I cannot access online, only a limited number of printed copies (2000-2002) on the other campus. Sorry :-(

I am in the science field and my uni sub-committee required the transfer document in the third person.  I imagine that it may be specific to different disciplines. Worth checking with your colleagues and supervisors.

For my submission I have to declare that the content has not been used for another award, so in essence I could not use the same data/thesis to obtain two PhDs from different institutes.  This may also be realised if the plagiarism software used is the same software. So I am not sure that this idea is possible.

I have no experience of this just yet as I am due submission soon, however, my stomach goes into knots just thinking about the viva.  I have always found that preparing well helps ease some anxiety but there is always the 'unknown' factor of a viva. The examiners may be feeling nervous themselves, especially if they are not exposed to this regularly (ie externals).  Experienced examiners should have ways of trying to ease your initial anxieties by asking about generalities of your research etc and by breaking down the examiner-candidate barriers. You can always mention at the beginning that you are feeling very anxious which may break the ice.  But above all, if you need a break then ask for one.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

I have found powerpoint very useful as a single slide that can be modified for poster size. I have used it a couple of times for international and national meetings. If you send me your email I can send a copy for ideas/template.

Can you make an appointment to see the counselling staff at uni.  I think you really need to talk to someone about these fears of judgement that you are experiencing. Your confidence must be very low currently so you need to address this before you can work effectively.  I know it can be very daunting walking into a meeting room and feel as though everyone is feeling fab while you want to hide in the corner. Obviously, fear of having a panic in the meeting and everyone watching/judging you as you make a hasty exit will only exacerbate the problem.  In reality, some of those present may be feeling anxious, nauseous and overwhelmed but they are handling in such a way that you just don't see it. If you were feeling unwell during the meeting and had to leave they would probably be worried/sypathetic for you rather than judgmental.  So as you have suggested your feelings and fears are an irrational over-reaction, but you probably need help to resolve this.

If you can speak with your counselling services they may be able to help mediate between you and your supervisor, or attend a meeting with your supervisor as moral support.  Your supervisor will not be angry or upset, rather they will likely want to help if they can. As for working at home, this may be a part of the solution to do some days at home (away from the phone and email) and some days in uni.  Set yourself work to do at home and focus on this rather than staying in bed. You would like to show your supervisor that you are working, so start getting things done in the relative peace and quiet.  Maybe go into uni in the afternoons and see how it goes, you can always go home again. If your colleagues don't see you then they will notice that you are not there, but unless they really know you and your confidence issues then they won't know to check on how you are.  So you need to start going in and working at your desk, even if you hide behind your ipod/mp3 to start with! They are many people who succeed despite having emotional/anxiety/confidence related issues, you just need to learn the techniques to deal with it.

Hi Globetrotter, I also feel comforted by the fact that your thesis structure is very similar to mine as I have not really read any other related theses.  I found the worst chapter to write was by far the model set-up, methodology and battery of tests that I did to validate the design as there is so much data and validation in that chapter. The easiest was the three experimental chapters as they were all very similar.  The format of these chapters was exactly the same, just different data presented i.e. I used the same model and tested say one product effect in it, then followed on with a similar (slightly varied) product for the same effects. So essentially the work was the same but the tested product was the variant.  The discussion led from the first through to the last chapter, just applying it to each product tested and getting deeper into the discussion, so that really worked well too. I think it took me about two weeks to produce each of the experimental chapters working part-time for about 15 hours a week.  Assuming your thesis is similar, you have probably broken through the worst part of the thesis write-up.

For your next experimental work it is good that you know what needs to be done. Can you overcome the difficulties you experienced previously?  If so, is it good practice to tie these results together if the methodology is slightly varied? You could perhaps put them as two variations in the same chapter and compare/contrast the results. This could be a nice area of reflective work of 'what you would have done differently'!  Obviously, it would be useful to agree with your supervisor of the best course of action, but given the time I would do the experiments that would give you data that you can present in the thesis and then if time allows continue the work to gain extra data to tie them together. Maybe it is worth rechecking with your sup the reasons for his suggestion, ie if it is a critical consideration for the standard of the thesis then he could win lol!  While you are conducting the experimental work, I would also start writing that chapter so that the data just needs to be inserted as you get it. Write-up and data collection can be done in parallel so keeping your focus on the thesis still.

Hi Globetrotter, I am also in science so my thesis is very similar in structure to yours:

1. Combined intro and lit review
2. Data Handling (Hills plots and Stats)
3. Validation of Model: set-up, methodology, battery test results, discussion and suitability
4. Model use in experiment 1
5. Model use in experiment 2
6. Model use in experiment 3
7. Overriding discussion
Conclusions (very concise)

Each of the chapters on model experiments (1-3) uses the device to test other 'new' theories and as such the results of the first leads into the second and ultimately the third.

Do you know what work needs to be done to complete your 'experimental' chapter?  The hypothesis for this needs to be decided upon asap so that you can set aside time to run those experiments. I would device a time plan of what needs to be done and what time is allocated to each part.  I would analyse the experimental data when it is collected and insert the data and graphs/tables into that chapter (to save time of repeating yourself by going back and re-analysing etc). Set up a chapter structure once the data is achieved so that the frame for writing it is there, again to maintain focus.  Perhaps allocate most of your time to getting the experiments done and have a smaller amount of time set aside to complete the existing chapters initially. Once the data is complete then allocate more time for the whole write-up.  I would think that for ch 5 you need to have adequate data for conclusive stats but don't aim to do too much if this is not the 'meaty' part of the thesis.

It may seem overwhelming currently especially with the June deadline approaching fast.  It can be done if you are organised and structure your time accordingly. So plan out what time you have til submission and start allocating your activities.  Have you spoken to your supervisor about this? There may be allowances to extend but you may need the paperwork in now rather than in June.

I think under the circumstances Pink Numbers, you should take a break from your studies to concentrate on your family. It is bound to be very emotional watching the broadcasts as they are familiar for you. It is an awful natural catastrophe that will take a long time to recover. I sincerely hope your family are ok.

My thesis is science based and it seems correct for it not to be personalised. The journals in this area are still published with this academic de-personalisation style, so I guess it will be one of the last areas to be infiltrated by 'I' and 'we'.

I can access this journal but cannot find the ref, are these the correct details?

Refworks is supplied by my uni for the time I am a student, so I don't pay.  If endnote is what your uni supplies then I can see that this is a problem as the upgrade for endnote may not be imminent. There will be lots of other students in this same predicament.  I am sure it won't be long before they have a compatible software. Does your uni supply any other reference software that you could download for free?  I think in your case you either need to change your windows software (arghh!), use another compatible computer for endnote until an upgrade is available or switch to another referencing software. Either way sounds like a real pain.

Can you access your endnote account from another compatible computer? If so you will probably be able to export all of the data and save it as a file for importing into another reference software. I use refworks with windows 7 without any issues.

I agree with pretty much everything said previously. A PhD is a journey that can take many directions. At the beginning of mine the proposal was broad so it took a few directions to finally find the ultimate path. At this early stage in the experimental work lots of ideas will be formulated from previous lab sessions/data so I expect this is why your sup is suggesting so many different ideas. These are ideas and you need to address each of these, either ruling them out objectively or taking them further. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by all of this especially if you are starting to feel depressed. Working long hours without a break will make you more prone to depression so it is a vicious circle. It sounds like you need to restructure your working hours so that you get a break. Take some form of exercise and get out to help lift your morale. I know that when I am feeling depressed (postnatally) it is generally bought on by pressure of my family commitments and PhD workload with little respite. Getting out and managing my workload better usually helps me.

Thanks Ady and Pink Numbers!  I am feeling very deflated currently. Pink Numbers - I emailed yesterday and my uni sup is soon to feedback to me and it doesn't sound too bad, at least no major changes.  The consensus seems to be to go with easter submission regardless of the other external sups lack of feedback. It seems that as long as two sups and I are happy, we can go for it.  Obviously, this is far from ideal as I do respect what each sup can offer as they all have slightly different expertise. My thesis spans them all. 

I guess having three sups adds some fun and supposedly we are to manage them along with our PhD lol.  The three have been there for different reasons, obviously a uni sup, an external who is very proactive and participates in the lab research aswell and finally my other external who has facilitated my use of the lab/facilities (industry lab). It is the latter who is slower for feedback but who could have some valuable comments too.  I really do hope that he feeds back prior to easter. At least when I get the uni sups comments I can actually do something towards the end goal as I am just coasting currently.