Hi All,

Timefortea - hola!

Sorry about your studies Sneaks. Good plan with the writing. Is it a recruitment issue or will you be able to pull some results from it? No results are still results???? Congratulations on the supervisor approved writing. I wish I could get to that stage!!

Timefortea - I'm having to rewrite my literature review at the moment. It's such a frustrating process. What discipline are you in?

No tips on the nice weather and lack of productivitiy unforunately...

Today I have done a timetable to finally finish this stupid literature review. I hope to have it done by the beginning of the week commencing the 13th. Now I need to implement the timetable. I will also be analysing the data I have managed to get in the last few months. Hoorah.

In shock good news, yesterday I had an abstract accepted for an oral conference presentation. Now I am scared...

What is everyone elses plan?

A

I'm here Sneaks!!!

How are things going?

I'm out of data collection for a couple of weeks so trying to do some writing up. Although today I have been seriously unproductive but looking forward to going out with some new friends tonight.

What are you plans at the moment?

A

Hi Poubelle.

I think your point about being more attractive to supervisors is what I was trying to say. In terms of finances, there are ways...My Masters came with a bursary, it wasn't a huge amount but it covered my fees and a bit more.

The ERSC does 1+3 awards where they provide funding for your Masters and your PhD.

Good luck!

A

I do Psychology (actually more of a mix now but I have a BSc and an MSc in it).

I don't know anyone who is doing a PhD in Psychology who hasn't got at least one Masters level qualification (sometimes two). This includes people who are not funded (where the rules tend to be a little more relaxed). Technically I don't think you need one but the competition is so fierce that in reality you will need one.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

A

I imagine it could potentially cause problems because you can't be registered on two postgraduate courses at the same time according to most university regulations (I'm sure there are many exceptions).

My story - I finshed my MSc on the Friday, started my PhD on the Monday. I still had access to the library, e-mail etc etc until 6 months after I finished so I imagine I was still technically registered. Nobody at my new
Uni ever checked up. I did however have a place conditional on passing the MSc and so couldn't receive my studentship money until they had confirmation that I had passed. I then crashed my car (nice) and desperately needed money in order to be able to commute to Uni. So I went to my supervisor and said, "If I failed my MSc, which I'm not going to do, would you terminate my place" to which her replied "of course not, don't be ridiculous". And so the conditional offer was lifted and I had access to all that glorious money.

Moral of the story - talk to your new uni! Talk to your supervisor who probably won't know what the rules of the Uni are, and is more likely to fling their weight around to get ridiculous technicalities sorted out for you.

Good luck.

A

I disagree that you can't say anything. I have just had a new supervisor (Dr Y) and my old primary supervisor (Prof X) has taken a step back to third supervisor (nothing dramatic went on, just logistics of my project). Prof X is far senior to Dr Y. I have watched them have NUMEROUS disagreements about where each of them will stand on publications that I may write (I don't care as long as I'm first!!!) but have been so impressed with their behaviour. They are just so professional about sorting it out. I think these communication skills about fairly sensitive issues (IP rights) is one of the most important lessons from our PhDs, but one of the most difficult.

I would just say very calmly that as you worked so hard on the bid you would like your name on there as (at least) co-author. You also feel that it is unreasonable that you took on this project with the view becoming the administrator which he now appears to have decided will not be the case. You understand that he may well struggle for money but you believe the project would be all the more successful if you were administrator because you have previous experience of x, y, z etc etc etc. Is there any chance of you sharing the role and the salary?

If I were you I'd do it all via e-mail. 1 - because I'm a wimp, 2 - because there's a record if you do decide to take it any further.

Good luck Sleepyhead.

A

24 hours is suggested. However, I do research in the NHS and I don't. Depends on what kind of research you're doing (I'd imagine that for clinical invasive trials you wouldn't be allowed to get around this) and whether or not you can justify not meeting this level of consent.

I run non-invasive trials, questionnaires, focus groups and interviews with patients and staff and don't give 24 hours notice for any of them.

A

A friend of mine doing a PhD at another Uni sometimes runs a group which analyses data for practice (very hardcore qualitative methods).

It sounds amazing.

A

it's really hard running lots of different strands at the same time isn't it. i feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day and it's horrible because i have no control over that!

data collection continues (that finishes for a break next week). i need to start the analysis of the data i already have but i would prefer to wait until the break. also need to do some more analysis on the study i was writing up.

the big thing is a complete draft of a literature review. i think i will concentrate on that this week.

at uni now but contemplating going home. it's pathetic but i walked in this morning and there were loads of beautiful undergrads lip glossing themselves to high heaven. it's normally a postgrad only building so now, at 24, i feel old and distinctly non lip glossing. at home i can put on my stretchy trousers and not feel peer pressured into lip glossing by 18 year olds.

i think i need a holiday.

It gets even more annoying - after I was offered the studentship I had to apply for an academic place. The University (even though my studentship is a University one) wanted references. When I forwarded the ones sent for the studentship place this was not good enough. I was sent a fresh set of reference forms (exactly the same forms as for the studentship) to get filled in again by my three referees to send back to the same University.

You get used to it.

A

From what I know about it (which is limited I admit) most readability scales say no more than 30 words a sentence and keep the number of syllables in each word to a minimum (egs of this scale - Flesch/Fog/Flesch-Kincaid).

So I would say keep the sentences short and the individual words short.

As far as I'm concerned, academics aren't another beast to "the lowest common denominator" and I personally believe that academic articles should be written in language which is as accessible as possible to everyone. What's the point of research if, at some point, it's not going to reach that "lowest common denominator"?

Good luck

A

I take every opportunity to go as an observer! It makes me more motivated to want to be a presenter. I've actually had whole conferences paid for by the society who is organising it (but never where I have presented!!) where I have only been an observer so they obviously encourage it!!!

A

Hi

Sorry for my lack of posting. I can't believe it's been almost two weeks.

Sneaks - I'm glad your SPSS-ing went well.

I'm still collecting clinical data 3 days a week at the moment. Wednesday is a writing day. To be honest, it's very hard to have any firm deadlines but I will try! Literature review needs to be in shape by the end of March. Stats need some additional stats doing and write up completed in the next few weeks.

I just feel like I'm running out of hours...

A

Checking out.

Hopefully will have a final version of my chapter by Sunday evening but just heard some bad news about my boyfriends nan so I will have to see.

Have a lovely weekend all.

A

Checking in for the morning. Is anyone around?

A