Today we’ve got a really exciting dissertation diaries for you, and you may recognise her from your Undergraduate Supervisions…. It’s Charlotte Milbank! Charlotte explains what her current research is on before providing advice for both second-years who are choosing their dissertation topic, and third years who are in the process of writing up their final piece. Compass would like to extend a massive thanks to Charlotte for taking time out of her schedule to chat with us!
Could you briefly describe your PhD?
My PhD is interdisciplinary, in both Geography & Epidemiology. It broadly asks whether “wild foods”, sourced from forests and tree-based systems, can contribute safely to sustainable food security and health in indigenous communities in India – and whether these practices (and their potential benefits) might be threatened. Within this, I also consider the potential risks of wildlife consumption, particularly the risk of disease spillover from animals to humans, and how we might mitigate these risks in a way that is sensitive to the local contexts and needs. Other than a pilot visit to India, my PhD research so far has all been done remotely – conducting statistical analyses using large secondary datasets and completing systematic literature reviews. I am currently working on how I might start collecting primary data using app-based technologies, and am hoping to (finally) make it out to India towards the end of this year!
What would be your greatest piece of advice for second years with regards to choosing their topic?
Choose what is going to interest you most in the long-term. The work for your dissertation extends for over a year and it has to be something you can wake up each day and look forward to spending time on. Don’t be afraid to change or tweak your topic partway through if it doesn’t excite you. I changed mine very last minute and was so glad that I did – I wouldn’t have been motivated enough to do justice to my first topic.
Don’t know where to start? Is there anything from what you’ve been taught so far that you wanted to delve deeper into but didn’t have time? Is there something in the news that has caught your eye?
What would be your greatest piece of advice for third years who are beginning to write their dissertation?
Set aside dedicated times each week to write. In my experience, dissertation work is really hard to dip in-and-out of alongside other work during termtime. I used to use every Saturday as my “diss day” – no other work distractions allowed. This will help you leaving all your writing until the last minute (don’t do this! It shows).
Any other pieces of advice or reflections on your own Dissertation/general research experience?
Three final concluding thoughts for those about to start their dissertation or those in the process of writing up.
- Do as much as you can as early as you can. I was very fortunate to conduct fieldwork overseas in Burkina Faso during my dissertation. I kept detailed field notes and wrote my methods section whilst I was collecting my data – this meant that when it came to writing up, I’d already done a lot of thinking and writing prep. Even with the best time management in the world, third year is super hectic. You’ll be thankful to your former self if you can get a lot done early.
- Seize every opportunity you can to get help, gain new experiences and develop new skills. It’s tempting to see your dissertation just as a tick box exercise to get your degree, but the skills and experiences you gain from doing it can be huge and support you in what you might want to do in the future. Don’t be put off my trying new things – whether that’s learning a new language, learning how to code or map, or collecting data in an unfamiliar setting. Your dissertation gives you freedom you might not have again to develop these skills and experiences, as well as providing financial support (should you need it) to fund this.
- Before you hand in – PROOF-READ. You’ll be so familiar with your writing by the time you get to handing in that it can be hard to spot little mistakes (but they’ll be there!). Take long breaks between writing and reading it back so that you are reading it with fresh eyes. Ask friends and family members to help too. And finally, make sure to read it as a WHOLE piece, and not just section-by-section. It’s really important that your dissertation flows and links together as a comprehensive whole project and not disjointed separate sections.
Link to my department page: https://www.geog.cam.ac.uk/people/milbank/
Recent outputs: https://forestsnews.cifor.org/67260/can-healthy-ecosystems-prevent-pandemics?fnl=en
Best of luck!
DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR ONLY AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS OR OPINIONS OF COMPASS MAGAZINE AS A WHOLE OR THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY.