If you’re considering applying for a PhD in your chosen specialisation, the first thing you should do is decide on your thesis. Once you’ve done that, the next step is to get that thesis looked at by your chosen PhD supervisor. This can be an intimidating thing to do; you’ve given a huge amount of consideration to your thesis, and it’s something you’re really passionate about. However, this is the first step on the journey towards gaining your PhD.
Here at Capstone Editing, we have years of experience in assisting PhD students with their thesis once it’s written, offering thesis proofreading services to ensure it’s as good as it can possibly be. But how do you take that first step in getting your thesis considered in the first place?
‘Do’s and Don’ts’ in Communicating with Your Supervisor
This may sound obvious, but the first thing to do is establish how to contact your supervisor and whether they’ll actually want to hear from you yet. If you have not yet enrolled at your chosen university, it might be that you have to formally apply there first before being matched with a supervisor. However, many universities prefer PhD students to reach out to prospective supervisors before applying. Check with your chosen university about which option they prefer.
Assuming your supervisor does want to be contacted, here are some brief ‘do’s and don’ts’ to bear in mind:
- Do use email for the first contact; this is more formal and professional than reaching out via social media, for example.
- Do give them something to answer; this could be a general query about whether the university is currently accepting expressions of interest and will make your email more likely to be answered.
- Don’t resort to hyperbole; let your thesis speak for itself, and impress them with your ideas without telling them yours is the best thesis in the world.
- Don’t worry if you don’t get an instant response; PhD supervisors are busy people and may not respond to queries right away, but that doesn’t mean they never will.
Questions to Ask During Your Meeting with Your Supervisor
So, say that your proposal has gone down a storm and you’ve organised a meeting with your PhD supervisor. What questions should you ask them? To get the most out of that first meeting and establish that your thesis is definitely on the right track, you could ask questions like the following:
- Is my research method sufficient?
- Is my research strategy achievable within the time parameters?
- Does my research strategy meet the university’s ethical guidelines?
Other Things to Consider
When it comes to writing your thesis under the direction of your supervisor, you might want to look into proofreading services. Writing a thesis is a huge undertaking, and having fresh pairs of eyes to take care of small (yet important) factors like spelling and punctuation could save you a lot of time. Depending on what your PhD is on, you might also want to look into article editing services.
We hope this was helpful, and if you have any other queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
