Research Skills: Planning your PhD

I organised a session for doctoral students at the Instituto de Educação of the Universidade de Lisboa a few weeks ago about how to organise time and work while doing a PhD and I this post is an ‘offspring’ of that session. Click here for the slides.

These were the topics we explored:

1. PhD Expectations and motivations
2. PhD Typical milestones
3. Planning and Managing your PhD (incl. Time management): Goal setting
4. Look around for support

1. When you start a PhD, or any other big life project, it is important to think why you’re doing it. What are the reasons, the motivations, the ambitions, the expectations… Namely:

• what do you expect from your supervisor and from yourself?
• what do you expect to happen in each year of your PhD?
• what obstacles do you envisage?
• what are you most looking forward to?

2. There are some typical milestones that seem to be common to most PhD students:

• Establishing foundations:
  • defining your research interests and questions
  • research methods training
  • plan structure of thesis
  • background reading
  • begin constructing bibliography
  • create some ‘keeping track files‘
  • start writing
  • project presentation/ defence
• Further work
  • refine research question(s)
  • write literature review
  • write about methodology
  • submit proposal for conference(s)
• Data collection
  • ethics
  • identify and recruit participants
  • fieldwork
• Data analysis
  • create data displays
  • make sense of data
  • write about data
• Working towards submission
  • review recent literature
  • writing/ rewriting chapters
  • full draft of thesis
  • career planning
  • editing and proof-reading thesis
  • notice of submission/ submission
• Defence preparation

3. Planning and managing work: Goal setting

It is important to have clear goals, that will help you persevere in times you feel stuck, demotivated, overwhelmed, etc…

Think about your key milestones/ objectives on a short/ medium and long term, i.e. what are the key things you want/ need/ expect to achieve within the next 3 / 6 and 12 months?

• You can try use Covey’s (2004) time management’s matrix: what is urgent/ not urgent, what is important/ not important?

It’s also important to think about the way you use you time on a daily basis, how long do you spend sleeping, eating, exercising, commuting, working on your PhD, reading, writing, … can you think of more effective way of using time?

4. Look around for support

Support could come from your supervisor and your peers but there is also a wealth of resources online to be explored. And there are two scholars that I would like to mention here for their online presence and resources are both useful and motivating:

• Pat Thomson, and her blog ‘patter‘
• Inger Mewburn, and her blog ‘The thesis whisperer‘

PhD Thesis: marathon or Fartlek training?

A while ago, while I was writing my own PhD thesis I read a piece by Ben (from Literature Review HQ) on The Thesis Whisperer blog called ‘The piece of dissertation wisdom that made me want to scream’.

It was based on an analogy between writing and running, and proposed a Fartlek approach to writing. While probably most people have heard of marathons: long-distance running events in which participants run approximately 42 kms; Fartlek is maybe a less known approach to running. Fartlek translates from Swedish as ‘speed play’ and involves fast running for short periods of time followed by slower running to recover.

The three key pieces of ‘Fartlek’ writing advice were:

1. Make a plan with short sections. By short I mean a “sprintable” length. Something that you could complete in one sitting if you’re focused.
2. Make a timeline of when you want to achieve writing goals.
3. Make self-imposed deadlines and make yourself accountable for them. Be creative on this one: tell your supervisor, your friends, colleagues, write it on Facebook, blog about it – whatever. The key aspect is: You need to feel that people are going to hold you to account if you don’t do what you said you would.

Sprint and then slow right down.

Are you willing to give it a go?

Becoming Dr Mum – Combining PhD and motherhood

When I found out I was pregnant (in February 2012), during the 3rd year of my PhD I thought it would definitely be hard to combine being a mum and finishing my thesis. As a researcher, it seemed logical to look for articles and resources produced by others who lived the same kind of situation to make me feel less isolated.

I found a really interesting website, which presented the report of a study called: “Becoming Dr Mum: Combining Higher Degree Research with Early Motherhood”.

By reading about the study, which was carried out in 2009 at The Australian National University, I felt there were other women who had been through the same and that I would certainly make it too, and come out of the whole experience as a stronger person!

Having been through it, now already with my PhD diploma and my adorable (most of the time) almost 3 year old daughters, I know it’s hard, and I know it’s possible too. And actually, if I’m, honest I think having my daughters helped me have guiltless breaks from my PhD which is very healthy, and I wouldn’t necessarily have otherwise. And, at the same time, having the thesis always on the back of my mind made me sometimes put things in perspective, which is also really important because being a mother for the first time is a overwhelming experience, and it changes your brain, well at least the way my brain worked. And sometimes I’d find myself stressing about the weight of my tiny babies or worrying and ‘doing research’ about the colour of their ‘poo’.

