Managing information

I think one of the more challenging parts of a PhD relates to managing information. I keep a list of all the files I amend during the day for back up to a USB memeroy stick in the evening. On average, I am working with 10 to 15 files a day. The changes to documents are really subtle and often I need to resort to Explorer to distinguish one file from an another, especially when I'm tired. Actually when I'm tired I just rename files rather than save of older versions, it seems the sensible way to go.

I missed on a qual research methods training seminar this week, but have booked into a writing skills one during December. Also, I Omar will get me a copy of the notes from the qual training, which will be excellent.

Today I want to get some solid work done on the research framework CD for honours students. I'd love to finish the bulk of it by the time I finish up tonight- who knows, now I'm using voice recognition software, I might just manage it. I also have to write to Tony and advise him that 50 hours isn't enough for the job, as he thought. Hmm must put in my pay sheets too :)

Saw the Village on the weekend and I was surprised by how much I liked it. The film was nothing like the advertisements though. Off to have a cuppa with Mavis now and then down to work .....
  ¶ 1:16 pm

  Ethics

Well I have finally finished drafting 2 of my ethics applications. My drafts from earlier this year simply weren't up to it and the paperwork for one of the hospitals has changed since then. I need to finalise my research design and survey/interview tool and then I can submit them.

I'm still looking for a third, rural, site. However I have a plan and by this time next week, I will hopefully have secured access to a third site.

I've also organised to see Language and Learning about chapter two of my thesis. Afterwards I'll take it back to both of my supervisors for review. It feels like I am slowly making progress here too.

My journal article was published this week in JITH, which was a bit of a kick. I couldn't beleive the paperwork I needed to complete to register it with my School and the Faculty, but its all done now.

I have a lead on validating stage one of my research this week, which is lovely. I'm not holding my breath though, other leads didn't work out. I think I may also follow the international route and ask for people to validate the model on some of the email lists I subscrbe to.

Mavis bought a place in Camberwell this week.. it's gorgeous! I have to remember to email Fiona on Monday about tradespeople to do some renovations for her.

Family life is a bit full on. It's Dad's birthday, which is lovely. Saara is sick and feeling very low. Aunty Theresa has come through her operation OK, now its time for biopsy. I wish I felt more about her illness, but I don't. I'll ask Mum tonight whther I should send flowers or a card and about where she is. Actually, Mum is handling all of this brilliantly. Jo and Damien are moving to Sydney, which will be lovely for Mum, its so much closer than Brisbane. Jo sounds really happy about the move too, so it's all good.

I'm working pretty hard right now, although I'm not feeling much pain. I seem to be making decent inroads into the huge slab of work I want to get through before the end of the year. I think because I feel I am progressing, I'm kind of calm at the moment and that is very precious to me. I wonder if I should try to find the time for Yoga or meditation?


  ¶ 3:43 pm

  Keeping on at it

I continued working on the research methods CD this week. It's a bit dull but it makes a nice break from my thesis, which is quite relaxing. We had a team meeting last week and so I'm clearer now about who is to do what. I also emailed one of the featured researchers and she is providing me with some useful stuff for the CD. I guess I'm about a third of the way through writing the text. I have to grab some of the theses the CD is based on from the library later on this week. I'm hoping to finish drafting the text by the end of next week. With a bit of hard work and good luck, it will be pretty much finished by December.

I've been training voice recognition software for about a week now in preparation for the data collection stage of my work. I've also been playing with USB audio recorders. Mick lent me his. I was really impressed, it holds 15 hours worth of WAV files. Thebattery lasts only 7 hours though, so I'll need to use spares. I'm going to experiment with voice recordings saved in mp3 format, because I'll get so much more recording time out of it. It was easy to upload the audio data to my PC for editing. All in all, I'm quite well prepared for data collection I think.

I finished drafting one ethics submission last week and am slowly going through another. I have a meeting with my supervisor tomorrow, which should be good. I want to ask her stuff about chapter 2 and my ethics paperwork. I also need to ask her some methodological questions since I think part of my survey isn't going to work, though maybe she will see a way through.

I had a good meeting with a senior member of academic staff today, he was fabulous. He gave me access to lots of contacts to assist with my research design and I felt quite optimistic after our meeting.

Eugenie emailed me today, it was lovely to hear from her. She sounds really happy and settled. Also, Alia rang last night, just to catch up and I think also to remind me that she'll be here next month and wants me to book out some time for her, which I'm glad to do. She wants me to go with her to Adelaide to spend the weekend with Sarah and her, but I don't think I can make it.

