Questions related to academic research in any discipline.
8
votes
4answers
177 views
Ways of developing non-core skills during PhD studies?
Working on a cross-disciplinary project, in an increasingly cross-disciplinary field I often find myself wondering whether or not I am developing skills in multiple different areas of my work. I ...
2
votes
2answers
53 views
Do part time degree from reputed institute have market value?
I have recently graduated with Computer Science and Engineering and joined an R&D firm. During the job, I enrolled for a part time MS(Research) from the topmost institute in my country (with ...
2
votes
1answer
41 views
What amounts to research in Mechanical Engineering (Design)? [closed]
I am an Undergraduate student about to finish my Mechanical Engineering Degree course in a few weeks. I was part of our college FSAE team & played a substantial role in the Design & FEA ...
5
votes
2answers
109 views
Is there any difference between journals and conferences which charge money vs those which don't?
Some journals and conferences charge money before/after paper acceptance, similarly there are some which don't (like Open Access Journals). Does money matter in judging such journals/conferences ...
4
votes
2answers
114 views
How can I make sure that the words I write are my own?
Well, I don't know how to confirm to myself that the words which I'm writing are my own words. Now, maybe those words are based on what I have read recently because if not there won't be anything to ...
2
votes
1answer
157 views
should I continue with this research?
I was appointed to make some programming outside of a research group to see if I can be accepted for following doctoral studies inside of it. The task to be done is what to mimic the results of one ...
14
votes
4answers
264 views
How to suggest reviewers for a Journal?
I recently tried submitting a paper to a Journal. The submission process mandatory required suggesting three reviewers. Is it a norm in Journal submissions ? If yes, how should one choose reviewers ...
12
votes
5answers
244 views
How much background material should a mathematical research paper include?
I've just written my first mathematical research paper. It proves some new results, which while not ground-breaking are (according to an expert in the field) at least somewhat interesting and ...
4
votes
3answers
102 views
What is the difference between review paper and research paper?
I have been working on a paper, so it is called review works.
After reviewing the work how it will add on my academic research profile?
When I will apply for MS or PHD admission, will it count as ...
67
votes
7answers
3k views
Is it possible to recover after a career setback such as this?
I'm sorry, I'm not a mathematician--I'm the wife of a very frustrated and depressed mathematician.
My husband got a math PhD in 2009, and could not get a research post-doc in his chosen field. We ...
4
votes
3answers
105 views
Find out author’s name in foreign writing system (Chinese, etc.)
I have some literature written by Chinese authors who I would like to attribute in my bibliography with their names in Chinese characters (汉字). The problem is that, as the literature itself is not in ...
7
votes
1answer
50 views
Can I publish research in a peer-reviewed journal if parts of it have previously been published in a self published book?
The book was not published in English, and I am using a different perspective in the paper, but the same qualitative data.
1
vote
3answers
82 views
How can we change things so more researchers are willing to share their source code?
This is a followup to Why are CS researchers reluctant to share code and what techniques can I use to encourage sharing?. That question specifically asked how one can succeed in obtaining ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
White Paper & MS in Mechanical Engineering?
I am a Mechanical Engineering student & want to pursue Master of Science with specialization in Design/CAD. Recently I have come across white papers on website of some companies about their ...
28
votes
5answers
925 views
Why are CS researchers reluctant to share code and what techniques can I use to encourage sharing?
While researching a topic area I have come across a number of papers that claim to improve on the state of the art and have been published at respected outlets (e.g. CVPR, ICIP). These papers are ...
4
votes
4answers
148 views
What is the best way (terminology) for a postdoc (PDRA) to refer to their 'boss'/'supervisor'?
A postdoc, postdoctoral research assistant in a university on a contract has a supervisor or a boss. They may not be the PI on the grant which pays the salary as it may contain other universities as ...
14
votes
2answers
188 views
How to compose a great recommendation letter?
I was asked to compose a recommendation/reference letter for a Computer Engineer that works as a Researcher in the Research Center i am supervisor. I dont know if Academia is the right site to post , ...
