Hi all,

in line with the issue brought forward by 404 (regarding someone else publishing his research project) I have a question regarding the proposal.
I had just finished this and spoke to someone who said: Well actually that does already exist! None of my supervisors had said something like this and I had spend a lot of time looking at the literature and thought my views were new.
Is this something one can still bend? Or does it mean starting from scratch again?

Hi Rick

How annoying for you, you have my sympathy. It is really hard to answer your question without knowing specifics. Would it be possible to perhaps put a different slant on your proposal to make it different? Surely that would be better than starting again and would add something new.

Dear rick. First of all, sorry to hear that. But it is very common (and the normal process) of PhDs. I came to my 3rd year by changing my questions and ideas over and over. Every time I thought something was my idea first, I found out that it was either being done at another institute, or someone was proposing the idea. The good thing is, all these findings that other people do is actually good for your research's development. Not only they become the part of the literature review, but also show how you can go one step ahead and still contribute something original to the academy.

My post the other day was about a similar thing. But because I am sure the approach and the practical experience of it was not done before until I've gone public with it, it's a bit different than what I came across with before. I am now paranoid to find out that someone will hurry up and properly publish my idea as theirs.

continuing...

I think what you can do would be is to use this fact (that your research idea is already being done) to your advantage. See it as an answer to your hypothesis, whether it is found by you or someone else, and move on to the next question. Create an even better hypothesis. You don't have to change your topic, and your work so far won't be for nothing.

and just one last thing (I promise I will shut up after this one)

sometimes people don't understand the depth of your ideas, and they assume it's already been done. I suggest to take that with a pinch of salt, and try to find out whether it has really been done. It might be slightly different than yours, your idea can be miles away from theirs in one way or another. Jojo's answer on my thread yesterday was quite helpful. Good luck.

Have you actually read the paper/book which is supposed to have dealt with the topic you propose? You may find out that the perspective is different from the one you have chosen, or that there are significant gaps you could try to resolve. I would definitively try to read this paper/book and if needed modify my proposal to add new aspects.

Hi Fluffymonster and 404

I realise I am a bit vaque but both of you understood the gest of it.
Thanks for your replies. I think you are right, better to look at things from the positive side and see how I can do things better and try to turn this into my favour.

regards

Hi Nimrod81

just seen your remark. Yeah did a lot of reading around my topic, but might have missed looking it from a different perspective. As mentioned above, I will look at this new insight and see how to approach this.

Hi Rick

Sorry, I didn't mean that you were vague as a criticism. More that it may not be as similar as you think (as Nimrod has suggested) and therefore not such a big problem.

I am sure you can rethink better hypotheses and it is great that you are taking a positive slant on this. Good luck!