As you head off to the University library to spend the day surrounded by dusty textbooks be sure to have “The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research” tucked firmly under your arm. I'm embarking on my own PhD and don't intend to leave home without it!
What a truly fascinating and informative read. All those crucial and tricky questions are answered, including the role of the supervisor, literature reviews, online searching, writing style and hints on how to survive the dreaded “Viva”. There are even insights into the academic world and those unwritten rules you should ignore at your peril.
The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research is at times heartbreaking (like the student who realised at his Viva that after years of studying he'd missed a vital clue that negated everything he was researching) and at other times immensely amusing. If you want to know what a PhD has in store for you (before you put in all the hard yards) then this is definitely the book for you. Take it to bed with you because there is no chance that you will wake up with PhD nightmares! Liz