Reviewer #2: Lowballer?

This student faced a critical juncture in their academic journey. The stakes were high: entry into a PhD programme and securing scholarship funding hinged on achieving a High Distinction in their master's degree. However, despite their efforts, the student received a Distinction, with one reviewer significantly low-balling their score. The student felt cheated and concerned about the assessment's validity, stating,

"I felt concern at the alarmingly high variability between the assessors (67 and 92 out of 100). This lack of reliability and assessment validity was deeply concerning."

The Immediate Aftermath: Impact & Feelings

The initial emotional impact was profound. The student experienced a mix of elation for achieving a solid distinction and sadness for being a hair shy of the desired mark. The irony of the situation was palpable, as the student's thesis focussed on assessor bias in higher education. The student shared,

"I felt elated to achieve a solid distinction, but I felt saddened and cheated that I hadn't gotten the desired mark, especially in light of the fact that my master's thesis was about invalid assessment."

Initial Thoughts & Beliefs

Paranoia and self-doubt set in as the student questioned the fairness of the academic system and their own measurements and analyses. Seeking assurance from friends and family, the student attempted to triangulate data around their concerns.

"Paranoia set in. I questioned how the academy could get away with this and questioned my measurements and analyses of the assessment process and policies," the student reflected.

Impact on Daily Life

The setback had a significant impact on the student's daily life and motivation. Feeling disheartened by the unjust evaluation and the prevalence of assessor bias, the student struggled with the practical consequences of the situation.

"Yes, I felt quite disheartened that it seemed my work wasn't being justly evaluated for its true competencies. I also felt that unrelated issues, such as assessor bias, were prevalent and negatively impacted the outcome, which meant it would be harder for me to acquire scholarship funding," the student explained.

Support and Isolation

Despite the challenges, the student found support in friends and family, which helped mitigate feelings of isolation.

"No, I was able to talk to friends and family about the issues,"

the student noted, highlighting the importance of a support network during difficult times.

Navigating the Difficulty

Assessing the Intensity

The student rated the distress level as 8 out of 10, emphasising the significant impact on their academic career aspirations.

"8, because failing to acquire a scholarship would mean the limited or effective end of my hopes of having an academic career,".

Coping Strategies

To cope with the situation, the student employed various strategies, including taking walks, making plans, and stepping away temporarily, illustrating a multifaceted approach to managing stress and disappointment.

Inner Strengths

Curiosity and a commitment to understanding the systemic issues drove the student forward.

"I think curiosity to try to understand what went wrong, what weak links in the chain were letting me down, was a driving factor in moving forward and trying to find a scholarship and supervisor,".

External Supports

While institutional support was lacking, the student found solace in their grandmother, a Doctor in Psychology, who provided valuable emotional support.

Key Learnings

The student's experience revealed a stark reality about academia:

"That academia and research institutes are unscientific places 'bristling with egos and pride,' which undermines the quality of scientific inquiry."

This insight underscored the gap between academic ideals and practical realities.

Skill Development

Through this experience, the student developed crucial interpersonal skills, particularly diplomacy and tact in written communication.

"Yes, I learned to become highly diplomatic and tactful in writing emails to staff and colleagues when inquiring into concerning matters as described and seeking investigations, but it was very hard not to ruffle feathers,".

Concrete Changes

The student formally codified their experience to highlight systemic problems in higher education assessment.

"I formally codified my experience so that I would be clear that I had identified a systemic problem in higher education assessment,"

the student stated, demonstrating a proactive approach to addressing the issue.

Result of Changes

Despite the initial setback, the student managed to find a supervisor and secure a scholarship.

"Well, I managed to find a supervisor and won a scholarship at a university, in a similar department,"

the student shared, illustrating resilience and adaptability.

Hindsight Reflection

Reflecting on the experience, the student affirmed their approach, stating, "No," when asked if they would do anything differently. This response underscored the student's confidence in their strategies and decisions, where the outcome was clear.

Preventive Wisdom

The student's advice to others facing similar challenges is to

"Speak up and call out inconsistencies and faults in systems as soon as you suspect or identify them,"

the student emphasised, advocating for proactive engagement with systemic issues.

Practical Advice

For fellow scholars in the midst of similar struggles, the student offered practical advice:

"Set aside your emotions and try to clearly articulate the systemic issues in an itemised and step-wise fashion so that when you're feeling down or frustrated, you can still convey the key information to decision-makers who can help you."

This approach combines emotional intelligence with strategic communication.

A Message of Encouragement

The student's message of hope and encouragement is powerful:

"Never give up, find other ways, have contingencies. And don't back down; the academy is full of cowards and pseudo-science. Don't compromise your intellectual integrity."

