Questions tagged [communication]
Questions about how to communicate with others appropriately and professionally; communication etiquette.
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How to communicate a late rejection of a PhD offer from a close contact?
My former supervisor from university offered me a PhD project two months ago. I gave it some thought, chatted with them once about the topic a month ago, talked to their current students, and then ...
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8
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How can I appeal an apparently unethical decision to take down a job posting early?
I've found a call for PhD students or data scientists at a certain university. The instructions were very clear that applications would be accepted until Oct 12th 2023, and only then they would be ...
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6
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How can I work well with a fellow student whose speech I cannot understand?
I am a graduate student, and I am having trouble understanding one of my cohort mates. They are an international student, and it is often impossible for me to understand their speech well. They are ...
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How to face some tough academic superiors who give undermining comments in the academic environment
If a group of Computing undergraduates ask to explain why 3 is greater than 2, what is the best way to explain it?
When I asked the above question in the Math SE, one of the Mathematicians said this ...
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195
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Should I correct my previous statement to a stranger after several years?
A stranger sent me an email asking for a solution and advice on a technical problem years ago. I gave him my personal opinon and solution at that time. Now, several years later, I found that some of ...
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3
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Is it appropriate to send PDF e-mails instead of a textual one during a mail-based scientific discussion?
When I'm in the middle of an e-mail based scientific discussion, I often find that I'm severely limited by the medium. E-mails don't manage formulas at all, the symbol palette and formatting is ...
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Is it reasonable to consider a back-up plan when my PhD student visa is still pending?
I am an incoming international PhD student at a US university. Previously, I obtained my bachelor's degree from the same university, and I've recently completed my master's program at a university in ...
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condolence and work-related request in a single email
So my professor lost a family member a couple of weeks ago and went back home. I have not communicated with him since he announced this (in a lab meeting), work-related or otherwise, because I was ...
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Struggling with publishing as an unsocial person
I struggle with people, communication, and trust. I managed to publish a few papers as a PhD student (with the guidance of my PhD advisor, obviously), but since then I've failed to publish a single ...
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Waiting time for editor's decision for an article with status "Reviews Completed" for 4 months?
The academic journal paper I submitted to a Q1 Springer journal has been in the position of "Review Completed" since February 6, 2023, and is still in that status as of today, June 21, 2023. ...
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Should I sent another follow-up email to editor if there is no response after submitting the revision?
I am a Ph.D. student in pure mathematics. Recently, I received a very positive review of one of my articles from a good (or at least average) journal. After a minor revision, I sent back the revised ...
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Was I wrong to tell about communication issues to my supervisor?
I am a PhD student working in Europe in the stem field, and I have recently told my supervisor about an unpleasant email (-reply) which I received from his previous PhD student. He is currently ...
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I sent a Facebook friend request to my ex-professor, should I apologise?
Summary: after graduation, I sent my professor a friend request on Facebook, but didn't have response for a few days. I feel really bad and I really want to apologize.
I just graduated and I have ...
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What to do when a professor does not provide an explanation for grades and does not respond to emails? [duplicate]
I am currently a fourth-year undergraduate at a prestigious university (top 10) and am finding myself in a difficult situation with a professor and do not know how to proceed.
For context, I was ...
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Does the superseded version of a paper establish priority?
Last year a group of authors put online a paper, titled "XYZ". The paper "XYZ" contain part I and part II.
Later the authors deleted the old file. They published a new paper called ...
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Ethical standards in asking a professor for reviewing a finished manuscript and publishing it together
I have been independently working on a substantial idea. The results of my work have been compiled into a complete manuscript.
However, I think I need to have an expert in the field reviewing it to ...
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How do I pivot from a collaboration with some professors on a project I am not particularly invested in to one lying more in my area of interest?
I am a graduate student who is currently working on a project with another student and some professors which will soon lead to the publication of a paper with my name on it. As someone who would like ...
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Undergraduate supervisor is way too hands-off. Is that normal?
I'm a junior student at a competitive university in my home country and I major in a mathematical field. Last year, I went to the (tenured) professor who matched my interest and she said she normally ...
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Is it right to ask my advisor to let me prepare my defense talk alone?
I'm a math major and I'm finishing my bachelor thesis. I was lucky enough to find a hardworking and caring advisor to work with.
I'm very grateful with him for his guidance but, during this time, I ...
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3
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I contacted a professor for PhD supervision, and he replied that he would retire in two years. How should I respond?
I contacted a professor and asked him for a PhD supervision, his reply was:
Dear XXX,
I will retire in 2 years.
Best regards
How could I reply to this email? Is it ok to have this professor as my ...
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Should I ask why they are interested in me in an interview for a faculty position?
I'm interviewing for a university faculty position. I would like to ask the committee why they are interested in me.
I would like to learn about the possible implications of this question.
My initial ...
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5
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8k
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Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor
Yesterday I emailed a professor inquiring about a research opportunity. He replied within an hour, told me to follow his profile to find the open position, and that he would be pleased to receive my ...
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Help with navigating a publication related conversation with my PI
I have been working on a research study remotely with my PI for over two years and we finally submitted our paper early last year. We received some promising feedback from the reviewers and had most ...
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Etiquette: How many reminders should one send for conference speakers to submit their talk info?
I am co-organizing a conference that will take place virtually on Mar 13, 2023. We invited the speakers and they confirmed their participation in Nov, 2022. Now, we sent them a form that collects ...
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Invited a speaker to talk at a conference which is part of a bigger conference and the parent organizers rejected their participation. What to do now?
I am organizing a volunteer academic conference as a part of a larger conference at a top university (let's call it X). Organizers are required to invite speakers to talk about their research in a ...
