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POST: Is it wrong that the response to reviewers is as long as the paper itself? Sitting here with my response to reviewers open and note that currently it is over 7000 words (that does include all their responses so I can answer them) and it occurred to me that to respond you are effectively writing another paper... Is it wrong that it is so long, or should it be cut down? Only the second time I have done this. Anyway, just thinking out loud whilst going through the ever painful revision process. Good luck to everyone else out there also going through this at the moment!
RESPONSE A: Working through a tedious one myself. Manuscript 11K words. Response currrently 4.8K. But there were pages and pages of comments. Just remember that you are not entering a discussion with the reviewers.
RESPONSE B: I don't think so, if your response it 7000 words and longer than your paper, it's a relatively short format journal, no?
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: Did I get rejected or semi-accepted..? I just received reviews back for my first paper (first author). I expected to either feel happy or sad after receiving reviews, but never anticipated confusion to be my primary emotion... I'm feeling pretty stupid about this, but I'm unsure whether we were rejected or not. The editor basically said that they "cannot accept the manuscript for publication" but would consider a revised version if it addresses the reviewer's "serious concerns". Is that a soft rejection? Or is this considered "accept with major revisions". Or is this in between the two..? For some reason I thought the options were to be accepted, accepted with minor revisions, accepted with major revisions, or rejected. Since those are the things you hear other people talking about. Do I fit into any of these categories or is this like not good enough for the "major revisions" category?
RESPONSE A: Early career researcher here, anything but a flat rejection I usually take as good news!
RESPONSE B: Journals have different designations for this decision, usually “revise and resubmit” or “reject and resubmit.” This is good news; few manuscripts (in my field at least) are accepted upon initial submission. Try to respond to the reviewers’ feedback and carefully document your revisions in your cover letter. Do all of that and you’ll have yourself an accepted manuscript.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: Did I get rejected or semi-accepted..? I just received reviews back for my first paper (first author). I expected to either feel happy or sad after receiving reviews, but never anticipated confusion to be my primary emotion... I'm feeling pretty stupid about this, but I'm unsure whether we were rejected or not. The editor basically said that they "cannot accept the manuscript for publication" but would consider a revised version if it addresses the reviewer's "serious concerns". Is that a soft rejection? Or is this considered "accept with major revisions". Or is this in between the two..? For some reason I thought the options were to be accepted, accepted with minor revisions, accepted with major revisions, or rejected. Since those are the things you hear other people talking about. Do I fit into any of these categories or is this like not good enough for the "major revisions" category?
RESPONSE A: They do this instead of major revisions at some journals because it makes their average review time look shorter. When you resubmit, the “days in review” resets to zero. If they asked for major revisions, the review time would bring up their average time and make their journal less attractive. Your result is essentially major revisions
RESPONSE B: Early career researcher here, anything but a flat rejection I usually take as good news!
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: Did I get rejected or semi-accepted..? I just received reviews back for my first paper (first author). I expected to either feel happy or sad after receiving reviews, but never anticipated confusion to be my primary emotion... I'm feeling pretty stupid about this, but I'm unsure whether we were rejected or not. The editor basically said that they "cannot accept the manuscript for publication" but would consider a revised version if it addresses the reviewer's "serious concerns". Is that a soft rejection? Or is this considered "accept with major revisions". Or is this in between the two..? For some reason I thought the options were to be accepted, accepted with minor revisions, accepted with major revisions, or rejected. Since those are the things you hear other people talking about. Do I fit into any of these categories or is this like not good enough for the "major revisions" category?
RESPONSE A: It is not rejected (yet). A rejection is more clear. They are suggesting to resubmit after major concerns are addressed. They will assess then (I assume the referee is uncertain about how much of a qualitative and quantitative change there will be on the revised version).
RESPONSE B: Early career researcher here, anything but a flat rejection I usually take as good news!
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: Did I get rejected or semi-accepted..? I just received reviews back for my first paper (first author). I expected to either feel happy or sad after receiving reviews, but never anticipated confusion to be my primary emotion... I'm feeling pretty stupid about this, but I'm unsure whether we were rejected or not. The editor basically said that they "cannot accept the manuscript for publication" but would consider a revised version if it addresses the reviewer's "serious concerns". Is that a soft rejection? Or is this considered "accept with major revisions". Or is this in between the two..? For some reason I thought the options were to be accepted, accepted with minor revisions, accepted with major revisions, or rejected. Since those are the things you hear other people talking about. Do I fit into any of these categories or is this like not good enough for the "major revisions" category?
RESPONSE A: Major revisions but without a deadline. I just finished working on a paper like that, our revisions took several months.
RESPONSE B: Early career researcher here, anything but a flat rejection I usually take as good news!
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: Did I get rejected or semi-accepted..? I just received reviews back for my first paper (first author). I expected to either feel happy or sad after receiving reviews, but never anticipated confusion to be my primary emotion... I'm feeling pretty stupid about this, but I'm unsure whether we were rejected or not. The editor basically said that they "cannot accept the manuscript for publication" but would consider a revised version if it addresses the reviewer's "serious concerns". Is that a soft rejection? Or is this considered "accept with major revisions". Or is this in between the two..? For some reason I thought the options were to be accepted, accepted with minor revisions, accepted with major revisions, or rejected. Since those are the things you hear other people talking about. Do I fit into any of these categories or is this like not good enough for the "major revisions" category?
RESPONSE A: Early career researcher here, anything but a flat rejection I usually take as good news!
RESPONSE B: If they said “cannot accept...” then that’s a rejection. However, it sounds like they’re still inviting you to revise and try again. So, if you’re able to address the major concerns, do that and resubmit. If for whatever reason you’re unable to address the concerns, you could try to identify a different journal and submit there instead. Good luck! =)
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: Research Papers accepted but not published Hi everyone. I'm applying for Masters in Computer Science in US Universities for Fall 2022. One of the key elements of my profile is the amount of research experience I have. However, none of my 3 papers have been published and this is making me super anxious as my deadlines are right around the corner. Paper 1: Accepted in conference, presented at conference, publication in 2022 Paper 2: Accepted in conference, presentation in 10 days, publication in 2022 Paper 3: Accepted in a journal, publication in 2022 I had a few questions: 1. Do papers that have been accepted but not published carry the same weight as papers that have been published? 2. How would I go about writing about accepted but unpublished papers in my CV/Resume? 3. Should I include a manuscript or something because my papers have not been published? Thank you :)
RESPONSE A: "In press" is the accepted term for accepted but not yet published. You absolutely include it in your CV with "in press" rather than the date. Some fields might use other terms like "forthcoming" but I've never seen that used in my field.
RESPONSE B: For accepted but not yet published, I use the language “Forthcoming, Enter Journal Name Here”.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: Do you celebrate when your papers get accepted? If so, how?
RESPONSE A: Everyone's decisions for the places I submit comes out at the same time, so sometimes I post to social media, sometimes I lay low for a few weeks. I find that waiting a few weeks and letting someone else brag for me helps in a field with high rejection rate all at the same time >.> I absolutely update my website and CV with the pre-print when it's ready, and when asked, I will tell people my paper got accepted. Personally, I do a lot of dancing and laughing at my desk.
RESPONSE B: Beer. In some multiple of the journal's impact factor.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: you feel like you know what you're doing? What do you think about "fake it 'til you make it"? I am nearing the dissertation + postdoc application stage. About halfway through grad school, around the time I published my first paper, I felt like a brilliant genius. I felt like my specific field was important and like I knew enough to be considered an expert. A few years and a few failed projects later, I feel mostly clueless. I have to get my shit together and finish grad school and get a job. Objectively I am in a good position, finishing on time from a strong program with a reputable adviser and better than average publication record. But most of the time I just feel like I have no clue what's going on. Is this normal? Or do you all feel like you mostly understand your field, what you're doing, where you're going, and what's important? Related to this, what do you think about the concept of "fake it 'til you make it"? I've gotten this advice before and it's hard for me to swallow. Have any of you ever faked it and fell on your face because of it? Or faked it and then really did make it?
RESPONSE A: Still faking it, still making it.
RESPONSE B: Welcome to the wonderful world of academic imposter syndrome! Googling around will give you a plethora of blog posts, tips, tricks, etc. to "conquer" it, but it'll probably always be that little voice of doubt in the back of your head. Some people don't like imposter syndrome as a thing and just chalk it up to nerves/inexperience, but in any case, you're having common feelings. It's up to you to really say if you're cut out for the work (or, more importantly, if you *want* to do the work), but in most cases Ph.D.++ level work can only really be done by those with the skills since publication/presentation is where the problems shine through. There's always edge cases and it depends on the field, as everything does, but that's been my experience.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: Is it worth it to be on a panel in a foreign country? I got invited to an interdisciplinary conference in Austria straight out of my undergrad. I'm wondering if the networking and having this to put on my CV is worth the $1000 plane ticket. If this may help me get into a better graduate school or secure a scholarship, I'd want to go but will it?
RESPONSE A: A genuine invitation to a conference is one where you are being asked to present your research, or be presented with an award for your research, and the associated fees may also be waived. If you have not published impactful important research yet, then this is not so much an invitation as a "hey, we're doing this thing, we'd like lots of people to come". And lots of these are bullshit events run by for-profit conference parasites. Proceed with extreme caution. If you have not published anything recently then there is almost certainly zero benefit in going to this thing. Ask yourself what the flight and accomodation and living costs would be. How much is the conference registration?
RESPONSE B: You need to ask a professor in your field. It is odd they would ask an undergrad unless you have some very specific expertise. There are many scam conferences and this has red flags.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: Is it worth it to be on a panel in a foreign country? I got invited to an interdisciplinary conference in Austria straight out of my undergrad. I'm wondering if the networking and having this to put on my CV is worth the $1000 plane ticket. If this may help me get into a better graduate school or secure a scholarship, I'd want to go but will it?
RESPONSE A: A genuine invitation to a conference is one where you are being asked to present your research, or be presented with an award for your research, and the associated fees may also be waived. If you have not published impactful important research yet, then this is not so much an invitation as a "hey, we're doing this thing, we'd like lots of people to come". And lots of these are bullshit events run by for-profit conference parasites. Proceed with extreme caution. If you have not published anything recently then there is almost certainly zero benefit in going to this thing. Ask yourself what the flight and accomodation and living costs would be. How much is the conference registration?
RESPONSE B: Find a travel grant and absolutely go and do this Edit: make sure it's a real conference though
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: Is it worth it to be on a panel in a foreign country? I got invited to an interdisciplinary conference in Austria straight out of my undergrad. I'm wondering if the networking and having this to put on my CV is worth the $1000 plane ticket. If this may help me get into a better graduate school or secure a scholarship, I'd want to go but will it?
RESPONSE A: If you cannot secure any grant, a middle ground solution would be to offer to give your paper remotely. Since the pandemic, it's been becoming more and more common and organisers have experience with hybrid conferences.
RESPONSE B: A genuine invitation to a conference is one where you are being asked to present your research, or be presented with an award for your research, and the associated fees may also be waived. If you have not published impactful important research yet, then this is not so much an invitation as a "hey, we're doing this thing, we'd like lots of people to come". And lots of these are bullshit events run by for-profit conference parasites. Proceed with extreme caution. If you have not published anything recently then there is almost certainly zero benefit in going to this thing. Ask yourself what the flight and accomodation and living costs would be. How much is the conference registration?
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: How to include solicited but not-yet-published academic articles on a resume/cv? I've been solicited by two editors to write articles for two academic publications. The drafts aren't due yet and the articles will undergo peer review, but as I was specifically *asked* to write these, it's fairly certain that they will be published. How should this be listed on a resume/cv that will be submitted prior to the completion of the articles? Is "in preparation" accurate? Is "forthcoming" the right amount of vague? Thanks.
RESPONSE A: Although legit journals do solicit papers, it is rare. Are you sure these are not predatory journals? I get multiple invitations to submit papers each week from various predatory journals, and in my entire research career (over 20 years), I've only had a handful of legitimate invitations for papers.
RESPONSE B: In the *very limited* case where you're a student with a skimpy CV that needs desperately padding, I would include "in prep" manuscripts **if** they're sufficiently advanced you are willing to send a draft to interested. It'll look like you're padding, because you will be, so I'd only do it's otherwise really empty. I'm also an astronomer, where listing submitted manuscripts is pretty normal because the acceptance rate is ~85%. Other fields may vary.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: How to include solicited but not-yet-published academic articles on a resume/cv? I've been solicited by two editors to write articles for two academic publications. The drafts aren't due yet and the articles will undergo peer review, but as I was specifically *asked* to write these, it's fairly certain that they will be published. How should this be listed on a resume/cv that will be submitted prior to the completion of the articles? Is "in preparation" accurate? Is "forthcoming" the right amount of vague? Thanks.
RESPONSE A: I wouldn't mention them - I always think people are trying to pull a fast one when they mention this sort of stuff. As u/pyrola_asarifolia if you try and puff out your CV with vapor it's not a good look.
RESPONSE B: Although legit journals do solicit papers, it is rare. Are you sure these are not predatory journals? I get multiple invitations to submit papers each week from various predatory journals, and in my entire research career (over 20 years), I've only had a handful of legitimate invitations for papers.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: How to include solicited but not-yet-published academic articles on a resume/cv? I've been solicited by two editors to write articles for two academic publications. The drafts aren't due yet and the articles will undergo peer review, but as I was specifically *asked* to write these, it's fairly certain that they will be published. How should this be listed on a resume/cv that will be submitted prior to the completion of the articles? Is "in preparation" accurate? Is "forthcoming" the right amount of vague? Thanks.
RESPONSE A: Although legit journals do solicit papers, it is rare. Are you sure these are not predatory journals? I get multiple invitations to submit papers each week from various predatory journals, and in my entire research career (over 20 years), I've only had a handful of legitimate invitations for papers.
