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Deciding on your Phd topic?

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  • 01-03-2015 10:44pm
    #1
    Zipppy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,054 ✭✭✭


    Ok so I'm not 24 anymore...have decided I want to do a Phd....self funded..for me not for any other reason ..I'm looking forward to the learning experience and not just getting it done...luckily my work should permit me lots of time to do it...

    So my 'issue'

    I've a specific topic I'm debating researching and working towards....but I'm constantly being dragged away by thoughts or ideas of other topics that might suit me and my education and experience better...

    How does one actually decide on the topic ? And not keep thinking one should have done something else? :confused:


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    #2
    dyl10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,355 ✭✭✭dyl10


    I don't know your field and so the answer to this question is not entirely straightforward. I will assume you are not in a field, such as several STEM fields, where you need to work as part of a larger research team/project.

    If you're a naturally curious person, you might find that settling on one topic to be difficult. I think that's normal. From my own experience, picking a topic was a mix between researching ideas I thought to be interesting, speaking about them with people to gauge both general and specialist interest, and mixing that information with the pragmatics of actually undertaking the project.

    If you're at the very beginning of this process, perhaps bouncing your ideas off potential advisers and getting feedback might be the best course (although, it's best not to go with anything too half-baked). If your ideas are far from each other, then bounce your ideas off many potential advisers. Most importantly, read a lot, follow what you're interested and continue to refine as talk/think/read.


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    #3
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    dyl10 wrote: »
    If you're at the very beginning of this process, perhaps bouncing your ideas off potential advisers and getting feedback might be the best course (although, it's best not to go with anything too half-baked). If your ideas are far from each other, then bounce your ideas off many potential advisers. Most importantly, read a lot, follow what you're interested and continue to refine as talk/think/read.

    This.

    I started off with a broad idea and ultimately distilled it down to my topic after going through the above process. I also read extensively in the area and managed to discover an area that is relatively under-researched.

    I think I spoke to 8 or 10 potential supervisors before settling on one topic. There is another, totally unrelated, area that I still wonder if I should have given more consideration to. However, it came to a point where I had to convince myself that I made the right decision and drop any further thought of the other topic.


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    #4
    djpbarry
    Registered Users Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    Zipppy wrote: »
    ...have decided I want to do a Phd....self funded..for me not for any other reason…
    What you’re undertaking is a massive commitment in time and effort – are you sure you want to do this without getting paid and for no other reason than to satisfy your own curiosity?

    Personally, there’s absolutely no way I would have taken on my PhD without funding.

    I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it, just offering a perspective. I would suggest you consider finding some sort of funding – it can’t hurt to try.
    Zipppy wrote: »
    I've a specific topic I'm debating researching and working towards....but I'm constantly being dragged away by thoughts or ideas of other topics that might suit me and my education and experience better...

    How does one actually decide on the topic ? And not keep thinking one should have done something else? :confused:
    Some good advice above – go and speak to potential supervisors. They will very quickly be able to advise on how feasible your chosen topic is and perhaps suggest others you hadn’t considered. They may have even already have secured funding for a project that might be of interest to you.


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    #5
    Zipppy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,054 ✭✭✭Zipppy


    djpbarry wrote: »
    What you’re undertaking is a massive commitment in time and effort – are you sure you want to do this without getting paid and for no other reason than to satisfy your own curiosity?
    Thank you for the reply...

    I will be continuing to work .. and will undertake Phd in my own time and time I create within work environment...I'm also hoping my employer will support me with son extra time off etc...perhaps even part fund it..
    djpbarry wrote: »
    Personally, there’s absolutely no way I would have taken on my PhD without funding.

    May I enquire why?
    The cost?


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    #6
    Woodward
    Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭Woodward


    Zipppy wrote: »
    Thank you for the reply...

    I will be continuing to work .. and will undertake Phd in my own time and time I create within work environment...I'm also hoping my employer will support me with son extra time off etc...perhaps even part fund it..



    May I enquire why?
    The cost?

    You do realize that doing a PhD requires 60-80 hours per week of work and is incredibly stressful? Its not something to be undertaken lightly and certainly not something you can do part time


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    #7
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    Woodward wrote: »
    You do realize that doing a PhD requires 60-80 hours per week of work and is incredibly stressful? Its not something to be undertaken lightly and certainly not something you can do part time

    I think you will find that a percentage of people do them part time, myself included, over an extended period of time.


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    #8
    BabyBirch
    Registered Users Posts: 1,330 ✭✭✭BabyBirch


    Woodward wrote: »
    You do realize that doing a PhD requires 60-80 hours per week of work and is incredibly stressful? Its not something to be undertaken lightly and certainly not something you can do part time

    I am doing a PhD part time over six years. It is possible.


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    #9
    Woodward
    Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭Woodward


    Tom Dunne wrote: »
    I think you will find that a percentage of people do them part time, myself included, over an extended period of time.

