I met with both supervisors for a very helpful meeting to discuss the structure of my thesis.

They had some general points to make before the more detailed critique of my efforts:

  1. Review research questions as appropriate
  2. Consider practice/theory balance
  3. Determine planned outcomes
  4. Decide on methodology
  5. Define methods
  6. Generate a timeline marking key moments of insight/turning points
  7. Assess and order research and practice outputs into the following categories:  core material; don’t know yet or those aspects that might be very interesting but have no relevance to the current thesis
  8. Consider what I wish to submit for my upgrade.

They suggested that I need to consider simplifying the structure of my thesis with the aim of producing around 50,000 words to accompany my practice outputs:

  • Chapter 1 – Introduction
  • Chapter 2 – Contextual Review
  • Chapter 3 – Practice
  • Chapter 4 – Conclusions

I am going to spend a couple of weeks reflecting on their advice and thinking about the key questions they have posed.  Many of them I have considered, but the time has come to make some decisions as a firm basis on which to move forward to upgrade.

My supervisors recognised that I had done a broad body of research and practice, which is what they had advised I should do, but now my efforts need to be channelled into a manageable thesis.

In terms of my practice, they suggested that I might consider doing a thorough edit of my images taken to date and to mark those images that have significance, the knowledge they have generated and the change of direction or viewpoint as a result.  Similarly, they suggested that I should mark key areas of research and writing that might be considered as moments of insight.

Finally, I should start to consider the work I would like to submit for upgrade.  This might include a piece about the philosophical influences (that might not necessarily be a fully formed chapter), an in-depth case study about three key images or a piece of writing emerging from a quotation from a philosopher or other artist and how it is relevant to my research questions.

I feel very motivated to take these next steps and in doing so, determine the focus of my efforts for the next few months to upgrade.

Alison Price

Alison Price

My name is Alison Price and for the past ten years I have travelled the world photographing wildlife, including Alaska, Antarctica, Borneo, Botswana, the Canadian Arctic, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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