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Tag: the PhD journey

Nathan

An Absence Of Publications

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An infrequent-but-troubling question at viva help seminars is “What will my examiners think if I don’t have any publications by the time I have my viva?”

Or worse, “Can my examiners fail me if I don’t have any publications?”

Examiners might ask or might know if you don’t have any publications. They could ask you why not, and there could be many reasons you could offer:

  • I’ve been focussed first on finishing my thesis, but have plans to publish…
  • I’m exploring publishing a monograph after I’ve completed my PhD…
  • I don’t want to publish papers based on my PhD because…

An examiner can have opinions and expectations on what is the right way to do things. Everyone’s allowed an opinion, but in the viva an absence of publications cannot count against a candidate. The thesis and the work done to produce that is being evaluated.

Other publications could be seen as a good thing, but the absence of them can’t be taken as a negative.

More than anything, prior publications are a confidence boost for a candidate. If you have some then you have a little more support for feeling that things will go well because others have accepted your work.

But if you don’t have publications, it’s likely that you’ve invested your time in other ways – not bad, just different – and have taken other steps to show yourself (and your examiners) that you are a capable researcher.

You don’t need publication to pass your viva.

Nathan

Now You Know

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A lot can happen during a PhD: success and failure, progress and setbacks and halfway stages in-between all of these.

You learn more. You know more. You won’t know everything (probably!) but you’ll gain a perspective that helps you to write your thesis and share your research with others.

Whatever happens along the way, when you reach your viva you can explore your work, describe your journey and show your examiners what you are capable of.

Because now you know what you need to know.

You know enough, can do enough and can show enough.

Nathan

The Last Time

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Maybe your viva is the full stop on your research. Maybe it’s the final occasion where you will really have a conversation about what you’ve done.

That’s OK: a PhD is a big, important thing but it can be seen as a stepping stone. Maybe a stepping stone to a career in academia or perhaps a stepping stone to cross the river out of research and into something else.

Even if you have plans to continue the viva really is the last big challenge of your PhD journey. Corrections take time, but they’re not generally a big deal. This is it. This is the last time before you move on to whatever you’ll do next.

So make it count.

This last hurrah, the last time to share your work, defend your ideas, expand on the contribution you’ve made and what it really means to you. Don’t rush it, don’t put pressure on yourself. Go and make it great.

Nathan

The Epiphany

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My PhD was in an area of pure maths. Maths was the thing I was most interested in for many, many years. Looking back I can remember the day that maths became exciting for me.

It was a long time ago. I was nine, sat in Mr. Dodd’s class, and as a group we were reciting our times tables.

We got to “four times six is twenty-four” and I felt as though I had been struck by lightning. Twice actually, for in a split-second I first realised that four times six was the same as six times four – and then realised that two numbers always give the same result when you multiply them, regardless of what order you arrange them.

It was a small thing, but it felt like I had just found out a special secret. No-one else in my class seemed to care! To me it was magical: I wanted to know more about numbers, more about maths and what it could be used for.

 

When did you first connect with your research area or topic? Or even just the general field that you work in? What was the moment? Remind yourself. Towards the end of a PhD it’s not uncommon to become tired, stressed or in some way down about everything you’re doing (and everything still to do).

Look for the epiphany in your story. Look for the moments that set you on your path. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this – and perhaps reflect on what has kept you going. Use that to help you through the final stages.

Nathan

Summarising The Difference

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Consider some of the following questions ahead of your viva to capture thoughts on the difference your work makes:

  • What does your thesis add to what was known before?
  • How does your work change previous perspectives in your research area?
  • What could someone do in the future with your conclusions? How could they develop your ideas?
  • What is new in your field as a result of your work?

One question that always applies to a PhD candidate is to consider how am I different now, compared to when I started my PhD?

Because you must be different.

You’ve learned. You’ve grown. You’ve developed yourself.

Remember that the difference you’ve created through your work is a result of the difference you’ve made in yourself.

Nathan

That’s Just What Happens

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If you open a cafe then you can expect occasional customers who want to make changes to what’s on the menu. They’ll ask for toast instead of bread, or wonder if you can take the tomatoes out of the salad.

That’s just what happens.

If you live near a primary school then you’ll come to expect that twice a day a lot of children and their adults will be moving through the area. Twice a day there will be more street noise and the roads will be more difficult to cross.

That’s just what happens.

And if you pursue a PhD, stay determined through years of work and produce a thesis, then you can expect that a couple of academics are going to want to talk about.

You could reasonably expect that, at your viva, you will get questions about what you did. Questions on anything and everything because your work is important. Your research makes a difference and that – among many other things – is interesting to the two people who will take on the role of your examiners.

More than anything, questions and discussion are what you can expect from your viva. That’s just what happens.

Nathan

Only You

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Remember that your viva comes as a response to the work you’ve done. There may be regulations for thesis examination and ideas for what makes a “good viva” but yours is just for you, based on the thesis you’ve written.

Because it follows your work it’s a challenge that only you can rise to – and because it follows your work it is a challenge that you will rise to.

Nathan

Being Lucky

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Don’t trust that you’ll be lucky and that somehow things will work out at your viva.

Instead, trust in the process. Vivas are governed by regulations, expectations and the culture of your department.

Trust in your examiners. They’ll do their homework, be well-prepared and be offering you the chance to engage with relevant and realistic questions about your thesis and more.

Trust in your work. You’ve invested years in it, after all, both in your research and your thesis. Trust that after all of that effort, it’s enough.

Trust in yourself. You’ve invested years in you too! Trust that after all of your work and determination, you are enough.

You are enough. You don’t need to be lucky.

Nathan

Not One Day

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Your PhD success is hundreds of days of work – thousands and thousands of hours of learning, doing, achieving, growing, making, failing(!) and persisting. Your PhD is not defined by a few hours of discussion with two examiners. You need your viva to go well, but you need all of the work that comes before to get you there.

Your earlier success, all those years, helps you through the viva too.

It’s not just one day that determines everything. It’s one day when you get to demonstrate who you are, what you’ve done and what you can do.

Nathan

The End Result

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Remember what you’re working towards.

You need to submit your thesis, but you’re not working towards that. You need to prepare for your viva, but the work isn’t for the sake of preparation. And you want to pass your viva, but that’s not what the work is for.

You’re working towards BEING a PhD. Doctor Someone, with a doctorate in something special.

Whatever stage you’re at – submission, prep or the day before your viva – you can only get that far by working and building yourself into a PhD.

The work helps you succeed at whatever stage you’re at, but also moves you closer to the end result.

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