The best way to get an answer to these questions is to talk to your supervisor.

The results are publishable if they contribute knowledge to your field and further science. A realistic target journal is one that publishes papers in the similar genre to your work and of the same scope. You can only submit for publication to one journal (unless that journal rejects your paper, then you can rewrite and resubmit) and the procedure is outlined on that journal's website.

Hello everyone,

I'm new to this forum and could not find a thread that addresses my woes, so I decided to start a new one.

I'm originally from Montreal, Canada, and recently just moved to Berlin, Germany for my PhD. The project I've signed on for was advertised as an English degree and fluency in English is a prerequisite to do graduate studies at the university. When I visited to scope the place out, everyone spoke to me in English and was very friendly. Now, since I arrived to start officially, no one speaks in English. German is the language of choice in the lunchroom, hallway, offices, wherever, no matter if I'm present or not (all my colleagues are 100% aware that I do not speak a word of German, yet). Now, it isn't as if two Germans are having a conversation and then I arrive at the table and expect them to switch language. No, they have the courtesy to invite me to lunch, I gratefully accept and then have to sit at the lunch table listening to them laugh and chat away in German. This has been going on for 3 months. I have been trying to register in a German class, but obviously learning a language takes time. I haven't been able to learn anything yet beyond the basics. Definitely not enough to follow or participate in a conversation with. There is one other student here who is also an English-speaking foreigner. Unfortunately, they aren't around very often and don't seem to be very sociable. What should I do? Should I complain to my professor? I can't expect them to enforce English-speaking just on my behalf. Do I continue to be miserable with the lack of interaction in my workplace?

Thank you for any advice.

Thanks nearlyfinished. How would you recommend asking for feedback? I thought that as a PhD who has already done previous graduate work, I am expected to be largely independent. As a result, I don't want to appear insecure or worse, incapable, to my supervisor. Do you have recommendations on how to establish a good communication/feedback relationship?

I had a similar question. I just started my PhD 3 months ago and have only been educating myself on the literature, taking some notes on things I've read, sent a couple rock samples (I'm studying geology) to be made into thin sections, and had some meetings with people who will be helping me with future analyses. On a day to day basis, I try to keep myself busy by reading papers and I decided I should start writing up a sort of literature review to summarize what I've found. From my Master's, I learned that it is best to start writing as early as possible. Nevertheless, I feel like I can't read papers all day without going crazy but just have nothing else to do. I see other PhD students (albeit they are much further into their degrees than I am) working before and after I arrive and leave work. I get the sense that I'm doing something wrong or am not doing enough. Is this normal? I always read about how much work PhD's have but I feel like I have to constantly search for things to do.