A Guide to the Scientific Career. Группа авторов
target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="#ulink_33d5cae8-3148-50cb-8650-2423eb2a038c">5Available from http://www.researchranking.org/index.php.6Available from www.umultirank.org.7Available from http://klab.smpp.northwestern.edu/h-index.html.8For an extensive and critical review of the h‐index and other similar indices see Panaretos and Malesios (2009).9For an up‐to‐date description on the h‐index and some of its most important variants, see Schreiber et al. (2012).10Publish or Perish User's Manual (2008) is available at http://www.harzing.com/resources.htm#/pop.htm.
10 Manners in Academics
R. Shane Tubbs
Seattle Science Foundation, Seattle, WA, USA
10.1 General Aspects
Unfortunately, there is not a manual that one can consult on the topic of manners in an academic career. Although not totally inclusive, I have used the mantra of “Accommodate, Collaborate, Facilitate, and Communicate” in my career as an academician. On the surface, this may sound overly simplistic and flowery. However, to date, following this mantra has resulted in my continued enjoyment of (and employment in) academia and the recruitment of others into the field. This chapter will discuss manners in academics with a focus on academic writing and publishing.
10.1.1 Accommodate
Follow the Golden Rule.
A career in academics should not be an isolated endeavor. Too many academics see themselves as living in an ivory tower and shun not only their colleagues but also others in the field. Treat others as you would want them to treat you. This should go beyond your peers and should also include anyone that you deal with on a day‐to‐day basis such as secretarial support, librarians, students, and research technologists.
10.1.2 Collaborate
Strengthening one's own academic career can be achieved through a comprehensive chain of collaborators. Such collaborations take time to establish but are well worth the investment. Collaborators not only enhance your own academic pursuits but also allow your work to be disseminated to those who may have otherwise not have appreciated it fully. Collaborators should be viewed as part of the team, and although not at your own institution, they can have a profound effect on the discipline in which you study.
10.1.3 Facilitate
By facilitating, I mean fully engaging and assisting academic colleagues. For example, if a peer requests a pdf of one of your publications, don't wait to reply but find the paper and send it the same day, if possible. This not only assists the colleague but also shows that you are willing to go the extra mile for colleagues. In other words, don't let the sun set on requests from colleagues if at all possible. If the Golden Rule stands up, then when you need the same favor, it is more likely to be returned to you. Another example is reviewing papers or chapters for colleagues. Especially if you are a co‐author, never hold up the colleague by procrastinating and not reviewing the document for them in a timely manner. These examples all boil down to greasing the academic wheel. This “wheel” not only moves you around in academic circles but also supports your colleagues who will, in turn, support you when the time comes.
10.1.4 Communicate
Communicating with your peers can be one of the largest hurdles for some in regards to manners in academics. Many researchers are often introverts, and this can lead to miscommunication and lack of communication between peers. Without constant and timely communication with your peers, such things as collaboration can come to a grinding halt. Therefore, I advise students and colleagues who are interested in optimizing their academics and, specific for this chapter, manners in academics to prioritize and maximize communications. This can be as simple as updating collaborators as to the timeline of a publication or keeping them abreast of abstracts when they are published.
Lastly, if a colleague calls or emails you, respond to them in as reasonable a time as possible. A rule that has yet to be well defined is how quickly an academic colleague should respond to missed phone calls or emails from other colleagues, students, or research assistants. My rule of thumb is to do so within one day of the initial contact. This is not always possible, such as when one is out of the country or at a meeting, but for me, it has resulted in a fruitful co‐existence with colleagues. Collaborators will not only appreciate your timely response but will equate these to your enthusiasm for their contact and as a potential future collaborator. In other words, don't burn bridges by simply being inattentive to your peers and their phone calls/emails.
10.2 Manners in Academic Writing and Publishing
What are academic manners in writing and publishing? Do they exist in scholarly writing? Are manners in academic writing necessary? Many writers in academia may have never considered that there are unsaid “rules” of academic writing that not only establish a researcher/writer in their scientific community but also can help in propelling the writer in their field. Some aspects of being “polite” in academic writing may seem trivial but others are so important, that not following them may result in a writer being labeled as difficult. Such a label will not only potentially taint the writer's work but also the department/institution that they hail from. Herein, I will discuss several aspects of this topic that I believe, if followed, can help the academic writer become well known in their field and have their work more widely appreciated and potentially, published. The focus of this chapter will be on the academician and their writing, submitting and publishing in the peer review process. As a writer, author, reviewer, and editor, I believe that I have a unique perspective from which to address this topic.
10.2.1 Do Academic Manners in Writing Exist?
The simple answer to this question is yes. However, there is no standardized source that one is able to consult for rules or regulations. As there are no guidelines on this topic, many authors are simply clueless on how they should interact with publishers or editors. Most of the time, simple common sense for how to best interact with a journal or publisher will be sufficient in making the process of academic writing and publishing straightforward.
10.2.2 What Are Manners in Academic Writing?
Manners in academic writing exist as an unsaid code of conduct that if followed, will behoove the scholarly writer. Putting one's finger on exactly what these manners are can be difficult. I tell junior authors that they should treat the academic process of writing just as they would treat someone in person. Extending simple kindness and consideration to a journal's staff and editor is not meant to “grease the wheel” or ensure an acceptance but is rather a simple courteously. Don't be misled that such courtesies will guarantee acceptance of your paper or an expedited review process. Do not think that your submission is the only one that the editor is considering at that moment. Most editors will be involved with many other paper submissions at the same time as your paper is being evaluated. Therefore, never ask for or expect special attention.
10.2.3 Are Manners in Academic Writing Necessary?
Necessary