Choosing a research topic

Research topic hunting in the wild

One month into my PhD and the milestone I have reached is no farther than a collection of literature. That doesn’t mean to say I’ve actually read them. I know what I want to work on, at the very least, which is climate change adaptation,  disaster risk management, and development. Yet I still don’t know how to approach those themes and the theoretical underpinnings of my research. The worse (or better) part of being in the initial phase of a PhD work is, it can change any time (it did after my meeting with my professor today).

This is not my first time to be in this predicament though. I went through this phase more than a year ago. I hunted for about a month for my Master’s thesis topic. By no means exhaustive, I’m going to outline my personal random strategies I executed- and now am executing- to pin down a research topic.

1. Revisit the past. Recall what you wanted to learn before you started your academic pursuit. Was it the theory of relativity? Or explaining the ineptness of politicians? Whatever it may be, there is something you’ve always wanted to learn that brought you back to the hallways of the university, and that could be a good take off point. In my case, I’ve always wanted to learn how policy making works (or doesn’t).

2. Don’t look too far… What’s the latest goings-on down the university block? Browse through the research web pages of your university website. Who knows your next earth-shaking research is just around the corner.  Check out billboards, just like during the time you looked for your flat or your part-time job.

3. …But also talk to people outside your circles. Be it a face-to-face meeting with another student or expert in your city or a Skype call with a renowned scientist half around the world, a chat with someone outside your circle of peers can trigger an untapped corner in your gray matter. I talked to about 10 people consisting of professors, PhD students, and consultants in the renewable energy sector and policy experts before I came up with my thesis topic that analysed policymaking of the renewable energy law in the Philippines.

4. Read, read, and read. It’s an understatement to say that it’s an oft-repeated advise. Ideas abound in journals, books, magazines, and websites. And you’ll be doing a lot of it as you take on your research. It’s one fool-proof way to discovery, and to spark your personal experiences and interests that is worth considering for research.

Remember, every topic is worthy of intellectual inquiry. Happy hunting!

Photo courtesy of destination360.com

Meet Gizelle, a Pinoy Scholar who studied in Netherlands

Gizelle and I worked together at the National Economic and Development Authority. She may be done with her International Economics and Business programme at the University of Groningen, yet through this video, you can take a glimpse of her experience at the Netherlands through this video.

Thanks to the University of Groningen for this video!

Dealing with bureaucracy: the fringe costs of a scholarship

Get a good grip and don't stumble.

There’s a saying that there are two things that are unavoidable in life: death and taxes. But for the life of a scholar, you might avoid paying taxes from your tax-free stipend. It’s replaced though by bureaucracy. I’m not referring to polishing those application letters and CVs. It’s those extra little paper work which pile up on your table, that sooner or later takes over your life, albeit just temporarily. They can sometimes get unwieldy, especially if you’re living on borrowed time (read: visa expiring soon!). And if you’re in Germany, multiply that to 100.

In my case so far it has taken a little over a week. It started once I received my scholarship confirmation letter. Here’s what I’ve dealt with in the past days:

1. Health insurance – this was extra complicated because I had to extend it through DAAD, my previous scholarship provider. After transferring the fee, I have to wait for the letter confirming that I am covered for the coming year.  This process took about a week, from the money transfer down to receiving the letter. I had to pick up the letter from my old place as I just moved into a new flat.  The insurance system in Germany is complicated in itself. Having said that, I would not and cannot discuss it any further.

2. Letter-forwarding -  As I have found a room of my own and change address, I availed of this letter-forwarding system of the Deutsche Post. It works like call forwarding, for your letters.

3. Enrolment – This required filling out a few forms, and attaching a handful of documents such as a photocopy of my high school diploma, a copy of the proof of paying the tuition fee for the semester, a copy of the letter of acceptance as a PhD student, and a certified copy of my Master’s diploma.  I only sent a (non-certified) photocopy of my Master’ s diploma and the personnel emailed me to send one that is CERTIFIED. After a Google and Wikipedia search and a Skype chat with a German, I discovered the cheapest way to go is at the resident’s registration office.

5. Registration of residency – As I moved in to another part of the city, I needed to de-register and register at the residents’ office in my borough.

4. Visa extension – Before I can extend my visa, I need paper work numbers 1, 3 and 5 done. This particular task I still need to finish this coming week with the arrival of my university documents.

There’s no getting away from this ladderised bureaucracy, It comes with the territory before I actually start my PhD. It may take some time, not to mention a dent in my financial safety net. Scaling this wall of bureaucracy is still very possible though even with patience as my only tool.

Photo courtesy of Brian Beutler.

Getting a scholarship… again

What better way to share experiences about scholarships, than writing about getting a scholarship itself.

I anxiously waited for the confirmation letter of my scholarship. Deutsche Post, being famous for there overnight delivery wherever in Germany, failed me this time. But I forgive them. I picked up the letter myself last Wednesday, the letter that would define my next step in the next year, or probably the letter that would define my career and future. It should have arrived last Saturday at the latest. But the missing “c/o” must have sent the letter floating around somewhere in the Hamburg harbour.

I got the initial confirmation via email, that was a reply to my inquiry that came with the submission of a scanned copy of my Master’s certificate and transcropt of records. You see I only had about three weeks (or make that, three weekends) to draft a dissertation proposal. But that’s not something for you to emulate. I learned of the scholarship through a forwarded email from a couple of PhD students three weeks before the deadline. With no concrete proposal much less a general topic in mind, I’ve decided not to apply for it. But then I got another nudge from my would-be supervisor as he sent the same email. And so off I went reading- no, make that browsing- articles on climate change, disaster management, and water management. On the side I wrote and polished my application letter, which I asked a friend to translate in German.

In what most scholarship granting organisations take months to decide, the committee that decides on new PhD students and which recommends the potential scholars  had the result out in less than three weeks, a record time in grant application I should say.

Being awarded a scholarship is just a means to achieving something, rather than the be all and end all of the application process, and that is becoming a scholar, and not just the money-receiving type. Aside from referring to financial assistance, scholarship also connotes the pursuit of learning.

Who knew I’d be in this PhD business after finishing my Master’s degree four months ago? Things have just begun once again.

Photo from Studentenwerk Osnabrueck.

The 5 scholarship blogs I regularly visit

There are countless scholarship websites and blogs out there, from official websites of scholarship providers to blogs that aggregate the trove of scholarships. Here is my top five favourite sources based on their comprehensiveness, recency, and a user-friendly interface.

1. Cambodia Jobs. Don’t get turned off by the name of the blog. It does not only focus on jobs, nor only for Cambodians. Click on the huge scholarship banner on its main page to access the database of scholarships for Cambodians. With both Cambodia and Philippines having similar geo-economic place in the world, most of the scholarships posted are for developing countries in Southeast Asia, and that includes Philippines and Filipinos.

2. Daily Scholarships. You like your daily dose of scholarship offers? This is the site for you. The tabs are organised according to different disciplines and sidebars that categorise scholarships for undergraduate and graduate studies which can aid searching and narrowing down your choices.

3. International Scholarship Resources.  All types of scholarships all over the world. Enough said.

4. Scholars4dev. The blog containts international scholarships for developing countries. The search function can be furthered filtered according to location, target group, or level and field of study, and even deadline. The tag cloud is also comprehensive, just like the whole website.

5. Filipino Scholar.  Just by the way it sounds, it might as well be our “sister” website. A database of scholarship for Filipinos.

What are your online sources of scholarships? Kindly share them by leaving a comment.

Photo credit to LSU.