One of the problems I'm finding at the moment is that I'm currently having a major headache finding data - I've undertaken a case study into collecting data from the literature in order to analyse it and come up with a set of requirements.

Problem is, I'm not having a great deal of success in finding the data I want; I've been using my PDF library and Google and textbooks and searching through promising references and have probably skim-read or properly-read through 200-300 articles looking for data. I've got some out, but I just can't get any real 'meaty' stuff, probably because it isn't there or because my PhD is to find a better way of obtaining that data (hence why I need the requirements), so I'm in a bit of a vicious circle and getting stressed out because what I want isn't there. The nature of my project means I don't have the resources to go and collect any new data on it, either.

And I'm worried that it's _my_ fault I can't find the data; as if the search terms I'm using are not right, or that the information is in papers I've already read but I somehow missed it. This has taken me two weeks so far of solid reading and not finding what I want/need is very demoralising, and difficult to pick oneself back up from. I feel like it's my fault though, as if I need to spend every waking hour looking for it and not spend my leisure time doing leisure things. It's massive dispiriting.

@Zinar7: For a change, try googling but not through google scholar, just regular google. Yes you'll get a whole lot of bumpf but sometimes I find info there that didn't come up in google scholar. OR, try google scholar but make sure to go past the first 1 or 2 pages. Also use the advanced search in google. Is there a research institute or NGO in your general field? Their websites usually have publications which can be useful as points of references to resources that perhaps you are not aware of; the known unknowns as it were;-)

Hi Natassia,

Listen, I think you are doing great. Trust me, there will be a lot of ups and downs in this entire process. So, please don't lose your sanity and also don't be hard on yourself. As long as you keep going through all the little bumps in the road to the ultimate goal (PhD!), all these little problems will not matter at the end. If you made it this far, I am sure you will be soon writing up the thesis and getting ready for the viva and so on . .. Take one day at a time and good luck!;-)

Cheers

This is kind of a personal response to this comment so I'm semi-hijacking the thread from Nastassia, but thought I'd write it here in case others relate to my situation.

My 'field' is kind of an amalgam of three established ones (for sake of completeness: Satellite remote sensing, oceanography and fluid dynamics) and I'm stuck in the middle having done a degree in the 1st field and very little confidence in the other two. My primary sup is in the same field as me, so it sometimes feels a lot like the blind leading the blind, and makes me question whether he does really understand how much work is required to get the PhD in my project, but I guess I have to believe him.

My university has departments in the other two fields, but I've been pretty rubbish at seeking out advice (partly for shame of not knowing much about those fields) and so the upshot is that I have to go begging to other lecturers to help me out as I feel pretty lost. My problem's partially an inexperience of not working in those fields before, so the terminology is particularly hard to get my head around and knowing where to find things (or indeed, who to speak to) is very confusing!

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@Zinar7, Was only trying to help:$ I'm really interested information literacy, sourcing and dissemination, regardless of topic

@Ady: And very gratefully received! :-)

Sorry, I didn't mean to come across as ungrateful or disinterested or offend! I guess being cooped up in the office all day and not making any progress in the last couple of days have made me a bit temperamental :$

no worries Zinar; I'm in final stages of my thesis and just about ready to fling it out the window:-s