academic ethics for mathematiciansokhotin/talks/okhotin_academic_ethic… · academic ethics for...

Academic Ethics for MathematiciansIntroductory lecture

Alexander Okhotin

St. Petersburg State University, Russia

16 September, A. D. 2020

Alexander Okhotin Academic Ethics for Mathematicians 16 September, A. D. 2020 1 / 24

Introduction to the scientific world

A scientist’s progress: first, the scientific worldserves you.

. . . then, you serve the scientific world.

Journals, conferences, grants, prizes, industrialcollaboration.

Co-authorship, reviewing, talks, applications.

Need to know the informal rules.

This seminar: discuss each element withexperienced scientists.

Part I

A Scientist’s Progress

I. The student years(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), I. The Heir)

The dawn ofprofessionallife.

Scientificcommunityprovides foryour needs.

I. The student years(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), I. The Heir)

The dawn ofprofessionallife.

Scientificcommunityprovides foryour needs.

II. First results(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), II. The Levee)

Internationaljournalspublish yourwork.

Everyonepraises yourtalent.

II. First results(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), II. The Levee)

Internationaljournalspublish yourwork.

Everyonepraises yourtalent.

III. First conferences(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), III. The Orgy)

Internationalconferences:where thecommunity isbuilt.

At first,everyoneneeds yourenergy andabilities.

III. First conferences(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), III. The Orgy)

Internationalconferences:where thecommunity isbuilt.

At first,everyoneneeds yourenergy andabilities.

IV. Managing temporary positions(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), IV. The Arrest)

Need to be anaccomplishedscientist toteach at adecentuniversity.

A chain ofresearcherpositions.

IV. Managing temporary positions(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), IV. The Arrest)

Need to be anaccomplishedscientist toteach at adecentuniversity.

A chain ofresearcherpositions.

V. Landing at a teaching position(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), V. The Marriage)

At last, asemi-permanentposition.

Life seemsgood!

V. Landing at a teaching position(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), V. The Marriage)

At last, asemi-permanentposition.

Life seemsgood!

VI. Committees and community service(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), VI. The Gaming House)

Review otherpeople’spapers, sit incommittees.

Take part indeciding otherscientists’future.

VI. Committees and community service(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), VI. The Gaming House)

Review otherpeople’spapers, sit incommittees.

Take part indeciding otherscientists’future.

VII. University politics(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), VII. The Prison)

The humannature ismuchbeneath thehuman ideals.

Enduringbaseness andenvy aroundyou, keepingyour ownunder control.

VII. University politics(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), VII. The Prison)

The humannature ismuchbeneath thehuman ideals.

Enduringbaseness andenvy aroundyou, keepingyour ownunder control.

VIII. An average successful career(W. Hogarth, “A Rake’s Progress” (1735), VIII. The Madhouse)

More andmore duties.

Helping yourown studentsto start theircareers.

Trying not togo insane.

R.I.P. Prof. Tom Rakewell, Ph.D.

Why on earth do we commit to this bedlam?

Why do we commit to this bedlam?

Irresistible interest in our science.

The international scientific community issurprisingly wholesome, efficient and helpful.

. . . but need to follow the informal rules.Local environments: as hostile as an averageworkplace, but not much more.

I The same serpent nests everywhere, need to bear withthat if you are to have any career.

Good students give an extra meaning to our work.

. . . but need to follow the informal rules.

Local environments: as hostile as an averageworkplace, but not much more.

Part II

The things we do

Choosing research subjects: how not to doit

One extreme: think of a new idea, and apply it towhatever is at hand (shabby, yet not unethical).

Another extreme: get an old idea, and apply it towhatever is fashionable.

The concept of a minimal publishable piece.

Series of papers: progressively less important resultsconverging to ∅.

Cross-citation among several scientists: enough toestablish a fake area.

One hand washes the other.

