I set them up within my University (I've done this at two very different Unis) - it might be worth talking to your IT department.

Lots of people use SurveyMonkey.

There was a thread about this before but I can't remember where. If you can find it it gave lots of suggestions.

Good luck.

A

Good luck for the weekend Sneaks! And stats, grr! Sometimes I think I've gotten my head around it then I find a whole new set of assumptions. Are you Psychology too (I think I remember reading that in one of the other threads)? Do you hate SPSS as much as me?

I want to finish a draft of a chapter tomorrow morning (minus the discussion) so I can write a very rough draft of the discussion over the weekend at get it to the sups for Monday morning. Tomorrow afternoon = more data collection.

In other disturbing news, I've just realised I had my hair dipped in a cold cup of tea...I think it may be time for bed.

Enjoy your stats teaching!

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how is it going sneaks? have you managed to finish for the evening? i commend you if you did, that was quite a list!

so, success here. i actually did my stats! it did involve me begging a statistician in the end but she was just wonderful and told me the begging was inappropriate. seriously, maths people are scary clever!

i'm off to the pub for the evening and then data collection tomorrow.

next proper aim is to write up my quantitative stuff by sunday evening.

wish me luck!

a

hi hi

So, I'm in data collection phase at the moment which is great but means 11 hour days so I will likely be checking in a little less nowadays. I am just under target for my data collection but confident it will pick up after half term. Hoorah!

Tomorrow = stats! One last go before I go and beg the statisticians for their help. Also have some family stuff to do so will likely be less productive than I should be.

Sneaks - how was your meeting with your industrial partners? Were they lovely and polite and did they say yes to everything you wanted? I hope so. How is your chapter going?

Everyone else - where are you?!??! I'm holding you all accountable!

A

Am wimping out and going home.  Just can't cope with working on a Friday evening. I have 75% of my papers and even got some of them into endnote which is an achievement for me!

Tomorrow I'm going to try and hit the stats hard.  From home. In my PJs!

Hope everyone had a great Friday and has a loved up V day.

A

Good morning (just) all.

Super late today because my hard drive wouldn't work. Rubbish. Plan for today:

perfect protocol,
print out my supporting documents,
put together a list of everything I'll need to take to my research site,
get those stupid lit review papers!

A

Tried and tested everytime.

You need to come up with a clear argument about why you will be using the validated questionnaire to convince your sup.

Good luck!

A

In the zone - I love it!

Congrats on the paragraph. It's really good that you're being productive.

What's the plan for tomorrow? Anything exciting?

I've spent the day so far preparing for my study starting on Tuesday so now I'm about to hit those papers hard!

A

Oo! Not quite sure how I did that! My message is in the purple box!

[quote]Quote From taramarie:

I would like to do an interdisciplinary PhD next year in English/History but I'm not really that academic or anything (just enjoy it).[quote]

Hi Taramarie,

You've basically just described me! I'm not all that academic but I like research. I found my MSc really hard but that's what I loved about it (in the social sciences). The PhD level work isn't all that hard in my case, the most difficult thing is the realities of conducting research. There is a significant jump here I think.

Commitment wise, I'm not entirely sure I know what you mean...I'm meant to be PhD-ing between 9 and 6ish weekdays (self imposed). In reality I only really work properly after 11 until 5ish. The rest is just faffing. I try not to do weekends however, this weekend I will be working. I also end up doing tedioius things in the evenings sometimes. Admin etc...I have no option but to finish in 3 years which for me means finishing Sep 2010.

Competition...I applied for one named, funded, PhD project and got it. Don't know too much about the process because I was lucky and only had to go through it once.

Applications vary. Mine was an application form and CV but it was named. For unnamed projects you would have to write a proposal and it all gets a lot harder (but it really is your project that way).

Good luck!

A

Oh no! Me too! Boo. Think I'll set til tomorrow (and stay until it's done) because I start data collection next week so I really need this done and I REALLY need to sort out all my supporting document for my research.

A

Me too unfortunately!

I got sidetracked with making sure my new protocol was bang up to date. Well worth it I think.

Today - get those papers!!!!

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Good morning all.

Thanks for the congratulations.  Getting them on board is really great however, I'm just starting to realise how much work that actually means!

I'm going to spend the day today getting all my docs ready for the study to take along tomorrow. Then my docs for supervision.  If I have time download my lit review papers. Then a seminar at 5.  Excitingly though I'm going for a big, posh, definitely non-work related dinner this eve so that's good.

I'm very impressed with all the consultancy work you all seem to be doing! Very cool

A

I'm funded by the University and I was told they "think it's about 6-8 weeks" (btw - I'm in my second year and they still haven't been able to confirm this!)

I disagree that holidays are a luxury. I would argue, if you are the type who enjoys and regularly takes holidays (as I am), that they are essential. I have taken at least a month off each year to go away. As long as you are on top of your work it's fine. I could not however cope if I had taken 8 weeks off. The most important thing is finishing your PhD.

A

SUCCESS!

I have solved my problem (when I say I, I actually mean my wonderful supervisor) and have a new organisation. Pending ethics I begin data collection next week. Yeah baby!

Thanks for asking Sneaks. How did the lit review writing go?

Congratulations on the writing Linton. How have things been today?

Mondays I don't do anything but I will check in tomorrow with goals.

A