Candidate dissertation.Instructions for the uprooting of scientific stubs. Part 1
Thanks to those Habra users who created posts that are guidebooks in this difficult task! I express my respect to those who have gone through all the difficulties associated with writing a dissertation and have received the long-awaited crust and self-satisfaction.
As practice shows, most people (alas!) Throw their dissertations before reaching defense. Why it happens?
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Everyone knows that the dissertation is a very laborious process and takes a lot of free time. And sometimes it is very difficult to force yourself to do a thesis. Because the candidate of sciences does not automatically become a super-successful person. Thesis still needs to be implemented. It is also difficult to write a dissertation because ...
However, all of the above is well known to you, and this was written more than once on Habré.
In this post there will be no instructions on how to choose the topic of the thesis, to prioritize. There will be no tips on how to organize the first, second, third and other years of study ...
And there will be a list of problems and dangers arising on the way of the applicant (we will call them stumps so that it is not so sad to read). Practical advice is attached to the list on how to avoid these dangers and solve emerging problems. I want to share with you my successful experiences and those of my friends. In part 1, I will talk about the uprooting of stumps at the early stage of writing a dissertation.
Scientific stump number 1: my supervisor is able to set the actual scientific task
The danger lies in the fact that the choice of the supervisor is an act of great trust. You have to believe that the supervisor is well aware of scientific trends and knows in advance what topic of research will be relevant. If all this is true - you are very lucky, and good luck - your character trait! But…
Ask yourself these questions: why do you think that your supervisor knows the latest scientific trends? How did you decide that he is able to predict what will happen in 3 years after your scientific task is solved and presented for protection? Why do you trust him at all?
The fact is that your supervisor is a man, so you may be wrong. And he can make mistakes very much. For example?
There are a lot of unsuccessful consequences of a wrong choice of the topic of the dissertation; Here are practical tips for uprooting a stump. My supervisor is able to set an actual scientific task:
Ask yourself these questions: why do you think that your supervisor knows the latest scientific trends? How did you decide that he is able to predict what will happen in 3 years after your scientific task is solved and presented for protection? Why do you trust him at all?
The fact is that your supervisor is a man, so you may be wrong. And he can make mistakes very much. For example?
- Set a task that cannot be solved in 3 years. Why did you decide that he is a first-class manager and is able to predict everything? .. What is the result? You will spend a lot of time, and in the end you will realize that you are not able to complete a completed scientific work. The field turned out to be too plowed ...
- Set a task that someone is already actively engaged in. The supervisor may simply not know about it. What is the result? You will be happy to learn that someone is defending a dissertation on a topic that is very close to yours, and some of your scientific novelty loses its value. That is, it turns out that you are just ahead. You are not the first, but the primacy in our world is of tremendous importance.
- To set a task which in fact does not contain any scientific novelty in itself. You are reviewing the literature (which can be spent from six months and more), and to great disappointment you understand that "everything has already been done before you."
There are a lot of unsuccessful consequences of a wrong choice of the topic of the dissertation; Here are practical tips for uprooting a stump. My supervisor is able to set an actual scientific task:
- As soon as possible conduct a review ... scientific leaders. You should have real information that this supervisor has a lot of defended graduate students. And not so: yes, I found out: there were a lot of them, but 5 years have passed since then. . Everything is changing, and very intense. Ideal: talk with several (!) Graduate students who successfully defended themselves under the guidance of the supervisor you are considering. Even if it is only one defended, but “very fresh” (for example, 1 year ago).
- Start as early as possible to communicate with various nominations of scientific leaders. Mark their scientific activity. How often they speak at conferences and publish articles. If such public activity really “boils” - then this is a big plus in favor of the fact that such a person can be trusted. Do not be lazy, and be sure to attend several conferences with the participation of this supervisor. Rate how active he is, how many people ask him questions. Rate also the participation of the supervisor. If you actively listen to reports and ask questions to speakers, this is another huge plus.
- If the presentation procedure looks tediously formal, then this is a dangerous sign and a big minus to the supervisor.
