Should I mention my undocumented status in faculty applications? I am looking to apply to several junior faculty positions this Fall and Winter. Many positions allow you to submit an optional diversity statement where I had intended to discuss my undocumented legal immigrant status. I have DACA so I am eligible to work in the USA without visa sponsorship but this is contingent on continued DACA renewals, which used to be 2-year fixed terms but has since been reduced to annual renewals.
Undocumented immigrants in the academic field are extremely sparse, far below the national averages for bachelor's, master's, and PhD attainment, and as you might expect, almost non-existent among professors. This seems like a good point in terms of advancing diversity but at the same time, my concerns are whether universities would even bother to look at someone like me whose employment status is not guaranteed in the long run, especially under the current US administration.
From a faculty search committee standpoint, would someone who is undocumented/DACA-mented be a red flag?

From my experience with faculty searches, departments at first care only about whether a candidate is actually good. That is the key basis to form a short list, and only after that do they care about the practicalities of hiring someone. These practicalities includes salary, spousal accommodations, visa status, etc.
As a consequence, I think that your immigration status is not going to be much in terms of an obstacle for getting onto a short list and, potentially, getting an offer. Your problems will of course start after that: is a university willing to actually hire you given the not entirely settled legal status of DACA. I'm not an expert on this part, so if you say that you're eligible for employment, then I will assume that universities see it the same way and that your major obstacle then must be to get onto the short list and getting an offer -- for which the only criterion really is that you are better than the competition.
Implied in your question is whether you should mention your status in the diversity essay. That would strike me as odd: The fact that you are in this category makes you no better qualified than someone who is in the US on a visa or, since you have spent the majority of your life in the US, anyone else who has grown up here. As a consequence, I think that there is nothing to be gained from mentioning your DACA status -- thought it is conceivable that it raises questions on the minds of faculty similar to the ones you mention in your question.
In summary: My suggestion would be to just not bring up the DACA status at all in application documents, and only mention this once you have a conversation with the department head about actually getting hired. That is the point where the prospective employer needs to know about it, but no earlier than that.


Low undergraduate GPA. Strong research profile. Any chances of getting into the likes of MIT, Caltech, etc? I am a final year undergraduate student of Mechanical Engineering from Nepal. I plan to do master's in aerospace engineering (propulsion systems, to be specific) at a prestigious university in the US. With virtually zero scope for aerospace engineering research in our country and little to no guidance from experts, I have been involved in many research projects for years and have already got a number of papers published so far. I hope to add at least three more conference papers to my profile before I apply to any graduate school.
But the problem is that I am going to have a very low CGPA, anywhere between 2.4 - 2.7. I have heard that many schools don't bother to look at anything else in an application when they see a low GPA and reject it straightaway. Does that mean I have no chances at all? I have been working very hard to offset my low GPA and make my resume look better than those of most other applicants.
MIT, for example, recommends a minimum of 3.2 as a guideline. What does that mean for me?
Please respond.

If a department doesn't say they have a minimum GPA, then there is certainly some chance of admission - many departments make it a point to review all applications in full and refuse to use individual cut scores for any element of the application. And yes, some departments use cut scores anyway so if you don't meet their (often unpublished) minimums your app gets tossed.

Is it worth applying? If you can spare the ~$100ish US dollars, sure - the worst case scenario is you don't get a yes, and you'll most likely get a nice generic rejection email telling you how many applications they had this year and they just can't take everyone who's great.

The more important point is that you have only mentioned a few of the world's most famous institutions on planet earth at this time in history. All of them receive many hundreds of applications, and some applicants with no obvious negative marks, letters of reference from leading professors at that institution, and a masters degree from another famous institution (sometimes even that same place) and/or a bachelor's from another famous place...still do not get accepted routinely. If you'll only be happy with the least likely outcome, you are most likely to be disappointed. So if it's potentially a good fit for you and you have the extra funds, you can certainly apply - but I don't think it's helpful or wise to make it Plan A.

I suggest you apply to the famous places just to satisfy that drive to do so, but dig deeper. Look for places with a more specific fit to you with 2-3 people who are doing work that excites you, look for places you'd have an awesome opportunity at even if the institution name isn't a Hollywood-shorthand for smartypants (as the Batman Lego movie says, "Harvard for cops", or in this case "Harvard for engineers"), and search for places that also offer a variety of expertise that you think is interesting even if it doesn't seem like a perfect fit at first (if you get in you might find on a visit that there is something that just blows you away you never thought about).

The process has a serious random component, and there is no well-ordered universal ranking of students, faculty, programs, departments, or institutions - i.e., there is no true best-worst that everyone agrees on. You just need to find one "yes" that works for you and your goals. Don't talk yourself out of aiming high, but don't let other people's marketing get in the way of your long-term happiness. Be strategic, apply broadly, work hard, have back-up plans, and you'll be ok.


Journal vs conference publications when looking for a job in in computer science I'm currently a post doc in theoretical computer science and I have a double digit number of conference publications, about half of which are at so called "tier 1" conferences (SODA,STOC,...). Unfortunately I only have 1 journal publication so far, mainly due to coauthors dragging their feet.

Will the lack of journal publications have a great impact when applying for a faculty job in cs-theory at some point, and is it advisable to try to up this number before applying? Or is this fully compensated by having sufficiently many conference papers?

CS people know that CS conferences count for more than conferences do in other fields, and although they count a little less than journals in CS, this should not be a problem. Of course there are still rankings between the various forums.

The fact that CS rank conferences higher than other disciplines only becomes a problem if you are compared against non-CS people, which often happens when competing for funding and promotions, in my experience.


Meaning of the term "studies leading to a degree" I am slightly confused about the meaning of the term "studies leading to a degree" in an application form.

Does it mean only studies that lead to an actual degree, in which case incomplete studies that did not lead to a degree are not covered by this term?

Or does it denote any studies that were initially started as part of a degree program, irrespective of whether the studies were completed or a degree was awarded or not?

In every case I've seen, this term referred to coursework that was part of a degree curriculum, whether or not that was earned. I suspect this is because organizations can simply specify the degree itself if they need the latter distinction. However, without the actual context it's difficult to be certain.


Etiquette for a very short lab visit by a PhD student? I’m a PhD student travelling to the US for a conference and my supervisor has contacted a former colleague to arrange for me to visit his lab. Under the current circumstances, I only have 2–3 days available for the visit, which means I won’t be able to do any meaningful lab work. They do some interesting techniques that I’d like to learn, but again, I’m not sure if there will be enough time – and I don’t want to be an annoyance for busy staff/students who’d rather just get on with things.

So, for such a short visit, what are the expectations? I’ve offered to present my conference talk at the lab meeting (met with somewhat of an “if you really want to” attitude), and I”d like to see their lab and chat to fellow students about how they do things differently to me... but I don’t think I need multiple days to do that. How long should a visit without any actual research be?

I also don’t know what to expect from them; as a visiting student and not a PI, I don’t think I can expect them to arrange meetings or visits for me, but for the same reason, I’m unsure about reaching out to others at their institute – should I be arranging to meet other people? Is that rude? Is it expected?

I don’t want to waste an opportunity – or embarrass my supervisor, and be a nuisance to a research group that I respect. Should I limit my visit to a single day? Any advice would be great!

Ask your supervisor for some advise, he knows his former colleague and can probably give you some insight into how to "get the most" out of your visit.


May I discuss a paper I have only seen as a referee? Recently I refereed a paper in pure mathematics. Although I recommended a "major revision", I was quite impressed with the paper, and indeed I would like to: (1) describe his results in a grant proposal I am writing, and (2) eventually apply the author's techniques in my own work.

The author has not yet made his paper publicly available (e.g. on the arXiv or on his personal website). Ethically speaking, may I now freely refer to his paper in my proposal, and later in my work? Or am I bound to wait until the paper is published or until the author has otherwise made it available to the public?

I e-mailed him recently, let him know that I was a referee for his paper, and asked his permission to do this. If he writes back to offer (or deny) me permission, then that settles the issue. But what if I do not hear back?

No.  It's a standard expectation that you'll keep confidential anything in the papers you referee.  Once the paper is published (or even made available online as a preprint) then you'd be free to refer to what has been made public.


Advisor drops MSci student suddenly in final semester Today I had a fellow student (who is working on a master's degree) come to me and inform me that our mutual advisor (call her Professor WW) had just dropped her as a student for "personal reasons." I am a more advanced doctoral student and have some niche expertise that my advisor does not have, so I do not feel like I am in personal danger of being axed as well, but I want some advice on how to proceed with this situation.

My colleague (call her QQ) is entering her final semester of a master's degree, so naturally having her advisor drop her is rather troubling.  QQ is a high quality student and is an excellent worker. She is the type of person I am privileged to have as a colleague. I was very surprised to hear that WW had curtly told her to find a new advisor.

QQ was funded via an NSF grant that WW had. As such, QQ had turned down other funding offers. With the abrupt dropping, Prof. WW obviously also cut QQ's funding. This has left QQ scrambling for funding for next semester with about two weeks before school goes on holiday.

