What are the reasons that delays a Ph.D degree!
There are no doubt a wide variety of reasons why people fail to complete a Ph.D. in a reasonable amount of time. Here, we will only consider reasons related to the research and production of the dissertation. ‘Real-life’ reasons such as health problems, substance abuse, having children, or finding employment, should receive a dedicated and thorough discussion at another time and place.
One of the most common reasons for a long completion time is a slow start to the research. If a student does not become engaged early on with the intellectual issues, such as formulation of research ideas and experiments, many of the remaining activities are likely to be a mix of compromises and inefficiencies. The message here is simple: If you are in the beginning stages of your Ph.D. program, do not procrastinate about getting started with your research. And this doesn’t just mean reading the literature. You should be doing that already, anyway. You need to start collecting data, as soon as possible.
A second common reason for a long completion-time is a student or supervisor who is never satisfied, who can always think of a way to improve results, and who therefore has difficulty bringing projects to a conclusion. Perfectionism can be an asset for scientists and researchers, but not when it hampers progress. In most instances, if a student would just write up whatever he or she has already achieved, and discuss it with the supervisor, this would clarify whether any changes or refinements are necessary, what additional data may be needed, or whether it makes sense to attempt additional work in light of the time it would require.
Another major reason for delay is distraction from the primary line of investigation. Some students can’t resist the temptation to explore all the interesting byways or potential side-projects that come up during the course of any major research project. Curiosity and a willingness to work long hours are important attributes for any new scientist or engineer, but they need to be harnessed and channeled toward completion of the Ph.D., not just toward support of the supervisors’ research program.
Delays can also occur when students spend too much time on tasks that keep them in their comfort zone; for example, working in the lab, collecting data, or reading the literature — instead of writing. Don’t fool yourself into believing that if you’re always amassing more and more data, then you’re being productive and making good progress. You are only being productive and making progress if you are turning those data into peer-reviewed papers and chapters for your dissertation.
The same goes for reading. You need to be on top of the literature, both current and historical — but don’t read too much! You don’t need to read it all, and anyway, it’s counterproductive to try to make everything fit together. The literature in every field is full of discrepant findings and competing ideas. These are natural products of research, and it’s a mistake to expect that reading just a few more papers will bring greater clarity. Just get writing. The writing process will help your ideas become clearer
http://thegradstudentway.com/blog/?p=1573
I don't like this system given that some topics require more time to be adequately developped than other topics
The time frame could be a function of the topic of research. Having said that, it is possible to complete the research within a reasonably stipulated period of time. It helps if the researcher has domain (subject & practical) knowledge in the area of research. A good initial literature review will surely save a lot of time. I personally believe that self motivation and focus are the key to complete the research in a comfortable time. The researcher should constantly interact with peers and senior scholars to avoid the pitfalls that were faced by earlier researchers. This approach has personally helped me in accelerating my research work. Looking forward to other views. Thank You!
you have not mentioned whether it is full time phd or part time. i assume that it is full time phd. In full time phd, if you work on experimental works with novelty then within 3 years you can complete your phd provided all other factors like cooperation with supervisor, art of writing the paper for reputed journals, answering the comments quickly etc
If any person has some prior knowledge about the topic or sometimes if any person has prior research experience - the completion time of research may be minimised. However one should not take short route compromising with the quality of research.
Universities should also have flexibility in its rules to support students. It has been came in light that some universities take a lot of time to communicate with the students and taking decisions.
I think good researches are output of all - research scholars, guides and universities.
And I good work always is full of zeal and enthusiasm.
How to handle Ph.D programme within a stipulated time frame (say 3 years)?
Following are some possible suggestions to complete a PhD within 3 years or shorter:
Note: need to discount factor not within the PhD candidate's control e.g. university senate might imposed minimal 4 years to complete a PhD regardless how fast or how competent you are etc. (better check with university on what areas within or beyond your control).
The time for completing a PhD degree depends on the student, supervisors and the research topic.I do not think that all PhD candidates can submit a good PhD thesis and finish the necessary courseworks with good grades and good understanding whitin a 3-year period!.
