Blog index- May

2014, Current to 5/28

Topic	Dates of Posts
Dissertation, general
Selecting a Topic	4/28, 5/9
Organization
Committee Members	5/7
URR
Center for Research Quality
Overview of Process
Premise
Prospectus	4/4, 4/7, 4/9, 4/11, 4/14, 4/18, 4/21, 4/23, 4/25, 4/28, 5/2, 5/5
Proposal
Research questions	4/18
C. 1
C. 2 (literature related)
C. 3	1/3, 1/6, 1/13
Defense
IRB	1/10, 1/15, 1/17, 1/20, 1/22, 1/24, 1/27, 1/29, 2/3, 2/5, 2/7, 2/10, 2/12, 2/17, 2/19, 2/21, 2/24
Data Collection
Quantitative	1/3, 2/26, 3/12
Qualitative	1/6, 3/14
Mixed Methods	1/3, 1/6
C. 4	3/5, 3/10, 3/12, 3/14, 3/17, 3/19, 3/21
C. 5	3/21, 3/24, 3/26, 3/28
Final Defense
Career
Goal Form	5/23, 5/26
Motivation	1/1
Secondary Data	2/24
Support, Getting	5/21
Writing	5/16, 5/19
Other	2/14, 3/3, 3/7, 4/16, 5/12, 5/14, 5/28

 2013

Topic	Dates of Posts
Dissertation, general	7/5, 8/16, 8/19, 9/27, 10/2
Selecting a Topic	4/23, 7/8, 7/10
Organization	4/22, 10/2
Committee Members	4/17, 5/3, 6/10, 7/19, 8/21
URR	5/8, 5/27
Center for Research Quality	12/9
Overview of Process	4/19, 9/18, 12/13
Premise	4/17, 9/6
Proposal	4/22, 9/9
Research questions	10/9
C. 1	5/6, 10/21, 10/23, 10/25, 10/28, 11/1
C. 2 (literature related)	4/26, 5/29, 6/3, 6/12, 6/17, 6/28, 9/16, 10/11, 11/4, 11/6, 11/9, 11/15
C. 3	5/1, 10/16, 10/28, 11/18, 11/20, 11/22, 11/25, 12/2, 12/4, 12/6, 12/11, 12/16, 12/18, 12/20, 12/23, 12/27
Defense	4/23, 5/8
IRB	5/10, 10/14
Data Collection	5/13, 5/15, 10/16
Quantitative	5/17, 7/24, 7/26, 7/29, 7/31, 8/2, 8/5, 10/4, 10/7, 11/20, 12/2, 12/4, 12/6, 12/18, 12/23, 12/27
Qualitative	5/20, 11/20, 11/22, 11/25, 12/11, 12/16
Mixed Methods	5/22, 11/18, 11/20, 11/22, 11/25, 12/11, 12/20, 12/23, 12/27
C. 4	5/17, 5/20, 5/22, 7/17
C. 5	5/24, 9/20, 10/11
Final Defense	4/23, 5/27/ 9/11
Career	7/12
Goal Form	8/12
Motivation	6/5, 6/26, 7/1, 8/16, 8/23, 9/2, 9/18, 10/18, 11/8, 11/27
Secondary Data	5/31
Support, Getting	4/26, 6/5, 6/24, 8/16
Writing	4/26, 4/29, 6/12, 6/21, 7/3, 8/9, 8/14, 9/4, 9/23,9/25
Other	4/18, 6/7, 6/14, 6/19, 6/24, 6/26, 7/1, 7/8, 7/15, 7/19, 7/22, 8/7, 8/16, 8/19, 8/26, 8/28, 8/30, 9/2, 9/13, 9/18, 10/18, 11/27, 12/13, 12/25

 Next time we start summer quarter.  Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

 

Journal empowerment*

You should consider keeping a journal of your dissertation adventure. This is different than the research journal I have talked about previously, this is a personal volume where you can share your hopes, dreams, and frustrations. It can be a paper or electronic version, but the important thing is that you write it in regularly! What to talk about? Write about what you are doing each day on your paper, and how you feel about it. Talk about your chair, committee member, and URR; this is where you can write out frustrations and revelations. 

