XX博士研究生入学攻读申请指南教程Mastering Your PhD Patricia Gosling

XXXX博士研究生入学攻读申请指南教程博士研究生入学攻读申请指南教程MasteringMastering YourYour PhDPhD PatriciaPatricia GoslingGosling Patricia GoslingBartNoordamMastering YourPhDPatricia GoslingBartNoordamMastering YourPhDSurvival andSuessin theDoctoral Yearsand BeyondWith8Figures123Dr Patricia GoslingEuropeanNeuromuscular CentreBaarnTheNetherlandse mail epsilonscience yahoo Prof Dr Bart NoordamUniversityof AmsterdamVander Waals Zeeman InstituteAmsterdamTheNetherlandse mail bartnoordam hotmail Library ofCongress ControlNumber xx926427ISBN 103 540 33387 8Springer BerlinHeidelberg NewYorkISBN 13978 3 540 33387 6Springer BerlinHeidelberg NewYorkThis workis subjectto copyright All rightsare reserved whether thewhole orpart of thematerial isconcerned specifically the rights oftranslation reprinting reuse ofillustrations recitation broadcasting reproduction onmicrofilm orin anyother way and storagein databanks Duplication of this publicationor partsthereof ispermitted onlyunder theprovisionsof theGerman CopyrightLaw ofSeptember9 1965 in itscurrent version and permissionsforuse mustalways beobtained fromSpringer Violations areliable forprosecution undertheGerman CopyrightLaw Springer is a partof SpringerScience Business Mediaspringer Springer Verlag BerlinHeidelbergxxPrinted inGermanyThe useof generaldescriptive names registered names trademarks etc in thispublicationdoes notimply even in the absenceof aspecific statement that suchnames areexempt fromtherelevant protectivelaws andregulations and therefore freefor generaluse Cover design eStudio Calamar SpainTypesetting andproduction LE TEX Jelonek Schmidt V ckler GbR Leipzig GermanySPIN 1139523257 3100 YL543210 Printed on acid free paperPrefaceWhyreadabook about getting aPhD As ageneral rule PhD students and theirsupervisors tendto focusprimarily or evenexclusively on thecontent of the researchthat willgointo thedoctoral thesis Other issuesare oftentaken forgranted how toorganize your work give apresentation work in a team copewithyoursupervisor andhowtoeffectivelymanageyourti me Whenasked former PhD studentsusuallyclaimthatthe generalexperienceof beinga graduate student which includeslearning howto solveplexproblems andwork wellwith others was ofgreater valuetotheir careersthan theactual topicof theirthesis The goalofthisbook is to helpPhD studentsmaster some of theskillsthathavebeenproveneffectiveintheworldoutsideofacad emia andtohelpPhDstudentsgainmasteryoverthenon scientificaspectsofgettingaPhD Hopefully thisbookwillhelpgr aduatestudentsmorefullyenjoytheirdoctoralyears aswellasprov idesomemuch neededsupport as they preparefor theirpost PhD careers Sinkor swimAfterhearing aboutthis project one professorhad this to say Thisbook shouldnot bepublished Obtaining a PhD islike swimmingacrossa biglake Some studentscan t swim so they will sink That isthewaytheacademicsystemselectsthosewhowillwin Byproviding students with a bookon howto swim theywillpass andruin thesystem VIMastering your PhDWe can t thinkof abetter endorsementfor thisbook And webelieve of course that itis indeedpossible tolearn toswim andeven to do itwell In fact we thinkthat masteringcertain skillsalongthe wayis justas importantas swimmingacross thelake to get theprize your PhD on theother side Saving anOld Masterpainting from the ravagesof timeTohelp illustratesome of the principlesand suggestionswe veoutlinedinthisbook we vedecidedtofollowat eamofgraduatestudents as they work together onan importantproject savinga pricelessOld Masterpainting fromfurther deterioration The robeof the Virgin Maryin themiddle panelof TheCoro nation of theVirginby LorenzoMonaco ca 1414 is currentlywhite Technicalexaminationhasshown however thatthe robewas originallya deeppinkish mauve A restorercan retouchthepainting withred paint of course but ifthe robeis stillfadinga colourdifference willour Elucidating thecorrect chemicalposition of theoriginal paint plus understandingthe exactnatureof thefading processwill becritical for a properrestora tion to be carriedout Isabel a chemistryPhDstudent will beanalyzing thechem ical positionof thepaint Her challengewill beto usetheanalytical techniquescurrently available to studya samplefromthe painting typically atiny samplethat isbarely visibleto thehumaneye Yousef isa PhDstudent inphysics who will befocusing oncalculationsof therate offading ofcertain paintpositions as wellastheimportant issueof whetherit will be possibletoreconstruct theoriginal colourof the painting Another