blogs, posters, and other non-'published' writings

[Physics of Math]

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This is really a two part question, but

(a) while reading through the forums, I came across several people referencing posters they had made for conventions and the like....is this the standard way to present non-published research?

and

(b) Can blogs, self-published books (online sites), etc. be used to show research experience?

Generally, besides a job, class, or journal publication, what's the best way to show research experience? I was wondering because I would think that adcoms. knowing more about the specific research you were doing would help more than a generic 'researched in a lab for x years'.

Thanks

 

[Neuronix]

(a) while reading through the forums, I came across several people referencing posters they had made for conventions and the like....is this the standard way to present non-published research?

Yes.

(b) Can blogs, self-published books (online sites), etc. be used to show research experience?

Eh, not really. I wouldn't put it in an application. The key here is peer review, and if nobody has looked at it or criticized it then it doesn't count.

what's the best way to show research experience?

Letters of recommendation and an essay and interview that shows you really know what you're talking about and that you have a good idea what you're getting yourself into. The letters and essays should attest to how much time you've put in (a few years). That's the cake. Publications and abstracts/posters are the cherry on top.

 

[JHopRevisit]

A poster presentation is a very different animal for a blog or other non-published work. You should definitely include posters presented at conferences in your application, just make sure its clearly identified as such and can't be confused for a published manuscript. Wouldn't include the other stuff. You can demonstrate your experience most effectively by discussing it at the interview.

 

[Treg]

On a similar note, do you guys include poster/oral abstracts where you are not a first author on your CV? I haven't bothered since I didn't present the data and if I did contribute it is usually shown elsewhere as a publication.