I invest a bit more time and effort to polishing my work up, so that some of it can get published?
# Answer
If you are planning to work outside academia as a specialist in your field, then you need to have academic knowledge. I don't see any value of having PhD papers publication while you are seeking non-research job positions; but, a wise employer will decide upon your CV.
As far as most of your time as a PhD student has been spent on research, so the employer is probably seeking the out put of the years you spent in university. These are the years you did not have enough freedom to work in industry, so the question here is what this candidate did at the university.
Nobody wants to hire a tired and depressed candidate who did not do well in his studies as a student and it may come to mind that he will be as tired as the years he was student, why to have him in company?!
So by having publications in your CV, you not make your CV comparative and comparable to the other candidates registering for the job; but also you will show that you are an ideal person in every situation. When you attend university, you did your best, finished your degree and have some publications; and the employer becomes more sure about choosing you. Percents bellow is my approximation of the need of publications in job market.
If I want to generally answer your question:
1. If you are going to be hired somewhere:
* **100%** If it is a research job and related to your studies; then you absolutely need to show your research capabilities. So you need to prove that can do the research chores and then having paper publications is good idea.
* **80%** If it is a research job and not so related to your field, then the title of your papers may have no significant value but you need to show your ability to conduct research and having publications shows that you have the ability and the knowledge to do research.
* **50%** If it is a non-research job and related to your field, it seems that having publications does not make any sense but you have to show what you did in your education years, so if you don't have work experience in your CV, show that you have published something, show that you are expert in your field, have something in your CV!
* **10%** If it is a non-research job and not so related to your fields of study; then you may not need that much publications (see my answer above).
2. **0% to 100%** If you are going to work on your own and do not have any plans to be hired somewhere, do some business, be an entrepreneur, etc., you are the one who wants to hire you, so having publications isn't significant. But keep in mind that having research publications gives you ideas to work with, opens your eyes as a specialist and opens many more job opportunities than a person who has not any insight to research. So having publications may give you many more opportunities than having no publications.
In my opinion, be firm in every step of your life, finish your PhD with most output and publications; and enter a job which is so related to your field and make use of the things you learn during your studies at the university. If you do not gain much from your education, then it seems that you have lost your time for a PhD. So what was the use to get a PhD?
By the way, I think that your question highly depends on answering to this question: What are you going to do after graduation? And, What the consequences of not having publications would be in your future careers and jobs. *You* are the only one who can answer these questions precisely.
> 10 votes
# Answer
Disclaimer: I know nothing about the research in economics.
Publications are useful when applying to a job closely related to their field of study, but are almost never a requirement outside academia. This being said, if you want to 'work for one of the MOOCS' you might want to reconsider, because they very often *are* made in universities. I never applied to a teaching position, but I suspect it's not irrelevant to have at least one publication (although again, not a strict requirement).
Anyway, regardless of what your plans are, if you think your papers are not worthy of being published (what you qualify as BS), *don't submit them*, you will only lose readers' time. People apparently forget that the point of publishing is to show your work to others thus contributing to the field. The CV part is a by-product (at least it should be).
In addition, publishing something you don't 'believe in' is going to be a long-lasting pain in the neck (that is, in reputable, peer-reviewed journals). It could take you month of struggling with a paper that you do not want to read again, but have to. If you made your decision never to work in academia again, then it's pretty much pointless.
> 3 votes
# Answer
> The reason I do not want to stay in academic economics is that too much (though certainly not all) of it is \[BS\] I cannot believe in.
Exactly because you think there are so much BS there, you should publish your papers if they are not BS.
I would review my manuscripts to see if they are good if I were you. If I believe they are of good quality, i.e. non-BS, I would submit them to the journals for peer review. If they do not match good quality standard, I would improve them so that they are not the same as those BS I saw in some journals. I then submit them to the quality journals which do not publish BS.
P.S. In my opinion, your question really has nothing do with where you are going to be and I consider MOOCs is part of Academia.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I'm in a different policy field, but share the same sentiments as you about academia. Consequently, I'm in the same situation of wondering how much I should care about publishing.
Here's some of my observations to date:
* You have to show that you did something with your time while in a Ph.D. program. Publishing shows that I worked productively with my boss (advisor) on something "important" while I was a graduate student. However, this has diminishing returns. Namely, I'm perfectly content pumping my work out to a mid-tier journal, where I'm confident most of what I do would be published with just some simple edits that come about from the peer-review process at that level. My advisor, on the other hand, has a "go big or go home" mentality to publishing, which suits this person well given his/her career, but doesn't particularly help me get through the program rapidly to get a job outside of academia.
* The best part about being in graduate school, but also being certain that I'm not going into academia, is that I have all sorts of time to build skills on my resume that will help me land the kinds of jobs that I want outside of academia, but are skills I wouldn't otherwise gain through the formal experience of a Ph.D. program. For me, this is computer programming. I'm great at statistics, understand research designs very well, and plan on leaning on these skills on the job market. However, a perfect complement to those skills, for the positions I'm interested in, is to be able to hack my way around several programming languages. Now, I can build something tangible with the analyses that I was already quite fluent with. Aside from the basic work that I need to do for my lab, and the program requirements I need to fulfill to get out the door, I really focus on these tertiary skills while I have the time to focus on such things. This means I usually am less concerned about the conference deadlines that seem to loom over the other graduate students, or revising that paper for the 100th time to try and impress my advisor. However, I should say that I also get a lot of shit done for my lab, more than other grad students, and work in ways that are much more smart/efficient than other students in my department. So, I find it easy to find the time to focus on other skills that might be beneficial to me on the job market. So, I hope given your disposition about academia, and your career goals, that you are using the extra time that comes from letting go of engaging with the rat race in order to do something cool for your resume.
* The hard part is getting your advisor on board with your goals, which are reflected in a lack of concern about publication. First, it's harder to get them to pay attention to you if you aren't publishing things that are going to help them and their career. Two, if you're dealt an unlucky hand in being advised by someone who's never done anything other than academia (which is my case), it's hard to get them to understand your position. He/she might support your longterm goal, but will not be able to provide a vision of the intermediary steps one needs to take to reach that goal. I'm in the midst of negotiating my publication path with my advisor (i.e., "this is a perfectly fine article that would get published in a range of mid-tier journals." Advisor: "I just think if you redo this, that and the other thing, and then do this other thing, and think about this stuff then you could get it in one of the top journals..."), you might find yourself in the same position.
I really could go into so much more about being in the position you are in, and the difficulties that come from it, but that would get away from the question at hand.
> 2 votes
# Answer
**Disclaimer:** *I never worked in the industry, so I have no first-hand information and everything I write is what I picked up from old colleagues, ... .*
That said, I think in economics outside Academia a publication is worth barely the space in the CV. When applying to positions in consulting you may have luck and someone recognizes the journal you are publishing in, but in large companies you rarely meet someone who even knows what AER or Econometrica are.
So publications might look nice on the CV but (if you are not applying to a university or maybe a consulting firm) no one cares if you published at Econometrica or the working paper series of the university of nowhere.
However, your case is a little bit different: MOOCs (and most teaching jobs) are at a university, so I would consider them as part of Academia and there publications might be worth something. Maybe not much but something at least.
To put that in (pretty random) numbers:
```
100% For a research job (normalized)
50% For a teaching job at an university
10% - 20% If you are "lucky" and someone with a PhD in Economics makes the decision
0% Otherwise
```
Publishing takes a lot of time and effort, so, if you are sure that you do not want to stay in Academia (or work at MOOCs) graduate faster without polishing your papers too much (if you are getting some kind of grade: that usually does matter, so some polishing is probably needed).
> 1 votes
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Tags: publications, economics
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thread-17866
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/17866
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Immediate access to previously accessed PDFs integrated into a Google Scholar search?
|
2014-03-07T04:16:39.520
|
# Question
Title: Immediate access to previously accessed PDFs integrated into a Google Scholar search?
**Downloading full-text PDFs is often too slow:** My university has a subscription to most journal articles. Thus, most of the time I have full-text access to journal articles. However, for various reasons, accessing an article still takes perhaps 30 seconds. Although sometimes it's quicker, it's often still a 7-step process (1) search and find the article on Google scholar (2) login to the university system (3) get to the list of sources at my university that provides full-text; (4) get to the journal article page; (5) get to a full-text page; (6) save the pdf; (7) open the pdf in my preferred viewer.
**Managing a library of PDFs is tedious:** That said, I find it tedious to have to manage my own library of PDFs. It often takes longer to work out whether I already have the article or not (Thus, I have to first search my hard drive and then search Google Scholar). I also have to enter the PDF into the library with no guaranty that I'll ever need it again.
In general, there are two kinds of PDFs. There are those that I'm accessing for the first time, and there are those that I come back to again.
Thus, I imagine a good system would be if some online system kept track of what I'd downloaded. If I did a search on Google Scholar and I'd already downloaded the PDF, it would just be a single click away (i.e., in a kind of cache).
**Is there a way to meet the following requirements?**
1. **Near immediate access to previously accessed PDFs**
2. **Almost no time to store a PDF (or ideally something that operates in the background)**
3. **Integrated search through Google Scholar that works both for new PDFs and previously accessed PDFs (i.e., for a previous PDF it pulls the article out of the cache; for new PDFs you go through the normal process).**
# Answer
> 6 votes
Google has brought a whole new experience how we tend to manage stuff. Searching is so fast and efficient, that in some use cases it has become obsolete to maintain a rigorously structured, personal library. The drawback, however, is that you have to complete the tedious task of retrieving the full text PDF again and again.
I am a scientist myself, and I am also one of the developers of Paperpile, where we exactly tried to make this use cases as simple as possible. Paperpile runs in the background and **you do not have to leave Google Scholar or Pubmed to quickly get the full text PDF**.
Next to each item in the Google Scholar search result you will find the little Paperpile toolbar. Just click on the Paperpile logo and it will find the full text PDF for you and will add it to the library. That's **all done in background**, and you do not have to open any user interface or go to another window.
Paperpile automatically screens all the items on the Google Scholar results page, and shows a link to the PDF for those that are in your library. Since Paperpile is totally web based, this **will also work if you login on another machine**.
I have also attached a screenshot to get an impression how it works. Articles that I already have in my library are marked by the green logo.
# Answer
> 4 votes
You can always try zotero (http://www.zotero.org/). It is a browser plug-in and a stand-alone app. You can store PDFs in their "cloud" (free up to a limit or for a price if you need larger space) or in your web-dav server of your choice (https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/webdav\_services). It syncs accross devices (laptop, work PC) and also has several tools for web scraping popular sites like ACM digital library... So, I think it should cover most of your needs.
I do not know about Google scholar integration though.
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Tags: research-process, google-scholar
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thread-27135
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27135
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Is PGCHE more valuable that PGCE?
|
2014-08-13T05:40:06.987
|
# Question
Title: Is PGCHE more valuable that PGCE?
There have been a few questions relating to PGCHE certificates, including:
1. How is PGCHE by distance learning viewed relative to in-class?
2. What is the purpose of peer evaluation of teaching?
3. University Teaching Certifications for Different Countries
As far as I understand, the PGCHE is more specific to higher education (hence the HE). However, there is another more general PGCE which deals with education overall (not limited to higher education).
**Given that the PCGHE is more specific, do faculty selection committees value the PGCHE as a 'better qualification' when hiring a lecturer or do they simply consider that someone has specific training in teaching and there is no significant difference?** Does this vary by country?
# Answer
In the UK community colleges are not part of the higher education system and the US equivalent of a small liberal arts colleges essentially do not exist. That means the vast majority of UK universities hire for "research excellence" and hiring committees are really only interested in if you can teach a needed module and that you will not be awful. The PGCE, unlike the PGCHE, would not satisfy any university requirements and therefore I don't think hiring committees would consider it at all.
As for the PGCHE, while many universities require new members of academic staff to obtain one, The universities that I am familiar with offer the PGCHE curriculum in house via the School of Education. Since it is presented to new staff as a hoop to jump through, I know of no one outside of university administrators and schools of education that think the PGCHE, in any form, is of value. Further, while I have seen many job adverts where a PGCHE is a "desirable" qualification, I have never seen one where it is "essential". During hiring, we briefly consider the presence/absence of a PGCHE, but never more than that.
Overall, I would say that the PGCE is useless for getting a job and the PGCHE is only marginally more valuable for being hired. As a PGCHE is. Requirement once you have the job, it may be beneficial in that it would make your first year, or two, easier since it is one less thing to do while you are drowning in new teaching, admin, and setting up a research agenda. The disadvantage of this is the PGCHE course was one place where I met new faculty members outside my school.
> 3 votes
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Tags: job-search, certification
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thread-27147
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27147
|
What is the correct procedure to report typos or errors in journal articles?
|
2014-08-13T12:54:25.637
|
# Question
Title: What is the correct procedure to report typos or errors in journal articles?
I have found an error in a journal article which I believe to be a typo. It is minor but it does affect the technical aspects of the paper so it should ideally be corrected.
What is the correct procedure in these cases? Should I contact the authors? Should I contact the editors? Does this vary on a case-by-case basis? If so, what should I consider?
# Answer
> 9 votes
If an error is grave enough to change the results, conclusions, meaning of a published article, the journal and probably also the author is keen to publish an errata to rectify the problem. If there is an error at a point but which is not carried through to the conclusions, I doubt an errata will result. Given that we cannot see the example you are referring to, it is impossible to asses the gravity of the problem. But, since you mention a typo, I doubt that the article as a whole is affected but rather a sentence or a paragraph. So at best you approach the grey-zone.
So, it would never hurt to write a short mail to the editor to check if the problem is deemed serious enough for action. Depending on how you perceive the problem, a mail to the author to check that your perception of the error is correct may also be pertinent. Which action you take first is of less importance, you may even decide to send a mail to both at the same time. Without knowing the details the best or most appropriate way forward in detail is difficult to judge.
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Tags: publications, journals, etiquette, editors, errors-erratum
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thread-38
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/38
|
English certifications: which ones are recognized overseas?
|
2012-02-14T21:46:20.977
|
# Question
Title: English certifications: which ones are recognized overseas?
In the European Union we have a "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages". In practice all language certification programmes have one of those levels associated to them (ranging from A1, the most basic, to C2, the most advanced), so that it is possible to establish equivalences between common tests. This allows me to, say, determine if my A in the (life-time valid) FCE exam is worth more or less than a 8.0 in the (short-lived) IELTS exam.
This however doesn't help the student that wants to have an exchange program *outside* the European Union. I heave heard *rumours* that, e.g., the Cambridge exams in English aren't accepted in the states, but that could very well be FUD.
What are the most universally accepted certifications in English?
# Answer
> 7 votes
From what I've heard, the TOEFL is well recognised.
That being said, once you get your PhD, I don't think people ask for some English certifications (at least, I've never been asked to, and I'm not a native speaker). I guess your publications and the interview in English should be enough to see if you're able to communicate in English.
EDIT List of who accepts the TOEFL.
# Answer
> 1 votes
As always, it helps to be specific: \- what kind of exchange program? \- what is oversea? USA? Canada? Japan?
In the US for a PhD program generally TOEFL and GRE is required, and most cases cannot exchanged to other certificates. I don't know Master programs, but I would assume similar or same certificates are required. Since exchange programs are much more limited, and I saw a really wide range of people doing them, I am pretty sure that there are programs that do not require any certificates or very flexible.
In Far-East the universities are generally more flexible. Beside TOEFL, TOEIC is also a popular English test, but many have heard about IELTS, too.
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Tags: student-exchange, language-exams
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thread-27104
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27104
|
Is there a comprehensive system for identifying course objectives?
|
2014-08-12T05:21:12.183
|
# Question
Title: Is there a comprehensive system for identifying course objectives?
When planning my courses, I usually try to establish a variety of objectives, beyond the primary objective described in the course description, and layer many minor objectives into the lessons. Courses for freshmen tend to have more objectives, as they are often learning about the requirements of being a student at college.
As an example, in a course called "History of New Orleans", I would focus on these objectives:
* content (e.g. know major events in New Orleans' history)
* cultural understanding (e.g. develop affinity/understanding of the perspective of different peoples in New Orleans)
* vocabulary (e.g. academic meta-vocabulary, terms specific to the content)
* research skills (e.g. assessing bias in sources, writing a works cited)
* practice with technological tools to assist (e.g. software for accessing historical records)
* group work skills (e.g. effectively combining work)
* academic behavior (e.g. learn that plagiarism is not welcome in college)
I have seen tools such as Bloom's Taxonomy, however, that seems too narrowly focused on the course topic and does not seem to broadly cover many of the skills I've listed above. I want to find some table/system/taxonomy to help me to identify and organize the objectives.
Is there a system to assist course instructors in selecting course objectives?
# Answer
Perhaps the closest thing to a system would be the objectives that were developed for the full curriculum?
An example from my area. In biology, a recent call encourages universities to be less focused on subdisciplines and more on core concepts and competencies. After many meetings, biologists settled on these:
**Core concepts:** evolution, structure and function, information flow, energy pathways, systems.
**Competencies:** application of the scientific method, quantitative reasoning, modeling and simulation, interdisciplinary connections, effective communication.
If I were writing out my learning objectives for the lecture on photosynthesis, I might list that photosynthesis fits into structure/function and energy pathways core concepts, and I would be motivated to include a discussion of a classic experiment so students can practice the scientific method and some calculations for students to apply quantitative reasoning.
I would imagine that history (or any other discipline) likely has a similar list of important concepts plus important skills they want their students to have.
> 2 votes
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Tags: teaching
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thread-27062
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27062
|
Protecting my project from theft by panel I am submitting it to
|
2014-08-11T06:02:18.980
|
# Question
Title: Protecting my project from theft by panel I am submitting it to
I'm doing an (external) bachelor's degree in the field of computing and am in the second of my three years. The final requirement of this degree is a project, complete with development and a dissertation that has to be submitted to the institute and defended at a Viva. I've taken the liberty of researching well into a lot of parts of my potential project, and have given a lot of thought into it.
My long research has prompted my few family/friends in the industry to ridicule me (which I don't mind), and have warned me that creating a "good" project would run the risk of "questionable" practices enacted.
In short, I've been told that the panel might fail my project and transfer all it's content to a favoured student of their own if they find mine interesting enough. I do not know if this is a fact or just a rumor. But, I don't want this to happen (with me or anyone else).
What measures can I take to make sure that they can't do things like this to both the dissertation I submit and the code I develop? I've already thought of private repositories on online version control systems to keep the code, but what about the dissertation?
Note:
* we are required to include a declaration signed by my advisor and myself that allows the dissertation to be used by the institute for loans and publishing, as well as to outside organizations.
* I'm intending to release the software as open-source after I graduate, so this may be a problem.
* If it is stolen, I doubt that complaining to the institute will help, and may result on the ganging up on me.
P.S.: I hope I don't sound like a whiner or moron.
# Answer
> we are required to include a declaration signed by my advisor and myself that allows the dissertation to be used by the institute for loans and publishing, as well as to outside organizations.
This can be either a transfer of copyright (your work belong to them now), or a broad authorisation to publish it however they want. They are two different situations, and you would have to read it carefully, but it will most probably only cover your report, not your code. So you can just upload your code to a public repository and link the implementation from your report. Given your concerns, a viral licence like GPL sounds appropriate for you.
In any case, authorship is, under some jurisdictions, one of the unrenunciable rights. No one can pay you, convince you, or otherwise force you to claim authorship on your work. They can buy it, but they cannot change who did it. What they can do (and many universities do) is own the outcome of your research, like patents. The rationale is that they have been providing you with resources and advise. Check the legal conditions of your degree. This may include final undergraduate projects, where the student is also paying for the education, and not receiving any money from the university.
Anyway, I don't think a reputable institution will lightly steal from its students. Authorship can be easily proven in some situations, taken to court, and the damage to their reputation can be enormous.
> 3 votes
# Answer
> My long research has prompted my few family/friends in the industry to ridicule me (which I don't mind), and have warned me that creating a "good" project would run the risk of "questionable" practices enacted. In short, I've been told that the panel might fail my project and transfer all it's content to a favoured student of their own if they find mine interesting enough. I do not know if this is a fact or just a rumor. But, I don't want this to happen (with me or anyone else).
I **hope** that this is just a paranoid rumor. It would not be founded in any university I am aware of, but of course not knowing your institution, one can't say anything for sure.
