Search Results for: viva

you’ve submitted, now it’s wait time

There is, rightly, a lot of emphasis on getting your PhD text written and submitted. That end-of-doctorate writing can be tough and it’s important that people do get as much help as they want and need to complete. But of … Continue reading

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ten playful viva preparation activities

Finished the thesis? Loud cheers. Now to get ready for the viva, or defence as it is called in some places. There’s a lot of great advice about how to prepare for the viva – check out Nathan Ryder’s Viva … Continue reading

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after the viva/defence – then what?

There is no return to normal. There is no going back to what there was before. You have to find new ways of going on. I could be talking about the pandemic here. Yes indeed. But I’m not. I’m actually … Continue reading

Posted in after-care, identity, post-PhD slump, scholarly identity, viva | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

On MAL-attribution

I was recently reviewing a paper and saw my own work cited. Very nice, you might think. However, I was cited for saying a thing that I didn’t say – a thing that I would never ever say. It was … Continue reading

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research key words – significance

We all want to do research that matters. Right? Surely no one out there wants to spend a load of time and energy doing research that is of no value, that nobody will take any notice of and that won’t … Continue reading

Posted in conclusion, introduction, keywords, research, research as process, research bid writing, research decisions, significance | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

key words – contribution

The dictionary definitions of contribution are: When scholars talk about contribution it might be 3. A contribution might be a piece we have submitted to an edited collection, a text book, an anthology of cases or an encyclopaedia. But the … Continue reading

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making the case for your research

Explain why your research is worth doing … it might be obvious to you but it’s not necessarily clear to others. But it’s not just you who has to explain. All scholars have to justify why their research topic is … Continue reading

Posted in gap-spotting, literature review, research warrant, warrant | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

“showing” and “telling” in the thesis

The thesis must show and tell your examiner that its writer is ready to be called Dr. Yep. Dr (insert your surname here.) What do I mean by show and tell? Well, even if these are not the usual definitions, … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, audit trail, conclusion, introduction, literature reviews, methods, show and tell, thesis | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

should you publish during your PhD?

So you are not doing PhD by publication. You’re not in a country and/or discipline which expects you to publish during your PhD – yes really, some do. And you hear conflicting advice about whether publishing during your PhD is … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, publishing, text work/identity work, thesis, writing for publication | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

oh no, it’s thesis hand-in limbo

It’s time to talk about the phenomenon of thesis limbo-land. That’s the unknown number of days between handing in and the examination. Handing in the thesis is both a triumph and exhausting. It’s no surprise that many people think of … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, hand-in limbo, handing in, phd defence, thesis, viva, wellbeing | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments