Maintaining an Active Research Career through Collaboration

We have divided the questions into three major categories:

I. Collaboration, Coauthoring and One's Career

These questions concerns ways in which collaboration can help one's career: the basics of collaboration and questions regarding collaboration as a postdoc and tenure track faculty member, coauthoring with undergraduates and obtaining funding.

II. Building Collaborations to Achieve Mathematical Goals

These questions concern the exchange of ideas and building of collaborations where the goal is to solve a mathematical problem. While these questions are relevant to young mathematicians, they are essential to mature mathematicians.

III. Collaboration Difficulties

These questions focus on specific difficulties that may arise during the collaboration process and how they may be addressed. We encourage mathematicians with concerns to send in questions and they will be posted anonymously. Collaboration is an essential part of the mathematical process and it is important to understand how to maintain a successful collaboration especially in a long term project.

IV. Additional Questions

Anyone who has a question should email them to the online moderator. We will list them here and try to find someone to answer the question. Some questions may be inserted under an existing topic. Others will be added at the end.

I. Collaboration, Coauthoring and One's Career:

A. How to find Collaborators or Make Yourself Available as a Collaborator on an Existing Project?

B. How can Mathematicians in Isolation Collaborate?

C. Collaborating with Scientists and Mathematicians Outside of Your Field

D. Collaborating with Undergraduates

E. Collaborating with Colleagues in Your Department

F. Collaborating with A Spouse or Parent

G. Collaborating with Multiple Coauthors on a Single Project

H. How to handle Collaboration with a Senior Mathematician, Postdoctoral Advisor or your Doctoral Advisor?

I. Collaborating without Coauthoring

J. Collaboration and its Effect on Tenure and Promotion? Letters of Recommendation and Paper Counting

K. Obtaining Funding for Collaborative Research

II. Building Collaborations to Achieve Mathematical Goals:

A. How to Exchange Ideas without Giving them Away?

B. How to Develop Ideas through Seminars and Workshops?

C. How to Contribute Ideas to an Existing Project?

D. How to Find Collaborators to Assist with your Project both within and outside of your field?

E. Sharing Ideas you don't have time to develop as a way of building good will and gaining letters of recommendation

F. Creating a School of Mathematicians working towards a common goal in distinct teams solving related problems

G. What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Open Online Collaboration in a Public Forum?

III. Collaboration Difficulties

A. Division of Labor. Should one Collaborator be filling in all the details and typing up the Project?

B. The Missing Collaborator: when a collaborator stops contributing and the clock is ticking for the other

C. The Domineering Collaborator: making your ideas heard

D. The Revision Process: how much should one collaborator rewrite what the other collaborator has written?

E. Personality Conflicts

F. Adding Additional Coauthors

G. Communicating Concerns about the Collaboration

H. Finding a Mediator for a Troubled Collaboration

I. Handing a Mathematical Divorce: when two Mathematicians decide to stop Working together

J. Starting to Collaborate Again: looking for the Warning Signs

K. Finding Collaborators for Long Term Projects that Span Years and Maintaining a Good Relationship

IV. Additional Questions

A. What to do when a collaborator makes mistakes?

B. When should we post, repost or withdraw a paper from the arxiv?

C. What to do when a collaborator stops replying to all emails and never communicates with you again? (unanswered)