However, the question is what you can do to minimize the risk, if you feel this is an actual possibility that you need to insure yourself against. Usually, the best bet against having your work stolen is to make sure that as many people as possible know of this work as yours. For instance, you can show it to other faculty members that you trust (if you need an excuse, you can always ask them for feedback), or upload it to a (timestamped) preprint service. For code, the best is probably to just upload everything as open source to GitHub or a similar service.
> 5 votes
# Answer
Get a free certificate (e.g., from StartSSL) and use it to digitally sign your document.
I know PDFs and many other file formats support digital signatures. See this about signing a PDF with Adobe Reader; it appears Adobe even offers a free, easy-to-use service so you don't have to get a certificate from a third-party.
Digitally signing something proves that it is yours because no one could claim your work is theirs without knowing your private key.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Send your full project documentation as a **registered** letter to your own address and , if you know any, friendly attorney-at law. Such letter **must** stay not opened, not from you, not from attorney. The idea behind it is, that the whole project documentation is registered as yours at defined date.
I've done such more then once to protect my start-up ideas from plagiarism, if i was going to discuss ideas with venture capitalists. According to at least German law, such protection fully works, if it discussed at any court.
**Edit (13.08)**
I have even found an online notary, notatus.de (sadly only in german), which offers legally proofed document depositation / escrow, specially for the purpose of authorship protecting. They offer even depositation and letters of deposit for computer files, so one isn't forced to send paper documents. BTW, this service is free!
> -1 votes
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Tags: plagiarism
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thread-27160
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27160
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Sound reasons for excluding a reviewer
|
2014-08-13T19:47:20.823
|
# Question
Title: Sound reasons for excluding a reviewer
I am about to submit a paper, and I'm asked whether I want anybody to be excluded from consideration as a reviewer. I also need to state a reason. I briefly considered listing someone who - I have reasons to believe - once reviewed a paper of mine by listing criticisms that were unspecific enough that I spent a very large amount of time just trying to figure out what they meant. Of course my guess could be wrong, and it seems unfair to label someone as a suboptimal reviewer based on a hunch. Which led me to wonder - what are some good reasons for asking for exclusion of a reviewer? And additionally, what would polite wordings be for each of these reasons?
# Answer
> 16 votes
You should list reviewers (if any) that you think may be unfairly biased towards your science in some specific way. this includes persons with whom there may be a personal conflict that would shadow an objective review or people who have shown an unmitigated dislike for your science or the like. It is not intended to be used to list persons just because they may not agree with your science. In the specific case you list, I can see that such a reviewer may be unwanted but I do not think the reasons are strong enough to warrant signalling the reviewer as unwanted. The chances of the reviewer being asked may be small if there are many others that can be considered useful. Finally, if you were still to receive a review that is as unclear as the one you describe, you should ask the editor to clarify what you should read out from the review. After all, the editor must have read the review and used it to evaluate the degree of revisions necessary of your manuscript. So in short, you should save the nasty for listing as unwanted or non-preferred (whatever the journal terminology may be) reviewer.
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Tags: publications, peer-review, editors
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thread-27086
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27086
|
Is there any systematic approach to select/find a research topic?
|
2014-08-11T18:45:36.217
|
# Question
Title: Is there any systematic approach to select/find a research topic?
I was offered an opportunity to prepare a 2-page research proposal for a postgraduate research program in computer science.
I am searching for a systematic and step by step technique to select/find a workable research topic.
Is there any systematic procedure/strategy/approach/method that researchers generally use to select/find and narrow down a research topic from an ocean of topics that pops in one's mind?
**Is this technique an standard in the academia?**
# Answer
I don't know whether it is standard. there may be some standards, but probably not worldwide. I personally had to write a 2-page research proposal on a topic I didn't choose.
IMHO, it's a great opportunity to choose a topic that you can like, if the topic was imposed (or changed after a few years by your supervisor) you would probably hate that, since you have this opportunity, I'd try to make the best use of it.
Systematic approach to select/find a research topic (by trylks):
1. Make a list of the areas that interest you
2. Make a systematic literature review (so the approach is systematic) for those areas
3. Find research problems in the literature review and at least one that:
1. has not been researched yet (it's "open")
2. should be done next. It's in the frontier of the state of the art
a) Without many previous requirements or they will become your thesis
b) it's interesting from a research perspective
3. not too many people are working on it (best is zero, but that could be for some reason...). The problem if there are too many people (and you are not a part of their team(s)) is that the frontier of the state of the art may keep moving before you are able to reach it.
4. you have the necessary knowledge and skills to advance the state of the art in that problem
5. you have the necessary resources to advance the state of the art in that problem (e.g. don't choose something that requires access to the data from LHC if you won't have access to that data)
6. There is some economic interest in the problem and the results of your thesis (you don't *need* this for the thesis, but it will make everything much easier, specially after the thesis)
WRT the frontier of the state of the art, it usually looks like:
a) Some limitation in current systems/techniques that has not been addressed (specially in engineering)
b) Some question that remains open (specially in science)
c) Some question that has not been addressed (in some particular way) (specially in philosophy)
But well, research in those areas is more than that and it will be done in different ways depending on the topic. Computer science is sometimes considered an engineering (software engineering), sometimes a science (and can be empirical with benchmarks or formal with proofs) and it can be as well philosophical (specially in AI, IMHO). The kind of problem should arise from the review of the literature.
BTW: don't try to rush, this is systematic, but it will definitively take very long.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I'm not an experienced graduate student or post-grad (yet, to my great consternation), but here's my somewhat-educated guess to expand on Trylks point 2 above, and others, and create a short answer:
A. Do a 2-level review of Review Journals. These are the literature that review the state-of-the-art research done in a prior period, such as the last year. Do a high-level scan to get your bearings and then a deeper-level dig, as you might guess. Here's one for your field, e.g., that was published up until 2011: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annual\_Review\_of\_Information\_Science\_and\_Technology
B. Combine that with the expert help of people senior to you in the field, as others have suggested, to find gaps in the field.
C. Pick an area in the gaps that interests you in which you can make a contribution appropriate to your level of expertise/skills, and go.
> 2 votes
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Tags: research-process
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thread-27162
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27162
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Is it okay to email the authors of a paper questions not directly for research?
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2014-08-13T21:36:19.900
|
# Question
Title: Is it okay to email the authors of a paper questions not directly for research?
I read this paper: http://citpsite.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/oldsite-htdocs/pub/coldboot.pdf
I have a very quick question about recreating the experiment, and this isn't for academic reasons, it's purely for personal reasons. This is a Princeton paper from 2008. Basically, the paper states that the experiment was performed after a computer component was made wet to reduce temperature. I want to ask if it's hazardous to the computer in any way to boot it while this component is still wet. Is it inappropriate to mail the paper's authors about this question?
# Answer
Answering the more general question, sure. A polite email will never hurt you, the worst case scenario is that they are too busy to reply, or that their contact information is no longer valid. The best possible outcome, you get a nice explanation, an interesting conversation, and perhaps a couple of anecdotes about the research. Just make sure that question is:
* Relevant to the research. Obviously, I don't email Linus Torvalds every time my linux computer doesn't boot.
* The information is not easy or obvious to find.
Just liquid refrigeration of computer components doesn't really meet any criteria, but you could ask for the specifics. Just make sure to understand the basics first, if your question looks "dumb", it will probably get lower priority.
Reading a paper for my own research, I found a somewhat old paper (about 10 years) explaining the analysis of some data. One of the key points is setting the noise threshold, that they set as the maximum of the histogram. The thing is that in my data the maximum of the histogram was at 0, following a very good power law. In short: the procedure would be invalid for my data; but actually irrelevant for me.
I commented it with my advisor and he said that I should email the author about it, and that it will probably start an interesting conversation. (I haven't gotten to it yet, but my bet is that modern instruments are quite different).
> 6 votes
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Tags: email
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thread-27171
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27171
|
How to reuse algorithms from previous paper
|
2014-08-13T23:13:42.993
|
# Question
Title: How to reuse algorithms from previous paper
In the past, I wrote a paper which included 2 algorithms A and B. Both of them were presented and fully explained. Moreover, B was built based on A, in other words, reader must know about A in order to understand B.
At the moment, I'm writing another paper which further expands B. However, it requires A to be presented (and explained) so that reader can understand. So, I wonder how to present an algorithm A in my new paper. So far, I have 3 solution:
* Present and fully explain A in a new paper
* Present A and say that its explanation is included in an old paper
* State that an algorithm in a new paper in based on algorithm A in an old one, without presenting or explaining it.
# Answer
You can create a Preliminaries section, and include Algorithm A and its explanation there clearly citing it. That way, it is clear to the reader that the second contains necessary background information, and not new contributions.
As far as how much to include, that really depends on how crucial it is for understanding of expansion of B, how much space you have available, whether the algorithm is published. Any other approaches you suggest are viable.
> 7 votes
---
Tags: citations, writing
---
|
thread-27164
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27164
|
Paper for software tool - Medical Domain
|
2014-08-13T22:03:30.820
|
# Question
Title: Paper for software tool - Medical Domain
This is really related to this question (Creating paper on software tool).
But there was this comment there which asked for more details about the software's domain.
I created (still in beta stage) a software for Brain Tumor, but I would like to publish (if possible) about the software itself and not so much on the validation of it. (This would be eventually a later paper).
What's is the best approach for publishing about this software *"proposal"* for usage in medical clinics?
<sub>My concern is that while it's being tested. It wasn't tested enough for a full paper, but I still want to publish it.</sub>
# Answer
> 3 votes
If you want to publish software in a quality scientific journal it is usually required that it represents a significant advance over previously published software, which is usually demonstrated by direct comparison with available related software. There will be no way to get around this.
I would also recommend to put the code on github (http://github.com). Github is more and more recognized as THE resource for code hosting. It is a free service for public repositories, and it is widely accepted in the community, e.g. you can register your Github repos with Impactstory (http://impactstory.org).
"Source Code for Biology and Medicine" (http://www.scfbm.org) might be an appropriate journal for you.
---
Tags: publications, writing, computer-science
---
|
thread-27179
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27179
|
Can I reference the abstract?
|
2014-08-14T08:34:49.763
|
# Question
Title: Can I reference the abstract?
I finished writing my internship report for a master degree. Now I am writing its abstract. Is it possible to mention a statistic study on the abstract and reference it in the bibliography or is this something bad to do ?
# Answer
> 1 votes
If this is just an internal document that will never be seen outside your own institution, it doesn't really matter.
For a document that will be distributed outside your institution, the abstract should be fully comprehensible even if that's all you see. It's quite common for databases to include only the abstract or for it to be much easier for people to see the abstract than the rest of the document. (For example, on ArXiv, each paper's "home page" includes the abstract but you'd have to download the whole paper to see the references.) For these reasons, an abstract that says something like
> We build on the statistical analysis of \[5\].
isn't very useful. This isn't so bad with a long reference style:
> We build on the statistical analysis of Smith and Jones (2005).
is better, especially if that is a well-known paper in the field but not everything builds on well-known papers and the reference is potentially vague if Smith and Jones wrote multiple papers together that year.
The best way to do this is to give a full citation in the abstract itself:
> We build on the statistical analysis of Smith and Jones (*J. Interest. Res.*, 3(1):41–59, 2005).
Some journals forbid citations of any kind in the abstract but that seems to force people into the suboptimal "Smith and Jones" style.
---
Tags: thesis, citations, abstract
---
|
thread-27184
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27184
|
Inquiry for Ph.D admissions in European countries
|
2014-08-14T09:39:47.980
|
# Question
Title: Inquiry for Ph.D admissions in European countries
I want to pursue a Ph.D in Chemistry and the destinations of my choice are Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands and Sweden. Can anyone please tell me the scholarships and fellowships available to which an Indian student can apply in these countries? (I know of a DAAD fellowship for Germany)
I would also love to know if there is any centralized admission process to these countries (similar to US)? Thank you
# Answer
> 1 votes
PhD students in the Netherlands are usually employed by the university (these are AIO, or "assistent in opleiding", positions). As far as I know, anyone can apply for these jobs and it doesn't matter where you're from.
You apply directly to the faculty that is advertising the position, and after you are chosen for the position the university sponsors you through the visa process as a "knowledge migrant".
---
Tags: phd
---
|
thread-27154
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27154
|
How to make group work work?
|
2014-08-13T14:05:42.800
|
# Question
Title: How to make group work work?
Occasionally I have some material to cover that is best presented in the form of take-home group projects.
Some student groups manage to find a way to coordinate their work well and to complete the projects successfully, with every team member benefiting from the collaboration. Other groups do not do so well:
* Some groups evenly divide the work, but still work in isolation, losing the benefits of working with peers.
* Some groups push the work to one or two students, while the remaining students merely contribute their name.
I wonder if there are strategies or tools instructors use that can encourage more groups to operate successfully while they are working outside of class?
# Answer
I think first it may be worthwhile to accept that in any group work situation there is the possibility that people will worked siloed (or isolated from one another) or one or two people will push the work forward while others are relegated or chose to remain in a passive state.
There are some good reasons for this. I recall being a student with a pretty solid GPA, group projects were a horror for me. If the project grade is based on the overall project and does not take into account individual contributions this meant that students who were less focused on their GPA would be willing to turn in something that was not up to my standards. This led both to situations where other students refused to do work on the project (knowing that the stronger students would carry them in order to avoid dings to their GPA) and to situations where stronger students would freeze out other students (ie the stronger students would choose to take all the work and not let other be involved) in order to maintain control over the project.
Group projects are often used as an analogy for working in the 'real world' where working in groups is the norm. The fundamental difference is that in most cases if a peer is completely slacking or sending in subpar work there is a concrete structure to monitor and handle that issue (which doesn't always work of course but there's almost always more accountability than in academic group projects). You can mimic this behavior in an academic setting by splitting up the grades for the project. Don't give one 'group grade' to everyone, instead have students report on who did what (this is particularly effective if you can have them set this early in the project instead of during turn-in) and correlate the students grade to both their work and their work in the context of the project. Having this set up early can be a great way of preventing aggressive or strong students from freezing out what are perceived as the 'weak links'.
Additionally consider regular checkpoints on the project. This will let you get a feel for the interactions in the group and the content being produced while also minimizing the opportunity for a student to jeopardize the group by waiting until the last minute to work on their part (this will still happen to some extent).
In short - add more structure to the group project. This increases the workload on your end but it mitigates the most common issues you'll see in groups during group projects.
> 16 votes
# Answer
Drop the flat hierarchy in group projects. Use and quality based hierarchy, assign the hard-working students as group leads. Not all of them have the same level of leading qualities, but ask from them not to take the whole responsibility.
Divide the project into tasks, and tasks into subtasks (if they don't know how to do it internally, but first give them time to try to do it, or ask for that explicitly). Otherwise, clearly assign subtasks to each group member and require each group member to spend certain amount of time per week on those tasks. Lets say each student has to spend 10 hours per week on the project related tasks. Ask students to keep track of the time they spend on a spreadsheet document by marking down the start-end times and describing the solution, or if there is no solution why it didn't work. Require them to provide also references. This document preparation should not last longer than 15 - 30 min per week. Allow the document to be informal.
Make sure to protect your hard-working students. As @Nahkki has mentioned, group project are nightmare for good students, as they take all the workload and do everything just to ensure that the overall grade remains within their standards. However, such behaviour has long-term effects on the hard-working students, resulting in burnout. Protect them as they may show up being useful in the later stages of the project, or sometimes in the future.
> 3 votes
# Answer
Splitting the grade is a very good way to encourage the participation of every one. However, it means you know how to split the grade. You can ask for each work to have an author contribution section, stating both who did work on which part and the overall participation of each student. You can also ask the group to tell you how to split the grade. It will encourage them to discuss the contribution of each one together. Most of time if they work fair together they will just split equally, but it will encourage to give less if one did slack which is just fair. Also for longer project (like semester long) I would have Q&A session with a teacher or teaching assistant. Clearly state the fair/unfair work repartition is one of the subject that can be discussed in this occasion. I would definitely not recommend to do the spilt yourself if not equally. There will always be this guy who can talk more than speak that will trick you. If this guy tries to trick the other group member, then they need to learn how to deal with it. it's part of their training. Also some time they will decide to split and work separately, it is sometime the best way to get the thing done and they need to recognise those situation too. Example: they work with people they don't like and interact very badly.
I think letting the student assign their own group roles themselves is critically important for their training. You want them to be able to take decision as a group, as they might need to do when they will be working in a company. They will be natural leaders that will take the reins, but that is ok, not everyone is good in this position. They might enter confrontation, but this is something they will also face later in their career and they need to be prepared for that.
> 3 votes
# Answer
I took a class that involved group work. The professor allowed groups to vote to fire a member, provided they gave sufficient reason to the professor. This meant that everyone was held responsible.
My group nearly fired someone who kept missing meetings and then lied about it. However, he was sufficiently scared into working hard, so we let it slide.
I'm not saying this allowing teams to "fire" people is the best way. However, I think that finding a way to make team members accountable to each other is essential.
> 3 votes
# Answer
Ken Heller, who promotes a group-based approach for physics, uses a neat strategy to discourage slacking.
Exams are divided into an individual part and subsequently a group part, but if a member ever failed (even once) to attend the group sessions the rest of his or her group votes to allow or not allow that person to participate in the group portion of the exam.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I had an engineering teacher in high school who by far was the best (in my high school) at assigning group projects.
Students have a tendency to want to work alone because that is the environment they are accustomed to. High school teaches kids how to work in a 20th century factory: stay in line, follow the rules, do your work and let other people do their work.
My engineering teacher wanted us to work as adults would: he assigned us brief guidelines, and our group was responsible for collaborating and producing something for him. For example, as the first project in the intro to engineering class, he started by showing us a lamp he made. Then he asked us how one could make 10,000 of them for as low cost and as easily as possible. We had to deliver an assembly process (to make the lamp), a parts lists, and a floor plan of the building we would theoretically have.
I think what mostly made it so good was the lack of formatting. Many kids didn't like it, you had to actually listen when he talked because he didn't hand out sheets reiterating what he just said. You had to use your best judgement with regards to making the product look as nice as possible, as apposed to following some guidelines. The class made you think, you couldn't just go from one step to the next and get the correct answer, you had to think for yourself and make up your own steps.
Grading was a struggle for him, especially because this was one of his first times teaching this class. You got a grade for the project (everyone in the group got the same grade), and you got a grades for small check ins to make sure you were actually doing stuff in your group.
Engineering is mostly about problem solving, so when asked questions he would often respond "That's *your* problem". He did so if people complained they were doing too much of the work, or if their group wasn't listening to them, etc. You can't learn how to work in a group if some higher power solves your communication problems for you.
Hope that helps, sorry for rambling.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: teaching
---
|
thread-27198
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27198
|
What to do when you publish a paper that accidentally included a wrong or irrelevant citation?
|
2014-08-14T15:42:29.143
|
# Question
Title: What to do when you publish a paper that accidentally included a wrong or irrelevant citation?
My paper was published and later on I found that two references were mistakenly included with the third reference, which is the correct. My phrase looks like this:
> I am worried about this (Smith 2001; David 2006; Magnus 2007)
and this is the correct form that it had to be:
> I am worried about this (Smith 2001)
so the references "David 2006" and "Magnus 2007" have nothing to do with the cited phrase and they never did that work; and were not meant to be included but maybe it was a problem with reference management software that I used at the time.
I wonder if this will cause a problem to my paper or even plagiarism/retraction. I am really worried about this and any advice is more than welcome.
# Answer
Plagiarism is the use of another author's ideas or words without proper credit. You haven't done that, so there's no need to worry about it. Also, people don't retract papers over trivial editing errors like this.
However, since it's something that might be confusing to a reader, it may be worth asking the journal about printing a correction. Simply get in touch with the editor who originally handled your paper, or if they no longer work with the journal, contact the editor-in-chief. They would typically publish a one-sentence note in some future issue of the journal, stating that the references were included by mistake and should be ignored. Alternatively, they may decide the matter is too trivial to be worth the space to correct it.
Either way, you should post the correction on your web page, and any other place where the paper is publicly available (preprint servers, etc).
This is no big deal and happens all the time. Just get it fixed, move on, and be more careful next time.
