I just went to Limerick on Ryanair this week overnight. Cost = 2 pence return! (incl. taxes, and global footprint). The privilege of using my credit card to book was £2.40!

Cheap holidays are to be found if you look around.

Have you seen the size of the runway in Ouagadougou? It is almost the same size as the city!

sm888 - you have experienced a personal paradigm shift!

Oh, you're back are you?!

Ulaanbaatar or Ouagadougou then?

There is never a right time to have a baby. My daughter is 12 now. I was about your age when I had her. It would probably be harder to do a PhD with a tiny baby. It is still difficult now - there are different demands as they get older. Think of your life in the long term - each stage brings its own challenges and joys.

Where is Walminski? I miss our happy repartee.

I was born at St. James' Hospital!

Sorry, I don't understand why you haven't researched these institutions for yourself before applying?

You may think you're at this finish line of this thread, but I'm nearly at the finish line of the thesis!

there you are! you've got lots of people on your side. you have to find the strength within.

It is always a problem when supervisors aren't au fait with a particular aspect of your work. This, naturally, makes them gravitate to what they are comfortable with, hence distorting your argument. Lots of people have this problem. Its rare, I think, to have all of your supervisors with full knowledge in a specific area. On the other hand, it is a strength that they can all bring different perspectives to the project.

What if you chair the next meeting? Set up an agenda, go through it point by point and so you are directing the subject and ask them chip in. This way you are in control and if the conversation begins to digress into other areas, you can reign them in. It also shows if they understand (or have read) your summaries. Group sessions make individuals accountable against their peers. I always prefer to chair my own supervision meetings.

Good luck.

Your question is very general. A research question in maths, for example, is a completely different proposition to one in art and design. What is your area?

General PhD guides usually contain principles of structuring generic questions.

Really?! Thanks for telling me. Silly Me. Doh!

Everyone complained when this thread disappeared and now it's back, no-one's got anything to say except me! Come on, wake up researchers.

Background reading that has drawn you to this unusual but interesting field should already indicate those working in it (and the institutions to which they are affiliated).