======= Date Modified 12 Jan 2012 22:23:01 =======
Hi all,

I know that there is a huge range in candidate-supervisor relationships, but I was just wondering the extent to which people consult theirs before submitting: abstracts for conferences, conference papers, submissions to journals.

I am in my first year, and have seen a few conferences I'm interested in applying to, but don't know whether I should be showing my pieces to my supervisor or just trusting my own judgement. I feel reasonably confident submitting abstracts (with the intention of showing my sup the actual paper should I be accepted and write one), but I don't know if it is considered bad practice not to run even abstracts by them first.

I have a good relationship with my sup. In my experience, I discussed abstracts and papers with her verbally, but submitted drafts for journal submissions. It could be a matter of the supervisor's advising style. There's probably no harm in asking what she or he prefers.

The abstract you submit for a conference can be used in the conference literature on the web, so I would run it past supervisor before submitting just in case there are errors you might have missed.

I was in a group meeting where one chap proudly started to show supervisor poster for conference - first supervisor knew about it. Supervisor asked to see abstract - it had a grammatical error in the title.
Running past supervisor just gives that extra check even if you are sure there can be no mistakes and it reads well.

I tend to run everything past supervisor - especially asking for permission to attend a conference before I even think of abstract submitting. In your first year you may not have much research to show and your supervisor may prefer you wait until you have more material before you start attending things.

======= Date Modified 13 Jan 2012 08:49:45 =======
Thanks, Waddett. Your points are why I do want to ask her, but I was concerned that it makes me seem like I am too reliant on permission and not just using my own initiative. Also, there has been a long gap since our last meeting and sending emails doesn't seem to be helping!

Thanks, Dalmation, I think I will just ask outright, even though I hate bringing these types of things up! *curses social anxiety*

I don't think you should feel shy about bringing it up, Lughna. Your sup might actually appreciate being asked!

I think Wadett's example really illustrates the point about "advising style" - my sup won't correct spelling and grammatical errors. She would - in the nicest way - suggest getting someone to proofread for that. Yet, in terms of the concept, she'll give great feedback and have a million suggestions about how to polish the draft. On the other hand, if your sup's style is very "hands-on" she (he?) might be put off if you don't show her everything first.

At a conference you are not just representing yourself/your work but also your department and PI (whether you make that explicit or not). So I'd be reluctant to submit an abstract without running it past my supervisor first. I am aware, though, that there are different cultures in different fields - e.g. in science you hardly ever see anything single author, whereas I gather in arts/humanities it's more usual for a piece of work to just have one author. In the latter case, perhaps there is less pressure to get permission, but I'd still be inclined to check first.

Just to add...
you used your initiative in identifying a conference to attend and writing an abstract. You certainly don't come across as needy or over-reliant. If you don't like to think of it as 'asking permission' then just frame it as 'I'm planning to submit this abstract to this conference but I'm just giving you the opportunity to comment on it first if you so wish.'

Having initiative doesn't mean making every decision independently of your superiors.

Hi Lughna,

I agree with the comments below about consulting with your supervisor & just wanted to add that, in my experience, this reflects what happens in academia. My supervisor asked for my comments on a paper she was writing, one that she had already consulted 2 of her colleagues about, so the notion of gaining fresh perspective on your own work seems to be of benefit. If you think of the PhD experience as training then it makes sense to get that support.