Questions tagged [etiquette]

The customary code of polite behavior amongst the academic world.

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3 answers
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Ask about political climate at a department during a job interview?

I am on the job market this year, and one of the main things I'm looking for is a good department culture fit. Naturally, the political views of the department and its members plays a role in this, ...
overfull hbox's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
5k views

Wearing academic dress (gown) after I left the university

I wore a gown to attend graduation and other formal events when I studied at a UK university. I still keep that gown but I'm not in academia for years. Under what situation would it still be useful? ...
jf328's user avatar
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10 votes
6 answers
6k views

A potential postdoc PI contacted my Ph.D. advisor without asking me for the contact info. Is this common?

I'm a recent Ph.D. graduate looking for a postdoc opportunity in the US. I recently interviewed with my potential PI, and at the end he said we will discuss later. A week or two after the interview, ...
oklu's user avatar
  • 103
13 votes
5 answers
5k views

What to do when a senior co-author is very disrespectful?

I am a researcher and professional in the social science field, writing a paper in the field of Computer Science together with CS colleagues to be submitted to an interdisciplinary journal, which is ...
AkiPhD's user avatar
  • 421
1 vote
0 answers
103 views

When a paper has multiple corresponding authors, how should one respond to interview requests by media?

I've got two stories, one old and one recent. I'll start with the old one. The paper has three authors, all corresponding. The first author was a senior postdoc who came up with the idea and did all ...
jomimc's user avatar
  • 11
6 votes
3 answers
2k views

Contacting Department about a Job (UK)

I keep hearing that in the UK, it's a positive thing to get in touch with the department during the application process to show you're really interested. Is this true? (I've read that in the US this ...
emmam's user avatar
  • 377
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Would it be possible to work as part-time staff in a university research lab?

I was wondering if it's usual(or even possible) to work in a research lab as part-time staff. I would love to just apply for a full-time position, but I cannot leave my current job due to an education ...
Abygail's user avatar
  • 33
22 votes
5 answers
8k views

How to Politely Decline Sharing My Research Proposal with a Fellow Student?

I recently finished my masters program and for my thesis, I was able to do something that not many people in my department had done before which was be able to conduct my research in Malawi (my school ...
Dahye Lim's user avatar
  • 231
1 vote
1 answer
162 views

Ask Area Chair/Editor to reveal one of the reviewers of my paper [duplicate]

We submitted a paper to a venue and got accepted. The venue is single-blind, reviewers know our names, but we don't know who they are. During the review process one reviewer made very good suggestions ...
Carlos Mougan's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
141 views

How to publicize my rewrite of another group's software, should I try to get citations for it, and how would I attribute original authors

Four years ago, another group published a paper describing a new method for estimating an important parameter in my field. The method is theoretically elegant, has good accuracy in their benchmarks, ...
Krister Janmore's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
364 views

Realized error in testing of machine learning paper

I submitted a paper in a major machine learning conference recently. The paper submission deadline passed ~2 weeks ago and the appendix submission deadline passed ~1 week ago. I just realized an issue ...
mb1's user avatar
  • 41
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Is it acceptable to ask a professor for a recommendation letter if I am also looking for jobs in their lab?

I am currently considering my job options: I could potentially apply for Professor X's lab; however, I do not know if he will have positions available I could also apply for other research positions, ...
Grzegorczyk's user avatar
0 votes
7 answers
926 views

Unprofessional hiring committee?

I recently interviewed for a permanent/TT position and had a mostly positive campus experience. At the end of my interview, when it was my turn to pose questions to the hiring committee, I asked what ...
Cookie Mueller's user avatar
16 votes
4 answers
7k views

How to list paper on CV where one is not listed as author

I used to be in the lab of a professor at a top 10 US university with an h-index of 90+ (essentially very well respected). I was working with a PhD student in the same group on a paper (the professor ...
olivarb's user avatar
  • 303
5 votes
4 answers
1k views

Etiquette concerning Lab Findings / Results

I'm an undergraduate and was fortunate to be selected for a 12 week summer placement in a professors lab at my university. I worked way over and above the funded hours and made some very interesting ...
Julia's user avatar
  • 51
0 votes
1 answer
285 views

At what point does research criticism become academic hazing?

