# Lab-based scientists: is this normal?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lab-based-scientists-is-this-normal/545538>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 4, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lab-based-scientists-is-this-normal/545538 "2010-07-04T17:54:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lab-based-scientists-is-this-normal/545538/41 "2010-07-08T18:29:44Z")

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To be fair, Banting tried to get the Nobel committee to award the prize to Best, and when they didn’t, gave Best half the cash awarded.

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**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lab-based-scientists-is-this-normal/545538/42 "2010-07-08T18:50:56Z")

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There’s also the famous story of [Jocelyn Bell Burnell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jocelyn_Bell_Burnell), whose thesis advisor got a Nobel prize for her discovery. Though from what little I know, it seems like the Nobel committee deserves more blame than the advisor.

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**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lab-based-scientists-is-this-normal/545538/43 "2010-07-08T20:00:13Z")

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Realistically, unless she is looking for a very prestigious post-doc or has no other publications this might hurt her her too much. If a potential post-doc adviser is looking for a rich publication history, or if she is applying for very competitive post-doc grants it might be a problem. However, for finding a faculty position and getting tenure her publications during her post-doc and then as a faculty member will matter much more. Of course, this is a generalization and the details will be very sub-field specific.

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lab-based-scientists-is-this-normal/545538/44 "2010-07-08T23:34:35Z")

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> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#):
>
> No, she designed the experiments herself, and got a technique working that hadn’t previously worked.
> 
> Anyway, she e-mailed and met with her supervisor who basically said “oops” and gave a non-apology, promising to restart work on a paper with my GF which she mysteriously stopped working on a few months ago, using the same data.

This might not work in her circumstances, but in general I’d strongly advise all grad students to write their own papers, and get feedback from their advisors. That way you work at your own pace and more importantly get the practice of writing, which is going to be crucial if you are going into academia. I don’t know about her field, but my daughter seems to think that publications are crucial in getting a good Psychology job.

My third paper (and first good one) was something my advisor suggested we work together on after Christmas break. I just wrote it over the holidays, and got some great practice and a lot of cred.

The practice also makes the dissertation go much faster - plus you can find out little things your advisor feels strongly about, and avoid them.

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