Categories: phd
Date: 12 June 2008 13:34:50
There are two possible reactions when you come across someone who has done research similar to yours. A couple of years ago when I was in Moldova I came across a newspaper ad for a tender for a research company to do some research that was probably not that similar to what I've ended up doing but looked like it at the time, and I ended up wandering round the park in central Chisinau convinced that my PhD was pointless, that I wasn't doing anything original and that whoever ended up getting this tender would totally pre-empt my research. I then had histrionics (shurely not? - Ed) when I saw my supervisor, who laughed at me and pointed out that actually their research methods were very different and their findings might well complement mine and provide extra backing for the points that I was going to make, and actually no it wasn't the end of the world at all. Phew! That's alright then.
This morning I've come across another research report, published this week, which covers some of the issues I am looking at. Again they've used different methods to me. This time my reaction is "phew, I can use this to fill in all my gaps!" My academic career is so doomed :D
In other news, I appear to have broken HD's digital radio. I broke the internet a couple of days ago. I'm not doing very well - I think I must have magnetic wrists. I wonder what I'll break next?