How to tough to publish string theory topics?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges and opportunities of publishing research in string theory, particularly focusing on the theoretical and mathematical aspects rather than experimental applications. Participants explore the landscape of contributions in the field and the factors influencing publication success.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that if one has original contributions, publication is likely, although alternative theories may struggle for attention.
  • Concerns are raised about the difficulty of contributing original ideas due to the extensive work already done by established researchers.
  • It is noted that connections with research centers or senior faculty can significantly influence the ability to find novel problems to address.
  • Expertise in branches of physics or mathematics not yet applied to string theory may provide an advantage for original contributions.
  • Attending conferences and workshops is recommended as a way to learn about current research challenges and network with other researchers.
  • Participants mention utilizing resources like arXiv to discover recent papers and potential research ideas that have not been explored.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the ease of publishing in string theory, with no clear consensus on the overall difficulty. Some agree that originality is key, while others highlight the barriers posed by existing research and the need for connections in the field.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the subjective nature of what constitutes originality and the varying experiences of participants based on their backgrounds and connections in the field.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for graduate students, post-docs, and researchers interested in string theory, particularly those considering entering the field or seeking publication strategies.

pivoxa15
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String theory seems to be an over popularised topic with many talented people working on it already. How tough is it these days to publish in this field (on the mathematics/theory side rather than applying string theory to experiments or what not).
 
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If you have something original to contribute, it will be published. There is some argument that alternative theories have a harder time getting attention.
 
mathman said:
If you have something original to contribute, it will be published. There is some argument that alternative theories have a harder time getting attention.

The question is how hard is it to contribute something orginal as so much have been looked at by clever people.
 
It depends on who you are. A graduate student or a post-doc in physics will get direction from senior faculty. If you don't have any connection with some research center, you will have a hard time finding a problem that hasn't been worked on.
 
It may help if you are already an expert in some branche of physics or mathematics which so far has NOT been used in string theory. Then you have a chance to be the first who applied this branche of physics/mathematics in string theory. In fact, this is how I have published my first papers on string theory.
 
Demystifier said:
It may help if you are already an expert in some branche of physics or mathematics which so far has NOT been used in string theory. Then you have a chance to be the first who applied this branche of physics/mathematics in string theory. In fact, this is how I have published my first papers on string theory.

Where did you publish it?
 
pivoxa15 said:
Where did you publish it?
Eur. Phys. J. C (I think the impact factor is about 3.5)
 
You might also try to attend conferences and workshops on the topic.
You can learn about what some researchers are currently working on...and possibly what they are stuck on. It's also a good opportunity to network... and possibly share your ideas.
 
Last edited:
Just Look at arixv and start reading recent papers you will find a lot of research ideas that you might be interested in and which nobody has worked on before.
 
  • #10
Necropost alert! This thread is four years old.
 

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