Well I submitted a first draft in December. Then I was asked to clarify a few points which I did but found it difficult as I didn't have any feedback on the draft. After sending in the second piece of info I then received very detailed feedback which was great. A lot of work to do but I felt it was achievable. Went to meet yesterday and was told that it's not a first draft.... Major issues with the literature and research model etc. I have two supervisors which is also difficult. Yesterday's meeting involved a lot of silences as we tried to figure out what to do! There was a suggestion to look at a totally different area of literature (which I would not be familiar with) but I don't know how that is going to work. The research has been problematic from the start. It was a sponsored phd and a large multinational wanted to look at certain issues in the org but were very vague and didn't have a specific issue in mind. The data (survey and interviews) yielded some minor results but really, all those surveyed were actually quite happy with their lot so that's not exactly mind blowing! So I'm running out of time, I do feel that both supervisors have different approaches e.g. Written feedback makes two references to this being 'commissioned research' yet when I mentioed that I was told very specifically that it's not commissioned. I know it's not the end of the world but am just very down hearted and don't know where to start to try and fix it.

Thanks all so much for your advice. I really appreciate it. Unfortunately a subsequent meeting did not go so well so it would appear the PhD journey is in jeopardy... but thank you again.

Thanks for the reply Chickpea..... how to 'get around it' though....! Redrafting at the moment and it's just soul destroying (oh the dramatics!!)

Hi. Can't believe I am actually writing this but anyway! I am a final year PhD - well hopefully final year... Had to defer a couple of years due to full time work/financial reasons but have first draft done. One previous criticism from my supervisor was that he felt my literature was always quite 'dated'. So for the first draft he advised I update considerably. Which I did. I should point out all data was collected at this point. Of course this has resulted in literature from 2011/2012 when data was collected in 2010. I don't even know if I have a question..... Am just so very tired of rewriting and encountering more and more problems! I feel as if this will never end....

Thanks so much for all your help - appreciate you taking the time to post and have gotten some great advice so fingers crossed!

Any thoughts on the following would be greatly appreciated. Conducting mixed methods research in social science. Compiled survey and adopted existing measures based on lit review at that time. The survey results were not particularly astounding and my supervisor and I felt my model wasn't really working. So changed the model and now feel like I have a model that can be used and defended! However, it meant going back to my survey results and omitting a couple of the measures used and adapting others e.g. reducing a 20 item measure to two measures of 2 and 3 items each. The results are sound but I'm really worried how to defend this in a viva. Am rewriting my LR now based on the new model and am scared that the whole thing will be seen as one major 'back fit'... Has anyone any experience of this? My supervisor says basically I'll have to come up with a way of defending this but I'm not sure how! Looking through Creswell's triangulation design at the moment trying to get inspiration but it's not really happening. I need to submit by Jan so this is not good!