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"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” – Henry Ford
Well, it’s been ages. I must admit I have been very caught up since we last met. There is hardly a moment to spare and I know you will tell me time is always available; only that it depends on what you do with it.
Remember where we left of? I did go on and on about my comeback, about rekindling the research spirit. Let’s proceed, shall we?
Here I am now, reorganizing and seeking Scopus journals that will accept my article. A friend suggests that I speak to a friend who suggests I speak to another friend. Long and short, I receive invaluable feedback from this friend on what I can do to improve my article. This friend even sends me slides that detail what top tier journals consider most. I religiously follow the guidelines, and yes, before long I have not one, but two Scopus publications to my name! After the last disappointing experience, I have not taken chances: I prepare three articles! And two have been accepted and published. The third one is (you guessed it right!) still being reviewed!
I can’t tell you how relieved I am. But the whole process leaves me with more questions than answers. Who are these who control these journals? What makes one paper good and another not-so-good? What parameters are used to gauge the usefulness or suitability of an article? I mean, the author is probably talking about his/her research truth from their country’s perspective- who are we to drop this research in the bin? Why should the review process take so long? Three years, really?
But I have no answers. I own no publishing house, and neither have I reviewed any article so far. Nevertheless, I will one day get these answers, if at all they exist.
Now that I have bagged the coveted Scopus article, I excitedly contact my school and the response is immediate. I am asked to submit the Intent to Submit Form, which I do. Oh boy, unbeknownst to me, I am about to embark on another harrowing trip as far as formatting the document is concerned. I contact a colleague who is on the ground, and he accepts to print and submit three copies of my thesis.
Within two days, I get feedback: rejected. I am advised to use the students’ handbook and pay close attention to the instructions on thesis submission. They have highlighted some errors and want me to correct them with the handbook in mind. I get down to business. Now don’t forget in between the corrections, I am up and down with classes and other duties. Whenever I find a little time in the evening, I try to work on my thesis before sleep takes over. This time, my colleague and I decide to print and submit one copy first. If accepted, we will produce the other two. I send the copy, cross my fingers, and wait. But not for long.
See, Malaysia and Kenya are five hours apart, so while I am deeply asleep (wee hours), my email and WhatsApp are alive with messages from campus. Upon waking up, because I am expecting news from yonder, I am hesitant to pick up my phone. But there is no escaping. Brother Fungayi’s message is first on the list, with the ominous words screaming for attention: “Sister, they have refused again. Just take your time and be very careful this time. They are not joking.” Wah!
I say, ‘okay’ because where I have come from is a long route away; where I am headed is around the corner. The last thing I want to do is to send my colleague on unnecessary trips to my school (he belongs to a different school). So, this time, I decide to choose a time every morning when I am fresh to do the changes. I also decide to engage my tech-savvy daughter, and together we make the amendments. She’s really good at it (formatting-the figures, tables, automatic table of contents, etc.) and pretty fast. We repeat and repeat and repeat the process until we feel everything is now okay. Ladies and gentlemen, believe it or not, the submission process takes me more than two months! And I tell myself if I get another reject, I will go bonkers!
So, on this early morning, on 17th October, 2022, Brother Fungayi’s message is peeping as usual. I decide to read it with one eye, really halfheartedly, as if one-eye reading will solve the problem. It is then that I jump out of bed and do a jig to celebrate the end of my submission woes. Ia sudah berakhir! (It’s over!) I have already submitted my Turnitin report and curriculum vitae, so I am good to go. It’s a good feeling knowing that the ball is now in the other court.
The rest of the process to the Viva Voce does not involve me. The school will appoint the examiners (one internal, one external), contact them (they have a right to decline), and set a date for the viva. Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the defense is also to be appointed. The examiners are given five weeks to read, examine the thesis, and submit their reports. I am aware that the viva voce should take place within three months following the successful submission of the thesis.
Two weeks before the final oral defense, I get the message every PhD candidate wants to hear but dreads, of course. I say to myself, ‘This is it.” My date with destiny falls on 13th December, 2022. So help me God!
To be continued…
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