7

You love your site and we love your site, but there is a whole world of people out there who might not even know it exists. When they do find it, their first impression will either scare them away or keep them around. Given this, let's take a hard look at the questions and answers here and make sure newcomers see the site at its best!

Below you'll find ten questions randomly selected from this site. What do you think about each of them and their answers? Are they the best they can be or can they be improved? Would they look interesting and inviting to an outsider or are they a little embarrassing?

Upvote the corresponding post here on meta when we're awesome. Downvote when our content just isn't quite up to par.

Oh, and do comment to let everyone know your thoughts and take part in this conversation. :)

10 Answers 10

Reset to default
7

How important are citations when applying for jobs or promotions?

What do you think about this question and its answers? Vote and comment to let everyone know.

5
  • Well-written question, solid answers, not easily google-able.
    – eykanal
    Commented May 24, 2012 at 23:31
  • Interesting question, good answers.
    – user102
    Commented May 25, 2012 at 7:56
  • The answer must start "it varies", and it invites discussion rather than a single right objective answer. In short, not suited to the StackExchange format.
    – 410 gone
    Commented May 30, 2012 at 7:28
  • @EnergyNumbers - The "SE format" you refer to varies from site to site, and this community has reached a general consensus that these types of question and answers are acceptable here. I wouldn't compare Stack Overflow's closing criterion to this site.
    – eykanal
    Commented May 31, 2012 at 17:25
  • 3
    @EnergyNumbers: For any reasonable question about academia, the correct answer begins "It varies". By your standard, we should close the site entirely.
    – JeffE
    Commented May 31, 2012 at 19:40
4

What do principal investigators (PIs) look for in prospective post docs?

What do you think about this question and its answers? Vote and comment to let everyone know.

1
  • Good question, solid answers. +1.
    – eykanal
    Commented May 29, 2012 at 15:01
4

At what point do you decide to jump into research?

What do you think about this question and its answers? Vote and comment to let everyone know.

3
  • This question is a good question, and the answers–though somewhat opinion-based–are good advice.
    – eykanal
    Commented May 24, 2012 at 23:24
  • Subjective, the answer must start "it varies", and it invites discussion rather than a single right objective answer. In short, not suited to the StackExchange format.
    – 410 gone
    Commented May 30, 2012 at 7:28
  • See previous comments.
    – JeffE
    Commented May 31, 2012 at 19:44
3

A major journal in my field is published by Elsevier. How can we move the field to a less objectionable, more open publisher?

What do you think about this question and its answers? Vote and comment to let everyone know.

7
  • I'm on the fence about this one. It's a political question, which might not be the best to showcase our site, but the question and answers are comprehensive and solid.
    – eykanal
    Commented May 24, 2012 at 23:40
  • This is more a discussion than a question (the fact that the OP also posted an answer is a good clue).
    – user102
    Commented May 25, 2012 at 8:00
  • 1
    @CharlesMorisset: OP's are allowed, and sometimes encouraged, to answer their own questions!
    – aeismail
    Commented May 27, 2012 at 17:46
  • 2
    I don't understand the downvotes here, given the large number of upvotes (and no downvotes) on the original post. (Yes, it's a political question, but politics is an unavoidable aspect of academia.)
    – JeffE
    Commented May 29, 2012 at 7:56
  • @aeismail Yes, actually, I've answered some of my own questions, so I'm not in good position to criticize it :) My point was more than the way the question/answer was put: "Here is a current hot topic, and here is what I think about it".
    – user102
    Commented May 29, 2012 at 14:48
  • 1
    @JeffE Personally, I think this question fits Academia SE, and that's why I didn't downvote it there, but I don't think it represents Academia SE the best, or that it's the first question I would show to a first-time visitor, which is why I downvoted here.
    – user102
    Commented May 29, 2012 at 14:51
  • It invites discussion rather than a single right objective answer. In short, not suited to the StackExchange format.
    – 410 gone
    Commented May 30, 2012 at 7:29
3

How should students approach quals?

What do you think about this question and its answers? Vote and comment to let everyone know.

1
  • This question is quite specific to the US system, but that seems like a good question, with good answers.
    – user102
    Commented May 25, 2012 at 7:52
3

Priority of application materials for admission decision

What do you think about this question and its answers? Vote and comment to let everyone know.

1
  • The title isn't even a question - that's a pretty bad start
    – 410 gone
    Commented May 30, 2012 at 7:33
3

Data publication basics - where, why, how, and when should I publish my unpublished data?

What do you think about this question and its answers? Vote and comment to let everyone know.

3

Can a researcher get his full salary from a European Project?

What do you think about this question and its answers? Vote and comment to let everyone know.

3
  • Well, I actually found the answer to this question very recently, and I'm going to put the answer. I can't objectively tell if it's a good question, but at least, it was a genuine one :)
    – user102
    Commented May 25, 2012 at 8:03
  • Very helpful. These kind of rules are very often buried deep in 100s of pages of documentation. A nice concise answer like this one is really helpful.
    – Dave Clarke
    Commented May 26, 2012 at 19:02
  • +1 Finally, a question that actually has an objectively correct answer
    – 410 gone
    Commented May 30, 2012 at 7:30
2

Interview strategies for faculty positions - to focus on their research or your own?

What do you think about this question and its answers? Vote and comment to let everyone know.

1

Considerations when negotiating a promotion from postdoc to researcher?

What do you think about this question and its answers? Vote and comment to let everyone know.

1
  • Good answer, but the question highlights the difficulty here with differences in practice across disciplines.
    – eykanal
    Commented May 31, 2012 at 19:35

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .