Research Supervisor Corrects My Writings Almost 100% - (Sep/15/2009 )

I came home today feeling so demotivated - have shown my abstract for an upcoming conference to my main supervisor. She corrected almost the whole text of 300 words just rearranging sentences but still gives the same meaning. They are not grammar errors or technical errors. I gave the same abstract to my co supervisor and she accepted my writing - giving ONLY technical comments where she saw fit.

Instead of doing my work, I am Googling "problem with research supervisors" and came upon this forum. What a good idea, whoever who first thought of it, thumbs up.

I am doing my MSc. degree for 2 yrs now. Today is the first time I've felt such demotivation because I thoroughly do not like my writing being corrected unjustly. I thought the role of a supervisor is just to guide? I am to be the main author of the abstract.

My main supervisor's actions today brought me to a revelation. She has many pending dissertations to read (has known to keep the writing 2-3 years), could her over-correcting cause the long pending list?

I have always thought to further a PhD under her. She's a very nice person socially. She doesn't make use of me when it comes to helping out non-research ways. I volunteer to do the extra administrative work (grant matters) since I think they're experience enriching.

Today, I just don't know what to do anymore. Anyone with similar situation? Or would like to give your opinion?

fluffybunny on Sep 15 2009, 05:06 PM said:

For me to answer this accurately I would need to see both abstracts -- whether the abstract benefits from being rearranged depends on what it was originally and what it became after rearrangement.

Nevertheless, if all that happened was essentially sentence rearrangement, I would not be too discouraged -- I've seen many people's writing edited much, much more drastically -- to the point where it's just barely recognizable when compared to the original form....

Lose the ego - she invested alot of time and energy in helping you refine your presentation. Do you really think that was a task she really wanted to do? You should thank her.

I agree with George.
Don't take it personally, she is trying to help you refine your writing style. You say that you have been doing your MSc for 2 years now, so you have been working with this person for 2 years, and are now allowing such a minor thing to affect your view of her? That is really unfair!!
One of my supervisors re-writes and heavily edits my written work often (in the same way as you describe, changing structure not content), but I don't take it as a personal affront- I learn from it. That is, after all, what we are supposed to be doing as students- learning.

thank u all for the comments

You can take this and stew on it, or you can use it to be a better communicator (and potentially a better experimenter). If you have an opportunity, ask your PI why she re-arranged the abstract: what was it about your form of expression that was not good.

When I did my Masters, my first few reports and abstracts came back more red than black. Gradually, the red ink became less and in the end there was hardly any, apart from arrows showing where to move paragraphs, and the odd suggestion about another question to consider.

You need time to get used to scientific style. It is not the way most people write, so it is a learned skill.

Hi Fluffy,

Don't take it personally. Some people like to edit to suit their own style. She may figure, "if it's coming out of my lab, I want it to match everything else that's published."

Regards,

lab rat

lab rat on Sep 23 2009, 07:38 PM said:

fluffybunny on Tue Sep 15 15:06:50 2009 said: