Earning a doctorate degree requires commitment, perseverance, and personal sacrifice—placing some things in our lives on hold. It is, by no means, easy—and there really is nothing that can make it “easy.” Any terminal degree that is worth earning is going to be a challenging process—it is important to accept that fact upfront. However, that does not mean that you can’t lighten the burden on yourself. Navigating through the coursework can be formidable, but the dissertation—which is unique research—is even more challenging, and there are many stumbling blocks on the way to finishing. Let’s face it: doctoral coursework is really not all that different from previous coursework—to have gotten where you are, you already know how to successfully navigate coursework. Unless you are fortunate enough to have previous academic research experience—a previous Ph.D., or prior academic writing experience—you have little in your academic background that really prepares you for the dissertation process. This book is designed to help you surmount the most common stumbling blocks you are likely to encounter on your way to finishing the dissertation. It is not only intended for graduate students who need to finish the dissertation quickly—those who need to get it done, get it done well, and also get it done quickly—but also for all graduate students who believe that everything is in the preparation.
Here are some suggestions for how this book can be used to assist you with completing your dissertation:
(1) If you are just beginning your doctoral studies and you bought this book to be prepared for the challenges you will be facing, you may want to read through the entirety of the text—which can reasonably be done in a day or so, and then use the strategies suggested for long-range dissertation planning. You can then revisit the book every so often to make sure you are still on track.
(2) You can use the book for planning your time. The book will provide suggestions regarding when you should be working on different portions of the dissertation. Using a timeline can help you move through your proposal and the entire dissertation in a more efficient fashion.
(3) You can use this book for structure. So much about the dissertation process can be vague. You are told to write a proposal, but no one really tells you how or when it needs to be done. You can use this book to provide structure, to help explain what you need to do and when.
(4) You can use the book as a diagnostic tool to analyze where your weaknesses lie, so that you can put most of your effort into addressing these issues and prevent them from derailing you. It can help you determine if you have strong writing skills, strong research skills and good planning skills.
(5) You can use everything in the book—from front to back and back to front—ignoring nothing. The more tools you have, the better you will do.
(6) You can use this book to help you if you are already in dissertation and need help making up for lost time.
This text is full of advice and tips that you can use, in whole or in part. Instead of following a traditional chapter layout, it is organized into relevant “mini topics” that are short, easy to read, and backed up by activities and thought exercises which will help determine where you are in the process—and move you forward. Your dissertation is like any other challenge in life: There is no singular “right” way to approach it. It all comes down to finding whatever works for you. We encourage you to read the opening section of this book and then skim the rest to see what it has to offer you. Once you have finished with this brief read-through and realize the potential of its flexibility, you can decide how you will use the book. Remember—you can always use this book in varying ways at different times depending on what your needs are—being mindful that these needs will evolve—that is one of the benefits of the flexibility of this text.
Here are some suggestions for how this book can be used to assist you with completing your dissertation:
(1) If you are just beginning your doctoral studies and you bought this book to be prepared for the challenges you will be facing, you may want to read through the entirety of the text—which can reasonably be done in a day or so, and then use the strategies suggested for long-range dissertation planning. You can then revisit the book every so often to make sure you are still on track.
(2) You can use the book for planning your time. The book will provide suggestions regarding when you should be working on different portions of the dissertation. Using a timeline can help you move through your proposal and the entire dissertation in a more efficient fashion.
(3) You can use this book for structure. So much about the dissertation process can be vague. You are told to write a proposal, but no one really tells you how or when it needs to be done. You can use this book to provide structure, to help explain what you need to do and when.
(4) You can use the book as a diagnostic tool to analyze where your weaknesses lie, so that you can put most of your effort into addressing these issues and prevent them from derailing you. It can help you determine if you have strong writing skills, strong research skills and good planning skills.
(5) You can use everything in the book—from front to back and back to front—ignoring nothing. The more tools you have, the better you will do.
(6) You can use this book to help you if you are already in dissertation and need help making up for lost time.
This text is full of advice and tips that you can use, in whole or in part. Instead of following a traditional chapter layout, it is organized into relevant “mini topics” that are short, easy to read, and backed up by activities and thought exercises which will help determine where you are in the process—and move you forward. Your dissertation is like any other challenge in life: There is no singular “right” way to approach it. It all comes down to finding whatever works for you. We encourage you to read the opening section of this book and then skim the rest to see what it has to offer you. Once you have finished with this brief read-through and realize the potential of its flexibility, you can decide how you will use the book. Remember—you can always use this book in varying ways at different times depending on what your needs are—being mindful that these needs will evolve—that is one of the benefits of the flexibility of this text.
