ing a ph d revelation of 5 stages in doctoral journey

23 Writing a Research and Personal Statement.. program maybe your biggest decision so far and you need to consider all factors and ask yourself if you are ready for a Ph.D.. program, you

Cracking a Ph.D.

Revelation of 5 Stages in Doctoral Journey

Lindawati

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Cracking a Ph.D.

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The Logistics Institute–Asia Pacific

National University of Singapore

Singapore

Singapore

ISBN 978-981-10-2151-0 ISBN 978-981-10-2152-7 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-2152-7

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016946956

© Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2017

This work is subject to copyright All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part

of the material is concerned, speci fically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on micro films or in any other physical way, and transmission

or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a speci fic statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.

The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made.

Printed on acid-free paper

This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature

The registered company is Springer Science+Business Media Singapore Pte Ltd.

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I dedicate this book to my loving husband, Woelly William, and my loving mother, Sim Tiaw Nio They always believe

in me more than I believe in myself.

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a second thought I kept striving on andfinally finished my Ph.D program and got agood job after.

My Ph.D journey had provided me with good journey, good experiences, goodfriends, good mentors, good jobs, and many more That is what I also want for youwhen you decide to take this Ph.D journey

This book is loaded with my personal experiences as well as many other peoplearound me that went through similar experience, surviving a Ph.D I have arrangedthis book to cover five stages that a Ph.D student would gone through: joiningPh.D., starting Ph.D., conducting research, writing dissertation, andfinally, lookingfor an ideal job This book serves as cheat sheet that explains the options, tips, andguidance in each stage of Ph.D journey With a bonus chapter in each stage thatdescribe the perspective and expectation from different people or organizations to aPh.D student or graduate, this book reveals vital lessons in each stage and showshow to apply them in a successful Ph.D ecosystem

For you as a candidate considering to get a Ph.D degree, this book would givesome insight and considerations to be a Ph.D It also shares an overview of whatyou can expect in a Ph.D study

For you that have committed yourself as a Ph.D student, this book would givemotivation and guidance to go through your Ph.D stages and how to get the bestout of your Ph.D study and use it to your advantage for your future career.For you as a graduating Ph.D student, this book gives an overview of what kind

of career options available for you It also provides practical tips to work cessfully in any industry

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There is nofix rule how to use this book You can flip through this book and getthe overview of a complete Ph.D journey Or go to specific chapter that representsyour current condition You can do whatever you like and have fun on your Ph.D.journey.

Have a blast Ph.D journey!!!

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I am thankful to my Ph.D supervisor, my mentors, my professors, my closefriends, my Ph.D classmates, and my laboratory mates in Singapore ManagementUniversity that make my Ph.D journey so memorable I also thank all the uni-versity staffs that always helped me to do this and that.

I am thankful to all my mentors and my colleagues that show me the fun inworking on industry projects and working in industry They teach me how to loveand appreciate my job

Lastly, I thank all my friends that have help me writing this book They literallyspent their time helping me read it and provided me with their feedback I alsothank my publisher who has made all of this happen

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Part I Are You Ready for a Ph.D.?

1 Up-close and Personal with the Ph.D Program 3

Ph.D Program and Its Value Propositions 4

Is Ph.D Degree Really Your Goal? 6

Ph.D Financial Aid 7

Scholarship 8

Company Sponsorship 8

Study Loan 9

References 9

2 So What Are Your Motivations to Get a Ph.D Degree? 11

Common Reasons for Getting a Ph.D Degree 12

Future Career 12

Stimulating Intellectual Atmosphere 13

Self-actualization 13

Contribute to the World 13

The Importance of Motivations 14

Sources of Motivation 14

Inner-self 14

Positive Ecosystem 15

Maintain Your Motivation 15

Motivate Yourself 15

Talk About It to Your Ecosystem 16

Plan, Log, and Track 16

Celebrate Your Small Win 16

References 17

3 Ph.D., Ready or Not, Here I Come 19

Ph.D Program Opening Information 20

Major and Research Area 20

Submission Requirements 21

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Intake and Deadline 22

Necessary Documents 22

Application Documents 22

Completeness 22

Tidiness 23

Writing a Research and Personal Statement 23

Research Statement 24

Personal Statement 25

Other Necessary Documents 25

References 26

4 Nail the Ph.D Interview 27

The Interviewers 28

Professor in Your Research Area 28

Committee Member 29

Representative of the Funding Agency 29

Interview Preparation 30

Knowing Yourself 30

Knowing Your Interviewer 31

Knowing Your Interview 31

During the Interview 31

Follow-Up After Interview 32

Reference 32

5 What the Professor Is Looking for in a Ph.D Applicant? 33

Outstanding Education Background 34

Proven Track Record 34

Research Interest 35

Motivation and Aspiration 35

Adaptability to the Team Culture 36

Communication 36

References 38

Part II Get your Ph.D Started 6 Know Your New Ph.D Ecosystem 41

Ph.D Ecosystem 42

Your Supervisor 42

Other Professors 43

Your Research Team Members 43

Your Fellow Ph.D Students 44

Other Researchers 44

Other University’s Staffs 44

Physical Work Environment 45

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Create Your Own Positive Ecosystem 45

