Hi Clarabelle

I've been to a quite a few early PhD presentations - all students in my department are obliged to present at pretty much just the same point as you. From my perspective of sitting in the audience, the ones that work best are the organised ones, ie they have a pretty clear structure. I dread ones where people just spend 15-20 mins on literature review material. Let's face it, somebody else's lit review is not the most riveting thing in the world. I would mention the areas you are reading and depending on audience knowledge, who you are reading, but I definitly wouldn't go through them one by one.

I would truncate your 3000 word proposal into about 1500-2000 words. That's about as much as you will be able to fit in to a 15-20 min presentation. I wouldn't be too apologetic for its 'pie-in-the-skyness'. It's fine to admit that it's a work in progress but by overdoing how 'raw' it is, I think the audience start to lose faith in you. If you feel you can discuss potential problems with your methodology, why not pitch that to the audience and ask for feedback and advice? Finally, try to strike a balance between being seen to pre-empt findings and yet demonstrating that you have a direction to your work.

If your supv wants you to present your PhD, she/he probably means what you're doing now rather than your other project. However it would be good to slip it in somewhere, especially as you got an award for it. There are bound to be people attending that don't know you so no harm to boosting your standing among them!

Finally, again from my experience, early presenting students tend to be asked questions focussing on their theoretical framework, or lack thereof in some cases! They may pick holes in your approach and some see it as their job to do so, so don't get alarmed. Where you are referring to your theoretical approach, just be sure that what you say is correct. I was at one presentation where the student said she was using "a bit of Marx". It didn't sound great and she got pulled up over it, big time!

Good luck with it, hope it goes well for you.

A

Hi there

Just sent it to you, will you let me know that that it went through ok, ie that I got your email address correct?

Best of luck submitting

A

======= Date Modified 08 Feb 2011 17:06:46 =======
Hi Florence

No way are you the worst PhD student ever. Bilbo gives good advice; maybe your targets are unrealistic?? You may know people who have successfully passed but I know plenty who haven't and for a variety of reasons. A good friend of mine is 4 years++ and talk of finishing, submitting chapters, re-editing etc is completely taboo between us.

I'm not a big fan of lists either and for that reason I don't keep a diary, or an online calendar. I have a wall calendar behind me here with a few deadlines on it but that's about it. I know that feeling of not being able to move on, but at the same time not being able to quit. I can hear your frustration.

I think if I was feeling like you I would: Take a bit of time out (but not too much as I think it will be all the harder getting back in it). But take time out and instead of making a list of what you still have to do, why not put down what you have done. Then over the next couple of weeks I would: Sort out your filling, either hardcopy or online. Delete those articles that you thought you might read, or might possibly be a bit relevant to you but realistically are just tangents which your're not interested in pursuing. Put the blinkers on and assess what's relevant to your topic, what have you got, what is cluttering up your desk, pc, laptop, what's not going to help progress your PhD. Sort your PhD out from the point of view of "right, I've done this, this and this, and I need to do this, this, and this". A friend of mine talks of literally building his thesis, bit by bit. Then I would spend time thinking your chapters through, as clinically as is possible, and try to think "what sub-headings do I need". This is what my friend does and he says he is now going through his PhD chapter by chapter, sub heading by sub heading and filling it in.

It's difficult to know what to say to help you save keep posting here and reading through other people's posts. Maybe contribute to some of the lighter threads. Why not answer if somebody is looking for an article? It's pathetic really but I like being able to source an article and email off to people in unis all over the world. You have built up a wealth of knowledge over your four years. Channel it into finishing this **** PhD! I know your funding has run out but you got it in the first place so your original proposal was good enough. Funding is hard to get but yet you did.

You can do it:-)

Ady(up)

Edit - the others give good advice as well, it's just that they weren't posted when I started my reply!!!

Good morning all and good luck with today's goals

My goal for today is get admin work done on the 80 scripts I have corrected in just over a week and get rid of them. I was going to spilt them over a few weeks but had a blitz over the weekend and got them all done - NEVER again. I do so much marking that I am truly sick of it. Still, couldn't exactly refuse my supvervisor - "no don't think I'll do any marking this year and by the way will you read these chapters asap?!?!?!"

======= Date Modified 07 Feb 2011 21:45:34 =======
Hi Mog

Don't think you'll be laughed off at all. I'm writing up at the moment so it's an area I've had to consider, and reconsider - indeed what am I?

