next »

[philoctetes]

Shouldn't your Master's thesis be your "masterpiece"? 

I tell my students to think of the Ph.D. thesis as a masterpiece in the medieval guild sense of the word: it's the work that you produce that teaches you how to do this sort of thing, so that you can do it independently without the help and guidance of a formal dissertation committee.  It's also a good parallel in that the production of a successful Ph.D. "masterpiece" shows the field that you have something independent and valuable to contribute to the guild and are worthy of entrance.

Course that would make your PhD dissertation a "doctor-piece".

[acrimone]

And don't forget... once you get it approved, you can just change it back to however you like when you cut it up to send out as article/book material.

It's your frickin' dissertation.