Hi Barcode,

my advice would be to persevere: The more I read this forum the more it becomes clear to me that it is not intellectual ability (not my intention to be disrespectful) but more perseverance which is the key to success in the PhD. See all the messages of people who feel low, the problems with the tuition, the lack of guidance etc. It seems that the ones who keep going eventually will finish the process and will succeed.

Hi Missworry,

I think the reading and research proposal take a lot of (well spent)time, once you have done this and are into the actual research and have results things actually can go very quickly, it then mainly a matter of keeping going and discipline.

Hi Hatelife,

I think it was Corinna who asked you the question already: Your choice of username seems to tell a lot about your current state. Or is it now even worse?

I am not sure yet your way of writing seems to indicate that your really had enough and you could be suffering from a depression or burn out. It probably would be a good idea to speak to some people regarding how you feel and what you are going to do about it. Obviously it is also good to voice your concerns in this forum but more productive may be to speak to friends / GP /counseller?

Hi Shani / Corinne

just reacting on you remark Shani; Surely if your name is on the paper esp if you are the first author one should see it as your researh.

I would tend to agree with previous remarks that the more and the sooner you publish the better, afterall the idea of a PhD is that you have proven that you can produce work which worth its mark in the research community

Hi Chrisrolinski,

just wanted to share an experience regarding poster presentation. Recently went to the Quality and Safety Forum in Health Care in Barcelona. People presented their poster. What struck was that the things which were presented were not "Great ideas", on the contrary often very down to eart and not by definition new. Quite a few people in the audience could quote similar and better studies yet the presenters were praised for their work and not criticised.

May be that helps to put things into perspective

Hi Otto,

although your remarks may not always have been appropriate and sometimes may have been hurtful for some people, you did bring in quite a few interesting points and made the forum lively.

Good luck

Hi Yick,

my project is my own idea, and the advantage is that it is interesting yet the disadvantage is that I have to find everything out myself and the enthousiasm of my supervisor(s) is , to say the least, limited.

Maybe in their project it would be the other way round making life a lot easier!

Thanks, Chrisrolinski,

yeah seems a ruthless world, strange as you would expect everyone to be well educated. Maybe we are all asymmetrically developed (good in science, less with people?)

Regards

Rick

Hi Otto,

I would see myself as a novice in the research world, so maybe not best person to give you advice. My experience in general with professional people is that there is a huge range between some who are open to feedback (not so much criticism) and others who are really finding this very problematic.

I think a crucial point is how the feedback is delivered. There is in medical education the feedback scheme from Pendleton (first ask what the author thinks are the good things, then you say what you saw as good, later ask for what the author thinks him or herself could have been done differently, then your view regarding this)

Maybe this could be a useful approach for you

Hi Ann

thanks

Yeah you may well be right if things have to be repeated several times. The literature research I have done already so would safe me some time.

Are you a qualitative or quantitative researcher?

Wow, Badhaircut,

reading your story this does not sound very promising, at least how you define things. Strange the imbalance between the amount of effort, stress and anxiety related to doing a PhD, which comes forward in this forum, and then the actual benefit consisting of not being able to find a suitable job.

I think your statement helps to put things into perspective, seeing the PhD an issue, but absolutely not the crucial thing in life.

Obviously feel sorry for you regarding your difficulties in finding a proper job.

Was just reflecting on what have I actually learned. I have been working several months now on my project( quality in healthcare) and doing a literature review has been helpful regarding getting an overview regarding the subject. I notice that, at least that seems to be, that I know the subject quite well and are able to refer to the literature (by heart!) Also writting a research proposal has helped in putting things in a logical order and to make a complex matter clear for myself and hopefully for the reader.

Any other things people have learned?

I know that this is a question like "How long is a piece of string" yet would be interested whether anyone had any personal experience in developing a valid and reliable questionnaire.
My supervisor mentioned something like a year which seems a bit excessive to me.

Any views?

Hi Strcopy,

I am from Holland and look at quality in healthcare

Welcome

it is interesting to see and read your views. Could well be that people get lulled into the PhD without really understanding what it is all about. And obviously although I understand that part of the learning process is mastering problems yourself, there may be well be a big need for counselling / mentoring / supervision or whatever you want to call it. In fact this forum could be seen as a support service!