Dear Sirs
I have had this experience too often.
I'm trying to replicate something from a journal. The article has a picture of the device and says that the dimensions are thus and so. Using the given dimensions, I put the device into the simulation software. My answers don't quite match theirs. Not sure what the problem is, I resort to measuring the picture, only to discover that the dimensions of the picture have a different aspect ratio. Either the picture they're showing has been resized or it's a different device. Either way, I can't get the measurements I need.
I write to the authors to inquire as to the actual dimensions of part of the device not stated in the paper. Before writing, I check the pictures at the end of the article.
I address the email, "Dear sirs."
Unfortunately, when they respond, they also address their email, "Dear sir."
*sigh*
I admit that the probability that a random (electrical) engineer is likely to be male is probably ninety percent. That means that, nine times out of ten, addressing an email with the greeting, "Dear Sir," is not going to be a problem. However, I have made a point to check whether the person I'm addressing is male or not before making that assumption. If I have no way to check, I try to address it to "Dr. Thus and So", or use their full name if it is apparent they do not have a doctorate (or, again, if I have no way to check).
I have personally received the "Dear Dr." salutation. I got a big head, but then quickly corrected the letter writer. However, the positive feelings I've gotten from this are negated by the fact that I have more often been addressed as Mr. or Sir. I have noticed that this is more common when the letter writer is from a foreign country (as in the case of this email). This is probably because no male in the United States would be caught dead with my name. However, the assumption that because I am an engineer means that I am male still bothers me.
I do realize that there is probably no ill intent on the part of the writers who do this, but I wish people wouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly.
I'm trying to replicate something from a journal. The article has a picture of the device and says that the dimensions are thus and so. Using the given dimensions, I put the device into the simulation software. My answers don't quite match theirs. Not sure what the problem is, I resort to measuring the picture, only to discover that the dimensions of the picture have a different aspect ratio. Either the picture they're showing has been resized or it's a different device. Either way, I can't get the measurements I need.
I write to the authors to inquire as to the actual dimensions of part of the device not stated in the paper. Before writing, I check the pictures at the end of the article.
I address the email, "Dear sirs."
Unfortunately, when they respond, they also address their email, "Dear sir."
*sigh*
I admit that the probability that a random (electrical) engineer is likely to be male is probably ninety percent. That means that, nine times out of ten, addressing an email with the greeting, "Dear Sir," is not going to be a problem. However, I have made a point to check whether the person I'm addressing is male or not before making that assumption. If I have no way to check, I try to address it to "Dr. Thus and So", or use their full name if it is apparent they do not have a doctorate (or, again, if I have no way to check).
I have personally received the "Dear Dr." salutation. I got a big head, but then quickly corrected the letter writer. However, the positive feelings I've gotten from this are negated by the fact that I have more often been addressed as Mr. or Sir. I have noticed that this is more common when the letter writer is from a foreign country (as in the case of this email). This is probably because no male in the United States would be caught dead with my name. However, the assumption that because I am an engineer means that I am male still bothers me.
I do realize that there is probably no ill intent on the part of the writers who do this, but I wish people wouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly.