The Ivory Tower

Storyteller

01:54

short workshop paper, I will look into what that is. I dont expect to compete with a tenured professor, but I think a few papers here and there over the next year or so will go a long way towards getting dissertation and research funding,

Stan Shunpike

02:14

hello

when I applied to college, I read a bunch of books on things like "factors to consider when applying to college" by stuff like Princeton review, etc

What are the analogous sources one would consult if considering a PhD in statistics?

ff524

03:18

@Storyteller At many conferences in e.g. computer science, there are also co-located workshops held the same week in the same place. The workshops are intended for work-in-progress, that is not quite mature enough for a full-length conference or journal paper.

@StanShunpike While this Q&A is phrased as "How should I choose which offer to accept", I think for the most part it works equally well for "How should I decide where to apply":

32

Q: I've been admitted to multiple PhD programs, how should I choose between them?

I've been admitted to more than one PhD program, and I'm having a very hard time making a decision. The programs I'm accepted to have advantages and disadvantages with respect to one another. How do I weigh the relative importance of difference aspects of the program in order to make an optimal ...

It's a Q&A that consolidates advice from many other questions and answers on this site.

Stan Shunpike

@ff524 That's definitely a helpful link. thanks for sharing it

also thanks for your other comments. they were very helpful.

ff524

@StanShunpike Also: I just googled "factors to consider when applying to college" and was not impressed with the advice I found :)

Stan Shunpike

03:41

@ff524 hmmm that's good to know

I was concerned that just googling around wasn't a good place to start

A couple friends of mine are interested in doing PhDs in the US but were unsure about things like funding and what not. They are a year ahead of me so I thought I would help them research a bit and see what we could find

Storyteller

i had a chance to write a chapter in a book for a proff, I got tied up in other things and focused on finishing my coursework as fast as possible

ff524

@StanShunpike Probably a good idea to just click around the [graduate-admissions] tag on this site for a while to just get a feel for things.

Storyteller

i am trying to stay in contact, she mentioned wanting some input on a course

Stan Shunpike

hmmm nice idea. that might help stimulate thinking and more questions

@ff524

ff524

@StanShunpike Especially this one:

67

Q: How does the admissions process work for Ph.D. programs in the US, particularly for weak or borderline students?

When applying to a PhD program in the US, how does the admissions process work? If an applicant is weak in a particular area, is it possible to offset that by being strong in a different area? Note that this question originated from this meta answer. Please feel free to edit the question to impr...

phd graduate-admissions united-states

Basically, your friends should be trying to prepare themselves to apply to and get accepted to the strongest departments that they possibly can.

Ideally they'll then end up with a few attractive offers, including funding, and can then choose the one that is the best fit for them.

Stan Shunpike

03:51

@ff524 That's a really good one too.

@ff524 How does the finding an adviser process work? Do you have to get in touch with an adviser before you apply or is that something u do once in the program?

ff524

@StanShunpike I'm pretty sure we have a question about that, one sec and I'll see if I can dig it up for you :)

Stan Shunpike

Do all PhDs have single advisers or is it like committees?

@ff524 Thanks so much. This is such a cool SE. Never really used it before. Very welcoming.

ff524

@StanShunpike Hmmm, I'm pretty sure we have one question, but I can't find it.

Anyways, the "finding an advisor" thing varies by department. Sometimes, a department admits a bunch of students, and then afterwards assigns them to advisors, or they have to assign themselves to advisors. Sometimes, students are admitted to work with a particular advisor, but the students don't do that themselves - the admissions committee does. Sometimes, the student finds the potential advisor before applying.

Stan Shunpike

Does finding a potential advisor beforehand influence your chances of getting in?

ff524

@StanShunpike See this question:

9

Q: Is it unwise to contact the professor directly before getting admitted to a program in US?

In his answer of Details an applicant should include/exclude in an introductory letter to a prospective grad school adviser?, aeismail says If the program in question is in the US, for instance, you should probably never contact the professor directly until after you've been admitted into the...

graduate-admissions professors united-states interview

Stan Shunpike

03:56

@ff524 yeah that is spot on

very interesting

ff524

@StanShunpike Most PhDs have a single advisor. Some may be co-advised by two advisors, if e.g. their research incorporates part of both advisors' areas of expertise. There is also a thesis committee, but they don't play nearly the same role as the advisor.

Stan Shunpike

Interesting. Do graduate students ever work without an advisor or is that a central part of the PhD process?

