during and after the thesis

8/14/2019 During and After the Thesis

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My experience about PhDand How we can manage ?

Dr. Sanjeev K Maurya

Lecturer

Department of Biochemistry



Target audience

Aimed at: those involved with thesis

production Currently enrolled post graduate students

Their Supervisors

Any one else interested



Agenda

What can go wrong and what you can do

about it

Writing up Submission

What examiners look for; checklist

Life after

How not to get a research degree

Top Tips



What can go wrong

Poor choice of research area. An area which may not yieldsufficient information

Inappropriate / undoable / excessively complex researchquestions.

Unrealistic management or research planning Limited access to research subjects, contacts or contexts Data: difficulties in acquiring, storing, analysing or managing it Supervision issues Lack of a genuine research culture within the department Student isolation Inadequate resources Inadequate technical support



It can get much worse

Life outside research interfering with your

work

Family relationship issuesPoor health

"Generally speaking, people provide better maintenance for their cars than for their

own bodies." Scott Adams, The Dilbert Future



How to better manage your

candidature

Finding / building a supportive environment

Become part of the wider research

communityManage yourself

Keep on track

Respond appropriately to adversity



Finding / building a supportive

environment

Your supervisors and beyond Those who believe in you Those who can help motivate you

Those who can help you solve problems along the way Personal relationships Informal committee Consultants

University research structure Peer group support Overseas residential students



Personal relationships

Your supervisor Family, fellow students, old friends Fellow postgraduate students Student association for cultural support

Secretaries and support staff A mentor?

Consider a ``buddy system'': you and another postgraduate meetat regular intervals:

Review your progress Mutually give feedback on rough drafts Give each other psychological support Review your writing.



Other academic support

Informal committee: A small set of reliableinterested academics who are willing to dosome work for you i.e. read, comment,

advise, critique, provide pointers, makeintroductions to useful people, possiblyprovide technical help in their own specialistarea

Consultants: one off meetings for technicaladvice

Internal courses: like this series



Link up with any university provided

research structure

Departmental seminars and workshops

Peer review at ‘work in progress’ meetings

Writing assistanceStatistical expertise

Subject librarian



Peer group support

Recognise that others are experiencing

similar things

Form self managed groups and networks toreduce the isolation

Share your feelings with others. Talking is the

first step to feeling better

Provide feedback on written work

Helps you keep to deadlines



Facilities for overseas residential

students

International office

Accommodation

University’s reputation in support area Language assistance

Pastoral care



Exercise:

Your personal support inventory

Spouse / relationship / family Extended family Friends Pastoral caregiver

Fellow students Study ‘buddy’ Mentor Supervisor Unofficial committee Secretarial and support staff Student association Outside groups

2. Identify your supportersand grade their support 1-5

(excellent to poor)3. Identify those that are

underperforming or missing

4. Consider if this reallymatters to your candidature

5. If so develop strategies torectify this

6. Develop strategies tomaintain what you alreadyhave



Become part of the wider

research community

Attend conferences

Network

Publish papers



Manage yourself

The key to self management is awareness. Forewarned is forearmed Manage

Your own expectations Psychological aspects which recur in cycles Practical aspects

Consider your thesis just as a job to be finished

Anxiety will be with you throughout. Determination and application rather than brilliance are

what is required Tie up any loose ends and submit



Manage your own expectations

Self knowledge and awareness of the likely

psychological and practical aspects of doing a thesis

will empower you

Recognise that you will get completely stucksometimes. Like writer's block, there's a lot of

causes of this and no one solution.

Recognise that the degree is the beginning, not the

culmination, of your career. Don't worry about making it your magnum opus. Get

out sooner, rather than later.



Manage psychological aspects

A common scenario

Early enthusiasm: overambitious estimates

of what can be accomplished

Deadlines loom: stress sets in

Boredom with doing the same thing for so

long: the getting nowhere syndrome,

Many end up hating everything to do with

their dissertation and wanting out ASAP



Self doubt is par for the course

Science Nobel Laureates (50) weresurveyed on the the issue of self-doubt: Had it been clear to them all along that their work

was earth-shattering? The unanimous response: They constantly doubted the value, or

correctness, of their work

There were periods when they felt that whatthey were doing was irrelevant, obvious, or wrong.