RESPONSE B: You don't
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: How to include solicited but not-yet-published academic articles on a resume/cv? I've been solicited by two editors to write articles for two academic publications. The drafts aren't due yet and the articles will undergo peer review, but as I was specifically *asked* to write these, it's fairly certain that they will be published. How should this be listed on a resume/cv that will be submitted prior to the completion of the articles? Is "in preparation" accurate? Is "forthcoming" the right amount of vague? Thanks.
RESPONSE A: In the *very limited* case where you're a student with a skimpy CV that needs desperately padding, I would include "in prep" manuscripts **if** they're sufficiently advanced you are willing to send a draft to interested. It'll look like you're padding, because you will be, so I'd only do it's otherwise really empty. I'm also an astronomer, where listing submitted manuscripts is pretty normal because the acceptance rate is ~85%. Other fields may vary.
RESPONSE B: You don't
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: eating regimen looks like as academics Hi! I'm looking to improve my eating habits and am curious to see what my fellow academics have to say about it. Any power diet that helps you stay focused and not fall into drowsiness to easily? Feel free to add any exercise habits ;-)
RESPONSE A: Although diet is very important, people tend to underestimate sleep as the other main contributor to good health. If you are really ambitious, I would add a physical exercise routine. Finally, meditation can help in first instance to make better choices about these three, and ultimately... Well, I don't know that yet!
RESPONSE B: I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things after COVID lockdown, but I can certainly say I am eating better and exercising more recently. As I get queezy if I eat too early in the morning, I skip breakfast and only eat lunch and dinner (with a late snack thrown in). At each of my meals, I MUST have at least one serving of fruit and one of veggies. Preferably two servings of veggies. Combined with eating less meat and bread overall (very hard in France btw), my calorie intake has gone down, while essential vitamins and such are better than ever. I still eat too much sugar, but I have set very firm (upper) limits on my late night cookie/choco wafer numbers. Combined with riding the bike to work, and an extra 30 minutes of either rowing or virtual reality workouts after work, I am physically feeling stronger and healthier than ever before. I have also noticed my skin is less dry and I have less acne, although neither of those were truly problematic before. This regime isn't without problems though, as I still often feel very tired in the afternoon. And while I sleep better being physically tired, there are plenty of days where I wish to not have aching legs or shoulders. Plus, coming back to the lab/office environment has been producing near constant head- and neck-aches from poor ergonomics. However, one benefit of working at the lab again is the lunch provided on the campus is far more varied than what I would cook at home. Still, it would be nice to not get tired in the afternoon, so I will need to monitor this thread for further advice!
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: Curious on what your diet / eating regimen looks like as academics Hi! I'm looking to improve my eating habits and am curious to see what my fellow academics have to say about it. Any power diet that helps you stay focused and not fall into drowsiness to easily? Feel free to add any exercise habits ;-)
RESPONSE A: Although diet is very important, people tend to underestimate sleep as the other main contributor to good health. If you are really ambitious, I would add a physical exercise routine. Finally, meditation can help in first instance to make better choices about these three, and ultimately... Well, I don't know that yet!
RESPONSE B: Currently I pre-make in a slow cooker a wide variety of vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, beans, peppers, peas, potatoes, onions, asparagus, sprouts, etc). Then I cook a huge amount of rice as well as chicken/tofu. Then I pack all this in meal-sized portions and eat those twice a day (lunch and dinner) with some fruit in between. Variation is guaranteed by changes in vegetables and changes in seasoning/sauces. I've been doing this for a while now and it's been great, both energy and effort wise.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: Curious on what your diet / eating regimen looks like as academics Hi! I'm looking to improve my eating habits and am curious to see what my fellow academics have to say about it. Any power diet that helps you stay focused and not fall into drowsiness to easily? Feel free to add any exercise habits ;-)
RESPONSE A: Although diet is very important, people tend to underestimate sleep as the other main contributor to good health. If you are really ambitious, I would add a physical exercise routine. Finally, meditation can help in first instance to make better choices about these three, and ultimately... Well, I don't know that yet!
RESPONSE B: Hi! Personally I like eating very frequently to break up the day and keep energy consistent, it’s so easy to forget to look after ourselves! My schedule usually consists of snacks & meals at Breakfast > mid-morning > Lunch > mid-afternoon > dinner > dessert > late evening. Despite the frequency the food is low calorie and spread out (1450cal daily), snack wise I find crackers, yogurt, fruit, veggies, soups, chocolate, coffee and other stuff keep energy levels going. With main meals containing protein & veggies. I would love to hear your own eating schedule as an academic! : )
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: ! I'm looking to improve my eating habits and am curious to see what my fellow academics have to say about it. Any power diet that helps you stay focused and not fall into drowsiness to easily? Feel free to add any exercise habits ;-)
RESPONSE A: Oof! An interesting deviation from the usual posts haha I'm a grad student and I typically work 12-15 hours a day. When I started my studies (majoring in engineering-something, just for the context here) waking up in mornings was such a pain in the neck. I had a very bad routine at the beginning and I can hardly call it a routine. But I managed to fit things in to my schedule now. I wake up around 5.30-6.00 am and run for an hour. It was 30-40 minutes when I started but now I'm running 10km per run so 60-75 minutes. I come back and do some home-workouts (I cannot go to a gym, all thanks to the virus epidemic), and shower. Then my breakfast. Basically eggs, sandwiches an apple and some other fruits. I go to the lab at 9.00 - 9.30 am. Lunch is a typical all-round one and the dinner is also the same. I have snacks in between :) I leave the lab around 11.00 - 12.00 pm/am and have another sandwich or something before I call it a night. Apologies, if it is tmi haha I'm still looking forward to improve my diets and workouts but that will have to wait until this whole pandemic blows over. I'm really happy about my running routine though, it really helps the day. I love coffee too! I used to drink A LOT but I stopped it a few months ago and now I only need my morning coffee (helps a lot when dealing with people in the morning) and one more later in evening.
RESPONSE B: Although diet is very important, people tend to underestimate sleep as the other main contributor to good health. If you are really ambitious, I would add a physical exercise routine. Finally, meditation can help in first instance to make better choices about these three, and ultimately... Well, I don't know that yet!
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: Curious on what your diet / eating regimen looks like as academics Hi! I'm looking to improve my eating habits and am curious to see what my fellow academics have to say about it. Any power diet that helps you stay focused and not fall into drowsiness to easily? Feel free to add any exercise habits ;-)
RESPONSE A: Although diet is very important, people tend to underestimate sleep as the other main contributor to good health. If you are really ambitious, I would add a physical exercise routine. Finally, meditation can help in first instance to make better choices about these three, and ultimately... Well, I don't know that yet!
RESPONSE B: Especially in Covid times cooking and eating are a great way for me to either take a break or distance myself from work in the evening. I don't work that much, something around your regular 8-9h day, but I do keep thinking about work if I don't find something to break the cycle. So I cook a lot of somewhat elaborate meals from scratch, all vegetarian at home. I really enjoy spending time cooking and making something nice for my partner and I. And during the pandemic I have found that I actually lost weight even though I exercise less since I don't have lunch on campus anymore.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: What are your thoughts on curves? So earlier today I was talking to one of my stats Professor from about three hours ago. When I had him, his tests were super hard and I believe the average grade on his first test was like a 55. And the trend continued for the rest of the semester. Now he curves it at the end of the semester but he doesn’t share that with the class. Anyways we were chitchatting and that came up and I asked what was the point of that. His idea is that those are the topics he wants students to know and that’s his teaching style. If they don’t get it then that’s their problem and he will curve the grades. But my feelings on that is completely different. If your scores are so low then something is wrong. Either your tests are way too hard for the maturity of the students or you’re not properly conveying the information to the students. What are your thoughts on this?
RESPONSE A: I also had a professor my first year of grad school who nailed us with every exam. And then curved at the end, often giving us 20% or more at the end of the semester. I don’t really think this is the best way, but as future providers we had to know the mechanism of action of the drugs. Part of me gets it, part of me will never understand. If everyone fails, something is wrong whether it’s with the exam or the class.
RESPONSE B: I’ve seen both sides. I’ve seen bad teachers who deal with their teaching failures by curving, but I’ve also seen great teachers who really push their students and then curve to account for the reality that they pushed them hard. At least in the latter cases, students are exposed to new things and it can be really beneficial for the couple of students who did it. I’m teaching a class right now where like 5% of my students just aren’t challenged. It’s too easy for them, despite having a solid 10% of my students failing. I sort of wish I’d just made things more difficult and then curved so that the top 5% could have truly been challenged.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: First time: How does food and drink normally work at international conferences? I know this sounds like a silly question and probably varies based on location/field, but it's my first international conference (in the US). The conference runs for a week and I know there's one reception dinner planned and one networking night. I'm a bit stressed at the thought of having to buy lots of food every day. I can claim it back on my research grant but I don't want to go broke in the process and have to wait it out. I imagine the food prices will be pretty high judging by the hotel prices, and I just about manage at home bulk buying food and meal-prepping to keep costs down (I'm a PhD student). What is the food/drink situation usually like at big international conferences like this?
RESPONSE A: This strongly depends on the location and your funding agency. The crucial part is whether the agency will refund only meals you have at restaurants (which will be more expensive) or if they will accept also supermarket recipes (where you could buy some food to keep in you room spending much less). Usually I don't love to eat at restaurants every time, so I go for the supermarket road, however often these kind of expenses are not refunded (you would have to ask). Regarding the cost of the food in restaurant: you would be able to find relatively cheap restaurants as well, I think, worst case scenario you would have to walk a bit, if the location of the conference is in the most expensive part of town...
RESPONSE B: Keep in mind that the networking over meals is a huge fraction of the value in conferences. Know what you can get reembursed from your funding sources, and what you need to do (per diem? Receipts? Spending limit?). If liquidity is an issue, many places will give you some advance. I've rarely been to conferences where people took their non-included meals in the hotel. If breakfast is included, it's a good place to meet people. If not, i'll usually just go to the grocery or McDo's or the like. No point in spending if you're not socialising.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: First time: How does food and drink normally work at international conferences? I know this sounds like a silly question and probably varies based on location/field, but it's my first international conference (in the US). The conference runs for a week and I know there's one reception dinner planned and one networking night. I'm a bit stressed at the thought of having to buy lots of food every day. I can claim it back on my research grant but I don't want to go broke in the process and have to wait it out. I imagine the food prices will be pretty high judging by the hotel prices, and I just about manage at home bulk buying food and meal-prepping to keep costs down (I'm a PhD student). What is the food/drink situation usually like at big international conferences like this?
RESPONSE A: Just do it the way you would at home, minus the cooking and freezing. Plus, eat like you were starving on every pre-paid meal (breakfast at the hotel, conference dinner, snacks in breaks).
RESPONSE B: Keep in mind that the networking over meals is a huge fraction of the value in conferences. Know what you can get reembursed from your funding sources, and what you need to do (per diem? Receipts? Spending limit?). If liquidity is an issue, many places will give you some advance. I've rarely been to conferences where people took their non-included meals in the hotel. If breakfast is included, it's a good place to meet people. If not, i'll usually just go to the grocery or McDo's or the like. No point in spending if you're not socialising.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: First time: How does food and drink normally work at international conferences? I know this sounds like a silly question and probably varies based on location/field, but it's my first international conference (in the US). The conference runs for a week and I know there's one reception dinner planned and one networking night. I'm a bit stressed at the thought of having to buy lots of food every day. I can claim it back on my research grant but I don't want to go broke in the process and have to wait it out. I imagine the food prices will be pretty high judging by the hotel prices, and I just about manage at home bulk buying food and meal-prepping to keep costs down (I'm a PhD student). What is the food/drink situation usually like at big international conferences like this?
RESPONSE A: Just do it the way you would at home, minus the cooking and freezing. Plus, eat like you were starving on every pre-paid meal (breakfast at the hotel, conference dinner, snacks in breaks).
RESPONSE B: Email the organisers about the food and drink arrangements. They will be able to tell you what to expect. It does vary from place to place unfortunately
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: First time: How does food and drink normally work at international conferences? I know this sounds like a silly question and probably varies based on location/field, but it's my first international conference (in the US). The conference runs for a week and I know there's one reception dinner planned and one networking night. I'm a bit stressed at the thought of having to buy lots of food every day. I can claim it back on my research grant but I don't want to go broke in the process and have to wait it out. I imagine the food prices will be pretty high judging by the hotel prices, and I just about manage at home bulk buying food and meal-prepping to keep costs down (I'm a PhD student). What is the food/drink situation usually like at big international conferences like this?
RESPONSE A: Email the organisers about the food and drink arrangements. They will be able to tell you what to expect. It does vary from place to place unfortunately
RESPONSE B: You should be able to get an advance on your expenses - ask your supervisor.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: First time: How does food and drink normally work at international conferences? I know this sounds like a silly question and probably varies based on location/field, but it's my first international conference (in the US). The conference runs for a week and I know there's one reception dinner planned and one networking night. I'm a bit stressed at the thought of having to buy lots of food every day. I can claim it back on my research grant but I don't want to go broke in the process and have to wait it out. I imagine the food prices will be pretty high judging by the hotel prices, and I just about manage at home bulk buying food and meal-prepping to keep costs down (I'm a PhD student). What is the food/drink situation usually like at big international conferences like this?
RESPONSE A: Email the organisers about the food and drink arrangements. They will be able to tell you what to expect. It does vary from place to place unfortunately
RESPONSE B: I personally don’t like dealing with the 20k people are now in San Diego and all 20k of them want to eat lunch right now. I usually stop on my way to the conference and get a sandwich or whatever at a deli or bodega or what have you . There are also often grocery stores that have some prepared foods - salads and such like that and all the usual things you might eat, like fruit and yogurt. See if your hotel has a mini fridge also. You may also be able to get an advance, officially from the office Also, just ask your PI . I have lent students money before because they are out a lot until the reimbursement and some of their budgets can’t handle it and they can’t ask family to float them the cash. First thing I do after i check in is check google maps and take a walk to see what is close by. Even major drug store chains often have some type of grab and go food. It is a good way to meet other PhD students and post docs also - tell them about your sandwich place and use the venue’s tables to have your own lunch meet
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: , even though my education is nowhere near their field [X-Post r/jobs] Originally I posted this to r/jobs to find out if it was legal. Apparently it is, but it's still unethical. Basically, I work for an international organization which is comprised of academics and scholars from a number of countries. They organize conferences, publish scientific papers, etc. They hired me even though I'm from a completely different academic field, for the purpose of "writing small texts" that presented their conferences and papers. I love writing and I'm quite the fast reader/learner, so I thought it was pretty cool. A couple of months into the job and I've realized what I'm actually doing: I'm writing full scientific papers for them, based on existing sources which I just search for in google, read, and interpret. Mind you, all these sources are properly referenced. That's not the issue. The issue is that they're going to publish these papers with their names on them... Not mine. But then how could they credit me? I'm nothing more than a "google expert". So apparently this is called "ghostwriting" and it's pretty common in academia, from what Wikipedia says. I debated whether I should report this to someone but then I might be overreacting. What do you think?