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What defines if a researcher is an expert in a field/topic or not? [closed]
I have often seen academics and science communicators who are positioned as subject matter experts in a field or topic but haven't been directly involved with doing research since their Ph.D. or ...
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Professor changed the paper I should present at the last day – how should I react? [closed]
In our PhD class, we have to present a paper. However, just 24 hours before the day I present a paper, the professor gave me a new version of the paper.
This new version has a similar motivation but ...
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6
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Should I pick a time if a professor asks me to?
When a professor gives me some timelines to choose for an interview, I always say I am available anytime that suits your schedule, mainly because all times are OK with me, I can even have a discussion ...
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422
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How to deal with terrible research and poor mental health?
I'm a master student employed at a company as a co-op intern. For the first half to two-thirds of the program I had really poor mental health and had extreme difficulty to focus on anything. I only ...
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How to concisely describe your field when your work is very interdisciplinary?
I am a PhD student struggling to identify myself as belonging to a specific discipline. I am always having to introduce myself but never know what to say or write. Any ideas??
The context is often in ...
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How to help a successful high schooler who is failing in college?
I've received an email from a student [name changed for privacy] that goes like this:
My name is John Hershey and I am in your Biology 101 class. I am here at this college on a soccer scholarship. I ...
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I have already used up all my hours with my supervisor, but I need feedback. Do I have the right to ask for more hours?
I am doing my dissertation for the second time now, as I failed the first time. I have sadly used up all my hours with my supervisor and will not get any feedback. So there are no meetings anymore and ...
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How to politely ask a professor if you can work under them as a contingency plan?
I'm applying to graduate school as a senior in my undergraduate studies. I know there's a good chance I won't get in, so I was hoping to ask the professor I am working under if I can research under ...
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I've graduated, my graduate advisor wants to publish a paper with me. How do I tell my advisor I don't want to do free labor?
So I've recently graduated with a STEM degree, but my advisor still wants us to make a submission to a conference.
Right now I am unemployed and I have no source of income.
What is the best way going ...
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Is it appropriate to invite professor/potential PhD advisor for a coffee?
I am an incoming master's (international) student at a UK university. A few days ago I sent an email to a professor who I really want to work with (if I can get into the PhD program there, to which I ...
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2
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Authors are not responding to my request for additional research reports that were announced as 'available upon request' - should I try to once more?
Some authors have published a very long complex research paper (on ArXiv, theoretical computer science, math, category theory) and it contains references to three additional research-technical reports,...
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After I chose a preferred referee for a submitted paper, is it un ethical to drop an email to the referee saying that I suggested their name?
I journal I recently submitted a paper to asked me to suggest two referees, which I did, with explanation of why I picked them as referees.
While I was writing the paper, I had informal email ...
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Can I decline a PhD offer after deferral, and how to communicate with my professors for reapplying other PhD programs?
I got a PhD offer from a US university (the same university I completed my undergrad degree), and I asked for a deferral earlier this year (as I'm planning to do a one-year master's program at a UK ...
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1
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Passing meta-info to future anonymous reviewers of my paper
I have meta-info (about a paper I'm submitting) that could help reviewers but can't go into the paper itself.
For example, it may preempt questions like Why didn't you address the cutting-edge topic X?...
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Is it OK to contact the author of the paper for code review?
I want to make sure that my code is OK and fully compliant with the original paper algorithm, is it OK to contact the professor that created the algorithm for reviewing my code?
Thanks
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Shall I collaborate/email with a peer who've been taking contribution from others' working paper without properly citing?
There is a peer researcher working closely to my main topic. I recently got some results built upon his latest papers.
However, I knew that he paraphrased a (small) section of someone else's work into ...
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What to do about a dubious competing publication in the same journal I'm submitting to?
Before submitting my predictions paper, I spotted a paper with alternative methods for the same predictions. It appeared two weeks ago online-first in the same journal I'm submitting to.
Digging into ...
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I feel humiliated and upset after a meeting with a collaborator, and I'm unsure how to proceed
Background: I am a junior postdoc who has been working for some years with an overseas collaborator who is much more senior. I have previously had no issues at all with this collaborator. For the last ...
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How do I tell a professor I don't find their research topic interesting?
This hasn't directly happened to me, but it's come close. Basically I meet a professor for other reasons (I attended a talk by them, I requested a recommendation from them, during a social visit to ...
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4
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How are academic writing conventions decided?
Suppose one would like to propose a new way of performing a specific task in academic writing, for example, a different/new way of citing. I realise this example is vague, but the example is not the ...
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Right time to reach professors requesting to be my guide in Ph. D
I am completing my masters in a few months, and going for a job. I want to pursue my doctorate after 3-4 years of working. Is it better to speak with professors now, if they want to be my guide once I ...
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Explaining what a PhD is all about to parents
I am joining a PhD program in mathematics in a few months. But I am having a hard time explaining what a PhD is to my parents! They ask: Why is it not enough to complete a PhD just for the sake of ...
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How to be professional when being patronised?
I had an interview at a reputable business school for upcoming MBA intake. The interview was informal and was conducted in the coffee shop on premises.
The first issue happened when the interviewer (...
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How to motivate and encourage scientist to give clarifications and respond to my questions about their work?
A year ago a small team (2-3 prominent scientists) from prominent academic and industrial collaboration published 120+ page long research preprint that could be very important contribution to the ...
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How should I approach my studies in the Humanities area if I'm a contrarian?
Before I start, I should mention that the closest thing I found here was this post, but the comments say something I really want to avoid, which is to sound like a [political ideology here]-nut.
I am ...
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