Reactive depression is not

uncommon

After all you are dealing with one or more of:

Debt and poverty

Poor diet

Lack of exercise

Poor accommodation

Isolation

Uncertain employment prospects Thesis problems

Supervision problems



Isolation

The thesis is awarded for original workContact with supervisor may be less than you

desire Lack of intellectual stimulation and

opportunities to exchange ideas

“I work alone in a lab full of people all research students all working alone”

(Phillips and Pugh 1994)



Keep to the point

As work progresses you throw up new ideas

that you can not pursue if you are to stick to

your timelines. Refuse to get sidetracked

from the problem at hand.

Do not let these frustrations allow you to

deviate. When you have your doctorate you

will be in a better position to experiment withthe new ideas you are coming up with now.



Things will eventually change

Increasing interest in work Gradually gain independence from supervisors You become more and more absorbed in what you are doing

Transfer of dependence from supervisor to work Motivation is gained from the work itself Your thesis becomes one of the most important things in your

life. Become your own de facto supervisor

Outcomes

Increased self confidence A sense of achievement



Manage the practical aspects

Pressure for timely completion Timetabling Divide and conquer strategy

Scope creep Acknowledge the tension between the boundaries

of the project and the available time to completeit.

Review this with your supervisor

Keeping to deadlines Set daily, weekly and monthly deadlines



Self help resources

Read a research students’ self help book: e.g. (Rugg and Petre2004) The Unwritten rules of PhD research

Read Alan Lakien's book How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life, which is recommended even by people who hate self-

help books. It has invaluable techniques for getting yourself intoproductive action. Download How to Be a Good Graduate Student. Marie

desJardins http://www.cs.indiana.edu/how.2b/how.2b.html Download How To Do Research In the MIT AI Lab

http://www.cs.indiana.edu/mit.research.how.to/section3.13.html Download How To Write A Dissertation or Bedtime Reading For

People Who Do Not Have Time To Sleep. Douglas Comer.http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertation.html

http://www.cs.indiana.edu/how.2b/how.2b.html


http://www.cs.indiana.edu/mit.research.how.to/mit.research.how.to.html

http://www.cs.indiana.edu/mit.research.how.to/section3.13.html

http://www.cs.indiana.edu/mit.research.how.to/section3.13.html

http://www.cs.indiana.edu/mit.research.how.to/mit.research.how.to.html





Keep on track

Thesis avoidance

The balancing act

Time and stress management

Keep a research diary

Deal promptly with University administrative

matters e.g. progress reports

A man may write at any time, if he will set

himself doggedly to it. Samuel Johnson



The balancing act

Juggle study, full or part time job, domestic

and family responsibilities, and your mental

and physical health.

Best solution is to educate everyone as to the

demands you face then negotiate.

Simply requesting special privileges may not

work.Your relationships will need special attention.



Exercise: Spheres of activity

Identify overlapping spheres of activity where

one action could serve two or more purposes

Research

Home

Work

Gina Wisker



Respond appropriately to adversity

Motivation –avoiding getting demoralisedwhen things go wrong

Research information turns out to be flawed

and the hypothesis on which it is founded areclearly incorrect – recast

Other priorities in your life take over - defer

Redefine long term goals Learn to listen to valid, constructive criticism

and to ignore destructive, pointless criticism



Time and stress management

Practice long, medium and short term time andStress management

Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals

Critical Path Analysis To do lists Keep time allocation stats

Make time for non PhD activities. Social and familylife are important too

Reward yourself



The Research Diary

Keeping a journal of your research activitiesand ideas

Speculations, interesting problems, possiblesolutions, random ideas, references to look up,

URLs Interesting quotes Contacts Different systems work for different people;

experiment. You might keep it online or in a spiralnotebook or on legal pads. You might want one for the lab and one for home. Read back through it periodically.



Writing up

The most concentrated effort of the whole thesis. You probably have not written anything as long before. Allow up

to a year or one third of your available time. You may by now feel ambivalent about the study however this is

not just a chore and the real work is not yet finished.

Consider what you want to say and have it mediated by your supervisor into what examiners look for.

