Category: New MST Postgraduates
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Do I need a signature in my emails?
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.
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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…
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Do I need travel insurance for a conference?
Yes, you need to fill in a travel insurance request form, which can be found here. You will also need to carry a printed copy of the insurance details with you, which contains all of the information on the policy, as well as important phone numbers and such. It can be found here
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 