Mara 剛剛交出論文，這是絕大的解脫。論文的前24頁預覽見http://members.optusnet.com.au/~mu.chang/MasDoc24.pdf (Pdf, 135k)



我和照片中的朋友麥可在2001年7月開始讀博士學位，本人39個月後只交出工程碩士論文，麥可卻可於兩年半內交出教育博士論文。我的經驗是如果當初我知道如何讀研究學位，博士學位是可以也是應該在3年內完成。本人應分享我的經驗以及提供我的建議。



給博士學位 / 研究碩士學位學生的建言

本文乃為博士學位 / 研究碩士學位學生而撰，並不適合企管碩士之類的課程碩士學位學生。

(中打慢下回分解)



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Mara just submitted my thesis. This is such a great relief. The first 24 pages preview is available at: http://members.optusnet.com.au/~mu.chang/MasDoc24.pdf (Pdf, 135k)



I started doing my PhD in July 2001, together with my friend Michael, shown in the photo. I finished as a Masters in 39 months but Michael, submitted his DEd thesis in 2 1/2 years in late 2003. A doctorate can be finished in 3 years if I know what I was doing and I should share my experience and provide my advice.



ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE RESEARCH STUDENTS

This article is my advice for the prospective PhD and research Masters Students. (not for a coursework Masters such as a MBA).



Thesis

The length of the thesis, like computer program code, is the shorter the better (none is questionable /lovely?)



If you got stuck in the graduate school, quickly change it to a complementary Masters and get out of University. For far too many PhD students, the PhD is like holding a wolf by an ear: it is tasteless to have it and it is too good to give it away. The world longest is 17 years by a Stanford Mathematics student. In stead, I recommended you to challenge the world record of oldest PhD. The current record holder is a man in his 70s. He finished his PhD in Western Australia few years ago.



Find a research Topic

The research topic must be important. Find out the trend of the field. What is the problem everyone in the field is trying to solve but no one yet achieve it? Figure out who is the most influential person in the field? What is the most influential paper in the field?



Find a supervisor

My boss is a vegetarian too, but it does not help. Find a tenured full professor as your supervisor. When you are visiting the future supervisor, ask your Dr. Honcho how many students he will be having, next year, and the year after...and how much time he can spend on you?



how do you communicate in the future? via email / phone / appointment?

how often? once a week / a fortnight / a month? how long each appointment for?

REMEBER:- DO not GIVE YOUR RESULTS AWAY NO MATTER HOW



Homework

ask YOURSELF:- Does Dr. Honcho treat you as a research son or as a pawn in his game? Does Dr. Honcho's student finished on time? or most of them run out of time? Does Dr. Honcho has his influence in the field/ in the department? Does Dr. Honcho's student get into the detail as well as able to talk about the BIG Picture?? Can Dr. Honcho supervise you? Will you be able to finish in the time frame under his supervision? How to design the experiment?

Does Dr. Honcho teach survival skills? or Does Dr. Honcho treat you just like another extra pair of hand in the lab? or he really want to train you until your a confident and independent researcher?

go and talk to Dr. Honcho's student, ask them out for a drink and pop out the information from student's point of view but remember graduate student are normally stress out so be judgmental about their comment

Go the Science citation Index and check Dr. Honcho's paper. Does it being referred, if any, by other researchers? Read his paper, do you like it? Remember, you will be working on something very similar for the rest of your candidature.

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>【 在 maradukkha 的大作中提到: 】

>我跟他在我家的合照 照片中的他穿綠色

>http://members.optusnet.com.au/~mu.chang/100_0199.JPG Mara ^__^