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B | POST: just scoring the funding necessary to sustain myself. It really feels like I'm going to run into very serious problems when it turns out I haven't published enough throughout my PhD and post-doc to warrent my position and therefore "fail". I think its worth noting that I moved overseas for this post and now if I don't convert the job, I'll have to move back and face the reality of being a bit of a failure. Does anyone have any sage advice for a lonely post-doc. I dont know who to turn to....
RESPONSE A: Times are really strange right now for publishing and funding. It's just taking longer to not only get work done but there is still a backlog for some journals with the review process. Aside from the slowness of the past year, find some collaborators so you could work building up a few different projects at once and hopefully have a built in accountability mechanism for getting the work done (meaning choose your collaborators wisely). I always keep at least one solo-venture in the mix in case the co-authored projects run into roadblocks but find the collaborator route produces the quickest turnaround in publications.
RESPONSE B: I’m just some rando on the interwebs and don’t know what field you’re in but here’s my advice: Writing papers is a skill that can be trained. Focus on writing well and read style guides etc. continuously. Read about making good graphs as well. Reviewers like to read well-crafted papers. Eventually, writing a paper will be quite straightforward and fast. Maybe you can write more communications instead of full papers? They take so much less time to write and the peer review is generally quicker. You’ll probably need some full papers as well, though. Lastly, stop worrying. Do what you can, but accept that the final outcome is beyond your control. Constantly worrying will not change it all. Maybe get acquainted with stoicism: “A man who suffers before it is necessary, suffers more than is necessary.” (Seneca) In addition, even if you can’t achieve your goal, life will go on. You’ll still be the guy who worked overseas at a top university and you’ll have plenty of options.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: convert to lecturer at the end of my post with the caveat that I publish papers. This is the crux of my problem, the stress of publishing is really getting to me. I dont know how to push this process along any faster than it is. It feels like I'm really lost at sea. I keep panicing that I'm not cut out for this post -- not so much intellectually but rather just scoring the funding necessary to sustain myself. It really feels like I'm going to run into very serious problems when it turns out I haven't published enough throughout my PhD and post-doc to warrent my position and therefore "fail". I think its worth noting that I moved overseas for this post and now if I don't convert the job, I'll have to move back and face the reality of being a bit of a failure. Does anyone have any sage advice for a lonely post-doc. I dont know who to turn to....
RESPONSE A: I’m just some rando on the interwebs and don’t know what field you’re in but here’s my advice: Writing papers is a skill that can be trained. Focus on writing well and read style guides etc. continuously. Read about making good graphs as well. Reviewers like to read well-crafted papers. Eventually, writing a paper will be quite straightforward and fast. Maybe you can write more communications instead of full papers? They take so much less time to write and the peer review is generally quicker. You’ll probably need some full papers as well, though. Lastly, stop worrying. Do what you can, but accept that the final outcome is beyond your control. Constantly worrying will not change it all. Maybe get acquainted with stoicism: “A man who suffers before it is necessary, suffers more than is necessary.” (Seneca) In addition, even if you can’t achieve your goal, life will go on. You’ll still be the guy who worked overseas at a top university and you’ll have plenty of options.
RESPONSE B: You might find Anders Ericsson's book *Peak* useful. I probably would have dropped out had I not found it while searching for help through then-undiagnosed depression.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Merry Christmas Hope you all have a good day x
RESPONSE A: Nice. Same to you - Merry Christmas!
RESPONSE B: And please everyone remember to take a break. A break should be at least partially a break. Enjoy this holiday with family or with yourself. Work can wait a day or two.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Merry Christmas Hope you all have a good day x
RESPONSE A: Merry Christmas 🎊
RESPONSE B: And please everyone remember to take a break. A break should be at least partially a break. Enjoy this holiday with family or with yourself. Work can wait a day or two.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Professor I am interested in working with has only ever worked with Chinese students and researchers. Is this a red flag? There is a professor who is doing research in an area that I am very interested in but when looking at all his research I became a bit concerned. He has only worked with Chinese students and various Chinese researchers from industry and other universities. Looking through all his work, it doesn't seem that he has ever worked with a non Chinese person. Also, every summer he invites 5 students from various Chinese universities to work with him fully funded. As a non-Chinese student I feel like I may just be wasting my time contacting him.
RESPONSE A: Is the professor himself Chinese? I'm a white professor and all my students have been either white or Chinese. Every Chinese student I've had has done well, while it's 50/50 for whites. But of course each person is an individual and despite observing trends I give any individual a chance without stereotyping.
RESPONSE B: It could be entirely random. It could be one of the followings: - The faculty has a demanding supervising tendency that is not usual for graduate students from other (read: Western) countries. - The faculty, while comfortable with writing, is not quite comfortable with communicating in English. To make their work goes faster, working with students from his native country is much more productive. - The faculty is more likely to be able to obtain fundings from China, which requires (unofficially) them to supervise Chinese students only. - These students come from specific training programs in China that make them uniquely suited to the faculty’ research.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Professor I am interested in working with has only ever worked with Chinese students and researchers. Is this a red flag? There is a professor who is doing research in an area that I am very interested in but when looking at all his research I became a bit concerned. He has only worked with Chinese students and various Chinese researchers from industry and other universities. Looking through all his work, it doesn't seem that he has ever worked with a non Chinese person. Also, every summer he invites 5 students from various Chinese universities to work with him fully funded. As a non-Chinese student I feel like I may just be wasting my time contacting him.
RESPONSE A: I don't know if it's a red flag per se, but it's something I would look into. It's definitely not a waste of your time to reach out, you should pretty quickly be able to tell if it's a good match for you. There are labs like this that pretty strictly follow only speaking English at work, others where that's not really the case.
RESPONSE B: It could be entirely random. It could be one of the followings: - The faculty has a demanding supervising tendency that is not usual for graduate students from other (read: Western) countries. - The faculty, while comfortable with writing, is not quite comfortable with communicating in English. To make their work goes faster, working with students from his native country is much more productive. - The faculty is more likely to be able to obtain fundings from China, which requires (unofficially) them to supervise Chinese students only. - These students come from specific training programs in China that make them uniquely suited to the faculty’ research.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Professor I am interested in working with has only ever worked with Chinese students and researchers. Is this a red flag? There is a professor who is doing research in an area that I am very interested in but when looking at all his research I became a bit concerned. He has only worked with Chinese students and various Chinese researchers from industry and other universities. Looking through all his work, it doesn't seem that he has ever worked with a non Chinese person. Also, every summer he invites 5 students from various Chinese universities to work with him fully funded. As a non-Chinese student I feel like I may just be wasting my time contacting him.
RESPONSE A: It's definitely worth contacting him to learn more, but it's reasonable to consider this. For instance, if this is for a PhD and all of his successful students end up getting postdocs in China after graduating, it might indicate that his network is strongest there, which you may not be able to take advantage of if you are interested in getting a job in your current country when you finish.
RESPONSE B: Feel free to contact him. However when I see a professor who only has international students in his lab (his own race doesnt usually matter) I worry about abusive relationship between them. This is because with a US student/postdoc, usually you can leave the lab if you aren't happy. However with international students, if you decide to leave the lab, you also have to leave the country. So I have seen a lot of professors really abuse their international students because of this.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Professor I am interested in working with has only ever worked with Chinese students and researchers. Is this a red flag? There is a professor who is doing research in an area that I am very interested in but when looking at all his research I became a bit concerned. He has only worked with Chinese students and various Chinese researchers from industry and other universities. Looking through all his work, it doesn't seem that he has ever worked with a non Chinese person. Also, every summer he invites 5 students from various Chinese universities to work with him fully funded. As a non-Chinese student I feel like I may just be wasting my time contacting him.
RESPONSE A: Is the professor himself Chinese? I'm a white professor and all my students have been either white or Chinese. Every Chinese student I've had has done well, while it's 50/50 for whites. But of course each person is an individual and despite observing trends I give any individual a chance without stereotyping.
RESPONSE B: Feel free to contact him. However when I see a professor who only has international students in his lab (his own race doesnt usually matter) I worry about abusive relationship between them. This is because with a US student/postdoc, usually you can leave the lab if you aren't happy. However with international students, if you decide to leave the lab, you also have to leave the country. So I have seen a lot of professors really abuse their international students because of this.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Professor I am interested in working with has only ever worked with Chinese students and researchers. Is this a red flag? There is a professor who is doing research in an area that I am very interested in but when looking at all his research I became a bit concerned. He has only worked with Chinese students and various Chinese researchers from industry and other universities. Looking through all his work, it doesn't seem that he has ever worked with a non Chinese person. Also, every summer he invites 5 students from various Chinese universities to work with him fully funded. As a non-Chinese student I feel like I may just be wasting my time contacting him.
RESPONSE A: I don't know if it's a red flag per se, but it's something I would look into. It's definitely not a waste of your time to reach out, you should pretty quickly be able to tell if it's a good match for you. There are labs like this that pretty strictly follow only speaking English at work, others where that's not really the case.
RESPONSE B: Feel free to contact him. However when I see a professor who only has international students in his lab (his own race doesnt usually matter) I worry about abusive relationship between them. This is because with a US student/postdoc, usually you can leave the lab if you aren't happy. However with international students, if you decide to leave the lab, you also have to leave the country. So I have seen a lot of professors really abuse their international students because of this.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: What does your research look like as a non STEM Researcher Hello there! I am an experimental condensed matter Physics PhD candidate and I was wondering what a day in the life of a non STEM researcher looks like. All of my academic career has been in STEM and my work solely revolves around physically conducting experiments. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no clue what the research process looks like for the rest of academia and would love to know more about how y’all conduct research and what your average day looks like! Thank you for your time!
RESPONSE A: As a STEM researcher who has also done historical research in a previous life, I was surprised by the methodological similarities. A project usually starts with an interesting observation that leads to a research question, along the lines of: what does x mean / why did it happen? You then form hypotheses and search for data that support or refute that hypothesis. For historical work, that takes the form of archival work to examine historical documents or artefacts. So while the inputs into the process are different, it's much the same to any other experimental work, with the data informing speculative theory building. Obviously, the replicability and precision of physics makes it more rigorous as a science, but the general ways of thinking are the same.
RESPONSE B: I'm a historian of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation in Central Europe. Most of my 'active' research involves grappling with manuscripts in libraries and church archives in Germany. Inbetween I spend a lot of time studying and practicing languages which I need to have a mastery of in order to do my research i.e. Latin, Middle High German, Czech, Dutch etc.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: What does your research look like as a non STEM Researcher Hello there! I am an experimental condensed matter Physics PhD candidate and I was wondering what a day in the life of a non STEM researcher looks like. All of my academic career has been in STEM and my work solely revolves around physically conducting experiments. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no clue what the research process looks like for the rest of academia and would love to know more about how y’all conduct research and what your average day looks like! Thank you for your time!
RESPONSE A: Political science. I'm only in my second year, so I'm just getting started with the research. The current project I'm working on deals with emails that congressmen send to their constituents, so I'm wading through a file of several thousand such emails, summarizing them, and then coding them for several variables. I also spend a good amount of time tracking down foreign election results at as detailed a level as possible as well as tracking down and coding foreign election laws.
RESPONSE B: I'm a historian of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation in Central Europe. Most of my 'active' research involves grappling with manuscripts in libraries and church archives in Germany. Inbetween I spend a lot of time studying and practicing languages which I need to have a mastery of in order to do my research i.e. Latin, Middle High German, Czech, Dutch etc.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: What does your research look like as a non STEM Researcher Hello there! I am an experimental condensed matter Physics PhD candidate and I was wondering what a day in the life of a non STEM researcher looks like. All of my academic career has been in STEM and my work solely revolves around physically conducting experiments. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no clue what the research process looks like for the rest of academia and would love to know more about how y’all conduct research and what your average day looks like! Thank you for your time!
RESPONSE A: I'm a historian of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation in Central Europe. Most of my 'active' research involves grappling with manuscripts in libraries and church archives in Germany. Inbetween I spend a lot of time studying and practicing languages which I need to have a mastery of in order to do my research i.e. Latin, Middle High German, Czech, Dutch etc.
RESPONSE B: So I’m a postdoc and will be a professor in Criminology next term. My current job is 100% research, so a day typically involves: - quantitative analysis of data, whether from the agency I am working with, or survey data I have collected. Because we don’t work with lab conditions, there’s a lot of push to use the latest and greatest multivariate techniques. Sometimes this means I need to go to a workshop or teach myself a new method. - a rabbit hole of lit review, especially if I am working on the theoretical part of a paper - at least one argument/ testy discussion about policy and the evidence for a particular program. Working in a policy - relevant area means that science isn’t the only thing that makes for “good” policy, and I often find myself gritting my teeth talking to a practitioner as they talk about how necessary a program is when I know the evidence says it doesn’t work.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: What does your research look like as a non STEM Researcher Hello there! I am an experimental condensed matter Physics PhD candidate and I was wondering what a day in the life of a non STEM researcher looks like. All of my academic career has been in STEM and my work solely revolves around physically conducting experiments. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no clue what the research process looks like for the rest of academia and would love to know more about how y’all conduct research and what your average day looks like! Thank you for your time!
RESPONSE A: As a STEM researcher who has also done historical research in a previous life, I was surprised by the methodological similarities. A project usually starts with an interesting observation that leads to a research question, along the lines of: what does x mean / why did it happen? You then form hypotheses and search for data that support or refute that hypothesis. For historical work, that takes the form of archival work to examine historical documents or artefacts. So while the inputs into the process are different, it's much the same to any other experimental work, with the data informing speculative theory building. Obviously, the replicability and precision of physics makes it more rigorous as a science, but the general ways of thinking are the same.
RESPONSE B: Historian; databases, old newspapers, human resources. Usually in that order, look in a database, get a reference from an old newspaper, identify a human being you want to interview. Look in the death notices to see if that's even a thing. Like being a detective, who deals exclusively in cold cases, and needs ethics approval to do anything.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: What does your research look like as a non STEM Researcher Hello there! I am an experimental condensed matter Physics PhD candidate and I was wondering what a day in the life of a non STEM researcher looks like. All of my academic career has been in STEM and my work solely revolves around physically conducting experiments. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no clue what the research process looks like for the rest of academia and would love to know more about how y’all conduct research and what your average day looks like! Thank you for your time!
