texts: Should I write a thank you note to a professor for his recommendation letter even if I didn't get the scholarship?

texts:
One of my favorite professor is a very gentle, kindhearted, and extremely-well-teaching man who wrote a recommendation letter for me back in February 10th or so. Well he is super nice to all people and is extremely skillful teacher, making him a favorite teacher to all people, but when I asked for a recommendation letter for a scholarship I could tell that his letter was very good, just by judging from how thick the sealed envelope was - probabily at least three pages, if I am not mistaken. I told him thank you right after getting his sealed letter, but have not had the chance to say thank you to him after that.

The result for scholarship came in July 30th and I found out I wasn't selected. But given the factors like: (1) the professor has a liking on me and put pretty decent amount of time for my letter, (2) I will probably ask him for another letter for grad school, and (3) I didn't get the scholarship, and (4) the date I last talked to him (about the scholarshio, in particular) was about 5 months ago, should I write an email/note telling him that I thank him for the letter and let him know of the bad outcome?

If yes, what things/how should I write such a letter to him? A rough template and/or an example letter would be great - not trying to copy but to get a sense of things

Also do you think an email is fine? I'm like over 2000 miles from the campus so if I decide to go for an actual hand writtrn thank you card, I wouldn't be able to do that until the beginning of next school year, like September 22nd or something, although an actual thank you card shows more thankfulness than an email. So I guess my second question is: would a quick email or 2-month-later hand-written thank you card be better?


texts: Advice on career move - from industry to academia

texts:
I think my situation is somewhat unusual and goes into the opposite direction: I have the possibility to move from industry back to academia.

Background: I have been working in an industry position in my home country since I finished my PhD (6 years ago). My sector is going through mergers and acquisition, however my situation seems to be stable right now.

My job is kind of OK but I don't want to live in my country anymore. I always wanted an international career and dreamed about the possibility of going back to live in the USA again. For this reason, I applied and has been offered a postdoc job position (in the USA) and need to make a decision as soon as possible.

I do not mind going back to the lab bench and doing basic functions again, once it leads me to live in America. My overall idea is to work for 2-3 years in this postdoc position, so I would have enough time to obtain the permanent residency and then move back to industry, entrepreneurship,  or another postdoc position (I really don't want to get a teaching related position).

Concerns: Am I being crazy about considering going back to academia? My salary and benefits would be way lower, but I don't need much to live. There is no other way to move overseas with a guaranteed income.

It has been a long time since I left the academic universe, so I would appreciate any feedback regarding my plan.

Thank you.


texts: Are posters useful for experienced researchers?

texts:
Typically, for PhD students who are in their third or fourth year, is it worth pursuing poster submissions at relevant conferences?

Obviously this is a somewhat subjective quantity, but is it generally considered appropriate for researchers who are not new to their field to pursue such publications, and do they realistically have standing, relative to, let's say, short papers?


texts:
I took a table from a paper to show it in my thesis but have to modify the data in a cell (semantically) as well as adding new lines. is it ok to cross out old and replace with new? and refer to it in caption like "Modified and expanded"

Or what is the way to do this?


texts: Can someone clarify Hamming's notion of important problems in relation to modern academia?

texts:
I was reading the transcripts of a seminar by Dr. Richard W. Hamming. In this, Hamming goes on to say the following statements:

Explaining why one guy was successful while the others weren't as much successful.

  I have never heard the names of any of the other fellows at that table
  mentioned in science and scientific circles. They were unable to ask
  themselves, "What are the important problems in my field?" If you
  do not work on an important problem, it's unlikely you'll do important
  work. But the average scientist does routine safe work almost all
  the time and so he (or she) doesn't produce much. It's that simple. If
  you want to do great work, you clearly must work on important
  problems, and you should have an idea. Most great scientists know
  many important problems. They have something between 10 and 20
  important problems for which they are looking for an attack. And when
  they see a new idea come up, one hears them say "Well that bears on
  this problem."

Now my question is:  If I ask myself the question, What are the important problems in my field?, how should I expect to get an answer to this. Is it by deeply diving into literature and finding loopholes that exist. And even if I do find something worth working upon, how do I know it's an important problem of the field or a trivial subset of some other large problem?

I am sorry but I am unable to get myself a clear picture of what exactly is meant here. Will anyone please help me out with ideas.

Many thanks.


texts: How do I respond to "how do you like your program" if I completely hate it?

texts:
I hate my PhD program. I absolutely despise the program and many people in it. Sometimes at conferences, with new faculty, etc. I get asked what I think of my program. The real answer is "it's horrible, I despise it and I  totally regret going. Please stay far away".

I don't want to lie and many people seem genuinely curious especially new grad students/faculty etc.

When I say things like this, the conversation either turns really awkward or they start asking questions. I really just want to keep my head down, do my job, and finish. I don't want to complain. I don't want to cause problems. I just want to do my job.

Many people seem genuinely interested like new faculty etc. I hate lying. And I especially would hate saying anything good about the program after being burned. I felt like when I was choosing grad programs people lied to me about this one and I'm super resentful. I never want to do that to someone.

I also don't really want to elaborate because some things are sensitive. Say, a professor is a jerk and is screwing me over somehow. I don't really want word to get out that I'm talking about that person.

I've found answers like "Well, I'm working on a cool project right now" or other deflecting responses sometimes work but some people keep pushing and really want to know.

  How to I respond to this question without lying?


texts:
Now that I've gotten your attention with that terrible title...

The Mathematical Association of America used to regularly run a column called Teaching Time Savers, an archive of which can be found here: http://www.maa.org/programs/faculty-and-departments/curriculum-department-guidelines-recommendations/teaching-and-learning/teaching-time-savers

These articles offer tips on things like:

How to reduce time spent grading
How to influence students to study in a more effective manner
Advice for streamlining the writing of recommendation letters

Note that many (most?) of these tips are not specific to a mathematics course.

Are there any other collections of such articles floating around the web?


texts:
While searching for PhD programs, I read a requirement that states I should send in my application an official transcript of all "post-secondary academic work completed to date". Surely this cannot mean all work, including published articles or lectures?

My question is: What does "post-secondary academic work" mean?  Should I send academic work from both my completed Bachelor and from the Bachelor I did not complete? (BTW, is this expression correct, "completed Bachelor"? What would be a better English expression?)

Thank you!


texts: How can I apply to be an adjunct faculty?

texts:
I am currently a staff researcher at a public research university in the US. While a tenure-track position may be in my future, I would like some of the opportunities and responsibilities now.  In particular, I want to be able to write grants as a PI and advise students and postdocs. I believe that I can do this as an adjunct faculty, but I have a few questions about where to start:

What are common steps required to become an adjunct faculty?
Where can I find additional information (e.g. would a university-wide policy be given at the university website?)
Assuming I speak with the department chair, what should I say? Are my justifications sufficient.
How could I sell my case, other than my (demonstrated) ability to obtain funding and (undemonstrated) ability to be an advisor?


texts: Talks and Workshops at professional conferences like PyCon and various un-conferences

texts:
How do you present talks and workshops that you have conducted at various open source events and professional conference and events like un-conferences, in your academic CV and application form for PhD?

Also, do they have the same standing as those organised purely by academic institutes?


texts: Withdrawing from project I am helping in

texts:
I have been assisting with a project that my friend had come up with. I am doing the entirety of the analysis for it as they have zero research experience and are not able to do anything beyond conception of the idea.

They are not letting me submit it to a conference to present a small part of the project at a very small "conference" (quotation marks because it's a one day event held at a university auditorium for medical trainees specifically), based on the fact that they would like to present first. I have been slightly annoyed by this, and am contemplating withdrawing from the project, which admittedly is a bit of a dirty move.

That being said, if I do withdraw from it, could/should I ask for any and all analysis done by me to be removed and not used?

Or should I just bite the bullet and let them just carry on.


texts: Do the results of evaluating cutting-edge methods in an industrial setting constitute new knowledge?

texts:
For example, suppose a new programming language is invented and some research regarding it is published, containing small, "toy" examples of its application. Suppose then that someone else takes this language and evaluates it in a real industrial case study, and reports on its usefulness and/or shortcomings.

