Ask Me Anything April - Locked

Is it true that most of your research work is primarily assisting a professor out on running experiments?

Not really. Nothing stops you from doing your own independent research during your research stage.

Also are you able to attain a PhD without engaging in your own thesis?

I don't think I've seen or heard someone obtain a PhD without engaging in some form of dissertation.

Can you use your professor's own thesis and branch off a little bit in doing something related or is that completely unnecessary in order to get the degree.

I don't know how other degrees do academia since I only have primary experience in the field of the "hard sciences" as they're called. However there is nothing stopping you from furthering the research of your professor or any of your peers that is already published. Without this aspect I'm not sure how the research field would strive as it is now.