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How can we help you? (July-August 2025)

Now that it's a couple of months since our last "how can we help you?" thread, it's time for a new one.

For those of you unfamiliar with this series, this is a chance for you to post openly or anonymously in the comments section below on anything you could use help with related to the profession. After you post your query in the comments section, I will then post new threads for readers to discuss your query. 

As usual, feel free to ask questions on anything (within the Cocoon's mission) that you could use help with, including but not limited to:

  • The job-market (applying for jobs, etc.)
  • Issues in the profession (including issues of social justice)
  • Graduate school
  • Publishing
  • Teaching
  • Work-life balance
  • Mental health & well-being
  • Personal struggles
  • Etc.

Ask away – we're here to help! 

Finally, a quick reminder of the following RULE: Please do not submit replies to other comments in this thread. It makes these threads unwieldy and difficult for me to keep track of which queries I've posted new threads on. If you'd like to respond to a comment in this thread, please wait until I dedicate a new post to the person's query myself and comment in that thread instead!

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44 responses to “How can we help you? (July-August 2025)”

  1. Grad student

    Given that Nous and PPR have the same editor, how do people choose which one to submit to? And is it unwise to send to the other if rejected by one of them?

    Reply
  2. 4th year Phd Student

    How does one come by a dual-appointment? In my undergrad days at a major R1, I remember some of my professors split time between philosophy and elsewhere (the history dept, the law school, environmental and soil sciences, etc.). Sometimes they were prestigious scholars with wide-ranging expertise, but some weren’t; some weren’t even tenured. I’ve always been curious how one lands a job where they can teach in multiple areas/disciplines. Is such an option seen in the original job posting? Is it navigated in the interview process? Is it a recognition of scholarly merit way down the line?

    Reply
  3. UK postdoc

    Am I the only one who cannot log in to the APA Journal Survey anymore? When I try I get this error:
    This site can’t provide a secure connection
    journalsurveys.apaonline.org uses an unsupported protocol.
    ERR_SSL_VERSION_OR_CIPHER_MISMATCH
    Is this website now defunct? Or is this a problem on my end (I have obviously tried different devices and browsers)?

    Reply
  4. Israeli student

    @UK postdoc, the APA journal survey worked fine for me earlier this week and I just checked again now and it’s working as usual. Didn’t some big change in UK internet happen recently though? Maybe that’s related to your problem?

    Reply
  5. Lost wanting Clarity

    Been out of academia since 2018 but avid reader. BS in philosophy and want to return for graduate school. Any guidance on how to get back in? Goal is not to earn money, I already have a career. I want to be happy and learn again instead of being stagnant.

    Reply
  6. Early Career

    I recently accepted my first post-grad school job. The department is giving me an office for solo use. Any advice on how to decorate, and make it a functional space that will be welcoming to students and other faculty? Any advice that might not be obvious to someone who has never had an office before?

    Reply
  7. just for fun in not-fun times

    I still have my drink tickets from the Central APA 2019–does anyone want them?
    I’m kidding (I mean, I really do have them…), but I’m wondering how many others out there also hang on to things like these for far too long. Fun examples?

    Reply
  8. 1st time lecturer

    Does anyone know of a good resource to assign as reading (or perhaps an even briefer handout to circulate) that gives Freshmen/Sophomores an accessible intro to writing a decent syllogism?

    Reply
  9. Ergo question

    When a referee submits a report to Ergo, does it post automatically to the author’s portal, or does the area editor need to release it first? No need for a whole post on this. If someone knows, feel free to reply in the comments here.

    Reply
  10. ergo answerer

    My impression is that Ergo reports post automatically, without needing to go through the editor. Only the decision requires the editor’s input.