RESPONSE A: Political science. I'm only in my second year, so I'm just getting started with the research. The current project I'm working on deals with emails that congressmen send to their constituents, so I'm wading through a file of several thousand such emails, summarizing them, and then coding them for several variables. I also spend a good amount of time tracking down foreign election results at as detailed a level as possible as well as tracking down and coding foreign election laws.
RESPONSE B: Historian; databases, old newspapers, human resources. Usually in that order, look in a database, get a reference from an old newspaper, identify a human being you want to interview. Look in the death notices to see if that's even a thing. Like being a detective, who deals exclusively in cold cases, and needs ethics approval to do anything.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Is it still impostor syndrome if you’re objectively not good enough? I like to think I do good work, but my group just had 6/7 submission rejected for not being good enough. I’ve put in nearly 20 years, but my citation count is still only as high as fresh PhDs. I can act like I fit in with peers, but the objective measures clearly show I don’t. Anyone else face this? Any advice?
RESPONSE A: That's not necessarily an insane rejection rate. A lot of journals have an acceptance rate of <10%, so 1/7 would actually be above that acceptance rate.
RESPONSE B: The fact that you have put in 20 years would suggest that someone values something you are doing as they have employed you for that time. Seven recent submissions would suggest considerable productivity, but 6/7 rejections for 'not being good enough" would suggest that you are aiming you submissions too high. I do hope that those 6 submissions have been revised and resubmitted elsewhere. The supposedly high productivity coupled with a low citation rate is a bit of a poser, but maybe that is field specific. Maybe have a look at your field weighted citation index.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Is it still impostor syndrome if you’re objectively not good enough? I like to think I do good work, but my group just had 6/7 submission rejected for not being good enough. I’ve put in nearly 20 years, but my citation count is still only as high as fresh PhDs. I can act like I fit in with peers, but the objective measures clearly show I don’t. Anyone else face this? Any advice?
RESPONSE A: The fact that you have put in 20 years would suggest that someone values something you are doing as they have employed you for that time. Seven recent submissions would suggest considerable productivity, but 6/7 rejections for 'not being good enough" would suggest that you are aiming you submissions too high. I do hope that those 6 submissions have been revised and resubmitted elsewhere. The supposedly high productivity coupled with a low citation rate is a bit of a poser, but maybe that is field specific. Maybe have a look at your field weighted citation index.
RESPONSE B: If you literally could not handle the basics of your discipline, you probably 1) wouldn't have earned a Ph.D. in the first place, but 2) supposing you did, sure, that might not be imposter syndrome. But that's not what's happening here. One of your articles was accepted, which indicates that your work is accepted by peers in your field. My first and biggest question is where are you submitting these articles to. Some journals have really low acceptance rates. If the journals' acceptance rates are around 25% or lower, then it's sort of within the realm of expected outcomes that you might have 1 out of 7 papers accepted. What kind of feedback are you getting? Are the editors or reviewers noting fundamental flaws in your research design? Is your research outside of the scope of the journals? Are there indications that your work is promising but may just need some revision or perhaps a lower impact factor journal? I encourage you to listen to the feedback, make revisions / reset your expectations if you've been aiming high, and resubmit. You are good enough.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Is it still impostor syndrome if you’re objectively not good enough? I like to think I do good work, but my group just had 6/7 submission rejected for not being good enough. I’ve put in nearly 20 years, but my citation count is still only as high as fresh PhDs. I can act like I fit in with peers, but the objective measures clearly show I don’t. Anyone else face this? Any advice?
RESPONSE A: If you've been employed for 20 years and have a research group it doesn't sound like you are an imposter to me, regardless of the publication metrics.
RESPONSE B: If you literally could not handle the basics of your discipline, you probably 1) wouldn't have earned a Ph.D. in the first place, but 2) supposing you did, sure, that might not be imposter syndrome. But that's not what's happening here. One of your articles was accepted, which indicates that your work is accepted by peers in your field. My first and biggest question is where are you submitting these articles to. Some journals have really low acceptance rates. If the journals' acceptance rates are around 25% or lower, then it's sort of within the realm of expected outcomes that you might have 1 out of 7 papers accepted. What kind of feedback are you getting? Are the editors or reviewers noting fundamental flaws in your research design? Is your research outside of the scope of the journals? Are there indications that your work is promising but may just need some revision or perhaps a lower impact factor journal? I encourage you to listen to the feedback, make revisions / reset your expectations if you've been aiming high, and resubmit. You are good enough.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Is it still impostor syndrome if you’re objectively not good enough? I like to think I do good work, but my group just had 6/7 submission rejected for not being good enough. I’ve put in nearly 20 years, but my citation count is still only as high as fresh PhDs. I can act like I fit in with peers, but the objective measures clearly show I don’t. Anyone else face this? Any advice?
RESPONSE A: Do not forget that a lot of "successful" folks have been lucky or have benefited from a number of circumstances. So no, low metrics do not mean you're worse than the rest. The main metric is this: do you enjoy doing what you do?
RESPONSE B: I've had 10+ submissions for one paper where it ended up in a very good journal.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Give me your lit review secrets Hi all, what are your tips and tricks for doing a lit review? I'm especially having issues coming up with a good annotation system for all the papers I read. It's my first time handling such a large chunk of info and the mental mapping is extreme, what are your strategies for keeping track of papers?
RESPONSE A: I keep a Google Doc of notes for all of my papers, each paper the title is in bold and bullet points of relevant info underneath. I include lots of keywords so I can Ctl + F through this document when writing up. I also download all the papers as PDFs and highlight key bits when I'm reading them. Most importantly I use a referencing software. I prefer Mendeley
RESPONSE B: I can warmly recommend Zotero. Free (to a point), easy to use, open-source. I've used it from BA level through Phd to now Postdoc, currently have 2900 papers in my system all categorized and with easy access. Also helps with creating bibliographies, which you'll need for journal submissions.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Give me your lit review secrets Hi all, what are your tips and tricks for doing a lit review? I'm especially having issues coming up with a good annotation system for all the papers I read. It's my first time handling such a large chunk of info and the mental mapping is extreme, what are your strategies for keeping track of papers?
RESPONSE A: I usually follow two strategies: 1. When I read I write comments on the paper which usually serve as discussion points for me to use them later during the write up. 2. I keep reading papers and construct a 'story' in my mind and when I sit down to write I just search the references papers with keywords and cite them in my manuscripts. For managing references I have used mendeley and endnote
RESPONSE B: In addition to using good reference software my other tip is to do all of your lit review in a big document. Take the first paper, write down the important points from it and cite each sentence. That might look like: squids are animals (1). Cephalopods (1). Eat fish. (1) Then take the second paper and do the same. Then you might have something like squids are animals (1). Cephalopods(1), but no external shell (2). Eat fish(1), mostly but also plankton (2). People eat squids (2). A lot of ways people teach lit review don’t teach keeping separate notes for each paper and that makes it really hard to consolidate knowledge. This way you’re building and integrating your knowledge back while maintaining citations.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Give me your lit review secrets Hi all, what are your tips and tricks for doing a lit review? I'm especially having issues coming up with a good annotation system for all the papers I read. It's my first time handling such a large chunk of info and the mental mapping is extreme, what are your strategies for keeping track of papers?
RESPONSE A: In addition to using good reference software my other tip is to do all of your lit review in a big document. Take the first paper, write down the important points from it and cite each sentence. That might look like: squids are animals (1). Cephalopods (1). Eat fish. (1) Then take the second paper and do the same. Then you might have something like squids are animals (1). Cephalopods(1), but no external shell (2). Eat fish(1), mostly but also plankton (2). People eat squids (2). A lot of ways people teach lit review don’t teach keeping separate notes for each paper and that makes it really hard to consolidate knowledge. This way you’re building and integrating your knowledge back while maintaining citations.
RESPONSE B: A good referencing software. Zotero is my go-to. It makes all the difference in the long run.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Give me your lit review secrets Hi all, what are your tips and tricks for doing a lit review? I'm especially having issues coming up with a good annotation system for all the papers I read. It's my first time handling such a large chunk of info and the mental mapping is extreme, what are your strategies for keeping track of papers?
RESPONSE A: When I wrote my first lit review, I would just keep all the papers I read in a LaTeX bib file. Whenever I read a new paper, I would just add it to the bib file. As for annotating, well, my system was probably not the best, but it worked for me. I like to scribble over everything I read, so I would import papers into OneNote and annotate by highlighting, drawing arrows, notes, whatever I liked. I sometimes also used the annotation features that come with Adobe Reader. While I annotated, I would also make a mind map, connecting anything new/important I came across. Then I would use the mind map to write the lit review, referring back to the papers/annotations if I needed to.
RESPONSE B: I use Discovery to keep track of all the papers I read on a daily basis. I can save the ones I find most useful and directly export them to reference managers like Zotero and Mendeley. It makes things so much simpler! And there’s a mobile app too, so I usually read new research during my daily commute.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: extremely important, of course, so I know I need to do it, but crippling anxiety hits me every time and it would be nice to find some way to deal with it. To note: I’m already on anxiety suppressants and I do have a therapist I visit regularly, so this is more about ways you might deal with anxiety as it relates specifically to your tasks and any tips you might have on how to deal. Thank you!
RESPONSE A: I also have anxiety and struggle with similar issues with sharing my work. Here's what I try to remind myself: no one will remember. No one will remember the details of what you wrote, or what you said. At least, not as much as you are fearing they will. If they remember anything substantial, it will be the general idea of your work, and/or they'll remember your demeanor. But no one will study your work as closely as you do when writing it.
RESPONSE B: Firstly you need to go to a psychologist trained in MiCBT and do some acceptance and commitment therapy. Secondly you need to question, will your anxiety hold you back more or less inside or outside academia. Choose a time when you feel not anxious or stressed or upset, sit down and plan things out a bit. Will academia be right for you if you’re constantly out of your mind? It is not easy and it is not rewarding financially, and while it can be great at times it’s a real grind. I don’t know what field you work in but *every single PhD graduate I’ve ever met* has taken for granted the fact that we learn an analytical way of thinking that has great application to jobs outside of academia and outside of research. Do not box yourself into the rat race just because you have been at university so long. Majority of PhD graduates will never stay in academia, majority of the academics who have trained you will have been in academia their whole life and will have very limited knowledge of life outside academia, from how to get there to what it is like experientially. Good luck. You’re a human, we all are (except for you Jennifer Coolidge, I’m on to you), be kind to yourself and don’t feel like a failure if you choose not to go down the academia pathway.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Anxiety and academia Hi all! I’m a PhD student in my final year who struggles with anxiety after hitting the wall during my master’s. I really enjoy my job, but I struggle a lot with sending my work out - as, for example, in working papers for conferences. I know that anxiety is a common mental illness in academia and I was wondering if this group might have any advice for how to deal with these aspects of the job? They’re extremely important, of course, so I know I need to do it, but crippling anxiety hits me every time and it would be nice to find some way to deal with it. To note: I’m already on anxiety suppressants and I do have a therapist I visit regularly, so this is more about ways you might deal with anxiety as it relates specifically to your tasks and any tips you might have on how to deal. Thank you!
RESPONSE A: I am in a very similar situation and I would really recommend incorporating mindfulness exercises into your daily routine. I started sertraline ~5 months ago in combination with therapy and some kind of regular mindfulness practice. The goal of mindfulness is to help you build a better awareness of your body-mind connection. You practice by focusing on your body with non-judgemental observation of everything you experience. When you are feeling anxious, mindfulness helps you recognize it and observe it which ultimately helps you resolve the discomfort. It is also a really good reason to take 5 minutes whenever you need a break from everything; just do nothing and feel your breath and rest. It has really been a game-changer in terms of managing the impact of my anxiety on my performance.
RESPONSE B: Expectations. We use to expect and hope others like our work, approve the drafts, etc and honestly not long ago I stopped caring. Fuck expectations, I'm doing what I like and that's I'll need. So, if you can, stop caring for what other think or say. Few people go into academia, we are brave enough! Follow your passion!!
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Reviewer pointed out non-existent grammatical mistakes, the best way to respond? Just got reviewers' comments from a journal submission. Interestingly, one reviewer pointed out "grammatical errors and misuse of language" in the manuscript, and listed a few problematic sentences. However, our PI and two other native English-speaking colleagues don't find any problems in these sentences. In this case, what's your opinion on the best way to politely respond to this comment? Should I rewrite these sentences even though they are grammatically correct? Thank you very much.
RESPONSE A: Often times by the time we submit a paper we have read the paper so many times that awkward phrases or slightly strange sentences just wash over us (and anyone we’ve got to read drafts). I know I’ve had things accepted and later looked back and thought why on earth did I phrase it that way? I’ve reviewed papers and found sentences that while not grammatically incorrect make the statement incredibly more difficult to understand than it needs to be. Try handing the paper to someone completely unrelated who has never seen it before and see what they say. Try to look at your paper as a non-specialist, it might make sense to you and your colleagues but be difficult to understand for someone slightly out of your specialty. Don’t immediately see the reviewer as unnecessarily combative, they’re bring up stuff they legitimately have issues with and being open to those changes ultimately improves the paper.
RESPONSE B: It could be just a handful of grammatical errors, like one or two. Also it could be grammatically correct but with awkward syntax or lack of clarity. If specific sentences sound grammatically incorrect to the reviewer it could thus be that they are just a little unclear. So I would still potentially rewrite. Can you copy the sentences here to see if we spot the grammatical errors or awkwardness?
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Reviewer pointed out non-existent grammatical mistakes, the best way to respond? Just got reviewers' comments from a journal submission. Interestingly, one reviewer pointed out "grammatical errors and misuse of language" in the manuscript, and listed a few problematic sentences. However, our PI and two other native English-speaking colleagues don't find any problems in these sentences. In this case, what's your opinion on the best way to politely respond to this comment? Should I rewrite these sentences even though they are grammatically correct? Thank you very much.
RESPONSE A: Often times by the time we submit a paper we have read the paper so many times that awkward phrases or slightly strange sentences just wash over us (and anyone we’ve got to read drafts). I know I’ve had things accepted and later looked back and thought why on earth did I phrase it that way? I’ve reviewed papers and found sentences that while not grammatically incorrect make the statement incredibly more difficult to understand than it needs to be. Try handing the paper to someone completely unrelated who has never seen it before and see what they say. Try to look at your paper as a non-specialist, it might make sense to you and your colleagues but be difficult to understand for someone slightly out of your specialty. Don’t immediately see the reviewer as unnecessarily combative, they’re bring up stuff they legitimately have issues with and being open to those changes ultimately improves the paper.
