progress report first year PhD

A

Hi
I m 1st-year student, and I have submitted my Lit review. Then they ask me to do Progress report which has to be 15 pages, but they ask for specific and limited information. So how can I do that, anybody has an idea it will help thanks.

Avatar for rewt

I would as your supervisor for guidance on what to include as every university/department is different.

Although, usually for the first year progress report they want to see some progress, a clear plan and reassurance that you will finish. If you don't have any data you can submit a condensed lit review and explain how that builds onto your data collection period. not everyone gets data in their first year so if you have a decent excuse they will accept if you can reassure them that you know what you are doing and will finish on time.

S

Hi, I second the comment by Rewt. I would ask your supervisor or department for guidance on this, too. Every department and uni is indeed different and they may also have some examples to show you. You never know. It is probably worth asking, just to ensure that you are not missing any valuable information that may be already out there.
Have you ever used a Gantt chart? It is basically a schedule of the stages you have already completed and the tasks you will have to work on next. am not sure which department you are in, but I included one in my first report as a PhD student and found it very useful. In the chart, you can list all the steps you foresee as needed to complete your PhD (data collection, analysis, writing-up). You can be as detailed as you wish and you can modify and update the chart as your PhD progress. You can include the milestones you have already reach (e.g. your lit review) and you can forecast how you think it will be best for you to plan and subdivide your future work in the timeframe you have available. Maybe, a chart like this could be a starting point for you to discuss your progress so far and your future plans. It should show that you have a good enough idea of what you are doing and how to develop your research in the time you have left.
Since you have already been working on your lit review, you may also want to include a list of key references you think you will use. Depending on the field you are in, you may want to include an annotated bibliography, with a brief explanation of why each source is relevant to your research.
All best!

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