PhD Discussion Forum

Hi Jamie

Sorry to hear about your situation:it does seem unfair to me.

I have yet to submit but I have asked people about the standard required and what I have heard is that at least some of thesis should be of publisable standard and that what they want to see is that you have 'just about', reached professional academic standard. I have also been told your allowed some mistakes and loose ends as long as you can discuss them.

So based on the above criteria it does seem unfair you have major corrections. But at least you didn't fail (obviously that would be totally uncalled for).

And while it does sound your examiners held you to a higher standard than is , from what I have seen, the usual, hopefully the corrections won't be too arduous and you will pass easily.

That's all you can really do at this point. ..focus on following thier correction recommendations to the letter and moving on from this.

Don't let this experience make you feel less than you are; it sounds like you have fone very well with the publications and conferences. It really does seem like you got overly strict examiners.
(Makes me quite worried about my own viva, but that's the subject got another post).

Best

Newlease

First of all congrats, you have already passed your viva and got a job such an achievement to celebrate. To pass is a very important milestone, in the eyes of someone who is waiting for the viva like me. My friend was just like you well published etc. and he was given a painful 18 months. Fairness does really vary which is a sad fact. In my university, it takes a month to receive the list of corrections. Enjoy your moment and you will hear back from the examiners in due course. Not easy but try :).

Sympathies, Jamie_Wizard. I had a very similar experience and a harsh viva which took everyone (including my internal examiner) by surprise. I was similarly given the longer timescale to do my amendments, even though in the end they only actually took me 2 weeks. Hope you are looking after yourself in this post-viva period - I found it really tough, and all I can say is you will get through this and will have your PhD, but allow yourself some time to deal with the shock.

Hi Jamie, I hope you don't mind me hijacking this thread...but Piju could you tell me more, from what you've read, are examiners looking for and what sorts of things would make one fail?

Newlease

I agree with the others - it sounds like they are trying to help you, albeit in a roundabout way! I was given several months to do my corrections when really I only needed a week. They told me that they were giving me longer as knowing that I had young children and a job to do, they didn't want me to feel pressurised. Congratulations - you have passed! I bet the corrections won't be as onerous as you fear and, when they are done, you can put this behind you.

Hi Jamie

I'm pleased to hear that you're going to discuss the report with your supervisor. This was something I found really helpful (I didn't get a report, but a list of points that could have been written on the back of a cigarette packet!). I found that after discussing what was actually needed, some of the corrections were smaller and more targeted than they first appeared - hopefully this may be the case for you as well. It is difficult when you get corrections/feedback you can't agree with, and you feel the point of your work has been overlooked - been there too! - and it becomes very much just a case of doing what they want to get your PhD. Two things my supervisor said that I found helpful - remember all the parts of your thesis that they passed without comment or correction (as we tend just to focus on the negative comments in times of high pressure), and remember you can do what you like with your work once the thesis has been passed, and can change it back or do whatever you want with it for other publications.

All the best with it.

Hey Jamie_Wizard, have they diagnosed the chest pain? If it continues, look up chostrochondritis... it is a harmless but v.painful condition linked to stressed. Hope all's going well with the corrections.

Tudor

Hello Jamie and all,

thanks for sharing all this experience. I hope you don't mind if I share my experience here as it has been similar.

I passed my viva with major on Friday and the examiners were very positive about it and said it was excellent but still gave me major - mainly due to time. The odd thing sis that they wanted me to tone down the neo-positivist language that my previous assessors asked me to introduce (we have a confirmation exam in our penultimate year at my uni, so you are not really free to do what you want). So although I agreed with most of their comments, I am extremely frustrated with the PhD process. They again focused on the framing, which has been scrutinized by 4 different top academics in the field who forced me to frame it this way.

I suppose the only good thing about the viva has been that I feel vindicated - I was right last year when they forced me to rewrite my work, which I believed in. I'll follow the advice some of you have given and I wait for the report and see.

Like you, Jamie, I really wanted to celebrate the end of the most painful process of my life. I have never thought it would be this difficult. I feel like my entire identity has been taken away from me because I felt no longer understood what is right or wrong.

But one thing I really want to do is to expose the lack of consistency, borderline arbitrariness, and lack of professionalism that many PhDs have faced. I think one day, I'll publish the two reports I have received on my research side by side for everyone to see how divergent the opinions have been. I feel we are at the mercy of our committees too often...

Sorry for the long message but reading your experience made me want to share mine... I hope you feel better and trust that the end is near after all the hard work!