Preparing the PowerPoint The good news has finally arrived! You’ve spent hundreds of hours (but what probably has felt like millions of hours) working on your dissertation. You’ve been planning, brainstorming, proposing, outlining, drafting, researching, writing, screaming, kicking, crying, celebrating, and everything in between, in order to finally get your initial draft completed. You’ve submitted this draft to your adviser and other committee members and, finally, you’ve received the … [Read more...]
Introduction to Research Questionnaires: Advantages & Disadvantages
Every research method has its advantages and disadvantages. Doctoral students and researchers are often at a loss as to which method to choose. When choosing a method (or methods) for your research you must consider the most appropriate method (or combination of methods) that would be most effective for investigating your research problem and answering your research question(s) while working within the resources at your disposal. Toward this end, this article focuses on the advantages and … [Read more...]
Developing a Research Question
In the beginning of your dissertation journey, you are asked to submit your dissertation research proposal to your adviser, who will most likely request modifications to your first proposal and then forward your revised proposal to your dissertation committee for approval. In your proposal, you must have a valid and appropriate research question/s which allows you to investigate gaps in research related to your research topic and also helps you address a problem you may be … [Read more...]
Dissertation Defense Prep Power Series: Part 1- Preparing the PowerPoint
Dissertation Defense Prep: A 4-part POWER series. The good news has finally arrived! You’ve spent hundreds of hours (but what probably has felt like millions of hours) working on your dissertation. You’ve been planning, brainstorming, proposing, outlining, drafting, researching, writing, screaming, kicking, crying, celebrating, and everything in between, in order to finally get your initial draft completed. You’ve submitted this draft to your adviser and other committee members and, finally, … [Read more...]
Seeking Professional Help for Your Dissertation
Help for your dissertation can be found in many places. You can find help on the internet, from your dissertation advisor, and even from your own friends and colleagues. But you may need intense and focused guidance offered by experts such as professional dissertation consultants. However, finding the right professional help can be as challenging as writing the dissertation itself. Since your dissertation is the final task before earning your doctorate degree, running into serious challenges … [Read more...]
Developing a Research Question
In the beginning of your dissertation journey, you are asked to submit your dissertation research proposal to your adviser, who will most likely request modifications to your first proposal and then forward your revised proposal to your dissertation committee for approval. In your proposal, you must have a valid and appropriate research question which allows you to investigate gaps in research related to your research topic and also help you get close to solving some sort of problem you’re … [Read more...]
12 Must-Follow Tips for Writing your Dissertation
Most doctoral students know what it takes to write. They would not have reached the doctorate level if they didn’t. However, too many students get stuck at certain points. This is absolutely normal and, in fact, this is the case with just about all professional writers. Whether you’re stuck in certain places or just want solid advice to get ahead, this article gives 12 valuable tips gathered over the course of two decades in the dissertation consulting and PhD field. I hope you enjoy the … [Read more...]
The Six Laws of PhD Failure
To give you a dose of reality, the attrition rate at any PhD school is very high. Anywhere from a third to half of those that enroll at a PhD university will not end up graduating and finishing their dissertation. In fact, the figure of 40%-50% of failing PhD students has been fairly stable over the past three decades. In 1990, Baird reported that PhD completion rates in most disciplines hover around 50% and are even lower in the arts and humanities. In 2003, Elgar conducted a detailed study of … [Read more...]
How to Write an Effective Dissertation Proposal: Part I
Not every dissertation proposal will have the same structure since the specific structure for a proposal varies according to guidelines stipulated from each university department. However, the basic compositions of a proposal (things like theme, audience, purpose, etc.) are one and the same. In addition, the general structure is always similar. To help guide you in writing a winning proposal, this article introduces to you several important concepts. These include the dissertation proposal’s … [Read more...]
How to Write an Effective Dissertation Proposal: Part II
In part one of this article, we discussed the main aspects of what makes a winning proposal. In particular, we talked about a dissertation proposal’s main ingredients as well as the purpose, the audience, and the first five elements of its structure (title, abstract, introduction, problem statement, and purpose/research questions). This second part talks about the rest of the structural elements (literature review, methodology, significance, structural overview, workplan, and … [Read more...]