Storyteller

the program I am trying to get into, I am told repeatedly to contact people and try to get in good with them

i might as well not have had an adviser for my masters work

ff524

@StanShunpike For a PhD, you definitely need an advisor.

Stan Shunpike

@ff524 Why?

Storyteller

03:59

I am seeing that. its almost like they sponsor you as a candidate

Stan Shunpike

@Storyteller Was your advisor just unhelpful?

ff524

@StanShunpike A PhD is basically a research apprenticeship. You are apprenticed to your advisor, and they train you in doing research.

Storyteller

inexperienced, in a department where that is not as central

now that I have my masters, i can actually get in to some of the programs I want, and having a team of people I can work with is more and more important

Stan Shunpike

@ff524 Does this mean they train you primarily in like research methods and how to write and prepare papers? Or is it also partly networking and helping you make connections with other researchers in the field so you have social capital to work with once you complete your degree too?

ff524

@StanShunpike All of the above, if you have a good advisor. (And having a good advisor is really, really, really important.)

@Storyteller Supervising masters students is really hard, and there isn't really much of an incentive structure set up to reward faculty for doing it. Masters students have it tough :(

Storyteller

04:03

she was dept head, first year on the job, Im no easy student, Im driven, ambitious and focused

Stan Shunpike

@ff524 You had a really good answer that explained the differences between international students vs US residents in getting funding for PhDs

@ff524 Why are masters programs not funded as well?

that seemed to be the drift i was getting in the comments

ff524

@StanShunpike Yes, masters programs in the US don't usually come with that kind of funding.

Storyteller

I can say, I never got an email offering suggestions on books or papers, never once asked to read an assignment

there were 2 admin and 2 teaching assistantships in the dept

for a masters

Stan Shunpike

@ff524 So I was looking at the University of Chicago's statistics department and they said they usually admit 10 PhD candidates. When you compare that to the number of college students they admit, that is smaller by a magnitude of 100 at least. Why so few candidates?

@ff524 I know it probably varies between programs

@ff524 but how many students does that mean likely apply? cuz 500 applicants for 10 spots isn't great odds

ff524

@StanShunpike PhD students require a LOT of department resources, particularly for supervision. So of course the ratio of undergrads to full time faculty can be a lot higher than the ratio of PhD students to full time faculty.

Stan Shunpike

04:09

That makes sense and was kind of what I was thinking.

But, from an application strategy standpoint, if 500 apply for 10 spots, then you need to do a LOT of applications to different programs or else you'll get rejected from everywhere.

@ff524

ff524

@StanShunpike You do need to apply to a lot of programs. But it's not just a numbers game; you need to apply to programs where you are a good fit, and have a better chance of acceptance, not just spam every program out there.

Also 500 applicants sounds like a very high estimate

Stan Shunpike

I made that number up

I have absolutely no idea

ff524

Stanford for example gets about 120 applicants a year for 10-12 phd students: statistics.stanford.edu/academics/phd-admissions-faq

Stan Shunpike

@ff524 that's a good one too

interesting

@ff524 Here's another one that's been bugging me. So colleges make a large effort to create a diverse body. What about Ph.D. programs? Do they discriminate based on race, gender, etc? For minority candidates, is this something applicants can leverage during the application process?

or is the number so small this won't matter

ff524

@StanShunpike Undergraduate admissions is totally different from PhD admissions.

Undergraduate admissions is handled by an undergraduate admissions office. They do all kinds of... things.

Stan Shunpike

04:15

@ff524 :`D you're making this difference clear

ff524

PhD admissions is by a committee of faculty members in the department. They are basically trying to admit strong students, who have shown evidence of research potential and look like they will be good, contributing members of the department.

Stan Shunpike

So given the small numbers, it's very merit based only?

ff524

@StanShunpike Let's just say that an undergraduate admissions office is concerned with admitting an interesting, diverse, group of students. A STEM PhD admissions committee is mainly concerned with admitting strong researchers.

@StanShunpike There's this:

11

Q: Are ethnic "minorities" given preference in PhD admissions in the US?

I have a question about college education, or more specifically, admittance into college education in the US. Since as far as I remember, I've always heard that colleges or universities in the US have a sort of special preference for admitting people that are considered "minorities". I would lik...

phd graduate-admissions united-states ethnicity

But realistically, it is not something that makes a meaningful difference.

Stan Shunpike

@ff524 In terms of prestige, is there a sensible / logical way to decide whether a PhD is worth doing at a given school?