    It is probably subject dependent but no one in my institution has graduated with a PhD doing it part time in recent memory. All of those who enrolled in it either dropped out with a masters or reregistered as a full time student. Most PI's in my department wont take on part time students


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    #10
    Zipppy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,054 ✭✭✭Zipppy


    Woodward wrote: »
    It is probably subject dependent but no one in my institution has graduated with a PhD doing it part time in recent memory. All of those who enrolled in it either dropped out with a masters or reregistered as a full time student. Most PI's in my department wont take on part time students

    Hi
    Thanks for all the advice...

    I've spoken to the Grad school of my preferred third level institution and they are happy to have me there, part time and reckon it's very doable in short enough time ..especially as I'll be doing it in a work context...

    Anyhow I'm still at the topic issue..but am doing up two separate briefs of my proposals and will discuss with prospective supervisors ..


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    #11
    djpbarry
    Registered Users Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    Zipppy wrote: »
    May I enquire why?
    The cost?
    Because it’s a job. You’re contributing a body of research to the global pool of knowledge. You deserve to be compensated/supported for that.


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    #12
    djpbarry
    Registered Users Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    Woodward wrote: »
    You do realize that doing a PhD requires 60-80 hours per week of work…
    There is absolutely no way the average PhD student works for 60 – 80 hours per week. Absolutely no way whatsoever.
    Woodward wrote: »
    Its not something to be undertaken lightly and certainly not something you can do part time
    Plenty of people do PhDs part-time. There is absolutely no reason why it cannot be done, so long as someone is prepared to put the work in.


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    #13
    Dr Strange
    Registered Users Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭Dr Strange


    BabyBirch wrote: »
    I am doing a PhD part time over six years. It is possible.
    djpbarry wrote: »
    Plenty of people do PhDs part-time. There is absolutely no reason why it cannot be done, so long as someone is prepared to put the work in.

    Definitely possible, did mine over seven years, no problem.


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    #14
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,512 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    djpbarry wrote: »
    There is absolutely no way the average PhD student works for 60 – 80 hours per week. Absolutely no way whatsoever.
    Those that do normally crack pretty early, only really acceptable at deadline times. Reads like the "Elephant in the room" guys statement (can't remember his name now he also gave out stink aout research facilities being quiet on Sundays, thought it was a disgrace.

    Plenty of people do PhDs part-time. There is absolutely no reason why it cannot be done, so long as someone is prepared to put the work in.
    Several had to long ago, most senior, older lecturers I know would have done so, you would work your PhD while doing a demonstratorship/R.A. position, I worked in a lab outside of it.

    I have two friends who went to the US and done it part time over 5-7years although there work was close related which may have eased the pressure, it is doable.


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    #15
    mickstupp
    Registered Users Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭mickstupp


    Two people in my department are doing it part time. I'm full time and I put a good 40 hours into just the thesis each week. There's another 20 odd hours on language classes that I have to do, some tutorials and a lot of commuting on top of that. All in all I'll average 60-80 hours a week easy and take about a day off every two weeks.

    But... I love what I'm doing enough that it's anything but stressful. I'm really only stressed when I'm being kept away from my thesis for some reason. It's one of the few things that grabs my attention completely and utterly and won't let go. I hear about so many people who either don't like their topics, or supervisors, or whatever else, and I end up downplaying how amazingly lucky I feel.

    I suppose my advice to Zipppy wouldn't just be to pick something that interests you. Pick something that you love to think about, something that grabs your brain in such a way that you lose yourself for hours in it. I think it helps me a lot having a topic that I want to do, rather than feeling like I have to just get through it, if that makes any sense.

    I think everyone's experience is probably going to be different.

    ... although I do find it annoying when I see mails coming in advertising PhD positions in universities on the continent that are treated like actual jobs. Some countries pay you a proper wage, like a job job type job to do your PhD. Sometimes I feel like there's much less respect for research in Ireland and the UK, than there is on the continent.


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    #16
    Woodward
    Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭Woodward


    djpbarry wrote: »
    There is absolutely no way the average PhD student works for 60 – 80 hours per week. Absolutely no way whatsoever.
    Plenty of people do PhDs part-time. There is absolutely no reason why it cannot be done, so long as someone is prepared to put the work in.

    Probably varies by field but it is definitely the case in lab based sciences


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    #17
    djpbarry
    Registered Users Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    mickstupp wrote: »
    I'm full time and I put a good 40 hours into just the thesis each week. There's another 20 odd hours on language classes that I have to do, some tutorials and a lot of commuting on top of that. All in all I'll average 60-80 hours a week easy and take about a day off every two weeks.
    That is neither normal nor healthy.
    Woodward wrote: »
    Probably varies by field but it is definitely the case in lab based sciences
    No, it is not. I’m a post-doc in a high-profile cell biology lab and the PhD students here generally work from 9 - 10am to 6 - 7pm every day. Sometimes they’ll work later and sometimes they’ll be in here at the weekends, but the average working week is definitely closer to 40 - 45 hours than 60 - 80.

