So, recently I blogged about an upcoming conference and that fact that I had been scooped, even perhaps cheated out of a research idea. Since I posted the blog, I found the email that I had sent back and forth with another graduate student where he calls it 'my idea' and it was from 2003 and I found the thought paper I wrote where I originally proposed the idea (in Fall 2002). The idea was mine. But in fairness, I never did anything with that idea.
I decided not to talk to his adviser (who is my friend about it). It would put her in an awkward situation (and I don't want that).
So, at the conference he comes up to me and says that another graduate from our alma mater said he should come talk to me because I have thought about these issues before. So, he acknowledged that I had this idea and to his credit had a ingenious test of the idea. We see things a bit differently, but I think he has some good ideas there and the research is important. I left feeling a bit good and less cheated. I offered up the possibility of working on ideas later or collaborating on an idea that would bridge his ideas and mine down the road.
When you combine this experience with the fact that I recently reviewed an article that was very closely related to my dissertation. (A crappy version of my dissertation, that all reviewers and editors thought should be rejected) and you add that at this recent conference I presented some work from my dissertation and was mobbed (relatively) by people interested in the topic, I NEED TO GET TO THE WRITING. For serious. Thinking up great ideas will not get me tenure (or another job). Tomorrow is a writing day so I will see how much I can get done in my allotted research time tomorrow.