Fortunately, most universities expect that students complete their PhD within the nominal period of study (generally 4 years) and they allow extensions with the approval of supervisor(s).
The motivated students, who actively participate in the academic environment, are generally able to finish the requirements in 4 years..
Obviously, there should not be any compromise. Supervisiors must ensure the quality of thesis and must also contribute to making it possible for the thesis to be completed within the prescribed time frame.
Dear Abhijit!
Thank you for bringing up such important issue.
I fully agree with Marcel and Behrouz. Time should not be an issue, when we consider the highest degree of Education.
As such, a PhD should be granted to top a career, never as an obligation but as a reward for the maturity of a career and research. (some need more time to reach maturity. Others, have already reached maturity, by the time they apply for the degree...)
Unfortunately, the necessity of financial grants and fees brings this urge to perform against time.
I know my approach can be considered "old-fashioned" but aren't academic degrees an old-fashioned notion in Education? Shouldn't it be kept as such?
(Han's intelligent proposal to have things ready before application to the PhD grant is the preferable method to accomplish such short notice time...)
IMHO, it is very difficult to predict how much time researching a given topic well enough to produce Ph.D.-level results (and also publishing them) would require, so in general an option of doing Ph.D. in three years is suitable only for very strong applicants, preferably with prior research experience, ideally closely related to the intended subject of the Ph.D. studies.
Can we frame time table for completion of PhD as under:
Figure out a timeframe for each of your step to perform smoothly-
•Step 1. Planning for pre-proposal look. Time: 10 hours
• Step 2. Getting started with key requisites-research question, categories of your literature review, data, methods of collecting and analyzing your data, significance of your study, and what your chapters will be. Time: 5 hours
• Step 3: Getting approved from guide and other required jury. Time: 2 hours
• Step 4: Collection of literature. Time: 40 hours
• Step 5. Coding the literature: Review and code your literature. Time: 60 hours
• Step 6. Writing the literature review: Time: 40 hours
• Step 7. Review of proposal and literature work Time: 40 hours
• Step 8. Meeting the definition of why the literature is proposed. Time: 120 hours or 3 weeks
• Step 9. Collecting the data: Collect your data. Time: 150 hours
• Step 10. Coding the collected resource. Time: Add between 40 and 120 hours if this step is required for your study
• Step 11. Developing scheme and measures to make the proposal work. Time: 10 hours
• Step 12. Writing a sample analysis: Time: 5 hours
• Step 13. Writing the findings chapter or chapters: Time: 40 hours per chapter
• Step 14. Preparing the last chapter. Time: 20 hours
• Step 15. Transforming the entire proposal into chapters with acknowledgements, table of contents, index, and appendices. Time: 5 hours
• Step 16. Editing of entire work done. Time: 80 hours
• Step 17. Review from guide. Time: 80 hours
• Step 18. Revising the dissertation: Following your advisor’s suggestions, revise the dissertation. Time: 40 hours
• Step 19. Approval of the dissertation from institute. Time: 40 hours
• Step 20. Review of the dissertation by your committee members. Time: 80 hours
• Step 21. Complete any revisions your committee wants you to make. Time: 40 hours
• Step 22. Submitting the dissertation by electronically and manual copy. Time: 2 hours
http://scholarship-positions.com/blog/steps-to-complete-phd-dissertation-plan/201409/
Dears
The time of Ph.D. study depends on the student and the supervisor.
Regards
I am entirely agree with the Subhash ji Matrix and i am also of view planned intervention..
10 tips to finishing your PhD faster (good advice from ELSEVIER)
1. Immerse yourself in writing – and learn how to write a funding proposal
2. Find a strong mentor
3. Grow a thick skin and take critical feedback for what it is – constructive criticism
4. Find the right dissertation chair for you
5. Direct your course research projects or independent study for course credit towards your dissertation
6. Keep your dissertation topic as narrow as possible
7. There's a reason 50 percent of PhD candidates stay ABD...
8. Focus only on the next step or hurdle as you work
- Proposal/research design – check
- IRB (institutional review board) consent – check
- Pilot study – check
- Gather data – check
- Analysis – check
- Write, write, write with a purpose and schedule – check
- Defend – check
- Finish – yes!
