I think she does it because that's how people used to write before word processors - I reckon that it looks nicer with clear breaks. We do have to follow APA format though so I'll check that.

it may be she's going on APA format version 1 (circa 1805 or something) and the updated one is different (?)

Yeah, my sup indents mine for me when she edits, but its annoying me - I'd rather double space, but I want it to be 'right'.

I can't work out what to do so...

i'm going with 'poorly positioned'

Thank you :-)

ok - more info here's my full (adapted sentence)

Nevertheless, many researchers argue that [polar bear] interviewers are ill-placed to conduct research with [penguins], because they are disadvantaged in gaining trust, building rapport and therefore are unable to elicit personal or private information from participants

yeah, I was thinking about the north/south divide :-) For anyone unclear - I'm not actually doing research on penguins, or polar bears.

what I;m trying to say in the sentence, is really that the polar bears - being bears, will be unable to really understand where the penguins are coming from, and therefore won't be able to elicit 'authentic' responses from them in qualitative interviews. (I then go on to persuade the reader (hopefully) that bears can indeed do this, just with a few simple tweaks to their methodology).

yeah, 'unsuitable' isn't quite right, neither is unable - because they can and IMO should research 'penguins', its just their situation in life (being carnivorous bears) puts them at a slight disadvantage.

I'd do it in something that either genuinely interests you, or has great employability. I'd also consider that masters fees will be rising this year in reaction to undergraduate fees going up. (the course I teach on is raising their fees a bit this year and then more next year, so we'll charge more than an undergrad year - because then its seen as worth more. hmmmm).

If your looking for an option that will give you employability, you may be better off going into a graduate scheme e.g. PWC, Deloitte, Shell, HSBC etc.

I think if you're going to do a correlation, then you can use kendall's tau - I could be wrong, check in Field (2009)! but I think you can use that for all of them.

ooh good luck Wal, I;m at the stage where I just want to get the blimmin thing out of the way now, so I'm very envious.

I'm sure you'll be fine - I hear those coloured page markers are a god send for the viva prep.

I've used the word/phrase 'ill-placed'

i.e. "polar bears are ill-placed to conduct research on penguins, because they may eat them"

Is this correct - it sounds fine to be, but *looks* a bit wrong, its not coming up with any errors in word though.

Dr wannabe - I wrote little essays (anywhere between 2k and 7k words) on each section of the literature. I still haven't written my proper lit review but have about 40k words from which I will summarise a lit review.

i found this the best way, as I could read all round one subject, get it all down and then move on to the next subject.

I *should* have gone back to these with any recent references that came out (i.e. 2009/2010) but I didn't - haha oh well!

I have a little bit the same issue. My hubs works full time and is also finishing a PhD. But I work part time as an RA and am finishing my PhD. I'm committed to mine and want to get it done, so I would like every spare minute to do work on it. He'd prefer to come home and watch tv - the catch being I *have* to sit next to him and watch it with him (no matter how dull it is).

So the compromise we've made is that I will spend 'quality time' (urgh hate that phrase) with him if he decides on soemthing to do for a shorter amount of time. E.g. go to the cinema, for a meal, watch a film, but then I have time to concentrate on my PhD - so the time together is focussed, we both appreciate it and then move on to do other stuff, so its the best of both worlds.

hmm, ok, maybe I'll compile a list at some point to see how many acronym and technical words there are. I was going to be referring to all my participant groups in acronyms, but now I've changed what they're called, so they'd all have the same initials - which would be very confusing lol. (e.g. chicken littles (CL) and Canary Littles (CL) ) so won't need to do that now.


I'm ok - getting back to writing. Just had a HUGE argument with hubs which is a bit rubbish -mainly around the crappness of academic careers and any future I may have in academia. :-(

Just doing some writing (first time for a long time) and I have quite a few terms - I do obviously explain them in the text and do not abbreviate the first time, and I always make sure I put the full term (not the abbreviation) the first time it is mentioned in each of the chapters.

But I was wondering if I should put a glossary in too.

half of me thinks it would be good (and add another page :-) ) but half of me thinks its a bit 'primary school report'.

Any opinions welcome