...and also: perhaps your department has specific guidelines for styles. It's better if you check with them before you make further changes.

Hi Jojo,I understand what you mean. Using Ibidem is o.k, but as I found out it's problematic if you continue to work and add or remove notes as you go along. You forget what it pertained to. I use footnotes as I find endnotes very annoying. I hate books with endonotes, where you have to read back and forth to understand something of what is going on.
If I were you I would insert a page with abbreviations at the beginning of your thesis, e.g. after your table of content, where you can put abbreviations for very long titles, especially if you cite them often.

E.g J. C. Habel, Relict Species: Phylogeography and Conservation Biology, Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag, c 2010
in the abbr. page: J. C. Habel, RS (c 2010)

I hope it's useful ::$

Hello! Perhaps we have the same supervisor! Well, I know what you mean. I am in a similar position, although circumstances are different. You must have trust in what you are doing. Did you present papers? Did you publish anything? Have you had any teaching experience where you could use part of your research experience? If so, what kind of feedback did you have? Also, your sup wouldn't want you to fail - even only because it would reflect badly on his reputation - so keep a positive frame of mind. I had the same sup during my Masters, and it was a nightmare. In the end I used my formula, let things go and work by myself. I ended with a first class. I don't know how that person managed to lure me into doing a PhD under his supervision, but here I am experiencing the same problems again. I am applying the same method and hopefully, it will work this time too. Certainly having to prepare for a wedding does not make things easier. I would suggest you to try and have a thorough talk with your sup about the basics: thesis structure, research questions, methods, etc and see what comes out of it. I am sure that you will make it, but I know for personal experience how difficult it is. Good Luck! :p

It is doable, but you need to have clear what you need to do: 1) Research questions and scholarship to date, 2) table of content of your thesis, clearly structured, 3) summary of what is the content of each chapter.
Then step by step you climb the ladder. I wouldn't rush and try to produce a large amount of work. It's much better to produce all the above and one chapter,rather than trying to write half a thesis with little content. Usually you leave the introduction as the last bit, but I would suggest you to try and write it now (you will change it many times before submission anyway!) including aims, rationale, methodology, historiography, chapters layout.
Everyone have bad spells along the way, so do not spend time feeing guilty, focus on what you can do from now on. You need to be very determined and cancel the word "procrastination" from your dictionary, but yes, you can do it!!!!(up)

Hi Pandora, this can be really tricky. I learnt at my own expences that motherhood is much more competitive than a PhD. You come across a number of mothers who didn't build up anything for themselves and although they claim that they are not judgemental, they criticise anyone who send toddlers to nursery, don't spend the whole day baking cakes, etc. Actually, one of them thought that doing a PhD was my "free-time" (that is = waste of time!).
I learnt to be a bit more selective. There is nothing wrong in spending your day baking cakes and going to mothers & toddlers coffee mornings, but equally there is nothing wrong in pursuing your own goals, and one does not necessarily exclude the other anyway. I think that this is a particularly delicate time, and I found out that, as I said, there is a lot of pressure on mothers by other mothers, and a lot of jealousy too. Be proud of yourself and don't worry too much about what other people say.
;-)

Hi Pineapple29, Try to focus on your work and not on your sups opinions. They may be right, but there may be other things going on that you are not aware of. I have been at the centre of personal political games between my two sups, with the obvious objective of pushing one of my colleagues forward for a post-doc position that I was more than likely to get - if I were allowed to submit my PhD within a certain time-frame. But here it is: my thesis suddenly becomes needy of a lot of corrections, all the original material that I have is suddenly "not enough", and so on...It' is sad, and honestly I battle with the temptation of dropping the project every day. But on the other hand, I have so much positive feedback from other scholars in my area (who are much more expert in the field than my sups) that I feel it would be a pity to throw away the work of three years. But it is tough, and in the end there is little that you can do other than your best. Work as much as you can and as well as you can and have trust in your own work. It is very difficult, but at least you know that you have tried.
:p

Thank you, UnderVerse. I am happy if my suggestion could be of any help. I would definitely get back in touch with that person when you feel ready.
Also, it is important that you focus on the project and not on the people (I mean your supervisor!). It is easier to say than to do, but it's vital. You may be lucky and find a supervisor or co-worker who is helpful and considerate, but you may find someone who is not, and this is why it is so important to establish links outside your circle. It is never too late, and you will be surprised to see that there are many people out there who are interested in what you do, and are available to help you if they can. Do take advantage of anything that come along: conferences, workshops, on-line courses. Is there anyone you admire who published something you agree with? Send them an e-mail with some positive comments on their papers/ article/ book and add something (not too much!) from your own research experience, and explain that you would appreciate their comments on what you are doing. Many scholars are delighted to do these things, and even if they don't come back to you, you haven't lost anything.
I am sure that you will be fine. Chin up!