Put your best face on the material you have available and adjust

your arguments if things do not turn out exactly as planned Attend the academic writing workshop in this series

This is where you demonstrate that you are

worthy of a research degree



Possible dissertation

organising principles

Identification of gaps gap filling

Unfolding of evidence (one study leading to another)

Theoretical motivation hypothesis driven

investigation theory refinement Refinement or iterative development of a model or

application

Problem empirical research emergent theory

(Rugg and Petre

2004)



Elements of a good thesis

Coherent and appropriately presented

Good grasp of the literature

Intellectual grasp of the issuesSound methodology

Original contribution to the fundamental and

important arguments within the area.Publishable



Avoid these problems

Including material superfluous to the argument

Not including all the necessary material

Too long

Too short

Conclusions not foreshadowed in the introduction

No clear separation of methodology, data, results

and discussion Failure to link the outcomes back to the study

objectives



Intent to submit

Do not forget this one Usually three months in advance Starts off the process to appoint examiners. Typically three academics from other universities chosen to

ensure quality standards remain uniform internationally. A tough examiner may add prestige to your success, a less

exacting examiner may be chosen in the hope they willpass a lesser student

Choice of examiner is recommended to the appropriate

university higher degrees board by your supervisor. You may be given the opportunity to discuss this with your

supervisor. Be prepared with a list of suggested names.There should be no conflict of interest



Submission

You should have drafted and redrafted several times by thisstage and your supervisor should have read and commented onall your work

If at all possible find out who your examiners are and make sureyou have cited their major work appropriately.

Make sure you cover all the submission rules e.g. layout,maximum length, presentation, binding, number of copies etc.

Prepare an appropriate abstract Submit papers you have already published as an appendix and

note your exact contribution if you are a co-author.



How examiners view the

degree

May see the degree as research training

May see the degree as book writing

preparation

May see the degree as an entry to academic

life



How examiners view your

dissertation

Just one of many competing responsibilities in their

busy professional life

They hope it is not going to be a waste of their

precious time They want to see a thesis which is a clear

unequivocal pass

They do not want to be involved with a thesis that

will eventually scrape through with a multitude of revisions and tie them up for weeks.



What examiners look for

1/2

Examiners assess what you say (thesis as argument) andhow you say it (thesis as dissertation). What is written andhow it is written.

First impressions A nice warm feeling: “This does not look like a fail” A sense of Inspiration as well as perspiration (Wisker 2001)

How it is written Well written enough and appropriately presented for a doctorate.

Clear, easy to read, with few errors of expression and flawlessliteracy

Stylish and economically written Coherent organisation, structure and argument Citations, scholarly notes and bibliography follow academic

conventions

f



What examiners look for

2/2

Engagement with the literature Full mastery of the subject area: A theoretical and ethical base treated critically.

A critical self appraisal of existing practices / beliefs Depth and breadth of scholarship Synthesising previous work Adding original insights / models / concepts

An original contribution to knowledge topic area, method, experimental design, theoretical synthesis

or engagement with conceptual issues

Reflective and self critical elements An indication of future work



Dissertation checklist

Organisation and presentation The research problem Filling the gap

Methodology Outcomes General credibility

Be familiar with the instructions your university sends out to examiners andcheck you have covered all bases

Dissertation checklist:




Organisation and presentation

The dissertation is organised in a logical and

appropriate manner

The dissertation as presented is in readable

English using an appropriate style and

formatted in an appropriate manner

Di t ti h kli t




The research problem

The substantive aims and objectives for the study

have been explicitly set out including its scope,

assumptions and limitations

There is a clear statement of the research problem An explanation of its intellectual and practical

importance and significance has been given

The central research question is well established

The research question is broken down into

appropriate and manageable sub-questions.




Filling the gap

Demonstrate that you are familiar with the major debates in the area.

Demonstrate that you are able to identify the gaps inthe debates or are able to create such gaps.

Demonstrate how your thesis is contributing to thedebates and filling the gap in terms of new ideas, newmethods, and or new data.

How the thesis fills the gap should be clearlysignalled

Di t ti h kli t




Methodology

Appropriate use of methods and justifications

of the choices made

Data collection and analysis has been

appropriately handled





Outcomes

Conclusions i.e. answers to researchquestions clearly stated

An appropriate element of an original

contribution is present: how the thesis buildson or adds to existing knowledge has beenestablished

Further studies or research are suggested:where the thesis has taken the field of knowledge and what still needs doing hasbeen established





General credibility

Relationship of the thesis to previous work in the area has beenestablished. Mastery is reflected in the manner in which the primary and secondary

sources are used and cited No major authors or debates have been overlooked Current material is included

Demonstrates a deep and thorough understanding of relevanttechniques in the field of research The methodology employed is sound and appropriate to the aims of the

study Exhibits competence in the chosen field through judicious

selection and application of methods to yield a significant body of

work. Demonstrates the capacity to critically evaluate and effectively

present this body of work Arguments and supporting evidence are coherent and set out in a logical

fashion Demonstrates independence of thought and approach

Provides an original contribution to knowledge



Thesis outcomes

These differ between institutions. Check withyour university’s regulations Passed without further amendment

Passed subject to minor corrections Passed subject to substantial amendment Deferred and the candidate be permitted to

resubmit the thesis in a revised form.

Written work adequate but Viva not. May beasked to present yourself for another viva

Failed. No resubmission allowed.



Analyse the experience

What I did right

Where I went wrong What would I not do again

What would I do differently

What should I have included that I did not

What have I learned from this experience

Have I achieved my goals?



Disseminate your findings

Seminars

Journal paper

MonographBook

What next?



What next?

Workwise

Update your CV Apply for a PhD (if you did a Master’s) or a Post doc

fellowship somewhere prestigious Appear at conferences Become The empire builder The wandering scholar The hermit scholar

Teach Do some more research Get a real job!



How not to get a research




degree

Not understanding the nature of the requirements Research training Leave paradigm shifts to later

Einstein’s PhD was a sensible contribution to Brownian motiontheory not relativity

Marx’s PhD was on two lesser Greek philosophers not DasKapital

Overestimating what is required An enormous breakthrough is not required just a contribution to

knowledge. Alternatively make your enormous contribution and get an

honorary doctorate Underestimating what is required more than finding out something you do not know more than a description of a problem - must also be a

contribution to its analysis and explanation





degree

Having the wrong supervisor One who is unaware of what a PhD requires One with whom you loose contact

Just doing it badly Not having a central thesis: No central position argued

Spread too widely and too thinly Let Complexity be Your Guide (Confuse Thine Enemies Don't be Distracted by Comments of Others (Avoid Feedback) Never be Proven Wrong The majority who give up leave out of frustration with their theses

Taking on a new job before completion

Often during the write up phase when funding has run out A personal crisis

Medical Mental health Relationships Finances



Top 10 tips

1. Printout your research question and place it above your workingarea, on the fridge, in the toilet etc.

2. Read, read, read.

3. Read at least one completed dissertation cover to cover

4. Write early and write often. Don’t get it right get it written. Thelonger you leave it unwritten, the harder the task becomes. Tinybits of writing add up to a lot of writing.

5. Recognise that writing up and rewriting takes more time than youmight imagine

6.

Keep an annotated bibliography with page numbers7. Form an informal support committee

8. Expose your work to constructive criticism and feedback

9. Never hide from your supervisor

10. Keep it simple



And

Always make several

backups and keep

one off site



This workshop has covered

Writing up

Submission and examination

Life after

General tips



References

Adams, R. (2005). Demystifying the Thesis, Victoria University. Blaxter, L., C. Hughes, et al. (1996). How to Research. Buckingham, Open

University Press. Delmont, S., P. Atkinson, et al. (1997). Supervising the PhD: A guide to success.

Buckingham, UK, Open University Press. Denscombe, M. (2003). The Good Research Guide. Maidenhead, UK, Open

University Press. Dictionary. (2000). "The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English

Language." 4th edition. Retrieved 23rd September, 2005. Leedy, P. D. (1993). Practical Research Planning and Design. Engelwood

Cliffs, N.J., USA, McMillan Publishing. Neuman, W. (1997). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative

Approaches, Allyn and Bacon, Boston USA.

Phillips, E. M. and D. S. Pugh (1994). How to get a PhD: A handbook for students and their supervisors. Buckingham UK, Open University Press.

Rugg, G. and M. Petre (2004). The Unwritten rules of PhD research.Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK, Open University Press.

Wisker, G. (2001). The Postgraduate Research Handbook: Succeed with your MA, MPhil, EdD and PhD. Basingstoke, UK, Palgrave.

during and after the thesis

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