Hi, MeaninginLife,

I do believe the whole consequence is due to politics between A and B. The original plan of after my graduation was doing my post-doc with A in Germany. The B also expressed a willing that collaborates with the A through me. It means the B bet some hopes on the A to apply funds in Germany. We only had a verbal agreement on that. However, I have to apply my own fund that there is no guarantee I could secure the money. At the beginning of this year, I started to spread my CVs to the available open positions on the job market. One day, the A asked me about whether I was looking for a job. I suppose an employer had checked my background with A, which is very strange to be happened before interviewing. So there is no reason to let them thinking I would like to stay at University.

The thesis is comprehensive enough at this stage. I have done all necessary experiments. Certainly, there are more I could do, which, however, will beyond my topic. I have deleted about a fifth of my original draft content, because those contents (1) seems not relevant to the main point of the thesis, (2) the content of the A could not understand, (3) the content of that the B thinks I should delete and A would like me to add.

This morning I get back a chapter which was published before. The B have spent a week of making many comments on this chapter. In a hour later, the A sent back an email showing he disagrees the ALL comments. I was thinking the B just need have a general look on it. and now he disagrees the content has already published with his name on it?! and he has spent a week to do so. So what is the whole point of this revision ?? Note that I have paid the activity :)

There are only two chapter left, which the last one is a much shorter chapter for conclusion. I hope the B can finish the whole thing soon. I do not deserve this.

MeaninginLife,

I just recalled a case in my department. Some supervisor and co-supervisors had been holding several paper drafts of a student for a couple of years by using excuse of "I am busy". That student left the department without any publications in the early of last year. After he's leaving, these supervisors started to publish these articles, of course, the student is not the first author.

If your supervisor does not productive, and does not have many students working for him/her, you'd better the keep your draft and data in a safer place.

Zheng, I was not in Germany. German universities are very good universities for researching, especially, in engineering field. German researchers are very friendly and supportive in a team environment. I have made lots of negative points here, however, those only happens in my case. Remember keep producing publishable results is the best way to keep you safe.

Hi Ywan459,

When A asked whether you were looking for a job, you could tell him you need to have backup plan... You could have discussed the possibility of post-doc at the same time.

There is nothing really wrong for B to make new comments on this chapter. Just because the chapter was published, does not mean that it must be perfect. (To comment "This chapter is perfect!" may suggest laziness.) Just be open-minded: maybe B is wrong, but it could suggest how the thesis could be polished. Note that once your thesis is submitted, you may discover some weaknesses like typos which you wish they were eliminated before submission. It happens to me.

Anyway, one of my external examiners has expressed interest to collaborate with me on a paper related to my thesis. However, he could be the first author; he is often the first author in publications. Perhaps, his students and colleagues do not mind because he is the Head of Department. Since he is an editor of a journal, so I hope this paper will be published soon. Even second author is fine.

Hi, MeaninginLife,

Thanks. Yesterday, the B sent me an email about he would like me to ask a 3-month extension for reading a 20 pages long chapter, because it is unpublished. I am shocked by this. Today, I expressed a few reasons that I am able to wait in such long period. He said (1) I should ask extension, and (2) he also believe I should go to work and not worry about my extension. I do not understand what suddenly takes him 3-month to read a chapter, and why he thought I could secure a job without submitting my PhD Thesis.

They know I am not going to work on this subject after I finish the PhD. The current chapter he is reading has not been published yet. I guess, they (A and B) worried about no one will continue this work and some content in my thesis will remain in an unpublished state. They want the paper.

Hi ywan459,

Are you sure you want to wait for 3 more months? Did you have feeling of heart-attack? :-)
200 pages of thesis can be read by most examiners in less than 2 months.
Can you tell him that you can be responsible for any outcome of the examination? major revision is fine?

If not, try to start working soon? Or ask B to help you to find a job? Since he creates this problem...
Or quickly write this chapter as a paper?