A graduate student writes:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing a PhD 'by published/publishable papers'? An obvious answer might be: "The crucial advantage is having published articles, or articles that are immediately ready to submit to journals." But someone who completes a traditional PhD dissertation can publish during candidature as well. So, I'm curious if there are any further advantages or disadvantages of the 'by publication' route? It might be most helpful to know what people on hiring committees think (even if there may be considerations that members of a hiring committee wouldn't consider relevant when evaluating a job candidate).
Thoughts from readers? Signed comments preferred.