I don't want to sound negative, but in my experience, if your sups are friends - and even if they are not- they are going to stick together and support each other.This does not meant that you cannot do anything about it. It depends on how far into your research project you are. If you are at the beginning you have the choice to change supervisor. Otherwise you can re-define your reciprocal expectations. However, I would avoid situations where you speak to one and then to the other, as this might create more trouble -people like that are very good at twisting words for their own convenience. You don't know what is behind this behavior. I would follow terrybagel advice, but I would try to organize a meeting with both first and see what they say. I would keep things professional and avoid anything that might create problems. I wouldn't be surprised if their wonderful friendship would vanish when you finish your PhD...

Well Done Dr Pineapple!!! I am delighted for you! Celebration time!

There is always the risk of file corruption when you work with long documents. If you have only minor changes to make -e.g. spelling mistakes - you can amend the PDF by using Adobe Acrobat or Expert PDF 7. I kept my chapters saved in individual word documents that I then turned into individual PDFs and I "stitched" them together at the very end.

Hi Liremy,
In my university the language test is a prerequisite for all those students' whose first language is not English. This can be waived if you can demonstrate that you have been a member of staff, or you have previous experience of studies in the UK. If I were you I would discuss it with your future supervisor/ relevant member of staff in the Language Centre/ administration. They usually provide short courses on academic English prior to the entry tests, so it might worth to ask about them as well. Funding is usually allocated on the basis of your academic history, but there may be huge variations depending on the department, number of students, subject etc.

Congratulations Dr Pineapple! I have been following your story, and I am really chuffed for you. You really deserved this happy ending. It is much more meaningful because it has been entirely your own effort. Well done!

You are very welcome. Well done for completing your corrections - I will be looking forward to posting to Dr Pamw soon!

Hello Pamw. I don't have the book, but I found the table of contents through the British Library catalogue. The chapter you need is in pp. 13-26. I hope it helps.
Happy New Year!

Hello.

I agree that you need to check who these people are - I know people (not the last in their fields) that published with Cambridge Scholars. One of my colleagues published her Masters thesis with Lang. They both seem to be successful publications held in top libraries. But they are in the humanities not in science. So, it also depends what field you are in.

One thing that it is very important to check is who is going to hold the copyright. Again, one of my colleagues published his PhD with a high profile publisher only to discover that they now hold the copyright of his research. So be very careful on this.

Then, in my view is also down to being realistic. It is obvious that everyone would like to publish in top magazines, but the reality is that there is a fierce competition and while you spend time waiting for their peer reviews your research might be published by someone else without even mentioning your name (yes, it does happen!).

So, I wouldn't rule out anything at this stage, although I would be very careful before signing an agreement. If you can rely on your supervisor  or other academics for feedback and support you can definitely try to submit articles, but if not, you may want to consider other alternatives.

Hello Unbelievable.

I understand your disappointment and this is something that many of us face, in a way or another, in the course our PhDs, or more generally in the work environment. I agree, it's not fair, but what I think Dan meant is that you can choose to be defeated by this, or fight your own battle. This doesn't (necessarily) mean that you should argue with your supervisor or lodge a complaint, but that you can carve your own space with or without him/her.

I could tell you some nice stories about my personal experience, but in the end - believe me- people who struggle to achieve anything will always struggle, even with plenty of support. I wouldn't want to be one of them. So far, I have never seen anyone of that type reaching anything worthwhile.

It may be harder for you to establish your identity and reputation in academia without support, but you will make it if you are a capable person, it's only matter of time. If I were you I would take pride in what you have done so far without much help, and focus on your future goals. Sooner or later your hard work will pay off!

We had many threads on problems with supervisors/ colleagues in the forum, although I don't think they ever touched this particular aspect.
I always tended to agree with a "softer" approach, as DanB suggested, for the very same reasons that he argued here. I have never been in the position that Elizabeth describes, but I can say that, for different reasons, I was in an equally difficult situation.

