Overview of wowzers

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Phd old & new
W

I think you need to ask yourself why you are doing a PhD? Is it to get a job that requires a PhD? In which case option B as you will get one quicker. Your previous work isn't lost, after PhD you can always go back and finish the other project but without the pressure of completing it as a PhD, you could write it up as a book or journal articles with no pressure to pass a viva! Of course getting published is another difficult journey.

End of the Very Long Road?
W

Hi Anz. If the examiners have no issue with the writing and the writing service have said it's up to scratch and have helped you out then I agree with other posters that go for submission. At the end of the day it is not your supervisor who is examining the thesis and requested the changes, the examiners requested the changes and these were not to do with writing style. Good luck. :D

Conferences
W

Good news then. There wasn't a publication from the first two conferences so I will ask about this 3rd one. This is my final year so I will also try and get a publication. Networking is key isn't it! All 3 conferences have come about from networking.

Conferences
W

I haven't attended many conferences. The two I have attended I've been an invited speaker. One for my MA Thesis I was invited to present at a national teaching conference and the other a methods conference at my University during 2nd year PhD (mist other students had to submit papers for selection). I have been invited again to present my PhD work this time at a prestigious data conference (mix of government, business and academics). Does it look bad that I've been invited to confetences rather than have papers accepted?

No feedback - only 5 days left to submit
W

Brilliant news. Yeah I thought he'd push it through at the wire! Still don't understand why the late fee in the circumstances? Hope you do something nice for yourself after submission.

No feedback - only 5 days left to submit
W

If you have a midnight deadline I would def follow advice from Hazy (I think it was) to get it all ready to submit. This is in the event of a curve ball of him signing it off today to make his stats. If he does sign off today it could make the late submission look like your responsibility (I.e he told you he'd get it done by deadline) so be ready to submit in case. Of course if he does sign off you won't be able to make any of his corrections and bearing in mind his judgement may not be up to par if he hasn't given it his full attention so you may choose not to include them anyway. Good luck.

No feedback - only 5 days left to submit
W

Hazy I think it is if he is seeing to other people's work after he has promised to get round to hers then doesn't so she can't even prepare for late submission

There is absolutely nothing wrong in being bereft and disorganised. She gave him the opportunity to go for late submission. She has taken account of his feelings and situation and I think he owes the same to her now that a few weeks has passed. A death in the family is awful but she also has a lot riding on this (possible extra expenses and I job to start in January). He also could have just signed it off but is insisting on making comment, which will cause delay.

Nothing wrong if he came forward and said 'you know what, I know I promised to get it done but I actually do need that extra time'. But that is not what is happening, he keeps insisting it'll get done then doesn't do it and sees to other people.

I had the same situation first day starting my PhD and I was teaching a class that day. I got the phone call in the morning but it was too late to cancel. No I'm not a saint and I'm not saying that'he should be perfect after his experience I'm just highlighting that you can still honor your commitments or at least be honest about what you can and can't do.

I agree thought that you will have to trust your main supervisor.

No feedback - only 5 days left to submit
W

Well then that is just outrageous behaviour by him! Can you go to admin and tell them the situation? Can they email on yoyr behalf saying ghey exoect submission ny x dare? surely you should not be fined as you tried to make the appropriate arrangements. I hope for your sake he signs off with no amendments. Tbh even if he signs with amendments it looks like you'd have to submit without attending to them (prob no biggie as your main sup has already given comment). I'm having an issue with mine over admin they've not done that's out me 3 months behind. Lack if accountability for sups seems rife!

No feedback - only 5 days left to submit
W

What a terrible situation for you. I'm afraid it sounds like he's just taken up your offer of 'take your time and I can always submit late', despite his saying he'll do it in time. Because you've told him you're prepared to submit late if needs be I don't think there is anything that can be done other than wait on him and hope he gives no recommendations. The only other way around is I guess you have to give some forewarning of late submission to admin? I also guess that has to be done in good time and not on submission day? Can you find out when admin need to be told for a late submission and then email saying 'admin need to know by (x) if this will be a late submission'. Might jolt him into making a decision? Good luck.

Overlap between lit review and mini-lit reviews in data chapters?
W

Yes I'm humanities. You've just mentioned some key info, you're writing as papers. In my field this is 'alternative format' with short intro and mini lit review for chapters just as you are doing. Advice I gave was for traditional thesis. :)

Job hunting
W

I'm now a final year student due to submit Sept 16. This time next year I'll have to get one of those horrible jobs ;-) Any advice on career prep over this last year and when's the time to start applying for jobs? Thanks in advance.

Overlap between lit review and mini-lit reviews in data chapters?
W

I've always been told don't bring up new literatures you haven't mentioned in the literature review in later chapters. The way you talk about the literature should just have a different purpose which limits repetition. I.e lit review gives an overview and how you position yourself in that field before honing in on the gap/new Knowledge you can contribute. In your later chapters it's the relationship between those literatures and your specific study/findings. I wouldn't want to spend 5-10 pages of mini lit review in each chapter as it takes words away from your own contribution. You could probably state in a few paragraphs of a chapter intro which literatures from the review are relevant to that particular chapter rather than explaining them all again.

Scholarship PhD Students! I need stories please?
W

Best advice, read the course for where you want to apply. What are they asking for. If it even mentions Masters then actually they really want Masters graduates. Depending on your topic be careful about the Masters programme you pick. Mine didn't have enough research modules in it and I had to really fight to get my scholarship and ended up taking research modules in my first PhD year. Of course there are always the 3+1 programmes that are PhD with an MRes and you upgrade from the MRes depending on grades.

I also had a 2:1 that I got part time whilst working full time so I think my work experience went for me because the PhD was relevant to my past experience. I got a distinction for my MA. I was working when I did my MA so it wasn't funded but I did win a private funding bid for my research project from a research group and I presented the findings at conference.

Transferring from a professional doctorate to a PhD
W

Your methods and methodology sound fine. I wouldn't say you need more complexity. You might need to scale up I.e. more participants and or longer in the field and ammend your research questions as EdD are usually based on your practice where as PhDs, which can focus on practice, generally have wider implications/ broader reach than the practice setting.

Getting a first draft/refining chapters
W

awsoci, yes that sounds like a lot of work but a lot of work well managed. I think I will go for (a), My research is qualitative and as I do my analysis I'm finding things need changing earlier on in the script as findings also have questions for methodology and which literatures are most pertinent. I'm glad others have done it this way because I was getting worried I'd be endlessly polishing Chapters only to have to change them each time I write. Now I know I can do revisions at the end, which makes the most sense for me.