Dissertations - Angry, slow-working people

[JohnDoe]

Based on different threads on different boards, I get the impression that the general opinion is that the more years you use on your dissertation the better it is.

I do not at all share this opinion. In fact, I find it rather strange.

If one uses 4-10 year on a dissertation, then - heck - that dissertation should be a masterpiece, and nothing but a masterpiece.

If I were to devote 7 years, for example, to write a dissertation, then that dissertation probably would have several thousand pages. In fact; I would feel a litte ashamed, because I would feel that I was working to slow. But that's just me.

How is that for conversion to working life?

Boss: Hello employee. Can you help me with some of the work that is  lying around on my desk.

Employee: Sure thing, boss. I'll look it over, and come back to you in 2-3 years.

No offence. All honour to those who work a long time and produce a good dissertation, but it is - as I see it - nothing to BRAG about.

That's some kind of twisted logic.

Student 1: Hello, I just finished my dissertation. Took me 8 years.

Student 2: ONLY 8 years. That must be a lousy dissertation. I used 11 years.

The ridicule that is going on about people that produce their dissertation in 1-3 years is, as I see it, nonsense.

If you are effective and efficient - two key principles at least in the business world - than you can, as I see it, produce a very good dissertation in 1-3 years.

[ham]

Actually masterpieces (say Wells' TIME MACHINE ) were written in a very short time...
Of course 'masterpiece' may be a handy fig leaf to cover embarrassing spots...such as unpreparedness...slow thinking etc.
For example I would NEVER begin a doctoral dissertation without having ALL the literature I need handy, possibly already examined and scanned for light-fast reference.
I met people who claimed they were in their 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th year of doctoral studies IN A TAUGHT PH.D PROGRAM!!!
Which means a sizable percentage of credits came from taught courses, not the dissertation...still they were taking so long.

I produced a few degree dissertations and it took between 2 and 3 months to complete each, getting a 'first'.
Smaller chunks allowing me to explore possibilities for bigger projects.

The fact that John Bear stands to attention in front of Janko's coffin for taking 12 years to complete a dissertation with a South African university

He began his doctoral project in 1997, and worked steadily on the project for nearly twelve years

matches the doublespeak of Bear himself describing the fleet of 'innovative' schools he owned, created or promoted...which he now calls degree mills.

With proper groundwork done in advance, I surmise the minimum 2 years many universities require should be enough.