unfortunately, one is still in progress, another one just completed (beginning of this year).

Both of them are not "students", they are both established research groups which made me really worry.

Your comments made me feel slightly better though, thanks :-)

During the beginning of my second year, I found there was another research group (with huge funding resources) doing something similar with my research. I was rather panic but I have thought of different focus so that my research does not look like a duplication of other people's research. My supervisor against it as he said if I were to change focus, my whole 1st year has wasted. He insisted I should continue with my current topic. I spoke to my research committee members about it, though they agreed my new focus is better, but at the same time they said the final decision is still up to my supervisor as the department does not interrupt "supervising style.

Now, I'm at the end of my second year and I have found another research group who is doing the similar topic as me again! It's annoying because I have to fight alone with research groups who have massive funding resources. ARRRGHH...

The main argument/aim of my research was originally to revisit a research concept/method that nobody has done for the past 40 years. But now, I have to abandone this argument totally as there are someone who is doing something similar with me at the moment! Their results are actually better than us! I had similar research design as theirs too but my supervisor totally against my idea and wanted me to follow his method which it turned out a failure.

i'm not sure whether I should tell my supervisor about this new research group who is doing the same thing as me.

Is anyone here has similar experience? I really doubt I can pass my phd and I don't think there is any chance that my research will be better than those research groups- they are all proper team of professional researchers with huge funding from large organisation.

:-(

have been looking for something like this for ages! very helpful! thanks for sharing

THANKS FOR THE GREAT ADVICE, DOODLE!!!!
You have given me some hope for my PhD!! I can't thank you enough!!

Thanks doodle :-)

I have some questions about the thesis submission. Assuming i want to complete the whole PhD by the end of 2012, when do I normally submit the thesis in?

Can I assume I have to submit it around September, then wait for 1-2 months for the viva, and a month for correction (assuming no major thing to change)? Or should I submit before Sept that so that I can complete the whole PhD on time?
Also, can I assume there won't be any viva after correction? Or do I have to go through the whole process again?

I can't afford to extend the Phd so I really want to finish on time, I'm not very sure how long I can put up with my supervisor.

ahh...that's clearer now. I thought supervisors are always the internal examiners but it does not seem to be the case.
My supervisor always say "if you want to do it your way, you will fail your PhD". I thought he has full control whether
he wants to pass me!!!

But my case would be much tricky as I'm partially funded by my supervisor, he makes it clear that if I don't follow his way, he will stop funding me.

Thanks doodle for your advice. It's very very helpful!

Thanks doodles! Your comments are extremely true- especially this " because my supervisor said so" is not a good answer".

I had rather intense argument with him because he keeps asking me to change something without a valid research reason.
More importantly, when things went wrong, he actually BLAME me for taking his advice! That particular argument was really quite "heat" as I told him I have better methodology and supported with previous research. I showed him those research paper and he told me all this research are rubbish and insisted want to use his way. I told him i won't be able to justify it in my writing, then he said "you just have to find papers that using this method"! how unreasonable it is!

I suppose my supervisor will always be one of the main markers of my thesis? Even if I insisted to use my own way and supported by other research, he could still argue those papers that I cited are rubbish?

I think only two people will be reading the final thesis, my supervisor and an external examiner? Correct me if I'm wrong!

======= Date Modified 01 Jun 2011 15:11:35 =======
Dear all

I have just submitted some write-up for the upgrade and I have just looked at the upgrade form, one of the sections asking about the relationship between student and the supervisor (supervisor will be asked to leave during this part of the upgrade meeting).

My relationship with my supervisor definitely is not good - which is not uncommon as I have seen many other people posting about the same issue.


There is a chance that I will not be gaining a PhD, largely due to my supervisor's unreasonable behaviour. For example, he wants me to do more experiments for my PhD and extend my study period without considering whether I can afford to pay for the extra fees etc. More importantly, he wants me to follow exactly the way that he wants to do it and not based on any research.

I was hoping to get at least an MPhil if our relationship fall out before completing the study.

I was wondering if I'm being honest and tell them our relationship is not good, is that going to affect my upgrade?

Anyone has similar experience before?

Hi

I was wondering where did you come across this fund? - "2) They only fund you if you are in: second year of study, writing up year of study, etc. "

I'm on my second year and my funding body has run out of stipend so I have to look else where now.

Please help

Hi

I have the same problem as you and I'm still looking for one!

Hi all

I desperately need help with Signal Detection Theory, particularly in the area of DPrime & ROC Curve.

I have read Signal Detection Theory- A user guide from Macmillan & Creelman, and also some online tutorial.
I have calculated Hits & False Alarm as well.

However, I'm not sure whether my analysis/calculation is correct and I read one way to do it is to check it is to plot a ROC plot (http://viperlibnew.york.ac.uk/areas/24-viper2go-tutorials/contributions/1844-signal-detection-theory?area_preview_page=2&from_preview=true).

I came across this site for the ROC plotting- http://www.rad.jhmi.edu/jeng/javarad/roc/JROCFITi.html
but didn't get it successful.

I'm wondering if anyone here uses ROC or DPrime to give me some guides on this?

Thanks in advance

Hi Firstyear

I understood what you are going through, have been there before. I think your supervisor is responsibility of it as well, they should shape and guide you what you need to do, especially during the first year. First year can be quite miserable if you didnt have a good guideline.

Do you need to do any course work? You don't really have to know "what to do" during the first few months. First year is more like "read and define a research topic" that you want to do. Have you spoken to your supervisor about it? do you have second supervisor or research committee members who might be able to help you to redefine a research topic?

Don't get panic, once you set a research topic, it's easier for you to move on.

thanks folks, i found the notebook, never knew there is such thing! it's really good!

I will try to get myself organised as you guys suggested, hope it's too note late :-S

@DrJeckyll

That's very helpful, I absolutely agreed with you. I tend to read lots then start designing experiment, which I always forgotten which bits of information are from which papers- will take your advice, don't read without an aim!

I'm just wondering what is this? "Notebook from Office"- is that part of Microsoft office?