To make matters even weirder, Prof. WW told QQ to not mention this to anyone and that she (WW) would arrange a new advisor for QQ privately, a complete circumvention of the department administration. The advisor that WW has chosen to pursue for QQ is on sabbatical until April 2017. (So,...not a great option).

While QQ has done some of her thesis, she is still at a stage where having an advisor is critical. The only professors who have enough expertise in our area of research are either on sabbatical or are the brand new department chair (and hence is "too busy for grad students").

Professor WW is up for tenure soon, and I think she is fearful that this antic will reflect poorly on her (since, well, it does). As I mentioned, WW has a large NSF grant. She produces a lot of papers (mostly on the backs of her grad students honestly) and brings in lots of money. She probably will get tenure.

Should I do anything here? Professor WW does somewhat control my destiny, but I already have a strong dissertation topic I feel, and I am not so far along that I could not just switch advisors if it came to it due to politics.

Am I ethically obligated to mention behavior like this to the administration, especially with the tenure considerations?  I want to advocate for my colleague QQ, but I also do not want to be blacklisted in my department for stepping out of line.

Additional Information

Some of the comments or answers have suggested that QQ was caught cheating/plagiarizing in some way. I am going to take this into consideration. It is a reasonable thought, not so much because I feel that QQ might actually be a cheater, but just because there is a (albeit very tiny) probability that QQ plagiarized.

Still, the last we spoke, QQ has been in contact with someone at the university level to guide her through the process of switching advisors. Unless QQ is much less intelligent than I thought, she probably will not be going down on the official record of filing a grievance if she had been caught doing something nefarious that WW had any semblance of proof of.

As for the thoughts on some sort of romance that developed between WW and QQ.....even less likely than QQ being a cheater in school. Let's just leave it at that.

Advise your colleague to take this up with whatever graduate student support is available at your institution.

As a fellow student, there probably isn't a productive way for you to intervene directly.  You don't have any official role or reason for involvement, and any action you can take could be taken more effectively by the student herself.

The situation you describe is quite troubling.  If this is the whole story, then action ought to be taken (and hopefully the university will support the student).  But she really needs to be her own advocate here.

However, keep in mind that you only know one side of the story.  Even though you think quite highly of this student, you need to be cautious in jumping to conclusions.  Sometimes (though not always) when something seems inexplicable, it's because there is more to it than meets the eye.  So I would be careful not to take any rash actions.  Don't let this unduly affect your professional relationship with your adviser.


What rights does an editor of a scientific book have? Can he add references/citations to a chapter written by other authors? There was recently a call for book chapters (to be published by a reputable publisher), I submitted an article and it was accepted.

When I received the proof to review, I noticed that the book editor added references in my article. He basically cited some of his papers.

My question is, does he have the right to do that?
And, any suggestions on what I should do?

An editor can ask for coherence. He can also throw out the chapter if there are omissions that he thinks are critical. He can, in that vein, request that references be included.

But the responsibility on the article lies with the authors, and so the editor can never modify the content of the article without their approval; he must ask their permission. This falls out side of his "jurisdiction" (exceptions can exist in commercial publication/scriptwriting where the rights on the material may not fully lie with the concrete author).

Imagine the extreme case of the editor quoting some crank papers under the author's name.

In the concrete case, OP should consider:

whether the citations are, content-wise, appropriate and acceptable or not;
if they are acceptable, whether OP wishes to place the matter of the unauthorised addition on the table;
if OP decides to put them on the table, whether they would withdraw the article if the editor's justification is unsatisfactory.

Depending on the responses, OP may consider to

withdraw the article; or
insist on the references being removed; or
accept the references and not work again with this editor in the future; or
accept the references as a welcome addition to the paper.


Learn new methods during PhD? I just started my PhD in an interdisciplinary research lab. For the research I wish to pursue, I am missing some methodological skills, particularly in statistics and machine learning. Are there any suggestions APART from taking online courses? How can I fill this knowledge gap whilst doing all the other (European) PhD duties?

Here is what I did during the beginning of my third year (of 5) in my phd-

deleted all statistical software from my computer save my language of choice (for me it was R). Begin to work on mastering this language.
Watch videos and lectures, get involved in the online statistics community
TAKE CLASSES in advanced stats (though I know this might not be as much of an option in Europe as it was in the US).
go to luncheons with phd students in computational fields
begin to help people who you can with what you can in stat: nothing helped me learning like taking what I had just watched, practiced, thought about and then applying it to help a lab mate.
READ, READ, READ (this cannot be understated).
Practice- learning to code can be frustrating but it is necessary.
Submit articles using the methods you learned for publication. Getting blind reviewer feedback was extremely helpful for me to see what I was doing wrong.
attend more classes, continually watch videos, write code daily, publish (or attempt) papers using your methods, practice coding, and READ, READ, READ!

And when I say read, I mean in the medium that is most effective for you. For me, I gained the most from reading journal articles and reading associated blog posts about those journal articles. In this way, if there was something complicated that I did not grasp, the blog would help shore that up in more laymen terms. I did not gain much from reading textbooks, but others do.


Travel grants to lecture in a poor country: where to apply? I have always wanted to lecture at a university in a poor country, something like volunteering. I am currently in Australia and I have been in touch with a colleague in Sierra Leone (West Africa) who mentioned that they need lectures for a specific topic but they cannot afford to get hire one. So I thought of helping for one semester. The problem is traveling is expensive and most likely I will be taking an unpaid leave for that period.

My question is: are there agencies that can provide travel grants or cover some expenses for lecturers willing to volunteer in poor countries? Any pointers will be highly appreciated!

I am US-based, but I assume things work more or less the same.

Do you have a PhD? If so, then I imagine that as long as your colleague is able to put together a decent proposal and formally invite you, you should be able to use whatever travel grants that you hold to travel there (much like traveling to a conference while paying your own way to give a talk, except the duration would be longer). In the US, you would be able to apply to various grants such as the National Science Foundation's research grants, American Mathematical Society - Simons Foundation travel grant, and also American Women in Mathematics travel grant (since it seems that you may be a woman). Any of these grants should be enough to cover a round trip plane ticket to Sierra Leone, and I assume some equivalent agencies exist in Australia.

If you do not have a PhD, then the situation is trickier. Since you do not have the "expertise," the aforementioned agencies are less willing to cover your travel, which is presumably why so many people ask for donations from their family and friends or through Kickstarter campaigns. I have heard that you can also write to various companies and if they think your cause is worthwhile, they may agree to donate some money.


Try exercises or look at the solutions for self-study I am currently self-studying The Art of Computer Programming as an undergrad in my free time. To do all of the exercises (or even a portion of them) would be incredibly difficult and time-consuming; however, there are solutions at the back of the text. I am wondering if I would miss out on something from a pedagogical perspective if I simply look at the problem, understand what it's asking, and then read the solution and understand it?
I would hope that mastery of the content is gained through experience in the field and further study in mathematics. How strongly recommended is giving “the old college try”?

Some of the exercises are very hard. That is expected. But it depends on how deep you want your learning to be. If you are happy enough with a superficial understanding, then just read the solutions.
But if you want "operational" knowledge. The knowledge of how to put all of that to use and to extend it in your work, then you need to do a lot of the exercises. Mark them off when you succeed and come back to the ones you can't do later on. Or, find someone more knowledgeable than yourself, who also understands learning, who can give you minimal hints when you get stuck.
The issue is in the way the brain works. Long term memory works not by seeing something once and having it immediately imprinted somehow, but through rewiring of the neurons through repetition, reinforcement, and feedback. If you don't do that, you won't develop a deep understanding - or even memory of what you've seen.
But, since many of them are hard, and there may still be a few research problems hidden in there, don't work until you get frustrated. But instead of giving up and reading the solution, put it aside and go on to another. Come back to the hard ones occasionally and see if you can do better.
The more you do, the more it will enable you to do others, even if it doesn't make them easy.
In some books the exercises are what give it value. If you can do them, you have some deep knowledge TAOCP is like that.
But the same is true of the books you have for your coursework in CS and in Math.


Why are (galley) proof requests given such a short deadline? Often the publisher requests to get the proof within 24 hours when it's ready. What are the reasons for making this so short? Do they want the authors to not make too many changes?

EDIT:
The email I received said:

  Please ensure you check the entire article carefully, and answer all
  queries. Return corrected proofs and any related material by uploading
  to the site within 24 hours.

EDIT: @StrongBad pointed out a related question.

