Thanks Ender.

My plan was to continue being supported by my current university. Also there isn't any funding complications as the PhD is self-funded.

Over the past 2 years I have met with my supervisers on a monthly basis and was thinking that this level of contact would continue? However I have never completed a PhD before so not sure if the level of contact would change over the duration of the research!

P.S I'm doing qualitative research and have already collected all my field work, so will basically be writing up over the next 4 years!

Hi Delta,

My partner and I are entering Oz on a working holiday visa, which allows us 12 months in the country. However my partner's area of work is on the 'most wanted' list so to speak, so we are hoping that during the 12 months my partner will secure a job and will become sponsored by an employer in his field (approx. 15 people he knows have entered Oz in the same field and have secured a job within 10 days). This sponsored visa will us both to work, etc. for up to 4 years in Oz. If we decide to stay in the country after this period we will have to apply for residency. But to answer your question - we heard back from the Australian immigration 1 day after applying for our working holiday visas!

On the UK side, my supervisors are happy for me to go to Oz for a year and continue with our monthly supervisions via Skype or video conferencing, which I think is based on the level of motivation and independent working I have demonstrated over the last 2 years. My thoughts are, if we do decide to stay longer, and they are happy with my progress, they will continue to support me after a year. But of course we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it, as I don't even know if we will be there for longer than a few months!

Let me know if you would like any further info :-)

======= Date Modified 24 Sep 2011 08:50:56 =======
Hi All,

I was wondering whether anyone has emigrated to another country during the course of their PhD? If so, how far into your PhD were you? How did you manage your supervisions with your supervisor/s, etc...?

My partner and I are emigrating to Australia in Jan 2012 for an unknown duration, and would like to ask for some advice from those who have been through a similar situation.

Cheers!

======= Date Modified 11 Sep 2011 16:49:30 =======
Hi Bbird,

I just wanted to message you to say you'll be absolutely fine. I went straight from an undergrad degree to a PhD after taking a year out, and after two years p/t I dont feel I've been disadvantaged in any way.

The only area I wished I had more knowledge of which a Masters course could have helped with was different methodologies and approaches, but of course this can be improved through reading!

Oh yeah - and good luck!

RLD

Hi Everyone,

I wondered whether anyone would mind sharing the branch of epistemology they are structuring their thesis around? I'm a little confused as to whether I have described my position yet or not! Is anyone able to clarify if interpretivism is classed as an epistemological position?

Any comments or clarifications would be gratefully received.

Many thanks in advance,
RLD

Thank you all for your replies. I have since found this thread and found the content really useful! http://www.postgraduateforum.com/threadViewer.aspx?TID=17181

Will definitely do a bit more research before spending any money :)

Good morning All,

I wondered if anyone knew of anywhere I could access a copy of EndNote for free? My university are charging £64.95! Any advice/ tips would be greatfully received :)

Many thanks in advance

Hi Reeree111

I've never used Atlas ti before, but I have used computer software (NVivo) on two previous occasions to manage qualitative data.

However this time I was encouraged by my supervisors to literally cut and paste the transcripts. Not only I have found this process much better in terms of exploring and generating themes at a greater depth, as I find the documents much easier to read as they are in my hand compared to on a computer screen, but I have also reorganised the intial themes on several occasions; a process I found difficult before as I didn't want to look at the screen for any longer that I had to! I'm still in the cutting and pasting stage, but I plan to import the transcripts into NVivo once the themes are finalised for storage and for ease when running queries, etc.

This forum is fab. Thank you all so much for your suggestions.

I'm still in the process of analysing my data so am going to wait until I know exactly what the gaps are before trying to beg, steal and borrow as much of people's time as I can ;-)

My proposed plan of action is as follows:

- Contact one or two social firms to see if they would allow me to hold a focus group on site during a lunch hour (buffet provided of course!)
- Failing that, try and arrange some telephone interviews
- FAILING THAT, acknowledge the shortcomings of my work

Thank you all again!

======= Date Modified 25 Aug 2011 18:28:34 =======
Hi MissPiggy

Thank you so much for your reply.

I LOVE what you have suggested. The only issue I have with taking that one forward, which is quite a substaintal one unfortunately, is that I would have to pay for everyone's travel costs. As the majority of my participants don't drive and are spread all over Wales, it could turn out to be a costly exercise; funds I don't have unfortunately :-(

But I really like this idea so am definitely going to give it more thought.

Thanks!

Hi Everyone,

I have some concerns regarding the data I have collected for my PhD thesis and wondered whether anybody was able to offer any advice or thoughts on the matter please.

I am investigating the views of learning disabled people across Wales and the perceived changes to their perceptions and/or behaviour as a result of social firm involvement (a social firm provides work opportunities for those most marginalised in society). I contacted all the social firms in Wales (18 in total) to ask for their participation and interviewed 43 people as a result across 13 of the social firms, including learning disabled workers, their colleagues and the social firm manager.

I made the classic mistake of not analysing my data whilst collecting it, and am now left with several avenues I wished I pursued further. I am unable to go back into the field and there's nowhere for me to go! I'm worried that the shortfall in my approach is going to stick out like a sore thumb when it comes to discussing my findings.

I'm just coming up to my third year (October) so still have plenty of time (I think!) to try and correct this.

Any advice or thoughts on the matter would be gratefully received!

Many thanks in advance,
RLD1984

Hi Sunflower21

I have just finished reading a short chapter by Pat Bazeley (2007) called 'Analysing qualitative data: more than identifying themes'. I downloaded it for free off the net (sorry I can't remember where as it was something I downloaded ages ago and had the intention of reading!) and personally found it really useful, as it provides several clearly explained strategies for data analysis.