9. Find a strong quantitative (or qualitative) research colleague that will assist you with a strong design
10. Promote your work and talk to others
Now go do it. Concentrate on each step and see yourself finishing that step. Success is mostly about hard work and persistence. It's what separates the "almost finished" from a job well done. Nothing, in my experience, can take the place of sticktuitiveness. Good luck!
https://www.elsevier.com/connect/10-tips-to-finishing-your-phd-faster
I think the best possible way to complete a research within 3 years is a good coordination between guide and the scholar. And most importantly giving the scholar the freedom to choose a topic he is interested to work with while the guide to look after the feasibility of the research in the stipulated time frame in the start of the research itself. And also it is not possible for a budding amateur researcher to know about the lab facilities in the lab (for scholars not from the same lab) so there also guide need to enlighten him about the limitations of that particular lab. Many a time searching lab instrument for a particular experiment is more time consuming and frustrating than the research itself if the same facility is not available in the lab. Again peers/research committee should understand that every research needs a different time frame to complete so standardization or stipulation of a single time frame for all research topic, according to me is a very non-researcher like attitude and totally unreasonable. If monitoring based research is pursued (like how much X in the study area Y) then may be 3 years is enough but if some scientist wish to inculcate novel research with new approaches, scholars should be given time and space to work/think on that. Again comes the base line of coordination between guide and scholar and that Ph.D research is a coordinated outcome between the both.
In my opinion, only the combination of a capable candidate with a capable supervisor can guarantee the handling of a Ph.D. programme within a stipulated time frame.
From my experience as an agriculturist-agrometeorologist, I consider that the period of three years is too short for a candidate to complete a quality Ph.D programme.
I do not know if the period of three years to complete a quality Ph.D programme, can be achieved in other disciplines, e.g. Mathematics.
Three years seems to be too short a period as many schools require that student publish 2 journal articles before the Ph.D. defence. I had to wait almost one year for publication of my second article!
Dear Subhash,
Thank you for providing the link:
http://scholarship-positions.com/blog/steps-to-complete-phd-dissertation-plan/201409/
It seems that there is something wrong with estimated hours for each activity. I added the hours and the total sum of hours is around 1000 hours. lf we assume 40 hrs/week, we can conclude that one can finish his/her Ph.D. thesis in 25 weeks!.
25 weeks is barely enough for writing a Master's thesis for a very smart and organized student.
First of all, buld your time work for 3 years including analysis and preparation of your sample. and you should keep in mind the repetition of analysis.
Hey,
who is gathering the data and when? Understanding year effects in Ecology require more than 3 years, right?
Be focus and concentrate to stat writing as soon as possible.
I believe the most important thing is to focus on research, especially the qualitative and quantitative methods.
What are the reasons that delays a Ph.D degree!
There are no doubt a wide variety of reasons why people fail to complete a Ph.D. in a reasonable amount of time. Here, we will only consider reasons related to the research and production of the dissertation. ‘Real-life’ reasons such as health problems, substance abuse, having children, or finding employment, should receive a dedicated and thorough discussion at another time and place.
One of the most common reasons for a long completion time is a slow start to the research. If a student does not become engaged early on with the intellectual issues, such as formulation of research ideas and experiments, many of the remaining activities are likely to be a mix of compromises and inefficiencies. The message here is simple: If you are in the beginning stages of your Ph.D. program, do not procrastinate about getting started with your research. And this doesn’t just mean reading the literature. You should be doing that already, anyway. You need to start collecting data, as soon as possible.
A second common reason for a long completion-time is a student or supervisor who is never satisfied, who can always think of a way to improve results, and who therefore has difficulty bringing projects to a conclusion. Perfectionism can be an asset for scientists and researchers, but not when it hampers progress. In most instances, if a student would just write up whatever he or she has already achieved, and discuss it with the supervisor, this would clarify whether any changes or refinements are necessary, what additional data may be needed, or whether it makes sense to attempt additional work in light of the time it would require.