Galley proofs are part of the production process where a book or journal issue is actually printed, as opposed to the 'softer' process of deciding what pieces will go into it and in what form. As such, the deadlines for their revision are associated with the physical production process rather than the editorial process for the piece and can be quite different from deadlines for e.g. minor revisions or revise-and-resubmit requests.
These proofs are only meant to be used to check that the typesetting correctly represents the author's intent, and not that the content is scientifically correct (which should have been done at an earlier stage). Occasionally a one- or two-sentence 'note added in proof' may be appended to a paper but that's about it; for an example see the AIP style guide, p.11. Checking the typesetting is assumed to be a straightforward matter that does not require more than one day (though assuming that an academic can spare the time at the publisher's decision with no prior notice is another matter), so such deadlines are usually OK.
Note also that such deadlines can be negotiable if properly handled. If such a requests lands on you and you will not be able to complete it in time, it is usually acceptable to notify the editor, as soon as possible, that this is the case. A polite note along the lines of

Dear Editor,
We have successfully received the proofs of our article. Unfortunately, today is my thesis defence, my coauthor is getting married and my advisor is away due to travel, so we will be unable to complete your request to review the proofs within 24h. We will get them to you as soon as possible, which will likely be the day after tomorrow. Is this acceptable, or will it lead to a delay in publication?

can work wonders in stretching such a deadline. From personal experience, I have seen a 24-hour request be stretched to a full week without a publication delay.


PhD salary in Germany according to TVöD I have a PhD acceptance letter from an institute in Germany. They have written that my salary would be according to TVöD (collective salary scheme for the German public service).

I searched about that, but there are different ideas.

The following answer applies to all public-service salary schemes (TVöD, TV-L, TV-H, etc.) that apply to PhD students. The information that is most likely missing is:

Your class (Entgeltgruppe): PhD students typically paid according to class 13, which is the lowest class for people with a master’s degree or equivalent. As even postdoc positions with class 14 are extremely rare, it’s safe to assume that this is your class if no further information is given.
Your level (Stufe): Unless you worked in German public service on this level before, you will have the following progression of levels:

first year: Level 1
second and third year: Level 2
fourth to sixth year: Level 3
after that, you hopefully finished your PhD

Now, the offer will have to state how much you are officially working. It’s usually somewhere between 50 % and 75 %, but may also be 100 % – this mostly depends on your field.
This should give you all you need to obtain your gross salary (brutto) from the tables or calculators.

Keep in mind that taxes and insurance will be deduced from this, which depends on several aspects such as whether you are married, have children, whether you will use the German retirement provision (VBL) etc. However, a considerable portion of the taxes will actually be to your direct benefit (health insurance, retirement provision, etc.) and things that you would pay with your salary in many other countries.


What should I (a professor) do if a student keeps answering other students' questions before I start explaining? I have a student who keeps answering other students' questions before I could even start explaining. What should I do in this case? Should I ask them to come meet with me? If so, how should I convey that it is not ok and it is not their job.

This would, I think, depend a lot on how the "answering" student goes about it. Just interrupting a request to the professor is disruptive, but some people do this sort of thing by reflex. But yes, a quiet word is in order. Ask them to meet with you. But decide first on what you would like them to do to correct the action.

If the answers they give are generally correct then it is a different situation than if they are mostly irrelevant, I think.

One thing that such a student fails to understand, of course, is that often the best answer is a minimal answer. An answer that lets students develop insight, not just get answers. Saying too much in answering a student question may be worse than saying nothing.

One option is just to require them to remain silent, but another is to ask (require) them to raise a hand before saying anything and first getting permission. But yet another, that might be useful, depending on the student, is to require them to write out an answer when they feel the need, rather than to blurt it out verbally.

But the behavior can be a symptom of many things. Some are insecurities on the part of the student; a need for affirmation. Some would just be showing off for the professor. Without knowing what it is, it is difficult to formulate an exact solution.

You have a right, of course, not to have your course disrupted by outbursts, but think a bit about whether the disruptor has needs that also need to be met. So, as part of your quiet word with them, ask first why they think it important to do that. Depending on your view of the student, the question might be direct, or you might want to be a bit more subtle about it.

And sometimes it is actually useful to have students volunteer answers to the questions of others as long as you maintain control over the process. If one student is dominating a conversation, it might be counterproductive for others.


Evaluating an opportunity for undergrad thesis in computer science I am a pre-final year undergrad student of computer science. I am interested in getting into research. I have already done some research, but it has not been very formal, and I have not been able to devote a lot of time to it due to college coursework.

In my final year of college, my university allows me to pursue my undergrad thesis at any university / research institute where I can find a professor willing to advise me. I have been able to find such a professor in Germany, who is willing to advise me for 8 months, and his group is very relevant to the kind of research I want to pursue in future.

However, the problem is that the institute is not very well known, at least in my country. But the Google Scholar profile of the professor is decent enough. The group in which I'll be working does seem to be doing good work, although the project assigned to me currently is one on which just a single researcher is working. Also, what surprised me a little was that the researcher is just a master, she doesn't even have a PhD yet. But the work being done by her seems to be good enough and state-of-the-art.

Another criterion by which people suggested I can judge the state of a project is the funding. If a project is well-funded, it probably means it is in good shape and is going somewhere. Well, I don't know about the funding of the project exactly, but they are offering me quite a large stipend which points to the fact that they are not exactly low on funding. Also, many of my friends have applied for theses abroad and have found that obtaining a funded position for an undergrad is very hard. Considering I have a well-funded position is probably a good sign then, right?

How else can I go about evaluating this opportunity? Are the things mentioned above important to factor into this decision? Any other points I should consider?

Master's

Someone doing his PhD in Germany typically has a Master's. So, it's not a sign of a failed PhD or something. And you genuinely don't need a PhD to do world-class research, even if it would be a sign you have more experience with a degree.

So, din't worry about the research assistant not having a PhD, rather think if he/she is good in his/her research area. From your question I infer that this particular PhD student is good.

Funding

As for funding, there are two possibilities: the student assistant rates (which are typically around 8/10 Euro/hour for up to 80 hours/month) or a research/teaching assistant position. They are stacked after having/not having a Master's, the typical rates are E12 and E13. You can google the the rate in corresponding federal county ("Bundesland").

An easier way is to look for third-party projects at the website of the professor / his group.

Update:

Rankings

There are multiple university rankings out there. Something like CHE focuses on German universities and splits up based on the major. You might want to look that school up.

Costs of living

A German university imposes a rather small (bureaucratic) fee. It's not the tuition typical for US universities, but rather like 200-250 Euros in a semester, i.e. half a year. It brings a cheaper food in mensa and a bus ticket with it. This would not put a huge dent into your finances, but you'd need to consider it.

However, the costs of renting a flat / a room in a shared flat and medical insurance can be rather high and range from 150 to 500 Euros for living and 80-250 Euro for insurance. You would find rental costs in your typical website for renting (I am actively avoiding ads here). The insurance is probably stated in university's checklist for foreign students.


Getting a Postdoc, Dropping out of PhD for Greener Pastures (I hope), or else Staying Competitive in Current Position I've seen similar questions on here before so I'm sorry if it's a duplicate or anything.

Frequently, I find myself in despair at my postdoc prospects as a result of the reputation of the university at which I am doing a PhD. It's ranked around 30-40th in the UK and, in some places, worse than 350th in the world.

I study Mathematics. In particular, I study a less popular version of group theory than average. So postdoctoral research fellowships are hard to come by as it is.

I could have gone to The University of St. Andrews for my PhD and in an area I prefer over my current one, had I not had a panic attack during my last exam in 2015. I kick myself over it most of the time. I still got the First required, only it was awarded the year later and the position had to start in 2015.

Compared to St. Andrews, my current university looks lame.

Sometimes, although mostly for my mental health, I have considered dropping out then applying to some other university, perhaps St. Andrews again, I don't know.

What's my question?

Well, this is not so much a question so far as it is a lament, I admit.

What I want to ask is this:

  What do I do to become a marketable mathematician? How do I get a postdoc?

Also . . .

  How do I let go of the "once in a lifetime" PhD position I could have had?

Any advice would be appreciated.

How do I let go of the "once in a lifetime" PhD position I could have had?

This is far beyond the scope of mere academics. Life is full of choices, some of them will be bad. Some of it is in our control (in retrospect, hindsight is 20/20 always) and some if it is not.

I think that apart from going back in time - there is nothing that you can do. What you can do about your situation now though, is talk to someone.

You are not alone in this.

I had suffered (and perhaps still am suffering) from impostor syndrome at times, and I know that I could've done much better if I had made better choices.

It's good to have someone to talk to about these things. This could be a trusted friend, a loved one, or a trained professional. There is no shame in seeking help! Universities often have excellent mental health services, and graduate students are a vulnerable population in terms of mental health (not alone, remember?).

  What do I do to become a marketable mathematician? How do I get a postdoc?

The academic world has very clear rules on what could make you a marketable academic: publish good papers or preprints, impress some well-known people in your field, present your work at respectable venues, get amazing teaching evaluations that'll land you a lectureship, be an active member of your research community and so on.

If you feel like your current (unmarketable) field is not sufficiently exciting, and you aren't making progress, switch. I have done so twice in my career (and I would like to think that I'm not incredibly old!), and many others I know have as well. What were papers that you read that made you really curious and excited? What skills have you acquired that may help you along the way?

In the professional realm, again: seek advice and help. What does your advisor say? I'm assuming that your relationship with them is not at 100% (else you wouldn't be asking this question here), can you try to make it better? Are there mentors in your department that you look up to?