> 23 votes
# Answer
Obviously it would have been better not to commit such a silly blunder in a published paper, but I don't think it matters much. Such errors, especially when accidental, will inevitably occur, much as typographic errors. A slight embarrassment to you, yes, as any typos or errors in formulas would be, but not truly "actionable" by anyone, so far as I know. So, bottom line, "forget about it".
> 11 votes
---
Tags: publications, citations, authorship, plagiarism, retraction
---
|
thread-27155
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27155
|
Are comments considered publications
|
2014-08-13T14:09:44.147
|
# Question
Title: Are comments considered publications
The journal Science has two sections for submission, Research articles and Commentary. http://www.sciencemag.org/site/feature/contribinfo/prep/gen\_info.xhtml
Under commentary, there is a section for 'Policy Forum'. Unlike 'Education Forum' there is nothing explicit about research related to Policy. If one submits (not invited) a manuscript to Policy Forum, is this considered peer reviewed publication? Is there a difference in citation both in format of a citation and if it is common to cite a manuscript published in Commentary?
# Answer
The general discussion for the Commentary section mentions this:
> Commentary material may be peer-reviewed at the Editors' discretion.
If you look up a sample Policy Forum paper online, you can download the citation information. For example,
```
NUCLEAR WASTE
Yucca Mountain
Rodney C. Ewing and Allison Macfarlane
Science 26 April 2002: 296 (5568), 659-660. [DOI:10.1126/science.1071886]
```
and then in various formats. Here's the BibTeX entry:
```
@article{Ewing26042002,
author = {Ewing, Rodney C. and Macfarlane, Allison},
title = {Yucca Mountain},
volume = {296},
number = {5568},
pages = {659-660},
year = {2002},
doi = {10.1126/science.1071886},
URL = {http://www.sciencemag.org/content/296/5568/659.short},
eprint = {http://www.sciencemag.org/content/296/5568/659.full.pdf},
journal = {Science}
}
```
> 2 votes
# Answer
In general, a "Comment" is always a publication. However, your question is whether it should be listed in someone's publication list, presumably along side peer-reviewed articles. I believe the relevant criterion, as *mkennedy* suggests, is if the comment has itself been peer-reviewed. When yes, it can go in the regular list; if not, then it should presumably be relegated to a "additional publications" list or something of that type.
> 3 votes
---
Tags: publications, journals, citations
---
|
thread-27206
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27206
|
How to start a collaborative online research project?
|
2014-08-14T19:37:14.850
|
# Question
Title: How to start a collaborative online research project?
I am interested in solving some mathematical combinatorial problems. Besides the Polymath project, are there some other online projects where I can state the problems, my approach towards a solution, and then to expect some people to help and collaborate in order to solve the problems and then together publish the solutions?
# Answer
I think one of the best collaborative mathematical websites is here on Stack Exchange; take a look at Mathematics on Stack Exchange to see how many different mathematical questions are posted with various topics and many professionals and mathematicians also collaborate in this site so the user can easilly can learn many mathematical things, find many professional answers and become familiar with new mathematical topics as well. Even by just reading the questions and answers on that site, the user gets familiar with many mathematical topics. It is helpful indeed, at least for me. I strongly encourage you to take a look at that website and enjoy mathematics.
> 3 votes
---
Tags: research-process, collaboration, website
---
|
thread-26258
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26258
|
What to put in a biography for a publication?
|
2014-07-22T21:03:47.657
|
# Question
Title: What to put in a biography for a publication?
A publication I submitted to said that I need to include a biography in the paper. I don't have many formal qualifications, aside from my degree. I have done my research on my own, and am unaffiliated. What can I put in the biography?
# Answer
> 4 votes
I would check a few articles of the journal you publish in and look at what other author are putting in their biography.
Mostly it will be about your degrees (BSc, MSc, PhD, when and where), the field of research you are interested in and what is your current occupation. In summary you can state anything that shows your experitise in the subject you are discussing in the paper.
If no one but yourself paid you for the research, you can state it like:
> beside a job as *your paying job* he/she is working on *paper subject*
or
> Since *date* has been working on *paper subject*
# Answer
> -2 votes
If you don't have strong qualifications or your own research history it is best to focus on your interests and goals. Think about these questions:
* What have you done?
* What are you doing now?
* What do you want to do in the future?
* Why is this publication important to you?
---
Tags: publications
---
|
thread-27193
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27193
|
Am I naive to think I can focus on professional programming and still be active in the field of CS as a whole?
|
2014-08-14T14:31:26.280
|
# Question
Title: Am I naive to think I can focus on professional programming and still be active in the field of CS as a whole?
I am working full time currently as a programmer in a summer internship. In the fall I will be continuing school and working part-time as a programmer.
I believe that I want to be a professional programmer and someday a software engineer.
However, I am very interested in all the areas of computer science that I have been studying. I hear occasionally about how some computer science majors end up being "just programmers" and not "computer scientists." There seems to be a common thought that becoming a programmer means that you give up the field as a whole and the possibility of contributing to the field.
I would like to be a professional programmer, but also a lifelong learner in the field of computer science. Am I naive to think this is possible?
# Answer
I am a professional programmer with a PhD.
I have had a colleague, who was working as a programmer and continued even publishing in his unrelated field (chemical engineering/textiles), so if you are dedicated, it is even easier for you to do, since your area might be related, but still it is not a light undertaking. But if you can find a more research heavy R&D position in the industry, of course that would make it easier.
I am personally planning to teach adjunct classes, to keep me fresh about theoretical basis.
Hope my two cents helps.
> 14 votes
# Answer
I was discussing your question with a software developer and here is what came out:
Software development require some specific skills you will develop in the job, and you will surely not be able to be an expert in development as well as, algorithmic, cryptography, network, AI etc... But if you want to keep working on some other computer science subject, it depends where and which project you decide to work as software developer.
If you develop an authentication server or an anti-virus you will still have to keep up in computer security, if you develop a network layer for a game you will have to know about how a network work etc... of course you should probably avoid to go to a company that design web sites or implement yet another client data base...
And as always: what ever you are interested in you can continue to be interested outside of your work.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: computer-science, academic-life, bachelor
---
|
thread-27212
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27212
|
How to refer to a method from a workshop in a conference paper?
|
2014-08-15T02:17:31.680
|
# Question
Title: How to refer to a method from a workshop in a conference paper?
I had a paper accepted in a workshop that only publishes its proceedings on its website; one of these workshops that tell you that submitting to the workshop does not prevent you from submitting elsewhere. The paper proposed a new method A, and applied it to problems B and C.
Now, I want to write a conference version of the paper. The conference version will present method A, apply it to problems B and C with extended experiments, and additionally to problem D.
How do I refer/cite the method A in the conference paper? Does the workshop count at all? In my field (CS), I have been told that the workshops do not count. Yet, it feels wrong to call it a novel method. Is the method A contribution of the conference paper or not?
# Answer
> 4 votes
I think you are mixing up a few different definitions of "count" here.
1. Workshop papers typically "count" very little on your CV. That is, having a few workshop papers will not make you graduate much sooner, and they are pretty much useless when you start looking for e.g., a tenure track position.
2. Workshop papers, but only those with no formal proceedings, don't "count" as publications. That is, you can hand in the same material again at a conference or journal without being accused of self-plagiarism. The workshop paper on the website of the workshop is basically a preprint. Hence, formally, the work is still unpublished and you can submit it wherever you want.
3. Workshop papers, no matter if they appeared in formal proceedings or not, can and should be cited. Clearly, if you use this citation to, e.g., support the validity of a statement, this carries less weight if the cited source is a workshop paper than if it is a well-known journal. However, if you want to apply method A, which you have already presented in a workshop, it seems correct to cite the workshop paper. Note that you will still need to describe the method, as you cannot assume the reader of your conference paper to go back and read the workshop paper first.
---
Tags: citations, conference, workshop
---
|
thread-9711
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/9711
|
Is it ethical for departments to have publication requirements for students
|
2013-04-29T08:43:50.900
|
# Question
Title: Is it ethical for departments to have publication requirements for students
This question and this question suggest that it is not uncommon/unheard of for departments to require publication by students (generally masters and doctoral) either to get credit for a course or graduate.
This seems to me like a way of off loading the assessment of students to peer reviewer, and therefore it seems ethically questionable. Is there a pedagogical reason to require externally peer-reviewed publication?
# Answer
> 29 votes
For an individual course (assuming a time-limited scenario, e.g. a semester, quarter, or even year), it's certainly ridiculous to have a publication requirement. The timing is far too variable, and even the best researchers can have papers rejected or discover before submission that they've been scooped. If it were possible to reliably publish a worthwhile paper within the timespan and amount of effort required for a typical course, then there would be a lot more papers published.
A requirement of submission is not as absurd, but still unreasonable. I see no advantages over a mock submission sent to the professor teaching the course, but there are severe disadvantages: it can put pressure on students to make inappropriate submissions, and it can waste the time of editors and reviewers on submissions that may be withdrawn once the course requirements are complete. My cynical interpretation is that submission requirements deliberately use the threat of professional embarrassment to encourage students to work harder, and that seems unethical.
The one scenario where publication requirements can make sense is for a degree program. For example, some PhD programs require that a dissertation must be based on peer-reviewed publications. Of course that's reasonable only in fields with a sufficiently rapid publication cycle, and even there I'm not fond of this idea personally (but I wouldn't call it unethical).
# Answer
> 16 votes
First things first: a doctoral student *should* be expected to publish something other than a thesis. Even if she has no desire to enter into a research profession after the PhD, publication of scholarly articles should be an important milestone in the process.
Beyond that, however, expecting that a student—whether a master's student or a PhD student, or even worse, an undergraduate—publish a paper as part of a single "course"—is absurd for a multitude of reasons. First, in the context of a single educational course, the time spent will almost certainly be unsuitable for the preparation of a manuscript; moreover, given the lag times in between submission of an article to a journal or conference and its acceptance, it is unlikely that it can be completed within either a trimester or even a semester, which means that incomplete grades will likely be par for the course.
Thus, since it serves no real valid educational purpose for the students—since the work isn't being evaluated by the educational staff whose job it is to provide instruction—such behavior is extremely questionable, and very likely unethical. This is doubly so if the only criterion for grading is the acceptance of the paper in an external journal, particularly since there are so many "pay-to-publish" journals out there that will publish anything, given the page charges.
Now, I *do* require that students prepare something like a research article for one of the courses I teach. However, I do that as an exercise in *preparing* them for writing research articles. I have *no* expectation that they would bother to submit these papers to actual journals—the material just isn't sufficient for that. However, in terms of learning how to write a paper—mentioning relevant literature, explaining their methodology, clearly demonstrating and illustrating their results, there is nothing comparable. You learn to be a researcher by *doing research*—and that includes writing about research!
# Answer
> 8 votes
The answer to this question *may* depend on the country and possibly on the field. The following is based on a European CS perspective.
As other answers have noted, asking for a publication within one year or within one semester is - at least for comparably inexperienced (pre-Master) students - a rather unrealistic or at least highly uncontrollable goal (because successful publication is dependent on a number of external factors, not the least of which is what else is submitted to the same venue).
Asking for publications as a prerequisite for graduation, on the other hand, is partially a different topic, which depends highly on the degree aimed for:
* A Master's degree is commonly thought of a certification for specific verifiable skills. Everyone who invests the necessary effort and fulfils the pre-defined requirements is supposed to be able to achieve that degree. As such, I agree it is ethically questionable to outsource the evaluation of a part of the preconditions for that degree to an external body rather than evaluating the work oneself in a somewhat stable manner (i.e. in a way that two students who did more or less the same work get more or less the same mark). Peer reviews wouldn't judge the work by its fulfilment of the rules imposed for the Master's degree, but based on its contribution, suitability to the venue, and its relative value to all other current contributions.
* A doctoral degree, in contrast, is not a degree you can reproducibly achieve for doing certain defined tasks. In a way, upon starting to work for a doctoral degree, one leaves the world of studying and doing things in order to fulfil pre-defined requirements, and one enters the world of being an active researcher who does things in order to find new knowledge - which of course means that the final result is partially outside of one's realm of influence. A doctoral degree is a degree that is granted as a result of *contributing to the body of knowledge*. Hence, any particular work effort that served for someone to get their doctoral degree will not do for anyone else (because that particular contribution is not new any more), and in the hypothetical situation that all knowledge in the universe has been discovered, no-one can get a doctoral degree any more. This has rather nicely been illustrated in a webcomic. In this case, requiring peer-reviewed publications makes sense in several respects:
+ Peer reviewers evaluate the work exactly by the desired criteria, i.e. whether the work is a contribution that is currently notable enough to warrant publication.
+ Rather than being just an idea that someone uttered, the new finding is validated by the reviews and thus has reliably extended the overall amount of knowledge.
+ Due to the aforementioned fact that the amount of knowledge that mankind is familiar with is constantly changing, what was a disadvantage in the case of the Master's degree is exactly the desired outcome here: By trying to make it a peer-reviewed publication, the work is evaluated in comparison to the current state of the art and all other work currently being done.
**tl;dr:** Binding a **Master's degree** to successful peer-reviewed publications is questionable as the degree should be granted whenever you prove your skills by completing a pre-defined set of conditions such as exams. Binding a **doctoral degree** to successful peer-reviewed publications, on the other hand, is the entire point, because a doctoral degree says *This person has successfully expanded the knowledge available to mankind.* These accomplishments are not measured by exams, but the same way as the quality of all research is measured: by peer reviews.
# Answer
> 4 votes
The problem certainly seems fishy and whether it is unethical or not probably depends on what the (local) rules and regulations governing courses will be as well as the possible ramafications of the process relative to those regulations.
The main issue for me is what will be the purpose of having publications as a requirement for students (not at graduate level). There is of course nothing wrong if undergraduate papers can be published, and experiencing the publication process can be valuable. But as one of the posts referred to in the question states, it seemed as if the requirement was to submit, not to publish. I do not see any particular value in that experience that could not be replicated within the department itself.
Since any publication process requires quite a chunk of time I can see a major problem in the timing. In my system, a course should be possible to complete within the stipulated time (corresponding to the number of credits). Imposing a system where publication is part could (really would) clearly violate such limitations. So, a follow-up question would be "are there systems where courses can be open ended?" or "can courses be required to last until an un-controllable goal is achieved?". If the system allows such cases, then the requirement would be ok from a legal point of view. I would still think it is in a grey zone.
Your point of off-loading the assessment is part of the shady picture. I would have thought that each university regulatory system would have some, at least, recommendations on how quickly assessments must be done and, again, assessing through journal peer review would require at least as much time as the length of a typical course itself. So as a whole, I think that using paper submission and/or publication as part of course requirements can be violations of local assessment regulations and very poor behaviour. I would call it unethical if it means unnecessarily prolonging the students graduation or impacting on their ability to get student's loans (equivalent) due to not getting credits in time (impacting their ability to take responsibility for their timing).
# Answer
> 2 votes
I would like to add some argument to the existing answers, which I first give in distilled form for clarity and on whose details I will elaborate afterwards:
**Main Argument**
As scientific publications are reports of research, requiring students to publish essentially requires them to successfully perform research. The essence of research is to explore the unknown and thus its results (and success) are not predictable. Relatedly, successful research requires amongst others luck. And luck is something that successfully finishing a course, degree, etc. should not depend on too much.
**Some comments**
* I think publications which do not require original research such as reviews are not what we are talking about here. (It may be a way out though: I know somebody, who at some point strongly considered fulfilling the publication requirement of a PHD by publishing a review after many unpublishable research approaches.)
* While failed research idealistically is also worth reporting (as it has produced the knowledge that some approach does not work), it certainly is much more difficult to publish (leading to the publication bias). This holds even more so, if the reason for failure is not that you have run into some long cul-de-sac but there are many short culs-de-sac.
* There is some research which is very straightforward (and thus has little luck involved) as it basically consists of applying some established method to a new object where no big surprises are to be expected. For example: *Determine the distributions of volumes of organ A of rats fed with diet B.* Such research is however arguably better published in one big study going through a series of objects (e.g., organs and diets) instead of thousands of small publications, which all are essentially the same.
* When the impact of luck is sufficiently low that assessing students by publications can be considered fair depends on several factors such as the publication threshold of the field or the typical duration of experiments. Arguably this only happens at PHD level in most fields, if at all.
* Another related problem is that people being pressured to produce successful research are more likely to fake data, plagiarise or commit other types of fraud. Now, while this is a general and not totally unavoidable problem with students, requiring this to be published may also harm others who try to build upon the respective publication.
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Tags: peer-review, ethics
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thread-27191
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27191
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Is it ethical/lawful to recolor/scale the logos?
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2014-08-14T13:14:50.987
|
# Question
Title: Is it ethical/lawful to recolor/scale the logos?
Is it ethical/lawful to recolor/scale the logos when importing them to presentation slides to make the logos meet the template standards and fit the theme colors?
# Answer
> 35 votes
Logos are often trademarked, and therefore you are **not** free to recolor them according to whatever color scheme your template happens to use.
However, many companies and universities do have multiple versions of their logo available, for precisely this reason. You should contact your university's (or organization's) press office (or similar office) to see what is available, before toying with it yourself.
# Answer
> 10 votes
Most companies/institutions guard their branding very carefully. Many companies spend thousands or even millions on developing a brand language, which includes fonts, colors, and other design elements.
I don't know the specifics of the legal ramifications of changing logo colors, but the owners of the logo are sure to be against it.
# Answer
> 8 votes
The following is based on general copyright concepts and should apply to any reasonable copyright laws:
Any logo is created by somebody, be it a professional graphic-design company or the dean’s nephew, and **without further ado** this person (or company) holds the copyright to that logo. This mostly means that you cannot do certain things with it (or an altered form of it), which usually include dissemination or using it for commercial purposes. Whether using the logo in a presentation shown to a small audience is included in this depends on your country’s copyright and other aspects. Using it in a publication would almost certainly be a breach of copyright, however. Anyway, let’s assume it would not be legal to use the logo for whatever you do.
As it would be pretty pointless, if, e.g., members of a university were not allowed to use its logo (when representing that university), the creator will usually have authorised the university and its members to use the logo – but this authorisation can be bound to conditions. Furthermore the university itself may impose conditions onto its members regarding the usage of the logo. These conditions may include:
* You must not alter the logo (e.g., by recolouring it or changing its aspect ratio). I expect this to be a common condition.
* The logo must make up a certain percentage of your slides, pages or posters. This is a rather silly condition in my opinion, but I would be surprised, if there were no precedent for this.
* The logo must not be resized. If sufficiently stupid people make the rules, this might happen, however it hardly makes any sense: The logo may not have any physical size to begin with (as many image formats do not contain this information) and how the logo is initially sized when imported in your software depends only on whatever the software’s creator chose to be the default. And even if it has physical dimensions, it does not make any sense to use the same size in print and on projected slides. Something similar holds for sizes in pixels.
* The word *penguin* must be on any page or slide on which the logo appears. I am exaggerating here, but the only way to be sure that there are no silly conditions is to check.
Now, if you are lucky, there exists some document which states that members of the university or similar are authorised to use the logo and which contains conditions (if any exist) and requirements of logo usage. Here is an example thanks to Mkennedy.
On the other side of the spectrum, you may have some institute’s logo, which was handrawn by the director’s niece 30 years ago and gone through several iterations of scanning and printing, because the original has been lost. You have no official authorisation to use the logo at all and the legal grey zone you are entering does not change much if you additionally alter the logo (in any remotely respectful manner). It is very likely that nobody will care, let alone sue you.
Where on this spectrum you are is something only you can decide.
---
Anyway, I would recommend to use such a logo only on one or two slides, so it should not dramatically destroy your colour concept.
Additionally, you might consider adapting your presentation’s colour scheme to the logo’s colour scheme, but beware that the latter is not necessarily a good choice for projectors.
# Answer
> 4 votes
I am converting my comment to aeismail's answer as the OP suggested:
Logotypes are typically covered by what's known as the *graphical profile* of organisations like companies, universities and indeed even political parties or NGOs.
A graphical profile usually contains things like (but not limited to) color(s), aspect ratio, font(s) and positioning of eventual text elements regarding a logotype in question. Depending on how "complete" or "strict" a graphical profile is, you can do varying degrees of manipulations.
It's typically not an issue to scale the image, given that the aspect ratio, or the width-height proportions are kept as the original. If the organisation in question has put some thought into their graphical profile, they should have the logotype in a vector-based format, which scales up/down without any quality loss.
