Overview of Kev_Loaf on PostgraduateForum.com

Overview of Kev_Loaf

Signup date: 24 Feb 2011 at 2:21pm

Last login: 25 Feb 2011 at 7:08pm

Post count: 16

Recent Posts

The perennial 'So What?' question!

Kev_Loaf 16 posts
13 years ago

Quote From ady:

======= Date Modified 25 Feb 2011 21:22:12 =======
My response to your original post and other people's really useful replies is that I can see links to what you're proposing and historical geography and medical geography. A lot of the work in historical geography has traced the spatial distribution and evolution of early civilisations. Medical geography has also done historical analysis in relation to the spatial distribution of infectious diseases.

I sense your unease at a 'desk-based' PhD but such PhDs are valid - everything doesn't have to take place in a lab, you know!! No, you're entire PhD can't really be an extended literature review but in analysing the work of others you can make suggestions for the future. It is also likely that you will be able to draw on your scientific knowledge to further analyse, perhaps at a deeper level to what was done historically, the results of other studies.

I think it will be through deep reading that you will be able to develop your unique contribution to the field, very likely perhaps in an inter-disciplinary sense

I think it all sounds fascinating :-)

Thanks for the advice.

The PhD thesis as it sounds now looks epic!! My supervisor wants to go through every ancient civilisation that ever existed in the world and look for evidence of animals being used for medical reasons. This is massive!! Im thinking of maybe streamlining it and just looking at European and Middle East cultures but Im sure I will change my mind later.

My supervisor wants to break my PhD up into chapters and publish each chapter as I make each finding and then when it’s all done publish a book. This is the first time a non experimental thesis is being done in the department – the supervisor has described it the “jewel in the crown” of his work!! I just hope the other scientist, particularly the external examiners who are more used to an experimental approach, understand the value of my non experimental thesis.

Im doing it part-time combined with FT work but I dont think that even this will be enough time for this massive undertaking!!

The perennial 'So What?' question!

Kev_Loaf 16 posts
13 years ago

Quote From pjlu:

Perhaps an aspect of this would also be analysing people's attitudes towards these animals and how they have changed and developed in relationship to time, place and culture. This in turn may have an impact on the animals survival, migration, etc. Also the one's that didn't survive? Why-did people realise their value-were the products these animals provided replaced by something else due to technology or some other advance or change? How does this impact on the overall relationship between people and such animals-is the relationship different depending on the people and their cultural values?
There could be a very interesting book or departmental publication at the end of it.

That was very helpfull, thank you! (up)

My concern is that a lot of what my supervisor is suggesting (also shown in your suggestion) involves looking at other people findings from their field work. I wont be doing any field work, instead I will be combining the finding of other peoples to create my thesis. May be its because Im a science grad but I kind of feel like Im trying to get a PhD through other peoples hard experimental and field work - all Im doing is reading and then describing what I found in a thesis. Have I got it wrong?

How many chances do you get after you fail a viva?

Kev_Loaf 16 posts
13 years ago

How many chances do you get? can you keep making amendments until you get it right or do you only get one shot at it and if you screw that up then goodbye!

How does it work?

Where can I read other peoples PhD thesis

Kev_Loaf 16 posts
13 years ago

Hi,

Is it possible to read old PhD thesis online some where? Are they available free?

Im looking for non experimental life science PhD or historical.

The perennial 'So What?' question!

Kev_Loaf 16 posts
13 years ago

Thanks Bilbo and Stressed!

Can you recommend a good book or website where I can read about different hostory and humanities research methods?

I dont understand how you guys use "documents and words" for your experiments so I will need to read up on skills and methods you guys use.

It will be a PhD done as part of the Life Science department. Its in fact an experiment by them since no one in the life science dept have ever supervised a PhD like this (i.e. non experimental) so Im a little scared that their experiment will be at my expense if they realise it does not work and give me an MPhill.

The perennial 'So What?' question!

Kev_Loaf 16 posts
13 years ago

The perennial 'So What?' question!

Kev_Loaf 16 posts
13 years ago

Thank you!

My main concern is that most of the research appears to be just reading through literature and then combining it all in a long essay! May be this is normal for non science PhD so please excuse my ignorance since Im so used to a experimental approach to problem where a literature review is done merely to justify my experiments and methods.

As I wrote in my OP, my research involves studying medically important animals and their role in the history of humans (ancient to modern),

- Their geographical distribution, where they originate from and why did they move

- Species that were important medically in the past but no longer exist (why?)

All of this just involves a lot of reading. Where are the experiments? What am I proving? What is the point of it all? It looks as if Im just writing a glorified essay.

In case you’re wondering, Im doing a non experimental PhD since I cannot afford the bench fees. It took me a long time to find a suitable supervisor (in a topic that interests me) who was willing to supervise me for a part-time experimental PhD. We both had the same interests and he was keen to supervise me but part of me fears that Im being used to do his literature research :(

Im contemplating giving up! It took me years of e-mailing and calling to find a supervisor who was willing to supervise me in a non experimental life science PhD in a topic i like. I cannot afford to do a lab PhD in the topic I like, I cannot afford to quit my job and do it full time and funded. If I was in my early 20’s this would be no problem but I have a family now. Im just too scared that 5 years down the line I will be told that I wrote a very good essay and that they will give me a Masters for my trouble and money!

The perennial 'So What?' question!

Kev_Loaf 16 posts
13 years ago

I am Life Science graduate with a Master. I am about to embark on a non experimental part-time PhD which combines life science and history. My potential supervisor has given me the topics to research but Im finding it hard to come up with reasons as to why they are worth researching and also a suitable methodology.

My research involves studying medically important animals and their role in the history of humans (ancient to modern),

- Their geographical distribution, where they originate from and why did they move

- Species that were important medically in the past but no longer exist (why?)

Im finding it difficult to justify why this is important? This would be a non experimental PhD which gives me further concern since I have no clue on how I would go about researching in a non scientific experimental way. I could ask my potential supervisor but Im too scared to put them off by asking to many “trivial” questions at such an early stage.

I would appreciate any help or advise (eg good books to read to learn about non science research methods etc).

My biggest fear is to start this PhD and be told 5-6 years down the line that its only worth a masters!