Setting up the Expectations 46

Setting Up and Managing Your Goals 47

References 48

7 Networking is a Necessity 49

Good Versus Bad Network 50

Benefits of Networking 50

Information Sharing 51

Opportunities to Learn from Others’ Experiences 51

Build Your Reputation 52

Common Fears in Networking 52

Unconfident 52

Inferior Feeling 53

Afraid of Embarrassment 54

Networking Preparation 54

Networking Channel 55

Networking Follow-up 56

References 56

8 What Coursework Should I Take? 57

Inside the Coursework 58

Importance of Coursework 58

Enhancing Intellectual Knowledge 59

Presenting Different Problems 60

Assisting Research Preparation 60

Planning Your Coursework 60

Support for Selecting Coursework 62

Qualifying Examination 62

References 63

9 Hunger for More Experiences 65

Teaching Assistant (TA) 65

Duties 66

Benefits 66

Cautions 67

Finding a TA Position 68

Research Assistant (RA) 68

Duties 69

Benefits 69

Cautions 70

Finding a RA Position 70

Overseas Research Exchange or Visiting Scholar 71

Benefits 71

Cautions 71

Finding an Overseas Research Exchange 72

Internship 72

Benefits 72

Cautions 73

Finding an Internship 73

Choosing Activities Based on Your Interest 74

References 74

10 What the University Is Looking for in a Ph.D Student? 77

Conduct High-Quality Research 78

Be a Good Student 79

Graduate on Time 80

Get a Good Job 80

Keep in Touch 80

Reference 81

Part III Research, Research and Research 11 Your Research Topic: Like It or“like” It 85

Exploration 86

Good Research Topics 86

How to Find Good Research Topic? 88

Validation 90

Desirability 90

Feasibility 90

Review and Refine 91

References 92

12 Experiencing the First Paper 93

General Guidelines 94

Time to Write 94

Independent or Joint Paper 94

Where to Publish 95

Readers 96

Language and Communication Style 96

Paper Structure 97

Title 97

Abstract 98

Keywords 98

Introduction 98

Literature Review 98

Body of Your Paper 99

Tables 99

Figures 99

Concluding Remarks 100

Bibliography 100

Acknowledgment 100

Polish Your Paper 101

Peer Review 101

Acceptance Versus Rejection 102

References 103

13 Present as a Researcher 105

Presentation Preparation 106

Learn from Others 106

Knowing Your Audiences 106

Preparing Your Slides 107

Time Management 108

Rehearsal 109

During Your Presentation 109

Question-and-Answer (Q&A) Session 110

References 111

14 Make the Most of Conferences 113

Conference Preparation 114

The Right Conference 114

Choose Where You Want to Stay 114

Planning Your Day in a Conference 115

Always Do Networking 116

Funding Your Conferences 116

Poster Presentation 116

Organizing a Conference 118

References 119

15 What the Reviewer is Looking for in Your Paper? 121

Contributions 122

Novelty of Your Paper 122

Technical Quality of Your Paper 123

Internal Consistency 124

Language 124

References 125

Part IV Ph.D Last Mile 16 Set Your Dissertation Target Date 129

Plan Your Dissertation 130

Negotiating Your Dissertation Schedule 132

Handling Difficult Supervisor 133

References 134

17 Dissertation Proposal 135

Why Dissertation Proposal Is Important? 136

Characteristics of a Good Proposal 137

Main Elements of Dissertation Proposal 138

Title 138

Abstract 138

Introduction 138

Research Questions 139

Literature Review 139

Proposed Methods 140

Preliminary Results 140

Conclusion 140

Research Plan 141

Bibliography 141

Proposal Examination 141

References 142

18 Completing Your Dissertation 143

Dissertation Structure 144

Introduction 145

Literature Review 145

Background Information 145

Research Chapters 146

Findings 146

Conclusion 146

Revision, Revision, Revision 146

Perfect Time for a Perfect Dissertation 147

References 149

19 Dissertation Defense at Last 151

Types of Defense 152

Public Defense 152

Closed Examination 153

Defense Preparation 153

Know the Detail of Your Dissertation Defense 153

Attend Other Dissertation Defense 154

Reread Your Dissertation Again 154

Going Over the Meeting Minutes 154

Gather Possible Questions 155

Prepare Notes and Supporting Materials 155

Take Care of Yourself 155

Presentation Slides 156

Rehearsal 157

The Big Day 157

Outcome 157

References 159

20 What the Reviewer is Looking for in Your Dissertation? 161

Proposal Stage 161

Problem Background 162

Your Understanding of the Problem and Expected Contributions 162

Probability of Success 162

Dissertation Stage 163

Significant Contributions and Impacts 163

Originality of Your Works 163

Technicality 164

Result and Expansion 164

Overall Written Dissertation and Presentation 165

References 166

Part V Life After Ph.D 21 Look for Your Ideal Job 169

Academic Career Path 170

Leaving Academic Job 171

Industry Career Path 172

Other Career Path Opportunities 172

Entrepreneur 172

Public Sector Officer 173

Teaching 173

Publishing 174

Preparation for Your Job Hunting 174

References 174

22 Work in the Right Industry 177

Advantages of Working in Industry 178

More Job Opportunities 178

Flexible Location 178

Better Remuneration Package 179

Direct Impacts of Your Research 179

Big Research Support 179

Available Job Positions 180

Researcher 180

Technical Specialist 180

Data Scientist 181

Operations Research Analyst 181

Qualitative Analysis 181

Business Development 181

Market Research Analyst 182

Consultant 182

References 182

23 Ready for Industry Job 183

Preparing Your CV 184

Applying for a Job 185

Job Interview 186

Aligning Your Research with Company Direction 187

References 188

24 What Your Future Employer Is Looking for? 189

Academic Background 190

Skills 190

Industry Project Experiences 191

Good Attitude 192

Able to Work Independently and Within a Team 192

Show Interest to Work in the Company 193

References 194

Closing 195

Part I

Are You Ready for a Ph.D.?

Before you decide to get a Ph.D degree, you may need tofind out more about Ph.

