Hey Ultimax,

I submitted the proposal, the 12,000 word review of the literature and last week submitted the 10,000 which was basically framing the theory I plan to use for my research. These are not completed chapters but having done this, I do feel a bit better about the whole process. I have read widely around the topic and wrote about it before narrowing down the focus. The first stuff I submitted can be teased out and used for my contextual background chapter whereas the second stuff is more of an actual literature review. Its been a painful process but I think i'm getting there. I like this map (hope the link posts!) I think i'm currently coming out of literature fog!

The only thing is, I'm terrible at talking about my area of research with anyone. Its really getting to me!. I just mumble at my supervisors and I'm dreading when I have to officially present!

As in monthly meetings, The first few we just bounced over a few ideas of what I was planning to do. Most of the focus was on getting the proposal submitted. Perhaps the most formal meeting was when I had submitted the first ROL. My supervisors advised me that I needed to narrow down focus. Meetings up until this point again have just been discussing what I've done (well me basically telling them what I've done) in terms of reading, writing and personal development. i.e training, seminars and conferences.

Next big meeting is tomorrow!! Eeeeeekkkk!! If you've not seen the link before I hope you like it.:) Good luck!

Hey Athena,

That link's awesome! Thanks for sharing it.

Re: summarising your PhD, if you can get your hands on Peg Boyle Single's Demystifying Dissertation Writing, have a look on the chapter on 'focus statements'. There are exercises there which will help you distill the essence of your PhD first into a paragraph, then into a statement.

Personally, I find beginning my explanation with why I chose the topic really helps. It makes it more personal and therefore easier to begin. In my case, it's a paradox, which conveniently leads quite naturally to my research questions. If I were to jump right into the research question I get all tongue tied. I think it's because I try to state the research question without any contextualisation (why I chose it in the first place), which results in too many words going all over the place! It always helps to ease yourself (and the person listening to you) into your research question.

I think, what you have to do during first few months varies from field to another, engineering is quite different from history (as example) each field has different approach.

Im 3 weeks in engineering field. and my supervisor handed me papers and articles for reading, im doing a review about what i been reading, 8k words so far lol.

my supervisor and i agreed about the headlines of the project before my registration, i just need to wait and see how we going to work it out (the project is his idea and i agreed to take it)