This message combines practical determination with a principled stance on maintaining intellectual integrity.

Closing the Conversation

The student's journey from initial disappointment to eventual success offers valuable insights and encouragement for others facing similar academic challenges. Their story underscores the importance of resilience, adaptability, and maintaining intellectual integrity in the face of adversity.

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Coercive Academic Control?

A PhD student expresses difficulty with their supervisors, who are steering their research interests away from what they desire. The assistant, acting as a confidential listener, ensures the user’s anonymity and discusses the implications of this supervisory dynamic on the user’s academic journey and emotional state.

"I've been having a hard time with my supervisors"

what specific difficulties you've been facing in this supervisory relationship?

"I feel like they won't allow me to do the research that I want to do. Instead, they try to convince me to choose topics closer aligned with their interests. Every meeting that we have is mostly them trying to convince me that their ideas are superior to mine."

Thank you for sharing this challenging situation. It sounds like you're experiencing a fundamental tension between your research interests and those of your supervisors, which is creating ongoing friction in your meetings.

Roughly when did this dynamic begin to develop? And at this point in your academic journey, what feels like it's at stake for you, both personally and professionally, in this supervisory relationship?

"6 months into my candidature. I feel like they're limiting my freedom."

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No Jab, No Lab?

A HDR Masters student shared a distressing academic experience where, despite excelling in their master's programme, a professor is suspected to have refused to supervise their PhD due to the students refusal to take an experimental gene therapy which was branded as a vaccine at the time. This led to social isolation, professional sabotage, and emotional turmoil, but the student maintained ethical integrity, developed resilience, and advocated for accountability and principled resistance to unjust discrimination in academia. They advised others to uphold self-respect and seek alternative paths and formal recourse when facing similar challenges especially where health is concerned.

Key Points from the Interview

The participant rated their distress level as 9/10, indicating an extremely high level of distress due to the situation which significantly affected their personal and professional life, impacting their livelihood, career prospects, and ability to provide for their family. The participant felt dumbfounded, devastated, and angry immediately after learning about the professor's attitude to their academic prospects. The primary coping mechanism mentioned was the resolve not to commit suicide, highlighting the severity of the emotional toll. The participant felt isolated and unable to talk to anyone about the situation, which compounded the difficulty of navigating the challenge. Ethical principles were identified as a key strength that helped the participant navigate the situation. The participant received limited support from persons, groups, or institutional resource during this time.

Key Learning

The most important lesson learned was to never compromise integrity around health matters, and to always look for alternative ways forward. The participant developed the ability to think coherently while experiencing adverse events and trauma, a significant skill in maintaining mental clarity under duress.

Future Strategy

The participant plans to record all advisory meetings (with consent), maintain moral and ethical integrity, and think independently. They emphasised the importance of holding those who mistreat others accountable and responsible.

Advice for Others

"Conduct yourself with the utmost self-respect and be clear on your ethical principles. Don't compromise your integrity."

Maintain a stance of zero tolerance for discrimination. Always look for other ways forward and believe that there is another way to succeed.

Reflection and Encouragement

The participant recognised their tenacity, reasonableness, and principled intelligence as qualities that were acknowledged by others.

"There's always another way to win, so keep looking for other ways forward and make those who mistreat you fully accountable and responsible."

Reflection and Encouragement

The participant recognised their tenacity, reasonableness, and principled intelligence as qualities that were acknowledged by others under high stakes and immense pressure.

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Rejection Collection?

The conversation was with a PhD candidate in their third year who is pursuing a PhD by publication and has experienced two paper rejections (one at the start of the year and another last month) after spending six months on the paper and three months refining it.

Key points from the interview:

The participant rated their distress level as 8/10, noting significant impact on their ability to work and negative effects on mental health. They experienced loss of motivation, difficulty with daily routines, and no longer wanted to write or think about their research topic. They haven't spoken to family or friends about their feelings as they don't want additional pressure or to disappoint them. Their primary coping mechanism was taking time away from thinking about their PhD. They identified determination as their key strength for overcoming this obstacle. They've been receiving support from their university psychologist.

Key learning: rejection is a common obstacle that all academics face. Their perspective has shifted to not taking rejection personally and understanding it's not necessarily a reflection of their abilities.

Future strategy: looking for a variety of journals to publish in, not just Q1 journals.

Advice for others: "Don't give up. Believe in the significance of your work. Believe in your abilities as a researcher. Don't be ashamed to talk about the obstacles that you face. All successful academics have faced rejection."

The participant noted feeling "a lot more positive after reflecting on my experience."

Favorite food: Almond croissants.

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