though i dont start till jan (3wks), i am finding that doing some prelimnary research and writing is helping me get in the right frame of mind. started mid november. done a bit under my lit review tho not much 300words? lol. have found that doing a lot of reading and research on methodology has given me a much better understanding and confidence on what i am going into. also one book i do thoroughly recommend is - HOW TO GET A PHD by Estelle M. Phillips and Derek S. Pugh 4th ed (2005). i read the book from cover to cover and its so amazing. talk about eureka moments. i cant sing the praises of this book enough :-) its about 20pounds in bookshops but amazon have used ones from £2.99! i am so much clearer on what a PhD is all about, aims objectives hypotheses etc. it has helped me focus my research topic which was previously unfocussed and a mish-mash of ideas. i am so much clearer after reading this book. i am now reading on methodologies relevant to my research eg non probability/probability sampling, interviewing, questionnaires etc. writing up bits as i go along. getting so much clearer. this has helped me as when i go for my first meeting, i will take in all iv done and see where my supervisors guide me from there.
iv got another new book called a postgraduate research handbook by gina wisker (2007). havent read that yet, but plan to start before jan. il let u know if any good. got alan byrmans new 'social research methods' book only published this year 2008. havnt dipped into that yet. using robson c. 'real world research' 2nd ed book i had from my masters to start with as so many good chapters in there. also going over my old masters unit course book for research methods and gleaning much info and writing from there.
all this getting me so much better prepared for jan :-)

Hi jade,


glad to hear this all. all of this sounds great but one warning my sup gave me: doing a phd is a very very relative and subjective process, You may also wish to note the home disciplines of the authors of these books themselves (even if their respondents and advisors are across disciplines).

Doing a phd in a government dept isnt the same as doing one in politics necessarily. So, while all of the advice is great, pl do also remember that this a process that will eventually weave itself out between u and your sup and be prepared to have to say goodbye to the idea or tip you thought was the most useful, but that turns out to be quite diff on ground

for instance, qualitative researchers often do not find much use for sampling intricacies. And vice versa for quant.

With that cautionary note, good luck with all the reading and am so glad to see you excited :)

thank you :-) my research area is a carry on from my bachelors and masters. have also had meet ups with another student from my old uni who started their PhD last year in same field of criminal justice and found it very helpful to discuss what he's doing with what idea's i have. also have had chats with their supervisor who i know and was once my supervisor and got lots of advice from this person which is where iv got the books im reading and areas im reading from etc.
yes.. new uni, new sups. lol.. maybe il find im taken somewhere else. though from interview and my proposal, my research has to go down the route iv proposed and they've accepted. there's no other way. so hence the readings im doing is covering the areas of my research and proposed methodologies. finding its helping though compared to waiting till jan before i start anything. thanks for tips (up)

hi phdbug. just read some postings on the current thread and ur reply now makes lots of sense. thank u. theres a lot to learn and it will only start unfolding as i start and proceed on my PhD journey. reading a lot of what's happening on the current phd threads is quite an eye opener. im learning so much. now understanding ur remarks. so much can change. in fact gosh! so much will change. il keep on doing my research and readings. getting me more focussed ready for my start in 3 wks. well..think its 3 wks. my start date is 1st jan.. though they're not there on new year's day...lol. take care x

Hi Jade

It sounds as though you are very motivated and have probably done more preliminary work than I've done full stop! I agree totally with Phdbug - things change so much and you have to be prepared to be very fluid in your ideas and your methodology. My discipline is different to yours, but already my thesis has gone from a current debate viewed from a microhistorical perspective, to examining data from about 1/3 of the country! Its just changed so much after my initial pilot study revealed data that caused me to strike off in another direction completely.
I will have a look at those books you've suggested. I have to have my lit review in in just over a month from now and I'm nowhere near ready for it all - its all quite alarming actually - but I'll get there, I always do, its just quite a ride! :-)

hi. coming up to xmas so done no reading over last 3 days...lol. day out shopping tomoro. yes....did find the 'how to get a phd book' very helpful. covered most disciplines (science, social science etc). had read another help book prior to this one and hadnt found that any good. but within a few pages of this book, i started understanding a lot of things and felt much more positive about doing a phd and what was involved :-)