viva corrections

Hi all,

I passed my viva a while ago and got a pass with minor corrections. In my institution, minor corrections are classed as
“Minor corrections may take up to 3 months to rectify. They can be defined as a significant number of typographical and/or grammatical errors or minor formatting errors. Minor corrections may also include other changes to the thesis but do not require any additional significant research to be carried out.”

My viva report was confusing to say the least, but dealt with Chapters 2,3 of the thesis (I've an earlier thread on this). The internal never got back to me after I submitted my corrections, and now 3 months later has decided they aren't sufficient.

At a recent meeting he suggested that there were a number of implied corrections. Essentially if I change parts of Chapter 2 (literature review) that it would change the entire thesis. While I get why this might be a factor in other theses, in mine it shouldn't be. The additional info that I put in my lit rev is all the stuff I'm NOT looking at. To me, it therefore doesn't change the results and analysis of my thesis.

The results and analysis sections are not discussed on the viva report AT ALL (Chapter 4, 5). He's asking for a complete thesis re-write and re-structure of every single chapter.

My institution is not helping me fight this at all. My supervisors can't get involved and the head of postgrad studies agrees with the internal despite never reading my work. They are saying he is perfectly within his rights to suggest there were "implied corrections" on my report. They seem to see no issue with a complete re-write and re-structure of my thesis under the minor corrections heading.

I don't think these corrections are minor as I know I'll have to carry out additional research. Am I wrong?

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?

Thanks for the reply wowzers.
No they aren't happy with changes I've made, and I would have been happy to address those again if they wished. But it seems that theres piles more corrections now heaped on top of the original ones. The "implied" corrections was rewrite of the entire thesis, when all my viva report stated were parts of chapters 2 and 3.
Because I passed with minor corrections the external examiner has nothing to do with it.

The heads of my institution are happy to let the internal dictate this because they argue that it still fits until the heading minor corrections because I'm undergoing examination.

Its a complete nightmare. I handed in my minor corrections three months after viva. Its now 9 months since my viva and the internal has come back with this

It's all very well for them to state 'it still fits until the heading minor corrections'- but I would be VERY tempted to question this out of the blue claim, and want to see exactly where this is written down. It must be subject to definition somewhere- and you are within you're rights to expect the same precision from them as they have come to expect from you.

I reckon they're taking the piss mate.

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?

Sorry, just to clear up...
The heads of my institution are happy to let the internal dictate this because they argue that it still fits until the heading minor corrections because I'm NOT undergoing re-examination.

Yes but WHAT procedure do they base that 'argument' on?

They are basing it on the definition of of minor corrections as is in the postgraduate handbook of regulations where it states

“Minor corrections may take up to 3 months to rectify. They can be defined as a significant number of typographical and/or grammatical errors or minor formatting errors. Minor corrections may also include other changes to the thesis but do not require any additional significant research to be carried out.”

I did the corrections on my viva report, but now I'm being told I missed the "implication" that I needed to rewrite the whole thesis. And I'm being told this 8 months after my viva

Also the corrections they are demanding are going to take way longer than 3 months

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.

I've done all of that. I called a meeting with the Head of Postgraduate Studies and the internal and asked all those questions. I stated all of those things and they are still making me do it.

Hi excommunicate,

I had a bad viva experience too but fortunately did not go as far as yours. But I totally empathise with you, as I felt similarly.
To cut a long story short, I had two aggressive examiners (which my supervisor selected), and an unpleasant viva experience. The outcome was minor revisions. Next day I got a massive report of 14 pages of corrections ( my internal was absolutely clueless and the comments had no scientific basis).

Judging from the aggression of the viva and the aggression of the comments, I thought that the internal will go on and on not letting me complete, but they b* off after the first round of comments. I don't know the dynamics in your department, but if things went nasty, I would first talk to the head of the department and the head of the institute. If that didn't work, a lawyer. Don't bother with the head of postgraduate studies. Take the list of the corrections and your publications and smash the place down.

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.