RESPONSE B: I’m a native speaker and a not-bad writer but once I kept getting reviews back round after round about grammar errors. My co-author said everything was fine but honestly idk if she ever actually read it. So finally, after the 3rd round, I read it out loud to myself and…. found a bunch of errors. Now that’s my last step before submitting a manuscript or abstract. Maybe give that a try and see if you find anything?
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Reviewer pointed out non-existent grammatical mistakes, the best way to respond? Just got reviewers' comments from a journal submission. Interestingly, one reviewer pointed out "grammatical errors and misuse of language" in the manuscript, and listed a few problematic sentences. However, our PI and two other native English-speaking colleagues don't find any problems in these sentences. In this case, what's your opinion on the best way to politely respond to this comment? Should I rewrite these sentences even though they are grammatically correct? Thank you very much.
RESPONSE A: "We thank the reviewer for their insightful comments and have fixed the sentences that were pointed out. We agree they came across as a little difficult to understand."^^^Now ^^^stop ^^^being ^^^a ^^^twat ^^^and ^^^accept ^^^the ^^^paper
RESPONSE B: Often times by the time we submit a paper we have read the paper so many times that awkward phrases or slightly strange sentences just wash over us (and anyone we’ve got to read drafts). I know I’ve had things accepted and later looked back and thought why on earth did I phrase it that way? I’ve reviewed papers and found sentences that while not grammatically incorrect make the statement incredibly more difficult to understand than it needs to be. Try handing the paper to someone completely unrelated who has never seen it before and see what they say. Try to look at your paper as a non-specialist, it might make sense to you and your colleagues but be difficult to understand for someone slightly out of your specialty. Don’t immediately see the reviewer as unnecessarily combative, they’re bring up stuff they legitimately have issues with and being open to those changes ultimately improves the paper.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Reviewer pointed out non-existent grammatical mistakes, the best way to respond? Just got reviewers' comments from a journal submission. Interestingly, one reviewer pointed out "grammatical errors and misuse of language" in the manuscript, and listed a few problematic sentences. However, our PI and two other native English-speaking colleagues don't find any problems in these sentences. In this case, what's your opinion on the best way to politely respond to this comment? Should I rewrite these sentences even though they are grammatically correct? Thank you very much.
RESPONSE A: Often times by the time we submit a paper we have read the paper so many times that awkward phrases or slightly strange sentences just wash over us (and anyone we’ve got to read drafts). I know I’ve had things accepted and later looked back and thought why on earth did I phrase it that way? I’ve reviewed papers and found sentences that while not grammatically incorrect make the statement incredibly more difficult to understand than it needs to be. Try handing the paper to someone completely unrelated who has never seen it before and see what they say. Try to look at your paper as a non-specialist, it might make sense to you and your colleagues but be difficult to understand for someone slightly out of your specialty. Don’t immediately see the reviewer as unnecessarily combative, they’re bring up stuff they legitimately have issues with and being open to those changes ultimately improves the paper.
RESPONSE B: I have been in this exact same position. A German reviewer who learned British English as a second language (I am American) critiqued my grammar in a manuscript. I politely commented that I appreciated the thorough review, including the reviewer spending time to identify grammatical errors. I then stated that I had subsequently proofread the manuscript again to ensure that there were no errors. I didn't change a damn thing and returned it to the editor. This seemed to sit well with everyone and the manuscript was published. I wouldn't argue with them even if it makes your blood boil.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Reviewer pointed out non-existent grammatical mistakes, the best way to respond? Just got reviewers' comments from a journal submission. Interestingly, one reviewer pointed out "grammatical errors and misuse of language" in the manuscript, and listed a few problematic sentences. However, our PI and two other native English-speaking colleagues don't find any problems in these sentences. In this case, what's your opinion on the best way to politely respond to this comment? Should I rewrite these sentences even though they are grammatically correct? Thank you very much.
RESPONSE A: Consult with a professional writing coach/editor. Your university may have a writing center. See if you can get an appointment for a proof-read. They may suggest changes that improve readability and grammar. After that, tell the editor that it was professionally reviewed for grammar and clarity. The editor will not want to go sentence by sentence so that should end that issue.
RESPONSE B: Often times by the time we submit a paper we have read the paper so many times that awkward phrases or slightly strange sentences just wash over us (and anyone we’ve got to read drafts). I know I’ve had things accepted and later looked back and thought why on earth did I phrase it that way? I’ve reviewed papers and found sentences that while not grammatically incorrect make the statement incredibly more difficult to understand than it needs to be. Try handing the paper to someone completely unrelated who has never seen it before and see what they say. Try to look at your paper as a non-specialist, it might make sense to you and your colleagues but be difficult to understand for someone slightly out of your specialty. Don’t immediately see the reviewer as unnecessarily combative, they’re bring up stuff they legitimately have issues with and being open to those changes ultimately improves the paper.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Examples of poorly-written journal articles I am teaching a scientific writing class to our department's graduate students (STEM). I am looking for examples of poorly written journal articles (or other scientific writing). Of particular interest are papers with: * Run-on sentences * Excessively verbose language * Awkward ways of conveying message * Rampant grammar issues To be clear, the quality of the science makes no difference. In fact, it is even better if you can show me a high-impact paper that is poorly written (or has some very poorly written sentences in it)! I just want examples of writing that is confusing, pretentious, and/or way too long. :)
RESPONSE A: Me trying to see if any link goes to one of my papers...
RESPONSE B: I have a brilliant example. However, I'm pretty sure that this wasn't published in a peer-reviewed journal, otherwise I could publish half of my toddler cousin's ramblings in it. Must be some kind of conference or something like that. Let me know what you think.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Examples of poorly-written journal articles I am teaching a scientific writing class to our department's graduate students (STEM). I am looking for examples of poorly written journal articles (or other scientific writing). Of particular interest are papers with: * Run-on sentences * Excessively verbose language * Awkward ways of conveying message * Rampant grammar issues To be clear, the quality of the science makes no difference. In fact, it is even better if you can show me a high-impact paper that is poorly written (or has some very poorly written sentences in it)! I just want examples of writing that is confusing, pretentious, and/or way too long. :)
RESPONSE A: Me trying to see if any link goes to one of my papers...
RESPONSE B: You might also look at a first draft compared to a well written accepted submission.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Examples of poorly-written journal articles I am teaching a scientific writing class to our department's graduate students (STEM). I am looking for examples of poorly written journal articles (or other scientific writing). Of particular interest are papers with: * Run-on sentences * Excessively verbose language * Awkward ways of conveying message * Rampant grammar issues To be clear, the quality of the science makes no difference. In fact, it is even better if you can show me a high-impact paper that is poorly written (or has some very poorly written sentences in it)! I just want examples of writing that is confusing, pretentious, and/or way too long. :)
RESPONSE A: I'd suggest you check out the Coursera course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/sciwrite I took this course and the instructor pointed out all the issues that you want to convey to the students. As a student, one think that I struggle with is the time-pressure. I'm usually under a deadline of a month or two to write literature review, introduction, abstract and discussion. I don't get to revise and improve my writing before it goes to the review process.
RESPONSE B: Me trying to see if any link goes to one of my papers...
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Examples of poorly-written journal articles I am teaching a scientific writing class to our department's graduate students (STEM). I am looking for examples of poorly written journal articles (or other scientific writing). Of particular interest are papers with: * Run-on sentences * Excessively verbose language * Awkward ways of conveying message * Rampant grammar issues To be clear, the quality of the science makes no difference. In fact, it is even better if you can show me a high-impact paper that is poorly written (or has some very poorly written sentences in it)! I just want examples of writing that is confusing, pretentious, and/or way too long. :)
RESPONSE A: Me trying to see if any link goes to one of my papers...
RESPONSE B: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9142952 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1878875019302669?via%3Dihub https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S187887501930628X?via%3Dihub# There are thousands upon thousands of shitty literature out there. Be careful opening this can of worms with your students! Here's a juicy run on from the third link. >"Although technically challenging and unfamiliar, maxillary-intracranial bypass offers the advantages of higher flow, good caliber matching, shorter graft length, calvarial protection of the interposition graft, and versatility for revascularizing multiple intracranial targets, including the intracranial internal carotid, proximal and middle cerebral, posterior cerebral..."
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Examples of poorly-written journal articles I am teaching a scientific writing class to our department's graduate students (STEM). I am looking for examples of poorly written journal articles (or other scientific writing). Of particular interest are papers with: * Run-on sentences * Excessively verbose language * Awkward ways of conveying message * Rampant grammar issues To be clear, the quality of the science makes no difference. In fact, it is even better if you can show me a high-impact paper that is poorly written (or has some very poorly written sentences in it)! I just want examples of writing that is confusing, pretentious, and/or way too long. :)
RESPONSE A: This isn't an example of a mechanically poorly-written article, but it's a nice example of how the peer review process is not at all bulletproof. Maybe you've heard of it, but there's the time a medical researcher rediscovered the trapezoid rule for integration and published it in a peer-reviewed journal. The paper PDF can be found here.
RESPONSE B: I have a brilliant example. However, I'm pretty sure that this wasn't published in a peer-reviewed journal, otherwise I could publish half of my toddler cousin's ramblings in it. Must be some kind of conference or something like that. Let me know what you think.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: When people says they have published in “Nature” do they usually mean the journal or any other journals by the Nature publisher (e.g. Scientific Report, Lab animal, npj Vaccines, etc.)? Do all Nature journals has the same prestige, despite the different imapact factors? If the paper is published in Scientific Reports or Lab Animal, do people claim they have published in Nature? (But actually imply Nature publisher) or is it pretentious? And how about If the paper is published in Nature communications or Nature Microbiology (but still not just Nature), is it wildly accepted that people claim they have published in Nature or is it still pretentious? Are all journals published by Nature highly regarded?
RESPONSE A: They mean they've published in Nature, or at least they should. My experience is that people are normally proud enough when they publish in Nature branded journals that they'll specify that one, themselves (e.g. I've published twice in NEE). Nature-branded journals typically have very good impact factors and standing so people are proud of those on their own....much like Cell-branded journals. The one thing I do see is people sticking "Nature" in front of the names of non-Nature-branded journals like Scientific Reports to try to get the attention associated with publishing in a Nature-branded journal.
RESPONSE B: Nature >>>> Nature “Subjects” >>> Nature Comms >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sci Reports
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: When people says they have published in “Nature” do they usually mean the journal or any other journals by the Nature publisher (e.g. Scientific Report, Lab animal, npj Vaccines, etc.)? Do all Nature journals has the same prestige, despite the different imapact factors? If the paper is published in Scientific Reports or Lab Animal, do people claim they have published in Nature? (But actually imply Nature publisher) or is it pretentious? And how about If the paper is published in Nature communications or Nature Microbiology (but still not just Nature), is it wildly accepted that people claim they have published in Nature or is it still pretentious? Are all journals published by Nature highly regarded?
RESPONSE A: Nature >>>> Nature “Subjects” >>> Nature Comms >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sci Reports
RESPONSE B: Scientific Reports publishes a lot of garbage. Publishing there is absolutely not equivalent to publishing in a Nature sub-journal (i.e., Nature Photonics, Nature Methods, etc.).
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: When people says they have published in “Nature” do they usually mean the journal or any other journals by the Nature publisher (e.g. Scientific Report, Lab animal, npj Vaccines, etc.)? Do all Nature journals has the same prestige, despite the different imapact factors? If the paper is published in Scientific Reports or Lab Animal, do people claim they have published in Nature? (But actually imply Nature publisher) or is it pretentious? And how about If the paper is published in Nature communications or Nature Microbiology (but still not just Nature), is it wildly accepted that people claim they have published in Nature or is it still pretentious? Are all journals published by Nature highly regarded?
RESPONSE A: Scientific Reports publishes a lot of garbage. Publishing there is absolutely not equivalent to publishing in a Nature sub-journal (i.e., Nature Photonics, Nature Methods, etc.).
RESPONSE B: I've published in Scientific Reports. I think I'd be shanked if I told anyone I have a Nature paper.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: When people says they have published in “Nature” do they usually mean the journal or any other journals by the Nature publisher (e.g. Scientific Report, Lab animal, npj Vaccines, etc.)? Do all Nature journals has the same prestige, despite the different imapact factors? If the paper is published in Scientific Reports or Lab Animal, do people claim they have published in Nature? (But actually imply Nature publisher) or is it pretentious? And how about If the paper is published in Nature communications or Nature Microbiology (but still not just Nature), is it wildly accepted that people claim they have published in Nature or is it still pretentious? Are all journals published by Nature highly regarded?
RESPONSE A: Can someone please shed some light on why Scientific Reports is not regarded as a good journal? I am fairly new to academia (third year PhD candidate), and I have seen some people in my dept speak of publishing in Scientific Reports as if they have accomplished a milestone or something.
RESPONSE B: I've published in Scientific Reports. I think I'd be shanked if I told anyone I have a Nature paper.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: When people says they have published in “Nature” do they usually mean the journal or any other journals by the Nature publisher (e.g. Scientific Report, Lab animal, npj Vaccines, etc.)? Do all Nature journals has the same prestige, despite the different imapact factors? If the paper is published in Scientific Reports or Lab Animal, do people claim they have published in Nature? (But actually imply Nature publisher) or is it pretentious? And how about If the paper is published in Nature communications or Nature Microbiology (but still not just Nature), is it wildly accepted that people claim they have published in Nature or is it still pretentious? Are all journals published by Nature highly regarded?
RESPONSE A: I've seen people tout Sci Reps publications as "Nature" publications. They really are not. And I say this as someone whose research falls much more squarely in the Sci Rep corner than Nature. Regarding Sci Rep, it does serve a purpose - the published science stands on its own merit without the need for novelty or high-impact. However, I am growing increasingly concerned about the rigor of their peer-review process, and try to avoid submitting there when the submitted work aligns with smaller discipline-specific journals.
