Planning Chapter 5

Well I finally got drafts of Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 off to the Supervisors for comment this afternoon :)

Next week I will begin planning Chapter 5. I will integrate a document I created called "The story of my thesis" with other planning material I have and the skeleton of Draft Chapter 5 I wrote ages ago when I got the content for Chapter 4 wrong.

I got a nice letter from Walt in the US this week. As well as asking how I was going and reporting on his own doings, Walt sent me a snippet from the local University newsletter. It was surprisingly nice to receive the newsletter and to see my name in it. I know no-one would have found it terribly significant, but I really liked it.

Well... back to planning Chapter 5. I am a bit trepidatious about it all but I have come so far that I have to continue now.  ¶ 6:11 pm

  Editing Chapter 4

Well I am almost through the edit process for Chapter 4. I am editing page 71 of about 85. Little things get to me as I edit the Findings chapter, such as choosing one of the following terms- 'have clinical impact' or 'affect patient care tasks'. Aesthetically, I prefer the former, but in relation to my research aim I think the latter is best.

Numbering is another problem. I like to stick and paste everything and the numbering really gets mixed up. Thank heavens for Outline View in Word, at least I can see things there without getting lost. Plus I am summarising each chapter as I draft it, so I have physical ways of checking things when I get really confused.

Then there are weekends. Its a beautiful Saturday today. From mid-morning, I wanted to go outside. However yesterday I did no work (for a wide range of reasons). So at lunchtime today I sat down to work on my prose. At 3 pm I decided a break wouldn't hurt me and so started gardening. I'll get back to the draft tomorrow because I have cooking and washing and other stuff to do now. Is it right to work on the weekends?

I don't think there is a simple answer to the question of weekend work. I think that its not really a problem if I occasionally take an entire weekend off. I really don't like it when I work through. I'd love to kick back every weekend and read a book, lie on the trampoline in the sun and have a snooze, listen to music, learn things about my PDA...  ¶ 5:17 pm

  Draft Chapter 3 is done!

I emailed draft Chapter three to the supervisors last week. It was such a relief.

Now I am working on the second half of draft Chapter four. That will take a couple of weeks I guess and then it's onto draft Chapter five. I am trying to schedule meetings with the supervisors about the framework for five in about three weeks time.

I can just see a small light at the end of the dissertation tunnel now.  ¶ 4:06 pm

  Draft Chapter 3

Well its still being edited.

I got great feedback from Rodney yesterday and I have realised that I'm making mistakes I haven't made since I was in my 20s. In some ways, I think that's good, because I already know strategies around it. Rodney says he is happy to look at the entire Chapter draft for me. I am really grateful for his friendship.

Once I am happy with it, then I will finish editing draft Chapter 4. Then I will be able to start Chapter 5. It will be so nice to stop work in this subject.

Ironing now...  ¶ 5:51 pm