When it comes to writing up your PhD thesis (or any other thesis for that matter) it can seem a very overwhelming & daunting task. "Where do I start", "how do I start" & "how do I put off actually starting" are common threads that enter your mind.
I have a simple piece of advice for all PhD students, write up your results as if you're writing a paper BEFORE you start writing your thesis (i.e. within the first 2-3 years of your PhD). Take a few hours every couple of weeks to put together your results, be they positive or negative, into the same format you would use for submission to a journal. Not only does this save time when it comes to putting your thesis together, it makes sense of your results, can help you to see where you need to go next experiment-wise, and is great practise for paper writing. I mentioned this to a few of the girls in the lab, who are currently about half way through their studentships & they looked at me like I'd told an offensive joke. "Why would we put ourselves through the torture of writing now, when we don't have to start for another year?" they asked. All I can draw from is my own experience; and I found the pages I had put together as a potential review invaluable for my introduction section. Not only was all of the information I needed right there (including the time consuming references) but it was in the correct format, suitable for a dissertation. I had also attempted to write a paper based on some of my results, this ended up turning into chapter 6 of my thesis. Of course more work was needed, I had to change a few things around & add more to it, but the bones of it were there, and I had a few nice paragraphs that I could literally copy & paste in.
Take it from me, writing up a research thesis is one of the toughest & most draining things you have to do in science, especially at the start of your career. Anything that makes it a little easier can only be a good thing! Let me know if you've had a similar experience when you were writing up or going through your PhD.
Rachel xxx
Showing posts with label PhD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PhD. Show all posts
Friday, 27 May 2011
Monday, 28 February 2011
PhD...Plenty of Huge Decisions
You've reached the summit, surpassed your own expectations, the final hurdle has been cleared...and now what. It’s almost an anticlimax (and a huge relief) to be finished your PhD. Thesis is done & dusted, the ordeal that is your viva wasn’t as hellish as you’d imagined it would be, and the graduation ceremony was quite pleasant (apart from the silly hat). So, where to next? The obvious choice is to Post Doc. Yet in the current economic climate, where once there may have been 15 post doctoral positions, there are now perhaps 3. And as budding researchers, is bench work really our only option?
I finished my PhD about 6 months ago and since then I’ve been having quite a professional identity crisis. I love the lab, however, more frequently I’m finding myself frustrated with the limitations of my work. When experiments go right, there’s no better feeling. Chances are though; you’ll spend months on optimisation & heart breaking preliminary work, which can sometimes lead to no real results at all. Another drawback of the Post Doc route is the lack of stability or permanency; 2 or 3 year contracts don’t make the bank manager happy, nor do they put your mind at ease in terms of job security and making solid future plans. So I asked myself 2 questions; what do I really want to do for the rest of my life, and what are my options?
Surprisingly, there are many avenues that one can travel down after you’ve received your PhD. The most exciting and interesting to me were in the areas of management consultancy, science journalism, and even patent law. I confess that I did buy a book on this topic: Alternative Careers in Science by Cynthia Robbins-Roth. It has many helpful tips and over 20 different categories of jobs that are available to new PhD graduates. While I’m not ready to delve into industry just yet, nor to sever all of my academic ties, I’m tempted to use the skills I’ve acquired that don’t necessarily translate on the bench; communication, investigation & management.
Most of all, like everyone, I want job satisfaction, a career that's challenging, while also rewarding & provides stability. This may indeed be via the academic career track, but it's reassuring to know there are plenty of other options out there; in case I decide to hang up the pipette once & for all.
Rachel xxx
Monday, 6 December 2010
When Experiments Fail...And Keep On Failing
We've all been there. You've followed the protocol to a T, you've made sure you've bought all the reagents from the exact same suppliers, you've tried it at different temperatures, for different time periods, even gotten other students/lab staff to look over what you're doing coz you're fearful that you're losing your mind. Troublesome experiments are easily the worst part of working in a lab. It's unbelieveably frustrating when it just will not go right, especially when you know you're doing everything in your power to ensure that it does!
The best advice I can give is try to keep your head up, we've ALL been there, some of us more than others, but there's no one who has done a PhD or who's working in a lab now that will tell you it's plain sailing, and if they do it's a big fat fib. If possible, talk to your peers or supervisors as much as you can, having support of others is essential, helpful tips and even an ear to moan in can make all the difference sometimes. Read lots of papers or try to get information on protocols online. Try not to get overwhelmed or stuck doing the same thing over and over, it's great to have side projects to turn to when things aren't working. Take a break from it completely for a few days, don't think about it, look at it or research it at all, sometimes a fresh look at things can make a big difference. And if all else fails, just go shopping instead! ;)
Share your tips on surviving the bad times in labs here; any advice for us scientists when we're struggling to make things work will be much appreciated!