RESPONSE B: Can someone please shed some light on why Scientific Reports is not regarded as a good journal? I am fairly new to academia (third year PhD candidate), and I have seen some people in my dept speak of publishing in Scientific Reports as if they have accomplished a milestone or something.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Consulting as a side job: how does one track the "hours"? I've been asked to do some quick consulting for a company interested in my research. We agreed on a hourly rate. And... How on earth do I find out how many I spend to do something? How do I track how much time I spend "thinking" about something? Do I actually meter the time with a clock? What about the time it takes me because I get stuck on something that needs debugging? Time it takes to do stuff is like the least mentioned issue in academia. Also, I have bad ADHD, so I could honestly say that the same activity takes me either 20 minutes or 2 days, according to how I account for distraction...
RESPONSE A: If you've been asked to provide an estimate for your time, always estimate higher. 1. You might need it. 2. No-one wants to receive a bill for much higher than the estimate.
RESPONSE B: Try to separate your academic mindset from the business mindset, this isn't an exact science. No one is going to track the exact minutes you work on something. No one but a few scummy companies are going to audit your computer to see how much time you spent. It is a common business practice that your estimate will always be your higher end. A business wants to know when you will be sure to have completed something, not when you *may* have completed something. It is always better to under-promise and over-deliver than the opposite. Agree on a set amount of hours for a task (estimate how long you would take at the max + tack on 20% overhead) and a going rate beforehand. Make sure that the boundaries and deliverables of the consulting task are clearly defined. If the task becomes out of scope for the hours set let them know well ahead so they can adjust or re-evaluate the contract.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Consulting as a side job: how does one track the "hours"? I've been asked to do some quick consulting for a company interested in my research. We agreed on a hourly rate. And... How on earth do I find out how many I spend to do something? How do I track how much time I spend "thinking" about something? Do I actually meter the time with a clock? What about the time it takes me because I get stuck on something that needs debugging? Time it takes to do stuff is like the least mentioned issue in academia. Also, I have bad ADHD, so I could honestly say that the same activity takes me either 20 minutes or 2 days, according to how I account for distraction...
RESPONSE A: I literally use clockify and if im doing anything for the consultation (phone call, email, data analysis....yes, *thinking*) I have the clock running. When I invoice my clients, I make the clockify report available to them so they can see how I spend the time that theyre paying for
RESPONSE B: Try to separate your academic mindset from the business mindset, this isn't an exact science. No one is going to track the exact minutes you work on something. No one but a few scummy companies are going to audit your computer to see how much time you spent. It is a common business practice that your estimate will always be your higher end. A business wants to know when you will be sure to have completed something, not when you *may* have completed something. It is always better to under-promise and over-deliver than the opposite. Agree on a set amount of hours for a task (estimate how long you would take at the max + tack on 20% overhead) and a going rate beforehand. Make sure that the boundaries and deliverables of the consulting task are clearly defined. If the task becomes out of scope for the hours set let them know well ahead so they can adjust or re-evaluate the contract.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: or 2 days, according to how I account for distraction...
RESPONSE A: Try to separate your academic mindset from the business mindset, this isn't an exact science. No one is going to track the exact minutes you work on something. No one but a few scummy companies are going to audit your computer to see how much time you spent. It is a common business practice that your estimate will always be your higher end. A business wants to know when you will be sure to have completed something, not when you *may* have completed something. It is always better to under-promise and over-deliver than the opposite. Agree on a set amount of hours for a task (estimate how long you would take at the max + tack on 20% overhead) and a going rate beforehand. Make sure that the boundaries and deliverables of the consulting task are clearly defined. If the task becomes out of scope for the hours set let them know well ahead so they can adjust or re-evaluate the contract.
RESPONSE B: I had to get more organized, mentally. Rather than drifting from project to project in my head, I had to decide "today is a consulting work day" and then I'm writing on a notepad at my desk when I started and when I ended. If I take more than a half hour to do something decidedly non-consulting I'll record that too, but otherwise it's one big chunk of time I charge to them. And then whatever happens during those hours, is what I'm able to get done. FWIW, as academics we're very used to undervaluing ourselves (our pay is low, we deal with lots of criticism each day, etc.). You really shouldn't worry about upsetting the company with how long it takes to work on something or how much debugging you have to do. If they have other non-academic consultants, I almost guarantee those people are overcharging and underdelivering compared to you. When I first started consulting, it really surprised me how even things that seemed elementary to me were immensely valuable to the company. Remember that they're paying for *you* and your expertise, so however long it takes to do something is what it's worth! ADHD and all!
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Consulting as a side job: how does one track the "hours"? I've been asked to do some quick consulting for a company interested in my research. We agreed on a hourly rate. And... How on earth do I find out how many I spend to do something? How do I track how much time I spend "thinking" about something? Do I actually meter the time with a clock? What about the time it takes me because I get stuck on something that needs debugging? Time it takes to do stuff is like the least mentioned issue in academia. Also, I have bad ADHD, so I could honestly say that the same activity takes me either 20 minutes or 2 days, according to how I account for distraction...
RESPONSE A: I avoid counting hours, when clients let me. It’s not too hard with short time horizon agreements (quarterly is my sweet spot) or compensation in RSUs, or similar. Then, just make sure that everyone is on the same page vis deliverables.
RESPONSE B: Try to separate your academic mindset from the business mindset, this isn't an exact science. No one is going to track the exact minutes you work on something. No one but a few scummy companies are going to audit your computer to see how much time you spent. It is a common business practice that your estimate will always be your higher end. A business wants to know when you will be sure to have completed something, not when you *may* have completed something. It is always better to under-promise and over-deliver than the opposite. Agree on a set amount of hours for a task (estimate how long you would take at the max + tack on 20% overhead) and a going rate beforehand. Make sure that the boundaries and deliverables of the consulting task are clearly defined. If the task becomes out of scope for the hours set let them know well ahead so they can adjust or re-evaluate the contract.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Consulting as a side job: how does one track the "hours"? I've been asked to do some quick consulting for a company interested in my research. We agreed on a hourly rate. And... How on earth do I find out how many I spend to do something? How do I track how much time I spend "thinking" about something? Do I actually meter the time with a clock? What about the time it takes me because I get stuck on something that needs debugging? Time it takes to do stuff is like the least mentioned issue in academia. Also, I have bad ADHD, so I could honestly say that the same activity takes me either 20 minutes or 2 days, according to how I account for distraction...
RESPONSE A: I literally use clockify and if im doing anything for the consultation (phone call, email, data analysis....yes, *thinking*) I have the clock running. When I invoice my clients, I make the clockify report available to them so they can see how I spend the time that theyre paying for
RESPONSE B: I avoid counting hours, when clients let me. It’s not too hard with short time horizon agreements (quarterly is my sweet spot) or compensation in RSUs, or similar. Then, just make sure that everyone is on the same page vis deliverables.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: My name isn't included in my article's google scholar citation. All of my co-author's names however have been included. There are 3 other co-authors, all of their names have been included in the citation. But my name hasn't been included. What do I do to fix this?
RESPONSE A: How about Scopus or Web of Science?
RESPONSE B: Give it time for the google scholar algorithm to sort itself out. Make sure it's correct in all the places where it's linked, especially any academic repositories. It can take a while for google scholar to pick things up properly.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: How do you guys deal with imposter syndrome and writer's block? Im having a pretty hard time wrapping up my thesis and cant seem to tie everything together because of a pretty bad case of writers block. What also doesnt help is that it is making me feel incredibly stupid and that I dont know enough about my material. No matter how much I read I feel like its not enough
RESPONSE A: A writing coach once told me: You can never write the same text twice. The text you wrote yesterday is basically the text of another person. Learn to exept that no text is perfect but captures a special moment in time. At least for me, that advice helped to get some distance. And now I try not to worry to much about writing something stupid or missing something. Because that's future me's job to figure out.
RESPONSE B: Donald Trump is in the white house dude you can do whatever you want
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: How do you guys deal with imposter syndrome and writer's block? Im having a pretty hard time wrapping up my thesis and cant seem to tie everything together because of a pretty bad case of writers block. What also doesnt help is that it is making me feel incredibly stupid and that I dont know enough about my material. No matter how much I read I feel like its not enough
RESPONSE A: Bullet points of POTENTIALLY useful things to say -put down key facts -related journals and summaries -the results I want to talk about When it’s all down in a list, it’s a lot easier to construct sentences. If I don’t have the supporting results I go make more figures or if I don’t have the supporting background I go do more google scholaring . If I can’t think of thr word i put underscore and then use review to leave a note outlining what I’m trying to say and move on. Dealing with imposter syndrome——> “yoloooooooo, I’m going to make this @#&#! Work anyways “ is my overall mood.
RESPONSE B: A writing coach once told me: You can never write the same text twice. The text you wrote yesterday is basically the text of another person. Learn to exept that no text is perfect but captures a special moment in time. At least for me, that advice helped to get some distance. And now I try not to worry to much about writing something stupid or missing something. Because that's future me's job to figure out.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: How do you guys deal with imposter syndrome and writer's block? Im having a pretty hard time wrapping up my thesis and cant seem to tie everything together because of a pretty bad case of writers block. What also doesnt help is that it is making me feel incredibly stupid and that I dont know enough about my material. No matter how much I read I feel like its not enough
RESPONSE A: Another thing you can try is just verbalising instead of writing. For example, you could choose a supportive friend or partner, get them some delicious food, get your voice recording app ready to go, and just start explaining your findings/intro/whatever you are working on to them while they eat. It’s not so horrible for them as they have something tasty to eat (provided by you), and somehow it works because you have an audience. Academic writing can sometimes be blocked because it can feel too removed from an audience/communicative purpose when you are slaving in isolation. Then later on just start typing up what you said, adding a bit of academic “voice”, and you’ve got a re-entry to writing.
RESPONSE B: Bullet points of POTENTIALLY useful things to say -put down key facts -related journals and summaries -the results I want to talk about When it’s all down in a list, it’s a lot easier to construct sentences. If I don’t have the supporting results I go make more figures or if I don’t have the supporting background I go do more google scholaring . If I can’t think of thr word i put underscore and then use review to leave a note outlining what I’m trying to say and move on. Dealing with imposter syndrome——> “yoloooooooo, I’m going to make this @#&#! Work anyways “ is my overall mood.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: How do you guys deal with imposter syndrome and writer's block? Im having a pretty hard time wrapping up my thesis and cant seem to tie everything together because of a pretty bad case of writers block. What also doesnt help is that it is making me feel incredibly stupid and that I dont know enough about my material. No matter how much I read I feel like its not enough
RESPONSE A: I literally name the first draft document - shit draft.doc. And just vomit all my ideas on it without regard to proper language or logic. As i progress with the draft find that I become more organized and write better. Then i go back to the vomit part and rewrite it. And rename the whole doc - first draft. It really helped to remove any expectation of excellence to get over the block. For the second draft i usually rearrange the whole thing and rewrite some more focusing on removing duplicate narratives, explaining assumptions and just revising logic and language. I'm a decent academic by the way, so the struggle is real for everyone.
RESPONSE B: Another thing you can try is just verbalising instead of writing. For example, you could choose a supportive friend or partner, get them some delicious food, get your voice recording app ready to go, and just start explaining your findings/intro/whatever you are working on to them while they eat. It’s not so horrible for them as they have something tasty to eat (provided by you), and somehow it works because you have an audience. Academic writing can sometimes be blocked because it can feel too removed from an audience/communicative purpose when you are slaving in isolation. Then later on just start typing up what you said, adding a bit of academic “voice”, and you’ve got a re-entry to writing.
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B | POST: How do you guys deal with imposter syndrome and writer's block? Im having a pretty hard time wrapping up my thesis and cant seem to tie everything together because of a pretty bad case of writers block. What also doesnt help is that it is making me feel incredibly stupid and that I dont know enough about my material. No matter how much I read I feel like its not enough
RESPONSE A: For writer’s block, I do variations on the pomodoro method. Also, sometimes I change up my mental audience. Am I writing for me? For my colleagues? For the profession? Sworn enemies? And if it’s not working, I try instead to keep the cobwebs out by working on something else. For imposter syndrome, I embrace it and two things have worked. I either lean into it and figure out why I’m worried people will think I’m a fake and work on or exploit those areas where possible, OR I just remind myself that imposter syndrome is a waste of time, and to paraphrase, I reclaim that time. I’m not a fake—I have the degrees, I was hired, I’ve been published. Once, I read about an academic who created an alternate personality who was the blandest, most overconfident version of an academic, and she displaced all her anxieties on to him. “Bob wouldn’t worry about that.”
RESPONSE B: I literally name the first draft document - shit draft.doc. And just vomit all my ideas on it without regard to proper language or logic. As i progress with the draft find that I become more organized and write better. Then i go back to the vomit part and rewrite it. And rename the whole doc - first draft. It really helped to remove any expectation of excellence to get over the block. For the second draft i usually rearrange the whole thing and rewrite some more focusing on removing duplicate narratives, explaining assumptions and just revising logic and language. I'm a decent academic by the way, so the struggle is real for everyone.
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A | POST: don't want them to hear me shitting 8+ times a day) it will be a horrible, horrible experience for me. The group retreat is structured so that we have presentations in the morning (deargodno), and outings to the lake or hiking in the afternoon (hellnaw), for 4 days. I cannot do this. I also have severe anxiety and didn't really enjoy the group retreat much as it is. PIs of AskAcademia: what the hell do I do?! The group retreat is sort of "mandatory", but all I want is to be able to do my work in peace in the lab, never far from a toilet... (I honestly enjoy my work and would just be so happy if my PI told me I could stay in the lab with my little cell buddies listening to music.) I have had this health issue before and I'm on meds but they take some time to kick in. I don't have it as bad as some people, my labmates have no idea I have health issues, and I'd like to keep it that way. I can totally function but this retreat would just be a nightmare for me. Please help
RESPONSE A: "I am having a flare up of a chronic medical condition that means I will not be able to join you on the retreat. If it is possible to Zoom in to some of the morning presentations, I would be interested in exploring that option. But I hope you all have an excellent time on the retreat!" Said, or emailed, with a tone that of course this is a perfectly reasonable thing to say (because it is), and of course your PI will understand and not be an ass (because they shouldn't be). You do not have to disclose what the medical issue is. If they express concern, you need to say that you're managing the condition with the help of your doctors, and you appreciate their concern. Do not give in to temptations to explain in greater detail. If they pushing, you can offer to get a note from your doctor and work with the accommodations office, but that you're hoping the professor will understand your desire to keep your private medical information private.
