September research

[Sun_Worshiper]

I didn't see a September writing challenge thread, so I figured I'd fire one up.  What are you striving to accomplish this month?

For me:

• Revise paper with coauthors and get it ready to submit (rejected a week or two ago from a top journal, moving on to another very good journal)
• Work on revisions for coauthored paper (received invitation to R&R a week or so ago from a very good journal - brutal comments, but I guess the editor sees hope for the manuscript, so I am also hopeful)
• Get ball rolling on ambitious data collection project, which will contribute to article I'm working on and will, hopefully, become a key data source for scholars in my area
• Resubmit book chapter with edits and additions to appease editor
• Submit IRB for project with coauthors

I'm swamped with teaching at the moment, but I plan to make progress on each of these projects at the margins.

[AvidReader]

I am swamped with teaching too. I usually try to block off a few hours of concentrated writing time each week, but I have also been drowning this semester. I don't know if anything will happen this week, but I think I should be back on schedule by the end of the month, so:

1) I'd like to finish the sample chapter of my next book, as thoroughly as I can, by the end of September. I think I have about 5500 words to go.
2) There's a fellowship application I have been putting off. I will apply for it.
3) Now that I finally have library access again, and even ILL access, I need to order and read some of the critical research I haven't gotten to yet. I will order at least 5 books by the end of September.

Thanks, Sun_Worshiper!

AR.

[mamselle]

I gave my music students the week off and got some good research in, with some write-ups either started or entered in the "lumpy draft" of my Chapter 1 file-du-moment.

More ideas for the "Intro" chapter (topical history, lit review, methods, etc.) are forthcoming, especially since a topic among the history items is of interest to a friend...I sense maybe an article growing out of that.

One mini-setback, noted somewhere on the "Venting" thread over the weekend: I found materials on something I thought I'd worked on for the first time in a paper by someone who did a lot of the same work. We've reached some differing conclusions, and I'll take solace from the fact that we both targeted the same types of documents to study this item, so I'm on the right track, but I felt like my toes had been stepped on (unintentionally).

Slight ego bruise? Probably. Serious issue? No, because I can cite their work, my differences, and use it to reinforce/validate one of my methods further, so it will be OK--maybe I should contact this person and see if they can become a friendly colleague to my work, even.

And, as I also said, I have too much to do to spend much time sulking, so i'ts time to put the grown-up pants on and wade in.

Happy September, all!

M. 

[Parasaurolophus]

I was hoping for a bit of a research break in September, but my August chickens have roosted, so that's not to be. I have a pile of service stuff that needs doing, and a bigger pile of teaching stuff. But in September, I absolutely have to:

• Touch up and finish my Book Review.
• Revise and resubmit Book Proposal (ugh, that'll be a fair bit of work).
• Revise and Resubmit June Paper, since the deadline is Oct. 1.
• Write a commentary (I can mostly fob this one off until early October).

I can probably manage it all if I stop screwing around. But will I?

[nonsensical]

Thanks for starting this thread. I sent a student some feedback on a short piece that we're writing for the public that may or may not ever see the light of day. I've also been going through some e-mails but am likely to stop soon and go spend some time outside while it's still gorgeous out.

[Sun_Worshiper]

Received a conditional acceptance today, which is great news... although it means one more thing to do this month

[Parasaurolophus]

Received a conditional acceptance today, which is great news... although it means one more thing to do this month

Yay, congrats!


I got a second R&R today, but I at least have four months for this one (just 1 for the other 0_o), so I'll punt it for a while. And it'll be good to have something coming out in 2021, for a change, because I'll be low on material by then and not in a great position to generate much more new content.

Today, I did some reading for the June Paper R&R (I guess I should call it October Paper now?), and a titch of reworking on the book review.

[Liquidambar]

My real goal is to spend time on research; it doesn't matter too much what sort.  I'm on sabbatical and have assigned myself a target number of hours per day.  Here are the things I hope to work on this month.  Unfortunately most of it is writing and relatively little is new research.

• Finish editing and updating long-neglected paper draft and send to coauthor.
  
• Start editing and updating the next long-neglected paper draft.
  
• Start discussions with former student about turning her thesis into a paper.
  
• Bug coauthor about manuscript he's been sitting on.  Threaten to take it over if he won't work on it ASAP.  Hopefully he will see the folly in that suggestion and feel inspired to finish it himself.  (A large chunk of it is in his field rather than mine.)
  
• Dredge up project from last year and decide its future.  Is it worth continuing?  Should I present it at an upcoming conference?  Will I ever have the motivation to write it up as a single author publication?
  
• Rapidly turn around any tasks assigned by coauthors/co-PIs.
  

[Sun_Worshiper]

Received a conditional acceptance today, which is great news... although it means one more thing to do this month

Yay, congrats!


I got a second R&R today, but I at least have four months for this one (just 1 for the other 0_o), so I'll punt it for a while. And it'll be good to have something coming out in 2021, for a change, because I'll be low on material by then and not in a great position to generate much more new content.

Today, I did some reading for the June Paper R&R (I guess I should call it October Paper now?), and a titch of reworking on the book review.

Thanks!  Congrats on your R&R as well!

[darkstarrynight]

Congrats on the acceptance, Sun_Worshiper and the R&R, Parasaurolophus!

September stuff:

• Submitted final revised manuscript last night for "accepted with revisions decision," yahoo!
• Worked on revamp of rejected manuscript today after meeting with co-author on Saturday. Should be ready to submit to a different journal in the next few weeks!
• Continue to work on R&R revisions due in two weeks with my co-authors.
• Keep working on new manuscript with colleague in my sub-field.

[Parasaurolophus]

Today:

• Keep touching up Book Review
• Work on October R&R
• Work on Book Proposal (depending on how the other two go, I might punt this one)

[Parasaurolophus]

Today:

• Keep touching up Book Review
• Work on October R&R
• Work on Book Proposal (depending on how the other two go, I might punt this one)

The world is really finding ways to intrude on my get-things-done-time, and I'm not happy about it.

[Parasaurolophus]

Today:

• Organizational meeting for divisional conference.
• Work on Book Review
• Work on Book Proposal

[darkstarrynight]

I got my spouse involved last night because of hu's expertise with excel. I acquired some data to respond to a suggestion from a reviewer and needed to make pivot tables. This morning I found additional data and added the information to my manuscript. The R&R is coming along, but it is due soon and I am still adding stuff per the reviewers. My word count is growing, and though the editors gave me wiggle room, I still feel like it is going to be way too high once all feedback has been addressed. Oh well, my co-authors and I will figure it out!

[Parasaurolophus]

Today:

• Organizational meeting for divisional conference.
• Work on Book Review
• Work on Book Proposal

The Proposal is turning into an impossible project. I should have known as much--I have the same reservations that the referees expressed, it's just that I was the sucker who thought he could take on someone else's project. It's not that it's a bad idea at all, it's just that it's kind of impossible to adequately meet all the desiderata, given the constraints I inherited.