aspectofYousef s projectwill beto developnew analyticaltechniquesfor gainingmore informationfromtheprecious paintsamples Peter isworking onhis PhDin arthistory His projectwillinclude theinterpretation of thepaintingbased onits useofcolour particularly when the colouris thoughtto have a reli gious orsymbolic significance The useof colourmay also becharacteristic forthis particularartist The Virgin s whiterobe PrefaceVIIfor example is symbolicof herpurity asthe motherof Christ while purpleis symbolicof herroyal natureasthequeen ofheaven Inordertosolvetheproblemofthepainting sdegradatio ntheteamwillhavetoworktogetherandrelyoneachother sdata The threegraduatestudentsattendthesameuniversity albeitinsep arateresearchgroups Isabelhasjoinedawell establishedgrouprun by a seniorprofessor Yousef worksfor aworld renownedprofessor in a largegroup withmany PhD studentsandsev eral Post docs Peter worksas oneof twograduate studentsfora young assistant professor To finishthe projectsuessfully the teamwill have to drawon many skillsthey hadn t reallycounted onusing whentheystarted outincluding goodmunication proper planning and effective time management BaarnAmsterdamMayxxPatricia GoslingBartNoordamContentsPrefaceVChapter1Introduction1Chap ter2Getting StartedStartingoff on theright foot7Chapter3Setting Goalsand ObjectivesWhosays you can t planscience 11Chapter4How toThink Likea ScientistComingto gripswith thescientific method21Chapter5Good ExperimentalDesignThe key to scientificsuess27Chapter6Charting YourProgress Monthby MonthStayingon trackso you don tgetlostin theresearch jungle37Chapter7Dealing withSetbacksCoping withthe frustrationsof theresearch life43Chapter8The Artof GoodCommunicationHow tomunicate withothersto maximizeyour suess51Chapter9The Artof GoodCommunication Part2Presentation Skillsand GroupMeetingsKeep themhanging on the edgeof theirseats65XMastering your PhDChapter10Searching theScientific LiteratureGettingfortable in the library75Chapter11Your FirstInternational ConferenceGettingout and aboutin the world of scientific meetings81Chapter12From Datato Manuscript Writing ScientificPapers ThatShineTips forwriting upyour researchinto conciseandreadable articles91Chapter13Celebrate YourSuessIsn t ittime topat yourselfonthebackfor ajob welldone 101Chapter14How toCope withYour AnnualEvaluationPutting yourselfand your workin the best possiblelight105Chapter15The FinalYear Countdown toYour ThesisDefenceIt s allin theplanning113Chapter16Putting ItAll Together a PhD so What s Next Getting ajump starton careerplanning123Chapter17Writing YourDoctoral Thesis with StyleBreakingit downinto manageablepieces135Chapter18The FinalAct Defending YourThesiswithPanacheHow topull offa memorablethesis defence145Chapter19Lessons LearnedFinalthoughts atthe endof thejourney151About theAuthors155Acknowledgements156Chapter1IntroductionNothing greatwas everachieved withoutenthusiasm Ralph WaldoEmersonBefore you even get started on your PhD research you have alreadymade adecision thatwill havea majorimpact onthe suess of yourproject and perhapseven on your futurecareer You have chosen toworkinaparticularresearchgroup undertheguidanceofaparticu larthesisadvisororsupervisor Whilemakingthischoice youmostl ikelyspent agreat dealof timethinking about the type of researchyouwanted to do You addressedquestions such as do Iwant tocontinuethe typeof researchI didfor mysenior thesis Masters degree or do Iwant toexplore anew field Do Iprefer doingexperiments in the labordoIfeel morefortable witha theoreticalapproach No doubtyou vehadtothinklongandhardaboutallthesepersonalprefe rences However there isone morefactor toconsider for a productiveandpleasant graduate student experience the groupyou ll be working in In thischapterwedescribe fourdifferent typesof researchgroups rangingfromasmallgroupwithanassistantprofess orasasupervisor toahugegroupledbyaseniorprofessor Wediscuss typicaladvantagesand disadvantagesof eachof thedifferenttypesof groups If youhaven t alreadydecided ona researchgroup you mightwant totakethese considerationsinto aountwhen makingyour finalchoice Ifyou vealreadymade yourdecision you ll beahead of the gamebybeing awareof someoftheadvantages andpitfalls ofthe typeofgroup you vechosento workin 2Mastering yourPhDThestart upgroupOne appealingoption formany potentialgrad students istojoina newgroup headedbyayoungassistant professor1 In thisscenarioyou will belong to the first generation of PhD studentsand yoursupervisorwill befull of energy andeager fordata data that