RESPONSE B: call out sick! it’s literally true for you
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B | POST: atory", but all I want is to be able to do my work in peace in the lab, never far from a toilet... (I honestly enjoy my work and would just be so happy if my PI told me I could stay in the lab with my little cell buddies listening to music.) I have had this health issue before and I'm on meds but they take some time to kick in. I don't have it as bad as some people, my labmates have no idea I have health issues, and I'd like to keep it that way. I can totally function but this retreat would just be a nightmare for me. Please help
RESPONSE A: I think you need to give your PI some heads up on this. You don't necessarily have to give the full details if you're not comfortable although it's also fine to give all the details (short of describing the consistency of your stools). Your PI should ideally give you an exemption from attending or try and make some accomodations that might make it possible for you to join, but you have to recognise you can't expect them to make an informed decision if you won't inform them if the situation. If they say no you can go off sick, with or without a sick note.
RESPONSE B: "I am having a flare up of a chronic medical condition that means I will not be able to join you on the retreat. If it is possible to Zoom in to some of the morning presentations, I would be interested in exploring that option. But I hope you all have an excellent time on the retreat!" Said, or emailed, with a tone that of course this is a perfectly reasonable thing to say (because it is), and of course your PI will understand and not be an ass (because they shouldn't be). You do not have to disclose what the medical issue is. If they express concern, you need to say that you're managing the condition with the help of your doctors, and you appreciate their concern. Do not give in to temptations to explain in greater detail. If they pushing, you can offer to get a note from your doctor and work with the accommodations office, but that you're hoping the professor will understand your desire to keep your private medical information private.
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B | POST: I sort of don't want them to hear me shitting 8+ times a day) it will be a horrible, horrible experience for me. The group retreat is structured so that we have presentations in the morning (deargodno), and outings to the lake or hiking in the afternoon (hellnaw), for 4 days. I cannot do this. I also have severe anxiety and didn't really enjoy the group retreat much as it is. PIs of AskAcademia: what the hell do I do?! The group retreat is sort of "mandatory", but all I want is to be able to do my work in peace in the lab, never far from a toilet... (I honestly enjoy my work and would just be so happy if my PI told me I could stay in the lab with my little cell buddies listening to music.) I have had this health issue before and I'm on meds but they take some time to kick in. I don't have it as bad as some people, my labmates have no idea I have health issues, and I'd like to keep it that way. I can totally function but this retreat would just be a nightmare for me. Please help
RESPONSE A: Explain your situation to your PI.
RESPONSE B: "I am having a flare up of a chronic medical condition that means I will not be able to join you on the retreat. If it is possible to Zoom in to some of the morning presentations, I would be interested in exploring that option. But I hope you all have an excellent time on the retreat!" Said, or emailed, with a tone that of course this is a perfectly reasonable thing to say (because it is), and of course your PI will understand and not be an ass (because they shouldn't be). You do not have to disclose what the medical issue is. If they express concern, you need to say that you're managing the condition with the help of your doctors, and you appreciate their concern. Do not give in to temptations to explain in greater detail. If they pushing, you can offer to get a note from your doctor and work with the accommodations office, but that you're hoping the professor will understand your desire to keep your private medical information private.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: t want them to hear me shitting 8+ times a day) it will be a horrible, horrible experience for me. The group retreat is structured so that we have presentations in the morning (deargodno), and outings to the lake or hiking in the afternoon (hellnaw), for 4 days. I cannot do this. I also have severe anxiety and didn't really enjoy the group retreat much as it is. PIs of AskAcademia: what the hell do I do?! The group retreat is sort of "mandatory", but all I want is to be able to do my work in peace in the lab, never far from a toilet... (I honestly enjoy my work and would just be so happy if my PI told me I could stay in the lab with my little cell buddies listening to music.) I have had this health issue before and I'm on meds but they take some time to kick in. I don't have it as bad as some people, my labmates have no idea I have health issues, and I'd like to keep it that way. I can totally function but this retreat would just be a nightmare for me. Please help
RESPONSE A: Get an exemption from your doctor. Explain to your PI.
RESPONSE B: "I am having a flare up of a chronic medical condition that means I will not be able to join you on the retreat. If it is possible to Zoom in to some of the morning presentations, I would be interested in exploring that option. But I hope you all have an excellent time on the retreat!" Said, or emailed, with a tone that of course this is a perfectly reasonable thing to say (because it is), and of course your PI will understand and not be an ass (because they shouldn't be). You do not have to disclose what the medical issue is. If they express concern, you need to say that you're managing the condition with the help of your doctors, and you appreciate their concern. Do not give in to temptations to explain in greater detail. If they pushing, you can offer to get a note from your doctor and work with the accommodations office, but that you're hoping the professor will understand your desire to keep your private medical information private.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: enjoy my work and would just be so happy if my PI told me I could stay in the lab with my little cell buddies listening to music.) I have had this health issue before and I'm on meds but they take some time to kick in. I don't have it as bad as some people, my labmates have no idea I have health issues, and I'd like to keep it that way. I can totally function but this retreat would just be a nightmare for me. Please help
RESPONSE A: I have a series of chronic health conditions (i.e., chronic fatigue syndrome) which make it very difficult for me not to work from home. If I get out of my house, I get tired for days after this. I usually attended weekly meetings in person, but lockdowns were overall a blessing for me, because I could work at a distance. I have been working with my supervisor for several years and I chose not to attend certain events despite him preferring that I should go. He can't force you to go. I'd explain him vaguely that you have a medical condition that is difficult to manage if you're away from home in a group retreat. Anyways, you're almost done with your PhD. What can he do if you decide that you won't attend?
RESPONSE B: So sorry you’re going through this. I’m a PhD candidate with IBS and anxiety, too, and I have forced myself to work through flareups while doing fieldwork (it was a nightmare), meetings, etc and it’s rarely ever been worth it. Just call out sick; you’re allowed to be sick. Sometimes it feels like it isn’t a “real” excuse, I know, but 1) it is a real excuse and 2) you’re allowed to say no for any reason! A reasonable advisor will be fine with this. If you’re advisor is unreasonable, know that you’re allowed to set boundaries that make you feel/be safe and secure, and you are allowed and encouraged to enforce those boundaries regardless of how your PI feels! Your health comes first, always, and listening to and respecting your body makes you a better you and a better scientist. Sending lots of positive vibes your way!
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A | POST: in the lab, but this might be the worst so far.
RESPONSE A: 1. Neither the side-stepping of the committee or the 'downgrade' of your defense is the real problem. Quit focusing on this and all the procedural logistics. YOU are not ready to defend, it is clear. 2. **You have a much bigger problem**, your committee disagrees with your methods. This is a show stopper. My advice (20+ years of post my defense) is for you to humbly go to that meeting on Friday, take notes like your life depended on it and do exactly whatever the heck they want you to do, exactly the way they want you to do it. First, because when a committee comprised of faculty agrees you have a problem (faculty rarely agrees on anything), then most likely you do have a very serious problem, and you need to come to terms that you do not know better. Second, by fighting them on this, expect being scrutinized in every other chapter -- when you don't listen, or not following their advice, they do not trust you. **Your goal is to defend and graduate.** It is not the time to argue with your committee or try to prove them wrong. It is time to listen to their advice and get help solving your problem. 3. If you are so sure you are right or know better, you are welcome to devise or use whatever you think are the right methods in future peer review articles. Then you can have your disagreements with the unknown reviewers. Not now. 4. Having to fight to get a defense date of having difficulty getting the committee to be available on a specific date and place is a notorious issue since the beginning of time. Eventually, it will happen, it always does, nobody failed to get their PhD because they could not schedule the committee. 5. What has happened to others in the program or with the advisor is not your problem. Focus on your work. History and academic politics are a distraction.
RESPONSE B: You know nobody (including most committee members) actually ever reads your dissertation? Just change Chapter 3 to whatever your PI wants, defend, get the fuck out and move on with your life. All this drama over something that nobody ever will do anything with isn't worth it.
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B | POST: , two MS) all had to fight to get a defense date, and the case of one PhD, they were forced to pay out of pocket after their funding ran out and PI refused to pay from grant. There's general knowledge that having difficult graduations is a pattern in the lab, but this might be the worst so far.
RESPONSE A: You know nobody (including most committee members) actually ever reads your dissertation? Just change Chapter 3 to whatever your PI wants, defend, get the fuck out and move on with your life. All this drama over something that nobody ever will do anything with isn't worth it.
RESPONSE B: I've read your comments and I agree that you are in a rough place and that your PI is causing major and maybe unnecessary pains. However, you really should have never scheduled a defense without the PI explicitly signing off. Not responding is not the same as agreeing. You need to use this meeting with your committee to get them to agree to exactly what needs to be done to finish. Don't leave the meeting with "you're a scientist, figure it out", but instead propose X, Y, and Z and that if you complete this, the committee agrees that you can defend. Let the other professors put the pressure on your PI during the meeting. You can also brainstorm with them. Tell them exactly what your problem is and say these are your thoughts but you would appreciate hearing their thoughts as well. Take charge of the meeting just like you are a PI running a lab meeting looking for input from collaborators. As for funding, this is where you go to the grad director or chair and ask what is possible. Maybe there is a TA position they can throw you in to cover the extra semester. If they know there is a history of this with your PI, they may be sympathetic. Don't complain about the PI, just lay out here is what is going on and this was the result of our committee meeting. My last year of grad school, I almost got farmed out to do statistical analysis at a campus research institute because our chair knew they needed someone and the department didn't initially have funding for me. I ended up not doing it, but it was a creative solution he offered me.
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B | POST: salary. I just thought I had to get a PhD because that's "what everyone does". Looking forward, I think I'd be much happier back at a 9-5, making enough money to save a little each month and invest, getting official paid vacation, etc. My program is kind of stingy about mastering out, so I doubt I'd be able to leave with a masters, but I still feel so much relief when I think about quitting. Tl;DR: Has anyone quit a PhD and not regretted it? How did you go about finding a job, and when did you tell your supervisor and your peers? The biggest things I'm worried about are 1) hurting/disappointing my supervisor and feeling like I utterly wasted her time and funding 2) being judged by my peers 3) not being able to find a job without listing my supervisor as a reference. 4) regretting the decision several years from now. TY in advance!!
RESPONSE A: I tell you the harsh thing I tell everyone; you do not owe your supervisor anything. This is a job and changes like people quitting because they are unhappy is part of the deal. Believe me if the positions would be reversed and your supervisor would think about firing you he likely would not think twice either. The Pi will soon find someone else the world is full of candidates.The point is academia is not for everyone for all the different reasons. You do not have to burn may bridges explain your PI what is going on , if he is just a quarter a good PI he will understand and you can still list him as reference. Also no one should care About what others think. If not you do not you have already worked in industry having them as reference is much more valuable if you try to go back to industry. Finally do not think about things that might or might not happen in the future. Now is important and if you are unhappy can make that change do that. Good luck
RESPONSE B: You said you were in industry for a couple of years before and were happy doing that, which is great because it means you have some experience and can jump back in. You haven't failed and don't need a PhD to be successful in life.
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A | POST: /personal? Do you get atheists that just blag their way in? Are there things you can and can't teach?
RESPONSE A: I attend a Christian college in the U.S. We have required chapel attendance, must submit weekly logs of religious activity, and religion is part of most classes in some facet. The first question on my biology test was to recite a specific bible verse. Most teachers say prayer before class, 50/50 chance at a ten minute devotional too depending on the teacher. There are some overbearing rules which seem unreasonable to me to place on people, especially adults. I am not a religious person in any capacity, and am here for a specific program. I've had to modify assignments to be able to complete them in some courses because being religious is so heavily assumed. I had no idea schools could be like this, and I would not have come here had I known.
RESPONSE B: > a country that doesn't really take religion seriously I meaaaaan, I wouldn't call the UK that. I think you're comparing a country that only has public universities (that are therefore compelled to be formally secular, and yet you encounter religious paraphernalia and ritual at say Oxbridge all the time) to a country with a robust private university showing, where you not only can get religious universities (which aren't always Christian - there are Jewish universities, Buddhist universities that I know of), but other weird stuff like universities that only admit women, universities that fall in a particular space in the political spectrum, etc. > Is it like any other uni and the religious stuff is just tradition nobody takes seriously or keeps in the background/personal? It depends. Religious university mandate some amount of liturgy for all faculty and students, which may be as inobtrusive as a benediction at the start of term or as obtrusive as a requirement to attend church every day, and usually have religion-based bylaws (e.g. student health services at Georgetown can't prescribe birth control because it's against the religion). If you're looking for a comparison, it's a similar spectrum to public school in the UK.
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B | POST: What are faith/religious based universities in the US actually like? Before I landed my current position here in the UK I was investigating Tenure track jobs (biology/neuroscience) in the US and I was suprised that some seemed like very hardcore religious institutes. Applications requiring written recommendations from local pastors and other religious figureheads, personal statements on faith. This just seems absolutely wild to someone from a country that doesn't really take religion seriously, particularly as these are biology-based positions. Does anyone here work there? Is it like any other uni and the religious stuff is just tradition nobody takes seriously or keeps in the background/personal? Do you get atheists that just blag their way in? Are there things you can and can't teach?
RESPONSE A: The biggest regret I have in regard to my education was going to a religious university for a Ph.D. The school only hired faculty from their graduate pool, pushed their own journal to publish to, and we're not open to new ideas within the field. Each school is probably different.
RESPONSE B: I attend a Christian college in the U.S. We have required chapel attendance, must submit weekly logs of religious activity, and religion is part of most classes in some facet. The first question on my biology test was to recite a specific bible verse. Most teachers say prayer before class, 50/50 chance at a ten minute devotional too depending on the teacher. There are some overbearing rules which seem unreasonable to me to place on people, especially adults. I am not a religious person in any capacity, and am here for a specific program. I've had to modify assignments to be able to complete them in some courses because being religious is so heavily assumed. I had no idea schools could be like this, and I would not have come here had I known.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: based universities in the US actually like? Before I landed my current position here in the UK I was investigating Tenure track jobs (biology/neuroscience) in the US and I was suprised that some seemed like very hardcore religious institutes. Applications requiring written recommendations from local pastors and other religious figureheads, personal statements on faith. This just seems absolutely wild to someone from a country that doesn't really take religion seriously, particularly as these are biology-based positions. Does anyone here work there? Is it like any other uni and the religious stuff is just tradition nobody takes seriously or keeps in the background/personal? Do you get atheists that just blag their way in? Are there things you can and can't teach?
