My thesis has become a nightmare that I am living, I cannot even concentrate on anything this thesis sucks all the time of my life. I just want to get done with it my guide keeps rejecting my thesis and I have become fed up with this whole process itself. I cannot understand what should […]
Continue reading My thesis has been rejected multiple times
Hi. I’m having issues with my advisor with my publishing of my research paper. He is saying that I should submit it to any journal of low level because he thinks they would easily publish my research paper without any hassle. But I want to publish in a good journal having a good impact factor. […]
Continue reading Where to publish my manuscript?
I am enrolled in a fully funded PhD program. And pursuing my PhD from Ohio State University. I am in my first year and facing problems in deciding a proper research topic, our guide has given us a task of coming up with 5 fresh topics on which we can work on and for which […]
Continue reading Difficulty in choosing a Research Topic
I am currently studying in Yale school of Public Health. I came across your question and knew I could help you out. So here is a link to my Graduate School’s website – https://publichealth.yale.edu/emd/curriculum/mph/theses.aspx . Exactly what you are looking for! Hope it will help you out.
Hey there! Try to narrow down your research. Just zero in whether you want to research on microbial diseases affecting plants, animals or humans. Pick one out of them and then read relevant research papers in that field. Bar anything unrelated to your field. In this way, you will find it easier to pick a research gap. Next step is to come up with research topics in that gap – decide upon something which is both viable and interests you. Its simple!
Only your guide can help you out with the topics. If you are unable to find a viable topic on your own then at least get a rough idea of what might interest you. For this, browse through the journals of microbial diseases. Here I found one https://www.omicsonline.org/clinical-infectious-diseases-practice.php. See if you find anything relevant here. You need to study a lot and then only will be able to get started with topic selection.
You can seek assistance from https://www.fivevidya.com/topic-and-research-proposal.php. I sought help from them and they gave me four research topics. I chose one of them which i got approved by the advisor. Now preparing research proposal with their help.
Just a few days ago, I read a blog by a student from Walden University sharing his experience of being a research student. He scared the hell out of me saying that thesis defense is probably one of the toughest and challenging tasks if compared to other milestones in research. And every 10 out 50 […]
Continue reading What exactly happens during a thesis defense?
Without scaring you any further, I would clearly confirm that yes thesis defense is actually the toughest challenges during our research. Here in UK (I pursued my PhD in law from University of Southampton ), we usually have two vivas – one with an internal examiner and another with an external one. I am not sure whether the same format is followed in other universities or not. So, make sure you are well acquainted with the format of thesis defense in your university. It usually lasts between 30 mins to 45 mins. Do not over exceed this time limit. As your panel would have already read your thesis by this time, they wouldn’t be interested in a word by word reading session of your thesis. They would basically want a concise overview. You will have to justify your research and result findings in a Thesis Defense. No need to act defensive. Maintain a calm and neutral composure – Be confident and not arrogant. Good Luck! You would Do Well!
It happens to every PhD student. When I was at your place, I was guided well by my seniors. Before appearing for the defense, make sure you have read your thesis word by word thoroughly. Keep yourself well informed with all the aspects of your research. Prepare in advance for potential questions your panel might ask and come up with up convincing answers or counter questions. Your slide presentation should work perfectly without any glaring errors. Do have appropriate illustrations. Speak well because your panel would judge you on that too. Avoid any grammatical mistakes and speak in a formal tone – no slangs permitted. At the end, note down all the comments suggestions of your panel and revise your thesis accordingly. If research life is your vocation, thesis defense is not a big issue. So, make research your passion and you would automatically do well. Hope I answered well!
I won’t lie to you. Thesis defense is actually a difficult task. It totally depends on your performance, how confidently you present your presentation and how thoroughly you are versed with your concepts. Just keep the following points in your mind while presenting, do not panic, go through your research work properly, do not give the external reviewers a chance to point out questions that you will not be able to answer. I hope you will do well and all the best.
Hi, hope you are doing well. I’ll keep my suggestion small and simple. Thesis defense is a nerve wracking task and take a lot of time to prepare it, but it is not an impossible one. Different universities have different ways of conducting it and accordingly the rules are designed. But one thing is common, you are given 30-45 minutes of time to present your whole research work and followed by question and answer round, where all the professors from different departments and external professors asks questions about your work.And if you are not able to answer it, then you are in trouble. But this situation will arise when you are not fully prepared. I would suggest, make your presentation interesting with graphics and present it with full enthusiasm. Nobody will dare to give you low marks. All the best pal.
Hi all! Can someone help me understand the scientific use of tenses. I am currently writing a research paper on female genital mutilation and unluckily grammar hasn’t been one of my areas of interest. And, my professor keeps on suggesting me to use the tenses in a scientific way.