Keep in mind that scaling up an image is usually not a good idea, if the image is bitmap and not vectorised. It's also good to remember that there might be issues regarding readability, i.e. there might be a limit on how much you can scale down the logotype. Logotypes that have text within the graphics tend to have such limitations. \[Keen observer might notice how badly the text renders if one does not pay attention when converting vector graphics to raster graphics\]
Finally, even if you are allowed to crop a logo (due use as decoration on the edge of a slide or poster) exactly how you can crop the logo might be defined as well. For instance the logo I linked above has 4 predefined cropped versions, that you are allowed to use. Beyond those you are not allowed to crop/scale/change the logotype in any way.
Just exactly how that might be enforced is a whole different story however.
# Answer
> 2 votes
To clarify the resizing issue discussed in the comments: for any length-based system of preparing a document, the concept of "size" is indeed a valid one.
If the people who provide official University logos have done their job properly, the logo will be available in postscript and/or PDF formats that have a *defined size in centimetres*. These original dimensions are probably intended for reproduction on A4 paper and in that case should not be changed (in the interest of consistency).
For instance, the .eps logo of my University is defined as being 1.77 cm high. On official, printed A4 letters it is the exact same 1.77 cm in height. In most cases it would be inappropriate to rescale this logo when creating an A4 document. Consistency is good.
As a side note, the concept of measuring Powerpoint slides in pixels is wrong: it's a vectorized document. *There are no pixels*. I don't have a copy of Microsoft Powerpoint, but Apple Keynote's default slide size is 1024x768 points (not pixels!). 1 pt = 1/72 inch. I suspect Microsoft's system is the same.
A logical method of scaling to different media would be to scale based on the font size of your main body of text. Most A4 documents have 10pt font. So, if you're producing a poster or presentation with a main font size of 24pt, just make the logo 2.4 times wider and taller. This will keep the logo's size in proportion to the rest of the text.
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Tags: ethics, graphics, legal-issues, presentation
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thread-27202
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27202
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How to become a whistleblower?
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2014-08-14T16:47:17.803
|
# Question
Title: How to become a whistleblower?
I used to work in a company that has close ties with the academia. One of the professors ("Dr A") wasn't/isn't using his funding properly by hiring his long-time girlfriend as his research assistant. He and his girlfriend showed up at company events as a couple so there's no doubt about their relationship.
After I left my previous company, one of the profs ("Dr B") in the same area of research who works in a different university pointed out to me that the government's funding agency prohibited the researchers from hiring relatives and partners using the money. At Dr B's department, a prof had been fired by the university for violating this rule.
No one from my previous workplace and the circle of researchers bothered to report to the funding agency about Dr A's violation. I was temped to be the whistleblower after leaving that workplace, but was taken back because it's obvious who was the reporter: There were not that many of us in the circle. Even if the funding agency had a whistleblower policy in place, I doubted if it could protected me as someone who worked in the industry.
I'm not seeking any heroic stories about penalizing the profs. Instead, I'm wondering if anyone has encountered a similar problem. In addition, I'm also interested to know how the universities and the departments deal with this kind of issue as peacefully as possible.
# Answer
Good things rarely come to whistleblowers. Most of the time, absolutely nothing happens \[to the accused\] and occasionally really bad things happen to the whistleblower in the forms of retribution, blacklisting, defamation/slander lawsuits, etc. Laws protecting whistleblowers tend to be ineffectual at best.
You need to evaluate the benefit/risk ratio yourself.
That being said, if you were to whisteblow, there are several levels you can do it at:
Good luck.
\[That all being said: the situation you describe is likely to yield at most a reprimand from the funding agency if the girlfriend was actually working while receiving a salary (and thus it wasn't embezzlement only nepotism). I'm assuming the company already knows -- private companies tend to be more lax about these things compared to public (and even private) universities which receive a majority of the funding from the state.\]
> 19 votes
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Tags: funding, conflict-of-interest, canada
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thread-27146
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27146
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Whether to use numbers or abbreviated names as a citation style?
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2014-08-13T12:53:29.353
|
# Question
Title: Whether to use numbers or abbreviated names as a citation style?
Many papers use numbered references (e.g.: \[1\], \[2\]). Is this considered a good style or even a rule or **would it be acceptable to use abbreviated names of the authors and year of publication (e.g. \[Smith09\] for J. Smith, 2009)?** I find the abbreviated name reference style a lot more informative as after a while of reading papers on a given topic it’s usually easy to identify the cited publication without the need to look at the full bibliography. I have seen this style used in books and some editorials but it is not common.
# Answer
> 5 votes
The two systems are equally good but used in different communities/journals etc. You therefore need to check what is normally used in your field and when submitting manuscripts, of course, check what the specific journal uses. The fact that you say "most journals use" indicates you are in a field that uses numbered or *Vancouver style* (author-number) references. The author-date, or *Harvard-system*, is used by *most journals* in my field.
# Answer
> 5 votes
## You don't get to choose
Although as a reader I vastly prefer the name-year system, as I don't have to look up most of the references, the advantages are rather irrelevant - in almost all cases, you don't get to choose, as you'll have to comply with the citation standard of the publication.
The journal, conference or thesis standard generelly will list the citation style required, and that's it.
In some fields one or the other style is more common, but in any case you may encounter a publication where a different style is required, so check first.
# Answer
> 1 votes
The name/year system is much better, and you should use it whenever possible. In particular, if you work in a field with preprints your preprints should use name/year or initial/year even if the journal will later force you to change it. The reason is that name/year communicates relevant information, while number communicates no information at all. Just giving numbered references means many readers won't know anything about who did what work.
# Answer
> 1 votes
It surely depends on the field we are talking about.
In medicine the number method now is the standard, probably because it improves overall readability of the text. Important references are often cited literally ("Smith et al. demonstrated that... \[58\]") and general statements by a collection of other researchers ("Many workgroups found...\[23-27,57,89\]).
Especially in books and reviews where the citations go in the hundreds You appreciate if the text is not clutterd by parentheses with long names but has only small-print numbers in exponential style.
# Answer
> 0 votes
In math/CS you mostly use `[1,2]` or `[Lot02,Zai04]`. You can choose (unlike what most other answers impose) either of them, note for instance that both `amsplain` and `amsalpha` exist and either of them can be used in AMS publications.
It's a matter of habits which style the authors choose. The `alpha`/`amsalpha` `[Lot02]` style is better in most cases. However, there are communities where a numerical style is strongly prefered, moreover with the bibliography sorted by the order of appearance, and with compression turned on, because they cite hundreds of articles. And well, you don't want your in-text citations look like `[ABC00a,ABC00b,ABC00c,ABC00d,ACE00a,ACE00b,ABC01a,BC00a,BC00b,BC01,BC02]`, when it can be `[1--11]`.
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Tags: publications, journals, citations
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thread-27228
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27228
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What are financial prospects for a postdoc as compared to a PhD student without funding?
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2014-08-15T22:10:17.680
|
# Question
Title: What are financial prospects for a postdoc as compared to a PhD student without funding?
I am going to start my PhD, unfortunately, I did not get any funding. I am thinking of taking a loan so that I could focus more on my PhD studies, but the loan will need to be repaid after PhD. Therefore my question is if my financial situation is likely to be better as a postdoc than as a PhD student. My reasoning:
As a PhD student: I have to pay academic fees, I do not get funding or a salary.
As a postdoc: I do not have to pay academic fees or any other fees to a university (am I right?), I may get a salary but may not to.
How many postdocs do get paid? I looked at research groups I am interested in and they say, they do not have funding for postdocs and their postdocs usually are supported by some grant that they themselves have arranged before coming to the group. So is my financial situation going to depend on if I can secure a grant for my research as a postdoc or I should expect to receive a salary? How likely is the success in either ways?
# Answer
> 5 votes
> So is my financial situation going to depend on if I can secure a grant for my research as a postdoc or I should expect to receive a salary?
The question is not getting a grant or getting paid, it is getting paid by the institution you work for or getting your salary from a grant giving institution.
> How many postdocs do get paid?
(As far as I know) All of them. Depending on the country you are talking about it may even be illegal to employ someone without pay. However, (as @virmaior pointed out) there are some "postdocs" in Japan that are not paid and have no work requirements. At least in Europe and the US this is not common and in most cases this is probably a bad idea for someone looking for a regular postdoc position (see my comment below).
> How likely is the success in either ways?
That depends on your field, the quality of your work, ... . We can not answer that but you can talk to your peers /supervisor about the job market to get an idea.
> \[as a postdoc\] I do not have to pay academic fees or any other fees to a university
Right.
*One general remark: If you are not not getting a (paid) postdoc position or a grant you should try to find a job in the industry anyway. Finding a more senior position is usually much harder than finding a postdoc position.*
# Answer
> 4 votes
A postdoc is a time limited academic job, a PhD is a research student position. The latter is usually financed but does not have to be. I have never heard of a Postdoc that did not involve payment. In your question you seem to indicate there would be a choice between the two but a postdoc, as the name implies, requires a PhD so one must go through a research education (and receive a PhD) before applying for a postdoc position.
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Tags: phd, career-path, postdocs, funding, salary
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thread-27241
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27241
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Criteria for choosing undergraduate school to prepare for graduate study: "focus on undergrads" & "extensive rigorous curriculum" mutually exclusive?
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2014-08-16T09:09:46.770
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# Question
Title: Criteria for choosing undergraduate school to prepare for graduate study: "focus on undergrads" & "extensive rigorous curriculum" mutually exclusive?
I'm trying to figure out which undergraduate colleges are most conducive to graduate school applications, but it seems to me that (with few notable exceptions) my two main criteria that lead to this sort of success are mutually exclusive. Are there any schools in the U.S. that have both an extensive mathematical curriculum and a focus on their undergraduates?
Schools known for being strong in math (such as MIT, Harvard, and Stanford), seem to be very heavily focused on their graduates, with comparatively less attention payed to their undergrads. I'd like to avoid classes taught be TAs and be able to learn from and get to know my professors, both for the improved learning experience and the improved graduate school recommendations that will inevitably eventually result. Perhaps even more importantly, it seems that research as an undergraduate tends to improve students' chances at graduate schools; thus, colleges that have significant research at the undergraduate level are most appealing.
However, schools with the above desirable criterion tend to be less mathematically rigorous, especially in pure math. I've found a handful of schools that will even keep a math major occupied for a whole four years if they've taken only introductory multi-variable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations. I don't want to have to sacrifice an education for attention -- I also want to go to a school considered highly for graduate school that has extensive course options.
Is the first criterion a fair voting system and the second a dictator? Is there any intersection of the above specifications? My own rudimentary research suggests a few options, but these hardly make a list even the best students can expect to be comfortable applying to.
I want to make sure I have the best options for graduate school in the future, both in being a qualified applicant with the opportunity for stellar recommendations and in having learned the extensive mathematics required to give me a head start for future research.
# Answer
You'll need to decide for yourself which sort of school is the best fit for you educationally (this is a highly personal decision, and a school that's a wonderful fit for one person might drive another crazy).
However, I don't think a focus on undergraduates matters much regarding preparation and admission for graduate school. Not even in the ways you'd think it should, like getting good letters of recommendation: there are disproportionate numbers of students in top graduate programs who attended institutions nobody would describe as focused on undergraduates, so this is clearly not keeping them from being admitted. In particular, faculty at universities with strong math programs know what it takes to be admitted to top graduate schools, and they provide what's needed. You might have to put in some effort to make sure you don't fall through the cracks, and this could be a hardship depending on your personality, but for many people it's not so difficult and in any case it's a valuable life skill to develop.
If you're looking to judge universities by how well they will prepare you for graduate school, the main factor I'd look at is how many students they send to graduate programs you might like to attend. If the number is large (relative to the size of the undergraduate program, of course), then that's a very good sign. Clearly they're doing something right, and you'll have the benefits of a strong peer group already as a undergraduate. If the number is small, then you should worry.
> 8 votes
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Tags: graduate-admissions, university, career-path, united-states, education
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thread-27234
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27234
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How does the PhD experience differ for paying students?
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2014-08-16T04:02:10.517
|
# Question
Title: How does the PhD experience differ for paying students?
Some PhD programs offer students an opportunity to either pay for the PhD themselves or to take a teaching assistantship in exchange for a tuition waiver.
Aside from a lack of teaching duties, are the work requirements and responsibilities of a paid PhD student any different from those of the teaching assistantship students?
# Answer
There are usually 4 ways to pay for a PhD in my experience in the US:
1. Out of pocket with your own money or with loans
2. Get a fellowship or scholarship
3. Be a Teaching Assistant
4. Be a Graduate Research Assistant
None of these are necessarily mutually exclusive. TA and GRAships usually come with a whole or partial tuition waiver or payment of tuition. Fellowships and scholarships may come from the university, another government entity (e.g. the US National Science Foundation or Department of Energy), or a private source.
In my estimation, a GRA or fully-funded private fellowship is the best way to pay for graduate school for those whose focus is research because there are no teaching or grading responsibilities to take time away from working on your research. If you intend to go on to a professorship, starting with a TA for the first few semesters or years may help you learn something about teaching, but I wouldn't have wanted the TA responsibilities during the time I was writing up my dissertation.
Myself, I had a GRA with my full tuition paid plus a small privately endowed fellowship administered by my university which supplemented my income. Also, at the time, having a GRA position gave me health insurance. TA and GRA jobs are usually limited to 20 hours a week during the long semesters in the US since you are likely to be in classes at the same time. My advisor frequently upped me to 40 hours per week during the summer and winter breaks to supplement my income further.
Paying your own way, whether with fellowships, loans, or your own personal savings means that you aren't being paid by the advisor. A GRA position may be required to focus on a particular research project that funds the existence of the position. If the money comes from their start-up package or a private source, then you may be given much more freedom in your choice of research work, but either way, the GRA position is a job that allows the advisor to direct your work much more than if you fund yourself.
> 6 votes
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Tags: phd
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thread-27245
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27245
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Why only medicine lectures are closed to the public?
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2014-08-16T12:35:48.433
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# Question
Title: Why only medicine lectures are closed to the public?
In a coment, David Richerby pointed out that in his university in the UK everybody was entitled to attend to any lectures, except for Medicine. I have also found that Dusseldorf has the same policy, but no reasons are quoted.
I can think of two possibilities:
* Potential missuse of the information in the class "oh, I saw a rash like that the other day, it is nothing". (But no one has died because "the condition number of that matrix is not SO bad...").
* Sensitive information, like some details about patients, necessary for the education.
But they don't seem too strong. They would both apply to med students, or just people that signed up for a few courses, but are not going to be doctors (think some biologist that may be interested in taking Pathology).
Does anyone know of an official reason for this policy?
# Answer
> 6 votes
In the United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) greatly restricts who can see or discuss medical records. While most grand rounds tend to be obscure the patient's identity, there could be an abundance of caution. Note that there is an exemption from HIPAA for grand round presentations -- if the audience are only medical personnel (including students):
> The HIPAA Privacy Rule allows physicians and staff to use and disclose PHI \[private health information\] without a patient's written authorization for purposes related to treatment, payment, and health care operations. It further defines "heath care operations" to include "to conduct training programs in which students, trainees, or practitioners in areas of health care learn under supervision to practice or improve their skills as health care providers.\[Cite\]"
The other reason in the United States that grand rounds are often closed is the prevalence of various types of protesters -- e.g. from PETA or from the anti-psychiatry movement.
\[That all being said, at my university most of the grand rounds are open unless closed at the request of the speaker or for other reasons. However, they aren't advertised so you would have to be a department member or on the mailing list to know when and where to go. They are also behind the security umbrella of the university, so you would need an ID card to get past the guard at the front door of the building. So whether you call that 'open' is up to you.\]
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Tags: university, attendance
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thread-27238
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27238
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Winter internship for Indian students (computational physics)
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2014-08-16T05:46:41.230
|
# Question
Title: Winter internship for Indian students (computational physics)
I am 3 year BS MS dual degree student (at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research) in Physics and I want to learn computational skills for my future career needs because we don't have computational physics course till the 8th semester.
Do we have any provision of winter internship in India?
# Answer
**Yes!**
Keep in mind though that most such internships at places like IIT, IISc, ISI, TIFR etc. are likely to be unpaid and you will most probably have to bear costs on your own.
The way to getting them is to email appropriate professors that you like and then ask them if you could, given their availability, work with them over winter.
I do not know if there are *industrial* research internships in India over winter. Most of them seem to be restricted to summer.
**Source:** When I was a graduate student in ISI, there were 2 students from IISER who worked in our lab for a couple of months over winter (Dec-Jan)
> 1 votes
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Tags: internship, india
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thread-27256
|
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27256
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Can I apply for a post-doc in theoretical physics without publications?
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2014-08-16T20:03:52.907
|
# Question
Title: Can I apply for a post-doc in theoretical physics without publications?
I am a theoretical physics PhD student from France. I have no papers after 5 years of my PhD. The problem I am working on has hit many road blocks and even my supervisor has no clue how to proceed. The results I have obtained are valid only for some aspects of my problem. So I could probably publish a paper, but if I do, it will not be a high impact factor journal.
My question is: can I apply for a post-doc without publishing any paper from my PhD?
I would like to apply in North America/Europe etc.
# Answer
You could *apply* to a post-doc without a high-school degree -- an application only involves sending in the application package. No one is going to stop you from mailing it in.
That says nothing about whether or not you will *get* the post-doc, let alone if the secretary will just toss it in the recycling bin before it even gets seen by the faculty.
The real questions are:
1. What are the eligibility requirements of a post-doc?
2. How competitive is the post-doc?
For the first question, most post-docs require a PhD in hand or late-ABD status. Most do not require publications and if they do, they will state that clearly on the application page.
The second question is the real question. Post-docs are usually extremely competitive. In order to be a finalist, you have to be n+1 of whatever quality and quantity the faculty is looking for.
If your peer group has no publications (0) and you have 1 publication, you will stand out as the +1. Since it's not possible to have -1 publications, it's hard to stand out from a group with 0 publications to your name. If your peers have 10 publications, you need to have either more in number or more in quality, or something else that your competitors don't have.
For example, some post-docs in some fields value other things than research publications. I occasionally read for post-docs in the humanities and there the quality of your dissertation and proposal is more important as most post-docs in those fields apparently have zero or near zero publications at the ABD stage.
And finally, there are some post-docs that just aren't very competitive -- either because of geography or topic or paucity of funding or other reasons.
I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the social/human factor. Many people get post-docs on the strength of their recommendation letters, as Pete Clark mentions. Strong recommendations attesting to your brilliance and to the problems you faced with your current project would go far in convincing a postdoc committee to take a chance with you. You could also try to ask your supervisor to use some of her/his social capital to try to persuade a colleague at another university to take you on.
Your mileage may vary.
> 5 votes
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Tags: publications, postdocs
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thread-2963
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/2963
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Is there a journal that publishes slides together with the text?
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2012-08-23T22:05:49.490
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# Question
Title: Is there a journal that publishes slides together with the text?
*I mainly refer to applied mathematics when describing my experience*
Often I find that it is easier to grasp a concept from the author's slides than from the description in a paper. When one has to summarize their findings for a talk, they often end up with an exposition that gives a clearer understanding of the "big picture" and the nontrivial details. It is easier to separate what is important and what is not. If someone really needs more detail and rigour, they can check the paper, but I think that 90% of the readership would get more from the slides than from the paper.
Of course a real paper is still necessary, to provide details to the interested reader and to testify that the details work indeed (and the referees can certify it).
However, slides are typically difficult to find. Some scientists self-archive (a subset of) their slides on their personal web pages; some others are hidden in conference sites. No database such as Scopus indexes them. It is often tricky to match up a paper and its slides.
So, my question is the following.
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Is there any journal that publishes slides together with their papers? Or slides only? Or, more generally, that tries to experiment and consider similar less formal media for presenting real science?
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# Answer
> 6 votes
I **don't know of any such journal**. The closest I've come to this is that often **after I've listened to a talk, I've asked the speaker for his slides**. I can't recall ever being turned down. Alternatively, if you can't attend a talk, you might still ask the speaker for his/her slides. This request will likely be a bit more successful in person, but even via email it can't hurt to try.
# Answer
> 4 votes
I do not know about any such journal. But one idea could be to archive your papers on a pre-print server, such as arXiv and always append your slides as an appendix.