RESPONSE A: What kind of conferences accept this kind of papers? I would expect that they are really not top-tier and the manuscripts are not peer reviewed...
RESPONSE B: Sounds like a deliberate step beyond being a native English-speaking editor for non-native speakers. That sort of work is necessary - far too often I'm given manuscripts to peer-review that I have to send back because the language is so choppy it's unreadable. There need to be services available for a non-native-English academic to bring their manuscript to and have the language edited to make it readable. I wish they were utilized more frequently. However, that is manipulation of content, not creation of content, which your position appears to be focused on. That, in my opinion, is unethical to a degree, but there's not much that can be done about it.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: r/jobs to find out if it was legal. Apparently it is, but it's still unethical. Basically, I work for an international organization which is comprised of academics and scholars from a number of countries. They organize conferences, publish scientific papers, etc. They hired me even though I'm from a completely different academic field, for the purpose of "writing small texts" that presented their conferences and papers. I love writing and I'm quite the fast reader/learner, so I thought it was pretty cool. A couple of months into the job and I've realized what I'm actually doing: I'm writing full scientific papers for them, based on existing sources which I just search for in google, read, and interpret. Mind you, all these sources are properly referenced. That's not the issue. The issue is that they're going to publish these papers with their names on them... Not mine. But then how could they credit me? I'm nothing more than a "google expert". So apparently this is called "ghostwriting" and it's pretty common in academia, from what Wikipedia says. I debated whether I should report this to someone but then I might be overreacting. What do you think?
RESPONSE A: Sounds like a deliberate step beyond being a native English-speaking editor for non-native speakers. That sort of work is necessary - far too often I'm given manuscripts to peer-review that I have to send back because the language is so choppy it's unreadable. There need to be services available for a non-native-English academic to bring their manuscript to and have the language edited to make it readable. I wish they were utilized more frequently. However, that is manipulation of content, not creation of content, which your position appears to be focused on. That, in my opinion, is unethical to a degree, but there's not much that can be done about it.
RESPONSE B: This is not at all uncommon, for people who have the resources. You're being paid, so I don't think credit is deserved. Authorship means who is on the hook if YOU write something incorrect, and this is ultimately the academic's responsibility.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: which I just search for in google, read, and interpret. Mind you, all these sources are properly referenced. That's not the issue. The issue is that they're going to publish these papers with their names on them... Not mine. But then how could they credit me? I'm nothing more than a "google expert". So apparently this is called "ghostwriting" and it's pretty common in academia, from what Wikipedia says. I debated whether I should report this to someone but then I might be overreacting. What do you think?
RESPONSE A: This might be common in China, but I've never heard of it occurring in North America.
RESPONSE B: I'd love to have someone like you working for me. I can't write. At all. In the past full month I have been writing a 9 page paper. Just this. And it's not finished and it sucks big big times. Shitloads of time lost.... ANYWAY... Probably you can't answer not to reveal your identity... But Which kind of field are you writing for?? No way on earth anyone could ever publish a paper in the fields I'm working in (physics and/or medicine) cropping something out of previous sources!! You simply can't get published if what you write does not involve performing an innovative experiment. Something that cannot be done by googling, even if nonetheless 70% of the writing is still googling. Well... Theoretically you deserve to be the first author of the paper since, whatever is the thing that it's needed to publish in that field, you were the one doing it. You say "I just googled", maybe that's right but then "they" did even less! On the other side they explicitly pay you to write their things on their account so.... while what they're doing is immoral towards their colleagues and probably forbidden by their university rules, what *you* are doing is "ethical" this way. Like if you were a programmer for Microsoft. They pay you to leave them the copyright of your work. This way it makes sense. Of course their payment should be appropriate!! (BTW, how do they approach you/contact you/ ask you what to do?)
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: I'm being paid to write papers for academics, even though my education is nowhere near their field [X-Post r/jobs] Originally I posted this to r/jobs to find out if it was legal. Apparently it is, but it's still unethical. Basically, I work for an international organization which is comprised of academics and scholars from a number of countries. They organize conferences, publish scientific papers, etc. They hired me even though I'm from a completely different academic field, for the purpose of "writing small texts" that presented their conferences and papers. I love writing and I'm quite the fast reader/learner, so I thought it was pretty cool. A couple of months into the job and I've realized what I'm actually doing: I'm writing full scientific papers for them, based on existing sources which I just search for in google, read, and interpret. Mind you, all these sources are properly referenced. That's not the issue. The issue is that they're going to publish these papers with their names on them... Not mine. But then how could they credit me? I'm nothing more than a "google expert". So apparently this is called "ghostwriting" and it's pretty common in academia, from what Wikipedia says. I debated whether I should report this to someone but then I might be overreacting. What do you think?
RESPONSE A: This might be common in China, but I've never heard of it occurring in North America.
RESPONSE B: What kind of conferences accept this kind of papers? I would expect that they are really not top-tier and the manuscripts are not peer reviewed...
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: I've made a note-taking app for researchers. Which citation manager should I integrate it with? (Zotero or Mendeley etc) So I'm developing a note-taking app to make it easier for researchers to read and organize research papers. So far, I've had a few hundred people sign up and give feedback. The thing most people mention is that the app is lacking a citation manager at the moment, so I thought I would add it to the next version. However, I'm not sure which one to go for between Mendeley, Zotero and EndNote. Has anyone any experiences with these apps, and which one would you recommend me to add on first? Ideally, I'd love to add all of them, but because of constrains that doesn't seem possible at the moment.
RESPONSE A: Zotero all the way. Please don't feed Elsevier by supporting Mendeley.
RESPONSE B: Not endnote. Others can't possibly be worse.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: I've made a note-taking app for researchers. Which citation manager should I integrate it with? (Zotero or Mendeley etc) So I'm developing a note-taking app to make it easier for researchers to read and organize research papers. So far, I've had a few hundred people sign up and give feedback. The thing most people mention is that the app is lacking a citation manager at the moment, so I thought I would add it to the next version. However, I'm not sure which one to go for between Mendeley, Zotero and EndNote. Has anyone any experiences with these apps, and which one would you recommend me to add on first? Ideally, I'd love to add all of them, but because of constrains that doesn't seem possible at the moment.
RESPONSE A: Supporting Zotero means supporting open software and it's the one that works best for me.
RESPONSE B: Not endnote. Others can't possibly be worse.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: I've made a note-taking app for researchers. Which citation manager should I integrate it with? (Zotero or Mendeley etc) So I'm developing a note-taking app to make it easier for researchers to read and organize research papers. So far, I've had a few hundred people sign up and give feedback. The thing most people mention is that the app is lacking a citation manager at the moment, so I thought I would add it to the next version. However, I'm not sure which one to go for between Mendeley, Zotero and EndNote. Has anyone any experiences with these apps, and which one would you recommend me to add on first? Ideally, I'd love to add all of them, but because of constrains that doesn't seem possible at the moment.
RESPONSE A: I prefer Jabref because most of my writing is done in LaTeX, not sure if I am in the minority though.
RESPONSE B: Oh man, I came here to say Mendeley because I liked the interface better. I may need to look at Zotero again... (I have used all three. Confused grad student... don't ask.)
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: protocols–I tried doing this in the open but got yelled at too many times) but the work is slow and my PI has more or less checked out of my project to prioritize the progress of other students in the lab. I'm trying to wrap up what I have into my first paper, and then promptly leave my lab for another. I have a lot of options on this front (although I haven't talked about it explicitly with the PIs, I know that multiple labs would like to take me) but I don't want to damage my or my current PIs career by doing this. I don't have any personal issues with my PI (he's a bad communicator but his heart is in the right place as far as I can tell) and just want the whole transition to be as drama-free as possible. What should my first move be?
RESPONSE A: Sadly, I have a similar problem only with a more experienced PI who assigned me a project that I thought was covered under their grant but instead there is no money for my research. Original research that I had wanted to do was given to the student who came in after me (I'm assuming he saw the value in it after I made some hard pushes). That student luckily received some support to obtain their data though kind of a pity deal. My own work has put quite a strain on me. For my situation, I feel I cannot make a move to another lab unless my current PI were to actively blocks me in some way since I am several years in as well, also with no current deliverables from anything since i arrived in this program. Without being actively blocked by this PI why would another take a risk on me, given my lack of productivity? I don't think your situation echoes mine exactly, but it was close enough where I could share my story and I thank you for that.
RESPONSE B: Truth is: you don’t. I wish I had started to take into consideration my own life instead of just blindly supporting my PIs and doing nothing but propelling their careers while hoping they would help me with mine later. Turns out I just got used. Don’t make the same mistake OP. Look out for #1.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: far as I can tell) and just want the whole transition to be as drama-free as possible. What should my first move be?
RESPONSE A: If you have enough results for a paper and will be able and willing to put in the reasonable minimum of additional work to get that paper published, you won't notably hurt your PI's career (papers published is typically incomparably more important for getting tenure than students graduated). You also won't notably hurt your academic career as long as you successfully transition into a suitable lab. The main question seems to be if you have or should within a year have enough results also for the PhD - in that case you graduating early and moving into another lab as a postdoc is likely to be even better for your both careers (and probably also for your finances). But if not, switching even this late into the PhD should also be fine if a suitable lab is able and willing to take you and you don't mind spending an extra year or two in the PhD if needed (it might not be needed if the topic is similar enough that both parts can go in your thesis together, with the 2nd PI then officially serving as co-advisor). So a possible order of actions: 1. Have a paper draft (at least put all figures, subheadings, key ideas and key references together) 2. Show it to your PI and talk with your PI about publishing it and about your timeline towards graduation 3. If that timeline is unfavorable, talk with students in another lab about the mentoring, funding etc. situation in their lab, and if favorable, talk with that PI about becoming your co-advisor or advisor P.S.: There is a possibility that your PI didn't actually "check out" of your project, but expects that you are now experienced enough to contact him yourself just when you need him (instead of regular meetings or him reaching out to you).
RESPONSE B: First of all it's not your problem to "protect" your PI. That's on him. Even graduating can cause problems in a lab if the PI doesn't properly back-train someone. But again, that's the PI's job, not yours.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: How do you handle feelings of attraction for/crushes on your students? Feelings of attraction are bound to happen when you're around so many attractive, intelligent, socially charismatic people. These people just happen to sometimes be your students. How do you handle it? Obviously because of the power dynamic acting on the feelings is not appropriate while they are your students, but what about after? Do you act on it anyway? Do you wait until the course is over? Do you ever contact any of them after graduation? Do you ever mention it at all, or just suppress the feelings? How do you (or have you) navigated this space?
RESPONSE A: Before we even entered the classroom, we were highly encouraged in pre-teaching mentoring sessions to perceive students as caught in a huge power dynamic, to the point that a relationship would not be consensual. I think a lot of us, myself included, agree that we've never felt that way about our students because we adopted this framework before we even met them. I would encourage you to adopt this framework. (Which is not to judge people who have human feelings, but just to point out that it's effective to think this way before you meet them because for many people, a preemptive wall works completely.)
RESPONSE B: > Feelings of attraction are bound to happen when you're around so many attractive, **intelligent, socially charismatic people**. These people just happen to sometimes be your students. You obviously don't work at my university. Once they start talking, all attraction is gone.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: How do you handle feelings of attraction for/crushes on your students? Feelings of attraction are bound to happen when you're around so many attractive, intelligent, socially charismatic people. These people just happen to sometimes be your students. How do you handle it? Obviously because of the power dynamic acting on the feelings is not appropriate while they are your students, but what about after? Do you act on it anyway? Do you wait until the course is over? Do you ever contact any of them after graduation? Do you ever mention it at all, or just suppress the feelings? How do you (or have you) navigated this space?
RESPONSE A: > Feelings of attraction are bound to happen when you're around so many attractive, **intelligent, socially charismatic people**. These people just happen to sometimes be your students. You obviously don't work at my university. Once they start talking, all attraction is gone.
RESPONSE B: My university has explicit rules for this sort of behavior, and specific people in administration who oversee it.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: How do you handle feelings of attraction for/crushes on your students? Feelings of attraction are bound to happen when you're around so many attractive, intelligent, socially charismatic people. These people just happen to sometimes be your students. How do you handle it? Obviously because of the power dynamic acting on the feelings is not appropriate while they are your students, but what about after? Do you act on it anyway? Do you wait until the course is over? Do you ever contact any of them after graduation? Do you ever mention it at all, or just suppress the feelings? How do you (or have you) navigated this space?
RESPONSE A: Before we even entered the classroom, we were highly encouraged in pre-teaching mentoring sessions to perceive students as caught in a huge power dynamic, to the point that a relationship would not be consensual. I think a lot of us, myself included, agree that we've never felt that way about our students because we adopted this framework before we even met them. I would encourage you to adopt this framework. (Which is not to judge people who have human feelings, but just to point out that it's effective to think this way before you meet them because for many people, a preemptive wall works completely.)
