1. correcting a reference in the bibliography (the one I got wrong was one of the internal examiner's - doh!)

2. re-writing a long, confusing sentence

3. correcting all the identified typos (I had several, but then you won't be surprised having read my posts on here!)

4. adding a couple of explanatory paragraphs in the methods section

That's fantastic, Piglet - well done!

No,BHC, the title is not the reason for all the hard work - knowing I've done something that is beneficial and unique is the best feeling - but the title is sure as hell a well deserved "perk".

I use mine in academic circles, I'm proud to. And yes, it's on my bank cards. I have worked hard and been through a lot to get there, and produced a unique, fantastic piece of work. As Ann says, I don't insist on it. There have been occasions outside of academia when merely confuses people, like when I work with medics. If that's the case I put (and ask others to put) Kronk Kronkodile, PhD. Friends of mine in industry do this too, it sets them apart from others who have ordinary degrees. It's the highest degree you can get, in terms of academic effort and personal anxiety. I think we deserve to promote ourselves!

Since you ask Adem, I was simply gobsmacked at how much my friend told me she would have to pay and wondered if it was the "norm".
Looking at the responses, I'm further surprised by the variability of these charges - ranging from 10 to 100 quid. I'm intrigued to know exactly how the institutions can justify them? As I said before, it's understandable if it's from a long time ago and involves someone trawling through lots of paper records - that's time consuming and disruptive. I appreciate that a *small* admin charge is reasonable in all cases, otherwise there would be more requests that unis could deal with. But if it's an excessive amount for simply accessing a computer record, it's daylight robbery.

£100?! Shelly, that's appalling!

I wonder if the uni's can legally charge such prices? There's been such a hoo-haa about bank charges lately, I find it really incomprehensible that universities can charge so much for what is essentially YOUR personal information.

I appreciate that a small charge is reasonable, but £100? No way!

I think a photocopy suffices - it's just having something to photocopy it from!

Ok, maths was never my strong point - at least I have my PhD to make up for it

I was having a discussion with a colleague today who wants to do a PhD with the OU. They've asked her to provide transcripts of her previous degrees, one from 15 years ago and one from 5 years ago.
She can't find her first one, and phoned the uni to arrange getting a copy - they want to charge £50 for it! Apparently other unis charge somewhere between 15 and 30 quid.

Persnally I think this is extortionate. I can understand charging for a degree transcript from several years ago, before computer records and involving manualy checking paper files, but for a record that can easily be found and just printed off? I think something like £5 would be more reasonable.

What do you all think? Anyone had similar experiences?

I'm wondering if Lara means she wants to do her PhD in a year, as in starting it a year from now?

Lara, tell us exactly what you want/mean

Congrats, Dr. Mistake

(now THERE's a name that would be a good book title...!)

can't help you either, but I have seen a fair share of mis-spellings that have made me cry with laughter...

example:

I recently had some wrought iron gates on my house. The invoice itemised it as "raw tyon" !!!!!!!!!

I too hope that she is found - same with Alan Johnton, the reported who's been missing for weeks.

I know that sounds odd, but even if Madeleine is found dead it would be a burden lifted - it would deliver closure. I cannot inagine what it must be like for a parent, to not know either way.
Wasn't there a case about 12 (?) years ago, when a young boy went missing on holiday and has never been found?

You're right Otto, crimes are crimes no matter where they are committed.

What I was trying to say was that it's psychological reasoning about locality and familiarity that influences media reportage and, ultimately, public reaction. You only have to look at the Rwandan genocide to see how the perceptions of those in high places outside that country, that continent, resulted in the lack of intervention and strong empathy for the victims.

Rather then the "extra"ordinariness, it's the nearness and the *ordinariness*, of cases like Madeleine's, like Holly Wilson and Jessica Chapman's, that provoke such strong reactions above the plights of many others. While this is lamentable, is is also to an extent understandable.

The French guy has a point - and indeed there are so many missing children in the UK alone who don't get this kind of publicity
http://www.missingkids.com

However what's made this case so high-profile are the many the social and familial circumstances surrounding it. It's happened on holiday, in a high quality family-friendly resort: the parents are both doctors who are (rightly or wrongly) coming under intense scrutiny for leaving their children alone: the Portuguese police are also coming under criticism for not acting quickly enough when her disappearance was first reported.

In short, it's something that's happened in an allegedly safe environnment, far removed from the horrors and social imbalances of child sex trafficking, which is why it's given so much attention

Good on you, Otto!

Sounds like this guy is too flummoxed by your observations and wants to stay in his own bubble

Personally I welcome any critiques (good OR bad) on my work and ideas. I work in mental health research and involving service users/carers in research projects is an essential part of my working remit. It's not just people within academia who should feel able to challenge work, but the rest of the public as well. It can be quite a chastening experience to have someone say to you "well this is all very well, but I've no idea what this MEANS", but it makes you think carefully about the way you present your work.

In short, academics may not like criticism from "juniors", but whether they do or not, it's something they need to get over - fast.