What's the group? :-)

Check this, then ask your uni what status you are http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/eim06271.htm

Niseach, when you say two terms do you mean proper terms, for example, Sept - Christmas, then Dec-Easter or half terms Sept - Oct (half term) then Nov -Dec?

I've started reading Hammersley and Atkinson and browsing through the journal ;-p

Thanks for this, it has certainly given me a lot to think about and I will definately be checking that book out now. I get what you are saying about 'sort of knowing the answers before you start' so to speak. I agree that 3 years seems such a short time to cram all that I will need to be organised and start writing early.Thankfully my OCD helps with that! I am a driven by just having to get things done, great for essay writing, not so great for the hubby who gets me nagging about getting things in the house done ASAP, ha ha ha. I will look again at how I can organise a 9 month study. :-)

Thanks. I haven't read that book as I was told to streer the research more to the student voice than the policy but as it will be an important part of the research I think I'll have a look, it sounds very useful. My worries are that 9 months somewhere will be over egging it and how much extra could I learn would be questionable (well to me anyway or is that naive?) Also the planning and 9 month worth of field notesmonths could surely not be transcribed, analysied and wrote up in the 3 years you get for funding? Ah the dilemas!

Hi all. I'm writing my PhD proposal. I know ethnography is dependant on what you want to observe but ethnography in education, how long would you say is long enough for a PhD project? I'm planning to observe a set of participatory practices backed up with group interviews of students and semi-structured interviews with management about the observed practice (of course there is more to this, i.e testing a new theory/model of practice). To put this in context I will also look at organisational policy/procedures on the thing I will be observing and look at anything produced after e.g meeting minutes etc. I was thinking 3 months in the field? Thanks in advance. :-)

Thanks. I've a 3 and 4 year old so spectacular celebrating was a cheap bottle of rose and a curry whilst watching 'take me out'!! Ha ha. Yeah it's the loosing momentum i worry about and not being published. I have q few options it's just scary giving up a job I've had for 10 yrs to be a student1

I've just found today that I've go a distinction for my MA dissertation. It's a taught MA and I've got distinction grades for all components of my MA, including dissertation with an averge 81%. What does this actually mean in realtion to PhD and universities to target for application? I have two applications on the go, one at the uni I'm currently at and one at a Russell group uni. Is this like when you get A levels and you should apply to the best or is it quite common to get distinctions, with publication being important and funding so hard to come by you just apply anywhere that will have you? I don't want to rush what is an important decision. I'm not a 'student' so to speak, I'm a teacher and have studied part time whilst working full time so it's been a long road and I've no publications because of this. Advice much aprpeciated. :-)

Done. Very interesting. I think there aslo maybe a difference between GAD and a specific anxiety. i have anxiety but it's related to a specific ongoing medical condition so maybe not as intrusive as GAD? Good luck :-)

Thank you :-)

Does anyone have access to this article please?
International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 2012

'The potential and challenges of critical realist ethnography' (Barron, 2012)

Thanks in advance

:-)

LilyMe, I'm glad you've got your mojo back ;-p and enjoy that sun on your trip home. You will do it :-)

I'm finding with my applications that any source of funding is scarce and if you really, really want a PhD and can't fund it yourself then you may have to seek any means possible. I part funded my MA by applying for a project grant with an educational development organisation. I used that project for my dissertation. It was good because although the project followed the organisations previous research it was relevant to me and I could still build on their original idea and bring something new. The company also invited me to present the project and findings at a national conference in London (expenses paid) and my name is credited in their literature, which has reached a wider audience than I could have alone. Yes, I would do it this way again and if I can't get studentship will source alternative funding. I'm sure there are positives and negatives in all PhD funding methods. Just find out what you are letting yourself in for first and if you can live with the parameters they set. Sounds interesting to me :-)

Hi. I have just submitted my MA dissertation 8 months early. I work part time teaching and started my MA part time when my frst child was 2 1/2 and second child was 1. If I can work, be a housewife and mummy, do the research and submit, I have no doubt that you can too. I also have some minor health conditions. I am not super brainy and had days when I wrote nothing, I just knew I needed to get it finished.

You need to get it out of your head that being in country of study means you are expecteed to produce better work than other students. This will certainly not be the case. There will be no seperate making scheme, you will be marked on the same scheme as everyone else. There will be nothing on the mark scheme that says 'mark more harshly if student lives in country of study!' so where you are situated is irrelevent. What it does give you is the opportunity to have first hand access to literary sources but for that you will need to visit the library and I encourage you to do just that to get you out of the house.

I think you have hit the nail on the head, your procrastination certainly sounds like homesickness.But what better way to beat it than throw yourself into your study. There is only you that can do this and no amount of advice and goodwill from other will spur you on unless you really want to get it finished, it really has to come from you. If you want to finish, get on and do it and see a GP about how you are feeling. If you are depressed and with your circumstances, having moved to a new country I wouild speak to the university about submitting an 'exceptionl circumstances' form. This will allow you to submit later than the June deadline witha future date decided by the university. Be careful on extending the deadline though as further procrastination could mean you never finish!

Good luck :-)

I have an informal offer for PhD but they have no funding this year. The supervisor seems on my wavelength and has lots of publication and conference experience. Do I leave it and look for studentship or is there a way to get other funding/ how hard/realistic is it to get alternative funding?

Thanks in advance

:-)