D program and whether a Ph.D program would be suitable for you You may have

a dream career to become a professor in a top university in the world You arecommitted to put 100 % effort to achieve it by taking all necessary steps including

to get yourself a Ph.D degree Or, you justfinish your undergraduate and now youare looking for a new challenge Or, you may be in a limbo right now, and you arenot sure what you want to do You are stuck in your current job and you want to abreak through it by getting a Ph.D degree Getting a Ph.D degree may not be theanswer to all your problems If you are not careful, entering a Ph.D program mayonly bring you more problems than you already have On another side, Ph.D.degree can be your golden ticket to fortune and fame To avoid the troubles ofmaking a bad decision, it is wise to broaden your understanding of Ph.D programandfind out whether a Ph.D degree can help you in reaching your goals before youcommit yourself to it

There are myths about Ph.D degree [1,11,13] Some are good myths that maynot be totally true One may say that a Ph.D graduate would certainly win a nobleprize as a result of his research during his Ph.D program Unfortunately, it is notcompletely true Only a few Ph.D graduates won the noble prize Others may alsosay that as a Ph.D graduate, you will earn a lot of money Considering current jobmarket, there is always uncertainty regarding job opportunities Having a Ph.D.degree does not mean that you will get all the money that you want

Likewise, there are also some negative myths about Ph.D degree and many maynot be true as well Some may say that Ph.D equals to“Permanent Head Damage”while others say that Ph.D students and graduates are too serious, too“nerdy,” ortoo weird Some even say that if you are already in your Ph.D program for ages,you would lose your human touch and would not be able to communicate properlywith other people Obviously, these myths are not totally true Many Ph.D studentsand graduates are still quite healthy and able to socialize well in their communities

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A Ph.D program may take a long time to finish and would require your fullattention; thus, decision to enter a Ph.D program cannot be taken lightly Manyfactors need to be considered At the end of the day, joining a Ph.D program may

be your biggest decision so far and you need to consider all factors and ask yourself

if you are ready for a Ph.D program

This chapter is intended to help you to make this tough decision It woulddiscuss two main issues about a Ph.D program, namely description of a Ph.D.program and Ph.D financial aid options A comprehensive description of Ph.D.program points you to several practical considerations to join a Ph.D programwhile the Ph.D.financial aid options would provide you with options to fund yourPh.D program With this information, you would be able to make an informeddecision about getting a Ph.D degree that would affect your future greatly

Ph.D Program and Its Value Propositions

Ph.D stands for Doctor of Philosophy [4] The word philosophy comes fromAncient Greek word“philosophy” which literally translated to “love of wisdom” or

“friend of wisdom” [5] In current context, Ph.D degree is not limited solely to thefield of philosophy but is used in broader sense as an academic or professionaldegree that in most of the countries is considered as the highest degree [8, 12].Ph.D degree is awarded to a person who has contributed significant amount oforiginal research to the existing body of knowledge The research work is usuallybundled as a dissertation

Other than Ph.D degree, universities offer other graduate degrees such asmaster’s degree Ph.D program is different with master’s program in several areas[10] Master’s program tends to be shorter in time (1–3 years) and morecareer/professional oriented while Ph.D program tends to take longer time andmore research oriented Master’s program may provide specialization within a fieldbut does not always require original research that contributes to thefield (i.e., newinformation,findings, and theory) as in Ph.D program Master’s program can also

be used tofill gaps in undergraduate education before Ph.D program

Ph.D program is usually taken after a master’s degree, but some universitiesallow undergraduate students to directly join their Ph.D program [2] In the secondcase, you would be required to take and complete several courses during yourfirstyear(s) to expose you to the body of knowledge in your research area You may alsorequire to conduct research works simultaneously while taking your courseworkrequirements This second case will be used through out this book

Ph.D program may take four years or more for full-time study and six years ormore for part-time study [13] During your Ph.D study, you need to complete yourcoursework requirement and submit your dissertation You also must complete yourdissertation defense (also known as public defense or“viva voce”) to justify yourresearch work

4 1 Up-close and Personal with the Ph.D Program

Whether you like it or not, the largest portion of your Ph.D program is research.

It can be a theoretical research or an industry research; it can be a qualitative or aquantitative research; it can also be a combination of both The type of research thatyou need to do depends on your research area For example, as a Ph.D student ininformation systems, you can do a theoretical research tofind optimum solution forclassical optimization problems, or you can do industry research to solve a specificcomplex problem using a novel algorithm A Ph.D student in social science canfocus on quantitative research based on real industry data or qualitative researchbased on series offield studies or interviews that he conducted

You will have at least one supervisor to guide you throughout your Ph.D.program [9] You can choose your own supervisor or one would be assigned to you

by your university Supervisor is usually a professor that is willing to become yourmentor during your Ph.D program

In most university, your Ph.D program requires you to go through several years

of research training The training is intended to produce significant theoreticaland/or practical contributions in your research area [6,15] The term “significantcontributions” can be through new knowledge, new theory, or other originalcontributions

Other than coursework and research, there are a lot of other activities that youcan do during your Ph.D journey Some of those activities are becoming teachingassistant, joining overseas research training, taking internship in research institutes,and becoming a vising student in other universities Those activities are useful toexpose yourself to different skill sets that can be used as a foundation for your Ph.D

or for your future career after getting a Ph.D degree

Ph.D program offers a lot of benefits [2,7,13] Four of it are as follows First,Ph.D program is a place where you are trained to become an independentresearcher Your supervisor would train you to do your research on your own Atthe beginning of your Ph.D program, you may rely on your supervisor’s help a lot,such as giving you advices on what courses you should take, guide you to chooseresearch topic, connect you to other people for collaboration, and wide you writeyour papers After a while, you would realize that you are relying less and less toyour supervisors And at the end of your Ph.D journey, you are expected to be able

to do your own research You would initiate a research, work independently, andwrite the paper on your own

Second, Ph.D program is a gate for professorship If someday you want tobecome a professor, Ph.D is a worthy investment Two main duties of a professorare to conduct meaningful research and pass the knowledge to the next generation.Other than research, Ph.D program would be able to teach you to communicateyour ideas with other people It would make it easier for you if you need to teach inclassroom because you are already used to it If you do not want to become aprofessor, Ph.D program would open a lot of other opportunities for you such asworking as a researcher in a private company or doing research in a governmentresearch institute, to name a few

Ph.D Program and Its Value Propositions 5

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Third, you have the opportunity to work with the best mind on thefield and bepart of amazing team Your research work may touch and help a lot of people inneed Lastly, good thing about Ph.D program is you can go to conferences (evenoverseas conferences) to present your papers You would be able to interact withmany people that have the same interest as you.