Continue reading Scientific uses of tenses
As far as i know there are no strict rules when it comes to scientific use of tenses. Just keep these four tenses in your mind i.e simple past, simple present, present perfect and past perfect. You just need guidance in positioning these tenses at right places in your research study. You can take help from https://www.regentediting.com/services/. They provide high quality editing services. All the best. Keep writing.
It depends upon whether you are writing a fact, idea, event in the past, present or future, or simply sharing the opinion. I don’t think there is any hard and fast rule in scientific writing, and it is just that you need to be clear and to the point while writing.So, if you are stating universal facts or general statements, you should write in simple present tense. Past tense can be used for the recent research studies done, conclusions or theories were drawn. Also, present perfect can be used if unclear about the time of any occurrence or event. Not to forget, you must use simple past tense with the passive voice, and for conclusion section, present perfect tense can be used.
You may choose to glance this book. It focuses on the scientific writing in the medical field. http://catalog.lib.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/recordID/1001254095 Thought it to be helpful for you. Good luck and write well!
Use of correct tenses while writing your thesis is important and use of English language at right place can be very confusing. The situation gets significantly more tangled when you need to choose which tense to use while composing a scientific research paper. In scientific writing, use of tenses relies on the section of the paper being written. I will highlights some secret to using tenses in scientific writing which my professor told me. Use simple present tense for defining the objective of the study, review of literature, and results of past research. Simple past tense to explain existing research on the topic and to describe your actions i.e how you did it or why you did it. In the end, in your discussion section, use past tense to summarize findings, present tense to present results and conclusion and finally use future tense to make recommendations for future research aspects. I hope i was able to answer your query. Best of luck.
I’m final year undergraduate student of Psychology and wish to get admission for pursuing doctoral research at Walden University. My interest lies in advanced research in the discipline of psychopathology. I have already begun searching for the Walden uni culture and processes. In one of the uni blogs I read, that one must start writing […]
Continue reading How to write statement of purpose for Walden University?
Your choice in the selection of university is great. Walden university is known for its reputation and good quality of education. Thus, they select the best candidates for the doctoral program. They do not compromise with the quality of the content. The first and the foremost thing you need to focus on is that your statement of purpose should be straightforward and crisp. It should cover all the aspects including why you want to pursue that particular subject, create links between topics, take help from your professors, go through Walden university catalog. Mention all possible reasons why you want to join their university. All the best!
Statement of purpose is the deciding factor whether you will get the university of your choice or not. So, it is utmost important to spend good quality of time working on it. You need to prepare your statement of purpose in such a way that it stands out among the rest of the applications. I am outlining some of the points that you need to keep in mind while preparing your statement of purpose. A ‘hook’ that demonstrates your field of interest for which you are passionate about, academic background description, mention about your professors. Special features of the doctoral program which attract you, finally proofread and copy edit. Take help from your professors and friends. I hope, i was able to answer your query.
Walden is one of the most reputed institutes to pursue PhD. And therefore, its benchmarks for accepting candidates for PhD programs are also higher. While reviewing a statement of purpose, they are usually on a lookout for competent researchers, especially those who are driven by self- motivation. As far as the content is concerned, you need to maintain continuity and focus. Write in an active voice and avoid passive voice as much as you can. And also the ending needs to be reassuring. Do mention how you are looking forward to join the University for your Research. Also, have a look at this sop. I hope it can help you. http://www.msinus.com/content/statement-purpose-ms-thesis-cs-1414/ Good Luck!
As I can see from your topic, you are trying to do advanced research on mental health and behavioral issues. Now your Statement of Purpose needs to make you stand apart. You need to convince the admissions committee how your academic interest in psychopathology has motivated you to pursue research in this particular area. Check out Walden University’s faculty on its website and find out the tentative names of professors belonging to your area of research. You can also mention them in your sop, if you wish. It would show your interest in the doctoral program and the uni and definitely encourage your admission committee to accept it.
Hi all. I have really a weird issue with my citations, and I don’t know where can I find an answer to it so here I am posting my question in the hope of getting the right advice. During the research, I found a very useful blog post by the student on a university blog […]
Continue reading Should I remove the invalid citation from reference list?
This would be called negligence from your supervisor’s part. He could have advised you earlier to be careful while citing internet-only sources, that means, the sources which are not available in print form and especially when you cite a blog post. These kinds of stuff you see are not considered carrying credible value. Even I can’t advise you upon this. Sorry, I think you must consult the doctoral committee!