Most of these ‘motherhood concerns’ are at the same very valid and very silly, especially if you’re lucky enough to have strong and healthy babies like I was; but it’s hard to get your brain to stop and in absence of other issues, those are the ones that seem to take the front row!

Tools for Writing

Here are 4 interesting online resources that can help in the sometimes difficult task of academic writing.

1. The Academic Phrase Bank from The University of Manchester

The academic phrase bank really helped me as I was writing my PhD thesis, even if you end up not using any of the sentences they suggest, just by reading them it can help you get unstuck when you’re looking for phrases to compare, contrast, be critical etc. .  that helped me at different moments

2. University of Richmond Writing Center

It’s called ‘Writer’s Web’ and has quite a bit to explore. It can definitely be useful and has information from ‘Getting started’, to ‘First drafts’, ‘Focusing ideas’, ‘Clarity and Style’, and much more.

3. The Cache (Tracy Duckart’s Instructional Website at Humboldt State University)

I think some of the Prewriting exercises and the Elements of Style are particularly interesting and useful. Some parts of the website do not seem to be working but then there’s things like ‘Avoiding Oatmeal Verbs’ (Referring to the verbs to be, to give, to have, to say, to use) which suggests verbs to use instead. And ‘My Best Advice about Thesis Statements: Tattoo on the inside of your eyelids the following definition: “[A thesis] is a debatable point, one about which reasonable persons can disagree. It is not merely a fact [. . .]. Nor is it a statement of belief [or faith] [. . .]. Neither facts nor beliefs can be substantiated by reasons, so they cannot serve as a thesis for an argument” (Hacker 574).’

4. ASK – Assignment Survival Kit from Staffordshire University

This one is maybe not that useful if you’re writing your PhD thesis as it seems to be aimed at undergrads doing their first assignments but I still thought it was interesting to look at their suggested steps when writing an essay.

You provide a start date a due date and select from a list of types of assignment and this software ‘will help you to plan your time and the steps you might need to follow to survive and produce your first piece of assessed work’.

_____________________

I’m sure there are many others, and I will add to this list.

Please feel free to share other writing tools available online!

Searching for a Job (in Academia)

This is a list of websites to look for jobs, mostly in academia, and with a strong UK bias:

http://www.jobs.ac.uk/

https://www.academicjobseu.com/

http://academicpositions.co.uk/

https://www.academictransfer.com/

https://www.academics.com/

http://jobs.bmj.com/

http://www.britishmedicaljobs.com/

https://chroniclevitae.com/job_search/new?cid=chenav

http://www.emedcareers.com/

http://www.eteach.com/

http://www.exec-appointments.com/

http://www.fejobs.com/

https://globalacademyjobs.com/

http://jobs.theguardian.com/

https://www.higheredjobs.com/

https://careers.insidehighered.com/

http://www.jobsgopublic.com/

http://www.milkround.com/

http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/

https://targetjobs.co.uk/

https://www.tes.co.uk/jobs/

https://jobs.timeshighereducation.co.uk/

http://www.unijobs.com/

http://www.wileyjobnetwork.com/

I will keep adding to it, and feel free to comment with other hidden gems you know of!

Canadian Adventure

I had my PhD Viva on the 1st of December 2014, and a week later, exactly a week later we flew from London to Montreal. After much consideration we decided to send most of our things to Portugal, since our Canadian adventure was to last only 9 months and we had no idea where we would go after, so it really didn’t make sense paying for storage in the UK. We only brought what we could fit in our 1 small and 3 large suitcases.

The plan for the 9 months was for me to make the minor changes to my thesis as required by my examiners and then look for a job. Somewhere. Anywhere in the whole wide world. This, while staying home with the girls. Easy, right?

Well… not quite so!

Why? Probably because I took my role as a stay at home mum seriously, my daughters are at a key stage of development and I’m now in charge of playing all the roles of all the nursery staff they had previously, plus I’m their mum! I bought some books to inspire me and looked on the internet and Pinterest regularly for interesting and fun activities.

List of Books:

• The Everything Toddler Activities Book: Over 400 games and projects to entertain and educate
  by Levine, Joni
• Creative Play the Steiner Waldorf Way: Expertise and toy projects for your 2-4-year-old
  by Clouder, Christopher
•  Help Your Preschooler Build a Better Brain: Early Learning Activities for 2-6 Year Old Children
  by Bowman, John 

(We also had to buy a new pushchair, but that’s a whole other issue that I’ll make sure to write about!)