youwill have to acquire Often ina groupthat isjust startingup youmay have to buildthe equipmentand apparatusthat you need sothat you canstart acquiringdata Lacking theinfrastructure of anexisting group you willprobably spend a lot ofenergy in buildingequipment designing newmodels orwriting newputer codes If youlove thisentrepreneurial typeof work a start up groupisa uniqueopportunity Starting fromscratch isdefinitely appealingbecausethere isso muchexciting groundbreakingworkto do but ithasalsosomedrawbacks Itmighttakealotofhardworktogetthings going so youmust reallyenjoy your research topicto ensureyou canseethetaskthroughtotheend Youngsupervisorshavethetendenc ytodesign overlyambitious researchprogrammes and planssometimeshave to be simplifiedalong the way whenreality setsin In suchasmall groupyou will have frequentand intensiveinteractions withyoursupervisor particularlybecausehisorhercareerwilldep endonthe suessofthe first generation of graduate students The lack ofexperience of assistant professorsin supervisingstudentsis usuallypensated by the enormousamount of time theyspend withtheirsmallgroup Moreover yoursupervisorwillhaveoftenfew erteachingand administrativeduties More time therefore can bedevoted toworking in the lab It isa matterof personalpreference whetheryouenjoythistypeofintensiveinteraction Insuchasettin gitisabsolutelycrucial that you get along wellwith your supervisor If there is no1InthischapterweuseterminologyfromtheUSacademicworldtodes cribeacademic ranks assistant associate andfull professor Each countryhasits ownacademic systemwith itsown nomenclature However the careerpathsare similar After pletinga post doctoral fellowship one startswithasmall sub group asanassistantprofessor intheUS Inaboutfiveyears the group growsin size and the supervisor ispromoted to associateprofessor When thegroup maturesand reachesthe statusofapletelyindependent academicgroup thesupervisorisusually but not always granted academictenure andpromoted tofull professor 1Introduction3mon groundand mutualenthusiasm yourresearchtrajectory isboundto berocky Working as aPhDstudent ina start up groupisoften aninspiring andintense experience but notwithout risks Makesureyouandyoursupervisorgetalongverywell andnomat terhowmuchenergyandenthusiasmhe shehas behonestwithyourself about howrealistic your supervisor s researchambitions are The up and runninggroupAround the time anassistantprofessorhas suessfullydeliveredher firstgenerationofPhD students into theworld she isusuallypromoted to the rankof associate professor The youngassociateprofessor s initialresearch has made someimpact onthe scientifiommunity and as a resultgrant moneyis easierto eby andthegroupisabletoexpand Theinvestmentsmadebythefirstgener ationof PhD students arestarting topay off It mayseem mucheasierfor thesecond generationof studentsto dogood researchin suchareceptive environment However the initialsuessofthe grouphasits flipside usually thesupervisor spendsless timeon research since sheis invitedto givemore lectures to attendmore conferences and invitationsto allkinds ofmittees areeagerly aepted Howwell theassociateprofessorcopes withthis transitionwill dependonher organizationalskills As a graduatestudentyou willhaveto workmuch morewith your fellow researchersand guidancefrom yoursupervisorwill beless intensethan in the start up group Anotherimportant factorin such a growingteam isthe qualityoftheresultsestablished bythe firstgeneration By lookingat theirwork andtheimpact ithasmadein thefield you mightgetahint as to thevalueit willhave for your ownresearch In sucha growinggroup itis asimportanttogetalongwithyourfellowgraduatestudentsaswithyo ursupervisor If youfeel fortablein this typeofenvironment andthefirstgenerationof graduate students hasdone well joining suchanexciting andexpanding groupoffers asecure routetowards yourPhD with fairlybalanced supportand interactions with yourfellowPhD studentsand your supervisor 4Mastering yourPhDThe smallbut establishedgroupAfterbeingasuessfulassociateprofessorforsev eralyears academicscientists areeventually promotedtothepositionoffull professor Withtherankoffullprofessorandthehurdleoftenurebre ached theirjob issecure Some supervisorsfeel theyare finallyable torelax aftermanyyearsofextremelyhardwork Theymaybeemoreinterestedi n theadministrative aspectsof runninga researchgroup and theirinterestin academicresearch maystart tofade They have enoughexperience to keep asmall groupgoing and stillhave decentresultsing outevery nowand than