======= Date Modified 19 Jan 2012 14:43:55 =======
My submitted PhD was well over 500 pages long and contained many many errors and typos- ie into the hundreds! I literally ran out of time and did not have the time to re-read my thesis and check for typos. I'm embarrassed to look at my submitted PhD now due to sheer numbers of errors!

I was really very worried about failing, but they were actually really lovely during the viva and only mentioned the typos 1-2 times. My examiners understood I ran out of time etc and I obtained the resubmission outcome I wanted.

My viva was more about my reflections on the whole process and a discussion about how to reduce my thesis and also my thoughts about specific topics. I thought it would be the ultimate grilling session picking out every little typo and ripping me to shreads, but it really was a relatively informal chat- although I never believed that for one second waiting for the viva.

Depends on the examiner though. If my examiners were really really picky then I imagine they could have grilled me really hard and insisted that I really fight for a resubmission.

Best of luck Cat! :)

======= Date Modified 18 Jan 2012 13:35:17 =======
Hey

At my university............

a) Minor corrections.  This is the outcome that all PhD candidates want (or no corrections!)! If people receive this outcome than supervisors send out congratulatory emails to everyone and refer to the PhD candidate as 'Dr so and so'. Minor corrections refer to minor corrections- ie a few spelling and/or grammer mistakes, addition of a few articles and could be a few small structural changes. No real major structural changes and no further analysis. Candidates are given 3 months to make changes. Both the external and internal check that candidates have met every correction before awarding PhD.

b) Major corrections. This outcome involves the candidate to carry out more work, ie more analyses, more structural work, adding more studies. More substantial changes needed than minor corrections. Candidates are given 6 months to make changes. Both external and internal need to check changes before awarding PhD.

Deciding on awarding minors or majors depends on examiners opinions and in some cases, performance at viva. Both minor and major corrections are viewed as a 'PhD pass' and PhD awarded after some changes.

c) Revise and resubmit. This outcome involves substantial changes to a PhD thesis. Some view it as a fail, others view it as a second chance for a PhD award. Candidates are given up to a year to make changes. Both external and internal examiners check changes before awarding a PhD (or whether to award an MPhil! :S) . Sometimes candidates have to go through another viva once they've resubmitted their PhDs. My supervisor was awarded this outcome because they felt that given his full time job, he would not be able to make the changes in time so they awarded him with a revise and resubmit verdict.

This was my outcome. My corrections were more substantial than major corrections, but mostly involve rewriting and substantially reducing my thesis to under 100,000 words. I need to pay 200 pounds to resubmit my thesis for re-examination and I need to send my examiners a report of the changes I've made. I don't have to go through another viva voce. I was delighted with this outcome because I convinced myself I would leave the viva with an MPhil. Now feels like I'm living in hell with these corrections and thesis re-writes :-( so not a happy time for me right now!

d) MPhil outcome. This outcome filled me with sheer dread! Examiners award this outcome if they feel the work is not up to PhD standard and award candidates with a lower degree after some corrections. Definitely viewed as a PhD fail by my department!

e) Fail outcome. No degree awarded.

Thanks everyone.

Well due to illness, I'm not going to be able to submit for their deadline, so I'm probably not going to be able to get extensive feedback from them. Their probably going to 'skin me alive' for not submitting sooner, but I can't help it!

I know I've made some significant changes and improvements to my thesis that I hope to discuss with my supervisors.

I'm really struggling keeping the momentum up though! Currently holding back the tears :$ I've been working since 5am on this thesis and I'm dosed up on coffee to see me through this evening.

However, I keep reaching false summits. As soon as I get through one series of corrections, I come across another big set of corrections that I need to work through. I'm going through my systematic review stuff, updating studies and integrating extra detail omitted from previous reviews. The major structural changes have reduced the word count considerably. I'm still going to struggle bringing this thesis under 100,000 words, but I think it's getting there.

I've put so much work into this thesis, I've sort of shot myself in the foot! Even my examiners criticised me for being overly ambitious (yet complimentary at the same time).

Just want this to be over with.

Thanks for the support everyone!

Hello everyone

I have just over a week before I need to submit my progress following from my 2011 viva voce. My sups want to see my progress before meeting with me in a few weeks time. Trying to remain cool, calm and collective, although I don't think I'm going to be sleeping much this week!

I think I'm making good progress, I've substantially reduced my word count by rewriting, deleting and reducing some sections and thanks to a few 'light bulb' moments, my thesis is really starting to shape up.

