How many chances do you get? can you keep making amendments until you get it right or do you only get one shot at it and if you screw that up then goodbye!

How does it work?

Hi,

Is it possible to read old PhD thesis online some where? Are they available free?

Im looking for non experimental life science PhD or historical.

Thanks Bilbo and Stressed!

Can you recommend a good book or website where I can read about different hostory and humanities research methods?

I dont understand how you guys use "documents and words" for your experiments so I will need to read up on skills and methods you guys use.

It will be a PhD done as part of the Life Science department. Its in fact an experiment by them since no one in the life science dept have ever supervised a PhD like this (i.e. non experimental) so Im a little scared that their experiment will be at my expense if they realise it does not work and give me an MPhill.

Thanks Bilbo and Stressed!

Can you recommend a good book or website where I can read about different hostory and humanities research methods?

I dont understand how you guys use "documents and words" for your experiments so I will need to read up on skills and methods you guys use.

It will be a PhD done as part of the Life Science department. Its in fact an experiment by them since no one in the life science dept have ever supervised a PhD like this (i.e. non experimental) so Im a little scared that their experiment will be at my expense if they realise it does not work and give me an MPhill.

Thank you!

My main concern is that most of the research appears to be just reading through literature and then combining it all in a long essay! May be this is normal for non science PhD so please excuse my ignorance since Im so used to a experimental approach to problem where a literature review is done merely to justify my experiments and methods.

As I wrote in my OP, my research involves studying medically important animals and their role in the history of humans (ancient to modern),

- Their geographical distribution, where they originate from and why did they move

- Species that were important medically in the past but no longer exist (why?)

All of this just involves a lot of reading. Where are the experiments? What am I proving? What is the point of it all? It looks as if Im just writing a glorified essay.

In case you’re wondering, Im doing a non experimental PhD since I cannot afford the bench fees. It took me a long time to find a suitable supervisor (in a topic that interests me) who was willing to supervise me for a part-time experimental PhD. We both had the same interests and he was keen to supervise me but part of me fears that Im being used to do his literature research :(

Im contemplating giving up! It took me years of e-mailing and calling to find a supervisor who was willing to supervise me in a non experimental life science PhD in a topic i like. I cannot afford to do a lab PhD in the topic I like, I cannot afford to quit my job and do it full time and funded. If I was in my early 20’s this would be no problem but I have a family now. Im just too scared that 5 years down the line I will be told that I wrote a very good essay and that they will give me a Masters for my trouble and money!

I am Life Science graduate with a Master. I am about to embark on a non experimental part-time PhD which combines life science and history. My potential supervisor has given me the topics to research but Im finding it hard to come up with reasons as to why they are worth researching and also a suitable methodology.



My research involves studying medically important animals and their role in the history of humans (ancient to modern),

- Their geographical distribution, where they originate from and why did they move

- Species that were important medically in the past but no longer exist (why?)



Im finding it difficult to justify why this is important? This would be a non experimental PhD which gives me further concern since I have no clue on how I would go about researching in a non scientific experimental way. I could ask my potential supervisor but Im too scared to put them off by asking to many “trivial” questions at such an early stage.



I would appreciate any help or advise (eg good books to read to learn about non science research methods etc).



My biggest fear is to start this PhD and be told 5-6 years down the line that its only worth a masters!