Searching

One question I am frequently asked "is how do I know that I have found all relevant articles in the library?" You really don't know- new literature is added every day. So searching should continue even after you have written the literature review.  

However, I can give you some additional suggestions. Check the keywords on relevant articles that you find – and use those for additional searches. Check the references on all relevant articles and look for ones that you may not be aware of yet. Look at those articles' references and keywords. Think of it as being a detective- you are searching for that elusive clue! 

Try searching without "full text" turned on – you may pull up articles that you have not seen before. You can request up to 20 articles (total at Walden) from the library's document delivery service – see the library home page for info on this.

 

Keep track in your research notebook (see April 22 post for info on this) all the searches you conduct, the database used, and the keywords used. You will need this info in c. 2; it also cuts down on the time for future searches. 

There are a number of special features in the Walden library that I want to mention, that can help your search. When you have found an abstract that appears relevant, look to the left of it and you will see a green box labeled: "Find Similar Results using SmartText Searching." It is worth checking this to see if it gives you any help. Another resource is to look right above the green box at "Times cited in this database." This shows you every article that cited the one you are looking at. Often they will be related in topic. 

Also a hint, if you find a reference you want to use – look at the right side of the screen and click "Cite." It will provide the full reference in APA format, this can be copied into your reference section. 

Finally, if you are having a great deal of difficulty finding literature, contact the librarian. They are able to come up with many ideas for keywords and search terms that you have probably not considered. 

Next time, we will take a look at who is impressed with your dissertation at Walden. 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

Walden Dissertation Trivia

 

Some Walden dissertation trivia, in honor of Friday the 13^th! 

There have been 4948 dissertations completed at Walden University, as listed in the dissertation database. The first one was in 1972 by William D. Isaacson, entitled: Jose Marti on American Life and Literature. 

A total of 644 psychology dissertations have been completed at Walden. The first was in 1983 by Paula Torly, entitled: Early Personality Formation as a Determinant of Mid-Life Crisis in Professional Women. 

Of the 644 psychology dissertations, 222 were in clinical psychology. A total of 496 of the psychology papers mentioned the word health, and 172 listed developmental psychology as a subject. Five mentioned the word animal in the title. 

A total of 112 psychology dissertations were completed this year so far. There were 204 in 2012, 159 in 2011, and 143 in 2010 

I am listed as the chair for 13 dissertations and committee member for 18, my first name is spelled 4 different ways in them! 

Next time, we will take a look at searching in the library. 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 

The Final Dissertation- from a Faculty View

In my inbox I have received all five chapters of the dissertation from a student, what am I looking for? First, I will carefully read the abstract; this is all that the CAO will see, so it has to be written as well and as complete as possible. I will make sure that the student mentions the theory used, details about participants, analysis, some results, and ends with social change. 

I will review c. 1-3 to make sure anything about the study is now in the past tense. I will carefully read c. 3 the methods and then read c.4, the results. First, I double-check the consistency between what they said they would do in c. 3 and what they actually did in c. 4. Any changes must be detailed and explained.  

Chapter 4 should review the methods actually used and any problems that arose. It should also fully explain the analyses, and the results. Chapter 5 should explain the results by linking them back to the literature and to theory. This is where the student should show that they understand what they found and that they understand the implications. They also should discuss what the next steps should be in research in this area and the social change implications. 

Of course, there should be no misspellings and the APA should be correct throughout.  

Next time, we will take a look at some Walden dissertation trivia in honor of Friday the 13th. 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 

The Proposal- from a Faculty View

As a faculty member when I receive a complete proposal, I am looking at a number of things. First, I look at the writing- is it clear and does it make sense? Is the grammar correct? Are there misspellings? It is always surprising how many students cannot pass this initial test. 

Second, I look at the APA formatting. Are citations used correctly? Are there citations for every fact? Are there no contractions nor are there colloquial comments (e.g., "kids")? Are references written correctly and are they from primary sources? 

Third, I look at the content. Does the student's logic make sense? Have they discussed all of their variables and made a strong case as to why their study is needed? By the end of c. 1, I should feel convinced that the student's study is needed and is an appropriate answer to that need. By the end of c 2, I should feel convinced that the student has a good understanding of the literature and the variables in his or her study. 

