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The Unwritten Rules of Phd Research [Paperback]

Gordon Rugg , Marian Petre
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Open University Press (1 Jun 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0335213448
  • ISBN-13: 978-0335213443
  • Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 208,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • See Complete Table of Contents

More About the Author

Gordon Rugg
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Product Description

Product Description

"A breath of fresh air - I wish someone had told me this beforehand." PhD student, UK

"If you are contemplating a PhD, buy the book and read it straight through to get the larger picture; then re-read each section in greater detail as you tackle each stage of your work.
I did the basic research for my PhD in about twelve months, then spent two years writing up the results - and producing possibly too much. It succeeded, but I think I might have made a better job of it if I had read a book like this first. But they didn't exist in those days."
Mantex

This book looks at things the other books don't tell you about doing a PhD - what it's really like and how to come through it with a happy ending! It covers all the things you wish someone had told you before you started:

  • What a PhD is really about, and how to do one well
  • The "unwritten rules" of research and of academic writing
  • What your supervisor actually means by terms like "good referencing" and "clean research question"
  • How to write like a skilled researcher
  • How academic careers really work
An ideal resource if someone you care about (including yourself!) is undergoing or considering a PhD. This book turns lost, clueless students back into people who know what they are doing, and who can enjoy life again.

About the Author

Dr Gordon Rugg has a BA in French and Linguistics and a PhD in Psychology. A former English Lecturer and field archaeologist, he is now based in the School of Computing and Mathematics at Keele University, and is editor of the journal “Expert Systems”. His research interests range from medieval crptography to software evaluation and why students underachieve.

Marian Petre has a first degree in Pyscholinguistics from Swarthmore College in the USA, and a PhD in Computer Science from University College London. Her career includes working in modern dance and the computer industry. She is Reader in Computing at the Open University, UK, where she set up the Centre for Informatics Education Research. She is currently researching expert behaviour and reasoning in the design of complex systems.


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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful book for both students and supervisors, 23 Jun 2005
By A Customer
This review is from: The Unwritten Rules of Phd Research (Paperback)
I read this book during the second year of my PhD and found it to be encouraging. It gives a different perspective compared to other books on how to do a PhD. It is written in an informal way relating to students who just want to get some tips of how to survive their PhD studies. I found advice of how to plan your work and what is the right attitude for a successful student helpful. Overall, I'd characterise it as a toolbox with great tips rather than a formal to-do-list! I would recommend it to anyone both those who are planning to start a PhD and those who are almost ready to finish. Even those at the very last stage could benefit from advice on how to get through the viva.
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth every penny, 23 Jun 2005
By A Customer
This review is from: The Unwritten Rules of Phd Research (Paperback)
I can't recommend this book highly enough. Think of it like your guide book, not just to doing a PhD but to being an effective researcher in general, and all distilled into just over 200 pages. The advice given is a great mixture of specifics points (e.g. how to get the best from conferences, presentations etc) and much broader background that sets your work in context. There's too much gold here to describe in detail; like one of the previous reviewers I won't bother to write more, but just suggest that you get yourself a copy immediately.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Praise for 'The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research' by Gordon Rugg and Marian Petre, 4 Mar 2010
This review is from: The Unwritten Rules of Phd Research (Paperback)
I have recently been awarded my doctorate. I have bought my supervisor a drink, as advised by the authors. I feel I also owe Drs Rugg and Petre a drink, to say 'Thank you', for the guidance in this book, which has helped me and cheered me up a lot over the last four years.

When I misunderstood what was required of me, but could not find what was required, this book has often had that information explicitly laid out and pointed me on the right track again where I could find no other sources to help me.

This has led to 'light bulb' moments where I understood what I had wrong. I was able to right myself with the advice written here. I was encouraged to continue by the exact understanding and the light tone of this book.

With the 'dissertation checklist' as a guide I anticipated problems and made major changes to my thesis that I could not have foreseen otherwise. The whole tone and content of my thesis was much altered and improved as a result.

I prepared for my viva with 'how not to pass you viva' in mind.

My thesis was accepted with no changes, and rated 'well above the standard required for the award of DPhil' in the Examiners' written remarks. I was a struggling candidate totally in the dark as to how to approach scientific writing and criteria for excellence in the finished product. That I produced an acceptable document mostly without outside help I think was greatly influenced by the advice in this book.

Thank you, Drs Rugg and Petre. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all PhD students.
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