Programs Questions About PhDs: What's the Process and How Long Does it Take?

[G01]

The problem with a lot of PHD material is that it's not that good.

And you are in a position to judge the worth and usefulness of Ph.D. dissertations across a multitude of different fields, are you?

It tends to be boring, tedious minor regiments to larger ideas.

Believe it or not, but science progresses because of these boring, tedious, minor regiments. Forget what the popular science books tell you about scientific revolutions and paradigm shifts and all that. In reality, science advances slowly through these small contributions from many, many individuals.

 

[Simfish]

Interesting article I just found:
http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2011_03_04/caredit.a1100020

 

[G01]

Interesting article I just found:
http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2011_03_04/caredit.a1100020

I can't make heads or tails out of the story:

1. Canovas was a post-doc for 4 years and then ran out of funding. Yet, he thinks he was fired for other reasons? Most post docs are 2 year appointments, so a 4 year appointment seems reasonable. Given the information in the article, I don't understand why he thinks he was laid off for dubious reasons. Am I missing something or has the article left out important information??

2. His adviser gave him publishing rights, the journal asked him to add his adviser as an author, he ruined his relationship with his adviser by accusing is adviser of firing him for dubious reasons, adviser doesn't consent, so journal doesn't publish. It seems straightforward. His adviser has every right not to consent to be an author. I wouldn't think it was censorship, either. Revenge- possibly, but it's not illegal to refuse to be an author on a paper.


It seems he cut away friendly ties with his adviser when his funding ran out. Possibly he had good reasons for this, I don't know. Either way, Canovas shouldn't expect his adviser to help him out after he brought a law suit against the guy! Canovas' issue seems to be with making and keeping friends. Connections are important. No one is going to argue that.

 

[Ryker]

And you are in a position to judge the worth and usefulness of Ph.D. dissertations across a multitude of different fields, are you?

I'm sorry G01, but I believe he is. After all, he is the Dean of Troll University, so he should know what he's talking about.

 

[Mobusaki]

It seems odd to me that people would put themselves through at least 4 years of constant hard work (right after 4 years of undergrad!) if the phd work was boring. Hopefully the majority of people doing it find the work they are doing interesting and satisfying.

lol. I'll file that in the "things to not worry about" cabinet. It needs more stuff in it! :P