I think I'm likening your mistake to reading the tails of a bell-shaped distribution (normal, student-t) as being the significant result rather than the body (or vice versa depending upon your data). If so, you've made the easiest mistake (and most basic) you can in statistics. I would guess most statisticians have been there at some time or other. :-)

You make your supervisors sound like people who stayed on to continue the student jolly long after their time as students was finished. :-)

Ian

PART 2:

If they don't pick up on your error, what you do next is a matter of your own conscience. I personally would not want a major error in my thesis, so whether I could sneak it through with any requested minor corrections or not only you would be able to judge. However, bear in mind if you're caught (i.e. examiner goes right back through the thesis rather than just reviews the minor corrections - actually not too likely unless you have major corrections) you could end up in trouble.

However, others at and after viva just want rid of the thing and my own predecessor admitted there were errors the examiner didn't pick up on. That makes me question whether or not some examiners actually read right through people's theses.

Therefore, my advice is as follows. If it is a genuine, minor issue you can clear up quietly (and examiners don't want to be bothered with every comma that is in the wrong place), then do so without drawing attention to it and bringing on major corrections when the minor correction period will be more than enough to sort things out. Make a log as I did and deal with and admit to errors as and when they are raised by the examiners. If you feel the error is a major problem then it's probably better to admit to it and how you're going to deal with it as I've already discussed.

But whatever you do, don't place yourself in the position where you attempt to deliberately deceive the examiners over something that will significantly change your overall conclusions. That is a clear deception I myself would not tolerate (I have examined M.Sc. student's projects).

Ian

In the two months between submission and viva, as part of my viva preparations I went right through my thesis and as with any thesis there were mistakes. Eighteen were typographical errors and I mopped these up without fuss in preparation for any hardbound copy should I have been awarded minor corrections (which in the end I was).

However, I also found two moderately significant errors that I believed could have triggered a major corrections verdict. These I corrected in the script prior to viva, intending to say I was aware of the errors and they would not be present in the final printout. These turned out to be fairly straightforward and were just a matter of me mixing up a couple of tables of data in the discussion (the correct versions were in the results). The total error count from memory was around about twenty, including the two larger errors.

My supervisor told me to keep a log of any errors and bring that with me to viva. At viva, he then told me to put the error log away and not mention it the the examiners, who themselves found three minor typographical errors. I get the impression he'd talked to them beforehand and they'd already said they'd found very little.

My advice really depends upon what happens to you in viva. The distinct impression I got was not to draw attention to any errors and let the examiners find them unless there are major structural problems with your thesis that cannot be avoided. If raised, say how you intend to rectify the problem and discuss what changes you'll make to the thesis to correct it and any consequent changes to the conclusions.

It appears you error has been to misread a statistic, with a consequence that a few pages are incorrect. If 'minor corrections' are say three months at your Uni., then your error sounds rectifiable inside the three months.

You're pre-viva and problems will seem much greater in your head that they really are at this stage, so relax!!!

Ian

I had my own viva delayed so my primary supervisor could host a workshop. Whilst on the whole a good supervisor, the delay meant I couldn't get the viva over with and allow me to push on with my post-via life as quickly as I wanted. I was hoping for viva to be out of the way in a month but had to wait nearly three.

First of all, I'd see about having your leave rescheduled for once you finally have your viva. Even "minor" corrections can take a bit of sorting and having time to yourself to do these is vital especially if you've a toddler on your hands.

Secondly, with undergrad degree exams approaching, I'd guess you're probably looking at a summer viva now, so I'd put your preparations on hold for a few weeks and spend time with your family whom I've no doubt you want to see more of. If you can't delay your leave, why don't you book a week away with your family?

In fact, you could say to your Uni., that it's not convenient now to have your viva for a couple of months so you can have some family time. That depends upon how quickly you want it out of the way, but doing this might give you a little control over events rather than the Uni. coming back and scheduling a time inconvenient for yourself. Unis. being Unis., they sometimes have a habit of doing things to suit themselves rather than the people most affected by what they do.