My question about this second report is twofold:

Is it novel research (I suspect it probably is)
Would this kind of work be appropriate for a PhD thesis?


texts: When to withdraw/is this professor being reasonable?

texts: I am currently in a difficult science class that is important for my major.  I have a current GPA of 3.5 that I am very focused on keeping. This semester I had a vacation out of the country that I had been planning for years. I spoke to all my professors about it and only one had any problem with my being unable to make two classes. This professor said that I would be unable to make up any of the class work and would receive a zero in all assignments given during the time I was gone, nor will I be allowed any extra credit to make up for the missed class work. As a result I worked extremely hard at keeping the highest grade possible in the class and when I left on vacation my grade was 97%. After I got back I found out I was pregnant. Sadly there were complications and I was hospitalized and had a miscarriage barely a week later. This caused me to miss an additional class. Though I spoke with the difficult professor about what was going on and offered to provide any documentation required my grade has been dropped to 77%. If my GPA drops too much I will lose my scholarship money and internship opportunities.  I have time to withdraw but I really don't want to waste the time and money. I have never had a professor treat me like this before, is this normal? I would like to hear some educated opinions.


texts: Is it correct to submit a manuscript as a writing sample for graduate admission?

texts:
I am applying to a master program in cognitive sciences and they ask for two writing samples. I have read that published articles and even manuscripts can be good writing samples, however I have the following questions regarding the ethical and/or legal issues of doing so:

Should I include all the authors as well as their institutions and
e-mails in the manuscript I send?
Should a writing sample include a brief introduction?
What happens if you are not the ONLY author of the paper you want to
submit? Should you specify your contribution? Does it help that you
are the first author?
Can I send just some paragraphs of the manuscript in order to keep my
sample short? If I do this, should I modify all the references so that they are kept in order according to Vancouver style?
Probably a little paranoid but, could the university use/ distribute any results I report in this unpublished manuscript?


texts: Awaiting Associate Editor decision MEAN?

texts: I had submitted a paper in a reputed journal in more than 2 months back. Upto one month the status was " manuscript is assigned to the editor"  Now, the status of the paper is showing "Awaiting Associate Editor decision". Please, tell what does this status indicates? Is all the reviewers process has been done??


texts: Can I have a PhD in mathematics or physics after having a bachelor degree in medicine?

texts:
Can I have a PhD in mathematics or physics after having a bachelor degree in medicine provided that I score high in GRE physics or math?

I have had zero coursework in math or physics but I am not sure if I could greatly increase my chances into grad school by taking GRE and scoring highly in the test.

I'm not trying to show that I'm smart or anything but I think that mathematics is my cup of tea for I'm very passionate about it and I have studied analysis and algebra and quantum mechanics other things from standard textbooks getting help from resources such as MIT OCW.


texts:
I am interested in getting into a research oriented role in future and would really like to learn more about the process and gain experience by being part of it.
Can someone please share any information about any such current open research initiatives where I can participate or contribute or get a chance to work with other researchers (for example Stanford's crowd research initiative).
Also, if there are other ways, can someone please guide me.
I am particularly interested in the field of Mathematics or Computer Science.


texts: Which review recommendation should I give to maximize the likelihood that a manuscript is rejected?

texts:
DISCLAIMER: As some readers have found the following question and prior title (How to best kill a manuscript as peer reviewer) outrageously unethical, I want to clarify that, by asking this question, I was simply and constructively trying to be provocative, not suggesting any means to hijack the peer review process.

I often peer review manuscripts for scholarly journals. In the most typical scenario, the editor asks me a quality appraisal and a priority appraisal.

For quality, the typical recommendations can be (mutually exclusive): accept as is, minor revision, major revision, and reject.

For priority, the typical alternatives can be (mutually exclusive): top priority, mid priority, low priority.

My experience and perspective is that most manuscripts do not deserve a rejection, as they most often have some merits, at least in the field of pragmatic cardiovascular research, where most works are only incrementally original.

If my will is to try to "kill the manuscript", i.e. maximize the likelihood it is eventually rejected because I find it unsuitable for that specific journal, but still finding it has some incremental value, I simply recommend minor or major revisions, but give low or very low priority.

Is this sound and appropriate? Am I wrong in this approach?


texts: How to set high class expectations and still maintain a good class relationship

texts:
I usually have a good instructor-class relationship, but I am also an admittedly easy instructor - in previous classes my assessments have been on the easy side of fair.  This term I have set very high expectations for my class and the class is doing exceedingly well.  I am very impressed by their progress and their learning and professionalism is showing very clearly.  Unfortunately, the students aren't as happy as I'd like them to be.  I am getting the feeling that I've encouraged excellence through fear, and I'm cultivating frustration.  Students who were expecting an easy class are instead being challenged more than in previous years, and the workload is considerable.

I would like to continue setting these expectations for my students, since I think the learning and progress is worth it.  However, I also feel very strongly that the students should like and trust the instructor.  What are some strategies I can use to increase student satisfaction while also maintaining very high standards?

I should note a few things:

I'm asking this in general, but the current class I'm talking about is a required course that students in this major have historically not seen as being relevant.  I am working to increase the relevance to their discipline.
I have communicated to the students that I'm very happy with their progress and very impressed by it.


texts: I'm doing a CV for PhD application but still I'm not graduated. How can I say that My starting mark before final dissertation are full marks?


texts: How to handle ego clashes within an academic department

texts:
I am a new assistant professor in my department. While all faculty members have been welcoming so far to me, I find there are two or three distinct groups or coteries within the department. The coteries are distinct and comprise set of people who wouldn't mingle with people from another coterie. It is a bit awkward for me because there are even senior professors in different sets, and I want to be affable with everyone in my department.

How do I handle this sense of discomfort? Should I talk with the Chair? But the sectoring is pretty well-known and prevalent for a long time and there is little the Chair can do about it (or so I think!)

How do academic departments handle this situation of clash of egos usually? I am sure mine is not the only place where this clash is seen.


texts: What happens if you use the wrong reference?

texts: I recently submitted an assignment but realised a week later that one of the sources I have used in the essay and bibliography was wrong. I'm not sure how it happened I'm guessing some mix up with the citation software I used but I'm really scared that my professor will be able to tell. Does anybody know how thoroughly lecturers check the references used?


texts: If a Professor has explicitly stated that he is open to being a reference for a summer scholarship application, would it be reasonable to assume that he would be alright with the same candidate citing him as a reference for future employment?


texts: Is it standard for US-based universities to consider the ethnicity of an applicant during PhD admissions?

texts:
In the upcoming Fall (Fall 2019), I will be applying to CS PhD programs at some of the top research universities in the United States specialising in artificial intelligence.

While I cannot speak for other fields, I know that in my field (artificial intelligence), there has been a major push to increase the diversity of practitioners in the field. Here are a few articles about this diversity initiative:

Article about lack of diversity in the field of AI:
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/610192/were-in-a-diversity-crisis-black-in-ais-founder-on-whats-poisoning-the-algorithms-in-our
Tweet thread by CS admissions chair at Cornell discussing diversity initiatives: https://twitter.com/davidbindel/status/992165303747461122?lang=en
Tweet thread by PhD candidate at University of Toronto (a top school in AI) clarifying the importance of diversity in the field: https://twitter.com/leeclemnet/status/1040030107887435776

There are many other initiatives such as conferences at NeurIPS (typically regarded as one of the top 3 conferences in AI) that has workshops exclusively for members of underrepresented groups. I'm not sure what exactly the workshops entail, but here are the links to the relevant organizations: Black in AI, Women in Machine Learning, LatinX in AI.

The impression I get is that a lot of the talk around diversity tends to revolve around some key physical identifiers such as ethnicity and sex/gender; although perhaps I have not looked broadly enough at the full scope of diversity initiatives in the field and there may be initiatives that revolve around things like socioeconomic background, geographic background and national origin.

I can understand that when individuals of a particular ethnicity (such as African-Americans) and individuals of particular sex (such as women) are particularly underrepresented in the higher echelons of the field, people begin asking questions as to why that is; since, after all, ethnicity and sex should not be predictors of success in the field yet they clearly are.

Question

I'm an African student studying at a university that is ranked in the top-10 globally on both the Times Higher Education and QS rankings, and am planning on submitting some PhD (CS) applications to some of the top unis in the US in the upcoming fall. Given the preoccupation with diversity by practitioners in my field (in both industry and academia), I'd like to know to what extent my ethnicity will factor into the admissions decisions of committees in the US.


texts:
I am asking about the etiquette for getting my name taken off a paper. In grad school I did a collaboration with a PI and the results were limited but okay and I used a very specific microscope to take the images. (The animal I work on has thick tissues and can really only be imaged on the confocal.). The PI wanted to redo the experiment using two replicates so that we can have images all from the same microscope so it can be uniform meaning that I have to use a different scope for the condensed repeated experiments. The new images are so blurry and do not convince me that the experiment is working this go round let alone will they convince anyone else. The PI even tried working with the scope and my animal and concluded the images are subpar. I feel like if the data isn't working this go round in the new environment and the new equipment and I feel like if it isn't reproducing the way I want the right thing to do it to bow out and take my name off (or ask to be given credit for other parts of the manuscript I have worked on).

Idk I just feel meh about my part of the data and not sure how to express that without coming off flaky.


texts: How to address in the thesis that the abstract is translated by someone

texts:
I have my thesis abstract translated by an Italian friend (from English to Italian). Therefore, I'm wondering if I should mention it somewhere in the abstract or acknowledgment that the Italian abstract was written by him. What is the common way in academia?

The whole thesis is in English, but I wanted to add an Italian abstract as well, since the the thesis is submitted to a university in Italy.


texts: Career Paths for Mathematics and Physics

texts:
I'm just looking at the Mathematics & Physics program at University of Toronto (I think it's like Mathematical Physics, correct me if I'm wrong), I'm wondering what career paths I can choose if I take this program.
Would this allow my to work in either field or just in the physics field? And would this allow me to go to grad school for either one I want, or is it restricted to one of the two fields?

If it makes any difference, here's a link to the university's program calendar:
http://www.artsandscience.utoronto.ca/ofr/calendar/crs_mat.htm

Thanks.


texts: Famous modern-era academics without academic degrees?

texts:
Are the any famous or well-known (today-living) researchers without academic degrees working as professors or permanent staff members?

There are two related questions:

PhD without previous academic degree: truth or myth?
Is it possible to obtain a Master's degree without Bachelor's degree?

