on the way Kieran

Can't offer anything really solid - I'm preparing for mine too, although not tomorrow, thank goodness! I have been told to be really clear on how mine fits into 'the bigger picture' and my contribution to knowledge. Also I was told to be strong on my chosen methods and be ready to 'argue' if it is suggested that I could have gone about things differently. Somewhat preversely I have also been told to be ready to defend my structure which is my supervisor's. It's not really that radical, if anything it's very traditional but I do have a Part I and a Part II, really pushing the boundaries, I know (sic).

Best of luck tomorrow - keep us posted (up)

I was wondering how things were going for you job-wise Delta - fingers crossed something comes good for you soon (up)

I got them for you; I'll send them on.

I used Grounded Theory which also relies on codes. What I said in my thesis was that I was aware that some codes were near duplications of others but I was reluctant to interpupt my initial coding by tackling this. At a more advanced stage I mentioned that I examined the codes with a view to teasing out duplications and that I conflated my large number of codes to a far smaller number! It was a retrospective 'analytic' technique on my part but my supervisor never queried it and tbh, in hindsight that is exactly what I did - although I wasn't aware of it at the time!!

I used to indent with no space then between paragraphs - does this mean I am old? I thought it looked nice! However, supervisor picked me up on it and I changed to one space between paragraphs.

I am pre, not post viva so can't offer any concrete advice save to say there have been a number of posts from people recently who are worried about their viva corrections so it does seem par for the course. I would take Pink_Numbers and Dr. Corinne's advice given that they have both been through it particularly in relation to doing the corrections and including a rationale for why you have done certain things. Congrats again on successfully completing your viva; my own viva will be over the next few months.

@Pink - did I miss a post from you about your own viva? Huge congratulations on successfully passing - you kept that quiet or was it me who missed it? Glad to see you have exchanged your ear muffs for a mortar board, I'm really pleased for you.:-)

Hey Cakeman

I can get it for you; pm me with an email address :-)

======= Date Modified 14 Nov 2011 10:02:29 =======
Reassuring that I'm not alone in having no idea what these guys are selling - thought it might be a generational thing:$

I was a co-organiser of a summer school and we had several visiting academics. What we did was that the uni or rather my department covered the costs of the flight and the accommodation and lunch on the day. The visiting academic didn't get a fee for speaking or any other expenses. We also didn't cover the costs of the taxi to and from the airport which I thought was mean but nobody else on the committee seemed to think so. All the visiting academics were given a gift which I think is fairly standard. However, how many paperweights does any one person need? :p


I would clarify what your department might pay before contacting the academic themselves.

Hi Blackbryd - just wanted to offer you some virtual support although in my present frame of mind, I won't offer any advice, trust me it would not help!

You are so nearly there. As so many [wise] people say on the forum time and time again, break it all down into tiny chunks and tick them off as you go. What I ended up doing in the last few weeks was keeping a to-do list which I spilt into two halves - one side was for immediate day-to-day things and the other side of the page was for longer term items, such as run a tense check for example. I made sure that I carried these items over each day and in a way it did help. The end was for me the hardest so keep on trucking, you will get there (up)

I have been told that on occasion too and am worried in the viva that I won't defend strongly enough. I intend talking myself up big time in the mirror in the days before - 'you can do it', 'it is good enough' etc etc. I hope, that come the viva, for those 2-3 hours or so, that the thesis will be all I focus on and defend it for all I am worth.

That's the plan...

Good luck Dalmation - yes you can(up)

======= Date Modified 10 Nov 2011 14:34:04 =======
======= Date Modified 10 Nov 2011 14:33:48 =======
Tricky one, isn't it although surely a professional exam board would not let something like that affect the outcome.

Having said that, I am in two minds whether I want mine there or not. I feel I would be more assertive a la Sneaks if he wasn't there and yet to not have him there might send some message to the examiners that there is a problem which there really isn't. One pro I have heard about a supervisor being there is that the viva can go by in a haze for the candidate and the supervisor can take notes and remember what actually happened. A friend of mine had his viva recently and was also undecided about his supv being present. In the end she was there but sat behind him, so totally out of his line of vision.

I know you're annoyed Delta with the lack of support you seem to have gotten but if you think it would rock the boat by him or her not being there I would bite my tongue and just let them in. Afterall, present or not, presuming you pass (and you will :-)) it will go down in your department as a success for your supv and the team.

Let us know what you decide

Many congrats Dr Cplusplus girl :-) and thank you for the detailed viva story - very interesting.

And congrats Dr Mak as well(up)