To be honest, this thread makes me smile.
Of course I can understand everybody's concerns, don't get me wrong!
But, in Greece, where I live, it is sooooo common to move far from your family in order to work! Especially teachers (as I am one) are appointed all over the country by the ministry of education. I, for example, had to move to a very small island, 3 flights away from my home and I stayed there for two years just because I was lucky and I managed to get transfered to my place. A friend of mine is still there (5 years now) with her two children....
What I want to say is that 3 and 4 hours away is nothing! If a relationship is stable, if you want it to last, then it will....

Thank you Chuff and KB!

I will dfinitely look at Golden-Biddle and Locke.

KB, if you can send me these papers it would be fantastic!!!!

======= Date Modified 27 Feb 2011 21:07:45 =======
You see, the problem is that I can't find them... Most of them are now retired and I don't have any contact details. Also, as the analysis is done in English, I can't give it to them (nor can I find another similar group) as the research is done in Greek and is about Greece...
I can't form a focus group with adequate knowledge of English here, and I can't do it either in UK, as this would change the specific national context....

Hi all!!
Today I came across a problem and I don't know how to solve it. It has to do with my methodology chapter (which by the way my supervisors had already accepted but today raised the issue) and my reliability and validity section.
I am doing a qualitative research. The interviews were conducted in Greek and they were translated by me into English. So, I didn't have any respondents' validation. Even if I sit down again and transcribe the interviews in Greek, I don't have any more communication with my respondents, so I can't have them validate these.
My supervisors are concerned with this issue and have told me to find a way to address it...
I don't know how I could do this! Any suggestion????? ,-) :$

======= Date Modified 23 Feb 2011 10:39:53 =======
Well, I have an MBA (and an MA) and I got accepted in a PhD (PT).
I didn't have to face any problems, not even with the fact that my MBA result was crap, as I had quite a few problems with my tutor (he thought the non-British should not study in British universities, and especially non-British women)....

Got it!!!!!!
Thank you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can anyone access:



Fairhurst, G. T. and Grant. D. (2010) The Social Construction of Leadership: A Sailing Guide.Management Communication Quarterly, 24(2), pp. 171-210


Thank you!!!!!

It's reasuring to see that I am not the only one with a short thesis!!!!
Thank you all!!!!!

I guess I will have to wait and see after I finish my first full draft. Then I would probably have to write more...
Other thesis in my field are quite longer, but they are from universities that have a word limit of 100.000..... And other thesis from my country are much shorter, but I know I shouldn't compare to them, as the system is different here....

Good luck Sneaks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can understand how you fell, as I have to work in the evenings, too.
During the mornings I am working in a "real" job, because I have to eat, drink, pay rent, pay car installments, pay fees at the uni....That leaves me with afternoons and evenings for PhD work............
I wish I could do it FT and treat it as a job (without the "real" job) :p

As I am writing up my thesis, I have seen that my chapters are quite small.
I have two literature chapters (7 and 8.000 words), a methodology of 5.000 words and an analysis of 8.000 words. plan on having 3 more analysis chapters and a discussion one (of course introduction and conclusion).
I know it is so early to worry about length, but following this pattern I will have a thesis of about 60.000 words and I guess it is so small...
I should add that my uni's regulations say that a PhD thesis should be up to 80.000 words.
My supervisors don't seem to worry yet, but I am getting anxious.......

Sorry about the rant :p

I broke up with my bf a few months ago, while I was (and still am) in my third year of my studies.
It was the necessary thing for me, as there wasn't any respect towards me. He believed that he was the only one working, because he was a doctor and as a result everyone else had to serve him. I am working FT and I am doing my PhD PT. This means that when I am at home I need time to work on my research. But having to be his maid (exactly, I was his maid!!!) my PhD suffered.
We discussed it over and over and there was no result (his answer was "but I am working every morning and I need to rest in a clean and tidy home and I need to eat a warm fresh meal every day. You are just reading a book and do nothing, even in your work you are just sitting on a chair"). So the best thing was to end the relationship.
Since then, I managed to make very good progress and now I am working towards writing my thesis. For me breaking up was one of the best things in my life.

Hey, all!
I think it;s time for me to participate again in this thread.
As many of you know, I am a PT student from Greece, and I work FT in Greece.
My sups want me to finish by September but I am hoping for June 2012 (can't seem to be able to persuade sups though).
So far I have:
Introduction: Outline
Literature 1: Done
Literature 2: Done
Methodology: Almost done (third draft, waiting for feedback)
Analysis 1: Done
Analysis 2: Nothing
Analysis 3: Nothing
Analysis 4: Nothing
Discussion: Zero draft (discussion before analysis, isn't that strange???)
Conclusion: Draft 1

Good luck to all!

My uni requires that I have at least two supervisors from the uni. When I started my PhD I had 2 lovely sups, but then sup 2 retired. She remained my external sup. and a third sup took her place as my second internal (cofused????).
I only meet with sup 1 and 2. They are good friends and they really help me, especially sup 2 who is great with grammar and language 9as a foreign student I have some(sic) problems). Sup 3 (the second internal) is a "silent" sup. I guess she doesn;t even know what my reserach is about, but it doesn;t matter, as she never participates in meetings and I don't have to send her my work....

OK! Time to set a goal because for a few days I have done nothing!
So, my goal for today is to finish 1 section of my methodology chapter!
CU all later!