    Reply
  11. up a creek

    I received and accepted a TT offer in the last job cycle, which was great. During negotiations, I asked what they could do for my spouse (also an academic). They offered them an adjunct position, saying they would teach 2 courses per semester for up to three years, pending positive reviews. We accepted this (both moving to the area) because it was financially feasible (though very tight) and it would give my spouse the chance to stay on the market with affiliation.
    Since then, however, the university has been incredibly difficult about my spouse’s employment. They’re not providing a contract, and I’ve had to pull teeth (send multiple emails to a variety of administrators) to even get a list of courses my spouse might teach in the fall. We still don’t have any guarantee that my spouse will teach in the fall or the spring.
    I feel crazy. This offer for my spouse was in writing, and now they’re acting like it never existed. If my spouse doesn’t get this position nailed down, we’ll be financially in a precarious position, and my spouse will be on the market with no position and no affiliation.
    I know spousal positions are notoriously a challenge, and I’m not expecting the moon. But we made serious life choices based on that offer, and it feels now I have no power to hold them to it. I’m nervous to do anything too aggressive for fear of jeopardizing my own relationships with admin in the university, a place where I was hoping to get tenure. Does anyone have any advice?

    Reply
  12. Mahmoud Jalloh

    On the Ergo question: I’m pretty sure it has to be released. I’ve had reports back dated a few days or even a week from when I first was able to view it.

    Reply
  13. ergo area editor

    Hi, the report is automatically released to the author but there is a waiting period of I think 7 days, during which an editor looks at the report to make sure there is nothing problematic (e.g. abusive or something like that) in it.

    Reply
  14. EAL

    What is methodology?
    I’ve been in the field as a student or professional for almost two decades, I’ve taught 1,000+ students, I’ve published articles, and yet I realized this week after referee comments with a revise-and-resubmit verdict that I have thus far never clarified for myself what is meant in our field by talk of “methodology.” (I suspect, or at least hope, I’m not the only person with this blindspot) Will our wonderful blog readership demistify that concept for me? How do you explain your choice of methodology in your work to colleagues, to readers, to students?

    Reply
  15. The Professor Is Out

    Does anyone know of any job material editing services other than Karen Kelsky’s services at The Professor is In? I recently had a truly horrible experience with them being super rude to me and then ghosting me without completing the services (or refunding me!). I now find myself with partially reworked job documents that I’m not even sure are any better than what I had before, since I didn’t receive any actual editing from them. So, I’d love to know of any (less hostile! and ideally less expensive) alternatives to TPII, particularly any services that are more well-versed in philosophy academia in particular. This isn’t the main point of the post, and I don’t want to sound too negative, but I also figured it wouldn’t hurt to warn others about my experience with The Professor is In, since I imagine others on here may be considering their services.

    Reply
  16. frustrated by referee reports

    Lately, I’ve been trying out ChatGPT-4o on some of my own manuscripts—just asking it to summarize the papers and see what it picks up. To my surprise, it actually does a pretty good job. It seems to understand what I’m trying to say, and in some cases, it even puts things more clearly and accessibly than I did in the original.
    What really stood out to me is that it doesn’t make the kinds of major interpretive mistakes I sometimes see in human referee reports. That got me thinking: has anyone else had a similar experience using LLMs like this? Is this kind of thing common, or am I just being overly impressed because it’s “getting me”?
    Also, I wonder what people think about using LLMs to help with referee work. I’m definitely not saying referees shouldn’t read the paper themselves—but given how easily LLMs can spot structure and summarize arguments, I’m curious whether others see a role for them in helping us avoid misreadings or blind spots.
    Would love to hear people’s thoughts or experiences.

    Reply
  17. Grad Student

    I’m giving my first conference talk this November (at the PPE society in NO) on a paper that I’m currently working to improve but which may, ultimately, be a dud. Any tips on giving a first talk in general or on giving a talk on a piece of work that may still have a long way to go before it’s any good?

    Reply
  18. public philosophy?

