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[cancom]

As I sit here, in the chair that I've sat in to do most of my pre-defense chapter writing and revisions, I'm wonder how much more I'll have to revise after my defense. 

I know there's no rule of thumb about amount or extent of revisions I'll face after my defense, but I'm wondering when I can put this thing down for a while and take a breath. It's been a protracted 6 years and I'm ready to move on (or at least off to the side a bit).

At this point I'm getting sick of reading the same words again, and again. Is it wrong to approach revisions as pragmatic copy editing if nobody's asked you to do anything substantively different?

If today is the 9th then, oh man, I only have 34 days until I defend. I really shouldn't have done that math...immediate stomache churn.

[francie_]

I'm sure you know that the extent of revisions you'll need to make will depend entirely on your committee.  I know also that you're already sick of the whole thing, but you DO NOT want to put it down too long after the defence.  I gave myself about a week and then started in on some of the easier corrections of spelling and grammar (each of my committee members kindly circled the typos and spelling errors in addition to their comments, which were mercifully brief) before tackling the reorganization of the one chapter that needed the most work.  After that it was a matter of plugging a few smaller holes and the final proofreadings and formatting.

Good luck!

[shamu]

As I sit here, in the chair that I've sat in to do most of my pre-defense chapter writing and revisions, I'm wonder how much more I'll have to revise after my defense. 

At this stage, not much. If your committee gave you feedback throughout the process, final edits should be minimal. If you've never heard from your committee, it's hard to tell.

I know there's no rule of thumb about amount or extent of revisions I'll face after my defense, but I'm wondering when I can put this thing down for a while and take a breath. It's been a protracted 6 years and I'm ready to move on (or at least off to the side a bit).

Not long. You have deadlines to meet (more than likely), so I'd take those into account. You may want to take a short break, but I would not sit on the diss long. If I recall correctly, I completed the revisions of mine within a week after the defense.

At this point I'm getting sick of reading the same words again, and again. Is it wrong to approach revisions as pragmatic copy editing if nobody's asked you to do anything substantively different?

No. By the way, that is a very likely scenario. If you worked closely with your committee, there should not be substantial changes at this stage. You'll get those when you submit (parts of) your dissertation for publication;)

Cheer up, you're almost done. Good luck!

[seniorscholar]

Many (most? I don't know) programs have a specific limit on the amount of time allowed. At my university, the final copy has to be at the grad school in 3 copies on good paper 30 days after the defense. One school where I've been outside examiner has a 60-day rule; if it's any later than that the defense has to be held again (which means I have to read the thing again, and since I'm annoyed I'll find many more things to complain about). So check with your adviser or the grad school rules to answer the question.

On the other hand, as most of the others have said, if you've been well supervised there shouldn't be much to change. (As supervisor, I'd be embarrassed in front of the other examiners if there were many big complaints!) And you should be getting a lot of free proofreading and copy-editing that will make the final product look a lot better when someone orders it from UMI. So do it as soon as you can. (Believe me, it's certainly better to be job-hunting with degree in hand, which won't be the absolute truth until the grad school has it.)

Besides, then you can shove it in a dark closet for a year before you look to see what you can salvage for articles and what additional research is needed for a book (depending on your field), as long as you're working on other things in the mean time.

[cancom]

Thank you for your replies.

I am sure that I'll be able to get my revisions done relatively quickly (barring any big surprises from the outside examiners). So far, I've been fortunate about the level of copy editing and circled typos.

Figuring out what to expect from my committee is a bit up in the air I suppose. My situation is a bit funny since I had to make a supervisory change late in the game, this past fall, after five years, when my original supervisor left the institution.

While it was a blessing in disguise that she left (not because I don't like her but because my new committee has been immeasurably helpful), each of my committee members reads for very different, and often contrasting things. I don't anticipate any of them presenting major objections separately or collectively...at least my current supervisor has been clear about her wishes that such an event not take place.

I guess it's just the last minute jitters of being on the verge but not quite there yet.

[elemental]

You're planning ahead, and that's great. The keys, as have been said, are to think about whether your committee has given you a lot of feedback or very little (if the second case, perhaps you may wish to talk with your main advisor and make sure they'll stand up for you if any of the other committee members makes unreasonable demands), and to know the exact deadline for turning in your final copy and paperwork.
Now, something fun. Defending your dissertation is a huge effort, and you need to take some time to celebrate. The best time, I think, is right after you've defended. The defense is a big moment, whereas turning in your final copy, while a great relief, somehow lacks the same punch. So take a few days after your defense, and really feel how wonderful your accomplishment is. Give yourself permission to do nothing at all useful. Relax, or do something you've been wanting to do for a long time. Enjoy. Then, after a few days or a week (give yourself a deadline so you have time to make the final deadline), get back into it, hopefully a little refreshed and happy to be on the final stretch.
Contrats on making it this far! You're almost there!

[muphd]

I have to agree with the others; it all depends on how well your committee has followed your work.  If they have been responsive, then your final corrections won't be dramatic.  I made my final corrections and submitted two days after I defended.  Good luck and congratulations!  You are almost finished!

muphd

[atalanta]

I'm wonder how much more I'll have to revise after my defense. 

Well, we can't answer THAT question (and I know you didn't really expect an answer) ...

Is it wrong to approach revisions as pragmatic copy editing if nobody's asked you to do anything substantively different?

...but the answer to this question is definitely NO! Absolutely be pragmatic about the revisions. The publications that follow are so much more significant than the dissertation. Do the minimum required by your committee. The time to set high standards for yourself is when you are preparing manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed publications.

So every time you think of a substantive improvement, write it down in a separate file that will become an outline of a future publication. Then go on to the next spelling/grammar correction! Keep in mind that your actual dissertation will eventually be read by ... almost no one.

At this point I'm getting sick of reading the same words again, and again.

I really sympathize with this one. This is THE most tedious part of finishing up. Suck it up and get it done, and best of luck to you in the next stage of your career.