Quality or Quantity: A Puzzle for Researchers

Frankly, this is not a suitable topic for me due to my limited experience on both research and academic given my present education as only a graduating master’s student. However, my limited experience, as well as my coming PhD life in Lancaster, do bring me an opportunity to think about: when doing some research, given two dimensions as measurement of the work as quality and quantity, which shall I prefer?

  1. Approaching

    I got to know the importance of publication when I was a student in Nanjing Normal University, where there was a professor that used to be, and is still devoting much to publish his so-called papers to various journals. He was quite fond of this, and take pride of his ‘works’. In fact, I was totally misunderstand by him that in my mind at that time, publication means everything related to money. You get your paper published since you paid for that. This misunderstanding is only partially recovered when i continued my study in Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, a present school of mine, and participated some conferences.

    I learned much more on the essentials of publication when taking part in the research work, following my supervisor, who is quite a determined researcher at that time. Gradually I find that , more than 99% of the papers that the professor, whom I met in Nanjing Normal University, are totally junks. Neither contemporary research methodology nor the standard research framework is adapted. Thanks for the supervision of Professor Wang, my master’s supervisor, that taught me both the methodology and framework that a contemporary researcher should be able to master.

    Three years study following Professor Wang does broaden my horizon. I learned he cuteness of publication, the benefit that may bring you through the publication. for me, writing papers do bring me great opportunity of travelling and talking to the professors outside. the 20008 trip to Honolulu is still admired by many of my classmates even today. What’s more, it is the publication and its attraction promoted me another chance, i participated the training camp for young researchers in business school of mainland China. it is in that speech I got to know two famous professors, Joseph and TJ. Their two-week lecture that summer bring me better understanding of this field. Though I can hardly use that freely at present.

  2. Quality or Quantity: Two Different Principles

    In fact there has been contradictions following the words of Joseph and TJ, and the styles that most Chinese scholars adapt. If it is not the online discussion with Li this afternoon, I won’t write this post. Li is both a faculty of jinan University and a post-doctoral fellow in CEIBS, a top business school in China. Thanks to Li that I learned, the routine that Joseph and TJ suggested should be regarded as a fitness for those who are willing to publish on top journals. but, it is necessary to aware that publishing on top journals can be time consuming, and what’s more, it is fully risky. I don’t know much about publications in UK, but in China, a faculty without any publication for a couple of years would mean quite a lot, much more than the publication itself.

    so the questions following this discussion raised. Quantity or quality, which do you prefer? I suppose there is no scholar, no matter whether he/she is a world renowned professor or a fresh PhD candidate, would reject the willing of publish high-quality paper, given no consideration on particular capability here. A widely accepted publication with good reference recording can significantly promote your reputation within the field of study, and, you would be able to contact with good scholars. However, you have to pay for that.

    The pride for such a paper, indeed, includes years of hard working, good understanding of classical papers and fundamental theory, as well as the risk of rejection by the editorial board. Can you afford that? Frankly speaking, i don’t think I would afford this, especially when I am working for an academic institution in China. Only adequate publications can help bring you promotion, which means higher social status and better income. In my opinion, the policy on publication may also contribute a lot to the reduction of education quality nowadays of most universities in China. Do you think the students can be offered good education when their teachers are busying with the publication and have no time to prepare for the courses?

  3. An Unanswered Question

    For my own preference, it is hard to tell here. I do want some of my own works with good quality and reputation within my field of study. However, it is quite ideal to talk about that with my present knowledge as well as my unexpected future. As is suggested by a ‘Top-down’ framework that indicates the high priority of institutional background, obeying the rule is, though sometimes contradicting your willing but undoubtedly, an optimized choice.

LYX: A New Written Instrument

经过几天的奋斗,终于完成了研究计划的初稿。12页的英文写作果然不是闹着玩的。累的我差点小命送掉。不过这次我也得到了一个教训,那就是,只有自己熟悉的东西才能做好,永远不要轻易去尝试你所不了解的事情。不过首当其冲要感谢的,则是我在Linux下新伙伴,LYX。这个系统同时给了我LATEX系统的便捷,也让我享受到了可视化编辑的乐趣。我之所以喜欢LATEX,是因为在我结束了最后一个字符的同时,我的文本排版也在倾刻间完成了。这是Word系统远远不能比拟的。

我不知道现在新版本的LYX是否支持了JabRef的管道功能。至少在我于Windows系统上使用LYX 1.5的时候,该项功能是不支持的。在LYX中输入参考文献的唯一方法是直接在系统自带的BiBTEX中跟据Key来寻找。这是一个非常费力而且容易出错的工作。尤其是对于我这样的习惯Endnote的人而言,不能从文献管理工具直接插入Citation,而是需要如此的手工操作直接就是一场噩梦。另外,如Bill所言,Java在Linux下的执行效率相当高,这也为我电脑上流畅运行JabRef提供了保证。

说到JabRef,我不得不同时提到另一个工具。该工具是Firefox下的插件,叫做Zotero。这个插件可以非常高效从Google Scholar,JSTOR等数据库中快速提取Reference,并且记录。此类技术,比较Endnote的导入工作,显得更进了一步。当然,不可否认,Endnote可以使用大部分英文数据库的Direct Export。这也是非常有吸引力的。

最后要提到的Bibtex的自动生成Reference。不知道为什么,我总觉得BiBtex显示的效果要比Endnote要漂亮。Lyx还有一个很人性化的功能。就是你在插入Citation的同时,可以选择显示方法,比如王小二(2009)要改成(王小二,2009)。这点比Endnote需要手工修改来的容易的多。

总而言之,我觉得Ubuntu+Lyx+Zotero是一个不错的选择,绝对不亚于Windows+Word+Endnote。有兴趣的朋友可以去试试看哦。

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