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PhD related issue
I finished my PhD and graduated. After that a new story started. My supervisor wanted that a have to work for his other scholars work for the completion of their PhD. Also he wants that i should not publish any papers on the extension of my work. He also saying that my thesis is not correct, he can cancel my PhD if i do not obey his words. Please advise me what to do and how to respond.
Here's an interesting article in respect of the above. I didn't realise it was possible to retrospectively order resubmission for correction or downgrade of a PhD as well as revocation, overruling it's original award. I'd previously thought it was only possible to retrospectively revoke a PhD for cheating or plagerism.
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/207974.article
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/207975.article
Having one of your own student's PhDs revoked would look very bad on an academic. Revoking a previously awarded degree is something Universities do only as a last resort.
I know of two cases where the student clearly cheated and even on finding out, the University did nothing. One was computing, where a student couldn't get a program to work thus inserted a routine that gave 'expected' outputs to his chosen set of inputs (and any other inputs). The other was either chemistry or engineering, where on failing to get an experimental rig working, the student faked a set of data with expected outcomes. In both cases, the University allowed the PhD award to stand to avoid poor publicity.
Both in the UK, one is a red brick Uni., the other a New Uni. (ex-Polytenchinc).
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
PhD a waste of time
I feel very sorry about the way PhD's are treated in the industry. I know a PhD family friend who is even in a worse situation than yourself. I don't have a PhD, and I am working in the engineering industry. People tend to envy PhD's a lot, so most of the time you are not employde just as a form of punishment/revenge. That said, you have done the first step: taking your PhD out of your CV. I have some advise that is working for that friend, and it includes the first step that you have done. If you are still looking, please let me know and I can complete what I wanna say, in an email. Please hide all your personal details like name, address, employer's name, university name, etc on any forum or emails with strangers. Stay anonymous for professional reasons.
Hmm, you do realise you've revived a two and a half year old thread. :-)
How did your friend explain or disguise the PhD period out of interest?
For the record, my opinion has changed slightly from my earlier posts, in that I'm no longer sure hiding your PhD is such a good idea. Doing as such could be construed as dishonesty by some potential employers equivalent to lying. Whilst this viewpoint may be more restricted to North America, say, it is something to be aware of.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
How did you celebrate or what did you do after PhD Viva ???????????
I started a similar thread myself ages ago. In that thread I typed this:
I don't think I really got a proper celebration. The reaction of my home-based mates was along the lines of "Thank god that's over!!!"
Yup, the people who'd have got me the drinks in - one was visiting family whilst another had been sent to a seminar in Poland. It was a good two weeks after before I saw either of them. Also to add, one of my home-based mates had actually implied I suspend the PhD a few months beforehand in order to concentrate on learning to drive (long story - intimation was my alcohol consumption had dropped during write-up, therefore I could act as a future taxi driver whilst everyone else drank). He (and the others) did not understand the importance of finishing the PhD to me.
General impression is many people who do PhD are older and returnees from the world of work. As such, many have other commitments such as partners, childcare, etc. often meaning PhD viva day is much like any other. Thus the chance a spontaneous "off down the pub straight after" celebration as soon as the viva is over if you've minor or no corrections is often not there. A few days later, people are back to getting on with their everyday lives and the moment has been lost. Thus something quiet or limited you can fit in around your everyday activities seems to be more normal.
My immediate predecessor did get his "drown in alcohol" celebration, but he was young (PhD straight after degree), no commitments and his mates were able to hit the pub straight after. Lucky sod!!!
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Help, i am in despair
If you've done the required corrections, it would take a really nasty piece of work, a complete and utter jobsworth to go and fail you now.
If this examiner does fail you, I'd take a close look at why and most definitely look to appeal.
Chill out, you'll be okay.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
My Friend needs help!
The PhD fees at my PhD University (a New University or ex-Polytechnic) are £5,450 per year for guidance.
The red brick University just 500 metres away can charge anywhere between £4,900 and £9,500.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Upcoming viva, nightmare supervisor
Congrats also. You never know what path the examiners are going to take and you can't always pre-empt them.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Funding for second PhD attempt?
I haven't looked on other funding body websites, however, I've not found anything on the EPSRC website to bar people making a second attempt at a PhD from funding. It therefore may well be down to the University or Institute, and thus the interviewing members of staff whether or not a previous attempt needs to be considered on assessing an applicant's suitability.
