What a pity...

What a pity...

Is this below unique to a phd programme, or to higher education alone? Discrimination and other such foul things plague every sector of human life and yes, critical voices within and outside the system continue to point these out. What is especially interesting about the PhD case? How is it different (am not saying it isn't) from let us say malpractices within industry, larger global corporations, medicine and health, international charities? I could go on.

And when you say end of career, are you in a programme and want an exit and would like to do a write up? Have you evaluated the other side as well, i.e. those who do have positive experiences, even if not uniformly positive?

Maybe I don't understand, but me and my sup don't do 'written feedback', that's a part of the committee's formal assessment tasks. But doubtless, I have a supervisor with whom I have the best possible of intellectual conversations, and this absolutely directly strengthens my work. I wouldn't imagine doing it otherwise! P'haps it's a question of style...

======= Date Modified 14 13 2009 20:13:14 =======
Hi guys,
I was in the line for two scholarships, one internal another external. Have recently won the internal one, and been shortlisted for the external one, waiting for the next step. They chopped it down from around 600 to a little less than 90. The next step is the interview and then they chop by 50% and that's it.

For the first time I am about to present my work to scholars who are definitely NOT in my field at all, perhaps one of a panel somewhat remotely related. As you know, I am first year, 6 months in, have some data with me, but that's all. I was wondering if any of you have any tips whatsoever on what kind of a situation this could be, and what it would be good to keep in mind. Also this second one has had almost no history in funding people from my field. I am surprised to have even made it to the panel. Of course they wanted to know all changes in my financial status after I submitted the app, so I have informed them of the first scholarship (which is a one year thing so doesn't change the situation too much either way)...it's the non-field scholarly audience sitting to cut candidates by half that's worrying me...

Any tips from anyone will be highly appreciated :-)

Can't help further with the topic, but the social scientist in me is intrigued (though not surprised) by your use of the unifying monolithic term 'Indian culture'...as for the tree, I think you need other reasons to choose a topic... but as I said, if your purpose is the degree to get into the entrance level exams for a college job somehwere...go ahead.

Hi, I could not honestly say that a three year degree (meaning a less than three years submission) is usual. Far from it. I write as someone who is bound (for reasons more than one) to get a 3 yr degree, and finance herself as overseas student, and build a great CV. Yes, scholarships have been coming in bits and pieces, and these all are great. But yes, the last 7 months have been spent in doing one great RA ship (ongoing), 3000 word essays for the thesis every fortnight (total that up...), three conferences in the pipeline, a paper emerging, a report emerging from work on a consultancy project, some talks, one guest teaching for the MSc people. Oh, and fieldwork which began as a pilot but ended up being rich and extensive.

And, NOTHING except all of this. This is fine uptil now, and if this is maintained, yes, probably a 3 yr finsh is possible. I can only say that because I write a LOT, my supervisor reads a LOT, is extremely prompt, I do almost NOTHING except my PhD work and CV related stuff.

But, as i said, if something goes wrong, health fails, something else fails, we'll have to add time. In my case, it is not possible to add time for a number of reasons. But it's like a ball of string. You want so many things, and you have so much time. it is upto you how to balance stuff, and only you can figure out how best to do it (gosh, am beginning to sound like my sup!). But for sure, I know people who did it within three years, field greats, field not-so-greats, a peer who is about to submit, but yes, they didn't quite build brilliant CVs alongside, only thesis...

whether BOTH thesis and rich CV can work out in 3 yrs is a mystery to me, I shall answer you better in 2011 (hopefully!). In your case, it depends, is it just the thesis? Or are you set to put publicatons, presentations, teaching, good RAships etc, funding etc on your CV? If it is only the thesis, give yourslef some more time, plan it out, and it is doable I think...

Not impossible, but unusual...the 3 yr thing...

The blog thing below is just meant to be ignored, we get many of this kind on here... amusing actually!

A proposal is about a specific topic. A topic is usually at the intersect of a range of themes, sub themes and so on, possibly even touching upon diverse fields/disciplines. So your proposal outlines your questions in a narrower sense than your interests.

