Hello, I have recently completed my masters by research (awaiting grade and feedback) and have found a potential PhD supervisor at a different local uni. I am wondering how it's best to approach them?

I've looked at a few websites and one suggests to send an introductory email to them with an identified specific subject area before sending a PhD proposal to them. Other websites suggest to write the proposal first and send that along with the first email.

Which would you suggest? I am writing the proposal currently.

There is a possibility of RC funding but the deadline is in Jan. The uni requires a proposal to be submitted first, then if the potential PhD student is offered a place they can then apply for funding.

I would be grateful for some advice please, many thanks.

Hi,
Many university libraries hold copies of dissertations and theses. I know the general public can gain access to many university libraries without a library card to read the library books, theses and paper copies of journal articles in the library. Many will let the public in but may need to sign in on arrival. Some require visitors to fill in a form and show relevant ID to obtain a visitor pass. If there's a local university nearby check out the website it should mention library visitor access.

'Access to Reseach' is a website for independent researchers and the general public to gain access to research papers. It's free but to read the full articles you have to visit a public library. The website has lists of publishers included on the site and it has a search for articles.

Search the web for 'access to research'.

Hi Arthemesus,
I'm sorry to hear you are having a difficult time. It's important you speak to someone as soon as possible as Tudor Queen mentioned.

Try the Samaritans again.

You could also book an emergency appointment with your GP.
Or you could phone NHS 111 in England open 24 hours a day. They should be able to help. They have doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, they can call you back.

Hi, I sent you a pm with details of a free online resource the other day that might help.

The MRes is 100 credits for the research project and 80 credits taught. Taught ethics and research methods and then choices of modules for the rest. It's listed as a taught masters, at our uni anyway.

Hi The Nerdworkoholic, thanks. I am an MRes student, so a taught masters course. My course has some modules that I can choose from a list of options. I guess you must be a MPhil student?

Reading around things, MSc and MA students generally get a personal tutor and a supervisor for their research projects. I only have one supervisor, who was allocated to me and that's it.

Hi, I wondered what support taught masters course students get? MSc, MRes and MA courses. I think MPhil might be different.

Do they get a supervisor for their research projects and also a personal tutor?

Meep, I have sent you a private message.

I have a book from the uni library The Postgraduate Research Handbook, by Wisker. It has an example of a learning contract between supervisor and learner. With aspects, the research student agrees to and aspects the supervisor agrees to. It's interesting to see what is on both lists. What the supervisor's role is and what they should be doing.

I'm just reading a book Your PhD Companion. it has stark warnings.
It mentions about a poor PhD student who had plenty of ideas but the supervisor took the ideas and turned them into research projects and took all the credit for themselves.

It mentioned that some supervisors are happy for the PhD student to take all the credit and the student is the only one named on a paper. But some supervisors at the other end will demand they are the lead author even though the PhD student did all the work - the idea, researched, written up and submitted by the student. This second situation sounds terrible!

Are you able to see someone in Student Support or the Students Union?

Thanks for the replies. I have a few research ideas.

If anyone is interested the Access to Research website has a search function, you can see what articles are available from home. But you have to go to the public library to read the full article. The list of participating publishers includes Nature, Elsevier, and others. 15million + articles are already available.

It's a start I guess for independent researchers.

www(dot)accesstoresearch(dot)org(dot)uk

I'm looking to move university and begin a PhD, I'm currently finishing my masters thesis. The university department I hope to move to is very linked to my research ideas. I am thinking of applying for a PhD that has my own research idea, and there is an opportunity for this that is funded.

I want to write the research proposal but at the same time, I don't want to give away too much of my research idea. if I don't get onto the funded PhD, I don't want the idea to be stolen.

Any advice please would be appreciated. thanks.

There is Access to Research available at many public libraries in the UK. This is a free service for the general public to access papers.