Hi 2nd yr warriors!

Was reading thru your thread to gather motivation and momentum when chanced across Sneaks's comment on gathering participants. Well thats my current bane and I was wondering if Sneaks could tell me a bit about how she recruits? How many, from where, and compensating/incentive giving and getting funds for that etc etc? If you dont want to ruin your thread, PM me :)

Oh my Gosh!!!! Sooooo I got up very early today and left to get the bus (the Uni is out of town) but little did I know there was yet another stirke going on with the roads blocked (seem to happen on an almost daily basis where I am!!!),so I thought I would hang around for a bit believing the roads would soon be open and get some coffee in a cafe near the bus stop. I then proceeded about an hour later to wait by the bus stop, did a bus eventually come? NOOOOO. So I was then losing patience at this stage 3 hours later and flounced off in a huff, deciding to walk back home again- of course I had no sooner started walking home than the bus flies by!!!!!! (arrrgghhhhhh I hate murphys Law!!)....

So I have now lost over 3 hours of working time (that wouldnt be so bad, but the thought I could have had an extra 3 hours kip is worse since I only got 4 hours sleep last night!! lol.....ah well I suppose there is no point spending any more time crying over it now....so with a new sense of purpose I am going to work really hard for the next 8 hours or so!!! and on the plus side at least I can make tea to my heart's content now that I am working from home!!! :p

P.S Sorry I cant help you BUG (lol) with your people gathering ideas as I have never done this before!! Is it a speciifc group of people you need or will just random students do??? maybe monetary incentives would help to get people on board, if your dept can help you with this??!! I'm guessing there must be a number of similar phd students in your field and your department who might be able to help you with strategies for this?? Anyway sorry I cant be any help on this as havent got a clue about this!!

Today's progress= must try harder!!! been a bit distracted this week with some worries, and I think this has spilt over into my focus for my work. Going to try really better to detach myself from such things when I am working, though I have always struggled with this!! Looks like I am in for a weekend of work again to make up for it! So I will be back later this morning!! over and out....

Yo!! just checking in today, so I am finally happy with my progress today as its been a bit slow this week, so im flying through my work today (I think its my adversion to ''conform'' spilling over, as I work better at the weekends and during the week, when everyone else has gone to bed, rather than 9-5!!). Planning on working for a few hours more tonight and planning on working tomorrow as well. since I need to make up the hours before I go home for christmas where my chances of getting anything at all done, are zero!

Looking forward to watching the x factor final later tonight online!!! I would like Alexandra to win, as I think she has the right attitude, work ethic and of course talent! Though I have a feeling it will be JLS actually. Much as I love wee Eoghan, I think there would be a public outcry if he won, since hes not really in the same league as the other 2!! :p

Hope your work has gone well Maggie - sounds like you have done a lot more than me! Had a frustrating meeting at my industrial partners where they got what they wanted out of it, but I didn't get what I wanted! Didn't work today but plan to sit down tomorrow and catch up. Thinking of makign Monday my last day away from home i.e. to uni/ind partner, so I can get some proper writing before my parents arrive for xmas.

As you may have gathered I am part-sponsored by an organisation, so I have to get all my participants from there. My research area is quite sensitive so I can't offer any incentives as it may be seen as coercion so I just try to get the appropriate people i.e. leaders of various parts of the organisation on board with my research with short reports and provide all participants with easy to read reports at the end of each study. However, the type of people I need for my studies are few and far between in the organisation and at the moment feel very, not in control of the whole situation and it is my biggest stress issue! The organisation also has offices around the country and am finding it difficult to spare the time to travel 4 hours for one half hour interview.

So my advice would be try and gain 'buy-in' by getting people interested in your research by producing a small report (difficult if you don't want to alter participants' opinions etc, so maybe just give it to the people who can source participants for you). Also, if your studies are different, use the same participants again, and always provide them with a 'findings report' so they feel like their input was valued. Any tips for me would be more than welcome!

Hey Maggie, did you get done what you wanted? And where's Frankie?