I've been collaborating on a paper with a junior colleague and a senior colleague, among others. The junior colleague is the lead writer on the paper and has done about 85-90% of the research. Junior ...
user2352714's user avatar
8 votes
7 answers
4k views

How do I cite personal observations of what people generally believe about a topic?

I am trying to figure out how to cite what the general "word on the street" is regarding a certain topic within a scientific paper. As a researcher, I have noticed there are a number of ...
user2352714's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
195 views

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 ...
konchy's user avatar
  • 121
1 vote
1 answer
207 views

Professor is responding to research-related emails but not reference request

I realise this is a common question, but my situation is complicated by the work-related responses without a response to my reference request. I requested a reference letter from my professor a week ...
WhooNo's user avatar
  • 113
2 votes
1 answer
163 views

Is it ok to ask academic contacts if they know of any postdoc positions suitable for me?

I'm a graduating PhD student looking for academic postdocs. So far, I've tried (soft-)applying to positions I found advertised online, applying for a grant and asking my PI for help. None of this has ...
coffee_into_plots's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
102 views

Independent guides for when to give authorship?

Are there any independent, widely-accepted codes of conducts or guides for when authorship should be given on a paper? Would be helpful to have these to refer to to avoid potential confusion or ...
Richard's user avatar
  • 221
8 votes
1 answer
2k views

Use of Prof title for academic moving from US to UK

In the United States, we use the title Professor or Prof. (in writing) for all faculty at the assistant, associate and full professor levels. In the United Kingdom, we use the title only for the most ...
jerlich's user avatar
  • 2,935
3 votes
3 answers
432 views

Specific Advice about Grad-Undergrad Friendships & Relationships (US)

I am 21/M, and I am about to start my PhD at a R-1 university in the US in two weeks (if it matters, it's a southeastern state.) A month ago, I started talking to a 19/F on an online chat platform - ...
purple-sky's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
5k views

Invitation to publish

A prestigious professor emailed me and requested that I submit work for publication with the renowned series that he edits. He needs this work because it is a gap for something he is engaged with. I ...
qwerty's user avatar
  • 81
14 votes
2 answers
3k views

Is it appropriate to try to contact the referee of a paper after it has been accepted and published?

I have a paper that was refereed, accepted, and published. The referee's report was overwhelming positive and enthusiastic about my paper and results. Now that the paper is fully published, is it ...
XYZT's user avatar
  • 243
0 votes
1 answer
111 views

Is it OK to inquire about my application status after a late application submission?

I recently encountered a situation regarding the submission of my application for a 9-month academic program. I submitted my application after the deadline by 40 minutes and now find myself ...
Dark_Witch's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
424 views

What is the etiquette for reaching out to potential PI's in physics?

I'm an undergraduate student majoring in physics and mathematics, who is preparing to begin applying to graduate programs in physics. In doing so, I've reached out to a few people for advice, and I've ...
MomentumEigenstate's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
198 views

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 ...
Feri's user avatar
  • 123
0 votes
1 answer
182 views

Writing an appeal letter for a rejected master programme

Background: Due to unexpected factors, I was forced to give up my offer and send applications to find another master programme. As a result, I had to submit my application files at the beginning of ...
m1ssing's user avatar
  • 17
3 votes
3 answers
3k views

What steps should I take when contacting another researcher after finding possible errors in their work?

The story starts on April 2, when I found a critical mistake in a semi-famous recent applied math paper with 100 citations. I admire the paper and I find a very simple counterexample that high-...
High GPA's user avatar
  • 4,340
15 votes
3 answers
3k views

Referee for two papers by the same author: can I let them know?

I am a referee for two papers by the same author: can I acknowledge in the second report (the first was almost ready when I was invited to referee the second one) my report to the first paper? To give ...
AnyDisplayName's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
296 views

Whose Email(s) Should be Listed on Research Poster Presentations?

If I make a conference poster as a graduate student, whose email address(es) should be included in the subtitle of the poster? Traditionally, I have always thought it should just be the PI's email, ...
rmza7's user avatar
  • 103
-1 votes
3 answers
983 views

May a university lecturer wear a cap while teaching in the North American Setting?

If not, can one refer to any formal (written) prohibition of wearing caps for lecturers, in a North American university? The cap may be text-less or have any non-offensive text/image.
Pinton's user avatar
  • 591
36 votes
4 answers
9k views

What should I do when I can’t replicate results from a conference paper?

