Hi dee2005

In the UK, most (not all) research assistant posts require the post holder to register for a PhD anyway. Competition for these posts is especially fierce.

"Somebody should help me out" Sdanjuma, 2006

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

"The gods help them that help themselves." Aesop (620 BC - 560 BC)

Sdanjuma, we (forum members) will advise as best we can those students wishing to embark on postgraduate study. However, we cannot (and should not be expected to) find opportunities for you, you must do the initial groundwork yourself. In the UK, check out findaphd.com and jobs.ac.uk for PhD vacancies. Check university websites and make direct contact with research groups working in your field of interest.

Happy Birthday MrChipz!!

Thanks 404 and DJWickid for your kind words

Oh, just read the full thread - PhD Researcher sounds good too

Sorry 404, I've been teaching all day. I think postgraduate research student or just research student is appropriate.

J Eval Clin Pract. 1996 May;2(2):123-30.

Qualitative research in health care: I. The scope and validity of methods.

Fitzpatrick R, Boulton M.

It is increasingly argued that qualitative approaches have an important role in health care research. A wide range of methods are used to collect qualitative data, including in-depth interviews, focus groups and observational methods such as participant observation. The reliability and validity of qualitative studies can be addressed by a variety of techniques. Although there is less consensus about appropriate methods of analysing qualitative data, such analyses tend to be grounded in the data, and involve iterative procedures and the development and refinement of typologies, analogies and other forms of concept to make sense of data.

Nurse Res. 2005;13(1):29-42.

Part II. rigour in qualitative research: complexities and solutions.

Tuckett AG.

Anthony G Tuckett outlines the strategies and operational techniques he used to attain rigour in a qualitative research study through relying on Guba and Lincoln's trustworthiness criterion. Research strategies such as use of personal journals, audio recording and transcript auditing, and operational techniques including triangulation strategies and peer review, are examined.

Not your field perhaps but worth a look?

J Adv Nurs. 1995 Nov;22(5):993-7.

Analysing qualitative interview data: addressing issues of validity and reliability.

Appleton JV.

Over the last 20 years qualitative research methods have increased in popularity in the field of nursing research, yet critical issues of validity and reliability are often overlooked in published research reports. Thus, the aim of this paper is to describe the steps which the author followed to address issues of rigour in one qualitative research study. The study was conducted to explore the health visitor's role in identifying and working with vulnerable families in the community in relation to child protection. This paper will focus on how issues of validity and reliability were addressed in terms of qualitative interview data.

Leggings under shorts???

I agree Mia, I had the very same thought when puffball skirts reappeared (and actually, I thought that they were ridiculously unflattering and didn't wear one the first time around aged 11!).

Hello DanB

There's nothing like a deadline to get a person motivated (or should that be stressed to hell? - either way the work gets churned out somehow!) Can't say it was a fun few weeks but it's certainly possible!

Six weeks is still a fairly long time, I started and finished the last 3 chapters of my thesis in about 3 weeks so you can achieve a lot in those last few desperate weeks! I think you might benefit from taking a few days off. If you have some time out, do something fun and just don't think about the thesis for a few days, you can return to it feeling fresh and will likely make good progress. Best of luck!

Hi Tina

Welcome to the forums

Aw, thanks 404 - think I'll wear a dress, as you say, summer dress days are numbered! (Which is sad but I love Christmas so winter is good too!)

I'm down in the South West, far from civilisation