Hi

I would like to compile a stat about the number of publication in certain topic in each year.
For example, how many publication is related to memory, art, literature etc.

The reason is I would like to see whether certain area of research grows more than the other.

The only way that I know it's to use metalibrary like pubmed. But the problem is, this type of search will only limit to certain type of publications.

Is there other way to do a general stats compilation rather than specific library or journal?

Thanks in advice

I had similar situation before (but not about future work issue). But like you I felt threatened by my supervisor unreasonable demands and it got worse after that. It took me a while to take the courage and reported it to the chair of board of study as well as the head of the department.

Long story short, it really helped! I did regret for not reporting it much earlier so I encourage you to talk to someone. If you are afraid to talk to the department people yourself, you can to go to post-graduate association or other welfare bodies that your university has. Or check out your handbook who you speak to with this type of conflict.

My advice - don't keep quiet and do nothing!

Hi

I wonder anyone who have had a bad experience with their supervisors, what do you do when you need to provide a reference for a job that you are applying? do you still put your supervisor as the referee?

Would it weird (rude) not to put your own supervisor as your referee? I am quite worry my supervisor would put bad reference
but at the same time, the potential employer might get suspicious when someone didn't put their primary supervisor as their referee.

Any thought?

Dear all

I am wondering what would happen to the research and funding situation if a postdoc applied for maternity leave during a contract research?

E.g. 2 year post-doc research

1st year- Pregnant
2nd year- maternity leave.

Do they still pay the postdoc during 2nd year (maternity leave)?
Would they extend the contract to 3 years to accomodate the 2nd year maternity leave?

Thanks.

I have asked to change a supervisor and the HoD have arranged a meeting between 3 of us.

I am really quite nervous about it and I am really not comfortable to address the issue in front of my supervisor.

I don't want to go against my supervisor in anyway, but I really don't think I would be able to finish the PhD if I continued to be his supervisee. He once said if i'm not happy with his supervising style, I can ask to change, and that's what I'm doing now.

How do I sound professional?I don't want to sound like a student who whines about their supervisor because I can't take the stress of PhD workload etc....

Any last minute advice how do I go about it? What is the changing supervisor policy in your uni?

Cinderalla:Thanks for the good luck

Lindalou83: I'm partially funded by my supervisor. I will try to talk to someone higher, don't think it's worth to email him about this again. Recently he had an issue about I'm not revising the script according to this comment. But I DID- I copied and pasted that part from the scripts to prove that I did. He feels offended and says it's my fault for not making it stand out- I was like, "what the hell you mean- I highlighted the part that I changed based on your comments, and you can see it from the track change- what do you mean I didn't make it clear?!" - he obviously didn't read it!!

Really stepping on my nerves- never admit mistakes!

Dear all

There is an update about this issue and I would like to seek some advice from you.

My supervisor is still NOT reading my thesis, and the reason that he uses now is he will wait until I submit a publication, and revise the chapters based on the publication comment. He thinks the comment that I receive for my publication is sufficient enough to revise my PhD chapter that I sent to him.

The problem is the publication that I intend to submit is only ONE chapter of my Phd thesis. I asked him whether he could at least read the chapters and give some comments so that I can revise it based on the publication comments and more specific comments to the chapters. He refused the idea.

Please note that the current publication that I'm revising is a manuscript that I intend to submit last year June, the delay was due to he kept changing his mind about what should be included in the publication and he was also very slow of returning the manuscript to me.

His conditional requirement for reading my thesis sounds rather unreasonable to me. I understand the comment that I receive from the reviewers are probably similar with the examiners who are going to read my thesis, but he has no reason not to read my other chapters until I publish something. What if I can't publish anything successfully? does it equally mean I will fail my phd? Also, I have no idea how long more to take to get something published particularly he is very slow in returning script to me. What if I'm not planning to do anything in academic so publication meant nothing to me. At this point, I rather complete my PhD first then only worry about publication.

But it's completely different from his point of view as the publication has his name on it. And I understand all faculties require to have certain amount of publication per xx year so the publication means a lot to him.

I really think he simply uses lots of excuse not to read my thesis and he is trying to make the excuse sounds reasonable.

Can I get some advice what I should do next :-(

Hello there

I understand what you've been through- Alone in a foreign country, struggling with the second language study, feeling unsupported and stressed but don't know how to let it out. And when you do, you let it out on a person that you care the most....

Doing a PhD is hard, doing a Phd without support is even harder- it's normal to have that kind of frustration...

I think you need a break for yourself- just one day- doing nothing or just go for a day out- walk in the street on something- try not to think about work! I know it's hard- it's almost impossible and you will feel you are wasting time doing nothing! But it would really help if you can stop a little, rest for a while and continue to walk on....

Try to concentrate on your PhD right now- rather than worrying whether you have made the wrong choice....and don't even think too much about future now- think of present- you only goal is to complete your PhD so that you can move on with your life...

Whatever that happened has already- take it as a lesson of your life then move on...

Try to think positive- do something that you like or something....

Dear all

I really thank you deep down from my heart for these advices and links- it has given me some hope that I might be able to "push" him to read my thesis by your suggestion. I will try your suggestions.

Thanks very very much!

Thanks Lindalou- I have asked him about it during supervision meeting, but he kept telling me "sorry sorry, I will look at it as soon as I finish bla bla bla).

He also does not have a deadline in mind, he feels I should revise it until he is happy then only I can submit- I had a quite intense argument with him about this (about the deadline issue)- but he has put his foot down (and told me no more negotiation about this)

I have tried to ask other thesis panels to read my chapters, but they are busy as well (as they have their own supervisees and commitments) and told me my supervisor should be the one who read it.

There is no guidelines about how long supervisors should take to review our work, the general advice is "keep writing and revising, don't wait for your supervisor".

Really quite annoying :-(

Hi

Just wondering how long did it take for your supervisor to return script to you?

It has been more than 3 months now since I sent my chapters (3), but I have not heard anything from him yet.
When I asked him, he kept saying he was busy with his own publication and other research hence he didn't have chance to at my work yet.

I have actually finished the first draft for another 3 chapters (rewrite and revised many times as well!) and thinking whether I should send to him again or wait until I receive feedback from those chapters first.

I feel rather annoyed because his slow-reading attitude is really slowing down my progress, and I really have to finish PhD on time! We have discussed the writing timeline together (when to send him the script and when he should return it back to me), hoping that he will prioritise my thesis reading during the timeline that we have agreed- but it didn't happen at all.

I'm not so sure what to do now-should I send another chapter to him to "remind" him that he really need to start reading my chapter or should I wait until he returns at least one script to me?

I am actually writing my conclusion chapter now and it is really weird as I have yet revised other chapter based on my supervisor's comment yet.

But I have revised and rewrite other chapters many times that I don't know what else to revise anymore.

Any advice?

Thanks for the reply.

I have been told I can choose to decline for including paper in the post-proceeding publication.

If I use similar material only for the programmes itself (not formal publishing like the post-proceeding)- would that be OK?

Dear all

I don't have experience in publication and I hope some of you can give me some advice.

I have submitted my publication to a research journal and I'm still waiting for the result.
In the mean time, I have been accepted to present the same research in a conference which requires me to submit
a proceeding paper as well.

Is it considered as copyright infringement if I use portion of the submitted publication (probably 20%) as the proceeding paper?

Anyone has similar experience?

Thanks.

agreed with Monk- try your best and don't think too much about the result. Whether you fail or not, it's really not that important, more importantly- have you tried your best...

we all struggled- you are not alone :-)

thank you- that's very helpful!