Hi star shaped, I share your pain I've just finished my first draft - omg the relief - nearly 20K words and a huge THE END at the bottom (will have the remove that for draft submission but it felt sooooooo good) I'm just reading through now chapter by chaper and submitting to my supervisor by email, so far I've had 2 chapters back from him and its all ok, relatively minor revisions, but it would be so useful to talk in person but he's in another part of the country
It is so lonely though, hours and hours writing and writing and nobody to sound off with - it makes me kind of dread the Phd itself..

I think so much of this depends on the area you are proposing to study. I know within my dept that they don't like people starting a Phd that haven't done an MA, the MA, particularly the taught component teaches you a great deal, its seen as an apprenticeship almost for the Phd itself. I know that in the last year I have learnt so much and am far more capable of directing my research and my thinking in the right direction than I was after the BA. But then this is all personal and it also depends a great deal on the university itself.
Personally i don't think I'd want to have attempted a Phd without this extra year of focussed tuition.

Good luck in your search. In my experience funding is quite rare (although I am in the humanities field), self funding is the norm rather than the exception sadly.

Lol BobNic, yes, I have visions in a few years of sitting on an aeroplane and the stewardess asking if there are any doctors on board, leaving my seat and comforting the unfortunate person requiring assistance with a lecture on the demographics of victorian england for the duration of the flight Lol at the piles!

Thanks Dervish I really hope I get to do this!

I prefer the american system, MD = 'real' doctor lol. When people say well what will you be a doctor of and I have to say philosophy - 'I thought you were doing history!'

Damn this word limit lol- brings back memories of the 500 word limit into your research, your sources, your experience to date, your future plans all in great detail for the proposal, blood group, feelings about global warming, and the names of any pets in your household
Anyway, the phd will (I hope - PLEASE AHRC) enter into the debate regarding the enumeration of working women in the censuses. There haven't been any individual level studies and I've found resources that would enable me to study 3 entire towns of named women, cross referencing with their detailed employment records over 60 years - very exciting. My supervisor actually started the debate and is named in every single book and article relating to it He is the maestro of the census! He claims that they are under-enumerated, I hope to prove him wrong!

Good morning everyone Well, no news here today... although I leapt from my bed heart racing when I heard my 4 year old heading do the stairs proclaiming that the postman had come and could she colour in any letters...

Dervish, I am so pleased to see your post! And yes, I spend a lot of my life covered in archival dust

BobNic, your topic sounds brilliant, it will be so interesting to read. I'm more in the micro-historical demographic area. I'm testing a theory attempting to explain the fertility crisis of the late 19thC, and had a fit when my analysis showed an opposite result to that expected.... especially as one of the authors is in my dept! So its basically become in investigation into the two villages I'm researching and then an argument as to why the hypothesis tested doesn't work.... Needless to say I've needed a LOT of encouragement and reassurance from my supervisor to assure me that its ok to use my research to argue against it!

Ooh BobNic, we seem to share a passion! What element of 19th century cultural history are you going to study? I somehow seem to have found myself concentrating on that era (having previously been an early modern sort of girl) and I find it fascinating!!
I haven't spoken to anyone before (except for my supervisor of course) who shares my interest!

Ahhh but yours sound exotic and colourful, bringing forth images of the nile, and sun, and exciting finds - mine sound as though I am a candidate for a dodgy stripy jumper and a fine covering of dust from the archives...

BA History and Sociology
MA Cultural and Social History

I figured that that was what you meant! yes, the lack of editing causes issues on this board and really could do with addressing!

Philosophy.... I feel for you, not because of your subject matter, but I can so understand what you are saying - it must be a nightmare trying to discuss your passion with anybody who doesn't share your interest! My BA was joint honours History and Sociology - this seemed to imply to everyone that I was training to be a social worker... nobody could understand why I would be interested in it. Very frustrating!

Yes it is a great shame - I'm sure its the same for all of us, but I find myself losing sleep that an area of research that I'm so fascinated in and I've been assured is of utmost importance, may never be carried out - or worse still, somebody else may end up doing it......
I also find, and again, it must be the same in disciplines across the board here, that 'the man in the street' (read parents etc lol) can't understand why we aren't studying the grand narratives and why we do these obscure topics (might have something to do with our research HAVING to be unique) lol. I'm always getting asked why I'm not studying Henry VIII's wives, or I get asked obscure things like 'oh, you're a historian, did braveheart really paint his face blue?'

Oh pamplemoose that sounds absolutely amazing!!! I did archaeology at A level but got sidetracked into early modern and modern history (15th-19thC) but I just find your topic fascinating. I have everything doubly crossed for you - what a brilliant topic!

Lol, at least when you say law people think 'profession' and 'worthwhile'. When you say that your MA is a study into the concept of communication communities in 19th C rural villages, and the Phd will be an examination as to whether working women are under-enumerated in the 19thC censuses people tend to glaze over...
I also get asked why I'm bothering and isn't an MA enough - what do I need a Phd for (well, I'd like to work in academia actually!) and if one more person says well if you do pass the Phd you won't be a 'real' dr, so why bother? I think i may turn nasty
I did point out to one such unfortunate individual who caught me on a bad day that I have to study for a minimum of 7 years for my Dr status - 'real' ones only do 6

And Dervish, enjoy your day - its peeing down here, not conducive to happy writing lol

Wow, you're all doing such exciting stuff - makes me feel like I'm out of the dark ages... hmmmm not good possibly