Planning and Managing your PhD

1
Planning and Managing your PhD
4pm 3rd Floor Room 318
Dr. Mark Matthews Student Learning
Development http//student-learning.tcd.ie
2
Practice makes perfect
3
Your PhD

• Your first piece of significant academic work
• Contribution to new knowledge
• AND a learning process for you

4
Getting Started

• Find out what you are expected to do by
• Attending departmental orientation and technical
  programs
• Course handbooks
• GSO guidelines
• Books and websites
• Read excellent theses
• Attend Conferences

5
SWOT Analysis
6
6 Most Common Problems

• Poor planning
• Methodological difficulties
• Writing
• Isolation
• Personal Problems
• Supervision
• Brown Atkins, 1990

7
What are your challenges?

• Write down your top 3 challenges to completing
  your PhD in time and in one piece.

8
Challenge 1 Poor Planning
9
Set Goals

• Goals
• Increase motivation
• Keep you on track
• Increase Productivity
• Long / Medium / Short
• Write Goals then Specific Actions

10
Self-Management

• Scheduling Actions
• Free your mind
• If your system works, you trust it to remind you
• Ask for Help

11
Scheduling Get a diary

• Practical
• Check daily
• Dates, meetings,
• lectures, timetable

12
To-do list

• Make a list of all upcoming
• tasks
• If it can be done in 2 mins
• do it now
• Otherwise add it to your
• list
• Order by importance

13
Managing yourself

• Questions
• When am I going to work?
• Where will I work?
• How will I know if Im on the right track?
• What can I do to tackle challenges?
• Avoid anxiety
• Get a management system
• External deadlines Rewards

14
Challenge 2 Methodological
15
Subject-Skills

• What skills do you need?
• Department specific
• Course Handbook
• Department Seminars
• Ask Supervisor
• Ask Postgrad
• Contact GSU
• Self-directed

16
Other Needs

• Information Support Services
• Planning thesis production using MS Word
• Using Endnote
• SPSS
• Student Learning Development
• Monday, November 29 400pm 
• Thesis Writing Process for Postgraduates
• Thursday, December 2nd, 4pm-6pm
• Thesis Writing Process (Repeat)
• Thursday, December 9th, 1000am 
• Systematic approaches to literature review

17
Challenge 3 Writing
18
Managing your writing

• Focused Tasks
• Structure
• Academic Writing
• Research Journal

19
Thesis types
Find out the structure for your discipline
20
Ask the person next to you

1. How do you manage your writing?
2. Do you have a clear research question?

21
Start writing

• Chapters (one file each)
• Chapter 1. Introduction and overview
• Chapter 2. Literature review
• Chapter 3. Research question
• Chapter 4. Methodology
• Chapter 5. Results
• Chapter 6. Discussion
• Chapter 7. Summary and conclusions
• References/bibliography

• Formalities (one file)
• Cover Page
• Key words
• Abstract
• List of Tables and Figures
• Ethics statement
• Statement of original authorship
• Acknowledgements
• Table of contents

22
What is my thesis about?

• Research Statement (25-30 words)
• Get feedback early and often
• Discuss with supervisor
• Reach agreement as early as possible

23
SPSE

• How would you describe the current situation?
• What is the key problem your PhD addresses?
• What did you do to address this problem?
  (solution)
• How did you evaluate this solution? (evaluation)

24
Challenge 4 Isolation
25
Get Involved

• Volunteer
• Volunteer Fair Edmund Burke Theatre from 6-8pm
  on Thursday 25th
• of November.
• Get involved in social events
• Get involved in a society http//www.trinitysoci
  eties.ie/
• Join the gym http//www.tcd.ie/Sport/
• Join one of the 50 sports clubs
  http//www.ducac.tcdlife.ie/

26
Academic Isolation

• Get your material reviewed by peers (seminars,
  conferences, publish)
• Make contact with people doing similar research
  (network)

27
Challenge 5 Stress
28

When stressed, try to come back to what you know.
When bored look for the novel.
29
Maintain Balance

• Exercise
• Balance
• Establish a Routine

30
Need more help?

• I need advice on dealing with stress
• Student Counselling Service Ph018961407
  email student-counselling_at_tcd.ie
• I need general advice on being a post-graduate
• Postgraduate Advisory Service
  http//www.tcd.ie/Senior_Tutor/postgraduate/
• Graduates Student Union http//www.gsu.tcd.ie/n
  ode/
• Student Learning Development http//student-lear
  ning.tcd.ie

31
Challenge 6 Supervisor
32
Your Supervisor

• What you want to do
• What your supervisor wants you to do
• How to contact your supervisor?
• Know supervisors strengths/weaknesses
• Set task targets with your supervisor
• Make maximum use of resources

33
Managing the Process
Agree a plan of supervisions
Prepare for supervision
Submit work for supervisor to read
Six monthly review of progress
Annual review of progress
Source www.vitae.co.uk
34
6 Most Common Problems

• Poor planning
• Methodological difficulties
• Writing
• Isolation
• Personal Problems
• Supervision

35
What can you do now?

• Make a plan
• Establish a routine / rhythm
• Start writing now
• Read one book on writing
• Read one thesis
• Set long-term / short-term goals

36
Further help
How to Get a PhD A Handbook for Students and
Their Supervisors by Estelle Phillips D.S.
Pugh How to Write a Thesis (Paperback) by
Rowena Murray
37
Student Learning Development
Thank you for your time Visit our website at
http//student-learning.tcd.ie