If you don't agree with a correction but know it would not be well received to question it, can you put it in, let the examiner see it but remove it prior to binding? At what stage do you get the final letter saying the corrections have been approved? Before or after binding.

======= Date Modified 22 Jan 2012 19:28:15 =======
I had to submit hard bound versions of my thesis with corrections prior to the approval, let alone the formal letter.

Check exactly what you need to submit to the examiner or convenor.

And, no, I would strongly advise against trying to do what you are suggesting.

It's just I've already done what has been suggested elsewhere is the thesis (before viva) and I'm being asked to do the same in a section that has no relevance.

======= Date Modified 22 Jan 2012 19:55:20 =======
Biblo, you're right of course. I'll see if I can approach her about it as she may not realise I've already done it.

Approach your examiner. But if needs must I'd just put the correction in. To be honest few people are likely to read your PhD thesis after it's finally submitted in bound form. If you want it to reach a wider audience you should look at publishing papers from it, or publishing it in book form. This can be done even if you are no longer in academia.

Getting the corrections to the satisfaction of the examiner is a formality IMHO, hoops that you have to jump through to get your PhD. Do not agonise over them too much.

======= Date Modified 23 Jan 2012 11:25:47 =======

I had minor corrections, which the internal examiner was happy to check BEFORE I hardbound the thesis. That said, I didn't try to be clever. The one change I disagreed with (asked for by my primary supervisor) I retracted later in a journal publication with supporting evidence.

Don't even think about the above, because if you get caught you'll be looking at the very least being made to hardbind with corrections inserted for a second time. I don't think the PhD award will be withdrawn, but you'll certainly be reprimanded for trying to pull the wool over the examiner's eyes.

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)

Thanks Bilbo, you are very reassuring and talk great sense in times of stress. I won't Ian, as much as I'd like to. What she wants isn't a big deal (it doesn't make or break the thesis) I just think it doesn't need said again but appreciate she may not realise I've already made a similar point elsewhere in the thesis. I just think the thesis is now repetitious in places, which I hate. However, the bulk of her suggestions do improve the thesis.

======= Date Modified 23 Jan 2012 11:43:24 =======
Your comment that the thesis has become repeditive in places shows they've probably not read it through completely and skipped bits here and there to save time.

I had it said to me way back for M.Sc. that there was no way they were going to read through the entire disseration. I get the impression they did that for my PhD thesis too, as I know of a couple of other typos that were missed by the examiners.

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)

You could be right. They seemed a lot more knowledgeable about the contents of my thesis compared to my supervisors (yes, I'm being serious) but all the questions in viva revolved around methods and results and no typos were highlighted and I had no rewriting, just some additional writing. Ian, I've sent you a PM and hope you can answer.