Having said that I intend to get some people to participate in my research in this way but will make sure it follows the ethical guidelines set out by the university. It sure beats trekking up and down the country half a dozen times to get the info.

I have used these for material for my MA and they were very useful. The thing is though that the group was a closed website, I was a member too, and the material could not be seen by those outside the group, plus most of the material I used from this source was for data (20% of the respondents said xyz type of thing). If the material you intend to collect could be in any way damaging (even in ways that you might not even consider)to the idividual then you would probably need to make sure that there was some site security from that point of view, so that it could not be viewed say by another member of the family/partner looking at the website history on the computer for example. You would also need to make sure they knew what they were paticipating in and were told how they could get the material withdrawn if they wanted to.

My uni has the same thing, a compulsory course. I thinkit is becoming standard now since PhDs were put on a stricter timeline for completion. I've spoken to the guy running our course and explained how difficult it will be to get a whole week off because of the nature of my job, and we are going to work through the seminars and see which ones I need to go to, and which ones I can miss (but that is only because I did my MA here and know all about the postgrad library/IT setup etc as I work there some Saturdays.) I think it discriminates against part time students, and those of us who work in education because no-one is supposed to take time off during term time, but if you have to do it, you have to do it. A day or so isn't much notice, but to defer means just that, it doesn't mean you can get out of doing it, it is a required element.

I would only ever go down the formal complaint route if you are absolutely 100% certain you will never again want to work in the academic world in the same field. They have long memories, and tend to consider a complaint against one of them as a personal affront, after all you are suggesting they have employed someone who is very substandard. Only you can decide if you want to take that risk at the moment, decide what is most important for you and if you can still get on the PhD go for that and put the rest down to experience. It will perhaps be a hard decision but it will be better than tying yourself in knots because you are pursuing something that just isn't going to happen.

the number one thing you must do is keep calm. Do your utmost to avoid antagonsing this character. It will cost you little in the long run to keep him a bit sweet, but if you are still working in the same area you are almost bound to come up against him later on in another context and he could cause you trouble. If you can, go to see him and talk face to face, explain your problem and ask for his advice (people usually love to be asked for their advice ). Be an eager learner and flatter him a bit say you really want to finish and ask him for the best way forward, if there is no way forward, let it go, put it down to experience and move on, don't dwell on what might have been, because it hasn't happened, but don't burn your boats either because you never know when the chap might be of use to you later - and when you have made it, go back and thank him for his help, be gracious in victory, revenge may come later!!!

This is a difficult one isn't it? You don't want to put in too many explanations because after all in the first instace you are writing for your peers, but on the other hand I often find that when I'm reading articles I'm looking up loads of words just to make sure I understand exactly what they are going on about and even then I sometimes I get to the end of a sentence and wonder what on earth they are trying to say,because they are soooo long. I usually assume they understand and write accordingly, but then I always think that whatever I write is not good enough - and to add to the problem, I think quoting someone I now know is definately cringeworthy, but you have to do it don't you! On balance I would err on the side of formality, but assume they understand most of the terms that I am using.

If I were you I would get going as soon as possible, just so you don't lose momentum. The part time route is a good one. I did that, in fact I nearly completed it in one year anyway I just had to wait for the right module to be offered in the second year to complete, however that also gave me a bit of extra time to finish the dissertation. - I missed the distinction by 0.2% how mean was that.

I have a vague memory of it being something to do with the length of one of the bones in the thumb, I think it is the last bone, i.e. the one furthest from the palm. This would go with all the other measures of the time, like the ell etc.. Yours of course may be a bit bigger, but many (but not all) people were shorter in those days and presumably had smaller bones to match

I'm still waiting to hear, but expect they are waiting until the next time they meet up. not to worry, I've got more than enough stuff to keep me going where I am working, so I would probably have too much to do to do anything about it at the moment. I'll give them a few more weeks, then I will get in touch with my supervisor (yes, I have one, even though I haven't been given a place yet)and see what is going on.

you could take a photo with a copy of the newspaper or a receipt from the canteen or similar with a date and time on it in the picture you couln't fake that. that would be your proof that the room was tidy. Don't let them take decisions about your future without you being there, confront the person and just ask them what they are playing at

this is an interesting extract, i think I will see if the uni has, or will get, a copy for the library!

Just to let you know I have sent in a revised proposal today. the supervisor says it is good, but as they don't have the final word it is still in the balance. Don't think I will be able to start September though unless they let me off the induction now and let me do it later (won't be able to arrange time off at such short notice and with other things that are going on), oh well, just wish me luck. Funny thing is though everyone seems to agree if you are self funding there isn't much of a problem getting a place, but I suppose that may be only valid if you are doing something within the department's comfort zone!

I suppose I'm just a bit annoyed that one of the people who is querying the validity of the area is in the same dept as the prof who thought it was good, and has made the type of comments that firstly need far more than the few words allowed in the original proposal to answer - if I had had unlimited space then they would have been there to start with - and secondly suggest to me that this person has the ideas on the subject that I am trying to change! I thought the idea of the proposal was just that, all the books you read tell you not to worry about the title, because it is just a working title and will change, just a basic outline will do (which is all you can fit on the two sides allowed )and now they are suggesting that the title is all, and need proof that the problem exists with masses of data, the only way you could get all that on is to use size one type - new version will, I think spread to about 16 pages, but prof says just do it, so I shall..

I'm in a bit of a quandry here. I developed my proposal with help from my potential department, and the prof thought it was good, had an interview, which he also thought was good, but now have had a note to say that someone doesn't like it, has made comments, which could only be answered in a longer submission (and I think the dean is not so keen on the titleand therefore is not going to let it through unless I change tack a bit) should I a) chnage it as requested, but then spend time investigating areas that I find off the main point I want to make, and is one of the reasons why I want to do it in the first place b)go to another uni with it, although the one I have applied to has the right kind of expertise and enthusiasm,and are quite keen or c) give up the idea because the area is far too controversial for anyone to want to take it on board? Its in the humanities area and I'm funding myself

you should also make sure you keep a copy of the material (as website addresses can change, and if they go to look they may not find it) then if someone asks you can show then where it came from