Resubmission deadline around the corner. Tips please!

To cut the long story short.... My deadline for resubmission after viva is only 10 days away. I wasn't asked to attend another viva, but my corrections are not so straight-forward (they are structural as well as theoretical). This was only the external's decision apparently, but all examiners will need to re-read the new version of the thesis and assess again. I am employed full time, so I didn't have enough time to properly focus on these changes apart from evenings and weekends, so I am not so happy with the result to be honest. And I'm still re-writing sections this close to the deadline. Although I was given major corrections without need for another viva, I understand that I might still fail after this resubmission, and my university only gives 1 chance to resubmit. My questions are:

1) Do you have any tips for speeding up work or making corrections?
2) Do you know if it is possible to submit the thesis somewhere else if I don't please the examiner with my changes?

Thank you in advance...

======= Date Modified 26 Nov 2011 07:36:11 =======
I don't have any tips 404, but I just wanted to wish you the best of luck.

I'm 9 months away from my resubmission deadline (but I intend to resubmit far sooner than that!) and although I don't have to go through another viva, I'm already starting to feel a bit anxious about adverse outcomes following my resubmission, especially as this will be one and only chance. eeeek. I have a feeling this whole resubmission process is going to be more stressful than the lead up to viva! :S (and that whole leading up the viva was the most stressful experience I've ever gone through!)

Is there any chance of taking a few days off from work to focus fully on your thesis?

Hi 404,

I presume that you have received written instructions regarding what needs to be changed. The people who will review your corrected thesis will (most likely) go by those instructions. As such I would follow those to the letter and even flag up in your thesis that you have addressed those specific issues.

Taken into account your time restrictions I would stick to that. Make sure that those changes are grammatically correct (I know sounds obvious, yet very easily you miss these type of errors and that just looks untidy). Once you have done that, and you still have time, you can look at fine tuning things a bit.

I think the examiners will not read the whole thesis again, but will just look at whether the recommendations have been addressed.

Thanks for the advice Rick. It would be a bit hard for them to find specific areas of the changes, as the thesis changed a lot structurally and some bits were re-written completely. I'm guessing they'd have to re-read. Their report included some strong comments  but also some vague ones which could be open to interpretation. Therefore I am not so sure if I'm meeting all of this examiner's expectations. I guess I could write a document explaining the changes addressed in the same style they asked? Would that be acceptable do you think?

Pineapple29, thank you and good luck with your work too. I hope your changes are more straight-forward.

Hey 404,

Thanks :) Because my literature review chapters were so long, I had to start again with a new document, pull out the main points and slot in some of the detail from my submitted draft. I either summarised the extra detail or deleted it completely and thinking about moving some of the historical stuff as an appendix. I've also restructured my literature review chapters which reads better- or 'flow's better. So all, in all, many many changes- but a MUCH better thesis than my submitted draft (well I think so anyway, not sure what my sups will say!). Given the level of changes, my examiners (and sups) will need to re-read the entire thesis- but most of the changes are to do with the literature review and discussion chapters and a few bits in the method chapter.

IF I ever reach the end of this thesis, I need to submit a detailed report with my resubmitted thesis on every single change I've made for my examiners to see. This requirement for a report came with my bulk of stuff from my university along with the viva result.

Assuming I keep this standard up, I should be ready by Feburary/March time, although my sups want to see my progress shortly after Christmas, so I'm putting in serious amounts of hours to bring this thesis up to 'passable' standard.

Nightmare though. Burning the candle at both ends lately!

Hi 404,

I think there are three issues here:

1. Did you acknowledge and address the recommendations?
2. Is the away you addressed them adequate?
3. Is there a quick way of showing that you have addressed the recommendations.

I think 1 and 3 are the most important ones, especially if time is limited. I think examiners are busy people, who dislike having to read things again and who like to cut corners. As such if you provide them with an extra list indicating the changes, I think this would be highly appreciated.

Regarding 2: Again, if you have time, perhaps ask a peer to have a look at the changes regarding content?
:-)

thank you for your posts again. Very useful input indeed. I can't seem to find any mention of stating/listing the changes in the report from University. But I see your point, it would make the examiners life easier if I clearly stated everything. The only problem is I can't be sure if I addressed everything adequately as only now (this close to my deadline) I've realised that the changes they requested could be very open to interpretation. For example, one of them is to lead my results to "a better understanding in a theoretical sense". Now, I think I've done that, since it is now better than before, but the recommendation itself is very vague isn't it? If they meant something completely different, I can easily fail. I should have asked to clarify everything when I had the chance, but it felt like their comments made sense at the time.

Hi 404,

I presume that you need to resubmit, yet not defend it again in a viva, is that correct?

If not viva, as such no means to defend things orally, I think you need to defend things on paper.

In the report you can write:

Recommendation A was in my opinion ambiguous. I have interpretted it as follows... blah blah blah. Therefore I have made the following changes:....... etc.

Rick, that sounds like a good idea. Thank you. I'll do that and prepare a document to show the changes. Yes, I'm not required to attend another viva. I first thought this was a good thing, but now I see it as a lack of opportunity to defend. Oh well, I'll try my best.
I hope your work is going well. Enjoy the weekend.

That's what i think too .

Just wanted to wish you the best of luck 404. I'll be thinking of you! (sprout)

I'm fighting back the tears at the moment as I have many many corrections to work through, mostly cutting down but loads of re-writing and restructuring my literature review chapters. Just never seems to end, no matter how many hours I put into this thesis.
Oh well, keep plodding on I guess!

:(

Thank you, I wish you all the best too Pineapple29. If I can get any feedback after resubmission I will let you know for tips etc. Good luck with everything.

Hey 404, when I did my corrections I wrote a letter detailing my responses to all of the little changes that my internal examiner recommended, along with my rationale for making some but not other changes. I then indicated the precise points in my thesis (in the letter, page numbers, etc) where I made these changes and highlighted the sections in my thesis. So sort of like Rick has said.

I've got 10 pages of corrections to work through and I'm struggling to see the final finishing line today. Most of the corrections are to do with typos, cutting it down, organisational points and adding a few sections.

I would also be grateful for any more tips on speeding up this whole post-viva thesis corrections process.

Nightmare! Anyway, must keep swimming........