On a lighter note! Yes I agree with Java about the embarrassing moments online for eternity thing: my skirt once fell off during a lecture I was giving. Yes, it fell completely off, to the floor, and revealed my undergarments, provoking hysterics amongst my students. So imagine that on a loop for the rest of your career.
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I found these notes on Williams' Grace and Style: 10 lessons and thought they might be of interest. I found them a useful taster and quick reference:


http://www.writingcenter.uconn.edu/pdf/Style_points_for_psychWriting.pdf

And the moral of the thread is: no PhD student will ever come close to admitting, in any way, that their research is strange, or an unusual choice. Also, they are, on the whole, reluctant to cast the first stone about the research of others, lest they get a whopping great boulder catapulted right back at them. This is no laughing matter.

People have expressed bemusement and astonishment at my choice of research topic - but that is because they are fools.

Oh! an after thought: any chance of a special PGF team star for helpfulness?

I'd like to maintain my anonymity. But I will say that coming up with a good 'reason' for carrying out my research, other than it being utterly fascinating, is a bit of a struggle for me!

I'm looking at fine art and commercial film, and, really apart reasons which seem to me to be a bit of inflated b*******, the strongest motive I can come up with is that I find it absolutely fascinating, and many other people seem to too, so it will stimulate and amuse many people if published. Personally, I can't see what's wrong with that, I mean, that's what the arts are for, they're for keeping us stimulated, allowing us to play with our intellects and form a sophisticated sense of who we are etc, etc. There was a programme on the telly the other night about how homo sapiens survived over other races because they were into art! So why should I have to try and prove my arts research will bring about world peace or similar??? it's just interesting and that's enough by me. must stop rambling now and get back to it all. 

OMG!!! I absolutely HATE this person!!!!! and I've never even met him. I've only just stopped balking at my computer screen. What a t***t.

I can't really add anything to what the others have already said: all sound advice. Good luck with the PhD and I suppose you can be thankful you didn't actually buy a flat have babies with him; and you can wash that man right out of your hair!!! pronto. Just think of how smug you can feel when have the PhD, the job, the foreign holidays, the flat of your own. And he, no doubt, will still be drifting about making false promises to other poor souls.

Yeah Bug, I do/did realise about saying no, and did pick up on your mention of consent forms, so no need to capitalise!!!!!!

However, it's also sounding from your posts and others as if this is becoming the norm, and as if almost everyone is going along with it - hence it sounds to me as if some form of peer pressure and/or expectation that academics should do this routinely could be around the corner. Academics have sooooo much to do anyway. I mean, what's in it for delegates to do this? what can they gain? I'd really appreciate it if you'd shed some light on that.

Yes, it's a personal thing - and these are my personal views.

Hi Robin,

Opportunities for studying part-time for a PhD will depend on your subject and where you live: it seems to me that your already busy life may not allow for much travelling, although you may know better about that.

The best thing to, in my opinion, is to look for potential supervisors (I'm presuming you have some idea of the topic you wish to pursue) for your research. Contact the ones you think will be good for you, tell them a bit about yourself: work experience, qualifications, your proposed area of research, and why you want to do a PhD; and see how they respond.

It usually takes a minimun of 4.5 years and a maximum of about 7 to complete a part time PhD, so it's a long term commitment.

I've just started the second year of a part time PhD, but have been able to devote most of my time to studying (I teach part time and am very, very poor) so continuity and concentration haven't been too much of a problem for me. I'm not sure how that would pan with a heavy job commitment.

It's a satisfying thing to do, I've had ups and downs with it, but I am very glad I'm doing it. There is not much I would part with it for!

Hi Zelda, I don't like the sound of this either - it just seems to be an invasion of one's intellectual property and personality. It's taking things too far, there is no need for papers to be web broadcast, and if there is a specific need then they should really pay you for your performance, and for repeated use of your intellectual property.

Firstly - Conferences are, traditionally, one off events for which academics and PhDs give one performance only to a, mostly small, live audience. They are not traditionally internationally broadcast events and what you have described, to me, sounds like a major departure from that.

Secondly - your intellectual property will now, effectively, be published to the conference organiser's advantage, but without any enhancement to your CV or pocket. The conference organisers gain significantly, you do not.

Thirdly - And this is personal to me, although the issue may resonate with other people too for other/similar reasons. There is the issue of not wanting the entire world to watch you, on repeat, whenever they feel like it. I have a stalker!!!! (who was/is dangerous) I mean I escaped it years ago, but the idea of him being able to sit at home gawping at me when ever he wants without me knowing about it is appalling - I'd at least want him to be paying for the priveledge.

All of these points would cause me additional stress at conference, and really shouldn't we have our minds on our papers? Not on the fact that we've just been jetisoned into the public sphere and have to think about TV presenting skill too.

Is Vernon Kay a comedian? I mean, really? he just present crapt light entertainemtn progs,,, surely. But as someone else has already said - The University of Bolton - would you bother getting the train from London to collect it? Probably La Kay was too busy.

Hi Keep Calm. As everyone so far has said, it's very unlikely, infact, almost impossible, that you would be 'chucked off' a PhD without notice. However! my previous supervisor did scream at me, and I mean scream, that I should look for another supervisor! So, although you can't be officially taken off the uni books, you can be put in a situation which has basically the same effect on your work as being 'chucked off' without notice. My then sup had been showing signs of cracking for a while, so unless your supervisors are showing signs of instability I wouldn't worry. I suspect they're not, because if they were you'd be on here asking about that - so don't worry.

It doesn't sound to me as if your friend is looking for your help at all, so I wouldn't pry - I think you'd come across as a busy body if you did. It sounds as if she is just letting you know, in the way she sees fit, that she is no longer a fellow PhDer, so I'd just leave her to it and get on with your friendship.

Hi Jo Jo, I'm so sorry to hear about your recent losses.

I agree with the previous poster: I think you need to take time out and allow yourself to grieve properly. I also think that if you don't, you could be storing up problems which could take you by surprise later on. I lost my sister two years ago, since yesterday, and have just taken about three days off in the last week; just to deal with my feelings about the anniversary of her death. When she died I couldn't function with any kind of efficiency for about 2 months afterwards, and it took about a year to work at anything like a 'normal' pace. So, please don't think you are slacking or making excuses - your heart and brain are working overtime to get you through this most painful time. Also, I think that your grief could be especially difficult because you cannot make it to the funeral, and it seems to me that you should allow for that too.

I also think you should let your supervisor/department know what you are going through - they may be able to help in some way, or, as the previous poster suggested just cut you a bit of slack.

That sounds pretty good to me - they said it was good work. As someone else said, at least now you have a better idea of what your externals look for: ie, a less formal writing style. Good luck.

Thanks folks!!!! for all your funny responses. Yes, he is nice. I should stop worrying, I think I've been wasting too much time with mediocre/rubbish academics who like to score points.

My grammar was a bit off in the second piece of writing I gave him - I said that the film maker I'd written about explored his grandmother, instead of explored with his grandmother. My sup seemed to found that quite amusing.

Thanks for making me laugh Smilidon!!! that's so funny. I must stop creating this image I think he has of me in my head - I sort think he sees me as this daft lady with crazy but interesting ideas, who pulls random objects out of her handbag, sends emails to the wrong address, and doesn't know exactly what her own name is etc. I think I might be a bit star struck - I've always admired his work.