I'm a second-year engineering master's student, doing my thesis research. I've been exploring the work of professors from other institutes and would like to reach out. My goal is not only to seek help with my thesis but also to build a lasting connection and explore potential collaboration. Any tips on how I should approach them via email?"
1 Answer
A lot of such email will be ignored. As a guess, the ones you most want to contact will be the most likely to ignore it - busy with other things.
A contact made by your advisor, recommending you, is a different story. If your advisor is willing to make the first contact with a short mail suggesting that you have things to contribute would be more likely to get a response. It is harder to just "trash" an email from a colleague or peer.
But, in some fields, those that depend a lot on conferences, a better way to contact people is in informal discussions at those conferences. If you or they are presenting it gives a place and time to meet them (just after a talk). Even coffee during breaks is usually filled with discussions.
But, for a blind email, I suggest making it short, with, perhaps, a link to a web page contains your work and qualifications. Mention one or two specific topics that you think you can contribute to. The goal of a first email isn't to convince them, but just to get their interest.
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I've sent many emails to researchers about their work, starting when I was a student, and I've never been ignored. But I always opened with specific questions about a paper they wrote, not with "I'd like to explore potential collaboration".– StefCommented Nov 13, 2023 at 11:21