but don't forget that you may still need someone to translate it for you as the latin you learn may not be the latin of the material , so although it amy help you with some things, others may well be too difficult. personally I hated latin and never got on with it at all, so maybe I'm biased

This isn't really my field, so feel free tolaught at this , bt could you ring round other places and see if you can get some more? now tell me it is something you make up yourself and takes months to put together . I think this is one of those things that happens, and not just in labs, with daughters who are also doing research work I often find things have gone walkies luckily they work in different fields so my research papers are safe! what I would do if I had solutions etc. that were liable to go missing is label my stuff as something else, then if anyone 'borrows' it in the future you will know who it is.

I think you should go although it is a very personal thing and only you can really decide. If you and your family are happy for you to go, then do it. What you may be able to do, depending on the time of the funeral, is take some time out at that time and reflect on your grandmother's life and what she meant to you. That way you can join them in spirit, if not in person.

actually it is always the article that appears to hold the key to some really useful stuff that is elusive isn't it? sometimes the little abstract isn't enough to give you enough info to decide you want it, you ask for it, wait for it to arrive...and then find it isn't as good as you thought it was going to be. Happens all the time. However it is a good idea to post the details on here - or sometimes putting it into a search engine can get you the whole thing, I've managed to get articles that way before now.

Thanks for the advice, I had rather assumed that he was taking a back seat in order to be the internal the second guy is learning to be a suervisor I think, which may be why he is trying to make a point about being very hands on, but I'm also sure he will try to make it about teachers if he can, which is not what I want to do. I've e-mailed the prof telling him that altohugh I would like him to be the second supervisor, my letter says that the second sup has already been appointed, and therefore I'm not sure if he could do it. I guess that he will sort it out if he wants to do it with those who control these things.

I'm not sure that a taught education gives you the best background for any research, what you need is to be able to do things under your own steam. I spent most of my time at school and beyond studying science subjects, but I have read widely since I was quite small - and still do. My house is full of books, one room is lined with bookcases and they are full, and there are bookcases in every room - except the bathrooms and kitchen (well maybe a few cookbooks there)Have you read Illich's Deschooling society? you can download it from the web, he was an interesting character, not sure I hold with all his views especial;ly those of other works of his, but he has some good points - Can't get on with Foucault though. however what I do find is that the more I read the more I realise how little I know - but that is a good reason for another visit to the bookshop

There are others, not necessarily in the school of education but inother science education areas which I think would do well as an internal, and there may well be others by the time I get this finished. This 2nd guy was the one that turned my initial proposal from the regulation 2 pages to 31 so that it gave the kind of elaboration that is supposed to come in the proposal bit I'm doing now which was a bit of a pain

I know the prof well, I did my MA at the same place and he was involved in the teaching and we got on really well. I was quite surprised when they chose the person as second supervisor, because this prof, along with my first supervisor really helped me shape my proposal. The only reason I can think of is that he is involved in teaching science on the PGCE course and my research is in science education, but really I don't want someone like him because he is involved with teaching science (gosh, that sounds a bit arrogant doesn't it? but I want to look at the potential changes to technicians in scienceand the effect this could have on education, and teachers seem to think it is about them, which it isn't - although in the long run it could be) Plus he and my first supervisor get on relly well too, and they think along the same lines so if one wasn't available I think I could probably turn to the other and get similar feedback.

ontinued - The trouble is that a second supervisor has already been chosen and has sat in on one (and only one of my sessions with my first supervisor)so I'm not sure if the change would be allowed? also this person was the one who asked loads of questions concerning the worth of my proposal - in fact he was quite rude about it until I produced the facts that showed it was an important area. It is an area where there has been very little research -ever. My dilemma is that he might be the sort of person who would take umbrage at the change, and since someone in the dept will probably be the internal examiner, I would hate it to be him if he had a bad attitude. So what would you do?

my daughter met the professor of the department where I'm dong my research yesterday as she was visiting the department. They were chatting about me and he said he really wanted to be my second supervisor and if I e-mailed him requesting that this happened it would help his case. I think he would be really good, although he is a hard taskmaster he is very enthusiastic about me (!) although I find his level of knowledge scary.

I've said to the uni that they need to think more carefully about things as part timers, especially those who work in schools have trouble getting to events/seminars - when school is open, uni is open, but when school is shut, uni is shut too, well at least it is only partially functioning and my supervisor tends to work at home then. However having said all that I do fit it all in, life is just very hectic adn I suppose it will get much worse as time goes on. The best thing though is when I am not at school I can get on with the research...once I've finished my work for school that is, so many new schemes of work to get sorted and we are already planning for next September

I've also got a full time job and doing my studing part time. My problem is actually getting into uni when my supervisor is there and I have just had to spend a week there doing an intro course and they chose the WORST POSSIBLE week, It was A level biology practical time and I had to leave my two fairly new staff on one site to cope on their own although I spent the week before getting as much as possible ready and staying until the caretaker came round for the fourth time on the Friday before to get solutions made etc. (the head suggested that I fill in a form to show I had made up the time too - so much for their investors in people status).

Post the link I'm sure some people will fill it in - I was hoping that some of you might be able to help me later on too. My area is very specific and although I have a few potential contacts in other countries, I thought it would be interesting to find out what goes on elsewhere - in case you are wondering I'm researching science technicians in schools and their role in protecting practical science, where changes may have the potential to affect all sorts of other areas in education. -Of course this assumes that my supeervisor comes out of hiding so I can get on.

read a research document in your area that makes you so cross you feel you ought to write to the authors and put them right? There is an ongoing research project that is being reported in stages and I can see major flaws in their arguments, probably only noticable because I work in the area - and it looks as though they have conducted most of their research at arms length. On the other hand, it does show how little notice is taken of former research in the area (a couple of reports by others and my MA)and how easy it is to come to completely the wrong conclusion by choosing the wrong grouping criteria and overlooking areas of concern because they don't see what their data is showing them. Of course this is an eminent group (Profs and already docs etc.)at a respected university, so whatever I say won't make much difference will it? I'm still annoyed though.

i live really close, walking distance - but being part time I might just as well be living in another country. I work in a school - not teaching- and it is really difficult to get to see my supervisor (who is being a bit, no, very difficult to get hold of at the moment)as I have to sneak out - only my HOD and a few others know I have left the building as last time I needed time off they gsve me a form so I could prove that I had made up the hours, rather rude when often I am the last to leave- and of course when I'm not at school neither are the people I need to see! I'm supposed to have a personal supervisor who is not part of the supervisory team, but is kind of pastoral and is supposed to smooth these sort of things out but I have still to get one and being part time it is hard to contact the people, as they leave before I can phone them. So, I suppose living at a distance is similar to being part time with the same sort of downsides.