Applying for Postgraduate Research

Book being read: None, ha! I am researching for sites in Ireland for the tour so that is my main priority at the moment. I did find an amazing site for anyone who wants to see where a varied host of monuments/ruins/buildings of historical significance in Eire are http://webgis.archaeology.ie/NationalMonuments/FlexViewer/

Trying to become an Historical researcher

In the past few weeks I have been approached by 3 different people asking me for advice regarding how to get into researching.  They meant through the normal academic avenues, but the principals are still the same for those who want to do it on their own.  I once asked this question of a well known historian of Japanese popular history and found his advice of great help to me, indeed it is the cause of my expansion into popular history!

“You are already a historian.  There is nothing to stop you using the skills you have to write and publish, just like me.  I didnt take a PHD till I was 45.

The secret:

1.  Choose something no one else has done much about

2.   Believe in yourself

3.   Be persistent and be bold.

4.    Remember that most librarians have very little to do that is interesting.  Your request for anything on the Victorian rhubarb industry in Wakefield will make their day.  I am in Japan right now, and was told by an eminent professor that two important diaries I wanted had never been published.  I didnt believe him, and the Okinawa Prefectural Library proved him wrong!”

How to become a Postgraduate Researcher of History

I would add to this some things that I have learnt from my own experiences about going down the academic route:
Number One: Be able to articulate the idea you want to pursue, you get a better response from people if you already know the answers to their questions and critiques.  And don’t underestimate the response “that’s what my research will look to answer”.

Number Two: By about the November of your masters you want to be in touch with prospective supervisors.  You can’t underestimate networking.  This doesn’t mean you have to have met them.  By the end of my BA I had already begun emailling a very eminent professor in my field for random research help (like advice on a source, that sort of thing) so when it came to looking for a PhD supervisor he put me in touch with another professor who would most likely be interested, and so it became easier to begin discussing the idea and getting him to agree to take it on.

Number Three: Understand the strength of your idea, if you know why it is amazing then it is easier to convince others of it.

Number Four: Have about 2 or 3 supervisor options, one ‘no’ is not a damning review of the idea but usually a clash of ideas or else conflict of interest. Something I forgot when I started looking was that every academic you talk to has a self interest they need to protect, so don’t get downhearted if the leader of the field tells you your idea can’t work (that happened to me regarding Ancient Sparta, but it was because the scholar had made his name writing in a certain way which mine would contradict.)

Number Five: The supervisor’s name is more important than a university’s name.  Get the best academic  in the field you can rather than the best university you can – that is only important up to the Masters level, and only if you want a job in the non academic market.

So I hope that helps anyone who wants it, but as always feel free to throw questions my way.

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