#research proposal format for phd | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

forasecondtherewedwon · 5 months ago

Text

get ya thinkin' (that you need me)

Fandom: Twisters Rating: T Word Count: 6028

Summary: Kate, Javi, Tyler, Lily, Dexter, Dani, and Boone—they're all one crew now, and they need funding. Trying to look more responsible on a grant application, they come up with an unconventional solution: two of them should get married. But which two? Javi and Tyler prompt Kate to consider what her friendships could become.

“I know it was me,” Tyler prefaces. “I know I’m the one who said our crew didn’t need PhDs, but…”

“But it might be nice to have one right about now?” Lily guesses.

There’s a collective sigh as they all stare at the screen together. Javi, controlling the touchpad, scrolls down and back up again, like the words might have changed, like this grant application isn’t punishingly particular and hopelessly intimidating.

“If we type it up in the wrong font it gets rejected?” Lily checks, jabbing a finger at the line she picks out of the blur.

Boone shifts and turns to Kate. “You’re doing your PhD, right? How soon you gonna be done?”

Kate gives him a look that asks if he’s shitting her. “Not by next Monday, which is when this application’s due.”

“Fuck,” Javi groans, rubbing his forehead.

“Well, hey, you gotta be good at this kinda thing, Storm Par,” Tyler reasons. “Your old crew had money comin’ out its eyeballs.”

“That was from investors. Highly unethical investors,” he clarifies, with a glance at Kate, who frowns sympathetically. “Private money. We never held a government grant.”

“We need more time,” Kate declares, like just saying that could possibly extend the deadline.

She shoves herself up and away from the motel bed they’re all gathered on the end of. If any of them were responsible adults, they’d be able to admit that they don’t need the deadline to be later, they need to have started working on this sooner. A lot sooner. The trouble is, they’re the furthest thing possible from responsible—at least, not in any way a government grant application would define the term (and, Jesus, does this application ever love defining terms—Definition of Terms is a whole section of the instructions, right at the top). They’re storm-chasers, risk-takers, and no, no one has yet seen fit to bestow upon them large amounts of money to fund their research, so it’s tough to prove they’re a safe bet, a good call, a fast horse.

“The only aspect we may be able to exploit,” Dexter pipes up, “is format.”

“It’s all online, I thought,” Dani says, seated beside him.

“Most of it is, but… could you scroll back up?” he requests of Javi. “Right… there. In the research proposal section, there’s an option for delivery method.”

“Thirty minutes or it’s free?” Boone quips.

Lily rolls her eyes at him.

“No,” Kate says, pacing. “No, it means we might have a better chance if we submit an audio recording of us explaining our research, maybe Javi talking through the data to make the significance really clear. Or we make a slideshow, or film a video.” She pauses to smile. “You guys would be great at that. The point is—”

“The point is,” Tyler picks up, meeting her eyes, “we could convince them on our own terms. No PhD necessary.”

“Though we’d still have to seem stable,” Kate stresses. Everyone nods back at her. “Professional.”

“Who says we’re not professional?” Javi demands.

“Do I need to bring up the pants thing?”

“…No.”

“Everybody in this room knows their shit,” Tyler says.

“Right,” Dani says slowly, “but you can’t say we aren’t… slightly erratic. Not that it’s a bad thing, for what we do. But Kate did say ‘stable.’”

“To be clear,” Kate says, “I’m not telling anybody to quit driving like a total jackass, or making up catchphrases that promote reckless behaviour—”

“Or shooting fireworks into a tornado,” Javi contributes.

“These non-criticisms feel oddly specific,” Tyler says tightly.

“Our roster’s not even stable,” Lily points out. She folds her legs on top of the bland coverlet and the mattress’s springs shriek. “Kate’s only been part of the crew a couple days longer than Javi, and that hasn’t been very long.”

“That is a valid point,” Dexter says.

Kate sighs. “It is. So, I’m asking honestly,” she finishes. “What can we do, by next Monday, to convince some government committee”—she slaps the back of one hand into the palm of the other as she lists criteria—“we are sane, we are stable, we are going to go the distance with this research?”

Into the silence that follows, Javi says, “We could get married.”

There’s another second of absolute quiet before Tyler asks, “Was that an open proposal, or is there a happy couple you had in mind?”

What Kate thinks they’ve probably all been enjoying about the new (or just newly expanded) crew is the lack of awkwardness. Javi’s Storm Par crew was rife with it. While having zero members with a PhD is sometimes a challenge, Kate saw how too many PhDs could be even worse; there was a hierarchy amongst those guys, and if anyone dared offer a suggestion, the rest of them would throw sidelong glances at one another. Kate figured a few of them could straight-up go to hell (particularly Scott), but she still doesn’t know how Javi stood it.

But even that awkwardness was clearly power-based. Javi’s suggestion is different, more personal, and definitely more awkward.

The vibe in the motel room is immediately screwed up. Some people look like they want to laugh, others are frowning in contemplation, and Javi’s just blushing, not looking anyone in the eye. Still, because he’s Javi, he doesn’t chicken out. He tries to make his case.

“You guys heard of Jo Harding?”

“Fuck yeah, I’ve heard of Jo Harding,” Dani announces. “Who in the tornado game hasn’t?”

“Well, she’s an Oklahoma girl, so I was just checking.” Javi shrugs. “Her husband was her partner when she chased.”

“Yeah, but she had a whole crew,” Boone says.

“Yeah, but she also had a husband.”

“Stop mansplaining Jo Harding,” Lily complains, flinging herself backwards on the bed.

“It’s not like having a husband made her a good scientist, or a good storm-chaser,” Dani says.

“I’m not saying that!” Javi protests.

“Yeah, dude, Jo’s husband isn’t the most interesting thing about her,” Boone adds.

“I can’t believe we’ve now spent more time talking about Jo Harding’s husband than Jo Harding,” Lily groans.

“They won the grant!” Javi bursts out. “They won the fucking grant!”

Tyler, who’s mostly just been observing the crew with amusement up to this point, looks at Javi and cocks an eyebrow. “This grant?”

“Yes! This grant! I’m just trying to say they’re a powerful team. Formidable. I’ve read, like, every article ever done on them—”

“Woah, woah, woah. You have? That’s intense.”

Kate glances at Tyler and explains, “He had a crush.”

“Sounds more like an obsession.”

“I admired their work,” Javi says defensively.

“Oh, is that what you were admiring in that one article where you cut across the text and just kept the photo of Jo?” Kate checks, smirking.

“What have I done to you, Kate? Goddamn.”

“Finish your point,” she prompts.

Javi sighs and braces his hands behind him, leaning back carefully so the laptop doesn’t slide from his lap.

“They always talk about how they make each other better. Not that the other person is why they’re good at their job in the first place,” he clarifies, shooting glances at Lily, Boone, and Dani, “but that they look out for each other, stop each other from making stupid decisions, keep each other safe. And yeah, a crew can do that too. A good crew. But a married couple just sells devotion and, and conviction in a different way. All I’m saying is it’s something to try.”

“It’s not an unreasonable proposition,” Dexter allows when it’s clear that Javi’s done. Dexter’s calm, steady voice giving the idea his tentative approval strengthens its merit for everyone in the room. Kate can see it. She exhales.

