The Philosophers' Cocoon

Using a paper co-authored with a supervisor for a writing sample?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

I am an international student. I have a paper published in a well-regarded journal, though not top-tier (I am the first author, and my supervisor is the second author. His contribution was to provide feedback and suggestions; the paper was written by me). Despite this, I intend to use this paper as my writing sample for application. I would like to know if this is acceptable.

I've heard many times that this is a very bad idea, as search committees want to evaluate the candidate's abilities, and this obscures them. Worst case scenario, I've heard that regardless of authorship, people may be liable to believe the supervisor did most of the important work. Finally, though I don't know all of the details here, from what the OP describes it's not entirely obvious to me that the supervisor should be a co-author here. Supervisors often provide a great deal of feedback and suggestions on their students' work, but my sense is that in the humanities at least, this isn't generally taken to warrant co-authorship--though maybe the the amount of and nature of the contribution here justifies it. But in that case, my first worry arguably applies all the more: the OP would be better served submitting a writing sample that showcases their own abilities, without the confound of co-authorship.

Anyway, what do other readers think about the OP's query?

Pros and cons of posting unpublished work online?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

Is it advisable to post unpublished manuscripts online (assuming one has already perfected them based on much feedback from many colleagues)? I have noticed that some philosophers do this, but most don't. What are the pros and cons?

Good questions, and I'm not entirely sure.

What does everyone think?

How do search committees perceive non-philosophy teaching?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

I am curious about how non-philosophy teaching on a CV is perceived by search committees.

In other words, is teaching a person may have done in other disciplines irrelevant or is it seen as a positive indication of teaching experience that gets lesser weight than philosophy teaching experience? In particular, I am curious about a scenario where a person might have more teaching experience in a different discipline than in philosophy. Is that person evaluated only according to the philosophy teaching experience or is the non-philosophy teaching experience also factored in somewhat.

I suspect it probably depends on a case-by-case basis. For example, some universities have general education or honors programs with interdisciplinary courses taught by multiple faculty in different disciplines. For jobs at places like these, I imagine non-philosophy teaching experience could be helpful. But I don't know how common this situation may be, and I suspect that by and large search committees are simply looking for evidence of good teaching abilities simpliciter.

What does everyone else think?

Drawing from previously published work in a (first) book manuscript?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

I’ve been told that this early-to-mid-career time is when you should start thinking about a book project, and that you should have some publications out in support of your book project.” I can see that often whole chapters of books are drawn on material from published papers. But how many papers should one draw on? How do you know when you have an established enough body of work to satisfy a well-regarded press?

Good questions. My experience is that different presses can have different policies on this. For example, I seem to recall one press I've worked with require that no more than 10% of a book be based upon previously published work. Alternatively, I've heard that some presses have policies that focus on chapters (e.g., no more than two chapters of previously published work). But, of course, I expect that as with many things in book publishing, some of this may be negotiable depending on how invested the press is in publishing with you.

Do any readers have any helpful tips or experiences to share?

Predicting a candidate's chances on the market

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

Preparing myself for the market next year. Wondering if anyone could give me their sense of my chances based on my overall profile: PhD candidate from a top-10 leiter program, 2 publications in good, but not tip-top journals, and a person of colour.

Personally, I'm not sure that it's possible to predict a person's chances on the market with much (if any) reliability, particularly with this kind of broad information. In my experience serving on a bunch of search committees, some good publications and PhD program reputation can get your file taken seriously. But there's virtually always a large number of similarly qualified candidates with similar profiles for the same position. So, things really come down to the details of a candidate's dossier (their writing sample, research statement, teaching dossier, etc.), perceived "fit" for the position, idiosyncratic views and preferences of search committee members, etc. So, if I were a candidate, I wouldn't focus on trying to predict anything. Instead, I'd just focus on presenting myself as the best candidate possible and see what happens.

But these are just my thoughts. What are yours? 

