thesis etiquette question

[banana k]

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okay i'm SURE someone will have run into this one before...

i have to give my exit seminar for my thesis in three weeks. on paper, i have two advisors for said thesis (jim and terry). in practice, i have one--jim. terry hasn't been involved at all in the experimental trials, and when i go to her with theory questions, is too busy/not receptive to discussing why this or that might fit into a lit review or explain this phenomenon, etc. the project is also outside her field of expertise, but jim wanted to have on board someone more inclined to biochemistry than he was, so we asked to include her. don't get me wrong, i love her to death, but for the sake of personal inspiration and suggestions of *future* projects--never this one. the bottom line is that although i like her personally and professionally, she hasn't really contributed to the project (and jim knows it).

sooo... my question is, given this exit seminar, i have to do the acknowledgement and thank-yous moment which ALWAYS puts your supervisors first. but she really hasn't done anything, and all of us know it. i feel like it's a very large pink elephant sitting around. what to do??? 😕 i'll give more details if you pm me... i am reluctant on a public forum.

 

[EvoDevo]

Well, since she is listed on your formal documentation as one of your advisors you really can't avoid mentioning her as such. However, you don't necessarily have to go out of your way to acknowledge her as you might do so for Jim. The phrase, "Damned with faint praise" comes to mind.

 

[Thundrstorm]

Yeah, if you say: "Thank you Jim and Terry for serving as my advisors. Terry, thank you for agreeing to provide a Biochemistry viewpoint on the topic, and Jim, thank you for the countless hours of assistance, encouragement, and insight; your help has been invaluable" ... it will be pretty clear who really helped you.

 

[purple79]

Here's my advice: in academia, always err on the side of kiss a**. Her contribution to your project might have been minimal, but this could be due to many reasons. She may have felt that, as a an add-on secondary advisor, her analysis of your project wasn't as important as that of your primary advisor. Maybe she didn't fully comprehend your area of research because hers was different and was hesitant to offer advice on an area outside her expertise. Maybe she didn't care. The point is that she's your secondary advisor and she sacrificed some of her time to be your secondary advisor and talk with you, no matter how inconsequential the outcome.

Giving thanks where it's not always due is the name of the game. If she feels slighted in any way for her contribution, that can/will reflect poorly on you. Down the road, she may be called upon to help you in some other way, like in providing materials or giving a reference for you. These facutly people have a lot of formal and informal contacts. A professor will get authorship on my first paper for consulting with me on initiating a new project and providing some starting materials. Because my advisor and I want to thank her and pave the way for future collaborations. It is the gracious thing to do. (She's also on my thesis committee). It's not going to hurt you in any way to acknowledge her. I wouldn't give any back handed compliments, either.

In the world of academics or business, you have to play politics. That means being gracious and tactful and being careful not to unecessarily burn any bridges. Good luck!