Another major reason for delay is distraction from the primary line of investigation. Some students can’t resist the temptation to explore all the interesting byways or potential side-projects that come up during the course of any major research project. Curiosity and a willingness to work long hours are important attributes for any new scientist or engineer, but they need to be harnessed and channeled toward completion of the Ph.D., not just toward support of the supervisors’ research program.
Delays can also occur when students spend too much time on tasks that keep them in their comfort zone; for example, working in the lab, collecting data, or reading the literature — instead of writing. Don’t fool yourself into believing that if you’re always amassing more and more data, then you’re being productive and making good progress. You are only being productive and making progress if you are turning those data into peer-reviewed papers and chapters for your dissertation.
The same goes for reading. You need to be on top of the literature, both current and historical — but don’t read too much! You don’t need to read it all, and anyway, it’s counterproductive to try to make everything fit together. The literature in every field is full of discrepant findings and competing ideas. These are natural products of research, and it’s a mistake to expect that reading just a few more papers will bring greater clarity. Just get writing. The writing process will help your ideas become clearer
http://thegradstudentway.com/blog/?p=1573
It is rather difficult. According to me 3 years is not good enough. It may be possible for a fresher who would have admitted to PhD soon after post graduation. But for teachers, who are pursuing their career and doing PhD on part-time basis, this time limit is unwieldy.
This could be done if we hire only candidates with MSc (21 credit course and 24 credits research component; North american system and not the UK MSc.)
Prepare concrete plan keeping all certain uncertain factors in Mind.
Practically it is possible to submit thesis in 3 years if you stick to the plan prepared.
I believe the most important thing is to focus on research only.
As W.Marlatt, Professor Emeritus CSU says - If you know how long it is going to take, How much it will cost, and what the results are going to be, it ain't research.
W. Marlatt is a very Wise man! If you know everything in advance, research/science/education is simply not required
The only argument for the massive production of PhD students in three-year programmes is to learn students to think. In this Framework, the results and the topic of research become irrelevant
In our institute, a PhD student has to spent 15 months to complete various formalities in order to become a regular cadidate who can do his/her research. In the duration, he/she has to complete course works, seminar, comprehensive written, oral and finally research proposal. After, the research proposal their research topic get final shape where research to be done. Thus, three years become less to finish PhD.
It requires at least 3 years to complete the PhD as regular/full time .
Well I think it is possible one finishes within 3 years but some might not be so fortunate due to some factors
PhD programme should be managed for three years. First year for proposal preparation and approval, second year for data collection and analysis and third for finalisation and senate approval. The student should be able to produce the propsalms in six months and the adviser must approve the proposal by the ninth month. Any deviation from this will not work. Where it is an experimental research, the field work should be concluded before the beginning of the last six months of the programme.
Instead of focusing on the research, various administrative bodies divert scholars and guide towards other direction. Hence it becomes a tough task. Smooth running of research activity is mostly needed.
Prepare a Research Time-line Chart and work accordingly to complete the PhD in stipulated time frame.
First have clear cut plan on your chosen topic, choose the topic as simple as possible, learn all the computational skills and statistics so that you no longer depend on other to analyse your data. try to write the paper on your own (because usually guide will be too busy to find time to write your paper) and finally as Margam said prepare a research time line chart..
There is theory (listed in a couple minutes).... and then there is practice (days, months, years)...........
I concur with professor Behrouz Ahmadi-Nedushan.
I personally won't recommend somebody who has done only experiments for PhD degree. A candidate should show aptitude by linking experimental results with a theory either theorizing himself/herself or validating somebody else's work. A weak attempt could be to compare experimental findings with numerical analysis. When it comes doing experiment the lab technician can do as well.
On the other hand PhD degree is not a Nobel prize giving which only one person per year can get and that should be for seminal work. I think every examiner looks if the candidate is on his/her way to work independently and produce useful results.
Dear Naik,
You shouldn’t use the time spent at the university as a currency; hence less time is better. Getting a degree from some university is a doddle while from another one is a very hard work. The same observation can be made between branches of engineering/science and even professors at a university. Some professors gain reputation (or notoriety, I should say) being the “sure thing”. This is why the quality of PhD graduates vary so much. People who judge you know this.