RESPONSE B: My university has explicit rules for this sort of behavior, and specific people in administration who oversee it.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: How do you handle feelings of attraction for/crushes on your students? Feelings of attraction are bound to happen when you're around so many attractive, intelligent, socially charismatic people. These people just happen to sometimes be your students. How do you handle it? Obviously because of the power dynamic acting on the feelings is not appropriate while they are your students, but what about after? Do you act on it anyway? Do you wait until the course is over? Do you ever contact any of them after graduation? Do you ever mention it at all, or just suppress the feelings? How do you (or have you) navigated this space?
RESPONSE A: No, No, and No. Just No. Not now, Not next year, Not ever. No.
RESPONSE B: My university has explicit rules for this sort of behavior, and specific people in administration who oversee it.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: Just got asked to write my first Letter of Rec I am a graduate student who teaches undergrads in my department. This is my first semester teaching as the primary instructor and I have just my first request to write a LOR for a scholarship. The student in question was a good student and I have no problem writing one for him... except I have never done it and don't know what to include. Almost all of the LOR I have had written for myself I have never seen, as they were submitted directly to the school or scholarship committee. Any advice is appreciated.
RESPONSE A: I have been told that many organizations don't accept letters of recommendation from grad students, or at least don't give them nearly as much weight as letters from faculty. You should check with the organization that awards the scholarship first to see if they have a problem with it.
RESPONSE B: My understanding is that the standards for letters of recommendations vary both by field, but also by country. Why don't you ask your advisor for their advice? They should be familiar with the conventions, and also the general form and content of such a letter.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: University over a PhD. What do you think of this idea? I was working on a PhD at the University of New South Wales in Australia when I lost my supervisor. To make a very long story very short, the University said they could not find another supervisor and discontinued my candidature. Three years work down the drain. Full scholarship rescinded. I am an international student so my visa privileges also were rescinded. I decided to file a complaint. The complaint officer said I should talk to the University's "Privacy Officer" about obtaining some information from the uni through a formal request. He promptly leaked the details of my impending complaint to the administrators I was trying to complain about. That was round one. I won a legal battle against UNSW in the Civil Tribunal for breach of privacy. That much is a matter of public record. You can read the decision in legalese here: https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/5a581225e4b058596cbad962 or better still, read the newspaper article about it in plainer language here: http://honisoit.com/2018/01/unsw-found-to-have-breached-privacy-act/ The privacy matter is just the tip of the iceberg, but the lack of good faith mentioned in the article is something that the Uni has exhibited throughout the ordeal. The reason I am writing is to hear if anyone has had similar experiences. Also, I am thinking of publishing a full-length work of nonfiction about it. Does anyone know of any publications written by students who have gone through long legal battles with their University? I would be interested in knowing what else has been published in this genre.
RESPONSE A: What do you hope to gain from doing this?
RESPONSE B: The privacy issue is obviously real and UNSW certainly appears to have breached your privacy. Can I ask how you lost your supervisor? We regularly have students lose supervisors (through retirement or staff moving to another university) and routinely assign a new supervisor - even if the new supervisor has only a passing familiarity with the topic. For UNSW to just discontinue your candidature seems both unusual and somewhat extreme.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: Dropped out of college with low GPA, desperately want to get back I dropped out of college 6 years ago with a 2.14 GPA and a lot of debt. I really want to finish my degree, but I’m unsure as to how I could get accepted back into a university with my low GPA (low GPA and dropping out was due to mental health issues). I should also add I’m more than 3/4 of the way of finishing, meaning all Gen Ed requirements are already done so going to a CC seems like a waste of money. Any advice would be tremendously appreciated.
RESPONSE A: Go talk to the admissions office of your former school as well as a guidance counselor in your major department. I dropped out as a cringey 20 year old after almost 2 years with a 0.9 GPA and a bunch of F's on my record.... I have a PhD in cell biology now. You can do it!
RESPONSE B: I wouldn't completely discount community college. For one, depending on what you were studying, 6 years is a long time to be away and it's possible they won't accept some or all of those credits. For two, CC isn't going to be a waste of money if it prepares you for actually going back to school again, and allows you to more accurately judge your own limits and skills, especially compared to potentially paying full price to jump with both feet directly into the final year of a program when you've been out of school for 6 years.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: Dropped out of college with low GPA, desperately want to get back I dropped out of college 6 years ago with a 2.14 GPA and a lot of debt. I really want to finish my degree, but I’m unsure as to how I could get accepted back into a university with my low GPA (low GPA and dropping out was due to mental health issues). I should also add I’m more than 3/4 of the way of finishing, meaning all Gen Ed requirements are already done so going to a CC seems like a waste of money. Any advice would be tremendously appreciated.
RESPONSE A: maybe see if your credits would transfer to a community college, take a few more classes for whatever you plan to major in, get the AA, and transferring to a university will be SO much easier. I really feel like CC is the way to go in situations like this.
RESPONSE B: Go talk to the admissions office of your former school as well as a guidance counselor in your major department. I dropped out as a cringey 20 year old after almost 2 years with a 0.9 GPA and a bunch of F's on my record.... I have a PhD in cell biology now. You can do it!
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: Dropping out of a master's program to pursue a PhD This might be a bit of a weird question, but I'm wondering if anyone's been in similar shoes or knows about this. I'm a master's student who applied for PhD programs this round. I didn't think I was going to get in anywhere and my advisor suggested the idea of extending my master's by one semester and applying again. It turns out that I recently got contacted by a POI who I've been really keen working with. The problem is that this contact was much later than the period for students to apply for their thesis defense, which I didn't apply for because I was pretty set on the idea of staying one more semester. I'd really like to pursue a PhD under this professor but my graduation schedule is a little tangled. Some options I have are to discuss the possibility of deferral, but I'm wondering about the hypothetical option of dropping out of my master's program completely and going ahead with the PhD starting from this fall semester. Is this scenario unheard of? Is it even typically allowed? Thanks for any opinions/feedback.
RESPONSE A: I’d defer. With a Master’s you can get out of most, if not all of your coursework. If you just leave, you’re starting fresh. Plus you don’t burn bridges.
RESPONSE B: It depends on the Prius prerequisites for the PhD. If it's a post-masters you have to finish it, if it's post-Bac, you don't. OR you could do what I did and write your master's thesis the summer after your first PhD year at a different school 😅
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: Dropping out of a master's program to pursue a PhD This might be a bit of a weird question, but I'm wondering if anyone's been in similar shoes or knows about this. I'm a master's student who applied for PhD programs this round. I didn't think I was going to get in anywhere and my advisor suggested the idea of extending my master's by one semester and applying again. It turns out that I recently got contacted by a POI who I've been really keen working with. The problem is that this contact was much later than the period for students to apply for their thesis defense, which I didn't apply for because I was pretty set on the idea of staying one more semester. I'd really like to pursue a PhD under this professor but my graduation schedule is a little tangled. Some options I have are to discuss the possibility of deferral, but I'm wondering about the hypothetical option of dropping out of my master's program completely and going ahead with the PhD starting from this fall semester. Is this scenario unheard of? Is it even typically allowed? Thanks for any opinions/feedback.
RESPONSE A: It depends on the Prius prerequisites for the PhD. If it's a post-masters you have to finish it, if it's post-Bac, you don't. OR you could do what I did and write your master's thesis the summer after your first PhD year at a different school 😅
RESPONSE B: Check if you can defer your PhD admission. I would strongly urge you to finish your masters. This is because, in worst case, if you have to drop out of PhD later on, you would have aat least master's degree in your resume.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: has a medical issue that they just didn’t know how to navigate. But like an F at midterm in most courses isn’t likely to turn into a C or higher. can anyone recommend solid, longitudinal analysis on the issue? I find it kind of odd that this is standard practice but nobody that I know that gives these directives can definitively say, yes, a phone call/email campaign to failing students will improve grade outcomes in 30% of students who respond, for example
RESPONSE A: I worked at a university that provided specialized support based on an early alert system. In my experience, yes, it can be quite successful **when it is done well and done early**. The program set up specialized assessments for incoming students—post-entry language and maths assessments—that were required for all incoming students in the program. The diagnostics were developed in-house, using disciplinary-specific criteria. Fox and Artemeva (2017) describe something similar: Fox, J., & Artemeva, N. (2017). From diagnosis toward academic support: Developing a disciplinary, ESP-based writing task and rubric to identify the needs of entering undergraduate engineering students. *ESP Today, 5*(2), 148-171. The university used assessments to diagnose student who were at risk, and followed up (frequently) with details of where to access specialized support. After the implementation of the diagnostic assessments, the program saw significantly higher retention rates and grades. The key, I feel, was that this was done on *incoming students*, with follow-ups and reminders at midterm. The program wanted to be proactive, and didn't wait to see if there were issues halfway through. The support was open to all students in the program, even those who were not diagnosed as being at risk. So if a student began to have trouble at/after midterm, they were still able to take advantage of the support when needed.
RESPONSE B: This is an interesting question. At my university, we have to report any student who is potentially in danger of failing a class and the advising ramps up. It's not the choice of the professor whether to do this or not. I suspect it helps for some students and is detrimental for others. But I don't know overall.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: years in higher Ed, I’ve never seen data showing that this kind of outreach actually makes a difference academically/with grade outcomes. It seems more like throwing pasta at a wall, and maybe you find that one student that has a medical issue that they just didn’t know how to navigate. But like an F at midterm in most courses isn’t likely to turn into a C or higher. can anyone recommend solid, longitudinal analysis on the issue? I find it kind of odd that this is standard practice but nobody that I know that gives these directives can definitively say, yes, a phone call/email campaign to failing students will improve grade outcomes in 30% of students who respond, for example
RESPONSE A: I worked at a university that provided specialized support based on an early alert system. In my experience, yes, it can be quite successful **when it is done well and done early**. The program set up specialized assessments for incoming students—post-entry language and maths assessments—that were required for all incoming students in the program. The diagnostics were developed in-house, using disciplinary-specific criteria. Fox and Artemeva (2017) describe something similar: Fox, J., & Artemeva, N. (2017). From diagnosis toward academic support: Developing a disciplinary, ESP-based writing task and rubric to identify the needs of entering undergraduate engineering students. *ESP Today, 5*(2), 148-171. The university used assessments to diagnose student who were at risk, and followed up (frequently) with details of where to access specialized support. After the implementation of the diagnostic assessments, the program saw significantly higher retention rates and grades. The key, I feel, was that this was done on *incoming students*, with follow-ups and reminders at midterm. The program wanted to be proactive, and didn't wait to see if there were issues halfway through. The support was open to all students in the program, even those who were not diagnosed as being at risk. So if a student began to have trouble at/after midterm, they were still able to take advantage of the support when needed.
RESPONSE B: Good question for https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/rel/askarels/
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: student that has a medical issue that they just didn’t know how to navigate. But like an F at midterm in most courses isn’t likely to turn into a C or higher. can anyone recommend solid, longitudinal analysis on the issue? I find it kind of odd that this is standard practice but nobody that I know that gives these directives can definitively say, yes, a phone call/email campaign to failing students will improve grade outcomes in 30% of students who respond, for example
RESPONSE A: This is an interesting question. At my university, we have to report any student who is potentially in danger of failing a class and the advising ramps up. It's not the choice of the professor whether to do this or not. I suspect it helps for some students and is detrimental for others. But I don't know overall.
RESPONSE B: There’s not longitudinal data, not yet, at least. (Currently a PhD student doing research on academies probation; have spent a lot of time looking at early intervention articles.) You’re right, a lot of the studies out there are sometimes promoting programs. Not all of them, but a lot of studies do show positive responses from early alert systems and students reaching out to support services, which is the main goal of early alert programs. Early alert programs are measures schools can take to help build a stronger sense of community for students, it’s not solely focused on grade outcome, but that does play a part. It is a retention practice, in that it is meant to help give students a better sense of belonging. Your not gonna find much data on how these programs impact grades. One, there’s too many factors to consider, and two, these programs really are for outreach. It would be interesting data to look at, but you most likely wont find any conclusive answers concerning grade outcomes. For what it is worth, I have done intrusive advising with students, and it can be impactful. Though, it is dependent on the student and class. Once a student is failing, it becomes more of a number game, but you can take a failing student and turn a grade into a C. There’s lots of crying and hard-truths involved, but it can be done.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: 15 plus years in higher Ed, I’ve never seen data showing that this kind of outreach actually makes a difference academically/with grade outcomes. It seems more like throwing pasta at a wall, and maybe you find that one student that has a medical issue that they just didn’t know how to navigate. But like an F at midterm in most courses isn’t likely to turn into a C or higher. can anyone recommend solid, longitudinal analysis on the issue? I find it kind of odd that this is standard practice but nobody that I know that gives these directives can definitively say, yes, a phone call/email campaign to failing students will improve grade outcomes in 30% of students who respond, for example
RESPONSE A: Good question for https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/rel/askarels/
RESPONSE B: There’s not longitudinal data, not yet, at least. (Currently a PhD student doing research on academies probation; have spent a lot of time looking at early intervention articles.) You’re right, a lot of the studies out there are sometimes promoting programs. Not all of them, but a lot of studies do show positive responses from early alert systems and students reaching out to support services, which is the main goal of early alert programs. Early alert programs are measures schools can take to help build a stronger sense of community for students, it’s not solely focused on grade outcome, but that does play a part. It is a retention practice, in that it is meant to help give students a better sense of belonging. Your not gonna find much data on how these programs impact grades. One, there’s too many factors to consider, and two, these programs really are for outreach. It would be interesting data to look at, but you most likely wont find any conclusive answers concerning grade outcomes. For what it is worth, I have done intrusive advising with students, and it can be impactful. Though, it is dependent on the student and class. Once a student is failing, it becomes more of a number game, but you can take a failing student and turn a grade into a C. There’s lots of crying and hard-truths involved, but it can be done.
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POST: for context. Title says it all. I've (again) got to design some courses from scratch and I need some basic ideas for contemporary titles that are both readable and accurate w/r/t content. I already am on /r/scholar and that is not really what I need. TIA.