- Assess the importance of the supervisor. At conferences with his participation, pay close attention to other people. How warmly do they meet the supervisor? (especially the chairman of a scientific conference). Does the supervisor discuss with other participants in the breaks between reports and coffee breaks. In a word, is science boiling around him? If so, then all this scientific "seizure" will spread to you, and everything will be ok.
- Start cooking in the area in which you want to write a dissertation as soon as possible . Continuously read scientific journals, attend as many scientific conferences as possible and ... feel free to ask the next tricky question to the speakers: "Is this the topic of your dissertation?". Do not shift the responsibility for the formulation of the actual task to the supervisor! You too should feel and critically evaluate this relevance. And you can do it!
Scientific stump number 2: you can wait with a review of literature
The danger of this action follows from the previous stump: trust the supervisor and “shift” all responsibility for the relevance to it. Responsibility is shifted, but not only he will have to grieve for the wasted years ...
Often, graduate students write a literature review in their final year. Or make a superficial review, without going into details. Many say: why now review? The supervisor has already said that "this is relevant." This is a big risk! Why? It was described in the previous stump.
Tips:
Often, graduate students write a literature review in their final year. Or make a superficial review, without going into details. Many say: why now review? The supervisor has already said that "this is relevant." This is a big risk! Why? It was described in the previous stump.
Tips:
- Start reviewing the literature as soon as possible! It is quite realistic to cope with this burdensome and sometimes uninteresting task in less than six months. The more literature you have studied, the less you have to take on trust from your supervisor.
- Read only the introduction and conclusion. See pictures. This is enough to understand the essence of the article and its scientific significance. If you find something controversial, you can get into the content. But do not get carried away by this - you can get bogged down. Every day with an unfinished view of the hump is a day of blind confidence in the supervisor.
Scientific stump number 3: I still have as many as 3 (!) Years ahead
In the dissertation research you have not plunged on your own. Let them tell you from all sides about these troubles. All the same, as long as you do not fit, do not understand the complexity of this process. Therefore, there is an illusion of an abundance of free time. One feels joy from the fact that you are standing on the threshold of something new and interesting. You with pleasure and with relish lead leisurely scientific conversations. You have not yet adjusted to this hellish pace of work-dis-work-dis-work-dis-er ... Because such a restructuring takes time.
And here is the danger: you are wasting time, because you have not yet plunged headlong into the process of dissertation research. And that's a shame - this time you may not be enough at the very end, when you rush headlong with the documents for the dissertation council (more on that later).
You have no time! Thesis should have been written yesterday! And that's why:
Tips:
And here is the danger: you are wasting time, because you have not yet plunged headlong into the process of dissertation research. And that's a shame - this time you may not be enough at the very end, when you rush headlong with the documents for the dissertation council (more on that later).
You have no time! Thesis should have been written yesterday! And that's why:
- The relevance of the dissertation topic decreases with each passing day. People around are awake, doing research, full of ambition. With each new achievement, the relevance of the topic you have chosen is lost.
- Your scientific advisor is aging! It is not uncommon when scientific leaders are respectable and aged people. And such people may go to the hospital at the most inappropriate moment for you.
- The situation in the country is changing! The dissertation councils are being closed, changes are being made in the Higher Attestation Commission, new resolutions on the defense of dissertations are being issued (as a rule, they significantly tighten the process). The dissertation council can close in front of your very nose! This is quite a frequent case! Go to another tip? That is, you will come as a person from the street and ask for your dissertation? Not so simple.
- You and your family are changing! Children may appear, financial difficulties may arise, health problems may begin with relatives. Any of these reasons can greatly slow down the process of writing scientific work, and the result of such inhibition is the loss of relevance of the topic and the wasted years.
Tips:
- One of the most important tips that I heard is such a advice - a thesis should be written in the full immersion mode. You either decide to write it in this mode, or do not write at all. Consequences of tarpauls on the spot were outlined above.
- As soon as possible, switch to work-dis-work-dis-work-dis-mode ... You will eventually save yourself a lot of time by avoiding, for example, problems with losing relevance
Scientific stump number 4: teaching practice
It is known that a graduate student is a free teacher. Pedagogical practice is obliged to engage (this is in the curriculum). What is pedagogical practice? At least once a week you will have lectures. Some have just one pair. It seems that it is very small?
