The Illustrated Guide to a PhD: A Visual Journey

2025-01-12

This article visually explains the PhD journey. Knowledge is represented as a circle, and a PhD is depicted as pushing the boundaries of that circle, making a dent representing the contribution of original research. The author uses simple diagrams to illustrate the stages involved, from undergraduate studies to the final breakthrough. The article emphasizes perseverance and the importance of seeing the bigger picture.

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PhD Advisor Automates Writing Improvement with Shell Scripts

2024-12-14

To improve his PhD students' writing, an advisor created three shell scripts to detect passive voice overuse, weasel words, and duplicate words. Integrated into their LaTeX build system, these scripts encourage conscious choices for clarity and precision, rather than blind adherence to grammar rules. The advisor advocates for programmers using automation to combat writing weaknesses and recommends resources like "Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace".

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