Starting very late today but want to get some admin stuff done and plan out the rest of my intro chapter so I can finish it this week.

Hey Sneaks!!! Glad to hear you are doing well!!! Not sure where Frankie has gone???? Nope, I haven't gotten started today yet- about to start now actually!! I got a piece sent off to an editor late last night, so satisified with that, I have just been relaxing all day, eating lots of chocolate and crisps and reading the sunday papers online etc!! So planning to begin now and get some more reading finished today and then finish off by making a detailed plan of my work schedule for the next 7 days...
I hope you managed to get all your work finished today Sneaks, see you tomorrow!!(up)

Ah, think I am giving up for the night. Done a load of admin and preparing for a big meeting tomorrow, so done all that and going to sort out my bag (like I am at school :p ) for tomorrow and then veg for the evening! The practical research side is stressing me out too much today, so I can't get on with the writing side. Life as a 2nd year!?

Hey Sneaks!! Hoe is is going today? Yeah I also like packing my bag the night before and also making lists-are you a Virgo by any chance? (organisers and perfectionists)...lol...

So, I have done my weekly plan and have been busy at the Uni this morning. So I will begin my phd work today now with more reading bah bah!! I hate reading at the moment and would prefer to be writing but it isnt possible for the particular chapter I am working on until I have got more of a grasp of it theoretically- so im planning on beginning work in around an hour and working for about 7 hours -until about 9pm-I'm on the usual afternoon-evening shift because of the things I had to do in Uni -but tomorrow I hope to change to the 9-5 shift, if I can, which has proven very hard for me to adjust to in the past few weeks (cause I’m not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination !!).

Anyways, tomorrow is planned to be my day off!!! yippeee... Tuesdays are usually my weekend 'off' day- though I have had specific committments in the past few weeks, such as papers and written pieces, so I havent been able to take it off but I am determined to start having this weekly treat day again, where I will have no thoughts of phds and just fun!! So planning on going christmas shopping and down to the ice rink again tomorrrow!!

"Hoe is is"- what the hell???- So what I meant to say was "How is it going?" lol...

Back again, lovely and refreshed after my day off yesterday!! I am also on my 9-5 mission and feeling in a particularly unusual upbeat mood for 9am!! For today, I have decided to write a short summary report of all the things I have read n the last few weeks, so 1 or 2 paragraphs outlining the key arguments of each- this will then help form the basis of my third chapter which I will begin writing after christmas after some more reading- as it wil be easier to identify these arguments and points from each article rather than having to go through each of the articles from scratch.

See you later!

Sorry, been away for a few days - been at uni trying to wind things down for xmas and make sure everything is fine for me to leave. Decided to pre-empt my sup by phoning her (as she has already left for xmas) to make sure that she knows what I;ve been doing (and leaves me alone until after xmas). Main aim before my parents descend on my house is to complete the intro chpater - how many days/weeks has this dragged on now! Seriously would like to finish this before Monday.

I also have my first ever lectures to give next term so want to prepare seriously by reading appropraite material and putting slides together as well!!

Are you going home for xmas Maggie?

Hey Sneaks!!! I'm sure you can get the chapter done by Monday, even if you just aim for like 1/4 each day, like opening paragraph one day main next few days then conclusion for the chapter the next day...Gee your really lucky getting to lecture in your second year!! They must think really highly of you!!! I have had to exploit different opportunities elsewhere, outside of my dept because they won't create any for me here!! lol...

Anyways, today was a really good day though I am absolutely exhausted, I find that working during the day does this to me for some reason I never have the same problems with tiredness when I work my usual afternoon/evening schedule, but I think 9-5 is the way to go, since I realised its not really fair on my boyfriend when he comes home from work and I am only started on my work-so trying to bring our schedules into sync before I get back. I am returning back to the UK this weekend from where I am now on the Continent, and I am really looked forward to a fish supper and a sunday roast!!!! oh gosh I'm just thinking now about roasties and stuffing and loads of gravy from my local pub- which does the best sunday lunch ever!!!! lol..