Ph.D program has its good and bad moments One day, when your paper getsaccepted, you would feel Ph.D program is the best thing in your life As a Ph.D.student, the best experiences that you would have would be: freedom to explorenew things, thoughtful and well-connected supervisor, supportive research envi-ronment, and of course attending conferences On your dark Ph.D days, you as aPh.D student would think that you do not have a life outside the research labo-ratory, your supervisor or your university is expecting too much for you and you donot know how to meet those expectations, you cannot get along with your labo-ratory team, or you cannot find a way to align your research interest with yoursupervisor Not many people can handle these situations; many would just take theeasy way out and quit the Ph.D program But if you can manage the situations andsolve it before it becoming too serious, you canfinish your Ph.D program just fine.You just need to learn how to do it

In the nutshell, values of getting a Ph.D degree can be illustrated in Fig.1.1 Itcertainly has a lot of benefits, unique features, and somewhat mix experiences thatwould usually end with a wonderful experience Although Ph.D program cannotactually be substituted by a master’s program or other professional certificationprograms, these other programs would offer alternative options that may be moresuitable for you

Is Ph.D Degree Really Your Goal?

Ph.D program is not everybody’s cup of tea It would require a lot of commitmentand dedication You need to take your time to consider whether Ph.D program isreally what you want and whether you arefit for a Ph.D program

Aligning Ph.D program’s benefits with your personal goals may not be thateasy Try to think, what do you want your life looks like in 5–10 years in thefuture? Is a Ph.D degree a part of your future life? You can breakdown this dream

as your goals and come up with a list of actions that can help you to get to yourgoals If getting a Ph.D degree is one of the actions in your list, it is beneficial foryou to pursue a Ph.D degree

Your current and future needs would also affect your decision You would have

a list of things that you currently need or you think you would need in the future.These needs can be prioritized based on its importance Analyze the list carefullyand asses whether Ph.D program can fulfill your needs

6 1 Up-close and Personal with the Ph.D Program

Ph.D Financial Aid

Ph.D program can be done in full-time or part-time basis As a full-time Ph.D.student, you are able to focus solely on your research andfinish it faster But youmay need to find funding to pay Ph.D program tuition fee and cover your dailyexpenses As a part-time Ph.D student, you need to manage your time carefully,because you need to balance between your work and your Ph.D program It isdifficult, especially if your work requires a lot of your commitment But as apart-time Ph.D student, you would have a stable income and only need to worryabout paying the Ph.D program’s tuition fee

Fig 1.1 Ph.D program summaries

Regardless whether you take a full-time or a part-time Ph.D program, there areseveral options offinancial aid that you can consider [3,14] Three common optionsare scholarship, company sponsorship, and study loan.

Scholarship

Ph.D scholarship is usually given by institutions such as universities, governmentagencies, research institutes, or nonprofit foundations It can be a full-ride schol-arship that covers tuition fees, books, room and board, and sometime livingexpenses Or, it can be a sandwich-type scholarship that covers full or part of tuitionfees and sometime books It is given based on a specific qualification criterion such

as good academic achievements, career achievements, and communityinvolvements

The scholarship may require you to maintain a certain performance that can beindicated in your academic result, your research progress, or even your publishedpapers Some scholarships can also have a binding contract to work in a certaininstitution or country after youfinish your Ph.D program

This type offinancial aid is a very competitive To be awarded this scholarship,especially from a popular scholarship in a top university, you need to be better thanhundreds or even thousands of other applicants

Second type of sponsorship is the one allows you to join a Ph.D program infull-time basis The company pays your tuition fee and gives you a monthlyallowance You may need to do your research based on the company’s interest butthe company would not interfere with your Ph.D program After youfinish withyour Ph.D program, you are bonded to work in the company for a certain period oftime where you need to apply your research and what you have learnt during yourPh.D program in the company If you want to break the bond, you may need to payback all the tuition fees and an amount of penalty

8 1 Up-close and Personal with the Ph.D Program

For any type of company sponsorship, you are required to be accepted in auniversity of the company’s choice before you can be awarded with thesponsorship Your major should also align with the company main of business Forexample, if the company is one of the world’s best software companies, thecompany would give sponsorship to students who like to do research in (intelligent)software, computer science, or information system areas The sponsorship may beoffered exclusively to the company’s internal employees or may be offered forexternal people also This type offinancial aid is also competitive You need to meet

a certain criterion before you can be awarded the sponsorship

Eachfinancial aid option has its own advantages, disadvantages, and ments You need tofind out which one is more suitable for you based on your ownsituation Of course it would be ideal if you can get a full-ride scholarship orsponsorship, but you may need to measure your eligibility You may also try toapply for all the options and see which options would work best for you

require-Deciding to get a Ph.D degree needs a lot of consideration You need to have abasic understanding of Ph.D program and align it with your personal goals Usingthe information in this chapter, hopefully you would be able to make your decision

to get a Ph.D program The next chapter will discuss motivations as an importantfactor to keep you moving forward on your decision to get a Ph.D degree

References

1 Asher D (2010) Myths about the Ph.D Asher Associates Available via Asher Associates.

http://www.donaldasher.com/articles/myths_phd.html Accessed 5 Jan 2016

2 Barron E (2014) The Ph.D experience: an insider ’s guide Palgrave, London

3 Bowen W, Rudenstine N (1992) In pursuit of the Ph.D Princeton University Press, New Jersey

4 Cambridge Dictionaries Online (1999) English Dictionary http://dictionary.cambridge.org/ dictionary/english/phd Accessed 7 Jan 2016

5 Essien E (ed) (2011) Summa philosophica: an introduction to philosophy and logic Lulu Press, Raleigh

6 Evans J (2016) How to be a researcher: a strategic guide for academic success Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, East Sussex

7 Finn J (2005) Getting a Ph.D.: an action plan to help manage your research, your supervisor and your project Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, Oxon

