(This is a repeat of a message sent on the 22nd January, which for technical
reasons arrived without the necessary attachment.)
Dear Colleagues,
At the moment I am researching a PhD in genetics at the Open
University into "Criteria for measuring and predicting the appearance
and transmission of DNA mutations in a human population". As I am
registered blind, some of the statistical methods I am using are not
very sophisticated, and I have run into problems in my transition from
probation period to full acceptance for a PhD. I will be very
grateful for any statistical comments you may have regarding the
attached document. See also below a relevant e-mail to one of my
supervisors.
Dr Rachel Western mentioned to me your existence, and I very much hope
that you will be interested in this subject, and can advise me on
appropriate methods if my statistical approach needs modifying.
At the moment, I am preparing a further document for public
submission, called "Unexpected childhood cancer increases in England
and Wales at the time of the Chernobyl nuclear accident place a
question mark over proposed nuclear new build", which I hope to send
you next week. I will be very grateful if you would look at this
document also, and give me advice.
Yours sincerely,
John Urquhart
-------------------------------
Dear Alvaro,
As you know, I have not been happy about the transition from probation
to acceptance for a full-blown PhD. In my opinion my work so far has
generated valid and important questions, which can be augmented by
legitimate research proposals. I would hope that the fruits of such
research will advance human knowledge. Nevertheless, such an opinion
needs to be tested in the wider arena of scientific debate. When I
was down in Milton Keynes on January 6th 2010, I met Professor
Farrington and asked him about the possibilities of publication. The
OU did arrange a seminar in June 2009 on how to get published, but I
was given only three days' notice, and it was not possible for me to
make alternative arrangements to attend the meeting. Professor
Farrington thought that publication was not an essential part of the
PhD process, partly because of the delays now experienced before a
research article appears in print in a scientific journal.
Soon after that meeting, I discovered that there was a vehicle where
it would be possible to test my discoveries and ideas within the
public domain, namely the current official structure for examining
proposals for nuclear new build. One part of this structure is the
inquiry into The Proposals for National Policy Statements on Energy
conducted by the Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change. I was
able to make a submission by the deadline of January 15th, and as you
will see from the attachment, their acknowledgement mentions that it
will be placed in the public domain. I anticipate that there will be
a response. I attach a copy of my submission, and I would be very
grateful for any statistical observations that you may have.
A further part of the structured submission and response system has a
deadline of February 22nd 2010. I am preparing a further submission
for this deadline and I will send you next week the final document,
which includes some initial statistical analysis, based on my PhD
work. I anticipate that this too will draw a public response, but I
will be very grateful for any comments you can make in the meantime.
Yours sincerely,
John Urquhart
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