Overview of Mackem_Beefy
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PhD graduates vs. postdoc positions paper
The graph is no surprise. We cannot get away from the fact that PhD students are seen as cheap labour by many University departments.
I notice that graph is for Science and Engineering where I thought figures would be slightly better and that is also the USA. Can we say how well these USA figures compare with the rest of the world?
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
MA academic appeal
What was your result as you don't make that clear?
Did you fail or did you not get the grade you were looking for (i.e. merit or distinction)?
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Potential PhD viva failure???
How are medical circumstances irrelevant? Whilst you were having these problems, did you not suspend studies if only to give your health a chance to recover and give yourself more time to have a decent go at your thesis?
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Passed!
Congrats, now it's behind you!!!
Welcome to the rest of your life!!! :-)
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
failed PhD, how to hide gap in my CV?
Moon I think treeoflife has hit the nail on the head. You want to avoid universities. That's where the issue is going to be very obvious. Non-academic employers are going to be more interested in your skills.
Nailed on. Current employment for me is in the real world outside academia.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
failed PhD, how to hide gap in my CV?
Moon,
The advice HazyJane gives is sound. Pass the period off as a Postgraduate researcher, citing the skills you have learned and how it would benefit you in your new role. Always present whatever you have done positively.
You've been asked to resubmit for an MPhil subject to a new viva? It seems from what you say your work has been judged quite harshly. Also, you've no reference from your former supervisor, which suggests the PhD attempt has been a rocky one.
An MPhil is better than nothing and is still an achivement in itself, so unless time constraints prevent you from doing so I would accept the verdict and resumbit for the new viva. An MPhil will also strengthen the positive spin you can present on any job application you make.
The lack of a reference is a problem, as I found out after a disasterous second post-doc away from my PhD Uni. In my case, it was the last position I had thus the most important reference on my CV and also the Prof. in charge of me was very well known inside and outside academia.
The problems arising from my second post-doc were eventually (partially) overcome by me being offered some unpaid work by my former PhD supervisor (giving me a new last point of reference). I also ensured I had plenty good references from before the second post-doc to show I could not be judged by the second post-doc alone.
Could you do something on a voluntary basis to offset the lack of a reference from your PhD period?
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Former PhD supervisor's right to my source code?
If the work is entirely done by you with minimum input from him, then do not give it to him unless it is written by then your university contract. But since it is your PhD work, I doubt that there is any rule saying that your work belongs to the university. I have the same problem with the publications of my PhD thesis and I am sick of putting the name of supervisor on my publication when he did not add a single word into these papers nor when writing my PhD thesis (he did not read 2/3 of it!). I think this is completely unethical of the universities and profs to get publish without being directly involved in writings papers, codes etc etc.
If I'm picking up the general gist of the above (the thread in general) correctly, there is a suggestion of some Universities trying to retain intellectual ownership of PhD data. That's not unreasonable in itself considering University and supervisor input, however, it does seem to go against the principle of the PhD being the student's own work with the supervisor being an advisor or mentor. If a University retains intellectual ownership, they seem to be all but admitting that there is significant University / supervisor input into the PhD and thesis after all.
Thus come viva voce day, what is being examined? The student's own work or a joint report by student, supervisor and others as part of a wider collaberative project. That to me blurs the boundaries and if the thesis is not soley the student's work with minimal input from others, how can the thesis be examined to determine if it is worthy of the award of a PhD?
Thoughts?
Former PhD supervisor's right to my source code?
My university owns my research completely. I had to sign something agreeing to this before I started.
If you've signed an agreement, then I'm afraid you'll just have to cough up. Just e-mail him it, but don't offer any pleasentries. Do the bare minimum as per the agreement you signed. Don't offer any help beyond that and let him sort out what is / does what. If he asks what any part of the work is about, just point out you have fulfilled your part of the contract by giving him the work and you now need to concentrate on your current project. Then have no more contact.
I fell out with the Prof who was my line manager for my second post-doc. After the post-doc ended, I had nothing more directly to do with him. I did quickly proof two papers with my name on from his sidekick and only because my name was on them, but not one piece of co-operation more. If the second post-doc had not been so thorny (as I said elsewhere, they employed me and decided after the contact was signed they didn't want me but were stuck with me), I might have been more co-operative. What they got after I was no longer employed was a bare minimum as I suggest "endintears0" does.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
prospectus after ph.d!
I'm a former Science / Engineering PhD. In my case, I obtained my first post-doc at the Uni. where I did my PhD.
At the time I passed viva, there were two papers being refereed where I was listed as a co-author. This was not the best of situations, however, as I was being kept on by my department it didn't matter so much as there was a ready made project lined up for me.
