The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research

"A breath of fresh air - I wish someone had told me this beforehand." PhD student, UK

"If you are contemplating a PhD, buy the book and read it straight through to get the larger picture; then re-read each section in greater detail as you tackle each stage of your work.
I did the basic research for my PhD in about twelve months, then spent two years writing up the results - and producing possibly too much. It succeeded, but I think I might have made a better job of it if I had read a book like this first. But they didn't exist in those days." Mantex

This book looks at things the other books don't tell you about doing a PhD - what it's really like and how to come through it with a happy ending! It covers all the things you wish someone had told you before you started:

• What a PhD is really about, and how to do one well
• The "unwritten rules" of research and of academic writing
• What your supervisor actually means by terms like "good referencing" and "clean research question"
• How to write like a skilled researcher
• How academic careers really work

An ideal resource if someone you care about (including yourself!) is undergoing or considering a PhD. This book turns lost, clueless students back into people who know what they are doing, and who can enjoy life again.

Dr Gordon Rugg has a BA in French and Linguistics and a PhD in Psychology. A former English Lecturer and field archaeologist, he is now based in the School of Computing and Mathematics at Keele University, and is editor of the journal “Expert Systems”. His research interests range from medieval crptography to software evaluation and why students underachieve.

Marian Petre has a first degree in Pyscholinguistics from Swarthmore College in the USA, and a PhD in Computer Science from University College London. Her career includes working in modern dance and the computer industry. She is Reader in Computing at the Open University, UK, where she set up the Centre for Informatics Education Research. She is currently researching expert behaviour and reasoning in the design of complex systems.