{"id":8211,"date":"2025-02-14T16:54:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-14T16:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/?p=8211"},"modified":"2025-03-31T14:23:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T13:23:25","slug":"research-like-you-mean-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/2025\/02\/14\/research-like-you-mean-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Like You Mean It"},"content":{"rendered":"

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‘Research Like You Mean It’ – The meaning behind the mantra:<\/strong><\/p>\n

A PhD is an incredible experience but it isn\u2019t easy. To succeed, you have to be all-in.<\/p>\n

This was the feeling echoed by a range of current PGR students we spoke to in the Faculty of Humanities as we sought to position our voice within the landscape of postgraduate research. The message is upfront and authentic \u2013 research study isn’t for everyone, to be successful you will need to research like they mean it. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Your research will be your individual passion but you are part of a bigger community. Every day our campus is alive with research, over 1,000 Humanities postgraduate researchers explore their academic focus and work on projects that will improve society. Here, they will also feel they belong, as part of a diverse and much bigger research community at our Doctoral Academy that provides support with their research, wellbeing and more.<\/p>\n

They work hard. They have setbacks. They go again.<\/p>\n

They succeed with the support of supervisors who are leaders in their field. An incredible breadth of research areas. The chance to collaborate with brilliant minds across our world-leading university and beyond. Opportunities for funding and scholarships. The facilities, networks, resources and heritage you\u2019d expect from a global research powerhouse.<\/p>\n

All of this is at the heart of a vibrant global city that\u2019s a great place to live and has a rich heritage of Humanities, innovation and thinking differently. This is where postgraduate researchers carry out research with purpose and shape a better future for themselves and the world.<\/p>\n

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Introducing the researchers who helped shaped this campaign:<\/h3>\n

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Rahul (India)<\/h2>\n

PhD Social Statistics\u00a0<\/p>\n

Project:\u00a0Estimating and forecasting the Labour Migration Flow: A case study of India<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

”The university, city life, the rankings and my supervisor are all outstanding. There\u2019s nowhere like Manchester.<\/p>\n

”After completing my master’s, I had some jobs in Universities in India. I\u2019m interested in migration so I wanted to look into migration more as it\u2019s really important in India. I wrote a proposal and sent it to my supervisor, Eric, and he was very excited.<\/p>\n

At the University, no matter what faculty you\u2019re associated to, every faculty member is really supportive and nurturing, not just in your research career but also in your mental and physical health.<\/p>\n

I use the Doctoral Academy a lot, I get lots of IT support and support like in attending conferences, they\u2019re very good and respond quickly to emails that are asking for their support.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m from India and I see the out-migration flow. My research is looking at migration from India to the Gulf, which started in 1970. There is already has a high number of Indian migrants in the area, and the migration can change the demographics of the area. In any physical boundary or unique area, mobility, fertility and migration are the 3 key things that can change the number of the population in any country and have an impact on the country\u2019s future and everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A PhD the ultimate implication of your work. You can have lots of ideas, I have lots of creative ideas and people can think \u2018I want to change the world\u2019 but in reality, you don\u2019t have any evidence to prove your hypothesis or your thinking. So, you must know the research boundaries of what you\u2019re trying to implicate or do, because everyone has a different idea. So, everyone needs to understand the limitation of their research, what they can do and what they can\u2019t do.”<\/p>\n

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Rui (China)<\/h2>\n

PhD Business Data\u00a0<\/p>\n

Project:\u00a0Interpretable data-driven modelling and inference for quantifying the effect of social influence in decision making<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

”I did my bachelor’s and master’s here at Manchester, and I love it \u2013 I\u2019m almost a Mancunian!<\/p>\n

I looked at two other universities to do my PhD but I chose to stay in Manchester because I like it so much and felt comfortable here.<\/p>\n

My supervisor is really important to my research and very supportive and give great advice.<\/p>\n

If you are thinking about PhD study, I think that you need to be focused, disciplined and plan your day. I have a list of tasks that I want to do in the day, and I like to tick them off so that I know that I\u2019ve achieved something. I have regular meetings with my supervisor to keep me motivated and helped me to find research methods and approaches that worked for me.<\/p>\n

Read more about Rui’s PhD experience<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Maheshi (Sri Lanka)<\/h2>\n

PhD Philosophy<\/p>\n

Project:\u00a0Susan Stebbing and her varied facets: on critical thinking and informal logic<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

”Before your PhD, research as much as possible because that research will you in the first few years, have a good connection with your supervisor because the advice they give, you need to reflect on it and take on their positivity and guidance back into your work.<\/p>\n

Have a study plan, I have a diary which I cross off weekly tasks as it helps me to keep in line with the weeks work. I look at the 3 key tasks I need to do each day and that\u2019s really helpful.\u00a0I was scared on day 1 as I had no idea what to expect because I know that a PhD is the top level of research.\u00a0 The university\u2019s support across the supervisors, the finance team, the IT team, the Doctoral Academy, the library \u2013 all of them have been amazing. If you need a text and don\u2019t have it \u2013 you just ask and it gets done really fast.<\/p>\n

Things have been easy because of the University\u2019s supportive culture.<\/p>\n

You will need patience –\u00a0 you may begin\u00a0to research a piece of work, then find that it\u2019s not relevant and it\u2019s been a waste of time. Listening skills \u2013 you need to listen to your supervisor and take their advice. Communication and socialising skills because you need to talk to your peers when you come across a challenge, so you need to be able to talk to someone else that is in the same position as you. Timekeeping skills also, project management skills, which is surprising but a PhD is a big project \u2013 you need to be able to manage timelines, make sure you don\u2019t deviate from your time plan too much, we need to achieve our thesis time deadlines.<\/p>\n

Resilience and focus are also important.<\/p>\n

There are challenging days. When you\u2019ve given your all to a paper and get comments like \u2018you need to work better\u2019 or \u2018you need to improve it\u2019, you need to take the comments in a positive light. You need to change the paper to make it better. There is a curve of learning to be done in the challenging phases in your research so you need to take the feedback as a positive. It\u2019s like going from dark clouds to rainbows.”<\/p>\n

Read more about Maheshi’s PhD experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Related<\/h1>\n\n

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Contact Us<\/h4>\n

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+44 (0) 161 306 6000<\/p>\n

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The University of Manchester
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UK<\/a><\/p>\n

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