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When I went to share a piece of work with somebody researching an area uncomfortably close to mine, I sent them a chapter to read (but removed some of the juicy historical sources that they *might* have been tempted to lift from my work). Could you do something like that? Hold some of your card close whilst still sharing?

A while back I sent an article with some really nice stuff in it and of immediate interest to somebody. I never got any feedback on it apart from " we think the same, when is your publication deadline?". Luckily my article will be out next year at the same time as their book (roughly) and when I buy it, I would be very surprised if some of the sources I used didn't appear used in theirs...Still this is the nature of the game.

Still, other people have been really useful with comments and it is kind of necessary to seek the opinions of others to get work up to publishable standards. Since you have presented on this topic, might you have already "staked your claim" in some way and be able to proceed disseminating some of your stuff?

Once my work is in press I have no problem if people start using the stuff ;)

Thanks for your comments. I guess I have been naive about property rights issues. I will proceed with just a truncated description of the thesis and a list of where interested parties can lookup the papers in X or Y journal etc...

Yes, those are good points about saving things in case an academic career does work out. And I hadn't thought about the journal articles being a problem, when of course they are since they are printed in journal. Hmmm, best to stick to descriptions and then cite the papers things are in. I wouldn't want to but the thesis online and then do nothing with it only to discover that somebody's monograph in 5 years looks awfully similar!! Perhaps if I pass and turn it into a book then a description of that.

Hmmm, whacking the thesis online does seem tricky

I am thinking of creating a website after my thesis is over in a few months as a kind of "archive" of my thesis project... a description, copies of my papers, and the thesis, etc. It is a humanities PhD, I don't expect to get an academic job, so it might be a nice way of saying goodbye and making sense of it all. Plus future researchers and general interested persons will fall upon it when they google search. Does anybody have either experience of these or have they seen good ones? I would get help with the design to make sure it is a suitable memorial! ,)

I'm typing "thesis website" etc etc into google and not getting anything I want....

I am quite an uptight person, so I wouldn't ever take my own advice for academic engagements, just this post got me thinking about my own behaviours here...

I find it incredibly difficult to "let go" so in front of colleagues I never have alcohol and find it embarrassing to eat in front of them (not that I am a messy eater, it just makes me feel vulnerable somehow). I like to remember everything I have said and that has been done. But then, this hardly makes me the most affable and charming party guest. So, maria1 don't worry too much - it was a party just prior to Christmas, and you were chatty and people probably enjoyed talking to you and having a good time. People probably had a good time, and so did you. :)

i think that working on a Sunday is tantamount to nocturnal working! ;)

Thanks for clearing this up for me! :)

I am sending off an application to a postdoc next week so putting together materials this week. For the publication list part of it I am putting down the stuff, and annoyingly all four of the things are still "forthcoming" despite my best efforts to get something in-print by this stage :(. The thing is, they have all passed peer review and really ARE forthcoming in the next 6-18 months - the thing is I am not sure if I should use the word "forthcoming" since people use it when they have just sent something off to a journal pending review. Are there more clear or forceful ways of saying "it is coming, honestly!!!!111" or am I just being worriesome! :$ (I'm especially keen about this application since it is one of the few postdocs in my field and I know the hiring panel will especially be scrutinising peoples publications....)

paper ready to send back to the editor for the second round of reviewers comment! :)

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2/3 of the way through my changes, I can do it - i will do it!!!

I will be up until the wee hours doing the corrections on a journal article. it is 23:48 here and I am already exhausted but I reckon in three hours i will be done!

Good luck DanB!

I wish I knew too! I am three months away for handing in, and realise I have so much to do. I even got up early today, and it is 07:15 here and I plan to get some writing in by 9am so I can be proud of something. www.mytomatoes.com helped me for a bit to structure my day, but then, one can just ignore it like I do after a while. I really need a break, so a few days off at Christmas back in the UK will do me good. I am also reducing my coffee to a small tea cup full a day. The mugs that I drink from the departmental coffee maker are too strong and induce headaches and a sense of having jetlag or a hangover. This makes me less productive. So early mornings, and fewer coffees.....let's see how this goes....must have a paper in by friday, so will let you know!

these recent Piled Higher and Deeper comics are apt here" ;-)

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1257

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1255

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1256