My experience about PhD

and How we can manage ?

Dr. Sanjeev K Maurya
Lecturer
Department of Biochemistry
Target audience
 Aimedat: 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 yield
sufficient information
 Inappropriate / undoable / excessively complex research
questions.
 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
 Lifeoutside research interfering with your
work
 Family relationship issues

 Poor 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
community
 Manage 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 meet

at 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 reliable
interested academics who are willing to do
some work for you i.e. read, comment,
advise, critique, provide pointers, make
introductions to useful people, possibly
provide technical help in their own specialist
area
 Consultants: one off meetings for technical
advice
 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 assistance

 Statistical expertise

 Subject librarian
Peer group support
 Recognise that others are experiencing
similar things
 Form self managed groups and networks to
reduce 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 supporters
and grade their support 1-5
(excellent to poor)
3. Identify those that are
underperforming or missing
4. Consider if this really
matters to your candidature
5. If so develop strategies to
rectify this
6. Develop strategies to
maintain what you already
have
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 stuck
sometimes. 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) were
surveyed 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 what
they 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 work
 Contact 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 with
the 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 complete
it.
 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 Petre
2004) 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 into
productive 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
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

Work Research

Home

Gina Wisker
Respond appropriately to adversity

 Motivation –avoiding getting demoralised

when things go wrong
 Research information turns out to be flawed
and the hypothesis on which it is founded are
clearly 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 and
Stress 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 family

life are important too
 Reward yourself
The Research Diary
 Keeping a journal of your research activities
and ideas
 Speculations, interesting problems, possible
solutions, 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 spiral
notebook 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 issues

 Sound 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 will
pass 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 this
stage and your supervisor should have read and commented on
all your work
 If at all possible find out who your examiners are and make sure
you 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) and

how you say it (thesis as dissertation). What is written and
how 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 flawless
literacy
 Stylish and economically written
 Coherent organisation, structure and argument
 Citations, scholarly notes and bibliography follow academic
conventions
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 and
check 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
Dissertation checklist:
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.
Dissertation checklist:
Filling the gap
 Demonstrate that you are familiar with the major
debates in the area.
 Demonstrate that you are able to identify the gaps in
the debates or are able to create such gaps.
 Demonstrate how your thesis is contributing to the
debates and filling the gap in terms of new ideas, new
methods, and or new data.

How the thesis fills the gap should be clearly

signalled
Dissertation checklist:
Methodology

 Appropriate use of methods and justifications

of the choices made
 Data collection and analysis has been
appropriately handled
Dissertation checklist:
Outcomes

 Conclusions i.e. answers to research

questions clearly stated
 An appropriate element of an original
contribution is present: how the thesis builds
on or adds to existing knowledge has been
established
 Further studies or research are suggested:
where the thesis has taken the field of
knowledge and what still needs doing has
been established
Dissertation checklist:
General credibility
 Relationship of the thesis to previous work in the area has been
established.
 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 relevant
techniques 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 with
your 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 be
asked to present yourself for another viva
 Failed. No resubmission allowed.
Life after
 Initial euphoria: allow yourself to enjoy this major achievement: no
doubt one of the highlights of your life
 Celebration
 Graduation
 Commemoration
 Vacation
 Mental and physical exhaustion
 Bereavement
 You have lived with your thesis for a long time
 Fill the gap with something else. Get a life and rejoin the human race

Recognise that this is not the end but the end of

the beginning of your research career
Analyse the experience
 WhatI 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
 Monograph

 Book
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!
What next?
On other fronts
 Plan what to wear to your graduation
 Put some work into your relationships

 Be nice to your family

 Go on a diet

 Get a life
How not to get a research
degree
 Not wanting it enough
 A lack of determination
 Not prepared to make the sacrifices required.
 Not prepared to work using the methods required
 Not prepared to listen to supervisors and accept
feedback
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 motion
theory not relativity
 Marx’s PhD was on two lesser Greek philosophers not Das
Kapital
 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
How not to get a research
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 working
area, 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. The
longer you leave it unwritten, the harder the task becomes. Tiny
bits of writing add up to a lot of writing.
5. Recognise that writing up and rewriting takes more time than you
might imagine
6. Keep an annotated bibliography with page numbers
7. 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.