Quality Control
Oh Supervisor today raised the question of whether I want to make it a passable dissertation, or a truly fantastic one. Is it bad that I think I would be happy with the former? Would I? Not sure that I have any great insights to add to the debate really, and unless I amp up the more creative elements of it I'm not sure it will even approach fantastic at all. And how much time and energy do I want to/can I devote to making it amazing? Is it better to keep pushing away for an extra six months to make it super? Or am I better off just leaving it at adequate, quirky and able to pass and getting on with other projects? Given the probability that it won't be read by anyone but markers, folks, and friends, is it worth the effort?
I had just about resigned myself, in a good way, to academic middle-ground. I'm not bad as such, but realise that I am not the next Deleuze. I don't care much for an academic career per se, so its not an issue there. Part of me would still like to be lurking somewhere, with a university library card and access to interesting folk and opportunities, but its not where I see me most of the time. And now my supervisor asks this, out of the blue.
Yesterday I would have settled to just get the thing done, but the fact that she has explicitly posed the question made me think that maybe, just maybe, I could make it something magical.
I had just about resigned myself, in a good way, to academic middle-ground. I'm not bad as such, but realise that I am not the next Deleuze. I don't care much for an academic career per se, so its not an issue there. Part of me would still like to be lurking somewhere, with a university library card and access to interesting folk and opportunities, but its not where I see me most of the time. And now my supervisor asks this, out of the blue.
Yesterday I would have settled to just get the thing done, but the fact that she has explicitly posed the question made me think that maybe, just maybe, I could make it something magical.
Labels: academia
posted by Zoo at 6:52 pm
4 Comments:
put the effort into actually publishing - ie turning thesis chapters into papers, or book chapters, or a whole book, or however it works in qualitative research-land. You are right, a gorgeous thesis may look nice but no one will read anything, unless its PUBLISHED (that magic word again).
I am still yet to publish a chunk of data from my thesis and kinda regret it, but don't think its gonna happen now!
thinking of just getting the beast through, and passed, and then polishing up bits and pieces as journal articles and book chapters, or possibly a whole book-- and maybe a documentary-- afterwards... but i want the beast passed first!
But this extra work to make it "amazing"; is not so much extra work, really... I mean; the whole thing is pain and struggle and work work work; for a little bit more pain, you get so much more gain - the people who may read it may get back to you with opportunities if they're blown away. Less likely if they read it and put it down thinking; "oh but this could have been so much more..."!
Congrats on house adventures too...
this is very true nathanwi, and as this work may well follow me for the rest of my years then it ought to be amazing (within reason)...
and now that i think of it, the sparkle is the fun bit. the serious theory-- my 'academic'-- side is the bones of it, but then the more creative side-- my 'amazing'-- is the spectacular feathers and the lush pelt.
thanks to both of you, now i am off to write milky magic.
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