Winning the games scientists play

Bibliographic Information

Winning the games scientists play

Carl J. Sindermann

Plenum Press, c1982

Available at  / 19 libraries

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Note

Bibliography: p. 283

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

The interpersonal strategies that surround the act of doing good science--hereafter referred to as scientific game play- ing-have received some published attention, and many of the game rules are almost axiomatic among successful prac- titioners of science. There is a need, however, to review pe- riodically what we know and what we think we know about the art, and to add new insights that become available. This book is a response to that need; it has been written for science practitioners and grandstanders of the 1980s, drawing on in- Sights and perceptions gained from victories and defeats of the 1970s. It seems especially important that the strategies and rules of scientific game playing be reviewed critically as we move into the decade of the 1980s, since many of those rules have changed during the 1970s--in fact each recent decade has seen significant changes. The 1950s were expansionist, when sci- entific jobs were relatively easy to find, when faculties were expanding, when students were plentiful, and when federal grants were readily available. The 1960s began as a period of stabilization, and then became one of unrest and reexami- nation of purpose. The climate was still good; students were v vi PREFACE still abundant, but there was less growth in faculty size, and federal grants reached a plateau. In the 1970s the student population started to decline, and federal funding for research began to dry up.

Table of Contents

Prologue: The Importance of Interpersonal Strategies in Science.- One: A Primer For Scientific Strategists.- 1: The Scientist as a Writer: Publishing Scientific Papers.- Authorship of scientific papers.- The role of reviewers.- Scientific writing viewed from the editor's desk.- Damming the paper flood.- Summary.- 2: The Scientist as a Performer: Presenting Scientific Papers.- How not to present a scientific paper.- Suggestions for better paper presentations.- How to enjoy presenting a scientific paper.- The so-called discussion following paper presentation.- The last word.- 3: The Scientist as a Face in the Crowd: Attending Scientific Meetings.- Strategies for meeting participation.- Funding meeting attendance.- Election to society offices.- International meetings.- Residues of scientific meetings.- Summary.- 4: The Scientist as a Concertmaster: Chairing Scientific Sessions.- Early planning.- The meeting.- Session follow-up.- Special assignments.- Summary.- 5: The Scientist as a Producer/Director: Organizing Scientific Meetings.- The annual meeting of a scientific society.- The workshop or small-group conference.- The international symposium.- Summary.- 6: The Scientist as a Negotiator: Participating in Committee Meetings.- The chairperson's creed.- The committee members' guide.- Some committee games.- Committee women.- The advisory committee.- Paper products of committee activities.- Computer conferences.- Summary.- Two: Critical Issues for Scientific Strategists.- 7: The Scientist in Transition: Moving Up, On, and Out.- The fast track.- Leaving the fast track.- Life stages of a scientist.- Eras in a professional career.- The "professional".- Losing strategies.- Moving on.- Moving out.- Summary.- 8: The Scientist in Control: Getting and Using Power.- Kinds of power in science.- Power strategies.- Organizational variations in power.- Summary.- 9: The Scientist in Doubt: Defining Ethics in Science.- The perimeter of the circle.- Within the circle.- Maneuvers in ethical combat zones.- Summary.- Three: Special Interest Areas for Scientific Strategists.- 10: Evaluating the Roles of Women and Men in Science.- Sex in the laboratory.- Women in science.- Men in science.- 11: Coping with Bureaucracy and Bureaucrats.- Types of bureaucrats.- Common characteristics of bureaucrats.- The bureaucratic hierarchy.- Kinds of bureaucracies.- Summary.- 12: Dealing with External Forces: News Media, Lawyers, Politicians, and the Public.- News media.- Lawyers.- Politicians.- The public.- Summary.- 13: Relating to Industry.- Industrial game rules.- Consulting.- The scientist as an industry spokesman.- Summary.- Epilogue.- References.

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Details

  • NCID
    BA05146222
  • ISBN
    • 0306410753
  • LCCN
    82012225
  • Country Code
    us
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    New York
  • Pages/Volumes
    xii, 290 p.
  • Size
    22 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
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