Listing a paper under external review as an MA applicant to PhD programs?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

I am a masters student in philosophy and I currently have a paper under external review at one of the "top-25 general philosophy journals" listed on this webpage:
https://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2022/07/best-general-philosophy-journals-2022.html

Of course, I am happy and excited and nervous and somewhat terrified about this at the same time! And I have a couple questions about this kind of experience:
1. Since I'm applying to PhD programs in the upcoming cycle, I wonder if it would be appropriate for me to list the paper in the "under review" section of my c.v.? (I've seen many early career philosophers do that, so I was curious.)
2. If the answer to the previous question is affirmative, then what is the best way for me to do that? (I.e., should I list the journal title? should I indicate what stage it's in?)
3. How do I cope with the anxiety associated with waiting to hear back from the journal? Any tips, advice, suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
4. Lastly, what does it mean to have a paper under external review at a journal at the Masters stage? (I know that there are many people who have done this, but I just don't know any of such people personally, and so I was hoping to get a better, general sense of what this whole publication thing means at this stage in my career/life.)

Thank you so much in advance!!

First of all, best of luck to the OP with both the paper and PhD program applications! In terms of their questions, I'm not sure about (1), (2), and (4), as I don't know how much can be inferred from a paper being sent out for external review at a journal. Then again, I've never served on a PhD program admissions committee, so I don't have any inside insights on matters like these. 

In terms of question (3), I don't have many tips for coping for anxiety other than this: I try to put submissions as far as possible out of my mind. One must always remember that selective philosophy journals tend to have rejection rates of around or over 90%, and peer-review can take many months. So, unless you want to remain stressed out, my suggestion is simply to try to focus on other things. That's what I try to do, at any rate! 

Do other readers have any helpful answers for the OP?

How do sabbaticals work?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

How do sabbaticals realistically work? It seems like almost everyone goes to visit another institution for a long time, but I don’t see how that’s feasible if you’ve got young children, or a spouse or partner with location-specific work, or elderly family to take care of. I also do not understand if these visits are typically like “official” visiting positions or something less formal. When I have asked about this, I feel like I do not get the kind of detailed answers that would be helpful for planning.

Good question. I've had one sabbatical, and although I would have liked to visit another institution, that was out of the picture for me for the kinds of reasons the OP mentions. At my university, one has to submit a detailed sabbatical application on the project(s) one plans to complete, and then document what one has done after the sabbatical is over. But that's about all I have to offer!

Do other readers have any helpful insights on sabbaticals, including visiting other institutions?

Which generalist journals are the best fits for "specialist" papers?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

As someone who writes mostly in a "specialist" field of philosophy (in my case, philosophy of religion), I was wondering if anyone out there has good thumb rules about what kind of "specialist" philosophy to send to generalist journals and where. Obviously the material needs to be understandable to non-specialists, but maybe someone can say more?

Do any readers have any helpful tips/rules of thumb?

Overcoming fear of judgment in a harsh field?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

Philosophy is such a harsh and judgmental field and as an early career philosopher, it's debilitating to think that I am constantly being nitpicked at when I apply to jobs, submit to journals, give talks, etc. (I have friends who are scarred from hearing faculty discuss job candidates). Can anyone give me tips on how to overcome this fear of judgment, especially since this is what makes/breaks your career?

This a good question, albeit a tough one for me. I have to confess that this is something I've long struggled with, and continue with to this day. Although I've been in the profession for many years now, I still dread opening decision emails from journals, as like most people I've received my share of brutal referee reports. I've also had rough talks and Q&A's that left me incredibly discouraged. Having witnessed my spouse's career in a different academic field, attending some of her talks and dissertation defense, my sense is that some other fields can be far less harsh than philosophy. Some research suggests this too. And wow, did I sure have some bad experiences on the job-market. 

My only real strategy has been to inure myself to harsh judgment as much as I can and "keep on keeping on." I just take my lumps, so to speak, and try to enjoy the good moments/successes when things go better. But, in all honesty, this has been one of the more difficult ongoing parts of a career in the field for me. There's so much about doing philosophy that I love, but this is one of the areas that I don't. So I'd be keen to hear strategies that other people have come up with, and how they work.

Do any readers have any helpful tips to share?

Norms for co-authorship in philosophy?

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

I would like to hear people's opinion about co-authorship in philosophy. To make my question more concrete, let me cite a specific example. In a manuscript by Samuel Elgin (https://philarchive.org/rec/ELGTGO) who is the single author, Elgin says in a footnote that "I am especially indebted to Pauliina Rumm, who first raised the puzzle of the grounds of nonground to me. Though the theory I develop here is my own, credit for identifying the puzzle goes entirely to her."