When youenrol insuchasteady butsmallgroup youmayhavetoworkextrahardtogenerateenthusiasm foryourproject Thismaytakesometime andinteractionswithyours upervisor maybe infrequent In general sucha group maynot bethemost optimalchoice asit oftenlacks theenergy andenthusiasmyouwillneedtokeepyougoing However aftertalking tosomeofthecurrent PhDstudentsin thegroupyou mightdecide thatthis istheright environmentforyou But notall smalland establishedgroups fitthe descriptionabove There areplenty offull professorswho enjoythe scienceso muchthatthey want to bedeeply involvedin theresearch at all times Thismeans thatthey chooseto focustheir attentiononasmall researchgroupwith justa coupleofPhDstudents They avoidadministrativetasks asmuch as possible These smallenclaves ofpure andintensiveresearch areoften awonderful andstimulating placefor graduatestudent work especially if you canget along with boththe professorand yourfellowPhDstudents you willthrive inthistypeof intensiveenvironment The empireSomesuessful professorslet theirgroup expand as faras theirfinancialgrants willallow andaslong as they continueto receivecreditforsomeoftheworkfromthegroup Suchgroupscaneasi lyhave10to20PhDstudentsor more alongwithseveral Post docs In fact agoodfractionofallPhDstudentsworkinsuchgroups Lifefort hemis notbad atall despite thefact thatinteractionswith your famous 1Introduction5professor maybe scarceto non existent Guidance will e fromPost doctoralfellowsinthegroupandmoreseniorPhDstudents Noteveryt opicinvestigatedintheselargegroupsisasure firewinnerandsome evenfail altogether However the availabilityof sophisticatedinstrumentationandavast skillbase enableyou toacquire datainan efficientway If ithappens that your particularproject fails thegroup willhaveenoughfall back optionsto rescueyourPhDthesisfromfailure Morethaninanyothergroup thei nteractionswithyourpeers will determine yoursuess andthe amountof pleasureyouexperience indoing yourPhDresearch In summary the typeof groupyou selectwilldetermioalargeextent theway youcarry outyourPhDresearch andthe typeandfrequency ofthe interactionsyou havewith yoursupervisor Yoursuessisnotjustamatterofhavingagoodsuperv isor orasupervisorwith afamous name but willalso dependonyourfellow graduatestudents Makesureyoutakethetimetotalkto former PhDs tudentsfrom thegroup Their storieswill provide valuable insightsinto thenatureofthegroup andassist youin thedecision making processofwhethertojointhegroupornot andif youdo howtomakethemostof yourtime there Chapter2Getting StartedDon t judgeeach daybytheharvest youreap but bythe seedsyou plant Robert LouisStevensonIt syourfirstdayinthelab Undoubtedlyyouareex periencingarangeof emotions excitement curiosity anxiety You will beworkinginthis laband witha groupof people as wellas with yoursupervisor for severalyears toe This isthefirst day ofa longmitmentand for some a hardroad ahead Which iswhy it s importantto getoffontherightfoot Perhaps you re so anxious togetstartedand toproveyour scientificworth toothers that you wanttojump rightinand doan experimentonyourfirstdayin the lab but thiswould beunwise to saythe least Give yourselfa few days toget orientated meet thepeople in your group meet withyoursupervisorand togetto knowthe layout oftheuniversity its facilities and itsgraduatestudent services You willprobably havebeen assigneda labbenchand adesk or somekind ofpersonal spacein whichto work Inyour first days in the lab rather thanjumping inwithyourfirst setofexperiments spend sometime outfittingyourworkspace withtheequipment andmaterials you ll need Make yourdesk afortableand personalplace towork you llbespending a lotof time there You mayalso need to registerfor auniversity e mail aountand fillinforms for the departmentalsecretary etc Make sureyou takecareof all these administrativetasks before you getbogged downin yourexperimentsinthe lab The followingare somesuggestions tomakeyour firstfewdaysas agraduatestudentas smoothaspossibleandto help you getoff toa goodstart We discusssomeofthese issuesingreater detailin subsequentchapters but thisbriefsketchis meanttogiveyou anidea ofsome importantthings to think aboutearly on 8Mastering yourPhDBeefamiliar withyourdepartmentUse yourfirstdaysasagraduatestudentto familiarizeyourself withtheinnerworkingsofyourdepartment Ifyouhaven talreadydo neso introduce yourselftothedepartment Chair as wellastosecretaries technicians lab assistants librarians and otherkey personnel Thisis notthe time tobeshy Make apoint ofintroducing yourselfright atthesta