    Hiring committee members: How much do you care about a junior candidate’s work in public philosophy? For example: if they have a large substack, go on podcasts, write at outlets like Quilette or Prindle Post, does that matter to you?
    My guess is that the work is a positive as long as the candidate hasn’t neglected teaching and research. But I’m wondering just how much of a positive this is. Is it a big deal? Little deal?
    My two cents: I think it should count alot, for the reasons Alex Guerrero gives in this DN post: https://dailynous.com/2023/06/27/the-fourth-branch-guest-post/

    Reply
  19. Ducks in a Row

    As we approach the next academic year, I’m wondering: do you read all of your assigned texts in advance of each class? And if so, in what level of depth?
    I’m in the habit of reading each text very closely. As a junior philosopher, I’m anxious about getting “caught out” in the classroom. But sometimes I read / hear of philosophers doing only 30-60 minutes of prep per class. And surely one can’t properly digest 1-2 papers in that time…?

    Reply
  20. dr who

    Application to PhD positions – advice?
    I had a strong track record until my master thesis, which got a C; and my university doesn’t use GPAs. In some programs it means it is not even worth applying (criteria of B minimum to be eligible).
    Should I try to re-take the module and write a new master thesis to improve the grade or to prioritize something else? I am applying mostly in Europe as it is the system I know, but am open to other continents as long as I can find funding options (fully-funded).

    Reply
  21. B

    I’m new to teaching courses that I myself have designed. Is there a way to make lecture prep less tedious and overwhelming? Unfortunately, making the class significantly less lecture-focused is not an option in my situation.

    Reply
  22. Fishy

    When applying for jobs, does it matter how recent your sample is? I’d be inclined to submit an older sample (circa 2021) due to concerns about length and controversial ideas in my more recent publications. But would this look fishy?

    Reply
  23. grad student

    I’m trying to understand how I can get past the review process and get at least an R&R (revise and resumbit).
    I have this intuition that the reason reviewers are rejecting my paper is not because it lacks arguments for my thesis but because they simply do not agree with the overall thesis I am making.To be sure, there are things I need to improve in my arguments. But- and here is where the problem starts- I cannot see how this cannot be made in an R&R.I also get comments by the reviewers saying that I make interesting points that need to be clarified. Only a very small percentage of papers get accepted as they are initially submitted, so how can reviewers expect a paper to be in the perfect shape possible? They know, we know, that every paper they receive is most likely going to be revised. So the changes that need to be made here and there cannot really be the reason that the reviewer rejects the paper- if that was the case then he would simply suggest the changes to be made in an RnR. So there must be something else that makes them reject the paper.

    Reply
  24. Puzzled author

    RE: Seeking advice regarding an usual R&R
    I recently submitted a manuscript to a top specialist journal and received an update directly from the Editor-in-Chief that I did not fully understand.
    The Editor said (in their capacity as EiC) that they would not accept the current version, for stylistic and substantive reasons, but would reconsider it if substantially revised it along the lines they suggested. They then attached a surprisingly detailed and serious report they themselves wrote, outlining the revisions they would love to see should I decide to resubmit. The decision was officially “reject-and-resubmit,” which I am not totally sure if and how it differs from a standard “revise-and-resubmit,” or, maybe “desk-rejection-with-some-kind-explanation.”
    What this seems puzzling to me is that, since the report was directly produced by the EiC in a very short span, my paper was not read by any external referees. So even if I decided to make the substantial revisions the Editor asked for, it does not seem very likely that they would just override the referee reports, should they recommend rejection. (And rejection recommendations seem far more likely than a traditional R&R, in which cases the referees would already independently lean towards acceptance.)
    But I was thinking: is it unwise to ignore this opportunity and just send it as-is to another journal? I am not particularly excited about the changes the Editor asked for, but this is a very prestigious venue. Also, does this (i.e., Editor asking revisions pre-peer-review) happen at other journals? And does this evidence favorably on my paper at the present journal, e.g, in that it would have a higher likelihood of Editor intervention should referee reports come unfavorably? Many thanks!

    Reply
  25. If you want

    Hey Puzzled author, I had a similar (identical?) experience. Email me if you want to hear how it went for me: anguish-plights7i@icloud.com. (I swear this is a randomly generated email, not recommending anguish or saying this is a plight!)