@ff524 Would a worthwhile plan be to just apply, see where you can get in, and then ask people if it's worth it to go to the best option you have available?

ff524

@StanShunpike I think that question I referenced above gives some good advice on that.

1 hour ago, by ff524

32

Q: I've been admitted to multiple PhD programs, how should I choose between them?

I've been admitted to more than one PhD program, and I'm having a very hard time making a decision. The programs I'm accepted to have advantages and disadvantages with respect to one another. How do I weigh the relative importance of difference aspects of the program in order to make an optimal ...

phd graduate-admissions advisor funding

It's not like there's a list of departments that are "worth it" and others that are not "worth it." You have to figure out what is important to you and what your short- and long-term goals are, then see if any of the departments you were admitted to will get you there.

Stan Shunpike

04:24

@ff524 Yeah, you're right it does a good job.

@ff524 When I applied to colleges, I had like tiers of schools. Like ideal, middle ground, safety

Once I got into a prestigious enough safety school, I didn't need to do a lot more

other people I knew did like 17 or 20 apps while I did 8

In contrast to this experience

Many of my friends applied for internships for this summer in finance. And they had to submit several dozen at least each to companies because it is so competitive.

For a statistics PhD, how many apps do you expect one would need to do?

Sorry that was a really long question. I'm just contrasting two experiences I have had

and trying to understand how to think about the PhD application process

ff524

@StanShunpike I'm not in statistics. Sorry, I have no idea. Normally I would advise someone to consult with professors in their undergrad university on where to apply and how many programs to apply to. But it sounds like your friend doesn't have those kind of resources, so I'm not sure what to suggest.

Stan Shunpike

I have those resources

and I'm planning to do that

as I'm interested

okay that's helpful too

@ff524 alrighty, i think thats all I had. thanks so much for your advice

it was super helpful

what area are you in by the way?

out of curiosity

ff524

@StanShunpike Electrical engineering. specifically, communication networks

Stan Shunpike

omg that was like the most hardcore major when I was at Caltech

EE is super interesting but so difficult

ff524

@StanShunpike Lol. I agree with "super interesting", at least.

Stan Shunpike

04:30

:) difficulty is all relative I suppose

ff524

@Storyteller Have you finalized your plans for next year? Last time you were in here you were considering a Plan B, if I recall correctly.

Storyteller

I just got into a grad certificate program in life science innovation

so im at least out of the rain for the year

ff524

What is "life science innovation"?

It sounds fascination, but I have no idea what it is :)

Storyteller

and Im going for an Ed. S on the way to a PhD in Information Sciences and Learning technologies

its exactly what it sounds like

ff524

It sounds like an entrepreneurship course specifically for biotech startups and things like that. Am I close?

Storyteller

04:35

its just 12 hrs, 4 classes, one from bio on life science, one from engineering on bio engineering, one from management on managing life science projects and one on clinical trials and clinical research

ff524

Ah, ok. sounds interesting.

Storyteller

yeah, I thought it would be good, I am trying to write grants for my company

ff524

I have been following the Theranos drama...

Storyteller

and I want to work with EEGs for computers and such

Theranos?

link plx?

ff524

npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/07/18/486171949/…

In cartoon form :)

I like Ars Technica's coverage, if you are interested in getting into the whole thing: arstechnica.com/search/?ie=UTF-8&q=theranos

Storyteller

04:41

no thats plenty thx, yeah, its a grad certificate in regulatory and management issues with bring life science technology to consumers

like fit bit, and mindwave and probably pacemakers too

ff524

How does that lead towards "Information Sciences and Learning technologies"?

Storyteller

though thats not my focus

well its a bridge program for me, but using EEGs, eyetracking and biometrics

specifically trying to correlate n400 and eyetracking events

I should probably study up on this stuff and write a grant proposal and learn about a lot of funding agencies

I need 9 hours that arent ISLT anyway for a support area

ff524

What are you trying to get funding for, specifically?

Storyteller

so, I think there is some cool stuff we can use a few biometric devices for

I want a bunch of EEG headsets and some software for my department

ff524

You mean for a university department?

Storyteller

04:45

yes

if I got a few extra bucks to help get people in for the study and extra eye tracking bars great

ff524

not clear to me how the timeline on that will work. you're doing a short certificate program. Assuming your proposal is funded, by the time you write the proposal, submit it, get it reviewed, and the money comes through, you are long gone.

