Comments on: Why would advisors encourage students to publish? http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students/ Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:46:45 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students/comment-page-1/#comment-819 Anonymous Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:18:00 +0000 http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students-to-publish/#comment-819 <i>"I wonder if anyone has thought of those students who WANT to publish but their ..."</i><br/><br/>or the advisers who actively fight against the concept of publication on all fronts, be it their own, their students', or ones they're asked to review. “I wonder if anyone has thought of those students who WANT to publish but their …”

or the advisers who actively fight against the concept of publication on all fronts, be it their own, their students’, or ones they’re asked to review.

]]> By: Jackie http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students/comment-page-1/#comment-239 Jackie Thu, 30 Aug 2007 04:27:00 +0000 http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students-to-publish/#comment-239 The short answer is that most students going to a major research university are expected to want research-type careers. So writing papers isn't torture - it's just part of the game. Any student whose advisor encourages or demands papers is lucky, in my opinion. It's the PhD students who graduate without having published anything that I worry about. The short answer is that most students going to a major research university are expected to want research-type careers. So writing papers isn’t torture – it’s just part of the game. Any student whose advisor encourages or demands papers is lucky, in my opinion. It’s the PhD students who graduate without having published anything that I worry about.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students/comment-page-1/#comment-238 Anonymous Wed, 29 Aug 2007 03:35:00 +0000 http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students-to-publish/#comment-238 I wonder if anyone has thought of those students who WANT to publish but their advisors do not push for it, they are just so busy with all other academic life. I know several of those cases. I often think about it and does not make any sense, since the data generated is kept in a drawer or in a thesis (that nobody will read). But contrary to the cases that were being discussed, this time it is not the student being lazy but the advisor who is ignoring the need for publishing the data (that will definitely benefit both). I think that this might happen when the PI wants to retain that student because he/she works well, just keep them as cheap labor. The PI knows that if the student does not publish he/she cannot leave because chances of hopping on to the next stage (PhD, PostDoc, Faculty position) are small. Therefore he exerts his power in this way. To be honest I do not know what they would do with the data generated by this good student if not publish it! I wonder if anyone has thought of those students who WANT to publish but their advisors do not push for it, they are just so busy with all other academic life. I know several of those cases. I often think about it and does not make any sense, since the data generated is kept in a drawer or in a thesis (that nobody will read). But contrary to the cases that were being discussed, this time it is not the student being lazy but the advisor who is ignoring the need for publishing the data (that will definitely benefit both). I think that this might happen when the PI wants to retain that student because he/she works well, just keep them as cheap labor. The PI knows that if the student does not publish he/she cannot leave because chances of hopping on to the next stage (PhD, PostDoc, Faculty position) are small. Therefore he exerts his power in this way. To be honest I do not know what they would do with the data generated by this good student if not publish it!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students/comment-page-1/#comment-237 Anonymous Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:22:00 +0000 http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students-to-publish/#comment-237 As a "mature" PhD student in the UK (I only mention this as it gives me a better perspective sometimes) I have found my supervisor to be very supportive his view on publishing is that it is very necessary for my career, not just the students but the postdocs too. He is very generous with authorship with anyone involved in the work giving you a taste of involvement before you prehaps have a completed piece of work to write up as the first author. <br/><br/>I have to agree that if your work is not done to a sufficent standard and published into the wider community then what would be the point of bothering at all? Of course there are abusive supervisiors the best thing you can do it finish and get out, try to view publishing in this senario as part of your escape plan. Better to be pushed to publish than not given the opportunity, discouraged or even not acknowledged for your own work. As a “mature” PhD student in the UK (I only mention this as it gives me a better perspective sometimes) I have found my supervisor to be very supportive his view on publishing is that it is very necessary for my career, not just the students but the postdocs too. He is very generous with authorship with anyone involved in the work giving you a taste of involvement before you prehaps have a completed piece of work to write up as the first author.

I have to agree that if your work is not done to a sufficent standard and published into the wider community then what would be the point of bothering at all? Of course there are abusive supervisiors the best thing you can do it finish and get out, try to view publishing in this senario as part of your escape plan. Better to be pushed to publish than not given the opportunity, discouraged or even not acknowledged for your own work.

]]> By: PonderingFool http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students/comment-page-1/#comment-236 PonderingFool Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:43:00 +0000 http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students-to-publish/#comment-236 Rosie Redfield said...<br/>Very good post - I hope all the complainers see it.<br/>***********************************<br/><br/>Trivializing much? There are good advisors. Mine have been. I have seen abusive ones as well and what they do to their trainees. The push to publish isn't about learning, it is about the ego of the advisor. <br/><br/>I do notice Larry, Rosie and T. Ryan are all Canadian. Maybe things are different there but here in the US the selection is not to train/ to teach well. It is to bring in grants to bring in overhead to the university. Some are able to balance this and are good mentors because they care. Others do not and there is no punishment. These faculty are actually rewarded. Rosie Redfield said…
Very good post – I hope all the complainers see it.
***********************************

Trivializing much? There are good advisors. Mine have been. I have seen abusive ones as well and what they do to their trainees. The push to publish isn’t about learning, it is about the ego of the advisor.

I do notice Larry, Rosie and T. Ryan are all Canadian. Maybe things are different there but here in the US the selection is not to train/ to teach well. It is to bring in grants to bring in overhead to the university. Some are able to balance this and are good mentors because they care. Others do not and there is no punishment. These faculty are actually rewarded.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students/comment-page-1/#comment-235 Anonymous Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:17:00 +0000 http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students-to-publish/#comment-235 This is very true. And I am fortunate that I have a very good advisor who really cares. But the thing is, I have seen way too many advisors that suck big time. Examples of those are pretty much everyone in my department. This is very true. And I am fortunate that I have a very good advisor who really cares. But the thing is, I have seen way too many advisors that suck big time. Examples of those are pretty much everyone in my department.

]]> By: Rosie Redfield http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students/comment-page-1/#comment-234 Rosie Redfield Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:59:00 +0000 http://www.genomicron.evolverzone.com/2007/08/why-would-advisors-encourage-students-to-publish/#comment-234 Very good post - I hope all the complainers see it. Very good post – I hope all the complainers see it.

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