However, I am curious about the no-degree (past upper secondary school, i.e. no BSc, MSc, PhD, etc) case.


texts: Applying in Germany - how far back should the documentary evidence go?

texts:
Let's assume that some of your applications go for W2 professorship positions at the German universities of applied sciences. One of such potential employers asks the candidates to supply

  Lebenslauf, belegt durch Zeugniskopien und Nachweise der beruflichen Tätigkeit [...]

(CV, supported through credential copies and evidence of occupation [...])

Let's assume you have been on a lot of academic short-term contracts and stipends since your undergraduate studies. Is it really expected that you supply all the documents (over 15 in your case)? Or are documents for the recent n years sufficient? (Yes, you asked the person in charge, and that person did not respond. Moreover, you know noone from the faculty...)

On the one hand, you may be afraid that in case of a huge number of incoming applications for the position there could be a pre-selection phase, in which some assistants would reduce the number of applications to look at by simply filtering out the applications which are not 100% conforming. Or that some committee members insist strictly on the rules.

On the other hand, properly preparing all the documents would take you 1 full working day. Reason: the documents are not in easy-to-handle formats (PNG, multi-page TIFF with different-size pages, white paper, etc.), the salary needs to be blackened, all kinds of printer issues have to be dealt with, etc. One day is a lot for you. It is unknown whether any of the next 100 potential employers would need these documents (the previous 60 did not need them), so the work you are doing might not be reusable.


texts:
How do i cite a particular conversation in a public mailing list in my paper?

[Background]
In a paper I am writing one of the protocol used was suggested on a mailing list pertaining to that software. In retrospect it was trivial, but yet not simple enough for beginner. Hence I want to cite that particular conversation. I have read papers where it is simply mentioned "In private communication" or equivalent.
Which does not feel right.

Is there something like zendo for citing mailing lists?


texts: What is the job market like for someone aspiring to become a mathematician (uk)?

texts:
Without sounding defeatist all I have heard is bad things so far; the sector is over concentrated with more people obtaining phd's (and wanting to work in academia) than there are jobs available.
I am really enthusiastic about pursuing a phd and eventually a job in academia but to put it bluntly I'm not sure if I'm cut out for it. I will graduate this summer with a 1st in mathematics from a mid-level Russell group university and plan to apply for an MSc in Pure Mathematics (after a gap year). My final graduating grade will be 71% and I'm just unsure how that will hold up in the academia job market. I get the impression that to pursue a job in mathematics academia you have to be really outstanding, getting publications very early on and the such as it is so competitive. I feel like I'm at a crossroads now where I need to commit to the idea or not as I do not want to waste time, effort and (a lot of) money on a lost cause. I know there are so many factors involved and there is no definite answer but some advise would be extremely helpful.


texts: Literature review in thesis and research paper

texts: What are the major differences between a thesis and research paper literature review? Despite the volume of literature citations between thesis and research article what are the  other major differences?


texts: What are successful techniques for convincing Professors in becoming PhD advisor?

texts:
Having decided to embrace the way for a PhD (based in Europe, DACH region), I now have to go through the crucial step of contacting Professors and convincing them to uphold my research proposal/enrollment candidature.

Can anyone share what are successful ways of doing so?
Email contact? Getting to deeply know their previous research?

Any lead is appreciated.


texts:
I’m now writing a masters thesis in mathematics. I’d like to introduce basic definitions and theorems in the beginning. By basic I mean truly basic, like the definition of a connected graph and the theorem about Eulerian paths (such a path exists if and only if even degrees).

The lecture notes written by my professor is really nice so I’d like to use his definitions (I’ll cite, of course). In this case can I cite his lecture notes?


texts:
I received an admit (tuition fee waiver + TA) from a university for PhD in Physics. I was offered in the last month, and I replied the graduate admission director that I will inform him regarding 'accepting or declining' the offer around end of the march.
(the deadline for accepting the offer on April 15)

I thought I will get maximum decisions in March but few of the universities have put me on their waiting lists and probably they will decide by April 15.

Should I email the graduate admission  director  to extend the days? I mean, I will ask him that I inform him by April 15.

OR, as the deadline is 15th April, it is not necessary to email him to extend the date?


texts: Is it illegal to explain someone else's research paper on my website?

texts: Can I explain someone else's research paper on my website if I am properly citing the paper author with a link from where I got access to that paper? The website takes no credit for the paper but only explains it in simple words.


texts: Consequences of leaving masters program after dealing with unorthodox advisor

texts:
I am a masters student in Computer Science at a high ranking university (top 20) in United States. I received my bachelors degree from this university as well. My GPA for both bachelor and master is above 3.9. I have finished all my course works and now I am just focusing on writing thesis. My thesis area is not directly related to CS so my advisor is not from CS department. We try to meet every week but during our yesterday's meeting, something unexpected happened.

Conversation:

Me: Hi Professor X, I have this idea that is something original. Here are the
reasons why it is an awesome idea and it can possibly have a huge
impact with regards IoT. Here are the 5 page description on what this idea is, what are the advantages and disadvantages and why everyone
should adopt this idea.
Professor X: After 5 minutes. This idea is a: "piece of $hit. We
cannot write a paper with this idea. It will be rejected immediately"... "only an
idiot comes up with such a stupid idea".
Me: But this idea is revolutionary ...
Professor X: "Don't waste my time" ...
Me: (calmly) I apologize if it was an irrelevant idea. I will try to do better next time.

This scenario has been repeated multiple time this semester and previous semester while working with this Professor.

I come from a country that teachers in general are highly respected and we believe everything that teacher says or does is for benefit of a student. I am not a person who will cry and get offended by this language. Fortunately or unfortunately, I have been bullied by my friends and siblings throughout my life and such a language doesn't trigger me. Instead, it motivates me to work harder.

In the end of meeting, I wanted to say to my advisor but I did not that a well known software engineering company offered me job (without me applying for the job) and I am not sure I should accept it or not, because I want to continue with my masters.

I had a conversation today with my family. They all live in rural area and they are all farmers. I am the only in my family who pursued college degree. I did not tell them what happened yesterday. But, I am disappointed at myself for putting myself in such a situation. I am disappointed at myself and not at my advisor.

Question: What are the consequences of leaving masters program and how in long term it will influence my chances of studying in Ph.D. program? my goal is to become a Professor.


texts: Is it okay to ask a coworker/supervisor to give a talk?

texts:
I'm a staff scientist in a medium-sized lab and I'm organizing a large event for high school students at my university, a large public research institution. I'd like to invite a professor or senior researcher to give a talk at the event.

Is it generally considered okay to invite your close collaborators (e.g. PI, direct supervisors) to give a talk?

I have no misconceptions about the importance of my event (it's not) but I don't want to violate some etiquette by asking someone in my lab to give a talk. What about other events, small conferences, etc.?


texts: How do interim or partial transcripts work for application, and is it possible to have an admissions decision reversed based on the final version?

texts:
I attempted to be as detailed as I could in the title, but let me elaborate a bit more.

I'm sure this situation is common (if not normal) but I'm applying to PhD programs this year fall and will only have been done with half of my master's program by then.

In cases like this, would I submit the transcript for the first two semesters of my master's degree? If I were to receive an admission green light and confirm to enroll (which is usually around April I believe), is it common to have these decisions reversed if my final GPA were to fall?

Thanks for any feedback or tips.


texts: What is the "power" a PhD advisor has over their advisees?

texts:
I'm an undergraduate Physics and Mathematics student, who is planning to do a PhD. I have seen many PhD students on this website who are struggling to solve problems about their advisor in authorship, advising, relationship or in unethical manners, etc. and also many answers which are strongly suggesting that they shouldn't prolong the problem if it is possible and try to graduate once like they have the power to destroy the students all career, at least it was what I've perceived.

So, I am asking what is the power an advisor has legally or illegally over their own advisees?

Note: I couldn't find more appropriate word instead of power :).When I said power, I generally implied the rights the advisor have which can affect the student's PhD negatively.


texts: Is there a way around the three letters of recommendation?

texts:
I had lackluster grades before I dropped out of high scbool and acquired my GED in 2005. It seems like every college I'm interested in requires two letters of recommendation (Cal Arts requires 3) and I'm not sure how to get them.
I could enroll in a community college, but the credits don't tranfer, and I'm not sure I see the merit in attending. I did pretty well on the ACT, and did some pretty interesting work on my portfolio, but I have no one to write meaninful letters.

My only employment has been the 12 years of service I put in at my parents store. I doubt my mothers letter would carry much weight, and two of my favorite teachers have passed away. I have some successful friends, but I don't really see how that would be relevant. The schools want three letters from the teachers that know me best, and I have nothing.


texts: Who publishes commentary papers, and how?

texts:
In my area of research (experimental psychology), publishing an empirical paper takes on average one year of work. It seems to me (I could be wrong) that those authors who appear to use every available opportunity to write commentaries on recent "big" papers have it easier (or so they think) than those who instead prioritise publishing their own research despite the increased required efforts.

My first question is to do with the "tactic" of relying a great deal on such publications in order to build one's CV and/or h-index. While a commentary paper does not, of course, "weigh" as much in someone's CV as an empirical paper, it might still weigh more "per unit" [of time spent working at it]. That is, one could conceivably write such a paper in a month, whereas the "academic credit" you get for it, while lower, is certainly not lower by a factor of 12; and in any case the h-index is blind to the distinction.

