Re: The whole point of a PhD ...
It is possible to get a PhD without actually having completed what you set out to do; I should know since I did just that. It is also possible to get a PhD with original research that is entirely negative, on the lines of "I tried this, and turns out this isn't the case" sort of thing.
The point is, it has to be original, publishable research and the best way to demonstrate this is to publish your research in a proper, peer-reviewed journal. The research doesn't have to be good, or prove anything useful, or indeed demonstrate anything other than that the author's methods are complete bunk (and yes, papers of this level of direness have even been published in Nature journal). It just has to be original research.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