Storyteller

but I think it will be ok, I have a few years to get ready and start writing the code

well, it will be 3-4 semesters, they only offer 1 class at a time right now, here

online.missouri.edu/degreeprograms/medicine/life-science/…

division 1 research university : )

and that 'gets my foot in the door' and I will apply to the Ed S in a few weeks and then the PhD for spring selection

ff524

You are planning to stay there for PhD, you mean.

Storyteller

so, my support area for my phd in information sciences, will in using eeg to measure learning or cognition

yes

ed s, then phd

the edS, is 2 classes, then a year of design and a year of development. Im going to make an educational game

and that half my hours/most of my coursework

I'll have a year left, I have to do a residency of 1 year on campus, so I will conduct my study then

and then a year of dissertation and write up all my findings and present and do exams and defense and Im done

ff524

You know that a student won't be able to submit a proposal to a funding agency like NSF, you'll need a professor to be the PI.

Storyteller

04:50

5 years give or take

yeah

I found 14 places for possible funding, some I can apply for, some my dept does

ff524

Most science funding in the US is from NSF or NIH. Proposals are submitted by individual faculty, not department.

Storyteller

thats why this year on LSIE is cool, I can figure out which ones to write, get a grant manuscript going and submit to as many as allowed over and over until I get one

yeah, I gotcha

there are 2-3 people Im looking at asking

but there are private foundations that fund research students too

I'll be applying at 5-6

over the next 3 years I guess

until I have 10, $800 headsets in my department to run a variety of studies with

not just mine, but Ican think of 4-5 things Id do if I had them

ff524

Oh, you're only talking about 8k

Storyteller

...I think if I really go all out on trying to land the grant, they will count it as part of my 'professional service'

um, I want more than that

I will certainly write, at least once, for an OMG I wish $500K to build an addition on the building, but I doubt I'll get it

Im thinking 10-20K for stuff and if Im lucky, 35K over 2-3 years to fund me

ff524

I'm not sure that's a productive strategy for getting funding, but OK, good luck with that.

Storyteller

04:56

towards tuition and an apartment near campus

I want to write one that big for the practice

like, with help from the guy who has 14 million in funding on his cv

I really want to get on his good side, cookies or brownies?

its certainly the right place to learn how to 'win big'

and I really want very little comparatively, so I think I might be ok

I really should each year, write for a private grant to do an educational game, Id be happy doing that

but I love the direction eeg and bci is going

cyberpsionics is just around the corner

combining your eeg based input, with the internet of things and augmented reality

I get to work with all that stuff and educational videogames too

Im, excited about the future.

as for what money to ask for, from whom, and how much, well, thats why Im giving myself a year in this program to find out, I will ask a lot of people for help on these grants and what to do

ff524

There is an opportunity cost to all of the things you are suggesting. For example, writing a competitive grant proposal takes a lot of time and energy. If you are devoting time to that, you are spending less time on research, which in turn decreases the chances that your proposal will be funded (because you personally are less competitive).

I suggest focusing on quality over quantity.

Storyteller

thats a good idea

might only need to write once

but, I mean I wont give up if a few places turn me down, I'll keep improving and tailoring the proposal until I get it

have these guys with 'PI or Co-PI of 25 projects with a 37 pg cv' tell me what to change

ff524

That's really not how it works.

Storyteller

I dont ever want a CV thats more than 5 pages long

i dont get that, just, every little conference you so much as had a coke at

now if you wrote a book, or a chapter and you have 37 pages of published papers, sure

I just dont get that. I like the 5-6 page style, just the most important highlights

but, those guys with all those conference attendances and every student the had coffee with on tuesdays listed, they get the money

ff524

That's... also, really not how it works.

Storyteller

05:07

I suppose Im being a bit cynical

ff524

If your CV is padded with pages of stuff that has nothing to do with your research, teaching, and service, then it really won't help you get funded.

Storyteller

um, Im referring to CVs Ive been reading this week

some in my dept have 37, 26, 50+ pg cvs

ff524

Do you have an example in mind?

Storyteller

most others have 6-9

ff524

Long CVs are not a problem. People who have been doing this for a while will of course have long CVs

Storyteller

05:09

some of them have just as longof careers

ff524

Do you have a CV in mind that has lots of irrelevant stuff in it?

Storyteller

its not irrelevant, I just think half that stuff shouldnt go on a cv at all

it seems silly

some choose to list all the conferences they attend, and all the students they mentored etc

others just list their publications and teaching and such

ff524

Students mentored is definitely important and not silly at all.

I've never seen anyone list all the conferences they attend. Conferences they presented at, sure.