I'm starting to feel nervous about submitting for this progress review though! Last thing I need right now is a serious knock to my confidence levels when I'm trying desperately hard to keep my motivation levels up to meet all of my examiners recommendations.

Just wondered if anyone else had these progress reviews with their supervisors following a viva voce?

I can't believe I'm STILL working on this thesis...... (this is my fifth year!).

Scary stuff!

Hey,

How is everyone getting on?

I had to take a few days away from my PhD thesis corrections and trying to get back into the swing of things. I experienced some strong chest pains just before Christmas so I was ordered by my doctor to take a break from my thesis and try and reduce my stress levels. Feel a little better after lots of sleep, but now have to get back to it....

I'm trying to get back into my thesis, but I'm really struggling!

Best of luck to everyone submitting soon!

======= Date Modified 22 Dec 2011 16:39:52 =======

Hi Hailey,

Many thanks for your lovely message. :-)

I'm taking a break till 5pm now....

I need to reduce my thesis to an absolute max of 100,000 words which mostly involves cutting out or rewording my literature review chapters which contain the extra bulk.

So, I completely appreciate the sometimes heartbreaking and soul destroying journey of reducing chapters down! My word count is definitely coming down though after some crafty rewording, relocation of extra context stuff to as an appendix or pure deleting stuff which is just extra detail. For example, I managed to write approximately 10,000 words on historical stuff alone surrounding my population groups, but most of it will have to go as it's just not that relevant to my research questions. I'm going to move most of it to an appendix and summarise the key themes in my literature review chapters. Never thought for one second I would find historical stuff so interesting! However, all in all, I think (or rather hope!) I'm making significant progress after putting in some serious hours into this thesis.

I'm deliberately not checking my word counts for my two literature review chapters until I've integrated all of my examiners corrections into my literature review chapters :)  I'm also aiming for around 15,000 as an absolute max (if not around 10,000-12,000 for each literature review chapter).

Other corrections involve integrating new studies absent from my submitted draft, which involves replicating my literature review searches, adding new studies and developing tables of studies similar to systematic review papers.

Struggling a bit today though! The above never seems to end!!
:-(

======= Date Modified 22 Dec 2011 14:27:57 =======
Hey- yes, I'm working through the Christmas break....working from home mostly as I can't risk the temperamental bus services into town.

Other than my 2 day support worker shifts on Friday and Saturday (in order to build up some client work experience) and supervising MSc students on Mondays, I'm mostly working on my post viva PhD thesis corrections.

I'm not working on Christmas day (and hopefully not on my birthday!), but I'll be squeezing in either 8-13hr days or 4-5hr days depending on other commitments.

1.30pm-1am?!?! yikes!!

You're not the only one working, trust me!

I'm updating my literature review chapters and working on reducing some large contextual/background sections in my literature review chapters. Just made myself a cup of very strong coffee to see me through today.

Yet more false summits today- still lots to do and lots of papers to read. Will need to draw the line at some point though! I cannot go over the 100,000 word limit!!

Onwards and upwards! :)

Hi Elimeo,

I'm nearly half way through the revise and resubmit process (resubmission deadline end of summer 2012), in similar circumstances (supervisors and nightmare process) and increasingly thinking about outcomes following this process.

I'm a little surprised by the externals blunt reply! Not exactly helpful at all! But there could be numerous reasons why the external is refusing (ie busy or other factors completely unrelated to your PhD).  I haven't approached my examiners for clarification on anything yet (and they kept saying I could approach them at any time during this r&r process), but I would hope they would be at least willing to offer any further clarification if required Their expecting us to make changes in accordance with their requests, the least they can do is be clear on what they want from us! What do your supervisors think of the ambiguous items? Any thoughts from them?

I'm trying desperately not to think the worse (I know I catastrophise all the time!) by trying to cover each and every point raised in my examiners report and generally just trying my best really.

Reading from recent posts on this forum and thinking back to my own viva experience, the examiners are not out to fail us. By giving you the option of a revise and resubmit, there is every possibility that you will receive your doctorate eventually.

Don't have any direct experience, but I just wanted to wish you the best. I know I'll be in your shoes during spring/summer and I can already see that I've got the whole resubmission anxiety to face yet- which I know will probably be just as stressful (if not more so ) than submission the first time round....eeeek.

VERY unproductive today :(- but I feel a little better and more energised after a break from my thesis, so hopefully a good thing!

