I've been wondering how to affiliate myself for the next year. I keep saying that I am unaffiliated with any college, but that's not entirely true. Yet, to say that I am is also not entirely true; and I don't really know what the proper etiquette is in this situation.
On the one hand, I have severed affiliation with my former college, but have not yet truly assumed my affiliation with the new college. There is a contract, and there is as much of a guarantee as anyone can have for a job in a year. When I say I am "between jobs," I mean that I am literally between jobs and not, as is so often the case these days, unemployed.* The actual work, however, doesn't being for another year, so I don't feel I can say, "I work at Burned Over College," just yet. I feel that I would be reaping the privileges of that affiliation without actually having contributed to the institution.
On the other hand, although I am not yet working at the college, I might be insulting all of the people there who made that affiliation possible. For instance, what might they think if I, with a contract with the college, gave a paper at a conference this year -- as I will -- but didn't have "Burned Over College" next to my name -- especially if my paper is awesome (as I intend it shall be)?
I am trying to be polite and not overstep my bounds by not claiming something to which I don't yet feel entitled; but I might actually be behaving impolitely and stepping on toes by not claiming something that others expect me to claim. What is the proper protocol or etiquette in this sort of situation? Is there one?**
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*In this case, "literally" actually does mean "literally" and not "metaphorically," at least in the temporal sense. I'm not certain what modifying word I would use for the geographic sense!
**After all, who has over a year between leaving one job and assuming another unless they are unemployed? We should all have these problems, right?
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
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6 comments:
Ask your Chair at Burned Over if it's appropriate to use Burned Over as your affiliation for the conference paper. And you're not between, you're on sabbatical!
Or independent!
In my field, this situation is not uncommon. People will take a post-doc or something similar between positions early in their careers.
The affiliation that is generally used is that of the new position that is not started yet, and/or the affiliation of the post-doc.
Naturally you would want permission from the new position, but that's what we do in my social science. The contract has been signed, you're affiliated (so long as they're ok with it... usually they're thrilled).
Agree with everyone else... something like "Burned Over College (to start August 2012)" would be totally appropriate if you don't want to just say "Burned Over College" (although I think that would be perfectly appropriate; they have hired you as of now, even if you don't start work till next year!).
Yes - ask the new place (or ask both), but I'd say the paper is your first contribution to the new place, start affiliating yourself... :-)
Why do you need permission? One of my colleagues took a 2-year postdoc before she came (similar situation to yours), and used the new school as her affiliation.
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