Rachel xxx
The best advice I can give is try to keep your head up, we've ALL been there, some of us more than others, but there's no one who has done a PhD or who's working in a lab now that will tell you it's plain sailing, and if they do it's a big fat fib. If possible, talk to your peers or supervisors as much as you can, having support of others is essential, helpful tips and even an ear to moan in can make all the difference sometimes. Read lots of papers or try to get information on protocols online. Try not to get overwhelmed or stuck doing the same thing over and over, it's great to have side projects to turn to when things aren't working. Take a break from it completely for a few days, don't think about it, look at it or research it at all, sometimes a fresh look at things can make a big difference. And if all else fails, just go shopping instead! ;)
Share your tips on surviving the bad times in labs here; any advice for us scientists when we're struggling to make things work will be much appreciated!
Rachel xxx
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Fascinating Figures
When you get to that all important stage of putting your results together for a publication, it's vital to have the figures in the correct order & telling the story in the right way. Figures are the most important part of a research paper, as well as your interpretation of them. Writing papers and arranging figures gets easier with time & practice, here are a few helpful tips that I found useful when I was starting out in the writing game...
1. Smile! If you've gotten this far then congratulations! Paper writing is a daunting task that like everything, seems much more complcated and difficult before you start it. But it's all about practice and lots of drafts & re-drafts, it's a skill that can be developed and honed over time. You have the hard part over with, I'm sure getting that data together took a lot of time, stress & heartbreak, so enjoy this brief respite from the bench!
2. Put the figures together first. Once you have them ordered, it's much easier to write the results section, as you know what to say/describe and when. The same goes for materials and methods, much more straightforward when the figures are in place.
3. The first figure should be ticking the boxes/showing preliminary data/highlighting the result that made you study this topic in the first place. This may seem like an obvious statement but sometimes panels are added to figures as an after thought or aside when they should have been right at the beginning.
4. Use panels wisely. Don't jam 8 panels together just to fill space, some results can stand alone, others are better grouped together as they highlight eachother's findings or may be several ways of showing a similar thing. On the other hand, 6 individual results may not be enough on their own (unless they're fantastic) so it's hard to know how to best lay things out, once it's clear and easy to follow, that's the main thing.
5. Size matters! Font is hugely important; figures are often shrunk right down to accomodate the size of the journals pages, so it's vital to have huge lettering and numbering-especially on axes and labels. I use font 20 and above, it looks a bit ridiculous in word but it makes reading the paper a lot easier in the long run.
6. Make sure figures in the correct order; which experiment should naturally follow the next, what way is it best to present the data such that the story is told well etc.
7. Legends are also a fundamental part of getting figures right. Don't overload them with info about the method, but make sure every part of the graph is explained clearly. A short succint statement about the main finding is good too. Reviewers can often ask for more or less text in legends so check what's the norm for the particular journal you're aiming towards.
Of course your boss will have final say on which way things will appear in the publication, but it's good to have a headstart & always helpful to practice for that big day when we'll have to do things on our own! But that scary time is far far away...for now!
Any questions or comments, just let me know.
Rachel xxx
1. Smile! If you've gotten this far then congratulations! Paper writing is a daunting task that like everything, seems much more complcated and difficult before you start it. But it's all about practice and lots of drafts & re-drafts, it's a skill that can be developed and honed over time. You have the hard part over with, I'm sure getting that data together took a lot of time, stress & heartbreak, so enjoy this brief respite from the bench!
2. Put the figures together first. Once you have them ordered, it's much easier to write the results section, as you know what to say/describe and when. The same goes for materials and methods, much more straightforward when the figures are in place.
3. The first figure should be ticking the boxes/showing preliminary data/highlighting the result that made you study this topic in the first place. This may seem like an obvious statement but sometimes panels are added to figures as an after thought or aside when they should have been right at the beginning.
4. Use panels wisely. Don't jam 8 panels together just to fill space, some results can stand alone, others are better grouped together as they highlight eachother's findings or may be several ways of showing a similar thing. On the other hand, 6 individual results may not be enough on their own (unless they're fantastic) so it's hard to know how to best lay things out, once it's clear and easy to follow, that's the main thing.
5. Size matters! Font is hugely important; figures are often shrunk right down to accomodate the size of the journals pages, so it's vital to have huge lettering and numbering-especially on axes and labels. I use font 20 and above, it looks a bit ridiculous in word but it makes reading the paper a lot easier in the long run.
6. Make sure figures in the correct order; which experiment should naturally follow the next, what way is it best to present the data such that the story is told well etc.
7. Legends are also a fundamental part of getting figures right. Don't overload them with info about the method, but make sure every part of the graph is explained clearly. A short succint statement about the main finding is good too. Reviewers can often ask for more or less text in legends so check what's the norm for the particular journal you're aiming towards.