In c. 3, I am looking for a complete description of the study in enough detail that I could go out and do the study based on the description. I want to know who will be the participants, how they will be recruited, what will happen to them during the study, and what they will be told. I expect to see any surveys or interview questions that will be in the study given in the appendixes (and referred to in c. 3). Similarly, the consent form(s), demographic surveys, and permission agreements should all be in the appendixes. I will take a close look at the methodology and see if it is described correctly, given the population. I will also consider whether any ethical issues will arise when the student goes through the IRB. 

I should be able to print out the references and read through the paper crossing off each the reference when it is cited in the paper- and have no citations without references and vice versa. Citations with 3+ authors should be using et al. after the first citation. All references should be in correct APA format. 

Finally, I will take one more look at the study as a whole- is it consistent through the three chapters? Are all variables described and addressed in the study? Are the research questions consistent with the methodology? Does the theory make sense given the study as a whole? 

Next time, we will take a look at the final dissertation from the faculty view. 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

The Prospectus – from a Faculty View

A prospectus shows up in my inbox, what do I look for? First, I read through the paper making general notes in track changes. Is the APA correct? Are there misspellings? Does the general topic make sense? Is the topic area original or has it been done before?  

Then I go through the paper again reading more carefully. Does the literature make sense? Is there a logical flow to how the rationale is described? The student should be making a case that his or her study is needed through citations of literature and previous research. By the time, I finish the Background section I should be nodding and thinking, yes, this study is needed.  

Another consideration is if the topic is one that student has either been trained in at Walden or demonstrated he or she has a previous background in the topic. Therefore, if you want to examine the deaf, you must show that you have outside experience in this area. Save yourself revisions by including a sentence or two documenting your experience. 

Do the theories discussed in the Framework section make sense with the topic? Has the student provided enough detail that I am convinced he or she understands the theories? Will the theories provide interesting areas to discuss when the student has results?

Do the research questions fit with the research methods? These two sections must fit together well. A common error here is to have a quantitative wording for a qualitative study; an example, Is there a correlation between X and Y? This is not a qualitative question. Will the student be able to answer the research questions given their methods? Sometimes I see students wanting to know about a variable, but do not indicate that they will be measuring/ asking about it. Alternatively, it may be a variable that it isn’t possible to realistically examine- for example, how people learn a language. I suppose you could watch a child for 24 hrs. a day for several years, and know what words he or she learns, but you still will not really know how he or she learned them.  

Save yourself revisions and go into detail with your research methods. How many participants are you thinking of having? How did you arrive at that number? How will you recruit them? What measures/ surveys will you use? It is ok to say that the specific instrument is to be determined- but at least have an idea of the variable. If you are doing a qualitative study, give a couple of example interview questions. Talk about where and how you will do the interviews. I will consider whether ethically, you will be allowed to do the study- for example, interviewing your own students or subordinates is not ethical. 

Briefly, discuss the analysis, what statistics or qualitative techniques will you use. The idea is to give the reader an awareness that you have thought about these topics.

Finally, I look at the references. Are they in APA format? Are they primary sources? The best prospectus has all of the elements I have discussed. Everything is consistent and pieces build upon each other. 

Next time, we will take a look at the proposal from a faculty viewpoint. 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

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 the prospectus from the faculty view. 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 

Fall reflections

It is now September. To me September always brings to mind the starting of school, autumn, dry colorful leaves crackling under foot as you walk. I always loved the start of fall quarter in college, buying new books that were going to lead my mind in totally new directions. Getting notebooks and new pens. Thinking about the new possibilities was exciting. 

You are starting a new quarter, a new beginning. Take a few moments to reflect on how far you have come- you are working on your doctorate! You have completed 12 years of schooling through high school, 4 years as an undergrad, probably another 2 years for a master's degree, and are now working on the highest degree available, a doctorate. You are one of an elite few who have the opportunity and ability to get this far in their education. It is so easy to get caught up in the minutiae of the degree, that sometimes we forget to notice the big picture- the wonder of actually having gotten this far. 

Think about your dissertation for a moment. You are conducting a professional research study; it will be a demonstration of your learning, creativity, and a reflection of your education. This is the final proof of your achievements in graduate school and your ability to be a professional. 

As you begin to consider your fall quarter, think about being more rigorous in your scheduling of time for your dissertation. Make it a priority. Do you best work. Get some support through your peers. Do all that you can to complete your degree and have a dissertation that you are truly proud of. 

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