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學術界的人都很忙，永遠有比寫學術論文更要緊的事，論文截稿或發表期限往往一不小心就被忽略了，最後只能在緊要關頭手忙腳亂地完成。這種被死線追著跑的過程可謂苦不堪言。其實，輕輕鬆鬆按時交稿跟任何習慣一樣，是學得來的。此系列將逐一介紹有哪些習慣可減少面對截稿期限的恐懼，還能增進論文的品質，最後會在TPS粉絲專頁為各位做個總整理。
Authors of academic papers have other things to do. In the general busyness of academia, the deadline for a paper to be handed in or published can get overlooked. The subsequent scramble to complete the paper on time can be painful. Painless deadline-meeting can be learned like any other habit. This series will describe some habits that not only make deadlines less threatening but can improve the quality of the papers themselves. Each of the habits will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

Good Habit # 3 – Expect Obstacles
未雨綢繆，為突發狀況提早作準備

Good academic writers are good project managers. They must be to balance their other work with the urgent work of planning, researching, writing, and finishing an academic paper. Like all good managers, they are able to multi-task, to do the daily tasks of researching and writing at the same time they methodically complete the overview tasks, such as organizing material and keeping track of where they are in a project. Keeping these juggled balls in the air is a developed skill: the habit of looking ahead to anticipate and avoid potential obstacles to completing a paper on time.
優秀的學者一定是傑出的專案經理，他們能妥善安排時間，讓自己在被期限追趕的研究、實驗、假設、論證、發表論文和私人生活間游刃有餘，如同專案經理般日理萬機，一邊進行著論文寫作，另一邊還能繼續分析、統整資料，確保進度不落後。其實這樣得心應手掌握全局的能力是可以培養的：只要養成凡事先規劃的習慣，預想可能發生的突發狀況，就能不急不徐地避開障礙，持續工作，準時交稿。

Anyone who has ridden a bicycle or motorcycle knows the importance of a rider keeping his eyes down the road to more easily maintain balance and smoothly adjust the path of the two-wheeler to the obstacles ahead. The same is true of writers in lengthy research-and-writing projects. You must keep “pedaling” (or in the case of motorcycles, keep a hand on the throttle) while you scan ahead for obstacles. What sort of obstacles? A suspect source that proves unfruitful. A holiday schedule that blocks access to research materials. A personal agenda item that disrupts the work.
就像騎單車或摩托車，眼睛直視前方能讓你清楚地看到路面上的石頭或坑洞，適時地調整方向、避開障礙，保持車身平穩及行車順暢。進行冗長的論文寫作如同踩著單車踏板〈若是騎摩托車則是不斷轉動把手催油門〉往目的地前進，若你能防患於未然，就能讓自己安全抵達終點。發生了什麼事會讓你在寫作時分心？預想的假設無法成立？假日圖書館沒開不能查資料借書？還是有無法拒絕的重要聚會？

Then there are the inexplicable obstacles that can’t be anticipated—a funeral in the family or an apartment fire that engulfs research notes. Those major disruptions generally result in deadline extensions. It is the foreseeable obstacles that professors hear about most often… and discount. They tend not to sympathize with writers who simply have not built flexibility into their thinking and their schedules. Here is the truth: There will be problems in the course of an academic writing project, there will be obstacles, and the writer who plans ahead for them can still arrive on time.
世事難料，有些狀況確實會讓你措手不及，像是親戚家人過世、突如其來的大火將完成的稿子付之一炬。遇到這樣的事通常能得到教授的通融，允許你延後交稿。然而教授最常聽到請求延遲交稿的理由往往不是這些無法避免的狀況，對於沒有事先作好計劃而導致遲交的藉口教授是半信半疑，不了解輕重緩急來安排優先順序的學生，教授往往不會給予任何同情和寬容。再一次強調，在寫作學術論文時難免會遇到難題和阻礙，但未雨綢繆、事先做好規劃的人在面對困難時總能迎刃而解，順利在期限內交稿，絕不拖延。