“Alright,” she says. “Well, we don’t have a lot of time to mull this over before the deadline, but let’s give Javi’s suggestion some thought. And any other ideas you guys come up with. Maybe reconvene on this tomorrow?”

There are nods and murmurs of approval.

The room they’re in is Lily and Dani’s, so the crewmembers not hanging around to chill file out onto the sidewalk that lines the motel. Kate’s just thinking about going back to her own room—well, hers and Javi’s, with matching twin beds in baby-blue coverlets that make her think of the Shining twins—and getting some sleep. They chased yesterday, then stayed up late last night going over the data. They’ve all been eating at weird hours, and now with the stress of the grant application… Kate runs a hand over her face. She can hear Javi and Tyler talking behind her, but she doesn’t think anything of it until she’s unlocked the motel room door and Tyler follows her and Javi inside.

“We need to talk,” Tyler states the second the door’s closed.

“‘We could get married,’” Kate quotes. (Sarcastically, but yeah, she’s beat.) “‘We need to talk.’ You’re both so dramatic today.”

“That’s what we need to talk about,” Tyler says, ignoring her sarcasm.

“What?”

“Getting married.”

Kate gives him a slow blink.

“We just did,” she says. “That’s what that conversation was.” She points in the direction of the other motel room.

“But we need to decide,” Javi says.

“We will. Everyone needs some time to think.”

“No, they don’t,” Tyler says.

“Uh, yes, they do. If they’d either thought it was the best solution or a total flop, they would’ve said right after Javi explained.”

“I know our crew better than you do, Sapulpa—just a fact. Trust me, they had an opinion.”

“Then how come nobody said anything?” Kate asks skeptically.

“Because it isn’t about them,” Javi says.

“What? Of course it is! The grant is for the team. We can put it towards a new drone for Lily and get Boone some more—”

“Not the grant. The marriage.”

“The marriage would be for the grant.” Kate has a bad feeling that she’s started talking to Javi like he’s an idiot, but she’s seriously just not getting it. Why isn’t he just saying what he means? She’s tired.

Tyler laughs. He laughs! She stares at him.

“Come on,” he says, “you have to know why they all clammed up.”

Kate looks to Javi. Javi, the guy she basically ghosted until he showed up at her workplace to drag her back here. Javi, who’s still her best friend, no matter what. Javi, who she really needs to make sense right now.

“They didn’t ask any questions,” Javi says gently.

“Most importantly,” Tyler cuts in, “nobody asked who this hypothetical marriage would be between. You catch that?”

“That’s just because we need to decide whether or not we’re doing it first,” Kate says, crossing her arms.

“You really think that’s why? And not that it’s because of the way Storm Par here looks at you, or the fact that he’s the one who suggested getting hitched? It’s not just a grant application, Kate. There are other stakes here.”

Kate flushes lightly, and when she chances a look at Javi, he is too. Tyler’s not exactly wrong, but he isn’t quite right either; she and Javi go back a long way. They care about one another—which is natural, especially after what they survived. Kate would also be lying if she tried to tell Tyler she hasn’t noticed those looks of Javi’s, that she’s blind to the way his steady brown eyes linger on her when she speaks, find her when she’s still, working out the math for their next planned chase. She doesn’t hate it, that way he has of looking at her.

Javi temporarily saves her from responding. Once he’s made his point, she’s not entirely grateful.

"Me?" he says to Tyler. “Those guys aren’t keeping their opinions to themselves because of some obvious claim I was staking on Kate. I’m subtle.”

The remark is so pointed that it’s no wonder Tyler reacts to it, even as Kate has a private, silent panic.

“I never staked a claim on Kate,” Tyler assures him.

“Sure you did,” Javi argues. “You stayed at her house. You met her mom. You basically poached her from Storm Par.”

“I didn’t need to poach her. She came willingly. And I bet you’ve stayed at her house and met her mom! You’ve known each other, what? Forever? That about right?”

“Well, what about you two?” Kate interrupts, gesturing between the men. “Old rivals, new allies. Some unresolved tension from chasing the same storms, maybe? How do you know the crew weren’t picturing you at the altar?”

While this seems to genuinely bewilder Javi, Tyler hitches his jeans and shrugs. “Wouldn’t be my first rodeo.”

“I just don’t think anybody’s thinking anything.”

“They might not all be thinking the same thing,” Tyler allows her, “but they’re all thinkin’ something. The two people getting married to give us a shot at this grant are standing in this room right now. I guarantee it.”

The three of them eye each other.

“If there’s going to be a marriage,” Javi says.

“Oh, there is,” Tyler says. “You made too good a case for it. Whole lotta money on the line. Seems too logical not to try.”

“Nothing about this is logical,” Kate decides, and goes to brush her teeth in the tiny bathroom.

When she comes back out, Tyler’s gone. She cedes the bathroom to Javi so he can get ready for bed too. They exchange a look as he passes her, but she waves him on, pats his shoulder as he passes. They can talk when he’s ready. Well, maybe not ready, but ready for bed. She goes to her squeaky twin and sits down to wait.

“It’s insane,” Kate says a little later.

They’re lying down, facing each other across the divide between their narrow beds. There’s an old movie playing on the perhaps equally old TV that sits against the opposite wall; they’ve turned the sound way down. The screen’s glow provides the only light. Kate thumps her pillow for emphasis rather than elaborating. She just doesn’t have anything smart left to say on this topic.

“It’s also not,” Javi counters. He’s run out of more sophisticated arguments too.

“So, two of us are really going to get married?”

“Hey, we do crazier shit literally every day. And it’s not, like, real. Whether or not it helps us get the grant, the marriage can be annulled, or they can get divorced, or whatever. It doesn’t have to be a big deal.”

Kate laughs, and then Javi laughs too. She likes watching him laugh; his smile hangs on for such a long time after he stops. It’s sweet.

“Who do you think it should be?” she wonders.

“I mean, I would do it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I suggested it, right? Gotta put my… I don’t know, my vows where my mouth is.”

“So rational,” Kate notes, sort of joking, though she does also admire Javi’s pragmatism. He’s thinking of the crew, how to look out for them, both by securing this grant and by sparing them the need to enter into this plan which is—regardless of what he says—a little insane. When she thinks of it that way… “I guess I would too.”

“You would get married?”

“Why not? Since it has to be somebody. You’re my best friend, anyway,” she says, sending him a soft smile. “It wouldn’t be like marrying a stranger. Besides, nothing would really change.”

“You don’t think so?” Javi asks earnestly. Which is not the easiest question to answer. But Javi has more to say before he’ll let her try. “You know… I mean, I told you…”

“That you would’ve done anything for me, back then,” Kate fills in. She sees Javi nod against his pillow. She exhales slowly. “Yeah. I didn’t really pick up on that. I just thought we were friends.”

“We were friends. We are. I just felt a little more for you than that. Not that I ever would’ve done anything. You and Jeb were great together. I wouldn’t have been dumb enough to try to come between you, and I didn’t want to. I just sort of quietly…” Javi grins like he can’t help it. “…had this thing for you.”

Kate returns his grin, amused because it’s easier to feel amused than to feel sad. She wants to be able to talk about Jeb, hasn’t let herself in so long, putting herself more than a thousand miles away from anyone else who knew him. Now, it feels so good to hear Jeb’s name in the mouth of somebody who cared about him too. With Javi, Jeb will never be forgotten. Kate will never lose the opportunity to talk about Jeb, to reminisce. Javi will be as respectful now as he apparently was then, keeping his own wants reined in so Jeb and Kate could be happy with each other. Who should she—should either of them—allow to make her happy now? With his caring, trusting eyes trained on her as the light from the TV flashes and shifts, Javi seems like a pretty good choice.

“It’d be more than practical for you,” she acknowledges.

“It would.” Javi sighs. “I thought you’d better have all the facts.”

“I appreciate that.”

“And now you can admit it,” he prompts.

“What?”

“That you got the hots for me too.”

They share another laugh. But Kate can only laugh so long as a reaction to his teasing tone, because, yeah, she kind of has started to think of him in that way since being back here in Oklahoma. She’s been trying to wait it out a little. Part of that’s fear; Jeb was her last serious attachment. She hasn’t been able to love somebody like that again (she hasn’t even really tried to date), too scared that something awful will happen. With Javi, it’s a real possibility that he could meet Jeb’s exact same fate, and there’s no place in the whole world Kate could move to that could get her far enough away from here if that happened.

The other reason she’s waited is that coming back, coming home, has provoked a swirling mess of feelings in her—an emotional tornado, if she’s honest, and it has taken honesty to let herself be hit by the force of those feelings instead of retreating to the mental bunker where she’s spent the last five years. Those winds are still calming. In the meantime, Kate hasn’t wanted to confuse the feeling of being home with a desire to be more than friends with Javi.

“Not then,” he says kindly, when she doesn’t reply right away. “I know you didn’t then.”

“Coming back,” Kate starts, her gaze drifting, “hasn’t been totally what I thought it would be. I’d be lying if I said you weren’t part of that. You’re the same as you were then, but different too. I’d never seen you lead a team before.”

“You surprised those guys listened to me?”

“No, I guess I just wasn’t expecting the way you made room for me. I saw that you were still on my side…

“I always have been.”

“I know,” she promises, meeting his eye. “And you trusted me again, immediately—”

“No reason not to,” Javi says easily.

“There were reasons not to,” she insists. Does she need to remind him of their first chase after she arrived? How she panicked? How she was the reason they didn’t get the third scanner set up and so couldn’t collect data that day? “But you vouched for me. Last time, with our team, you trusted me because I was the head of the project. It felt like you trusted me just as fully this time, even though it meant committing all those other people and all your resources.”

She’s surprised, while she’s being this sincere, that Javi laughs at her.

“I never trusted you just because you were the head of the project,” he explains. “I trusted you because you were you. You’re still you. You’re so you that Tyler’s ready to marry you too, and you’ve known each other less than a month.”

Kate makes a dismissive sound.

“You know there’s something between you,” Javi says. “That man is crazy about you.”

“I think he might just be crazy. It’s well-documented on the internet.”

“He’s always close to you.”

“So are you.”

“Exactly,” Javi agrees. “So I can speak to his motives.”

“We survived an EF4 together. He sheltered me with his body in the bottom of a swimming pool. Maybe we just shared an intense, near-death experience.”

“Is that all?”

Kate deflates.

“No. He is pretty hot.”

“That’s what I thought,” Javi says triumphantly.

There’s more to it than that, but Javi can obviously tell that already, so it doesn’t seem worth saying. Kate folds her pillow in half so she can sit up a little higher.

“Well, can we talk about the look on your face?”

“When?”

“‘Wouldn’t be my first rodeo,’” Kate quotes, badly mimicking Tyler’s voice.

“As if he meant anything by that.”

“How do you know?”

“He’s Tyler Owens! He just says shit for dramatic effect!”

Kate crosses her arms and stares at her friend with amusement.

“Probably!” Javi adds weakly.

“I could see you two married. Fake-married.”

“He is good at what he does,” Javi concedes, “when he’s not being a total jackass.”

“Is that all?” she teases.

She hears Javi’s deep sigh.

“I’ve watched a few of his YouTube videos,” Javi confesses. “He takes off his shirt sometimes.”

Kate sinks back down into bed after that. At some point, half-asleep, she hears Javi get up to use the bathroom. He switches off the TV on his way past, and the light quits flickering across Kate’s closed eyelids.

—

They aren’t chasing the next day, so they decide to stay in town for breakfast at the little diner. Because they’re together so much—hunched over the same screens, crammed into the same vehicles, bunked in the same motel rooms—it isn’t unusual for them to not eat together. Four of them practically feels like a family reunion, but Kate’s glad of the company. She, Javi, Tyler, and Boone grab a booth and flap open their cracked plastic menus.

Javi, seated opposite her and next to Boone, keeps looking at her. Kate can feel it without returning his gaze. When she relents and looks back at him while they’re eating, she sees (as she suspected she would) that he isn’t making eyes at her over his pancakes—he’s watching her with Tyler. She makes a face at Javi. There’s nothing to see! Tyler might be sitting beside her, but he’s intent on dipping his bacon into the yolks of his eggs, laughing across the table at something Boone’s telling him he captured in recent footage of the crew goofing around. Tyler and Kate aren’t looking at one another. They aren’t even touching. Yeah, maybe she can feel the heat of him because their thighs are almost close enough to touch on the seat, but it doesn’t mean any more today that it did yesterday. Javi’s just trying to make it weird, because of their conversation last night.

I could make it weird too, she threatens with her eyes. That makes Javi smile and go back to his pancakes.

After they’ve finished though, when Boone and Javi get into a discussion that quickly becomes so focused that it shuts out the other side of the table, Tyler nudges Kate’s arm with his elbow and jerks his head towards the door.

Outside, Kate takes a breath that doesn’t feel deep enough. It’s dry today. A field borders one side of the diner parking lot, and the wheat rustles crisply. Taking it all in is second nature, requires no thought at all. There’s the windspeed she can guess at when a breeze strokes across her arm; there’s wind direction, determined when a slightly stronger gush sweeps a strand of hair loose from her ponytail; she judges the atmospheric pressure with her sinuses; and she gathers all of this without even looking at the sky. When she does, it’s cloudless, flat as a blue tablecloth.

She looks at Tyler. He’s studying her.

“Just trying to pick up some tips,” he says, before she can say anything.

“And? What’ve you learned?”

Tyler just smiles mysteriously.

“You guys talk last night?”

“Me and Javi?”

“Yeah.”

“Sure,” Kate says. She knows it’s a vague answer, but Tyler will be bold enough to ask for the information he really wants. She’d bet on it.

She turns to face him fully, crosses her arms expectantly.

“Did you decide anything?” Tyler asks. He has his cowboy hat on, but the morning light slants low, making him squint when he looks at her. She circles him a little so he’s not staring into the sun.

“It shouldn’t really be a unilateral decision, should it?”

“Typically, yeah, it is just one person who decides to propose.”

“This isn’t about just one person,” Kate reminds him. “It’s about the crew.”

“I’m aware.”

“Well…”

“Well. Are you guys waiting on a group vote then?” he inquires facetiously.

“I didn’t say Javi and I agreed to get married,” she says, frowning.

“You didn’t say you didn’t either.”

