Sorry, Clementine, no luck for me either.

I'd actually really like to know the answer to this question.

Congratulations, Dr Donzy. A well deserved pass for you, sir!

I've done an awful lot of work with conceptual models, particularly for chronic diseases, over the past year. Now, although I'd be tempted to put it at the end (I did build one from a literature review for my PhD), I would now actually put it at the start and then show how it was built up in the subsequent chapters. It addresses the 'so what?' factor.

So...

1) Here is my model and this is how it works/what it represents...
2) Here is the substantiating evidence and how I built it up.

Doing it this way, you immediately have the attention of the reader as she/he is firstly impressed by the initial presentation and then curious to know how you arrived at it. Like a piece of cake, you eat the topping first and then get down to business with the main architecture... Of course, this is just one of many different ways you can structure it.

I'm not certain that you can actually take modules and sit exams. However, I do know that when I was doing my PhD, I could sit in on any classes, whether MSc or BSc, and get the benefit from them. I never did myself though.

I hope I'm understanding you clearly. No, I don't think it is myself. Your participants were never asked those questions, so you can't develop new multiple choice questions from the same data and automatically answer them with that exact data. It is probably better to modify the questionnaire based on your findings so far and then administer it to a new round of participants.

Congratulations to you, PamW - the end is in sight! If anything, make sure you take some time to relax - that's what I did when I submitted my PhD. Perhaps go for a few drinks with some close friends or even a night on the tiles. Wrt to it not being perfect, neither was mine. I'll bet that's the same for most people. In fact, this is what I had as an introduction page on my thesis, and it is so true:


‘Research is the messy business in which many things
go wrong; nothing is predictable and ends up usually
in a different place to that expected.’

You're nearly there, PamW!

Hi PG forumites! Firstly, I'd like to thank you all a lot for the invaluable advice, which I have read repeatedly to the point that I am now sure I can recite each post. I feel a lot more comfortable about the process of moving now, which is a relief. Secondly, sorry for the delay in thanking you - I'm still actually working for my current employer to ensure I can tie up projects for them and not leave them in the lurch.

Based on a suggestion made by another member of this forum, I will shortly start a new thread that recounts my experiences of getting a job in Oz and the actual procedures, costs and experiences I went through in obtaining clearance to begin work there. I'll then proceed to keep it updated, with accounts of what it is like to live there (costs, social life) and operate as a lecturer (what's the academic system like? work/life balance?). Of course, I realise that for a number of you international, metropolitan, Caffe Americano-supping jet-setters, this may be small beans. :-) Still, I live in hope that there are some small-town, hill dwelling creatures like me, who have only ever been to Wales and Scotland once or twice, and wonder what it is like to go truly 'continental'. If it's like Home-And-Away, it'll truly make my day...if it's like Crocodile Dundee, I'll be consoling myself with cups of hot tea.
In all seriousness, I hope that in some way it might prove helpful and informative for those of you considering your options post-PhD. After all, I'm likely to make a lot of errors (I already have!) that we can mutually learn from (up)

I'm off to Australia very, very soon and I have not a clue what I need to bring with me. The uni said that they'll ship some stuff for me, which is good. However, what do I take over with me initially. I'll be flying poverty class - does that mean I'll have one suitcase? Or one suitcase and hand luggage? What do I put in it? Will I need new plugs? I'm completely at a loss, there is a genuine reason for this that you can PM me about for clarification if needed.
So, if you were in my shoes, what would you pack, etc? I'd be really grateful for any wisdom or advice!

Hi there, Delta - thank you for your kind thoughts! It has taken me a little longer to progress with the move the Australia than I originally anticipated for one thing and another. The visa has now almost been approved and I'll be moving this month. It is, to put it mildly, the craziest thing I've ever done and I am absolutely bricking it. No friends, no family are going with me. I'm effectively going to be starting again. I'm lucky in that having been in current new job since finishing my PhD, I've come out of my shell a lot and am a fair bit more confident and will hopefully be okay. There are just two simple words spurring me on: 'what if?'
Truth be known, I've actually been thinking about the good people of this forum quite a bit who I effectively spend 3 years studying with. How are things at your end, Delta? Have you made any inroads career-wise? PM me if you can.
I'm actually going to start a thread as I'm in desperate need of some advice...

Congrats, Dr Hypothesis.

A PhD by publication has its place, but I think it would be wrong to take this route for all PhDs. Some PhDs don't produce as much publishable material as others, or are not necessarily 'covered' by as many high impact journals as others. Impact factors can change, so publishing one year will produce a different result than another year even though the desirability of articles for a particular journal remain the same. I also think it would be wrong to start grading PhDs too. When doing a PhD, you business is learning the business of research - often getting to grips with extremely complex equipment/theories. They're all so different anyway.
A wide examiner panel bound by a rigid assessment and evaluation framework (standardised for broadly related subject areas) would be the best way forward. Examination of PhDs will never be perfect, very much like the peer review process.

It's really late, I'm knackered, so here's my somewhat lazy response.

Here are some answers to justify that it is NOT time to put an end to the existence of this degree:


1. The world is producing too many PhDs,

The world is producing too much of many, many different things aside from PhDs. There's no point even starting a counter debate here. Too many graduates full stop!

2. The future of the PhD labor market is disturbing. What is a PhD worth anyway ?

The future of the graduate market is disturbing. What are any academic qualifications worth when you don't have the necessary contacts (or experience...)?

3. Jobs in academia have become elusive and some industries are shying away from PhDs.

Too true, but industries are shying away from recruitment in general at the moment.

4. A number of countries do not know what to do with all their PhDs (ex. Japan, USA).

The same applies to people qualified in lots of different disciplines in different countries. Plumbers in Poland and too many actors in America! Look at the UK and PGCEs.

4. The nature and quality of some PhD programs have become questionable (I am not naming any country),

T'was ever thus for lots of different disciplines...even medicine.

5. Statistics show that earning a PhD does not make a person happier in life than others,

And what else do statistics show I wonder...there's even something about millionaires not being happier...

6. The hidden completion|Attrition rates of PhDs in many institutions tell a story about life in PhD.

Yes, it's sodding hard and isolating in most cases, which is just the way it should be. Although examination procedures should be more standardised.

7. Since the first PhD degree was awarded in Paris, France in the year 1150, did its purpose and
methods evolve with our needs and expectations ?

It's not perfect, has its faults (just like most academic qualifications) and I'm sure it will evolve. It already is with equivalents like professional doctorates...

It's not perfect, but to say the PhD has had it's day - I doubt that.