There is a theoretical computer science paper that is published in a very good conference. The paper essentially comes up with an algorithm and an explicit function (mentioned in the paper) of some 20 ...
user3508551's user avatar
  • 3,888
-1 votes
2 answers
142 views

Contact chair after VAP position ended to express interest in an RTF position?

I spent 2 years in a Visiting Assistant Professor position, which just "ended" after 4 tenure track positions were filled. I was not considered for any of them. My best guess is that I a) ...
Mlbrent 's user avatar
12 votes
7 answers
13k views

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 ...
algare's user avatar
  • 145
17 votes
6 answers
6k views

Can I omit my department's name to express my dissenting opinions?

My full affiliation is: Abacus Beard Department of Underwater Basket-Weaving, Calvin Doofus Division of Ocean Science, University of Watering-Down. A. B. is the name of a big donor. C. D. is the ...
dodo's user avatar
  • 2,107
18 votes
5 answers
8k views

May the spouse of a tenure-track candidate accompany them during their lunch with the head of the department?

In a hypothetical North American setting, assume that a tenure-track candidate whose spouse is also with them during their campus visit. Having lunch with the head of department is common for such a ...
user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
411 views

Offended My Professor [closed]

Last night in class we were having a discussion about how to handle an ethical dilemma in the workplace. I raised my hand said that I had read an article that said there are few times when we would ...
SallyQ's user avatar
  • 125
5 votes
4 answers
3k views

Is it worth pointing out missed works in already published papers?

I have come across several works that omitted the citation of relevant related literature, but clearly are camera-ready versions already accepted/presented at a conference or journal. Of course, due ...
dennlinger's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
2k views

How much control does my advisor have if I'm on fellowship?

I'm a second year Ph.D. student in STEM and I have a lot of "clashes" with my advisor. Some are serious issues: (1) he wouldn't talk to me, the 1st author, about a project and instead met 1-...
hazel_lion's user avatar
10 votes
4 answers
4k views

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 ...
Ash's user avatar
  • 388
10 votes
3 answers
3k views

Should I send a manual email as well as an autogenerated email to potential reviewers?

I am an editor for a math journal. When I select and invite a reviewer to referee a paper the journal's management software automatically writes and sends an email invitation to that reviewer. For a ...
Darren Ong's user avatar
  • 4,261
1 vote
1 answer
105 views

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 ...
user170146's user avatar
14 votes
8 answers
8k views

Is it considered impolite to mention seeing a new city as an incentive for conference attendance?

I'm a grad student in the final term of my 2nd year. In a weekly meeting with my supervisor yesterday, I brought up an upcoming conference in our discipline. This conference is twice-annual and very ...
Nicolas Banks's user avatar
-2 votes
1 answer
419 views

Is it appropriate for a teacher to make a sex analogy related to physics?

My physics professor was talking about the companion forces that act on an object with molecules interacting with one another and Newton's 3rd law canceling out the internal forces. Then he said ...
WorldOfMasters's user avatar
29 votes
9 answers
4k views

What is the de facto standard while writing equation in a short email to professors?

In a research field that math is frequently used, while sending a long note/paper, attaching a pdf is of course the best. But for a short email that only involves few equations, a pdf file might be ...
dodo's user avatar
  • 2,107
118 votes
11 answers
40k views

One of my postdocs elegantly solved a problem another postdoc had been working on for years. I have no idea how to navigate this delicate situation

I run a lab in an applied computational field (e.g. computational biology/chemistry/physics etc.) One of my postdocs (“A”) has been working on a problem for the last two years. They have made good ...
ScoopedPostdoc's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
77 views

How to approach my MSc advisor that I may want to apply for another PhD program?

I am doing a research-based master's degree at a university, and my advisor was asking me "if I want to do a Ph.D." when I was starting and I said yes. For some reason, he assumed that I'd ...
Tortellini Teusday's user avatar
13 votes
11 answers
7k views

(When) Is it appropriate to give a "thank you" gifts to a professor who is not your advisor or teacher?

As a grad student (or postdoc), past taking classes, is it ok to get a thank you gift for a professor who : has helped you with something (e.g. introduced you to someone for a collaboration or wrote ...
nara's user avatar
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