Overview of Hugh on PostgraduateForum.com

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Signup date: 12 Mar 2010 at 9:38am

Last login: 24 May 2017 at 8:31pm

Post count: 1264

Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Quote From pinkandfluffy:
Thanks for your replies - really appreciate it!

Just so you know, it would be difficult for me to transfer to another university with one of my supervisors, but I'm not going to disclose the reasons why in a public forum in case that would out me!

I think that the concern is that all of my main supervisory team would be external - I expect that I would be allocated someone internally to check up on me, but there is noone else that is researching in my area, so it wouldn't be of much practical assistance. I'm worried that if there is a problem, there won't be anything much that the university can do....

How far is the new university your main/preferred supervisor is going to from your current university? Is it a short bus/train/care ride away? Are you able to get to it every two weeks for example easily?

Will your current university be paying your supervisors to continue supervising you? Who will be checking on them that they are doing their supervisory role as they ought to?

These are questions I would ask, and expect answers to. Also, do you current supervisor/s want you to carry on with them?

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Quote From pinkandfluffy:
Hello everyone - I was wondering whether anyone on this forum has any experience of being supervised by someone outside of their university? Did the arrangement work, or did your supervisor lose interest in your research?

Just to give you a little bit of background, I'm about 10 months into my PhD at the moment and it's looking like both of my supervisors are going to leave the university in the next couple of months or so. There isn't anyone else at the university who looks like they would be able to help, so I am facing the prospect of having two external supervisors. Personally, I just can't see this working. I'm in two minds as to whether I should keep going with my PhD, start on a new topic or transfer to somewhere else?

Any thoughts, ideas or experiences would be greatly appreciated!

PF

I know someone whose second supervisor left the university. Its working quite well for him, they have regular supervisions and feedback via Skype. However, the main supervisor is in house.

Have you spoken to your supervisors about this? Could one of them take you with them to the university they are going to? What would they recommend you do?

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Quote From litphdgirl:
Motivation has been a bit lagging this week but trying to do a bit tonight and work all weekend to get Chapter 3 finished. It's a big chapter, approx 20k, and Chapters 4 and 5 are relatively small by comparison (both approx 10k). Really need to bash the end of this chapter out in order to make my deadline of a full draft by end of April. Hopefully the next time I check back in here it will be to say I've sent the chapter off to my supervisor.

You are doing very well! Well done :)

I've had some more bad news today, which is depressing really! I feel like moaning about it here but I'd better not. Well there's even more reason now that I need to get and finish writing!

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Sorry to hear you are having a bad morning. One thing that really helped me when I was in a very bad place with writing was committing to a really small amount of time each day. Just an hour or even half an hour of writing. I would do that for a few days and then gradually get back up to a few hours.

That's a very good idea! I find editing the most difficult stage. I tend to write as close as possible to the final draft, but once I've written it, trying to improve it just leaves me 'stuck'.

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Quote From strawberrygirl:
Hi all - I'm in my final year too. I posted on another thread so won't repeat it all here but I'm due to submit in four months and still have most of my thesis to write although I have early drafts of most of it. So I'm feeling quite overwhelmed.
I'd like to use this thread for checking in and reporting on progress.

Sounds good!

Do you have a plan in place with dates etc to hand in and finish by?

I've had a rubbish morning. I'm waiting for an email which is holding me back a bit. But I need to crack on. I find it easier and better to focus on one section/chapter at a time, so I'm avoiding starting to write up the other chapter, whilst I am waiting. Which I should do I suppose.

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Hiini:
Hi guys,
Does anyone know action research is a "Method" or "Methodology"?

Thanks guys.

I would say Action Research is a Methodology.
Methods used to conduct an Action Research could be participant observation, case study, qualitative methods, quantitative, experiments, evaluation etc.
You also need to think about the ontology and epistemology, I would say for Action Research it maybe pragmatism or critical theory.

This book may be helpful:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Action-Research-Methods-Plain-Simple/dp/0230113834

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Why has your supervisor not selected an examiner? Is that because they didn't feel your thesis was ready to be submitted?

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Quote From semaphore:
I'm starting a PhD soon that's based at a distance from my supervisor (not that it matters, hopefully). I really don't know what to do for the first week, and subsequent weeks. I'm waiting on a reply asking this very question but I'm wondering what route most people took was. How did you spend your first weeks? When did you actually feel like you were doing good work (because I'm very conscious that whilst reading a lot I'll feel like I'm not progressing)? And lastly, and possibly most importantly, does anyone have any early-starter tips? Thank you!

It depends what your PhD is on, but a good starting point may be to either start reading up on literature in the area, or start reading up on prospective research methods you are likely to use. If you are familiar with the literature and the research methods, then I would define the research objectives and start planning the actual studies.

Do you know which research methods you may be using? Was the PhD well defined from the very start?

This may help too:

http://patthomson.net/2015/10/15/starting-the-phd-anticipate-tasks-and-timings/

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Quote From litphdgirl:
Hi all,

In final year here as well. Currently finishing up Chapter 3 of 5 at the moment, with a view to handing it to my supervisor by the weekend. I'm doing a 'thesis boot camp' in February where the goal is to write a chapter in a weekend so hoping to have 4/5 drafted by the end of Feb. I turn 31 in late-March so hoping to put my head down from now til then and have a full draft written, with a June/July submission date.

It's been a really tough journey, looking forward to finishing this year.

Thesis Boot Camp sounds lovely! :) If I could take my computer and rather large screen with me, I would consider it :)

I've just completed one chapter, but feeling anxious to hand it in. I should find another PhD student to read through it before I hand it in.

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Btw, are you all funded for 3 years or longer?

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

I have had a very relaxed approach from my supervisors about the deadline. In our department, there's almost an unsaid assumption that everyone goes over the deadline. I don't understand how they expect us to live without funding though.

However, I really need to make a move on and finish! I do write fast generally, but I've had alot of critical feedback in the past, and I'm actually scared to submit a chapter, because I'm worried its just going to be returned after one page of faults marked up!

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Quote From chickpea:

Quote From Hugh:
I had some absolutely rubbish and scary news today about my funding! I feel like screaming, but that's not going to do help. So I thought I'd share it on here to get some sympathy and empathy ;-)

Oh no, that doesn't sound good! Hope it's something you can work out.

Thanks! :)

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Congratulations! I'm very pleased to hear about your good news

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

Quote From emaa:
Many thanks all. She sent me an email today and said I will receive the contract next week. ☺

Fab! Well done :)

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Hugh 1264 posts
8 years ago

I had some absolutely rubbish and scary news today about my funding! I feel like screaming, but that's not going to do help. So I thought I'd share it on here to get some sympathy and empathy ;-)

Overview of Hugh

Recent Posts

External Supervisors?

External Supervisors?

Final year support thread

Final year support thread

Final year support thread

About Action Research?

I really need advise!

First Week Help -- What did you do?

Final year support thread

Final year support thread

Final year support thread

Lets talk about funding!

Finishing PhD and feeling low

publishing

Lets talk about funding!