Graduation

Today is graduation! Congratulations to all of our graduates! I thought this might be a fun time to talk about the doctoral hood and gown, which is called academic regalia. This originated in medieval Europe, where it was the dress for both faculty and students. Standards for academic costumes for colleges and universities in the United States were adopted in 1895. 

The gown for the doctoral degree has bell-shaped sleeves. Supplied with fasteners, the gown may be worn open or closed. The gown has velvet on the front and three bars of velvet across the sleeves. The hood worn for the doctoral degree has panels only at the sides and is 4 feet long.  

Hoods are lined with the official color or colors of the college or university conferring the degree. Walden University's color is green; therefore, each Walden hood has green in the middle of the hood. The binding or edging of the hood is velvet or velveteen and 5 inches wide for the doctoral degrees, respectively. The color should be indicative of the subject to which the degree pertains. In the case of the doctor of philosophy degree, dark blue represents the mastery of the discipline of learning and scholarship in any field that awarded this degree and is not intended to represent the field of philosophy. 

Picture yourself in your doctoral gown receiving your hood at graduation. I'll see you there! 

Next time I will post an updated 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

Ordinary Days

"A man can stand anything except a succession of ordinary days." (Goethe) 

What is an "ordinary day" for you? Do you keep to a rigid schedule of family/ work/ dissertation- juggling everything at once? Does it all begin to seem so difficult that you want to crawl into a dark corner and escape? Perhaps it is time to plan a little break, do not panic- I am not suggesting a long expensive trip (although wouldn’t that be nice?), rather a half day of doing something you love to do and getting away from your ordinary days. 

What could you do? Perhaps a short trip to a favorite local place (the beach? A museum? Coffee house?), have the rule that no thinking about work/ dissertation is allowed. Perhaps what sounds the best is some time to work on a favorite hobby or read a trashy novel. Take the time to give yourself a small gift of extraordinary. It will remind you why you are putting yourself through all of this work- to change your ordinary present days to an extraordinary future. 

Next time we will take a field trip – to graduation! 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

Repost: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Sometimes research feels like you aren’t really making progress… you read over the paragraph from yesterday and wonder “what was I thinking?” You discover an article with a study almost exactly like yours. Your chair (committee member, URR) wants yet another revision. How to keep going? 

First, realize that while these are maddening, they are also a normal part of the process. It happens to everyone. The difference between the person with an ABD (all but dissertation) and a PhD is the second one keeps going. Yes, you will have days that feel like you are going backward, but you will also have days when you plunge ahead and make progress. Keep going. 

Second, know that you are not alone, you have help available- just reach out. Your committee, the writing center and your peers are all available. Let’s consider for a moment how best to approach them. Despite the strong temptation, don’t whine, complain, and blame the world. Say what is going on and what you are looking for from the person. Here’s an example to a peer: 

Hi Mindy,

Like you, I am working on my dissertation. I find I am really having problems keeping motivated, would you be interested in being a dissertation buddy with me? I am thinking that perhaps we could commit to contacting each other once a week or so and offering encouragement. It might help me if I felt accountable to you to get something specific done each week. What do you think? 

Recognize that they may say no, and that is ok. But if they do say no, have someone else in mind to ask. Keep going until you find the person that you need. You are the only one who can find you the support that you need. It is an important element that may make the difference between your being ABD or having that PhD after your name. 

Third, I find it really helpful to set a goal for the week and each day with my writing. What is realistic? Maybe 5 pages a week? Only you know what would be reasonable for you. But make yourself a commitment and stick to it. You will be shocked at the progress you will make. Be sure to allow time for editing, it a very important element of writing and will save you time in the long run. 

Next time I will discuss ordinary days. 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 

 

Repost: Conciseness

One of the hallmarks of professional writing is that it is clear, organized, and concise. I recently reviewed a final dissertation that was 450 pages long… it is painful to wade through that much information. The reality is that if you are writing that much, you are probably repeating yourself and not being concise.  

How do you make your writing concise? First, make an outline of each chapter and stick to it! There is a tendency for people to be attracted to distantly related articles, and start to go in strange directions. An outline will keep you focused on the essentials. When you think you are done with the chapter, go back to the original outline and make sure you haven't taken any wandering paths. 

Second, never copy a section from a previous chapter into a later one. I know it is more work to actually rewrite a similar section, but trust me; your reader will appreciate not reading the same paragraphs over and over. Besides, you may make new interesting connections or have flashes of inspiration when you rethink that section. You will also have a tendency to write more concisely the second (and third) time. 