I produced another three papers during this post-doc based upon my PhD data, which I placed on my CV to apply for a second post-doc at another Uni. However, given the nature of the project at the second Uni. my work was not that relevant to the new project and I feel perhaps the extra publications although they looked good did not help.
In a science and engineering PhD, although a target of three is normally set one or two publications is normal. Of the people I know, most only managed one journal publication during their PhD and my direct predecessor didn't manage any. All managed to find post-docs, my predecessor again at the same Uni as his (and my) PhD.
I think the way round your problem is to say on your CV that you have journal publications pending and be able to produce proof you are doing something if asked to do so at interview. As long as there is a genuine intent to produce these papers, even if they don't come to print (people's priorities, direction and jobs change) then this shows willing on your CV and in interview with prospective academic employers.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Former PhD supervisor's right to my source code?
What do your research degree terms and conditions say?
In my case, anything contained in the thesis was my copyright. Only if ownership of any data was signed over to a third party (say an industrial sponsor) or the University did this not apply. With the vast majority of PhD theses, there was no perceived need for copyright or access to be signed over.
That said, it might be considered a common courtesy to allow access to data by a PhD supervisor. However, unless there is anything under your terms and conditions that says they are entitled to access then you are under no obligation to do so.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
i can't focus ;(
Ian, i paid the rent and was threatened tht if i moved out, i would no longer be welcome back home. I arranged accommodation without telling them bc i really wanted to live more independently. But now it looks like this independence is going to cost me my family. That's what i keep thinking about: family (esp parents are unwell) or autonomy? I cannot even think about my phd. It's gona be month and this has been tormenting me since.
Go straight to student counseling and talk to them. I also suggest you talk to someone in your community whom your family will respect, a community or religious leader who can help you explain that the PhD is not forever and moving closer to your University is something you need to do to give you the best possible shot at your PhD.
People sometimes move halfway round the world to do a PhD yet remain in close contact with family and friends, whether by e-mail or phone. Your family do seem to be making an issue of a situation that needn't be. This is the 21st Century and communications make this world much smaller than it used to be. If it's just a few miles you want to move, then you may just be bus or car ride away and you or them can visit the other on a weekend. :-)
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
How do I stop feeling so bad? :(
Thinking back, I guess I'm one of a very few who got off to a good start on my PhD in that I was producing fresh data from the off. The nature of the PhD lent itself to that.
Dealing with specialists in the field was a different matter. It took up to a year to be able to hold my own against all these Profs and Docs who had been at it for years. I made mistakes, I learned from them and by this process I became knowledgeable enough in the field to be able to hold my own at the end when I went into viva.
This is why literature review is so important especially in the early days when you're learning the ropes. Some of the people you are working with will be more approachable than others. Allow them to guide you as regards useful literature, including books and journal papers relevant to your subject. Within a short space of time, you will be able to direct your own reading (still with some but decreasing advice) relevant to actual core subject of your PhD.
Have patience, it will come.
Unusual bias in your group by the way of post-docs to PhD students (i.e. you being the only student)?
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
i can't focus ;(
Thank you very much for your reply, but my family issues are actually related to my phd, and especially my desire to move out to be closer to my institution (religious/cultural reasons). So interrupting won't be such a good idea I am think.
I have to do the literature review to know what are the gaps and how I can add to the ;development of the field (I just started another topic). It is boring, but it has to be done :(
I understand. I sense you're a woman from a community where the western concept of independence and following your own path is perhaps not properly understood. However, if your family wants what's best for you, they will let you live your own life.
Explain to them this is what you want and you will still be part of the family, even if for the duration of the PhD you're living in a different town or city. You will only be a phone call away if anything is wrong.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Tuition Fee Loan
Education is a costly undertaking. When the economic climate is down, however, deciding if that cost is worth it could be difficult. If you need help paying a bill, a payday loan can help. Check out https://personalmoneynetwork.com/payday-loans/
I think you've mis-understood the OPs question. Do not do this if you can possibly avoid it!!!
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Tuition Fee Loan
I'm getting conflicting information from student finance. Do they give out tuitoin fee loans to cover the tuition fee of a PhD course? I had funding for a BA, and I have done an MPhil where I did not apply for funding.
Can anyone help?
Many thanks (up)
Many of us did or are doing PhDs with non-repayable bursaries or stipends. Have you not looked into funding?
What funding you can get will depend upon which country is your country of residence or birth. Check with your government education department.
In the UK, you can obtain funding from a research council, covering fees and living costs. If a PhD position is advertised, the University has normally already obtained funding and is looking for a potential student or candidate to fill the place.
Take a look at:
as suggested above. Also take a look at my blog, where I list the funding council websites:
You can propose a PhD programme and look for a University-based supervisor yourself, however, if you fail to obtain funding you're looking at a bill in the UK of £50,000 ($75,000) upwards (University fees plus your own living costs) to survive the minimum three years.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