RESPONSE A: I don’t have any answer to your specific question, but I do have a few other suggestions. Search your course name online and find the syllabi of other people who have taught a similar course. Look at the texts they used. If you do find a useful text or even an article, reach out to the author and see if they have any other material they’d recommend. This is especially useful if they’ve ever taught a similar course. Do you know any other universities that teach a similar course? Reach out to the department chair or a specific person you know who may have taught the course to see what they recommend. Reach out to textbook publishers. There’s usually a local agent/rep whose job is to help you. They can suggest some material, and even if you don’t adapt it, you might also consider reaching out to the authors of whatever material they suggest (or even googling those authors CVs to see if they’ve published other relevant work). Consult an OER database. Reach out to your schools library to see if they have resources or personnel to help you locate this material. I’ve recently learned that my library has a designated person who helps you search OER and the general library catalog to recommend texts to help you. Is there a related industry job? You could reach out to experts in that field to see if there’s anything they recommend you cover. I teach policing and I’ve asked police about the books that have influenced them or changed their perspective, for example, and then I’ve assigned some of those texts (or excerpts from them). I don’t know any discipline specific textbook recommending subs, but just a discipline specific sub could be fine. See if any exist. If you have any more specific info about what you’re looking for, perhaps we can point you in the right way.
RESPONSE B: Ask here and see how it goes
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: again) got to design some courses from scratch and I need some basic ideas for contemporary titles that are both readable and accurate w/r/t content. I already am on /r/scholar and that is not really what I need. TIA.
RESPONSE A: I might try this Reddit, but make sure to be specific enough in the heading.
RESPONSE B: I don’t have any answer to your specific question, but I do have a few other suggestions. Search your course name online and find the syllabi of other people who have taught a similar course. Look at the texts they used. If you do find a useful text or even an article, reach out to the author and see if they have any other material they’d recommend. This is especially useful if they’ve ever taught a similar course. Do you know any other universities that teach a similar course? Reach out to the department chair or a specific person you know who may have taught the course to see what they recommend. Reach out to textbook publishers. There’s usually a local agent/rep whose job is to help you. They can suggest some material, and even if you don’t adapt it, you might also consider reaching out to the authors of whatever material they suggest (or even googling those authors CVs to see if they’ve published other relevant work). Consult an OER database. Reach out to your schools library to see if they have resources or personnel to help you locate this material. I’ve recently learned that my library has a designated person who helps you search OER and the general library catalog to recommend texts to help you. Is there a related industry job? You could reach out to experts in that field to see if there’s anything they recommend you cover. I teach policing and I’ve asked police about the books that have influenced them or changed their perspective, for example, and then I’ve assigned some of those texts (or excerpts from them). I don’t know any discipline specific textbook recommending subs, but just a discipline specific sub could be fine. See if any exist. If you have any more specific info about what you’re looking for, perhaps we can point you in the right way.
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POST: What is the novelty of a review article? What is the novelty of a surve.y or review article?
RESPONSE A: It’s my most highly cited article, which matters for tenure purposes. It offers an entry point to a field, particularly for scholars in training. I appreciate this, given my username and background. Most importantly, a good meta synthesis critiques a field as a whole, offering insight into what it’s doing well and what gaps currently exist. It’s a way for author(s) to shape a field’s direction.
RESPONSE B: The point of a review article isn't to be novel; it's to summarize the state of the art within a given area.
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POST: What is the novelty of a review article? What is the novelty of a surve.y or review article?
RESPONSE A: There are many types of review articles. Some summarize and synthesize state-of-the-art. Others pool data from original research via meta-analysis or other and create new data and new knowledge.
RESPONSE B: Review articles are not "novel" but they are super useful for researchers. A good review article gives you an overview of the field and the key papers within that field, with the results summarized into a coherent story. Trying to get that same level of understanding from reading all the different papers takes far more time.
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POST: Should you receive authorship even if you are being paid? I am a doctoral student who is 18 months into a 2 year internship with a consulting firm. The top leadership at the firm have regularly assigned me to work on conference presentation submissions and journal articles for them. I had assumed my name would be included on these, but recently discovered that it is not, despite me doing some to all of the review of academic literature. I figured I am not owed authorship or credit because I was being paid and it was obnoxious for me to ask. Recently, when I talked about the work to some graduate school colleagues, they insisted that regardless of whether I was paid, they were supposed to give me credit if I contributed to academic work. Is this the case? I know there is nothing I can do about the past, but I want to know moving forward and for my future career.
RESPONSE A: If you substantially contribute to a piece of scholarship, YOU SHOULD BE AN AUTHOR. Payment and credit aren’t interchangeable or mutually exclusive!
RESPONSE B: If you made substantial and/or novel contributions, you should absolutely be listed as an author. It doesn't matter whether you were paid or not. Them not listing you is dishonest and unethical.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: Should you receive authorship even if you are being paid? I am a doctoral student who is 18 months into a 2 year internship with a consulting firm. The top leadership at the firm have regularly assigned me to work on conference presentation submissions and journal articles for them. I had assumed my name would be included on these, but recently discovered that it is not, despite me doing some to all of the review of academic literature. I figured I am not owed authorship or credit because I was being paid and it was obnoxious for me to ask. Recently, when I talked about the work to some graduate school colleagues, they insisted that regardless of whether I was paid, they were supposed to give me credit if I contributed to academic work. Is this the case? I know there is nothing I can do about the past, but I want to know moving forward and for my future career.
RESPONSE A: Being paid is irrelevant. If you made contribution towards the work, which is substantial enough, you should be recognised for such and a co-author (and if it was smaller, you should be acknowledged, which is typical for example in case of technicians performing a standard measurement, without deep analysis)
RESPONSE B: If you made substantial and/or novel contributions, you should absolutely be listed as an author. It doesn't matter whether you were paid or not. Them not listing you is dishonest and unethical.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: Should you receive authorship even if you are being paid? I am a doctoral student who is 18 months into a 2 year internship with a consulting firm. The top leadership at the firm have regularly assigned me to work on conference presentation submissions and journal articles for them. I had assumed my name would be included on these, but recently discovered that it is not, despite me doing some to all of the review of academic literature. I figured I am not owed authorship or credit because I was being paid and it was obnoxious for me to ask. Recently, when I talked about the work to some graduate school colleagues, they insisted that regardless of whether I was paid, they were supposed to give me credit if I contributed to academic work. Is this the case? I know there is nothing I can do about the past, but I want to know moving forward and for my future career.
RESPONSE A: If you made substantial and/or novel contributions, you should absolutely be listed as an author. It doesn't matter whether you were paid or not. Them not listing you is dishonest and unethical.
RESPONSE B: It depends on the nature of your contribution. Are you doing work where someone else tells you what articles to read and summarize but someone else does the writing? In my field you would not get authorship credit for that.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: Should you receive authorship even if you are being paid? I am a doctoral student who is 18 months into a 2 year internship with a consulting firm. The top leadership at the firm have regularly assigned me to work on conference presentation submissions and journal articles for them. I had assumed my name would be included on these, but recently discovered that it is not, despite me doing some to all of the review of academic literature. I figured I am not owed authorship or credit because I was being paid and it was obnoxious for me to ask. Recently, when I talked about the work to some graduate school colleagues, they insisted that regardless of whether I was paid, they were supposed to give me credit if I contributed to academic work. Is this the case? I know there is nothing I can do about the past, but I want to know moving forward and for my future career.
RESPONSE A: **Authorship is not compensation**. It is attribution. Not attributing someone who made substantial contributions to a work is unethical for several reasons: 1 - Ghost authors can have undisclosed conflicts of interest 2 - If readers have questions, they will not follow up with the real author who can answer their questions 3 - It's simply unfair and usually exploitative, and it can prevent people who make real contributions to science from progressing in their careers If you contributed to a work but not enough to be an author (this threshold depends on the journal's guidelines) then you should be given an acknowledgement. This can be appropriate even if you wrote the whole thing, but didn't produce any of the data or ideas.
RESPONSE B: Being paid is irrelevant. If you made contribution towards the work, which is substantial enough, you should be recognised for such and a co-author (and if it was smaller, you should be acknowledged, which is typical for example in case of technicians performing a standard measurement, without deep analysis)
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: Should you receive authorship even if you are being paid? I am a doctoral student who is 18 months into a 2 year internship with a consulting firm. The top leadership at the firm have regularly assigned me to work on conference presentation submissions and journal articles for them. I had assumed my name would be included on these, but recently discovered that it is not, despite me doing some to all of the review of academic literature. I figured I am not owed authorship or credit because I was being paid and it was obnoxious for me to ask. Recently, when I talked about the work to some graduate school colleagues, they insisted that regardless of whether I was paid, they were supposed to give me credit if I contributed to academic work. Is this the case? I know there is nothing I can do about the past, but I want to know moving forward and for my future career.
RESPONSE A: **Authorship is not compensation**. It is attribution. Not attributing someone who made substantial contributions to a work is unethical for several reasons: 1 - Ghost authors can have undisclosed conflicts of interest 2 - If readers have questions, they will not follow up with the real author who can answer their questions 3 - It's simply unfair and usually exploitative, and it can prevent people who make real contributions to science from progressing in their careers If you contributed to a work but not enough to be an author (this threshold depends on the journal's guidelines) then you should be given an acknowledgement. This can be appropriate even if you wrote the whole thing, but didn't produce any of the data or ideas.
RESPONSE B: It depends on the journal-specific guidelines. In chemistry, it’s typical for everyone who is responsible for data quality to be an author, regardless of whether they are a technician. In some journals, like PNAS, only those who have contributed substantially to the ideas are considered authors.
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POST: Can the university know the age of the tenure track applicants in the States? I've heard it's illegal in the States for the employer to ask the age of the applicants. But I've also heard that the universities and employers can figure out the age of the applicatns by asking when they've graduated from highschool/entered the university/college. Can the university know the age of the tenure track applicants in the States? Also if the university can figure out the age of the tt track applicants, could the applicant be discriminated by age if he or she is over a certain age? I've heard there's a bit of ageism in computer science tenure track hiring process.
RESPONSE A: They wouldn't know precisely, but your c.v. needs the dates you graduated with your bachelor's/master's/PhD and the bachelor's in particular gives a good idea.
RESPONSE B: I've been on quite a few tenure track computer science faculty searches in the US. To the best of my knowledge, there's no overt or even implicit age discrimination that I noticed (I am capable of not noticing). We did get the occasional 55 year old applying for a tt assistant professor position but they were non serious candidates in general and were excluded not because of age but because their research profiles were bad.
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POST: inappropriate times, AT me. I wasn't expecting to have to become a disciplinarian. Today a student walks into my class 10 minutes before it ended, and said "did I miss anything last week?" DURING my lecture. I said no (because, seriously, wtf) and she left. NEVER saw her before. I'm suspecting this wasn't the right choice of career for me. I just wish I knew that before spending so many years chasing a phd and preparing for a career that apparently nobody appreciates. I'm secretly hoping you'll tell me everything will be alright, and it's just that I'm new, and that reaching a few of them will make all the difference. Deep down, I know that's not necessarily the case. **end rant** TL, DR; my students are drooling zombies with almost no brain activity and I'm wondering why I wasted a decade chasing a career for people who don't care.
RESPONSE A: You were a good student. Most of your friends were probably good students. It was easy to not notice that most students... suck (hard) at being students. Also, don't think that not assigning much outside work will cause your students to be more engaged. Quite the opposite; they'll see that they don't have to do much in the course. Give them work to do, and the ones that actually care will start asking questions and coming to office hours to discuss it. (The other ones will just copy it off each other and then bomb the exams.) I always comfort myself with saying that it's not my job to teach students the material. My job is to provide them all with all the resources they need in order to learn it.
RESPONSE B: I'm guessing since you're new you got the freshmen-level courses and have several/mostly first-semester students in your class. It's a really frustrating trend that new faculty get the intro courses, because those students are the least engaged and least disciplined of any students you will encounter. You can certainly ask for tips on dealing with engagement and discipline, but the thing I want to let you know is *it gets better.*
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POST: after i am done with my PhD in order to relocate to a different job market. Does anyone else here have experience with changing careers after their PhD? How did it work out?
RESPONSE A: one of my great mentors i had in my PhD did a phd in analytical chemistry or something similar. She ended up doing academic peer reviewing, writing, and editing for a while for journals and/or magazines. After that she transitioned into more of the admin side of college focusing on developing teaching programs at universities. There were like 10 more specific steps in there. I always found her career path very interesting because I loved pedagogy and tutoring. I'm not sure many people realize the directors and creators of tutoring programs, teaching teaching assistants how to teach, teaching support for professors at universities has people with PhD backgrounds running them. (at least in the two universities ive studied at have been this way). ​ other things people in my program have pursued: consulting, science policy, academic teaching professor, other option is work for a company that just hires people with phds and tosses them into a new field ​ lastly... engineering and science are so similar that you should be able to eek into an engineering position coming from an engineer perspectives. better case is to do an engineering-science post doc then get another degree or just go for an engineering job, for many engineers grads have gone to do science jobs after their phd
RESPONSE B: Getting out of academia by getting another degree doesn't make much sense to me. If you want to get out of academia, get a job. Most employers are already skeptical of people with PhDs, and they have a legitimate imo preference to hire people with non-academic work experience. If you finish a PhD and then get a second BA, you're going to be like 30-35, with limited practical work experience - it's going to be harder for you. It's better to cut the cord now and find your footing in industry. If you find that you need another degree, you can always go back to school and get one. School will always be there, but your adaptability decreases with age.
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POST: New career/degree after PhD? Has anyone here completely changed fields after finishing a PhD? I have less than 1 year left of my molecular biology PhD and i am starting to realize that my future in academia is limited, i enjoy my day to day life, but i dont think i have the passion to continue doing this forever. I simply value my free time too much, and research has not been everything i wanted it to be. The industry jobs within my field just dont appeal to me at all anymore. Therefore, i am now thinking about studying engineering after i am done with my PhD in order to relocate to a different job market. Does anyone else here have experience with changing careers after their PhD? How did it work out?
