Although I written minor reviews for papers or various bits of analysis I haven't updated my lit review as I've gone along as I was so sick of it when I'd finished at the end of my first year and it was stopping me getting on with collected and analysing data.

Anyway now, I am trying to get it up to speed, before I begin writing up my chapters. I remember my supers were quite pleased with it at the time, but it basically strikes me as a load of old poo-poo.

I was intially hoping to do a minor bit of editing + tweaking and add in some new sections, but I feel like I am going to have to write the whole thing again and my head feels wreaked at the prospect. I can't face it, I really can't.

Hooo. Well pea I know the problem, only my lit review was never going to be much use as my PhD has changed so much since I wrote it. So you have my sympathies... I'm starting again. One positive though - alot of the papers I read are still relevant, so I'm hoping a re-write without substantial amounts of additional reading. Not sure that's much help for you... if your sups are happy with it, why not just modify the bits your not happy with... then you don't need to re-write it completely. Take a break before you get stuck in, something to revive the spirits, so you start on a positive. Good luck

This means you've spotted something you and your super didn't spot before, which means you've applied a critical eye to it and improved to a certain level. It's not all that bad though. Perk yourself up.

I'm in the same situation. Wrote a lit review in first year, and now, speeding towards end of third, have to update. Only on re-reading it's not update but re-write.

On reflection it appears a flowery written descriptive account of too few studies when I need a concise critical account of all the relevant literature!

But I am trying to see the positive - at least if I think this poorly of my best efforts 2 years ago, I must have learnt something / developed some skills in the last 24 months?!

I pasted chunks of mine into my thesis, but it now only makes up about a third of it as have 2 new sections.

He Pea / all,

see it from the positive side: you probably have learned a lot over time, hence the difference regarding how you write now in comparison to a few years ago

I had to re-write all my lit & theoretical stuff (2 chapters!) at the start of write-up and I know I will have to do further editing and tinkering once I have a full draft. I really hated doing it and am already dreading the final tinkering so I can sympathise. I don't know why but I've found this the hardest bit to do. Writing up analysis and discussion has so far seemed like enjoyable (well relatively speaking).

I've had to make big changes to my literature review since my mock viva. I had the interlectual equivelent of a beating with big stick. I think the idea was to make sure I wasn't complacent going into the actual viva, but I think its just taken all my confidence and made me paranoid.

Look on it as a good thing, you have alot of time to dedicate to making that part of your thesis as bomb proof as possible. Much better than being very close to the end going into your mock viva and getting ripped appart and finding out there's a load of stuff you still have to do!!

Tiggs