Tag Archives: thesis

A return to work after lockdown (Rousse)

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Dreamaticus

After months of coronavirus lockdown, we were let back on to campus. I followed AD and LK along the corridor to my office. There we found a couple of admin staff using the room for a meeting. It didn’t take … Continue reading →

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Dissertation draft literature review disappoints (Rousse)

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Dreamaticus

I had promised my new PhD student that there was nothing to fear at the review meeting – but this was before I realised that she was under the impression that it was appropriate to submit a chapter of creative … Continue reading →

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Mrs May thesis caretaker (Rousse)

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Dreamaticus

I plonked my PhD thesis on the top table, muttered an apology to Theresa May, and returned to my own seat. Although she had a lot on her plate, I was confident that she would still have time to take … Continue reading →

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A PhD plagiarist (Rousse)

Posted on August 14, 2018 by Dreamaticus

My suspicions were raised when I spotted the phrase ‘this doctoral study’ in LC’s honours project submission. It did not take long to confirm that ‘her’ dissertation was, in fact, a patchwork of text stitched together from sections of an … Continue reading →

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The PhD cheat (Rousse)

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Dreamaticus

‘Why have you recently made so much progress on writing up your PhD?’ barked the professor at the cowering student, as if this was a terrible crime. The student looked at me from across the table, and I turned to … Continue reading →

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An undeserved PhD (Rousse)

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Dreamaticus

In a meeting chaired by ED I heard that JM had submitted his PhD thesis five months early, yet I had not seen a draft of the tome. Another academic at the meeting, who had nothing to do with this … Continue reading →

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How long does it take to write up a PhD? (Rousse)

Posted on April 16, 2017 by Dreamaticus

By my calculations (in pencil, on a grid) it would take at least another 38 days to complete the write-up of the thesis. This was double the student’s estimate. It also meant that the submission would be delayed even further … Continue reading →

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Decline in international standards at doctoral level (Rousse)

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Dreamaticus

The senior examiner M-LH was ready to approve the award of PhD, and it looked that GW would also agree with this outcome. However, I was adamant that the student make major corrections to the thesis. This said something to … Continue reading →

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Lancastrian census records help trace a family line (Rousse)

Posted on January 21, 2017 by Dreamaticus

While half my PhD students were busy writing up thesis chapters, the others – who claimed that their work was ahead of schedule – were taking a break from their studies. They amused themselves by tracing the maternal line of … Continue reading →

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PhD write-up distractions: National Trust for Scotland properties (Rousse)

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Dreamaticus

When I returned to work after my summer holiday I discovered that two of my PhD students had each become heavily involved in National Trust for Scotland properties, each of which was supposedly associated with their doctoral studies. How would … Continue reading →

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