Main says it's a risk and to go in expecting majors and be surprised if you get minors but supporting my decision and also saying that in the last few weeks my writing has hugely improved. However, I must stress that neither use my methods. I could do 12 months writing for them and it still be wrong. My thinking is have the conversation now (viva) with someone using my methods and if I get majors or R&R at least I am writing something of value.

Major decision needed today. I'm supposed to give notice to submit today. I've had an 11th hour email from my second supervisor very late last night (who departmentally is more senior than my main) basically kiboshing todays notice of submission in a very passive aggressive way. It is tied up with niceties where has written he understands he's the bad guy and I find his abrupt criticism of my writing difficult (these are assumptions he has written). He always apologises in his feedback that his criticism is harsh and says things like, sorry if this is hurtful. He states he doesn't want an unpassable thesis with possible R&R to tinge my future career, whilst also mentioning how he supported me onto his project (a 12 month 0.4 RA post). Whilst he is not saying he will outright block,as a Prof and basically one of my bosses, this really puts me in a sticky position because I fundamentally disagree with his assessment of the thesis. I'm using a new method he really doesn't get (he is a traditional theorist) but my proposed examiner is an expert in this method. My reasoning for submission is that my writing is never good enough for him, ever, and I think some of that is because he is not using my methods - but my examiner is. TBH I'd rather get R&R from an examiner who can guide me in my chosen methods (which are experimental for my field) rather than spend another 6-12 months drifting in the wasteland. I also suspect some of his comments are tied up in the fact he's away now for a while (over my supposed submission period) and would rather deal with my submission on his return. Am I crazy to submit against his advice?

Got supervision tomorrow for feedback on that Chapter. oh I hope it is ok!!! Zutterfly you are doing well :D

I don't know your area but this is based on my experiences with qualitative work.

It's no where near as hard as combining work with study. It can have weeks of easy ride and then weeks f really intense hard slog. Get out and about, don't eat all the cake! Many of us put on weight over the PhD!

Read - lots! Find where you can make an original contribution - this doesn't have to be world changing. use something like Mendeley to organise literature. The electronic notes you write soon add up and can be pasted into a lit review, methods section etc.

Lit review - Don't get pedantic. Do enough to know where your contribution lies, you'll amend anyway as study unfolds - it's a working document that you'll finish after you write your conclusion.

Pilot - know your methods and what data you can expect/or not expect! Some pilots develop into the full study so you already have some data.

Recruitment - If you need to recruit spend time on recruitment strategies. Your pilot study can help make contacts. It's often the most difficult part come data collection and many fail to plan appropriately for this.

Ethics - Get your ethics forms done correctly first time and submit in good time as it can hold up progress. Try to make them both specific and ambiguous (weird right!) I specified too closely a certain group I wanted to study and when I couldn't recruit had to amend the ethics all because I was now looking at a range of students rather than a particular set of students. I could have saved so much time just writing 'University student' as my recruitment group! Total time spent waiting on both ethic submissions - 12 weeks!

Study site - I wish I'd recruited away from my Uni. I've found studying, working (studentship duties) and researching in one place very insular. Plus I don't actually live near my uni so it was a pain to do.

Congratulations Dr :DDD

Today I hate writing with a passion. After a really hard working day (no lunch and 6 hours straight typing) down to the last two sections of redraft of first result chapter. It will be done by the end of this week! how's others getting on?

I think it depends on the terms of your funding. For example, if they have contracted you for 3.5 years to work on a specific project then yes they might be able to hold you to that time. It's not clear if the work you were doing was your own or a group/lab project? It's a bit confusing because you say it's a funded PhD but you have to write up in your own time, is that right? So is your Supervisor of the impression you shouldn't write up until after the 3.5 year period in the lab? I think your supervisor might actually have your back on this, I suspect the think you leaving now an going for a job would actually give you less time to write the thesis than you have now. If you are very depressed and other issues the change might be going from the frying pan into the fire. The meeting you have lined up is good news as they should be able to tell you where you stand. Have you thought about going to the uni counselling service?

Today I have re-wrote the introduction to my first results chapter. About 4 paragraphs!

I don't know the stats on this but I've got kids and commitments so i'd be less likely to do an interview tbh

Hi, but calling a meeting with them is not the appeals process is it?

You have two options to finish
(1) Go back to them again. Tell them you need clearer advice on what is expected and a time plan of when to submit and what happens at the end of that time. I mean they can't just expect it to go on forever.
(2) Get independent advice from student services or lawyer, find out what the appeals system is and go through that system officially.

Good luck.

You need specialist advice. Esp considering you are over the time and it doesn't seem Luke any end is in sight. Surely there are procedures for what happens with minor corrections, they can't just expect you to keep correcting there must be some sort of end deadline?. State your case that the rest of the thesis doesn't need changing because the new section is about what you were discounting from the study and therefore has no baring on your anysis and discussion. State you believe the internal is going beyond the iva recommendations. Check that it isn't the case that the internal wanted you to include that literature in your study as integral rather than a 'what I'm not going to include' section.

Hey me too. :D I have to do some duties because of scholarship. I'm an invited speaker at a conference in Nov but other than that it's all about the write up.

I have My Methodology and conceptual framework though both need revision. I'm mid way through a first revision of my first analysis chapter. I have all my data in the bag and everything transcribed, analysis is ongoing. I'm planning on a first full draft by Jan. Then polish, polish, polish.

I have a plan to work from and hoping to stick to it. I'm looking at completing a chapter every 3 weeks in rough form for feedback then revise it.

I'ma qualitative study in Education. :D

Good luck :D

I think it is time to seek some proper advice for a basis of appeal.I mean you are now over time and surely there are probably rules about that too somewhere? I'd make an appointment to speak to student services and find out what the appeals process is. I agree with Eds, how can you provide the clarity they want when they are not giving you clarity of expectations. I ,mean you're not a mind reader! I wonder if they agreed on Minor so the internal could get it done their way without interaction from the external? It sounds to me like the internal is going above and beyond the Viva. Where does your internal sit in University and global standings? Are they a newbie trying to make their mark or world leader?

This sounds awful. What he says sounds like major or R&R. I know they are not happy with changes you haven't made but are they happy with changes you have made? Is there any more useful information from them as to what the 'implied' changes might be? What does the external think because as far as I was led to believe they are supposed to be more involved with the changes than the internal?