Wow satchi - I loved your post! Thank you as your response also applied to me and has helped cheer me up!

Thanks all. I think I'll just need to take the time and apply myself to relearning some stuff but some good suggestions and so thank you.

======= Date Modified 16 Mar 2009 11:31:10 =======
Thanks all. I've to give full details about my analysis before I even data collect. This is what I'm struggling with. I can follow what you are all saying but this form - yikes!

Thanks Ginga. I've a form to complete and it's more comprehensive than I would have liked and I have to provide a relatively detailed analysis.

Hi all,

It has been a while since I formally studied and need some statistics advice about what statistics tests I'll use in my study. I have whittled things down but could do with asking someone some questions. Would anyone be able to help me by PM?

Hope it's OK to ask.

Many thanks and I may take you up on your kind offer.

I hope things pick up for us both and thanks for the suggestions which I may follow up, if necessary. I have started to contact the authors to try and access the originals and I just hope they get back to me.

You've been extremely helpful, thank you.

I'm meant to be predicting things on the basis of these. I'm with you, my instinct tells me I shouldn't be using them but it's 'difficult' to discuss such things with my supervisor. I'm starting to encounter a lot of confusion and concerns about this study. I took the study on because it was my impression the study was ready to run but this seems far from the case, indeed, I feel it is ill thought out, and nearly seven months in nothing of substance has been achieved. I was very motivated and always pushing for things to happen but now I'm just marking time, think I'm wasting my time and realising the only good thing about it is it has relieved me from unemployment. Sorry for the moan...

Thanks for answering.

On some of the questionnaires, it's a slight varation on the wording of the questions and on another it is the response format and that is causing me some concern.

My supervisor has given me questionnaires to use in my study and I'm tidying them up for appearances sake. However, although I'm aware of the authors that devised these questionnaires, I'm not sure that they are the originals, that is, word for word same. If some small words are missing, or if they have been changed slightly, can I still use these in the study? I've been on the Internet and am having trouble tracking them down.

Sorry, as I'm not in any position to offer advice but I wanted to say given what you have written I do feel for you and don't feel this should have been allowed to happen. I do hope everything works out for you.

======= Date Modified 08 56 2009 13:56:31 =======
Apologies - post not relevant

For what it's worth, if you're funded, I think you should stick with it until you get a job (if you really think you can't complete). I know the money's not great but it's much better than being unemployed and I'm speaking from experience.

It really is very tough out there at present.

I hope it all works out for you.

No offence taken.

A couple of things though. The PhD is interesting enough and motivation is not a problem. I do intend to submit in three years or very slightly after but my concern is that, through no fault of my own, the research will not be completed in three years and I'm not prepared to pay large sums of money if it goes over three years. I'm very keen to work and get on but there are factors outside of my control and it's proving very frustrating.

The job market is as bad as the housing market and this is partly why I'm doing the PhD. Besides, the PhD will provide a good back up plan.

Not sure why I'm posting really but here goes.

I'm doing a PhD and it's very slow going. I picked a topic on the basis that it was a proposal and something I could run with but that doesn't seem to be the case now. I've a supportive supervisor but they seem extremely busy (my feeling is that they take too much on). I can't really do much more until they attend to certain things and it's taking up time. The thing is I've no interest in an academic career or a career in research but other circumstances meant that it would be wise to take up the offer of the PhD. I need to complete in three years because I'm not prepared to 'pay' fees to continue after three years and I know I want to move on to do other things and have already started making plans. I've tried explaining this to my supervisor but I don't think they are taking it on board.

If I have to leave at three years without having submitted will I have to repay anything?