8 Green H, Powell S (2005) Doctoral study in contemporary higher education Open University Press, McGraw-Hill Education, Maidenhead, England

9 Haggerty KD, Doyle A (2015) 57 Ways to screw up in grad school: perverse professional lessons for graduate students The University of Chicago Press, Chicago

10 Karp JR (2009) How to survive your Ph.D Sourcebooks Inc, Naperville

11 Lantsoght E (2015) The truth behind 7 common Ph.D Myths Available via TOPUNIVERSITIES http://www.topuniversities.com/blog/truth-behind-7-common-phd- myths Accessed 5 Jan 2016

12 Nerad M, Evans B (eds) (2014) Globalization and its impacts on the quality of Ph.D education: forces and forms in doctoral education worldwide Sense Publishers, Rotterdam

13 Phillips EM, Pugh DS (2005) How to get a Ph.D., 4th edn Open University Press, McGraw-Hill Education, Maidenhead

14 Schlachter G, Weber R (1994) Financial aid for research and creative activities abroad Reference Service Press, California

15 Tinkler P, Jackson C (2004) The doctoral examination process: a handbook for students, examiners and supervisors Open University Press, McGraw-Hill Education, Maidenhead

10 1 Up-close and Personal with the Ph.D Program

com-or mcom-ore face-to-face com-or long-distance interviews with the professcom-ors and Ph.D.admission committee, and they decided that you are not the right candidate, or inthefinal phase due to some competition with other applicants In the time like this,you would need a strong motivation to keep applying for another Ph.D programdespite of all the rejection.

Getting acceptance to a Ph.D program does not mean that you will certainly get

a Ph.D degree During your Ph.D journey, there would be a lot of things that can

go in the wrong way It could be related to your coursework, research, papers,family, friends, classmates, or even your supervisor You need a strong motivation

to learn how to handle it and keep working to complete your Ph.D program.Each Ph.D journey would have ups and downs When you are on top of yourgame, you have all the energy that you can get tofinish your Ph.D program But,when you are in your bottom, you may see that your only way out is to quit yourPh.D program In this situation, you need a strong motivation to keep pushing yourlimit andfinish your Ph.D program

This chapter would discuss the importance to have strong motivations to reachyour goal of getting a Ph.D degree It starts by describing common reasons that canmotivate you to get a Ph.D degree, followed by the importance of motivations foryour Ph.D survival Next, several source of motivation would be review Lastly,tips to maintain your motivations for reaching your goal are described

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Common Reasons for Getting a Ph.D Degree

Let us go to the fundamental and basic question that inspired you to get a Ph.D.degree Different people have different reasons For some people, the reason may befor their future career in science or academic, while for others, it may be because ofthe research itself

Not everybody joins a Ph.D program for a good reason Some join a Ph.D.program because they do not know what to do They use Ph.D program tofill intheir time Or, they are stuck in their job and want tofind a career change Ph.D.program seems like a good idea at the time These may not be a strong enoughreasons to keep motivate you in your Ph.D journey

There are many positive reasons that can motivate you to get a Ph.D degree (asalso mentioned in [3,5]) The most common reasons can be classified into fourgroups: future career, stimulating intellectual atmosphere, self-actualization, andcontribute to the world It is as illustrated in Fig.2.1

Future Career

The most common reason of getting a Ph.D degree is a bright future career ahead.This is a valid reason due to the nature of Ph.D degree as the highest academicdegree and the researcher training playground Ph.D degree in most of the coun-tries is considered as the highest academic degree [2,4] which will give you a betterqualification compared to others After a significant amount of research in your

Fig 2.1 Reason for getting a Ph.D degree

12 2 So What Are Your Motivations to Get a Ph.D Degree?

research area which is required by a Ph.D study, you will become an expert and beconsidered as an expert on your area This can change your career path and opensnew doors for a more exciting position and better remuneration package.

A Ph.D degree opens the opportunity to build a career path in academic as alecturer and become a professor It trains (or forces) you to learn not only atechnical skills but also non-technical skills needed for lecturer position Anothercareer opportunity is joining the industry You can work as a researcher in aResearch and Development department in private company You usually need toconduct research related to the company’s interests This is an opportunity to apply

or implement your research in a real industry setting If you have an entrepreneurinsight, you may also consider to convert your Ph.D research into products orservices and build your own company to offer these products or services.Regardless of your career path, you may have a bright future ahead

Stimulating Intellectual Atmosphere

You may want to join a Ph.D program simply because you fall in love with theresearch topic and research environment The love of studying about the topic andbeing surrounded by the brightest minds are the main motivators to get a Ph.D.degree Being in the research environment that is enthusiastic would encourageopen discussion about specific research interest It can also support an exploration

of your research interest The stimulating intellectual atmosphere of a researchenvironment keeps pushing you to explore and improve your research

Self-actualization

Self-actualization is another common reason for getting a Ph.D degree You mayrealize you have talents and potentials in academic and research You want tofind away to furnish your full potential in academic and research environment In thatcase, Ph.D is a viable option It gives afirst-hand experience how to conduct asound research that has significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge

A Ph.D study provides a wide range of skills, technical skills, and non-technicalskills that would groom your potentials in research and academic

Contribute to the World

Another reason for joining a Ph.D study is to be involved in life-changing coveries and contribute to the world These discoveries solve important and criticalproblems in the world It changes peoples’ life You want to be involved in these

dis-Common Reasons for Getting a Ph.D Degree 13

cutting edges of scientific discoveries that are important to the society You want totouch other peoples’ life using your research and inventions In this sense, youshould join a Ph.D study for a cause that would strongly motivate you to survive inyour Ph.D program.

