The Philosophers' Cocoon

A safe and supportive forum for philosophers.

Owned & Moderated by Marcus Arvan (University of Tampa)

Contact: marvan@ut.edu

Blog mission & moderation policy

IMPORTANT NOTE on how to ensure anonymity in commenting
Job-Market Reporting Thread (2025-26)
Job-Market Discussion Thread (2025-26)

recent posts

about

Using a co-authored writing sample? In a subfield where co-authoring is common?

In our newest “how can we help you?” thread, a reader asks:

Would it be ill-advised to use a co-authored paper for a writing sample for a TT job application? For context: I’m the lead author on the paper and did the majority of the writing and conceptualization; I have other single-authored published works (in peer-reviewed journals) which a search committee will see on my cv; the co-authored piece I’m considering sending is strong (in my view) but is currently unpublished. My thinking is that it represents my best and most current writing, and, because it is unpublished, it would only be accessible to search committees if I directly send it. Thoughts?

I seem to recall this question being asked many times at the Cocoon, with the consensus answer always being a firm no. Why? Because (or so the usual answer goes) committees want to measure a candidate’s own philosophical “chops”, and a co-authored paper isn’t the best gauge of that (since it can be hard/impossible for a committee to disentangle the applicant’s contributions from those of any coauthors). But maybe things have changed?

In any case, another reader added a further question to the mix, asking whether it makes a difference if co-authoring is common in their subfield:

I want to ask a similar question to @multi-author paper as writing sample, though in a slightly different context. I am a postdoc and will be applying to both TT and non-TT jobs this year. I have some single-authored articles. In my postdoc however I’ve ventured into a subfield in philosophy where it is more common than not to co-publish. People in my subfield understand this, but other philosophers may not (which, of course, will be the case for most people sitting on search committees). Like @multi-author paper as writing sample, I too believe that a co-authored paper where I’m the lead and responsible for the vast majority of writing is a very strong piece. Is this something I could address in my cover letter?

Do any readers have helpful insights to share?

Posted in

8 responses to “Using a co-authored writing sample? In a subfield where co-authoring is common?”

  1. pessimistic

    I would still suggest a single-author writing sample. All the concerns (or at least the major ones) against using co-authored publication remain even if co-authoring is a normal occurrence in that subfield. When I evaluate candidates, I want to know what they are capable of, and a co-authored writing sample does not tell me this – even if such papers are common. So it would be really difficult for me to vote for someone with a co-authored paper over someone who submits a good single-authored paper, even if I believe that the co-authored paper is *better* in some way. Hiring decisions, at least at all the institutions where I have been a part of them, are fairly risk adverse, and they can afford to be because of the huge applicant pool.

    Reply
  2. TT

    I was on a search last year, and we IMMEDIATELY disqualified any applicants with co-authored writing samples. I asked around to around 8 or 10 other colleagues and every single person agreed that in the searches they had been on, it was also an IMMEDIATE disqualification.

    This question comes up a lot and I must admit I really don’t understand how it’s even a question. It is you who is applying for the job. Not you and your co-author.

    Reply
  3. Chris

    We have hired people whose entire corpus (virtually) is co-authored. So not everyone will immediately disqualify you for a co-authored sample. But it can depend on who the paper is co-authored with (e.g., it is better if it isn’t your supervisor and is an “equal”), whether you are the “senior author” and of course what sub-discipline you’re in.

    I don’t doubt that it is a risky strategy to submit a co-authored paper (because of what TT says) but I do wonder how TT thinks hiring works in disciplines where virtually everyone co-authors everything! I must admit I don’t understand their argument “it is you who is applying for the job, not you and your co-author” given that there are entire disciplines that still manage to hire people, and not their co-authors, despite looking at co-authored writing samples.

    Reply
  4. Co-author

    A few thoughts from someone who used co-authored work on the market and got a job: if you do submit a co-authored writing sample, you can explain in your cover letter that you were the lead and indicate why you have chosen it. You may also be able to submit multiple writing samples, in which case you can submit both the co-authored and the single-authored papers, and again explain why in your cover letter. Something else to factor into the decision process: do you have a substantial record of single-authored work in addition to this paper, or is this one of only one or two things on your record? If the latter is true, using the co-authored WS will be riskier.

    Reply
  5. Workaround

    Could you leave the strong co-authored and unpublished paper aside for a job talk?

    Reply
  6. JDF

    We do not discount or disqualify co-authored work as such. Still, if the co-authored piece is as yet unpublished, I’d suggest planning on using it as a job-talk rather than a writing sample and sending something published, presumably single-authored, as the writing sample. You can dispel any doubts about your competence with the material in the Q/A, if people in the crowd are inclined to doubt it on the basis of your co-authorship.

    Reply
  7. Thank you

    Hi Marcus, is there a way to make visible on the main page how many comments each post has? At least on mobile, it’s hard to browse and can feel frustrating to spend time going to a post I’m interested in with the same amount of comments as there were last time. It just would make it more user friendly. Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Marcus

      I understand the frustration, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to figure out how to get WordPress to do that yet. If anyone does know how, I’d appreciate tips!

      Reply

Leave a Reply to WorkaroundCancel reply

Discover more from The Philosophers' Cocoon

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading