This is not vital, but is commonplace amongst researchers and academics, it simply ensures that all of your contact details are automatically included during correspondence, so you don’t have to worry about it.
Should I write my thesis in LaTeX? Also, what’s LaTeX?
In my opinion, YES! LaTeX is a text editing software rival to Microsoft Word. Unlike Word, you don’t get a real-time representation of what you document will look like but it gives you absolute control over you document through the use of packages which you can include. You type you formatting and text into a document, then compile it to give yourself a preview of your document. For a large document, such as a thesis, I’d recommend splitting it into multiple files, perhaps one for each chapter, as they can easily be combined (unlike in Word, where formatting usually suffers as a result).
It is worth noting that there is a tough learning curve with LaTeX to start with but it’s certainly worth it. If you can acquire a format file from someone else, this process becomes much easier. I have my formatting files, which you are welcome to, just ask me for them. I can also discuss how to get started, as once you have compiled a document successfully and added a figure and a table, you’ve pretty much got it!
I’d recommend TeXstudio as an editing package, which can be found here. This does handy things like format highlighting and such, compared to the more common but less user-friendly TexWorks, which is more basic but less helpful. There are also many useful packages that I’d recommend you using (ask me for more details) but a special mention must go to the siunitx package, which is simply amazing. It sorts out the correct size space between numbers and their units and allows a very user friendly method of adding units. It can also display number ranges with ease, and is generally epic!
What is the group walk?
Once a year we go on a team bonding group walk, the location of which is usually different each year. It’s an opportunity to get to know everyone within the group outside the university environment, and it’s usually great fun! This walk usually takes place in September or October.
Which journals are best suited to our work?
Given the broad range of topics we cover as a group, this isn’t a simple question to answer. The best way to find out which journals are most suitable would be to use Web of Science to find the relevant papers. Advice from your supervisors here is key, they will know where would be suitable to find/publish a paper.
What is the benefit of attending a conference?
One of the aspects of being a good researcher, in my opinion, is your ability to convey your research to others. This is a major advantage of attending a conference. The chance to practise your public speaking skills will be high valuable in your future career. Furthermore, the chance to network and gain contacts in a comparable field, who may have access to a piece of equipment you need or who may just have an excellent idea for a collaboration, is vital in successful research.
How do I know what has already been done?
The first point of contact here should be your supervisor. If you are the first person to work on your project within the group, the best bet will be Web of Science. If, however, someone else has previously worked on your project, your supervisor will be able to direct you to previous papers, reports, a thesis etc. for your to gain a greater understanding of the previous work within the group.
How do I find information on my research topic?
The best way to find information on your research topic is to read papers. The most common method of finding papers is using Web of Science. Here you can search for topics, authors, or their journals and there are plenty of additional filters and tools available. One particularly handy option is to use the citation record in a paper you like and click on the links to these citations to find the associated papers. Travelling up (and down) the citation ladder of a publication will provide a useful start. Finding all the publications for a given author is also a useful technique.
Will a PhD student fail their viva if they don’t have any publications?
The presence (or absence) of publications will not guarantee a pass (or fail) during your viva. One of the criteria of passing your PhD is that you have furthered your field of research and that your work is publishable. This does not mean that it has to be published but any publications that you do have will help to confirm that your peers believe the work to be of a high enough quality to further the research field.
Who funds attendance at a conference?
This is generally a cost which a postgraduate will not have to worry about. Your supervisor will give you permission to attend a conference and the costs (including expenses) will be taken care of my them.
Dr Linzi E. Amers-Dodd 