The Importance of Motivations

You may have your own reasons that motivate you to get a Ph.D degree.Motivations are personal You will be the only who understand why these moti-vations are important to you Other people may think that it is not make any sense.Whatever the reasons are, it needs to be significant enough to motivate youthroughout your Ph.D journey When you are down or depress about your Ph.D.journey, you can go back to these reasons andfind a spirit to keep moving forward

on your Ph.D journey

A Ph.D journey is like a roller coaster In a good time, it is easy to ensureyourself that Ph.D program is your destiny But in a bad time, it is very hard toconvince yourself to continue your Ph.D journey You need something (orsomeone) motivating you to keep persistence in doing something despite difficulty

or delay in achieving your Ph.D degree You need a reason to continue your Ph.D.program

Sources of Motivation

Motivation comes from various sources [1,6] Some are internal that push you toyour desire goals, while others are external that pull you to goals with or withoutsome actual incentives The internal source is your inner-self, while external source

is your positive ecosystem

Inner-self

Motivation can come from the inner-self This self-motivation is extremelyimportant because it is the center of positive things that you want to do in your life.You are the one who know exactly what you really want and your reasons to join aPh.D degree You also know how a Ph.D degree can help you to achieve what youwant These would build your motivation and keep you self-motivated

14 2 So What Are Your Motivations to Get a Ph.D Degree?

Positive Ecosystem

Even the most positive people undergo a situation that makes them lack of vation In this situation, an external motivation is needed This can come from apositive ecosystem Positive ecosystem would give positive motivation Thisecosystem is your community consists of your closer people such as families andfriends They would provide encouragement when you are down They can be yourvery loyal supporters They would cheer and celebrate on your success and be yourshoulder to cry on when you are down

moti-If you currently do not have a positive ecosystem for getting a Ph.D degree, youmay need to create one You may talk to people in the same situation as you andform a support group They would be able to support you when you are down, and

at the same time, you can give them your support when they need it You can alsoask for professional counseling support to discuss about your situations Mostuniversities provide this service free of charge for their students As a socialcreature, you may need to interact and confine yourself with the others Therefore,support from your ecosystem is always important to re-energize yourself

Maintain Your Motivation

It is very easy to lose your motivation and give up your goal in getting a Ph.D.degree along the way even before you are accepted in a Ph.D program Applicationrejections, fail in examinations, paper rejections, bad experiment results, cannot get

a good research topic, and cannot get along with your supervisors are just someexamples of difficulties that may persuade you to give up your goal These diffi-culties can make you question your decision to get a Ph.D degree

To keep moving forward in your Ph.D program, you need to maintain yourmotivation It can be done by either continuously motivating yourself or leveraging

on your ecosystem to motivate you Some activities that would help you to do soare as follows

Motivate Yourself

Sometime, you may not take yourself seriously Self-motivations or self-promisesare the most powerful motivation that often neglected [1] You may often take yourown motivation or promise to yourself for granted Since nobody would hold youresponsible for your commitment to yourself, you may ignore it or simply forgetabout it

You may want to start taking yourself seriously When you make commitment toyourself, try to oblige to it and make yourself responsible to fulfill it This mayrequire a lot of self-discipline Writing down your commitment in a list is a goodstart Then, make yourself responsible to fulfill the list You can put the list in avisible place so every time you see the list, you will remind yourself to fulfill it.

Talk About It to Your Ecosystem

You can ask other people in your ecosystem to help you Within your ecosystem,you can create a buddy system with your friend or a mentoring system withsomeone you respect This person would hold you responsible for your commit-ments He would help you to be on track He will remind you and even chase you tocomplete your to do lists He will also motivate and encourage you when you aredown With this, you would pressure yourself to fulfill your list

Plan, Log, and Track

You need to plan your actions toward your goals You may need to break downyour goals into several mile stones to make it easier to fulfill Schedule a reasonabletime to do it, log your progress, and track your result It would enable you to seethat you are moving toward your goal, step-by-step

Celebrate Your Small Win

Each time you successfully achieve your mile stone, you should celebrate it Youcan celebrate it with your friends in your ecosystem, or simply celebrate it on yourown by treating yourself a good dinner or with a gift It is a way to appreciate yourefforts and hard work It would motivate you to keep working toward your goal.Having the right motivation would help you complete your Ph.D studysmoothly You shouldfind your own strong motivations to join a Ph.D program

As long as you can keep and maintain your motivations, you should not worry ifyou have different motivations than the other people Tips and tricks in this chapterwould enable you to maintain your motivation and keep moving forward to reachyour goal of getting a Ph.D degree The next chapter will discuss how to prepareyour Ph.D application

16 2 So What Are Your Motivations to Get a Ph.D Degree?

3 Marshall S, Green N (2004) Your Ph.D companion How To Books Ltd, Oxford

4 Nerad M, Evans B (eds) (2014) Globalization and its impacts on the quality of Ph.D education: forces and forms in doctoral education worldwide Sense Publishers, Rotterdam

5 Petre M, Rugg G (2004) The unwritten rules of Ph.D research Open University Press, McGraw-Hill Education, Maidenhead

6 Segar M (2015) No sweat: how the simple science of motivation can bring you a lifetime of fitness Amacom, New York

Chapter 3

Ph.D., Ready or Not, Here I Come

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

—Lao Tzu

The first and foremost step, in getting a Ph.D degree is applying for a Ph.D.program All Ph.D students regardless of their majors need to go through thisadmission process to secure a position in a Ph.D program The Ph.D admission is acompetitive process where only a small fraction of the submitted applicationswould be granted Ph.D offers The number would substantially lower for Ph.D.with scholarship For each Ph.D application opening, the Ph.D admission com-mittee (hereby refer as“committee”) would receive thousand applications to reviewand evaluate The committee that consists of faculty members for multiple researchareas need to do a complex comparison tofind the right candidates [6]

You can help the committee to favor on your application You need to craft andorganize your application such that it is noticeable and stand out from the otherapplications It can be difficult, especially for those who are doing this for the firsttime But through careful preparation, it can be made possible

In this first step of application process, you need to attract the committee’sattention using only your application documents The documents summarize yourachievements and experiences in academic, research, and other relatedfields Yourdocuments need to convince the committee that you are a suitable candidate to beinterviewed and go to the next processes

Applying for Ph.D program, it is not as easy as filling in the blank to anapplication form It needs more than that You need to carefully describe details ofyour achievements and experiences related to the major and university that youchoose You need to prepare all the documents required You need to findrespective and reputable people who can give you references You need to makeyour documents talk the good things about you and help you look good

This chapter would provide you with some tips and tricks on how to prepareyour documents for Ph.D application It starts by reviewing sources where you canget information about Ph.D program opening followed by an overview of docu-ments required Next, some suggestions to write your research statement, personal

© Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2017

Lindawati, Cracking a Ph.D., DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-2152-7_3

19

statements, and cover letter are discussed Lastly, other supporting documents thatyou need for applying a Ph.D program are described.

