I work in the somewhat uninspiring field of subjective outcome measurement. This means that I ask question...yes/no, maybe/maybe not, proper well painful/ doesn't hurt at all...and so forth and so forth.

Does anyone want to swap PhD research projects in fact?

I back up everything I do online. There's a lot of free stuff available to do this and you can set some of the software to back your stuff up continuously in the background, as you work. This has actually saved me more than once.

Sounds great. I don't suppose you have any funding available. I'm not asking for much, just taxi fare to the airport, return ticket for the aeroplane, a taxi to the hotel, a hotel room, money for (relatively) fine dining, just a bit of spending money for the time I'm there, taxi money back to the airport and then just taxi fare back to where a live for when I land back in the UK.

I would like to be a contestant on Bullseye. I can't throw darts but it doesn't matter because the grand prize was usually a speed boat anyway. And the losers always got 'BFH'...bus fare home.

Hello Catlinbond, I am in exactly the same predicament of you. I also have the same fantasy as you too - I even play the lottery! I also feel cheated as well, because I got told it all comes together in the 3rd year after the second year blues. I, like you, doubt I'll ever complete in the 3rd year and I've been eyeing up some jobs in an alarm factory near me for September, planning on working on my PhD in the evening as I write up.
Motivation is a funny thing because I find I never really have it when I actually need it. I'm motivated about the thought of doing work until I actually start it. I'll share the few tips for motivation that I have - however pathetic they may sound (but they are mine :$)...

1) You'll be a doctor. I'm planning on putting it on my Visa Electron card. The bank will probably even upgrade me to a Maestro-Switch card.

2) You're stood at a bus stop in the rain with a crowd of other people. Secretly, you know that you're probably the only one with the title Dr.

3) Just wait until the Government Census survey comes through your letter box next time!

4) There's no more qualifications to get after this one - at least none that are as difficult.

5) You must have (or be close to getting) all the data you need now. There's no point in stopping because you'll have nothing to show for all your hard work.

6) The writing up part is the last big hurdle. All PhD students have to go through it and no-one really enjoys it. Anything worth achieving is hard.

They are my [pathetic] personal reasons.

I think in relation to yourself, you've just taken a really long break. It can often be difficult to start again after a break. The advice below is excellent. In addition, you can try the Pomodero (sp?) technique, start your own accountability thread (or join one - like the What I have left to do thread) and see the progress you make (however little - it all counts) over a few days or a week. Arrange a meeting with your supervisors, explain the situation and set goals with them. You will get there in the end ;-)

Dun Dun Dun DUNNN! ...or... Funhouse, it's a whole lot of fun, prizes to be won - use your body and your brain, if you want to play the game - FUN HOUSE! Nope, I've not finally cracked or owt because of the stress of my PhD. In my moments of procrastination today, reading every online newspaper and laughing at funny videos on Youtube, I've been troubled by a new research question. A question so troubling that no one has dared ever answer it, let alone even ask it. Well, I intend to settle it once and for all with a new survey study.

What game show would PhD students most like to star on as a contestant?

I realise that we currently have a 2 year prospective study of PhD students' favourite type of programme and that there is a danger of survey fatigue. However...my research is ethical and justified since research into PhD students is sorely lacking. For instance, we don't even know whether PhD students prefer tea or coffee. Imagine what Nestle would pay for such an insight!

Now, due to the limitations of my research data collection tool (a 4 point nominal scale [we need more research tools mods!]) the scope of my study is limited, so please feel free to add the show in the comments if it is not included. I'll just put the 4 most popular ones.

The time limit for this study will last just 1 week, so that I can increase my research output before my viva. Well, I do need something to show!

Swimming was fun today! It uses every muscle in your body and I forgot just how invigorating and relaxing it can be. Reminds me of being a school kid though, as I still stink of chlorine even after 2 showers. It was quiet being a weekday morning, so lots of peace and quiet. I'm going to do it for one hour 3 days a week from now on. Eska, it's a good idea and very enjoyable, so make sure you do if you can. :-)

Methodology will be 75 % complete, in first draft form, by the end of today.

Hi Ttcoaching. Well done on your GPA score and nice work with your thesis. I'm not sure if you'll get much advice from this forum as we are primarily UK-based students, so have limited knowledge of how things work over at your end. You sound very accomplished though - so I'm sure you'll stand a good chance.

Yeah, my uni's pool would be cheaper. The only problem is it's two hours away and the one I'm going to start going to is just down the road from me - so it'll still work out cheaper.

Today I bought some swimming shorts and tomorrow is the big day... Was checking online and it costs £3-30 for one hour! Better have some playful dolphins and a walrus in the pool at that price!

How weird - you've just described me. Soon it will all be over for you though and, so they say in the movies, you'll look back and laugh.

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It was a surprisingly thin envelope that dropped onto your doormat, headed: RAE unlimited approval. You open it up and find out, that's right, you've been given a license to conduct any research you want, invent anything you want. The budget? The entire contents of the Bank of England. Hmm...before the recession, or many years after.
So what kind of research study would you dearly like to conduct. What would you just love to invent? Although it would be nice if your research was for the benefit of mankind, it could just be for personal interest. Your suggestion can be as complicated or as simple as you want. I'll start.

After watching Carrie and realising the great potential that having kinetic powers can bring, I would like to begin intensive research into the best means of developing one's own potential kinetic powers. Upon identifying, developing and refining my own kinetic powers, I would then ensure that much mirth and tomfoolery ensues. Firstly, I would use my powers to fool all the best scientists in the world into thinking I had developed a perpetual motion machine. Secondly, I would then embarrass Uri Gella live on air by sitting in the audience as he bends a spoon live in front of everyone but exerting an equal and opposite reaction to his (using my own mind powers) so that the spoon does nothing at all. Thirdly, I would get even with Derek Acorah for having fake spook shows by using my powers to turn the lights on in his haunted houses, thus ruining the atmosphere of the show. Once I had tired of my powers, I would then use them to fight crime, become a local hero and hopefully star in adverts for ASDA. So yes, it's entirely achievable with the right budget.

Eska, don't tell me what's happening - you'll ruin the plot for me! haha It's my version of 24 - only more dramatic and realistic. It's more violent too - some of those women really lose their tempers at their poor husbands! I'm going to go off on one now, but, I'd love to do an interpretive phenomenological study of the pre-natal experiences of families based on different cultures. I think it could prove useful for a variety pregnancy-based health interventions in the NHS... By Jove, this gives me a fantastic idea for a new Off Topics thread...

Methodology now, erm, 65 % complete.