Third, make sure you have grammar and spell check turned on in Word. Pay attention to the grammar and writing marks that are shown in Word (those green and red lines that appear under words and sentences). Right click your mouse on them and they will offer suggestions- follow them. 

Fourth, and this is the tough one, reread each sentence and think about how you could write it clearer. Eliminate adverbs (e.g., "mostly," "almost"), eliminate extra "thats" (my own problem area). Put the paper aside for a day or so, then go through it again carefully and make sure each sentence works with the previous one and is clear. 

Finally, pay attention to the total number of pages. Think about would you want to read that much? Please don’t send your committee a paper with 450 pages!  

Next time, we will take a look at moving forward. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Send me an email with your ideas. leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Repost: Facing the Monster under the Bed

As you lay awake at night, what are your dissertation fears? That you aren't good enough? That you will run out of money? That you won't get your Ph.D., your family will be ashamed of you, and you will end up on the streets? Just as when you are were a child, these are your monsters on your bed. 

First, rest assured that such fears and worries are very normal. Often the best way to handle the monster under the bed is to directly confront the fear. You are worried that you are not good enough? Let's examine that. How did you do in your undergraduate and graduate programs? You got As and Bs? Then you should be able to handle the dissertation. Think about (it helps to actually list them) your successes academically, what were you really good at? What always was a problem for you? 

What do you feel is your weakest area related to your dissertation? Don't just worry about it – take control of the monster! Is it writing? Then look into some of the short writing courses offered by the writing center. The writing center has editors that work with you. They also have a developmental editing service (you need a referral from your chair) in which the editor will work one on one with you and teach you writing skills. 

Is your weakest area research methodology? Then read some books in your methodology area, so you feel more confident. There is a methodologist available through the writing center that can help with specific problems (your chair has to contact them for you). 

Beware of the common tendency to close your eyes and pretend the monster isn’t there, while you quiver in fear. Face it and wrestle it to the ground! You are in control of your destiny, take whatever steps you need to take to get rid of the fear and get done! 

Next time, we will take a look at conciseness. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Send me an email with your ideas. leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu 

Negative Habits and Your Dissertation

Last time I discussed how to create a positive habit related to your dissertation – today let's consider what negative habits you may already have created within yourself. Close your eyes and visualize sitting down to work on your paper- notice how you are feeling. Do you sense anxiety? Any negative feelings there they may be leading to procrastination? If only positive feelings are present – congratulations! Run along and work on your paper! However, if you did experience any negative feelings, hang around and let's talk for a moment. 

To state an obvious point – you are engaging in self-defeating behaviors and you need to figure out some ways to stop them. I have some suggestions for you- get the book The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business by Charles Duhigg. Begin setting up some positive associations between your dissertation and things you love- what those are is up to you (the book can help) - but you want to create an atmosphere of excitement and pleasure to come to mind with your paper. If you have had some bad experiences with your paper, this may be influencing things- take positive actions to correct them. Some suggestions – go to a dissertation intensive (see the residency website for more info), find someone you know that was an English major and writes well- ask them to help you edit your paper or hire an editor (see suggestions on the Walden Writing Center website). Consider taking one of the short writing courses offered by the Writing Center. Do Something! Take positive action and break the negative cycle you have established. 

Next time I will discuss facing your fears.  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

The Power of Habits

Have you ever thought about your dissertation in terms of a habit? We know in psychology that connecting a specific cue and behavioral routine to a reward reinforces that behavior. Let's consider this in terms of your dissertation. If you set up a positive cue with working on your dissertation, let's say an early morning cup of special coffee that you love, with sitting down to write, over time, you will begin to link the smell and taste of this positive coffee experience with the routine of working on your paper. Let's add in an additional reward of feeling the reduction of anxiety and stress over your paper. If you consistently have your special favorite beverage only when you work on the paper (set a time requirement – maybe an hour?), and then pay attention to your reduction in anxiety, you will soon have a winning combination! 

Make a daily habit of writing at a specific time when you feel fresh and have the quiet time to work on the paper. Link it with something you particularly love- perhaps special music, drink, small snack, etc., make sure that this is only time you have access to the positive reward. You will soon find the experience to be one you look forward to doing. 

Next time I will discuss negative habits and your 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 

When to summarize, paraphrase, and quote

In psychology, we rarely quote – so you should typically be emphasizing paraphrasing and summarizing. Summarize when you are giving the gist of a study or theory. 