    Reply
  26. JA

    What’s the prevailing view on adding an `Objections and Replies’ section in the process of revising a manuscript (i.e., after receiving a R&R)? Is it considered a lazy move, specifically?

    Reply
  27. SB

    Is it ethical to review a book manuscript for a publisher and then later publish in a journal your review of that updated book? A colleague told me he thought it was a conflict of interest. I’m wondering what everyone at the cocoon thinks.

    Reply
  28. sufficient

    Just got a bizarre referee report. I argued that a popular view — that phi-ing requires N — is false, because S is sufficient for phi-ing, and S doesn’t entail N.
    The referee wrote: “This is a straightforward necessity/sufficiency blunder: the claim is that [S] is sufficient for [phi-ing]. How is this in conflict with the [view that N is necessary for phi-ing]? It is just a sufficient condition.” This was their main reason for rejection.
    I am just astounded at this level of incompetence. I don’t mind referees raising bad objections, but this is just basic logic stuff.
    More practically, what do you do with something like this? Usually after a rejection I add clarification to the paper. But clarifying this particular point feels beyond silly.

    Reply
  29. askingforafriend

    What’s the opinion on applying for a tt job at the same university from where you received your PhD? Can’t disclose too much info for obvious reasons, but say it’s been a few years and nobody currently at the department focuses on your (relevant) AOS anymore. Pointless still?

    Reply
  30. The Sky is Falling!

    Typepad (what this blog is running on) is shutting down on Sept. 30, 2025!!!!! Is the blog continuing? Are old Q/As going to be saved? I hope so!

    Reply
  31. grad student

    I’d like to hear people’s thoughts about AI researchers. I know of a peer-review-accepted paper written by an AI researcher in computer science, and it seems to suggest that automated science is becoming a reality. Could the same thing happen in philosophy? Could AI researchers automate philosophy and replace us? I’d be interested to hear people’s thoughts on this.
    (*Just to clarify, I’m not talking about students cheating, but about professional philosophy)

    Reply
  32. Jules

    Say one department is hiring for two positions. A candidate has AoS’s appropriate for both postings and applies to both. Should the candidate worry about one application undercutting the other? Should they avoid making themselves seem too different? My instinct is to say that materials should be tailored to each position and hence should (or could) highlight different dimensions of the same projects, as relevant. Is that right?

    Reply
  33. Papers in Progress Workshops

    The APA now has “Papers in Progress Workshops” that are intended for workshopping papers in development solely with a group of fellow participants. These are not full-fledged refereed presentations but they are still refereed, (and might even be more competitive than presentations at other venues?). Would you include them in a separate category from other presentations, and what would the right categories be? Also, how much do you think they count compared to other types of presentations, e.g., graduate conference talk or small, local conference talk?

    Reply
  34. Please advise 🙂

    I have a paper that is going to be published in French in an edited volume, but I also want to publish the paper in English. How should I go about this? Can I submit the English paper to a journal and state that it is published in French elsewhere? Or should I just accept that this paper will only be read by French speakers?

    Reply
  35. lucky to be lucky

    this probably comes up every year, so I ask again (I couldn’t find a specific post through search). I am lucky to have found a great TT job, starting Fall. However, a new TT job opened up in what is geographically a much, much better place for the kind of work my partner does.
    What are the written and unwritten rules around applying out immediately after? What are the norms and thoughts? I imagine a range of views are possible, but anyone have experience with this, good and bad, that they could share? e.g., applied out, didn’t get it, home institution heard about it? Awkardness should my home institution hear about a job talk I’m giving, and how to deal with it? (FWIW I love the faculty here, made me feel very welcome, etc). Should I give my present institution a heads up, or not?