If you are dead set on staying in academia, the reality is that you'll have to extend your time to accumulate a better portfolio (especially if you want to switch fields). Either extend your PhD if possible, or get a temporary research position. I don't know the postdoc culture in mathematics, but perhaps a lower-tier research assistantship would be within reach?

Good luck!


Are the Survey rankings for the National Research Council really more objective than the Regression rankings? This blog post argues so, but I have my doubts since the author works at a graduate program whose S-rankings are much better than its R-rankings. I have a feeling that R-rankings do capture some things that S-rankings don't capture. Professors who are far ahead of their time, for example, might be recognized as such, but I would expect that their papers probably won't get very high citation counts for some time.

No, both rankings are basically nonsense.  Even if you agree with the NRC's choice of a single "quality" model across all intellectual disciplines, the rankings are based on horrendously incomplete and incorrect data.  This is especially true in computer science.

Also, the claim in the blog post is an obvious joke.  The S-rankings are "better" because  writer's home department's S-ranking was better than its R-ranking.


Cover letter clarification for a lecturer position I want to apply for a lecturer job and in the section of the cover letter it says this:

'Please attach your covering letter describing how you meet the criteria on the Person Specification. You should use the competency headings of the Person Specification in your covering letter, providing examples of how you fulfil each one. You should also take into consideration the Job Description provided.'

Does it mean I have to refer to the Person specification titles while writing the cover letter (which seems more logical) or actually paste the PS titles inside the cover letter?

Thanks!

Yes, you should paste the headings into your coverletter and format them as headings.  If they are numbered, keep the numbering.

Probably the hiring committee will need to rate your responses to each heading.  Format your letter to make it easy for them.


How may I calculate Research Contribution as Per UGC rules? The University Grants Commission (U.G.C) is the autonomous and statutory body in India responsible for governing the rules and regulations of the universities and various other academic institutions
that come under its purview.

The rule for appointment of teachers in the important academic institutes of India is governed by its rule, "UGC Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education 2010".
It is generally taken as the order of the day.

In this regulation, there is a provision for calculating the points for research papers, research contributions etc. I tried to go through them, but feeling slightly ambiguous. It is given generally in Appendix III.

My question is in the tables given against each item maximum score is given.
But how should we take the count of each item. I tried to go through the same but did not find anything.

What is the value of each item and how does it contribute to the maximum score as given in the tables in the aforementioned report.

I was able to download the paper using the link provided, and thus the link is functional.

I have looked at Appendix III briefly, and will offer my interpretation. However, I am not Indian and have no experience in India, so my interpretation is strictly based on what I have read and my background (US, academic + industry, where we do not use such explicit scoring systems).

My interpretation is that the maximum number of points would be awarded if the requirements for each item are fully met.  E.g. if you publish a research paper in one of the specified refereed journals, you get 15 points for that publication, regardless of the number of citations that paper gets or the ranking/reputation of the journal, or even your own opinion of the quality of that paper.  Though it is not stated in Appendix III, I would interpret "max points" as meaning that a lower score might be awarded if the criteria is only partially met.  For example, if you published an essay or commentary in a journal rather than a full research paper, you might award yourself 4 points or 7 points rather than the full 15.  (E.g. I had a letter published in PNAS critiquing a published article.  It went through a review process, but at 500 words would hardly qualify as an "article". So maybe it's worth 1 point in this category.)

In part I base my interpretation at the fine granularity of the scoring system and the many explicit rules and criteria that go along with each item.  I also base my interpretation on the lack of any mention of "quality" or "impact" or "significance" in the criteria.

What my interpretation leaves out is the cultural norms, both across Indian colleges and universities, and also by regions, fields/disciplines, etc.  What ever the official and explicit rules of any scoring system, there are always unofficial and tacit norms as to how they are executed and interpreted.


Changing interests after joining grad school I joined graduate school in the US with interests in theoretical chemistry/chemical physics. Though I was enrolled for a PhD in chemistry, I was taking classes in physics for an entire year. This made me realize that I was more interested in physics related research than my current work in theoretical chemistry. While I was still in a dilemma, I convinced myself that I should continue in chemistry and joined my current advisor's group. Things were going fine for a while until I ended up having a minor confrontation with my advisor that made me feel sick about myself. I didn't know some of the basic things he was asking me and I was left stupefied by him. This made me think if I really wanted to pursue research in this direction. As a reaction to the flashpoint I had hit, I approached another professor in the physics department. While he rejected my request, he also notified my current advisor about my intentions. I really didn't mean to hurt my current advisors' feelings about this but, I was dumbstruck when he confronted me about my emails to another professor and accused me of unethical behavior. I am really confused about what to do with my situation. There have been a few students who have had similar issues of feeling disconnected from their research in my current research group, in a case even one of them switched to another group abruptly.

What should I do if my current advisor decides to step down?

Edit

How do I really find out what I am passionate about and is there a way to separate the reality from noise?

Things were said between the two professors that you couldn't control. It puts you in a difficult position, but might also be an opportunity.

To switch fields you need to satisfy the university about some things, but also find an advisor in the new field. Either of these could be a stumbling block. The worst case, I think is that you need to find a new university, but that isn't entirely uncommon. It would cost you a bit of time, of course.

But there is little worse than spending your life doing things that don't interest you. There is no replay button on life.

Re-evaluate both your desires and your options. But also connect to those at the current university who see you in a positive light. They can also give you advice.

FWIW, I think your advisor behaved badly in making accusations against you. I don't see your explorations as unethical in any way.


How can I best edit a paper to help get it published? My friend wrote a fantastic paper in their scientific field. I believe it is truly ground-breaking but it calls a lot of existing theory into question. If he's correct it will force many accepted articles to have to be rewritten.

Perhaps because this paper is controversial, then, my friend has faced a very uphill battle to get it published. It deals with quite some difficult-to-grasp mathematical models and concepts. It's in a field of science and an area of that field where experiments to prove things are simply not feasible, and instead, hypotheses rely on models to explain observations of large-scale real-world processes.

I'm deliberately avoiding mentioning what area of science this paper is in because I do not want them to know it's about them, in case they see this. Because while I feel that while their paper is great, on the other hand the writing needs some love. If the writing is improved, this paper could make this person's career. I'm a published writer and I have been paid to edit many things, but not scientific writing. I want to help them.

I would like to know what the best approach is for preparing myself to be able to edit papers for submission to any given scientific journal in any given field. I would think one great approach would be to read lots of articles in such journals. Do you know of any good guides? Are there any online sites where people can publish papers prior to submitting them to journals in order to get public comments and feedback to hone their work? What are some novel steps that could be taken? I just want to help.

You've already talked about reading up journal articles in the field, so I'll skip that. On top of that, there are a few ways.

Follow the journal's format guide

Ask your friend which journal is the next target. Go to visit the journal website and look for the "instruction to authors." You can find format-related instruction there. A format compliant article is less likely to trigger an instant rejection/return.

Read about scientific writing

There are a few guides that I consider pretty useful:

The Craft of Scientific Writing by Alley is perhaps a classic for engineer-type of writing. It also provide a good collection of tips and gems for different sections.
Essentials of Writing Biomedical Research Paper by Zeiger is a wonderful desktop reference for biochemical type of writing. It also provides a lot of good vs. bad examples.
Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded by Schimel is a bit of a black sheep. It does not teach you how to write, but it gives an excellent account on how to chain up or arrange ideas for maximal impact, done in the levels of the whole paper, to section, paragraph, sentence, and syntax. It also draws heavily from techniques used in fiction writing, which is quite intuitive.
The Craft of Research by Booth et. al. does not purely focus on writing, but also discusses how to set up arguments, present concepts. It may be a bit more hands on for you, probably more suitable for your friend who is doing the writing.
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Eighth Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by Turabian is an overall very useful desktop reference. It complements the Craft of Research.

Talk to the specialists

If the paper is really that controversial, I think you should talk to some people who have a good command in that particular field and get a gist of how to present or package the ideas with maximal chance of being considered.

Hire a professional editor

It's also prudent to know your limit. If you feel this is too much, then you should ask your friend to get help from the institute's English language support or hire a professional scientific editor. Editors can come with different specialties, some are experienced in medical writing, some are in science. Check their portfolio and try to match the article type as best as you can.

I said this because there is a problem in your question, if you feel that you're not capable of editing a scientific paper, how come you feel confident to evaluate his work with certainly such as: "My friend wrote a fantastic paper in their scientific field. I believe it is truly ground-breaking but it calls a lot of existing theory into question. If he's correct it will force many accepted articles to have to be rewritten?"

I don't mean to be insulting, just wish to point out that professional works sometimes are best left to professionals, especially when we don't have time to become one.

Best of luck, and I wish your friend a successful publishing process.

Disclaimer for everyone:

When reading/evaluating my answer, please be mindful that in no way I am agreeing that the paper is ground-breaking or fantastic. I merely provide resources to the questioner to improve his/her ability to comprehend and edit a scientific paper.