Of course your boss will have final say on which way things will appear in the publication, but it's good to have a headstart & always helpful to practice for that big day when we'll have to do things on our own! But that scary time is far far away...for now!
Any questions or comments, just let me know.
Rachel xxx
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Presentation Station
Part of the job as a scientist, be it an undergrad, postgrad or employee, is presenting your work, either to members of your lab group, or others in your field of research at conferences. This can be quite a daunting and nerve-wracking experience, especially when it comes to question time afterwards. Like everything in life, presentations get easier with experience and practice, but pangs of nerves will always get you; the most important thing is to be familiar with what you're saying and to try to relax-you will know your work better than anyone, and if there is a tricky question, there's always an answer to it. Here are my tips for making presentations as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
1. Less text-more figures. When first putting slides together, the first inclination is to write up all the text, so you know what you're going to say, and the audience can read along with you. This makes sense, but it is quite counter productive, as the best presentations are the naturally flowing ones that talk around figures and results and don't just involve reading sentences from a slide. Write notes about what you want to say & put key words and phrases on the slides to emphasise what you're discussing.
2. Use animation. If you have several panels or sentences on one slide, it can be distracting for the viewer to see everything at once, and it makes it harder for you to talk through it while trying to remain clear and understandable. Use fade in animations, let one item appear at a time, talk about it, then the next item should appear. This makes your job much easier and also helps to remind you in which order you should be discussing things.
3. Reminder tricks. This is a handy one if there's a lot of data on a particular slide, or if you have one 'hit home phrase or sentence' that's difficult to remember. Arrows that appear before you go onto the next slide are a great way of pointing out the key finding on a slide and can be a fail-safe way of remembering that key point that's really going to sell your results.
4. Practice! The more you go through your presentation out loud, the more comfortable you become with it. Practice with your fellow PhD students or members of the lab group, especially if you have a meeting with your supervisor coming up. If the first time you go through it is in front of your boss then you're bound to get tongue tied (speaking from experience here) so go into an empty office or presentation room with the lab gang and get familiar with it.
5. Have certain answers prepared. Ask others in the lab or your supervisor for potential questions. It's hard to predict what will be asked, it can be something specific and technical, or something much more broad, dealing with translational or physiological significance. You will know the answers to these questions, just keep your mind clear and answer as succinctly as possible; keep everything short and on point. If something comes up that you're not sure of then the old faithful 'that's a very interesting point, and something we hope to look at in the future, however, we have no data on this particular aspect at the moment' is always a handy last minute save!
6. Relax & enjoy it. If you've been selected to speak at a conference, it is a fantastic achievement and speaks highly of your work. Speaking in public is very scary, but often the thought of it is a lot worse than the oral itself; most people say that after the first slide you get into a rhythm and it goes by smoothly. Nerves can also be a good thing, the adrenaline rush makes sure you're awake and on the ball. We all look forward to the day when there are no nerves before a presentation, in my case I can't see that happening until I'm at least 40 though!
These tips don't just apply for science, no matter what the topic, good presenting is easy to achieve and is a fantastic skill to have in all career paths.
If anyone has other tips or advice please feel free to share.
Rachel xxx
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Conference Abstracts
It's that time of year again when abstract deadlines are approaching. Writing abstracts is quite tricky, it can be hard to get your point across, especially when there's a crazy limit of something like 250 words. The most important advice I was given is to know your audience. Depending on who will be reading or assessing the abstract will define the structure and tone of it. For example, if it's a medical conference, then you should discuss the translational significance of your findings in the conclusions section. If it's a more basic science audience, then detailed methods, statistical analyses and definitive scientific conclusions are vital.
Most abstract submission guidelines advise breaking the main body of text into several sections; usually introduction, methods, results and conclusions. Each of these parts is just as important as the next, concise sentences describing exactly what you did, why you did it, and what the results mean are the basic requirements for a good abstract. Get another PhD student to read through it to make sure it flows before sending to your boss for correction. And don't be disheartened if they change or re-organise most of it, abstract writing is an art that comes with time and practice.
Conferences are fantastic for networking, appreciating the field you're woring in, and also to remind you that there's life in a science career outside of the lab/bench (which is extremely important when those experiments aren't working)! I've been so fortunate to travel to some amazing places over the past few years thanks to accepted abstracts and posters/presentations, it makes slaving away at all hours over a tube, dish or apparatus seem worthwhile.
Rachel xxx
Friday, 13 August 2010
Lab Pet Peeves...Most Annoying Tasks
I always said I'd post light hearted and positive posts, but since it's Friday the 13th and several things have already gone wrong for me today...I'm going to make a list of the most annoying/mundane/monotonous tasks in the lab that I wish I could get someone else to do for me! (That's a bit of a fib - I don't mind doing these things, but they always have to be done at the most inconvenient time so perhaps 2 spare arms to help me get them done would be the best solution).1. Aliquot-ing.
