Giving up on your dissertation is not an option

For the past thirty days, I have been writing a long project. My goal was 50,000 words. I’m happy to say, I exceeded my word count goal within the allotted time. While I was writing, I hit multiple walls, contemplated giving up several times, and eventually came to understand that this was a job—a 30-day temp job.

Writing at this intense pace reminded me of writing my dissertation. I don’t have any magic medicine to offer you to help you accomplish your gargantuan dissertation task. However, I can offer you some insights from my writing process. In this post, I break down the thirty days into four phases.

Phase I: Denial: Surfing the pink cloud

When I started writing on Day 1 of my 30-day writing project, I was overflowing with enthusiasm. I had a good idea (it came to me in a dream). My outline made sense. My ducks were in a row, my planets were aligned, my support team members (friends and family) were shaking their pompoms. . . . What could possibly go wrong?

Nothing! I was eager to get started, and away I went. I dove in with conviction that this project was going to be great. Not just good, but great. After all, I’d had a dream about it! You can’t go wrong when you dream about your topic, right?

For the first two weeks, I wrote like a fiend, like a maniac, like a writing machine. I hardly took time to eat or sleep. I was on fire with the zeal of the writer who has grabbed a great idea by the tail and wants to cage it before it slinks back into the wild—or wherever it is ideas come from.

When I embarked on my dissertation, I had some similar pink-cloud moments. I thought I had a great idea. I studied all the articles in my field, I read all the books. I had a vision. My support team was in place, my direction seemed clear. I figured I would be done and defending in no time. Piece of cake.

Phase II: Horror: Bashing into the wall

Somewhere around Day 15 of my 30-day writing project, I hit the first wall. I’d just read what I’d written. I had the sinking realization that the structure of the project was flawed. My outline had steered me wrong! I started frantically rearranging sections according to a new outline. My daily average word count dropped like a rock. I saw my word count goal slipping away.

After crashing into the first wall and surviving (somewhat bruised), I clawed my way back on track, recouping my average daily word count. The next wall loomed in front of me a few days later. After reading what I’d written to that point, I realized, the structure was still wrong! Oh, the horror. At that moment, I felt like abandoning the project. I couldn’t see my way through. What had seemed like such a clear path from beginning to end had led me off the cliff into some snarled undergrowth. I was tangled in confusion and indecision. Which way to go? I couldn’t climb out of the ditch.

When I was working on my dissertation, I hit my first major wall when I was writing my dissertation proposal. I had a new chair; she was less enthused about my approach compared to my previous chair. I wrote draft after draft and couldn’t seem to get it right. Nothing made sense anymore. This was my long dark night of the soul. I could have quit, but I am not a quitter. I put my head down and kept trudging forward, which means I kept reading, writing, thinking, and writing some more.

Phase III: Acceptance: Realizing the impossibility of the task

Around Day 20 in my 30-day writing project, I was back on track with an outline I hoped would work, feeling extremely battered and not at all cocky. I didn’t know if I would be able to achieve my word count goal. It felt impossible. It probably was impossible. Yet I was not willing to give up. I could still see the bones of my project underneath my fumbling cloudy writing. I could still hear it begging to be born. I kept writing.

At that point, I took the leap of faith. I didn’t know what would happen or how it would happen if I finished my project; I just knew I had to keep going—even if I couldn’t fly, even if I crashed at the foot of the cliff (metaphorically speaking). I wanted my pink cloud back but I was older, wiser, and humbler now about my chances for success.

When I was working on my dissertation, I crossed a similar threshold of acceptance. I thought there was a real possibility I would run out of time in my program. If I ran out time, I risked being dismissed from the Ph.D. program. Everything I had worked toward would have been lost. I’d invested years in this impossible journey. I closed my ears to my fears, hunkered down, and kept writing.

Phase IV: Commitment: Showing up for the work

Finally, I came to understand that I had committed myself to a 30-day temp job. Even though I was my own employer on this project, so to speak, I was required to suit up and show up, get the work done for the day with a minimum of drama, and come back the next day to repeat the task. At that point, the glamor had evaporated. The bubbly enthusiasm of the pink cloud was gone, but so were the fears: that my idea was dumb, that my project would never work, that I wasn’t good enough to succeed.

The fears were replaced with a deep sense of satisfaction with the process itself. Regardless of the outcome, I was having a blast puzzling out the best structure for my project. I was a detective following the clues. I could have fired myself from the temp job at any time, and once or twice, I almost did. But had I quit, I would have missed the gift of working like “a digger on the railroad,” as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, to bring my project into being.

