Overview of Nad75

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Big Excel Spreadsheets into a Word Doc
N

You mention that they are not fundamentally important to display...so would they work better landscaped in the appendix? Also, Rewt's advice is great, it's better to put it as landscape than divide it into two sections.

Most PhDs want as many pages as possible, lol.

To cite or not to cite (conference paper)
N

Oh, if it's a journal, than that's fine! I thought you were referring to conference papers. But yeah, I see your hesitation using it with limited details on methods. That is a predicament, might be one to get supervisor advice on. :)

To cite or not to cite (conference paper)
N

I would not cite conference papers because they have not gone through a rigorous peer-review. There are some amazing research b being presented at conferences, but we must unfortunately wait for it to be published. I would contact the author and let them know you enjoyed their paper and are looking forward to a published piece in which you can cite for the future, it is always good to hear that your research has impact. :)
If the short report comes from a reputable research centre in the field, then that is citable.

Advice: Contact potential supervisors at different research groups/universities
N

Yes, you should disclose that you're in contact with another potential supervisor in that uni if the department is quite close. How about you bring up the idea to be supervised by both of them? You need two supervisors anyway, and if they are both interested in your research proposal and publish together they would make an excellent supervision team.

I wouldn't see it as mass-contacting, just shape it into your awareness of knowing how strong the faculty is and how well you'd fit into that environment if you had two people that you'd love to learn under.

Viva minor amendments
N

Sounds like you're bragging, lol! Congratulations, HopefullyDr! Half a days work is amazing, and don't worry, the changes won't be rejected. I don't know about the timeframe, but I think it is safe to say that you can go celebrate now.

Advice: Contact potential supervisors at different research groups/universities
N

Yes, it is normal to seek out different programs and supervisors with the same proposal. I did it, and I know many in my cohort did as well. I definitely wouldn't place my bet on just one supervisor, as it is better to have to make the hard choice between 3 or 4 offers than just hoping on one.

Asking Masters supervisor for potential PhD supervision... but also a reference?
N

Quote From traductrice:
The problem is that I don't know if it would come across as impolite to ask for potential supervision but also a reference for somewhere else. I think he'd be understanding that I want to maximize my chances, and he may not even feel he could/wants to supervise my PhD, but I'm still cautious.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I'd be grateful for other opinions on this!

Thanks in advance ☺


Yes, I have experience with this, for PhD and now Post-Doc. You don't have to worry, the supervisors are happy to help you further your research path, they know how competitive funding is!

Do you include a "blurb" at the top of your CV?
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Yes, I have a box for "summary", 3 lines long, which sums up who I am as a researcher and academic, my focus, detailed experience w/...etc. Under the summary, I have a box for "skills" which lists (with commas, not bullet points) the methods I use, software ability, language, etc.

Feeling incompetent to analyze qualitative data
N

I also do it by hand, emmaki...and so does my supervisor!

I do qualitative discourse analysis, mainly focused on thematic and narrative. The important thing to remember is that it works with "grounded" methods, where a worldview is seen as coming from the discourse/narratives, and making sure you aren't applying a normative lens on something that is supposed to reveal the worldview of the individual utterer.

I know how you feel about the fear of being seen as "overanalysing", but don't worry, I don't think there is a way to overanalyse with qualitative. My last chapter/paper had 4 pages of analysis from just 3 lines of text, which at first seemed over-analysing but I was told it was the best set yet.

RA roles
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Yes, in my experience this regards possible extension based on the quality of the output which determines further funding. If you produce what was required and in good quality (also showing there needs to be further work done with__), then they can argue that it is very beneficial to extend the RA funding for ___ more months, with the same pay and hours.

I was informed a decision to extend about 3 weeks before the first instance funding was scheduled to end, so you should have enough time to begin job hunting in case the funds aren't there for extension.

Conference abstract - different results/changes
N

Quote From rewt:
Who reads conference abstracts .


This, lol, describes the majority of attendees. No worries, Tudor, as most people choose the panel of the theme they're interested in and don't bother reading the abstracts, they'll just be familiar with your name/title/association. Most don't even bother reading the paper that some organisations make you put up. But PM's advice is good, I've done that as well, just a brief sentence. The abstracts may be archived online for a bit, but nobody will every go back and read it.

Put an updated one on your academia page if you want and that is what will stick with recruiters when/if they look up your presentation experience. (Although, I personally don't put the presentation papers or abstracts up on academia unless they are enroute for publishing)

Where to do my PhD Studies?
N

From personal experience, it would be best to avoid China if you could, if your expected career will be outside of the region. (Although the Unis in the mainland and HK rarely hire their own, as a foreign degree carries more capital to attract students.) I know many who graduated from University of Hong Kong with thesis awards, glowing letters of recommendation and publications that exceed what is expected of entry-level in US & UK, however employers are hesitant at the quality of the degree. Rejected at every place, even for part-time hours. And this is for Hong Kong, which passes the world rankings for mainland universities. Academic scholarship is also tightly controlled in China, I think Cambridge University Publishers got pulled out once, as well as blackouts for some journals. This would greatly restrict your freedom of research and writing. This has happened in Universities in the mainland that have strong links to the UK unis, but unfortunately must play by the rules of Beijing. So, there are several long-term factors that may help you in your decision.

To present or not present (almost the same conference presentation)
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Quote From rewt:
Make them ever so different and you will be fine. Like, talk more about the methodology in one conference and the other talk more about the implications.

There are people who keep presenting the exact same work for a few years because that is all they have. No one will call you out for it, so don't worry.


So true, I've seen seasoned academics regurgitate the same paper at different conferences, so you're fine. Usually the conference has a theme, so if you can slightly tailor it (like rewt suggested, at the implications or highlight the methods) to match it'll be more impactful.

If the conferences ask to publish the papers however, you need to choose just one, of course.

Unsure about career prospects after finishing PhD this year
N

The actual skills learned during the PhD process outweigh the skills of a fresh grad. Don't forget that the completion of the PhD is evidence of project management, the ability to produce an output within a deadline (assuming it didn't take you longer than the expected PhD time!). Conference organisation is evidence of delegation skills, networking. Conference presentations are evidence of having confident presentation skills and the ability to tailor knowledge to a varied audience (great if they are looking for a bit of PR.) Any committees that you served on work as evidence of team-work.

I am creating two resumes, one academic and one for the industry, and job hunting for both sectors in a month or so. This is a great resource for creating a CV tailored for the industry that showcases how to write an effective CV if you have a PhD and want to highlight what you have to fit the criteria:

https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/234524.pdf

Disclosing you are an international scholar during postdoc interview
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If you don't need the university to sponsor you, than I think it's not an issue. I would follow the advice of your advisor.