The Young Economist’s Guide to Professional Etiquette

by D.S. Hamermesh

Publication

By the end of the first-year full time academic job, at least one paper should be sent out to a journal.

Present your work at seminar and conferences.

Preparation

Convey the paper’s main contribution

How to handle questions

Acknowledgement footnote of the paper

Strategy for paper submission

Submission tree

Concerns:

1. avoid underselling your work

2. good journals usually provide good referee reports

3. time constraint

Should I resubmit the paper?

1. Always resubmit the paper unless it’s outright rejection.

2. Take at least one week to digest editor’s letter and referee reports.

3. The resubmitted paper should include all major changes that the referees and editor suggested.

4. Minor changes can be included in the revision.

5. The resubmission letter should summarize and justify all the major changes you have made.

When your paper is accepted …

1. Always abide by the style requirements.

2. Read the galleys carefully!

3. Checking galleys is not the time to amend the article.

What you can do for the profession?

Comment on others’ work Attending seminars

How talkative should a young economist be at seminars?

Refereeing

Should I review the paper for a journal? How to write a referee report

A major purpose of refereeing is to improve research.

1. contents

2. tone

3. do not take more than two months.

A few general rules

Do not be hostile. Be forthcoming and speak up; be assertive

without pushy. Golden rule

Research Proposal

Research project's background and goals

Why is this research interesting?

Why is this research important?

Literature review

Methods, procedures, and progress

Environment:

Preference, Technology, Information

How agents interact (equilibrium concept)

Government policy (positive or normative)

Anticipated results and achievements

Can I achieve the objectives of this research project?