Paraphrase when you want to represent a source more clearly or pointedly. Paraphrasing does not mean changing a word or two, you must replace most of the words and phrasing with your own. 

Only use quotes (exact copy of material) when:

             The quote is evidence that backs up your reasoning. An example, might be if you are making the case that child abuse has profound psychological effects – a quote from a reliable source giving specific statistics would support your statement.

             The words are strikingly original or express your ideas so compellingly that the quote can frame the rest of your discussion.

             They state a view that you disagree with, and to be fair you want to state that view exactly. Be sure that you include page numbers and quote the passage exactly as written. 

Next time I will discuss the power of habits.  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

Recruiting subjects

Previously, I discussed that you should not recruit people you know for interviews, so how do you recruit people you do not know? There are two common ways that are typically approved by the IRB. 

1) Work through an organization. You can work through an organization to access their employees/ members/ customers/ or patients. Typically, the IRB does not want you to personally contact potential interviewees, instead having the organization forward an email with a description of your study info often works. Alternatively, posting flyers or having handouts available onsite is an option. You will need the organization's permission through a letter of agreement (available on the IRB website). 

2) You may be able to use a snowball recruiting technique in which you give out flyers/ send out a description by email of your study to people you know. You then ask them to forward on the info to people that they know. Remember, you should not know your final interviewees. 

Next time I will consider when to summarize, paraphrase, and quote.  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 

Thinking about your audience

A student question:

How do you remove yourself enough from your dissertation to put yourself into the readers' shoes so to speak, so you can tell if a proposal covers everything necessary?

Mavis 

This is a good question, Mavis! You want to assume that your audience is intelligent and knows generally about psychology, but has no knowledge about your topic. Think of it as educating your readers. Explain terms, tell them the background of your variables, and do not assume that they know anything about it. Put yourself in the position of the instructor, be through, and explain. 

I also want to reassure you that this is exactly what your committee will be helping with. They will tell you when you need more explanation and description. A common comment is "define this," or "go into more detail here." 

Next time I will consider some ways that you can recruit interview subjects.  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

Concern about time

From a concerned student:

I have a concern about the process that is shared among many of my fellow students, but none of us want to bring it up with our chairs or administration, in fear that they will make the remainder of the process more difficult for us. I wanted to get your insight on this, even though you are a Walden “insider.” :) There is a sense that Walden has an unwritten rule about making this process unnecessarily long, either as a way to get more money from the students, or even just as a way to make the degrees more meaningful. This is evident in the ongoing back-and-forths between student and chairperson. I understand that each person in the committee has up to 2 weeks to review, but I have found that my chair regular takes that 2 weeks even for minor revisions that take no more than a few minutes. As you are aware, two weeks = about $600 in tuition. This is painful to the student on many levels. Two weeks is a reasonable about of time for reviewing a proposal for the first time, but not for the seemingly endless communications that occur in the process. It is frustrating, to say the least. 

Thanks, this is a great question! This is a concern that every dissertation student expresses, even those in traditional brick and mortar programs. The difficulty with the dissertation is that it is a very technical paper, written by students without a great deal of previous experience in this area. Let me give you an example, I went to a traditional program at Ohio State for my doctoral degree, it took me two years to complete my dissertation. This was during the time when faculty did not edit online, so I kept all of my rejected drafts in a box. By the time I was done, I had filled two printer paper boxes. So hopefully, you can see that revisions are simply part of the dissertation process. Also, I do want to mention that it was not at all unusual for faculty to take 2 to 3 weeks to return drafts when I was in graduate school. 

Now let's consider, why it takes so long to complete a dissertation. First, students are not used to writing at the level that is needed for this type of paper. It is very formal, in a specific format, and requires an in depth analysis of a great deal of literature and new data. Second, supervising the dissertation student requires considerably more work than teaching a class does. Each draft must be read several times, once for content then for grammar and APA formatting. Third, the committee members are held to a very high standard in supervision of doctoral students. If the students' papers are unable to be approved at the next level, the responsibility for that comes back to the committee. If this happens repeatedly, the chair may be required to be closely supervised or may have their students removed. Needless to say, faculty should be considerate of the time element for students, whenever possible. 

I hope this provides some insight into the process; completing a dissertation is difficult. It is supposed to be. It is your first professional paper and when you have completed it you be entered into an exclusive profession in which you have proven yourself to be qualified to enter. 

Next time I will answer a student question about writing.  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

 

Easy Interview Subjects*

As a beginning interviewer, you may want to find the easiest way to recruit potential subjects. Students often want to select people with whom they already have relationship, such as: family, friends, coworkers, students they know, or others they may know. While it is understandable to want to use people you know, it is problematic and complicates, and even contaminates, your interviews. 

Family and Friends

Sometimes it is tempting to use family or friends as participants in the study; however, this carries with it some serious issues. First, your prior relationship influences the comfort level that they have with you, as the interviewer. Thus, they may be more likely to reveal things to you that other people would not, providing a false picture of your sample. Similarly, they may be uncomfortable answering personal questions that others would answer (picture asking your grandmother about her sex life- not very comfortable for you or her!). 

The other issue with friends and family is that you may assume that you know what they are talking and not explore in the depth that needed in a research interview. It is good rule that you do not personally know your subjects. 

People you supervise

Conflicts of interest occur when you interview people that you supervise. An example might be a principal interviewing the teachers that she/he supervises. However, in the situation of interviewing supervisees, you are placing them in a difficult position. They cannot risk be totally honest with you, if you are also in a position to affect their job. It is advisable to seek similar individuals that you do not supervise. 

As you can see, there is no easy way to recruit participants. Do not fall for the trap of thinking you can "cheat the system," you will only waste your and your participants' time in conducting unethical research. Next time I will answer student questions that have come in.  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

 

*Much of today's information comes from:

Seidman, I. (2013). Interviewing as qualitative research, 4^th Ed. NY: Teacher's College Press.

Updated Index

Topic	Dates of Posts - 2013	Dates of Posts - 2014
Dissertation, general	7/5, 8/16, 8/19, 9/27, 10/2	6/25, 12/5
Dissertation calculator		9/5
Selecting a Topic	4/23, 7/8, 7/10	4/28, 5/9, 8/25
Committee Members	4/17, 5/3, 6/10, 7/19, 8/21	5/7, 10/8, 12/22
URR	5/8, 5/27
Center for Research Quality	12/9
Overview of Process	4/19, 9/18, 12/13
Premise (no longer used)	4/17, 9/6
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, 8/27
Proposal	4/22, 9/9	9/8, 11/3, 11/5
Research questions	10/9	4/18
C. 1	5/6, 10/21, 10/23, 10/25, 10/28, 11/1	11/7
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	6/9, 6/11, 6/16, 9/10, 9/15, 9/17, 9/19, 9/26, 9/29, 11/10, 12/26
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	1/3, 1/6, 1/13, 11/12
Defense	4/23, 5/8
IRB	5/10, 10/14	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, 10/13, 10/15, 10/17, 10/20, 10/22, 10/24, 10/27
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	1/3, 2/26, 3/12, 7/9, 7/14, 7/16, 7/18, 7/21, 7/23, 7/25, 7/28
Qualitative	5/20, 11/20, 11/22, 11/25, 12/11, 12/16	1/6, 3/14, 10/29, 12/12, 12/15, 12/17, 12/19
Mixed Methods	5/22, 11/18, 11/20, 11/22, 11/25, 12/11, 12/20, 12/23, 12/27	1/3, 1/6
C. 4	5/17, 5/20, 5/22, 7/17	3/5, 3/10, 3/12, 3/14, 3/17, 3/19, 3/21, 11/14
C. 5	5/24, 9/20, 10/11	3/21, 3/24, 3/26, 3/28, 11/19
Final Defense	4/23, 5/27/ 9/11
Career	7/12	8/18, 8/20
Goal Form	8/12	5/23, 5/26, 6/2, 8/15, 11/24
Motivation	6/5, 6/26, 7/1, 8/16, 8/23, 9/2, 9/18, 10/18, 11/8, 11/27	1/1, 6/4, 6/6, 7/4, 7/11, 9/22, 10/10, 12/3
Organizing	4/22, 10/2	8/1, 8/4, 8/6, 8/8, 8/11, 8/13, 12/8
Secondary Data	5/31	2/24
Support, Getting	4/26, 6/5, 6/24, 8/16	5/21
Writing	4/26, 4/29, 6/12, 6/21, 7/3, 8/9, 8/14, 9/4, 9/23,9/25	5/16, 5/19, 6/16, 6/18, 6/20, 7/2, 7/7, 8/27, 12/10
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	2/14, 3/3, 3/7, 4/16, 5/12, 5/14, 5/28, 6/2, 6/13, 6/23, 6/27, 8/22, 9/1, 9/3, 9/12, 10/3, 10/6, 11/17, 11/26, 12/1, 12/24, 12/29, 12/31

Next time I will consider some issues with accessing easy interview subjects.  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