thanks again!

Hi!

Does anyone have access to the full text of this article?


Azar, E.E. (1985). Protracted international conflicts: Ten propositions. International Interactions: Empirical and Theoretical Research in International Relations, 12 (1).


http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03050628508434647?journalCode=gini20#.U9ewefldWcA

My university subscribes to the journal, but does not have access to this issue since it is so old. Thanks!

I did a hybrid course abroad last summer. There were two Ph.D. students (including me), and three master's students who participated. I ended up getting along well with all of them. But, after the trip one of the master's students later confided in me that the three master's students had initially thought us Ph.D.'s were snooty and full of ourselves because we introduced ourselves as doctoral students at each of our many meetings with NGOs and other organizations. Of course, that image disappeared when they got to know us and realized we were actually normal. down-to-earth people. It had never crossed my mind that introducing myself as a Ph.D. student could put a bad taste in people's mouths.Nowadays, I tend to just say grad student since it is more ambiguous. Anyway, when I mention my major, most people's eyes glaze over because they have no idea what it is; it's easy for me to redirect the conversation at that point. It works for me...who wants to explain their research for the nth time?

What part of Florida? I am doing my PhD just outside of Ft. Lauderdale.

Thanks! This makes my night :D

No worries...it's not hijacking when you're providing helpful information ;) Thanks to all of you for contributing!

I'm not actually writing the body yet. I am still working on my proposal (since this February), but am about done. I have about 50 pages done. My university requires the first three chapters be included in the proposal, frontloading. The first three chapters will be well over 50 pages in the actual dissertation, but they want to make sure we know exactly what we are doing and how we plan to do it all. We also have to go through the IRB process before we can work with human subjects

I'm doing a single, exploratory, holistic, ethnographic case study. It's a mouthful. The only part of the proposal I really need to finish is data analysis. I am probably doing 20-30 interviews, which I will have to translate, transcribe, and code. I haven't figured out which method of coding to use yet. And 0rYx, about #9....I wish it were easier to communicate with my adviser, but she is ALWAYS out of the country. She is very knowledgeable and has helped me establish contacts, but she takes a long time to respond to my messages. My other committee members can not answer logistic questions because my adviser is the one who makes decisions about formatting and necessary content. I'm going to Colombia next week and hoping to defend my proposal via Skype or some other online interface during my first weeks in the country. I feel like a lot of people who do qualitative research at my university take forever to even get their proposals done. I know people who were 2-3 semesters ahead of me and have yet to defend. I can't stay in this limbo stage much longer, so I am trying to push my chair to read my draft so I can just edit and defend already! Thanks for listening!

Thanks all for the great advice! Clupea, I definitely keep my laptop on hibernate, which is more or less the same thing as sleep. I will _try_ to work on one document at a time! And, to save and shut down my computer at least once a day. I leave multiple windows open so I don't forget about a webpage or article I have located. But, you are right--if I save them and label them properly, I can always go back to them!

Pjlu, I agree that going to Colombia will help my focus. A lot. When I was there a few weeks ago, I was free from the distractions at home and found myself drafting up notes effortlessly. I am glad you were able to overcome your slump! You give me hope that I will be able to rise out of this funk as well!

Chickpea, I am going to download Focus Booster and see if it works for me. A friend of mine had me download a pomodoro app on my phone last year, but I forgot to actually use it (I got the app well before I started my actual dissertation research, so maybe I didn't realize the need...). At this point, I guess my goal should be to take this process one step at a time, document by document. Thanks!!

Hello!

I haven't been very active on here in some time. I started my doctoral dissertation (why do we Americans call it a dissertation when it seems the rest of the world calls it a thesis? Here, a thesis is for Masters students. Why can't the US just get on the bandwagon with everyone else?) in February. I have written only 32 pages. I have been working on it--writing, really! But, my page count isn't moving. I just keep deleting chunks and typing new thoughts in their places. I haven't managed to write much of anything in the last week.

