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Defeating the Dissertation Demon

Defeating the Dissertation Demon. For Dr. Bowie’s PDC. Overview. Pre-diss Writing the diss Finishing the diss After the diss The job market. Pre-diss: Choosing your topic. Love it Combine “3 areas” Make it fit your field Hole/gap Current issues/ “hot topic” Can justify

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Defeating the Dissertation Demon

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  1. Defeating the Dissertation Demon For Dr. Bowie’s PDC

  2. Overview • Pre-diss • Writing the diss • Finishing the diss • After the diss • The job market

  3. Pre-diss: Choosing your topic • Love it • Combine “3 areas” • Make it fit your field • Hole/gap • Current issues/ “hot topic” • Can justify • Responds to needs • Work it into your course work: Play with it!

  4. Pre-diss: Choosing a committee • Chair: Research & topic • Committee: Helps & fits • Whole Committee: Consider the makeup • Who can you work with • What are their ranks? • Is it “diverse”? • Ask them face to face • Be ready for Nos

  5. Writing the diss: Starting • Ask your chair • Outline the diss • Look up the grad school “rules” and follow from the start • Consider doing the lit review first • Outline/very rough draft the f1st chapter • Acknowledge that it will change

  6. Writing the diss: Managing the process • Consider a mentor/slave driver beyond your committee • Back everything up in a zillion places • Create a schedule and add 2-3 times extra time • Set personal deadlines and add time • Set chair deadlines • Set committee deadlines • Talk with your committee and determine their turn around times • Follow the grad school schedule too! • Include revision time

  7. Writing the diss: Working with your committee • You are the “Boss”—kinda • Discuss with your chair her role • Ask them how they work and what they need from you • Friendly reminders? • Face to face meetings… • Be forgiving to a degree • Honor and respect your committee • Find ways to make it work • Work out a chapter process with your chair and with your committee • Inform the committee of your plans and how you and the chair will be working (generally) • Don’t stress your committee: Get them stuff by the early deadlines not the “must have bys”

  8. Writing the diss: Writing the thing • Good luck! • Make this the focus • Plan to get 3 chapters done by any job search, at least • Remember: Life happens! • Make yourself accountable somehow • Give yourself something else to do (exercise!) • Schedule reading and thinking time

  9. Finishing the diss • Get chapters out by your committee deadlines • Revise quickly and turn things around quickly • Once you hand it off: • Give yourself much deserved downtime • Ask to meet with the committee members individually to discuss • Discuss with your chairs holes, problems, issues you need to consider for the defense • Write your acknowledgements

  10. After the diss: Defending • Practice! • Practice! • Practice! • Prepare to answer questions you gathered from each committee member and more • Prepare odd ball answers • Have people quiz you • Have practice defenses • Eat blueberries • Shine! You are the expert!

  11. After the diss: Not done yet • Get the revisions and revise and/or discuss • Do school edits • Give yourself time! • Thank your committee with gifts

  12. The job market? • Have at least 3 chapters • Know you will miss 3-5 months or more • Plan easy tasks like the bibliography • Don’t plan to get “real” work done • Have initial “findings” to talk about

  13. Congratulations slaying the dissertation demon & enjoy the new title

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