Whether someone with limited experience or capability can do ground-breaking work is not in the scope of this answer, and I have no comment either way. I just want to point out that I have not read the paper so I can't comment.


Can I write an article in a reputable CS journal not with results but conjecture? I work in industry and some interesting idea has struck me. This is a conjecture which will take a year or two of full time research work to confirm it although it looks very realistic. Unfortunately I cannot apply for post doctorate or a grant due to my work commitments but I would be glad to publish an article if a reputable CS journals would be interested. This may solve very hard practical problem but surprisingly it is difficult to monetize so I cannot do it in industry.

You can certainly publish an article based on a conjecture.  (One famous case is Subhash Khot's 2002 paper introducing the Unique Games Conjecture.)  On the other hand, you need to include some supporting information in the paper.  Why is your conjecture plausible?  Can you supply examples or applications?  What are its implications or connections with related work?  Answering these questions may be much easier than resolving the conjecture, but they can still require some serious work.

You're most likely to be able to publish the conjecture if there's no straightforward way to resolve it.  If it's clear in principle what you should try, and the only issue is that you don't have time to try it, then you're more likely to meet resistance (it may still be possible, depending on the publication venue, but this would probably rule out many of the more prestigious conferences).


What prevents someone from turning the same idea into multiple papers? I think the question is fairly clear. Someone could have idea A, and write paper A, but then instead of submitting paper A to multiple journals, he or she might re-write the thing into a paper B, but the basic idea is still idea A.

Say the idea is amazing. He or she could then submit paper A to top journal A & paper B to top journal B, and have two top publications from one idea.

This is obviously wrong, and what I describe is extreme, but what would prevent someone from doing this, what would the consequences be? A bad reputation?

There might also be less obvious cases, where parts of a previously published paper are re-used extensively. Is something like this ever o.k. to do? Why don't more people do it? Or am I just wrong in the assumption that people don't do this?

PS: I am coming from a Humanities background, I think in some subjects things like these might be more difficult, e.g. in maths or a paper which describes a certain study / experiment.

Submitting (almost) the same paper, the same content, to two different journals at the same time is bad. Once it comes out, the author will be in a lot of trouble, e.g. reputation, both papers withdrawn, etc.

Reusing old results for a new paper is plagiarism if there are not enough new results. Even if the author of the new paper also wrote the old one, it is still bad. There are cases where different papers by the same author look really similar, for example if the author presents in paper (1) a new technique and then publishes paper (2) on nice results obtained with said technique, he might copy some of the explanations on how the technique works. If this is good or bad seems to be opinion based, all I can say is that it happens.

Regarding your question about what prevents people from doing such things:

Yes, a bad reputation might be one possible reason.
Actually, there are people doing this, e.g. trying to submit their paper to different journals at the same time, hoping that at least one of them will accept it. There was a question here a few weeks back from one who got busted doing it and asked for what to do now to save the sinking ship that was his academic career. The reason why it seems that this is not done might be thanks to journals taking measures against it, e.g. not publishing such papers or withdrawing them later on.
One last point to mention here might be colleagues or advisors. If you feel like it might be a good idea to just spam your results to get them accepted or to get a high paper count, you might get the advice that this is not a good idea in the long run from one of the above - if you are lucky you get it before you do something irreversible.


Is it ok for an examiner to hide exam reviews We recently had our final exam for our bachelor degree and most of us haven't passed it, despite all the hard work we've put into it and the difference in our expectations for the results.

We asked for the reviews of the exams so that we can be better prepared for the next time we attend the exam, but we were declined that right with no clear explanation why. We presented our concerns regarding the the really short time the examiners were able to review the exams (it took them less than 2 days for the works of all the students graduating this year), in which some of the examiners responded with shouting in a really unacademic and aggressive manner.

We also heard about graduates who have had the same problem 2 or 3 years ago, and after making a little noise about it, their assessments have drastically changed in a positive way.

In the rules of our university, there isn't anywhere a rule for not giving review on the examined works, so we have sent a request to the rector of the university for letting us see the reviews of the exams, but we haven't received an answer yet.

My question is, is it ok for the examiners to hide the reviews of our works, and what can we do so that we get to the bottom of this?

My personal view is that you should be able to get feedback on your exam, though that doesn't necessarily imply getting a marked-up copy of it. But that is a personal view and whether there are rules or not at your university, the personal views of your professors hold more weight than mine.

It may be that there is some fear that giving you this material will make future use of the questions impossible - security through obscurity.

But what is OK in one place is forbidden in others.

But you are more likely to be successful if you ask for feedback on your performance. It is hard to argue that you are not entitled to that.

I doubt that there is fear that you have been too harshly judged in the grading, but there may be a reluctance to do anything that might generate such a charge.

But, as you are aware, without feedback you have no way forward other than blindly guessing.

One possibility is that your grades are being reviewed by a higher authority and so there is a delay. If making a bit of noise has been effective in the past, you might be able to successfully call for a higher level review without seeming like malcontents.


Chances of research position in mathematics without going to a top graduate school? I'm a student at a reasonably prestigious, but not top, graduate program in mathematics. I'm happy here- I really like the professors in my research group, and I feel like I'm a pretty good fit for the program. I have a fantastic supervisor, and many of the other professors in the department like and respect me.

But sometimes, I really worry about my future in academia. I feel like I'm doing pretty well compared to my peers, but I'm just afraid that given the job situation I'm not going to be able to get a good postdoc, and ultimately not a good research position, because I'm not at a top program. Given that the people in my research group are well-regarded and a great fit for me, how much will the fact that I'm not at a top program affect my chances of getting a good postdoc in the future?

Here is some relevant research that might actually help you estimate the probability that you will find a good post-doc, and after that, a good tenure-track job:

Systematic inequality and hierarchy in faculty hiring networks. Supplementary material

Their empirical data comes from Business, Computer Science, and History, but you can probably extrapolate to Mathematics.


NIH grants - moving to another institution as PI If you submit an NIH grant (e.g. RO1) as PI and then move to another institution prior to study section review, or after an award is made, what are your options under both scenarios?  Also, what is the NIH policy regarding such PI changes?

The answer to your question is specific to your funding from the NIH. From the NIH webpage:

  Many NIH grant mechanisms allow the principal investigator to bring their grants with them when they change recipient organizations. This is subject to approval by NIH, and there are specific procedures which must be followed in order to make this process run smoothly (and relatively quickly!). If you are a current NIMH recipient, you MUST contact your NIMH Program Official (PO) and Grants Management Specialist (GMS) BEFORE your move, in order to initiate the process of transferring your grant.

This webpage then goes on to describe the steps necessary to transfer the grant.


Are there actually students who learn by watching? I'm a PhD student in physics, and I sometimes tutor undergrads in introductory physics classes on the side. Now, there's widespread agreement among people who teach or tutor physics that the only way to effectively learn the material is to use it, generally by working through practice problems in homework assignments and sample exams.

But recently I was contacted by a student who was interested in "tutoring," where by use of the quotes I mean that what she wanted was for me to do problems, and she would watch and ask questions when she was confused about something. At one point this student wrote a long email full of what seemed like psychological mumbo-jumbo trying to justify her assertion that she actually learns that way, and that the normal method of having her do the work would not be effective. I didn't believe it (thus I declined the tutoring assignment), but was I wrong? Are there actually students who don't learn by doing the work, and for whom it is a more effective strategy to just show them how to go through a problem? I would definitely appreciate pointers to educational psychology research on the matter, if anyone knows of any.

Note that I'm not talking about how to teach a topic for the first time, to a group of students who have never seen it before. In that case I know a bit of demonstration is necessary. The situation I'm asking about is reviewing for a final exam, where the student would (or should) have already learned the material in class and completed a homework assignment or two on it.

I am not an expert in cognitive science or psychology but I have a few years of teaching assistant experience behind me so I will have a go at this one and I suspect that a few others might even agree with me.

My general roles are in leading discussion sections and in lab sessions (information science: so combination of coding and data analysis in context with social science literature)

Now learning by watching aka observational learning is not a new concept. Scientists have been studying this for a long, long time. However, note the example literature cited in the previous links. There is a marked difference in learning how to strike a Bobo doll and acquiring a complex skill such as deriving Newton Law's of Motion

Having laid all of this expository work, I would like to argue that personally, I believe that observational learning exists and happens in the natural world around us. I just don't believe that one can acquire complex mathematical notions and concepts just by observing (unless this girl is some sort of a savant).

I think that this student was just trying to make you do her homework problems for her.


Independent Research I am really looking for some very open-mind answers here.
So here is the scenario. I have finished my undergraduation in Visual Communication Design from a premiere institute from my country. I couldn't get a chance to make it for post-graduation or further for any phd program, due to some health and financial issues.
But I have been working on a research paper that I started as a project during my design school days, that would come under psychology, art and design.
Given the fact, that I currently donot have much chance in terms of further formal education, what can I do best? I have been working on the research for few years now and would want to continue without any hesitation but what are my options as an independent researcher? Can I apply for phd programs later in life without a masters degree if my research is good enough? Can I send my papers to conference to get reviewed by people from the field?
What are the resources available for someone like me? What are the platforms where I can interact with other researchers?

