So on Wednesday I sent my dissertation prospectus to my committee members. And of course immediately found a typo.
I sent the presentation to my director who is lovely, and pointed out the glaring error. While the presentation gives a great overview of my prospectus, it's too detailed. It assumes an uneducated audience. And my committee will have all read my prospectus.
I also asked on Twitter for help/advice/tips about the defense because I've never seen one, and am unsure of the conventions/guidelines. I got some great tips, but the one that really helped me was that it was less of a defense and more of a conversation about my work with advice about things to look at if not included and questions about why I chose a certain text or methodology.
So that plus the notes from my director resulted in a fairly major revision. This version focus more on what questions I'm interested in exploring, so if the prospectus DOESN'T address these my committee can guide me.
So this version has the addition of my guiding questions.
It also situates my work within an interdisciplinary sphere which I see as key to my work.
I kept the methodology web because I think that's key.
But I added a slide about my working hypothesis.
I also added a section on visual guides because although my work does not focus on art or manuscript images I do see this as a source for future research, and an expansion of what this project is. I also think that the visuals help me stay on track and focused.
My logic with the separate drafts is to correct any content specific errors in CH 1 and 2 in March, and then over the summer work with Dr. Greenberg. But it is summer, and I don't like to assume professors will work on their "off" time so I have some wriggle room there (after revising over the summer 2nd drafts of entire work would go to Dr. Greenberg in August once school starts back although she's on sabbatical and then I'd revise with those notes in September/October with final drafts still going to full committee in Fall).
So there's that. I'm meeting with Dr. Greenberg this week to discuss these changes, but feeling good.
Any tips, tricks, advice for me on my defense? Let me know!
Postscript: Dipity or Twitter is not letting me share my dipity timeline of the works I'm using for my dissertation, so I'm adding it here since someone asked.
http://www.dipity.com/khkshimabukuro/Devil-Diss-Timeline/
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