Disclosing Research Findings Discussion

There are a number of players: you, the chair, the university where you are interviewing, your graduate university, your colleagues in the graduate lab, your graduate supervisor, and the fast-moving field of nanophotonics. Each of these has different interests. You are conflicted because keeping your word may in the short term preclude your being hired at this institution.

Your options include: giving the chair the information he requests, and not telling your group; giving the chair the information and telling your group when you get back; contacting your supervisor from the chair's office to attempt to get his permission to share the information (either she agrees or does not); talking the chair out of his urgency in a brilliantly tactful, yet convincing way; and refusing to provide information and storming out of the Chair's office. There may be others.

Although this may be difficult, it would demonstrate that you are a person of your word if you could talk the chair out of his urgency, by reminding him of your prior agreement to maintain confidentiality.

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