We tried to go out most days, yes, tried. It’s not that easy and obvious how to move around with 2 two-year olds with -15oC and snow. But it was part of our learning and it was our big adventure. And like Dora we sang lots of ‘We did it! We did it!’. I think I needed to tell myself often that I could do it!

We went to activities at Le Carrefour des Petits Soleils with Pauline, and at Les Ateliers d’éducation Populaire du Plateau with Michelle, we went to story time at La Tasse Gamine, and we also went to the supermarket across the street (Provigo Mtl, Avenue du Parc). In all of these it was as much of an activity to get there than the actual activity itself! Actually, just getting dressed was… a test to our patience and perseverance: snow trousers, snow boots, snow coat, mittens, ‘ninja’ scarf, hat, seating in the pushchair – the 3 of us needed a rest by the time we were ready to head out!

And where does the PhD thesis and the job hunt fit here? Well, during naptime! That’s it! A maximum 2h of uninterrupted work but usually a lot less than that! Not easy but I did it, I submitted my revised thesis and received a couple of congratulations emails for being a Dr.

I don’t feel any different. At all. If anything, I feel relieved for having managed to pull it off: ‘I did it! We did it!’

Baby names

The difficult task of choosing baby names is upon us… does it sound well with our surnames? does it sound well in English, Portuguese, French…?

And… will it really be 2 girls? Should their names start with the same letter? Be similar in some way? Or just two girls’ names that we both like?

As usual, questions, questions, questions… hopefully with answers in the near future as I am due in about 2 months!

Here are some websites that could help with ideas:

http://www.bounty.com/baby-names/

http://www.babynames.co.uk/

http://names.darkgreener.com/#

http://www.pampers.co.uk/pregnancy/baby-names-meaning

Mancs GradSchool & to tell or not to tell?

A while ago I was away 4 days at the Manchester Grad School 2012 (1-4 May 2012), it was a great experience, an extremely well organised event, an opportunity to meet lots of other PhD students doing interesting research in so many different fields, and to hear from already well-established academics such as Gillian Mawson (@Guernseyevacuee) and Inger Mewburn (@thesiswhisperer) and their view on public engagement and social media (respectively) and impact in general.

I felt generally well, tired, yes definitely but well. I also found it difficult to stop at the end of each day as after hearing and doing so many interesting things, and meeting and speaking to so many people my brain struggled to let go and allow me to fall asleep.

Outcome of the GradSchool week: blog, tweet and don’t be afraid of saying yes to less planned (and sometimes less “academic”) invitations as these can open new and exciting doors!

On the pregnancy side of things… as my tummy was still quite small at the time nobody could tell I was pregnant, which left me in various situations of should I tell? Why would I tell? I only told very few people and sometimes I felt a relief for being able to say it. Actually I think I started writing this blog because we decided not to tell anyone (family & friends) until the week 13 scan and I needed to tell somebody about it, I needed to get it out: the (double) happiness, the frustrations, the aches, etc….

Sickness gone, welcome back brain!

End of April

After weeks of feeling miserable and not really capable of doing anything I was really happy when finally I felt I could get some work done, I was feeling a lot better and magically I could cope with the idea of having to write and finish chapters of my PhD thesis.

Unfortunately the sickness was substituted by migraines and all different sorts of pain in my head – medication? Well… not really. I was still happy because it was better than the previous weeks of “morning” sickness (still feels wrong to call it morning!)

Ph…pregancy…D

Ok, I’m in my 3rd year of a PhD in education, expected to finish in or around September 2012. I’ve collected data, transcribed interviews, started writing a findings draft chapter….

End of February 2012 I found out I am pregnant, the tests were “extremely” positive, the three tests to be more precise!

Beginning of March we went in for my first scan and… ta dahhh! Not only I am pregnant but I am expecting twins, fraternal twins (the “good kind of twins”, or so I’ve been told).

The following weeks were overwhelming, sickness, calling it morning sickness is a joke: whole day sickness would definitely be more accurate! Lying down for most of the day and still feeling like I’m crossing from the UK to Spain on a ferry

PhD vs. sickness = sickness  won, every single time!!!

One piece of advice (or maybe Note to self): When it all seems too much, when you feel overwhelmed and even just looking at a “What skills do PhD/ researchers need to develop” makes you feel you don’t have any strengths and only weaknesses – give it a rest. Stop, don’t force yourself to sit in front of the computer or think about the PhD!