My second question: in what circumstances is such an offer (made to a relevant journal, to write a commentary to a "big" paper) likely to get accepted, and by whom is it typically made?
If an early-career researcher feels they have commentaries that the community/field might benefit from, should they pitch around their commentary-paper idea to journals?
I used to think such papers are something only established researchers write, and at the invitation of journal editors rather than at their own request. However, I am seeing more and more junior researchers who are writing (unsolicited) commentary papers with only a minimally-relevant publication record.


texts: Choosing a project for a fresh graduate student

texts:
I am starting to advise a new graduate student for M.Sc. degree (in theoretical computer science), and I am considering what should be the first problem they should work on.
One option is a small and focused project that fits within a larger work that I recently did with a colleague. The advantage is that the student will likely succeed, since it is a relatively simple problem. Also, if the paper gets accepted, the student will have a publication in an early stage, which is encouraging. The disadvantage is that the problem is not sufficiently significant on its own - only as a part of the larger project. I am not sure how the student will put this in his thesis - he cannot put the entire paper in the thesis since it's not his own work.
Another option is a larger and completely new project. The advantage is that, if the student succeeds, it will be entirely his own work. The disadvantage is that it is a harder problem, so the student might get stuck and be discouraged.
What are some guidelines for selecting a good first project for a starting graduate student?


texts: Request for high res figures: what should I be mindful of?

texts:
A researcher in my field has written to ask me high resolution files for 5 figures from 3 different papers of mine. He states:

  Currently I am revising one review article where I have used several figures from some of your excellent papers. Due to the editor and the reviewer ask me to provide them with high qualities.

I see no problem in sending him the figures in high resolution. One thing is worrying me slightly: if you write a review with 5 figures from someone else, it's either a very long review, or you may simply not be the right person to write it, it seems to me. Should I be worried about plagiarism?

So, when I write him back, and presumably send him the request files, what should I be mindful of? I see the following (nonexclusive) options:

Ask to know a little more about this review.
Give him links to my few very recent articles related to this topic, trying to make sure he's not forgetting anything relevant (some papers are only a few weeks old, so it is understandable that they may not have appeared on his radar yet).
insert here others options I haven't thought of

What I will definitely do anyway:

Ask him to send me the review once it's published.
Remind him that he needs copyright permission from my papers' publishers, in addition to my files.


texts: I am applying for an F31 Diversity Grant for Predoctoral studies to support my 3-5 year of PhD studies. There is no mention of needing to submit transcript of grade with the application. Is this true? Does the NIH not require transcripts for F31 applications? Are applications solely graded on the merit of the proposal or do student grades also considered?


texts: Are There Any Schools That do not require a formal education for a BS. MS. and/or Ph.D.?

texts:
Over my career as a student, I have found that traditional 'Bricks and Mortar' schools are not conducive to a proper learning environment for me, so I switched to home-school for 10th grade*. I have/am learning the equivalent of regular high-school courses, but on a deeper level, and at a faster pace. I also added in extra material that better suits my interests (e.g. for my 'sophomore' year I learned Chemistry, Algebra II, Biology (from an AP textbook), US History I & II, Hebrew Language and Python 3.x).

I want to study Biology. I find myself to be very passionate while learning about the world in which I live, and I would love nothing more than to dedicate my life to studying different fields in Biology.

How likely is it that I could find a college which would accept me based on this learning program I have developed, and allow me to attend their school for a higher degree in Biology?

*Note: I had been cyber-schooled for 5 years between 4th and 8th grades.


texts: Postdoctoral references asked to provide recommendation letters - does it indicate the candidate passed a screening?

texts:
I recently applied for a postdoctoral position at a university, and provided a list of three references. Today the university asked them to write a recommendation letter for me. Would this typically indicate that the candidate passed some screening?
I'm asking because this is the first university that replies and it would suggest that my cover letter is not terrible.


texts: Is it accepted/common to answer factually inaccurate reviewer comments in case of rejection?

texts:
I recently got a paper rejected. I do not plan on appealing, I definitely see that some elements of the paper need improvements.

Nevertheless, some of the comments from one reviewer are factually inaccurate.
For example, I cite Paper A, where claim X is made. This reviewer says (repeatedly, in three different comments) that

  The author [me] claims X without proof and does not cite a reference

There are also other inaccuracies from the same reviewer.

Would it be appropriate to write to the editor to answer this kind of factually inaccurate statement?


texts: Is there any level or tiers in conferences or all conferences are of same level?

texts: Is there any tiers or levels for conferences? and if yes on which basis people and authors can decide that a particular conference is of Tier 1 and another one is Tier 2 ?


texts: What form should evidence of a directed study take on a graduate application?

texts:
I'm planning to send out some applications to a few moderately prestigious Masters programs this fall. I have a lot of research experience, a good GPA, and strong recommendations, but the field I am interested in is somewhat niche. None of my coursework or research relates to it directly, and nobody at my university has this subject as their primary focus. After talking to some professors, I got myself enrolled in a directed study course and have been steadily working through a large chunk of material under the supervision of a prof from a tangentially related field; he's happy to help as much as he can and I'm making good progress.

I've started thinking about what the end result of this effort will be. It seems unrealistic to try to write anything publish-able without having an advisor that is directly familiar with the subject, but the applications I'm going to be filling out tend to ask for some "hard" evidence of research or previous work in the field. I feel that this work could improve my chances of entry, but I am not sure how to best present it in an application. Could I point to a substantial final project of this directed study class as research, or is this too informal of an arrangement for that (since I'm essentially creating my own class on the fly)? Would it be more prudent just to let the name of the class show on my transcript and have mentions of the work in my SOP and recommendation letters?

Thanks.

(If it's important: My undergraduate work and research is in the realm of  math and comp sci and I'm wanting to enter the field of acoustic modelling.)


texts: Complete financial statement as the part of scholarship application

texts: I'm applying for a scholarship whose application consists of a financial statement, in which I have to breakdown my income and expenditure to show how I manage my money. As the scholarship aims to help me paying for my living expense, I wonder if I should include it in my statement, i.e. assuming that I am awarded the scholarship and present how I should use it.


texts: Should I give a symbolic "thank you, and goodbye" gift to an abusive supervisor?

texts:
Within one week I shall leave my present institution, where I felt severely mistreated around salary payment and work conditions for 2 years, as a postdoctoral fellow.

The PI who signed my contract (theoretically my supervisor) has played passive-aggressive "not-here" all my stay while consistently demanding honorary, corresponding authorship status in any piece I happen to publish, from any source. In fact I had never heard of this person prior to signing my contract from abroad, over which I was dealing with another local professor. They had made some kind of agreement.

Soon I will leave, at the official end of my contract. I am wondering whether I should give this person a symbolic departure gift, especially in front of the other lab mates. I am not culturally hierarchy-oriented but displaying respect to hierarchy is seen as a strong moral virtue, where I am, in China.

Relevant: I am not staying in China, but I might keep in touch with one or two current lab mates after I leave. I am afraid that an act of offering him a gift will communicate a wish to continue "guanxi" which is his understanding probably means I will forever offer him credit over my work, favors.

Please, what do others suggest?

* UPDATE * 02/04/2018

I have finally departed and left a bottle of fairly good French wine behind, sitting on my desk among the student's office, with a note clearly stating it was for the Professor. With a "Thank You for the opportunity, and provided unforgettable experience to share".

As mentioned, my main objective was to displaying respect for other labmates by thanking the professor in the local hierarchy and presenting a gift.

I had, however, no direct dialogue with this person upon my departure. The final days were particularly tense, where finally the supervisor openly failed to pay for a long-delayed amount of 1k USD of salary agreement. The details of this conflict are described in another question in SE Academia.

Thanks to all for suggestions; I believe this was the best I could do.


texts: Is it reasonable to evaluate spelling/grammar in reports for students diagnosed with dyslexia?

texts:
Students diagnosed with dyslexia qualify for accommodations at most universities. As with other special needs students, they're entitled extra time for work, exams, access or licenses to spell checkers, etc.

If these accommodations are in place, and assuming good grammar/spelling is part of the evaluation of work outlined in the university course syllabus, is it reasonable for an instructor to penalize students with dyslexia for making spelling/grammar mistakes as with other students?


texts:
In the paper that I am writing using LaTeX, I have several sentences like:

However, in \cite{aa2014} only a small uncertainty has been introduced ...

Or,

According to \cite{ab2014}, ...

Because I am forced to using numerical references, the result is respectively:

  However, in⁴ only a small uncertainty has been introduced ...

  According to⁸, ...