Storyteller

well, I think presented and conference mean different things here

I think they have a specialized meaning beyond common use Im not real sure on

to me, a conference is like a big deal with several thousand people in attendance

ff524

Why? Interesting and useful things happen at small conferences, too. Personally, I prefer small conferences. At the very big conferences there are many parallel tracks, and the audience for individual talks tends to be smaller.

Storyteller

05:14

going to a hotel in kansas city for a night and meeting up with 26 people doesnt seems like something Id put on my cv

thats just part of work to me

to me, well, a lot of stuff listed is just 'work' if you are an academic, I dont need to know what the person did every week of their career or whatever

often, listing a conference doesnt tell me much, just that that week, you were there,

so, I see another style with just the mor important items, and it seems more, idk, readable, sensible, less superfluos

wait, thats it, CVs are supposed to tell you what somebody has done and knows, and after a certain, they stop doing that and turn into a wall of text

they become to big to easily convey the information intended

too^

now, that said, the one that were long, were the ones that had gotten the most funding

ff524

A US CV isn't really supposed to be a summary. (Although some people also make a "highlights" CV.) It is supposed to be an exhaustive list of a person's academic accomplishments. There are other ways to tell people the most important things you have done.

Storyteller

is it ok to not have one or care about them?

or do I have to have this trophy case too?

I find it.. ugly

ff524

If you don't want to be in academia, interact with other people in academia, or get funding from places that fund academics, then sure, you don't need a CV.

Storyteller

is that the only way to be an academic? to do research and explore new technology?

ff524

It's like saying you find your transcript of your coursework "ugly". A CV is just a record of all the stuff that you did as a researcher, like a transcript is a record of all the courses you took as a student.

Storyteller

05:21

mind you, I have a handful of degrees, they are all still in the envelopes they came in, one is a bookmark

those things just arent what matters to me, the work itself is all I want to focus on

do I need one before I get a PhD?

ff524

You don't have to "focus" on your CV. Nobody "focuses" on their CV. You just write up the list of stuff you did and then when an application or something asks for a CV, you submit it.

Storyteller

I wouldnt even know what to put on it

I tell you what, if I ever do anything I think is worth telling the world about, I will have some nice student draw one up for me

until then, I see no use in it

ff524

The use of it is basically for when things require it. Like PhD applications, funding proposals, promotion and tenure reviews, etc. That's all it is.

Storyteller

would I put grant proposals I wrote but didnt get?

ff524

No

Storyteller

05:25

that I was a finalist in an entrepreneurial competition?

ff524

I wouldn't.

Storyteller

right, I wouldnt know what to list

I was published in a Phi Theta Kappa journal, its was judged/selected but not reviewed

I got that right before I got my Associates

only non-fiction selection

I have several essays Ive written Id like to compile and see about getting published

ff524

Degrees earned, publications, conference and seminar presentations not represented in the publications list, courses taught (or TAed), students supervised, service activities (like organizing conference session etc.), other research affiliations (like visiting scholar type things), major awards, outreach activities related to your field.

Storyteller

i put together and did the opening ceremony at a Phi Theta Kappa inauguration, donated stuff for a affle and to the Joplin tornado survivors, i went to our regionals at K State for the weekend

are honor's society memberships and functions worth listing?

I put my memberships on my resume

ff524

I don't put those on my CV

8

Q: Does membership of academic honour societies carry any professional weight / recognition?

I understand honour societies have been around for years and it is a tradition more prevalent in the western world to recognise outstanding academic talent. The largest honour society is perhaps the Golden Key which operates worldwide and has over 2 million members. It provides a range of servi...

cv honor-societies

Storyteller

05:30

VP of Service in Phi Theta Kappa and member of Phi Kappa Phi

do you have a whole bunch of other stuff to list other than 'i got good grades in college so far'?

ff524

Yes, this stuff:

4 mins ago, by ff524

Degrees earned, publications, conference and seminar presentations not represented in the publications list, courses taught (or TAed), students supervised, service activities (like organizing conference session etc.), other research affiliations (like visiting scholar type things), major awards, outreach activities related to your field.

I don't have a "service activities" section but I have a little bit of each of the rest.

Storyteller

I dont really, and clearly I need to put something togteher so I will have enough academic/intellectual merit to actually get my company/education funded (because that does count)

as for classes taught, I need to send out applications to as many jocus as possible

and try to get a few classes as an adjunct

ff524

Probably not as good a use of your time as research/publishing would be, unless you plan to pursue a career as a professor. (And even then, research/publishing will still be worth more as long as you have just a little bit of teaching experience.)

