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[crazymedguy123]

I think it's very unlikely that someone will ask specific details on methods/results, and most will definitely not be interested in you offering them unless they specifically ask.

For example, my research was in mass spectrometry, so I would talk generally about using mass spectrometry to measure analyte concentrations of interest. I would be astonished if someone asked me about my chromatography conditions, what type of sensitivity my instruments had, how I prepared my analytes, etc. unless they happened to work in the field as well.

 

[dodolol21]

I think it's very unlikely that someone will ask specific details on methods/results, and most will definitely not be interested in you offering them unless they specifically ask.

For example, my research was in mass spectrometry, so I would talk generally about using mass spectrometry to measure analyte concentrations of interest. I would be astonished if someone asked me about my chromatography conditions, what type of sensitivity my instruments had, how I prepared my analytes, etc. unless they happened to work in the field as well.

Lol keep your guard up though, I had very specific questions about my protein purification methods. Like what concentrations of X I used to elute X

 

[crazymedguy123]

Lol keep your guard up though, I had very specific questions about my protein purification methods. Like what concentrations of X I used to elute X

Fair, definitely important to know them, but still quite unlikely. For OP's sake, I would practice answering questions about your research that doesn't give up sensitive info in the unlikely event they do try to delve into the details. I feel that saying you want to keep it vague due to pending publication may be seen as a cop out of more advanced questions.

 

[Goro]

Hi SDN,

I currrently have a manuscript in the review process and had a discussion with my PI how I should answer my interview questions on research. I trust my interviewers, but we're both slightly hesitant on revealing nitty-gritty details about our research methods and results since our work hasn't been published or presented yet. Do interviewers respect the fact that we don't want to disclose research specifics yet? And is it OK to tell them I'd prefer to err on the vague side when describing my research?

Thank you

You should be able to explain things to a layman, and also don't assume that the people interviewing you will immediately run off tho their labs to steal your ideas. You might be interviewed by people with very different research interests, or none at all.

If you were to answer, "I can't discuss that at all because it's proprietary" I think that you'd fare very poorly.

 

[Catalystik]

If you were to answer, "I can't discuss that at all because it's proprietary" I think that you'd fare very poorly.

There has been discussion on SDN regarding secret research done for the government and non-disclosure agreements, and prevailing adcomm opinion was that if you can't talk about it, it didn't happen. Your situation sounds close to that. Perhaps you could get very-precise guidelines from your PI about exactly where you need to draw the line, so all your hard work in the lab won't be treated dismissively.

 

[Catalystik]

Thanks for the insight. I am definitely able to talk about it, but I feel there is a point where I’ll have to draw the line. For example, my PI told me the story of an interviewer trying to get a student of his to log on to the journal submission system so he can look at his work. Would it be fair to draw the line there at least?

Would the entire manuscript be visible, or just the title and author lineup, with perhaps an abstract? Did you check it yourself for this journal to see it?

If it would also show the methods and results, which it seems is what your PI wants to keep secret (and which some journals also require one to not disclose until it appears in print), I think it's fair to say that your PI specifically asked you not to show that.

 

[Catalystik]

Yeah once you click on my submission the methods and results are readily visible. I also do recall that the journal has asked I do not disclose any information to outside parties prior to publication.

So in the rare case an interviewer does ask to look at my submission, I won’t get dinged for telling them that my PI and journal has requested me not to do so? As long as I can speak intelligently about it right

Any interviewer with multiple manuscript submission experiences should have heard of legal agreements required by a journal to Not Disclose. As a backup, maybe you could ask the PI to change the password on the account?

 

[Catalystik]

I see, hopefully my interviewer understands. Out of curiosity, what would changing the password do in this situation 😵

You can honestly say you can't access the manuscript if you don't know the password.

 

[Catalystik]

Jeez hope my interviewer isn’t crazy enough for me to have to do this

0.001% chance, but since your PI has an experience of this already, I understand why he's paranoid. Let's hope lightening doesn't strike twice in the same place.

 

[deweystrontium]

Lol keep your guard up though, I had very specific questions about my protein purification methods. Like what concentrations of X I used to elute X

This is pretty astonishing. I'm in a combined 4 year BS/MS program, so I have a lot of research experience, yet even I can't begin to describe particular purification conditions for proteins I've run (I've run so many).

In fact, it seems like the only chunk of my research I can recall with that level of accuracy pertains to the problem I'm currently trying to crack.

You'd think interviewers would rather test whether you had an understanding of what you were trying to do and why...