I don't like this style of citations so I am looking for improvements. I have been able to rewrite some of the sentences so that I can put the citation at the end of the sentence, but this does not always seems to be a good idea. Are there better options?


texts:
What are the do and do nots with regards to sexual relations between a professor and graduate student?
As long as they aren't your advisor or on your committee is it considered OK?
How does this work?


texts: Advisor not responding to emails, conference fee deadline approaching

texts:
TL;DR:: My advisor, who is in charge of paying a conference paper registration fee, is nonresponsive and the deadline is approaching. What can I do?
I am working part-time in a research institute, which is running mostly from home-office right now.
Together with a professor and my institute supervisor we wrote a conference paper that was accepted in peer review, and the next deadline for the final submission is drawing close.
My advisor is the one responsible for the funding, and I talked to him (voice chat) about paying the registration fee. Afterwards, I have emailed him about other issues as well, for example me needing to get permission to enter the institute for paper-related things (need to update a plot etc.). I have not heard from him since around 3 weeks. He may very well be on vacation, but has not set up an away-message. He may or may not have forgotten about the deadline.
Question: How can I handle the registration fee deadline, without knowing whether my advisor will take care of it in time?
I see some options here:

Wait and do nothing about it, the problem might resolve itself
Escalate the problem and email either the professor, a higher-up or a different institute advisor who may know which steps to take
Pay the fee myself and hope it will be covered by the institute later

Note that in theory I could afford to temporarily cover the fee, but generally I would like to avoid it.

This question may very well be overly cautious but raising money from the institute may take some time.
I am aware of this related question about withdrawal due to funding, but I do not want to withdraw the paper.


texts: Mentioning a Professor and his comment in a mail without his permission

texts:
Can I mention someone's(academic) name and comment which I got from a mail, to another academic (to increase the credibility of my work) without informing the first academic that I am going to use his name and comment?

For example, I sent my work through an e-mail to Professor X( Ph.D ). He wrote me back briefly that   -

"the analytical results are correct
but they are not practicable. You should work on approximation algorithms for .... ...."

I think the part "analytical results are correct" adds some credibility to my work and I would like to mention  Prof X and his comment(whole comment)  when I write my next mail to someone else. Since, academics have issue with mail from strangers(tagged as 'crackpot' or 'crank'), this comment might interest them.

But do I have to ask permission from Prof. X to mention his name and comment to another academic ?


texts: Stuck without progress working on thesis - worried about failure

texts:
I am a student of Indian origin. I am Studying Mechanical Engineering in a local university in north of Germany.
I am writing my thesis in a company. My task is to optimize the throughput of the line. I tried to apply 2-3 concepts on optimization to the output of the line, but my all efforts been in vain. Now I am looking at my computer screen the whole day everyday, hopping hopelessly from one research paper to another but finding nothing. I have only 2 months before my final presentation in front of the company's manager. And in it I have to prove to them that giving me this topic for my thesis was not a waste of around 1500€/month.
I am not able to sleep. For the last 15 days I haven't gone out for shopping or anything. Eating just a little bit of food only one time. Talking to no one, my family or friends. Just sitting all day in front of the screen trying to find some kind of breakthrough. I think i am going into depression.  I am afraid that i will fail this thesis.
I don't know what to do? How to do? Who to ask for help regarding my thesis and topic. I am constantly worried about what if i fail. What will happen. Should I have to go back to India without completing my Master's.
Update 28.09.2020:
Thanks a lot. I have passed my Thesis as well as my masters with satisfactory Noten(Grade). Over all 2.5 Noten for my Master Degree and 2.5(average of Report and Presentation) . Once thanks a lot this wonderful community who gave me the ideas and support in my difficult time.


texts: When is the right time to tell my advisor that I plan on leaving my PhD program?

texts:
I've previously asked a question on this forum about leaving grad school and moving to a new field. I'm a chemistry PhD student in my (now) second year. I've decided to leave my PhD program because my heart is not in my work, nor am I very passionate about my field (word to the wise - don't go to graduate school because you don't know what else to do). The toll of grad school has resulted in some serious damage to my mental health to the tune of depression and anxiety.

I don't have a fantastic relationship with my advisor, but it's not terrible either. There's a significant language and cultural barrier that creates a sort of disconnect between us. As far as I know, my advisor does not know that I plan on leaving, although if my lack of motivation and focus hasn't tipped him off that there's something wrong, I don't know what will. The emotional and physical toll of lying and not telling my advisor the truth is becoming debilitating. I can't focus on work, I spend most of my time feeling hopeless and scheming on how to get away as quickly as possible and I suffer from constant headaches. I never was so apathetic until about 3 months into grad school.

My main concern is that I still have two classes I need to complete in the upcoming Fall semester in order to leave with my terminal master's degree, and I'm worried that if I tell my professor now he will become extremely angry, cut my funding (even thought I'll be teaching in the fall) and make me leave the lab. I do not want to leave without having something to show for my work here. However, I think I would feel better if I just told him now and put myself out of my misery. That way he would understand where I'm coming from and why I'm acting in this way. He's paying me for the summer and the guilt I have for wanting to leave is getting out of hand.

I'm also in sort of an awkward situation where the project I'm assisting in will eventually be mine when my co-worker graduates in May and there would not be another student to take over when I leave as well. I feel like I'm just leaving my advisor out to dry.

So my primary question is, when is the best time to tell an advisor about leaving? As soon as possible? Or continue to let it sit until the fall semester starts? Is there even a "good" time to do this?


texts: Is my professor allowed to change the day the class meets and mark us absent if we don't show?

texts: I have a Wednesday Friday gym class that meets at 7 am. Lately the professor has been changing the class to meeting on Mondays instead of Wednesdays because she has stuff come up on Wednesdays. I don't think this is allowed but nobody else seems bothered by it. If you don't show up to the class you get an absent which takes points off your grade, the only way you get out of this is if you have proof that you have class or work. One time she changed the class to Monday instead of Friday, she didn't tell us this until the Sunday before at 11 am. She then marked the people who didn't show up absent when that is not enough time to tell a class to meet. Is this allowed? I feel like it shouldn't be allowed since class is on the days aloted, even when a school changes class days (I.e Wednesdays become Thursday classes) they aren't allowed to mark you as absent so why should my professor be allowed to? Please let me know what you guys think, thank you.


texts: side income from company when working as a professor at a design Hochschule in Germany?

texts:
In this thread there is a comment which says that side consulting jobs are restricted in German academia. Specifically this comment:

  You can have consulting contracts in industry. You will usually need to clear this with your university, and your outside commitments will likely be capped at 8 hours per week or similar, but this can of course still mean serious money.

Do professors in Germany have other payment than their standard salary?

Would a professor at a design Hochscule be restricted in say, selling a drawing software app, photoshop plus ins, or art prints?  Would permission need to be obtained? Does it need to be mentioned to the school?

Are there federal and/or state rules regarding side income, or is it determined by the institute? If it's per institute, are there any websites which aggregate this information, or is the only source of information asking the school directly?

The specific school I am thinking of seems to have a lot of faculty running their own design agencies. Are the rules different for faculty in design oriented fields vs. a field like chemistry or politics?


texts: What to do when paper is deemed in scope for the conference but not for the proceedings?

texts:
I submitted a paper to a conference. I wasn't quite sure if my paper was within the scope of that conference (it seemed a judgement call), but it was accepted. I went to the conference, and after attending several of the talks, I felt my paper was actually a good fit after all. My presentation of the paper went well; lots of people were interested in the topic and asked good questions. I was reasonably confident that my paper would be accepted for publication in the proceedings.

All student papers received an extra round of feedback before the formal submission for publication in the proceedings. I just received my feedback; the reviewer was very complimentary, but said that the topic was not within the scope of the conference.

So now I'm not sure what to do. Making the paper fit the scope better won't really be practical; I already did the best I could in that direction. The formal submission is due in about a month. I believe it's a good paper, so I could probably find a home for it elsewhere. I have two questions.

Should I formally submit the paper as-is. Would it be better to simply try to find a more appropriate place to publish? Or should I just consider it a lesson learned, forget about this paper, and move on to the next one.
Is there something I could have done up front to establish whether the paper was in scope or not? Perhaps in future it would be better to only submit to conferences where it's very clear that the paper is a good fit. This issue is likely to arise again for me, because my research is sort of at the boundary of two fields.


texts: What is the scientific term for a “research gap”?

texts:
After I read about 40 papers in my research topic, I summarized 25 of them in my thesis, explaining methods used and solutions provided in the literature survey and literature-review sections. I found out a gap in the previous researches and would like to point it out in my thesis, in order to explain where my work would fit.

Should I call this section research gap, or there are a better scientific terms usually used?


texts:
I need some grad school advice and I will try to be brief. School A and School B have invited me to a grad visit weekend on the same dates. I booked the trip with School B before I knew there was a schedule conflict. At School A I have secured an RA position and a good relationship with the professor offering the position. School A is also considering me for other scholarships. School B hasn't given me an indication of whether I will be admitted or not. I have spoken to a professor there who reviewed my application, but they did not say much more than I am a good candidate and they look forward to meeting me. School A is ranked higher than B in my field, but B is a top 20 overall while A is top 50. I'm interested in the research areas of both schools.

I asked the professor at School A if I should cancel my plane trip (I didn't mention the other visit conflict) and go to their visit to maximize my chances at the other scholarships that they are considering me for. They told me to email the visit coordinator and explain my situation: that I can't make it, but I want the scholarships and will visit the campus on my own to meet with everyone.

Even with that advice, I'm conflicted. I'm not sure how important this decision is or what the best choice is. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Is it appropriate for a lecturer to invite the course to dinner before grading?

texts:
This semester, I attended a seminar where the grade will be based on work turned in by attendees in about a month. The lecturer has set up a 'get-together' of all students in his home, where he will be preparing dinner. Alcoholic drinks apparently will also be provided (beer).

I do not plan on attending, but I am worried this may affect my grade (declining/not answering an invitation).

My question is: Is it appropriate for a lecturer to organize such an event?

