Journal thinks I'm a Professor

In summary, the conversation discusses how the speaker's title was incorrectly identified as a professor in communication with a journal and how this has also happened with other publications in the past. They also mention how this can be a common assumption to avoid insulting anyone and how they have recently resubmitted a paper to a well-respected journal.
  • #1
Count Iblis
1,863
8
When I submitted my article I did not provide any titles. I'm not a Prof, so I was wondering how on Earth they decided that I'm a Prof. The first message I received from the journal was an automatic message and it already put the title Professor before my name.

In communications with the editor I was called Dr.. But when when my article was accepted and transferred to Elsevier I became a Professor yet again. :rofl:
 
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  • #2
Count Iblis said:
When I submitted my article I did not provide any titles. I'm not a Prof, so I was wondering how on Earth they decided that I'm a Prof. The first message I received from the journal was an automatic message and it already put the title Professor before my name.

In communications with the editor I was called Dr.. But when when my article was accepted and transferred to Elsevier I became a Professor yet again. :rofl:

Then that must be one dumb journal !
 
  • #3
marlon said:
Then that must be one dumb journal !

I submitted 'something' to the NSF and they called me a 'physicist'---go figure!
 
  • #4
No ... not one dumb journal ... it happened with Nature when Kary Mullis wrote up an article on the nature of time - an article he wrote while he was doped on hallucinogens. Back then he wasn't a phD and he wasn't a physicist yet the journal accredited him on being a physics professor and obviously seemed to have a liking to his "insight" on the nature of time which probably had no scientific value whatsoever ; he won the Nobel Prize in his respective subject in chemistry for PCR. He writes about Nature's stupidity and how they were embarrased by all of this in his autobiography - in fact getting an article in Nature gave him an advantage in his early career.
 
  • #5
It's just an assumption they make to avoid insulting anyone. No grad student has ever been insulted by receiving a letter with "Dr." in front of their name in the salutation, just as no post-doc has ever been insulted by receiving one using the word "Professor." Nothing you send them tells them your title/rank, so they have to guess, and it's better to err too high than address someone as Mr. or Ms. (and even guessing the correct gender can be risky with some names) when they are actually a Dr.
 
  • #6
Ooh! I'm excited now. My two collaborators and I made a few minor revisions to a paper on M51-type galaxy interactions, as suggested by a referee, and we re-submitted today. Maybe I'll become Dr. Turbo-1. It's a well-respected journal, so I doubt they'll make a Nature-type mistake, though.
 
  • #7
Moonbear said:
It's just an assumption they make to avoid insulting anyone. No grad student has ever been insulted by receiving a letter with "Dr." in front of their name in the salutation, just as no post-doc has ever been insulted by receiving one using the word "Professor." Nothing you send them tells them your title/rank, so they have to guess, and it's better to err too high than address someone as Mr. or Ms. (and even guessing the correct gender can be risky with some names) when they are actually a Dr.

Yep, I got a :smile: when I read my letter
 

1. How does a journal determine if someone is a professor?

A journal may determine if someone is a professor by looking at their credentials, such as their education and job title, and by verifying their affiliation with a reputable institution.

2. Can anyone submit a paper to a journal as a professor?

No, a journal typically requires proof of a person's credentials and affiliation to consider them a professor. Simply claiming to be a professor is not enough.

3. Does being a professor increase the chances of a paper being accepted by a journal?

Being a professor may increase the chances of a paper being accepted by a journal, as it suggests an expert level of knowledge and experience in a particular field. However, the quality and relevance of the paper are still the determining factors for acceptance.

4. Can a non-professor publish in a journal?

Yes, anyone can submit a paper to a journal for consideration, regardless of their title or profession. What matters most is the quality and relevance of the paper.

5. Do all journals require authors to be professors?

No, not all journals require authors to be professors. Some may have specific criteria for submissions, while others are open to all authors who meet their guidelines and standards.

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