2. pHing buffers.
3. Washing 2 units of platelets (don't ask).
4. Refilling tips boxes manually (one by one).
5. Searching in the -80 freezer for a box/sample that you know you left at the front on the left in the middle shelf but somehow mysteriously it has moved/vanished.
Let me know your least favourite lab tasks that are trivial or boring-but must be done for a fully functional and operational experiment/laboratory!
Rachel xxx
PS I feel a lot better after that rant-blogging can be cathartic! And I also have to say that I love my job & I wouldn't change it for the world...but seriously, a few spare arms would be very very handy once in a while ;)
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Top 5 Shoes-Designer & High Street
I had a bad PhD day today (we've all been there); my experiment worked, however I don't have enough of my sample...so instead of letting my head explode with stress & calculations all evening - I've decided to have some relaxing down time & to browse through pretty shoes to make myself feel better!
My favourite's at the minute are super high platforms or wedges in nudes, tans and blacks, perfect for wearing with skirts, dresses, jeans or shorts - shoes need to be multifunctional or else it's not worth splashing out in my opinion.
I've put together a list of my top 5 shoes at the minute: High Street & Designer. Let me know if you like them, if you agree or disagree with the order they're in, or if you have any favourites that I may have overlooked. If I can afford to buy one of the High Street pairs in the next 3 months I'll be delighted! And the designer pairs will be mine one day...even if I have to sell my car to get them ha ;)
PS. Topshop's new shoe collection is absolutely amazing...
High Street
1. TopShop: Willow Stripy Wedges in Off White (Image above)
2. Next: Mink Platform Court Shoes
3. River Island: Platform Caged Sandal in Black
http://xml.riverisland.com/flash/content.php Women: Footwear: heels/wedges/clogs Item 17
4. TopShop: Wisteria Chiffon Tie Wedges in Black
5. TopShop: Pancho Cut-Out Peep Toe Sandals in Tan
Designer
1. Brian Atwood: Farrah
2. Christian Louboutin: Fortita in Black Silk with Black Lace
3. Jimmy Choo: Aston in Powder
4. YvesSaintLaurent: 105mm Sandal Gold Metallic Leather
http://ysl.com/us/en/index.aspx Collections: Women: Accessories: Shoes
5. Christian Louboutin: Studio in Black Leather and Silver Studs
Rachel xxx
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Choosing a PhD
After your undergraduate course finishes, it can be tough to decide where you want to go next. I decided to carry on studying with a PhD, but there are plenty of other options. I graduated from University College Dublin in 2007 with an honours degree in Biochemistry, my class was quite small, and out of the 14 of us, over half decided to do PhDs. Other options are further study in another area e.g. a Masters in Business, teaching, working in industry etc.
If you're contemplating a PhD, this is my advice to you: make sure you have a passion for science & research, it's not an easy road but it's well worth it if you give it your all.
I was given some fantastic advice when I was trying to decide where to do a PhD and in which area of research, here's an overview of what you should look for:
1. PubMed the PI and others in the lab. It's vital to join a lab that are publishing, and publishing high quality research in good journals.
2. Make sure there are at least 2 or 3 active PostDocs in the lab-they can help you with all of your experiments, they know the ropes & can give you brilliant advice which will save you a lot of time when it comes to optimising things.
3. Look for a lab affiliated with a good institution or university, try to find out the funding body and ask lots of questions-will the grant cover me for 3 or 4 years, will there be opportunities to travel to conferences etc.
4. Try to get paid as much as you possibly can; a PhD is tough going, long hours, repeating experiments over and over to try to get them to work, a lot of the time having no results and having to persevere-which can be quite tough on your spirit. Working a huge amount of hours every week for less than minimum wage may seem like a huge no no for some, but it is worthwhile, the creative freedom and opportunities academia afford you are brilliant. Just ask about salary and see what they can offer you.
5. Don't be blinded by keywords e.g. cancer research; ask what techniques will be used and what access will you have to other labs, patient samples and equipment etc. It's a necessity to become a well-rounded scientist who can apply themselves to many tasks in any area, therefore you don't want to be doing the same thing over and over for 4 years-ask if there's room for manoeuvre and who your potential collaborators will be. Develop your repertoire of techniques and experiments, this will enable you to work in any lab anywhere in the world. Your PhD is training to be an independent scientist, therefore approach ideas simply, cover all your bases and work from the bottom up, ticking all the boxes as you go.
A PhD isn't easy, but it's enjoyable, hugely rewarding, exciting and each day is different from the one before, you're solving problems logically each day and helping the world to understand how we all fundamentally work...and at the end of it all, I get to call myself Dr. Rachel...what more could you want, right?! ;)
If anyone has any questions don't hesitate to ask.
Rachel xxx
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