# Answer
> 3 votes
All the Nature journals and Science make their figures available as PPT slides with the captions available as comments, presumably to facilitate their use in journal clubs. Tinkering with something such as TikZ for a bit will tell you that it's not trivial to productively annotate equations.
Perhaps, and I don't say this glibly, you would deepen your understanding of difficult papers by making the slides you wish you had. It helped me.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Elsevier journals now offer AudioSlides,
> short, webcast-style presentations that are shown next to the online article on ScienceDirect. This format gives authors the opportunity to present their research in their own words, helping readers to quickly understand what a paper is about and appreciate its relevance.
Hopefully this is what you're looking for.
# Answer
> 1 votes
With many, perhaps most) journals it is possible to add materials,often referred to as *Supplementary Material* or *Supporting Information* or something similar. This can be word files, powerpoint files, excel files (or equivalents), media files (sound, movies, animations) containing material that support the article but cannot be accommodated within the usual journal format.
I am, however, not sure if a slide presentation of the article material would be permitted since it would not necessarily add anything new but rather be a simplification of the article content.
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Tags: publications, journals, supporting-information
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thread-27244
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27244
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Is it difficult to get admission to a phd in stem cell biology in Europe?
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2014-08-16T11:08:14.933
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# Question
Title: Is it difficult to get admission to a phd in stem cell biology in Europe?
I am looking for a phd position in stem cell biology and have been trying very hard for the last 6 months in Germany or any European country. I have tried to contact many professors via mail but have nothing by way of a good response. I have a good academic record and score.
Can anyone please help me out how to best proceed or where I may be lacking in my method so far?
# Answer
> 1 votes
As aid before, the process is very different from country to country. I personally have experience in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
* More and more institutions move to PhD programs. Sometimes it is the only way to do a PhD, and Professors are discouraged to hire students without them going through the initial assessment of the PhD program committee. Usually, these programs are easily to find on the web. See e.g. here http://www.vbcphdprogramme.at, or here http://www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/education/phd/overview/
* Look for job advertisements at dedicated portals like ResearchGate (http://www.researchgate.net) or http://www.eth-gethired.ch in Switzerland.
* Contacting Professors out of the blue might work in some cases/disciplines. In fields or countries were industry pays much, much more than academia, Professors have problems in recruiting talented PhD students, e.g. computer science or generally in Switzerland. They are glad if they can finally put a qualified person who does the work on the grant they already got month ago.
# Answer
> 0 votes
The process is going to be very different from one country to the next. But from what I have seen so far, the three most common ways to start a PhD in Europe are:
* Reacting to a job offer. If there is a specific position available and no local student that's been pre-selected for it, it's possible to come to a university to start a PhD.
* Coming in contact with a professor through a course (possibly while doing some preliminary research work with said professor). This would require (re)doing a master's degree in the same university, with an eye toward the PhD.
* Coming with your own funding, very often a grand from a foreign government or possibly from a private company.
I don't know anybody who started a PhD by contacting a professor/research group out of the blue.
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Tags: phd, graduate-admissions, germany, biology
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thread-27246
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27246
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How to report on an academically required internship with a bad supervisor relationship
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2014-08-16T12:48:18.970
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# Question
Title: How to report on an academically required internship with a bad supervisor relationship
I am a few days from completion of an industrial internship that is required for my Masters degree. I have had a bad experience with the supervisor of this internship, who has insulted me several times during my internship period. He is mean, he gets angry very easily, he is bad-tempered and most importantly he is ignorant: he never knew what I must do as a trainee, it is me who proposes the tasks to him. Finally, now that I have finished the main task of my internship, he says it is useless.
Completing the internship and the degree involves reporting on my internship to an academic jury. Given this bad experience, how should I handle my report?
In particular:
1. I do not want to give an acknowledgement to my field supervisor in my report: is this a bad thing to do? I mean, will the jury ask me why I did not write an acknowledgement?
2. If the jury asks about my evaluation of the company where I did the internship, should I be honest in telling them what happened, or should I lie and tell them everything was fine?
# Answer
> 19 votes
> If the jury asks about my appreciation of the company where I did the internship: should I be honest in telling them what happened and that my advisor is too incompetent? Or should I lie and tell them everything was fine?
You should do the same as in any other case when a professional relationship goes wrong. You need to:
1. **Focus on the facts.** *"The project was not going smoothly"* is a fact. *"We had communication issues, so I ended up delivering not what they wanted"* is also ok. *"The project was going badly because the advisor is incompetent"* is you trying to assign blame. Stay clear of that. You do not need to lie to the committee and pretend that all was great, but try to refrain from presenting your own interpretation of the events. It is understandable that you will want to make sure that the committee understands that the issues were due to no fault of yours, but by badmouthing your advisor (no matter how warranted) you are likely to reach the opposite.
2. **Take the high road.** If it is customary that students write an acknowledgement to their advisors, write a short, polite acknowledgement thanking him to allow you to work in his team, if you can thank him for nothing else. Rocking the boat over something so minor seems unwise.
3. Whatever you do, **stay professional.** Acting out of anger and a lust to "get back" on your advisor for his insults *will* backfire on you.
**Important Edit:**
Based on your follow-up information:
(retracted - some racist comments as well as statements about unduly long work hours)
The fourth, maybe even more important point is:
If something really bad went on (like in your case), **find out what the correct official action to take is**. File an official complaint with your university, or even talk to a lawyer and have him look into filing a law suite (racist comments in the workspace are certainly grounds for a civil law suite where I live). Don't take a placebo action that does not hurt and does not help, such as not including him in your acknowledgements.
The other 3 points stay in place - even if something terrible went down, you need to stay professional and you need to focus on the facts, in your official reports as much as when you talk to your jury about the incident(s).
# Answer
> 8 votes
1. Be a better person than him. Write the acknowledgement.
2. I would think that telling your jury that he was a very hard man to work for is fine, but I wouldn't call him incompetent to people who are effectively his peers. I definitely wouldn't recommend him other students.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Even if writing an acknowledgement is the norm in such a kind of report, acknowledgements remain a kind of gesture, which should have no impact on a professional evaluation. If such gestures have to be performed for their own sake, they become pointless and worthless¹: If literally everybody is being acknowledged, being acknowledged isn’t worth anything. Thus for acknowledgement having any point, there must be at least a small chance of, e.g., an advisor not being acknowledged, if this person really does not deserve it.
So, if your advisor did everything to be not worthy of any acknowledgement (as it sounds like), the only reason to acknowledge him would be that he still has impact on your grade or career². Assuming that this isn’t the case, the jury should not ask you about this missing acknowledgement, as your relationship to your supervisor should (idealistically) not play into your evaluation. (I will come back to this in a moment.)
As for your defense (or interview with the jury), I second the already given advice: Avoid appearing to place blame on your supervisor, but focus on the facts instead. Depending on what the mode of the defense is, e.g., if you are mainly asked questions and do not have to freely report on big chunks, you might not even need to address the issues yourself, unless asked. If you are however asked, e.g., why you made some decision on your project and it was due to your advisor commanding this decision, clearly say so. This also applies to the acknowledgement: If you are asked why you did not include one, it is the jury who brings up this topic and not you, and you can thruthfully say that you felt that there was nothing to acknowledge – but never bring on this topic on your own.
Another thing that you should be prepared for: If your internship was sufficiently long, the jury might hold the opinion that it was your responsibility to report severe problems to the university, such that it could assign you a new internship position or similar. Whether this opinion is justified depends on several factors, such as how much time this would have wasted and how high the risk would have been that such a complaint would have backfired at you and so on.
Also, if it’s not too late for this: Talk to your student body. They better know your specific situation than we do and might have experience with similar cases. Also, they have the means to drastically reduce the chances that this company ever gets an intern from your university again (I assume that they keep a list of good and bad companies for such internships).
Finally, talk to the jury (or another appropriate person), after everything is over. They also will have means to drastically reduce the chances that this company ever gets an intern from your university again.
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<sup> ¹ And you might enter some euphemism treadmill which ends up in a special acknowledgement language which has nothing to do with actual language anymore, as it is the case for employment reference letters in my country.
² Be aware that there might be not-so-obvious ties between your advisor and members of your university.</sup>
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Tags: thesis, masters, advisor, interpersonal-issues, internship
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thread-27278
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27278
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Citing into the future on ArXiv – good or bad idea?
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2014-08-17T15:25:51.590
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# Question
Title: Citing into the future on ArXiv – good or bad idea?
I have coauthored two papers, which are strongly related. The younger paper is thus citing the first and the older paper is annoucing the second along the lines of “a study of aspect X will be published elsewhere“. As ArXiv enables you to update your papers, it would be possible to include a citation to the new paper in the old paper after the aforementioned sentence. This might save a reader of the old paper some time with finding the new paper.
However, this breaks some paradigms that were inherently fulfilled by any pre-internet citation, i.e., that you could not cite future work¹ and that there are no loops in citation graphs (i.e., there can be no papers A₁, …, such that A₁ cites A₂, which cites A₃, which cites …, which cites A₁). Thus I find it conceivable that such a citation into the future may cause some problems, for example some weird software behavior (ignoring for the example’s sake that this would arguably be the software’s fault).
**Is there any such issue, which would make the aforementioned citation into the future a problem?**
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<sup> ¹ Of course, *will be published elswhere* existed before, but it could not be accompanied by a regular citation. </sup>
# Answer
Occasionally two related articles are published simultaneously and cite each other, so loops in the citation graph are OK. See for example this article in The Scientist which describes two papers which do so. I was able to verify that they both cite each other through my university's library.
> 15 votes
# Answer
Well, arXiv paper is on the same level as any other preprint. When a paper is on arXiv, it's somehow not quite different from you putting it on your personal website. Whence I don't see any problem here.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I understand that when you are "updating" your paper, you are creating a new version in the same way a new edition to a book or a republication of the article in another journal or event. If memory serves arxiv takes track of the version numbers. Does it not?
The problem is: a 2nd edition should be cited by its new publication date and location. The same way we do with books. When a republication happens on journals there is usually a note in the header informing the original publication date and location of the article. I do not think this is an internet related phenomena. Version tracking is common in books. Republications are not common in printed journals, but they do happen.
In short: I do not see any problem. You are actually citing the past on a new edition. I think a note in the header in the document explaining that this is always an good idea.
> 0 votes
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Tags: citations, arxiv
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thread-27271
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27271
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What to do when you spot a paper on arXiv with the same essential material as yours?
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2014-08-17T11:37:05.120
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# Question
Title: What to do when you spot a paper on arXiv with the same essential material as yours?
What do you do when you've sent a paper on your fancy new algorithm to a conference, and before the conference has replied to you, you spot a newly submitted paper on arXiv on the same algorithm?
Possible reactions I can imagine:
1. You immediately submit your work to arXiv and/or open-source your code to "prove" you were working on it too (or at least as much as that might be worth at this point)
2. You just wait and see if the conference accepts it (but then what?)
3. You withdraw your paper entirely -- you "lost"
4. You totally ignore it -- it's not "official" until it's peer-reviewed, so you might still be "first"
Furthermore, who typically gets credit if:
1. Your paper is accepted, and is first to be published outside of arXiv
2. Your paper is declined, and is *not* first to be published outside of arXiv
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### Update
I'm reading the other group's paper more carefully (I'd only had a chance to glance at it yesterday, and was alarmed because several of the key words and concepts were exactly the same as ours), and it seems like they might not have discovered the same algorithm after all -- it's difficult for me to tell because their notation and terminology varies considerably from ours, but there's a chance that we've found different algorithms, even though several key concepts are the same. I'll continue looking into it, but just thought I'd mention this to add more context. At least now I'm a little bit more hopeful.
# Answer
> 34 votes
It seems to me that the best answer is some combination of 1. and 2. Because you submitted the paper for review before the other work -- call it paper X -- appeared on the arxiv, the community will readily believe that your work does not rely on paper X. (At first I wrote "completely clear that your work does not rely", but that's too strong: it's possible that you had some prior contact with the authors of paper X and learned about their work before it was published. But from your description that didn't actually happen, so no problem there.)
So you are in a fortunate situation: because you submitted the work to the conference before the arxiv posting, you have established your independent priority. The fact that the report hasn't come back yet has nothing to do with that. With respect to the submission, it would be reasonable to just wait for the report -- I am assuming that since it is a conference, it will come back within a month or so? If your paper is accepted, then you should include in the published version and also in your conference talk the information that similar (or the same...) work was independently done in paper X.
However it would be a good idea to write immediately to the authors of paper X and let them know about your work. If you are in a field where the conference paper will be supplemented by a later journal paper, then depending upon the degree of similarity you may want to consider a joint publication. If not, then your journal papers should cocite each other: this establishes that "you both have priority", which is certainly possible, and then both works should be publishable. (But in my opinion a joint paper is the better option if the work is very similar: does the community need two versions of the same work? Can everyone be counted on to know about and value the two works equally? Better to join forces: that seals it.) Depending upon the response you receive and the timing it might be a good idea to post your submission to the arxiv as well, with a note explaining the chronology.
I disagree with both 3. and 4. First, it does not matter who did the work chronologically first but rather that each work was done independently and before the other was *published*. **There does not need to be a "winner" and a "loser" here: you can both "win".** It is good that research communities operate in this way, much better than your option 4.: no one has control over which referee report comes back first or which paper goes to press first or anything like that, so if this were the standard it would be at the very least quite unfair and in fact open to all kinds of ethical issues and abuses.
**Note**: One of the comments asks whether the work was stolen. It seems that the only plausible way for this to happen is for there to be some collusion between the authors of paper X and either the conference organizers or the chosen referees of your paper. This type of behavior is in my experience extremely rare, so I don't want to address it in my answer.
# Answer
> 18 votes
This actually happened with a paper I worked on. We handled it by:
1. Immediately submitting our own version to arXiv, including a short mention of the other paper.
2. Informing the other authors of our result, and offering to write a joint journal paper.
Submitting your own version as soon as possible strongly suggests that it was an independent discovery, especially if the presentation is completely original. It also sends a signal that you're not trying to hide anything.
By writing a joint 'final' version, both parties can share the credit. In our case, the papers had been submitted to different conferences, so we thought a joint journal version would be the most appropriate. In the end, both papers were rejected from these conferences, but the other authors were able to strengthen the original result, while we generalized it. This meant that we were able to write a very strong merged paper, which was accepted to the most important conference in the area.
# Answer
> 4 votes
If your paper gets accepted in this conference, you win. The submission date is before the arxiv uploading and no one can claim you plagiarized the arxiv preprint.
If your paper gets rejected, you probably lost. In subsequent submissions you have to cite the original arxiv preprint, make extra effort and experiments to differentiate your work from theirs (by augmenting your original work) and claim that both works have reached independently to those parallel findings. Still, this lowers your work's novelty and might lead to another rejection. In that case, the other side might lost too, because your original rejection might also signify that the algorithm is not that seminal or important.
So, you should consider in what ways you can expand your work to actually provide novel content in comparison to the arxiv preprint, in case of rejection. In case of acceptance, you have nothing to worry about.
**UPDATE:** I really liked the other answers. Submitting to arxiv the OP's paper as soon as possible is probably the best thing to do. Also sharing co-authorship (in case of rejection) is of course the ethical / right thing to do and that is what the OP should do. But:
* Case 1. There is some foul play on the other side. In that case, they do not want to share co-authorship but patent / steal the idea. In that case, co-operation is not likely to happen
* Case 2. No foul play involved and the OP's paper gets rejected. The other side has already patented those results by their arxiv preprint. They may even already submitted the paper to another conference (many times that is when you upload preprints). Why would they share co-authorship? Would the OP share co-authorship if his paper got accepted? Will he include the other paper in the related work section (of course he should) in his camera ready version (in case of acceptance), when most of the results are identical? According to his comments he is not going to do that (when he has nothing to lose by that if his paper got accepted). Why does everyone assume that the other side will cooperate? These are serious questions that are easily answered on an ethical basis but the practical side is always more complicated. And what if the other side is more famous / established than the OP? Sometimes in that case they may even refuse co-authorship on that fact alone. Co-operation and co-authorship usually happens between similar / equal parties but they are harder to achieve when the other side has more leverage.
I really hope things work for the OP. But if his paper gets accepted he should definitely cite the other work and explain the situation in his camera ready version.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Many theorems, algorithms, fundamental scientific ideas, etc bear the name of (or are attributed to) more than one person. This does not always happen because these persons worked together. Sometimes it happens because it is established that they worked on the same issue *approximately* during the same period and/or published *approximately* during the same period. An example that I can immediately give from Economics/Econometrics is in the sub-field of Stochastic Frontier Analysis: in 1977 two papers were published independently, laying the fundamentals of the field. Almost 40 years later, they are still mentioned together, when the author wants to refer to those that initiated the whole thing. These papers are
Aigner, D., Lovell, C. A. A., & Schmidt, P. (1977). Formulation and estimation of stochastic frontier production function models. journal of Econometrics, 6(1), 21-37.
and
Meeusen, W., & Van den Broeck, J. (1977). Efficiency estimation from Cobb-Douglas production functions with composed error. International economic review, 435-444.
Your algorithm and the other algorithm may be "cousins", and the existence of both may have positive externalities on the research and professional paths of all involved, since it makes for a more vigorous "look here!" shout to the scientific world. I would even consider *promoting* the other paper alongside yours.
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Tags: publications, paper-submission, arxiv
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thread-9924
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/9924
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Is it ethical for an author to cite their own work with themselves as first author when they are not first author?
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2013-05-11T00:13:40.397
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# Question
Title: Is it ethical for an author to cite their own work with themselves as first author when they are not first author?
I was reading through a journal article by an author. Let's call him `Author X`. The author while referring to some of his own journal articles cite them as `Author X et al.`, even though `Author X` is not the first author in the cited article. Is this allowed or should it be treated as academic dishonesty?
# Answer
The only reason I would use a formulation such as this is if the work being "cited" were multiple works performed by a changing group of members with a "constant" member who was probably the group leader. And, even in that case, I would use the formulation "X and coworkers," rather than "X et al.," to indicate that the it's not a "direct" citation, but a matter of convenience. The reason for this is that it's quite distracting to have to write:
> as discussed in A et al. \[cite\], B et al. \[cite\], C et al. \[cite\], A et al. #2 \[cite\], . . .
when there's a bunch of different references that are all part of the same research effort.
> 15 votes
# Answer
It depends on how literally you are using the word "cite". If you mean the articles are listed in the bibliography with the authors in a different order from how they were published, or the author order is changed in a formal citation such as "(Author X et al. 1994)" even if the bibliography is correct, then yes, it would be considered dishonesty, because it misrepresents the author listing.
On the other hand, it's possible to give correct formal citations to some papers and then go on to talk about "Author X et al." without actually implying that this represents author order at all; instead, you are just highlighting X among the researchers who have worked on these problems. Overemphasizing a particular author's role could be offensive, but it's not necessarily dishonest in the same sense as misrepresenting the author order on a specific paper. (And it might even be appropriate in some unusual cases. For example, imagine that X has been working in this subfield for many years and has published a dozen papers, each with a different student as first author. If you need a brief way to refer to this group of researchers as a whole, then "X et al." might not be crazy.)
> 12 votes
# Answer
I have a hard time seing any other answer than NO, it is not ethical. If the paper referenced is published it is very clear. If one neds to reference an individual other than the first author, it is always possible to quote the name followed by the refeence for (a very hypothetical) example
> ... X made the Y analysis (Z et al., yyyy) ...
If the work is unpublished, it typicaly should not be referenced using typical references so then the "personal communication" or whatever for would be pertinent could be given in any way relavant to the particular case.
The main point is of course to give credit where credit is due. so,if it is clear that someone has performed a very specific task (indicated in the paper referenced) then it might be ok to point that out but never to change the original citation which has to match the reference in the reference list, which in turn has to match the published article. So for me exceptions to the general rule are vanishingly few and I have never encountered a case where this has happened either as a reader of journals or as an editor.
> 6 votes
# Answer
It is definitely misrepresenting the situation, but I am not sure it is intentional. I met several (where several means a large number) researchers who were not aware that the "et al." phrase can only be used with first authors, and they used it in the meaning of "and his/her coworkers". If the given person's mother tongue is not English, I would say it is more of a mistake than intentional dischonesty.
> 0 votes
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Tags: journals, etiquette, ethics
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thread-27293
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27293
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How to confront advisor about the expectation that I will support another student's project for extended period of time?
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2014-08-18T01:20:45.457
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# Question
Title: How to confront advisor about the expectation that I will support another student's project for extended period of time?
I work in a collaborative scientific research group at a public university in the US. Specifically, my lab has two graduate students: myself and another who is expected to graduate shortly.
I'm told that once the "senior" graduate student stops working in the lab (to start writing dissertation) the remaining graduate student (myself, in this case) is expected to finish off the more senior graduate students' data-taking (whether it be for a month or a semester, has not been made clear). The more senior graduate student would be the first author on the paper resulting from this data.
I have been assured that the current senior graduate student did his fair share of data taking for the graduate student who preceded him. I would like to talk to my advisor about this, but I have serious doubts about whether she would care about my opinion on this matter. In fact, I feel like by bringing it up I could only make things worse.
Although this is the "lab culture", it seems unfair to me. Has anyone had success confronting their advisor about this sort of thing without being too hostile?
**UPDATE:** I should mention that I spent the first 2.5 years of my research time supporting his (the previous grad students) project full time. It is not until after he is gone (and 1-5 months more of me supporting his project) until I can even begin my project. This is the primary concern: I will have spent over half of my graduate career supporting his project full time, meanwhile my advisor says she thinks I can graduate in five years--- that leaves between 2 to 2.5 years to complete my own project. I will have spent more time on his proj than my own
# Answer
> 13 votes
> Has anyone had success confronting their advisor about this sort of thing without being too hostile?
Fundamentally, I wouldn't view it as a confrontation. If someone is doing something unethical or abusive, then confronting them could be appropriate, but it's not clear that that's the case here. Instead, I'd approach it from the perspective that you'd like to learn what your advisor expects, his/her reasoning and motivation, and how much flexibility there is. Right now, you are unsure whether the amount of work required would be a month or a semester. That's a very reasonable thing to seek clarification for, and there are plenty of other natural questions. For example, how should you deal with any interruption to your primary work? Is there flexibility if you're at a particularly crucial or delicate point in your current project? Will your advisor help make sure it doesn't derail your work or delay your graduation? You could also ask about the motivation. If doing this doesn't seem valuable to you, instead of starting with complaints about that you could ask about structuring things to ensure you got valuable skills or experience out of it.
If you take this perspective, I don't think it will come across as hostile. You're just asking reasonable questions about what's involved and how it can be handled smoothly and productively. I hope the answers will be reassuring.
Of course this may be fruitless: your advisor could be a control freak or jerk who won't respond well to friendly questions. However, if that's the case you've got worse problems than just this issue. I certainly wouldn't start with the assumption that a confrontation is the first step.
It's also worth carefully thinking through why this arrangement seems unfair. As a mathematician, I have no experience with this style of research, but it doesn't sound unreasonable for the sort of lab in which students are assigned projects. You would be broadening your research experience, and your contributions would be recognized with authorship (but not first authorship since the senior student would have contributed much more to this paper, the same way you'll be first author on the paper that comes out of your main project). This sounds potentially worthwhile, so you need to articulate more clearly what's wrong with the particular situation you face.
If this is far outside the norms of your field, then I hope you'll be able to convince your advisor to do things differently. Otherwise, I'd just accept that you and your advisor don't agree about everything and, within the overall constraint of how the lab is run, focus on fine-tuning things to fit you better.
> In fact, I feel like by bringing it up I could only make things worse.
This is the part that bothers me the most. Maybe you are just worrying too much, but it suggests something's wrong. Perhaps with how you tend to bring things up, perhaps with how your advisor responds to reasonable concerns, perhaps with your overall relationship with your advisor. Whatever the cause is, this is something worth trying to understand and fix.
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*In response to the "update" on the original question":* I don't know enough about your research area to say how unusual or inappropriate that is, but it does sound worrisome. Do you have a mentor other than your advisor to discuss this with? That could be helpful for determining whether it's a major career danger or just a frustrating but manageable situation.
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Tags: ethics, advisor, etiquette, collaboration
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thread-27298
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27298
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If no revised date is mentioned in the paper, does this means the paper is directly accepted by the journal?
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2014-08-18T03:41:43.800
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# Question
Title: If no revised date is mentioned in the paper, does this means the paper is directly accepted by the journal?
When I am reading papers, sometimes I see statements like
> Manuscript received October 29, 2012; accepted March 16, 2014.
Does this implies that the paper is directly accepted?
# Answer
Not necessarily. Some journals only state dates for submission and acceptance. In such cases dates for revisions are not mentioned. Since it is not uncommon, at least in fields with which I am familiar, for papers to go through two (or sometimes more) revisions, a date for revision usually refers to only one, the first set of revisions.
I can also confirm Anonymous Mathematician's notion that some journals only accept papers that receive minor revision and reject those with major, but with the explicit understanding the paper should be resubmitted once revised. This will officially shorten the times from submission to accept but is of course a questionable action to manipulate such statistics.
> 5 votes
# Answer
Yes, it should mean the paper was accepted with no substantive changes. Otherwise, it would say something like "revised June 1, 2013" in between the submission and acceptance dates. If there were several revisions, then only the final revision date is recorded.
In my experience, journals can be a little sloppy about this and allow small changes (such as typo fixes or minor rewording) without such an indication. Perhaps they should be more careful, since following an unambiguous rule has its benefits. However, this doesn't seem to be considered a big deal if the changes aren't substantive.
There might be some journals that never indicate revision dates. I think that would be pretty nonstandard, but there are a lot of journals out there and diverse practices in different fields, so it's hard to say for sure. (There are certainly journals that don't even show submission dates in the first place, but that's a different issue. The weird part would be highlighting the submission date while ignoring substantive revisions.)
I've heard stories about journals asking authors to submit a revision as a new submission (see, for example, this blog post). In that case, the "manuscript received October 29, 2012" might be disguising the fact that there was an even earlier version (to make it look like the journal handled the paper more quickly). However, I've never seen any evidence of this myself, or heard these stories in mathematics.
> 3 votes
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Tags: publications, journals, peer-review, publishers
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thread-27303
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27303
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Is it OK to contact someone who is on my suggested reviewers list to discuss something unrelated?
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2014-08-18T09:04:10.430
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# Question
Title: Is it OK to contact someone who is on my suggested reviewers list to discuss something unrelated?
I submitted a manuscript to a journal. As it was required, I included a list of suggested reviewers. Of course, I don't know who of them have been selected by the editor. I haven't received any reviews yet. Several weeks have passed since the submission.
The problem is that I forgot whom I suggested as a reviewer. These were some people from my field and I have alerts on Google Scholar that notify me about their new papers. Recently, I got such an alert about someone's new paper. I found it interesting (but not really related to the topic of my submitted manuscript) so I wrote an email to the author. (I only met him once at a conference.) I thought that he found something similar to what I saw in a paper of yet another author. We exchanged a few emails. The discussion was totally unrelated to my manuscript.
Only after that discussion I realized he might have been a reviewer of my submitted manuscript. So I wonder whether it is OK to contact someone who may be my reviewer? The review process is blind so I never know for sure.
# Answer
The world of academia is small enough so that you'll likely get to know most (or all!) reviewers for your work. You can't be expected to stop communicating with your colleagues, just because one of them *could* be reviewing one of your papers right now.
So yes, go and discuss.
> 30 votes
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Tags: ethics, peer-review
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thread-27304
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27304
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How to contact a PI when I have been out of the system for a while?
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2014-08-18T09:52:54.347
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# Question
Title: How to contact a PI when I have been out of the system for a while?
I want to do a biology/biotech related PhD in Germany, I have an MSc in the field and some good ideas about what I'd like to research (biofilms and/or synthetic biology, those really excite me) but in short I'm out of the academic environment from quite some time, I'm in my late 30s as matter of fact. For some reasons I couldn't follow my aspiration back in time but I want to follow it now and at my age you just leave all if you aren't motivated and don't really like what you're going to to, especially with a family.
My question is therefore: **how to approach a German group/PI in my situation?** Especially considering that I don't really know how the German system works and I couldn't obtain letters of recommendation as often the Graduate School there ask for.
I would like to enroll in a Graduate School(or the equivalent) mainly because I'm coming from outside but what I really need is someone who take care to bootstrap me to the thing and give me the opportunity to pursue some interdisciplinar approaches.
# Answer
The german system is rather diverse; every PI can do their own thing.
For structured PhD programs (i.e. international Max Planck Research Schools; IMPRS) you will need: one or more publications; and good letters from two or more of your formers PIs. Max Planck is *very* competitive.
For individual PIs you'll be better off with a personal recommendation by your former supervisor.
Your age will factor in as the time between your last contact with academia and now, not as \`\`age'' in itself. To be honest, this will make things complicated, especially *without* strong support from a Prof. on your side.
> 2 votes
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Tags: phd, graduate-admissions, germany
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thread-27284
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27284
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Does working while you are studying affect your GPA?
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2014-08-17T19:03:13.467
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# Question
Title: Does working while you are studying affect your GPA?
I am studying computer science and I have money to pay for my university study, but I do not have money to spend on entertainment such as going to cinema with my friends in the weekend or upgrading my laptop. I have applied for a job at McDonald's. My shift is 4 days per week with 7 hours per day.
I am scared this would affect my grades. How can I balance my studies with the part-time work I must do in order to improve my living standards or afford a social life?
# Answer
> 5 votes
This study suggests that employment outside the university (especially in excess of 25 hours per week) does have a negligible adverse effect on GPA, and a signigicant adverse effect on the probability of a student's continues enrollment. A second paper (here) suggests that hours worked **do** have a significant negative effect on student grades.
> ...results show that an additional weekly work hour reduces current year GPA by about 0.011 points...
A personal anecdote: When I attended the mandatory freshman orientation seminar during my first semester as an undergrad, they recommended *no more than fifteen hours per week*, suggesting that anything more than that would tend to have a negative impact on our grades. I do not now recall whether they also provided references to back up their claims...
Of course, this is a general guideline, and an individual student may well be able to handle more. I know some students who were somehow able to juggle a full course load, a full-time job, AND major family responsibility, but those paragons are very rare!
# Answer
> 0 votes
I worked full time for the first year and a half and part time for the remaining year and a half during my undergraduate career for Computer Science. It certainly meant that I had less time and flexibility but, ultimately, I think it made me more marketable and a bit better prepared for the working world than many of my peers. That's being said there's a fundamental difference between my work and your work - my work was within the realm of Computer Science.
Having a job, any job, is a necessity for many students. I would recommend, though, trying to find a job that's going to benefit, even if in a small way, your studies. Many schools have IT departments that hire undergraduate students as part time help. Many schools have departments that have an independent IT department, separate from the main IT department. Research schools tend to have infrastructure related jobs and internships. University towns often have businesses that are happy to have future CS graduates working in their IT or programming departments. If you have been in school for a bit you should know some of your professors - there are often paid jobs in research labs all over campuses. They aren't advertised but good relationships with professors will open a lot of doors.
I would try to get a job that's going to have long term benefit for you. Having a high level of confidence and comfort around IT business practices makes you a far more marketable computer scientist than someone who can code but is afraid to install an operating system(for example). Knowing the vocab and jargon will make you more marketable. Having a job, of any sort, with references will help when it comes time to start looking at what happens after you graduate.
As to whether a part time job will effect your grades... it will at least a little. Instead of spending 40 hours on some projects, sometimes I only had the time and energy, a finite resource to be sure, to spend 30 hours. I ended up graduating with a very good GPA(honestly I think being involved in research affected my GPA more than my job.) But having a job, especially a challenging job, in addition to being in school will mean you will have to be more organized than many of your peers. It means you'll have to be on top of your school work and that last minute all nighters will be pretty detrimental.
I don't think there's an all-inclusive answer for whether people should work during school. In my own hiring and looking-to-be-hired experience students who are employed during their schooling tend to be more reliable, more marketable and a more 'sure thing' than their counterparts who did not. But, as mentioned by J. Zimmerman in their excellent answer there are sacrifices involved. As a CS student I would be putting a lot of effort in moving beyond a 'mcjob' and into something at least slightly relevant.
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Tags: job, gpa, tuition
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thread-27253
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27253
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Salary of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Fellowships
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2014-08-16T17:23:50.060
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# Question
Title: Salary of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Fellowships
Does anyone have information about the standard salary packages for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action fellowships inside a Initial Training Network (ITN)?
# Answer
> 8 votes
If I am understanding the "Work Programme 2014–2015" of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions correct, then the amount of the living allowance is **37,320 Euro for early-stage researchers** and **55,800 Euro for experienced researchers**. This sum is multiplied by a "country correction coefficient" (see the very end of the Work Programme).
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Tags: funding
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thread-27313
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27313
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Would it be unethical to take a full time job and quit 8 months later if I get accepted for a PhD program?
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2014-08-18T16:17:21.290
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# Question
Title: Would it be unethical to take a full time job and quit 8 months later if I get accepted for a PhD program?
I am applying this winter for graduate school and I will finish undergrad this winter as well. Would it be unethical to take a full-time position with the intention to quit soon until I know whether I got accepted for graduate school or not?
I am considering this because if I didn't get accepted, I wouldn't have a gap until I start working, and the company would be a good brand which would certainly not harm my PhD application (but this shouldn't be a discussion on what prepares me good for graduate school). My plan is going back to industry after a PhD, so considering my reputation in the field or possible research jobs lateron in the same company, how could I reason my leave for getting a PhD? Or would you better decline the offer and wait for the admissions result?
# Answer
It wouldn't be unethical for your boss to fire you 8 months after you take the job, if he wanted to. Labor is an exchange you and your employer enter into voluntarily. So, you shouldn't feel bad quitting after 8 months if you want to. It's not an ethical problem at all. It is more plausible to think there might be a *personal* problem if this is a small industry that you would plan to re-enter after finishing the degree. Don't tell your boss up front that you might quit in 8 months, that isn't any of his business. If you do accept an offer to do a phd somewhere, then you should tell him promptly, just as a matter of courtesy. This is to allow the company adequate time to find a replacement.
> 23 votes
# Answer
As a counterpoint to Shane's answer, I would say it strongly depends on what you agree on (explicitly or implicitly) with the company.
* If they are actively aware that you are looking into getting accepted for a PhD position (that is, you told them so), and they are ok with it, it is clearly fine.
* If they are not aware of it, I would say it largely depends on which job you are supposed to be doing. If it is one where the company is investing a lot of money into training you (e.g., a management trainee program, or they are ramping you up to work on their terribly complex main product), quitting after 8 months is of course still *legal*, but you should not be surprised if this company is not keen on working with you ever again.
* If they specifically tell you that they are expecting you to stay for the long haul and you lie to them (or, only very slightly better, don't tell them otherwise), the ethical question is pretty much undisputable in my book. Mind, you are still legally safe to quit, but I would argue it is definitely not ethical to do so.
> 13 votes
# Answer
You could also try to find out if it's possible to do a PhD while working at the said company. This can be a much better option than going to a graduate school. Getting a proper salary while gaining work experience while completing a degree, it's pretty nice. The one downside is that you'll be probably doing a lot more than just the very specific stuff related to your degree. Well, it's not necessarily a bad thing..
> 5 votes
# Answer
No.
You do work, you get paid. You owe your company what it says you owe in your contract. I very much assure you that your employer won't worry about going beyond their contractual obligations.
> 3 votes
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Tags: graduate-admissions, ethics, job-search
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thread-27316
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27316
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How professional it is to ask for rebate in conference registration fees?
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2014-08-18T17:53:57.650
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# Question
Title: How professional it is to ask for rebate in conference registration fees?
I got two papers accepted in a decent IEEE conference. My current organisation (an industrial R&D lab) says that the conference fees are way too high and they would consider approval of funds only if we get a rebate for publication.
I have two questions:
* Is it normal across the globe to ask for rebate?
* Even if I do so, would it be considered professional? (The conference already has a discounted price for the second paper since authors are common in both.)
# Answer
It is unusual and it is likely that the organizers would see it as unprofessional, especially if such request is coming from the industry.
How valuable are these publication for your employer? You could try to speak with someone at a higher level and persuade them to pay the conference fees. Alternatively they can advise submitting the papers to another conference with fees they are willing to pay. Or if publishing benefits you more that the employer, you can perhaps cover the difference yourself.
> 9 votes
# Answer
As the commenters write, this is quite unusual.
However, if the conference fees were not published before the paper submission deadline, you could try it out *if* you get the financial constraints imposed by your lab in writing. While strictly speaking, the organizers could consider this to be unprofessional, it is in that case still somewhat clear that the problem is not really your fault.
> 6 votes
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Tags: etiquette, conference, fees
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thread-27180
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27180
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When to use a table vs. a plot to present numeric information?
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2014-08-14T08:56:53.317
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# Question
Title: When to use a table vs. a plot to present numeric information?
I find that in many cases, either a table or a plot will do an equally good job of presenting numeric information. Does anyone have any advice or even rules about when to prefer using a table over a plot and vice versa? I'm referring to tables and plots in the context of academic journal articles.
# Answer
> 38 votes
I would say: Use tables if the actual values are of importance and use plots if trends (or similar things) are important.
The rationale is simply that one cannot extract actual values of a function at specific places from plot. Vice versa, it's much simpler to see linear growth or periodicity from a plot than from a table.
# Answer
> 14 votes
As @Dirk says, it's often quite useful to preserve the numeric values - that's the motivation for tabulating data. However, plots have the advantage of being able to easily visualize trends in data.
If you have a set grid of *x* and *y* co-ordinates, with each pair of co-ordinates having a numeric value, you can sort of do both.
Here is an example. The trends in the data are made much clearer by plotting and colour-coding the data, but the numeric information is preserved. As a result the readability of the numbers isn't perfect, but (depending on your data) you can sometimes have the best of both worlds.
# Answer
> 5 votes
In addition to the other answers, I think it depends on how much data you are trying to show. Personally, I like to use tables when I can. If you have only three data points, a figure wastes a lot of space and ink. Tufte calls this the Data-ink ratio. In his book, he recommends:
> Above all else, show the data.
So, if you have hundreds of data points, you would show a figure, unless the exact data values matter (in which case it is rather a reference table). But if you have only a handful of points, it is more efficient to display the data in a table. Unless, as other answers point out, you want to visualise a particular relation or trend — then a visualisation is again more appropriate.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Are the specific values really, really meaningful and relevant? Do they have meaning outside of the sandbox? Are you, for example, publishing new measurements of fundamental constants? No? Then, most likely, the actual numbers have no business being in your ~~article~~ extended abstract.
My rationale is: you are telling a story. Elements that don't serve to make a (major) plot point or at least support it have to go. Nobody will look at the numbers if their values are not relevant or support a point you are trying to make.
Now, there is data that does not lend itself well to the usual plots you can make (line plots, histogramms, bar charts, ...). Sometimes, a table is all you can do, especially if the data has no useful scale in at least one dimension. For example, assume we have investigated four methods in four scenarios and have collected some quality measure; the bigger the number, the better the method worked in that scenario.
What do we see in this table? Nothing, without really *reading* which may be a waste of time, given that the numbers may not mean anything on their own.
What is the *story* we want to tell? Maybe something like this: Methods one and three are complementary and excell in their respective strong scenarios; you should pick one of them if you know which category your application falls into. Method two is somewhat useable in all cases but worse than the specialists; use it if you don't know what you have at hand. Never use the fourth method, it's always bad.
We can improve the table so that it supports that story at one glance by normalising the data (I assume a linear scale from 0 to 250 here) and giving visual indication of "good", "meh" and "bad".
<sup>\[source\]</sup>
Now, the layout of the table can be improved and maybe you want to swap columns so that the complementary methods are neighbours. It is hard to show variances with this visualisation. Furthermore, the choice of colors can be debated (red/green may have different meanings in different cultures; also they can not be distinguished by a sizable portion of all readers).
Still, I think the example serves to support *my* point: be creative when representing data, with a focus on supporting the narrative of the article and less on dumping data (there's other places for that).
There is plenty of literature on visualising data but I'm not intimately familiar with any, so I'll just point you towards some blogs:
They have plenty of inspiring examples.
One further TeXnical note: it's possible to draw small inline-style plots (called sparklines, apparently) with which you could potentially fill a table.
# Answer
> 3 votes
If you are able to do it, use plots, period. What little purpose tables used to have is currently best served by online supplementary material, either on the journal's website or your own.