There was a point in my dissertation writing that I knew I was going to make it. My idea was solid, my approach was logical, my data were robust, my analysis was thorough, and my write-up was valid. From that moment, it was as if I had crossed the field of poppies and I was running along the yellow brick road toward the Emerald City.

The approvals unfolded quickly. The defense happened. The pdf of the final manuscript was submitted to ProQuest. Some months later, my diploma arrived in the mail. I have it around here somewhere, I think. It’s a symbol, it’s evidence that I successfully navigated the long doctoral journey. I gained so much more than a diploma. I learned how to be a writer—from writing my dissertation.

What I learned

Other dissertators have different experiences. Some move along briskly, others not so much. I was a nontraditional dissertator at an online university. I received little support from my mentors and peers. I fell in multiple ditches, bashed into many walls, clawed my way out of brambles . . . it was not easy.

Nor should it be easy.

We build character by setting goals, making commitments, and showing up to fulfill them. We can change our minds, and sometimes we should. There’s no shame in pivoting away from a project that won’t help make the world better in some way. But sometimes the way to success is to roll up our sleeves, pick up that shovel (metaphorically speaking), and get busy digging that railroad.

Today I can say I dug my own personal railroad: Eighty-thousand words in thirty days.

November 27, 2018

Got a dissertation question? Ask Dr. Carol

If you’ve never written a dissertation before, the prospect can be daunting. Novice researchers don’t always understand the process at first. Take heart: We aren’t born knowing how to research and write a dissertation, but we can learn. Here are some questions I’ve received from confused dissertators who are trudging toward their goal of earning a Ph.D. or other advanced degree. (See my disclaimer at the end of this post.)

What do I do while I’m waiting for my proposal to be approved?

Dear Dr. Carol: I am working on my proposal for my Doctor of Business Administration research project. While I’m waiting for approval, should I start working on Chapter 4? –Ready to be done in Washington

Dear Ready: I know you are anxious to keep moving forward with your dissertation. However, it is not time yet to start on Chapter 4. For most social science dissertators, the first three chapters comprise the dissertation proposal. Chapter 4 is where we report our findings. Before we can write Chapter 4, we need to collect some data.

For most of us, before we collect data (that means, before we administer surveys, conduct interviews, or observe people), we must apply to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and any other entities that might be involved (school districts, companies, and the like) for permission to collect data.

After we receive permission to collect data, we implement the next phase of our study according to the plan we presented in Chapter 3.

So, the answer to your question is no, don’t start on Chapter 4. You can’t move forward until you get your proposal approved. For now, focus on that major milestone. While you are waiting for feedback and approval on your proposal, write a draft of your IRB application. Get current on new literature in your field. Take a nap. Enjoy your friends and family, because once you start collecting data, you might not see them for a while.

Help! My proposal lacks “alignment.”

Dear Dr. Carol: I just got feedback on my dissertation proposal. My chairperson said my paper “lacks alignment.” I don’t know what that means. Can you help? –Tearing out my hair in Denver

Dear Tearing: I hear your frustration. Alignment is a critical concept for researchers, but our mentors often don’t know how to define it, let alone explain it. They can tell if alignment is missing, but that’s not much help when we are trying to figure out what they want.

These are the main elements of most social science proposals:

Problem Statement
Purpose Statement
Theoretical Framework
Research Questions/hypotheses
Methodology/methods

Alignment means all these elements logically flow from one to the next. That is, from the problem we identified emerges the purpose statement. The theoretical framework supports the purpose. The research questions flow from the purpose as well. The methodology and methods are logical, given the purpose statement and the theoretical framework.

Here is an example of lack of alignment among the elements:

The problem is kids watch too much television.
Therefore, the purpose of the study is to observe kids’ consumption of junk food.
The theoretical framework will be based on adult learning theory.
The primary research question will be “How do kids’ ratings of Saturday morning cartoons correlate with their consumption of Twinkies?”
The methodology will be qualitative.
The main data collection method will be to observe kids’ napping behavior after eating sugar.

Does that plan make any sense at all to you? The lack of alignment is grossly exaggerated to make my point, but I’ve seen proposals whose elements are almost this misaligned. It is so easy to get off track.

Alignment is important! By far, the most common problem I see in proposals and dissertations is a lack of alignment between the problem, purpose, research questions, and methodology/methods. Alignment among these elements is such an important requirement that I devote an entire chapter to it in my book.