Keeping such a journal is empowering, it allows you safely vent and work through problems. Your spouse/ partner, family, and friends while supportive, probably do not really understand what you going through, you can also burn them out through your frustrations. A journal provides a place to share your feelings, it also lets you go back and reread entries. You will tend to find that you have been through such events before, you survived and learned from it; you will survive the present one too! 

A journal lets you be in control; give yourself permission to write what you want. It is a map of your dissertation experience, the pitfalls and the joys. You may want to consider publishing a version of the journal when you are done or you may wish to share it with your own dissertation students someday. It will be your map of your adventure. Use it wisely! 

*My thanks to Judi for the suggestion of this topic. 

Next time I will post an updated blog index.  Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Getting a U

The quarter is over, what do you do if you get a U in dissertation? First, this really should not be a surprise; hopefully you have already discussed the issues with your chair. If you have not done so, I suggest requesting a phone call with your chair and talk about it (politely and calmly). Take the approach that you want to know how to avoid it in the future.  

The implications are large for getting a U; if you get two in a row or three ever, you can be dismissed from the program. Be assertive in finding out what you did or did not do to get this grade. Typically, it is not reaching your goal for the quarter. Discuss some alternatives for the future. Perhaps you are setting too high of goals for yourself. Ask your chair to help you come up with realistic ones for the next quarter. 

Refrain from beating yourself up over this. Learn from the experience and commit to yourself that you will do better in the summer. Carefully lay out your plan for summer, including any family or work commitments. Then think about how much realistic time you can devote to writing. What if you can see already that you won’t be able to get much done? It may be time to consider a leave of absence and get yourself reorganized and recommitted to the project. If this seems to make sense for you, talk it over with your chair and your academic advisor. 

Next time I will talk about how journaling can empower you as a writer.  Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu 

End of Spring quarter

It is the end of Spring quarter, you should take a few minutes to reflect on your goals for the quarter and how it went in reaching them. Really think about how long it took you to write, and research the various sections you worked on. Consider what is realistic for you for next quarter? Keep in mind that it will be summer, you will be invited to parties, kids may be home from school, you may want to take a vacation. As you have probably come to realize, it is important to be realistic in your goal for each quarter, because reaching the goal; determines your grade. 

I want to encourage you to take some time off during break, get away from school related issues for at least a couple of days. Give yourself permission to do this without any guilt. You will come back with a renewed approach and perhaps a clearer head. 

Begin thinking about your goals for Summer quarter. Lay out a weekly plan, keep it realistic; taking into account travel and time with family. Renew your commitment to make progress over the quarter. 

Next time I will talk about getting a U in dissertation.  Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Giving back

When you are in the midst of a high stress situation, such as your dissertation (along with work and family) it is difficult to even consider doing things for others. However, I feel it is important for you to consider a few low time ideas to give back to others. Why? Think of all of the people who have helped you in your educational process, from teachers, to family, to friends. They have given you their time, their wisdom, and their faith in you, it is time to pass on some of that. 

Here are a few suggestions. Take a few minutes to write 3 short emails. Send one to someone who has supported you in your graduate program (ideas: teachers, peers, family, friends). Tell them what they did that showed their support. Tell them why it has been important to you. Then send the other two emails to other students you know at Walden who could use a little support. Remind them that what they are doing is important and you believe in them.  

Why did I decide on that ratio of one to someone who has supported you and two to people you can support? While it important to thank those that have helped us, I believe it is even more important to help others. The minute you take to support a friend or peer will make their day; it may be what keeps them working on their paper instead of doing something else clamoring for their attention. You may provide the motivation to keep them from quitting when it gets difficult. 

You have been given so many gifts; sometimes it is hard to remember it, because it is easy to take them for granted. You are intelligent and determined- how do I know that? Because you are working on your dissertation, you wouldn’t be here if you were not both of those things. I believe that you can get your dissertation done, and receive your doctorate. I believe that someday soon you will be able to have Ph.D. after your name, and people will call you doctor. Just keep writing! 

Next time I will talk about the end of the quarter.  Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu 

Never "done"

I am often sent drafts from students saying that they are "done" with a chapter. It is so important to understand that you are not done with any part of the paper until the CAO (Chief Academic Officer) approves the final draft. Every time a faculty member reads a chapter or section, he or she is sure to spot something they missed on previous reads. Why does this happen? Every time it is read, the reader is in a different cognitive mode. They may have recently run into issues with other students on APA format or grammar, and will be more aware of the issue when they read your paper. They may be more awake than previously or just had a cup of coffee. 

