I am in a similar position, finished my PhD last year, applied for lecturing jobs but nothing so far. There's however a reason for that I think: not enough publications, not enough teaching experience, no proven ability to attract external fundings. I am working on all 3; so things are getting better. But really, Wallace, 'ruined your life'? I may be technically unemployed, but I am so happy to have my PhD. I can give lectures and travel to conferences. I love speaking to people interested in my field. Try to be more positive! Besides, once you will get a job, you will still have to put up with stress and maybe lack of satisfaction, not to mention pressure to produce research and attract funding.

I had two good supers. One was young and I was her first PhD student. She read everything I wrote, gave me loads of feedback, and was overall very supportive. The other was my head of school, she was really experienced, and knew a lot about structure and how to finish a project on time. Together, they covered every angle.

The first year or so of my PhD I was just reading about my topic and thinking about my main hypothesis. You need to know what others have done and said in your specific field in other to know what remains to be done. Basically, your first year amounts to the 'literature review' of your thesis, where you explain the broader field to which your projects belong and the kind of questions that are pertinent.

Hi BKA, from what you wrote ("according to their comments today that they want me to continue the analysis of last chapter in order to help me to generate my unique contribution to knowledge") it may be the case that they feel that your writing is too descriptive and that you need to put more emphasis on your ideas. What are your main contributions to the field? How does your work changes the way people will look at your topic? Maybe you need to explain this more clearly to them?

I dont know anything about either history or criminology, but, as bewildered said, its all about methodology. Are the methodologies of the two disciplines compatible? Is the particular topic that you want to study one that lends itself to this 'history of criminology' approach that you mention? What do you want to find out, and how do you think you can gather the data to prove your hypothesis?

Hi Tenzin, sorry to hear about that. I can only imagine how disappointing it must be for you. However, until you get the report, its too early to give up! They need to tell you exactly what is wrong with your thesis and how to fix it. Then, its either going to be the case that you do what they ask or not. think about it: at least you didnt fail! And the external will help you if you need.

I think its too early to see this as a sign to 'take a different direction'; if a PhD was easy, anybody could do it. You should take a break, recharge your batteries, so to say, and develop a plan of action based on the feedback from the viva.

Hi Trilla maybe you coukd take Sundays off? Or maybe even the whole weekend? At the end of the day, you won't be awarded a PhD based on the number oh hours you put into it - its about producing quality work, and I know that I produce my best work when I my mind is fresh and I am not tired and stressed. I think you could set up a goal for everyday: explain a theoretical point, write 2-300 words, etc. Writing should not be such a torture!

To be completely honest, I found that some older PhD students struggle a bit with the whole supervision thing. Being a PhD means that, to put it bluntly, you are in a subordinate position to your super. Some scholars I know who already published books and stuff, find it difficult to go back being supervised. Also: a friend of mine in his 50s is so stubborn that he ended up fighting with his supers and even with his examiners at the viva. He doesent seem to be handling it well at all...

I am not sure, it may be the case thst you will have 3 examiners. But really, They will tell you soon, so just be patient, amd be positive! I am sure everything will work out for the best!

Sorry to hear what happened. I think in cases where there is a disagreement like that, they have to appoint a third examiner, who will either side one way or another. So: at best you will get a minor corrections, at worst a R&R.

Could be worse right? You definetly have not failed. You will get either 3 months or up to a year to revise your thesis. Nothing much you can do now. You may try to appeal on a technicality, but it seems that your Uni is doing it right, so not much you can really do!

It sucks that you didnt get a unanimous report, but on the other hand, it could have been worse! Either way, now it's not the time to stress, as you cannot really do anything until you know precisely what is the issue with your thesis.

I am not an expert on these disciplines but I will try to help you anyway. Apologies if this is not good advice.

From what I understand, you have an issue that can be looked both with quantitative and qualitative methods. I am not sure, but maybe one is more concerned with the 'what' and the other with the 'why'? I think it really depends on your main hypothesis, and the way you want to go about finding your answers. Do you see yourself looking at databases, or perhaps doing ethnographical research? If you prefer one or the other, where do you think you are going to be more comfortable?

Hope this helps!

Edit: and of course, where do you think is there more chances of finding work? Consider that as well!

I was looking for postdoc and lecturing work. This means that I still had to come up with some kind of research idea, but It felt like a struggle. All I could think was the stuff I had just done! I kept going to conferences and writing papers. I also started working on a academic journal with some friends and doing guest lectures. Slowly, by talking to people and reading around, I began looking at issues from a different angle. I think I can still use some of the data I collected for my PhD for future research.

By the emd of my thesis, I was a bit fed up with it. It took a year or so for the research bug to come back. Its not that I hated the PhD, its just that I poured so much into it that it was difficult to think of something new after that. I had to wait a little for new motivation and ideas to come back. I guess when I was doing it , I felt like I had done a comprehensive job, but now looking back I can see what remains to be done.