Elgin is very generous to give the credit for identifying the puzzle entirely to Rumm, but I was wondering whether Rumm deserves to be listed as a co-author. If the above information is not enough to answer the question, then hypothetically, what kind of contribution to the paper is sufficient for Rumm to earn a co-authorship in philosophy? What do people think?

PS: I notice that Pauliina Rumm had given a presentation earlier in July at the International Wittgenstein Symposium entitled "A Puzzle About Grounding and Specification" (https://centerforgermanphilosophy.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/International-Wittgenstein-Symposium-Program.pdf). But I didn't attend the Symposium so I don't know what Rumm has said in her paper. Perhaps someone who's attended the Symposium can provide some more information.

Because this comment singled out his paper, I reached out to Elgin, who said he's happy to see the issue discussed but shared the following for context:

A bit about this particular case: when I started writing that paper, I reached out to Rumm to ask if she would be interested in coauthoring with me. (In my view, coauthorship would be appropriate given the sizeable impact she had on my thinking).  She declined, because she thinks that I am wrong - and (quite understandably) didn't want to attach her name to a theory she believes to be incorrect.  She may well be developing her own, competing account - but, if so, I do not know what that account is.

This seems like exactly the right thing to do. My own view has always been that if any of the main ideas for a paper come from someone (including, say, a problem the paper addresses), then they should be a co-author--unless, as in this case, they decline because the main line of argument/theory isn't theirs or one they would endorse. I'd add that in general, one should always play it safe and err on the side of offering co-authorship, particularly (though not only) when someone more junior is involved. 

What does everyone else think about norms for co-authorship? 

Kindly giving a 'D' to failing students...and end of the semester "begging" emails?

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

Grading with a straight bat? I have a couple of students this semester who have been completely dire; numerous absences, zero participation, no posts on the discussion board, late and poor writing assignments. On paper, based on the syllabus, they should get Fs. It’s an intro class that is required for all students. Am I a teddy bear for wanting to just give them Ds and send them on their merry way?

Relatedly, any advice about the “end of semester begging email” - this other kid last attended 10/31 then emails me to say that they’ve been struggling mentally, that a friend of theirs died. Hard to verify any of these claims, or what to do if true. Another kid emailed me to say that their parent had died, another that their parent was sick in the hospital, etc.

Hmm... this seems obviously inappropriate to me. If a student hasn't done passing work, they haven't passed the class. My syllabi require documentation of serious personal emergencies, etc., in large part to preempt end of the semester emails like these. But my sense is that some (many?) faculty are way more lenient than I am.

What does everyone think?

Obtaining a philosophy job with a PhD in another field?

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

First-year PhD student here. What are my prospects for academic employment in philosophy at R1 institutions given my PhD in social sciences from a top 3 globally ranked university? Would publishing 2–3 papers in leading political philosophy journals before graduation outweigh the lack of a formal philosophy PhD? Also, how might publishing in non-philosophy journals be perceived—would it strengthen my interdisciplinary appeal or work against me? For context, I hold a master’s degree in philosophy, but my undergraduate degree is in another field.

Hmm, I don't know. The philosophy job market is so competitive that I'm not sure how competitive someone might be with a PhD from another field. I also know that some (many?) job ads state explicitly that a PhD in philosophy is expected or required. But maybe exceptions may be made for exceptional candidates, particularly if they've published in excellent philosophy journals and have a philosophy MA? I'm not sure.

Do any readers have any helpful experiences or other insights to share?

Crowdsourcing essay competitions?

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

I've been having difficulties tracking essay competitions in Philosophy. Although I already receive some updates from the Philosophy e-mail list, many of these competitions are annual and sparse throughout the internet so it would be interesting to have an idea about when they are receiving papers to better organize myself.

I think it would be great to crowdsource a list here. Please feel free to list and link to essay competitions (or compendiums thereof) below!

Asking for feedback from a search committee?

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

Is it ever okay to ask a hiring committee (e.g. the chair) for feedback on your job market materials if you were denied an interview? Here's the scenario I have in mind: a school posts an ad which is a very good fit for you, you spend a significant amount of time on your materials (e.g. tailoring cover letter to the job, etc.), but they don't even interview you. In that situation, is it okay to ask the hiring committee for feedback and advice, purely in the spirit of trying to improve your materials? Or is that too much of an ask?

Hmm...I've heard of people asking for feedback from committees that interviewed them, which I'd be curious to hear people's experiences with. But I don't know if I've heard of people asking for feedback when they weren't interviewed.

What does everyone think?

Tips for going on the market as an Associate Prof?

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

I could use some advice on navigating the job market as an associate professor. Unfortunately, my university is going through a budgetary crisis, and so I'm going back on the job market. This season, I applied to a few open-rank positions, but is it common practice for senior candidates to apply also to tenure-track jobs? Do committees hire senior candidates into t-t positions? Do they then grant those candidates tenure in the new position, or do the new hires have to start all over again on the tenure track? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

All good questions. Do any readers have any helpful insights to share?

Two questions about grad school applications

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

With deadlines coming up for graduate programs, I am wondering if I, in my academic statements, should include professors that I would like to work with. I have got conflicting advice on this, some say "do not name drop" other say "name drop! So long as you know that they align with your research interests."

Second, on my application, I have been told NOT to add the schools that I am applying to, i.e., applying to UCLA, do not add that I am also applying to x, y, or z schools so that it either 1. build some competition or urgency at the school you're applying too? 2. It makes them think, "Oh well, they will get into x school. They will choose us." I have also heard naming other schools is good because they are more likely to choose you; they can have some sort of vision as to who they are competing with. Again, these are all things I have heard, and I have no idea what to do...

The second thing (mentioning other schools one is applying to) seems weird and off-putting to me. Anyone can apply to the best programs around, so why think anything of it? As for "name-dropping" faculty one would like to work with, I'm not sure!

Do any readers have any helpful insights to share?

"Real" differences in teaching loads between R1s and teaching-oriented undergrad programs?

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

I would like to hear more about the "real" differences in teaching load between a research-oriented program and a teaching-oriented program.

I am curious about this because I feel that the numbers of courses could be very misleading. I work in a teaching-oriented, undergraduate-only program, and the standard teaching load for us is 3/2. The typical teaching load in a research-oriented program seems to be 2/2 (I could be wrong though). However, I feel that my teaching load is way more than just one course, and I almost have no time doing research during the semester. I have never gone to more than one conference during a semester: simply canceling classes for conferences seems less acceptable in my institution, and I usually fell behind on grading/teaching if I went to a conference.

I have never taught in a research-oriented department, and my impression of the teaching load at such a place is mostly from my time in graduate school. It seems to me that professors at research-oriented programs usually have TAs for service courses, so they only need to teach in the classroom and done with teaching, leaving grading for their TAs. TAs can also cover classes so professors go to quite a few conferences during semesters. They can also teach on topics that align well with their research. So, the actual teaching load in a research-oriented program is way lighter.

Am I right? I would like to learn more about this. Thank you!

Good question. Teaching loads at my university are 3/3, and I find myself in a similar position with respect to research during the academic year--though canceling classes for conference travel aren't a problem and I'm able to get plenty of research done during summer and winter breaks. While my sense is that faculty in research-oriented programs seem to have far fewer teaching burdens with undergraduate courses (for the reasons the OP gives), I've wondered whether that is made up for by much higher demands with respect to graduate teaching and mentoring (including serving on dissertation committees for multiple students, reading and commenting on several-hundred page dissertations, etc.). 

Anyway, it would be great to hear from readers in different types of jobs. What are the "real differences" between teaching loads in teaching-focused versus R1 programs? What type of job are you in? What is the official teaching load, and how much time does it leave for research?

How can we help you? (December 2024)

Now that it's been several months since our last "how can we help you?" thread, it's time for a new one.

For those of you unfamiliar with this series, this is a chance for you to post openly or anonymously in the comments section below on anything you could use help with related to the profession. After you post your query in the comments section, I will then post new threads for readers to discuss your query. 

As usual, feel free to ask questions on anything (within the Cocoon's mission) that you could use help with, including but not limited to:

• The job-market (applying for jobs, etc.)
• Issues in the profession (including issues of social justice)
• Graduate school
• Publishing
• Teaching (including in the age of A.I.)
• Work-life balance
• Mental health & well-being
• Personal struggles
• Etc.

Ask away - we're here to help! 

Finally, a quick reminder of the following RULE: Please do not submit replies to other comments in this thread. It makes these threads unwieldy and difficult for me to keep track of which queries I've posted new threads on. If you'd like to respond to a comment in this thread, please wait until I dedicate a new post to the person's query myself and comment in that thread instead!