So... (an open question to all graduate students/former graduate students)

[kirideth]

What do you do if you spend an extended period of time working on your thesis, and right near the end come to the conclusion that it can't be done? I mean, the work would still be there and still be significant, but the overall conclusion would be that it's a failed idea, at least with this specific approach.

Because right now, I'm absolutely terrified that'll happen to me.

Comments

[yashakizu.livejournal.com]

This happened to me. I agonized over whether I had developed my research plan well enough to get the data I needed and oh, I could have done this better and should have done this better... But when I actually started to put it all together in my paper I realized it was good data and I'd done well. Could it be anxiety about the paper? Are you sure it's a failed idea with your approach? *hugs* Take a bit of time away from the paper to see if your perspective might change on it.

What is your thesis on?

[luinied]

I don't know, but I'm pretty scared of this possibility myself.

I think your chances of getting by with a negative result thesis are much better than getting negative results into a journal. But, really, it would be something that, if it happens, you just have to bring up to your committee, and they'll let you know what sort of thing you should do.

[the-red-baron.livejournal.com]

I have not actually started grad school yet, but I'm accepted and everything and will start in the fall, though it's in a drastically different field, obviously.

But...I'm not sure failed results, in themselves, need to be a problem? I mean I understand the anxiety & disappointment, but of course negative results are still advancing knowledge. Would it be feasible to rewrite the paper to reflect that? Like, here's this theory I have tested, the approach failed for the following reasons, here's what we learned from that, here's where I suggest research should go in the future based on this? Basically as long as you can draw really significant conclusions from the failure, and emphasize that and make them sound important, it sounds to me like you've still got a perfectly workable thesis, though of course maybe I don't know enough about how your corner of academia works.

What does your advisor say? Or is your advisor useful for questions like this?