Friday, November 6, 2009

Paleo Paper Challenge: Are You Challenged Yet?

Last night, Dave reminded me that it's been nearly a month since we've had an update or progress report for all of you participating in the Paleo Paper Challenge. Remember, your homework is due January 1!

In my last post, I required you readers to publicly shame me if I didn't get right to work on my contributions. Well, I deserve to be shamed. I will confess to doing virtually nothing over the last few weeks (aside from a few very, very minor edits). . .thus, setting a very, very bad example. (although I did help get another manuscript that's not part of the challenge into review!)

So, how's everyone else doing?

21 comments:

  1. Well I'm doing OK, though perhaps mostly becuase I picked a paper I thought I would get done easily in time. It's now with a co-author, but will need work on the figures on its return. Coupled with a couple of other projects having sprung up and a trip to a couple of museums it's less o a certainty that I felt last month...

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  2. I have a detailed outline thus far, and am just checking a few datapoints before I decide that my results are robust. Then it's writing, writing, writing!

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  3. my MS is sitting on my coauthor's desk (for now 2+ weeks).hopefully it won't be another 2. but lookin good here. Of course, i wouldn't promise a paper that didn't already have the deck stacked a bit. :p. screw the paper, i'll be really happy if i can get an NSF submitted by Jan 1, or 1 +13.

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  5. Andy, do know of any decent Mac-capable open source cladistic analysis related software? I've mostly got the database compiled (with a couple changes); just need software to run it through.

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  6. Hi Tor - I would recommending checking out this site for a good list of options.

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  7. Today I finished the figures and abstract for the chicken EMG manuscript. Still have to deal with copyright forms.

    One analysis to redo on the pachycephalosaur vs. artiodactyl paper. (I invented a stats method, and the first application better be right.)

    The gecko work has been bumped to December by placoderm and tyrannosaur manuscripts. The first is due by Christmas and the latter by Nov. 15 (gack).

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  8. I am finally done with the paper I had to get done, so now I have just recently gotten back to working on the Terrestrial mammals of the Calvert Formation review - it will be big, but is big already. I should have it done by Jan 1st with not too much trouble - BUT, like Casey, have a Jan 1st NSF deadline, too. Aargh!

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  9. Rocking--thanks Andy.

    Sent you an e-mail with a somewhat more detailed update!

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  10. I've made some progress with the Archbishop description -- preparing a figure, writing the historical background, etc. -- but the real hot news is that I will be spending all next week at and around the NHM working on it. I should come away with final, production-quality photographs of all the bones, more historical information from the archives and -- best of all -- CT-scan data for one or two of the cervicals, courtesy of the Royal Veterinary College.

    Of course, whether I can tie all that into a manuscript ready to be submitted by the end of the year is another matter, especially as I seem to be spending so much time dissecting wallabies recently. And especially as I've realised I probably want to include a Principal Component Analysis in the paper, which means I first need to learn that technique.

    But still -- if I can hit the deadline, I will do so.

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  11. Well I wouldn't feel bad if you can't do it Mike, one of my planned ones for the PPC took a hit and has been put off till next year already. I think the spirit of the challenge is the main thing to get people moving and motivated on those long-lost papers.

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  12. My co-author and I submitted 1 paper. A paper John and I are working on is nearly ready to submit. Just need to finish 1 figure. Hope to have it submitted by the end of the week! The taphonomy paper is still only a detailed outline. The number of authors somehow doubled and so work has all but stalled :(

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  13. Pretty good. I should be able to send it to my coauthor very soon.

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  14. I have to admit I've been very busy to... but soon I will focus on it! :)

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  15. To where do we send the paper contents?

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  16. To a journal of your choice. . .the challenge isn't intended to create its own publication - just to encourage all of us to get our stuff finished and submitted.

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  17. One paper submitted already, and I'm finishing the discussion section on my sharks vs. mosasaur work. Then it's just figures! Third paper still with coauthor, but should be about done.

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  18. After two solid weeks and twelve pages of equations, Robin Sissons and I submitted a manuscript of Albertosaurus finite element analyses. A bird electromyography paper is being revamped this week for Journal of Zoology, to include more big dino stuff. Jessica Theodor are waiting on a statistician to check our complicated math (pachycephalosaurs could butt heads regardless; amazing what you learn examining specimens and running the numbers).
    Also, Mark Wilson and I are closer to publishing on the largest Paleozoic vertebrate; stay tuned.

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  19. The Microraptor paper should go off Monday and the 'wrists' one next week sometime. Theropod feeding mk II is already submitted and I've got another 2 in my sights!

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  20. Microraptor has been submitted and to PLoS 1 no less.

    *Crosses fingers*.

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  21. I've managed to finish listing characters which distinguish Redondasaurus from Pseudopalatus and have thus completed my portion of the paper I'm working on with Dr. Hungerbuehler.

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