Why is this important for you to remember? Because if you are in a mindset that you are done with a part of the paper you will tend to not reread it, and add in new thoughts or ideas. It also makes you resentful and defensive when a reader points out problems, which is never good. You are writing a book; therefore, you must keep checking that everything is consistent and written correctly. You would be very annoyed with a mystery writer who changes details between chapter 1 and the middle or end of the book. It is similar with your dissertation – it is a whole project; while it is written in parts, you must continue to think of it as whole project. The goal is to have the best dissertation that you can have, to reach this goal, graciously accept criticism, changes, and learn about writing as you do so. 

Next time I will talk about giving back.  Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Rewriting

You have rewritten your proposal umpteen times for your chair. It is sent to your committee member who wants more changes. What is all this rewriting about? Are you really that bad of a writer?  

Rewriting is an integral part of professional writing (as is criticism). It is tough to go back through and rework it again and again. But it truly is part of the process and prepares you for peer review of future articles you will write. You are writing a very technical paper and it is easy to make errors, and not be precise. There are no quick fixes, but I can make a few suggestions. 

Be gracious in accepting feedback, don’t argue with the reviewer. If you truly feel that he or she is wrong on a point – make an argument in a comment in your paper (support it with literature, APA manual). Always be polite, thank them for taking the time to read and critique your paper.  

Carefully go through each comment and change it as needed. If it is a grammar or formatting issue, check the entire paper and make sure that it doesn’t show up again. Yes, I know how time consuming it is, but it will save you time in the end. While you may want to use the Replace function in Word, make yourself check each suggested change before replacing it. English is a fickle language; often what is correct in one circumstance is not in others, so double check. 

Try reading your paper aloud to catch problems. If you find that this does not work for you, ask someone who is a good writer to proof it for you. Again, no arguing! Thank them for helping you. 

It is a great idea to keep notes of common problems you have in writing. You can then double check these issues before submitting it to your reviewers. Read your writing critically, have you made clear arguments? Have you supported each statement with citations?  

I find it helpful to think of rewriting as a challenge – I want to outwit the reviewer by making it as clear and correct as possible. While rewriting is not particularly fun, it can be a learning experience and will make you a stronger professional. 

Next time I will talk about the word "done." Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Is an outside mentor for you?

I have had a couple of questions about whether having a mentor outside of education is useful. First, let's define what we are talking about – it is NOT someone on your committee. We are talking about someone in your field of interest that might have an applied view of the topic. This person may be able to offer insights that from the applied side that you can't get from just reading about the topic. An example might be if you are interested in domestic violence, a contact or mentor that works in a shelter may offer ideas that you have not considered. 

It is definitely something to consider, but a few cautions- remember they probably do not know what is required for a Walden dissertation, so do not rely on them for this type of advice. Even if they have a doctorate, they probably do not have the necessary knowledge of Walden's dissertations. Always check their comments/ ideas against the literature; they may have interesting anecdotal information, but you must rely on empirical support. An applied perspective can lead you in interesting directions; however, it must be tempered with literature. 

How do I see the relationship working? Talking with them when you are trying to come up with a research question makes sense. Running ideas that you find in the literature by them may be useful. Also when you have your results talking them through the results in light of their applied experience may be very helpful. Just keep in the back of your mind when writing that you are not trying to please them – they are not on your committee, use them as a resource. 

It is a nice idea to send them thank you notes for helping you and a copy of your final dissertation. Be sure to mention them in your acknowledgements. 

Next time I will talk about rewriting.  Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Health issues and the dissertation

Life has a way of throwing things at you when you have the least time for it. This makes sense from a health psych perspective – as your stress increases, the chances of health issues increase proportionately. So let's talk about how to handle health issues during dissertation work. 

As you probably know, there are 2 types of illnesses – acute and chronic. Acute illnesses are short term ones, such as colds, flu, a broken bone, etc. The key point is that they are time limited- there is an end in sight. For these types of illnesses, keep your chair informed of the issues. Do not just disappear from dissertation! Faculty understand that emergencies happen, but make sure they are informed as soon as possible. Let your chair know if there are issues that will affect your writing ability, a great example is a student with a broken wrist. He or she may be able to use voice recognition software to write, but it will definitely slow the progress. Remind your chair occasionally that you are dealing with this, they may not remember. Contact disabilities services to cover yourself. You may want to let your dissertation peers know for support and suggestions. 