She sighs at how frustrating Tyler’s being. He shifts his feet, making the gravel crunch under his boots. There’s a grit to him too—in how he only seems like he’s going along with this but obviously has something he feels he still has to say, something he hasn’t yet given up on. But Kate has a hard time with waiting. She likes making decisions quickly. Somehow, this—the prospect of marriage—is an exception. More complicated than it should be, if it’s just about securing the funding.

(It’s not. She knows it’s not, especially after talking to Javi last night.)

“I’m better at running,” Kate says quickly. “Lately.”

“What?”

“Than chasing.” She offers a weak shrug, not sure what to do with herself, with her body. Tyler’s so solid, standing here in front of her. So steady in his eyes.

“Do you wanna chase me?” He doesn’t sound surprised, exactly, but his words are less than a challenge.

“Seems like it’s my turn. You followed me to New York and all.”

“I didn’t follow you. Your flight got delayed and I had time to buy a ticket. I went with you.”

It’s true, he did. First, they waited out the delay together. The weather didn’t turn into what it might’ve, so it was only an extra hour. Tyler had time to call Boone about coming to get the truck, and Kate had time to call Javi about the storm warning. Javi hadn’t left the airport yet. Initially, he came inside. A tornado was about the only thing that could excuse there now being two trucks parked in the Drop-off Only zone outside. (That poor man.) They sat together in the chairs by the check-in desk, Kate and Tyler on either side of Javi as the three of them studied the weather data on his laptop, the hard-edged coloured shapes that scudded across dark county lines. As soon as they knew it was nothing, Javi said he’d drive back to get Boone himself, then bring him to the airport to collect the truck. Tyler said he didn’t have to. When Javi insisted, Tyler gave way. That surprised all of them. It was maybe the start of the new team.

In New York, Kate let Tyler come to work with her. Her coworkers were the weather-geek demographic Tyler appeared to have never even dreamed of; many of them were familiar with his YouTube channel. One of them asked if Dani was single. Kate grinned as she stood back and watched Tyler lean into his persona for the fans, into his accent—just the same as she had leaned away from her accent when she moved up here, not wanting questions about where she was from. Not wanting to think too often of home. She stood and watched, and then she went to her boss’s office and quit with as much grace as she could manage after taking a week off on almost no notice. Tyler urged the whole place into his trademark call and response on their way out the door.

“That’ll numb any hard feelings for a while,” he assured her as they took the elevator down to the lobby.

“What hard feelings?”

Tyler frowned at her.

“About losing you. They’re gonna miss the hell outta you, Sapulpa.”

“Too bad,” she said. She didn’t think it was true.

“Too bad is right. You belong to the South, and we’re takin’ you back.”

She wouldn’t let him help her pack up her apartment. What had once seemed fresh to her—the white walls and clean lines of starting over—now seemed barren and sad. She found she was glad to leave it. She didn’t want Tyler to see.

He spent his time in other ways. Took a ferry out to Liberty Island. Ate pizza in Brooklyn, pastrami on the Lower East Side. He got up to the Bronx to watch a baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Kate didn’t know how he managed it all. They were in New York for three and a half days. Tyler just beamed and told her his feet were killing him. He still helped her carry all her boxes down the stairs of her walk-up while the train rattled by.

They drove back to Oklahoma in a rental truck. Somehow, Tyler made it take four days, when they probably could’ve done it in two. He bought her an ice cream in St. Louis, laughed as it melted so fast that it ran down her hand.

She guesses this, now, standing in a diner parking lot, is overdue. Even though, like Javi said, she and Tyler have known each other less than a month. It doesn’t feel like it.

“What about you and Javi?” she asks bluntly.

“That could be fun,” Tyler allows. “There are a few more buttons there I wouldn’t mind pushing. Think he’d go for ‘Javi Owens’?”

A laugh bursts from Kate.

“I think you’d be taking your life in your hands if you asked him.”

When Tyler smiles at her, pleased but gentle, she gets it. She got it from them both: they’d get married for the application, probably even find it a lark, but it wouldn’t mean much more than that. There’d be less danger in it. That should be a good thing—a reason for Tyler and Javi to be the ones—but Kate knows it’s also the thing that’s making them all hold their breath. They’re used to this type of crossroad, the three of them, used to tilting their faces to the sky to check the conditions. In the end, they’ll always pick the road that leads them into danger, not away from it.

They both want Kate.

“You don’t have to chase me just because you think you should,” Tyler says sternly. “You don’t have to chase me at all.” His face softens. “I’m standing still.”

She laughs and, incredulous, asks, “Since when?”

“You,” he says simply. “I like Javi, Kate. I do.” But I want it to be me, his eyes say when his mouth stops.

“Yeah.” She knows. She can see that he does.

She and Tyler leave it there, because Boone and Javi are coming out of the diner now. They came in two vehicles and Kate goes with Javi because she knows he’ll let her think.

It’s officially not about the grant anymore. It’s not even about getting married. This is bigger and smaller than that. Kate puts the passenger-side window of Javi’s truck down (an older truck, no Storm Par logo) and leans into the onrush of air. The marriage would be strategic, but a relationship with either Tyler or Javi would be completely real. Real feelings, real expectations, real mess if it fell apart and they kept working together. Which they would; they all love this job too much.

For just a second, Kate shuts her eyes and wishes this wasn’t happening to her. Then she feels silly because, after Jeb, ever falling for another human being seemed astronomically unlikely. She stuck to storms. Had crushes on cloud formations. Made lovesick eyes at the sky when it turned a spooky shade of green. That Javi and Tyler are both ready to be with her seems like a miracle. She’s grateful. She just doesn’t know how to choose.

Javi leaves her alone for the entirety of the short drive. They pull into the motel lot behind Tyler and Boone and drive to the end where the doors of the crew’s motel rooms stand in a line. Dexter, Dani, and Lily are there as they pull in. They’re excited about something; Lily’s practically dancing on the sidewalk and Dani says something to Boone that makes him yank her into a hug.

Kate and Javi spill out of his truck.

“What’s going on?” she asks.

Lily springs towards her, raising her hand to show off a ring that’s slightly too big, slipping up and down her finger as Kate tries to look. Kate’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Dani and I got married!”

“Congratulations,” Tyler says, butting in before Kate can blurt out another What? or When?

“It’s just for the grant,” Lily reminds him, laughing and waving off his sincerity.

“Never thought I’d say somebody married me for the money,” Dani remarks wryly. She’s wearing a ring too. Hers fits better. Kate wonders where they got them, and assumes the tiny antique store on the main strip.

Lily blows Dani a kiss.

“I went as a witness,” Dexter says.

“This just happened?” Javi asks, looking at each of the three conspirators in turn.

Lily shrugs and says, “Yeah.”

“You didn’t talk to the rest of us about it,” Tyler says. Kate doesn’t think it’s quite a complaint, but he seems thrown to have been left out of the loop.

“Oh, like the three of you let us in on whatever you’ve been planning?” Dani demands, pointing out Tyler, Kate, and Javi.

Tyler looks a little sheepish after that.

“Haste was the order of the day,” Dexter says. “It seemed efficient. We can move forward with our application now.”

“Yeah,” Kate agrees, still a little stunned. “For sure. Efficient. Thanks for taking one for the team, you guys.”

“No problem,” Lily says, and pulls her into a hug.

