February's Supervision: Some progress

Another month and another annual progress review through, probably the last one of this PhD. Intriguingly my supervisor suggested that I was ahead as is another student, as by my calculations I am slightly over time, there is obviously an unspoken assumption that despite the way the degree is set up, that it is a four year full time course or eight year part time.

Martin took me through the first section of my location chapter in detail, I am going to have to do some major re-writing, I may even take the first section to writers group. Actually I may need to take one piece to my writers group, it is descriptive but the description does not work. The next section needs a major rewrite so both proof readers can expect to get it again. I need somehow to pull in more of the information that I actually know but have not put down.

On the other thing my actual section on describing the congregations seems to be fine, although I need to intensify the theorising that is in the sections I have written but did not take to this supervision, yes another chapter is almost written. So I am beginning to think of the next chapter.

The methodology is put down to mature, it is still too long (although shorter than it was) and I really have to decide what is essential to have in and what is just noise. The problem in some ways is I work as a Methodologist and it is getting me going on the topics I am very good at. Similarly with my review, I was aware that I do an awful lot of methodological development totally informally, I have to for my job but how to categorise that in a review sheet.

Anyway in the next month I really should finish the location chapter and be starting the chapter on community. This will be interesting, it relies more heavily on the interviews that other parts, there is more literature around and I will need to explore further. It all works together to make and interesting time.

The picture by the way is of the University of Birmingham main library, it is building I have never actually been in. I have been in the one out at Selly Oak and I do use their online resources but have never physically been into the main library.