I would use 'data' for singular or plural. 'Datum' sounds outdated to me. As it's a grey area, follow the practice of your discipline.

Strangely, if you pronounce 'data' as the Americans do (DA-TA), it doesn't sound so wrong.

When I'm undecided about word usage, I Google the two phrases and I use the one with the most hits....crude but often effective.

As far as I'm aware a book's page number(s) must be stated whether or not there is a direct quote, and the only exception to this is when referring to the book as a whole (eg. the works of Adam Smith...).

This is my experience from using legal citations - but I think with Harvard it's only necessary to page number when quotes are used, as PhDbug says.

I guess it depends on your discipline. If you veer more towards law or business, I'd recommend putting in page numbers.

======= Date Modified 16 Mar 2009 07:09:04 =======
No, it's not grades, just shorthand for pass with minor corrections (normally a month to re-submit or sometime the corrections can just be done immediately after the viva) and pass with major corrections/'referred' (i.e. 3 months or 18 months to resubmitted with revisions).

I cannot remember the percentage breakdown for all the stages, but it was 10% pass with no corrections, and 10% fail. The biggest two categories were pass with minor or major corrections.

There are no grades at PhD, it is ultimately pass or fail, but I have seen a CV stating ' PhD [with no corrections]'. I suppose the 'grade' element is reflected in whether or not its published.

======= Date Modified 16 Mar 2009 06:14:44 =======
Hi guys...I'm trying to keep away from forums at the moment as it's taking up too much of my time! I'm actually going to unplug my broadband connection from today, and connect it to my very slow laptop, so I can just check emails. (Hmmm, I wonder how long I'll be able to stay away from the internet vortex).

Lara, the email sounds fine. Bear in mind, if they don't choose supervisors within the next couple of months, you won't get a viva until Sept (because they generally won't do vivas over the summer), so it's good you are pushing your supervisor about it now.

My accountability: I have one month to re-write and expand a huge chapter, and I'm planning to do 8-10 hours a day. Do you have the link to that stop watch you used Lara? I need one that I can stop and start, and it adds up the time.

======= Date Modified 16 Mar 2009 06:03:45 =======
On the subject of failing, I was told by an instructor that teaches on those Grad School courses that roughly 10 per cent of candidates fail their PhD - we were given a full break-down of those who pass, pass with minors, pass with majors, pass with MPhil and fail. Frankly, the stats were quite scary, but I'm not convinced they reflect the current reality as I know some very, very average PhD students who have passed.

Yep Sneaks is right. I got my PhD funding because I met my supervisor during a masters course, and got to speak to him about research.

Funding for masters is more about grades though...I misread the question and thought it was about PhDs, not masters.

I put "other" as you are missing 'research proposal'.

Hey Lara,

Things are going slow with me, but I have shifted my submission date to the summer. I'm getting really annoyed with my PhD now, and just want it finished. I've decided to leave a number of areas out of it as it's becoming too big (or resigning issues to footnotes) - hopefully, they won't be picked up by the examiners.

It sounds like you're doing quite well with viva prep. Will you be having a mock viva? My dept' doesn't seem to do them. Also, have you got any further with the appointment of examiners? At least that is something which is sorted at my end (I hope!).

Olivia, I'm sorry to hear this too. You should make it a priority tomorrow to contact your supervisor (do what ever you need to do to make contact), and request a face-to-face meeting about what has happened.

I too find a number of points strange. First, the fact you've gone thru upgrades etc. but now they're telling your thesis isn't even up to MPhil standard. Second, as mentioned by CeCeF, the fact your supervisor was in the room but not facing you (either they attend the viva or not). Thirdly, the lack of clarification about why you failed.

It seems your experience is very bad, particularly with respect to the lack of clarification as to why you failed.

You should contact your supervisor tomorrow, and whoever in your university deals with student guidance on these matters, and the head of graduate studies. You need to press your supervisor for an appeal, and also contest the appropriateness of the examiners, assuming you found them unfair. Also, did you agree with your supervisor on the appointment of these examiners? It is your right to be jointly involved in the appointment. On appeal, you can get new examiners appointed if your supervisors thinks you were unfairly treated.

I hope you find some resolution soon.

Students are more cheeky now because they are paying for their education, so they expect more in return. But so many of them fail to realise the difference (or are not told the difference) between being spoon-fed at A level and independent learning/creative thought at university level. Although, I remember having this drilled into me by our HoD in the first week of my degree. I say reply to the above email, because, first, the person should not be let off with his/her comments, and, second, students are only too keen to complain now, so one needs to constantly cover one's arse.

A few guys in my old university used to call the HoD 'the manager' because they were paying fees, and when anything went awry, e.g. a long queue in the library, calls of 'where's the manager?' could be heard.

======= Date Modified 07 Mar 2009 21:55:10 =======
Reply and defend yourself more explicitly, because no doubt they'll make a point of complaining on any feedback form.

Edit: I think they are being a little cheeky with you because of the 2nd and 3rd sentence of the email, but then maybe I'm just too cynical.

======= Date Modified 06 Mar 2009 13:43:58 =======
LSE definitely has the best rep in the US, but KCL is higher in the world rankings (if you take notice of those things). For IR, I'd say without doubt go to LSE, but I have no idea about its reputation for a human rights course (in fact, I didn't know they had one).

With respect to academic experience, I think you'll get a very good one at either of the three colleges.

Congratulations Ruby! You must feel so much relief. LOL at your thesis dream - you'll probably have that dream for years to come.

Happy belated birthday Lara!! Sounds like you had great time!

I went for a postdoc job last year and had to produce three references up front even before shortlisting - I found this really unnecessary and just lazy on behalf of the university. In the 'real world', companies don't request references until a job has been offered to a candidate because they don't value what's written in them anymore.