“ Top 10 ” Tips to Completing Your Applied Dissertation

1. “Top 10” Tips to Completing Your Applied Dissertation Dr. Robert Hill Program Professor & AD Chair Nova Southeastern University Fischler School of Education and Human Services

2. From the Home Office in North Miami Beach, Florida

3. # Ten Communicate with your Chair regularly

4. Know that your chair is accessible and only an email or a phone call away. The job as chair is akin to that of a manager in the sense that the manager does not do the actual work but instead ensures that the job is on time and on budget.  I see myself more of a coach, than a manager; however, chairs do not write the dissertation, edit for every APA mistake, or correct every grammar mistake. We do provide guidance and encouragement on dissertation design, methods, resources, APA format, and editing. Do not drift away. Please stay in contact with me!

5. # Nine Give very careful thought to selecting your AD topic

6. Selecting an appropriate topic (problem) to write about is one of the most important decisions you make in your AD journey. It needs to sustain your interest over a long period of time. Dissertations usually take at least twice as much time as anticipated, and there are few worse fates than slaving hour after hour on a project that you abhor. At the other extreme, it is wise to avoid a topic that is overly ambitious and overly challenging. Most students want to graduate, preferably within a reasonable period of time. Grandiose dissertations have a way of never being completed, and even the best dissertations end up being compromises among your own ambition, the wishes of your committee, and practical circumstances. Finally, you need to select a topic that has the potential for you to make an original contribution to the field and allow you to demonstrate your independent mastery of subject and method. In other words, the topic must be worth pursuing.

7. # Eight Read other dissertations (and not just NSU ones). 

8. A doctoral dissertation is a formal document that demonstrates your ability to conduct research that makes an original contribution to theory or practice. One of the early pieces of advice I dispense is to go read actual dissertations (not just from the FSEHS & NSU, but also other current ones from other major universities). Besides looking at their research questions and overall procedures in chapter 3, examine the literature reviews and reference list as well.

9. # Seven Seek help from reference librarians.

10. “Resources for the dissertation literature review must be scholarly in nature, relying heavily on peer-reviewed and empirical sources. The Alvin Sherman Library at NSU offers over 300 databases that contain references to journal articles, books, conference papers, government documents, tests and measurements, and dissertations. Many items are available in full text, and students can order materials that are not available electronically by using Document Delivery services. Librarians at the Alvin Sherman Library offer assistance in conducting literature searches in a variety of modalities, including instruction sessions during the EDD 9300: Methods of Inquiry course; via a toll-free number, e-mail, and chat sessions; at the Summer Conference; and in person. Visit the Alvin Sherman Library website (http://www.nova.edu/library/main) for more information”(p. 8 of Applied Dissertation Procedures Manual ). The reference librarians at NSU are excellent! They will help you narrow down your topic to do a search with the key descriptors, locate relevant literature and studies and even send you valuable resources in whatever format you wish.

11. # Six Pick your methodology wisely.

12. Whatever methodology or research design you choose, you need to understand the techniques and processes of that particular method. Do not try to make your study fit a predetermined research methodology. The decision ultimately depends on the research problem to be investigated, the overall purpose of the study, and the nature of the data you will be collecting. Once you have alignment between the research questions and the data, the next decision you want to make is how to collect the data. Picking a relatively quick method of collection – either because you have easy access to the data or because you fully understand the method of collection -- will greatly increase the speed with which you can work. Once you decide how to collect the data, you must then decide how you are going to analyze the data. Sometimes students believe that they will complete their analyses more quickly if they chose a quantitative method (over a qualitative one) that uses statistics and computer-processed data. Your study is likely to stall indefinitely, however, if you don’t understand your research design, the specific measurements you are using, or how to interpret the findings the statistical analysis produces.

13. # Five Remember you should be working on your AD while you are concurrently taking classes.

14. For some of you, after you do all your weekly postings and research & write your assignments for the two (and for some of you – three!!) doctoral classes, there is not any time to spare. With your FT jobs (and part-time jobs) and your families, there is no time left over to carve out some research or writing time. I recognize that some of you are purposely trying to get all your courses out of the way and then devote all your concentration and energies on your AD. After the third year or 9th semester, you have to register for Applied Dissertation Services (ADS 8091) and it does then get expensive. You also have to be registered (enrolled) at the university in order to receive services. Thus, if you put your AD on the proverbial back burner, you now have an extra incentive to make progress on your applied dissertation, and that is a financial one.