RESPONSE A: I went to a fairly religious institution for my for my undergrad that had chapel requirements and statement of faith in addition to various faith/religion-focused campus events. There might be a spectrum but my science classes during my undergrad were not remarkably different from my grad courses at a typical R1 public university. In fact, the number of professors uncomfortably accosting me with their religious beliefs during class was higher in grad school (one) than in my undergrad (zero). Overall, I would say that the religiosity of my undergrad was more the flavor of CS Lewis where philosophy, religion, and the other humanities were components of one's worldview.
RESPONSE B: I attend a Christian college in the U.S. We have required chapel attendance, must submit weekly logs of religious activity, and religion is part of most classes in some facet. The first question on my biology test was to recite a specific bible verse. Most teachers say prayer before class, 50/50 chance at a ten minute devotional too depending on the teacher. There are some overbearing rules which seem unreasonable to me to place on people, especially adults. I am not a religious person in any capacity, and am here for a specific program. I've had to modify assignments to be able to complete them in some courses because being religious is so heavily assumed. I had no idea schools could be like this, and I would not have come here had I known.
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B | POST: Is it just me or does everything go really slowly in academia?
RESPONSE A: I wouldn't say so, in general, but can you please provide some context?
RESPONSE B: I started at my current school in 2004, and felt at the time that our three course sequence required a major revision, with course 2 being swapped with course 3, to match what other courses did. I finally convinced our sister department which uses the courses in Fall 2018. My department finally agreed in principle in Spring 2019. The paperwork/governance finally went through in Fall 2019. And we're going to roll out the changes starting Fall 2020 so that the last of the three courses will be updated in Summer 2021. So yeah, I'd agree.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Is it just me or does everything go really slowly in academia?
RESPONSE A: I started at my current school in 2004, and felt at the time that our three course sequence required a major revision, with course 2 being swapped with course 3, to match what other courses did. I finally convinced our sister department which uses the courses in Fall 2018. My department finally agreed in principle in Spring 2019. The paperwork/governance finally went through in Fall 2019. And we're going to roll out the changes starting Fall 2020 so that the last of the three courses will be updated in Summer 2021. So yeah, I'd agree.
RESPONSE B: Yes. Nothing moves at the speed of a for profit business. Everyone only works regular business hours and acts like a pre-Internet speed of communication is reasonable.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Is it just me or does everything go really slowly in academia?
RESPONSE A: There's a saying in academia I've heard repeated by many different people at various institutions: **Nothing ever gets done as quickly as you want it to - if you plan to get a project done by a certain time, expect it to be done maybe 2 months later, sometimes more.** I personally think it's because in academia, there are so many variables to consider. * Professors have several projects running at once, with various collaborators, PhD and master's students, outreach activities etc. * Every September, professors and postdocs begin a several-month period of being under a ton of pressure while writing various grant applications, meaning PhD students and research assistants are relatively neglected and any issues become more stressful for them (at least for fear of hassling their supervisors!) * Projects often rely on collaborators, all of whom have their own issues with data access and sometimes quite excessive feedback and delays in communication. * Projects also rely in part on the work of PhD students, who are under a lot of pressure, fighting impostor syndrome while at the beginning of their careers, constantly learning new skills while being expected to produce and present results to higher-up faculty. * People are underpaid for what most people would consider to be very meticulous and mentally strenuous work (not the kind in admin/service industry work where most of the day can often be spent being paid for basically doing nothing!) * Job security isn't the greatest for non-faculty academics. * Above all else, we are all expected to ensure that our work is reliable, replicable etc. - not that it produces a quick profit. There is no endless influx of customers - just the expectation that we justify our funding with results of some kind. Everyone is trying to show that they're doing enough, and in the right way, and trying to make a name for themselves while being diligent and careful. This can create some very high pressure environments.
RESPONSE B: I wouldn't say so, in general, but can you please provide some context?
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Is it just me or does everything go really slowly in academia?
RESPONSE A: There's a saying in academia I've heard repeated by many different people at various institutions: **Nothing ever gets done as quickly as you want it to - if you plan to get a project done by a certain time, expect it to be done maybe 2 months later, sometimes more.** I personally think it's because in academia, there are so many variables to consider. * Professors have several projects running at once, with various collaborators, PhD and master's students, outreach activities etc. * Every September, professors and postdocs begin a several-month period of being under a ton of pressure while writing various grant applications, meaning PhD students and research assistants are relatively neglected and any issues become more stressful for them (at least for fear of hassling their supervisors!) * Projects often rely on collaborators, all of whom have their own issues with data access and sometimes quite excessive feedback and delays in communication. * Projects also rely in part on the work of PhD students, who are under a lot of pressure, fighting impostor syndrome while at the beginning of their careers, constantly learning new skills while being expected to produce and present results to higher-up faculty. * People are underpaid for what most people would consider to be very meticulous and mentally strenuous work (not the kind in admin/service industry work where most of the day can often be spent being paid for basically doing nothing!) * Job security isn't the greatest for non-faculty academics. * Above all else, we are all expected to ensure that our work is reliable, replicable etc. - not that it produces a quick profit. There is no endless influx of customers - just the expectation that we justify our funding with results of some kind. Everyone is trying to show that they're doing enough, and in the right way, and trying to make a name for themselves while being diligent and careful. This can create some very high pressure environments.
RESPONSE B: Yes. Nothing moves at the speed of a for profit business. Everyone only works regular business hours and acts like a pre-Internet speed of communication is reasonable.
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B | POST: Is it just me or does everything go really slowly in academia?
RESPONSE A: I wouldn't say so, in general, but can you please provide some context?
RESPONSE B: I've worked in government before too and it's just as bad as academia. I think this is a pretty common phenomenon. Things do go a bit quicker in industry just because there is less 'red tape'. Government and academia both rely on funding from the government/are just in general very bureaucratic.
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A | POST: How common is it for people not to publish academic research because it didn't come to the wanted conclusion? How common is it for people not to publish academic research because it didn't come to the wanted conclusion?
RESPONSE A: Look up "positive publication bias". There is a strong incentive to publish only positive and novel results, which is distorts the true reality of research: many experiments "fail" and many experiments are confirmatory. This is a problem as then almost any positive result is spun to be hugely important despite a flawed experimental design which makes it highly likely to be spurious.
RESPONSE B: If the hypotheses are rejected, that's not a barrier to publication. But I'm afraid it's very hard to publish null effects, because there's a lot of ways you can screw up to get null effects in an experiment when a true effect does exist in nature. "Wanted conclusion" doesn't make sense to me for STEM, so I'm assuming OP meant a hypothesis.
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B | POST: How common is it for people not to publish academic research because it didn't come to the wanted conclusion? How common is it for people not to publish academic research because it didn't come to the wanted conclusion?
RESPONSE A: In some areas like theoretical particle physics this is the norm: ideas are relatively easy to have, but ideas that actually work to some extent are rare, and lots of ideas that fail are simply discarded and not published. This is frustrating because sometimes multiple people have the same idea because it seems like a good one but doesn’t work for some nonobvious reason which they all discover only later, which becomes a waste of time.
RESPONSE B: Look up "positive publication bias". There is a strong incentive to publish only positive and novel results, which is distorts the true reality of research: many experiments "fail" and many experiments are confirmatory. This is a problem as then almost any positive result is spun to be hugely important despite a flawed experimental design which makes it highly likely to be spurious.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: How common is it for people not to publish academic research because it didn't come to the wanted conclusion? How common is it for people not to publish academic research because it didn't come to the wanted conclusion?
RESPONSE A: It's far more common than publishing research that does come to the wanted conclusion. Most journals won't seriously consider research that doesn't "work" unless it's something like a "registered report". I suppose this varies from field to field, but it seems to be the norm, even after all these years post-replication crisis.
RESPONSE B: Look up "positive publication bias". There is a strong incentive to publish only positive and novel results, which is distorts the true reality of research: many experiments "fail" and many experiments are confirmatory. This is a problem as then almost any positive result is spun to be hugely important despite a flawed experimental design which makes it highly likely to be spurious.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: How common is it for people not to publish academic research because it didn't come to the wanted conclusion? How common is it for people not to publish academic research because it didn't come to the wanted conclusion?
RESPONSE A: Look up "positive publication bias". There is a strong incentive to publish only positive and novel results, which is distorts the true reality of research: many experiments "fail" and many experiments are confirmatory. This is a problem as then almost any positive result is spun to be hugely important despite a flawed experimental design which makes it highly likely to be spurious.
RESPONSE B: Very rare. Most professors: 1. are subject to compulsory publication--they need to publish a certain number of papers regularly, especially leading up to their tenure review; 2. earn their esteem, standing in the field, grants, and therefore job offers/raises/etc. from high-impact publications (among other things). So they'll almost always benefit from publishing a paper, even if it contradicts their hypotheses. What's more often is that, when someone's findings contradict their hypotheses, the paper won't offer anything novel so journals won't publish it. If I'm working on a particular hypothesis and get a null result, there may be no new information offered by the study. No journal will publish a study concluding "Eh ... maybe, maybe not." That doesn't mean null results are never published. If I say "Everyone thinks X, so I tried to quantify X, and I found no significance to it," that could be important novel information. But apart from sloppy writing/scholarship, a null result is the most common reason a paper with an unwanted result wouldn't be published.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: How common is it for people not to publish academic research because it didn't come to the wanted conclusion? How common is it for people not to publish academic research because it didn't come to the wanted conclusion?
RESPONSE A: If the hypotheses are rejected, that's not a barrier to publication. But I'm afraid it's very hard to publish null effects, because there's a lot of ways you can screw up to get null effects in an experiment when a true effect does exist in nature. "Wanted conclusion" doesn't make sense to me for STEM, so I'm assuming OP meant a hypothesis.
RESPONSE B: It's far more common than publishing research that does come to the wanted conclusion. Most journals won't seriously consider research that doesn't "work" unless it's something like a "registered report". I suppose this varies from field to field, but it seems to be the norm, even after all these years post-replication crisis.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: like I needed to talk to someone about this, but I also didn't know who would that person be. I am a Ph.D. student, it's my 3rd year now and I haven't achieved much, to be honest. I really don't know why my procrastination skills are so high. right now I just feel lost and confused, I don't feel like I am what a Ph.D. student would be. I lowkey started thinking about quitting. like I wanna do research and everything, but not like this. it should be on my own terms I guess. what do you think I should do? I lack motivation, and I feel blocked. and speaking of blocking, I know I wanna do something big with my life but can't figure out what. dude, I really need some guidance. I am always stressed for whatever unknown reason. Please help.
RESPONSE A: > I know I wanna do something big with my life but can't figure out what No matter how grandiose we pretend it is, most of us scientists are not going to make any uniquely amazing discoveries. Almost all papers, even science/nature ones, are incremental. Anyone who says otherwise is deluding themselves, which we're taught to do to publish and get grants. I write this because I think many of us struggle because we feel our work is incremental and that it shouldn't be. We also look at others (who are usually just better at sales) who appear to be geniuses and mistakenly compare their salespersonship with our actual understanding of our data. We don't want to be mediocre so we stall. But its all incremental. I find being humble about the scope of our likely scientific contribution can help with this form of blockage when I've had it.
RESPONSE B: 3rd year dunks aren’t uncommon. As others have said going to therapy might help. Otherwise, Find tasks that are productive but easy. For the lit review maybe just read a bit then write one sentence summarizing what you read. Pull it from the abstract. Do that a few times then combine the sentences. Productivity breeds productivity, so sometimes just getting started, no matter how tiny the step is, helps.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: person be. I am a Ph.D. student, it's my 3rd year now and I haven't achieved much, to be honest. I really don't know why my procrastination skills are so high. right now I just feel lost and confused, I don't feel like I am what a Ph.D. student would be. I lowkey started thinking about quitting. like I wanna do research and everything, but not like this. it should be on my own terms I guess. what do you think I should do? I lack motivation, and I feel blocked. and speaking of blocking, I know I wanna do something big with my life but can't figure out what. dude, I really need some guidance. I am always stressed for whatever unknown reason. Please help.
RESPONSE A: This might sound overly simplistic but it's had value within my circles and it's been true of everyone I know that's had similar issues you've described: Find a hobby or interest that's not even remotely associated with your work. Carve out time exclusively for that. Minimum 10 hours/wk. Reassess after a few months. Work life balance is absolutely vital and can destroy the human psyche. We're not machines and our minds rebel when we try to act like something we're not.
RESPONSE B: > I know I wanna do something big with my life but can't figure out what No matter how grandiose we pretend it is, most of us scientists are not going to make any uniquely amazing discoveries. Almost all papers, even science/nature ones, are incremental. Anyone who says otherwise is deluding themselves, which we're taught to do to publish and get grants. I write this because I think many of us struggle because we feel our work is incremental and that it shouldn't be. We also look at others (who are usually just better at sales) who appear to be geniuses and mistakenly compare their salespersonship with our actual understanding of our data. We don't want to be mediocre so we stall. But its all incremental. I find being humble about the scope of our likely scientific contribution can help with this form of blockage when I've had it.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Ugh... Hello so, I feel like I needed to talk to someone about this, but I also didn't know who would that person be. I am a Ph.D. student, it's my 3rd year now and I haven't achieved much, to be honest. I really don't know why my procrastination skills are so high. right now I just feel lost and confused, I don't feel like I am what a Ph.D. student would be. I lowkey started thinking about quitting. like I wanna do research and everything, but not like this. it should be on my own terms I guess. what do you think I should do? I lack motivation, and I feel blocked. and speaking of blocking, I know I wanna do something big with my life but can't figure out what. dude, I really need some guidance. I am always stressed for whatever unknown reason. Please help.
RESPONSE A: > I know I wanna do something big with my life but can't figure out what No matter how grandiose we pretend it is, most of us scientists are not going to make any uniquely amazing discoveries. Almost all papers, even science/nature ones, are incremental. Anyone who says otherwise is deluding themselves, which we're taught to do to publish and get grants. I write this because I think many of us struggle because we feel our work is incremental and that it shouldn't be. We also look at others (who are usually just better at sales) who appear to be geniuses and mistakenly compare their salespersonship with our actual understanding of our data. We don't want to be mediocre so we stall. But its all incremental. I find being humble about the scope of our likely scientific contribution can help with this form of blockage when I've had it.
