Feeling useless as I cannot publish any research papers during my PhD
Hi guys,
I am currently doing a PhD in AI, and I have been struggling with the fact that I have not published any research papers over the past four years.
I have started many projects and written several paper drafts, but most of them have remained in my LaTeX folders without ever being submitted to journals or conferences. A major reason is that I keep feeling the quality is not good enough for submission. Then, when I read new papers, I sometimes find that others have published ideas similar to mine, which makes me feel that my previous work is no longer publishable.
This has become very painful for me. I feel disappointed in myself, and I worry that my academic future is slipping away. Even though I understand the consequences of not submitting my work, I often feel paralysed and afraid whenever I think about revisiting old drafts.
May I ask for advice from people who have experienced something similar? How did you overcome the fear of returning to unfinished work, improving it, and finally submitting it? Any practical suggestions or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.