Whilst I know the delay has come about due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, I also know how frustrating it is. You've now uncertainty over when the PhD and the related work will be finished and that is something you can do without. However, a little control over events I think may help as I suggested above.

Ian

[quote]Quote From HazyJane:
Try here (Data tables tab->vital statistics):

Thanks Jane, however, in trying to help my friend I looked there, had a good hunt around, and I could only find data going back to 1960.

However, data on number of births going back to 1838 is available from here. It was a rush job and in the end I could only do a screen grab, but there was the potential to obtain population statistics and hence work out roughly the number of births per women over the required period. Setting up an account allows data download though there wasn't time to go that far.

For once, I'm here to ask a question rather than to answer / offer advice. :-)

I'm looking for statistics on female fertility rates on the United Kingdom since circa.1850 up to the current day for a friend working in the education sector.

Do any of you know of a website showing such data (the regular sources only go back to 1960 based on World Bank data) or of a journal or publication that shows such data going back to circa. 1850?

If the data is in the form of a journal paper (Wiley, Elsevier / Science Direct / Springer), could someone grab a copy for me and send me a PM so we can arrange for it to be e-mailed across? If the data is a direct or downloadable link, could you throw it up in reply to this message so she can access as quickly as possible?

She's on a tight deadline (tomorrow morning) so any help would be really appreciated!!!

Many thanks in advance,

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)

A couple of quick thoughts (meat to be helpful), given the experiences of other part-time students I have encountered.

1) Do you foresee the current workload easing in the medium term such that at some future point you can continue your studies?

2) If not, how do you plan to change your personal circumstances such that you are able to finish (if you're able to change these)?

I'm thinking of your situation 6 to 12 months hence and how that might compare with now. Once you hit write-up, the demands on you from a study perspective will only become greater.

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)

To add to the above, if the Russell Group Uni. is unaffordable and the ex-Poly appears a very poor choice, I would opt to look elsewhere for another funded position (even if I had to wait) as I would want the best possible chance at my PhD with good support and without other influences affecting my studies. I'd rather delay a year for a good department rather than take a poor department on the basis of this funded position being there now.

I've had good and bad, and believe me bad is not worth any amount of funding if at the end of your PhD period you have nothing to show for it.

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)

I can only echo what others have said, in that look at the reputations of the departments rather than the Universities as a whole. I had two offers, one was Russell Group, one was an ex-Poly. I ended up chosing the ex-Poly and gained my PhD 4 years later after working in a good department with a good leading supervisor.

I then did a (2nd) post-doc in the department I had turned down at the Russell Group University. I had a nightmare year with a bullying head of group and a sidekick (de)mentor, where I literally counted the days until my contract ended.

Ideally you would chose the better department. If it's the ex-Poly with the funding, then no problem. If it turns out to be the Russel Group Uni. position without the funding, is there any possibility you could apply for funding yourself from one of the research councils? If the difference is dramatic, then I would exhaust this option before accepting the ex-Poly.

However, to fund your PhD at the Russell Group Uni., you will be looking at £50,000 minimum to cover fees and living expenses over the three plus years. This single financial consideration may mean the ex-Poly is the only practical option. But if the Russel Uni. department is that good and money is no object, then take that option instead.

If money is not a problem, make sure you visit each department, meet the supervisors and if possible talk to students out of earshot of the supervisors to gain a more genuine impression. This will tell you about support of supervisors and colleagues you might expect. I was allowed to do this at the ex-Poly and not the Russel Group Uni. and that helped a little in my decision. However, money being money, if you can't afford the Russell Group Uni. and the ex-Poly is very unfavorable, I'd leave be and look elsewhere for a funded position with a good group / Uni..

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)

Some academics (and others) seem to have a policy of not answering e-mails at various times so they can get on with other work. Even in my real world job, I know e-mails have to be ignored sometimes in order to do more important things.

Phoning them up or more to the point turning up to see them face-to-face means they cannot ignore you.

Their admins have to be goo (HazyJane makes a good suggestion) as a good number are hopeless with normal everyday tasks. ;-)

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)