Choosing research subjects

Your work should matter,I whether to your research area,

I or to your science in general,I or to the society,I but not only to career goals.

Finding good problems requires experience.

In the beginning, provided by your supervisor, this isa major contribution in itself.

Learning to invent problems of value.

Useful to know something outside of mathematicsto make good judgments in mathematics.

Your work should matter,I whether to your research area,I or to your science in general,

I or to the society,I but not only to career goals.

Your work should matter,I whether to your research area,I or to your science in general,I or to the society,

I but not only to career goals.

Your work should matter,I whether to your research area,I or to your science in general,I or to the society,I but not only to career goals.

Co-authorship: who is an author?

X Open to debate!

One extreme: must have contributed one of the keyideas to the solution, and wrote a major part.

Another extreme: enough to take part in thediscussions, while other people produced all ideas.

Depends on the authors, sometimes on their area ofscience.Order of the authors: depends on the area.

I In TCS, always alphabetical, except in extreme cases.

X Open to debate!

Depends on the authors, sometimes on their area ofscience.

Order of the authors: depends on the area.

X Open to debate!

Journal publications

Presenting the paper to the audience: someoneshould want to read it.

Citations: all work that was used, and all relevantprior work.

Should be approved by all the authors.

Choosing a journal and an editor.

Anonymous reviewing (“refereeing”), referee report.

Revisions.

The community of researchers in an area

People all over the world working on the same kindof problems as you.

You read their papers, they read and review yours.

The primary audience for your work.

Your potential co-authors or supervisors.

Your potential competitors in proving importantresults.

Scientifically, your most important colleagues.

Amiable relations in the community.

One should know the people!

Conferences

More important in TCS than in other areas ofmathematics.

Informal events: people in the area are invited.Formal conferences (common in TCS):

I 20–100 speakers, 30–300 participants;I ca. 3–5 invited speakers;I others submit papers for review, acceptance is

competitive.

Reviewing: programme committee, externalreviewers.

At the conference: listening, presenting, informaldiscussion, social events, conference dinner.

Conferences

Informal events: people in the area are invited.

Formal conferences (common in TCS):

competitive.

Conferences

competitive.

Conferences

I 20–100 speakers, 30–300 participants;

I ca. 3–5 invited speakers;I others submit papers for review, acceptance is

competitive.

Conferences

I 20–100 speakers, 30–300 participants;I ca. 3–5 invited speakers;

I others submit papers for review, acceptance iscompetitive.

Conferences

competitive.

Conferences

competitive.

Conferences

competitive.

Research visits

Visiting a foreign scientist to do joint research.

Duration: 1 week to a couple of months.

Typically, the host proposes a problem, you try tosolve it, and you discuss the progress together.

Typically, all expenses covered by the host.

A successful visit results in a joint paper.

Research visits

Grants

Grant proposal: research to be done in the future.

The proposal must include a literature survey andconvince the others that these people can do this.

Proposals are reviewed just like research papeers.

If the grant is approved, the leader is responsible fordoing the research and publishing papers.

If you agree to join the grant, you must writepapers!

A lot of paperwork, always help the leader of thegrant to do it.

Grants

Conflict of interestIf there is a connection between A and B already,then A must refuse some commitments related to B.

Cf. incest: if A and B are closely related, theycannot marry.

Supervisor–student relation: cannot review eachother’s papers and grant proposals.

Working at the same department: the same.

CorollaryNever submit papers to local journals! The papers maybe good, but they are usually not taken seriously,because the process is not trustworthy.

Discussion

1 What would you like to discuss in the followingseminars?

2 Any facets of scientific life I missed?3 Any other ethical questions to cover?

Discussion

2 Any facets of scientific life I missed?

3 Any other ethical questions to cover?

Discussion

2 Any facets of scientific life I missed?3 Any other ethical questions to cover?

academic ethics for mathematiciansokhotin/talks/okhotin_academic_ethic… · academic ethics for...

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