Questions tagged [communication]
Questions about how to communicate with others appropriately and professionally; communication etiquette
52
votes
10answers
19k views
Is asking your PhD supervisor a basic question considered inappropriate?
I've done my Master's degree in Computational Mathematics. Then, because of several reasons, I decided to pursue my Ph.D. in the field of Quantum Chemistry.
The problem is, obviously, my lack of ...
3
votes
0answers
57 views
Canvassing fellow researchers about future of the field
I am writing a review article about a small, young subfield in which I have published. The review will deal with, among other things, key challenges in the future of the field. Although I am ...
3
votes
2answers
180 views
Asking for the second/third recommendation letter, should I tell the referee he is writing the third letter?
Many have suggested me to include a sentence like this while asking for recommendations:
"Do you feel that you are able to give me a strong reference?"
I am afraid that my third referee, who was ...
2
votes
2answers
203 views
Contributing to the cause of biology (beyond research)
I've been studying microbiology for a while (undergrad sophomore). I've been finding something to do other than my regular academic work and projects.
Someone told me that Nature allows freelancers to ...
21
votes
5answers
3k views
Letting another author know I'm using one of their results
Let's say I write a paper and use a result from someone that is rarely cited. Would it be polite/acceptable/unacceptable to email them and let them know of my application of their result before ...
31
votes
7answers
10k views
Just starting in grad school, I haven't heard from my advisor in three weeks …
I just started grad school this year. I met with my advisor over three weeks ago, on the first week of school. We talked about the school, she told me a bit about the department and showed me around ...
1
vote
1answer
93 views
How to request a professor who has moved colleges to acknowledge project work?
At the end of last semester , I had taken up some research work under a professor of a different department.
Now , I had been updating him with my progress on a weekly basis until my final exams ...
3
votes
1answer
124 views
How to ask professor to post more example?
My professor always posts solved problems on the course website but for the last chapter, he did not post any solved problems. Although we have our textbook, I think solved problems help me understand ...
5
votes
2answers
793 views
I begin researching in three weeks and I have no idea where to begin. What should I say in my email to my advisor?
I have been accepted to a funded master’s program under an advisor. I already came up with a research proposal months ago with the advisor’s help as I needed one in order to apply. The last time I ...
2
votes
3answers
251 views
How to tell my supervisor I won't use the data that a colleague prepared?
I started a postdoc about a year ago. At the time of my hire I was told another postdoc was preparing the large dataset I would eventually use. In the meantime, I was to run some sample models and ...
0
votes
2answers
352 views
email asking professor for help [duplicate]
I have been rejected by a particular university for MS two times now. I really want to get into it to work with a professor. I am thinking of emailing him to ask him what I can do to improve myself to ...
1
vote
1answer
163 views
How to inform the editorial office that a special discount has been received?
I just submitted an article in a special issue. This article is based on a talk given in a conference, and we received a discount. So after I submitted the article, the website told me to contact the ...
1
vote
1answer
372 views
How should I phrase a question about an *ordinary academic matter* to a Professor?
Question: Suppose you need to communicate with an academic about some ordinary academic matter that is not especially important. Perhaps this is a standard administrative or pedagogical matter that ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
How to write an apology letter for a professor?
A couple of months ago, I defended my Master's thesis and got graduated. One of the referees, a professor of mine with a history of verbal contentions between us, did me an overt injustice and despite ...
3
votes
2answers
140 views
How to get the word out about an academic competition?
I'm hosting an academic competition, and I need to get the word out to any peers that may be interested in participating. My advisor told me to search for academic mailing lists, but I can't find any. ...
3
votes
3answers
283 views
How formal should I be when sending an email to the University's staff?
I'm about to write an email to the department of an English speaking University (I'm not a native speaker) to clear up some doubts I have regarding enrollment. I have never spoken to them before. How ...