RESPONSE A: I was in the same boat as you, and leaving academia is hard. Thought I would have to study/retrain (last thing I wanted to do after a PhD) and so glad I didn't- if you can get just one employer to take a chance on you, so many people are supported to train/study as part of their job during paid hours. Wish I'd known about this and never done a phd in the first place
RESPONSE B: Getting out of academia by getting another degree doesn't make much sense to me. If you want to get out of academia, get a job. Most employers are already skeptical of people with PhDs, and they have a legitimate imo preference to hire people with non-academic work experience. If you finish a PhD and then get a second BA, you're going to be like 30-35, with limited practical work experience - it's going to be harder for you. It's better to cut the cord now and find your footing in industry. If you find that you need another degree, you can always go back to school and get one. School will always be there, but your adaptability decreases with age.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: New career/degree after PhD? Has anyone here completely changed fields after finishing a PhD? I have less than 1 year left of my molecular biology PhD and i am starting to realize that my future in academia is limited, i enjoy my day to day life, but i dont think i have the passion to continue doing this forever. I simply value my free time too much, and research has not been everything i wanted it to be. The industry jobs within my field just dont appeal to me at all anymore. Therefore, i am now thinking about studying engineering after i am done with my PhD in order to relocate to a different job market. Does anyone else here have experience with changing careers after their PhD? How did it work out?
RESPONSE A: Getting out of academia by getting another degree doesn't make much sense to me. If you want to get out of academia, get a job. Most employers are already skeptical of people with PhDs, and they have a legitimate imo preference to hire people with non-academic work experience. If you finish a PhD and then get a second BA, you're going to be like 30-35, with limited practical work experience - it's going to be harder for you. It's better to cut the cord now and find your footing in industry. If you find that you need another degree, you can always go back to school and get one. School will always be there, but your adaptability decreases with age.
RESPONSE B: You could look at strategy or management consulting. They hire a lot of PhDs for those roles and you don't need additional qualifications. You just need to prepare for the case interviews which are a bit unique. I see many PhD graduates doing quite well in these roles.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: New career/degree after PhD? Has anyone here completely changed fields after finishing a PhD? I have less than 1 year left of my molecular biology PhD and i am starting to realize that my future in academia is limited, i enjoy my day to day life, but i dont think i have the passion to continue doing this forever. I simply value my free time too much, and research has not been everything i wanted it to be. The industry jobs within my field just dont appeal to me at all anymore. Therefore, i am now thinking about studying engineering after i am done with my PhD in order to relocate to a different job market. Does anyone else here have experience with changing careers after their PhD? How did it work out?
RESPONSE A: Getting out of academia by getting another degree doesn't make much sense to me. If you want to get out of academia, get a job. Most employers are already skeptical of people with PhDs, and they have a legitimate imo preference to hire people with non-academic work experience. If you finish a PhD and then get a second BA, you're going to be like 30-35, with limited practical work experience - it's going to be harder for you. It's better to cut the cord now and find your footing in industry. If you find that you need another degree, you can always go back to school and get one. School will always be there, but your adaptability decreases with age.
RESPONSE B: I got my PhD in a blend of chemistry topics, went to industry then took a job doing lab automation, which basically means my job is now to talk to lab people and explain what they need to programmers and sometimes work on the products themselves if it’s not too far over my head. You don’t necessarily need more school.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: New career/degree after PhD? Has anyone here completely changed fields after finishing a PhD? I have less than 1 year left of my molecular biology PhD and i am starting to realize that my future in academia is limited, i enjoy my day to day life, but i dont think i have the passion to continue doing this forever. I simply value my free time too much, and research has not been everything i wanted it to be. The industry jobs within my field just dont appeal to me at all anymore. Therefore, i am now thinking about studying engineering after i am done with my PhD in order to relocate to a different job market. Does anyone else here have experience with changing careers after their PhD? How did it work out?
RESPONSE A: I teach a professional masters-level course for people who already have a degree in another area. I’ve had enough PhDs that it doesn’t appear to be unusual. What I will say, though, is depending on the profession, previous skills don’t necessarily translate as easily as doctors initially assume.
RESPONSE B: Getting out of academia by getting another degree doesn't make much sense to me. If you want to get out of academia, get a job. Most employers are already skeptical of people with PhDs, and they have a legitimate imo preference to hire people with non-academic work experience. If you finish a PhD and then get a second BA, you're going to be like 30-35, with limited practical work experience - it's going to be harder for you. It's better to cut the cord now and find your footing in industry. If you find that you need another degree, you can always go back to school and get one. School will always be there, but your adaptability decreases with age.
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POST: Best resource(s) to learn how to properly cite sources? I graduated high school in 2007 and this is my first semester of college. So I’ve been out of the loop for awhile, the last time I wrote a paper was 15 years ago. For my first paper, my professor’s feedback was that I need to be better at APA citing sources, but I am honestly really confused. I am not the smartest student out there, it takes me awhile to learn new things, is there a YouTube video or website that anyone here could recommend? For my paper I used Citation Machine but apparently that isn’t enough. As I mentioned, I am slow to learn new things. However, I want to do things properly. Thank you
RESPONSE A: It would probably behoove you to find a copy of the style guide, as there is a lot of great information that usually isn't available for free on other sites (like some of the conventions and the minutiae about different reference types). But if you need a quick go-to for how to format various references and in-text citations, the APA website is very helpful. There is even a list of examples of just about every type of reference, which I used extensively during my last two years of school when I was too cheap to buy the newly updated edition: APA reference examples
RESPONSE B: My favorite resource -- it's pretty comprehensive for reference list, in-text, etc. with examples: https://www.cite.auckland.ac.nz/2.html
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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POST: Best resource(s) to learn how to properly cite sources? I graduated high school in 2007 and this is my first semester of college. So I’ve been out of the loop for awhile, the last time I wrote a paper was 15 years ago. For my first paper, my professor’s feedback was that I need to be better at APA citing sources, but I am honestly really confused. I am not the smartest student out there, it takes me awhile to learn new things, is there a YouTube video or website that anyone here could recommend? For my paper I used Citation Machine but apparently that isn’t enough. As I mentioned, I am slow to learn new things. However, I want to do things properly. Thank you
RESPONSE A: It would probably behoove you to find a copy of the style guide, as there is a lot of great information that usually isn't available for free on other sites (like some of the conventions and the minutiae about different reference types). But if you need a quick go-to for how to format various references and in-text citations, the APA website is very helpful. There is even a list of examples of just about every type of reference, which I used extensively during my last two years of school when I was too cheap to buy the newly updated edition: APA reference examples
RESPONSE B: ReciteWorks is a great tool to check your reference list before submitting https://reciteworks.com/ I also really can’t advocate enough for using a reference manager like Endnote or Zotero. I use Paperpile, which has a small annual fee but works a charm.
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POST: If you want to make money as an Academic, what avenues pays the most in Academia? Non native English speaker here. If you want to make money as an Academic, what avenues pays the most? PS: I know going into academia for monetary purposes is frowned upon. I am not doing that. I am simply curious, what pays the most other than your salary. Is it writing and publishing textbooks, publishing journals, making online video courses, something else?
RESPONSE A: There are options but they will mostly jeopardize your ability to do academic research. It's instead of not in addition. 1) Leave after your PhD & get a job in a related industry 2) Write successful popular audience books or start related spin off companies (this has the potential to hurt your academic reputation, I've heard tons of shade directed at these types. I know one example of someone being denied tenure over it, another of someone getting sued....) 3) Admin - university presidents, vps, provosts, etc can make a pretty penny and typically start off as academics 4) Marry someone rich. Or find some long lost great aunt that leaves you a fortune to inherit. 5) Win the lottery. Or use your academic background to get really good at jeopardy.
RESPONSE B: Can you coach football or basketball? Those are the top paying academic jobs at many state universities.
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POST: Would a Journal of Negative Results have helped you during your academic career? Would you have tried to publish in it? There are a few existing Journals of Negative Results that I know of (see this post), but I think more fields should have something like this - a way to share good science that didn't end up supporting your hypothesis. Would a Journal of Negative Results in your field have been helpful during your academic career? Would you have published in it?
RESPONSE A: If you actually have power to back up your negative results (vs the more common negative results due to bad studies/lack of power), I find that you can still publish them in ok journals.
RESPONSE B: I also think it depends what you mean by negative results. Particularly when research is based on the logic of inferential statistics hypothesis testing, "negative results" (i.e. failing to reject the null hypothesis) could simply be due to small sample sizes. So while there is value in unexpected or negative results, with hypothesis testing it's difficult to tell if that's a true negative result or just insufficient evidence to support the alternative hypothesis. I'm not too familiar with other approaches to statistical research like Bayesian methods, but maybe those techniques might be more conducive to reaching such conclusions.
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POST: Boundaries of what is acceptable for a prof to ask their students to do There's a fellow student in my cohort who I see washing cups in the lounge every now and then. One day I decided to ask him what's up with him cleaning all of these tea cups, and he replies that his adviser asked him to do it for him. Apparently his adviser drinks multiple cups of tea a day and gets his graduate students to clean them for him. Is this acceptable behavior??? Ultimately this is between those two, and I have no reason to get involved, but it seems quite an abuse of power to me.
RESPONSE A: I actually saw this exact same thing in my old department. I was in no place to question it then, but it certainly seemed like demeaning drudgery for the grad student. I honestly have no no advice to give.
RESPONSE B: It's unprofessional as hell, but I don't think it's actionable if the student were to complain. The student/advisor relationship is, literally, a medieval concept, and some advisors like to use students to ridiculous degrees like this as a display of power.
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POST: Boundaries of what is acceptable for a prof to ask their students to do There's a fellow student in my cohort who I see washing cups in the lounge every now and then. One day I decided to ask him what's up with him cleaning all of these tea cups, and he replies that his adviser asked him to do it for him. Apparently his adviser drinks multiple cups of tea a day and gets his graduate students to clean them for him. Is this acceptable behavior??? Ultimately this is between those two, and I have no reason to get involved, but it seems quite an abuse of power to me.
RESPONSE A: It's not ethical for a professor to ask students to perform personal tasks; it is an abuse of power. If the student is hired as a research or teaching assistant, then their tasks/job description should be written down in the university records. In this case, they can go to HR to solicit advice. If they are grant funded in the US, the job description & expectations are laid out in the hiring letter approved through the grant. Violations of that agreement are serious. Again, HR can help. If they are paying their own way, then they have no obligations beyond the milestones set forth in the doctoral handbook for graduation. In this case, the Department Chair can help. The student could also gently refuse, but without apology. "I'm not able to as I have research obligations."
RESPONSE B: If the adviser asked for this rather than the student volunteered first, it is typically against the rules in developed countries. Of course, if the student (or even someone else) officially complains on it, that'd typically end up with the student needing a new adviser.
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POST: Filing a complaint against PI for mistreatments of employees In past I worked for a bad PI. I left the lab without asking for her recommendation. A year later, I am witnessing another employee (a technician) of hers leave the lab after working for 2 years. He asked for her recommendation and she is saying negative things about his work ethics. She is lying. She has lied on multiple occasions in past, for petty things to very serious matters. Should he complain to HR about her in his exit interview? Or is it not worth it? Do they every take any action against PIs? I left without complaining but I want to do so now, so future employees don’t suffer. It’s been an year since I left. Should I file a complaint?
RESPONSE A: Speaking as a senior administrator, yes, you should complain. You will get zero satisfaction in the sense that you will never see the impact of your complaints, but good institutions have memory and when the opportunity comes, repeat offenders will be kept from positions of authority and/or pushed out altogether.
RESPONSE B: If this person is tenured, it would take more than your word for anything to happen to her. Honestly, students don’t have much power in a situation like this. Added: I can give you an even more serious example from a professor on an exit interview. Professor A didn’t get tenure. On her exit interview, she mentioned that professor B harassed her in various ways (not sexual) and that professor B also harassed me (professor C) by calling me a lesbian. I found out about this when HR called me to get my side of the story. I told them I don’t find the word lesbian offensive so I would not consider it harassment. This is different but it had the potential of going somewhere ( 2 junior professors vs. senior professor). Your issue is likely to go nowhere unless you get more facts in writing and with other students involved.
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POST: Filing a complaint against PI for mistreatments of employees In past I worked for a bad PI. I left the lab without asking for her recommendation. A year later, I am witnessing another employee (a technician) of hers leave the lab after working for 2 years. He asked for her recommendation and she is saying negative things about his work ethics. She is lying. She has lied on multiple occasions in past, for petty things to very serious matters. Should he complain to HR about her in his exit interview? Or is it not worth it? Do they every take any action against PIs? I left without complaining but I want to do so now, so future employees don’t suffer. It’s been an year since I left. Should I file a complaint?
RESPONSE A: There may not be anything from this complaint. On the other hand, if nobody reports it, there won't be a trend of complaints, either.
RESPONSE B: I think that if you feel safe doing so and are able to, you should file a complaint. I've been in similar situations and it sucks. A tech I worked with wanted to file a complaint against a PI . The PI was very intimidating so other past employees who had experienced his abuse were afraid to speak up. The tech didn't file a complaint because they had little support. They were afraid of the PI "coming after them" with it being their word against the "well-respected" PI. You might not get anything out of it, and honestly, in my experience, HR often doesn't do anything about it. However, I think this can be helpful for future employees if they need to file a complaint. It just gives them support and is evidence of the PI's history of maltreatment.
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POST: Filing a complaint against PI for mistreatments of employees In past I worked for a bad PI. I left the lab without asking for her recommendation. A year later, I am witnessing another employee (a technician) of hers leave the lab after working for 2 years. He asked for her recommendation and she is saying negative things about his work ethics. She is lying. She has lied on multiple occasions in past, for petty things to very serious matters. Should he complain to HR about her in his exit interview? Or is it not worth it? Do they every take any action against PIs? I left without complaining but I want to do so now, so future employees don’t suffer. It’s been an year since I left. Should I file a complaint?
RESPONSE A: Not a professor, I’ll just say any bad boss deserves to be booted. You don’t stay on top by pushing others down.
