Don't publish prior to a PhD?

[AnimeChic101!]

I was having this conversation on another thread. Rather than continue to hijack somebody elses thread, I thought that it might be best to create a new one. Somebody gave the advice that if you're looking to apply to a PhD program then you should not publish any work. It might be considered as premature, or that you think you think you know it all already. My MA advisors have actively encouraged me to publish, stating that it will help me get into programs.
 During graduate caucus meetings at academic conventions I've attended, the conveners  encouraged grad students to publish and get their ideas known at an early stage (even going as far as to make contests for it). I also looked at the cv's of PhD students at the programs I'm applying to and i noticed that about 1 /3rd of those who had an MA prior to the PhD were published at least once in their final year.

 

Is there a general rule about publishing while a MA student or early PhD? Does it actually look bad? I do have some work in really small journals, but I have 2 more being reviewed at more prestigious journals. Is this something that is not recommended? Should I not include publications on my CV when I am applying for my PhD?

Edited May 19, 2016 by BlackRosePhD

[dr. t]

Yes, you should publish when you have something to publish, and yes, you should try to have something to publish. You will still find the "don't publish before PHD" advice kicking around, but you do want a job when graduate, right?

[ShogunT]

Publications are the materialized evidence that illustrates one's capability of doing meaningful research. Unless the conference/journal acceptance rate is 100%, why not publish?

If you are worrying your research being considered as immature, one way to test it is to publish the top/high-tier conferences; and it is also recommended to do so as soon as you can. If the submitted research is deemed immature, the paper would be rejected in the rigorous peer-reviewing process in those conferences. At least you would get some feedback on improving your manuscript.

 

On 5/19/2016 at 9:48 PM, BlackRosePhD said:

Is there a general rule about publishing while a MA student or early PhD? Does it actually look bad?

2

Yes, in my field there is a rule similar to that, but the other way around.

Edited May 22, 2016 by ShogunT

[fuzzylogician]

I don't think the "I'll look like a know-it-all" is a real concern that has anything to do with publishing early. You can give off that vibe without any publications and not give it off with publications; it's about how you carry yourself, not whether you have a paper in print anywhere. The important question to ask yourself is whether you are proud of the work and how it would represent you. This is a question you can only answer given the evidence in front of you now. If you are happy with it, I don't see a reason not to pursue publication, unless a trusted advisor tells you not to and has a reason you find compelling. It may indeed be the case that later you are unhappy with the paper because of the level of writing, the content, where it's published, etc.* There is somewhat of a risk, but hopefully it will be diminished by the fact that you will first consult an advisor about whether this is something you'd want out there representing you, and that you'll get feedback from teachers and reviewers on the actual work.

* This could happen later in your career too, of course. The hope is that it's less likely as you become more experienced. This is why it's important to get advice from an experienced professor who should be able to tell you if the paper in question is something you'd want out there representing you or not.

[AnimeChic101!]

Thank you all for your responses. My professor did tell me that the paper in question was rather good. They gave me some general advice for minor tweaking, and I have been encouraged to publish (I was actually told to submit it to a specific journal which is really well known). I am the furthest thing from a "know-it-all" and I am kindly encouraged to verbally assert my ideas a bit more so that people will know it when I speak rather than when I just write.

 

Thanks for the advice!