Publishing While in Grad School

[variegates]

Hello everyone,

I’m in my first year of a M.S. program. Currently, my advisor has only two M.S. students including myself.

I find his research topics fascinating. He’s brilliant and he’s a very pleasant person.

He publishes articles very often. I go out of my way hoping to see my name on one of his next publications but he doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about me. He makes me feel very insecure. I’m afraid he may decide one day that I’m incompetent and fire me the way he fired one of his students last year.

I’ll appreciate your comments.

[TakeruK]

I'm not sure what you mean by saying that you "go out of [your] way hoping to see [your] name on one of his next publications...", it does sound like you are "sucking up" to him and hoping he will think "oh so-and-so is a good student, I'll reward them by adding their name on my publications". This is not how you get your name on publications, and I think most academics would not appreciate this kind of behaviour, as they may feel like their student is using them to get publications.

Usually, on a publication, the people that are co-authors will have contributed to it in some meaningful way -- collected the data, built the instrument, did the analysis, wrote the paper, was the supervisor, and so on. If you want to be on papers, you will have to work on projects, and if that work gets published, then you should be included on the publication. But there would be no reason for your prof to include you on other publications that you aren't a part of (which is what it sounds like you are trying to do, from your post).

Unless you have been working on side projects as well, usually a masters student would try to publish their masters thesis work but this usually happens near the end of the degree or after the thesis is done. Usually PhD students will publish a few papers before graduation, but it also tends to bunch up near the second half of the degree too. In just your first year, it's generally not enough time to have done enough to finish a paper yet!

All of the publications I've been involved in were published after I've finished working on the project. Most of the time, the writing doesn't even begin until the last month or after I've officially left the group! These were shorter, 8-month full-time undergrad co-op placements, and my senior year thesis (8 months, but only part-time work!) and the paper writing process can take quite a long time, so it makes sense that, until the PhD level, most publications come after the student is finished.

[mandarin.orange]

TakeruK makes some excellent points and describes very well the dynamics of publishing as a student. Typically, your name on a pub doesn't just "happen" because you are in the lab. At best, you may get a nod in the "Acknowledgements" for field or lab assistance. For authorship, you need to be involved in or oversee some major component of the project.

Why (or how) does your advisor "make you feel insecure?" Why was the past student fired? I suspect that if you are working hard on your own project, while keeping up with literature related to it so you have some perspective/context, you'll have plenty to discus with him in your meetings...and, be on the path to ultimately getting published.

Edited June 24, 2012 by mandarin.orange

[ghanada]

yes I agree with what has been said. You should never expect to have your name on a paper just because you are working in the lab. Most professors take publications very seriously and don't just throw names on papers if you didn't do anything to help. If you do have a valid reason your name should be on a paper because you legitimately helped in a meaningful way, than you can always ask what why you weren't added as an author and what else you can do in the future to be put on as an author. Don't just "hope" to see your name. Be active in finding out what his expectations are of you in order to be acknowledged.