The reality is that had I chosen to speak out I would have almost certainly ended leaving the PhD, which personally I would have found devastating. I decided to go for the snail approach, and I did complete with flying colours. However, six months after graduation and looking for future options, the reality is kicking in: certain kind of people/ behaviours and situations are going to affect your personal/ professional future anyway.

When I think about applying for a post I shrink at the idea of having to approach those people for a reference. It is hard to see how they continue to plot and pilot people and things without the least concern, and looking at my daughter I thought what this entire situation would teach her about meritocracy, commitment and professional conduct. Should I tell her that all the values I believed in are rubbish and that she should follow their example when she is grown up and trying to build up her career?

I think that it is a mentality that needs to change in the first place it's not the victim who has to change/ accommodate anything!- and although I am conscious that we live in a deeply selfish society I endorse what Cobweb said, and I sincerely hope that Elizabeth will find a way to solve this situation that is both comfortable for her and does not endanger her chances of career development.

Thank you Cobweb for expressing so well what it should be a top concern for everyone.

C.

Dear Kaci69,

I am glad if my words could be of some support, and your plan of action sounds very good to me.

Take care of yourself and do come back to visit the forum every time you feel like it. Even just reading other people's stories/ suggestions has been invaluable for me.

I am sure that you will find your way through this difficult time and achieve all your goals.

Best of Luck for everything,

C.

======= Date Modified 09 Jul 2012 19:10:50 =======
Hello Kaci69,

I am sure that many other PhD students can recognize themselves in your post.

I understand your feelings about not wanting to let your family and friends down, and I also know that some comments might hurt. However, the PhD is not about them, but about you and what you really want.

Depression makes you feel like you have climbed the Kilimanjaro even if you have just made a little step, so you must learn to care about yourself and re-build your confidence in the first place. You have achieved so much already in spite of the odds! Take pride in what you have done!

It's easy to be successful when you have a lot of support. If you feel that you need more time/ help, could you consider taking a suspension of studies? Could you change supervisors? Is there anyone else in your field you could talk to? I also think that at this stage you need to assess what you have done and what you need to do, and have an open discussion with your supervisors if you want to go forward. If their demand for a chapter every month is unrealistic you need to let them know. Hiding from them won't change the situation.

I found the writing up process the most difficult - and I wrote all along. However, you need to start with a good plan: that is a table of contents. Literally write down the headings for your chapters, and go on with subheadings etc. Then write a short summary for each section, then you go on...

I have been back in my home country for a few months, and I have become awful at handling both languages. However, I hope that what I have written makes sense...

Good luck whatever you choose to do!

Indeed I did!

I put all my images in a separate volume (vol. I, text only/ vol 2, images), but I had only 300, and this is what my Uni/ dept required. So, you may want to check with yours if they have something specific about this.

Each image had a full caption and I re-started numbering them from 1 in each chapter - if there is a last minute change, or a correction after the viva, you otherwise have to re-number all your images:
1.1
1.2

2.1
2.2 etc.

Your suggestion for referencing them sounds fine. I would definitely do it. I would also add a little note of guidance giving a rationale on why you put some images on a disk and others in-text or in Appendix.

Hello,

It might sound obvious, but I think that at this stage it's better not to lose sight of the "bigger picture". You really need to start reading your thesis as a whole, and only afterwards you can see gaps/ problems etc. There is always a risk of having repetitions and things that need to be clarified (and you thought you did somewhere else only to discover that you didn't!).

Also, you have pretty long chapters - what is your total word limit? This is a good opportunity to cut any redundant text.

Personally, I didn't have a lot of input from my sup. He read the final version as a whole thesis just before submission, so I cannot advise you on this, but I suppose it depends on your supervisor and his availability.

I am not sure that I have been very helpful, but I hope I have earned my daily ration of broccoli!

Hi Jojo! Congratulations!
I often thought about you and how you were getting on - well done for bringing your PhD to completion. I am sure that it was a very difficult journey, but you didn't surrender. You fought for it and won.

You are a great example for anyone battling with unsupportive supervisors and major corrections. You can be very proud of yourself, and thank you for sharing your experience with us.

DrC x
:-)