Overview of SarahSarahSarah on PostgraduateForum.com

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Signup date: 17 Apr 2016 at 12:07am

Last login: 02 Jun 2016 at 7:46pm

Post count: 20

SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Hugh:
I've just re-designed my CV! Haha. I've almost completed my first proper application. My cover letter is one page and CV is around 5 pages. Does that sound about right?

Sounds good to me!

I have got my first international publication as first author. Suddenly a ray of sunlight in my PhD-life

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Zutterfly:
So, what are everyone's plans/goals for this week?

My plan is struggling! I have one month to complete:
- Revisions on a paper which came back from a journal (rejected btw), which includes additional analyses and submitting again.
- Preparing a conference presentation
- Writing the first draft of a new article

But one precious week of this month (which was last week) has flown away because I spent two days on proofreading an accepted manuscript. Then I submitted another paper, which took the rest of the week because I had problems with journal requirements of manuscript formatting.

*sigh* I am a bit stressed. Funding is ending in december, so I have to get it done

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Hugh:
I don't use pomodoro. I do three hours in a block with no breaks. It might be worth trying?

Same here, although my blocks are probably shorter. I allow myself 3 breaks per day. Lunch is the main break (30-60 mins, usually 30-45) and halfway through morning and afternoon a 15-20 mins break.

Noteworthy: I only check email and some web surfing during the breaks..... If I experience problems with concentration outside the breaks I go for a walk down the corridor or a visit at the shop outside but I try not to procrastinate on my computer

And I also do Zutterfly's method --> I set myself weekly goals and write down my progress daily.

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

I am also biting the dust in doing revisions. I got one of my papers rejected 2 weeks ago and I am still revising it prior to new submission. Meanwhile I have to take care of the datamanagement of another study during office hours, so a lot of work during the night these days

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Hugh:

Quote From SarahSarahSarah:
that's a tricky one..... but I suppose that unless you have lists of all responders (i.e. which questions form one group of 5) you cannot work that out

Yes I do have list of all responders

Then I would suggest that you exclude the people who have responded with Don't know for all 5 questions and then repeat the analyses on the remaining people.

I hope I have understand your question correctly, it was a bit confusing to me

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

that's a tricky one..... but I suppose that unless you have lists of all responders (i.e. which questions form one group of 5) you cannot work that out

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

I am working in English all the time, while it is not my native language. I doesn't bother me a lot, as my English is good enough to write my manuscripts.

However, I am definitely not as comfortable as in my own language and writing takes more time than usual. Also, I submitted a manuscript to an international journal and got reviewer comments back on my grammar (minor comments).

That would never happen to me in my native languange, so I felt a bit ashamed (I mean; What would that reviewer think of me?), but luckily they are not so harsh on you on that, as they know many authors are from non-English countries. They just provide you the suggestions for corrections and it is all well. Thus, I accept those little flaws in my writing and correct them, as it is not my language and there is nothing I can change on that.

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

Spill it, we can have a try. I am not an expert at statistics, but I have learned a lot in the last years

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

but yeah, I also dread submission, you are definitely not alone on that, Hugh

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Hugh:

Quote From chickpea:
I check things over and over, Hugh. More ridiculously than that, I give them another check after I've sent them! Good luck with whatever you are sending.

Thanks, I feel a bit better now ;)
I don't have the courage to check it after I've sent it, I bet there are some typos.

I feel you, I got the same issue. I submitted a revised manuscript to a journal (i.e. revised, so if you did not address the issues raised by the reviewers well enough, you might be in trouble)

After rebuttal, I worked through the article once more and found something in my revised text that could POSSIBLY be a bit inaccurately written.
Got hysterical. Had to go outside to settle down. My mood dropped below zero for hours, I was so angry with myself, dreaded with the thought that the paper might be rejected because of it.

Eventually, it was all unnecessary pain, because the paper got accepted. Since then, I have never checked any text again after submission to a journal, my supervisor or anyone else. I'll check again when it has been returned to me

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

That said, the US system also appeals to me. The broad education during a PhD in the US is really interesting. My teaching activities are sometimes limited due to research duties (which is my job)

Both have pros and cons

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

Some information:
https://www.studyinholland.nl/education-system/degrees/phd

and an interesting discussion about a North-American perspective on doing a phd in Europe:
http://irblog.eu/a-north-american-perspective-on-doing-a-phd-in-europe/

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Zutterfly:

Quote From SarahSarahSarah:

Quote From Hugh:

Quote From SarahSarahSarah:
I become increasingly sad waiting for response on my submitted manuscripts. That's so frustrating. I know it's normal, but still waiting for weeks after the reviewers completed their recommendation is really nerve wrecking

That must be really scary, especially because your thesis is dependent on publication. I wish you the best of luck!

Btw, does it matter which journal you publish in? Does it have to be in a well cited journal? I'm just wondering because I've been getting a lot of spam type emails from journals that I've never heard of asking me to publish with them.

Haha, unfortunately I have never received such requests from international journals!
In my country, 50% of the papers in your thesis need to be published in well cited journals. For the remaining 50% the journal doesn't matter

In which country are you studying Sarah? That sounds harsh! Though, I suppose that at least you are finishing your thesis with publications which is not all that common in my department.

In the Netherlands, but I am pretty sure that requirements are dependent of the university and the profession (I'm not too familiar with other specialties, so I am not 100% sure)

Also, not all papers have to be accepted for publication, but they should be at least submitted at the time of defending your thesis. Most people I know have 50% or 75% of their papers published and the remainder submitted or in press at the time they defend their thesis.

I don't know why requirements are like this, but possibly it's due to the fact that acquiring a PhD in this country is considered a full job. You are considered an employee, not a student and you are getting paid to conduct the research. So, obviously the institution needs rewards for that, i.e. international publications. As a result, I am not studying at all during my PhD (except studying my own research field and taking a few courses now and then). .

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Hugh:

Quote From SarahSarahSarah:
I become increasingly sad waiting for response on my submitted manuscripts. That's so frustrating. I know it's normal, but still waiting for weeks after the reviewers completed their recommendation is really nerve wrecking

That must be really scary, especially because your thesis is dependent on publication. I wish you the best of luck!

Btw, does it matter which journal you publish in? Does it have to be in a well cited journal? I'm just wondering because I've been getting a lot of spam type emails from journals that I've never heard of asking me to publish with them.

Haha, unfortunately I have never received such requests from international journals!
In my country, 50% of the papers in your thesis need to be published in well cited journals. For the remaining 50% the journal doesn't matter

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SarahSarahSarah 20 posts
8 years ago

I become increasingly sad waiting for response on my submitted manuscripts. That's so frustrating. I know it's normal, but still waiting for weeks after the reviewers completed their recommendation is really nerve wrecking

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