Chronic illnesses are more of a challenge. Chronic illnesses are ones that are not time limited, they may continue indefinitely. Some examples are diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and some forms of cancer. Contact disabilities services – they may be able to offer extensions and other accommodations. Let your chair know about your issues, it may be a good idea to educate them a little on your illness so they understand what to expect in the future. It is a good idea to give your chair info on how to contact your next of kin so they have a way to check up on you if you disappear from the classroom (you must give permission to allow such communication). It is also a good idea to give your next of kin your chair's contact info so they can update him or her. Remind your chair occasionally that you are dealing with this illness, they may not remember. 

If a flare-up or crisis occurs, you may wish to explore taking a leave of absence (LOA) with your academic advisor and chair. Ask about what it will mean with your dissertation. Can you return and be with the same chair? Consider LOAs if you are going through a difficult period- don’t risk getting a U. Be sure you keep in contact with chair during LOAs- he or she needs to know that you are ok and your plans for the future. When you return from your LOA, let your peers and chair know how you are doing. Remember, these people have formed relationships with you; they can be supportive if they know what you are dealing with. 

Next time I will talk about considering having an outside education mentor.  Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Too close?

Judi asks: When is your study too close to research already done? 

There is nothing like the panic a researcher feels when they find a study that appears similar to theirs! What do you do?? First, take a deep breath, rarely is a study going to be identical, so relax. I suggest your next step is to analyze the differences and similarities between yours and theirs (a spreadsheet works great for this). 

Compare the population/ sample. How are they similar and different?

Look at their methodology, how are they different? What measures are being used? 

If you find they are similar, consider tweaking yours to add to the literature (this should always be your goal!). Perhaps adding a different variable or two would tell us more about the issue. If the previous study was quantitative, a qualitative or mixed methods study may provide interesting insights that aren't evident in a quantitative study. Keep in mind that a major limitation of surveys is that people are limited in their response to the choices given- they may have more to say. 

Perhaps you can slightly change your population to look at the issue in a new way. A hypothetical example might be that originally wanted to look at diabetes in children and its effect on their schoolwork; your plan was to talk to the students and parents. Let's say you found a very similar study. You could tweak yours and look at the teachers' views of diabetic children in school. How knowledgeable are they about the illness and how do they see it affecting the child's work? 

I often suggest that students use the similar study as a contrast in their paper. Example – Smith and Jones (2014) examined children and parents' views of the effect of the child's diabetes on schoolwork. The present study will extend this work by examining the perspective of the teachers' of diabetic children. 

Next time I will talk about coping with health issues and the dissertation.  Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Accepting feedback gracefully

An inevitable part of working on your dissertation is getting criticism. This can be very difficult for some students- they feel defensive and resentful. PLEASE, take a step back from this and think about it – a faculty member has taken a great deal of time to read and critique your paper. They do not like saying negative things any more than you like to receive them. However, it is the faculty's job to help you learn to write, and that is what they are doing when they give you feedback. It does not matter if a hundred other people think you are a marvelous writer- accept that this person does not, and see how you can fix it. 

How to approach the feedback? I suggest quickly reading through the feedback and if you find you are feeling defensive, close it and think about it for a while- resist the impulse to immediately write back. Remind yourself that they are trying to help you learn to write professionally, and that they want you to get done. Then when you feel that you are ready (hopefully no more than a day!), begin the revisions, take each comment one at a time, think about it and revise. If you find you are not sure what the faculty means with a comment. Carefully write out an email of inquiry- here is an example: 

Dr. X,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments and suggestions! I find that I do have a question about comment LE5, in which you state: "I don’t know what you mean here." Could you clarify please, do you mean that the sentence itself is not clear or do you mean that the word "finaglosity" is not clear in this context? 

Thank you again for your help,

Jane Student 

Always be polite, and thank them for their help. You will find that you get much further with being kind than you ever will with being defensive. 

Next time I will talk about what to do if you find a previous study is very similar to the one you want to do.  Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu