Random Questions: Advice on Gift & Publications

[quasar_4]

I have two very random questions, just looking for people's opinions...

1) Is it inappropriate to buy a gift for my research advisor when I graduate? I'll be getting my Bachelor's degree, so I'm just an undergrad, but my advisor has helped me so much with everything (research, general physics, motivation, etc.) and I feel like it would be nice to do something for him when I leave... but is that highly atypical or might he find it weird (I'm a woman, I don't want him to have the wrong idea)

and

2) Again, a woman's issue - if I have already published a paper, but am getting married, what is the standard in terms of future publications - that is, do I keep publishing with my maiden name so as to not lose association with my prior work, or do I start publishing with my married name?

Thanks, curious as to what you all think

quasar

 

[mgb_phys]

I feel like it would be nice to do something for him when I leave...

Something like a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine would probably be safe.

do I keep publishing with my maiden name so as to not lose association with my prior work, or do I start publishing with my married name?

Everybody I know uses their maiden name
Without being too insensitive - papers often last longer than marriages!

 

[Mute]

I gave my research advisor two bottles of wine (one white and one red, as I didn't know his preference) as a gift, and I even gave a bottle of wine to my first research advisor, so I don't see anything wrong with it. I don't think he should get any wrong ideas (unless you got him a really expensive watch or something =P), but you could always just say it's a gift for giving you research opportunities and general help.

I can't be much help with the name thing, though I think I remember having heard/read that someone used a hyphenated last name (maiden name)-(married name) in their papers once they got married, and eventually dropped the maiden name entirely, just leaving the married name. That established a 'bridge' between their early papers and their later papers. In any event, I don't think there's really a standard in terms of what to do with names.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I strongly agree with mgb_phys. You need to pick one name and stick with it - if you've already published, that's what you need to do. And, I'm afraid he's right - papers do often last longer than marriages.

I was on a grant review committee, and we received a rather ambitious proposal from an unknown person: something you really wouldn't want to attempt without a serious track record. It would have been turned down had we not realized that this was actually a fairly well-known person, but she had got married, changed her name and then switched institutions, so there was no clear link between her old "identity" and her new one.

 

[Choppy]

(1) I'm generally against the whole idea of getting your supervisor a gift, because I see it as unprofessional. If a student I worked with gave me a gift I honestly think I would be more uncomfortable than flattered. A well-written letter of thanks that also gets forwarded to his superior would probably more appropriate.

(2) It's a personal choice. Some people change, some hyphenate, some keep the maiden name for publishing. I'd go with whatever makes you the most comfortable.

 

[will.c]

Is this a paper where your contribution is significant, or will it forever be cited as "Dr. Advisor et al?"

I don't mean to be rude, but if it's only a single publication and not one that you will consider (years from now when you have 300 other papers to your name) as a significant entry, you might as well use your legal name.

And as far as papers lasting longer than marriages; name changes are a pain in the butt. Those usually last longer than marriages too.

 

[mathwonk]

presents are not expected nor usual, but some people just like to give them. if you have the confidence to just do what you want without fear of whAT OTHERS THINK, DO IT.

 

[Fearless]

So you can't simply just point to the fact that you have changed name and you have published under your old name? It shouldn't take more than a couple of lines to tell people that. Why f**k up things more than you need to?

And the present-thing, just do it!

 

[mgb_phys]

So you can't simply just point to the fact that you have changed name and you have published under your old name? It shouldn't take more than a couple of lines to tell people that.

Because there's no field in the citations index to tell them.
The problem is that everything is done by web search.

 

[Fearless]

When you write an application, I assume that you can write whatever you want in your cover letter? Then a few lines with "I have published bla bla under the name of otto von lederhose, but for personal reasons yada yada I changed my name into otto van't leder hoes".

I can't see why that is not a viable option? Or who knows, pick up the phone and call the people responsible for approving said application to whatever.

I fail to see what the problem is really? Is the scientific world so damn kafka-esque?

 

[mgb_phys]

When you write an application, I assume that you can write whatever you want in your cover letter? Then a few lines with "I have published bla bla under the name of otto von lederhose, but for personal reasons yada yada I changed my name into otto van't leder hoes".

Yes for a job offer where you send a list of publications.
But what about compiling citations scores,wil everybody remember to add all the Dr Smith to the Dr Jones? Or at a conference will people look down the list of talks and remember to go to Dr Smith's talk because they did that famous work as Dr Jones.

If you imagine hollywood doing this, would the audience recognise the married names of half of the actresses, could they promote the lastest lara croft movie as staring Mrs Pitt.

An example of how difficult this can be is in english history - people are referred to by different names as they gain titles. So he's Robert Dudley, then Robert Earl Leicester, then Robert Lord Essex.

 

[Fearless]

Sure, you got a viable point. But if you find something that is wrong, you can always call and ask them to change it correctly afterwards. So changing a name is ok.