It’s not until later, out at a bar to celebrate the wedding (or the marriage, or their hopes to deceive the government for financial gain, or just their crew, really, who delight in one another’s exploits), that Kate, Javi, and Tyler find themselves at the same table. As if it’s a coincidence. Kate presses the rim of her bottle of beer into her smile.

“Lived to fight another day,” Tyler says over the vibrant twang of music, staring at the rest of their crew as they line dance to and fro across the floor.

It’s so typically dramatic of him that Kate and Javi glance at one another, and Kate has to pinch her nose shut so beer doesn’t shoot out of it when she laughs.

“Owens, I saw you talking to Kate outside the diner this morning,” Javi reveals. “Didn’t look like you were pleading to be spared.”

“You were spying on us?” Kate demands, rounding on Javi. She gives his shoulder a half-hearted shove as he laughs.

“Hey! I wanted to see how things were gonna turn out!”

“I’m pretty curious about how things are gonna turn out myself,” Tyler asserts, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. He gives Kate a significant look. She dodges it, ducking her head with a smile. She can feel the both of them watching her.

Javi reads her right: “Too soon to say, huh, Kate?”

She looks up, letting her eyes slide from one face to the other, incredibly fond of them both. Slowly, she grins.

“Guess you’ll just have to keep watching the weather,” she tells them.

Kate slaps her hands on the table and rises to join the others on the floor.

#my writing #Twisters #Twisters (2024)#Kate Carter #Javi Rivera #Tyler Owens #Kate x Javi #Kate x Tyler #Javi x Tyler #Lily (Twisters #Boone (Twisters)#Dani (Twisters)#Dexter (Twisters)#Twisters fic

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antigonick · 1 year ago

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Bonjour Pauline! I'm currently preparing my PhD application in American literature and linguistics and I'm kind of lost/struggling with imposter syndrome. Do you have any advice on writing a good research proposal? Merci!

First of all, take the pressure off: your proposal is a vague gesturing at what you'll actually do, and it won't constrain you; it's only here to give an idea of what you're offering to dig into to the professors and councils who will read it.

You don't have the answers (nor should you have them at the start: that's the point), and the richness of your future research is rooted in the fact that nobody has them either: you're not an impostor at all, you just haven't started digging yet. Now, you do need to understand what you're questioning: that's the only difficulty here. Of course the net you're throwing is still wide, but make sure you have a good enough grasp of your material and that your questions are clear and well-worded: if it's just a jumble of vagueness, it might work against you.

What the proposal must do is a little boring, a little scholarly, and a little ad-like. Think of it as an administrative task as well as a communication one. What you're trying to achieve is 1. showing your reader that there's a gap in the research world where your question falls (that you know how to do: just read around, ask your thesis question, quote authors—this is what you've trained for during your masters), and 2. showing that it is a rich subject, and an interesting one, a question that needs answering (basically, you're marketing your idea so that people will back you up: just like writing or advertising, you're coaxing people into following you).

Be thorough. Be methodical. That will ensure that your reader starts to trust you as an academic. Contextualise everything precisely and succinctly: write like the people reading you don't know shit about what you're exploring. Don't take shortcuts because you're sending this to so and so experts: as far as you're concerned, they don't know anything. Be enthusiastic (though not lyrical). Believe in your project. That will ensure your reader's belief in your capacity to carry your project out until the end. Be clean and precise: a logical outline, clear categories, good and efficient titles, no typos, correct formatting for your quotes and bibliography, and a wide-net of authors quoted; that will show them you already have the technique and method necessary for a project of this size.

And as I said, nothing about your proposal is set in stone, so don't fret! This is just an essay among others, except this time you are free to do what you will with it. It's a good thing! Don't feel lost or inadequate: this is the thing you'll be the best at soon enough, and you poking at it already makes you better than most at it.

#phd talk #whisperers

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 1 month ago

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Evidence of primordial black holes may be hiding in planets, or even everyday objects here on Earth

Theoretical study suggests that small black holes born in early universe may have left behind hollow planetoids and microscopic tunnels, and that we should start looking within rocks and old buildings for them

Imagine the formation of a black hole and you’ll probably envision a massive star running out of fuel and collapsing in on itself. Yet the chaotic conditions of the early universe may have also allowed many small black holes to form long before the first stars.

These primordial black holes have been theorized for decades and could even be ever-elusive dark matter, the invisible matter that accounts for 85% of the universe’s total mass.

Still, no primordial black hole has ever been observed.

New research co-led by the University at Buffalo proposes thinking both big and small to confirm their existence, suggesting that their signatures could range from very large — hollow planetoids in space — to minute — microscopic tunnels in everyday materials found on Earth, like rocks, metal and glass.

Set to be published in the December issue of Physics of the Dark Universe and available online now, the theoretical study posits that a primordial black hole trapped within a large rocky object out in the cosmos would consume its liquid core and leave it hollow. Alternatively, a faster primordial black hole might leave behind straight tunnels large enough to be visible by a microscope if passing through solid material, including material right here on Earth.

“The chances of finding these signatures are small, but searching for them would not require much resources and the potential payoff, the first evidence of a primordial black hole, would be immense,” says the study’s co-author, Dejan Stojkovic, PhD, professor of physics in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. “We have to think outside of the box because what has been done to find primordial black holes previously hasn’t worked.”

The study calculated how large a hollow planetoid could be without collapsing in on itself, and the likelihood of a primordial black hole passing through an object on Earth. (If you’re worried about a primordial black hole passing through you, don’t be. The study concluded it would not be fatal.)

“Because of these long odds, we have focused on solid marks that have existed for thousands, millions or even billions of years,” says co-author De-Chang Dai, PhD, of National Dong Hwa University and Case Western Reserve University.

Stojkovic’s work was supported by the National Science Foundation, while Dai’s work by the National Science and Technology Council (Taiwan).

Hollow objects could be no bigger than 1/10 of Earth

As the universe rapidly expanded after the Big Bang, areas of space may have been denser than their surroundings, causing them to collapse and form primordial black holes (PBHs).

PBHs would have much less mass than the stellar black holes later formed by dying stars, but they would still be extremely dense, like the mass of a mountain compacted into an area the size of an atom.

Stojkovic, who has previously proposed where to find theoretical wormholes, wondered if a PBH ever became trapped within a planet, moon or asteroid, either during or after its formation.

“If the object has a liquid central core, then a captured PBH can absorb the liquid core, whose density is higher than the density of the outer solid layer,” Stojkovic says.

The PBH then might escape the object if the object was impacted by an asteroid, leaving nothing but a hollow shell.

But would such a shell be strong enough to support itself, or would it simply collapse under its own tension? Comparing the strength of natural materials like granite and iron with surface tension and surface density, the researchers calculated that such a hollow object could be no more than one-tenth of Earth’s radius, making it more likely to be a minor planet than a proper planet.

“If it is any bigger than that, it's going to collapse,” Stojkovic says.

These hollow objects could be detectable with telescopes. Mass, and therefore density, can be determined by studying an object’s orbit.

“If the object’s density is too low for its size, that’s a good indication it's hollow,” Stojkovic says.

Everyday objects could be black hole detectors

For objects without a liquid core, PBHs might simply pass through and leave behind a straight tunnel, the study proposes. For example, a PBH with a mass of 1022 grams — that’s a 10 with 22 zeros — would leave behind a tunnel 0.1 micron thick.