RESPONSE B: My former lab had a lot of complaints of harassment and nepotism. We had ONE person complain and HR of the department got involved and asked to interview a few people or to have people come to their office anonymously. You’d be surprised because one little complaint can lead to a full blown investigation b/c people are more likely to come forward when its anonymous and they don’t have to start it. If you feel comfortable and safe doing so, being that whistleblower might be worth it. Our lab went through some serious investigations that led to mandatory re-orientations on sexual harassment, racial targeting, and nepotism (in my example). I think it definitely changed the PI’s outlook/they were more accommodating so nothing like this would happen again. They tiptoed around us and essentially gave us anything we needed because they now knew we collectively held the power to shut them down with another complaint. Just make sure you stay anonymous to avoid retaliation and so the situation doesn’t escalate. So at least in my experience, yes. HR did take it VERY seriously and the PIs (since they RUN the lab) were definitely the ones in trouble, not us. Good luck! I hope my example helped!!
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POST: NSF Retaliation Complaint Throwaway for legal reasons. I was recently the victim of harassment and discrimination by my PhD advisor. I went through the university's mediation process, partly because I was told I would not be allowed to complete my degree if I requested a formal investigation. At the end of the investigation, the university assigned me a new advisor but took no other action. The university retaliated against me in a serious way (no details for anonymity, sorry). My former advisor continues to retaliate against me and impede my graduation and career prospects. My department is aware but has chosen not to take any action. When I mentioned reporting the original discrimination to the NSF, I was told that I would face disciplinary action by the university if I made a report to an outside agency because I "chose" informal mediation. 1) *Does anyone have experience filing a civil rights complaint with a federal funding agency?* What was the process like and long did it take? Was the complainant able to continue with their degree/career unimpeded or did the institution use some kind of protocol to "ice" the complainant? 2) *What kinds of remedies or actions does the NSF take in these sorts of cases (details are sparse, I know)?* Was there oversight of the university's reporting mechanism, college/department, or alleged aggressor? Was the agency able to stipulate disciplinary action, such as removal from oversight or administrative positions? Was the complainant compensated for any damages?
RESPONSE A: I realize you might not be able to provide details, but it's not clear to me why NSF would be involved, unless you were directly funded by them (like through the graduate research fellowship program). Federal funding agencies do not have authority over academic institutions in the manner you are suggesting, so I don't see what NSF could do in this case.
RESPONSE B: Consult with a lawyer. This is beyond the scope of this sub. There could be title ix implications and a whole host of other issues related to this, but we don't know because you can't share enough info.
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POST: es anyone have experience filing a civil rights complaint with a federal funding agency?* What was the process like and long did it take? Was the complainant able to continue with their degree/career unimpeded or did the institution use some kind of protocol to "ice" the complainant? 2) *What kinds of remedies or actions does the NSF take in these sorts of cases (details are sparse, I know)?* Was there oversight of the university's reporting mechanism, college/department, or alleged aggressor? Was the agency able to stipulate disciplinary action, such as removal from oversight or administrative positions? Was the complainant compensated for any damages?
RESPONSE A: The difficulty with reporting this to NSF is, if I understand the ODI guidelines, if the university does not admit any wrong doing by that individual, there's not much the NSF can do. There are two defined types of reports: - Finding/Determination that the reported individual has been found to have violated awardee codes of conduct, policies, regulations or statutes relating to sexual harassment, or other form of harassment, or sexual assault; or - Placement by the awardee of the reported individual on administrative leave relating to a finding or investigation of a violation of awardee codes of conduct, policies, regulations or statutes relating to sexual harassment, or other form of harassment, or sexual assault. If they're not going to divulge that, or have not made records that could be FOIAed admitting to wrongdoing, there is little NSF can do. NSF doesn't have advisory oversight of universities, so you would expect them to take actions related to the award. If that caused a massive amount of overhead funds to be lost, or it affected several PIs, the university might decide to take action against the PI. But NSF it doesn't seem can really act if the institution isn't already taking action. So, chicken, meet egg.
RESPONSE B: Consult with a lawyer. This is beyond the scope of this sub. There could be title ix implications and a whole host of other issues related to this, but we don't know because you can't share enough info.
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POST: NSF Retaliation Complaint Throwaway for legal reasons. I was recently the victim of harassment and discrimination by my PhD advisor. I went through the university's mediation process, partly because I was told I would not be allowed to complete my degree if I requested a formal investigation. At the end of the investigation, the university assigned me a new advisor but took no other action. The university retaliated against me in a serious way (no details for anonymity, sorry). My former advisor continues to retaliate against me and impede my graduation and career prospects. My department is aware but has chosen not to take any action. When I mentioned reporting the original discrimination to the NSF, I was told that I would face disciplinary action by the university if I made a report to an outside agency because I "chose" informal mediation. 1) *Does anyone have experience filing a civil rights complaint with a federal funding agency?* What was the process like and long did it take? Was the complainant able to continue with their degree/career unimpeded or did the institution use some kind of protocol to "ice" the complainant? 2) *What kinds of remedies or actions does the NSF take in these sorts of cases (details are sparse, I know)?* Was there oversight of the university's reporting mechanism, college/department, or alleged aggressor? Was the agency able to stipulate disciplinary action, such as removal from oversight or administrative positions? Was the complainant compensated for any damages?
RESPONSE A: Consult with a lawyer. This is beyond the scope of this sub. There could be title ix implications and a whole host of other issues related to this, but we don't know because you can't share enough info.
RESPONSE B: I'm just throwing spaghetti given the lack of info, but you may want to reach out to the eeoc or someone at NELA https://www.eeoc.gov/ https://www.nela.org/
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POST: Anyone work in a research institute? I work in a 501c3 research institute. We are entirely funded by grants. I used to enjoy it, but as I've risen the ranks it's become more about where the next funding comes from, and less about doing quality work. Management is either indifferent or inept, and the staff coming in (undergrads) are pretty bad. I've gotten a couple mil to work on projects I wrote grants for where I've ended up doing 0 of the technical work (the fun stuff). On top of that I have to switch between projects every 45 min or so (meetings, people needing help, admin, etc). I'm wondering how other researchers manage and if others have similar experiences.
RESPONSE A: I’ve seen this phenomenon at a few different places that run on soft money. The problem is that grant- or contract-based work incentivizes projects that are long, large, expensive, and labor-intensive. It does not incentivize good science. The focus on processes, rather than outcomes is due to the importance of grants or contracts for the money they bring in rather than the science they produce. Unfortunately, I’ve only seen this situation resolved by changes in strategy by leadership. Some solutions that work include: (1) raising tons of money from donors to fund internal projects, or (2) engaging in other business streams like teaching or patient care to cross-fund research.
RESPONSE B: Depending on your field, you might consider going independent and/or forming a very small shop with a tight team. You still have to do some form of business development (grant writing, client prospecting, partnership formation, etc.), admin, and management, but much more control over the degree of involvement in direct research work and who you work with. Plus, the amount of dollars on a project that end up going to overhead is far less in my experience (the big research/eval shops I know have overhead rates as high as universities). Again though, how and whether this can work is very contingent on the field you’re in.
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POST: Full professor but worried about job security On the same day last week, I received official confirmation that I've been promoted to full, and also heard that if my program doesn't drastly increase our student numbers, we would likely close. We have two years to turn things around. Besides a moral obligation felt by the Dean to try to help me and the other faculty members who would be affected (by possibly creating new positions in other departments?), should I expect that I have no job security? I haven't heard of this happening elsewhere (besides when tenured faculty lost their jobs after Katrina). But surely departments close occasionally. What happens to those professors? Thank you for any thoughts and insights!
RESPONSE A: What sort of an institution are you talking about here?
RESPONSE B: The crucial issue is whether tenure is in the department or in the university. Look in your faculty handbook, ask the president of the faculty senate, etc. If tenure is in the department, you are at risk. If it is in the university, they find another place for you.
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POST: Full professor but worried about job security On the same day last week, I received official confirmation that I've been promoted to full, and also heard that if my program doesn't drastly increase our student numbers, we would likely close. We have two years to turn things around. Besides a moral obligation felt by the Dean to try to help me and the other faculty members who would be affected (by possibly creating new positions in other departments?), should I expect that I have no job security? I haven't heard of this happening elsewhere (besides when tenured faculty lost their jobs after Katrina). But surely departments close occasionally. What happens to those professors? Thank you for any thoughts and insights!
RESPONSE A: What sort of an institution are you talking about here?
RESPONSE B: At the university I went to in grad school, the tenured profs in departments that shut down were moved to other departments. They shut down the geography department and we had at least two people over in Sociology that were geographers. But I've heard of other schools where an entire department was shut down and profs were laid off. I would ask the dean directly for clarity as to what happens to your job if the department shuts down (or your chair should be finding out this information and reporting back) and also making plans to go on the job market this year and next year.
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POST: 22 year old Masters student. How do I know if a PhD is right for me? Hello AskAcademia, Im a 22 year old postgrad at King's College London. I like studying, performed very well at undergrad and I'm enjoying my current degree. I'm considering doing a PhD but the prospect of dedicating several years of my life to one narrow topic kind of scares me. How do I know if a PhD is right for me? I would greatly appreciate any advice.
RESPONSE A: This is a great question because in any PhD interview in the UK they will ask you that, too. I'm a Master's student at the moment, as well (having not received a First in my first degree) and the reason I want to do a PhD is that research is its own reward, for me. Doing a PhD seems like the best way to do somewhat meaningful research (I did research in industry and found it frustrating because they had such low expectations) and research has been what gets me up in the mornings since that placement I did after (Scottish*) 3rd year. The standard reason most people would give is that you should do it if it aids whatever career you want. This can be in research, but there are alternatives nowadays. If you want to have some mix, there are industrial CDTs in the UK now where you do your doctoral studies with a company (with some limited supervision from a university); this is called an EngD. Obviously that might not be an option depending on your field.
RESPONSE B: If you can see yourself doing anything else, do it.
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POST: time when my supervisor is slightly unsupportive of me, and I do not know what to do. I am doing so bad academically this year, so I am not surprised about their attitude but I am also worried. My previous academic supervisors would openly communicate with me if they are not happy with something and would work out a plan of action with me. So it is a first time when I initiate something and there's zero reply. I feeling quite lost lol
RESPONSE A: As a Ph.D. student, your Ph.D. advisor/supervisor is not the same as your undergraduate or even Master’s academic supervisors. I see many people here making that mistake. The role of your Ph.D. advisor is to supervise your research. We can occasionally answer other questions, but at this level, you are expected to be able to take care of most other things yourself. The goal of a Ph.D. Is to become an independent researcher. That means stepping up and taking responsibility for yourself. We can provide guidance, but it’s up to you to do the majority of the work. In this case, that means you taking the initiative to create a plan of action yourself. Then you could ask them for feedback on it. This has been a horrible year for many of us, but it is a baseline expectation at this level that you will excel in your classes. If you cannot at this time, you should consider taking a leave of absence until you can. There is nothing your supervisors can do for you if you are not doing well in your classes.
RESPONSE B: If it continues I would suggest switching supervisors if possible! As already mentioned, she might just be swamped right now and this isn't permanent. I had a really unsupportive supervisor during my undergrad (which is different to PhD level so maybe my answer isn't applicable) and wish I'd have switched. He ignored my emails as well, although I'm pretty sure it wasn't intentional, he just had a lot of other things to think about. Still, my mental health was also not great at the time and chasing people up constantly was really hard. Having a supportive supervisor makes the world of difference even if you're struggling because of other areas in life.
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POST: my first year of PhD and it is the first time when my relationship with academic supervisor are not going so well. Last term was very hard for me for personal reasons and at first my supervisor was fine with that. Then this winter and spring my mental health was not doing too well so I opened up and I said I am struggling with completing assignments on time and etc. After that my supervisor became incredibly distant and almost never replies to my emails. Is it normal? It is also the first time when my supervisor is slightly unsupportive of me, and I do not know what to do. I am doing so bad academically this year, so I am not surprised about their attitude but I am also worried. My previous academic supervisors would openly communicate with me if they are not happy with something and would work out a plan of action with me. So it is a first time when I initiate something and there's zero reply. I feeling quite lost lol
RESPONSE A: If it continues I would suggest switching supervisors if possible! As already mentioned, she might just be swamped right now and this isn't permanent. I had a really unsupportive supervisor during my undergrad (which is different to PhD level so maybe my answer isn't applicable) and wish I'd have switched. He ignored my emails as well, although I'm pretty sure it wasn't intentional, he just had a lot of other things to think about. Still, my mental health was also not great at the time and chasing people up constantly was really hard. Having a supportive supervisor makes the world of difference even if you're struggling because of other areas in life.
RESPONSE B: Without knowing what field you're in, it's a little hard to chime in, but assuming that it's STEM, I'm a little confused about what you mean by "completing assignments" or "doing so bad academically." Could it be that you're focused on your coursework instead of research and that's frustrating your advisor? Also, many advisors, especially with big labs, have a sink or swim mentality so if this type of advising is not a fit for you, then it's probably best to switch advisors now before it's too late.
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POST: How has you PhD changed your life outside of academia? How did your extended family responded? Your friends? Do you feel like you're viewed differently? Are first impressions the same (once people hear)? Has it brought on any negative attention? etc. etc. etc.
RESPONSE A: My mom is proud. My brother-in-law emphatically stated that he refuses to call me Dr. Epidemiologist, but he is the only one that has said anything negative (he may or may not have been joking, he has a dry sense of humor). My friends from grad school are happy for me, and I've had a few friends from high school say they are very proud of me and call me Dr. on Facebook whenever they can (in a positive way). My wife calls herself Mrs. Dr. and makes smartass comments to her friends about being married to a doctor, and her sister is super proud of me. I can't say it's really made much difference in the way people see me. Without being cocky about it, I have always been the smart guy in my groups of friends, so I don't think any of them are surprised I finished.
RESPONSE B: My family has no idea what I do or why I am still in school. My parents dont care because I am financially stable. As a first gen and zero extended family getting even a masters, people seem proud but dont really get it. My wifes family cant understand that she isnt going into debt for her PhD and constantly ask when she will get a 'real' job.