I am sure he means no harm, as he is very nice in general. As he has organized dinners with his courses before (last time I know of, it was after grading), I suspect my universities policies do not forbid this.


texts: What are these mathematical groups in U.S. universities?

texts:
I have just finished my bachelor degree and I will be entering a PhD program in mathematics. On the home page at my schools (and others) I have seen that there are various groups, composed of teachers and students, who study a subfield of mathematics. For example, I have seen "Mathematical Logic" groups, "Mathematical Physics" groups, "Dynamical Systems" groups, etc. What are these groups for? My view of a PhD was like this:

1) You take a couple years of classes and pass your exams.

2) You find a professor and do a thesis.

How are these groups involved here? Are they just for students in the same field to hang out and talk in general about the field?


texts: proper grading fairness when certain questions dropped on exam

texts: I had a 135 question final exam. The Professor decided 11 questions were problematic. For those 11 specific questions, he gave points to all students if they missed those questions. If a student got them correct no extra credit was given. Some students got more extra questions than others if they missed more of the 11. Is it unfair to not award the entire class same amount of wrong questions?


texts: Uploading papers on sites such as Academia.edu - copyright issues/author copy

texts:
I'm in the process of setting up an account on Academia.edu and as you may know there is an area that allows you to add publications. My question is how does this work with a copyright agreement (Springer International Publishing) that I have signed?

For anyone that may have also signed this agreement: going by Section 3 it looks like I can upload a non-Springer formatted copy as long as I cite the Springer link as the final version?

I have heard people mention author copies before, but I'm not sure if this is a real thing or just a myth that's been circulated down the line (where you can host your papers as long as you make a slight change from the published copy).

The form if anyone is interested (direct download): Springer Copyright Form


texts: Postdoc exploring tenure track faculty jobs against the wish of mentor

texts: I have been a postdoc for a year and half with a good number of publications. I feel it is the time for seriously exploring the TT faculty positions. However, my mentor wants me to work for a few more years in the current position. Though I have good rapport with my mentor, I dont know if it is ethical and practically possible for me to  proceed with applying without taking his reference. Advice will be appreciated.


texts: How can I sell my text book to my students in e-book format?

texts: I would like to be able to sell my text book to my students in e-book format. I know there is the kindle store that takes 65% of the sales price, which is in my eyes too much. Are there any e-book stores for teachers and professors that provide their service for a fair price?


texts:
I recently started my first postdoc, after completing my phd in a different field. I managed to come up with some results that I hope to publish at a reputable conference.  All the work, including the creative/theoretical part, as well as the programming part was done by me. My plan was to have me and my advisor as the authors of the paper. However my advisor insists that a colleague from a different university, who contributed nothing to the work and does not even work in the exact same field should be added as a third author, with the task of writing the introduction and related work section. I have no idea what my advisor's motivation for this is.

While I feel adding a random person as an author unfairly dilutes my contributions (especially since my advisor is already essentially a courtesy co-author) I could live with being pragmatic about the situation and submit the paper with a third author, even though I feel that writing opening sections to a paper without being involved in the actual scientific process does not justify authorship.

The issue is that person is completely incapable of grasping my work. They understand neither my theoretical arguments nor what my experiments do (and more importantly do not) show. This is at least partially due to the fact they lack a working knowledge of things like probability theory (on a very basic level, e.g. what is a random variable?) that I use in my work.
Worst of all they are not capable of writing somewhat precise English which means that nothing they write is actually usable. I frankly have no idea how they managed to obtain a phd.

I believe that to have a realistic chance to have my work accepted I need to write the sections that were assigned to the third author myself (which I don't mind doing). But how do I handle this situation socially? I feel like now that this person is officially on the author list I cannot simply delete and rewrite what they wrote before submitting, i.e. even though I consider them a "fake" co-author they are now a co-author that needs to clear the final version of the paper.


texts: Mastering in the same field as my Bachelors

texts: I completed my Bachelors in Human Resources Management. Is there any benefit of completing a Masters degree in Human Resources Management, or should I chose another field?


texts: Removing first name on request by supervisor: how to avoid complications in the future

texts: Say I have three names viz... Firstname Middlename Surname. My first name is quite long. My supervisor is requesting that I only use my Middle and Surnames. This occured with my first manuscript with him (he has two short names). Although, I have one publication (with my full three names) before studying under my current supervisor, I have tried to do this. My ORCID account contains the three names. IEEE membership name emphasizes my Firstname and Surname. My question is if I would like to use only my Middle and Surnames now, what are the things I must do and precautions to take to ensure consistency and avoid complications in the future.


texts: What are the benefits and drawbacks of rotating professors to teach subjects not in their areas?

texts: It seems that many universities are rotating professors who teach a subject. I was talking with a friend and he mentioned that as a result of this, he is struggling with a professor who is teaching a subject outside his area and is still learning the materials. My question, is why do schools apply such strategy? Wouldn't it be better to focus on few related topics, instead of assigning professors to some random courses?


texts: When a professor goes on unpaid leave from her university, can she normally continue to use her grants to fund graduate students and postdocs?  Or, do all grants "freeze" until the professor returns?


texts: How to reference the current year within a paper?

texts:
Whilst writing a paper about the use of digital technologies within education, it became apparent that it would be beneficial to reference the current year (in this case, 2016) to give the paragraph context, particularly with the rapid pace of change within this topic.
What is the best manner to make this kind of reference in the APA style?
Ideas:

At the time of writing (2016), current computing trends...
Currently (2016), computing trends...
As of 2016, current computing trends...


texts: Where can I find a list of Marie Curie fellowship-funded projects?

texts: If such a list does exist, it should since the funding comes from public money. I would like to see as much information as possible. I am interested in the Individual Fellowship but I guess any Marie Curie as this might be useful for people applying for other fellowship types.


texts: How to increase the productivity of undergraduate research assistants?

texts: I supervise a few undergraduates doing independent study and internships in Computer Science. Some of their tasks are to assist me with various back-burner research projects. I can offer them college credit in exchange for their work. However, their labor is difficult to utilize. Their commitment may only be for a few hours a week, they can take a long time to ramp up work, and they sometimes disappear mid-semester. What strategies are out there to make the most of working with this mercurial resource?


texts: Should work as a lab assistant be listed under work experience on a CV when applying for a Masters in computer science?

texts: I'm preparing my CV for applying to a MSc program in a specific Computer Science field. In the section of "Working experience" I've written about my work placement and the main job I've had the past few years (both are related with my field of studies). However, in addition to them, I was a lab assistant in my department for a whole semester. My question is, should I also mention this as a working experience? If not, what is the best way to include it to my CV?


texts: Is it advisable to start graduate school with a dependent family?

texts:
I am an Electrical Engineering undergrad at one of the better engineering schools in the US. Now I have some background I want to explain, and I'll try to keep it brief. Back during high school I was taking classes at a community college, and easily completed all of the requisite courses for transferring into a STEM program. The problem at the time was that I had no idea what I wanted to do. So I left academia and went on my own route for a good couple of years. I never thought I would look back.

Fast forward to the future. I am married and have three children. My wife and I decided that I should look into all those credits from community college. Fortunately, there is no 'expiration date' on lower division math courses, physics, etc. So I was able to transfer, and ended up where I am now.

When I got here, I was already (at least) 30. Having been in the work force and bringing up a family, I was used to pushing myself and getting things done. So it seemed natural that being in college was difficult. It was not the courses, however, that caused problems. For example, my first math course in 10 years was vector calculus, and I completely aced that course, receiving near perfect scores on the exams. Rather, the university is optimized for the student who is just barely in his 20's, the "traditional" student.

I am a "non-traditional" student, and have come up against institutional barriers. This makes sense, since there are tens of thousands of undergrads around here, but only a handful of them have dependents. But still, not fair. Without mincing words, some professors have said that when you have kids, your life is over. Obviously some of these professors never had kids. How to make people understand that when you start a family, life does not end!!! Also, the looks on the faces of those 20-year-olds when I tell them my age, and my situation. (Most people think I'm in my early 20's - I look young.)

My focus in Electrical Engineering for grad school would be in communications. I love math. I am a big fan of our pure math department, and although I am up against a unit limit, I have taken some first year graduate level courses in pure (not applied) math. I am also interested in RF/microwave circuits, in particular MEMS devices. I have research experience, letters of rec, and an okay GPA (3.5). I'm in a summer research program right now, doing MMIC work. I know how to code, I can use version control systems on group projects, and do everything in latex.

I would like some candid advice on whether or not I should apply to grad school. On the one hand, I believe that being a parent necessitates organization, focus, and communication (the latter, with the wife :-) ). These qualities, it seems, are a good fit for grad school. Having a partner can also be advantageous in that I won't have to go through it all alone, and I know that some grad students struggle with this. On the other hand, well, some might say that I should just go find a job and have my family.

