Among researchers, PhD students are perhaps the most affected by the lockdown restrictions imposed across the world. The disruptions caused by the pandemic are creating a set of anxious research students who are concerned about the completeness and quality of their work.
A student in our department at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, UK is working on the conservation ecology of a rare butterfly and needs to synchronize her fieldwork with the insect's flight duration. It lasts from late June to late July, so this year's field season will almost certainly be lost. Another student, a microbiologist, had just started his PhD a few months ago, and has no laboratory access and thus no means to generate the data.
At the other end of the PhD timescale, a student investigating the molecular basis of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes is facing a difficult decision over the feasibility of a planned final round of experiments. Does she wait, and continue once the insect stock has grown and the labs are working again, or does she curate the work and proceed with writing, knowing that important evidence is missing? can?
It is unlikely that any of these students will have problems extending their deadlines - but the extension may not be so readily available for funding.
As students and supervisors, we soon found ourselves facing the same dilemmas. When the lockdown seemed imminent, we discussed our plans and possible options for the next few weeks. As the situation worsened and the potential for long-term impacts became a reality, our meetings came to cover growing concerns about the future of the project.
We talked about the restrictions imposed on our plans by the pandemic and the financial support or extra time the university provides to postgraduate researchers. It was then that we realized that we had to welcome change to move forward.
Right now, a generation of PhD students are stuck at home, for whom the constraints and uncertainty created by the present present a unique obstacle. We feel that doctoral projects - like many other ongoing projects - should be adapted to the circumstances by encouraging creative thinking and updating academic standards.
Here are five ideas for students (and supervisors) in a similar situation to us. We acknowledge that some will not be possible, but we consider it important that PhD students think creatively and strategically about the options open to themselves.
Consider a different research route for the project
Less time available in the laboratory or field may mean that a new approach is needed to address the research question. Think of a new approach or element to the project. For example, after discussions with her supervisors, our butterfly researcher has turned to her original plans—of manipulating the insect's habitat to assess the impact of vegetation changes—in a meta-analysis of the relevant literature.
Re-evaluate study priorities
Update plans for research. be cruel PhD students and their supervisors should identify analyzes that they can do while working from home, to set up important experiments as early as possible and to discard if time is going to be more limited.
Consider reducing the number of chapters in the thesis
The academic requirements for a PhD are to generate original findings and place them within the wider context of the literature. In many cases, this is possible in fewer chapters than initially planned. There may be one less paper later, but university employers and funding bodies will recognize this new reality. The world of science must accept that it is okay to do less during this unprecedented situation.
Take inspiration from colleagues through social media
Despite the cancellation of conferences and seminars, there are still opportunities to discuss your ideas or plans with colleagues. For example, many societies and research communities are opening up online spaces for researchers – especially early career scientists – to provide inspiration through social media. Use these platforms to get fresh ideas for the project and submit some results and plans and get feedback on them.
Be prepared for the challenges with the examinees in advance
When it comes time to viva, be sure to explain the effects of the pandemic on the project in the introduction to the thesis or in the PhD defense. External examiners will see the impact on their own research and will be sympathetic to the challenges you face. A favorite question among testers is how the project has evolved as it has progressed. The current crisis gives students a head start in answering it.
Even without the disruption and uncertainty caused by the pandemic, PhDs rarely go smoothly. However, a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. For PhD students, this is an opportunity to show resilience as global crisis researchers, taking on the twilight of their projects.
