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Something to hold on to
by cc0028 @ 2006-04-29 - 17:57:34

Earlier this week, I went to a local bookbinders who specialise in binding theses and dissertations, and got my magnum opus bound (one hardback and four softback copies). I collected them on Thursday.

Holding the results in my hands made it all seem more real, somehow. Up until then I hadn't really been aware of what I'd done. Not really. But to hold this 250-odd page book in my hands was quite something, I can tell you.

My next stop was to take some copies into work. I've donated one copy to the library, and gave another copy to the Assistant Principal who gave me permission to use the university's facilities. It seemed the least I could do; and he seemed touchingly pleased to have been given a copy.

I'm very lucky in that Liverpool University are not at all concerned about copies being distributed. Most universities claim copyright on all theses and dissertations and forbid any publication without their permission. Liverpool, fair play, just say that as long as their name is on it, and as long as proper acknowledgements are made, then they are perfectly happy.

This is what has allowed me to publish the final product on the Web. I'm very glad that I've been able to do that because I've promised a lot of people along the way that I'd provide them with copies of my results. That responsibility is now, happily, discharged.

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menhirmenhir [Member]
30/04/06 @ 13:47

Must comment before I forget what I want to say, then I'll go and look at your latest blog.

Your dissertation is well presented, I don't know how mine travelled when I sent it to you, but I am sure it was not as tidy in its impact, as yours is.

I found it interesting to see the differences in cover presentation vis-a-vis your inistitute and mine. For example, you put a date of submission on your front cover, I was required to detail just the year though, I have thought since that showing a submission date would have been sensible for a number of reasons which I shall not dwell on just now.

It would have been interesting if you had got sufficient response to allow assessment of simultaeneous hits, a busy highway effectively, to your experimental data input site. With that though, you may have had to decide on major cuts in other important departments so making editing more painful that it was.

Editing is hard, maybe one of the hardest functions of finalising a piece of academic work. Not only do you have to be the arbiter of what is executed out but you have to be satisfied with what you have saved to include. Focus is often hard to maintain.

A lovely piece of work Peredur and I look forward to hearing the outcome, though there is no doubt what that will be!!!

menhirmenhir [Member]
30/04/06 @ 14:00

I think Edinburgh take a similar stance. I gave a copy of my work to the organisation who so willingly assisted me. I undersand though, that as I paid for my research some of the protocols enforced by universities would not apply. It is possible, Peredur, that this element features in your work too. Who paid for the course and the research? It may be different at PHd level though again, he who pays the piper calls the tune, if the information I have been given is correct.

My work was badly handled by the department and I was sent less than clean copies by return which took the gloss of the birth of my opus for me. I was not happy with that and did not let the matter sit. I got a replacement soft bound copy only after I had re-printed the work. My hard bound copy leaves much to be desired and the imperfections did not come from my equipment. I couldn't even reproduce what I saw. In minor part, I think my experiences boil down to the remoteness of my situation. I am glad you were able to deal with all binding yourself and feel so happy with it all, that's how it should be.

250 pages, no, I'm not going off to count mine again ;) If we're going to compete on weight, I'll get some extra durable covers on my publication...

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!

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cc0028cc0028 [Member]
http://www.peredur.uklinux.net
01/05/06 @ 20:00

:)

No, I don't think that you can judge a piece of work like this by its weight or its length. The question is, "Is it long enough?"

I remember when I was in school (an all-boys grammar school), the Geography teacher saying, "A good essay should be like a woman's skirt: long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to be interesting." We probably aren't allowed to say such things these days, so I've probably broken any number of taboos already, but I did take his point at the time; and I still do.

My wife obtained her degree (in applied linguistics) from Open University. Their advice, once the dissertation had been handed in, was not to look at it again until after the results were known. They said that if you were to open this particular Pandora's box before then, you would immediately find an argument you'd missed or a point that you hadn't made clear. Carole's advice to me was, "Put a stamp on it, give it a big kiss, submit it and forget it."

I can't quite do that. But I think she's right.

I'm sorry you had such problems with your binding. You have your files, so couldn't you get it bound yourself? It would cost a little money, but it's certainly been worth it for me.

You're also correct, I'm sure, about the sponsorship angle making a difference to the way the University looks at copyright. Half my fees were paid by my place of work (£4,000.00), and I paid the rest myself: so I suppose it would be hard for them to make any copyright claim stick. In fairness, though, their policy does seem to be guided by a desire to do the right thing rather than by legal expediency.

There I go again. That's me all over. "Slow to chide and quick to bless".

:D

Thanks for your comments. You have been a big help. I'll keep posting as I get news about marks and such.

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menhirmenhir [Member]
01/05/06 @ 20:17

Re-binding (hard bound) did cross my mind and I may ask my local tertiary if they have any access to such facilities. They couldn't offer anything the uni wanted for intitial presentation apart from putting holes in the spine side, so needless to say, I am dubious about that. Other than that, I wouldn't have the foggiest idea where to deal with the issue. I did pay for the original bindings but at uni student rates. I kind of feel chasing it is not an imperative just now and it won't change what occurred. I achieved my goal; I did it, got there and it's mine!

The advice given from all sources is sound, however, as I am sure you have already discovered, the mind is working and crawling all over the ideas that are in situ and awaiting scrutiny. One panic I had, made me revisit my work only to find, much to my relief, I had developed a particular argument and more succintly than I'd remembered. If you can, try to follow the wise words.

Glad you'll keep posting regarding outcomes. Do you think you'll continue to blog in general?

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cc0028cc0028 [Member]
http://www.peredur.uklinux.net
04/05/06 @ 10:44

I went to a local bookbinder. They specialise in binding theses and dissertations. This is their URL:

http://www.bookbindersuk.com/

I don't know whether they return copies by post, but I can't see why they shouldn't.

As to blogging ...

Yes, I think I'll carry on. I've got to keep going until I can post a result, anyway, haven't I?

:)

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menhirmenhir [Member]
04/05/06 @ 18:48

Ah now there's a big leading question!

Thanks for the url - I'll investigate.

Odd - I haven't been getting a number of notifications of replies of late through gmail. I think they are trying to be a bit too clever by half and some of my mail is getting lumped into similar subjects though different writers and from different times and dates as well. I have emailed them and got the standard reply.

If I hadn't called in to visit on the offchance, I would not have seen your comments.

TTFN

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menhirmenhir [Member]
07/05/06 @ 21:56

I've had an avalanche of notifications from gmail this evening, such as I am about to switch off - what is that organisation up to?

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