Although it's a nice way to earn a little extra $

Storyteller

um, I figure I will do 10 years teaching at a juco to pay off the loans

unless I hit a grant and can fund an egame or some eeg software or something for the company

ff524

Do you know how much adjunct jobs pay in your area/field?

Storyteller

05:36

um, nothing

like, pennies

ff524

Then, probably not the best use of your time.

Storyteller

but if I do it for 10 years, they write off my loans

I could do peace corps, or do educatoinal material for a nonprofit, like homebuyer education

but, ten years of public service

doing that, would be worth doing

ff524

You won't exactly have time for research if you're doing public service full time.

Storyteller

money is nice, but I can build a couple houses and sell them if I want $250K to go to space for an hour

right, its the backup plan

write for funding forthe company, try among several things Im good at the get that startup money

ff524

Well, good luck with all that. I have to go.

Storyteller

05:40

and if I dont get that 'golden business grant' then I will teach, and do public service and well, work for ten years until I do

have a good night

ciao

enderland

14:16

do you guys want this one? it's technically about job stuff but all strictly within academia

0

Q: Is it ok to send an email request to hiring manager for an interview for an internal position?

I request your help for making the best move to get an interview. Here is the case. I am working under the President of a top university and due to funding issues, my project will not be extended. He tried to keep me within the team but due to administrative issues, he can't keep me for long. Me...

job-search

Wrzlprmft

15:36

@enderland I am not sure that this is an academical job. At least in my country, somebody working in the office of the president or similar is very likely a bureaucrat and not an academic. Even if we are talking about academics here, the situation is probably so far off typical academic employment situations that it is better fit for the Workplace.

ff524

17:35

I love this experiment:

utpjournals.press/doi/10.3138/jsp.47.4.307

"An Expanded Approach to Evaluating Open Access Journals". The author evaluates the quality of the peer review at some spammy OA journals by submitting some (non-research) papers written by her 13- and 15-year-old daughters and their friends for school assignments.

You can bypass the paywall to read the full paper with this link: http://bit.ly/OpenAccess_Ray (via scholarlyoa.com/2016/07/19/…)

Wrzlprmft

@ff524 … turns out that the daughters are actual geniuses.

ff524

@Wrzlprmft ?

Wrzlprmft

@ff524 Well, I would expect that their papers got accepted with overwhelming praise.

at least by some journals.

ff524

> Six journals accepted the submission without revisions; one accepted the paper with revisions; and one decision was ‘revise and resubmit.’ Only one submission was rejected, based on the paper's word count, which was below the required minimum. The journal suggested that the paper be expanded and resubmitted.

That's quite a title, that last one: "International Journal of Research". I Googled it and the short tagline is: "Scholarly articles by scholars and researchers."

:)

Next time I feel like procrastinating with something fun but useless, I am going to write a "Sketchy OA Journal Title and Description Generator".

Wrzlprmft

17:54

@ff524 You can even make money with this. A bot that completely automatically creates predatory journals, does the reviews, and caches in the money.

ff524

@Wrzlprmft You forgot "scrape recently presented conference abstracts and spam authors with invitations to submit to our journals"

@Wrzlprmft Actually, an interesting experiment would be to write a bot to:
1. Create fake journals and journal websites, ignore all submissions from human authors
2. Generate scigen and mathgen papers for publication in our journals with plausible-sounding titles containing latest buzzwords. heavily cite cross-cite other papers in our journals
3. Watch as human authors cite our highly relevant, highly cited papers without reading them (or worse, reading them and still believing that they're relevant).

2

Wrzlprmft

Sokal affair

The Sokal affair, also called the Sokal hoax, was a publishing hoax perpetrated by Alan Sokal, a physics professor at New York University and University College London. In 1996, Sokal submitted an article to Social Text, an academic journal of postmodern cultural studies. The submission was an experiment to test the journal's intellectual rigor and, specifically, to investigate whether "a leading North American journal of cultural studies – whose editorial collective includes such luminaries as Fredric Jameson and Andrew Ross – [would] publish an article liberally salted with nonsense if (a) it...

ff524

@Wrzlprmft but that didn't involve bots :)

Wrzlprmft

18:09

Well, everything is better with robots …

So, let’s destroy academia with a bot-created stealth parody …

We should not forget to make the whole thing such that we cannot turn it off.

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