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Postdoc job application: plans for publication

4

I would be grateful for any help on this. There isn't an application form, but the University is asking for a statement that includes things specified by them. One section of this statement needs to state "detailed and clear plans for publications from the PhD thesis". I find this a bit confusing. Should I actually include future conferences and journal articles that I might be able to submit papers to, or just clarify some (publishable) chapters and results from my PhD thesis?

I haven't yet submitted my thesis. I don't want to be too specific at this stage as some of the information is confidential. What do you think?

Thank you in advance...

C

I don't know much on this but anyway.....

You might have to explain that your work at this stage is confidential but surely there's something in your work that is publishable (conferences etc)at this stage, that you could submit to this University without being too specific and without giving too much away.

I hope this helps.

4

Thank you Cryogenics. Yes, it helps. Do you think I should give examples of where I could submit these papers? A few possible future conferences or journals?

C

Absolutely. I think it'll show the University that you are thinking about the future (with respect to publications) and have a clear plan for it.

J

It may be because they realise that it takes time to get papers publised from a PhD thesis, and they don't want to exclude recent graduates with no papers (yet) - from what I've seen it takes a year or so after submission to get the papers out.

4

yes, I see what you mean juno. It sounds right.
Thank you.

V

I think it could look like this: I plan to prepare X publications:
1) On the effects of long term exposure of X on Y to be sent to American Journal of Exposure by 01.01.2008
2) on the ....... to be sent to....by
etc etc

V

just a note: the topics you will write your papers on dont need to be very specific, just give some rough idea what will you be doing+ make impression that you have certain plans not only a vague idea that you want to publish. But the more specific you will be, the more persuasive will be your application.

4

verdy, thank you very much. I've just started listing them according to advice here, and I'll try to be as specific as I can; I think you are right.

S

hey 404,
we recently had a information session on "getting a job" (i am in social sciences) and we were told among other things that even when not specifically required, some applicants write up all kinds of 'planned' publications.
this is sometimes useful, we heard, from the point of view of the people who judge the applications, to see a) if the applicant has a clear idea of where he/she is heading, that is, if he/she is actually heading somewhere; and b) to see if the applicant is totally one-sided and narrow in his/her interest, or rather has wide interests that are not just topic-related but cover, for example, methods, and general theory, too. since they are not out to employ a specialist of your field, but someone who is good for the discipline as a whole.
so maybe you can take account of this in your list. it's just what i've heard though, so no guarantees!

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