When I was working on my dissertation proposal, I had to make some choices. For example, would I choose a quantitative or a qualitative methodology? Who should I study? Should I compare responses within one group, or should I compare across groups? How do I choose a theory? Do I need more than one? How do I apply a theory?
Like many dissertators, I entered my program without a lot of experience in social science research. Facing so many unknowns was daunting. All my questions seemed entangled like a poorly wound skein of yarn. Pulling on one thread meant other threads tightened or unraveled. More than once, I had to unwind my ideas and start over. I lacked a research strategy, and I didn’t know where to get one.
I asked my dissertation committee chair what I should do. She said, ”Do whatever answers your research questions best.” I did not find that response particularly helpful.
I considered hiring a dissertation coach but could not afford the cost. In addition, I’m a stubborn DIY kind of person. I wanted the personal satisfaction of knowing I muddled through on my own.
Still, I needed someone to talk to about my questions. Not someone to answer them, just someone to bounce ideas around with, someone who might have similar questions, someone who was willing to give and take feedback in the pursuit of producing robust dissertations.
You might say, well, Carol, why didn’t you just talk to people in your graduate courses? I would have, but I attended a 100% online university. All my courses were asynchronous. I never met or talked to any of my fellow classmates. We had no group projects. The vast majority of the interactions I had with mentors happened through email. My Chair and I talked on the phone a handful of times in three years.
This was the nature of online learning at a for-profit university in 2013. Although I enjoyed the convenience of learning from home, I never met any of my peers. Even though I am a rabid introvert, I realized I needed input from others. In desperation, I perused the university’s discussion folders. I found them overflowing with furious, poorly written comments from students complaining they received little to no guidance from their chairs. I did not want to add to the chaos.
By the time I entered my dissertation “courses,” I was truly alone. I felt isolated and unsure of my ability to finish my program on time. My remedy was to read dozens of dissertations published by the university. I gradually discovered the hoop I had to leap through was actually bigger than I thought.
I managed to succeed, mostly by sheer willpower and persistence. However, it would have been great to have had the opportunity to engage in some informal peer review with some fellow dissertators. Even two heads would have been better than my own tired noggin.
What I needed was a peer review.
What is peer review?
Most of us in academia think of peer review in relation to publishing in academic journals. We know that reputable journals employ some kind of peer-review process to ensure they publish accurate robust valid research. I would call that a formal peer-review process. Whether a publisher uses blind peer review, double-blind peer review, or something else, consumers of the research can have confidence in the researchers’ conclusions and recommendations.
Outside of academia, many organizations use some sort of peer-review process to boost the validity of (and buy-in for) their projects. Including multiple perspectives in decision making is more likely to produce solid thoughtful positions and actions. Further, stakeholders are more likely to support the projects if they feel like their own voices have been heard and included. I hope you are lucky enough to work for a company that sincerely seeks employees’ opinions before taking actions.
Of course, many organizations do not do peer review—when did your employer last ask you for input into a strategic decision? Decisions in a lot of companies are made at the top by those with power and authority, and those of us at the bottom implement the plan whether we agree or not. I am guessing the idea of incorporating multiple viewpoints in strategic decision making gives some leaders heart palpitations. Giving up power is hard, even when the payoff could be better, more robust decisions.
Informally, we engage in peer review every time we ask our friends what they think about something we are considering. For dissertators, informal review means asking our fellow dissertators to listen, to offer feedback, to ask questions, and to share their own process with us. Discuss, in other words. The best kind of informal peer review among dissertators is a small in-person, real-time discussion group of well-read, curious, helpful peers.
Are you afraid of your peers?
Peer review is not something to fear. Criticism can be hard to take sometimes but we can always find something of value in it, even if it is simply evidence that the critic is wrong and we are actually on the right track.
When you are organizing a peer-review discussion group, set the ground rules first. It’s like joining any group. You need to know the guardrails so nobody accidentally goes over the cliff. What kind of work will you bring? What are the discussion questions? What kind of feedback will you offer? How will you help each other be accountable and stay on track?
Are you dismissive of your peers?
You might secretly believe your peers’ research and writing skills are beneath your own, that a peer group has nothing to offer you. O lofty one, I submit to you that helping others formulate their research questions and choose appropriate theories will strengthen your own research skills. You will learn not only to voice your opinions but also to explain how you arrived at them.
You will also learn compassion. It’s never too soon to be nice to your fellow academics. Some of your peers may be on your interview committee when it’s time for you to seek tenure.
Peer review can improve your dissertation
While we are in our doctoral courses, we benefit from peer review when we discuss topics in class, if we are lucky enough to have synchronous classes with fellow dissertators. Actively participating in peer discussions helps us master the research process. Feedback is invaluable. Learning how to talk about research in general is great, and learning how to discuss our own research will bring rewards for the rest of our careers. Like it or not, peer review is baked into scientific inquiry, so we should get used to it early.
After we move into the dissertation phase, if we are lucky, we might still meet with live humans once in a while to check in and discuss our progress. However, if you attend an online school, as I did, you might miss out on this important learning tool. Creating your own peer review group might be the lifeline that helps you finish your doctorate.
Upon reflection
My first attempt at a dissertation proposal was a murky, turgid, boiling mess. I figured I’d really impress my Chair by choosing mixed methods as my methodology. I planned to sample five different populations and compare the results across groups. I had one theory in the pot but tossed in two more just to be safe.
I threw everything into the pot and set it on high boil. As I clicked the submit button, I assumed (hoped) my Chair would sort through the muck and pick out the meat. She tossed the entire pot back at me in disgust. Hers was not a peer review. She was a PhD, and I was a lowly ABD. Her “review” was resentful retaliation for offending her tender self-image as a capable mentor. In other words, she was embarrassed for me, and it came out as anger.
However, her snarky comments contained nuggets of truth. I found out I only needed to study one group. I only needed one theory. I only needed one methodology. I realized that this was not the culmination of my research career. It was only the beginning. I didn’t need to wow anyone. I just needed to get the dissertation done and move on. So move on I did.