A large slab of metal or other material could serve as an effective black hole detector by being monitored for the sudden appearance of these tunnels, but Stojovic says you’d have better odds searching for existing tunnels in very old materials — from buildings that are hundreds of years old, to rocks that are billions of years old.

Still, even assuming that dark matter is indeed made up of PBHs, they calculated that the probability of a PBH passing through a billion-year-old boulder to be 0.000001.

“You have to look at the cost versus the benefit. Does it cost much to do this? No, it doesn’t,” Stojkovic says.

So the likelihood of a PBH passing through you during your lifetime is small, to say the least. Even if one did, you probably wouldn’t notice it.

Unlike a rock, human tissue has a small amount of tension, so a PBH would not tear it apart. And while a PBH’s kinetic energy may be huge, it cannot release much of it during a collision because it’s moving so fast.

“If a projectile is moving through a medium faster than the speed of sound, the medium’s molecular structure doesn't have time to respond,” Stojkovic says. “Throw a rock through a window, it's likely going to shatter. Shoot a window with a gun, it’s likely to just leave a hole.”

New theoretical frameworks needed

Theoretical studies such as this are crucial, Stojkovic says, noting that many physical concepts that once seemed implausible are now considered likely.

The field, Stojkovic adds, is currently facing some serious problems, dark matter among them. Its last major revolutions — quantum mechanics and general relativity — are a century old.

“The smartest people on the planet have been working on these problems for 80 years and have not solved them yet,” he says. “We don’t need a straightforward extension of the existing models. We probably need a completely new framework altogether.”

IMAGE: An illustration of small primordial black holes. In reality, such tiny black holes would have a difficult time forming the accretion disks that make them visible here. Credit NASA

#science #space #astronomy #physics #news #nasa #astrophysics #esa

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neon-rhapsodies · 2 months ago

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On not writing

A few weeks ago I wrote in my notes app: "Do you still want to write?" I then turned that note into a post, also in my notes app, that read: "What's the point of writing if nobody reads it?". I came back to that post the other day. I copied that question and pasted it into Google. A lot of stuff came up saying that, if you like writing, you should do it anyway. You should do it because you like it. You should do it for yourself. Basically, you should do it because it's worth it; you should do it because it has value to you. This is the tricky bit. I'm not sure my writing has any value to me anymore.

There's another post, in my other notes app, titled 'On writing'. In that post, I shared the story of how I'd always been good at writing, until I had an accident at university, and now I struggle with writing. The post was a much shorter version of another series of posts, again in that same notes app, in which I explained how I used to be good at writing as a child, then got gradually worse as a teenager, then struggled through university, then had my accident at university, and now I have trauma from that experience and feel sick whenever I try to write anything.

The truth is… none of this is true. At least, not entirely true.

I've always been good at writing, and I still am. I know I am, because I've been told by many people over time throughout my life. I was told by my teachers in primary and middle school. I won prizes and awards in secondary school. I scored several first class marks at university with my essays, and I even got a first class in my BA degree and a Merit in my Master's. When I was first looking to apply for a PhD, I once wrote a proposal over 10 hours of hyperfocus-induced writing, and my potential supervisor, who is now a professor, told me that it was great, and he wished he was as good as me at writing.

I should note that I am actually a very humble person in real life, and that that paragraph was one of the hardest things I've ever had to write in my entire life. But I had to! I had to write it down to make it real. Make it real to myself, as much as I keep saying that I struggle with writing, that there is a fair amount of evidence suggesting that, historically, when I've written something, it has usually been good, and I should keep that in mind.

As for the question of what's the point of writing if nobody reads it… that's more complicated. I have a blog. I've had a blog for many years. I've been asking myself that question for about as many years as I've had a blog . And yet, despite everything, I've kept writing. But behind everything I've ever written, there was a deep need to connect, to belong, to be part of something; to share a piece of my soul and see it reflected in that of others. All that stuff before university, I wrote it because I knew that it was going to be read. And that is a fact, because I have plenty of ideas for stories or posts or research that I never wrote about in my spare time, and that's likely because of that question. Because for me, writing, at least in prose, for some reason, has always been about being read. Not to prove my worth or anything. But to be seen, and to see myself being seen. And I don't know why that is, but I know it is, and that's the way it is.

When I started writing on this blog proper, I had just finished university and I was looking for a way to connect, to find my community, having just lost my fellow community of Classics students and aspiring researchers. I thought I would go through my ideas and start writing on them one by one, but it never happened. First, for a very true, very good reason -- I actually had trauma. I was actually unwell, feeling sick just at the thought of writing, and there was nothing I could do about it -- I had to stop. But also… no matter how hard I kept working on the form, the format, the way to put my writing into existence, I never quite managed to make it happen. All I could do was keep writing about the writing itself and all the circumstances surrounding it -- all the issues with academia, with Classics, the Classics community as a whole, etc. And as I look back at that list of topics I wanted to write about… now, I don't know what to think. They don't look so great to me anymore. I'm not sure.

This is why I started this post the way I did. Because, after I spent some time examining the question "what's the point of writing if nobody reads it?", I realised that the actual question was the original one, and that is, "do I still want to write?". Do I still want to write about this stuff? Do I still want to write about these topics that I do find fascinating in their own right, but I would never want to venture into, knowing that I would never have anyone to share them with?

Which takes me back to the other issue of me no longer being good at writing. The problem is not that my writing has gotten worse over time. The problem is that I've had fewer and fewer people to share it with. And granted, that can also mean that one's writing gets worse over time. But historically, for me, that has not been the case. Instead, what has changed? Simple! I am no longer a student. I work full time. I don't have time to write. I can't make time to write. And I don't have anyone to write for, so, I find it more difficult to get motivated. Because, at least in prose, I don't write for myself. I write for others.

I should definitely note that I know this is not right. I know that there is definitely something going on here, something to do with my self-esteem, my self-worth, and how it is tied to how others perceive me. I know it, and I get it. But also, the fact that I do know this does not make it any easier. And I'm not going to get over my perfectionism, anxiety or imposter syndrome about writing anytime soon. It does help that I understand it. But again, it doesn't solve the issue. It just tells me what works and what doesn't. And right now, this… this doesn't work. I can't write for myself. I can only write for others. At least in prose.

At least in prose, I keep saying, because verse, instead… it's a lot easier.

I've been writing poetry for years now. I have a lot of stuff in my notes apps. Some stuff I even put out online when Poetizer was a thing. Now I'm thinking of posting it on a sideblog on Tumblr. Otherwise, my main craft would be songwriting. I have written a few songs in the past, with some success, and ideally I would like to go back to writing songs on the main. That includes recording and performing them live. In theory, I see myself as a musician, with a dash of poetry on the side, and a few stories written here and there. But at the moment, I am doing nothing. Literally nothing. This is because I've had a few issues in my life, and the issue with writing has taken over everything else, poisoning any other form of creativity -- because how could I possibly find it easier to write songs or poems, when 'serious' writing had always come so natural to me?

I suppose it has something to do with feeling alive. Poetry, music… they make me feel alive. Writing, however… when I think about how the word itself makes me feel, I see so much death. Death of the self. Death of my worth. Death of… well, actual death. Near-death experience. Yeah. I've had that. And it was because of writing. It was because of the pressure that that 'serious' thing that writing is can put on you. Granted, it was me who did it. I put the pressure on myself. But it was all about the writing. And I don't want that anymore.

