PhD

hehe sorry clearly got Martin  's research study too much in mind when replying - hehe failure in type1 thinking!  ... I don't want to steal your idea or increase the risk of that happening - nonetheless I'd be interested to know what general order of thing it is that is lighting your academic interest up.  Can you share it please?

Thanks JT   your post got me thinking along interesting lines too  Figure that I'm combining social anthropology, psychological anthropology and development anthropology in my response?

Since you're after funding... I was taught by a gentleman who described selling as the second oldest profession - the key he shared was "engage with the prospect, sell the benefits, handle the objections then at some point when has to ask the question "do you want to buy it?!.

Given the person has expressed interests in it, understands the benefits, the "product is personalised to their needs by any objections being handled/resolved it's not unreasonable to ask that question.

It is reasonable to be prepared for rejection as some people may just not be ready to buy it yet - for reasons they're not letting on - possibly not even to themselves let alone you or other people!

This might be a strategy to consider? 

E.G who are the prospects - media production teams?  other social anthropologists? agencies of government or other social bodies? maybe even philanthropic individuals/collectives?.  Hehe - maybe from a criminology perspective here - follow the money - back and forth! :-) 

What may be the benefits as to what the prospect you have identified considers them?

Academic research for itself tho' wonderful can often end up hidden or even dumped into silos -even tho' one never knows the effects a ripple can have.

Interdisciplinary work seems to me to often create the biggest benefits where synergy does it's fab thing - thanks again for your post and kind words.

Maybe thinking outside the box in the same way as the characters in the crime dramas do will give a clue to whether it's worth it and how to find the value and where to look for funding?

Thanks Phased, interesting take and some good advice

My experience of getting an education is it being about learning how to learn.  By the time you get to PhD well... the word doctor derives from the Latin word “docere” meaning "to. teach."  So my suggestion is that you focus on it being worth it to other people if you get the accolade.  Does it help you in learning how to help other people learn by being able to discriminate and put ideas across.   Lots of potential in PhD researching autistic characterisation in crime fiction.  So, you need to come up with something in an original way that is of interest to others - that's where the thing being worth it to other people comes in...  hehe maybe that's where having some "Patience" comes into it as well hey?   (+) Patience on Channel 4 - Miscellaneous and chat - Home - National Autistic Society - Our Community   The theory of mind / different forms of reasoning and social interaction as appear to be presented in the genre have a long history (it's elementary my dear... :-)  ) there is plenty of still evolving resource that is out there to work with.  As an autistic person I would be fascinated to know what effect on people's cognition and behaviour the genre has had and can have - does it make a difference or does it reinforce archetypes/stereotypes?  Does it then inform how to help autistic and wider society by identify and respect use of skills that come with autistic people?  Yes it'll be hard graft - there is an expression that "iron thinks itself needlessly tortured by the flame, the sword looks back and understands why..."  figure you'll know more about the answer to your question when you get there.  Going in with a goal in mind  - even if you change it along the way - can give a sense of what will be achieved.  All the best JT    :-)

Thank you that's nice if you. Keep going you will find a way. I feel it's very important we stay committed, I'm just doubting myself which I think is imposter syndrome tbh

That's very kind thank you. I had a terrible time going to uni. Quitthen went back and ended yo doing much better once I found my stride by focussing in the work and a oiding the social side

Anthropology

Arts, social science or science? Very different PhD environments.

Congratulations this is so impressive. I wish you the best of luck with it. As someone who wasn’t able to go to uni this is very cool !! 

That's so amazing! Congratulations! I have just had one failed attempt but am now soldiering on to reapply. I kept being reminded that if you feel the strength in your research questions (i.e. they mean a lot to you to find some kind of answers to), then you will find a way to get through it because of how much you want it. Good luck!

Thanks for your response, and congrats to you for starting! Great work.

I found masters quite a challenge, but that was prediagnsis and now feel more myself erm though I'm still not sure who that is, to be able to even consider a PhD. But I guess if you don't try...

That's a real achievement! 

I'm in my first year of a PhD researching autistic characterisation in crime fiction. It is an awful lot of work, and I've had so many doubts throughout the application process, after being accepted, and then since I started. The induction was incredibly challenging - I almost quit at that point because I really wondered if I could hack the social aspects of it, but everyone is being very supportive.

I'm loving the work though and finding it very engaging- I completely lose track of time.  Long way to go yet, but I've put all thoughts of quitting out of my head.

If it's something you're passionate about then go for it. Even getting accepted is an achievement, particularly on a prestigious PhD programme.

I know there's a few people on the board who have already completed a PhD and they'll probably be able to tell you more about whether they think it's ultimately been worth it.