Conferences and Journals

[mdiv2014]

I thought I'd start this thread to flush out our greater collective knowledge on CONFERENCES and JOURNALS  with the following goals:

- List all known conferences and journals within the fields which connect us,

- "Rank" them in terms of prestige (i.e. applying to PhD/DTheo which add umph to your CV? etc.)

 

I begin with after having stumbled into getting a few things published and now am looking to 'more known periodicals' accepting my work. Which raises the question of which types of publications are 'better' than others? 

Also, because of writing on a lesser known but highly 'chic' religious personality, I will probably be accepted to present at a lesser known conference but then again what are the other conferences and what weight does this give a potential PhD application?

 

How untypical/typical is it for graduate students to publish and present?

(Obviously they would be viewed in a greater light than leading, say, a panel discussion or speaking at your university?)

 

[Body Politics]

I tend to think that it is not always a great idea for M* students to publish prior to applying to the PhD. Here are some pros and cons: http://historicaljesusresearch.blogspot.com/2013/09/should-i-try-to-publish-as-masters.html

[Joseph45]

Talk to your advisor. S/he will tell you whether to publish and where it would be good to do so.

[marXian]

I agree with both Body Politics and Joseph45. Masters students should not be worried about publishing. People think that if they can just get something published somewhere it will up their chances for acceptance into a PhD program. I'd say that unless the journal is widely known, a publication in a random journal is not going to help much if at all. Furthermore, chances are your work as a masters student is not going to be as good as it will be when you're a PhD candidate--you should hope it's not! Publishing something officially is a "forever" move. Whatever you publish is going to be out there in databases for anyone to find. You may publish something that ends up coming back to bite you later in your career. That's not to say that people don't change their minds over their careers--they do. But usually their thought as a masters has not matured, making the chances of publishing something regrettable much higher. 

[Macrina]

I agree with both Body Politics and Joseph45. Masters students should not be worried about publishing. People think that if they can just get something published somewhere it will up their chances for acceptance into a PhD program. I'd say that unless the journal is widely known, a publication in a random journal is not going to help much if at all. Furthermore, chances are your work as a masters student is not going to be as good as it will be when you're a PhD candidate--you should hope it's not! Publishing something officially is a "forever" move. Whatever you publish is going to be out there in databases for anyone to find. You may publish something that ends up coming back to bite you later in your career. That's not to say that people don't change their minds over their careers--they do. But usually their thought as a masters has not matured, making the chances of publishing something regrettable much higher.

Thanks for posting this. I have a question though: I've had two faculty members encourage me to revise papers and submit for publication, and I'm a ThM student. Is there any reason for faculty to encourage publications? And, I suppose: should I go for it? They both offered to work with me on the revisions and I wouldn't send anything anywhere until I was happy with it. Good idea? Or no?

[Joseph45]

Thanks for posting this. I have a question though: I've had two faculty members encourage me to revise papers and submit for publication, and I'm a ThM student. Is there any reason for faculty to encourage publications? And, I suppose: should I go for it? They both offered to work with me on the revisions and I wouldn't send anything anywhere until I was happy with it. Good idea? Or no?

 

I love marXian and his comments, but, honestly, value the advice of the professors who know you and your work over anonymous posters on an online forum. Seriously, do what your professors recommend you to do.

[Macrina]

I love marXian and his comments, but, honestly, value the advice of the professors who know you and your work over anonymous posters on an online forum. Seriously, do what your professors recommend you to do.

And in general I would agree with that, but I am a little curious - is there any reason for faculty to encourage this other than a purely altruistic desire to help a student? Where I am currently enrolled, the faculty tends to promote student achievements and I sometimes wonder if it's in the best interests of the students, or if it helps to make the school look good, sometime at at the expense of the students.

[Joseph45]

And in general I would agree with that, but I am a little curious - is there any reason for faculty to encourage this other than a purely altruistic desire to help a student? Where I am currently enrolled, the faculty tends to promote student achievements and I sometimes wonder if it's in the best interests of the students, or if it helps to make the school look good, sometime at at the expense of the students.

I'm sorry if I came across as terse.

 

A faculty member gains very little benefit from having a student publish, and no benefit if that publication isn't good or isn't in a good journal. Faculty don't benefit much if their students succeed, but they gain much more by them succeeding than by encouraging students to publish something they shouldn't, somewhere that they shouldn't.

 

Unless you have reason to believe these professors are especially horrible people and are seeking to torpedo your career out of spite, trust that they're suggesting what's best for you--especially if they're willing to help you revise it.

Edited April 3, 2014 by Joseph45

[Macrina]

I'm sorry if I came across as terse.

 

A faculty member gains very little benefit from having a student publish, and no benefit if that publication isn't good or isn't in a good journal. Faculty don't benefit much if they're students succeed, but they gain much more by them succeeding than by encouraging students to publish something they shouldn't, somewhere that they shouldn't.

 

Unless you have reason to believe these professors are especially horrible people and are seeking to torpedo your career out of spite, trust that they're suggesting what's best for you--especially if they're willing to help you revise it.

thank you. thats very helpful. I'm at a school that seems to be designed to encourage all students to consider further studies, while accepting very few of them. The cynic in me has wondered more than once if that's an overt faculty goal or if they're genuinely supportive. I guess I should be a little more trusting

[marXian]

I would go with what the faculty are telling you as well. There are certainly "safe" things to publish which vary from field to field and your faculty/advisers will know that and (hopefully) not steer you wrong. My advice was more for those who actively seeking publication without that kind of support since "A paper" does not equal publishable paper.