Reading articles

How do you read research articles? I think everyone develops their own system, but here are a few suggestions.  

Decide what you want to know from the article before you start reading. Are you trying to get general information? Are you concerned with methodology? You may not need to read the entire article, but only pieces to get the info you need. Be very careful about simply taking their discussion comments as the results of the study- writers often over-interpret their results, so check them yourself. 

Develop a shorthand or marking system. Whether you read the article's pdf or a paper version, you should be developing a method to keep track of important info. I tend to read pdfs, so I highlight in yellow the key points that I want to be able to find again. I also write myself notes in the article, using "add sticky note" in Adobe Acrobat about why I think the highlighted text is important (e.g., "interesting qual method," "confirms my idea on self-efficacy in this population"). If you are reading the paper version, you can add sticky notes marking important issues (consider color coded ones, e.g., pink = method issue). Have a master list of what your codes/ colors mean so you remain consistent. 

You may want to keep an Excel file of articles with key points for each article you read. An alternative is do use a bibliographic software such as Endnotes, and make comments in the entries. 

The trick to all of these is to be consistent in using and maintaining them. Decide on how you want to read articles- in pdfs or in paper version and set up a filing system to work with your method. 

Next time I will talk about reading articles' literature reviews. 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 

Isolation

Do you feel like you all on your own out there, working on your dissertation? Feelings of isolation are very common with everyone working on a dissertation (both online and in person). Here are some things you can do reduce the feelings of isolation: 

• Have a dissertation buddy. This is typically someone else working on his or her dissertation who agrees to be a support person with you (as you will be for him or her). Set up regular times to make contact, and make a commitment for a specific length of time that you will work together (maybe a quarter to start). 

• Have a dissertation mentor/coach. This is often someone who already has his or her PhD (although does not have be) and agrees to be your support through your dissertation process. Keep in mind that their experience may be different from yours, so watch for advice that may be not be applicable- you want them for support and for you to feel accountable to them. 

• Have a dissertation support group. This is a group of students who are working on their dissertation at the same time. It may be an in person group or virtual (e.g., a texting group). Have the group set up some specific guidelines- for examples, that you will all email/ text each other at least 3 times per week. Share both your dissertation experience and personal issues that arise for the most benefit. 

• Have monthly meetings with your dissertation class. If your chair can't (or won’t) set this up- do one in google hangouts. Talk about where each of you are in the process and problems you are encountering. Problem solve and find solutions! 

To get the most out of these support systems, tell them what you are working on this week and what you want to accomplish for next week – set realistic short-term goals. Be accountable to them and expect accountability from others. Live up to your promises for contact, they need you as much as you need them. 

Next time I will begin a series about getting the most out of reading articles. 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

Integrating research as you write

Students frequently ask me, what is the best way to integrate research as I write? This is one of those issues that everyone has their own way of doing. I will share mine- I tend to read sections of articles then go to my document and summarize what I read and add a citation. Here is an example, an original article: 

Professionals involved in the training of psychology graduate students, both in educational and clinical settings (e.g., practicum and internship), need to understand the role of stress among students to provide guidance on effective stress management and self-care (Myers, Sweeney, Popick, Wesley, Bordfeld, & Fingerhut, 2012, p. 55). 

I would paraphrase it as: It is important that psychology faculty involved in graduate student training understand and be able to offer student assistance in stress related self-care (Myers et al., 2012). 

Some things to notice, I did not say something like "Myers et al. (2012) stated that…." These types of phrasings read very choppy and come across as unprofessional (I always think of it as undergrad-like). You want your writing to flow and tell a story- it is not a simple listing of study after study. If you find yourself writing lists of studies, it is time to stop and rethink what you want to say. What point are you trying to make about the studies? Think about it on a higher level than the individual studies, what is linking those studies together? Then write about the higher-level issues bringing in the individual studies as examples. 

Avoid quotes as much as possible; only bring them in if they add something unique to your argument. Check out peer reviewed articles; you will find that quotes are very rarely used. 

Next time I will talk about isolation. 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 

Myers, S.B., Sweeney, A. C., Popick, V., Wesley, K., Bordfeld, A., & Fingerhut, R. (2012). Self-care practices and perceived stress levels among psychology graduate students. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 6(1), 55-66.

