======= Date Modified 06 Feb 2012 13:21:27 =======
I was required to take out around 60,000 words to bring my thesis under 100,000 words. In reality this meant taking out almost an entire result chapter and significant parts of my literature review, methods and discussion chapters and focus on one result theme (rather than several results/themes).

No further data collection, data analysis or second viva.

I'm working through deleting massive sections of my thesis and transferring stuff to seperate documents for publication.

Every thesis differs......but I've separated four result chapters from my two discussion chapters. My examiners were happy with the structure so I'm not changing it.

I have just over six months until my final submission date for re-submission (no further viva). My sups want a final polished draft in 5 months time.

I've spent the last 30 minutes trying to keep calm and trying to prevent a full blown panic attack!

I hope I've left enough time to complete all these corrections.

Best of luck to everyone submitting or working on thesis corrections. Good to know that I'm not the only one going through this torturous process.

Hey Linda :)

Very helpful! Many thanks :)

Hey,

My examiners asked me to add a reflections section on the whole research process in one of my discussion chapters. Is anyone else required to write a reflections section?

Any tips/advice/guidance would be much appreciated!

Thanks Jennie. Excellent post.

I'm going to convert your post into large font and stick it on my notice board above my desk.

Very inspirational!! :)

======= Date Modified 27 Jan 2012 09:35:37 =======
Thank you so much for posting this!

I have so much to do with my R&R (well deleting 3/4 of my result chapters) and I'm really struggling at the moment. I woke up this morning really want to quit my PhD. :-(

Anyway, it's really reassuring to see that people do pass with minors following a R&R.

Congratulations! xx

Thanks everyone :) Reallly helpful! X

======= Date Modified 27 Jan 2012 12:02:59 =======
============= Edited by a Moderator =============
Deleted by Admin - duplicate post.

Hey

After my viva, to bring my word limit down and narrow down my focus, following from my examiners and supervisors requests, I now have to delete 2/3 chapters out of my thesis and focus on one thesis area (rather than several areas) which means I have to delete around 40,000 words of hard work. :(

My supervisory team want me to publish the 2/3 chapters, but I can't help but feel really disappointed and heartbroken at the prospect of deleting such a sizable chunk out of my thesis that I've spent years working towards. The last few months I've written various systematic reviews which I'm now having to exclude from thesis!

How soul destroying!

Anyway, just wondered if anyone has any tips on letting go of much loved and worked on content?

NIGHTMARE!

======= Date Modified 24 Jan 2012 13:48:41 =======
Hey everyone.....

Currently picking myself up off the floor after a soul destroying meeting :( . They think I've almost written work needed for 2 PhDs. If I want this PhD in the summer, I need to delete 3 chapters and focus on one aspect rather than 3/4 aspects and submit omitted stuff for publication in books and articles. I could scream!! :(

My main supervisor was really lovely today though :) The other one (who kept mentioning MPhils before the viva) was less so.

I'm shaking like a leaf!

Thanks Linda- much appreciated :-)(sprout)

======= Date Modified 23 Jan 2012 10:40:56 =======

I was under immense pressure to submit due to my PhD studentship. Someone wrote on this forum that R&R occurs in 1 in 12 PhD candidates, although not sure where this came from!

R&R is a disappointment, but at least they've given me the chance to go for a PhD.

Comments from my examiners outlined in the examiners report including ...........'breaking new ground',  'huge amount of work', 'good argument', 'considerable applied potential', 'very substantial thesis' and 'bringing major potential for new learning' ............obviously saved me from an MPhil!

I thought an MPhil was a definite possibility, but my examiners were unexpectedly and surprisingly positive which has given me something to focus on. I still have many many corrections to work through, but it could have been a lot worse, so at least that's something to be positive about!

======= Date Modified 22 Jan 2012 13:39:44 =======

Hey apewithbrains.

Sounds like what I went through prior to my viva. I was told that I would most likely obtain revise and resubmit and a possibility of an MPhil.

I was distraught before my viva! (lots of tears in front of my supervisors and other people in the department- especially when they started mentioning MPhils!). About an hour before the viva, I saw the internal examiner walking round the department with my thesis in his hand looking very serious indeed. The internal examiner would not look me in the eye and I feared the worse.

I have just over six months to make all the corrections. I'm trying my best with my corrections, taking a few at a time and just working through them. However, I'm making some progress though. I've managed to chop out most of the extra content and addressed some of the major concerns raised by my examiners as well as added some new qualitative stuff that my examiners wanted to see if I had room.

The decision to quit is obviously a personal one. I can be fiercely determined about obtaining a goal, but I STILL have days where I'm starting to wonder if I should be realistic about my chances. Have I bitten off more than I can chew? Am I simply not good enough to obtain a PhD? I'm meeting with my supervisors soon and I know their probably going to ask about why I want this PhD in the first place. Maybe that's a question I'm going to have to ask myself.

However, my examiners gave me some really lovely positive encouragement to finish this thesis which seems to be one of the few things keeping me going at the moment. I'm trying my best to remain positive and surround myself with positive people and positive thinking, but it isn't easy. At this post viva stage, I know that my examiners could have very easily awarded me with an MPhil/no degree, but because of their positive encouragement and feedback, I know that if I follow their corrections very closely, leaving with a PhD is a definite possibility.

It feels like getting through these corrections is just a matter of staying positive, motivated and working consistently and productively. I have days where I'm on fire blitzing through corrections, but other days, I'm feeling very very low. 

All I can do is try my best and work towards a favourable outcome in the autumn. I'm not quitting just yet. I have a six month window where I can either make this happen or not. No one is stopping me other than myself!

The level of positive feedback and encouragement I received from my examiners was completely unexpected, so sups can be wrong!

Best of luck.

======= Date Modified 19 Jan 2012 18:46:18 =======
Really struggling today :(

I've still got loads to work through and I'm supposed to be discussing my progress in a matter of days.

Will I ever get through these corrections??!?! I have until the end of August at the very latest, but it feels like I'm dragging something dead around my ankles today on this never ending climb to the top. Hopefully just a blip today.

Maybe I should focus on what I've done so far, rather than thinking about what i've got to do?!?!

-chopped out a significant amount of extra detail- most of my corrections involve deleting, rewording and editing
-sorted through the major changes my examiners wanted,
-extended, updated and developed my literature review chapters- this still needs considerable work, but my systematic review tables highlight my research problem and research gap.
-fixed the 'thread' throughout
-My new overall structure and new model makes the whole thesis more 'readable'
-added some new qualitative interpretations to my fourth result chapter that my internal requested to see (if I had room!)
-eliminated some rather embarrassingly large typos
-introduced some new models to chapter 1 which frames most of my research questions
-reduced my research questions to four as my examiners requested.

Nightmare! I think this evening will be a case of gritting my teeth and setting small ACHIEVABLE goals rather than thinking that I need to do so much by Sunday!

Onwards fellow PhD candidates
(sprout)