Hey Bewildered - you're a PhD student. Isn't the careful examination and consideration of numerous viewpoints supposed to be a research strength? Seeing multiple assessments of supervisors would be really helpful and offer a rounded view. The only downer on this is that we couldn't name the person - libel etc - so it wouldn't get off the ground. But I'm a bit sad that it wouldn't.

What a great idea!

It's the £250 that would drive me mad. At my Uni it's £50 for six months' of corrections (even if they give you a shorter time) so you can do them quicker than that if you like. Are you sure you can't get a sliding scale?

Some types of PhD research actually favour a practitioner approach. So does your PhD design methodology and the course you're on, allow for enough of this? Action research, in particular, is a great approach for practitioners. Maybe this is an opportunity to tweak what you're doing and find an alternative that really suits your style of working. In my field, Education, that's been recognised by dividing us into EdD and PhD (I did PhD as I'm not a practitioner). But maybe all other disciplines could jump on board and recognise this division, and the difference in skills that each celebrates?

That's what they LOVE!!! They're looking for reflexivity, especially in qual and mixed methods theses. My corrections where I did a long reflexive section at the start of the Conclusion went down a storm. The examiner said it showed that I was a first class researcher. And actually, I enjoyed writing it! So big smiles all round!
:-)

I don't know if your University has a Student Support and Development Unit. Mine has, and I finally had to take refuge in it when my super was behaving like yours, although also attacking me. I can't be more grateful to the service given to me. It was supportive, instructional and motivating. My advisor was a PhD examiner in my own subject and was exceptional in every way. But before calling in that support I'd tried to get some alternative help from anyone and everyone in the department, and it was useless.

So first I'd say - call on others in the department. Then call on Director of Studies. Then, if all else fails, get help from wherever, as I had to. It saved my life and my thesis. Up until then I'd felt so angry with the way I was being fobbed off and delayed.

It really was the last resort, but in my case it worked wonders.

Love, don't let her put her aggro on to you. She's displacing. It's nothing to do with you. Stay calm, stay focussed. Remain sure. This woman is bonkers, clearly. As are many in our academic field. Just had a similarish toys out of the pram from my ex super. Rise above it. A glass of Pinot Grigio can work wonders, as can a decent night's sleep, and the support of friends. You have my total support.

Finished!!!! YEAH!!!

I kind of did it like that first time round (my Methodology was the weak chapter). But when I dumped my super and went to see an Advisor at Student Study support, she said I was putting the cart before the horse. She said that the idea is to replicate your train of thought, and tell your own story as it happened. So you don't do - 'I did Approach A because..." instead you discuss your work and your ponderings ie, "I thought about this approach, but although there was advantage X it didn't take account of issue Y" and you go through all this and then say, "therefore, all considered at appeared that Approach D was the best fit." so don't announce, then justify, which looks defensive, just follow your thinking path. She told me to show, not tell. It came out so much better that way.

I don't know if this helps you?

Half way through conclusion, and discovering loads more references. I'm actually really enjoying this.How are you doing???

Some of us didn't have that wonderful choice to make, as we weren't funded. Kudos to those who were. For the rest of us, getting this over and done with, in the shortest possible time, with the smallest effect on our former income was what mattered. We wuz shafted by a system in which people think life works in dichotomies. How short-sighted and cognitively impaired is academia?

There aren't two approaches. There are fluidly intersecting multitudes of approaches (didn't you ever do qualitative analysis?). And one you haven't taken account of, as have few on this board, is the emotional and intellectual need for some of us to sacrifice our entire life for the passion we felt for a PhD subject, throwing ourselves into it without funding, and ruining our careers rather than enhancing them. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY INCOME FROM A PHD STUDY. IT COST SHED-LOADS IN EVERY WAY. I hope I said this loud enough. And several of us had no partner nor any other form of support. And some of us have no rewards at the end, except the satisfaction of a job well done before we die.

I've said this often enough. So now I'll just shut up and get me coat..... :-s :$

This is lovely! Wiping my anti-stat wand furiously :-)

Just worked all day. Phew! getting there! Have done 4,500 words and know the limit is 6K for my journal, including references. So I'd better crack on. Almost at the end of Discussion. Conclusion will be short. How are you doing?

If you could ask ONE thing, and one thing only, to make your PhD life happy and comfy, what would it be?

Mine, retrospectively, would have been funding (how stupid am I?).

Furry is here to listen to ONE wish only!

Fire away!

Mac. Wouldn't work on anything else. Fast, reliable, and just lovely-looking and easily navigated, but cost too much. I have a Macbook and a desktop imac which my wonderful son bought me. PCs are pants.