Starting to write - proposal

Two weeks ago, I talked about starting your prospectus, but how do you start your actual proposal? First, I want you to read a few things to make you feel more comfortable. Begin reading the dissertation guide, available in the research center. This walks you through all of the many rules that go with the dissertation. Next, go to the library, find Walden's dissertation database, and go through a few recent (2014) dissertations. See if there are any related to your topic, but also look for a similar methodology. You might also want to take a look at one for which your chair was the chair. You don’t need to carefully read them, but get a feel for how they are laid out, look at how they write the literature review. Save them all on your computer, you will want to look at them when you are stuck on a section.

Now download the dissertation template and the checklist that fits your methodology (all are in the research center). Look through the first three chapters of these – this will be your proposal. Hopefully, you are beginning to feel a little more confident! Now let's start with a new word document; copy in everything from the dissertation template's chapter 2. Then go through c. 2 of the checklist and add in the info for chapter 2. You should now have a good idea of the direction you are needing to go. I then suggest that you open your prospectus and copy in the background section as a starting place. This is your working draft of chapter 2, which I recommend you start in. Go ahead and name the file and add the date in the file name. 

I always recommend that you lay out an outline of the topics that you want to cover in your literature review. Start with broadest topic then work down to the most narrow one. Make sure all of your variables are included in your outline. What topic do you feel you already know the most about? Start there- there is no reason for your to start at the beginning of the chapter. You will eventually have to fill in all of those sections of your outline, but first let's build up your confidence a little. 

Once you have a draft of the first section, ask your chair to take a look at it for you. Pay attention to the feedback that you get; does your chair mention APA issues? Look them up in the APA manual; try to not make that error again. You might want to start your own checklist of common problems that you have, so you can always remember to check them. Does your chair say you need more evidence? This is a common issue. Think of as you are building a case for your argument; support each step. Do not assume that your reader knows anything about the topic: educate them!

Next time I will talk about integrating research as you write. 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

 

A dissertation calculator

Below is my version of a dissertation calculator. A few things to know, this is a "best case scenario," there are many unknowns that can't be predicted (you run into IRB trouble, have difficulty getting subjects, etc.). I have been conservative with faculty response times (allowing 2 weeks for each, I have built chair response times into the time for each chapter). If you have writing issues, personal issues, you have many revisions, etc. it will take you longer. My calculator will get you done in 2 years.

	Target Date	Completed Date
Complete a premise or draft prospectus (allow 2 week; this is for chair recruitment)
Find your chair (allow a month)
Complete prospectus (allow a quarter); at the same time, find your committee member (allow a month)
Prospectus approved by chair, committee member, and program director (allow 2-4 weeks)
Complete Chapter 2 (allow 2 quarters)
Chapter 2 Approved by chair
Complete Chapter 1 (allow 6 weeks)
Chapter 1 approved by chair
Complete Chapter 3 (allow 6 weeks)
Chapter 3 approved by chair
Proof full proposal, references, complete appendixes, CV, table of contents (allow a month)
Proposal approved by chair, committee member (allow a month)
Proposal approved by University Research Reviewer (URR; allow 2-4 weeks)
Oral Defense of Proposal
IRB Approval (allow a month)
Conduct study (allow 1 quarter)
Complete data analysis and Chapter 4 (allow a quarter)
Chapter 4 approved by chair
Complete Chapter 5 (allow a month)
Chapter 5 approved by chair
Proof full dissertation, references, appendixes, CV, table of contents (allow 2-4 weeks)
Dissertation approved by chair, committee member (allow a month)
Dissertation approved by URR (allow 2-4 weeks)
Form and Style review (allow 2 weeks)
Oral Defense of Dissertation
Final URR approval (allow 2 weeks)
Chief Academic Officer (CAO) approval of abstract (2 weeks)
DONE!

Next time I will talk about starting your proposal. 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

 

A guest writer: beginnings

Hello everyone. My name is Meredith Baker-Rush, a mother of two young children, a speech pathologist, and a doctoral candidate with a focus in health psychology. I just recently completed my first 9000 course and based on my work with Dr. Stadtlander, I was asked if I would share some insights to the dissertation process. I must disclose that I am new to the process and by no means am I an expert on a dissertation or your particular steps that would expedite the process. However, I have had the honor of discovering little tips along the way that may serve helpful to those who are just beginning the process, those in mid-stream, and even possibly those at the end of the dissertation process. Hence, I was asked to share them with you and I am more than happy to do so.  