    Reply
  36. triple-blind

    Why don’t all journals adopt triple blind review? Editors act as gatekeepers when they decide to send a manuscript out for review vs. desk reject. Not only this, my understanding is that editors are also given the authority to make the final call; even if the referees recommend, say, R&R the editor can decide to reject. At journals where triple blind review is not practiced, editors make these decisions while also knowing the identity of the author. Why is this permitted? Whether or not they want to admit it, editors manifest biases; biases which will influence these decisions from time to time. Shouldn’t we, as a profession, be putting pressure on all journals to adopt triple blind review? I’d like to hear some discussion on this.

    Reply
  37. early career

    I’m deciding between two journals for a manuscript. Journal A has slightly higher prestige, and publishing there would probably look more impressive to colleagues. Journal B is at about the same level, though not quite as shiny in reputation. The key difference is that the associate editor at Journal A seems to have a philosophical outlook that clashes with mine and has published pieces broadly hostile to the position I defend. The associate editor at Journal B, by contrast, has written on closely related topics and appears to share some of the basic theoretical commitments of my manuscript.
    My question is: how much does an editor’s own philosophical taste or theoretical orientation actually affect the fate of a submission? Are they more likely to desk-reject a paper or pick referees hostile to it if they disagree with its core commitments? Or am I just overthinking this? I’d be grateful for any thoughts or experiences others might have.

    Reply
  38. Yes PLZ on TB

    I’d LOVE a discussion on triple blind! I know it won’t change much, but I’ve had some bad (and I don’t think isolated) experiences with non-triple blind journals, experiences that were definitely personal, and I’d be very interested to hear if similar things have happened to others.

    Reply
  39. Perishing while publishing

    Marcus, I had an R&R at a very selective journal. My revisions were accepted by the reviewers but the editor mentioned that it must now go for a vote now to the editors and that many papers will not make it past this stage. Is this something you’ve run across before? Can you offer any insight into such a process?
    Relatedly my paper is currently on the longer end— above their ideal range by but under their maximum word count. How concerned would you be about the word count at this stage?

    Reply
  40. ChastenedAuthor

    I don’t know if I got a desk reject. I submitted to a journal that uses email submission, so no way track. They replied with a receipt acknowledgement and then said due to volume they can’t comment on all submissions. Then, there was a lengthy restatement of journal policy (from the website) about maximum word count, which didn’t apply to my submission since it was below that word count.
    That was about 5 months ago. The issue is, according to the APA Journal Survey, they tend to make decisions within 4 months. 5 months isn’t unheard of for them, but it is fairly rare.
    I’m wondering if they kindly desk rejected me and I didn’t realize it. I don’t really want to contact the journal, because I’m a firm believer in contacting the journal is a very quick way to get rejected.
    Any thoughts?

    Reply
  41. Welwood

    How much weight does publishing a booklet (max 30.000 words) in the Cambridge University Press Elements series carry? Is it like publishing an article in a good/top journal or more like a monograph with CUP or something else? I am junior scholar, working in history of philosophy.

    Reply
  42. limited advertising

    Can current & past search committee members weigh-in to explain why, on occasion, a department only advertises a job on HigherEd Jobs and Chronicle and leaves it off PhilJobs? (Assuming there’s reasonable guesses)
    There’s a job that is currently only posted on Chronicle, and has been that way for about a week. Usually at some point jobs at HigherEd Jobs & Chronicle end up on PhilJobs. So this has me wondering if they are intentionally not advertising widely…

    Reply
  43. cvorganizer

    Can we go over how publications in C.V.s are supposed to be listed for mid-career philosophers? ‘Peer-reviewed’ seems to sometimes stand for blind-reviewed journal articles, but invited contributions like a chapter in an edited volume are also peer-reviewed. Is it better to just list by kind (journal article, chapter in ed. volume, book review/discussion, etc) or do you all have other ways of organizing the different kinds of publications?

    Reply
  44. David

    To build upon cvorganizer’s question — for mid-career (and even early-career), should articles which went through some form of blind peer review be marked as such on a CV, whether parenthetically, via asterisks, etc.? Or should this be assumed and left unmarked? The APA says, “Make sure to indicate whether something was peer reviewed” (https://www.apaonline.org/page/guidance_job_seekers).

    Reply

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