The fact you failed may count against you. The fact you saw it through may either count in your favour or against you (either determined to succeed or you persisted in flogging a dead horse). The fact you've been through the process and thus know what to expect may count in your favour.
It may all come down to how well you sell yourself with regard to the three above points and what you would do differently this time to ensure no failure or reduce the chances of a failure second time around (planning, experimental design, time management, etc.).
Also, were there health reasons first time that affected you? The other forum member HazyJane refers to had health issues and despite these, managed on the second attempt to earn a PhD. However, I'll leave it to that member should they post to tell you what they did differently. I will say that their story is an inspirational one.
The "no-references" situation I can relate to after my mess of a second post-doc. You have mentioned your Masters reference and this plus other good references could be used to outweigh any absence of a reference from your first PhD attempt, showing your failure to be a one-off rather being characteristic of you as a person. Do NOT slag off your previous supervisor.
Finally, I can only reiterate HazyJane is saying ensure you have fully recovered from your first attempt physically, mentally and emotionally before making a second attempt. Bear in mind you'll be putting yourself through a second round of up to four years of a high stress situation.
Best of luck,
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
My Friend needs help!
I agree - we need some more information about the field/discipline to be able to give specific advice.
In some fields, lack of other papers on the topic is not unusual - in others it would ring alarm bells. It's highly unlikely that there is *no* relevant literature which can be cited e.g. there may be something on a relevant method which has been applied to a different question.
I would also give your friend some cautious advice on the topic of carrying on this research for too long unsupervised. He may well end up doing a lot of work which turns out to not be up to scratch for masters or PhD level. Enthusiasm is good, but it doesn't guarantee good research.
I can only second the last paragraph of your post HazyJane.
My PhD was in a low literature area also. This can actually be a slight advantage, as identifying which specific literature you need to look at is simpler. Also, providing an original contribution to the field when his chosen field has been not too greatly researched may also be less onerous.
To cut a long story short, he needs to properly review the available literature with a view to identifying his chosen area of research and present an argument to his potential supervisors that there are weakness in the knowledgebase that need to be addressed. With reference to literature, what are these weaknesses and shortcomings, how in his work does he intend to go about addressing these weaknesses (what work is he specifically intending to do) and what outcomes might he expect. He really needs to dot the I's and cross the T's for his project to be taken seriously. He will also have to work to a word / page limit, so his proposal will have to be very succinct (to the point).
If his proposal is strong enough, it may be worth applying for funding. Self-funding can clear you out to £50,000 plus over the years a PhD takes.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Struggling postdoc :(
Ah, I see. You've basically still in write-up stresshead mode to some degree from your corrections (i.e. worrying about even the smallest things about your work, magnifying problems out of all proportion to what they really are, etc.) and yet to come down properly. That is one of the reasons it's important to take a break. You've got to come out of that mode firstly for the sake of your health (a person can take only so much late PhD stress) and secondly for the sake of the people around you (i.e. being around a stresshead - depending upon the person's basic personality - can be massively irritating). How well either part applies to you, only you will know.
I know I had people's heads done in during write-up because it was constantly on my mind. When I finished, no-one wanted to talk about it with no real celebration - it was more relief it was over.
I remember I started to come out of that mode about ten days after viva. I got a few basic minor corrections, which took a week to sort out and a few days after I offloaded the hardbound copies I was out for a walk one lunchtime and suddenly found myself thinking "Now what, what's next?" There was nothing.
As the post-doc work I was doing was nowhere near as stressful, I'd actually begun to wind down and I suddenly reached to point where I was almost back to normal for the first time in a couple of years.
I took a holiday a few months later and that properly began to settle things.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Struggling postdoc :(
Hey,
I've spent the last 5months working within my research fellow role following my PhD journey.
Just received some feedback on my first written report. Despite submitting a 'robust first chapter' (I've basically submitted a book on this topic!), my supervisor has 'a few broader concerns' which he wants to discuss with me in person when he sees the next draft, which has left me worried.
I'm feeling really tired and a little frazzled with the amount of work on my shoulders. Also feel demoralised and deflated considering how much work I've put into my first publication :( My other piece of work is well overdue which I need to finish asap.
I don't think I'm cut out to be in this role (and I think my supervisor and the research assistant think as well by the looks of things) :(
Maybe I just need a break.........
I'm surprised you didn't take a break after your earlier PhD resubmission problems, at least got away on holiday.
You can only keep going for so long, believe me. Perhaps when you see him, the problems will not be as great as you imagine.
