Hello list

I want to add another dimension to this discussion. I agree with Thea that
publishing can be hugely beneficial but I presume in her case this was
encouraged , or voluntary, and not required. As a journal editor
(Architectural Theory Review) we get some submissions by research students,
and in principle like to offer space to established as well as  emerging
scholars. When  we began the journal  in 1996 we had a student section, out
of a desire to make an opportunity for students to publish. This didn't last
as there was neither the quantity (or quality) at that time to support such
a policy decision.

A couple of days ago I received a follow up email from a student who had
submitted a paper to ATR wanting to know about the status of the submission.
I hope I don't offend by quoting from the email,

"As you may know, in our country, the M.A. students in order to continuing
their educating in PhD stage need three or more scientific papers printed in
ISI journals. My two ISI articles have been printed in internal journals up
to now and I need at least the acceptance of another paper as soon as
possible. Please let me know is it possible for you to give me a preliminary
acceptance of my paper? it will be so valuable for me"

In my view this is universities going mad. I am not criticising the writer
of the email, just amazed. Are there many students under such pressures?
I'm all for students publishing, all for universities encouraging it-
mandating it is another story.

Anna Rubbo
Faculty of Architecture Design and Planning
University of Sydney


  


> 
> Thea
> 
> 
> I disagree with you Chris and agree with Gavin.
> 
> I found publishing during my PhD to be hugely beneficial. It allowed me to get
> experience of academic writing, articulate my thoughts more clearly, get
> feedback, see examples and join the design research community. Deadlines for
> conference papers were good motivators to get my experiments finished and
> analysed in time to write them up for the conference, so it actually helped me
> to stay on track. Also, I was also able to re-write some of my papers into
> thesis chapters, so I was not faced with a daunting writing-up task at the end
> as some are if they do not write all the way through.
> 
> By the time I graduated, instead of wondering how I was going to publish all
> that work, I was already applying for competitive grants. I was lucky in that
> I got a job at the same institution where I did my PhD and have been able to
> continue researching and publishing in the same area (I am also lucky that I
> have not yet lost interest in it!!). People who move institutions after they
> graduate may never get a chance to publish from their PhD work if they do not
> do it during the candidature. Then we all miss out.
> 
> Although I published one journal paper, my publication during my candidature
> was mostly through conferences, which did allow more face to face feedback. Of
> course we are all feeling the pressure to publish more in journals and I'm
> sure that economic reasons are affecting that hugely, but that seems to me to
> be a separate argument than the one about whether or not people should publish
> during their PhD candidature.
> 
> I believe it is absolutely worth the effort as there are so many advantages.
> In my opinion if you want a head-start in a research career that is how you
> get it. As Gavin says, other creative avenues are not widely accepted in the
> research world and if you are doing a PhD in order to have a research career,
> then you need to publish. As has already been mentioned, other types of
> doctorates offer other opportunities to those seeking a different path.
> 
> Dr Thea Blackler
> 
> Lecturer
> School of Design
> Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering
> Queensland University of Technology
> Brisbane
> Australia
> 
> +61 7 3138 7030
> 0410 736494
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related
> research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Thursday, 3 April 2008 11:36 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Doctoral Disseminators
> 
> Dear Gavin,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I am going to have to respectfully disagree Gavin ; )
> 
> I agree whole heartedly with Jeremy. I believe that this increased fascination
> with getting RHD students to publish whilst still engaged in their research is
> generated more out of a knee jerk reaction by the institution to ensuring a
> stream of federal research funding. This is further demonstrating by the
> increasing popularity of Doctorates by Publication. The institution wants PHD
> students in design completed within 3x years full stop, with the ongoing flow
> of funding that comes along with it. It is not generated out of a genuine
> inquiry as to how to construct a rigorous educational framework through which
> the doctoral student's education itself is the key focus. At least this is my
> experience in Australia. I am not denying that there are payoffs to RHD
> students presenting papers, through the exposure of their work to broad public
> debate, but this is rapidly becoming a therapeutic post-rationalism of what
> good we can find in a bad situation. Surely the horse should be pulling the
> cart, not the other way round?
> 
> There are other 'activities', or as Jeremy puts it 'forms of production', that
> doctoral students in Design conduct that are understood and validated by this
> community in particular as appropriate Scholarly output. Publishing textual
> discourse is only one scholarly activity. But we continue to have this debate
> when the criteria for validating scholarly output is quite clear.
> 
> 
> On 3/04/08 10:45 AM, "Gavin Melles" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
>> HI Jeremy and listers
>> 
>> I have to respectfully disagree - design doesn't need any more avenues for
>> being creative and the longer it puts off engaging with scholarship in the
>> way
>> suggested the longer it will remain marginalised
>> 
>> Dr Gavin Melles
>> Research Fellow, Faculty of Design
>> Swinburne University of Technology
>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinmelles
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> 
> : : c h r i s b r i s b I n : :
> B. Des. Studies, B. Architecture [ hon I ]
> 
> 
> Lecturer in Design [ Architecture ]
> 
> Doctoral Candidate of the ATCH Research Group UQ
> [ architecture/theory/criticism/history ]
> http://www.architect.uq.edu.au/atch/
> 
> Research Member of the AMDM Research Group QUT
> [ arts/media/design/modernity ]
> 
> personal web site
> http://web.mac.com/christopherbrisbin/
> 
> s-architecture web blog
> http://s-architecture.blogspot.com/
> 
> downloadable e-print publications
> http://eprints.qut.edu.au/view/person/Brisbin,_Christopher.html
> 
> 
> [ postal ]
> School of Design
> Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering
> Queensland University of Technology
> 2 George Street, Brisbane 4000
> [GPO Box 2434]
> CRICOS No. 00213J
> 
> [ e ] [log in to unmask]
> [ p ] +61 7 3138 2903