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POST: How has you PhD changed your life outside of academia? How did your extended family responded? Your friends? Do you feel like you're viewed differently? Are first impressions the same (once people hear)? Has it brought on any negative attention? etc. etc. etc.
RESPONSE A: My parents are proud, but ignorant of what I'm doing/facing. They are really optimistic about my future, which can help me when I'm facing the PhD Blues (or can be aggravating). My wife (not in academia) is understanding since she is used to my weird hours and stress. She is very supportive but can get understandably frustrated when I'm bogged down in research. My dog doesn't seem to notice too much, but she does get interested when new stacks of books appear in my office.
RESPONSE B: Although I'm still in the process of it, I can relate to a lot of what everyone else is saying. I think two of the most frustrating questions I get are: when will you cure cancer, and how long are you in school for? No. And as long as it takes. I also don't like to mention it that much because a lot of people get impressed and make a big deal about it which makes me uncomfortable. Also, whenever I mention it, they ask what I do and it can be challenging to explain my research to people who don't have a background in it. Although, I am embracing that a bit more because I think it is important to develop the ability to explain science in a way anyone can understand. I personally don't see it as any different from most other degrees. I mean, there is more responsibility and a higher expectation that comes with it, but everyone has their reasons for the paths they take. I really hate the pretentious PhDs though. There are a bunch in my department that think their shit doesn't smell.
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POST: Has a colleague of yours lost tenure? What were the circumstances? Inspired by this news article. I've heard that tenure is very difficult to lose once you've got it. In your experience what caused a colleague to lose tenure?
RESPONSE A: No-one I personally know, but some US-based cases I heard of in my (broader) field (technically they left themselves but would have been fired if they hadn't): * Retraction of 5+ papers from prominent journals because they had made up the data / their students had made up the data and they let them (which wasted lots of time and resources of people trying to reproduce and build upon their work) * The professor drunkenly bragged about embezzling sizable amounts of money + lots of kinds and instances of mistreatment and harassment of research group members + some other illegal and unethical activities, related to work and not EDIT: Then they got a job and generous funding as "distinguished professors" in a East Asian country, in the same department.
RESPONSE B: My former boss finally lost tenure for sexually assaulting grad students (after 2 schools, including mine, swept it under the rug so as not to harm his reputation). And my undergrad professor was fired after spending a couple of years in an Argentinian jail for drug smuggling. But don't worry, he got all of his back pay for the time he was in jail before they fired him.
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POST: Has a colleague of yours lost tenure? What were the circumstances? Inspired by this news article. I've heard that tenure is very difficult to lose once you've got it. In your experience what caused a colleague to lose tenure?
RESPONSE A: My former boss finally lost tenure for sexually assaulting grad students (after 2 schools, including mine, swept it under the rug so as not to harm his reputation). And my undergrad professor was fired after spending a couple of years in an Argentinian jail for drug smuggling. But don't worry, he got all of his back pay for the time he was in jail before they fired him.
RESPONSE B: At a previous institution, I heard that a professor lost tenure because he was selling grades. He was only caught because he was in an electronic conversation with a young lady and suggested that she could pay with something other than money. She turned him in, and he apparently quit as soon as they presented him with evidence.
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POST: Has a colleague of yours lost tenure? What were the circumstances? Inspired by this news article. I've heard that tenure is very difficult to lose once you've got it. In your experience what caused a colleague to lose tenure?
RESPONSE A: Very famous chemist at my former institute Photoshoped Westerns and they found several 'before and after' files on his personal laptop. Lost his lab in the US and Taiwan. About 5 years earlier, same institute and same school, another prof got charged with the same thing by the NIH (after institute did investigation and concluded no concerns) and blamed his tech. Only got suspended by NIH for 5 years (max penalty at the time), not fired. At another previous institute, my advisor's collaborator diverted grant funds from gov't grants to his company and then to his pockets. Lost tenure, wife, kids and got several years in prison.
RESPONSE B: When I was in graduate school a professor was being a creep to female graduate students. They finally had enough of his bullshit and planned a big campaign to get him fired. After the school found out that they were quietly talking to major donors (billionaire level) about it the school finally tossed him. This was after 30 years of complaints when he was basically senile. Apparently, he had something like 100 sexual harassment complaints against him going back to the 70s. The system works folks. *massive fucking eyeroll* Edit: I checked with a friend who was involved in that whole shitty thing, and they told me that the professor was emeritus and simply told not to come back to teach any longer nor allowed to sit on committees. So the system actually didn't work, they kept their official title and pension.
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POST: Has a colleague of yours lost tenure? What were the circumstances? Inspired by this news article. I've heard that tenure is very difficult to lose once you've got it. In your experience what caused a colleague to lose tenure?
RESPONSE A: Very famous chemist at my former institute Photoshoped Westerns and they found several 'before and after' files on his personal laptop. Lost his lab in the US and Taiwan. About 5 years earlier, same institute and same school, another prof got charged with the same thing by the NIH (after institute did investigation and concluded no concerns) and blamed his tech. Only got suspended by NIH for 5 years (max penalty at the time), not fired. At another previous institute, my advisor's collaborator diverted grant funds from gov't grants to his company and then to his pockets. Lost tenure, wife, kids and got several years in prison.
RESPONSE B: > the college reset everyone’s passwords and assigned everyone the same temporary password Lol, what?! Seems like maybe the professor is just one of a few people who might need new jobs
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: Has a colleague of yours lost tenure? What were the circumstances? Inspired by this news article. I've heard that tenure is very difficult to lose once you've got it. In your experience what caused a colleague to lose tenure?
RESPONSE A: At my university (https://www.buzzfeed.com/azeenghorayshi/uw-fired-michael-katze)
RESPONSE B: Very famous chemist at my former institute Photoshoped Westerns and they found several 'before and after' files on his personal laptop. Lost his lab in the US and Taiwan. About 5 years earlier, same institute and same school, another prof got charged with the same thing by the NIH (after institute did investigation and concluded no concerns) and blamed his tech. Only got suspended by NIH for 5 years (max penalty at the time), not fired. At another previous institute, my advisor's collaborator diverted grant funds from gov't grants to his company and then to his pockets. Lost tenure, wife, kids and got several years in prison.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: Starting job as a staff position at University I was wondering how is life like as a staff position as an academic institution. The pay is lower than what I am used to but how is the quality of life. I am a single 25 year old male.
RESPONSE A: It depends on the university and the people you work with and for, of course, but the work-life balance at universities is generally far better than in industry. I have worked in both, and now as both faculty and staff, and I can tell you that there is absolutely no comparison.
RESPONSE B: Usually the only possible negative is bad co-workers, which is true anywhere. But right now this second, figure out your *total compensation*. (My university HR sends out a total compensation statement every year, which is awesome.) What university compensation lacks in salary they often make up for in benefits. You may have a retirement plan with the school matching some or all of your contribution. Your health insurance premiums are probably less expensive than average. You may have discounts on mass transit monthly passes, museums, and sporting events. You may have subsidized childcare. You may have partial or full reimbursement for courses taken related to your career. You almost certainly have more vacation days than anyone in the private sector, and unused days are paid out as cash if and when you take a job elsewhere. You may get life insurance at incredibly low rates. Meanwhile, I work from about 9 to 4 and work from home on Mondays. That means I can walk my kid to school and commute home before the worst of rush hour. To put it in perspective, I recently turned a job offer that would have paid me $20k more a year, but in total compensation it was a wash.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: Starting job as a staff position at University I was wondering how is life like as a staff position as an academic institution. The pay is lower than what I am used to but how is the quality of life. I am a single 25 year old male.
RESPONSE A: Which country?
RESPONSE B: Usually the only possible negative is bad co-workers, which is true anywhere. But right now this second, figure out your *total compensation*. (My university HR sends out a total compensation statement every year, which is awesome.) What university compensation lacks in salary they often make up for in benefits. You may have a retirement plan with the school matching some or all of your contribution. Your health insurance premiums are probably less expensive than average. You may have discounts on mass transit monthly passes, museums, and sporting events. You may have subsidized childcare. You may have partial or full reimbursement for courses taken related to your career. You almost certainly have more vacation days than anyone in the private sector, and unused days are paid out as cash if and when you take a job elsewhere. You may get life insurance at incredibly low rates. Meanwhile, I work from about 9 to 4 and work from home on Mondays. That means I can walk my kid to school and commute home before the worst of rush hour. To put it in perspective, I recently turned a job offer that would have paid me $20k more a year, but in total compensation it was a wash.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: What's your favorite aspect of academia? Least favorite?
RESPONSE A: Favorite: Flexibility of work hours weekly and throughout the year. Awesome smart colleagues, excellent access to resources (library, tools), and smart students that make me think deeply about my own research. Lease Favorite: Sexism, ageism, racism, stupid hierarchy and old boy network favoritism, bullshit students try to pull, the insane amount of work hours.
RESPONSE B: The service is my least favorites. Most academics got into it for either the teaching or research (or both), but some don't know that there is a service component to it too. Things such as, attending graduation ceremonies, promotional events for the university, things of that nature. Some things are fun though, like advising student competition/chapters. I sat through my first graduation as an academic and it was pretty boring not knowing anyone or not receiving anything. I was actually looking forward to it, because at my Ph.D. institution the invited faculty went on stage for the respective departments and shook hands with the students as they passed. At my academic institution I literally walked in, sat there, and walked out. Service is only like 10% of the job though.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: What's your favorite aspect of academia? Least favorite?
RESPONSE A: Academia is amazing at aggregating bright people who deeply care about a topic. But holy hell the politics and the bureaucracy that surrounds them.
RESPONSE B: The service is my least favorites. Most academics got into it for either the teaching or research (or both), but some don't know that there is a service component to it too. Things such as, attending graduation ceremonies, promotional events for the university, things of that nature. Some things are fun though, like advising student competition/chapters. I sat through my first graduation as an academic and it was pretty boring not knowing anyone or not receiving anything. I was actually looking forward to it, because at my Ph.D. institution the invited faculty went on stage for the respective departments and shook hands with the students as they passed. At my academic institution I literally walked in, sat there, and walked out. Service is only like 10% of the job though.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: What's your favorite aspect of academia? Least favorite?
RESPONSE A: Favorite: colleagues. Least favorite: "What was my grade, professor. Tell me my grade. What's my grade?" We get into this because we love learning. But for some, it's all about outcomes.
RESPONSE B: Academia is amazing at aggregating bright people who deeply care about a topic. But holy hell the politics and the bureaucracy that surrounds them.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: What's your favorite aspect of academia? Least favorite?
RESPONSE A: Favorite: colleagues. Least favorite: "What was my grade, professor. Tell me my grade. What's my grade?" We get into this because we love learning. But for some, it's all about outcomes.
RESPONSE B: Favorite: Science is awesome Least: All the other stuff that gets in the way of science.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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A
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POST: What's your favorite aspect of academia? Least favorite?
RESPONSE A: Independence. As a tenured full professor (and department chair) I have a lot of control over my work day, schedule, and broad career goals. I've taught 20+ different courses over the years and have some flexibility about what I teach year-to-year. I research and write about what I want. I don't have anyone looking over my shoulder and I don't report to anyone other than the dean on an annual basis. At this point I can't imagine working a regular 9-5 job, having a boss, etc. as I did back in my 20s. Least favorite? Without a doubt it's grading. I don't mind *critiquing* student work at all; I think I'm quite good at it actually. But having to slap a score on an essay or project is a pain in the ass; if I could avoid it I would. One my my colleagues always says "I'd work here for free but they have to pay me to grade," which I'm beginning to agree with.
RESPONSE B: Favorite: colleagues. Least favorite: "What was my grade, professor. Tell me my grade. What's my grade?" We get into this because we love learning. But for some, it's all about outcomes.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: Professors, how do you deal with students' sense of entitlement? Do you feel professors are treated differently now (by students) than they were, say, 20 years ago? I have found that many of my students feel that if they show up to class, or if they submit work (sub-par or not), they deserve an A. It's almost like a retail environment of sorts; they (or their parents) pay for it, so they should get what they want. I am a writing professor. I say, if it's a C paper, you get a C, regardless of how much effort you say you put in or how much money you paid to attend school. How am I to know how much effort you put in? What do you all think?
RESPONSE A: I'm an adjunct (ABD,) so I have to tread a little bit more carefully than I would if I had tenure or a contract. That said, I firmly believe that a C paper is a C paper. I make my rubric very well-known throughout the course, and try very hard to eliminate surprises when grading time comes. I encourage rough drafts, one-on-one writing time, a very thorough understanding of the assignment, and lots of questions. I usually give the essay prompt very early in the semester and spend a few minutes in each class discussing the topic. If you'd like a little levity (if that's the right word) on the subject, pick up Patrick Allitt's *I'm the Teacher, You're the Student.* Interesting reading. Controversial, pedantic, aloof, and funny.
RESPONSE B: This semester, I had a student attempt to sue me for failing her. She had done half of the online assignments (which are all available at the beginning of the semester and can be done as many times as possible until a 100 is achieved), had NO record of attendance, and had a failing test average. This was her second time taking it, and she never once came to me to ask for help. She just issued a lawsuit after I said I would not pass her. It has since been dropped, but I was truly amazed.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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B
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POST: Graduated from Masters but my supervisor still wants me to help So I've obtained my masters degree in electrical engineering in June. Around the start of January my supervisor asked me to assist another student who was struggling with their project. She later dropped out and I've been assigned to work on it. Even though I've graduated my supervisor still expects me to work on it until its published. (even though it'll take several more months of obtaining data) I also got a full time job after graduating and have already published two papers with her. What should I do? I have a neutral relationship with my supervisor and a good stable job, I was thinking of just ghosting her. However, I wouldn't mind helping out if she paid me fairly, would that be inappropriate to ask?
RESPONSE A: You should be paid if you do work for her. Be careful about IP with your current company.
RESPONSE B: Damn you are nice, perhaps too nice. The fact that you need to ask someone how to act in this situation goes to show your need for assertiveness training, you are too agreeable. Don't let people use you.
Which response is better? RESPONSE
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