I have a rewiew panel in 6 weeks, and I am starting to get the feeling that this may be a hard one to pass. My thesis is a mess - esp after finding a recently published work covering swathes of it. I know in time I can move my thesis on - but with 6 weeks to go I just don't know. I actually want to cry, again. Why can't I seem to do this thing? I feel like my supervisors are really losing patience - and interest. And I don't even know how much of this is in my head or not!

Suffice to say - I need to impress with my upgrade. So, does anybody have any experience of pulling their thesis together again? I have done the reading, have case studies - it just seems too slack to pull together again.

Oh dear! Sorry - I had a needy momment. Must push on. I can do it!

*grits teeth*

Good luck Chris...it must be really hard to get refocused after fnding out about that book! But, on the other hand, perhaps you can use that as a plus? Can you identify where you and the book are more or less the same--in terms of giving validity to your ( obviously cutting edge!!!) work, and then show where, despite the book, you have originality and your own thought, and where you want to push your research in light of the book?

Can you frame the discovery of the book to your advantage, i.e. look how alert and sharp you were to find this research ( because you WERE alert and sharp to find it! and better to find it now than the day after you submitted!) and in the time since you found it, you have been able to analye how your research differs, etc...I would think a review panel should give you kudos for that.

Perhaps it is in the presentation of it? Can you present it in a good news/better news scenario, where the good news is your work was on target ( hence the book!) and the better news is that you can advance the research from that book?

As long as its even marginally different you will be fine in terms of originality. That another piece of similar piece of research exists is a testament to the fact that your research has considerable merit. I am sure it won't be too difficult to package your research as a "validation", "extension" or "additional exploration" of the topic.

I have a review as well.. I have also found a paper that was published a couple of months ago and pretty much contains what my thesis will be about. My supervisor was quick to point an angle on how I can argue that my work is slightly different. I will actually review this paper and then "market" my thesis as an extension of it. I really think that as far as originality is concerned we should be fine.

I had a review yesterday - the examiners loved my ideas and said it was really original. But they told me that all the work my supervisor had told me to do was pointless and irrelevant. So I guess, just trust your instincts - do what you think is needed to get you out of this

Hi Chris,

keep cool. Obviously this is upsetting and disappointing but you have proven before that you are a very capable person. Remember that time that you had to write, I do not know how many words, in a few days time, you thought it was impossible but you did it! Now you can manage this issue as well!

Have you got your structure ready? Leave the fine detail for now. How can you use "that book" to put in your structure ? Add to each part of your structure a bit from the book to strengthen your argument? Or maybe look for similarities and differences, and regarding differences why is there a difference. Can you keep your old structure or do you have to change it round completely?

I think once you have figured out the structure you can fine-tune how to fill in the details.

Does this help?

Remember you are not going for a Nobel prize, you want to finish your research.

Thank you for all your advice people. I guess we all get roadblocked at some point. I'll keep going on - and use some of your good advice in turning this book to my advantage as best as possible.

Hey there,
I pulled my upgrade out of the bag in 6 weeks so don't worry you have plenty of time. Give your self a good few hours purely planning what you need to say and how you are going to say it. Do the usual break it into managable chunks. You can do it don't get paralysed by the fear of it, the reality is always much better.