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Phd Thesis with few results

G

I'm writing my PhD thesis, but I have realy few results to show. My research went wrong, half was my fault and half of y supervisor. What to do?
Will they give me the Phd?

G

Hi Claudio, no one can really answer your question without having the appropriate examining experience in your field and having read your thesis. The first question that I would ask you though is, is your supervisor concerned? I ask this because it is completely normal for you as a student to have some doubts at this stage. If your supervisor is concerned then that is a different matter and I would urge you not to submit your thesis without first addressing your supervisors concerns (if there are any).

Remember that, although a PhD does require some original work and should be something that you can publish (at least in part), it is not all about churning out loads of results. A PhD candidate needs to demonstrate that they have systemically acquired and understood knowledge of their subject, have planned and conducted their work and interpreted their results correctly and were able to alter their project appropriately in response to problems.

I would recommend that you discuss your concerns with your supervisor ASAP. I’m sure that together you can identify any potential weaknesses and prepare your defence and/or plan extra work to strengthen your thesis. Best of luck.

G

Try to get hold of a few theses in your field on inter-library loan. Of course you won't know whether what you are reading is average or excellent work, but it might encourage you a bit. Some areas of research just don't produce a lot of results. In my case, I am hoping for only ONE result, but it will have taken me three years to get there.

G

Thank you for your answers I spoke with my supervisor and he encouraged me he said even with few result the thesis will go well. I hope :-)

G

That's good news Claudio, hope it all goes well for you. Best wishes.

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