======= Date Modified 20 Dec 2011 20:40:13 =======
Yes, I'm working tonight (on top of a 7-8hr day already!!). Some of my post viva voce thesis corrections involve integrating missing articles so I'm updating my literature review chapters using similar methods for a systematic review to ensure I include all relevant papers (which I should have done in the first place!).

I wanted to finish off at least one population group and service model option today (probably a tall order!)...... May need some more coffee in about an hour or so! :(

Gosh, I keep coming across phantom summits! Will I ever reach the end of this horrible process?!?

I LOVE this post. Many thanks Marasp. Indeed. WE CAN DO THIS! :)

======= Date Modified 19 Dec 2011 08:28:48 =======
Hey James,

Just wanted to say- you're not alone.......I received the R&R outcome last summer and I'm frantically trying to work through my thesis corrections ready for next summer (deadline August 2012), although I want to finish by March 2012 so I can graduate in July 2012. I have a progress meeting after Christmas so I'm trying to bring my PhD up to a good enough standard to show significant progress.

For me, I was delighted with the R&R outcome as I was fully expecting an MPhil or an outright fail (as were my supervisors who reminded me 5mins before the viva!). My thesis corrections mostly involve deleting 60,000 words (eeeek, but I'm getting there!), but with no additional analyses and no further viva (hope they haven't changed their mind as I don't want to go through another viva!). So more corrections than pass- major corrections, hence a R&R outcome.

Following from positive feedback from my examiners, I now know they have no intention of failing me or awarding me with an MPhil- assuming that I follow each and every one of their (many!) corrections.  Well, I think comments in my examiners report including 'ground breaking', 'very important', 'important in targeting a much neglected topic', 'huge amount of work', 'very substantial thesis' etc etc are relatively positive anyway! I never had much positive feedback at all during the whole PhD process, so my examiners have given me some much needed confidence, reassurance and motivation to complete it.

I remember my PhD supervisor saying that he also had a R&R outcome because his examiners thought he would not be able to complete the PhD whilst working full time in a post-doc position- so sounds something similar to your situation.

By the way, I waited months for my thesis corrections report because the admin lady forgot to send them to me- keep checking with your department.

I know how you feel though! Most people at my department left with minor corrections or major corrections (including those who started a year after me!) and it does feel like I'm the only one with a r&r submit outcome, but I also know that it could have been a lot worse. At least our examiners are giving us the option to resubmit for a PhD. I'm viewing it as a pass after substantial corrections and a second chance to obtain this PhD.

You can do this James. It is very reassuring to see that I'm not the only one on this r&r journey!

Feel free to post etc if you need to rant! :)

======= Date Modified 06 Dec 2011 09:34:24 =======
Hi Ohmy...

I was wondering the exact same thing over the last few days (although I have 9mths left until my deadline). Although I'm working really hard (helped with strong coffee), I worry that they will still reject my revised thesis........

I share your worries, but surely if you've followed your examiners corrections closley and clarifed any ambigious corrections, then you should pull through this with a good outcome?

Hi Jojo- I was thinking about you over the last few weeks. I hope you're ok! All the best with your second submission!

Ohmy- I just wanted to reassure you that you're not alone with your concerns...I agree with JoJo, you can only do your best!

Congratulations Cake eater!! It's so inspiring seeing other PhD candidates obtaining their PhDs after a revise and resubmit outcome. You're a true inspiration :)

======= Date Modified 01 Dec 2011 09:50:40 =======

Right ready to face my thesis today. Integrated a new brand new structure into my chapter 2 and planning to finish off my evil social and historical context sections. Strangly productive in the early hours of the morning!

Given some of their positive comments from the examiner reports (although examiners also listed loads of limitations and weaknesses! including ('this thesis is over ambitious in its coverage' :$)I think it would be worth continuing rather than dropping out!

Yesterday was a bad day for me- I wanted to quit soooo bad! I found myself in a loop of very negative inhibiting thoughts- ie 'my examiners will not accept these thesis revisions', 'their going to fail me', 'why am I thinking about completing a PhD, I'm not clever enough!', I'm so behind everyone else, everyone else in my department and people starting a year before me passed with minors, yet I'm still working on it' , my supervisors must be regretting taking me on etc etc....

Anyway, my thoughts for this morning- think more positive, STOP comparing myself to others, FOCUS ON THE STRENGTHS of my PhD, believe I can do this, take a section at a time and 'just keep swimming, just keeping swimming' (Maybe I should search for a motivational poster and place it next to my desk!?!)

Keep going folks!!