My children are young now, and we have lived at housing for students with family. It has been a great environment for all of us. But I also feel like if after graduation I found a job, then they might not want to come back, after having lived in "the real world". I would also like to hear what other grad students have to say, whether or not you have children or a spouse/partner.

tl;dr I am in my mid thirties, finishing up an engineering degree, have wife and kids, want some advice on grad school yea or nay.


texts: How to label figures in response letter, so as to distinguish between figures in the letter and figures in the manuscript?

texts:
I am looking for the correct way to write the caption name of figures in the response letter for a submission to an Elsevier journal. In the manuscript, the name is

Fig. 1. This is caption

I need add some figures in the response letter as well as revised manuscript. The figure number of these files will be different. So, if I refer to "Fig. 1" in the letter, the reviewer will not know which one I am referring to, the Fig. 1 in the manuscript or the Fig. 1 in the letter.
I am not sure about using

Fig. L-1. This is caption
Fig. L. 1. This is caption

to label figures in the response letter, or any solution...


texts: Academic fair use and using publication images in your thesis

texts:
In the introductory chapter of my thesis, I've been surveying the previous work in my field. As part of this, I've used images from some of those publications and included them as Figures in my own thesis.

Occasionally, I have slightly edited them - for instance, changing the labelling.

I usually only use one image from each paper.

My understanding is that this falls under academic fair use, and I do not need permission from any of the publishers to re-use these images in my thesis.

Am I correct?

Update:

It is fairly easy to get permission using RightsLink with most publishers. Just fill out the form on the website and you get the licence immediately.

Bill Barth's comment is extremely important - fair use is a defence rather than a prophylactic and I for one don't want to be in a position of having to defend my use of Figures in a court of law.

Of course, it is extremely unlikely that any publisher would do such a thing, but my feeling is it's better to be safe than sorry.


texts: What is the most effective way to publish as much of your PhD thesis as you can?

texts:
Is it to try to summarize many chapters in one article, or you would try to publish standalone articles for each chapter?
I'm in Philosophy in the UK.
I have read that one should not try to squeeze an entire thesis into an article. In my case I have already published the long introductory chapter, so what's left are a list of criteria, case studies, and a conclusion.


texts: What funding is available for undergraduate research in Japan?

texts:
I wish to go to Japan for a semester-long research internship in the field of robotics. I am a Canadian citizen.

However, I am having a hard time finding what funding I can actually apply for.

I know the JSPS fellowships are out of question as they only apply to postdocs.
MEXT fellowships are out as well because they are only for a full 5 years.

What funding is available for undergraduate research in japan?


texts: (Un)realistic expectations of PhD supervision?

texts:
I shall try to make my former question more on-topic and less personal.

When I started my PhD (maths) a year ago, I was having the following (mostly implicit, though) expectations about how working on a PhD project and the supervision by my professor would be:

guidance-oriented expectations

In the few weeks or months, I'd be given articles and other material to work through and to learn new theory from.
In regular meetings, we'd make sure that I properly understand what I'd have read.
We'd agree on a concrete research topic which the material I'd be given partially enables me to work on.
As time passes, I develop a better judgement which literature might help me and what would be interesting questions to work on, so I need less guidance.
In first principle, the PhD is an opportunity for me to learn advanced contents.

As it has turned out, none of these expectations have been met; instead, the (implicit) expectations of my supervisor (who supervises a master's or PhD thesis for the 1st time) were:

independence-oriented expectations

I'd know which problems I want to work on. Why else should I apply for a PhD position?
I'd be able to find literature, articles, conferences etc. on my own; I am a grown-up, aren't I?
In the occasional meetings, I'd report on my progress. I should not expect help with scientific questions, because

the questions arising from the work we agreed I'd be working on do not match my supervisor's expertise
as a researcher, I have to know by myself how to answer my questions.

I have been hired to complement the knowledge in the group, so if I want to extend my knowledge, I am free to read any textbook or paper I want.

I am aware that at the end of a PhD, I should better match the latter. However, I was irritated that this is what is expected from me right from the beginning. Of course, this led to some conflict.

Question: Did I have unrealistic expectations?


texts: Is it possible to work full time in an industry position while on sabbatical?

texts:
The standard situation in US research universities is for the university to pay one semester of salary for a year of sabbatical leave, and faculty typically take this sabbatical at another university or research lab, where there is a clear sense of how to fund the sabbatical.

I'm interested to know whether anyone has experience on how to (ethically) fund an industry sabbatical.  Specifically:

Is it possible to work full time in an industry position?  If so, do you get half-pay?  Half-hours?
What (ethical) obligations do you have to ongoing grants (say from the National Science Foundation) during such a sabbatical year?
What (ethical) obligations do you have towards the university that is paying a semester of salary?


texts: Importance of degree and publication vs. degree alone

texts:
I'm going to be starting graduate school next week with a major in Mathematics. I've started working on some research in mathematical biology this summer. It's applied mathematics linked with computational biology.

What is the tangible advantage of getting a research publication along with my masters degree vs. just getting a masters degree?

What are the benefits for a math major, for future job prospects?

Also, if I want to apply for another masters degree later, how much will getting a publication help me?


texts: Second PhD in Astro after a PhD in CMT (Physics)

texts:
Okay here is the current situation. I am entering my second year in my PhD program and most of my options of joining the Theoretical astrophysics groups are closed ( no professors working in that field and two of them who were working are leaving the university). Right now the only open option for me is to work in computational condensed matter theory which I am not sure I am interested in (But I do know that given a option between this and theoretical astro I would choose the latter) ie.. interest in Astro theory >> Interest in CMT. okay given this background the questions are,

1) what are the cons of doing another PhD in astro after completing my PhD in CMT (let us say it would take me 5 years here to complete my PhD and if I am applying to an university in UK for my second PhD I would complete it in 3 years so in total i would have spent around 8 years with 2 PhD's in my hand) cons ?

2) I know most of you would ask me to just reapply to other schools, But I am not sure how certain I am in getting an admission again and I dont want this entire two years here to go waste ( just 3 of more years I would have my PhD). So my second question is it even possible to get a PhD position in Europe after having PhD in US ?

So basically my reason for second PhD is not for a better career path, but instead to shift to my area of interest but as well as to not let these 2 years of my life go waste. Is it a good choice to make ?

Edit 1- I did read all the answers for double PhD questions but all the questions were in the line of "I want a better job/career, should I do double PhD?" mine is, "Let us say I complete my current PhD, is there any disadvantage of doing another one just because I would love to work in that field?"

PS: Yes I am working in US university right now, and yup as I am in my second year I have completed few course work and started the project. Rather than saying I "have to complete this PhD", I would put it this way - "I don't hate the work I am doing here, it is just that I would like working in the other field much more than this"

Edit 2- Thanks for the helpful answers. Let me explain my personal bias towards astrophysics. I am a math person by nature, and previously had my undergraduate in engineering.I wanted to move to physics mainly because of the rigorous mathematical structure of it compared to engineering, I self studied several physics stuff and hence wanted to do theoretical physics. But later (now) my views about theoretical physics is changing. On the whole this is what I think is the timeline chart in theoretical physics area apart from Astro) -

Experimentalists collect data of physical world
Theorists build model to explain the data
The new theory might lead experimentalists to further prob the physical world to test the theory
If it does, verify that theory, if not inform the theorist
Theorist then builds a new (or modify the old model) to explain the existing results.

So at the end of the day theorists keep on modifying their model until it agrees with all the experiments. At the end of the day, this is just model building/modifying till my theory fits the data(this creates a bound purpose to building the theory unlike mathematics). But in Astro, since there are very few experiments to verify, the set of all possible theories is large and theorists in this field actually have the freedom to keep on building theories(or models) to explain. And it is this abstract nature of this field (which is analogous to mathematics) where one needs no reason to build theory other than building it just for the fun of it interests me. These are my personal thoughts about general theoretical physics and the reason I want to move to Astro.


texts: How can you read an excessive number of pages in a short amount of time?

texts:
I'm taking 3 online classes. Each has a book I have to read. Each chapter is around 100 pages long in all of them, and I have a week to read them. I'm not able to do some of my assignments, because I'm having to spend so much time reading. I'm having to read so much I'm not even absorbing all the material, and I'm starting to get a head ache from doing nothing but reading nonstop all day.

I'm losing my mind and I don't know what to do. I just don't see how I can absorb that much information so quickly. If you want to know what my classes are, they're World Religion and two programming classes. Yeah. Over the course of five days, I have to read 60 pages per day! And yes, I have to do it in five days, because otherwise I won't have enough time to do any of my assignments.


texts: How do you earn opportunites to review journals or conference papers?

texts:
Critical reading is a very useful skill for most PhD students (and postdocs and researchers in general).
Instead of assuming that everything you read in a scientific paper is right, it's useful to learn how to evaluate the paper critically: e.g., to question its content, to identify shortcomings and limitations and ways it could be improved.

Experience with reviewing papers is a powerful way to gain experience at critical reading of papers. Writing reviews for journals and/or conference helps a PhD student learn to get better at reading a paper with a critical perspective.

Unfortunately, review opportunities for PhD students are rare.

For instance, it is rare for PhD students to be invited to serve on program committees or asked to review papers. In addition, some may think that PhD students are not competent enough to write correct reviews of scientific papers.

How does one solve this problem?  How can a PhD student get opportunities to practice reviewing papers?  What would you suggest to a PhD student who wants to do some reviews?


texts: Is it advisable to have a master or PhD thesis topic in mind before entering graduate school?

texts:
This is a question that fascinates a lot of people prior to attending graduate school. The question whether one should already have chosen a thesis topic so that all efforts will be put on creating that thesis and more time can be used to explore that given topic.