    Nobody can work 80 hours per week for an extended period of time – it’s just not possible and it is certainly not expected of PhD students.


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    #18
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,512 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    Woodward wrote: »
    Probably varies by field but it is definitely the case in lab based sciences
    I only know of one lab that forced this on their students, the PI made them all work minimum half day Saturdays minimum (you know who you are in the Conway) and told one 1st year PhD student who went to see her boyfriend in Cork one weekend that she should seriously consider her future (second hand info on that one so could be complete bull).
    djpbarry wrote: »
    Nobody can work 80 hours per week for an extended period of time – it’s just not possible and it is certainly not expected of PhD students.
    Agreed, I tried it between my full time job and trying a full time PhD, it's not healthy both mentally and physically.

    There will be weeks, I have had time lapse experiments that run over 24 to 48 hours and no one to swap out with (or anyone I would trust to read the results), it's exhausting but they were not the norm, done a few weekends as well where machines were booked up Monday to Friday so coming in on a Saturday or Sunday was alot easier.

    That said the 80 hours included commuting which I don't think most people would include in their time spent unless th PhD itself involves such things.


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    #19
    Kavrocks
    Registered Users Posts: 2,345 ✭✭✭Kavrocks


    I'm currently in the middle of a full-time PhD in a science related field and I love what I'm doing. I'm constantly thinking about it and find it hard to put it down. However, There is no way on earth I could spend 80 hours a week on it. Ignoring breaks, teaching, distractions and what else I would spend between 35 - 50 hours actually working. I try to keep it to between 35 - 40 hours a week as I've found it keeps me freshest and allows me to work much better than if I'd spent an extra 10 hours at it.

    Anybody who says they are spending 80 hours a week regularly on their PhD is either lying, including eating time, breaks and commuting in that 80 hours or does extremely poor work in those 80 hours. If I was to spend 80 hours a week on my PhD I would be getting at most 6.5 hours sleep a night and have no time for hobbies or even posting on boards! That is not conducive to good quality work for even 1 week for me.


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    #20
    mickstupp
    Registered Users Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭mickstupp


    My apologies, I didn't realise, I'd no idea. I've only been doing it for four years so what do I know.

    Maybe it depends on what you consider to be work. My PhD is the most enjoyable and satisfying thing I've ever done. Everything else stresses me out. Giving time to my thesis is pure enjoyment for me.

    As for the commute, that's when I read journal articles or do language study.

    Different strokes.


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    #21
    challengemaster
    Registered Users Posts: 16,931 ✭✭✭✭challengemaster


    djpbarry wrote: »
    That is neither normal nor healthy.
    No, it is not. I’m a post-doc in a high-profile cell biology lab and the PhD students here generally work from 9 - 10am to 6 - 7pm every day. Sometimes they’ll work later and sometimes they’ll be in here at the weekends, but the average working week is definitely closer to 40 - 45 hours than 60 - 80.

    Nobody can work 80 hours per week for an extended period of time – it’s just not possible and it is certainly not expected of PhD students.

    Think it depends on what you're working on and on the PI as well. I know a few people who are/were working in an iPSC lab and 60+ was definitely the norm.


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    #22
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,239 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Preusse wrote: »
    Definitely possible, did mine over seven years, no problem.

    7 years or 70, that last week is a bitch.

    :)


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    #23
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,512 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    Kavrocks wrote: »
    I'm currently in the middle of a full-time PhD in a science related field and I love what I'm doing. I'm constantly thinking about it and find it hard to put it down.

    Definitely true about the constantly thinking about it, I had a note book beside my bed in case an idea would pop into my head overnight and often read related a papers in the evening but I didn't consider these part of the work, I was interested in the field.


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    #24
    Dr Strange
    Registered Users Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭Dr Strange


    endacl wrote: »
    7 years or 70, that last week is a bitch.

    :)

    Yes, and the after the viva it doesn't feel real, i.e. I didn't had that huge euphoric YES feeling of having completed successfully my doctorate. It was just a relief and extreme tiredness set in, just wanted to sleep, which I did. And felt like a fraud of being called Dr afterwards, took me a year to get over that and accept that that was officially my academic title. :D


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    #25
    djpbarry
    Registered Users Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    challengemaster wrote: »
    Think it depends on what you're working on and on the PI as well. I know a few people who are/were working in an iPSC lab and 60+ was definitely the norm.
    Oh sure, I know of labs where people are expected to work ridiculous hours. But the point is, it's not the norm and I would argue that there's no way anyone can work productively if they're being pressured and coerced into putting in hours just for the sake of it. A good PI doesn't treat their students and post-docs like children - they should be trusted to be able to manage their own time.

    The best PhD student I've ever seen worked from 9 - 17:30 pretty much every day. She was one of the most organised people I've ever met and pretty much every single experiment she did produced a usable result. It's all about the quality of time you spend in the lab (or library, or whatever), not the quantity.


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