hey wal, I was developing a questionnaire and did actually do it and get data etc. but also collected info on existing measures too. When it came to it my data for my own questionnaire was a bit dodgy and the actual questionnaire wasn't great - after a bit of dodgy advice from my sup. So I decided that it would be a cleaner story to ditch it - it didn't really add anything.

I'm trying to finish off the draft of my methods chapter this weekend, so will send over - thank you!

err, not too sure about the kids, my initial reaction would be to put them in some kind of pen - but I've only got a dog, sooooo I wouldn't really listen to my parenting advice :$:$

RE noise: how about listening to classical music through some noise-cancelling headphones or something?

You're probably falling down on essay writing technique/exam technique, especially if you haven't been in education for a while.

In my uni, to get a good grade the writing style needs to be clear, well laid out (lots of signposting) and importantly - to get above 70, needs to be critical, with a use of a wide range of evidence.

I'd suggest meeting up with one of the markers to go through one of your last assignments to see if you can improve your style.

======= Date Modified 25 Feb 2011 14:09:38 =======
thanks wal. For clarification...

Study 1: interviews - found 6 themes - purely qualitative

Study 2: same interviews, but looked at *how* they were describing stuff, rather than what they were describing - coded stuff and compared it quantitatively (with stats)

Study 3: picked up 2 of the things out of study 1, then used this finding, along with an existing hypothesis in the literature - I didn't use the themes to create the questionnaire - all the questionnaires I used were already out there in the literature. I just used them to test a concept that emerged in study 1 (if you get what I'm on about you deserve an award!)

Not sure which option to pick. I'd be tempted to go and speak to the HoD or someone senior - but in an informal way and ask them their opinion. Although it depends what your relationship is like with them - you may not want it being taken as a formal complaint against the subject leader.

======= Date Modified 24 Feb 2011 13:01:18 =======
not sharp at all :-) I welcome the comments because I'm getting F all help through the 'formal' channels.

I'm using creswell, because I can get my brain around it - but have no fear I've also got up about 20 windows all with different articles and books on mixed methods, its just taking me a while to get through it all and i only have about 3 hours to write this section argh! May have to take tomorrow to do it too!

Have now decided to include a little picture of my studies and how the methods link (up) I like pictures!

ETA: @pink numbers - now that you mention it no, even the previous supervisee has links. gah! I'm going to ignore ALL sup's advice from now on!

you see, this is what I've said to sup - but she's continuing with the whole "they say different things and you don't need to link them" whereas I like to see threads being pulled through the thesis

Its beginning to dawn on me that my supervisor may well be a complete moron. (turkey)

======= Date Modified 24 Feb 2011 12:00:59 =======
ok, so the questionnaire in Study 3 builds on some of the issues rased in study 1, but its not like I developed a questionnaire from the themes

I basically have used a pre-existing questionnaire and used it in a unique setting and I use it to investigate 2 issues that arose in my interviews. I suppose that's kind of linked?? but really I'm writing them up (well haven't yet but sup wants me to do this) reasonably separately - so they are pretty much stand alone.

Maybe I should ditch the stand alone aspect and talk about how they tie together?

I think I'm just struggling, because although my 1st 2 studies are connected - i.e. using the same data, just for different results, my last study is not really connected at all. Its on the same kind of participants, but its really looking at a different question. Its stand alone. and that's what is confusing me.

I can't say my questionnaire was developed from the previous interviews or anything :-(

Ok so I've decided I'm pragmatist. Just about to write that section up and I've had a look through Creswell's book.

Its banging on about different types of enquiry....sequential, transformative, priority etc etc

But I don't think my study fits any of them. I have...

1 qualtiative study (analysed for themes)

1 qual and quant study (actually this is really the same data from study 1 analysed with a qual/quant technique)

1 quant study. (questionnaire with stats and stuff)

My problem is I don't really integrate the findings anywhere - I just use qual and quant as they were the best way of getting at the problem - which I understand is 'pragmatic'

Just worried I can't say "I used a sequential, qual priority....." blah!

thanks bilbo, I'm just a bit wary I suppose of writing the words "the contribution of this study is...." if you know what I mean?

I written everything up for publication so far, so will be changing them into chapters in the next few weeks so I suppose I'll have to make a decision then about all of this!

ah you see now I'm thinking I need all this too. In hubby's thesis we've (I mean I here as he's done the actual research and I've told him how to lay it out) really stressed the research questions, in the intro, then each chapter has a cover page - which has 'overview of the chapter', 'contribution to the field' and 'structure of this chapter' and this is all repeated again in the discussion.

Its great for his thesis, but part of me thinks its a bit 'babyish' for mine - I don't really know why, I guess its just not been convention in the ones I've read from people in my department??

hmmm.....might do cover pages for my chapters??

I haven't written my acknowledgements yet - its a superstition thing, I'll do them last.

But I will be thanking hubs, he's a pain by insisting I drop all my work of an evening and sit and watch inane drivel with him, so I'll probably put something like "thanks to hubs for enforcing my work life balance" or something....

I'll def be thanking my dog and cats because they're the ones who've kept me warm (by sitting on lap/feet) during the write up.

I do have a ton of quasi-supervisors who have had NO input at all - actually most of them don't even know they're linked to the project, or what the project is about, but politically I have to thank them :-s

I'm tempted to have 2 versions of acknowledgements, one for the british lib and one for my own bookshelf

Hubby's put the research questions in the intro, and then again in the discussion (to say how he addressed them) and there is also a 'contribution to the field' section in his intro.

I don;t really have research questions :$ Maybe I need to find some!

and I don't really have an explicit 'contribution to the field section' - I just point out the gap in the literature and say what my thesis is going to cover if you know what I mean

I hope its true! My likely internal has picked me apart in every departmental presentation I've given because she's read one study in my topic area and therefore thinks the whole thesis should address the one small point it raises - even though my PhD isn't really anything to do with that!