I was not TOLD to redo my research question--but my initial area of inquiry changed as I learned more about the subject, about research methods, etc, so that over time, I re-fashioned the research question to a more particular sort of focus ( with the approval of my supervisor). It did not mean all the prior work was a waste, indeed, without it, I never would have got to where I am.

Without knowing the particulars on what your supervisors said on your question, just generally, I would guess you have the material and the research background to be able to refocus, perhaps tighten up the question, or broaden out the areas of research, include another theoretical dimension...? whatever? To me the research is just layer upon layer--sediment if you will! you just keep putting on layers, until you have the Grand Canyon, or another great piece of work constructed of a lot of small layers of stuff!

This song makes a great positive thinking anthem for doing a PhD! If you haven't got access to a musical version, just have a read of the lyrics---will have the same positive thinking effect.



http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/India-arie/Strength-Courage-Wisdom.html

or revise it as you go? Say, every three months, re-visit the plans, and discuss them, agree changes, etc? To me the thesis work plan is an active document that needs constant attention and revision and weeding!

I gave my supervisor a work plan that listed the chapters by a tentative title, ie Methodology or Final Results or Interview Results, and a very brief notion of what would be in them. Its hard to know whats going to be in them until the research is done, you write, and no doubt as you write, you think of places you need more information or research, etc...I did a chapter submission per month to my supervisor, whether it was brand new or a revised one. Sometimes a written one would be revised several times back and forth, or as I found new things I wanted to focus on with the research, and I myself would initiate the changes...

I think there is a danger in getting too locked into something that won't fit as you point out, as you get results...Can you also build into your plan a plan to change it

The Gods of Research ( because I am sure there must be such a deity or body of deities--perhaps all dressed in black gowns and square hats, with red scarves or hoods or whatever draped about, and no offense meant to anyone's religious or lack of religious beliefs, this is all meant tongue in cheek)

have continued to be good. I am in the flow! Someone just emailed me a very helpful link to a recent lecture given at the Council of Europe that just adds some interest and contemporary information to my topic, and its need for resolution! Oh Hooray! I could do another dance!

http://www.poster.net/looney-tunes/looney-tunes-wile-e-coyote-5000806.jpg

Time for a study break? or some trout?

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~sachin/Wiley.gif

The moment that you got that DR designation!

http://www.theworldaccordingtokang.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/coyote1.jpg

The isolation of a PhD student


http://www.dan-dare.org/FreeFun/Images/CartoonsMoviesTV/Taz.jpg

An external examiner?

http://seekingalpha.com/wp-content/seekingalpha/images/WileE.Coyote11122006_01.jpg

Olivia at work with graphs and charts =)

http://www.atbar.com/wp-content/uploads/wile-e-coyote-posters.jpg

The usual mood of a PhD student

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee143/rjshadow11317/Coyote.jpg

Beaming after a moment of successful research

http://truffleshuffle.co.uk/store/images/genius-coyote-mens-print-125.jpg

Wiley E Coyote, Genius. I look like this at this very moment!!!

In the dim recesses of my research cavern, great things are happening. There is a party in full swing, a disco ball spinning, coloured lights bouncing off the walls, printer humming along with the deep bass of a hard drive--oh yes, its a celebration in my office, and I am doing the ***I FOUND THE MOTHERLODE OF ALL RELEVANT RESEARCH** DANCE. I feel like Wiley E Coyote--you know, GENIUS AT WORK! It is one of those rare but thrilling moments in research! I am so thrilled! I am so thrilled! I am so thrilled!

Given the dismal nature of the PhD on some days, its worth having my own private celebration on this...! and not too many non PhD types would recognise the thrill of finding the seminal work by the seminal author on a common concept whose origins have been lost and blurred!!! =)))

I felt that different questions and aims need different paradigms and methods...blah blah... can you write a response that talks about the episitemological and ontological base of YOUR chosen theory, suggesting that based upon those, your theory is the right one for the research? if you say epistimelogical and ontological, my experience is people's eyes glaze over and they give up the argument. And more importantly, it gives you a very solid base for discussing YOUR chosen theory if you can describe these qualities about it.

and the questioner's preferred theory/paradigm/whatever was not one that I felt was appropriate to my research question, and that based on xyz I had made a choice of another paradigm--a paradigm that is broadly accepted through out social sciences, etc, and acknowledged that while there are debates in the social sciences on the approaches, it was not the place of my research to solve those, or resolve those, simply to acknowledge them and to justify my selection, which I felt I had done. If the person felt ONLY their chosen theory was valid, then we would never reach accord, because epistimlogically and ontologically,

Heavy sigh...I run into this with my own work, because I am using a research paradigm, theory, and method that challenges the mainstream approaches ( which in my opinion have huge shortcomings esp for the kind of research I am doing--and my choice is backed up by others in the field using similiar approaches--a huge part of my methods chapter is simply walking through this). I was challenged in a presentation once at my university about this choice...and ...just had to reply that there are many valid research paradigms ( Creswell give us FIVE!)

Can you do a polite response to the comments--and ask your supervisor if that can be appended on to whatever comments there are, as the the work is circulated? For instance, if there is a clash of theory, your work should not be judged because you choose a theory that someone does not prefer--so long as YOU can show why your theoretical base and choice is appropriate then your work ought not be taken down simply because you use theory A and someone else has a bee in their bonnet about that theory, and wishes you ( and the rest of the world to use theory B).

You are so welcome, Lara, I just hope you carry on. I am sure you will get the DR LARA title in the end!!! I get my own inspiration from watching you carry on despite the hard challenge, and I am sure you will succeed! Whats the old saying, its 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration... I think that describes the PhD process!