-2
votes
0answers
55 views
What are some free sources/newsletters where one can get latest news about research and academia [closed]
I am basically looking for something like ACM's newsletter. They send everyday important news happening in the world of Computer Science. However it is a paid service, sent only to ACM members. I am ...
18
votes
6answers
1k views
When should a student attempt unsupervised research?
I just finished my masters and am currently working as a research assistant before starting a PhD in applied mathematics. I was doing some preliminary work for a possible project and derived some ...
5
votes
1answer
105 views
How often do techniques/methods that are considered old or obsolete become relevant again?
In many, if not most, disciplines methods age, get old and eventually become more or less obsolete, in the sense that some other method perhaps using a different technology becomes common-practice for ...
6
votes
3answers
145 views
How does your area of research affect your chances of getting job in academia?
I've heard that the trendiness of your area of work is one of the important factor that has am impact your chances of getting job in academia. How far is this true?
Also, how do I decide what areas ...
6
votes
1answer
203 views
What if you have submitted a research article in a reputed journal that has a slight error?
What if you have submitted a research article in a reputed journal that has a slight error? Recently I have submitted my paper in a reputed journal which is now under review. I have proposed few ...
4
votes
0answers
207 views
How do Asian PhD Programs compare to European [closed]
How do Asian (China, Singapore, other) PhD programs differ from European PhD programs with respect to:
the type of "programmes" (% of coursework included or purely research based)
admission rates to ...
3
votes
1answer
196 views
Practical Tips: Mathematical research and discoveries
How to behave when you have the feeling of working on something innovative? What to do if there is a chance (even the 1%) that your
work is leading you to something original?
For example what ...
5
votes
2answers
323 views
Admission in research based Master's/Doctoral programme with a bachelor's from a low-ranked University in India
I applied in Master's programmes in Europe / Asia (mostly Germany) this year and most of them were rejected or are still pending. My GPA in the Bachelor's is 7.19 / 10 while my TOELF iBT score is 100 ...
2
votes
4answers
143 views
Physics after engineering
I am an undergraduate student of electronics and telecommunication engineering in a govt. college in India. But I am extremely interested in physics and mathematics. I want to pursue a research career ...
5
votes
3answers
203 views
Travel grant for undergraduate researcher for attending conference
I am an undergraduate student doing independent research. My research work is selected in a very reputed conference in US. I am from India. I cannot afford to attend the conference at all. How should ...
9
votes
5answers
427 views
Can i work as a freelance researcher?
I have a bachelor degree in Computer Engineering. I worked as a Research Engineer in a Research Center. It was a fully paid Engineering position funded by European projects.
However, my contract ...
1
vote
1answer
129 views
Master of Engineering vs Master of Science?
I am a Final Year Mechanical Engineering student.
I want to do my Masters in the Design Engineering field.
Currently I can see 2 options:
Master of Science - offered in many Universities ex: ...
2
votes
1answer
106 views
Writing Literature review for a paper that is an extension of my own research paper?
I am a Masters student in Computer Science. I am planning to write two papers. The first is based on computer simulation and queuing theory. I have written its literature review and everything else. ...
1
vote
1answer
149 views
Journals(Computer Science) that are suitable for low impact publications? [closed]
I have a small idea for my first publication. It's a low impact publication but I have to publish it in order to complete the requirements for a course I am taking. The course requires a small ...
4
votes
4answers
210 views
If one wants to generate several papers from a single research project, what is a reasonable way to do so?
As a follow-up to "Does number of research publications matter?":
Suppose one wants to generate a number of publications from a single research idea or project, because other things being equal, more ...
4
votes
2answers
129 views
Is it safer to carry on undergraduate research areas to gradschool or start from scratch in an unknown area?
This question is in spirit a very general one. When a person (say in CS) is choosing among multiple options for gradschool, which one would experience and prudence point towards? Along with research ...
17
votes
4answers
783 views
Does number of research publications matter?
Let's say I invented a system to solve a problem. To run this system, I made my own algorithm.I also created some other things for that system. The main contribution was supposed to be the system.So ...
5
votes
1answer
199 views
Can a research publication have a bad impact on your career?
When I was starting out in my Masters degree, I had an idea of a publication that could be completed in a small amount of time. I was starting out and I felt it would get me at ease with research ...
0
votes
0answers
66 views
What to include in a literature review? [closed]
I'm working on my dissertation (BSc in Computer Science). I have been working on Microscopic traffic simulation specifically how to include impatience in DVUs so that they break the highway code rules ...
1
vote
3answers
269 views
Applying for research funding as an independent researcher?
I am a Masters degree holder in Computer Science. Where I live, the most popular way of receiving research grants is from the government. There are two problems with that.
First, You have to be ...
12
votes
1answer
135 views
Is it necessary to show what improvements you have made to similar work in literature reviews section?
I have seen quite a few research publications where the literature review section doesn't compare past work to the author's work. It's like:
[1] did this using X technique. [5] used Y technology. ...
4
votes
3answers
176 views
On the definition of research - are 'what' and 'how' questions also considered as research?
In Philips and Pugh's How to get a PhD, the authors describe the general philosophical concept of research 'in all disciplines'. I have two questions in this context.
A. They said that an activity ...
11
votes
2answers
252 views
How specialised should research prior to tenure be?
When establishing yourself as a researcher, the importance of independence from your PhD supervisor and focusing on a niche area (to establish popularity in a particular sub-field) are fairly ...
-5
votes
1answer
143 views
How hard it's to obtain a doctorate in Math from UC, Berkley? [closed]
I'm a final year student of M.Sc. in Mathematics. I want to pursue Ph.D. from UC, Berkley. But I've heard that UC, Berkley is the home for extremely talented peoples and of course I'm not among those ...
4
votes
2answers
139 views
Learning new things after coursework duration of PhD
In STEM (In USA), the coursework duration of the PhD typically lasts about 1-2 years beyond that, students take 0 (or in certain cases, very few) courses in their subsequent PhD years. I work in ...
4
votes
1answer
147 views
Search all Theses online
Is there a way to search all openly published theses online?
Maybe there is a way for Google Scholar to ignore other types of articles?
I am aware of SCOPUS and Web of Knowledge, but unfortunately I ...
6
votes
2answers
254 views
Very few research groups: continue doing PhD in this area?
For a PhD in computer science or informatics, are there good reasons not to choose an area of research in which very few (3 or 4) known (small- to middle-sized) research groups work in the world?
18
votes
5answers
610 views
How to avoid thinking about research in your free time
I work on research, trying to get grants and publish papers and the like, I really like my job, could not think about doing anything else. When the weekend comes, or just free time I have the problem ...
13
votes
3answers
399 views
For undergraduates, is publishing “weak” research better than not publishing?
As an undergraduate student, I have worked on some projects for my own interest, and recently a professor said that one of these works can be published (in a Elsevier journal with impact factor of ...
16
votes
6answers
652 views
What does “Publish or perish” really mean?
In this site, I quite often see answers containing this "Publish or perish" sentence.
What does it really mean? Is it limited to a particular academic system (i.e. U.S.) or it is the general case ...
0
votes
1answer
128 views
When does a researcher become a computer scientist?
When do you call a researcher a computer scientist? Are Master degree holders computer scientists? Are Phd degree holders computer scientists? Is there a certain level of experience after which the ...
2
votes
2answers
125 views
Are researchers for big digital companies experienced researchers/scientists or just experienced industry programmers?
Are people doing research for Microsoft, Apple, Intel experienced researchers/scientists or just experienced programmers using other people's research? Do they hire full time researchers for their ...
0
votes
1answer
86 views
Doing extra research worth the effort?
I am currently doing research for my masters and also doing a full time job from 10 to 7 excluding the weekends.By the end of our research ,all of the students would get at least one good paper. I am ...
