I had completed my PhD last year and had some things I was wondering about with regards to what can happen afterwards. So when it comes to my experiences in grad school and afterwards, I often fear that I don't know what options I have to stop someone coming after me. As a recent example, I am trying to get my account from grad school active so I can run codes with it. In order to do that, the computing services department at the University where I got the PhD needs to set it up again. It might end up that they negligently erased all the algorithms on my computing workspace on their work station. That would mean that while I have the data sets themselves, I wouldn't have the algorithms needed in order to recreate the thesis results. I wonder if the University could then say, since these results are not reproducible since you don;t have all the algorithms since we destroyed them, we will now revoke your PhD. Or perhaps even deliberately destroy my algorithms since they could do it unexpectedly and then revoke my PhD since it would mean that technically I have results that re not reproducible. I often get fears because I don't know what would happen if a University were to do that and how easy it would be for them to get away with it.

It sounds like you are excessively worrying/fearful about possibilities, when actually each scenario you have outlined is extremely unlikely (someone correct me if I am wrong...are there many cases of this happening?).

Why would someone want to deliberately delete it? Some of your fears do not seem logical.

For peace of mind - anything that is deleted is probably retrievable by IT.

Do you perhaps need to take some time out following the completion of your PhD?

Congratulations by the way on your amazing achievement.

I agree with all of the above. You also might need to visit your GP if you have been having thoughts like this for a while.

Surely it is extremely rare for a PhD to be revoked - I've never known anyone this has happened to, and I've only read of it happening when there's been evidence of widespread plagiarism in the thesis or large amounts of data being falsified. Not because of some records being accidentally deleted afterwards. And yes, I would think any data on the university system should be backed up and retrievable anyway.

I agree you seem to be having excessive anxiety about this, and some worrying thoughts about people 'coming after you' - did you leave on bad terms with your supervisor/department, or have some other reason to fear someone trying to cause problems for you?

I agree too it might be worth talking to someone like a GP if these thoughts are bothering you a lot and interfering with your everyday life.

I agree with all above posters.... but just for peace of mind, can you back them up yourself in some way (or is that what your trying to do?) either way, paranoia aside, backing up a lot is never, ever a bad thing. accidents can happen, viruses ect. so I have decided I will embrace paranoia when it comes to backing up my work. So I save important files in multiple locations ect.

However, having said that, without knowing any more details than you have given, it does appear that you are being a bit paranoid thinking someone would deliberately want to destroy your files, and somehow tell exam board and get your PhD award revoked. seems a bit far stretched.

I recommend finding a good counsellor or therapist ( there not all equally good) so be careful.

I also recommend this book ' overcoming paranoid and suspicious thoughts' by Daniel Freeman

under stress, anyone can become a bit paranoid, it doesn't mean you are pathologically abnormal or have a major mental illness. I'm not suggesting that. but just like under stress anyone can get depressed or anxious, anyone can become a little more suspicious than necessary too.

Best of luck and CONGRATULATIONS on the PhD!!!!