From my perspective I don't think it's a case of completely wedging yourself into a particular camp. There are aspects of different philsophies that we all inevitably draw on but as time has gone on, and through my readings, I have decided that my PhD conceptual framework is the philosophy of classical pragmatism. My personal life stance is Humanism but I don't really declare that in my thesis. For sure there's bit of others that appeal, like you critical realism and realism, even a hint of Marxism (!!) but classical pragmatism is the best fit for me. However there are aspects of that as well that I'm not too sure of. Overall though, it's me.


I looked back on my early notes, taken over three years ago and here's what I scribbled:

You should be able to identify your overall worldview. A person's worldview is determined by their (i) Epistemology, (ii) ontology, (iii) methodology and (iv) their ideology. These four interact to shape how YOU think of the world. I can remember that terrifying first class given by a brilliant if very caustic professor. He said to us that it was not a supermarket shelf full of 'isms' and we are expected to chose one. Rather we need to know the different stances and philosophies that are out there and decide where we stand in relation to them.

A friend of mine recently passed her viva with one minor correction - the examiners asked her to state more explicitly what her epistemology and ontology were. They accepted they was there in her thesis but want them brought to the fore more. As you probably know any good research/methodology book will go through the different approaches and philosphies in the introduction. What's the saying?? "No research takes place in a philosophical vaccuum"

Theory and philosophy, often what makes a PhD a PhD and what raises it above a masters. I used to be scared stiff of it but not so much anymore. I must remember that come my viva!!

A

Goals scored all round by the looks of it. Pink, you did the right thing accepting defeat for today. I consistently adopt a Scarlet O'Hara approach - "afterall, tomorrow is another day" :-)

I have applied for two jobs over the last two days and those cover letters are more challenging than any literature review. It's not really ideal timing but with the job climate the way it is, you can't really allow a good job to pass by without even applying. That said, I'd say I have two chances of either - slim and none :-(

Hopefully somebody else can access it but I agree that an ILL might be the only way to go. I have access to two libraries' electronic journals, my own and eh, ahem, my daughter's! Hers is a copyright library but even they didn't have it electronically.

Sorry :-(

Batfink gets it spot-on :-)

The only note of caution I would add to what I already said is that you say you started in October. I wouldn't 'disappear' altogether, especially in your first year. A lot of it is about perception (unfair as that may be), hense some of the sarky comments. I probably was in more in my first year compared to now, my third year. If I were you I would turn up to seminars etc, even if they are outside your field - even now I go to most of those even though some of them are not really of much interest to me. Occasionally you get a gem and they are also a great chance in your first year to see different presentation styles in action. You can see what you feel works, and what doesn't. Just make sure you have a handy article with you to read ;-) surreptitiously of course!!

I would just try to make sure that even though you are steaming ahead at home, you're still on the radar!!

That's great news about the feedback so far on your thesis. You're our inspiration in this thread Dunni. I can't wait 'til I'm looking at printers and binding. You're soooooo close now :-)

Hi Stephanie

I work at home pretty much all the time as well and really just go to college to show my face, remind them that I'm still around, and of course get a bit of printing and photocopying done;-). Occasionally I have gotten those hilarious (sic) sarcastic comments but as you say, you are ahead in terms of your experiments etc so it's obviously working for you.

Re: dips in motivation, I guess that is the one down side of home-working as there is nobody to see if you don't do anything. Even the pressure of others been able to see what's up on your screen can be a bit of a push ti keep at it. However, I don't really think anyone really takes heed of what other people are up to. What I do when it's just not happening is try to get on with some more admin/mundane type work, even it's a bit of filing. Some days it's like that and sometimes the more you fight it, the worse it gets. However, that is the beauty of the PhD, very few of us put in a 9-5 day EVERYDAY. So if you want to go for a walk etc, why not go? You might find you feel refreshed and better able to tackle your work. Just put it down to a slow day. We all have them. I probably have too many of them :-(

A

Hi Emaa

I managed to get the ILT (2009) article; I can send it to you if you want to pm me your email id.

I couldn't get the Spanish Yearbook I'm afraid as 2007/2008 not fully available yet where I'm at - sorry about that.

A

C8-)8-)L, I like it and have just registered!! I'll start 'tomotoing' tomorrow, thanks Ev:-)

Take it slow Ev, don't rush yourself - the very fact that you're back onboard, doing something, even if only a little bit is positive. We can all be very hard on ourselves.

I confess to being lost - Tomatoes????????? I've seen this mentioned a few times but have no idea what it is :-( 4 tomatoes sounds a lot, of whatever tomatoes means in the context of studying, reading or whatever. Now I'm totally confused!!

In my uni it's six years; after that you have to apply for an extension!