Ph.D Program Opening Information

The Internet, such as university’s Web sites, is the best place to find informationabout the Ph.D program in a particular university Generally, it would provideinformation about the majors, Ph.D program structure, curriculum, research areas,publications, employment prospects, course descriptions, Ph.D students, and fac-ulty members Some universities also have information about the Ph.D life andtestimonials from current and formal students

Most universities publish their Ph.D program opening information in their Websites The information generally includes admission processes, admission require-ments, deadline, fees, and available scholarships Different majors and scholarshipsmay require different requirements

Other than university Web sites, you canfind the Ph.D scholarship informationthrough scholarship forums and mailing lists It would provide a lot of informationabout scholarships in different countries and universities The scholarships can befunded by the countries, foundations, or even private companies You can join theseforums and mailing lists to expose yourself to different kind of scholarships.You may need to do a little bit research on the university, research area, Ph.D.program, and the available scholarship before you decide to apply it You need to

be sure that the university, research area, Ph.D program, and the scholarship issuitable for you You need to read the information carefully You should not readthe information briefly You would miss out all the important information such asthe deadline If you do not understand or need any clarification, you may want toemail the university to ask for clarification or confirmation

Four important information that you need to pay attention to when you arelooking for a Ph.D program opening is as follows

Major and Research Area

Different universities have their strength in different majors and research areas.Some universities are very strong in engineering while others may be strong inscience You canfind this information from the university ranking, their facultymembers, and their publications There are several reputable university ranking thatyou canfind online such as Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings[7] and Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings [10]

Having faculty members that are well known in their fields may also giveindications about the university’s strength in specific majors and research areas Ifyou are interested in the research area of the faculty member, you may also e-mail

20 3 Ph.D., Ready or Not, Here I Come

him to communicate your interest You can also explore the opportunity to becomehis Ph.D student.

You can do the similar thing with the list of publications in reputable journalsand conferences in specific areas It is worthwhile to invest your time to read it Itwould give you an overall understanding about the university’s strength You canalign it with your research interests

The universities may have funding to hire new Ph.D students for specificresearch projects These are the projects that the university is currently working on

In this case, the research topics are already very specific You need to decide if youwant to work on this topic

Submission Requirements

The submission requirements will give you some ideas on what kind Ph.D studentthat the universities are looking for Specific scholarship may have other specificrequirements on top of the general submission requirements You need to match therequirements with your qualification as much as possible The common basicrequirements are level of education (degree), GRE or GMAT score, and languageproficiency

You need to have a good undergraduate or master degree The requirement isdepend on the university Some require the grade point average (GPA) to be above3.5 while others require above 3 from a 4.0 GPA scale But needless to say that agood academic result would give higher chance to get the Ph.D scholarship.GRE (stand for Graduate Record Examination) [2] and GMAT (stand forGraduate Management Admission Test) [4] are tests to assess verbal reasoning,analytic writing, and critical thinking GRE is used as an admission requirement bymost graduate school in US while GMAT is used mostly for graduate managementschool such as MBA Usually, you only need to provide the result for either GRE orGMAT depending on the major that you are applying Before taking the exam forGRE or GMAT, it is advisable that you spend enough time to study and familiarizeyourself with the type of questions in the test The exam preparation may take 3–6months

Language proficiency test depends on the main language of the university If youare applying the Ph.D at English-speaking University and you are not an Englishnative speaker or never graduated from English-speaking University, then you need

to take an international English language proficiency test The two most commontests are TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) [3] and IELTS(International English Language Test System) [1] You are required to have at leastone test result Different universities may require different test If you have alreadydone one of the test but it is different from the university or scholarship require-ment, then you can check with the university if they allow you to submit the onethat you already have Similar to GRE and GMAT, you may need enough time toprepare for TOEFL or IELTS exam which may take 3–6 months

Ph.D Program Opening Information 21

Intake and Deadline

The Ph.D program intake periods may varies Some universities have two intakeper year while others have only one intake For each intake, there is a fix sub-mission closing date a few months before the intake Your application and all thesupporting documents need to be submitted before it You need to calculate the timethat you need to prepare your application and all documents and aim for a rea-sonable intake period The time includes your exam preparation for GRE/GMATand TOEFL/IELTS if you currently do not have one

Necessary Documents

Different universities would require different necessary documents to be submitted.These documents are needed for the committee to evaluate your application Anapplication would only be evaluated if it is completed with all the necessary doc-uments You may want to make a checklist of the documents to make sure that you

do not leave any document behind

You can give additional supporting documents if you think it would help yourapplication to stand out from other applicants Additional documents that you canadd in your application are prior research publications, certificates, awards, andother documents You may need to translate your documents if it is not in thelanguage preferred by the committee Legal documents need to be translated by apublic sworn translator Attach the original and the translated documents in yourapplication

22 3 Ph.D., Ready or Not, Here I Come

Your application need to be outstanding from the others not only in the content, butalso in the appearance The committee is usually busy and needs to evaluate a lot ofapplication documents You need to help them to remember and attracted to yourapplication by providing a complete and neat documents The appearance of yourapplication documents may help to make your application successful Two tips thatcan make your application tidier are as follows