Go back through your main elements and make sure each one follows logically from the others. Use the same terms in all the elements: The problem is [xyz], therefore the purpose is to study [xyz]. Keep it simple. Read what other dissertators have done. Learn from their experience. Focus on nailing down the problem, and then let the other elements unroll logically from there. If something seems out of alignment, it usually means the problem statement is not clear.

Sometimes when all the elements align, I feel awe at the beauty of research. The elements make sense, logically flowing and interacting, supporting each other, justifying each other. The components come together to create the potential for new knowledge. Thus, we are knowledge generators—our research efforts lead to new insights, some big, some small, each valuable as a step toward new knowledge. Practitioners and scholars study, combine, synthesize, adapt, and extend our insights into new practices, new conclusions, new theories. How cool is that!

How do I choose my dissertation topic?

Dear Dr. Carol: I’m having trouble choosing a topic for my research project. Where do I start? –Confused in Florida

Dear Confused: I hear you. The world is full of fascinating topics to study. How do we choose just one?

First, do these four things:

Identify your program of study.
Make a list of problems that interest you.
Identify problems that need addressing (not every problem is worthy of doctoral-level research).
Review existing research to locate a gap in the literature.

This process should help you develop a list of possible topics, broad and narrow, that might work for a doctoral study.

Next, do the following:

Read Ellis and Levy’s (2008) article: Ellis, T. J., & Levy, Y. (2008). Framework of problem-based research: A guide for novice researchers on the development of a research-worthy problem. Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, 11, 17-33. Retrieved from http://www.inform.nu/Articles/Vol11/ISJv11p017-033Ellis486.pdf
Review your list of ideas in the Thomson Reuters Web of Science/Web of Knowledge (http://wokinfo.com/). You will usually have access to this tool through your university’s online library.
I know you are already doing this, but keep on reading articles in your field. Look at the end of each article for suggestions for future research. Make a list of interesting directions.
Talk to practitioners in your field. What problems do they face? How can you help? Make a list of pressing problems faced by people working in the real world.

In the intersections of these actions, I have no doubt you will identify many interesting topics suitable for a doctoral research study in the social sciences. The hard part now will be choosing just one.

Now think about the two possible research methodologies (qualitative or quantitative). You could do both (mixed methods), but choosing just one methodology is usually the best approach for a novice researcher. What do you prefer, analyzing text or analyzing numbers?

Finally, think about the methods available to you. Do you prefer listening to people, surveying people, observing people, or analyzing secondary data? You can find some tips and suggestions in a free e-guide available on the Love Your Dissertation Resources webpage.

Disclaimer

I hesitated before posting this essay. “Ask Dr. Carol” presumes I’m some kind of expert. At the risk of never editing another dissertation, I confess, I’m not. Even though I’ve edited many proposals and manuscripts, I’ve only written one dissertation.

In the social sciences, we study people’s behaviors, thoughts, attitudes… when we plan our study, we’d like to be certain that our research approach is the best one, but humans are complicated and messy, and so is studying them. Social science research continually evolves as researchers devise and apply new theories and research methods. In other words, research is a process.

We have all read the research gurus; however, if you’ve read successive editions of their books, you know their thinking evolves as they try to hone their explanations of research processes. Those of us who are learning to do research might be confused as the gurus’ thinking changes from year to year, but we need to remember that the research process is flexible, organic, and evolving. That means whether we choose quantitative or qualitative methodology, there is no one correct way to conduct a study.

Are you discouraged? Don’t be. This is good! This abundance of approaches might be confounding for new researchers, but on the bright side, we really can’t fail. As long as we get all the elements logically aligned and solidly justified, our research design will be valid.

I’ve seen many research designs and data collection and analysis methods. I’m sure I’ve seen only a fraction of what is possible. We researchers are a creative bunch. Most of us would like to blaze our own unique trail. For instance, I incorporated rich pictures into my project—I thought it was fun and unique. (You can read all 300+ pages of my massive tome on ProQuest Open Access if you want an example of a novice researcher learning as she goes.)

The point is, we are all on a continuum of research, learning as we go. I’m grateful for the gurus who keep refining their guidance—we who trudge the path behind them benefit from their repeated attempts to clarify and explain complex research methods. We should rejoice that the buffet of research approaches eventually produces a 360° perspective on the topics we study. That is our goal, right? To illuminate and clarify our topics.

As an author, I write to help me understand my topic. If I already understood the topic, what would be the point of writing about it, except to show off how much I know—an exercise in arrogance. If I am already sure of the answers, if I believe no new knowledge can be discovered, then why bother researching anything?