“What would you tell someone about to start the process of writing their prospectus?”  

1. Pace yourself.

2. Life happens while you are trying to write and that is OK

3. Respect that those “life events” are part of the process. Accept them rather than curse them.

4. Sleep

5. Read your writing aloud to someone who knows nothing about your topic. I have found many errors and areas that needed further explanation that way!

6. Set up an organization system early and stick with it. Don’t change midstream!

7. Don’t disregard those other important things in your life (e.g. family time, exercise, sleep). They have equal importance in this process.  

"How do you establish your quarterly goals or expectations?”  

For my first quarter, I started by using the research centers Ph.D. Dissertation Process and Documents. You can go to http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/PhD-Dissertation-Program.htm for this information. The “Prospectus Development” section and “Dissertation Checklists” were priceless. They allowed me to hold true to the structure and content required. I downloaded those aspects that were appropriate to my study and I printed a copy that I hung on my computer hutch keeping the information in plain sight. I wrote out an outline of my study details and compared it to the outline. Then I rationed the work over a period of 12 weeks understanding that some weeks would be more productive than others. I wrote my schedule of planned dissertation activities and then held myself accountable on a weekly basis. I choose weekly in efforts to avoid guilt if I did not work on writing one day.  

I must be honest that the process of deciding a quarterly plan was a job in of itself. However, having a solid direction of what to do made the process smoother and almost a step by step process. It was if I wrote my own PSYC 9000 syllabus and assignment timeline. I was in communication with my chair and made a contentious effort to follow up and follow through with any plans my chair and I agreed to.  

“How do you handle the feeling of isolation while writing a dissertation?” 

I would encourage a support group that has other people who are also writing their dissertations. While family may be supportive and encouraging, they do not understand the process or the work involved. In my humble opinion, writing a dissertation is the hardest form of personal sacrifice and dedication I have ever had to endure. If it was not for the support system I have in place, I have no idea how I could manage the feelings when I “get lost” in the literature, struggle with APA formatting, or even just sharing the stress of life while juggling the demands of higher education.  

In summary, we have heard through our coursework that we must find our own scholarly voice. In the same token, we must also find our own scholarly way of writing and formatting our life to meet the challenges of a dissertation without sacrificing our other important life elements (family, work, rest, health etc.). I hope my “dissertation tips” will serve helpful for you, but please remember, find your own way while tapping into those resources available to you. We all direct our own journeys. I wish you happiness and success in your journey and hope to one day meet you and say “hello my friend, Dr. ______.”  

Respectfully,

Meredith Baker-Rush

 

Next time I will give you a dissertation calculator. 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 

Welcome to Fall!

What do you think of when you think of fall? For me it brings memories of starting school as a child: The smell of a new box of crayons, freshly sharpened pencil, and a jar of paste. The feeling of nervous anticipation of a new beginning. 

This is the start of a new quarter for you and a change is taking place! Quarters will now be 11 weeks instead of the previous 12. You will have a 2-week break between quarters. I have heard many dissertation students say that they plan to work on their paper through the break, so it won’t matter. However, I want to encourage you to plan to take at least a few days off during your break between fall and winter. Refresh your mind and your spirit! (Mandy is demonstrating being refreshed in the photo). 

A new quarter is a time for a fresh commitment to your dissertation and, by extension, to your future. What will you get done this quarter? Lay out your plan week by week, make a firm deliverable to yourself- how many pages will you write? Decide on a writing schedule with something done every day. Think about this- if you wrote one page a day for 5 days a week x 11 weeks it would be 55 pages! Make the decision to move forward this quarter and get this paper done! If you feel stuck or unmotivated ask for a call with your chair, talk about the problem areas- ask for help! 

You are in charge of your progress on this dissertation- if you are not happy with how you are progressing- change something! Reach out when you need help, find some support from your peers, and be in regular contact with your chair. 

Next time we will have a guest 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