15. # Four Reallyreview the literature and do it early on.

16. You need to identify early on some of the seminal works and know the so-called “gurus” in your particular field. A researcher cannot perform significant research without first understanding the literature in the field. Your AD will add to this body of knowledge as others will be able to search and read it should you choose. Maintain an accordion file for all articles, etc., to use in your literature review and start a separate Reference file on your computer.   Reviewing the literature involves locating, analyzing, synthesizing and interpreting previous research and documents related to your study area. The goal is to obtain detailed, cutting-edge knowledge of your particular topic and the only way to do that is to immerse yourself in your subject by reading extensively and voraciously – there are no shortcuts!

17. # Three Manage your time effectively.

18. Because there are no deadlines imposed on you (other than the maximum seven years) while writing the dissertation, time can escape quite easily. It is a challenge to “find time” in an already busy schedule. The reality is that you have to “make time.” Working hard is not enough, you need to work smart to ensure you are productive. Do not procrastinate! Manage your time effectively so that you make the most of your 168 hours a week.  Write something every week no matter what!  You write the AD one word, one sentence, one paragraph, one page, and one chapter at a time.  Make “to-do” lists and create & stick to a strict schedule. Set small goals for yourself and reward yourself with much needed breaks. Learn to say “no” to others, take care of yourself (physically and mentally), and avoid burnout! Do not listen to those naysayers or to other people’s dissertation horror stories.   

19. # Two Learn your APA now if you have not already done so and hire an editor if necessary.

20. Scholarly writing is impossible without clear, logical, and precise thinking and there is a close reciprocal relationship between good writing and clear thinking. Sometimes you are too close to the work to see errors and another set of eyes does help. It’s not as easy as it seems to learn the nuances of headings, in-text citations, references, tables, and figures. Mastering these techniques early saves you considerable time and effort in the long run. Remember that as of now all editing must be in compliance with the 6th edition of the APA manual, and I recommend strongly that you use the on-line NSU template that should address most of your formatting issues. There are many resources out there including on the FSEHS, Alvin Sherman library, and APA websites to help you become proficient in the application of APA style to a dissertation manuscript.

21. (cue drum roll please) And the number ONE answer is:

22. # One Make your AD a “win-win” situation.

23. In other words, you are working on a real problem that your organization has and may not have had the time or the resources to do anything about it yet alone hire an outside consultant.  If they provide you support and access to data, you get to work on it as part of your job, and they benefit from the research that you are conducting AND you also receive academic credit from us in the process.  Hence the “win-win”scenario. That is the beauty of an applied-practitioner Ed.D. program, as you are doing something not purely theoretical, but meaningful that will touch lives and truly “cause an effect.”

24. Wouldn’t it be ideal if you could work on your study during your day job? Remember you are both an employee and a student researcher and we don’t want you to lose your job -- so get that important “buy in ” early.

25. All Top Ten: • 10. Communicate with your Chair regularly. • 9. Give very careful thought to selecting your AD topic. • 8. Read other dissertations (and not just NSU ones). • 7. Seek help from reference librarians. • 6. Pick your methodology wisely. • 5. Remember you should be working on your AD while you are concurrently taking classes. • 4. Really review the literature and do it early on. • 3. Manage your time effectively. • 2. Learn your APA now if you have not already done so and hire an editor if necessary. • 1. Make your AD a “win-win” situation. 

26. Ran out of room for: • Most importantly, back up and save all your work in two safe places such as an internal and an external drive.  • Stop the negative self-talk! Almost everyone experiences doubt in some ways. As you work on your dissertation, you may find yourself struggling at times with ideas, concepts, writing, motivation, self-doubt, negativeemotions, and the stamina required to complete a project of this magnitude. Yet these struggles offer you the opportunity to learn, grow as a person, and stretch yourself intellectually, psychologically, and creatively. • Do not take shortcuts.  We want you to be proud of your applied dissertation and to proudly put it on your resume and/or CV and to share with others.

27. Following these tips will help will help with your nerves.

28. And hopefully lead to

31. Remember

32. “If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” Albert Einstein

34. Questions

35. Contact Information Robert Hill, Ed.D., (800) 986-3223, Ext. 28613, hillr@nova.edu