rePost::The discussant’s art – Chris Blattman

Nice list read the whole thing at the liniked site!!!!
A colleague and I were lamenting the state of paper discussants the other day. Seldom do we faculty teach graduate students how to be professionals. Even more seldom are we examples of brevity and wit. With that in mind, we came up with a list of tips for the budding academic:
10. Aim for profound. The best discussants rotate my brain 90 degrees. They reframe the problem, or propose a novel idea. I can’t tell you how to be deep. I seldom succeed myself. For me, a few things usually help. I read the paper, walk away for a day or two, then return. I ask myself questions: Do I think about a big question differently now? What convinces me, and what would convince me more? Where should the field be going?
via The discussant’s art – Chris Blattman.

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