It Goes without Saying

The definitive toolkit for doctoral students in engineering on thesis—and journal article—preparation, project (and stress) management, IP protection, collaborations, and other aspects of the PhD journey.

It shouldn't take a PhD to get a PhD, but sometimes the process can seem that confusing—even though, to the mentors and advisors, so obvious that it goes without saying. For doctoral students in engineering confronting this dilemma, Caroline Boudoux, an accomplished researcher and entrepreneur, provides a demystifying guide to the challenges—daunting, seemingly routine, and at times unexpected—of pursuing a PhD in this demanding field. In It Goes without Saying, Boudoux marshals her considerable experience mentoring graduate students, teaching doctoral workshops, and—not so long ago—earning her own PhD at MIT to give PhD candidates the know-how, and the confidence, to succeed.

Among the topics this book takes up are:

• What a PhD is: the journey, the milestones, and the endgame.
• Technical questions about what a doctoral project in engineering is and how to lead one.
• Practical matters including tips on writing, from proposal to dissertation; ethics; and intellectual property.
• Personal concerns, such as dealing with expectations, imposter syndrome, and stress.

From the mundane to the metaphysical, this user-friendly guide gives the doctoral student in engineering the tools to make it from Day 1 to the successful completion of the PhD in a timely, fully informed, and forward-looking manner.FOREWORD xix
PREFACE xxi
1 MOTIVATIONS
I DOCTORAL STRATEGIES IN ENGINEERING
2 A SUCCESSFUL PHD
3 JOURNEY AND MILESTONES
4 THE THESIS PROPOSAL
5 THE AFTER (SCHOOL) LIFE
II LEADING A RESEARCH PROJECT
6 MANAGEMENT OF A RESEARCH PROJECT
7 EMERGENCE AND DEFINITION
8 PLANNING AND ORGANIZING
9 CONDUCTING AND ADAPTING
10 CONCLUDING AND SUBMITTING
III TOOLS OF THE TRADE
11 WRITING TIPS
12 SOME LIGHT ON THE DARK SIDE
13 CONCLUDING REMARKS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NOTES
CONTRIBUTORS
ACRONYMS“Professor Boudoux has been tremendously successful at the highest levels of academia and as an entrepreneur. This book is an invaluable gift to the next generation of graduate students and developing scientists, engineers, and innovators.”
—Brett E. Bouma, PhD, Professor, Harvard Medical School; Affiliated Faculty, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT; Physicist, Massachusetts General Hospital
 
 
“Caroline Boudoux combines rigor and panache in this concise and informative book demystifying the PhD process. It’s a must-read for every new graduate student—and a helpful guide for their advisor.”
—Jennifer Kehlet Barton, PhD, Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Chair, Biomedical Engineering and Director, BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona
 
“A PhD is already tough enough. The book helps understanding the surroundings of research to alleviate the struggle of the journey.”
—Barbara Buades, PhD, CEO and Cofounder, MEETOPTICSCaroline Boudoux is Professor of Engineering Physics at Polytechnique Montréal and Cofounder and Copresident at Castor Optics. She is on the Board of Meetings for OPTICA, is a Fellow of SPIE, and a Fulbright scholar. Boudoux has authored three textbooks in optics and engineering and contributed to several edited books, publications, and patents.