First attempt for journal paper

Before I continue further, let me start with this.

-Michael Jordan-

Universities nowadays are becoming so concern about ranking. Normally, rank is assessed by the number of published journals affiliated with the university. My university is no different. They spent huge on grants etc and ask (in return) a numbers of journal etc.

Some time last week, I sent a paper to this one very new indexed journal and hope that the paper will be accepted for publication. The following is the editor's reply:

"Thank you for submitting your paper to xxxxx. I read all papers as they
arrive before they are progressing through the system. I think your paper is
not a research paper and and it is not enough of critical evaluation toqualify as a review paper"

The moment I read this, it feels like there's a bomb just exploded in my head. I had just failed. The paper did not even move in the system and it didn't even pass the editor. No need to say more. [motivation at its lowest...]

It continues like this:

"However, I would be happy to send it for review as a "Viewpoint", papers
that are of general interest without being classified as research. They are
searchable  in the same way as research papers. The peer review is slightlydifferent but accepted papers qualify as peer reviewed"

Some relief though.... at least there's a home for it.

Now comes the recommendations:

"If you want your paper as a viewpoint, could you please remove the
inappropriate references to "theory" in the title and text and edit the
English, which is currently not of a publishable standard."

This really caught my attention. How am I going to edit the English? because that was the only English I ever knew.

I am so poor in grammar but what can I do.

But at least the editor had given me a good option. Perhaps I will just edit and send it over again.

"When you have done that, send it to me as an attachment to an email and I'll
send it to referees."

It left me wonder (really..) on my level of English...

Reading pre-departure note

I've lost count on the number of pre-departure note that I should appropriately assigned, so I would just leave it as it is. Perhaps the archive could trace it's number.

I am called to put a note on the whole process leading to this attachment, and even tough I have two more months or so to leave for Reading, this note should summarize the process that have taken place in the last four/five months or so.

Start-up

I am an avid student of UTM I might say. I earned my Msc. here and when its about time to decide for doctorate place, my gut had always say it's probably UTM again. Don't ask me why but UTM had always earn my respects in so many ways, perhaps because I met my wife there <>

It was all started when my sv mentioned about this attachment thing and I was so naive not knowing how to start the whole process. Fortunately, a professor from Reading visited UTM so I was given detail explanation on what should I expected.

The process of getting the invitation letter from the professor took quite a number of months but I am so fortunate that my sv did all the communication. After all I did not know how to speak properly with a pure Englishman because our style of English with so many 'la' in the end has kept him staring at me trying to understand how that 'la' had got to do in the sentences.

The letter and funding

Little I know that for MOHE scholar who'd received all education locally has this attachment facility with overseas institution. I did an enquiry with the personnel in charge and was encouraged to apply for it. Of course, the invitation letter from the overseas institution is the only prerequisite along with support letter from my sv. The rest of the process was more on soft skill, communication etc with the dean and officers in home university and as long these all fulfilled, in sya allah, nothing would meddle in between.

The process at MOHE was one straight forward process. Submit online application, made a few calls to inform them about the application and within less than a month, I finally got the approval. Just to note here that approval was given through the system and again I was so fortunate because the officer in charge did notify me through email on the approval. The email stated that my application was approved for the duration requested with detail funds that will be given for that particular duration. There will be slight adjustment with the amount of the scholarship and with the commitment I've made with the accommodation personnel at Reading, I guess that should be enough to cover the daily expenses. Accommodation cost would consume more than half of the amount given by MOHE. Although I should be able to get much cheaper accommodation, I would rather stick with this as it comes with en suite bathroom and close to the university.

My flight ticket

Got from Emirates for less than 5k. Quite on the high side but that was all I managed to get. This ticket is reimbursable, meaning MOHE will pay for it later.

I am now waiting for the fund to be credited. Hopefully, as it now less than a month before my departure date. I will try to update more on this and wish I could write more when I am physically in the UK.

Till then.



 

It killing

Good morning,

Back with more stuff than usual make me thinks whether this phd things is furthering me up or dragging me down. While correlation equation has made it clear that there is only +1 and -1 relationship so, I guess, gains are at the expense of losing. Do not know whether this [in real life term..] means that I am losing some aspects of my life.

It's true. I am losing my time with my family and I miss catching up my kid's smattering talks. I have tried best to minimize this, but unfortunately this phd had dragged me down even further. See, everybody is enjoying their holiday today while I am stuck in this four walls trying to figure out how I could solve the world's problem. Well, I am not a superhero more powerful than I thought, but this is really stressing.

I got some of these comics, mind you that I am not plagiarizing just some of my thought about the facts that I am enduring right now:

ok that was it. I've wasted 45 minutes on this. Now get back to work!