query on how phds work

j4vier

hello
currently doin a phd in science, about 6 months in now..
So far things aren't going great, as in Im not getting any results..
Does anyone know how does things work if 2 years go by and you still cant get things to work?
Its hard to get a clear direction ,so if anyone went trough a similar experience, id like to hear your opinion
thanks!

littlecat

Hi there. About 3 years in I thought my PhD was going to be a compilation of things that didn't work - it suddenly all came together as I was writing up and frantically still trying things in the lab.
However it's quite possible that a PhD is just that - as long as you can still put reasons behind the failing analysis, and put together a decent "future work" section detailing what another hypothetical researcher should try next you should be fine. A PhD is not going to wrap up a subject completely; it can narrow the field for the next poor victim!
You have a good way to go yet so don't panic, all the best with it.

djpbarry

Whether something 'works' or not (in the sense of producing an expected or interesting result) isn't the most important thing when it comes to the thesis. What counts is your interpretation of the results and the thought process behind planning your next experiment based on your last result(s). So don't get too disheartened! I appreciate that it can be frustrating when things don't go according to plan (trust me, I've been there), but there's still hope! It can be just as important to show that something doesn’t work (perhaps even more so) than showing something else does.

SeaFields

The aim of a PhD is to make an original contribution to science. Just because your results don't agree with a predetermined hypothesis does not mean there is the scope in your project for it to make such a contribution.

As you asked, what happens if this is still the case in a year or two. Well as your project progresses you and your supervisor will become more and more familiar with your work and its direction. As your work progresses a good supervisor and (a good student) will be able to gauge where the project is going and its limits. Indeed it make become apparent that it is not possible to achieve the hypothetical results through the analysis you have chosen to use and the reasons for this will (hopefully) become clear...which in itself would be a meaningful and original contribution to science.

Good luck with your research OP...there will come a time when everything pulls together with such clarity that you will look back at posts like this and smile at your naivety.:)

j4vier

thanks for the replies,they were encouraging i must admit
hopefully it all make sense in the end !