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Writing Up.

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  • 06-01-2009 4:13pm
    #1
    dK1NG
    Closed Accounts Posts: 661 ✭✭✭


    I'm at that stage now, where it is time to bring everything together.

    My supervisor is looking at a three month turnaround, in my mind it could be more like a three-year turnaround.....:eek:

    Any advice, tips, suggestions etc


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    #2
    IvyTheTerrible
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭IvyTheTerrible


    I would say first off, best of luck!

    Start with rough outlines of each chapter..give titles to each section.

    I don't know what discipline you are in but for each chapter I would do it in the order: Materials and Methods, Results, Intro, Discussion.

    Also, send each chapter to your supervisor as soon as it's done, that way you can start on the next one while waiting for her to get back to you (that can take a while, believe me!).

    Make all your documents in the same format...formatting at the end takes so much time and is a headwrecker when you are under pressure...it's better to make a good start.

    Also, make a separate folder for each chapter/section...then if you randomly think of something that would be interesting for one of your sections, write it down, you'll forget about it otherwise if you wait til you're actually working on that section.

    That's all i can think of at the mo.


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    #3
    Red Alert
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭Red Alert


    If you haven't done so already, give LaTeX a shot - it'll pull the formatting together and the files can't get corrupted like huge Word files can.

    Good luck.


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    #4
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Don't know how you find it but I personally can't spend my time writing the same as I did researching. I know some people who write one day and take the next day off. For me, I divide my writing time into two or three sections of the day with looong breaks in between (2 - 3 hours) That way I feel fresh enough to face the next session and I'm more productive. I find I burn out with writing in a way I never did when researching.

    Also, just something that helped me, I view everything as just a first draft. Just try and get it on paper and then see if you need to work on style, amend it, add more secondary reading or even more primary research :eek: I found that if I was trying to make a perfect first draft I got nowhere but now I'm speeding through it. I know my work isn't perfect but at least when it's on paper I can clearly see if there's much polishing left to do and how much.


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    #5
    dK1NG
    Closed Accounts Posts: 661 ✭✭✭dK1NG


    Cheers guys.

    I've submitted all my draft chapters over the past few years, so now time to get working on the feedback I received.

    When I started going back over them, I was actually surprised how close I am to the finishing line. Beforehand, I would have said a 3 month turnaround was impossible, but now I see it is actually doable.

    Basically, what my supervisor said to me was that I have enough research done and it is time to stop writing - go back now and bring it all together. That objective viewpoint was crucial tbh, if it had been down to me I would still be off researching some other tangent.

    The aim is to get my draft in around the end of March. I know I will have further changes after that, but that is my next target I have set for myself.


    What is latex - is it much better than word? All my drafts are currently in word.



    EDIT: My PhD is in law.


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    #6
    IvyTheTerrible
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭IvyTheTerrible


    dK1NG wrote: »
    Cheers guys.

    I've submitted all my draft chapters over the past few years, so now time to get working on the feedback I received.

    When I started going back over them, I was actually surprised how close I am to the finishing line. Beforehand, I would have said a 3 month turnaround was impossible, but now I see it is actually doable.

    Basically, what my supervisor said to me was that I have enough research done and it is time to stop writing - go back now and bring it all together. That objective viewpoint was crucial tbh, if it had been down to me I would still be off researching some other tangent.

    The aim is to get my draft in around the end of March. I know I will have further changes after that, but that is my next target I have set for myself.


    What is latex - is it much better than word? All my drafts are currently in word.



    EDIT: My PhD is in law.

    TBH if you are handing your thesis in in March I wouldn't bother trying to learn latex now. It's great for people doing theses with formats not supported by word (like maths or physics with lots of equations) but for you, I'd say word would be grand. Just back up often!!


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