If you have more than a couple of constants/data points (which would not require a table either), numbers are very difficult to read and (good) plots are much better for human consumption (I don't think this is merely a matter of taste; while I am not an expert there is quite a lot of research on this).
*If* actual values are actually useful to someone, a table is in fact a very poor way to provide them as anybody wishing to use them must go through a time-consuming and error-prone data entry process. What should actually be done in this case is making the data themselves available electronically. A table is not a decent alternative to that, not anymore.
# Answer
> 2 votes
> I find that in many cases, either a table or a plot will do an equally good job of presenting numeric information.
Strictly speaking, a plot does NOT present *numerical* information because it is just a picture. The purpose of a plot is to show geometrical form of some dependence(s) when this form is important. It is impossible to recover *original* numerical information from such picture. The requirement of reproducibility of scientific results requires to provide all necessary information needed to reproduce the results described in the paper. Most journals do not allow publishing large tables of numerical data but they allow to publish *supplementary information* online which can contain huge tables in TXT format. It is good idea to supply such information and it is free.
---
The topic of effective visual presentation of information is subject of infographics:
> Ben Fry. Visualizing Data (2008)
>
> Cleveland W.S. The Elements of Graphing Data (1985, 1994)
>
> Cleveland W.S. (1993): A Model for Studying Display Methods of Statistical Graphics. // Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics, 2(4): 323-343.
>
> Tufte E.R. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (2001)
>
> Wilkinson L. The Grammar of Graphics (2005)
and others.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Readers and listeners tend to read without no more that 16 or about items on the figure during presentation, so a good table should not be larger that 4x4 or about. This is relatively small size. Use plots if you need to present more data.
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Tags: graphics, formatting, publications, tables
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thread-27323
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27323
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Speaking to experience in a statement of purpose for a PhD program.
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2014-08-18T23:17:41.097
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# Question
Title: Speaking to experience in a statement of purpose for a PhD program.
I am beginning the process of applying to PhD programs in Neuroscience for a fall 2015 start. I will be graduating this December with a Bachelor's in biology and math. I have been working as a research assistant for the last year, and our lab focuses on the role of extracellular matrix proteins in the col11a1-related chondrodysplasias. Although pursuit of a career in neuroscience research has been my goal, the biology program at my institution lacks faculty in this area; thus, my research experience is of questionable relevance to the programs I am applying for.
I have three questions related to writing the statement of purpose:
1. I've heard that I am supposed to discuss my background in research. If my research isn't entirely relevant to neuroscience, should I restrict my discussion to the lab techniques I've learned, or can I speak in technical detail about my projects?
2. As mentioned, my current university lacks faculty who do research in neuroscience. Should I mention this as justification for my choice to work in my current lab, or should I omit it, as it may reflect poorly on my readiness for neuroscience?
3. I have a 3.85 GPA and my GRE scores were in the 93rd and 95th percentile (verbal and quantitative, respectively). To what degree will the statement of purpose affect my application, given the weaknesses addressed above?
# Answer
> 10 votes
I'm not sure that the statement of purpose is the right place to try to address deficiencies in your CV. Instead, let me suggest a different strategy. (I'll note in passing that I'm in Philosophy, in the USA--so take this with a grain of sand since you're in a different field. A second grain of sand if you are applying to programs in other countries.)
**Use the Statement of Purpose to *show* the committee what you are going to do in the future, not to *tell* them why what you've done in the past isn't bad.**
Here's what I mean by the past/future comparison.
Bad: "I did a lot of work that is relevant, even though I know my CV didn't look like it." or "At my current lab job, I was taught techniques x, y, and z." Bad because it sounds like you are apologizing. It comes off weak, passive and submissive. You want to project confidence and competence, but not arrogance. Successful PhD students are people who are able to be self-motivated and don't have to have their hands held all the time.
Better: "I plan to apply my experience in techniques x and y, to problem z because . . . " This is better because it is active--it says what you are going to *do* rather than what has happened to you.
The second distinction that is important is the distinction between showing and telling.
Telling: "While working on this project, I acquired knowledge of techniques x, y, and z." This is weak because it just sounds like a list of things. There's no story--I don't get anything about your personality or your interests or what is special or unique about you as a candidate. Showing: "We were interested in p, so I suggested we use technique x and we discovered r. A colleague who works in r suggested that we also apply technique y, which turned out to be the crucial step . . ." Now there's kind of a story that I care about a little bit. And I've learned more than just that you know x and y. I've learned that you know how to suggest techniques, and you're not afraid to tell the PI what you think, and that you know how to collaborate, etc. These are all good things. The committee gets a more complete, detailed idea of who you are as a candidate if you can *show* who you are and what you are interested in than if you just *tell* them.
Most aspiring grad students (and newly minted PhDs!) are going to fall into the trap of telling rather than showing, so this is a good place for you to stick your neck out ahead of the pack.
Another example: Instead of using the SOP to say why you don't suck, use it to say why you want to go to this specific PhD program. Don't say, "I am interested in Neuroscience." That's telling. Instead: "I became particularly interested in question X after reading "X: an intriguing problem" by Prof Y." (where Y is somebody on faculty). You want to be specific about the strengths of each program.
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Tags: phd, statement-of-purpose, biology
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thread-26591
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/26591
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How to tell my MS advisor I've changed my mind about doing a PhD with him?
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2014-07-30T19:15:34.017
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# Question
Title: How to tell my MS advisor I've changed my mind about doing a PhD with him?
I did pretty much all my important bachelor and master courses within one working group, which maybe was not that efficient, but it offers a very nice and comfortable environment and colleagues.
Currently I am about half way done with my masters thesis in a similar working group within my university, which I had not much contact with before. They work very efficiently, and I am catching up and learning quickly, yet I do not feel too comfortable around them. Both working groups basically do very similar work, but use different programs and approaches.
I'd like to point out that there is no conflict because of me "switching groups" and there are no shared projects between them.
Some time ago, I got offered a PhD position in my new working group, and my supervisor encourages me to get my master thesis done even more quickly, so I can fill his PhD position. I signalized him that I would be interested and ever since then he is very convinced that I will stay. On the other hand, I also know about possible upcoming positions in my old group as well as in other groups/places, which look very intesting to me. I fear that my masters thesis quality is suffering, which would probably make it harder for me to apply for other positions.
I feel hardly pressured to tell him that I am hesitating to accept his offer and seriously thinking about going back to my old group or somewhere else, but I don't dare to do so. He has no idea about this.
The question is: what is an appropriate way to tell him, and is there a good timing for this? Am I putting his guidance for my master thesis at risk here?
# Answer
> 8 votes
Two points:
First, just because your new supervisor offers you a PhD position does not mean that you are in any way obliged to take it. That said, don't hide the fact that you are going to consider sending applications out to a variety of programs. The thing that will cause hard feelings is if your advisor thinks you are going to join his or her group and turns other people away, only to have you leave. If your supervisor is a professional, he or she will recognize that you pursuing other opportunities is not personal. You have to do the best you can for your career, and if that means taking a better position elsewhere, then you should do so. (Note that you can also get outside offers and use these to negotiate better pay as a PhD student, but that's a different issue, and somewhat more complicated politically.)
Second, don't under any circumstances work for a group that makes you be slow and do poor work. Academic hiring is cutthroat competitive, so if you want to actually get a job, you're going to have to produce a lot of very good work, and you're only going to do that if you're surrounded by other people who are trying to do the same who push one another.
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Tags: phd, masters, advisor
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thread-27348
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27348
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Are review articles the result of original observations?
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2014-08-19T15:07:55.523
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# Question
Title: Are review articles the result of original observations?
I am about to submit a PhD thesis by published work. The university guidelines states that "*the content of the papers should be the result of original observations*". I would like to include a review article I wrote last year.
This review article does not report novel experimental data, but as a regular review article, it reports "observations" of the current state of research.
Is this view correct? Can I include it in my thesis?
# Answer
I think that review articles can of course be original work, provided that they offer something like an *analysis* of the current literature. A mere list of positions and the people who take them isn't going to count as a contribution to the literature. However, showing people that certain pieces of literature form families that have resemblences to one another, or that a certain piece has been cited a lot, although people have overlooked another important, but unknown piece that calls its thesis into question, etc. . . those are all important, and indeed original contributions.
I'm guessing that your article probably is analytical in this way, otherwise it wouldn't have been accepted for publication in the first place. I'd say that if it is a high-quality article, published somewhere respectable, then go on and include it in the thesis. Although obviously the usual caveats ("Check with your advisor!") apply.
> 8 votes
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Tags: phd, thesis, review-articles
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thread-27128
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27128
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Chances of Acceptance after Institutional Action
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2014-08-12T18:14:54.750
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# Question
Title: Chances of Acceptance after Institutional Action
During my undergraduate career I was found guilty of academic dishonesty and suspended for 1 semester. Because of this, I was obviously distressed and reevaluated my position as a student. After much thinking, I enrolled abroad in a non-US medical university (using my high school and pre-medicine credentials) and graduated with the US equivalent of a 3.4 GPA and a medical degree. I then returned to my undergraduate university and finished my Bachelor's (BSc) degree with a 3.6 GPA.
I have extensive research experience throughout both my undergraduate career and medical school career abroad without publications. This research experience during my undergrad includes being accepted into a competitive summer research fellowship (before the institutional action took place). I also have worked in 2 different countries (including 1 developing country) as a physician for around a year before finishing off my Bachelor's in the US as mentioned above. The short practice time is only due to my aspirations of pursuing a PhD.
I have always wanted to pursue an MD/PhD before the institutional action took place. I enjoy research and aspire to combine my research interests with my practice on a global scale through an organization I helped found during my undergrad career. It was only due to the ridiculous choice I made that ended in my suspension that caused me to deviate from this dream and pursue only PhD.
Assuming I score above average on the GRE with excellent LoRs, what are my chances of being accepted into any sort of PhD or graduate program? At this point, I am not being selective of any university I wish to attend. I also understand this may be an extraordinary case and would require much thought with respect to my chances of being admitted. This is an especially tough and stressful time for me and I am thankful for your advice.
EDIT: I am interested in biological science or biomedical science as possible routes for my PhD (specifically, cancer biology).
# Answer
> 4 votes
The crucial question is whether your academic transcript will indicate the expulsion/suspension. If not, then I don't think it should matter to your graduate applications at all.
If the transcript does indicate this, then you are going to have to address the issue in your cover letter. You are going to have to say how sorry you are and how much you've learned your lesson. I, personally, wouldn't hold an undergrad mistake against you, as long as I saw that you weren't likely to do it again. Others might feel differently, however you can still try.
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Tags: phd
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thread-27230
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27230
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Children in the Classroom
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2014-08-15T23:59:42.607
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# Question
Title: Children in the Classroom
As a new semester of school approaches I have begun updating my syllabi for the classes I teach. I have lately used a clause in the syllabus about no children in the classroom as I feel it is a distraction to both me and the other students. Having been in classes both as a student and as an instructor where children are present, I find it necessary now to have such a written statement.
However, there are a few parents who dislike such a clause. Some of these young parents feel that they should be able to bring their children to class, as they otherwise would need to drop out of school because they do not have enough money to hire a sitter. I feel that this is just "how it is," and is part of being a responsible adult.
Do other universities have policies about children in the classroom? How can I reach a happy medium of not coming across as a complete jerk, but still maintain a level of education in my classroom?
**Added:** I am of the feeling that we many times need to make a rule because of that "one person" who ruins it for everyone. My stand as it is right now is that we need to come down firmly in writing, then adjust with leniency as people show they can handle having their child in class. I am not ridiculous about my classroom rules, but I prefer to give it straight, then relax the standard if needed.
Also, as a matter of scope, I teach at a conservative Christian university. Many of the students married young and have a child or two.
# Answer
In my years of teaching in Asia I have had one class session where a student brought a child with him. It was an exceptional case but I was surprised he did not ask for permission. The child was well behaved (maybe 7 years old) and sat in the back not disturbing the class in any way. For this reason, I let it slide and I might be willing to accept it happening in the future.
However, I do make it quite clear to my students, I am the captain of this airplane and I will not tolerate ANYTHING which negatively impacts the learning environment. This includes anyone who disturbs the learning process in any way. I agree with Pete L. Clark - **it is not a childcare issue. You need to focus the students on it being a learning environment issue.** If a student does not turn off their ringing phone, out they go. If someone dresses in a way which distracts students or me, out they go. If anything exists which negatively impacts the learning process for even one of my students, out they go.
I'm pretty strict on this and I don't generally have problem because of that.
Back to your core question: How do you maintain a level of education while not being a jerk? You focus on the real issue. **The real issue is not kids, the issue is disruptions.** While you can be forgiving and understanding, to do so in a way which negatively impacts your students should never be accepted.
> 46 votes
# Answer
Most universities I know have both a cultural understanding and formal regulations that the only people who are allowed in the classroom are those that are registered for the course, except where explicitly permitted by the instructor. (Thus for instance one has the notion of "auditing" a course: this basically means that you are not signed up to take the course for a grade and will not complete the required coursework / take any exams, but you do have the instructor's permission to sit through the class meetings.) This is a defensible regulation: without it, who knows who would show up for a course, taking up possibly limited space and occupying the attention of the instructor and/or the other students?
Children are people, right? I would thus frame the discussion in that way: you're not discriminating against someone because they're a parent. You're just not allowing people in the classroom who are not registered for the course.
I am somewhat surprised that this is a problem for you at all, and I wonder where you are teaching and if the cultural mores and regulations are different there. I don't know of any American university in which people would think they could bring children to class except in some truly exceptional/emergency situation in which they have received the instructor's permission. In any case, I would advise you to look up your university's specific policy on "unregistered attendees". Assuming it is along the lines of what I am suggesting you should, at most, modify your syllabus to quote from and/or link to this general policy. Don't make the issue about child care at all.
**Added**: I just looked at your profile and saw that you say you are in South Korea. As I said, both cultural mores and regulations may well be different there, and if it is very common for students to bring children to class, that makes me much less confident that rules or customs are being violated. So to adjust my answer for this: "Do other universities have policies about children in the classroom?" Not policies specific to children, but more general policies and also different expectations that mostly prevent the issue from coming up. But I don't know what other South Korean universities do and anyway, your university is *your university*: it is (I suppose!) allowed to do things its own way. If you do not find written regulations of the sort I mentioned above, I would talk to your colleagues -- and especially, to tenured faculty; I also see that you are a master's student, which also may be relevant in terms of how much you are permitted to rock the boat -- and find out how they deal with the situation. If several other faculty members have successful "no children in the classroom" policies, then you should be able to implement yours. If you are the only one you know in your university who wants a "no children in the classroom" policy: because you are a graduate student instructor, I would advise against pursuing that.
**Further Added**: Please read the comments below about "drop ins". The policy I describe above is very standard in the United States. It seems that in certain European universities the culture (and perhaps regulations) are quite different.
> 14 votes
# Answer
Being a parent and a college student is tough. Not everybody has good access to childcare and even if they do, things happen. Surely the mere presence of a child in class can't be much of a distraction except for a few moments at the start of class. If the child is quiet and well-behaved, why not allow it? (Your policy could say that distractions, including noisy children, are not allowed.) It'll make some of your students' lives just a bit easier.
> 11 votes
# Answer
I am now a student for 3 years in Germany (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). I tried to find anything "official" about children in lecture halls, but that was not successful.
I have only seen students with their children in a lecture about 3 times. (There might have been more children, but I probably didn't notice)
Twice, the children were silent. Only once I've heard one of them. Then the mother went pretty quickly out of the lecture and came back (with the baby) about 15 minutes later. Nobody said anything.
## What I think as a student
As long as children don't make noise and as long as the lecture hall isn't crowded I can't see any reason for them not to be there. When the child is loud, then the parents should directly go out with him/her. Most lectures aren't that silent that it is bad when you hear a baby cry for a few seconds.
However, when the child is distracting other students / the professor then the child has to leave the lecture hall.
## What I would do in your situation
I see two ways to deal with the issue.
### Opt-child-in
You could forbid children in your lectures. But if students really have problems, they might come to you and want to speak with you about it. Then you should make clear that you can make an exception, but only if it works. That means if the child is distracting you / other students, the parents have to search a solution.
I would go for this solution if there are many children who don't know how to behave in a lecture.
### Opt-child-out
Don't forbid children directly. When there are problems, you can speak with the parents. You can tell them that their child distracts other students and hence they should not bring it again to lectures.
I would go for this solution if there are only occasionally children who distract lectures.
## More thoughts
You could ask parents to take a seat in the back / close to the door. This way they can quickly go out when the child/baby is loud.
> 3 votes
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Tags: teaching, etiquette, syllabus
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thread-13765
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/13765
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How to offer a reviewer to be co-author?
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2013-10-31T13:57:56.063
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# Question
Title: How to offer a reviewer to be co-author?
I currently have a paper submitted to *PNAS*. We had two rounds of revisions, and following detailed suggestions from one reviewer, we have improved our proposed algorithm a lot: its complexity is now significantly lower, and the idea he suggested makes the overall method more robust in handling noisy signal.
I feel that this reviewer's contribution extend far beyond his original role, so much that I feel it would be ethically honest to have him as a co-author. To be crystal-clear: if he was not a reviewer, but a colleague with whom I had discussed this before submitting the paper, he would clearly be entitled to authorship, no question.
But… he *is* a reviewer, so I am wondering how (if at all) we should ask him to join as co-author. Right now, I am ready to submit the twice-revised manuscript, and I have no doubt that it will be accepted (second review was “minor revisions”). The options I can see are:
* In my cover letter for the revised manuscript, explain the situation to the editor and ask him if he could (with the reviewer's agreement) lift anonymity and allow the authors' list change.
* Wait for the manuscript to be formally approved, and only then write to the editor asking for the same thing.
* Do nothing, for example because it is frowned upon. This would pain me greatly, because the reviewer really contributed very significantly to the algorithm, and I believe he should be able to claim authorship for this contribution (if he sees it fit).
So, what are accepted practices? How should I handle this matter?
# Answer
Seconding other comments and answers: surely no one would be *offended* if you tried to make such an offer...
However, as already noted, if your offer is made prior to final acceptance, it might be misinterpreted, as your trying to clinch acceptance.
And that possibility surely has to be systematically excluded, so a foresightful editor and/or journal would surely not want to set such a *precedent*. A journal would not want authors to (be able to) solicit reviewers as co-authors, since this would create a conflict-of-interest situation, and cast doubt on the general validity and impartiality of their refereeing process!
That is, while it would be weird and awkward to publicly state such a policy, I would anticipate that the journal/editor would object *as a matter of principle*, to putting the reviewer on as a co-author.
Sensible reviewers would also understand this situation, for similar reasons, and *in advance* would expect no reward beyond "job well done". Even the anonymity of the referee should be maintained, as a matter of principle. Thus, we do often find effusive thanks to "the anonymous referee"...
> 33 votes
# Answer
I'd ask the editor now, assuming the reviewer has clearly stated that the paper should be accepted (at least conditionally on certain changes). The worst case scenario is that the editor will suggest waiting, and even if that happens I don't think the editor will be upset or offended.
On the other hand, if the reviewer has made critical comments and hasn't specifically stated in the comments to authors whether the paper should be accepted, then I would wait until the conclusion of the reviewing process, just to avoid looking like you are trying to bias the outcome.
This doesn't sound like a plausible issue in your case, but I've experienced it once as a reviewer. I made a lot of critical but apparently useful comments on a paper, and the authors offered coauthorship when they submitted a major revision. I don't think they meant this to be manipulative, but I wondered whether one effect would be to remove a critic from the reviewing pool for their paper (in which case I might be replaced with someone more favorable).
> 27 votes
# Answer
I also have an experience of being asked to become a co-author by the authors of one paper I refereed. It wasn't a journal of the PNAS caliber, but it's a good specialized journal.
I don't know exactly when the authors asked the editor, but he asked me if it was ok to disclose my identity to the authors because they told the editor that they wanted to include me as a co-author. It seems that the editor was fine with accepting the manuscript (maybe with another round of external review with another fresh referee). But I suggested submitting a revised version as a joint-work to a different journal, and we did so in the end.
In any case, I'm not sure if the reviewer is expecting such a request. As a reviewer, if I can't recommend publication, I always try to improve the manuscript I am reviewing as much as possible within a reasonable timeframe and, if possible, make it potentially acceptable for the journal. This may include proving a stronger theorem than the main result given in the manuscript, repairing critical errors in a proof, and so on.