Some people think we already have all the answers, that research is a waste of resources. I don’t subscribe to that belief. Curiosity may have killed the proverbial cat, but it has also given us access to atoms and stars and everything in between. I believe the human historical arc bends toward curiosity. I support your curiosity, in all its myriad expressions.

Got a question?

Got a question about your dissertation proposal, research, or manuscript? Submit your question for Dr. Carol using the contact form.

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Find my latest books and resources

Applying Theory

Dissertators often struggle to choose and apply a theoretical framework to their research projects. In this helpful guide, I offer suggestions from my own experience. In addition, I reveal how other dissertators have applied theory successfully and earned their doctorates.

Written in a friendly, nonscholarly manner, I demystify the challenges of applying academic theory to a research project. You will learn that theory is nothing to fear—in fact, we all use theory all the time! With the help of this powerful little book, you will learn to master theory and achieve your dream of earning your Ph.D.

Print version $15.99
Kindle version $7.99

Resubmit! 28 ½ Reasons Why You Can’t Get Your Dissertation Proposal Approved

This comprehensive book is the missing link for dissertators who have struggled to get their proposals approved. This indispensable book bulges with insights, suggestions, examples, diagrams, and practical tips, written especially for the online dissertator who may receive little support during the proposal process.

I present solutions to address twenty-eight potential reasons why you might be struggling to get your proposal approved. For example, you will learn how to write a clear problem statement, devise research questions and hypotheses, and align the elements of the proposal to facilitate speedy approval. I unlock the mysteries of Word and Excel to show you specifically how to use these tools for your proposals. Over 200 tables and figures show you exactly what to do. As a bonus, you will learn how to design a web-based survey and make a plan for fielding and analyzing the data. In this book, I cover it all to help you overcome obstacles and finish your dissertation.

Free templates and worksheets are available here.

Print version $29.99
Kindle version $9.99

September 24, 2018

Should we finish everything we start?

When I was a teenager, I would start sewing a garment, make a total mess of it, realize the endeavor was hopeless, and consign the pile of abused fabric to the trash in disgust. What might I have learned, what might have I created from the debacle if I had kept working at it, seeking creative ways to turn my mistakes into something useful? Back in the 1970s, fashion trends being that they were, if nothing else, I could have made several pairs of hot pants.

I can think of some things that are obviously best abandoned as soon as possible. For example, consuming a big plate of peas—I don’t care that much for peas. (I recommend dropping them under the table for the cat—that worked when I was a kid), or walking two miles if my bladder starts to tingle at mile 1 (I never argue with my bladder). Life does not have to be a torturous slog unless I want it to be, not if I was lucky enough to be born in this place and time. Misery is optional.

Now that I’m old(er), I recognize that some battles aren’t worth fighting. For example, jobs that didn’t suit me, relationships that weren’t working… I don’t like to admit defeat, but I’ve learned sometimes it is best to call it a day. Twisting myself into a pretzel to maintain a job or relationship might give me a sense of grim accomplishment in the short term; however, in the long term, I will regret the time I spent trying to save something that wasn’t worth saving. In other words, fish or cut bait. Have you heard that expression? I’ve only been fishing once, and it was not a successful or gratifying experience, but I like the idea behind the metaphor. Either do it, that thing I am whining about, or give it up and move on.

Some big dreams are hard to abandon, even when pursuing them seems to drag me further into disappointment—for example, my elusive art “career.” When I was young and naïve, some friends I trusted told me painting was dead. Around that same time, my parents warned me I’d better learn how to type if I wanted to support myself. I believed them.

In contrast, some dreams I wish I had jettisoned when there was still time to take another path—I’m thinking of my pursuit of a doctorate. Where were my friends and family then? They encouraged and supported my dream. You can do it, they said, and I believed them. If I had spent the last forty years working on my art instead of bouncing from job to job, school to school, I wonder where I’d be now.

On the other hand, persisting in the face of obstacles can be character-building. Maybe I wish I hadn’t spent eight years and $50,000 on a doctorate, but the dogged determination I developed along the way serves me daily as I work to create my next adventure. What can we learn by not giving up too soon?

I wish we had a way to tell the future, so we could know if it was time to persist or time to pivot. If you have an Magic 8 ball that gives you more than “Future cloudy, try again later,” lucky you, and where can I get one?

Every day we get the choice: continue toward that dream or pivot toward a new one. As long as we are pursuing something that interests us, does it really matter what dream we attain? Does the destination matter? Maybe we are only fully alive when we are on the journey.

Do you have a dream waiting for your attention? Is it time to finish that doctorate? Or is it time to pivot to a new dream?