Working remotely with prospective PhD students

[kerprof]

I am being approached by prospective international PhD students, if I am willing to collaborate remotely in the research projects.
Please advise if it is a good idea to work with the prospective students in an unpaid fashion, with the objective towards possible research publication.

[Parasaurolophus]

Uh...

If they don't end up admitted to your institution, then I'd have a very hard think about which ones, if any, you want to work with in this capacity. I would think the answer is basically none, absent some kind of professional relationship between you (e.g. you see them at conferences a lot, etc.). Unless you mean that they're basically asking whether you'd supervise them if admitted, or whether they're a good fit for the program or your research group. In which case, that's hardly 'working with'.

If they're admitted, then work with the ones you wnat or have to work with. But that's not unpaid.

[Durchlässigkeitsbeiwert]

There are two options:
- students do understand that this is unlikely to lead to a paid PhD offer and are trying to make a short project with a US professor just to pad their CV and to get a recommendation letter from you for future applications
- students are following whatever advice  / testimonials are written on the fora discussing ways to get into grad school in North America

In the former case, it is ok to collaborate, but it is unlikely to lead to real publications in a general case.
In the latter case, the most likely outcome is that both parties will get burned.

[mamselle]

Does this forum advocate no. 2?

I thought we were more careful than that.

M.

[Durchlässigkeitsbeiwert]

Does this forum advocate no. 2?

I thought we were more careful than that.

M.

"fora" probably should have been without "the"
Find all shibboleths in my posts

[mamselle]

Does this forum advocate no. 2?

I thought we were more careful than that.

M.

"fora" probably should have been without "the"
Find all shibboleths in my posts

Ah, OK, I see.

I'm not on any other online fora to speak of.

I can barely keep up with this one!

;--}

M.

[Cheerful]

I am being approached by prospective international PhD students, if I am willing to collaborate remotely in the research projects.
Please advise if it is a good idea to work with the prospective students in an unpaid fashion, with the objective towards possible research publication.

I would not do so.  Maybe if a trusted colleague told me that a given person had great research and writing skills, prior publications, was dependable, etc. I might consider it, but 99.99% no for me.

[mleok]

While I will accept visiting graduate students who are fully funded by their home institution or some grant or government agency, I would not entertain such a request from a prospective PhD student, unless they come with glowing recommendations from someone I know and respect.