Or a more basic question, is it feasible or even possible for someone to know exactly what their thesis topic would be before going into graduate school?


texts: I am currently writing my undergraduate final year thesis. It happens so that I have to consult papers written by my thesis examiner on a particular topic. My question is is it appropriate to seek clarification from him on parts which I'm unsure of in his paper even though he is my examiner? I tried asking my supervisor first but he is unsure about it as well as this is not within his area of expertise. (I need some results from other branches to prove something.)


texts: Are accepted papers going to be plagiarism checked?

texts:
here's my friend's situation, he submitted a journal paper then gave up after some time and thought it's going to be rejected after a few rejections in an open access journal,he put some parts (as it is), in a conference paper and submitted this work, to his surprise he got acceptance in both.

I asked him to cancel his conference submission not to risk a potential problem with his open access journal submission. He didn't take this seriously and moved on with both.

what are the chances of him getting caught in this situation, given that it's just about 8 months before he will graduate?


texts: Manuscript was returned by the Editor to include more data, should I prepare "Response to Editor"?

texts:
I have submitted a manuscript that was returned by the Editor mainly because there is "no enough data" on the manuscript. The manuscript is a bit shorter and to-the-point. Of course, I have been also asked to revise the English and proofread it.

Now I have addressed the editor request, should I just re-submit the manuscript alone or I need to include a "response to the Editor" as well?


texts: Should I answer this question about diversity?

texts:
There is an optional prompt on my PhD application:

  censoredSchoolName University regards the diversity of its graduate
  student body as an important factor in serving the educational mission
  of the university. We encourage you to share unique, personally
  important, and/or challenging factors in your background, such as work
  and life experiences, special interests, culture, socioeconomic
  status, the quality of your early educational environment, gender,
  sexual orientation, race or ethnicity. Please discuss how such factors
  would contribute to the diversity of the entering class, and hence to
  the experience of your censoredSchoolName classmates.

If I were to answer, what I would write is something about how I grew up in a large family with five siblings all attending college around the same time, so though I come from a middle-class family, I have had to handle much of the financial responsibility of my education. In addition to this, neither of my parents have attained higher than a non-scientific Bachelor's degree, and I have mostly blazed this path under my own independence and ambition.

But I feel that this might not be what the question is really looking for? What I've written above does not make me diverse in the way that I think the University probably wants. I'm a middle-class white male, I will say, which my application has of course already reflected. I'm wondering if I might be better off leaving it blank rather than coming off as forcing a hollow answer, or even pitying myself when there are certainly other applicants with serious disadvantages.


texts: fee structure for school management system software

texts:
i am developing school management software which has many modules, one of them is Student Fees. please share some fee structure so i could add a best of them in my software.
off course i can build software, i just need ideas


texts:
Background:

My lab (life-science) has been awarded with a grant that allows to employ a PhD student that the group should select.

We  shortlisted three candidates according to their knowledge (they are fresh graduates of the master) and experience for an interview. The interview was structured the following way:

First a presentation of the work done by the candidates (internships, experiences...) in front of all the team
Then the candidates talks individually with each member of the team (PhD students and postdocs) in random order (depending on if someone is doing some lab protocol or has to go or ...)
Then an interview with the boss

In order to know if the candidate is a good fit for the group I usually talk more about the working atmosphere of the group. I usually focus in explaining how things work in the group; what I do (project, year of the PHD program), what I studied, what other team mates ask me to do, what the boss encourages.

Question:

What questions should I made as a fellow PhD student to know if the person is a good fit for the group?

PS: The decision is taken by the boss but highly influenced by what we said about the new member of the team.


texts: In which case does PLOS ONE use a third reviewer?

texts:
We have submitted our manuscript 10 weeks ago to PLOS ONE and are still waiting for a first decision.
We sent an inquiry, and they replied that the paper is under review with a 3rd reviewer. Does it mean there is a split decision? How much longer can it take to receive their response?
It is my first manuscript submitted for me, it is on cancer biology (leukemia) and it feels very frustrating.

The email reply was:

  "Thank you for your submission to PLOS ONE.

  I would like to take this opportunity to update you with regards to the current status of your manuscript, as we are aware that it is taking longer than we anticipated for you to receive a decision on your submission.

  As you know, we always strive to provide authors with decisions as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this is not always possible especially when it proves necessary to consult external referees. In regards to your manuscript PONE-D-15-0812 it appears that the comments from 2 reviewers have been submitted, and we are waiting for the other review which is currently outstanding. We are aware of this delay, and are following up with the relevant individual. Once all the reviews are submitted, the Academic Editor will be able to make a decision regarding your manuscript, and inform you of their decision.

  We appreciate your patience, and hope you will contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

  Kind Regards,
  Tresa


texts: What to do when my requests for feedback are denied?

texts: As a medical resident, feedback is crucial for personal development. In my experience, the attending is often too busy to provide feedback on a patient interaction, even when I explicitly ask for it. Does anyone have any suggestions/strategies/tips on what I can do to get ANY feedback when my request is turned down?


texts: Can I add a GitHub repository as an entry in Google Scholar?

texts:
I published a paper, the code for which is uploaded in GitHub.
Is it possible to add the GitHub link as an entry in Google Scholar? If so, can the citations be monitored in the same way as regular publications?


texts: Does prestige of PhD granting insitution matter for those wanting to work in industry? And can a high level post doc position elevate an application?

texts:
I know for those wishing to have a career in academia that branding is key for securing a tenure track position. Branding is also key for certain industries at the undergrad level. I was wondering if that bias softens a bit at the PhD level, specifically for life science roles. How many doors shut if one gets a degree from a Top 30 instead of a Top 10 institution?

I figured HR recruitment would not have a clue how great your PI is in whatever field. Moreover with software based resume screening being so prevalent, searching for MIT, CalTech etc... may be a shortest route to get resumes down to reasonable number.

As a follow on question, say one gets a postdoc at an elite institution does that have any effect on said bias?

Any comments are appreciated.


texts: Should I notify the teacher that he accidentally gave out the answers to an assignment?

texts:
For one of my class projects, the teacher coded the entire solution, then took out a few sections that we are supposed to complete for our assignment. This incomplete code was distributed to the class as a starting point. When he was writing the solution, he used source control. He forgot to delete his repository, so all of his commits are there... You can checkout the commits to get the full solution. I don't think he is aware of it, because he hasn't brought it up in class.

I found this while I was working on my solution. Once I found it, it was difficult to find a different path to the solution. I think my solution is dissimilar, but I feel I am playing a dangerous game here.

I'm not sure what I should do here. I could choose to not tell him and hope they don't catch it, or I could choose to tell him and basically admit I had access to the solution while I was working on it.


texts: How should one present research done in a CV to a graduate program in mathematics?

texts:
This is a question about how to best convey research done to an admissions committee for graduate school.

I have basically two combating philosophies, both may be wrong:

state the "official name" of a paper that is either in preparation, published, or on the arXiv. Follow this with collaborators and perhaps the year you worked on the project.
State the field " Number Theory," state collaborators, and give a brief description of what we accomplished: "We classified classically integral quadratic forms that fail to represent at most two positive integers." Then give where the article was published and its name.

I guess for communication purposes, I like the latter, but I've never seen this done. That being said, I also have some research that is niche enough that the title will not be well-understood by a general audience of mathematicians.

Secondly, I don't like the first since it creates an asymmetry if I want to mention that I am currently doing research on my CV. I guess I can expand on my research experiences in a personal statement, but I figured that a brief description here is helpful.

I guess I want to convey the type of research I've done, since it is a bit diverse (not that much, but pretty broad) so I just wanted to know if there is a good way to proceed.

I think that option (1) is more professional, but also not helpful as it might as well say "I did X number of research projects, and this is their status."


texts: Is it the norm to allow professors from different departments on a PhD committee?

texts: Or is this the exception to the norm? I know that it's allowed at Brown - but I wonder if it's unique.


texts: How many physician-scientists pursue academic tracks?

texts:
The National Institues of Health (NIH) funds Medical Scientist Training Programs (MSTPs) also known as MD/PhD programs to create a group of researchers whose work more rapidly effects medical practice. For example, they would help to develop new diagnostic tools, drugs, or surgical procedures.

It sounds good, but how many of the students actually pursue this track? Does anyone know of data about the NIH's return on investment besides the somewhat dated data about three New York programs?

Thanks for your time,
Mike


texts: What are good resources on how to carry oneself on a PhD course?

texts:
I just started a PhD and I was looking for some guidance on what I could expect in the following years, more specifically, what is the recommended way to progress, how should I allocate my research hours and other responsibilities, and , finally, when and how should I start writing my PhD thesis.

Is there any book written on how to conduct yourself during the course of a PhD? What would be your overall recommendations?


texts: Releasing one version of a Scientific Paper under an Open License

texts:
I am going to release a Technical Report that will be archived and made available online by the university's library. An abridged version of the work was accepted by a peer-reviewed conference and will be published in the proceedings. For this to happen, I have to sign a copyright form, assigning to the publishing institution all rights under copyright.

My questions:

a) What is the best way to grant readers of the Technical Report the freedom to quote (unlimited length), distribute, and build upon the work? And point out that they have this freedom without asking for my permission?

b) Is a Creative-Commons License the way to go? If yes, in what form should include the lincense in the work?

c) Is there any conflict between the copyright form for the conference paper and releasing the Technical Report under an open license?