From my experience, this practice doesn't seem extremely uncommon in design theory (which is my expertise), and I have also benefitted greatly from excellent referees. So, I don't expect anything from the authors, and I do the same when reviewing manuscripts in different fields (although it's practically impossible in some fields I work in because editors want reviewers to carefully read a paper in a very short period of time).
But if you do want to include your reviewer as a co-author, I tend to think that you might want to ask the editor that after a final editorial decision is made for the reasons stated in other answers. And you shouldn't be surprised if the reviewer declines the offer. Probably he or she isn't expecting it; the referee most likely just got excited while reading your great results and a bit "carried away." Such an offer would be helpful if the reviewer is a student or postdoc on the job market, or is trying to get tenured though.
> 7 votes
# Answer
It seems to me that you could reasonably tell the editor now that (1) you think the reviewer's contributions warrant co-authorship, but (2) you realize that offering co-authorship to the reviewer before the review process is complete would improperly interfere with that process, and (3) you therefore ask the editor to wait until the review process is complete and only then forward your offer of co-authorship to the reviewer.
> 7 votes
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Tags: authorship, peer-review
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thread-19161
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/19161
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Is it appropriate for assistant professors to supervise PhD students?
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2014-04-10T12:13:18.890
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# Question
Title: Is it appropriate for assistant professors to supervise PhD students?
As pointed out in another question, the general tendency today as compared from classical times is to make junior professors (at assistant level) more and more independent. However, I wonder that assistant professors (common in the US university) supervise PhD students.
The philosophy of academic ranking is to prepare academics for academic/scientific tasks.
Although, academics normally have postdoc experience before their appointment as assistant professors, it is not mandatory. Moreover, postdoc experience is not experience conducive for the supervising of students.
**In relation to the above is it wrong that an inexperienced assistant professor (who is not far from his PhD studentship days) can take control of one or several PhD students?**
Does it reduce the quality of the education/research?
# Answer
> 25 votes
> Isn't it wrong that an inexperienced assistant professor (who is not far from his PhD studentship days) can take control of one or several PhD students? Don't it reduce the education/research quality?
For certain institutes I've been in, I would find myself asking the opposite question: **isn't it wrong for senior professors to supervise students when they have little time for them?**
Of course it is not always the case that full professors have no time for their students, but I have seen it happen many times: I've seen cases where students were meeting their official full professor supervisors once a month (or less frequently) and putting names of supervisors on papers that the supervisors had never read. This seems to me to be prevalent in research institutes where the hierarchy tree has a high branching factor to get value out of available funds (few Full Professors, lots of PostDocs / Assistant Professors, even more PhD students and Research Assistants, etc.); in such cases, the priority for senior professors is getting funding for and managing projects. In my case, when I was a PostDoc in such an institute, I was doing the day-to-day supervision of a number of students whose supervisor(s) had no time for them.
Of course it varies from place to place. But my hypothesis is that by the time you reach the Assistant Professor level, either you will have the necessary skills and personality to be a good supervisor, or you will probably never have those skills.
In summary: I don't believe that seniority amongst professors is a good predictor for quality of supervision.
# Answer
> 14 votes
> Isn't it wrong that an inexperienced assistant professor (who is not far from his PhD studentship days) can take control of one or several PhD students?
It is alright for an assistant professor to guide one or several doctoral students. He is not experienced in probably guiding PhD students, but, he is definitely experienced in conducting research, which will help him translate this to guidance.
> Don't it reduce the education/research quality?
Well, maybe. Supervising PhD students is a learning activity like most anything else. As such, it is to be expected that maybe when an assistant professor supervises her/his first student, s/he may do things that should would handle differently later on. But this is not tied to the status of the person, but to her/his experience in advising. So if you don't let assistant professors advise PhD students, they would start doing it later on and be equally bad in it, because when would they have learned how to do it?
An additional concern is that there are only so many full professors to go around. While I concede that working with a more senior professor may have advantages, these advantages would likely disappear if every senior professor has to handle significantly more students (as the entire 'advising force' of assistant professors falls away).
I should also add that, in general, assistant professors are not nearly as inexperienced as you seem to assume. Today, at least in my field (CS), there is hardly any assistant professor that did not have multiple years of postdoc experience, which also includes co-supervising master and PhD students. As such, I am not sure if the problem you seem to consider even exists.
**Edit based on ff524's comment:**
> I think the question intends to ask, "Is it appropriate for assistant professors to supervise PhD students alone?" In some places, PhD students working with an inexperienced advisor are also co-advised by another (more experienced) advisor.
Yes, this is actually the case in many well-respected university (dutch universities come to mind right now). I think this is great if the main responsibility/load is still on the junior professor, with the senior person being more an advisor to the advisor than to the student. If the model degenerates into the junior professor basically being a proxy for the senior person, this seems counter-productive.
# Answer
> 7 votes
Of course it's appropriate. In many research-intensive academic departments it's the assistant professors (the younger researchers) that are doing the innovative research.
I had several friends who worked with an assistant professor years ago. That professor later won a Nobel Prize for the work being done in his assistant professor days, with the help of those students.
# Answer
> 5 votes
In many fields, Today's assistant professors are older and more experienced than they were in the past. By the time an assistant professor in math has a student start research they're typically 6+ years out from PhD (3-4 years of postdoc plus a couple years to settle before students are likely to ask). I think that means its pretty reasonable for assistant professors to take students.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I am an assistant professor supervising two Ph.D. students. Everyone in my department seems to be happy with this.
It helps that there are senior faculty who are happy to give advice to me when needed!
# Answer
> 1 votes
I'd rather say: it depends. The question can also be asked as: Is it appropriate for all professors to supervise PhD students?
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Tags: phd, advisor, assistant-professor
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thread-19120
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/19120
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Is the classical chair system (in which a senior professor supervises junior professors) obsolete?
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2014-04-09T16:10:51.453
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# Question
Title: Is the classical chair system (in which a senior professor supervises junior professors) obsolete?
Historically, only full professors could have a specific chair, and assistant and associate professors could only wonder under supervision of a chaired (full) professor.
Now, every assistant professor is an independent academic, only with a lower salary and possibilities. On the other hand, a chaired position gains secured research funding, but no other faculty member is under his supervision (yes or no, this is my question).
I think the classic chair system still exists in Japan (at least to some extent). Do universities in West Europe and North America still have such system to place junior faculty members (assistant/associate professors) under supervision of a senior (chaired professor) faculty member?
# Answer
> 21 votes
I know of no American university in which any tenure track faculty member works under any other tenure track faculty member in any official capacity.
The main difference between assistant professors and full professors is that assistant professors do not have tenure. (Going far enough back in the history of my department, one sees "tenured assistant professors". I don't know what that's about. I am not willing to claim that nowadays *no* American university has tenured assistant professors, but I do not know of any.) "Associate professor" is ambiguous on this point: in *most* cases associate professors have tenure, but at my university the promotion and the tenure are distinct processes with slightly different rules, although they are similar enough and onerous enough that candidates get pressured -- perhaps a little unfairly, in my view -- to carry them out simultaneously. There are a few really good places where "associate professor" is a title awarded to young faculty for which their future tenure is by no means assured -- I'm thinking of you, MIT. But that's rare.
You write that an assistant professor is "with a lower salary and possibilities". I wanted to let you know that this really need not be the case. Academic salaries are most competitive now at the assistant professor level; since annual raises have been meager or nonexistent in many recent years, an associate or even full professor cannot be counted on to have a higher salary than a new-hire assistant professor. In fact the amount of our *first offer* to new-hire assistant professors in my department is very close to my current salary (I am an associate professor not so far away from promotion to full). This means that if the candidate negotiates at all, they will get offered a higher salary than mine. This has certainly happened. (All this is a matter of public record.) I think that there are no full professors in my department making less than new hire assistant professors, but there are some who are not making substantially more.
Also, in my department and at many others, assistant professors do not have fewer "possibilities": with the exception of certain voting rights in faculty meetings, they have identical privileges with all other faculty. They may begin with less "service responsibility" than older faculty; that is probably an advantage.
# Answer
> 13 votes
The answer to your question is **yes** in my experience at major US research universities, assistant and associate professors will, in general, work independently from full professors or individuals with named chairs.
Despite the name, assistant professors are not usually assisting in the research of more senior faculty. There are exceptions including in very large multi-PI labs, in special non-tenured faculty research positions, and in other special circumstances. Of course, nothing keeps junior faculty from collaborating with senior faculty — and many do. If anything though, junior faculty are encouraged to do at work on their own or with their own students to demonstrate their individual intellectual abilities for the purposes of the tenure and promotion processes.
Named chairs usually refers to special permanent funded positions at a university. Usually, these chairs are in a particular area and have been funded to support a particular line of research. As you suggest, named chairs often come with special pots of research funding and are generally more prestigious. Some particularly old or famous named chairs are extremely prestigious.
That said, by no means do all full professors or senior faculties have named chairs. Additionally, it's increasingly common to see junior faculty with named chairs as well including in temporary "Career Development Chairs." Although named chairs are generally more prestigious than non-named positions, they do not usually signal a higher *rank* (i.e., assistant, associate, full) and they certainly do not suggest a supervisory relationship.
# Answer
> 8 votes
In Germany this depends on the university, and possibly also on the subject. I know of universities that still have a chair system officially.
I also know of a university in which the chair indeed is the superior of assistant and associate professors in the sense that they are in charge of the chairs full budget and also of the budgets for associate and assistant professors. But I also know universities that do not have the chair system (both officially and practical). However, I can't tell which system is more frequent… I tend to think that chairs are more frequent in Bavaria but I may be wrong.
# Answer
> 1 votes
The whole point of a tenure track position is to show that someone can independently work and lead a laboratory.
An academic career is extremely slow compared to most other careers. I don't know why anyone would automatically assume that people with ten to fifteen years of research experience, typically in their late thirties or early forties, cannot work independently or cannot supervise five to ten other people. The old system you mention typically degrade most assistant and associate professors to a low level administrator / secretary position.
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Tags: professorship, university, assistant-professor
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thread-27360
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/27360
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Why do graduate student contracts state "RAs shall work no more than 20 hours per week?"
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2014-08-19T17:59:02.073
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# Question
Title: Why do graduate student contracts state "RAs shall work no more than 20 hours per week?"
I recently signed a graduate student contract. I had outside funding for some time but recently became a normal research assistant (RA) again, so must have missed a contradictory clause when I signed a similar contract a few years ago.
I am a US citizen at a US university.
In the contract it explicitly states that graduate students "shall not work more than 20 hours per week on duties given by the advisor."
I have found similar language in other graduate student contracts at other universities, an example is here (scroll down to *Duties and Time Commitments*). This example, however, states that RAs "shall not work on duties unrelated to research for more than 20 hours per week." My contract seems to imply the opposite.
This certainly applies in the first 2-3 years of a Ph.D., since class loads typically require enough effort that RA's will not have enough time to work more than 20 hours per week on research.
But, **after a graduate student has completed all class requirements, why is this clause still included?**
*It is clearly contradictory, as I'm expected to work 40-50 hours per week on my research, especially when I have no more classes to take. I have signed a legal document explicitly promising that I will not work the hours needed to finish my dissertation in a timely fashion.*
# Answer
If you are working at a US University, they often do this in order to ensure that you are ineligible for benefits under the family and medical leave act (fmla). If you work over 1250 hours they have to provide you with additional benefits, which cost more than they are willing to pay for your labor.
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/workhours/fmla.htm
> 17 votes
# Answer
I think this is just an issue of definition of "what you must do to succeed in your academic program" vs "job duties". A research assistant is a job, and as such it does not always pay you to be doing what you'd be doing anyway. Sometimes you have to do work or help your adviser in a way that does not directly relate to your own program or research whatsoever - and that's what you are being hired to do.
When you get paid to be a research assistant and you end up working on your program and own actual research? This is awesome, and it's totally a bonus - but it's not what the agreement is designed to address.
In the USA a research assistant is paid (often by hour or in a flat stipend), tuition remittance/assistance is sometimes provided, insurance might be paid for the student-worker, perks and opportunities can abound or be completely absent (sometimes you get paid to go to conferences or do your own home work, and sometimes it's basically your field's equivalent of cleaning out monkey cages), etc. In short, there is a compensation package that makes it worth your acceptance, and losing it would be unpleasant.
However, on the other extreme if you work too much time on your RA/TA job you will not have enough time in the day to spend on classes or your own personal research. When you have no classes, then that means more time for your research work - not more time to work for the University.
So, in conclusion your agreement does not limit your collaboration with your adviser or on your research - it limits your **legally employed position's hourly requirements**. Talk with your adviser, take his advice, work on research with them until the cows come home (though I suggest you get home before the cows because life's too short) - but if you are doing more than 20 hours of work a week to fulfill your RA/TA duties, something is wrong it needs to be addressed right away.
> 15 votes
# Answer
The basic answer is that as an RA or TA, you are still supposed to be a **full-time student**. Thus, the work contract for either specifically limits you to part-time work.
What seems to be confusing you about your RAship is that your RAship is actually just a funding method in the case of your department. An RAship can include assisting a professor with her research in which case, such responsibility is capped at 20 hours a week so that you have the remainder of the week to work on your own research.
The same applies with a TAship whether that includes sole teaching responsibility or not. The point is that the TAship is secondary from the university's perspective to you working on your own research and coursework and finishing the program.
They care about completion rates and in most programs, you are no longer a fraction of a percentage point on that front but rather a single student failing to complete because of TAship or RAship will lower the numbers non-marginally.
> 7 votes
# Answer
For the US, another possible contributing factor is that international students (who compose a large share of PhDs in many programs) are legally allowed to work at most 20 hours a week while enrolled as a full-time student (typically on a F-1 visa). Note that one is legally considered a full-time student even when one is a candidate who isn't taking any classes! (An exception is during the summer, when international students are then allowed to work up to 40 hours a week.)
Certainly this problem could be circumvented by having separate contracts for US citizens and non-US citizens. But then there'd be other problems (e.g. making things more complicated for the administrators, perceptions of inequality/discrimination). So perhaps it's just simpler for them to have one uniform contract, university-wide, for all the grad students.
> 7 votes
# Answer
In principle, an RA appointment is a job, in which you could be required to do what the phrase "research assistant" literally indicates --- assist a professor with his or her research. In the experimental sciences, that could include, for instance, maintenance work needed to keep the lab running properly. In pure mathematics (my field), what it means in practice is that you do your own research. So, officially, my Ph.D. students with RA appointments are assisting my research for up to 20 hours per week, even though in practice, what they're doing may have very little to do with my research and will mostly coincide with their thesis research.
> 5 votes
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Tags: graduate-school, research-assistantship, contract
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thread-1193
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/1193
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Can I put into Acknowledgments someone who is no longer living?
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2012-04-19T05:24:42.657
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# Question
Title: Can I put into Acknowledgments someone who is no longer living?
I am finishing a paper which was created thanks to my inspiration of Erik Erikson's work on psychological developement. The paper is, however, in the field of thermodynamics and complexity-science. I, therefore, feel grateful that such a great theory was created many years ago, and now is capable to push exact sciences step forward. I named two terms following Erikson's theory. I would like to note this somewhere, or state in general that I was inspired by the theory.
Do you think that it is OK to do this? Maybe I should hold back for some time, I can always state the "thank you" in the subsequent papers?
# Answer
I would reserve the acknowledgments section for people or organizations that directly contributed to the paper. For example, if you talked with Erikson while he was still alive and he offered advice or suggestions, then it would be appropriate to thank him in the acknowledgments. If you were just inspired by his papers, then it is better to discuss that elsewhere in the paper. For example, you could note in the introduction that your approach is inspired by Erikson's work on psychological development, or you could mention this background when you define the terms based on his theory. But if you thank him in the acknowledgments section, then people will assume there was a more personal connection unless you clearly specify otherwise ("Although I was never lucky enough to discuss this work with him in person, I owe Erik Erikson a great debt for...").
The main thing you should not do when thanking a deceased person is to attribute opinions to them, because they are not around to contradict you. For example, you should not thank them in a way that suggests they supported your work, even if it's true, unless you have some documented proof. For example, it's awkward to write "I am deeply grateful to Erik Erikson for his steadfast belief in my theory."
> 29 votes
# Answer
Instead of acknowledging him, you can dedicate the paper to him. I fully agree with @anonymous mathematician that acknowledgment has another purpose. Dedicating to a paper to a famous professor for her/his birthday, however, is not that uncommon and in spirit, I feel it closer to your intentions.
> 7 votes
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Tags: publications, acknowledgement, death
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thread-17577
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https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/17577
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How to make a one-year study plan for a difficult exam and remain motivated throughout?
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2014-03-01T12:16:15.680
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# Question
Title: How to make a one-year study plan for a difficult exam and remain motivated throughout?
In a year, I will be taking a difficult entrance exam at a renowned postgraduate school. There are many competitors, most of whom are smart. Despite that, I'm aiming at becoming #1 in the exam, and that's why I have started preparing now.
I have interviewed a few top candidates of the past years and already learned which books I should read and how much I should study every day.
I think that learning more about planning would help me a great deal. But those books on planning and goal-setting mostly focus on reaching financial goals. I have not managed to find any books befitting my situation.
Another thing is that, because the duration is quite long, I'm afraid that my enthusiasm may start weakening after a few months into it, no longer performing at my best.
So, here is my question: How can I a make one-year study-plan for myself, and remain motivated in the long run?
Also, any suggestions about books, software, etc. that will help me reaching my goal will be appreciated.
# Answer
I would recommend you not to rely upon external entities for motivation. Rather then relying upon just some books and software, practice **"Self Motivation"**.
Each day think about the **happiness and satisfaction** that you will achieve once you got an admission in the targeted postgraduate school.
Furthermore, browse through the **list of notable alumni** from the same school and make a target that you will also feature in the same list some day.
It will encourage you to put 100% effort each day without losing excitement.
> 8 votes
# Answer
When I went through this, the thing that kept me most motivated was not doing it alone.
To get through this, I joined a group of 4 of my peers who were studying for the same tests. We met twice a week for several hours and planned out before each meeting which chapters we would discuss. When someone felt they had a particular understanding of the subject matter for the chapter, they would lead the discussion on that chapter.
There were several advantages to this approach.
1. I was motivated to attend because not doing so would affect the group
2. I was motivated to honestly read the chapter and not just skim it if I thought I knew the content already
3. I found that there were things that I thought I understood that I did not. Explaining your understanding of something to someone else is a great way to find all of the holes in your understanding of it
4. In our case, the exams were based on courses we had taken already so we all had notes and previous exams from those courses and were able to share those resources.
In our case, several of us had family. A structured time to meet and discuss provided us a way to work with our already overloaded schedules. We chose to meet on campus in the evenings as our department is open 24/7 to students by keycard. This allowed other students studying for the same thing to drop in and out of our meetings when they were interested in particular topics.
> 4 votes
# Answer
I am going to take a different strategy than suggest you need to stay motivated and positive. You can be super motivated and positive, but still not reach this goal. Focus on principles of effective and efficient learning. Create a study plan and use study strategies that maximize every bit of your study time. Here are a few possible strategies to consider.
1) Establish a fixed study schedule that is realistic. An overly ambitious plan will likely lead to early failure. What is a realistic plan that you can reasonably adhere to for the course of a year?
2) Avoid binge-study periods. Breaking your study sessions into shorter but more frequent times is more effective than marathon / binge study sessions. You can take advantage of the 'recency' and 'primacy' effects in learning.
3) Be certain that you are monitoring your study sessions. Make sure you are giving yourself credit only for productive studying.
4) Measure / monitor your progress. This is important to ensure that you are moving forward in your study plan. You can do this by specifying measurable objectives, perhaps on a weekly basis. For example, "By Friday, I want to have accomplished ... "
5) Try to obtain practice tests that are similar in structure or content to the one you will be taking.
> 2 votes
# Answer
making plan is essential for the exam but rather more imp is to excute daily and alway remember ur goal ... if u able for the exam then u also able for making strategy or plan ownself...
so belive in ownself,hardwork,smartwork systematicity ,mindset,ur god and positive think ...
never give up... always think about ur goal ,goal,goal...so...on
> -5 votes
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Tags: masters, exams, productivity
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