Are the groups big Ady? YOu could try some kind of revision session about what they've learnt so far - could be in the form of a quiz, or them making posters and then presenting them.

I have a few groups like this. Its uni policy that we cannot ask them to leave either, so you can give them a hard time, but it means you get 70% of a class not bothering which is annoying.

at the mo I'm told what to do in the seminars by the module head - I've decided to ignore this. E.g. there is a 'discussion session' coming up next week. I KNOW some of the groups will just sit in silence for 50 mins, no matter how many prompts/group tasks I give them. So I'm going to make up a little pretend character and get them to apply the theory to it instead and report back on what they thought of the theory - rather than discuss its merits in a debate format (which even I think is DULL) - so basically I get them to pretend they are mini-consultants. I am in business studies though, so quite easy to practical-application of things.

haha you see I feel like I'm being ultra lazy. I've basically written out a list of qs that I've been given by other people and looked through them once, and I've read the thesis through once (I'm hoping to read it another 2 times at least before the viva), I just feel under-prepared but so busy with my work that I don't have a spare minute to really think about the answers.

I'm thinking about questions such as "summarise your key findings" - I mean I tried to do this last night with hubs, and ended up giving him a 20 min answer, which included why I did the studies, what I did and the findings and implications - and he was like whoooah there - you need to do a very simple a, b c... and then let them prompt you.

Gah this whole process is so STUPID!

How long should your answers be?

I'm getting into a bit of a panic - I've not had any guidance from sup, she's not even discussed the fact I've submitted. My viva is in about 2 weeks, she's going to meet up the day before with me. But I think this is too late, but she hasn't offered another day.

So how long do I have my answers - should they be long and detailed or short and let them prompt me for more? (then I worry I'm underselling the research) arrrgh!

I use APA format tables, which have NO vertical lines.

To make them you make a normal table with word, but take off ALL borders, and then just add in the ones you need horizontally using the border button.

In my field they look like e.g. http://0.tqn.com/d/psychology/1/7/z/7/apa-table2.jpg

ok - well I think it was published after I submitted, I still can't access the entire paper as is so recent, although I can work out that the research is very different, SO glad did qualititative now - as its a quant study with different participants, in a different country, and found different things. YAY!

Doing a trawl of recent research - to answer any prospective "what is the recent research in your field" q, I have found an article which examines the exact same thing as my PhD.

Slight heart attack later, I've realised it IS quite different in a number of ways and my PhD is fine :-)

BUT do I mention this - my examiners are experts in my main field, but not the specialist area I've focused on. So do I bring it up, or pretend I don't know anything about it?

I'd never work in private sector/consultancy - I'm a home-girl. I like to be with my husband at 5.30 and spend the evening with him. I couldn't work a job where i'd be expected to travel up and down the country every day and work long long hours in the office.

I'd like to work public sector, but there's a lack of identity for me there - when I publish, its my name, I get the credit for my work. In the public sector (e.g. gov't research jobs), then I'd be part of a wider team where my effort is less likely to receive credit.

As an academic I get to do things how I want to, my contract doesn't have ANY hours I have to meet -so the flexibility is immense. I get 40 days leave a year. I do end up working long long hours, but I get to do that at home and to my schedule e.g. hubs has gone to the pub today, so I'll spend a few hours catchiing up with student emails etc. If we have kids the flexibility of the role is also very valuable.

I thnk it all depends on what your asking them about. If it may have skewed your data (e.g. if you ask about online shopping and only distribute the questionnaire online), then you at least need to acknowledge that.

Try looking for papers on response rates - there are quite a lot on snowballing samples, and how to maximise participation rates and the effects of online samples.

congrats! That's a great start!

Main reason I took it out is cos sup didn't think it was relevant. I thought it was highly relevant. Now I'm worrying. Oh well. Can't do anything about it now. I'll print it off just in case

well the main reason I took it out was because it wasn't the main aim of my study, and also it made the chapter a bit long HA! So not really sure if that will work?

I did keep the work, yes. I guess I could print off the findings to have ready at the viva? and then they could just ask me to insert the page?

So, what happens in your viva if you get asked about something that you didn't include, but maybe have done.

E.g. my sup made me edit out a section which analysed and talked about what my participants thought of XYZ.

So in the viva, if they ask "what did your participants think of xyz" do I say "well, actually I did an analysis and.." or do I try and avoid this because I may be walking myself into a huge correction? i.e. to add that work in?

If I am lucky enough to pass my viva, I'll go with Dr. I work in academia now, so its kind of expected. But I also hate being defined in relation to my husband. I am a person in my own right, not just his wife. So I don't really like Mrs. He also has a PhD though, so it will be Dr. and Dr. Sneaks! Having said that, if he'd failed his viva, then I wouldn't have used Dr. because I'd feel like I was rubbing his nose in it. Wonder if he'll use his, if I fail?