While I have been to many a borrrrring presentation I think you should go with the safer of your two options. If you were trying an alternative approach with a live audience you could change and adapt according to their reaction but that option isn't really available online.

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Hi All (My first 'created thread'! :$)

I am writing up at the moment, have written c40,000 words at this stage. Heretofore I have always written in the 3rd person (I am a mature student afterall!!) and my supervisor also does the same. However when I read back over what I have done thus far I think a 1st person approach might work better, particularly for my methodology. I was interested in getting other people's opinions on this. I know traditionally it was always '3rd' person and that that trend has been relaxed in recent times but what do people think? I'm in the social sciences. Might it irritate an external examiner??

Any advice most welcome

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OMG, there must be a thesis in the likelihood of that happening!!

======= Date Modified 02 Jan 2011 18:36:14 =======
If it helps I did a research masters in stats etc and my PhD is on a totally different topic and totally qualitative. It did come up in my interview for my PhD but it was only only one or two questions. I think once you can come up with a decent proposal on whatever topic, it shouldn't really matter if your masters and phd are poles apart. If you are going to go for a PhD with an unrelated topic, well at least you can be ready for a question about it at the interview.

Good luck with your decision

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Hi Kezia

I got an Olympus (VN 5500PC, cost 45 euro approx) ex Amazon about a year and a half ago and have had no problems with it. It's small, easy to use and easily holds the ~60 interviews I have on it. It doesn't, however, transcribe them for you ;-) I second the post that says the files all look the same so I would certainly recommend that you relabel them on your Pc once you have copied them over. That said I still record and transcribe directly from the digital recorder and consider the PC versions backups. I written in a notebook with what's in each folder. the one thing I am sorry I didn't get at the time is a foot pedal to aid transcribing. I tried to get one online a couple of months ago but found it impossible to figure out if the footpedal (all pretty expensive BTW) would be compatible with my particular recorder. I managed to borrow one from my department which I can use with Express Scribe but it took so long to get everything working that I have reverted back to the trusty recorder itself. If you are going to be doing a lot of transcribing I would recommend that you consider buying a footpedal as well.

Good luck with it

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======= Date Modified 11 Jan 2011 18:18:07 =======
My subject area is human geography. I'm working on my own which I guess may make things easier in some ways as I am not dependent on others. There definetely won't be any extension to the funding so nothing concentrates the mind like the prospect of no money!! My supervisor knows I am determined to be finished in 3 years so fingers (and toes) crossed it will happen. It took a while to crank up the writing workrate but now, to be honest, it seems completely normal to write everyday.

Hope your supervisor is amendable - I think it looks good for them too to have a student finishing in the three year timeframe.

Good luck with it, I hope it happens

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======= Date Modified 11 Jan 2011 18:17:28 =======
My first time to post here although I have often dipped into the forum.

I am in the third and FINAL year of my PhD ;-) and am determined to finish within the three years. I have to say that my supervisor has been supportive from the start. I definetly have the blinkers on at the moment and although I feel that I probably could have undertaken a perhaps more interesting PhD, this is the one I am in and this is the one I will finish in three years. I drew up a writing schedule at the beginning of this summer (2010) until Christmas and am slightly ahead so I am hopeful. I will draw up a remaining schedule during December. I found it quite cathartic to put down in writing what I was going to do. To say I agree with you when you say you are itching to get a job and move on is an understatement. I am hoping to use the fact that I completed my PhD within a three year timeframe as a positive 'selling point' when I start to look for a job. I am also hoping to 'slip' it into my VIVA in a probably desperate and no doubt obvious attempt to show how organised I am!!

Good luck convincing your supervisor of your intentions. I think three years is doable - you just have to be fairly clinical about it and not allow yourself to get deflected. I did little but obvious things like reading my departments submission and format guidelines before I started writing. I have all my margins set, always use a consistent set of sub-headings, have all my references up to date and complete etc. It should help come submission time. That's the plan anyway ...

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