Wait a minute, it is unclear whether LucyDee is doing a research degree or coursework... I assumed you were enrolled in a Masters research degree with the intention of conversion to a PhD.

jonwilliams - you're thinking of Masters by Coursework, as opposed to the Masters by Research degree which is what LucyDee is doing.

LucyDee - if you decide to change course partway through your current degree, you wouldn't be the first who has done that, so it's entirely possible. The best thing to do is ask the destination dept/faculty whether your proposal to change is possible. Different depts at different universities have different requirements and prerequisites.

Full time PhD plus full time employed is dodgy as hell. We have rules and regulations which are explicit against such practices.

Also, someone mentioned above about salary being higher than a stipend, that may be true but stipends/scholarships are usually tax free which in many ways more than makes up for it.

I'm not very familiar with Wellcome grants but perhaps you should look into the conditions of the grant itself? Have you retained the paperwork?

In my personal experience in the research field, conference expenses and similar activities have been covered by the university dept itself, ie. if you have a poster or research presentation to present then the dept as a representative student or staff of the dept, the dept will pay for your travel and conference expenses. How the dept handles the accounting side of things (eg. drawing from dept funds or diverting finances from research grants) is case by case.

Applying for casual/PT work while you're doing your PhD is one thing, but applying for work after you've completed the PhD is another. You'd most likely have to explain why you're looking for that kind of work with a PhD already in hand.

d'oh.. ok you were right on both counts then.

What do you mean you're 'just a PhD'? It's more about the quality of the work and results that decides whether a paper is accepted, rather than the qualifications of the author (in theory, that is).

As for keeping everyone informed, whenever we had papers doing the rounds for journal acceptance, we'd keep each of our other co-authors informed about each step of the process. It's half the fun! It's like a roller coaster ride with ups and downs, amendments, rejections, guessing who the reviewers may be from the feedback received, the political repercussions amongst the ego-driven researchers. There's almost enough emotional content for a reality TV series.

My response about preparing your CV to suit the job application was directed at LittleMe. It looks like he/she is in a better position to explain his/her part-time work situation.

piglet - unless you were also working part-time during your PhD and are able to provide a connected timeline, you can't leave out the entire 5 years of your life. But keep in mind, the shop manager wouldn't hire you because he/she knows you'd leave tomorrow if you were offered a PhD-related position. The others are correct that there are employers out there who are more understanding of your current employment needs.

That's "SixKitten", not "SexKitten". Freudian-slip much?

oh crap. I think I misread krashty's second question. By saying krashty is wrong am I saying I AM in the humanities/social sciences field?

How many times were you able to produce the results previously? Or were the results once-off so far? I assume you've looked into batch numbers and expiry/best before dates of all your reagents and assay components?

Don't be afraid to leave things out of your CV depending on which jobs you are applying for, while maintaining a certain amount of integrity in your self-presentation.

Did you ever hear the parable about 7 blind men who discover an elephant the first time? One of the blind men who is touching the elephant's foot describes the animal's resemblance to a tree trunk. Another who is touching its trunk describes it as more a snake-like creature. And so on..

If you are at risk of being over-qualified for a temp job or in retail, you don't have to tell them you're doing/completed a PhD. Tell them you are/were a uni student and leave it at that, you get the drift. There are different ways you can describe yourself that will fit the circumstances of your job interview.

Krashty - you are correct in the first, and wrong in the second.

I'm sure AnnieG will receive lots of support and encouragement from many on the forum and elsewhere. Sometimes it is also beneficial to hear words that are already apparent to yourself and others albeit subconsciously (or not), to bring the issues to the fore. And that's why we're all here, variety (in contructive/supportive responses you will receive) is the spice of life.

I mentioned in another recent thread that high-achieving individuals sometimes have trouble maintaining relationships with other high-achieving individuals. When it does work out it usually involves compromise, sacrifice, mutual agreement, patience, amongst other things.

Maturity and life experience also helps a great deal.

Hmm.. sounds very questionable. Where I'm from, friendly communication is key, and it works most of the time. That is why we have numerous meetings (ie journal clubs, administrative, maintainence, committees of various issues, staff).

If it was me, I would be speaking to my supervisors about this ASAP. Better to sort this out now than later when publication, IP and acknowledgement issues develop into costly undertakings.

Do not be coerced into something that smells like a rat. Supervisors and established researchers are known to play underhanded games to gain an advantage in the research field. I'm not saying your supervisors are underhanded scum, the whole thing might be a genuine oversight. If in doubt, make an appointment with your university/institution's legal or intellectual property or research administrative dept to learn more about your rights. Students have rights too.