Timeline for How does a professor know when a research project will get expected results?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
6 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jun 15, 2015 at 15:37 | comment | added | reirab | @MKR Sometimes, though, in other cases, what the student found in the process of finding that they couldn't solve the problem may itself be worthy of publication. At the very least, you've then saved other researchers the trouble of attempting the same things that didn't work. More likely, you've given them insight into better understanding the problem, allowing them to move closer to a solution (or, sometimes equally useful, proving one doesn't exist.) | |
| Jun 14, 2015 at 9:22 | comment | added | xLeitix | @MKR "If a professor's guess is wrong, the PhD student will end with no results to publish." Yes. You will be surprised to learn that in the real world, few things that are worth doing have guaranteed positive outcomes. | |
| Jun 13, 2015 at 13:05 | comment | added | Davidmh | @MKR I see where you are going. But that is a completely different thing, one doesn't need to fully solve a problem to get a PhD, but you have to show enough progress (for example, solving subproblems that help with the main result). In fact, many PhD projects start with a very vague and open ended description, and as you progress, you will find where it leads to. | |
| Jun 13, 2015 at 13:04 | comment | added | Nate Eldredge | @MKR: That is an inherent risk of doing a PhD. Anyone who wants to start a PhD should be aware of this risk, and be willing to accept it. It can be mitigated to some extent: if after some time the student is not making progress on the problem, then as Patricia Shanahan says, they can work on something different. | |
| Jun 13, 2015 at 12:59 | comment | added | MKR | If a professor's guess is wrong, the PhD student will end with no results to publish. What about the student's money and time and of course degree? | |
| Jun 13, 2015 at 12:57 | history | answered | Danny Ruijters | CC BY-SA 3.0 |