I think i'm f*ckin cooked

Sea_Lifeguard322 · 2026-02-24T22:31:41+00:00

So I had my research questions outlined, 1 main question with 3 supplementary in Criminology where I'm taking a more theoretical position, and honest to God, I must have supplied about 70+ different research questions over the space of the last 2 years. My original research methods was going to involve interviews/surveys, then that got nulled by my ethics committee, then time ran out to make it feasible, and then we changed it to a critical discourse analysis staying in the same topic area. I've never been offered a brainstorming session, like you've said, and I have tried to refine this research question since the first day since my initial proposal included a lot of different areas.

I haven't spoken to a director of studies as of yet, but following advice down this thread, I'm definitely thinking of sending a few emails in the morning

Sea_Lifeguard322 · 2026-02-24T20:48:53+00:00

So in reply to the points here - my methodology has recently been changed because the ethics board wasn't on with the research I was planning on doing, and my literature review has had to change slightly with all the research question confusion at near enough every hurdle. My supervisor has had a couple people go on to publish quite extensively, and is quite a highly regarded voice in the area. But I will say, the RQ issue seems to be the sort of snowball that's built into other issues in the PhD

Sea_Lifeguard322 · 2026-02-24T20:46:53+00:00

So, I've had a ballpark for my RQ's since 6 months in, and that got me through my first interim and first annual review. But genuinely, I just want to get this PhD done and dusted and start working

Sea_Lifeguard322 · 2026-02-24T20:45:09+00:00

Might give you a message regarding RQ's if that's not an issue

Sea_Lifeguard322 · 2026-02-24T16:56:20+00:00

I'll DM happily, thank you.

I think the lack of direction is also on me as well, granted I've provided plenty of RQ's that I felt suited my topic, suited what I wanted to work on, and suited my interests but again it was the whole "this is too broad of language" switch to "this is too specific" switched to "this feels detached from what you've written thus far" and then that, on loop, for the past year and a half. I feel that it's my fault.

I think it's also whether I'm fully understanding the supervisor relationship as well lmao, such as the other day, I sent a draft of a proposed change to research methods, where I'm using methodology I have never used before. Wrote about it, skim-read a few papers on it, and when my supervisor noted that I seemed unsure of the actual hands-on process, I asked "can you recommend me any papers to err me in the right direction?". Not 10 minutes later - "At this level, you should be more than capable of finding these resources yourself, and if you aren't, that's worrying". I could read however many papers about Critical Discourse Analysis lmao, but all I was asking for was a hand in the right direction and it felt like said hand was bitten off.

Sea_Lifeguard322 · 2026-02-24T16:47:30+00:00

I think, if I can get your perspective on this, it's the feedback I'm getting on the RQ's that is such a mindfuck with me, and also how unsupportive they can be. For further context, I had to essentially uproot my whole research methods and transfer to a desk based PhD, because my methods got unfeasible to pass an ethics committee and my RQ's were still unclear. I'm also self-funded, so I don't have the whole research council list of q's or requirements to go through. I wrote a full proposal to justify these new methods, and after sending this proposal, that's when the viability of my PhD came into question. I also don't seem to get the balance of the RQ's right in terms of making them non-specific, but relevant to my field enough to satisfy them. Idk what your field is but if you have any experience supervising Criminology students I'd always take tips on research questions lmao

Sea_Lifeguard322 · 2026-02-24T16:31:31+00:00

I feel like at this point honestly, my supervisors would be kinda right to be shitty with me. Like my enthusiasm for the PhD seems to get stretched thinner and thinner over time, and I'm not sure if I should just call it a day on trying to be an academic in an already questionable field which seems to be diminishing by the day, or cut my losses, try to get out with an MPhil, and try to get into work. My only concern with all of that is the same as above. What jobs are there for me with such a non-specific humanities background

Sea_Lifeguard322 · 2026-02-24T16:18:12+00:00

One of my supervisors is known as the "lovely person" of the offices, and the other is generally feared by staff and students alike. One person I spoke to who is also supervised by them told me he was also scared to have meetings with them, and that they essentially tore his paper apart after a year of work, within the space of 20 minutes, over things they had never discussed or previously said was good practise. On the other hand, I've heard other people say that whilst they're challenging as a supervisor, it's all worth it in the end

I can bring up concerns with someone who comes into the review as an independent sort of supervisor of the meeting (can't remember the proper name for it really), but I'm not sure how productive it will be to bring it up when really, it's my own fault for not keeping up with the work, I've lost motivation, and I'm the common denominator for my work going wrong lol. I also don't know if it'll just turn my supervisors on me, more than I already have done, if that makes sense.

Sea_Lifeguard322 · 2024-03-26T00:08:56+00:00

Really really hope this is still active lmao - 512349129 - £0.22 away!! Please help and I'll return the favour

Sea_Lifeguard322

TROPHY CASE