If the plan is just to get a degree and hence the less time is better, then one should look for the easiest degree in an easy university and a “sure thing” professor. The government of third world counties is run by these people. Nobody value these people or the title they carry.
However, if the learning and thriving in the academic world is your ambition, then don’t measure PhD by time spent but what you have learned and how far it would take you. Of course I am aware that, one also is concerned where the next meal is coming from. Life a compromise.
Provided you have a caring supervisor who knows his/her stuff then you should be more understanding. Hopefully the supervisor knows what he/she is doing.
Some subjects are more difficult to get to the starting line. Hopefully they are also more rewarding.
Look at a PhD as a launching pad, if it will hurl you further then time is well spent.
Each student is exposed to a unique education environment. General statements make no sense in this Framework?
E.g. it is not the absolute estimate of a work that counts, but how you handled it in a given education environment, e.g. with versus without logistic support, with versus without data, with versus without a person guiding you, with versus without background data, with versus without people supporting you, etc....... These things are often ignored, and even not measured or measurable in a standardized way
The key to success are the following:
1. The problem needs to be defined in concurrence with the Supervisor.
2. The broad problem should be caterogized into 6-7 smaller problems
3. Experiment / Simulation work should be carried out one by one without jumping into conclusion
4. Try to publish 2-3 papers in reputed journals and 5-6 Conference papers
5. Last by not the least , good alignment with supervisor.
a very reasonable question - its a big issue which every researcher must put mind
Less memorization required to advance?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/how-do-life/201607/the-psychology-scientific-advancement
Marty Nemko Ph.D. How To Do Life
The Psychology of Scientific Advancement
An interview with Michio Kaku
MK: I’d transform science education: Our science education does a great job of training people for the world of 1950. We’ve done a miserable job of preparing people for today’s world, let alone tomorrow’s. Year in and year out, in science, reading, and math, American students score near dead-bottom among developed nations. We need less memorization—I never memorized the periodic table of the elements—I’ve never used it, and I’m a physicist! I can look it up. In the future, we’ll blink and we’ll see it in our contact lenses. Forcing students to learn things like the periodic table crushes them
We need more concept-development and active involvement, less tuning forks, pulleys, and friction formulas—students know they’ll never use those. They need more study of outer space and DNA. They need more exciting teaching, more fair-minded encouragement, more career guidance, more mentorship. Both students and teachers need more feedback.
A good student, good research proposal , good supervisor and putting in real hard work.
Phdcandidates need to properly manage their time. Supervisors can set a certain time frame covering 3 years and make sure that students follow strictly. If students are keen to complete their work in 3 years they can do it easily. All facilities are available until like in the past.
In my opinion, the reasons could be follows:
1. Lack of desire- We must want it badly enough
2. Lack of resources- Minimum Intelligence, Proper Supervision, Adequate funding- that would allow the student to focus on research only.
3. Persistency- Anything can be achieved as long as effort is put in honestly and consistently. This I believe is the most difficult thing to do given the numerous diversions we have to ditch regularly to stay on track.
Happy Researching!!
We shall be serious in answering this question as scholars like us often get frustrated due to delay
I think with consistency, persistency, determination, dedication and encouragement one be able to complete within the stipulated time
With constant interaction with the guide and trying to clear all the doubts and setting up a stipulated time to complete the work and trying to achieve the work within that by working consistently and with determination, finally whatever work is there it should be done wholeheartedly with dedication.
Three key ingredient for successful completion of a PhD within a 3 year time frame:
- A topic worthy of a PhD (very clearly formulated with a clear time scale for the whole duration of the programme)
- A dedicated hard working and committed student
- A relentless director of studies always sharing ideas, supporting and guiding the student
In some universities, there are difficulties on the long-doctoral such as lack of necessary hardware to complete the search on time so when you choose a topic we must make sure the availability of materials and devices laboratory to conduct the necessary tests
I would suggest to properly plan Ph.D. as writing merely take few months if you have planned and published research.
Reminiscenting the well spent time in research makes one feel proud of the contribution and hardships, which is the learning curve.
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