1 Sorting and ordering

You may want to sort and order your documents according to the list of requireddocuments This would allow the committee to match your documents with therequirements easily If you have a lot of documents, you may want to attachlabels or dividers in each section For online application submission, the filename should represent the content You can also order your documents bygiving a number in each file, for example, “01 – Undergraduate degree cer-

tificate” This number is based on the list of required documents You can thenupload the documents according to the numbers

2 Cover letter

A cover letter would help to give a short introduction of yourself, highlight yourachievement, and summarize your documents You need to personalize yourcover letter according to the Ph.D program that you are applying You mayhighlight your achievements that are relevant to the Ph.D program The sum-mary of your documents helps to increase the readability of your application Ithelps the Ph.D review committee tofind specific document in your application.You can also include the pages of your documents in your cover page Thecover page should be short You need to limit your cover letter to one page only

Writing a Research and Personal Statement

Two important documents that you may need to enclose in your application areresearch and personal statements These statements should be readable, clear,realistic, concise, and compelling You need to use readable font size and margin.Too many jargon may not be beneficial for your application since your researchstatement may be read by people in differentfield You can put the words “ResearchStatement” or “Personal Statement” at the center top and your name below it If youneed to submit a printed copy of your research statement, you can print it in aregular size paper

You need to spend enough time to craft these statements It is not something thatyou can do it over night After you write it, spend time to read it and revise it Youmay ask your friends or mentors to proofread it Make sure that the grammarmistakes are minimal

These two documents serve different purposes Research statement introducesyour research interest [5,11] While personal statement describes your hopes andmotivations for applying a Ph.D program [8,9] The difference between these twodocuments is described in Fig.3.1.

Research Statement

Research statement describes your past and present research as well as the futureresearch proposal and interest You need to describe the “big picture” of yourresearch and show your overall research accomplishments It consists of summary

of your previous or current research achievements, your reasons to do the research,and major contributions to the existing body of knowledge You may also want toinclude your list of publications in an appendix The future research proposal andinterest describe the direction of where you want to go next It provides yourresearch road map and your ability to execute it

As a fresh graduate, you may not have a prior research In this case, yourresearch statement would be more focus on your research interests You may want

to describe why you are interested on it and your plan to achieve your researchgoals You may also use your undergraduate thesis or projects as a background ofyour research interests If your research interest is aligned with your undergraduatethesis, you can attach the abstract of your thesis in an appendix

Research statement needs to talk about your research, not about you But, youneed to craft it based on your personal characters and interests It needs to captureyour enthusiasm and excitement about the research It needs to convince the Ph.D.review committee that you will be successful in achieving your research goal

• It is about research

• Focus on your contributions to the body of knowledge

• List of research works

• May need to align it with University's research areas

Research

Statement

• It is about your personality

• Focus on your contribution in your society

• List of personal characteristics

• May need to align it with University's values

Personal

Statement

Fig 3.1 Research statement versus personal statement

24 3 Ph.D., Ready or Not, Here I Come

A research statement may also need to be tailored based on the universityresearch focus You cannot use one research statement template for your applica-tions to different universities There is no one sizefits all You need to align yourresearch interest with the university research focus It is to assure the committee thatyou can conduct your research in their university Getting to know the universityresearch direction, the faculty at each university, and explore the research that theyhave done would give you some insight Do remember that you cannot use otherpeople research statement Your research statement needs to be unique and per-sonally crafted for you Your research statement needs to be short and simple Youshould not make long-winded samples It is generally around two or three pages.The list of publications and abstracts can be added as an appendix.

Personal Statement

A personal statement describes you as a person within the context of your ronment, community, and the world It shows your personal character beyond theGPA and other test results It should be personal and considered as an honestexpression of yourself You can be as open as you want as long as you avoid anycontroversy and extreme opinions You can share your dreams, aspirations, andmotivations in your personal statement

envi-A good personal statement should be able to tell a story about you It tells aboutyour background, experience, and why you are interested to join a Ph.D program in

a particular university It describes your personal quality, talent, accomplishment,contribution, and experience that shape you as what you are right now and what youwant to become If there are some events or incidents that motivate you to join Ph.D., you need to be specific about it

You shouldfind out about the university’s value It gives you some insight aboutthe value that the university wants in their students You can match it with yourpersonal character and describe it in your research statement You need to convincethe committee that you can adapt with the university’s culture But you should behonest about it You should not lie just to make your personal statement looks good

Other Necessary Documents

Other necessary documents that you may need are reference letters You may want

to have two or more reference letters that should support the information youprovided in your application documents You need tofind respectable people whoyou know that are willing to provide you with positive testimonials These peoplemay be your formal supervisor (in undergraduate or master), dean, or head ofdepartment in your previous university, formal lecturers, and work supervisors

Writing a Research and Personal Statement 25

The university may have different policies to submit the references You canfindthe information in the Ph.D opening website The university may have a specialform for references In this case, you need to print out the form and ask your referee

tofill it in

Three common methods to submit the reference letters are as follows First, thesubmission method is an open reference submission You should ask your referee toprovide you with reference letter The letter should be signed by the referee Youthen attach the reference letter together with your Ph.D application and submit it tothe Ph.D review committee Second, the reference letter needs to be submitted as aclose reference In this case, you need to ask your referee to write the referenceletter, sign it, put it in an envelope, and seal it Your referee can then give the sealedreference letter to you to be submitted together with your application Your refereecan also directly mail the reference to the committee Third, the reference letterneeds to be submitted online The committee e-mails a link to the referee Thereferee can submit his reference letter through the link

Applying for a Ph.D can be difficult if you do not know how to do it Enoughpreparation is needed to make your application stands out from the rest application.Tips and tricks described would be able to help your Ph.D application preparation.The next chapter will discuss what you need to prepare for your Ph.D interview

11 Winstead C (2012) You ’ve got your Ph.D.: now what? Hawthorne Press, Georgia

26 3 Ph.D., Ready or Not, Here I Come