Dear Solutions Lab, I am part way through my PhD and starting to worry about publications. How many papers should I realistically aim for, and what should I do if my results are taking longer than expected?
Hello,
It is incredibly common for PhD experiments and results to be delayed, for a whole variety of reasons – science almost always takes longer than planned! It is very much part of the process. In the UK, it is common for PhD students to complete their PhD without publishing any papers; it often comes later than that. In fact, from mine and my friends/ networks experiences, most people write their PhD thesis and complete their viva without any publications under their belt. This is because of the very short 3 or 4 year timeframe for a PhD, all while papers are becoming longer, and more data heavy.
In my case, I published a review article midway through my PhD, around the time of my upgrade, and then my first data paper from my PhD was not published until 1 year after my viva (6-months after for initial submission to a journal). This was not for a lack of productivity, but becausew experiments took longer than planned, as well as continuously expanding my study so that I could get the best, most thorough, and well designed paper. A second paper from my PhD is still under preparation and will likely only be submitted two full years after my PhD viva.
It’s is okay to be worried about papers, but remember, they’re one of many outputs from a PhD. Here are some points that I think are helpful to consider for your circumstances:
- It is very variable from country to country, and institution to institution, but mostly in the UK, it is not a requirement to have published a paper to complete the PhD. Check what the requirements are for your programme. If it is a requirement, talk to your supervisor about your concerns, and ask what their visions are for you to get to the point of submission. If it is not a requirement, a useful exercise is to look at your PhD project (even just proposed experiments) through the lens of papers (this is a skill that takes time to hone). Ask your supervisor, or colleuges who are familiar with your work, to help with this. This could help you see the biggest holes and where it may be useful to focus your time, if getting papers published is a primary goal.
- Papers are not the only metric for productivity, especially of a PhD student. Giving poster presentations, attending conferences, expanding your network, mentoring more junior students, and learning new skills (whether it’s a lab technique, coding-based, or transferable skill) are all outputs that are helping you to develop as a scientist. These should all give you a sense of achievement and satisfaction, and are very positive to have on a CV. A PhD is all about developing a well-rounded skill set, not just producing data and papers.
- Consider why you want the papers. Is it to help with a job search, for a funding application, or simply to feel like you have completed this important milestone. If it is to help get a job after the PhD or for funding, there are many ways to demonstrate the outputs of your PhD. Moreover, supervisors understand that publishing timelines can be long. Writing about papers in preparation, along with a good reference from your PhD supervisor, is often plenty to be considered for a job (from my experience in academia).
- Papers can also be publishing negative data. If you conduct well-designed experiments, but don’t see big changes you were expecting, this can still be published, and it is important to do for good scientific practice.
- Will you be able to stay on in your PhD lab to finish your work so that it can be published. This is becoming very common, but is not always possible due to personal or funding circumstances. It is good to think early about this possiblility, and try to plan accordingly. Discuss with your supervisor who may be able to finish off things, and get a paper over the line, if you are no longer in the lab.
- Can you co-author a paper through collaboration or helping out lab mates with experiments? Perhaps there is a technique you know that other in your team or department don’t. There are many ways to contribute to and co-author studies. Again, I suggest talking to your supervisor about potential opportunities for this. Even if they don’t immediately have something in mind, they will know you are enthusiastic if an opportunity comes up. You can also network at conferences and develop your own collaborations. But always remember to think about time in versus reward, and don’t lose sight of your own research.
- If your experiments are a bit slower than expected, can you write a review article? Is there a topic relevant to your work, that would be useful to synthesise. Perhaps your supervisor or a colleauge has been invited by a journal to submit a review on a special issue that you could contribute to. This is a good opportunity to get involved in the publication process, without your own data.
Unfortunately, I haven’t directly answered your question of “how many publications should I aim for”, because it is so dependant on individual circumstances. For me, it was one review article during the PhD, and two data papers that have (or eventually will) be published in the years that follow. I hope some of these points are helpful to think about, and feel free to reach out directly for more specific advice!
Dr Peter Connelly
Dr Clíona Farrell
Professor Louise Serpell
Nature Careers Blog