Hi UnderVerse,

I have just read your post, and perhaps your situation ha improved in the meantime. It is a very difficult situation, one I am used too! I am at the end of my PhD, with the view of submitting within the next 4 months. In my experience, I can tell you that even if your sup is known as a stupid, his/her mates will stick around him/her like glue. No one wants problems and they will try their best to minimize the issue if you bring it to the attention of HoS, etc.
I have three publications and I have presented at a number of international and postgraduate conferences, nonetheless, my sup could not spend a single, positive word on what I have done so far at the last annual research interview, but actually pulling back from any responsibility on my supervision. This of course, was not the view he had previously expressed to me. He later apologized, blaming the pressure he is under, etc.
HoS promised that any problem would be solved, but... a few weeks down the line and everything is back as it was. I must be thankful to the AHRC for their funding, or I fear I would have been kicked out without too many compliments...The only thing that I can do is gathering my energy to complete the writing and ask someone external to read it. Luckily I know a few experts in my field who are not related to my sup, and would be happy to help, but it is very tough. I feel that I have been wasting my time and I want to complete only because I have a strong sense of duty. I hope that you will find someone else that can read your stuff and give you some useful feedback. I think that doing anything else at this stage could compromise what you have done so far. Let me know how you are getting on.

The AHRC gives you extra funding if you attend a conference outside the UK. You can apply only once to this.
Universities also have PG Research Grants(usually £200-300) to help you cover the cost, especially if you present a paper, but you need to give them an estimate prior to that and provide them with receipts afterwards (at least this is what my uni does). Hope it helps.
Where are you going?

I just feel that between doing 'nothing' about it and going through the Uni complaint procedures, there may be other ways to deal with the problem. We do not know the people involved and the details of what happened, and it would be inconsiderate on the basis of a few posts to encourage people towards a choice that could damage them rather than help. This doesn't mean that they have to seat and wait for a solution to fall from the sky, and I certainly don't feel a 'spineless' person because I use a different approach to problems. Actually, I feel much stronger now than before I started the PhD. I just think that every situation is different and you cannot generalise.

I know that the message was not intended for me, and in principle I agree with you Harui. But I think that you also need to bear in mind that some of these supervisors have a long career in academia behind their shoulders and they are rooted in that environment. Also academia is a small place where people tend to stick together as soon as there is a small cloud approaching, so it's vital that you are careful in the way you deal with this, because there could be much worse repercussions for your future career in academia if you don't. It may appear sad or strong, but this is the reality, and I tell you this for personal experience.

*Pineapple*, you need to be strong and focus on what you really want and what you are prepared to do in order to achieve it. If the environment you are working in - not only your supervisor - makes you feel so uncomfortable, you should consider changing uni rather then dropping the project. BHC suggestion about recording meetings is a good one, but not sufficient when your supervisor is a manipulative person. You need to establish your reputation outside, with other academics in your field. This leaves little space for manoeuvre to the nasty sup.

As Smilodon, I used to be a teacher, and the standard of our teaching was constantly monitored. Here, although there are regulations in place, no one seem to care about what supervisors do. All I got was: 'Did you meet regularly?' at the last research assessment and in front of my supervisor, who replied before I did. I let you guess the answer.

I think that you misunderstood me. With: 'I think that it's matter of reciprocal respect not to judge a student/ supervisor on the basis of her private life/ problems', I meant exactly what you said. I certainly don't look for excuses if my work is not good. I am capable of taking responsibility for what I do or don't do. I do get quite a lot of excuses from the other side though.
I just think that sometimes, some supervisors mask their 'big ego' behind their criticism. They maybe want you to pass your viva (a feather in their cap!), but they make their best to prevent you from building up anything that can help you in your future career. As I am a woman, that implies that I would be better to stay home and bake cakes!

As far as Pineapple is concerned, perhaps having been open with her supervisor about her personal problems was not appropriate . Nonetheless, I think that it's matter of reciprocal respect not to judge a student/ supervisor on the basis of her private life/ problems.