I feel like I'm butting in here Chuff but your format sounds exactly what I will end up with :-)

Best of luck with your viva (up)

That's actually good to know - are you guys saying that appendices etc are included in your word count? In my uni I'm 99% certain that they're not. I know someone who's initial final draft was 58,000 and she was told that she had to at least get it up to 75,000! I was worried myself about reaching the upper limit - maybe I don't have to. I must check it out - Thanks :-)

If your supervisors are not worried, well they probably know best. Having said that 60,000 is 20,000 shy of the recommended length which does seem quite a bit shorter than uni regulations. My format is super traditional and at the moment my introduction which I have done but constantly add/take words to and from is 8,000, my literature review is c16,500 and my methodology is 15,000. My uni regulations are 80-100,000 words so I am working towards being in the 78-82,000 length realm. Really long theses are frowned on but I'm not sure about theses which are shorter.

I suppose it all depends. Have you seen other theses in your area - what are they like?

Gosh Sneaks you must be one of the hardest worked RAs in the country. Your supervisor sounds like she pushes you really/too hard. Is the work connected so that at least you can get something out of it, apart from the money of course?!?

Sorry to hear you have been stressed due to external forces lately Pink, but you sound like you handled it really well, in a way that lets you move on. Sometimes people make offhand comments without any thought of the effect they can have on people. As you say, in the greater scheme of things it won't make any difference to your July submission so it sounds like you did the right thing and were a better and bigger person that the person who upset you. Hopefully today will be better for you.

A(up)

======= Date Modified 16 Feb 2011 14:02:55 =======
Chillax Pink, as my daughter frequently says to me to which my response is usually something along the lines of "Stop telling me to chillax" :-s :-s

I recommend some knitting as that seems to do it for you.

One day this will all be over - won't it?:-(


Edit: just received an email telling me I am the lucky recipient of 850,000 pds for a draw I never even entered - suddenly I am feeling very chillaxed, or is it too good to be true?!?!?!?!?

That's a hard one!

You say semiotics doesn't encompass everything but rarely is there a framework that has absolutely everything a person needs, surely? Would it be possible to take a 'nearly' suitable framework and adapt it to your work??? That could be your contribution to knowledge as it were. My understanding of your work is that it fits into cultural geography. Have you tried looking through the International Encyclopedia of Human Geography via ScienceDirect for ideas? There is a sub-section on Media which might help, or at the very least point you to some authors or frameworks worth investigating. If you don't have full access you should still be able to see the abstracts. I have full access if you need anything.

Hi Slowmo

You're certainly not alone. That imposter syndrome gets to a lot of us and often seems to wield more influence in many ways than all the publications and prizes anybody might have. However, you said it yourself, you have publications, you have won prizes, your supervisors think you're on track to submit so you CAN do it.

I work at home most days as I get freaked out by seeing those around me apparently working so much more efficiently and productively than me! At least at home I can't see them. I don't mind comparing progress here on the forum but even so, sometimes when I hear what others have done it gets to me and the doubts seep in. Many people have put up advice here not to compare yourself to others and they're right, but it's hard. Still, it's your Phd, done your way.

If your submission date is 1st of July, work back from that and figure out what to have to do from now 'til then to make that submission date. Despite your crisis of confidence, it does come through from your post that you're on track so think positive - by 2nd of July you'll be in happy-town. There's a lot of us on the forum at the moment hoping to submit this summer so we should be able to keep each other motivated, and sane!

Quoting Barack Obama (:$) "Yes, we can" and coining a new mantra for the forum here, "Yes we will"!!

Good luck with the presentation, Batfink (up)

Pain, sweat, tears and long hours: yep, can relate to it all!

Congrats on submitting, you sound very happy indeed :-)

I'm guessing your 'assignment' is to communicate your reserach to non-specialists?

No media advice I'm afraid but ever the social scientist I conducted a quick survey on your behalf - among 3 teenagers, eh my own!! The advice to start with a puzzle or question is good, something interesting at the start will 'grab them'. Not too difficult though or you might lose their attention. They're not interested in the words, so graphics and pictures are preferable to 'boring words', that old adage is true of most teenage audiences, ie show not tell. The majority of them will know how to create powerpoint themselves so it's all the more challenging to make it interesting.

I gave a talk to 100 16 year olds who visited our uni a couple of months ago. I followed on from a lady who had put up slide after slide (about 30 in all) and really just told them exactly what they could see for themselves on each slide. I felt the room was pretty bored. When it was my go, I started off with a GIS map and asked them if they could see anything wrong with it. It got the room talking at least. Difficult I know when you are recording voiceovers for your slides but my point is, they can read the slide themselves so the challenge is to make what they're seeing interesting.

I'd be interested to hear how you get on.

Swetchha, you sound like you have loads done (way more than me) and your deadline is the same as mine. I have three chapters written, c40,000 words written but am only now starting to write the analysis. Plus I am still editing those three chapters - some days I think, yes I'm on track, other days I get this tight feeling in my stomach and dread that I will never make it. I am better doing it altogether, ie editing, analysing and writing anew as if I think too much I get no where. Hopefully all the threads will come together early summer for a late summer submission.

Good luck with yours (up)

btw, I'm in the social sciences as well so no major stats for me either. My problem at the moment is presenting a brief bio of one of my main theorists in a 'nice flow diagram' (I'm quoting my supervisor here!!). I don't like flow diagrams at the best of times, never mind construct one from scratch! Not exactly sure where to start...

Hi Batfink

Did you get everything you need? I have access to two university's electronic journals, both of which are pretty good.

A

======= Date Modified 15 Feb 2011 14:49:12 =======
I can understand your anxiety but if you read back through your two posts, it does sound as though you should be well able for your viva. I take your point that you don't feel your data is on a par with your theoretical arguments so I imagine you will have to focus your viva prep on having good rebuttals for that criticism, if indeed it comes in the viva. Afterall, a viva is a defence so if you defend well enough you should pass. Perhaps stress that for you, data is a 'tool' to demonstrate your theory - that may be enough. I know people who have been asked in their viva if there is anything that would be do differently if they were to start over. That maybe your chance to suggest improvements to your data? My impression is that everybody feels that there is one particular area of their PhD that is weak and for you it's your data, not your theory. For many people, I imagine it is the opposite.

My reading of what you say is that the staff at your new uni feel you are one of those people (and I guess we all know a few) who has a PhD in all but name and that the viva is a 'formality' to get the actual official accreditation. You're right not to underestimate it but it does seem that the strength and sheer volume of your publications and collaborative work mean that should you pass.

Good luck (up)

Sounds a difficult situation to be in. I'm afraid I can't offer you much advice except to say that I thought a person's supervisor had to effectively sign off on the PhD so as to allow it be submitted. Do they not have to verify that they think it is of PhD standard? I didn't think it was possible to submit without this but perhaps I am wrong? Possibly it differs from institution to institution?