Initially I was very upset about the situation, but now I think I have decided to do something about it. And I am looking for answers to make things better or rather find a direction, to make the best when life gives you lemons.

This answer comes late, but I hope it is still relevant to you, or maybe to others in a similar situation.

You don't need degrees to do research. Anyone can do it and anyone can publish their research, provided it is acceptable to reviewers and editors.

The difficult part, however, is to get feedback on what you are doing so that you get some assurance of both its correctness and its value. That is easier for graduate students and faculty members at universities and institutes. But it isn't impossible for an independent researcher.

The key is to build a circle of people (or even a single person) with similar interests, who is willing to read your work and give you feedback. One way to do this is to contact some professors at a local university and ask for assistance. Some will be willing to help, even to collaborate, but others won't want to make the effort. So it may take a search.

One of the most important mathematicians of the 20th century, Srinivasa Ramanujan working in India and with little formal education, made contact with G. H. Hardy in England, and it was that association that brought his work to the fore.


Should I mention in my statement of purpose that I did not attend lectures in my last two years of undergrad? In my first few years of university I had very uneven grades because traditional classrooms just didn't work for me. My GPA was probably around a 2.8-2.9. I was able to turn my grades around by not attending lectures at all. My GPA for these last two years of undergrad was a 3.5, and my GPA in graduate coursework was a 3.8.
Most of my statement of purpose is forward looking, but I feel the need to elaborate on my transcripts a little bit, particularly because I am hoping to switch fields. I also want to also try to amplify the fact that the decision to not attend classes was positive and life-changing; it has benefits for functioning independently as a researcher.
So, my question is: Would it be perceived negatively if I stated in my SOP that I stopped attending classes?
I'm not asking for writing help, but I'll include a short snippet just to demonstrate what I have in mind:

I have always been naturally curious, but coming from a family where both parents did not graduate from high school I struggled with developing healthy academic habits and with finding success in traditional classroom environments. My poor habits persisted until the fall of 2015 when I made the decision to stop attending classes so that I could experiment with alternative ways of learning. This risky decision forced me to critically reflect on my weaknesses in a way I never had before, and while I did not realize it at the time, this decision was my first step towards becoming an independent researcher. By initially stepping away from the structured classroom environment I struggled finding success in, I was then able to enter and engage in my graduate classroom discussions with maturity and a recalibrated sense of purpose....

I'd shorten and tone it down if I were you. Being a researcher involves a lot of sitting in other people's talks, so we all know that lectures are boring. But we still do it, because those are an excellent chance to socialize. We might just pack a paper to read in case it gets too boring. So your statement makes you look a bit like a loner. And being able to study something without being present in a lecture is a skill I'd assume anyone with a degree has. I don't think anyone ever finished a degree where all lecturers are perfect explainers and there is no need to study something on your own at some point.
So while I would not necessarily view your explanation negatively, I also don't see it as helping you much. So while you should explain your bad initial grades, I'd keep it short and simple. Something like "Coming from a non-academic family background I struggled initially, but then I changed my approach to studying" without going too much into detail.
Finally I think there is also a bit of an "I am very different"-undertone in what you write. It makes you seem aloof and possibly difficult to work with. This is again minor, but in direct comparison with a similar candidate it could tip the scales against you.


I've emailed over thirty five potential supervisors and did not receive any positive response. Should I keep emailing? I've sorted out a list of professors from few Canadian Universities and I've sent customized emails after reading their papers and detailing in short on why I am particularly interested in their research and how it relates with my goals. This took a lot of time for just one email. Most have replied by saying they don't have suitable projects in their labs or are not accepting Masters students. I am bit worried now that I am nearly towards the end of my list of potential supervisors. Should I find more professors and broaden my research area of interest, as suggested by some senior friends? I am an international student and don't have any publications although I do have research experience. Could my lack of publication be a factor for all the rejections? My average GPA is  3.6/4.3 and my field is Biology.

Professors are quite limited with funds and resources (or already have a full team). The likelihood that someone who emails out of the blue to be a suitable choice is slim. Some places probably need a commitee to hire, as a safeguard against discrimination and errors.

You are far better off looking for universities with open positions, I think, or strengthen the connections with professors who already know you (and might write a recommendation letter for you).

Also, publications are way better than grades, research experience is very valuable (at least in maths, I suspect other fields are similar).


What are the important factors I must consider while applying to a CS program for an MS after majoring as a mechanical engineer in my undergrad? I have a master's in mechanical engineering from a pretty decent college in my country with a GPA of 7.9/10. I'd like to know what constitutes a good application to a Master's program in CS (ML, to be precise) and how I must choose my Universities that are safe and in those I have a chance.

Overall, your MS in ME will be viewed positively when you apply for MS in CS with Machine Learning specialization.  What will matter most are how many computer science courses you have taken (and grades you received) and how many relevant math classes you have taken -- calculus, probability & statistics, linear algebra, numerical methods, optimization.  The project work you have done in simulations could be very relevant and helpful, too, if the software you wrote was something more than procedural programming or deterministic simulation.

In your Statement of Purpose, it would be to your advantage to make a strong link between your ME education and work experience and your goals in CS-ML.  Are there applications or problems that arise in ME that you want to address with ML methods? Are there particular methods of optimization or classification that you've encountered in ME that you want to explore further in other settings?

Regarding what schools to which you might apply: I would suggest that you aim at CS departments that are part of an institution with a strong "engineering" culture or focus.  In the US there are many colleges, universities, and institutes that have an engineering focus, including the Polytechnics, Case Western Reserve, Harvey Mudd, Carnegie-Mellon, and many others.  In contrast, the CS departments at Yale, Harvard, etc. have less orientation toward engineering.


Is it easy to change your major after starting your PhD or masters, if it is necessary? I’m a mechanical engineering student and I am about to apply for a PhD.  I am certain about my desire to pursue advanced studies.   However, I have serious doubts in what I want to pursue my studies on.

I have done research on structural health monitoring and power electronics.  At some point I thought that I had interest in electrical engineering and after some research I got interested in mathematical physics and then in applied mathematics.

I started doing undergraduate research when I was a sophomore in the area of structural health monitoring. However my job was to write an algorithm to implement the methodology.     I realize now that what interested me was not structural health monitoring, but to study the origin and derivation of the theoretical equations.  I saw the profiles of various faculty in applied mathematics and I found some of their research interesting.
Doubts about applying:

Although I have a GPA above 3.60 some programs require certain number of courses in mathematics.  I only have the mathematics included in the mechanical engineering program and one course of elementary statistics.  I have taken 5 courses in mathematics.  However I don’t show strength because out of the 5 courses, in 2 of them I got B when I was a freshman.  I think that the taking the elementary statistic course last semester was not a good idea.  I should have taken a more advanced course.
I have not taking any advanced course in mathematics.
The application to the program requires the GRE, TOEFL and subject test in math.  Some graduate programs say that the GRE math are not mandatory but not taking it puts you in disadvantage.  I am not sure I will have time to prepare for it and as a result I don't know if I will do well.
I have research experience, but it is not in this area.  In addition, the reference letters will be made by engineering professors and not math professors.
Since I am about to finish next semester, I don’t have much time to take more courses or do research in the area.

I looked at a few topics that I found interesting in applied mathematics but I haven’t done research in them.  As a result I don’t know if I will get tired or if I will change my mind once I start on the program.  If I were to apply for this program and I change my mind would it be easier to change even if it means going to other department?

Unfortunately, no, it's not so easy to change PhD programs.

It isn't like changing your undergrad major, where you just have to fill out some forms and get your advisors to sign off.  At the graduate level, each department does its own admissions.  So if you are in a mechanical engineering program and want to switch to applied math, you have to submit an application to the applied math program just like anyone else.  You'll be competing for a seat against every other applicant from around the world, most of whom will have completed a full undergrad mathematics major.

You might be able to improve your odds by getting to know faculty in the math program before you apply, perhaps discussing (or working on) research projects with someone there.  However, keep in mind that you will also need to stay in good standing in the engineering program, and you won't have a lot of spare time to explore math opportunities.

Also, from your description, your math background sounds much too light for entry into a math grad program.  Applied math can be more flexible than pure math, but having no advanced courses at all doesn't sound too good.  In fact, I'd be concerned that without advanced coursework, you may not even have enough of a sense of the field to know that it's really what you want to do.  Mathematics courses have a sharp change in flavor and difficulty as you transition from lower-level computational courses (calculus, differential equations, etc) to upper-level theory courses (real analysis, abstract algebra, topology).  Entering a PhD program having only the former kind of courses would be roughly analogous to being a go-kart enthusiast racing in the Indianapolis 500.  And it won't be easy to pick up extra math courses while in an engineering program; grad program requirements rarely allow for free electives.

Perhaps something that might better fit your situation is a post-baccalaureate ("post-bac") program.  These are one-year programs designed for students who have completed a bachelors and want to attend grad school in math, but need further preparation.  Such programs are offered by relatively few institutions, but I believe some of them are quite well-known in the community and have very good placement rates.