RESPONSE B: You're verging on burnout at this rate. I'd suggest to stop thinking about all this stuff for now and focus on yourself. Do some exercise. Work on some hobbies. And *then* carve out some dedicated time for research.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: everything, but not like this. it should be on my own terms I guess. what do you think I should do? I lack motivation, and I feel blocked. and speaking of blocking, I know I wanna do something big with my life but can't figure out what. dude, I really need some guidance. I am always stressed for whatever unknown reason. Please help.
RESPONSE A: > I know I wanna do something big with my life but can't figure out what No matter how grandiose we pretend it is, most of us scientists are not going to make any uniquely amazing discoveries. Almost all papers, even science/nature ones, are incremental. Anyone who says otherwise is deluding themselves, which we're taught to do to publish and get grants. I write this because I think many of us struggle because we feel our work is incremental and that it shouldn't be. We also look at others (who are usually just better at sales) who appear to be geniuses and mistakenly compare their salespersonship with our actual understanding of our data. We don't want to be mediocre so we stall. But its all incremental. I find being humble about the scope of our likely scientific contribution can help with this form of blockage when I've had it.
RESPONSE B: I'm not sure what field you're in, but in my neighborhood (social sciences/humanities), it's pretty unusual to publish in your first few years. Most people don't until after they've done their own big research. Don't beat yourself up about it! The advice about getting evaluated for mental health stuff is good, but I also want to add it's totally normal not to feel 100% excited and invested all the time. I don't know of a single person who retained full, unflagging enthusiasm for the entire 5-7 year period. There are parts that are frustrating, and there are parts that are boring, and your feelings about it will fluctuate. & I think this is probably true of any kind of long term project, in academia or in industry or in personal life. If it's truly making you miserable, of course there's nothing wrong with deciding that it's not for you, but sometimes you gotta just keep chipping away at it.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Ugh... Hello so, I feel like I needed to talk to someone about this, but I also didn't know who would that person be. I am a Ph.D. student, it's my 3rd year now and I haven't achieved much, to be honest. I really don't know why my procrastination skills are so high. right now I just feel lost and confused, I don't feel like I am what a Ph.D. student would be. I lowkey started thinking about quitting. like I wanna do research and everything, but not like this. it should be on my own terms I guess. what do you think I should do? I lack motivation, and I feel blocked. and speaking of blocking, I know I wanna do something big with my life but can't figure out what. dude, I really need some guidance. I am always stressed for whatever unknown reason. Please help.
RESPONSE A: > I know I wanna do something big with my life but can't figure out what No matter how grandiose we pretend it is, most of us scientists are not going to make any uniquely amazing discoveries. Almost all papers, even science/nature ones, are incremental. Anyone who says otherwise is deluding themselves, which we're taught to do to publish and get grants. I write this because I think many of us struggle because we feel our work is incremental and that it shouldn't be. We also look at others (who are usually just better at sales) who appear to be geniuses and mistakenly compare their salespersonship with our actual understanding of our data. We don't want to be mediocre so we stall. But its all incremental. I find being humble about the scope of our likely scientific contribution can help with this form of blockage when I've had it.
RESPONSE B: Are you working on projects that you feel passionate about? Or are you simply working on projects assigned to you by your advisor?
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Ethical problem in writing papers I have a problem I don't know how to deal with. Is it ethical that my professor takes my draft of my paper and rewrite it when he finds it needs improvements and makes himself the first author? Isn't he supposed to guide me through the writing process? If he is right, please explain why? And if he isn't, please tell me what should I do.
RESPONSE A: Before this can be answered here are some crucial questions: -are you an undergrad, a Masters student, or a PhD student? -how are you funded? Or have you been "just paid to do the work"? -You said "my professor". Is this professor the PI of the lab you are doing your PhD thesis in, or are you just working for him? -who will be the last author in the constellation with "your professor" as a first author?
RESPONSE B: I had some of my papers almost entirely rewritten by my then supervisor, cuz I used to be a shit writer. Even then, I was the first author. It is almost always the case that PI is the last author. There are exceptions to this, such as: the PI actually did most of the work in the project and you assisted OR PI did all the writing from scratch, you are not a part of the his group anymore, and you only assisted in editing.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Ethical problem in writing papers I have a problem I don't know how to deal with. Is it ethical that my professor takes my draft of my paper and rewrite it when he finds it needs improvements and makes himself the first author? Isn't he supposed to guide me through the writing process? If he is right, please explain why? And if he isn't, please tell me what should I do.
RESPONSE A: Before this can be answered here are some crucial questions: -are you an undergrad, a Masters student, or a PhD student? -how are you funded? Or have you been "just paid to do the work"? -You said "my professor". Is this professor the PI of the lab you are doing your PhD thesis in, or are you just working for him? -who will be the last author in the constellation with "your professor" as a first author?
RESPONSE B: >And if he isn't, please tell me what should I do. Do you have a good relationship with your advisor? It feels like the first step is to talk to them about it and make sure they know you are committed to completing the paper as the lead. I would also wonder about asking someone else (e.g., a postdoc) to come in to help with writing if writing quality as a legitimate issue-- basically, removing some of the burden on your advisor so it's less of their time and work.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Ethical problem in writing papers I have a problem I don't know how to deal with. Is it ethical that my professor takes my draft of my paper and rewrite it when he finds it needs improvements and makes himself the first author? Isn't he supposed to guide me through the writing process? If he is right, please explain why? And if he isn't, please tell me what should I do.
RESPONSE A: If they're first, can you be last author? Could work to your advantage...
RESPONSE B: Before this can be answered here are some crucial questions: -are you an undergrad, a Masters student, or a PhD student? -how are you funded? Or have you been "just paid to do the work"? -You said "my professor". Is this professor the PI of the lab you are doing your PhD thesis in, or are you just working for him? -who will be the last author in the constellation with "your professor" as a first author?
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Ethical problem in writing papers I have a problem I don't know how to deal with. Is it ethical that my professor takes my draft of my paper and rewrite it when he finds it needs improvements and makes himself the first author? Isn't he supposed to guide me through the writing process? If he is right, please explain why? And if he isn't, please tell me what should I do.
RESPONSE A: Before this can be answered here are some crucial questions: -are you an undergrad, a Masters student, or a PhD student? -how are you funded? Or have you been "just paid to do the work"? -You said "my professor". Is this professor the PI of the lab you are doing your PhD thesis in, or are you just working for him? -who will be the last author in the constellation with "your professor" as a first author?
RESPONSE B: No, not right. Being guided by only the information you provided, that is unethical. All PhD training is different but for every project I was on we actually had a firm discussion early on about author order and then if it ever changed another discussion before anything was finalized.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Ethical problem in writing papers I have a problem I don't know how to deal with. Is it ethical that my professor takes my draft of my paper and rewrite it when he finds it needs improvements and makes himself the first author? Isn't he supposed to guide me through the writing process? If he is right, please explain why? And if he isn't, please tell me what should I do.
RESPONSE A: I had some of my papers almost entirely rewritten by my then supervisor, cuz I used to be a shit writer. Even then, I was the first author. It is almost always the case that PI is the last author. There are exceptions to this, such as: the PI actually did most of the work in the project and you assisted OR PI did all the writing from scratch, you are not a part of the his group anymore, and you only assisted in editing.
RESPONSE B: If they're first, can you be last author? Could work to your advantage...
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: that I genuninely wanted to do when I first started graduate school about a decade ago. But I think I tried, hard, to be that. I've been thinking about applying for FAS positions, and I think I could be good at it. I think I'm interested in the commercial and sales aspects of biotech, and I'm still interested in science in general, just not necessarily in the actual day to day making it work kind of way. I know it's not bad per se, but I feel so bad, like I've failed all my mentors throughout grad school who wouldn't want this path for me. I also worry that people would look down on me? Like again, I think it's in my head, but even though I could possibly attempt to rebrand myself as a data scientist or something, I feel like I just don't have the drive, and for some reason that really gets at my identity as a smart problem solver. did anyone else face a crisis in identity as they contemplate leaving academia? How did you resolve it? It's like a big scary chasm outside of academia and I feel like I'll possibly be very bad at it, but it's also exciting and I could also be really good right?
RESPONSE A: There is a Facebook group called The Professor is Out that you might find helpful
RESPONSE B: I got into biology because I was good at it at school. No magical moment no exceptional drive to uncover the mystery of nature blah blah. I did my Bachelors and masters and did a PhD kind of because “ everyone did it” after PhD I stumbled across a posting for a postdoc with a quite interesting topic and did that and now work in industry. What I want to say with that it’s totally ok to treat research like an ordinary job. There is nothing special about it if you do not feel special about it and that is totally fine. Academia conditions you to believe that you “sacrifice for humanity” and that “basis research is the only true calling”. Do what you enjoy in the best way you like it. F*** everything else. It’s fair to change what you want to do in life and real friends will support you in that
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: ok, not everyone, but everyone at work is). I feel like kind of a failure for not wanting to be a scientist, something that I genuninely wanted to do when I first started graduate school about a decade ago. But I think I tried, hard, to be that. I've been thinking about applying for FAS positions, and I think I could be good at it. I think I'm interested in the commercial and sales aspects of biotech, and I'm still interested in science in general, just not necessarily in the actual day to day making it work kind of way. I know it's not bad per se, but I feel so bad, like I've failed all my mentors throughout grad school who wouldn't want this path for me. I also worry that people would look down on me? Like again, I think it's in my head, but even though I could possibly attempt to rebrand myself as a data scientist or something, I feel like I just don't have the drive, and for some reason that really gets at my identity as a smart problem solver. did anyone else face a crisis in identity as they contemplate leaving academia? How did you resolve it? It's like a big scary chasm outside of academia and I feel like I'll possibly be very bad at it, but it's also exciting and I could also be really good right?
RESPONSE A: I've seen a lot of people express similar feelings, for what it's worth. If it's helpful to hear from some rando: your brain has been *royally* fucked with to make you feel this way. It's your life we're talking about, how utterly mad is it to feel that guilt and shame for not spending it on one particular, and deeply criticizable, field like academia? It's a job. It's organizations with pointy-haired bosses making way-too-much money. The romantic ideal of it isn't the reality for most people. If you want to identify as smart, be smart enough to choose to do what you think will suit you best!
RESPONSE B: There is a Facebook group called The Professor is Out that you might find helpful
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: crisis in identity as they contemplate leaving academia? How did you resolve it? It's like a big scary chasm outside of academia and I feel like I'll possibly be very bad at it, but it's also exciting and I could also be really good right?
RESPONSE A: There is a Facebook group called The Professor is Out that you might find helpful
RESPONSE B: I have a sort-of similar dilemma. I'm in permanent postdoc mode at the moment ("research associate", aka postdoc with retirement benefits but still soft-money dependent). I get my work done, I rather enjoy some parts of it, but am relatively unhappy. Much of it, I think, is my lab. There have been some personnel shifts in the last few years and now the lab (get ready for my ageism) is full of gen Z-ers who never take their headphones off. *in my day* (to be read crustily), the lab was a place for banter and silliness and joking around. It was great. Maybe our experiments would fail, but at least we could all laugh about it together, and then troubleshoot as well. These days I may as well be the only person in the lab, even when there are 5-6 people there. If I try to start a conversation, the recipient has to take 10s to take off their headphones, which often also means de-gloving, and it just ends up not being worth it. I get it, I suppose, who wants to have banter with the 40yo dad when you're some 25yo schmuk? But man, it makes work life depressing. So I work from home most days, because I'm the main coder. Some days thats nice, others depressing. I think a change of pace would be a good thing for me. A very good thing. BUT BUT BUT. I have such flexibility in my job right now. Many days I am taking off early to cart kids around; I can take time to just learn; etc. What other job has that sort of flexibility? Not corporate industry. So what to do? I keep my head down, do my work, and try to shake off the work depression when I "go home" at 430 or 5.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: a manager of Scholarly Journal of [SUBJECT] (SJ[S]) sends invitation to eminently like you to help me in growth of my Journal. I know that you are getting hundreds of solicited email and got fed up with the invitations that you have got. > >But, please be in my position understand the problem I am facing as nowadays it is becoming very hard to get trust of authors. Trust me in my efforts, I will believe in you that you are the person who illuminate my hope for my journals future. > >Today I am leaving my desk in a small hope that tomorrow will be my turning point for me, and my journal and I get novel article from you. Please help me in rejoicing this day. Dear lords, I'm pretty sure soon they're going to enclose picture of their family that only get fed if I turn in a 2-page opinion piece by Friday. Does this work on anyone? I understand they spam everyone - wouldn't it make sense to get one good version of the spam message and re-use it? How come in the whole universe of scam journals and conferences, not one has managed to write something halfway professional? Hell, can't they just lift it from a legitimate journal and just change the names, if they're that inept at the language?
RESPONSE A: scam journals actually mostly target people working in third-world countries who have an inferior command of English. In some cases the academic establishment in their area is so clueless that these scam publications count as real ones.
RESPONSE B: My favorite so far: >Greetings!! > >You are a pioneer with profound knowledge and we feel the immense pleasure in inviting you to attend our **“SCON World Convention on Waste Recycling and Reuse”** as a **Speaker** which is going to be held during **March 05-06, 2020** at **Tokyo, Japan.** > >To discuss the wonders in this field and holds the theme of **“Exploring Recent Trends on Waste Recycling and Reuse”** PROFOUND knowledge. IMMENSE pleasure. WONDERS in this field. WASTE RECYCLYING AND REUSE!!! I study higher education/ed policy.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: to eminently like you to help me in growth of my Journal. I know that you are getting hundreds of solicited email and got fed up with the invitations that you have got. > >But, please be in my position understand the problem I am facing as nowadays it is becoming very hard to get trust of authors. Trust me in my efforts, I will believe in you that you are the person who illuminate my hope for my journals future. > >Today I am leaving my desk in a small hope that tomorrow will be my turning point for me, and my journal and I get novel article from you. Please help me in rejoicing this day. Dear lords, I'm pretty sure soon they're going to enclose picture of their family that only get fed if I turn in a 2-page opinion piece by Friday. Does this work on anyone? I understand they spam everyone - wouldn't it make sense to get one good version of the spam message and re-use it? How come in the whole universe of scam journals and conferences, not one has managed to write something halfway professional? Hell, can't they just lift it from a legitimate journal and just change the names, if they're that inept at the language?