Anyway, nightmare post-docs (i.e. my second post-doc story) are my department!!! :-)
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Internet and Alcohol Research
I did plenty alcohol research or at least research under the influence during undergrad and PhD. The problem was I can't remember anythng except a sore head the morning following said research session.
I just have vague memories of names such as "The Carriage", "The Hotspur", "Percy Arms", "Three Bulls", "Bridge Hotel", "Cooperage", "Strawberry", etc. and also "Black Sheep", "HobGoblin", "Old Speckled Hen", "Mordue Workieticket", etc. Statiscal data was completely lost.
Sorry, couldn't resist!!! :-)
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
2:1 WITH 59%
I've basically got a 2:1 in biology, however my average was 59% will this effect me getting a PhD?
You were borderline 2(i) / 2(ii) and the examiners saw fit to upgrade you. That happens either because the external examiners thought you were worthy of a 2(i) or they thought the marking of the exams was unusually harsh and lowered the 2(i) / 2(ii) boundary.
You have a 2(i) and that's all you have to tell your potential supervisors.
It's sometimes not a good idea to get a breakdown of the marks once your degree is finished as the revelation of some sometimes uncomfortable truths can take the gloss off your achievement of your degree.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
How to stay out of trouble due to lab politics? help please!!
Staying out of lab politices depends upon whether you are the target of the backstabbing. During my PhD and first post-doc, I quickly gauged who was who's advesary and bar two occasions where I did lose it, managedto easily avoid these conflicts. There were two people I didn't get on with, however, as I did not work with them, I managed to avoid them almost completely. One of these people left shortly after I started, making the atmosphere more pleasant and as the other one locked himself away, he was not much of an issue. I got on with almost everyone else, so it was a very plesant 6 years at that Uni.
On my second post-doc, it was clear from day two I'd been hired as a "second choice", to "make do" with, a "stop gap measure", phases used by the senior professor who hired me. I was placed with a mentor whom I clashed with regularly and I was very much the target. I couldn't quit (no unemployment benefit if I did and quitting would hinder job hunting), so I had to see out a very uncomfortable year, after which I could claim unemployment benefit. I left without references making the search for a new job much harder.
My advice rests on how far into your work you are. If you have just started or are less than a year in, could you look for an alternative position at a different Uni. / lab and start again? However, whatever you do, do NOT quit until you have an alternative. If you are within a few months of finishing, I suggest you see out your period with this Uni. / lab - it isn't long and it will soon be behind you, which is the attitude I took with my second post-doc. In the meanwhile, I suggest you talk to the Uni. counselling service, who are used to advising on situations like this. They may give you advice on how to manage the situation.
However, you are not alone.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
i feel like i should not be here
Hello,
Ever since I began this program, I have felt that I do not deserve my place and funding here. I have the feeling that only my supervisor is keen on having me here, for only he believes that my work is great. I even feel that my ideas aren't that great, that I owe my good grades to overtly generous markers, and that I am 'stealing' another person's place. I am so upset. I hate my work/my ideas, and I always think others in my department are way smarter and more deserving. I know I won't last if I am like this, but when only one person in the whole department supports you, and the others do not believe in you, you do end up feeling like a fraud.
I am so upset, I cried so much today. :(
I really need to start believing in myself, but I cannot. How can I?
It takes a year to fully acquire the skills needed to see through your PhD as these are things you pick up as you go along. You'll be wondering what all the fuss was about in just a few months, I promise.
Relax, talk to other PhD students about how you feel and you'll realise all of them had to skill up in the early stages themselves.
Your current feelings are typical of many new starters, that applying to some jobs as well as academia. As others say you should Google "Imposter Syndrome", which you'll find will probably describe how you feel right now. With time, patience and work, it will eventually fade away.
All the best,
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
How to quit PhD without havoc?
Carefull13, you just described my advisor! Except that he is a male. I started 18 months ago and finding a job to quit as soon as possible. I think you should leave too. I understand completely how you feel. Thinks are even more complicated for me since I am a foreigner. Btw, continuing a PhD with a crazy prof when lost all passion is too awful an experience to endure.
The above describes my second post-doc almost exactly, though I only had to see through a year maximum on it (and I did - somehow). If Careful is miserable, with so much time to go then it is probably better to call it a day. As I said earlier, if Careful had been within 6 months of finishing then seeing it through would be the better apporach. But another 21 months is a very long time.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
