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2012 Survival Guide

This implies that you will have to re-evaluate your initial hypothesis and often list your experiments in a different order than that in which they were actually performed to present a convincing argument for the reviewers. Most research labs are under significant and mounting pressure from universities, research institutes or grant organizations to demonstrate progress. As a consequence, there is an insatiable hunger for publications and a preoccupation with journals with high impact factors IFs that too often turns the intrinsically enjoyable process of scientific publishing into a nightmare of terror, frustration, disappointment and reprimands.

The impact of your own work can either be higher or lower than the rank of the journal in which you publish, and either way, your findings will remain valid, no matter the IF of the journal. Note also that selection panels are increasingly aware of the limitations of judging a scientist by the IFs of the journals in which they have published, and now often use alternative metrics in combination with the IF to assess a candidate's impact.

Anecdotally, there are several articles that were published in small journals but eventually turned out to be landmark discoveries.


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An interesting example in our own field is the finding of a segmental duplication containing the PMP22 gene on chromosome 17, which causes the most common form of inherited peripheral neuropathy [ 2 ]. It was the first gene duplication to be shown to cause disease in humans. This highly cited article was published in the first issue of Neuromuscular Disorders , a journal that is still considered modest in terms of its IF. Some of the authors—who were PhD students at the time of publication—later became leading scientists in the field of inherited peripheral neuropathies.

Good communication is essential in any career, but it is particularly vital to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts in a lab. You do not have to be friends with everyone you work with, but a bad atmosphere can make your PhD miserable.

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Things as simple as who cleans the glassware, or issues as complex as the level of independence your PI expects from you can all be addressed and resolved through good communication. Furthermore, each lab or department will have its own policies and rules governing the way things work, both officially and informally. Spending some time talking to people at different levels can help you to grasp the modus operandi of your department and research group.


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The final factor in the equation is what you want from your PhD project and what your plans are for the future. Aligning your expectations with those of your supervisor and your lab will make everyone's life much easier. The only constant in science—and in life—is change. Keep in mind that as time goes by, your views about science will mature and possibly change. Similarly, owing to the high turnover of people and ideas in an academic environment, the modus operandi of your department might also change.

You inevitably encounter difficult characters in any professional environment, and the scientific world is no exception.

Milko - Survival Guide - Tip#3 (2012)

The chances are that one of them is working very close to you or might even be your boss, which will make your journey more troublesome and, at times, next to impossible. Two generic strategies might be helpful to you to deal successfully with a difficult boss. The first is to be prepared: The second is efficient and professional communication. You might find that your PI has a very self-centred view of his or her students and projects. One way in which this kind of issue can manifest itself is if your boss insists on being in control all the time.

In this instance you need to earn your boss's trust and respect, perhaps by showing them how much you respect them also. Present your ideas by starting the conversation with something positive. Do not directly counter your boss's arguments; acknowledge them and present your own as a parallel approach.

Do not imply that your idea is better, instead present your results and some evidence from the literature to guide your boss into connecting the same dots that you have. You will often be under intense pressure to produce results. This is not all bad—we all need some degree of incitement to perform well—but productivity drops rapidly when pressure becomes unrealistic. This is a main threat for PhD students and might even end a scientific career prematurely. A PI should know where this threshold is for a particular project and student. In case of problems, the best option is to have a frank and professional chat with your boss, using as a starting point your sincere concern about the progress and general well-being of your project and the quality of your scientific education.

PhD survival guide

Do not be tempted to think that your boss actually knows what is going on—either in terms of your research or in terms of problems you might be having—and is just ignoring you. Your boss is supervising a lot of people and also has his or her own concerns; he or she might not have noticed a problem or might not remember the specific details of your work. Assuming your boss is in the loop can cause months of suffering and delay. Budgets are often filled with changes in tax duties for fuel, beer, tobacco, wines and spirits.

Last year, fuel duty was reduced by one pence per litre and wine, beer, spirits and tobacco rose by two per cent above inflation.

Will Money Matter?

In the grand scheme of things, however, these deal with small numbers compared to the public purse. The team behind Radio 4's More or Less programme on statistical abuses likes to ask how much a sum of money means for each of the people actually affected. We'll be tweeting during the budget to put some of the figures into perspective so follow FullFact to stay on top of the news.

Try our calculator tool to do these sums for you.

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Plug in your number and see what it means per head:. Politics and the media are being pushed to the limit by advancements in technology and uncertainty about the future. We need facts more than ever. This is where you come in. With your help, we can keep factchecking and demanding better from our politicians and public figures. We can give more people the tools to decide for themselves what to believe.


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We can intervene more effectively where false claims cause most harm. Think about how England usually fares at a tournament — kicks off full of hope before bombing out in the knockout stages — and do the exact opposite.

Rooney Mara + 2012 Survival Guide

Beware The Irish On June 11 at 2. The Irish will appear from every nook and cranny on the island. Like a scene from Dawn of the Dead, they will stagger from dark corners and head for the nearest expat pub playing Irish diddly-dee music and selling Guinness in buckets. Everyone will suddenly be Irish when the Republic of Ireland take on Croatia. So, rest well, because the Irish are an exhausting experience. Fortunately, their first two games are midnight kick-offs. The third will be against Ireland at 2.

Watch that one at an Irish pub and write off the rest of the week. Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol and gang are not getting any younger, so Euro might provide a sublime swansong. There are other pastimes to consider: Perhaps they could watch the walls dry at an upgraded Marine Parade estate. Many Singaporeans will favour the Three Lions, despite England having Roy Hodgson as manager, no captain and no key striker at the time of writing. Have a decent meal and a drink.

And if something extra happens at the end of the night, take it as an unexpected bonus.