I find the combination of data collection, analysis and writing a big challenge, MS86. To some extent, analysis and writing can fit together (especially in qualitative studies), but on data collection days I struggle to do anything else at all, as my data collection involves going out and about and meeting people and I just feel there's so much 'dead time' in travelling! I've discovered I'm not very good at juggling different types of task, and am so looking forward to there being only writing to do.

It does sound like you have a good system - three weeks for a draft chapter is not at all bad! I'm also aiming to hand in by the end of the year.

Hope you feel better soon, Zutterfly! I had time off sick recently and although it's not ideal, I found it was much better just to take the time and recover than to try to work through it.

I've given myself a longer deadline for the chapter I'm working on, Zutterfly, because it is a big chapter and needs a lot of work and I just want to go about it in a sensible way. I felt instantly less stressed when I shifted the deadline, so I think it was the right thing to do!

I drink loads of herbal teas these days, which I'm sure makes me not a legitimate PhD student at all, but I can't tolerate coffee any more.

Hugh, I think I always underestimate how long editing is going to take - I always think 'I've got lots written for this chapter' and then the editing takes way longer than the writing ever did! I like Zutterfly's 'combing' idea though, will give that a try.

Yes, the situation with Friend A is pretty unhealthy. He's more or less saying, 'you fulfil some need in me so I'm going to keep on acting in the same way even though I now know it isn't suitable for you'. That's not a two-way friendship and I wouldn't feel bad about just backing off from it.

Having to find a way to plod on even when a lovely spring day is beckoning and you just want to run away and do something nice (ok, this is a moan at me and my motivational issues :-) )

Thanks for the link, Hugh - I've never used a 'diagram' approach to deciding what should go into a chapter - might be worth a try!

Sounds like a sensible length. Mine is about 15,000 in its current form, but some of it is getting moved into the discussion as I'm going to use it for 'suggestions for further research' (having identified gaps in the literature that I then didn't have the resources to address :-) )

I'm planning on making my conclusion very short, because I think I'll just waffle and repeat parts of my discussion if I aim for anything more than that.

I'm planning the same approach - bringing it all together so it fits more as a 'body' of work, looking back to the literature review to see how/if my studies helped address the gaps, limitations of the work and suggestions for future research.

I had a look at this, Kristine, but I'm not sure if you want to hear about PhD projects, or if it is aimed more at industry? I was just a little confused as it asks about teams and so on. If it's ok to answer about a solo PhD project, I will complete it.

Hope you feel better soon, Zutterfly!

I've been a bit unproductive too. I'm definitely doing work avoidance with 'monster chapter'. I have advanced my notes for it a bit and got some analysis done towards it though, so every little helps, I suppose!

I am not at that stage yet, Littleowls, but what I am planning to do is to gather lists of typical viva questions (you can find them online) and ask friends/family/supervisor to ask me questions, so I get used to articulating my answers. Your supervisor might be able to do a mock viva with you. If you are comfortable giving talks, some people swear by giving a departmental talk shortly before the viva, again to sharpen your focus. I would also say try to do some stuff that's relaxing and remember you're the expert on your thesis!

Oh, you should've said - Glasgow FTW then! (only joking - Glasgow graduate here!)