2
votes
0answers
143 views
How do you deal with aggressive and rude (irrelevant) questions in a conference? [duplicate]
I was at a conference recently as a member of the audience and during the Q & A segment, an audience member (unsolicited) jumped up and said that the presentation was 'absolutely wrong' quite ...
12
votes
2answers
3k views
How can I tactfully ask a professor to bring requests to me earlier?
I'm a PhD student. A professor that I collaborate with (not from my university) asked me on two separate occasions to help with grants that were due in a week. In both cases I managed to squeeze out ...
19
votes
8answers
7k views
How can a PhD student defend their correct ideas or claims to their supervisor?
I am a PhD student who works in theory. Too many times, I have to defend my ideas or claims in front of my supervisor. I have failed to do so in the past and it worries me.
Please note that I am only ...
3
votes
3answers
440 views
Is it possible for non-debating person to survive in research?
I am a computer-science PhD student. I like to work on things and I enjoy doing computer science. But here is a problem: I am not that much into debates. When I meet with my supervisor, he asks me ...
22
votes
5answers
7k views
How to deal with the (hidden) feedback from research supervisor?
I am a PhD student who works in a theoretical field. Often times, I have discussions with my research supervisor, and I try to do as much work as possible.
It seems that many times these days my ...
-6
votes
2answers
254 views
Thank you note was never answered
I recently sent a thank you note to one of my college professors via email and never got a reply from her. I have not heard from her in a week and being that she is retired I would have thought that ...
4
votes
2answers
216 views
How to keep discussions with supervisor on interest?
I am a Master's student. I have one problem. I have regular meetings with my research supervisor, but during the discussions he takes me in the wrong direction. This often leads to him coming to the ...
3
votes
1answer
196 views
Professor expressed interest in working together, is not responding to emails?
Recently I received contact info for a professor close to me, with similar interests (Professor B), from another professor I have a long-standing working relationship with (Professor A).
I spoke with ...
5
votes
1answer
177 views
Life after graduation; should I update my academic reference on my career progression?
In my undergraduate years, I have forged a rather close relationship with some of my professors including the head of school – they were supportive as I did struggled with mental-health issues and ...
6
votes
1answer
641 views
Should I write a rigorous draft before asking for comments?
I have a 10-page manuscript of my independent research and would like to ask a professor for comments. In short, I claim that I've seen a bridge between Shannon's information and semantic information....
-2
votes
2answers
549 views
How to save one's ass in the last year of PhD with supervisors that never keep up with the project?
It is a doctoral project in engineering, a long, tedious, and grumbling story. I was contracted as a PhD candidate for another project but when I started, the director suggested me to change for the ...
9
votes
3answers
532 views
How to ask new advisor about her “style” in a professional way?
In the first meeting my new advisor, how should I ask her what her "style" is when supervising students, in a way that is straightforward but not cheeky?
Bonus question: what are good questions to ...
90
votes
14answers
39k views
Should I report a PhD student’s incompetence to their supervisor?
I had a short exchange of mails with a PhD student who wished to ask some questions about a paper of mine, which was troublesome in many respects:
The student had a blatant lack of basic knowledge ...
2
votes
2answers
99 views
An author of a paper included a blank supplementary file. Is it possible to make the journal correct this?
The authors of a paper explicitly wrote that they included their code as a supplementary file, and the file is actually available, however, it only includes the header and no code whatsoever. Is it ...
5
votes
2answers
274 views
How do researchers ask others for comments and advices for their research?
I have self-funded, 8-page long research which is highly suited a famous researcher, in both their academic and personal interests. How should I ask them for comments and advice? I am not asking them ...
1
vote
2answers
922 views
How to ask “Do you have any projects for me?” to a professor (who is not your own advisor)
Suppose that you already have an advisor and an ongoing project. Suppose that you are willing to get a "side gig" and that there is a professor you know at your school who is working in an area that ...
0
votes
1answer
90 views
How to contact Researchers once you are accepted
I'm a physics student from Argentina and I've just been accepted for a Physics PhD in Cornell University. There are a few research groups that I really like and I was wondering if it is a common thing ...
