Hi,

As you've probably realised from your preliminary research, the Internet is a HUGE HUGE HUGE area of research. ALL established disciplines are engaging with it. Media and communications studies engages with it as 'new media' and there is a plethora of work happening in cybercultural studies (read Silver, bell, buckingham), cyber law, cyber ethics, safety, privacy, regulation, networking, young people/teens/identity/community and social networking (read Livingstone, Danah Boyd), media literacies (Livingstone, Buckingham), race and ethnicity studies online (read Nakamura, Gajjala), textual and narrative studies, hyper literacies (Landow, Bolter, Snyder, Burbules), ICTs and development (Mansell, Samrajeeva) and so on...I could go on.

Almost all schools with departments of Information Systems, Media and communications studies are opening jpint centers for the study of the internet or their existing faculty are making fantastic new ventures. So, for instance you have the UC Berkeley school of information, the Oxford Internet Institute, the Berkman center at Harvard, the USC annenberg center and so on. I cannot even begin to list the range of work you could do with the internet.

A good place to begin would be with these:

Check out the AOIR, the association of internet researchers website.
The following journals: New Media and Society, Information Communication and Society.

Read Livingstone and Lievrouw edited Handbook of New Media. Theres a student edition as well.


Instead of looking at schools, first decide on areas of interest. A lot has already been done. A LOT. and a lot still remains. Start from your own core background and look at a niche of interest, do a breif review of lit, then decide areas of tetaive focus, find out potential supervisors, and then reach the school. Read journals and the names I suggested, they are the best way to look for leading scholars.

Best.

Hi y'all,

Can anyone who's well into the PHD game suggest some tips for filing? When do you decide what to print or photocopy? What exactly do you ultimately end up keeping in hard copy? Also, given that people have earlier spoken of numbering their hard copies via endnote, how do you organize your hard copies? In alphabetical folders with authors last names or how else?

This is specifically for UK Phds: how much coursework did you have to do? What kind?

Hehe I agree, all schools put up these things...then it varies...i have seen people sobbing (literally, actually sobbing) about supervisors, I have also seen people sensing an intellectual resonance (which is possibly the best thing to wish for)...

Thanks sneaks..what if it isnt a conference in my area but more of an event where results from a project are being discussed..am likely to be the only student around actually....others being from organizations, bodies, press etc...?

Hi all,


this may sound silly...anyway, here goes...what am I supposed to do if I'm attending an event, lets say a seminar or something, where all the high and mighty are coming, and i know "nobody", and am just going to listen to people discuss and talk...the listening bit is ok.BUT what about things like tea and wine reception and so on...I feel extremely awkward..This isnt a conference mind you, its a project event etc etc..

Hi, I've studied in India, though not for an academic masters with such a huge thesis component. I have no experiences whatsoever for this, but I think, it may be useful to touch base with an Indian forum where there are actually people from Indian Higher Education discussing tips? They might be a bit more useful than us...also, check out the groups on the social networks, you may find some very valuable peer info there.

@alicepalace: The forms werent a big deal actually, you know, but the so many different essays I wrote for so many different advisor interests. Ultimately though, I entered with the person of my choice without even submitting a proposal. She just took me in at a meeting where we discussing a book LOL.

Hi!

I get the feeling this is a US Programme? Anyway, here in the UK, 1 or 2 hours every week with a leading academic for a MASTERS, is more than enough, and i seriously doubt if you can rightfully expect more time than that, they have scores of masters students, lots of personal research, phd students, departmental duties, teaching duties and office hours to maintain.

That said, speaking for my school in the UK, which is one the UK's historically best known academic institutions, a Masters project is supposed to be "a piece of independent work". Our supervisors are not supposed to read drafts. they indicate towards literature but rightfully expect the student to have read till a certain point.

Now, a small story. My Masters supervisor, a hugely renowned academic, let me meet her every week for the dissertation period. Pramod, we hardly spoke in details about my 'topic'. But you know why? It was because we had the most FASCINATING and inspiring conversations about our mutual interests, research passions, our field of work, scholars and so on. In the end, all of that filtered into my thesis. I made an effort to look beyond my thesis, she responded and in the end, it all structured my thesis simply because my background knowledge had grown in leaps and bound. Finally, I gave up 7 fully funded PhD offers form across the Uk and the US, including fellowships, to work with her for my PhD, with very little funding available in my institute.


The moral is, dont go to your Masters supervisor expecting PHD level of supervision. They have too much on their hands. And honestly, if you are getting 1 hr each week , for a masters, i think its more than enough. Go to the meeting "pro actively", instead of epecting to be told. Read journals actuvely, mark out scholars actievly, prepare an agenda, send it to him in advance of the meeting, ask specific questions, "inspire" and "motivate" him.

