So yesterday and today have been about drafting the main discussion of the entire thesis. There's not much in there which isn't a repetition of the discussions in the data chapters, alas.

The most enjoyable and productive part to write was where I state that there's no evidence for my hypotheses and then I bang on about what I think is really going on. It's like I'm finally able to say in code after living a lie for 4 years, "This whole project was ill-conceived, my theoretical framework is nonsense, and now I can say what I really think". The other slightly exciting part of the Discussion was just now, talking about how dodgy my controls were, but then how dodgy other researchers' controls have been, and how it's bloody hard to make good controls.

So most of my Discussion is like dry toast, dissecting minutiae of the results. But the exciting bits are where I vent my rage at the project!

Don't worry, I'll spend a few paragraphs at the end saying I've made a contribution to my (frankly bizarre) sub-discipline. I think I have contributed to them, it's just that 4 years on, I realise it was like joining a very strange cult.

For all those near submission, this is an amusing post related to the emotional detachment required to get to the very end:

Just wanted to say I feel your pain! I tried to write about this in a recent post but don't think I worded it very well, but you've pretty much described how I'm feeling...Nice post on detachment too!

ha ha... sorry for the hiatus in replying. am juggling phd with job and that's mayhem atm too.

whether to be completely honest... well, I haven't actually said that the theoretical framework is nonsense. That's what I actually think these days, but I don't want to make my sup or examiners feel horrible.

So I have just said that there's no evidence for the hypotheses... so you are right, Eds, I'm not being entirely honest!

lol Ogriv- reckon the time to be honest is post-viva rather than pre-viva, eh!

yes, and even then only to non-academic friends under cover in the dead of night

Haha I feel similar about my discussion! Mine goes something like 'my first three data chapters are alright, find something useful and work together, the forth one is made up BS that my sups made me do despite my better judgement that is flawed, shows nothing and is of no value'. But of course I make it sound like it is useful ;)

Lying through your teeth: that's science, eh? Don't worry, I feel the same! xx

My final chapter summarised my data chapters (based on my original thesis questions/objectives) and I made recommendations for future work. Not forgetting my contribution to knowledge section.

LOL. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like 'my PhD topic is a bit rubbish'