I had no chocolate eggs or hot cross buns for the Easter break, and I was stuck at my desk all day. But, on Easter Sunday, I finished editing Chapter 1 at last, which means I’ve completed the first full draft of my thesis.
I’ll never forget the feeling of my body and mind becoming light and comfortable after reading through the chapter draft.
I still have lots of final revisions before submission, but, this is a massive relief for me. Editing will no longer feel painful because I can see a clearer picture of my thesis as a whole. I’ll save the celebration until after I’ve submitted it.
New process
The university only accepts an electronic copy of the thesis, not a physical copy. This means I don’t need to print it out and bind it. My viva is also planned to take place online. It’s a weird feeling that the long tradition of binding the thick documents of the thesis and handing it in to reception no longer exists (between March and May, for the moment). Everything can be done online now.
But, I hope to bind my thesis into a physical copy once our life gets back to normal.
I will continue to write my weekly PhD diary until the first submission in May. After that, I will write a post less regularly.
Translation reviews
Over the past week, I also worked on finalising my translations for the interview transcripts of my data. Then I asked a professional translator to review and cross-check my translations. It costs, but it is a crucial process for cross-cultural research to make sure the translations have no significant errors and are as accurate as possible.
A Japanese doctor who has supported my research told me that it will never be too much to check translations again and again. He shared a story that, when he was a research fellow in the US, minor translation mistakes that he’d made became an issue at the end of the process of the paper. I really appreciate him sharing his experience. I think that it’s a great shame if there are any problems with your thesis due to translation mistakes. Reviewing translations requires skills. So, I always recommend my colleagues to get their translation work checked by a professional.
My achievements in week 171
- finished editing Chapter 1
- completed the first full draft of my thesis
Goals for week 172
- make the final revision for Chapter 5