Hi,

Is it wise to inform other research centres and the world in general about your PhD and what gaps you are aiming to fill (say online) ? The hope would be that no one else would start the same study as you (and make your life hell!). However, it could be that someone would copy your ideas and start their own study.

How much do you 'expose' about your project online, at conferences, and to other research centres?

I think that it is a difficult balance between trying to make yourself and your research achievements known, and networking but without disclosing too much of what you are doing. Most departments give postgraduates the opportunity to have a personal web-page, but even if not there are many other ways to do it (through academia.edu for example).

I don't think that there is anything wrong in letting other academics know what you are researching, but I would be careful about giving away too many details on methodology, sources, etc. I had nasty surprises from experienced academics, and competition nowadays is fierce.

On the other hand if you do not disclose anything you risk to find what you have been researching maybe for a couple of years, published by someone else! So, again it's a fine balance and a very personal choice.

I submitted details of my PhD topic to a couple of online websites to do with the wider research context. I explained the gap I was filling, but was incredibly vague about the methodology and sources that I was using. So people couldn't steal my research, but knew that I was working in that area, and that was important to me not to be overtaken/gazumped.

I adopted a similar approach at conferences. When speaking to people I would be very vague generally, unless I was sure they were trustable.

I also was very vague about my sources and methodology when talking to a PhD student working on a similar area. Again so he could not copy what I was doing.