Publishing article/book: Does it help?
Publishing article/book: Does it help?
(OP)
Probably you will notice English is not my mother tongue.
I like to know if publishing a technical article in a popular magazine or writing a technical book help us to progress in our career or not.
I am asking this because I need to expend lots of my energy on this for success. I need to ask somebody to edit my writings and..
I have some new ideas/calculation methods that I use in my design and like to publish them.
Thanks for all replies
I like to know if publishing a technical article in a popular magazine or writing a technical book help us to progress in our career or not.
I am asking this because I need to expend lots of my energy on this for success. I need to ask somebody to edit my writings and..
I have some new ideas/calculation methods that I use in my design and like to publish them.
Thanks for all replies





RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
In consulting, it is a good thing to do to improve your firm's reputation, but not as important as in the university.
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
HOWEVER, I have written articles and made presentations at shows & conferences over the years, it has always had a benefit to my career :
=> effective writing & presentation skills are much more useful in an engineering career than technical knowledge
=> it will look good on your resume: it indicates you have expertise, initiative, and communications skills
=> excellent opportunity for networking, getting your name out there, and prospecting for the next job
=> if English is not your Mother Tongue, then this is a good opportunity to practice your technical writing skills. Good writing is hard work, everyone needs lots of practice.
TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Advanced Robotics & Automation Engineering
www.bluetechnik.com
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
However, that all applies only if what you publish is technically sound.
If you publish something that is invalid then you look foolish, at the least. At worst, if your ideas are wrong, and someone else uses them and there is a problem, you are exposed to liability.
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
Aside from that, I don't think publishing would help me in any immediate way in my field. I wouldn't get a raise or a promotion, for instance. You may get some respect or a reputation as someone knowledgeable, and some thanks for making the company look good. That could go the other way, as MintJulep states, if you are wrong.
It also gives you something to be proud of, which is worth it in my opinion.
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
If I were a consultant, I'd probably focus on conference papers. They require far less effort and time. You write an abstract and it'll be accepted if it's not totally worthless.
Unfortunately, conference papers are of very limited value in a university setting.
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
I could see that it would help if you were in a specialist field.
If you are a general consultant then I would imagine it would be more of a time drain than a benefit.
That said, it is always good to give back to the profession when you have a chance.
csd
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
I started writing papers and doing conference presentations 10 years before I retired from a Major oil company. The company was good about allowing time to do the papers and presentations, but it did me zero good at the time. After I retired those old papers count just like the ones I write today (but today they take away from billable hours).
There are so many industrial magazines, web pages, and e-zines today that are starving for original material that just about any crap that passes a spell check can get published somewhere. Getting into the top tier of publications requires a bit more work. Getting into the very-top peer-reviewed publications is still a real challenge.
And the list of papers/articles/book-contributions looks pretty good on a CV.
David
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
Many people in Engineering consider "success" to mean "advancement to management". With that definition, the quote above is exactly true.
If you define "success" as "advancing toward mastery of your study area", then the quote above is quite overstated.
David
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
As well, with conferences, you get to network and along with presenting, you are at least somewhat exposed to new people. This never hurts.
But in general, I think the main reason anyone should do it is to share knowledge in your field with your peers, and progress your area of interest. That's the most rewarding thing.
-
Aercoustics.com
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
Sorry for late response, I was sick for couple of weeks.
Thanks again
RE: Publishing article/book: Does it help?
- The editor spends a lot of time with the author, shooting photos in support of the article, reviewing and proofing the material before it goes to press.
- It is later found out that the author is no longer with the company.
You fill out the scenario. There are possibilities of jealousy in the upper realms, accusations of less time spent on the job at hand, etc. On the other hand, the guy may come into high demand from competing firms. The published article could become the ticket for opportunities in another company.