======= Date Modified 17 25 2008 20:25:49 =======
I'm sure many of you know the feeling of sheer panic, mixed with a degree of complacency when there isn't an immanent deadline which goes along with a PhD.
Now I have a year left (submit next sept) and I have another 5 chapters to write and I seem to be refocusing over again and tightening my scope more and more. I just feel like I should be further along because I'm still always reading.
But other researchers in my dept seem to change their stories as to how much they have written/needed to write so I just don't know anymore!
I haven't published yet but I have some major conferences under my belt was just hoping that during the year of writing I can redo some conference papers to publications.
Can someone please tell me I have time!! Its an arts phd btw

:$

A year :p

Of course you have time!

Thanks smilodon sometimes its nice to have someone tell you it will be grand!

i agree with Smiloden, you have PLENTY of time!!! don't worry at all! as long as you write and work on your thesis everyday, and get a schedule and stick to it, you will be fine. sometimes having too much time goes against you!!

nothing like a deadline to really focus your mind and get cracking with the essentials. trust me when i say this., one year is plenty of time. you can accomplish alot! what i would advice though, would be to set yourself mini deadlines. one year is so big and open its hard to know where to start and end.

so just work to monthly or even weekly targets. and try to set a deadline that is at least 3 months before your actual deadline. set yourself an artificial deadline.

A year? I hope so! Because I'm doing it in a lot, lot less...

Whilst conference papers might be a good basis, a thesis chapter will need a lot more detail and info, in fact a huge amount more. I think it would be similar even if it was a peer-reviewed journal article?

Hi,

I agree with above remarks. I was more thinking of an episode of 3-6 months.

I mean if the research has been done and if you regular have written things down related to the literature etc. then it is (just) a matter of putting it all together. Still a challenge, yet as such you seem to have plenty of time if you would plan in a year.
:-)

======= Date Modified 18 Sep 2008 10:43:39 =======
I've taken longer than I expected to write-up, but then I am adding additional new ideas/research as I go along.

It often depends on what a student means by 'writing-up' i.e., have they finished all their reading and are basically writing-up notes/drafts into a polished form (in which case I'd say 3-6 mths is fine), or are they still adding new material, reading papers, adding new ideas (in which case it can be 12 mths or more).

I've re-focused my thesis and added lots of new material...I've spilled over 12 mths of writing-up time.

If you're aiming for 100,000 words...I'd say a year is necessary, but if you have finished your research i.e., no more articles to read etc. then writing 5 chapters should be no problem within that time limit.

I think that writing up is one of those things that takes as much time as you've got. It can be always be done more slowly or more quickly. I found it quite a challenge and took over a year but could have done it quicker if I had less time. Try and plan out what you still have to do and set deadlines across your year leaving time at the end to go over the whole draft. I'm sure you can do it!

You will reach a point where you need to stop reading to get a chapter down. it's not really until you write that you realise clearly what your arguments are and if you need to read more. But, once you've got a chapter drafted and a thesis structure in place, it's much easier to see your argument and add more literature if necessary. Also it's much easier to assess what's relevant at this stage rather than just reading loads of stuff inteh general area of your thesis. Good luck!