Dilemma

So this hot data set that I wanted to put into my dissertation isn't looking so hot. It looked GREAT when I took the images, but after being passed through three different processing protocols in three different software programs in order to build figures out of them...well, they don't look so awesome anymore.Crap.I'm not so worried about this in the long run. I can repeat the experiment (this data set was gathered under less-than-optimal conditions which affect the imaging but not the ultimate result). I will repeat the experiment since I plan to publish this result. But I can't repeat the experiment before I have to submit the dissertation. I can do it before I defend though.I'm just not sure what to do.One of my chapters sort of hinges on this result, so I could write it up with the not-so-great images as the important figure (ick), then have these replaced by the better images by the time I defend.This worries me - I don't really want to give my committee something to pick at. But then, most of them probably won't read the dissertation all that carefully before the defense anyway, so they might not even notice the not-so-great looking images in the written dissertation if I present good-looking ones at the defense.But what if my second run looks crappy too? Unlikely, but not impossible. Should I take the gamble that they'll look good? Or just toss this chapter out?My committee hasn't seen these results before. They were not included in my asking for permission to write outline because I didn't have them then. They're not expecting these results so they won't feel like they're missing anything if I don't include them. On the other hand, they have all been fighting with me to make sure I can retain authorship of the paper from my second project - it got scooped right after my asking for permission meeting (they are aware of this), we're taking a new direction, this chapter is that new direction. I'd really like to be able to show it to them to demonstrate that their efforts on my behalf paid off.What to do? Any advice?

Labels: Dilemma