Working on my research proposal

After discussing the topic of the research with my research supervisor I have identified some weak points in its initial formulation and in some of the areas. I understand that discovering this at this stage is little bit late and I am ebarassed to admit that that this could have been done earlier. Firstly, I have found out that the countries do not gather data on the number of visitors from the countries of my interest and no such data available for previous years. This makes my research not only difficult but impossible. Secondly, another area of my future research has already been studied and some publications are already available. Based on all this information I had to make some amendments to the initial formulation of my topic. Now I am going to study how the Baltic States are coping with the current economic crisis, what measures, if any, have been planned to deal with crises and how these measures are working. In my opinion it is very interesting topic, especially considering that this event (economic crisis) happening now and the scale of it covers almost entire world. At the moment I am working on my research proposal and reviewing literature. I have no final decision on methods of my research. Being an international student makes writing such a major piece of work as a dissertation quite difficult and I established for myself that it is very helpful for students, especially from abroad, make themselves confident in this field by reading a literature on how to research and how to write dissertation. The books I have read recently was very helpful for it. Here are some examples: How to research, Blaxter et al, 2002), Writing the successful thesis and dissertation, Clark, 2007) and I would definitely recommend them to read before starting with your dissertation. Good luck everyone!

1st meeting with supervisor

Last week I met my research supervisor for the first time. I would say that the meeting was productive and we discussed a lot of questions. I discovered for myself that Dr. Chowne has wide knowledge about the countries subjects of my research and has done some researches related to one of these countries. At the end of the meeting we outlined some questions and areas that I have to study for our next meeting and that is what I am doing at the moment. So far I haven't progressed much (just submitted one assignment) but hopefully by the end of this week I will be able to post on this blog what I have found out and what interesting issues I have come across.

Baltic countries

Christmas holidays are gone now and tomorrow the usual routine resumes. I think this is the right time to start drawing sketches of dissertation - just had a nice brake, hopefully finished with assignments and next term just began. Last summer I visited ex-communist countries which now members of EU - Latvia and Lithuania and things I have seen there inspired me and gave me the idea for my dissertation. Before the collapse of USSR these countries were popular destination for other soviet republics, mainly because they were different to other members of Soviet Union and for majority of soviet people who did not have possibility to go anywhere abroad, visiting these countries was some kind of substitute of visiting western countries, experiencing "western life" due to culture, architecture. And in soviet era these countries were called "second west" and were distinct to other soviet republics. Nowadays it is totally different story - visited these states last summer I felt if I was in other European countries but not in the ex-communist states - all tourism services are oriented to western tourist - menus in restaurants very often on country's native language and in English, brochures, maps, service personal - all the same! Wanted to find out places to see in Vilnius - information on official website is only on Lithuanian and English. I work in tourist agency in my country and our core destination is Lithuania and we provide visa services for people wishing to visit this country - I know how many people go there from my single country - many! And I know how many of them speak Lithuanian or English - not many! And if to add up other ex-soviet countries it gives considerable number of tourists. The idea of my dissertation is how the joining the Baltic countries to EU and later to Schengen zone and the tourism in this countries becoming oriented mainly to European tourists effected the number of visitors from ex-communist countries. Would it be appropriate to attract "new" tourist and at the same time to try to hold and keep interested "old" tourist? At the end of the day they are both tourists and both spend.

subject of my research

hi everyone! Here is my idea about my dissertation - I want to analyze how the joining of Baltic countries, which were part of former soviet union, to the Schengen zone reflected on numbers of visitors coming to this countries both from EU and other former members of Soviet Union. I haven't decided yet what methods and approaches I will use for my research, so if anyone have done something similar to this in past, advices and recommendations always welcome! Thanks!

my research idea

today is last day of term 1. time has flown by so quick, it might be because I started late for 3 weeks, but I guess most of the students will agree that this term gone very quick. Today I've realized that not much time left for our dissertations and if second term will go same as first now is the right time for choosing subject for our researches. I have an idea already and I want to post it next time - I need little bit of a time to consolidate (may be this is not right word for it) my thoughts about the area.