8
votes
1answer
340 views
How to negotiate with collaborators on adjusting procedures to interdisciplinary projects?
This is an issue I frequently face. As a biologist I like doing interdisciplinary science. In fact I believe interdisciplinarity is the key to producing any truly insightful observation, at least in ...
1
vote
0answers
173 views
How can I politely request that an authority figure respected protocol?
I am in a postgraduate program, part of which is to do an internship at an organization or school recommended by the program, mostly by observing a class or by shadowing a professor at his job.
...
74
votes
5answers
15k views
My supervisor misjudges my knowledge
I started working on my master thesis a few weeks ago. When I talk to my supervisor and try to discuss new ideas she always starts to explain very basic material that is only tangentially related. ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
How do I approach my group about dividing up the work?
I am an International Civil Engineering student. I was assigned with a project that consists of three stages for my steel design class. Although we are a group of five people, it seems that no one ...
1
vote
1answer
144 views
Is it common to express interest in post-doc positions well before you are qualified to apply?
I'm very early in my PhD (just past 6 months) and out of interest I was looking at some post-doc positions that I could aim towards.
I found a recently advertised position that is in the exact field ...
2
votes
2answers
323 views
Asking for Research Position in Person
I am an undergraduate student at a university with a strong co-op program. It is assumed and well-known by all the professors that all students will complete one or more co-ops, and that it is ...
36
votes
6answers
8k views
Department member forwarded complaint about professor to that professor
I am an undergraduate at a US college. I wanted to take a course in a specific area of my major so that I could do better research during the summer. I do not have the prerequisite courses but I have ...
2
votes
1answer
490 views
My advisor completely ignores me what should I do?
My advisor became an assistant professor nearly two years ago. I worked with him for one year but did not publish a paper, and he thinks my progress is too slow. He asked if I want him to assign a new ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
How do I email my professor about assigning me to a group?
I have a class project coming up, the professor asked us to form groups of 6. Everyone in class seems to know each other and have already started forming groups. Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone in ...
0
votes
1answer
136 views
How do I tell my teacher I want him to be co-advisor but not advisor?
I am currently a master student at university A after having done my bachelor at university B. The class sizes are small in this field, so I am quite close to teachers at both universities. I want my ...
10
votes
3answers
3k views
What to do with a likely collaborator who is not answering mails? [duplicate]
A few months ago, I contacted a person who conducted research in a topic that could easily be combined with my own work.
For this reason, I sent him an e-mail exposing my research and why it could be ...
0
votes
1answer
174 views
Is it socially appropriate to ring up a professor whom you have corresponded with briefly by email?
A couple of weeks back I sent an email to a professor in a University in my home country with whom I have never known on any personal or professional level. My intention was to seek potential ...
37
votes
6answers
9k views
Professional ways of saying “Keep me in the loop in case you have some other projects I may be able to contribute to”
I’m a student and I’ve been visiting a collaborator of my advisor to work on a project. The visiting period ends in a few days and it has been productive and enjoyable. We have worked well together, ...
7
votes
4answers
728 views
Forwarding a student’s question about exam modalities to a professor as a TA?
I am currently working as a teaching assistant.
My tasks this semester include writing/putting together a formula sheet containing a lot of formulas and some graphs that the students should not have ...
3
votes
3answers
159 views
Repetitively emailing old lab group about a paper constantly on the backburner
Context
About a year ago, I left a research team that I was involved with as a student for approximately 2 years. During this time, I did a variety of unpaid internships and paid scholarships as well ...
0
votes
1answer
149 views
Emailing professor for help with (non class related) project
I am involved in an extracurricular university-affiliated activity for which I want to do an analysis involving computational fluid dynamics (CFD). There is a professor at my university who has much ...
6
votes
2answers
214 views
How to approach professor about potential paper?
Earlier in my undergrad I co-authored a paper with one of my professors. Initially it was supposed to be just a class project, but on his suggestion I did some more work and went with it at a student ...