When I try to visualise that kind of writing, the one that once got me down so bad, I see the faces of all the people who had such high expectations of me, and whose trust I betrayed… whom I let down. Again, all in my mind. Remember when I said that I've always written for someone? I also meant them. Not just the readers in front of the page, but all the people behind it -- my family, my friends, my lecturers. A huge crowd of people looking in, checking in, making sure I'm doing alright. Ah, the pressure! Unbearable. But with music or poetry, I've never felt that. I have had my poetry read in public. I've played my music in front of live audiences without skipping a beat. I've had people come to me and be so surprised, asking me where that came from, telling me that on stage I'm a different person. I've always loved that feeling. But then, I also like it when there's no audience. When I write a poem that I like, or record a song that makes me feel alive. I love it! But with writing, I haven't felt like that. Not in years. And I think I can see why. Music and poetry have always had value to me, even without an audience. But not writing. To me, writing has always been about the others.

So now, when I look at my ideas for topics I would have liked to write about, I just don't see the value in them. I mean, they're not that bad but… they're not quite as worth writing about as I would like. They're not as academic as I'd like, and there's no academia to make them worth my while. Again, I keep thinking: if no one reads it, what's the point? I'm not happy with the topics, I'm not happy with the medium. And most importantly, there's no community for me to write for. That's why I had worked so hard on that project of mine to create an online Classics community, a "forum-like space", where people like myself could share their ideas and writing and seek feedback from others. But that went the way it went. As did all my previous and subsequent experiments on genre and style.

I've now gone through my list of ideas and sorted them out. I think if I touch them again, it will be for a PhD.

Yes, I have been thinking about doing a PhD. Not now, of course. But at some point, in the future. Because now that I've established that the trauma from my university experience, whilst very debilitating, is not the main reason why I've been struggling with writing, something in my brain has unlocked. Now that I know the real cause of my problem, I can see also what the solution would be. Need an audience to write? Make one. Do a PhD. Pick an interesting topic. Really, I'd write about any topic. But let's choose at least something that tickles my interest. Then, get a supervisor. Maybe two. Get a community of aspiring and established researchers. And then see what happens.

Going through my posts again on this blog, I was struck by something I had written about my prior project of the online Classics community. That perhaps it would help if I saw my project as a job to get done, some great mighty endeavour, rather than the passion thingy I had been cultivating on the side. That's why, thinking about it recently, a PhD sounded more appealing. Because at least it would give me a reason to write -- not for myself, but for others, for the research community, for the greater purpose of contributing to the knowledge of all humankind. Again, I'm not fussy about the topic. Because to me, it matters not the what, but the how.

In another post not long ago, I joked: "Video essay this, video essay that. But what about a video PhD?". Obviously, the times are not ripe for that. Not yet, at least. But I have noticed that saying and recording things out loud is highly beneficial for me, and I would like to incorporate it into any writing practice I would do for a PhD. And whatever institution or supervisor I end up doing it with, it will be very important for them to understand that I want to do this on my terms. First of all, remotely. Part time, obviously. And crucially, using whatever methodologies I see fit. With lots of contact, and stream of consciousness writing, and flexible targets to help me stay on top of things. I'm sure there's more for me to explore and find out, but this, this is fundamental. I refuse to follow a stifling tradition that revels in elitism and dogmatism and all other useless -isms. I am looking to embrace creative and intellectual exploration, collaboration, and appreciation.

I would be lying if I didn't admit that, for once, I want to do this not just for others, but also for myself. I want to prove to myself that I can do this, and that I can do it the way I want. And I want to prove to others too that it can be done in this or any other way. Because yes, I want to do this for myself, but also because of my main goal: to help make Classics more accessible. Because if a PhD can be done in whatever way one wishes, surely there's no limit to whatever other ways our interactions in the world of Classics could be like, whether personal or formal, in public or among academics. I dream of a world where these things do not exist in extremes or even opposites, but rather as a seamless experience, where inreach and outreach fuse to become a single and different kind of reach -- reaching deep inside our own humanity and out to our fellow human beings. A dream a being can dream… a dream of being. Not just seeming, or existing. But living.

A PhD to me is simply a step in the right direction. Accepting to play the game, but only in order to change it, and for the better. Rejecting the rules, ready to make my own, and wishing for others to do the same. In the hope that one day, we won't be just a few, but many. Not a cohort. But a community.

That is worth writing for.

So, for now, that is it. I won't be blogging regularly anymore. I won't be writing long posts. Not even personal ones. Instead, I will dedicate myself to poetry and songwriting, at least until the time comes for me to do a PhD. I might still return to long-form writing if I feel like it. But right now, I don't. And to me, that is the rightful conclusion to a chapter of my life that I have let define and speak for me for too long. It is only but natural for one's relationship with writing to evolve over time. It is time that I let myself leave these pastures to seek new ones. To set myself on a journey of self-development… for a new, transformed relationship with writing. But even if it will be different, it will still be writing. To quote the header of my main blog: "We are writing… We are writing… We are writing…".

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karo614 · 2 years ago

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A BAD WEEK

But April Foolllllll!!!

It’s a BEST ever week within this semester!

Firstly, congratulations to me for receiving offer letter from my internship company! ヾ(≧▽≦*)o Yeah, it’s the one I went for interview last week! I am so excited when I received the message from the company asking me “Do you want to work in our company?” And I’m like “Sure, sure!” (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

Next, congratulations to me for completing my research proposal! ♪(´▽｀) After three months of hard work, it was completed! It’s not a tough journey, but of course having some challenges when doing it. Changing the research title, changing the research design, finding past research papers, creating LR matric alone when everyone is not doing it and other more. Thank you for all the guidance and supports from my lecturers and PhD friends!

Next, congratulations to my friends who become the peer counsellors! \^o^/ As the secretary of the Peer Support Hub, I also participated their oath taking ceremony. Hope they have many good experiences during their journey of peer counsellors and helping the students in our university (❁´◡`❁)

And finally, congratulations to my housemate who completed her presentation and returned to her home country! ヾ(•ω•`)o We miss her so much after she left இ௰இ but still glad for her to finally complete her proposal, have her supervisor and return to her home country to continue working at the same time of conducting her PhD research. It’s wonderful to have you as our housemates! And thank you for all the supports, happiness and more (○｀ 3′○)

An interesting thing is that my groupmates @ivykhoozx and @joeey99 claimed that I have a serious OCD because I keep adjusting the format of report in this final stage. And this has agreed by my lecturer who described me as “too hardworking”, which the hidden meaning is doing many extra things. இ௰இ This is because I tried so hard for making the graphs on SPSS, and for this I watched many articles and YouTube videos. But at the end the lecturer just said it’s not necessary to have graphs in our report and PPT (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)

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phdresearchconsulting · 4 days ago

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phdthesisworld · 4 days ago

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phd-help · 9 months ago

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wrirk1 · 2 years ago

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wrirkresearch0 · 1 year ago

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Get Expert Research Synopsis Writing Assistance at Wrirk.com - India's Leading Academic Writing Assistance

Are you seeking expert guidance for writing your PhD thesis or research paper writing? Look no further than our professional services at Wrirk.com. We are a trusted name in the industry, offering a comprehensive range of writing assistance tailored specifically for PhD candidates in India.

