I have my PhD viva at the end of next month. This signifies the end of a six year journey that has entailed studying both full time and part time in order to scrape together a measly amount of data that I may just get by on. Prior to this, I was involved in a separate PhD at a different university but had to leave after a year with a masters degree due to family reasons. My former supervisors were very controlling, but very adept and revered within their scientific discipline, which is fair enough. However, at the very end, they 'royally' fell out with me after I asked them if they wanted to be joint authors in a paper I was thinking of submitting using the data I had acquired with them. This was a very regretful and naive move I know, which generated a wrath of ill sentiment from the lead supervisor in a 'never darken this laboratory every again' type of way. They had been very supportive up until then, so it was a real shame the way things came out. I of course offered an apology, but it was never acknowledged.

Anyway, my question is, do I go and see them in person if I actually pass my viva next month? If I do 'do it', I have to turn up out of the blue, unannounced and into the jaws of the lion. I don't want to give them the opportunity to tell me where to get off if I start emailing them or writing letters for their forgiveness. Or, should I just forget the whole sorry business? I just want to thank them for their support in the early days, and hope there is no ill feeling any more, don't want to gloat or fling mud etc. Cheers, G x

I understand how you feel, but you know the situation better than anyone. Only you can gauge their probable response and it's your decision to make.

As regards asking them to be co-authors on a paper you submitted, I'd have worded that differently and instead asked them if it was okay to submit a paper using the data gathered under them.

I have no relationship whatsoever with the Prof. who was my effective line manager from my second post-doc. due to various issues I'll not go into again (to the point where there was no job reference from him). I know at best if I had to contact him there'd be a strained effort at civility at best and it would probably be regarded as an unwelcome intrusion.

If it was a really major falling out and the apology was never acknowledged, given my experiences, I'd probably leave well be.

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)

My first reaction was also to let matters lie, but on reflection I think you should go in and just say thank you for support. Be the bigger person, and be the one who walks away head held high. A word of warning - some academics are spiteful and so may not react well - don't let that put you off - you're doing the right thing and its something you can always be proud of - so then get your PhD and overtake these nummties - make them regret they didn't jump as the dual authorship opportunity!

Thanks for the input guys. I'll wait and see how I feel once the viva is over and make a decision then. I know what you mean about the publication Beefy, but being so naive, I was led to believe by an academic at the current uni that I should be the one to do the inviting since it was I who aqcuired the data. I would've approached it differently if I had the time again. Nevertheless, their response was still uncalled for. Thanks again. G

You are going to have to communicate with these people if you get corrections, which your post seems to suggest you're expecting, attend graduation, want publications out of this or references, so I'd think of this as an opportunity to break the ice rather than anything else. You won't be turning up out of the blue, your supervisory team will know the date and time of your viva, so I think whether you do it in person or email or even a thank-you card, it would be a bit odd not to inform them of the outcome. In fact, you might want to prepare yourself for their possible presence around the beginning / end of the viva. They are the people who appointed the examiners, so avoiding and not thanking them for examining you would be a professional faux pas for the supervisors. My supervisors took my examiners out for lunch after the viva as a thank-you for example.
You said the angry reaction to your mistake came from the lead supervisor - could you possibly send a short formal email ahead of the viva to the second supervisor asking if s/he had any advice for your viva to open communications and make it less awkward on the actual day?

Hi Bewildered. I think you have missed my point here. I was referring to my old supervisors from a previous PhD that I started but discontinued after one year in 2006. My current supervisors are excellent, and I will of course be eternally grateful to them. We are all going out for lunch after the viva with the external - my treat!

They will never forget me, of that I am more than sure. I'll just fire a quick email to them to say thanks and leave it at that. Let sleeping dogs lie, etc.