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PhD Corrections - please help

2 replies

PhDudder · 01/10/2019 14:40

I’m really struggling with my PhD corrections. I have three weeks but am going to apply for another extension on mental health grounds. I have a dissosciative disorder which was diagnosed half way through my PhD; the biggest symptoms are hearing voices and amnesia.

I have to add critical discussion through various chapters of my PhD and I don’t even know where to start. Everything I write just sounds awful and more often then not I’m dissosciative when I write so the writing isn’t up to standard. My writing is execellent usually but my mental health is in pretty bad way at the moment due to some recent stressors.
Please could you share your tips on how to get things written with me? I’m desperate to get it finished (I really enjoyed doing it but I am absolutely hating this stage.

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bibliomania · 02/10/2019 12:29

HI Dudder, your examiners should have given your pretty clear guidance about what is expected - cleave to this. I had to make minor corrections earlier this year, and the thing to remember is that you're not aiming to write the definitive analysis of whatever, you're mainly putting something in largely as a sop to the examiners (and yes, if they've done their job well, it should make it better). A correction might sound huge but make sure you see it in context. One of mine was "Explain what you mean by democracy" which at first I was overwhelmed by - obviously it could be multiple theses in its own right. But I only really needed a couple of sentences saying which of the many existing definitions I was using in one particular bit.

If you have to add the same thing to several chapters, it might help to use the same formula each time - not to be superficial, but in order to give you a fixed structure. Don't be afraid to be resoundingly obvious - no need for subtlety here! Put in a sub-heading "Critical analysis", and follow the same structure. This will obviously depend on your discipline, but in my area it could be something like:

  • para 1- summary of the vastly important observations I have made in this chapter
  • para 2 - these observations enhance of our understanding of theory x by blah blah blah
  • para 3 - BUT these observations also demonstrate new linkages with theory y because blah blah blah OR they go some way towards refuting the findings of theory y because blah blah blah OR they reconcile the two theories by blah blah blah.
  • para 4 - the new understandings that have emerged is therefore blah blah blah


Don't strive after wonderful writing - crudely functional is fine at this point!
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caringcarer · 02/10/2019 12:32

Get enough sleep and drink plenty of water. I find If I am tired or dehydrated my thought processes go odd.

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