Should I send an email to the author of a book/paper asking for clarification? I am currently reading a book on a research-level science topic. But there are some concepts that aren't properly explained in the book and are stopping me from proceeding. I have tried the following:

Searching the Internet and the library for these concepts
Asking about these problems online

But these attempts haven't been very useful. And I am quite desperate now. I am now considering writing an email to the author asking for clarification directly. Yet I don't know if this is an inappropriate or rude thing do? And if I do do that, how to avoid being impolite?

If a work (book or otherwise) is assuming you know a concept, yet you can't find information about them elsewhere, then it's likely that either you're missing something fundamental or else the concept may itself be problematic.  I had an experience of the latter sort once reading a book about "holons" that all sounded very nice if you were just sort of reading causally but ultimately turned out to be basically pointless handwaving.

In either case, it's always OK to write to the author of a scientific work to ask about their work.  Don't expect them to teach you a course, however.  Instead, you can say something like:

  I'm reading your book "Weasel-Taming in but a Single Fortnite", and although I find it very interesting, I'm not familiar with some of the things it assumes as background. Would you be willing to give me some pointers on where to learn about the Voight-Kampff test or how to temper chocolate?

substituting the appropriate nouns, of course.  If your email doesn't get lost in their inbox, most authors will be more than happy to at least give you a hint for where to go learn about their favorite subjects.


Identifying a published error Hypothetical:

I found an error which fundamentally kills a published paper and re-opens a number of problems the paper claimed to solve.
Not only is there an error, but the results are actually wrong.  Part of another publication (by a different author) proves this.  Yes, I am 100% sure. Other experts have confirmed this in private communications with me.
I have nothing new to add, other than I can show the second paper proves the first paper is wrong.
I get no response from the first author when I let them know about the error.

What is my next step?

(A) contact editors of the journals with the incorrect results? and then what happens?

(B) post a paper to ARXIV?

(C) submit a paper to a journal?

(D) wait, do more research, and try to craft something more "substantial" for (B) or (C)

(E) do some or all of the above simultaneously? (please specify which ones)

I am not sure if my contribution thus far warrants (B) or (C), but I would like to receive some acknowledgement in print.

Something must be done because this error if unacknowledged will have a negative effect on future research.

I have nothing new to add, other than I can show the second paper proves the first paper is wrong.

If the second paper already refutes the first paper, then there is nothing to do. If you could write a brief, non-trivial paper explaining how the second paper refutes the first (and the consequences of this), that's a different matter.

(A) contact editors of the journals with the incorrect results? and then what happens?

This may be field-dependent, but in general, I think this only be appropriate if the authors acted in bad faith (and thus the paper needs to be forcibly retracted). In this case, it sounds like the authors were simply wrong, so I wouldn't get between the authors and the journal.

(B) post a paper to ARXIV?

Particularly in math and physics, all papers are posted to arXiv. It's not a bad policy for other fields as well (I post all my machine learning papers to arXiv). But it sounds like your results are significant enough that you should publish them in an actual journal or conference, not "just" the arXiv.

(C) submit a paper to a journal?
(D) wait, do more research, and try to craft something more "substantial"

If you have enough "substance" to publish now, then I would go for it (and post the paper to the arXiv while you're at it). If not, doing more research is necessary -- you shouldn't publish a bad paper, particularly one that "calls out" another paper (all the more so if the other paper is well known).


Confused about bibliography in old books I’ve been looking at the bibliography of an old book called History Of Burma by G. E. Harvey and am quite confused.
There are abbreviations introduced first like this:

  B Bodleian Library
  BM British Museum
  IO India Office Library

An example for an actual citation is:

  John Stevens, The Portuguese Asia, three vols 1695.

  B 55.b.59-61.
  BM 582.e.6, 8.
  IO 300.A.76.H.10-12

I can see the abbreviations refer to respective libraries, but what about the numbers? Are they referring to the book’s location in the library, or pages within the book itself?

A quick search of the current Bodleian catalogue turns up this record.

Selecting the 'find & request' tab indicates that the three volumes are still available with call numbers 55.b.59-61. Thus, it would appear that the bibliography is specifying call numbers in the different libraries (much as modern bibliographies list DOIs!).


Is it possible to do research in several branches of mathematics? I'm finishing my undergraduate studies and I've been interested in several branches of math to research in the future, to say: functional analysis, differential equations, dynamical systems, differential and riemannian geometry, (general, differential and algebraic) topology, algebraic geometry, theory of groups and rings, etc.

My question is if is it possible to learn about all those things and to do research using all? or are there imncompatible areas between them? Because I have seen that almost all of the researchers of my faculty are centered to research in a very specific topic and that makes me believe that is not possible to learn all of the math that i want.

Thanks in advance for your answers!

It is definitely possible to do research in several branches (if you are good enough that is). But the people do so generally took decades to get to where they are. If your plan is to start in all of them at once, you are doomed to fail.

For the sake of the argument, let me arbitrarily distinguish different levels of knowledge in a topic.

Textbook knowledge (what you learn in classes; definitions, big theorems, general ideas)
Working knowledge (given a new problem (not a textbook problem, those are designed to be solved), knowing what could be done to solve it and the ability to do so)
State of the art knowledge (what are the current problems in a topic, what are other people doing, what are new ideas, etc.)

Since you just finished undergrad, 1. will likely be the highest level you are at in any topic. Getting there is by far the easy part. It does not seem so in the beginning, but learning a new topic to that level gets easier the more you know.  Level 2 is the minimal level needed to do actual research if you have someone to guide you. Getting you there in a single topic will take you the next few years. Level 3 is what you need to be an independent researcher. Even assuming that you are a dedicated, above average student, getting you there in a single topic will take you your whole Phd, if not a bit longer. The last level is also one that requires upkeep. Expect to spend several hours each week just to keep up with what other people are doing in a single topic.

Now the simple truth about academic careers is that you can't be a PhD student or post-doc forever. You'll need some sort of permanent position to survive, which requires you to be an independent researcher, which requires state of the art knowledge. This is why you see so many people specializing on a single topic, to get to that level and to stay there.

I don't think that is the only way, but note that you'll need some focus. If you try to work in all topics on your list at once, you will never get anywhere and likely not even finish your PhD before you have to drop out. But if you first focus to get one to the highest level, you might still at some point find that you finally have enough free time to look at some of the others. From there things can develop naturally.

Personally I like to read textbooks on different topics in my free time. I even have some collaborations with other people on topics where I have working knowledge but wouldn't consider myself to be at the state of the art. But the reason that they work with me is that I can contribute ideas from the topic I spent most of my time in and where I am at the state of the art.


Academia options as an autodidact? I've been spending the past three years as an autodidact for computer science and physics, in lieu of a degree. Main reason for this being that high school classes bored me, so I did poorly in them, and there were no CS classes available at the time. I decided at the age of seventeen to begin learning CS and pursue an equivalency instead, which I have.

However, now I am starting to see that I'd like to branch into observatory astronomy and integrate my data-science knowledge, as I notice an ever increasing necessity for people with both these skills. However, the space community seems to feel a lot more strongly about having a degree, more specifically a PhD (which I personally disagree with but that's getting off topic).

My question is, what possible options do I have? Should I continue being an autodidact and try to prove myself without a degree? Or suck it up and pursue one? If lack of a doctorate is out of the question, what's the most efficient track to a university with the competency level appropriate for me? My biggest problem is time. I want to do as little side tracking as possible, and stay on track with my current competency level.

The problem with academic outsiders is that you cannot judge their abilities. Having a Ph.D. does not mean that you are good, and having none does not mean that you are bad, but there is a strong correlation between degrees and competence. If you have neither a degree nor published work I have only your word that you actually know anything about CS or astronomy. At the same time for every position there are dozens of applicants with a degree, publications, and recommendations, so your chances of getting this position are practically 0.

So the first question is whether you need the income from a position, or do you have some other job providing you with a sufficient income? If you need the money, you almost certainly need a Ph.D. The only exception I could think of would be that you publish remarkable results. But then you can turn these results into a Ph.D. at no further costs anyway.

The second question is how much resources you need for your research. In mathematics and CS a lot of serious research requires nothing but a computer for typesetting. In astronomy you might be able to run over existing data or do simulations without much costs, but it is more likely that you need computation power beyond your financial means. If you need access to observatories, you run into serious trouble.

So if your planned research requires some outside input, and you do not get a degree which allows you to successfully ask for this input, you have to become known in some other way. Start with problems which require no resources, publish results, give talks at conferences, talk to people privately at conferences. Once you earned some respect, it should be a lot easier to get help with your projects.


What to do when a thesis adviser refuses to recommend me? After I completed my PhD program, during which I published one refereed paper, I applied for several academic positions.
For a while, my two main thesis advisers agreed to write letters of recommendation, but after a few couple of years, one of them told me he would no longer recommend me because I had not published enough. He even admitted that it was not his job to judge my publication record -- potential employers could do that -- but until I published again, he wouldn't recommend me.

I do admit that I should have published more during my PhD program, but I was always under the impression that my publishing would begin after I had got a relevant job. During the period between graduation and being refused a recommendation, I'd been a consultant, a college teacher and unemployed. I could have published on my own but, after the delay, I felt hindered by being unemployed and rather "burned out" after the thesis writing process. Catch-22? Even more ironic is the fact that I had asked my thesis advisers if I could submit my thesis in the form of a series of published papers (this was allowed under the rules), instead of as an unpublished monograph, and both said no!

Don't thesis advisers have a duty to both encourage candidates to publish and to recommend them for academic positions? At the same time, is it right that universities expect job applicants to already have publications before they arrive? What could I have done, other than publish as an independent after the fact? It is hard not to feel very bitter about the whole PhD process.

Addendum
Since it was not yet listed, I add How to handle not having my PhD advisor as a reference? is a related question.

This is a tricky situation, and it's hard to interpret it without more information.  Thesis advisors certainly have an obligation to help their former students within reason and to recommend them for appropriate positions.  An advisor who gives up too quickly on a student is an unsupportive jerk at best (and it's easy to think of much worse descriptions).  On the other hand, nobody has an obligation to recommend a candidate they cannot honestly support.  Telling someone that is really awkward, especially when it's their own student, but the alternatives are writing a dishonest letter or writing a letter that undermines the candidate's chances, neither of which is any better.

Based on what you've written, there's no way of telling whether your advisor is a jerk or the two of you are just caught in an awkward situation.  I'd recommend asking your advisor some key questions:

Are there other positions you could apply for that might be a better fit for your background and accomplishments so far?
Based on your unpublished work, how could you prepare a good paper as quickly and efficiently as possible?

Hopefully you'll get encouraging and useful answers.  If you and your advisor can work out a plan that satisfies both of you, then that's great.  If not, you may have to give up on your advisor and apply with letters from other people.  That's far from ideal (the first thing everyone will ask is why your advisor didn't write a letter), but it can work if you get strong enough letters.

Of course publishing would help with getting strong letters.  Ultimately, I'd bet that publishing another paper or two is in your best interests, regardless of the situation with your advisor.  I can understand that it's upsetting to feel forced into publishing on your own, with no job in your field and no guarantee of getting one in the future.  However, it's probably a worthwhile investment of your time, and it's a valuable contribution to the academic community in any case (so regardless of what happens, it's something you can be proud of).


Physician assistant school rescinded my acceptance I'm in a complicated situation. I was accepted to physician assistant school and was told I'm one of the most qualified candidates. I'm also a mother of 2 children (under age 3) and living with their father who doesn't want me to go to PA school (because I'll have more freedom).  But not only is he physically and emotionally abusive, but he stopped paying for my cell phone and started throwing away my mail (from my school and everyone else)  to limit my communication with anyone. (Note: I'm three months postpartum and have stayed home to care for my kids  waiting for school to start, and have no income of my own). I communicated this problem with my school via email as they could not reach me by phone. Even though it was embarrassing, I gave them specifics of my circumstances. Yet I Iived up to my promise to keep up with their other requirements.

Yesterday, I was shocked to learn that they rescinded my acceptance because I couldn't be reached by phone during the last month (but did respond to all correspondence via email). I explained the extenuating circumstances, and even presented evidence from police reports proving what was happening at home.

To make matters worse, my parents and I signed a lease on an apartment a block from school and agreed to help me pay for it so I could have a stable living environment with less distractions (constantly wondering if I would be forced onto the streets out of my abusive partner's apartment). We already signed a lease for the apartment.

I know that I honestly put forth my best effort to fulfill pre-matriculation requirements and to communicate with the only means I had (the computer). I couldn't go in person because I have no car. Graduating from this program was my ticket  to financial freedom out of this oppressive situation, and I feel like this school is going way too far to rescind my acceptance based ONLY on the short term termination of my phone.

How can I get the school to remake their offer?

Your highest priority should be getting safe from abuse.  We're not experts on that, so please contact a local authority.
Here is a list.  You may be able to get help without using a phone.
Becoming a physician assistant is not the only way out of your difficulties.  So don't panic about your acceptance.  Higher education does exist to help people like you, but there are many ways to get education.
Contact the Director of Admissions for the Physician Assistant Program and explain your situation to them.  They will want to help you.  If you cannot find this person, try the Dean of Students.  If you cannot find them either, look for an Omsbudsperson.  Your admissions problem sounds like it is caused by disorganization.  If you contact the right person they will fix the problem.  Since we do not know which school you are talking about, we cannot tell you exactly who to contact.
Ask local doctors what they think about this program before you start it.  Not all medical training programs are good.


What are the repercussions of a "vote of no confidence" made by faculty? As an example of a vote of no confidence, recently, the academic world has been shocked by the Salaita case at the University of Illinois. I happen to be a UIUC alumnus, so I guess I'm more concerned about the current state of affairs in my Alma Mater. So I just read an article on the web about the case: More Votes of No Confidence, a Weird Ad, and a Declaration of a Non-Emergency. The article states that

Tonight, the major news out of the University of Illinois is that two more departments have taken votes of no confidence in the leadership of the UIUC: the department of history (nearly unanimous, I’m told) and the department of Latino and Latina Studies. The latter’s announcement reads:
The faculty of the Department of Latina/Latino Studies (LLS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign met on Wednesday, September 3, 2014 to discuss the University’s revocation of an offer of employment to Dr. Steven Salaita. We concluded that this revocation and the subsequent public statements by Chancellor Phyllis Wise, President Robert Easter, and the Board of Trustees about Dr. Salaita’s appointment demonstrate a clear disregard for the principles of academic freedom, free speech, and shared governance, as well as for established protocols for hiring, tenure, and promotion. The faculty of LLS therefore declares that we have no confidence in the leadership of the current Chancellor, President, and Board of Trustees.
That means that six departments have now voted no confidence, two of them fairly large departments, representing a significant number of faculty in the humanities. Word is that we should be expecting at least four more votes of no confidence by the end of the week, for a total of ten.

I know the best thing that can happen in the current state of affairs is that UIUC's own faculty boycott the Board of Trustees and Chancellor Phyllis Wise.
So my general question is, what are the implications of such a vote? What does a "vote of no confidence" really mean?
EDIT
As suggested by @MadJack, here's the New York Times article on the case of Salaita.

A "vote of no confidence" is much like a "resolution" passed by a parliamentary body—it's a statement of approved opinion, with very little legal impact. The only exception to this would occur if the voting body is in some way responsible for the appointment of the official in question, in which case such a vote could lead to removal.

However, at the departmental level, such a vote has very little impact on the university as a whole.


How can I quickly sort what is peer-reviewed and what isn't in a wide body of literature? I have long list of literature to review that I have inserted in Excel (title, authors, year, journal, etc.). I would like to quickly sort out which journals are peer-reviewed and which aren't.

I know I can check through each individual journal's site to see if they involve peer review, but is there a more efficient tool to do this? A search engine of some kind that would quickly show if a specific journal is reviewed or not?

I haven't actually carried this out, but here's a series of steps that might help:

The basic idea is that some academic databases have an option to filter search results by peer-reviewed status. You would use such sites.

At least two that I know of are EBSCO's Business Source Ultimate (BSU) and ProQuest.

You start by searching your chosen database with a generic keyword that would feature in every relevant journal (not necessarily every article, but surely every relevant journal) in your database.

For example, my field is information systems. So, I search for "information" on Business Source Ultimate (BSU): I get around 2.7 million results.

Now you filter by peer reviewed jouranls.

In BSU, I clicked the Limit To option: "Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals": I get around 580,000 results. I further click "Academic journals" and get 540,000 results.

You might have to fine-tune the results to get a smaller number.

In the case of BSU, I can export a maximum of 25,000 results, so 540,000 is way too much. So, I fine-tuned my search until I found that searching for "information system" gave only 19,000 results.

Follow the instructions for your database to export ALL the results (not just the 20 or so that appear in your screen) to a spreadsheet file (e.g. Microsoft Excel).

EBSCO has instructions for exporting up to 25,000 results. Unfortunately, for some reason, this mass export option is disabled in my school library system, so my step-by-step example has to end here.

Use the spreadsheet software to remove all the duplicates in the journal column. (Here are instructions for doing that in Excel.)
So, there's your list of peer-reviewed journals in your field of interest.
You can compare your original list of journals with your list of peer-reviewed journals.
If there is any journal from your original list not on the exported list, then do not automatically assume it is not peer-reviewed (my steps are not foolproof); rather you can verify their peer-review status individually just to make sure. But that would be a lot shorter list than what you started with.

Actually, you could repeat all the steps above except to include ALL articles without filtering out non-peer-reviewed journals. Then the difference between the two exported journal lists would be a list of non-peer-reviewed journals, if that makes sense.

But all that said, you cannot assume that the database's marking of peer-reviewed journals is absolutely accurate. However, I hope this idea might help.