But you still need to prepare for this lecture, and preparation can take several evenings. Only teachers who have been teaching the same course for a decade are not trained. At the end of the year and in the summer you will have another great surprise - taking examinations, and in several stages (different groups, an additional session). It will take a lot of that time, which you could spend on a thesis. While you are teaching and taking exams, the relevance of your topic decreases. Rather, it decreases by itself every day, and every day teaching practice keeps you away from the cherished protection. In general, a lot of time is spent on teaching practice! That precious, from the beginning of writing diser to his surrender, which you already do not have! (see stump number 3).
You can argue: "teaching allows me to better penetrate the subject!"
In its pure form - yes. But the "pure species" will not. There will be a large number of administrative cases:
Did you coordinate your absences on academic affairs with your employer? It is very rare when an employer is interested in a dissertation activity (about this - in a separate stump).
If you do not plan to devote your whole life to teaching, then pedagogical practice for you is a scientific stump!
Tips:
But you still need to prepare for this lecture, and preparation can take several evenings. Only teachers who have been teaching the same course for a decade are not trained. At the end of the year and in the summer you will have another great surprise - taking examinations, and in several stages (different groups, an additional session). It will take a lot of that time, which you could spend on a thesis. While you are teaching and taking exams, the relevance of your topic decreases. Rather, it decreases by itself every day, and every day teaching practice keeps you away from the cherished protection. In general, a lot of time is spent on teaching practice! That precious, from the beginning of writing diser to his surrender, which you already do not have! (see stump number 3).
You can argue: "teaching allows me to better penetrate the subject!"
In its pure form - yes. But the "pure species" will not. There will be a large number of administrative cases:
- curriculum development, their perpetual changes and coordination.
- Satisfaction of the requests of other teachers to replace them due to "illness".
- Conducting laboratory work on possibly outdated equipment.
- Fussing with the statements, the dean's office, visiting semi-useless meetings of the department and so on.
Did you coordinate your absences on academic affairs with your employer? It is very rare when an employer is interested in a dissertation activity (about this - in a separate stump).
If you do not plan to devote your whole life to teaching, then pedagogical practice for you is a scientific stump!
Tips:
- Those who did not teach defended most quickly. How to achieve this? Your supervisor is a man, head. The chairs, the dean are people, and you can agree with them. They can be (!) Convinced that you do not need to teach, but you must fully engage in a thesis. Convince them that the relevance is falling, the competition is high and so on ... I did not teach, I managed to convince the scientific director. Will succeed and you! Believe that it is possible, and you will find a way to avoid the teaching bondage.
- The sooner you start to refuse to teach, the more chances you have to not fall into this bondage. The more you teach, the stronger you associate with everyone around the gratis teacher. There is a point of no return - after a certain teaching experience you will no longer be able to abandon this activity, and they will surely stick to your neck (after all, they are so used to you!)
- If, after all, teaching has not been avoided, then it is extremely necessary for you to do everything so that you are given to teach the subject that has the closest relation to your dissertation. Thus, the above-described costs can be minimized to some extent.
Scientific stump number 5: the topic of the thesis is approved and remains constant
The topic of my thesis was radically changed during the 1st year of study. 4 different topics were considered, until finally it was finally approved. The reasons are that after the topic was approved, I and the people who helped me studied it and checked its relevance. And it turned out that the relevance is not sharp enough. It also turned out that the scientific. hands changed the priorities of his research. I had to accept it with these changes, and I had to throw some of the results into the garbage. The result - wasted precious time.
This stump intersects with the bib about the list of references.
Tip:
Be prepared for the fact that the topic of the thesis will be coordinated and suddenly changed, not according to your will. In the early stages, “stick” to a research supervisor more often with various questions, make him think about the topic he has been given. Talking, "try on" the topic to his other scientific research. Boost his thoughts on the relevance of the topic. And at the same time study yourself the industry and its trends. In the early days, do not cling to the topic you have been assigned, delving into the details.