Hit hard at the last moment? Lesser time, tons of work still pending…this is how the PhD life goes. Reviewing the literature will surely cost so dearly to you. Being said, delete the reference and the section where you put argument or information or simply a description addressing the citation. Try to substitute with some recent psychological theory or key findings, you can also replace it with some interview-like thing as in you consult a student and then discuss your research questions or something and then quote this interview. This is I guess the best option to go for. At this time, you need to find a reliable source and a strong evidence or theory.
You may get help in tracing the required citations and references from any professional. I found this US-based firm which can assist you in resolving the citation issues https://www.dissertationrevision.com/ . Go through the website once, you will find the required information!
No other option is available for you…you must remove it otherwise the integrity of your thesis would be under the radar of criticism. Try to find some other source similar to what earlier you got. As you said, your research is related to high school students and psychology, so perhaps you can go that university and get access to the student magazine or publications. At times, these are helpful because some of the student services actually raise the student-related issues that are faced by the student population in almost every sphere. Visit the university once, may be you find any solution over there.
I’m in my first year of doctoral program. I have been studying literature regularly to find a topic which interests me. But I could not find any! Thence I tried to look for some guide on internet and read a number of blog posts on how to choose a research topic. But then, all of […]
Continue reading Criteria of selecting a research topic
Found this video on you tube. Check it out. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp2kscopexmaster/chapter/choosing-a-manageable-research-topic/
What I understand by the word ‘manageable’ topic is in terms of resources, knowledge and time. Suppose if you decide the topic Women in the 21st century which is too broad. It covers all the women around the world (black, white, Asian) who can be working in service sectors, taking care of household responsibilities. This topic also encompasses the women from all age groups whether they are married, single, divorced or dowager. You see? Here, you have got a lot of things to explore which you might not be able to study. You lack resources & time to do research. All these things you have to manage by yourself only. You must study and evaluate what all can be done, all can be studied, all can be analysed well. If you pick up large themes to work upon, you might end creating a complete mess of your PhD.
Hoping all three questions of yours have been answered now.
Hi all! I’m doing a research on inter-racial marriages and mixed-race children. I am thinking of going for a qualitative analysis. Highly confused what will work the best? I am currently working with three supervisors. All of them have a different say – grounded theory, IPA, discourse analysis etc. I personally want to go for […]
Continue reading Qualitative Analysis
Hey guys! I am going to start with my PhD this July at Newcastle University. After great thought, I have selected an area of research – “Theatre and Gothic Novel”. I found it pretty much interesting. I really haven’t decided on any hypothesis or any research objective. I am thinking of going with an open […]
Continue reading Methodology – Grounded Theory
Hi! Your topic seems to be amazing. It has a lot of scope. You really need to be very passionate about your Research Topic if you choose Grounded Theory as its a ‘Bottom-up approach’. Your research wouldn’t be restricted to the limits of your pre-assumed hypothesis. You will find a lot of patterns and themes. It is going to be an interesting experience. No need to have second thoughts. Go ahead with it.
Hey….. good luck for your research. To be frank, grounded theory is the least preferred option of researchers. There is a vague roadmap ahead and you really can’t be sure if you’ll get a theory worthy enough to be presented in a thesis. Take a risk if you want to. I will suggest you otherwise.
I believe GT is a bit underrated. It works if you have a perceptive mind. You’ll be dealing with a lot of inductive reasoning. If you ask for suggestions, I guess you can try to find a parallel between Gothic plays being enacted at the theatres & Gothic Literature. GT involves constant comparisons, memoing and deriving new themes.
I suppose you are performing a research for the first time. Hope you know how to get your way around GT. You will be supposed to extract the theory embedded within the data. It’s extremely time consuming & usually works out well in case of qualitative analysis.
manette 3:13 am on September 29, 2017 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I am expecting you must be having more than one mentor. So, you can do one thing. If you are unable to persuade the current one then you can try and convince the other one. There is a high probability that the other mentor would agree with you.
HarryStewart HarryStewart 5:43 am on October 3, 2017 Permalink | Log in to Reply
In my opinion, you should listen to what your advisor has to say. He is senior to you and has more experience than you in this field. Go with his advice, and this is just the beginning, later in your academic and professional career, your research paper will get published in reputed journals.
Maya Verma 11:53 am on October 4, 2017 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Well, this seems to be a serious problem. What you can do from your end is, try to put strong points in front of your advisor for the second time. Make all efforts to convince him that the research paper is strong enough to be published in a good journal. Present it well, so that it gets approved this time. Best of luck.
Tia Ross 7:34 am on October 7, 2017 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi! Can you just go through the following link! It has a lot of advice regarding how you can deal with your supervisor’s advice regarding publishing research papers. Here it is – https://www.smartsciencecareer.com/best-publication-strategy-in-science/. Hope it will help you.