Organise your refs as they take they some doing and it's easy to fall behind if you're busy!

Take sometime off so you can get better and get some TLC and home comforts. You can work again when you're not suffering and have got a clear head.

That's excellent news - it's good to know that other people are interested in your work!

No go for it - you have to do your own research as that is what you are passionate about and signed up for!  You're not his lab monkey to produce results for him so he can meet his article quota!  As you point out you just happen to be in his lab which doesn't make you his slave! 

I think it's great that he's willing to take on students that don't do his particular topic but in a related topic which shows that he is open to new ideas.  It's wrong for him to push you into his field by trying to embarrass you - especially as you have already started and found a topic you want to study further. 

If he is that worried about his research output - he should get his own results!!!  Is he going to a co-author on your papers when you get your results assuming he does contribute to them so what is he worried about?  Is he the kind that wants quick results so he can churn papers out or is this only since the new policy has been put in place? I know academics have to publish and are under constant pressure to do so but forcing students to do their research topic is no the answer!  Surely he must have collaborations with others and involved in on-going projects to get some publications out? 

If you are interested in any aspect of his research topic is there anyway to incorporate it into you own?  If not don't worry but it might be an option.  You know academics especially some Profs have big egos and I often think it's often down to how you manage your supervisor especially maverick ones likes yours!  :-s

Is there anyone you can talk to about this?  Do you have a postgrad tutor or a mentor for TAs that you can go to for advice as that is totally unprofessional?  Unfortunately these mavericks usually get away with it as the dept doesn't want to create a fuss as long as they are bringing in the funding/raising the research profile of the dept! It's all about personalities and they try to bulldoze their way through it all!  I take it he's not great with the old social skills! 

Good luck and I hope you get something sorted out!
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I can see where you are coming from so it would be more scary approaching people for help.  I agree with Dunni's advice which is good. As your supervisor has agreed to getting you external help it should be ok - trying other people in your dept/uni is a good place to start.  Unis (some staff) are funny about external people helping incase of problems with ownership of results and students being associated with other depts if there are informal collaborations so this something to be aware off. My project isn't part of a larger project - it's just an ambitious idea, perhaps a bit too ambitious given all the areas I covered and the hassle of trying to co-ordinate everything.  The people that helped with it were known to my supervisor so I suppose it's not like I was just asking random people. Does your supervisor know of people who could help?  That would also be a good point to follow up as academia is very small!

That's great and very fast! I've never heard of anything getting sorted out so fast so they must want you to apply for this funding. You've great supervisors who are looking out for you!

It'll be good to have your viva so soon so you can get it out of the way while it's still fresh in your head without revising! Good luck with it though you seem to have it all under control. :p

I had a big project which covered a broad area and many topics so I used other people who were willing to help for the different sections that I needed help with that my main supervisor who couldn't/wouldn't help with. It was like a team effort and I wouldn't have got through it if it wasn't for the help these people.

Hope you get the help you need. ;-)

No I don't think that matters as I have done that for articles and some reports in a foreign language. Though for your piece of mind it's better to read the whole article to get the details but a good abstract should summarise that for you. I had to go hunting through some reports for information which is very consuming to sit and translate what you think are the relevant parts.

That's true - I don't know people with PhDs stand to get chance in research! ;-)

You need X no of publications, X years of experience to get anywhere esp. for your first postdoc! There just doesn't seem to be enough funding!

I'd agree with Moonblue's advice - there are lots of useful tips.

I understand that the competition for jobs is even more intense in India so a PhD maybe the way to go. If you stay in academia the uni does not matter so much at this stage and the focus is more on the dept and your supervisor. Outside academia not many people understand how academia works so they may just go by the reputation of the uni as a whole but I really think it does not matter so much as a PhD is impressive so will look good on your CV.

I was told as an undergrad the way to do lit reviews was to think of it as an upturned triangle so you start big and write the the things you think are relevant to your topic in the general sense and then work your way down by narrowing your focus at each level and you will see how it all links together and breaks down into smaller studies.  By the time you reach the bottom you'll have reached your conclusion and the main points of your study!   I've used this technique since and it's worked for me as I get positive feedback. I've also learned from my PhD that when people start of general and then narrow their focus it helps to relate the focused ideas to the general field again at the end so you can place your work into context. 

Focus on smaller studies and it won't seem so bad and by the end of it you'll be able to join it all together! You'll probably end up with a mammoth study at the end that you didn't think you'd have at the start. 
;-)

Any reference manager (e.g. Endnote, Refworks) will do the job though just be careful you can still have access to it if you change computers if you are using one through the uni. I've just found out that some places will not install it onto personal computers which is a pain if you have all your papers sorted into folders and linked to your software! It's a great way to sort out refs but if you don't have it for whatever reason you will be lost!

I also have the problem of papers covering more than one topic as my are sorted by topic but I put it in the different folders they apply to or have a different folders for the multi-topics if convenient!

Have you tried google translate? There is often an option if the document is in a foreign language when you search for it? I find this quite helpful and better than getting out a big dictionary! Or there is an add-on in Firefox which has a translator called FoxLingo though I've never tried it for an article but it does phrases, words etc.

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Just go for it!  What have you got to lose? If you don't you will have to wait another 3 years! I was told at a workshop on preparing for your viva that most students make the mistake of hanging onto their theses trying to get it perfect but it doesn't have to be a masterpiece but of good enough quality to pass.  This is research training so it should not define you although it certainly feels like it as the best is yet to come as you develop your career! Very few people actually read theses - most just wait for the publications which is what counts these days!

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Negative results are still results so I would not be too overly worried about them.  They are probably not as satisfying as positive results but as long as you can explain them it shouldn't be too much of a problem. PhD research just states that you need to have some original ideas and new contribution to knowledge but doesn't say whether they have to be positive/negative!  I would still try to get the results published especially as you put so much effort in. I was at a meeting once where they said that it was good that are people were willing to publish negative results as that saves other people from going down the same road.

As for your supervisor moving uni there should be arrangements made for your supervision as he shouldn't just abandon you especially at this stage when you need to write up.  Have you discussed the matter - is he willing to do long distance supervision if you e-mail him work to look at? Or will your dept allocate you a substitute supervisor who preferably knows your work?

Good luck
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