Finally, nothing, can be more satisfying, than to be able to motivate your advisor. Best. (up)

I can see you are doing the following things;

1. Worrying about "What Ifs"

2. Comparing with other students

Tell me, then what does one do, when one has put one's best foot forward. Still worry? Then everybody should do that, isnt it? The best of scholars can worry after their first book is published and is out there in the stores for just about *anybody* to pick up, rip apart and critique. The young academic should die of nerves when her first book is released and big names can see through their faults in jiffy. Everything let alone, the best of chefs can worry after laying out a laboriously prepared meal for high and mighty guests and perhaps...she may lose her job is the salt is not okay! What I am trying to say pineapple, is please try to define TWO things. First, what is REALITY? The reality is that you have done ABCD tasks. Finished. End of story. Next, what is the REST of the story? The rest of the story is you do not yet know the outcome of that reality. You dont have control over it. SO, stop thinking about it.

Consider this. What if you hadnt worked? What if you had horribly shallow results? What if you'd written 20,000 words and not 70? If the harder we work, the more insecure we feel, then both may only rise, but to no use....

I am sounding dreadfully like a wise old grandmom, but the truth is pineapple, please identify your fears, locate their 'real' causes, acknowledge them and then eliminate them.

cheers! And come out of "What if"s and comparisons...(up)

Hi, I think its different for different supervisors as well...some wont take a student in a particular year because they are so rushed off their feet with so much research and existing students, UNLESS, its a fantastic student. In such cases, if you really look up to this academic, you must put your best foot forward, and if you really one of his/her brightest and most intelligent in years, you are accepted.

Talking of more common situations though, check out the person's work, not just current work but trajectory of work, what have been their interests, then and now, what connects the then and now, what runs through their work. First question, does this trajctory inspire you? Does this area of work seem like your interest area? Then touch base with this academic with very specific questions, comments, whether she is taking in new people or not, whetehr she is interested in these topics for supervision or not...its best if you meet the academic, because you also need to know if u gel wel..


contacting by email sounds good, worked with me, for 7 schools for my pHD applications, though I chose the one where I did my MSc, and had the least funding...you can imagine therefore how much i meant for me to be able to work with the scholar I am working with :) good luck!

Uhhm pineapple, you sound as if you are just scared lol.. from what you wrote its all hard work, and dedication and detail, and perhaps extra work, so why worry? Ask yourself what you are really worried about...it seems its the fear of "what happens if things go a little wrong" rather than worry about having made adequate progress by 2nd year end...obviously as you yourself wrote (length, detail, work, supervisor comments, structure), progress is great!

Hi guys, am new to this forum, though I've been posting tons lately :p but whats a sticky thread? Also, do keep this up...remember the tons and millions of books that've been written on Phds and how tos and what nots? Probably just a few are really good...so this...is actually "empirical" data!!! keep writing in...once we reach 50, we'll collate the stuff together!

One more tip: I find this useful...to keep a PhD Journal. For me its hand written because I get so tired of typing all the while...just 5 mins at the end of the day before pushing off to bed, jotting down all that I did in the day...we've been speaking of this in the PGF in other threads as well....

Good Luck for all those who (like me) are trying to write....

PS: Anybody knows who this quote is by? Am paraphrasing it: Writing is when you look at a blank sheet of paper and beads of blood form on your forehead...or something like that LOL!!

By the way just a clarification, I didnt leave the uni or country cos of this incident, my post looked that way LOL!

By the way, the text I sent to my prof was on these lines:

hi dad, Prof XYX called again. He is *pathetic*. I mean, he is always trying to ask this studnet for this favour another one for another favour, really, like I was saying yesterday...I am sick of him...anyway, when u meeting us this evening?"

A story for you guys.

When I was back in my country, I had a professor who was urrrgh a horror. He was nice to people on the face, but anyway this was when I was particularly sick of him. I wrote a text to my dad, about how horrid he was and related stuff I was discussing earlier with my dad, and instead of sending it to my dad, I sent it to the professor.



Okay then comes the worse bit. I wrote a text to the professor saying it was my friend who played a trick on me with my cell (can u imagine a lamer excuse?!?!?!). No reply. Then I was so sad, I wrote a text to my best friend recounting the whole story and how I'd made up this little story of my friend played a trick on me...AND...hang on...I sent that text to my professor instead of my best friend.


Consequences:

1. he raged. Ranted.
2. I left the uni.
3. Left the country.
4. Left the continent.
5. Am doing fantastically well for myself.

But I shiver at the thought of what happened.


I have done worse. i have emailed my teacher with an email about another friends boyfriend problems (extremely personal stuff).

I am very bad with technology, especially when I am happy or sad or angry.


Now, think, is your situation worse than mine?? hahahhah!!!:p

hehe, I know, I know, I am doing a PhD in Communication studies, and people back in my country think it means some form of film/tv/journo/cultural studies stuff, and oh dear, I have a very tough time.

But, the pattern that I have developed is this:


So, what is your PhD on?

Uhmm...uhhhhm...Okay. (and then I say something that makes polite people say "Thats really interesting" and other people stare and stare)