I am currently working on thesis corrections after my viva in November - having a viva four days before your wedding is not something I would recommend! The experience was really positive but because some re-writing was required for my introduction and conclusion I will have to resubmit the thesis to the internal examiner before being awarded my PhD. It's a good opportunity to reflect on the challenges of completing a PhD within a three year funded period. My AHRC funding finished in October 2013 so I had to find a job and was keen to submit beforehand. The consensus of my examiners was, had I continued writing into a fourth year, I probably would have passed the viva with minor corrections, having had time to reflect more on the thesis. But that's just life and the practicalities of paying bills tend to take priority. Though a bit disappointed, I actually found the viva experience really interesting and it was a great opportunity to meet two academics from my field of interest and discuss my research in such detail.
One request from the examiners was to add my blog as an appendix. This had not occurred to me before but we discussed how it would benefit readers to learn about my whole research process, including the use of social media.
Since October I have been working as Arts Development Officer for North Aberdeenshire - this local authority is home to Alford Heritage Museum, explored in this blog post. I have really enjoyed exploring this part of Scotland, and have grown particularly fond of their extraordinary sunsets. I finish my post here soon for an exciting new position in Edinburgh in March.