I had a lovely weekend, though my thighs ache from the gardening I did with Nina yesterday. We saw Shaun of the Dead on Saturday night. I really loved all the references to other zombie movies.

A well, time for a scotch and to go on training my voice recognition software...
  ¶ 6:49 pm

  The reunion season

I can't believe how many people have made contact with me over the past few weeks. First there was Dey. She messaged me on ICQ for lunch. It's been forever ( a year or 2) since that has happened. It was really enjoyable spending time with her again.

Then there was Lola. She rang to invite me to an education department reunion. I was only 17 when I started work there. We went out for dinner and now it feels like old times. I think it's been around 12 years since the last time we spent time together.

I also got a direct invite to the reunion at my Uni address. The invite gave me a list of people who had been invited. The reunion was last week and heaps of fun. There is a web site containing photos of the night. It was lovely catching up with my old bosses and colleagues. Lola and I went in together.

I then got in touch with a guy called Norm, who I haven't spoken to since I was about 20. I had noticed Norm's name on the web. I emailed him about the reunion, but he couldn't make it due to an awful accident. I sent him a link to the photos though and he'll come to the next one.

Then this week I got email from David. Its been a year or more since we last met up. He has a gig in Japan at the moment and wont be home until December, so we are exchanging email.

On the week end, Zim and Lumpy contacted me via a chat program. They are Internet mates from Canada. Zim is married now, which is pretty amazing because she was in such a mess the last time we talked. Lumpy is exactly the same, as flirtatious as ever.

This afternoon, Michael got in touch with me via ICQ. I think its been about 3 years since I spoke to him. He is doing very well, lots of gigs and travel. He has a gig at the Espy this Friday.

Last night Alia rang from Engalnd to say she's coming over. We will meet up on 11 October and I might go with her to Adelaide for a girls weekend with Sarah. I havent spoken to Alia in about 5 years, though we do exchange emails on a pretty irregular basis.

I wonder what's happening.... Nina and I are going out for dinner now; Sandy is working...
  ¶ 6:21 pm

  Growing up is hard, but worth it

Well I think I have been growing up as a researcher. Last week I was so very stressed by the feedback from my supervisors because I thought they were wrong. For instance, I'm doing qualitative research and am concerned to generalise my results to a theory so the fact that the selection of my research sites was not representative of the health sector more generally is not relevant. When I went for guidance about site selection I got no assistance at all, other than to suggest I speak to stats branch. This is because the range of health sector agencies across Victoria is enormous and even my supervisors had to acknowledge the project would become to big if I included them all.

As for the other supervisor, I challenged several of her comments and was surprised to see that she acknowledged the vaildity of my point of view.

At the moment I have now advised the supervisor who wanted me to use representative sites that I will not be doing that for my case study. I have taken on board some of his criticisms and agrred to add a rural site to the project though. I have defended my position logically and using the theory upon which my methodology is based (Yin). I'm waiting now for comments from my senior supervisor. My junior supervisor suggested that the explanation I provided to both of them in my email should be included in my methodology chapter. I wait with baited breath for the next installment, but I am determined to defend my position.

Aside from anything else, if the senior supervisor had problems with my methodology then he should have stated them back in March when I first discussed it with both of them at a review. Since then I have drafted ethics applications and a survey and was sworking with stats branch to finalise my research tool.

There is nothing wrong with the validity of the method I want to use, so I will stick to my guns. Plus I was talking to Amee today (she is another PhD student) and she has just had her method validated by a C1 conference presentation. She will send me the presentation and has suggested we write a journal article together in order to validate my methodology. I have agreed, so that's pretty exciting stuff.

Amee also suggested we co-read each other's work to help with the editing. I'm back to edtiting those bloody 4 chapters again. I swear, once the dissertation is finalised, I never want to read those chapters ever again. Mind you, Amee's suggestion makes that a bit easier.

I turned down presenting a seminar at the bi-monthly Austin hospital informatics seminar due to my workload. Carola invited me. I do hope she isn't angry about that, but my dissertation has to come first. Actually, with any luck they might ask me to do it again.

Vicki was at the scerh meeting I attended today. She is such a nice person. She is helping me a little with my English grammar. Rodney was there today as well, we'll go out for coffee next week for another mutual help session.

We went to Swan Hill last week. It was really good fun. We rode along the Murray and went to the Colonial Settlement . Loved the settlement and I'd like to spend more time there. We went to their Light and Sound Show at night too. It was excellent.

Have to take Nina swimming now, more tomorrow....


  ¶ 5:59 pm