The dissertation is a watershed for the career academic. Requiring months, if not years, of intensive research and writing, the dissertation is both the final test and the crowning achievement of a doctoral degree. Such a major personal and professional investment is a challenge. Organize, communicate and focus to survive a doctoral dissertation and earn your degree.
Instructions
1. Educate yourself about your department's specific guidelines and requirements. Most doctoral programs have an established formal dissertation process. Determine proposal requirements, time frames, paperwork and rules, committee membership and other considerations.
2. Review examples of quality dissertations in your field. Ask your dissertation adviser for recommendations. Investigate your resources and options before making a final decision on a topic and approach. For example, if may not be feasible to have to travel to conduct your research if you lack have grants or other sources of funding.
3. Make a plan, set a budget and create a timeline. Include cushions to guard against the unexpected. For example, research may require additional research time or money, you might need to rewrite a chapter, or a personal or health issue could take time to resolve.
4. Start early. Almost every doctoral candidate benefits from maximum lead time. Talk to your adviser and dissertation committee early and often. Ask for meetings when you hit roadblocks, preferably before you lose too much time and momentum. Resist the temptation to procrastinate. Dissertations nearly always take more time than you expect, so discipline and checkpoints are important to survive and succeed.
5. Organize your project. Establish and follow a system that lets you easily research, compile notes, write, revise, attend meetings and perform other dissertation-related activities. Depending on your personal preferences and technical savvy, you may want to use a few different tools. Calendars, spreadsheets, soft and hard copy files, databases and personal organizers are all helpful.
6. Maintain a sharp focus on your topic while researching and writing. Your dissertation should answer a question or solve a problem. While you should definitely expect your research to lead you in new directions and often to unexpected conclusions, be sure that you stay on course.
7. Silence your internal critic. A major challenge in writing and defending a dissertation is overcoming one's self-doubt, fear and other negative emotions. An extended high-stakes project like a dissertation is a marathon, not a sprint. The dissertation takes time, energy, commitment and discipline, all of which can take a mental and emotional toll over time. Counter defeatist thoughts like "This will never be done" with positive thoughts like "I am halfway there."
8. Prepare for the defense. Organize your notes and mark up a hard copy for yourself. Rehearse with a coach, trusted peers or both. It is often helpful to adapt your written dissertation into a presentation, which can help you better present your ideas and answer questions. Get a good night's sleep the night before major meetings and especially the night before your dissertation defense.
9. Take care of yourself. Sleep, eat right, exercise and take breaks. Remember that exhaustion and illness compromise your productivity and harm the quality of your work. Keeping the dissertation in perspective can help you survive the stress. While the dissertation is unquestionably a major milestone, it is only one of many past and future achievements in your academic career.
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