That's terrible, I am so sorry for you. However, it is more common than you think.
It is difficult to bypass your supervisor until you don't get your first job. They would question why you don't have references from the person you worked with for the past few years. So, I back up what TreeofLife said about trying to have an open conversation with him.

However, you might need more than one referee for academic posts and there are also other people you can ask for references. Your external examiner is very important, as he/she is the real expert in your field. Your Internal examiner is suitable too, and if you had a different supervisor for your Masters that would be useful too. If I were you I would also look for unpaid internships and voluntary work in your area, as that can be a source for references too.

Quote From UKPhDStudent:
... But if you can keep your spirits high, and keep making an effort you are likely to end up with something good at the end.

I know that you are right, although it is easier said than done - I cried for 48 hours non-stop when I got the rejection e-mail! However, I don't surrender. I am starting an internship next week, and I keep my fingers crossed that it will lead to something more stable.

Thank you for your kind words - every little helps!

Dear UKPhDStudent, sadly I was not even selected for an interview with seven publications and a page of research funding under my belt...I am sure that you can elaborate further on this...

I don't doubt that the person in question is a fantastic team player and a great asset to the department, nonetheless in Academia CVs should be screened according to specific criteria e.g. research output. So, people with no research output usually are not selected for an interview...I also question whether it is possible that out of 150 application there was not a person (I do not include myself in the group) that responded to the prerequisites.

I agree with you that networking is crucial. You also need in the right place at the right time and with very strong support by the right people. Let's don't hide behind a finger.

It all sounds very true Bewildered & Fled. However, things are often a bit more complicated than they appear, or I really struggle to understand the rationale behind the hiring of a new member of staff (in my Uni) with no publications at all and two papers presented in minor conferences in the whole of his PGs and PostDoc life. Surely, he must have other hidden talents, and surely this is not the rule, but I find this disheartening.

I think that Eska gave you excellent advice. I would also like to warn people from the dangers of disclosing their research by blogging.
You might want to read the following:

We tend to think that only not-very-clever students can do this, but I had a personal experience with a high profile academic publishing something from my MLitt thesis without reference.

Hi all,

To my knowledge, there is a period of two years after which you can ask the publisher for copyright permission to re-publish your work somewhere else. So it is doable. I think that I am correct in saying that this two-year period is waived if you publish in translation.

I have never come across anybody who re-published the content of several articles as a monograph based on their PhD though.

I do know a few cases in which theses openly available on-line through Ethos were published pretty much in the same format by major Publishers ( who were aware of this) in the field. So, it might indeed be the case of how "trendy" your topic is.

I think that there are a lot of people that experience similar situations. So you are definitely not alone, but as you said, it's not a long term arrangement.

There is no magic solution I am afraid, you have to find your own balance and be aware that something is going to suffer a bit for a short while (rely on convenience food, don't worry if the house is not sparkling clean...).

I had this great idea about working with the baby playing in the corner with her toys, but it never worked that way...so I know that it is difficult to compartmentalize working time/ space. The only thing that you can do is trying to maximize the time that you have when you have it. Good planning is essential, so that you don't waste time.

I am sure that you will get more tips from other members of the forum though.

I had my daughter in the 2nd year of my PhD. I was lucky because I managed to complete research and a first draft of my thesis before she was born, but I underestimated how difficult would be to pull together the final draft with a little one to care for. My daughter was/ still is like yours, and when you are sleep deprived it is very difficult to think/ elaborate/ work. So, I understand what you are talking about.

The only thing that I can suggest is to ask your husband to get up and care for your daughter for a couple of nights a week, so that you can get proper sleep. You can work much more effectively if you have the energy. Also, there is any chance that your husband or anyone in the family can help you by looking after your child on a Saturday morning every fortnight? I work more effectively in the morning, so that worked for me.

I think that it is important to establish a small network of support around you. That can make a world of difference. It can be your partner/ parent/ relative/ friend/ colleague. You could offer a friend to babysit their children once a month and get the same in exchange. Every little help!

Hello Imtd,

I start from your last question: of course you can finish in less than four years if you put your mind to it, but I think that your supervisors' answer is wise. I would be thankful that they don't put pressure on you to complete.

Yes, your former supervisor can continue to supervise you informally, and if he does what he promises it's fine. However, you should also consider that even with the best of intentions this person will work elsewhere and will have a list of priorities that come before your supervision, so I understand your concerns. What field are you working in? I was in the humanities, and when my first supervisor left and did not deliver what he promised it wasn't a disaster, as I managed well just working with my second (who was not an expert in my area).

If you think that this can potentially affect the outcome of your studies I would have an open discussion with them both. Is there anyone else in your first department who can steps in and help you?

It is also important to consider what kind of help you need from him. Are you writing up? Do you have more research to carry out? Experiments? etc.

Absolutely, I agree with you. It can be difficult to get the balance right, and it also depends on the environment you work/ live in etc. Some of my colleagues put the title even on their credit cards. I didn't - I feel that it would be too much (and surely the shop assistant doesn't care at all about it!). I suppose that it is a personal choice, you have to do what suits you best in the end, and things can be adjusted depending on the situation.

Really???! Where did you get this piece of news? Never heard of it!



I don't think so. I don't know in which country you leave/ work, but I can assure you that the Dr title still carries a lot of weight, especially if you work in academia. Actually, especially now, I don't think that you would be considered for any academic job without that little word in front of your name!



Yes, because it comes from the Latin Doctus (past participle of Docere= to teach).

I don't have a direct experience of dealing with lap-publishing, but a colleague of mine published her Master thesis with them a few years back (she was in history). She didn't finish her PhD yet, but I suppose that it might have helped her to get college funding if nothing else.
I think that the main point is how publishable your thesis is, what field you are in and whether getting your thesis published would help your academic career. There are a lot of theses that, although very good, won't be very suitable for a publication.
I don't think that you can expect to earn money through an academic publication, but I agree with the post above on the importance of the peer review process. If you have the possibility to get your thesis published as a peer-reviewed book/ article, that is going to make a huge difference in your CV.

Hi Peppa, I sympathize with you. Unfortunately these extortionate fees apply when you pay for other kind of research activities as well - e.g. digital copies from archives and libraries abroad. Now I use Moneycorp, which charges only £4 for these kind of transactions. The on-line system is not very straightforward- it takes a while to understand how to use it, but it saved me lots of pennies.

MeaninginLife, I really fail to understand your point of view here. It sounds like the common view of many people in academia (sadly) - the victim of something has to take it on board otherwise she is perceived as a troublemaker, or worse, like the one who is misbehaving. This is exactly why some staff feel that can get away with anything.

Her first sup is not playing fairly and if she has a complaint to make this should be discussed with her student first, and with both student and 2nd sup if this is not sufficient.

It is in WA's rights to defend her position and what she has done so far, and to make sure that she can work in a supportive environment. She should be aware though that getting to do this is a difficult process and - for the above reasons- she should tread carefully.

personal experience.