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In article <3jdipc$qt0@sheoak.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au> jgoddard@ironbark.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au (Jennifer Goddard) writes:
>From: jgoddard@ironbark.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au (Jennifer Goddard)
>Subject: Re: Multidisciplinary theses - help!
>Date: 5 Mar 1995 23:51:08 GMT

>David (d.r.bird@iti.salford.ac.uk) wrote:
>: w.raper@forprod.csiro.au (Bill Raper) wrote:
>: >
>: > In article <3isa98$s11@sheoak.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au>, 
>: > jgoddard@ironbark.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au says...
>: > >
>: > >Can anyone send me (please!) 
>: > >- references to publications
>: > >- text of your own institution's guidelines
>: > >regarding the problems of assessing multidisciplinary theses?
>: > 
>: > Dear Jennifer,
>: > 
>: > You are right, everyone says multidisciplinary work is important, but 
>: > wait until you want it assessed!
>: > 
>: > Monash Environmental Science tried hard, but eventually got taken over by 
>: > Geography (now called Geography and Environmental Science). 
>: > 
>: > They may have some information/guidelines to share with you.
>: > 
>: > Bill Raper (M.Env.Sc.)
>: > 
>: Too true. I am having a hell of a time trying to find sympathetic
>: assessors for my PhD which is multi-disciplinary. And getting your
>: work supervised is another issue, esp at that level.

>: When you get your results, please post again and let us know.

>: David

>I posted two messages at the same time.  I've had several really useful
>replies to the first, re theses with a substantial software component
>(yes, I will post a summary soon.  and I think Ive acknowledged all I've
>received, so can you re-send if I haven't acknowledged?.  and thanks)

>But on this multidisciplinary problem - nothing except confirmation that
>it /is/ a problem.  Does anyone out there have any answers?

>Jennifer
>--
>Jennifer Goddard      J.Goddard@bendigo.latrobe.edu.au
>Inf Tech Dept, LTUB | area +61 54 | The feeling of temporal urgency
>PO Box 199, Bendigo | ph 447 401  | cannot be artificially produced
>Vic 3550, Australia | fax 447 777 | - Jan Struther, "Mrs Miniver"




A few years ago I did a Master's that looked at the link between theories of 
literature and theories of particle, and other, physics: you can imagine 
what fun I had trying to get supervisors and universities.  To cut a long 
story short, the procedure I followed was:

1.  If you can't make it interdisc., choose the major disc., and work in 
there.

2.  Try to find a supervisor who has the knowledge and who has had all 
the frustration you are having.

3.  Create an in incredible title and abstract that does the following:

	3.1  Points to the main area
	3.2  Has an imbedded "given" that points to other areas

4.  Write your thesis concentrating on your main discipline.

5.  Reach a stage in your argument where it becomes necessary to move into 
the other discipline.  Make sure your title "demands" this.

6.  Be satisified with an average mark, secretly smmiling at examiner's 
comments on your title, and the "interesting" areas into which the argument 
has been taken.

NB: ALWAYS make sure that the compenents in the title are well-hiddne 
enough to go unnoticed, but obvious enough to "demand" explaoration in 
these areas: once a topic and abstract has been accepted, those grey people 
on the committee will never admit that they did not realise the 
implications of the topic.

This is not a nice way to obtain a degree, I know.  But when you have 
something over which you are prepared sweat blood for several years, a few 
petty rules are NOT going to stand in the way.  You will not have done 
EVERYTHING you wanted, but most of it.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, and good luck.

Ken Masters
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If you can keep your head while all around are losing theirs,
you obviously have no idea of what's going on!
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