Hi peeps

I've got my viva coming up next week and have been preparing for it.

Today, I had a mock viva, which ended up being a fairly informal chat about implications and me getting some feedback about my thesis. One thing that came up (that others before also have said) is that the way I wrote some of it was too complicated.

Writing is usually something that I get very good feedback about, so it has been quite a shock, but I definitely agree that in certain areas, my writing style is not the best. But in others I generally feel it is a case of using complicated terminology/language because its quite philosophical, and I can't see how else I would write it.

Since this is something that most people have fed-back to me about my thesis, i'm pretty sure it will be something the examiners also comment on. My issue is - how do I respond?? Do I agree that it's not the best writing, and therefore I basically agree that i need to re-write large chunks? Do I not agree? Do I try to explain why I used certain language?

Does anyone have any ideas on how I might tackle this criticism / comment?

Thanks!!

Psychgirl

This. Justify what you did. Do not apologise for it, or agree too quickly that you need to rewrite. Otherwise you could have massive rewriting to do if this runs throughout your thesis.

And, yes, this should have been picked up on earlier by your supervisor(s).

Yes, I agree, should have been picked up by my supervisor. Unfortunately, my supervisor hasn't been the best / most helpful, just continually says "I can't really comment as I'm in the process, I can't be objective" - whatever I ask, this is the response.

Ok. So I will defend my writing style - I will say that this is how other researchers in this particular field write, and that I have provided definitions for all terminology. Do you think that is a good enough defence?

Thanks

If you've provided definitions, then I'd just point the examiners to that. Being examiners, they should really have their heads around the terminology I would imagine, as they'll be closer to your field of research than others who have read through (?)

This is, I think, proablby a universal problem. It is quite easy to slip into 'easy speak' for your own particular area without even noticing it! My supervisors are quite happy to do their own bit of jargonesque writing, which sometimes is a bit of a fog for me, and they probably don't even know they are doing it, and when I write for them, and for others I sometimes slip into the same thing, forgetting that they don't know the area as well as I do. Having said that, if you have provided a definition of terms, and if they should know what you are talking about anyway, I would wait and see what they have to say. If you haven't given them a glossary, you could get one ready and offer it,

...(but you could always say that the thesis is to be read by academics at a level where it should be comprehensible.. and when you get the book offer you will modify it for everyone else :-) :$

Thank you - that's helpful, i have provided definitions, but i'm going to bring in an additional glossary of terms to the viva.

Just a few days away now and getting very scared :-(