Blog Index

2016, Current to 6/30

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

Previous Years

Topic	Dates of Posts - 2013	Dates of Posts - 2014	Dates of Posts - 2015
Dissertation, general	7/5, 8/16, 8/19, 9/27, 10/2	6/25, 12/5	1/7, 3/6, 11/20, 12/16
Dissertation calculator		9/5	3/9
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	9/14, 10/14, 12/18
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	6/19
Research Design			6/15, 6/22, 6/26
Theory			6/15, 6/17
C. 1	5/6, 10/21, 10/23, 10/25, 10/28, 11/1	11/7	3/11, 3/13, 3/16, 3/18, 3/20, 9/18, 9/21
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	1/9, 3/23, 3/25, 3/27, 4/3, 4/8, 9/23, 10/21
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	4/10, 4/13, 4/15, 4/17, 4/20, 4/22, 4/24, 4/27, 4/29, 5/4, 5/6, 5/8, 5/11, 5/13, 5/15, 5/18, 9/25
Defense	4/23, 5/8		9/28
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	6/24 10/5
Data Collection	5/13, 5/15, 10/16		6/24, 11/23, 11/27, 12/4, 12/7, 12/9
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	5/4, 5/8, 5/11, 5/13, 5/15, 7/1, 7/6, 7/8, 7/13, 7/15, 7/17, 7/20, 7/22, 7/24
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	1/5, 1/12, 10/19
Mixed Methods	5/22, 11/18, 11/20, 11/22, 11/25, 12/11, 12/20, 12/23, 12/27	1/3, 1/6	4/10, 5/6, 5/8, 5/11, 5/13, 5/15
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	5/20, 5/22, 5/25, 5/27, 6/3, 6/5, 10/7
C. 5	5/24, 9/20, 10/11	3/21, 3/24, 3/26, 3/28, 11/19	6/5, 6/8, 6/10, 6/12, 10/9
Final Defense	4/23, 5/27/ 9/11		10/12
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	1/21, 3/2, 7/3, 7/10, 9/2, 9/4, 9/7, 9/9 9/11
Organizing	4/22, 10/2	8/1, 8/4, 8/6, 8/8, 8/11, 8/13, 12/8	7/27, 7/29, 8/3, 8/5, 8/10
Secondary Data	5/31	2/24
Support, Getting	4/26, 6/5, 6/24, 8/16	5/21	1/26
Resilience			2/6, 2/16, 2/18, 2/20, 2/23, 2/25, 3/4
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	1/14, 1/23, 2/9, 12/11, 12/14
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	1/16, 1/19, 1/28, 1/30, 2/4, 2/11, 2/13, 4/1, 4/6, 6/1, 8/12, 8/14, 8/19, 8/21, 8/24, 8/26, 8/31, 9/16, 10/2, 10/16, 10/23, 10/26, 10/28, 11/2, 11/4, 11/6, 11/9, 11/11, 11/13, 11/16, 11/18, 11/25, 12/2, 12/21, 12/23, 12/25, 12/28

 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

New researcher interview!!

Check out the new interviewer with researcher, Dr. Lisa Hollis-Sawyer at  http://jsbhseditorblog.blogspot.com/

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 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

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. We 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 review 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; 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 in light of their applied experience may be very helpful. Just keep in the back of your mind 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 printed bound 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

New post on rewriting your dissertation!

Read the new post on rewriting your dissertation into an article - the discussion section! At:

http://jsbhseditorblog.blogspot.com/

Health issues and the dissertation

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

Extreme Scores Effects and Causes

Extreme scores can cause serious problems for statistical analyses. They generally increase error variance and reduce the power of statistical tests by altering the skew or kurtosis of a variable. This can be a problem with multivariate analyses. The more error variance in your analyses, the less likely you are to find a statistically significant result when you should find one (increasing the probability of a Type II error).

Extreme scores also bias estimates such as the mean and SD. Since extreme scores bias your results, you may be more likely to draw incorrect conclusions, and your results will not be replicable and generalizable.

Extreme scores can result from a number of factors. It is possible that the extreme score is correct- an example is although the average American male is around 5' 10" there are males that are 7' tall and some that are 4 foot tall. These are legitimate scores even though they are extreme.

Another cause of an extreme score is data entry error, someone that was actually 5' 6" tall may be incorrectly entered as 6' 5". So the first step is to always double check that extreme scores were entered correctly. A third cause may be that participants purposefully report incorrect scores. It can also happen that a participant accidently reports an incorrect score. Thus, an extreme score that has been entered correctly may need to be removed.

The info in today's post comes from Osborne (2013).

Osborn, J. W. (2013). Best practices in data cleaning. DC: Sage. 

Next time we will consider 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

Making Data Make Sense- Extreme Scores

What are extreme scores? They are scores far outside the norm for a variable or population, leading to the conclusion that they are not part of your true population and probably do not belong in your analyses. A common operationalizing definition for extreme scores is +/-3 standard deviations (SDs) from the mean.

Recall that standard normal distribution of a population has 68.26% of the population between +1 and -1 SD of the mean (see attached diagram: 34.13% between 0 to +1 SD +  34.13% between 0 and -1 SD = 68.26%).

So 95.44% of the population should fall between 2 SD from the mean (34.13% + 34.13% + 13.59% +13.59% = 95.44%), and 99.74% of the population should fall 3 SD of the mean. In other words, the probability of randomly sampling an individual more than 3 SD from the mean in a normally distributed sample is 0.26%, which gives good justification for considering scores outside 3 SD as suspect. Our concern is that these scores are not part of the population of interest in your study. 

Next time we will consider how extreme scores affect statistical analyses. 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

New Researcher Interview: Dr. Ellen Levine

Have you ever wondered about doing psychological research on cancer patients? What would that be like? Find out in the new researcher interview with Walden's own, Dr. Ellen Levine! http://jsbhseditorblog.blogspot.com/

Missing Data as a Variable/ Best Practices

You may wish to examine missing data as an outcome itself, as there may be information in the missingness. The act of failing to respond vs. responding might be of interest. This can be examined through a "dummy variable," representing whether a person has missing data or not on a particular variable. You can then do some analyses to see if there any relationship that develop.

Osborne (2013) provides some best practices in dealing with missing data that are great to remember.

• First, do no harm.be careful in your  methodology to minimize  missing data. 

• Be transparent. Report any incidence of missing data (rates by variable, and reason for missing data if known). This can important information for readers. 

• Explicitly discuss whether data are missing at random (i.e., if there are differences between individuals with complete and incomplete data). 

• Discuss how you as the researcher dealt with issue of incomplete data. 

Osborn, J. W. (2013). Best practices in data cleaning. DC: Sage.

Next time we will consider outliers or extreme scores. 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