Dissertation emancipation
When the Graduate Student Handbook says PhD candidates will be submitting a book-length manuscript, they’re not kidding. Thursday I turned over my draft dissertation – 185 pages of deep thoughts about octocorals in the Gulf of Mexico. Within 5 minutes of discussion about the weight of the paper (~ 3 lbs. ) and the cost of the ink ( ~$150), we’d rearranged the chapters and decided “nobody cites Sanders (1968) anymore.” Oh well, back to the drawing board. LOL. Not like I have anything better to do. “It’s on the shelves for eternity,” so I might as well mess with it some more. The defense is in 2 weeks. Any sage advice would be appreciated.
Date Posted: July 6, 2009 at 7:32 AM
July 6, 2009 at 7:38 AMDr. M
Nobody cites Sanders (1968)?
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July 6, 2009 at 8:02 AMSouthern Fried Scientist
Congrats!
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July 6, 2009 at 9:59 AMPeter
Yeah, the discussion centered around whether it was necessary and important to cite the classics. This is what I had understood from reviewers. My advisor was not of the same opinion, preferring citations of more contemporary work (on mid-slope peaks in diversity, in particular).
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July 6, 2009 at 12:35 PMIrradiatus
Based on my experience (mileage may vary), once you’ve completed the “book,” and you are standing in front of the crowd for your defense, everything difficult about getting a PhD is done.
You’re now the expert.
I have heard only one or maybe two exceptions to this, but after the defense talk, the committee defense is a breeze. Sure they might ask some tough questions, but it is no exam – mostly just the committee getting your deeper thoughts and opinions. They wouldn’t have let you defend if they didn’t think you were ready, right?
My advice: just try to have fun (or alternatively – pretend that it is fun).
Also, you may experience a strange anti-climactic feeling for weeks or months afterward. I did anyway (as did some others I know). On the other hand, other friends felt the exact opposite…
Good luck and congratulations! For all intents and purposes, your work is done.
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July 6, 2009 at 4:13 PMClark
Weight has much to do with authority. After all, you can’t develop the necessary gravitas to to be a PhD without killing a sufficient weight of trees. But congrats, you did it, and kick some serious sea slug butt on your defense. (If you don’t get the sea slug ref, here’s the citation:
“There are animals like a sea slug who wen they’re young they have a brain to look around and find a house. When they find a house they settle down and they eat their brain. And basically by then they’ve got tenure.”
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August 15, 2009 at 7:01 AMTime to fly | Deep Sea News
[...] expected an obstacle course on Commencement Day, just one more hurdle to clear, but the book length manuscript was delivered, and the defense was over, so I was hooded by Dr. Tom Shirley, happy the PhD was [...]
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