Hey A116!! Sorry I dont really understand what you mean when you say your research site has dropped out-does that mean the people you were using for the collection of data wont give it anymore?? Anyway I hope you have an alternative solution or possibilities after discussing with your supervisor.

My progress has not been good today, was quite tired after working through the weekend, so today I took it easy not doing more than an hour or 2 which is pretty bad,but I'm going to put it behind me and start afresh tomorrow!!

see you bright and early in the morning! Nighty ho

Hi everyone! I've just discovered this forum. I'm completely new to forums so feel a bit lost. There seems to be 2 threads dealing with accountability. I wanted to join this one because there aren't too many posts yet and the introduction fits me perfectly to a tee. Really need help with making myself accountable to someone or a group. Can anyone show me the ropes quickly?

Hi Linton, welcome!

To be honest, I don't think there are any ropes to be taught. Why don't you tell us your general area? Then, I try and post every work day (although, next week that will be going down to Tuesday-Friday only) to say what I hope to do that day. Maggie suggests outlining goals weekly, monthly and for the end of the year before starting with daily goals. Then you check back in with whether or not you've met them, why and what's next!

I'm now going to be rubbish. Things are so up in the air at the moment that I'm finding it very hard to do anything. I'm absolutely exhausted from doing a really minimal amount of work. I have a presentation to give this afternoon and anything I get done this morning on the chapter I owe my sups by 18th February is a bonus to be honest.

So, Linton, Maggie, Sneaks - How is your Thursday?

A

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Thank you for your reply A116. I really needed to hear from someone.

I am in my 2nd year. My general topic studies the role of information systems for primary healthcare delivery in developing countries. 

My Thursday has not been productive so far. Generally feeling tired and anxious about my lethargy. Seems I will rather listen to the news, watch inspirational clips and read motivational quotes rather than write.

I am meant to submit a draft journal paper to my supervisors this week (actually 2 weeks ago but had to extend). I'm off for fieldwork in a couple of weeks. My goal for the next month coming is to have a 2nd draft of the journal paper which I hope will be final by March. My goal is to write 4 or 5 chapters of my thesis by the end of the year.

Thanks once again for welcoming me into your forum. It's a real lifeline. Hopefully I'll sign in again tonight to tell you all that I have written 2,000 words today.

Cheers

After a long battle, I finally give up today on just a little over 1000 words. It's great to get a feeling of finally writing something. I set the ambitious 2000 word target on purpose so I could push myself and of course it's what I would need in order to make the deadline for my sup.
Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully I won't waste as much time as I did today and just maybe, I'll reach the 2000 mark. A more realistic goal for the remaining couple of days in this week is probably 5k words.

Looking forward to hearing how you are all doing.

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Hi guys, long time, no post! Glad to hear things are plodding along ok. Sorry to hear about your organisation A116 - I know the feeling. While I have been not posting, my 2nd study has all gone a bit pete tong, and decided to keep going with it, but very slowly and start off my 3rd one at the same time.

Maggie - I just started my first lectures last week - I am only doing a few and had no idea they take so much prep! I think for the sake of my PhD they are the only ones I will be doing. My PhD has suffered preparing for them. I am also being observed this week (my 2nd ever lecture!), so i am fraught (sp) with nerves about the whole thing - I don't really know too much about the subject so frantically 'revising' feels like I am going into an exam! - the group are very talkative and ask you things all the way through, like 'is there any research on this and XYZ' and I think "I have noooo idea, I don't even do this subject", but as I am being observed, don;'t think I can resort to that so I have to learn a lot.

Apart from that, the weekend with my parents was very busy, but relaxing in the sense that I was doing lots of work, but it was non-PhD work. I have since had a sup meeting where I got absolutely b*****d for not doing that lit review. I have been given 3 weeks to do it and have been told to cancel everything else - but the lectures and other work always seem to get in the way so going to have to get through this week and then settle down to writing full time.

AAAH - probably comes across a bit stressed - and I am!

Today's work:

- Finish off consultancy work
- Plan lecture (read books!)
- Mark stuff
- Make shoes for dog as her paws are getting clumps of snow in them.

lol Sneaks! What will you make the dog's shoes from?

thinking cutting old sock up and then tying strips of plastic bag around it to keep it waterproof and then taping them around the dogs ankles - thinking elastic bands may cut in, so maybe just attach them with duck tape - its either that or no walking for her today. Im sure they will be off in a matter of seconds, oh well!

Hi all,

Sorry I haven't checked in for a while.  Weekend off and Monday I do something very separate to the PhD. Lets call it a job...

Linton - your PhD sounds really interesting!  I hope you're feeling less anxious now. What kind of chapter are you writing at the moment?  I'm in the process of writing my first few chapters at the moment and it's terrifying really. I hate handing over the work but actually, respond well to criticism (not so well to positive feedback - it makes me lazy).  I also pushed back handing in a chapter which I eventually got in two weeks ago. In the end my sups and me sat down and I said I really needed non-negotiable deadlines.  That may help you?

I have to say, 1000 words is quite something for a day! Did you get your 5000 words sorted?

Sneaks - Congrats on keeping going with your second study and starting your third study.  You seem really motivated! I haven't done any teaching but it sounds like you've really planned yours.  Ooo...Literature review deadline. I'm sorry you got a mouthful from your sups.  Boo to them! How are you feeling about your 3 week deadline?

And dog shoes sounds amazing!!!!!!!!

A

I guess I should check in with what has happened with my PhD.

Things are not good. Not even slightly. I had two sites set up to recruit participants from and to run an intervention through (with ethical approval). One dropped out last Monday, the other, I got the message late Friday night. Everyone I have spoken to about it is very angry but there's really nothing left to do at these sites.

So...we had been in talks with another site but we don't have ethics for them. We are currently trying to talk to the 3rd possibility but there is now a significant risk that I will not get a PhD.

I am scarily calm and worried about what is going to happen when the panic kicks in...

I am also finding it very hard to do anything productive. Does anyone have any advice on how I can start moving forward with this? Maybe I should start a new thread about this...My head is saying, what's the point? It's all going to go to waste anyway.

Thanks

A

Sorry for the multiple posting...

Today I will try and get through at least half of my abstracts and write the lit review up a little more.

A

Hello A116

my heart sank on reading your mail saying a site dropped out. I am planning on using multiple case studies and can envisage that something similar could happen to me. I havent been to ethics yet so am in no position to comment about how to manage this... What do your supervisors say?

DONT give up, after all a phd is just as much about learning to undertake research at this level, warts and all as well as the study in question. BUt I am very new to all this so not not not an expert.
take care of yourself