In my uni heretofore there has been very little ongoing checking to ensure students are progressing properly. Oh, there are progress reports but up until about two years ago these were 'tick-box' exercises and quite honestly a bunch of us doubted they were even read! I can completely understand how you have got to where you're at feeling that you really don't have a handle on what you're doing.

I think as an immediate help you should look at other theses in your field. No doubt your uni's library catalogue has some but if not register [free] with the British library, download a few in your general area - doesn't have to be exactly on your topic - and skim read to get a feel for what a completed and presumably successful PhD thesis is. By reading a few theses introductions I think you will better understand how a PhD research topic is framed. Here's the link if you don't already have it: http://ethos.bl.uk/Home.do;jsessionid=B70CA576E236A5092E3BF910B921342B

btw, while I understand you are feeling lost, even students completely on top of their topic sometimes don't 'cement' their reserach questions until well into their write up so don't despair. :-)

if a focus group is not possible due to costs and geographical issues, could you think about doing follow-up telephone interviews? There is quite a lot of literature on phone interviews (pros and cons etc) but given that you have already met these people, it wouldn't be like a cold call. You could work out the whys and essentialness (sp??) in your methodology chapter and retro-fit these phone interviews in, ie you planned all along to do follow up phone interviews ;-)

at least she won't have to worry about prematuring ageing as a result of the PhD process!

Hope it goes well for her (up)

Hi Ian

I can get it for you. I have your email address from before.

Hi Starlight

paper on its way to you :-)

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I have mine under headings but not bulleted. Each contribution is a few paragraphs. Plus my supvervisor has made me expand on how brilliant my stuff is (sic). He has made me specify exactly how I add to the field. So for your first point above works as an intro to what you have done but it needs more I think. I use words like 'furthermore' and 'moreover' to ram home how super-duper my work is!!

Please don't ask:

So, how many words have you written? (my husband)
But darling, you have worked so hard, you must be nearly finished (my mother :-s)
Don't be negative, maybe your supervisor will say you can submit (my husband)
Did you get much done today (husband)
Is she still studying (the rest of the world)

Really just be supportive by understanding but not necessarily probing for details. Offer to proofread but only for commas, grammar, typos etc (unless he asks you to do so for context). Also if you're computer savvy, offer to do his table of contents, or cross check his references, hunt for any he is missing. Also don't preplan 'just a few days away' right when he is hoping to submit!

Good luck(up)

Congrats KB, guilt-free chillax time, must be a great feeling (up)

that's too bad Star-Shaped, sorry to hear that but on the plus side it sounds like your thesis is nearly good to go. How did you find writing the abstract? I haven't done mine yet - have been putting it off, and off, and off...

Sure, I can get it - pm an email address to send the pdf :-)

I wasn't really suggesting that you pull your work from her; just really taking her [petty] argument to its logical conclusion. It's certainly a cheek particularly as you say your work on it started after she left your uni. It's a tough one for you 'coz as you say you do want to have the paper written with you as a co-author. I don't know - does her then supvervisor still work where you are? Could you tactfully ask his/her advice?

You could of course be equally petty to her in return and say that you are not happy for her to write a sole author paper using the work that you did. She would be rightly 'twisted' then!

Ah, Aug-Sept, spider time, we've had a few monsters. I don't like them but my daugher freaks out - you've probably heard her screaming!!

Star-Shaped, did you find your cat?