Yes I did (in my conclusion as I do not have a separate discussion chapter) but it is not very detailed. I discussed strengths and limitations a lot in my methodology chapter, so I only included the strengths and limitations that emerged when I was considering the research reflectively that I had not previously mentioned. I felt as though I needed to put it in just to tick a box really, but I had not been specifically advised to do so. It focused mainly on validity because that is a frequently debated point in the methodology I am using.

I have had a good day in some respects and not in others. I sent my conclusion chapter off (hurray!) and dedicating the rest of this week to conference preparation and job applications. I got an article accepted, but with major revisions after waiting 6 months for a decision. This is two articles accepted with majors and although it is good news, sometimes reading reviewers comments makes me feel a bit inadequate! My general feeling is 'why can't I ever get minor amendments?' Academic stuff aside, I discovered I may need another surgery for a health issue that was diagnosed last year. It's a recurring thing and the only way to treat it is through surgery. It made me feel really down as I am trying to apply for jobs and fear I will look like a liability when I eventually get a job if I keep needing surgery.

Our department is the opposite- they keep telling you it takes 4 years, and to use those 4 years. I have worked my hardest to try and get it done in 3, but then the whole waiting around for others thing takes it over that regardless. So frustrating!

Zutterfly, I'm very sorry to hear about your health condition, sending you hugs! if it's the right employer they won't discriminate based on illness. Try not to worry. It could happen to anyone. A colleague of mine has just gone off for 2 months due to an emergency operation, it'll probably happen to most of us at some point in our life.

Thanks for sharing info about what you included, these last 2 chapters (discussion & conclusion) feel like tick box exercises to me, I'm so confused about what to include and what not to include.

How do you justify not having an overall discussion chapter? I don't think I need one, but I don't know how I'll convince my supervisors ... I have detailed discussions and conclusions in each study chapters!

Zutterfly, congratulations btw on sending your conclusion chapter! i know you've got edits to do but it's a huge milestone :)

Thank you for the congratulations and the hugs Hugh! Much appreciated :)

I suppose I worry RE employment as its so dog eat dog out there as it is. Its a recurrent illness with no cure. Not life threatening, just excruciatingly painful. I was down too as when I had my initial op last year, I could not believe the difference. I felt like a new person! It was short lived though *sigh*

No worries- I am happy to help. I did three combined findings and discussion chapters. I have never managed to separate the findings and discussion into separate chapters, even at undergrad and MA level as I would just repeat myself. I present a finding, then dedicate a few paragraphs to discussing it, before moving on to another aspect of my findings. Did you discuss your findings throughout your findings chapter(s)? If so, you may not need a discussion chapter if you have done it throughout?

Yes, I've done a detailed discussion for each study. In one of them the results and discussion is combined, the other two have got seperate discussion and results within the cheater, more attune to journal article style. I think my supervisor expects an overall discussion chapter. I think I'm going to summarise up key findings from all three studies but I'm not sure I need to repeat linking to literature again? I saw some people used the conclusion to individually answer the overall research question and objectives. I'm not sure what to do, maybe it's time to have a supervision!

Btw no one hardly ever gets minor revisions with journal papers, it's really unheard of. My supervisor reckons revise and re-submit is basically an acceptance (eventually). I'm waiting in a decision on one paper and it's not a nice time. Every time I receive critical feedback it bruises my confidence.

However what I've found is I find it much easier to deal with critical written on paper by supervisors than critical feedback given face to face. That really hurts! :(

Thank you Hugh, you have made me feel better about the journal outcome. One that I have been trying to publish for 2 years, yes 2, was based on my MA work. That one came back with majors twice- but I knew it was a weak paper as it was based on a rushed piece of research for my MA dissertation. That journal give me 3 months each time. The one I got a response from today gave me about 1 page of corrections (no where near as much as the other one) and gave me 6 months. That is another drawn out process too!

If this helps, my conclusion individually answered each research question drawing the overall themes in the findings together to do so. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out but I am pleased with the result. I did repeat bits of key literature when doing this, but kept it to a minimum as I was focusing on *my* findings- I brought in the literature to show major contrasts really. I would recommend maybe printing your findings/discussion chapters and going through them whilst sat in front of your computer with a word document loaded, and just bullet point what you feel are the main contributions to knowledge are, but try to do it in as few points as possible (this will help you avoid just repeating the findings/discussion) then maybe build your writing around these bullet points?

I only really get the critical feedback on paper then I raise any points I am confused about to my sup face to face. They did once make some super critical points in person and I think I got visibly anxious as they haven't done it again- it's safer on paper haha

One page of corrections is amazing! I normally get at least 3 pages!

Thanks for sharing how you wrote up your conclusion and the tip on how to do that. I'm going to get started on it :)

I think you will need to do this. This is what I did, but I got told by my external that it was repetitive of my other chapters, which was true, but I didn't know what else to do! My supervisors thought it was ok.



Not so sure about this. Two of my papers were accepted with basically no revisions (IF 2 and 5) and one got major revisions - which I then didn't do and then it got rejected (obviously!). This might be field-specific though maybe.

What field are you in TreeofLife?

I have seen people getting minor corrections when publishing on papers with multiple authors. It seems tricky being a sole author in the social sciences with little support from sups when publishing.

I'm in biology, so it's probably quite different. My papers are all multiple author, although I would add that I did write everything myself and prepared the figures myself, so my supervisors had very little input and basically just went along with what I had done. But on the other hand, it was all stuff they had seen in my thesis and thought it was ok so they had input at other stages.

Thanks! Did you repeat linking to literature in the overall discussion?

And also did you find your conclusion was repetitive too?

Initially I just added the key references in, but then my supervisors said I had to put all relevant references in, so yes I linked to all the literature in the end. My conclusion was basically a collection of key achievements so this was repetitive too.

Thanks! :) this makes me feel a bit better now.

I can't wait to get these final two chapters done then I can take a break :)

So, what are everyone's plans/goals for this week?