Our team of experienced writers is well-versed in the required formats, including Synopsis Format,thesis writing,research proposal writing, and data analysis services, ensuring that your work meets all the necessary requirements. With our help, your journey towards achieving your academic goals becomes smoother and more efficient. Contact us now to avail of the best PhD thesis writing services in India!

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prashasconsulting · 7 days ago

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What Are the Key Services Provided by PhD Consultants in Hyderabad?

Hyderabad is now one of the most prominent Indian education hubs, boasting more and more students seeking doctoral degrees in different disciplines. Since the field of research is becoming more competitive, many PhD students need professional help to help them navigate the complex world associated with PhD research, the application process as well as academic writing. PhD advisors from Hyderabad provide a variety of support services for students through their educational journey. They assist students with topics for research choice to providing support throughout the process of submitting and defending of the PhD programme, these professionals are a valuable resource. Here is an extensive list of services provided by PhD consultants from Hyderabad.

1. Research Topic Selection and Proposal Development

The selection of a feasible, relevant as well as original research topic is the very first phase of the PhD procedure. The consultants in Hyderabad help students with:

• Finding research gaps Students are able to discover the research and development landscape within their fields and determine areas where their research could contribute significantly.

• Research questions to formulate The consultants assist students through refining their research queries so that they are clear, condensed, and easy to research.

• Writing proposals Helps with the creation of a thorough research proposal which clearly defines the research's goals, methods important, the significance of the study, and anticipated results.

• The choice of research method Consulting experts assist students select the best research method (qualitative quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methodologies) in accordance with the type of the subject.

2. Literature Review Assistance

Literature reviews are the most important part of every PhD dissertation and serves as the theoretical base for study. Experts assist students with:

• Conducting a thorough literature research Students are guided to identify the best books, academic journals as well as databases that are relevant to their field of research.

• Analytical critique of the literature Consultants aid by evaluating the research they have already conducted by highlighting important results, as well as identifying gaps in research.

• Structure of the review Helps students organise and analyze the literature by logically arranging it, making sure that it helps to solve the problem.

3. Thesis Writing and Editing Support

A PhD dissertation may be overwhelming due its complexity and the structure. Experts provide complete assistance for:

• Thesis arrangement Consulting consultants help students to organize and format their thesis chapters including the introduction, review of literature methodologies, findings discussions, and the conclusion.

• Writing guidelines for academics The experts provide guidance on writing for scholarly purposes that includes maintaining an appropriate Academic tone, clarity and manner.

• Plagiarism tests The consultants ensure that the thesis is authentic correctly cited as well as free from any kind of plagiarism.

• Proofreading and editing The company provides an in-depth editing service to improve syntax, grammar as well as overall quality of the thesis.

4. Data Collection and Analysis Support

In research that involves the use of the use of data from empirical sources, consultants can are a valuable resource for:

• Surveys and questionnaires These tools help to design survey or questionnaires with a well-structured structure which are in line with objectives of research.

• Analysis of data consultants assist with the analysis of data by using statistical software such as SPSS, SAS, or R or qualitative analysis software such as NVivo.

• Interpreting the results The students are assisted when they need to understand difficult data. They ensure they present the results accurately when writing the thesis.

5. Research Methodology Guidance

The right research method is crucial to the success of a PhD research. Experts from Hyderabad can provide the following services:

• Support for methodological research It provides advice regarding the ideal research method, regardless of whether it's qualitative, quantitative or mixed. • Methods of sampling Consulting consultants assist in determining which method of sampling is most suitable like stratified, random or purposeful sampling.

• Tools for advanced statistics help in using software and statistical tools for the analysis of data, making sure that the method is reliable and the results are reliable.

6. Literature Search and Resource Management

Access to up-to-date academic resources is essential in PhD research. Consultants in Hyderabad help students by:

• Accessing databases: They guide students in navigating academic databases and journals such as JSTOR, Elsevier, and Springer, often giving access to otherwise unavailable resources.

• Organizing references: Consultants recommend tools like EndNote, Mendeley, or Zotero to help students manage and track academic references efficiently.

7. Plagiarism Checking and Citation Assistance

The integrity of the academic field is essential in an PhD. Consultants help ensure that students are adhering to the highest ethical standards in their research through:

• Identification of plagiarism These are advanced software like Turnitin as well as Grammarly to look for possible plagiarism.

• Guidance on Citation The consultants help students adhere to proper citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago and more. ) and ensure that references are correctly used to prevent academic mishaps.

8. Journal Paper Publication Assistance

Doctoral consultants can also assist students present their findings from research in academic journals. This can include:

• Finding suitable journals Helps in the selection of high-impact publications that are compatible with a researcher's field of study.

• Formatting and writing Consulting experts help students translate their findings into papers that comply with the guidelines of the journal's submissions.

• Review process Consultants help students through peer review helping with revisions as well as reactions to the feedback of reviewers.

9. PhD Admission Assistance

PhD consultants from Hyderabad aid students through the PhD admissions by:

• Selection for universities Students are able to choose the right university according to their research interests along with their location preference, as well as funds available.

• Forms of application preparation consultants assist applicants by filling out forms for applications and preparing documents to support them, as well as drafting an effective statement of Purpose (SOP).

• Admission exam coaching Certain consultants provide training to help students pass PhD examinations, such as specific tests for each subject and interview.

10. Proposal and Thesis Defense Coaching

The PhD consultants can provide invaluable guidance throughout the process of defense:

• Preparation for presentations Students are able to make a concise and efficient argument for their thesis defense.

• Mock defenses Consultants run live viva-voce mock sessions in order to train students for what kind of problems they might face, and to help them develop robust, well-considered answers.

• Feedback and improvements Feedback and improvement: They give constructive feedback that helps refine the strategy of defense and presentation.

11. Time Management and Motivation

PhD students frequently face difficulties with time management as well as staying motivated. Consultants can help:

• Strategies for managing time The consultants assist students establish realistic deadlines and milestones in order to make sure that their work is completed on time.

• Motivational assistance Counseling and techniques for motivation to assist students deal with anxiety and remain focused throughout their PhD course. 12. Post-PhD Career Guidance

When they have completed their PhD The students might require advice on how to proceed with their postdoctoral job. The consultants can help with:

• Help with job-related placement Helping students to explore non-academic or academic careers, such as positions in research institutes, colleges, and private sector.

• Networking Consultants assist students develop professional networks by making connections with the most important people as well as organizations within their field.

• Postdoctoral research planning The guidelines are provided when applying for research grant or fellowships as well postdoctoral posts.

Conclusion

PhD experts from Hyderabad provide a variety of solutions designed to assist students pursuing doctoral degrees at all stages of their academic career. If you're just beginning the process of your PhD or creating your thesis or planning the defense, these experts offer expert guidance to ensure that you succeed. From deciding on a topic for your research and writing a proposal, in writing and editing your dissertation and releasing your research findings, experts help students to navigate the PhD procedure. Employing with a PhD consultant will significantly reduce the difficulties of research and improve the quality of your research, as well as increase your chance for success in the academic world.

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