This stump intersects with the bib about the list of references.
Tip:
Be prepared for the fact that the topic of the thesis will be coordinated and suddenly changed, not according to your will. In the early stages, “stick” to a research supervisor more often with various questions, make him think about the topic he has been given. Talking, "try on" the topic to his other scientific research. Boost his thoughts on the relevance of the topic. And at the same time study yourself the industry and its trends. In the early days, do not cling to the topic you have been assigned, delving into the details.
Scientific stub â„–6: the employer is interested in you becoming a candidate of technical sciences.
No matter how wrong! In most cases, nobody cares! The value of the thesis is now very controversial. Which employer will like that you are absent due to “pedagogical activity”. What does it do for him? The benefits may be, but not always. Especially if you work in a private company. In the end, it may turn out that you will first work all day, and then, having come home to do your dissertation, which has nothing to do with work. This is a huge burden, including for the family.
If you are a full-time student, then you are not supposed to do anything - no indulgence in work! Because formally you have no right to work, being full-time.
Tips:
If you are a full-time student, then you are not supposed to do anything - no indulgence in work! Because formally you have no right to work, being full-time.
Tips:
- If you firmly decided to write a dissertation, then perhaps a good option for you would be to change jobs. Go to work in any scientific research institute or to an employer who is keenly interested in scientific research. As a result, you can not only “try on” your results to real needs, but also use part of your work in your thesis. This greatly speeds up the speed of writing a dissertation! Yes, and to teachers such science-oriented employers are much softer.
- Convince the employer that your scientific work is useful to the company? How? Very difficult question! But everything is possible, and you will succeed. Find in the company science-oriented people or candidates of science. Enlist their support in convincing the employer.
- If you go to the correspondence postgraduate program, then you have the right to numerous indulgences (read the relevant laws). Of course, for the employer, the demands of these concessions should not come as a surprise. Prepare him for them in advance.
Scientific stump number 7: stability in the family
By biting into a thesis, you risk undermining family relationships! Not only will you pay much less attention to your family. You will still become more irritated and nervous, constantly stumbling over numerous scientific stumps (this is only part number 1 of the cycle of posts, I tell the problems of the initial stage. All the most interesting will be ahead!).
That is, your spouse must be prepared for increased load! For a very long period of time. You know - some do not stand up for a post-graduate student preoccupied with science ... This is a great danger, and it should always be remembered.
Tips:
That is, your spouse must be prepared for increased load! For a very long period of time. You know - some do not stand up for a post-graduate student preoccupied with science ... This is a great danger, and it should always be remembered.
Tips:
- Always take the time to discuss the benefits of your thesis with your family. At all times, support and remind family members of the relevance and necessity of this occupation. In the end, you yourself will understand more deeply whether you need it or not.
- Explain in detail to family members about the thesis and complexity of the dissertation writing process. Prepare them for all these troubles.
- Keep your family up to date. Let them understand your dissertation problems. Understand = forgive.
- Perhaps someone will want to help you, to participate in scientific work! Suggest It will strengthen the family.
This is all that concerns the initial stage of dissertation research. I tried to list those stumps that should be thought of as early as possible. The main thing is to remember that many people managed to write a thesis and solve all their problems. You get it and you! Rest assured!
See you again! The extension follows ...
Links
The portal of graduate students is a storehouse of useful information about the scientific process!
www.aspirantura.spb.ru
Astlee recommends: www.yaaspirant.ru
DreamWalker recommends:
Changes in the rules for the thesis of January 1, 2014:
aakinshin.blogspot.ru/2014/01/government-decree-842.html
LaTeX Template for a PhD thesis
github.com/AndreyAkinshin/English-Phd-LaTeX-Dissertation-Template
Thanks you!
igor_minakov habrahabr.ru/company/maxifier/blog/207550
kimssster habrahabr.ru/post/181676
stepan_ovchinnikov habrahabr.ru/post/50357
sashaeve habrahabr.ru/post/78725
Thanks to everyone who helps graduate students in this difficult task!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/213367/
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