I cannot think of an example except things I know about. So if my research proposal (i.e. the bit where I talk of my topic) is about let us say teens and social networking sites with a number of interesting questions, then my research interests could include: digital media, social applications, young people and new media and so on.

Or if my proposal is to do with the practices of tiger conservation in forest X of village Y in Country Z, then my research interests could well include: forestry, cross cultural practices of conservation, probably even topics under ecology, geography, botany and so on.


You move to your topic from your interests. Similarly, your topics can be the hub from where you expand and develop a furutre expertise in many (overlapping) areas of research.

I am doing RA-ship work, designing a draft brochure for an upcoming conference, proofreading 3 dozen abstracts, trying to figure out if I can also do some work on an upgrade document that I intend(ed) submitting as a draft to my sup on the 20th, plus working out bills and finances.

And, Easter? What Easter?

I think they look for a good student (with 65% and above grades) whose interests have a fit with a faculty member who is able and willing to supervise the project and with whom (usually) the student has established contact, and of course with good references (which provide substantial detail) and the general demonstration of the ability to conduct doctoral research (writing standards, fluency in English, some depth of analysis etc).

What's the "my dear" for... I wonder..... And I don't think Pample asked for your CV. Since you co authored those papers, you must be equipped to work in research environments and must have had the experience of research processes in any case...

so what kind of help do you want?

This is a process that can vary infinitely and everyone on here will give you their own idea of what works for them. So here's what works for me: I find it useful to start from a structure. So I am one of those people who spend the most amount of time designing a table of contents, upto heading 3 for each section. This changes as I go along but it helps me to envisage a complete whole from the start, and then I alter bits as the writing flows.

I have recently received some very useful advice, which may be helpful. Once you have a draft, you can run this check: do I have a 'problem/gap/puzzle'? Have I added stuff to it to flesh it out? Have I brought out the three or four best points I have to offer a solution/suggest a way forward? Have I planned out a conclusion that is more than just a summary of what I have written? Have I then gone back and revised my introduction to introduce this highly altered document properly?

Other questions I ask myself which helps with structure are:

1. At the end of each section: What is the best point I am making here? Does it come across clearly?
2. At the end of the piece: Have I threaded together the series of 'best points' well? Does it offer some sort of a narrative?
3. At the end of a rough draft: Where are the gaps? What do I need to insert to fill the gaps?


And one last. My supervisor who has taught me that a well written piece may well travel through many (!) versions, reminds me that writing is like chiseling a lump of clay. Version after version after version. But each is progress...

Good luck!

Hi, sorry for staying away from my own post for so long. Yes, so there are discrepancies. I think, in my case they call it a 10,000 word proposal and my truly fantastic sup will have aread and then we will have 2 supervisions before its is submitted, and then 2 more before the viva with her and the committee.

I am thinking of it in two ways: A) the structure: this I find it useful to derive from grant proposals that scholars write for funding, these things do need to have a solid coherent and comprehensive structure, which works fine for me in it sinclusion sof rationale, objectives, expected data, project management plan and B) the intellectual content within this structure in which case I am inclined to use the essays I've written for the fortnightly supervisions over the term.

I have a draft which looks ok, and in the appendices I include works cited, an indicative bibliography and the fieldwork instruments (in prep).

Comments welcome!

======= Date Modified 07 Apr 2009 10:31:42 =======
Nisha, I don't know what university you would like to link your PhD with, but it would perhaps be useful to try and work out a way in which you can have a conversation with students of Botany in some good univs in New Delhi (I'm thinking of JNU perhaps?)...ask them how they did it? they are likely to share similar resources...

If you are based elsewhere, and are looking for the degree just to qualify the State and National Eligbility tests for college teaching or even the school service commission examinations, perhaps you are right, you just need to find a topic that's under researched and go and get the degree. In that case, travel to the local universities and see what those ahead of you have done. In any case, it is worth having a word with students at JNU, or the Indian Institute of Science etc..

Good luck :-)