Spill it, we can have a try. I am not an expert at statistics, but I have learned a lot in the last years

Thanks Sarah :)

I have 5 questions that have possible responses Yes, No, Don't know.

There's a large % of people who have responded with Don't know for all 5 questions and the % is similar across all questions. I want to work out whether it is the same people (and to what extent) across all 5 who have responded with Don't know. Is there a way to work this out?

that's a tricky one..... but I suppose that unless you have lists of all responders (i.e. which questions form one group of 5) you cannot work that out

Hi, how did everyone's bank holiday weekend go? I decided to take time off and did not get much done, but I'm hoping tomorrow I can get back into it! How are you all doing?

Hi Hugh,

I intended to take time off but I stumbled across a part time research assistant job that starts the same month my funding ends that I felt compelled to apply to...I spent two full days completing the long winded application process and researching the role in more detail, which is still not finished.

I have spent this morning marking dissertations, but I plan to get back on with my conclusion this afternoon which I am determined to finish by the end of next week as then I am going away.

I am so very tired... how is your work progressing?

I sort of worked yesterday but not to any great effect!

Just glanced at the date on my computer and I see it is the last day in May - so much for this chapter being finished by then! How strict are your supervisors with deadlines? Mine is not at all strict and everything is a movable feast and in fact it's only me who sets deadlines (and misses them!). I can't decide if this is a good thing (because some stages of the PhD genuinely do need a lot more time than you think, and it's worthwhile spending the time and getting it to a better standard) or a bad thing (because I've never missed a deadline in my life until now - I would've somehow got it done if it was a proper deadline!).

Good luck with the job application, Zutterfly.

Best of luck with your application Zutterfly! Looks like you are still progressing well. Are you off on holiday soon?

My supervisor is not strict on deadlines at all, in fact all my deadlines are self-imposed and I am much stricter to myself. But I worry sometimes that in an effort to meet my own set deadlines I may rush through the work which is dangerous. Chickpea, I think its better to take a bit longer and get it done properly in the first stage rather than having to do multiple revisions which takes an absolute age!

Like at the moment, I've spent two weeks making corrections and amendments to a chapter. It only took me 4 weeks to write it up initially but amendments in comparison are taking so long. I did not take this into account when setting deadlines for other chapters!

Yes, revisions do take so long. When I put my mind to it, it's no problem at all getting a couple of thousand words down on the screen, but when I read them back a couple of days later, I want to re-write the whole thing. I do think the taking longer to write/fewer revisions approach works better for me, but it also creates a lot of anxiety as, like you, I wrote a schedule that just doesn't take into account how long things actually take me! I'm trying to see the bigger picture and how I'll thank myself for (hopefully) not needing a year of re-writes later!

I am also biting the dust in doing revisions. I got one of my papers rejected 2 weeks ago and I am still revising it prior to new submission. Meanwhile I have to take care of the datamanagement of another study during office hours, so a lot of work during the night these days

Sarah, sorry to hear about your rejection, but hopefully the feedback means you are in a better place to make the next submission!

I set my own deadlines also but if it does appear to take longer I am no longer strict with myself and extend them by a week or two. If you feel a chapter needs longer, it is worth putting that extra time in than having to spend a long time correcting mistakes that you would have caught by taking more time! On a positive note, I have found that sometimes chapters do not take as long as I thought too- I recall spending nearly 3 months writing my first findings chapter, so I gave myself a two month deadline for my second one, and it took 3 weeks as I was more familiar with the structure etc.

Hugh and Chickpea- thank you for your well wishes for the application :) just trying to pick the right time to approach my sup for a reference as I am concerned they will be disappointed that I am applying for a very part time RA job instead of a post-doc etc. and may be a bit annoyed about it. If I was successful with my application though, it is just a short term stop gap to keep some funds coming in while I finish the PhD process (fixed term contract).

Hugh- I am going to an international conference to present my work! Equal parts nervous and excited about it though...I even put some things in my suitcase yesterday haha

Zutterfly, I'm sure it'll go fantastically well! :) Enjoy your trip, I hope you get a few days to enjoy the trip too!