Survival Skills for Graduate Students

Survival Skills for Graduate Students Research and Dissertation Basics Dr. Deborah Lee Professor/Coordinator Library Instructional Services Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Survival Skills for Graduate Students: Workshops • Research Dissertation Basics • Developing a Literature Review • Grant$ for Grads • Research Ethics and the Graduate Researcher • Crafting the Winning Curriculum Vita • Landing on the Tenure Track: Job Hunting in Academia • Publishing 101 for Graduate Students Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Session Overview • What this session will NOT cover! • Library Resources and Services • Research Strategies • Planning and Completing the Dissertation Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills The Best Dissertation… …..is a Finished Dissertation! Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Library Services • Reference (2nd Floor) • Research Consultations • Specialized Research/Reference Resources • Ready Reference • 325-7667 • Ask-A-Librarian service: http://library.msstate.edu/askalibrarian/ • Reference@library.msstate.edu Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Library Services • Instructional Media Center (2nd Floor—New Location!) • Workshops (Software, Web Apps, Formatting) • Multimedia Workstations and Instructional Material • Equipment Checkout • Videos, CDs, DVDs • Formatting Assistance! Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Library Services • Access Services (2nd Floor) • Inter-Library Loan (Illiad) • Check out books • Theses-Dissertations (1st Floor) • Dissertations and Theses • Mary Ann Jones Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Survival Skills for Graduate Students: Web Page • Related Library Links • Workshop Materials • Related Campus Materials • Later this semester: Podcasts of Workshops! • http://library.msstate.edu/li/ssfgs/ Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Challenges of the Dissertation Process • Why do a dissertation? • Marks the transition from student to scholar. • Challenges • New experience • Very large project! • Substantively different in scope • Thesis vs Dissertation Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Managing the Dissertation Process • Managing your topic. • Managing your advisor. • Managing your committee. Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Managing your topic. • Too narrow vs too broad. • Significance to the profession. • Flexibility. Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Managing your advisor! • Selecting an advisor. • Establish expectations. • Pick a dissertation committee. Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Manage your committee. • Selecting Committee Members. • Establish expectations. • Communicate! Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Plan the Dissertation Process • Develop a timeline. • Data/Research constraints? • Graduate date? • Funding considerations? • Other considerations • Approvals: human subjects, animals, dangerous chemicals. Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Dissertation Process • Preliminary Steps • Library Resources • Dissertation Proposal • Statement of the Research Question • Literature Review • Methodology Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills “Mastering the Academic Style” From: Writing the Winning Dissertation, by Allan Glatthorn. • Too Confident: The study proves that schools are loosely coupled systems. Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Too tentative: One conclusion that might be drawn from this study is that this particular school, on the basis of this investigation, seemed to have elements of organizational structure that might enable it to be characterized in general as a “loosely-coupled system,” although there were clearly aspects of tight coupling manifest in certain parts of the system. Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Better… The findings suggest that most of the organizational elements of this school were only loosely linked, so that it might be generally characterized as “loosely coupled.” Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Dissertation Advice • Work where you are most productive (place and time). • Keep your committee informed of your progress. • Don’t become discouraged---seek help when needed. Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Dissertation Planning • Format • Chapter One: Research Question • Chapter Two: Literature Review • Chapter Three: Methodology • Chapter Four: Data Analysis • Chapter Five: Conclusions Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Other Considerations • Departmental Norms • Formatting the Dissertation (and Thesis) • Prepare for Completion! Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Completing The Process • Timing Completion • Physical Formatting • Submitting Your Dissertation Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills After the Dissertation • Publishing Your Results!!!! Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Available Handouts • PowerPoint Slides (Available Upon Email Request) • Library Services Summary • Dissertation Guides Bibliography • Research Consultation Request Form • EndNote Flyer Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills Questions?? • Dr. Deborah Lee, Professor • (662) 325-0810 • dlee@library.msstate.edu Mississippi State University Libraries

Survival Skills for Graduate Students