Has anyone else hit a slump like this? My research is in Colombia, and I am not there right now, so that may be part of the problem. I have a one-way ticket scheduled for next month and plan to stay until August or September (I have to come back to work). My chair is very very busy and takes literally weeks to give me feedback on anything I do. I have support from my boyfriend and family, albeit none of them have been through a PhD. I have a good network of colleagues who are exactly where I am in terms of progress, so that helps. I ordered a new laptop (I went with a Lenovo that is a bit smaller than my current one) almost 3 weeks ago, and am hoping a fresh, blank screen will help (STILL waiting for it to ship though!).

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed with information? I have a lot, but I am unorganized. I have Mendeley, but I always forget to use it. I work with about 12 documents open at any given time. And many tabs and windows. I will attribute that to the ADHD. Any tips?

Thanks!!!

My university is 45 minutes away from me. I live in South Florida, where public transportation is practically non-existent. I did have to walk to take a bus to a train to a shuttle to get to campus a few times when my car was in the shop--it took nearly 3 hours each way!

Luckily, my program has an online component, so I only had to drive down once or twice a week while I was still taking classes (about 2.5 years). I liked to leave early to avoid traffic (grad classes are typically 6pm-9pm). So, I would head down around a few hours beforehand, use the gym, get something to eat, and work on papers. By spending a few extra hours on campus, I also felt my commute was made more worth my time. It can definitely be a headache sometimes, but I would say the commute is worth it if you really like your program.

Jen

That's great news! Good luck writing up those initial chapters!

Jen

Thanks for all the insight!

I work at a writing center at a university, so my clients come in with all kinds of computers. I have seen Windows 8 and Mac and am not sure which is more confusing (I am guessing the Mac would be harder to learn, though). Microsoft Office is an absolute must--I don't want to deal with compatibility problems/learning a new system. I am going to ask some of my coworkers and colleagues if someone has an extra download (sometimes, it can be installed on up to three devices). The only other programs I really use are Mendeley and Adobe. I might need to get SPSS or a similar program when it comes to the quant part of my work.

Portability is somewhat important as I have to travel to Colombia a few times to collect data. My Lenovo is not very lightweight but it is fine, so I would be okay with something that is around the same size (I would prefer smaller, but definitely not bigger).

Does anyone have one of these fancy new touch screens? I have heard mixed reviews. I don't need one by any means, and would certainly not like one if it is problematic. The more I think about it, the less appealing the Mac seems. Sure it is sexy, but I am impatient. I can barely stand waiting for the bridge to close on my way home--the thought of weeks of unnecessary confusion makes me cringe. I will look into HPs and see if there are any good deals. Thanks!

Jen

Hi there,

I need to buy a new laptop in the next few weeks, but I am not sure which model to purchase. I just started working on my dissertation over the past week weeks, so I will need something that lasts at least a year (though, I hope it will last much longer!). My main use is writing--I don't stream many videos and don't download much besides PDFs. I have a bad habit of keeping over 20 tabs open and not shutting my laptop down for weeks at a time (don't want to lose all of the things I'm working on). I currently have a Lenovo Thinkpad. It works fine, but Microsoft word is having issues, the battery needs replacing, and the charger is falling apart. I bought it in August 2011. I know the problems are minor, but I would rather purchase a new unit than spend money repairing an older computer. I am open to the idea of a Mac, but I am not sure whether it is wise to spend so much money. I would like to keep it under $800USD, if possible. Thank you in advance for your suggestions!

questions about race, ethnicity, and religion might cause people to stop a survey as well.

Well, it has been quite some time, but I found out this past Friday that I passed! I lived in a state of limbo and uncertainty for five weeks, and am beyond elated that I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. In the meantime, I managed to secure a dissertation topic as well as a committee chair. Life is good!

Update: I survived!!!!

I managed to write 30 pages in 62 hours (finished with 10 hours to spare!!)! That was very intense. Now, 4-6 weeks to wait for the results. This weekend=REST and SLEEP!