RESPONSE A: My favorite so far: >Greetings!! > >You are a pioneer with profound knowledge and we feel the immense pleasure in inviting you to attend our **“SCON World Convention on Waste Recycling and Reuse”** as a **Speaker** which is going to be held during **March 05-06, 2020** at **Tokyo, Japan.** > >To discuss the wonders in this field and holds the theme of **“Exploring Recent Trends on Waste Recycling and Reuse”** PROFOUND knowledge. IMMENSE pleasure. WONDERS in this field. WASTE RECYCLYING AND REUSE!!! I study higher education/ed policy.
RESPONSE B: Whenever people start off with “I hope I’m not disturbing you or wasting your time.” It’s like, “You are just by making me read that sentence about your passivity. What do you want?” And I’m probably going to judge the content of their message more negatively based on that.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: ]) sends invitation to eminently like you to help me in growth of my Journal. I know that you are getting hundreds of solicited email and got fed up with the invitations that you have got. > >But, please be in my position understand the problem I am facing as nowadays it is becoming very hard to get trust of authors. Trust me in my efforts, I will believe in you that you are the person who illuminate my hope for my journals future. > >Today I am leaving my desk in a small hope that tomorrow will be my turning point for me, and my journal and I get novel article from you. Please help me in rejoicing this day. Dear lords, I'm pretty sure soon they're going to enclose picture of their family that only get fed if I turn in a 2-page opinion piece by Friday. Does this work on anyone? I understand they spam everyone - wouldn't it make sense to get one good version of the spam message and re-use it? How come in the whole universe of scam journals and conferences, not one has managed to write something halfway professional? Hell, can't they just lift it from a legitimate journal and just change the names, if they're that inept at the language?
RESPONSE A: "It is important that your article has been accepted and publish in January 2020 issue. So, please transfer or deposit the publication fees immediately. If you like transfer the processing fees through western union; please use the following receiver name address..." Got this last month. Can confirm OP's statement!
RESPONSE B: My favorite so far: >Greetings!! > >You are a pioneer with profound knowledge and we feel the immense pleasure in inviting you to attend our **“SCON World Convention on Waste Recycling and Reuse”** as a **Speaker** which is going to be held during **March 05-06, 2020** at **Tokyo, Japan.** > >To discuss the wonders in this field and holds the theme of **“Exploring Recent Trends on Waste Recycling and Reuse”** PROFOUND knowledge. IMMENSE pleasure. WONDERS in this field. WASTE RECYCLYING AND REUSE!!! I study higher education/ed policy.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: help me in growth of my Journal. I know that you are getting hundreds of solicited email and got fed up with the invitations that you have got. > >But, please be in my position understand the problem I am facing as nowadays it is becoming very hard to get trust of authors. Trust me in my efforts, I will believe in you that you are the person who illuminate my hope for my journals future. > >Today I am leaving my desk in a small hope that tomorrow will be my turning point for me, and my journal and I get novel article from you. Please help me in rejoicing this day. Dear lords, I'm pretty sure soon they're going to enclose picture of their family that only get fed if I turn in a 2-page opinion piece by Friday. Does this work on anyone? I understand they spam everyone - wouldn't it make sense to get one good version of the spam message and re-use it? How come in the whole universe of scam journals and conferences, not one has managed to write something halfway professional? Hell, can't they just lift it from a legitimate journal and just change the names, if they're that inept at the language?
RESPONSE A: I don't agree with the filtering mechanism point. The primary audience for these journals are 3rd world researchers whose English is likely not great and have powers that be who don't know any better. They won't say no to a US or European researcher who happens to fall for it too, but that's not why those journals exist.
RESPONSE B: My favorite so far: >Greetings!! > >You are a pioneer with profound knowledge and we feel the immense pleasure in inviting you to attend our **“SCON World Convention on Waste Recycling and Reuse”** as a **Speaker** which is going to be held during **March 05-06, 2020** at **Tokyo, Japan.** > >To discuss the wonders in this field and holds the theme of **“Exploring Recent Trends on Waste Recycling and Reuse”** PROFOUND knowledge. IMMENSE pleasure. WONDERS in this field. WASTE RECYCLYING AND REUSE!!! I study higher education/ed policy.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: am not irritating you with my email. If yes sorry for the inconvenience caused by my end. > >I am [NAME] working as a manager of Scholarly Journal of [SUBJECT] (SJ[S]) sends invitation to eminently like you to help me in growth of my Journal. I know that you are getting hundreds of solicited email and got fed up with the invitations that you have got. > >But, please be in my position understand the problem I am facing as nowadays it is becoming very hard to get trust of authors. Trust me in my efforts, I will believe in you that you are the person who illuminate my hope for my journals future. > >Today I am leaving my desk in a small hope that tomorrow will be my turning point for me, and my journal and I get novel article from you. Please help me in rejoicing this day. Dear lords, I'm pretty sure soon they're going to enclose picture of their family that only get fed if I turn in a 2-page opinion piece by Friday. Does this work on anyone? I understand they spam everyone - wouldn't it make sense to get one good version of the spam message and re-use it? How come in the whole universe of scam journals and conferences, not one has managed to write something halfway professional? Hell, can't they just lift it from a legitimate journal and just change the names, if they're that inept at the language?
RESPONSE A: My favorite so far: >Greetings!! > >You are a pioneer with profound knowledge and we feel the immense pleasure in inviting you to attend our **“SCON World Convention on Waste Recycling and Reuse”** as a **Speaker** which is going to be held during **March 05-06, 2020** at **Tokyo, Japan.** > >To discuss the wonders in this field and holds the theme of **“Exploring Recent Trends on Waste Recycling and Reuse”** PROFOUND knowledge. IMMENSE pleasure. WONDERS in this field. WASTE RECYCLYING AND REUSE!!! I study higher education/ed policy.
RESPONSE B: Always good for a laugh, aren't they?
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B | POST: like. I've noticed the expected weekly work hours are 45hrs/week, so I assume it would mean being responsible for teaching a few classes per semester. I did a thesis based PhD in Health Sciences in Canada and have since been working in a hospital doing clinical research, but at times have considered a career change. For any professors who only teach and don't do research, can you provide some pros/cons and insight for this type of career?
RESPONSE A: I started at a CC that became a baccalaureate college, part of our state university system. I was an administrator the last 5 years so that changes all sorts of my work. But, the faculty are overwhelmingly tenured; we have only 2 lecturers in our department along with 22 tenured and TT faculty along with several adjuncts who usually teach the late afternoon classes. Classes are rarely taught at night anymore. We teach 95% MW and TTh, so the place is almost empty on Fridays. The same with middle to late afternoons. Promotions are based on the requirements: teaching, service and professional development (that can include research and publications but we have a number of full profs who've never published or presented). We make substantially less than our R1 and R2 peers but we also are in a small city so the cost of living is less than around the big institutions. I did research and published from the moment I landed on campus and by my third year I was able to get classes arranged to allow the blocks of time necessary to go to the zoo where I did my studies. My pubs and presentations were part of my professional development but I also had to demonstrate professional development in teaching. It was a great career and I didn't regret any of my 38 years there before I retired.
RESPONSE B: Pay is less (about 30% less in my field) and much less stability in terms of employment. Tenure is great if you can find it, but expect to just go from contract to contract instead. In my situation, much less administrative support (marking assistants, admin of virtually every kind, etc) and vastly worse pension. However, a lot more freedom to structure your courses however you want and nobody really cares if you are producing or not outside of class.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Should someone with an honorary doctorate be addressed as 'Dr.'? A thought I've had for a while that I'm interested in hearing other opinions about. Not meaning to start an argument over qualifications and contributions to their respective fields, just genuinely curious.
RESPONSE A: No, it's just a pat on the back universities give commencement speakers.
RESPONSE B: No. Generally they don't expect to be, either.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Should someone with an honorary doctorate be addressed as 'Dr.'? A thought I've had for a while that I'm interested in hearing other opinions about. Not meaning to start an argument over qualifications and contributions to their respective fields, just genuinely curious.
RESPONSE A: Not really, no. Being honorary means that the degree was conferred "without the usual requirements or functions," meaning it doesn't entail the status and title of an earned doctorate.
RESPONSE B: No, it's just a pat on the back universities give commencement speakers.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Should someone with an honorary doctorate be addressed as 'Dr.'? A thought I've had for a while that I'm interested in hearing other opinions about. Not meaning to start an argument over qualifications and contributions to their respective fields, just genuinely curious.
RESPONSE A: Not really, no. Being honorary means that the degree was conferred "without the usual requirements or functions," meaning it doesn't entail the status and title of an earned doctorate.
RESPONSE B: No.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Should someone with an honorary doctorate be addressed as 'Dr.'? A thought I've had for a while that I'm interested in hearing other opinions about. Not meaning to start an argument over qualifications and contributions to their respective fields, just genuinely curious.
RESPONSE A: I've fine with it on the day it's awarded since they're usually on campus in regalia to address faculty and students. After that no.
RESPONSE B: In my experience, generally only in conjunction with the University that granted the degree. For example, if they come back to the same school as a commencement speaker after being granted the honorary, they may be introduced with "Doctor" at the end of the introduction speech. Another example is in correspondence that the University sends to them hoping that they donate even more money in the future.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Should someone with an honorary doctorate be addressed as 'Dr.'? A thought I've had for a while that I'm interested in hearing other opinions about. Not meaning to start an argument over qualifications and contributions to their respective fields, just genuinely curious.
RESPONSE A: No.
RESPONSE B: I've fine with it on the day it's awarded since they're usually on campus in regalia to address faculty and students. After that no.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Universities from developing countries are renown abroad? Hey, People in my (developing) country highly praise the University of Buenos Aires, stating it is really important internationally, that we've won some Nobel prizes, as well as most of Argentinian presidents being former students from this institution. Also, it is said that when you are moving abroad it actually makes the difference to hold this name on your CV. I wanted to know if you have heard about the Universidad de Buenos Aires before, or any other in such countries (UNAM in Mexico, USP in Brazil, etc.) Thanks.
RESPONSE A: Hmm... I'm surprised by the answers on here. I did my PhD at a top-tier US university, and was privy to the admissions process during my postdoc there while I waited for a more permanent position. The faculty on the admissions panel were very aware of the top foreign universities from China, India, Lebanon, etc. While about a quarter of the Master's class typically comprised foreign students, more than half of the PhD cohort were foreign students, usually from developing countries. Every academic wants good PhD students. It was important for the admissions panel to know this information in order to be able to recruit the best.
RESPONSE B: I've heard of USP because my colleague studied there :) To be honest though the people telling you that UBA is going to help you in your career might still be right, even if UBA does not have layman prestige outside Argentina. Professional networks are much narrower and often do include developing country universities - or even specific advisers or research groups within a university - that are considered high quality, and belonging to such an institution will make it easier for you to advance in that specific profession, even if mentioning where you went to school doesn't make random people gasp. For example, there's a university in Italy (yes, I know that's not a developing country but example supports my general point) that is very well reputed among economists and that I'm pretty sure is virtually unknown outside the field.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Universities from developing countries are renown abroad? Hey, People in my (developing) country highly praise the University of Buenos Aires, stating it is really important internationally, that we've won some Nobel prizes, as well as most of Argentinian presidents being former students from this institution. Also, it is said that when you are moving abroad it actually makes the difference to hold this name on your CV. I wanted to know if you have heard about the Universidad de Buenos Aires before, or any other in such countries (UNAM in Mexico, USP in Brazil, etc.) Thanks.
RESPONSE A: Hmm... I'm surprised by the answers on here. I did my PhD at a top-tier US university, and was privy to the admissions process during my postdoc there while I waited for a more permanent position. The faculty on the admissions panel were very aware of the top foreign universities from China, India, Lebanon, etc. While about a quarter of the Master's class typically comprised foreign students, more than half of the PhD cohort were foreign students, usually from developing countries. Every academic wants good PhD students. It was important for the admissions panel to know this information in order to be able to recruit the best.
RESPONSE B: I am from the US and went to the UBA for grad school. Studied at the Facultad de filosofia y letras at the Puan site.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
A | POST: Universities from developing countries are renown abroad? Hey, People in my (developing) country highly praise the University of Buenos Aires, stating it is really important internationally, that we've won some Nobel prizes, as well as most of Argentinian presidents being former students from this institution. Also, it is said that when you are moving abroad it actually makes the difference to hold this name on your CV. I wanted to know if you have heard about the Universidad de Buenos Aires before, or any other in such countries (UNAM in Mexico, USP in Brazil, etc.) Thanks.
RESPONSE A: Not sure if this subreddit is for academics (PhD student myself), but I do "know" UNAM and USP. Have come across a few good papers on my field from there, hence the "know". That's pretty much the only interaction I have with other unis. Haven't seen one from Buenos Aires, might be luck or nobody working/publishing in my search area
RESPONSE B: I am from the US and went to the UBA for grad school. Studied at the Facultad de filosofia y letras at the Puan site.
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Universities from developing countries are renown abroad? Hey, People in my (developing) country highly praise the University of Buenos Aires, stating it is really important internationally, that we've won some Nobel prizes, as well as most of Argentinian presidents being former students from this institution. Also, it is said that when you are moving abroad it actually makes the difference to hold this name on your CV. I wanted to know if you have heard about the Universidad de Buenos Aires before, or any other in such countries (UNAM in Mexico, USP in Brazil, etc.) Thanks.
RESPONSE A: There’s a prof in my department (USA) who did undergrad and PhD there.
RESPONSE B: I've heard that the IITs in India are well known around the world. I'm an undergrad in India and the only thing I know about Brazilian universities is Feynman's description of their method of interviewing candidates in his book "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman"
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
B | POST: Universities from developing countries are renown abroad? Hey, People in my (developing) country highly praise the University of Buenos Aires, stating it is really important internationally, that we've won some Nobel prizes, as well as most of Argentinian presidents being former students from this institution. Also, it is said that when you are moving abroad it actually makes the difference to hold this name on your CV. I wanted to know if you have heard about the Universidad de Buenos Aires before, or any other in such countries (UNAM in Mexico, USP in Brazil, etc.) Thanks.
RESPONSE A: I am from the US and went to the UBA for grad school. Studied at the Facultad de filosofia y letras at the Puan site.
RESPONSE B: I've heard that the IITs in India are well known around the world. I'm an undergrad in India and the only thing I know about Brazilian universities is Feynman's description of their method of interviewing candidates in his book "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman"
Which response is better? RESPONSE |
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