How do you handle revisions and reviews of your thesis?

[nehs]

I submitted my Master's Thesis a few weeks back and just got to know from ym advisor that major revisions are needed. I'm totaly bummed. I saw the 4 major comments and I agree with only one of those comments. Not even sure what to do of the remaining comments. My advisor is very supportive and says sometimes this happens, I would just need to add some more stuff and turn it in.

 

How does this review process work in your program? I'm a little stressed since I may miss my graduation deadline.

[fuzzylogician]

You need to go back to your advisor and devise a plan to tackle the comments. Particularly if you don't agree with these comments, you need to get help deciding how to revise the thesis so the readers feel like their comments were taken seriously, but you still stand behind what's written in the thesis. This is somewhat different than reviews you get on an article, but the idea is the same. Here is what I do. You need to address every comment and decide what to do with it. I don't know if you are required to write a reply to the comments for your thesis, but it's a useful document to have even if you don't show it to anyone else. You don't have to agree to every comment you got or make every change you were requested to make, but if you don't then you need to explain why you are disagreeing and/or how the comment misunderstood your intent. Normally if people misunderstood your intent then it's a sign that you should re-write or somehow do a better job at the explanation.

 

I try and start with the small stuff. Make every change you can, choose your battles wisely. Sometimes it's better to do as you're asked even if it's not what you originally wanted if you can stomach the change and it will reduce friction with the readers. You want them to know that you took everything they said seriously. For comments you strongly disagree with, have a clear reason why. Discuss it with your advisor and get his/her opinion about whether they agree or disagree. Get help deciding how to respond, and create yourself a timeline. I think that once you sort the comments into important and small, ones that are easy to attend to and ones that are not, it'll make the process simpler. Normally revisions shouldn't take very long, once you have an plan of attack. I've never taken more than a week per paper, even when I initially thought a lot of difficult requests were made in the review.

 

Perhaps as important - the first day you get to put the comments away and think the readers are all idiots. It's difficult to read criticism of something you've worked hard on, so you are entitled to take a day off and sulk. But then you need change pace and start on that plan of attack. Once all the small stuff is out of the way and there is a clear vision for the larger stuff, it'll be much more manageable.

[nehs]

I appreciate your detailed response, fuzzylogician.

 

I actually got weird comments on my thesis  -- same idea and content is repeated and thesis quality needs to be improved. My advisor says these comments are very generic and will be hard to improve, nevertheless I should revise.

 

My advisor has given me some help (comments) for tacking these comments.

 

I agree with you - I prefer to make the changes, since the reader wants them anyway. I'm only concerned that my graduation may get postponed. I am willing to do any amount of work until the deadline.

 

I started working on my revisions right away. I am stressed with this whole process and a larger question on my mind -- will these create bigger problems for me interms of graduation, letters of recommendation etc.

 

Wow, crazy, all this for a master's thesis , I really can't imagine the work and stress that goes into a PhD dissertation.

[fuzzylogician]

Do you know who the readers are? Sometimes it helps to sit down with them and walk through all the comments. Sometimes you learn that some are "take it or leave it" and others are "do or die," and it may not be clear which are which. Often reviewers will have some specific problem they want fixed and for other things they won't really care whether or not you go along with them. All they really want is to know that you've thought the comments through and can explain why your making one decision and not the other.

[nehs]

Yes, I know my readers. My advisor also suggested that I can sit down with them if this major revision does not work.

 

The biggest tragedy for me is -- I do not have substantial comments which means I don't know know what to improve upon.

[fuzzylogician]

The biggest tragedy for me is -- I do not have substantial comments which means I don't know know what to improve upon.

Now I'm confused. Above you said that there are major revisions, including 4 comments you disagree with. Here you say no substantial comments - do you mean that you were asked to make a large change and no guidance was given as to how? That's precisely why it's a good idea to sit down with the person who made the comment and find out from them what they mean. In particular, find out if it's even something they expect to happen or just a rant, because if there is no substantive suggestion for change, maybe it's not something they insist on. Either way, ask the person who wrote the comment what they mean and how to go about fixing what they think needs fixing.

[nehs]

Now I'm confused. Above you said that there are major revisions, including 4 comments you disagree with. Here you say no substantial comments - do you mean that you were asked to make a large change and no guidance was given as to how? That's precisely why it's a good idea to sit down with the person who made the comment and find out from them what they mean. In particular, find out if it's even something they expect to happen or just a rant, because if there is no substantive suggestion for change, maybe it's not something they insist on. Either way, ask the person who wrote the comment what they mean and how to go about fixing what they think needs fixing.

 

I mean the revision is substantial -- organizing etc but I have not been given any more comments(no guidance). My advisor is as confused as I am. I am working on the revisions and will possibly see the person when I go back with my revisions.

[somethinbruin]

Does your university have a writing center? If so, consider making an appointment with them. They may not be experts your field, but they can work with you on structure and organization.

 

The comments you mentioned (repeated ideas and the need for improved thesis quality) are comments that I often make on my students' papers. They generally speak to larger issues of overall focus and organization. So it may just be that you have all the information you need, but need to consider how strongly you've stated and constructed your argument.

 

I would also recommend sitting down with the person who made the comments. I would do so before you start making massive revisions, since you don't seem to have a good handle on what she/he wants. It doesn't make much sense to revise for the sake of revising if that work isn't getting your essay to where your readers want it, so I would wait until the commenter can explain it to you.

[nehs]

Somethinbruin - Thanks, yes -- I could see the lack of organzation in my paper. I'm actually glad that I got this feedback. I now have the oppurtunity to work on it.

 

Well, I'm mad at my advisor for the following reasons (1) Never guided us propoerly (most of his students have recceived this feedback) (2) Never reviews the ideas with us (3) He is happy to submit sloppy work! (4) He is not allowing me to see the person who commented

[nehs]

Update :

 

I finally made major revisions to my thesis and will be submitting in a few hours, tomorrow morning. How do I handle the nerves? I am feeling so overwhelmed and nervous that I will again have to do major revisions (minor are ok !) that I am losing sleep over this.

 

Your tips/experience to handle this anxiety?

[yhakak]

heavy drinking 

 

Seriously, though, having been through the process once and in the middle of it again for a second thesis, i can say with reasonable confidence that many readers just want their "pound of flesh" to feel like their comments were taken on board, and that will be it. 

In my current thesis my advisor helped me to pre-empt some of this stuff by making some references to things by people in the dept., etc....

 

anyway, take a deep breath, it's out of your hands anyway, and i'm sure you'll be fine.

 

 

Update :

 

I finally made major revisions to my thesis and will be submitting in a few hours, tomorrow morning. How do I handle the nerves? I am feeling so overwhelmed and nervous that I will again have to do major revisions (minor are ok !) that I am losing sleep over this.

 

Your tips/experience to handle this anxiety?

[nehs]

heavy drinking    

 

Seriously, though, having been through the process once and in the middle of it again for a second thesis, i can say with reasonable confidence that many readers just want their "pound of flesh" to feel like their comments were taken on board, and that will be it. 

In my current thesis my advisor helped me to pre-empt some of this stuff by making some references to things by people in the dept., etc....

 

anyway, take a deep breath, it's out of your hands anyway, and i'm sure you'll be fine.

LOL@ Heavy drinking! Good one...

 

 

Makes sense - wanting their "pound of flesh" to feel good. I did address mosto f the major comments and did overall restructuring too (just for the heck of it, there's always scope for improvement).

 

I'm a little anxious to see how it goes now..I hope it goes through smoothly this time and I'm also going to think positive and starte dreaming about "acceptance" as opposed to what I had been doing (dreaming of possible revisions again!).