Year-end reflections from a former dissertator

It’s that time of year. You know what time I mean: The time when desperate dissertators swill coffee, scarf down holiday cookies, and hunker over their computers, trying to write as much as they can on their dissertation proposals or manuscripts before it’s time to go back to work.

Are you in a reflective mood? Maybe you feel pensive, a little melancholy, about the progress you’ve made this year. Maybe you feel chipper and optimistic about the great things to come. The end of the year is a fitting time to reflect on progress made in our scholarly endeavors and set our intentions for the future. I’m doing a little reflecting myself as we welcome in a new year.

A time to reflect on our scholarly progress

Are you making progress on the milestones in your Ph.D. program? It can be slow-going, I know. During most of the eight years of graduate school, I taught at a career college. Monday through Thursday, I taught morning classes, drove home for lunch, and drove back to campus for night classes. Fridays were for grading and prepping. I spent the rest of the weekend writing.

Faculty and students had a week off during the summer and a week for the winter holidays. Often we worked on Christmas Eve, right up to 10:20 p.m.

With such a haphazard writing schedule, I struggled to finish my dissertation proposal. Sometimes I felt I was making progress; other times, I felt I was writing in circles. Each time I uploaded my latest debacle to the course room, I would have a couple weeks to pick up the pieces of the rest of my life while I waited for my Chair to rip my paper to shreds.

Gradually, I morphed from student to scholar. After eight long, painful years, I defended the dissertation and earned the Ph.D. In the process, I learned how to write a lot.

Now, six years later, my writing projects are different but my goals are similar. I still have a lot to do. However, without the structure and discipline of a Ph.D. program, I have to rely on myself for motivation.

Reflecting on the past year, I feel as though I’ve been busy. What was I working on all year? I’m sure I did something! New Year’s Eve is a good time to stop and write a list.

I published the second book in the Desperate Dissertator Series. Aligning the Elements, seems to be finding a following. I guess I’m not the only one confounded by this challenging topic.
The article about rich pictures I published with The Qualitative Report at the end of 2018 has had 434 downloads this year. People like anything with pictures.
I published two articles (rants, really) with Medium on my favorite topic of for-profit higher education.
I made time for nonscholarly writing as well. I wrote a novel and finished a memoir, both of which I hope to publish in 2020.
I dusted off my teaching persona. I taught business classes to artists to help them bring their art into the world.

A time to set intentions for the future

Speaking of hope, now is the time to set our intentions for the future. I resist this endeavor mightily. In the past, my intentions have rarely been fulfilled. Yipes, look how I just used passive voice to describe my failure, as if I had nothing to do with it, as if some external force has repeatedly failed to “fulfill” my intentions. That bit of writing points out the vagueness of passive voice, as well as the problem with my goal-setting.

I think my intentions evaporated by February every year for three reasons: my goals were too broad, I wanted to be perfect, and I let my thoughts and feelings get in my way.

My goals were too broad

I failed to identify specific actions I could take to achieve my goals. Now, instead of setting an intention to “write a journal article,” I break the goal into small actions and I put them on my calendar. To write a journal article is my overarching objective, but to achieve the objective, I define the steps I need to take to get there:

research journals
choose one journal
identify the journal guidelines
write my research questions
write an outline of the article
gather current research
prepare the list of references
identify data sources
conduct the analysis
write up the results
write the discussion
write the introduction
submit to the journal

I wanted to be perfect

I fell into the trap of perfectionism. Of course, we all want what we write to be perfect the moment it flows from our brain to the page. If only! Even on a good day (when I’m well-rested, alert, and enthusiastic about writing), I rarely get it right. Human endeavors are fraught with imperfections. I’m not exempt.

During the past year, I accepted the fact that perfection is unattainable. I stopped obsessing over every little thing and focused on getting things done. It worked!

If you find yourself repeatedly editing the same assignment, or not writing at all, stop for a moment and do an internal check to see if a desire for perfection might be part of the cause. Nobody expects dissertators to be perfect. Some Chairs and universities set stringent guidelines, rules, and expectations, which we do our best to meet. However, the truth is, the dissertation is the beginning of our research careers, not the culmination. Since I graduated, I’ve learned a lot about writing, editing, and conducting research. You will, too. In the meantime, it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be done.

I let thoughts and feelings hinder my progress

Like most humans, I have thoughts and feelings about many things. This past year, I have been honing the idea that my thoughts and feelings are superfluous to accomplishing my goals. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t think it’s possible for us to suppress all thoughts and feelings, nor do I suggest we try. However, sometimes I let my thoughts and feelings hinder my ability and willingness to take action. Therein lies my downfall.

Do you get trapped in negative thoughts? Do you let your feelings overwhelm you? I have come to believe it doesn’t really matter what we think and feel. The Universe doesn’t respond to our thoughts and feelings. It only responds to what we do. Our actions move us closer to our goals.

It seems like a no-brainer, I know. I’m a slow learner. I’m also a moper and a complainer. Unfortunately, not much gets done when I mope or complain. I can waste a lot of time complaining: not enough time, not enough money, no one understands, oh woe is me.

This past year, I’ve been experimenting with a new approach. I write out my thoughts and feelings about my project before I sit down to work. I do my whining and ranting on paper. Then I set it aside and get busy. When thoughts and feelings interrupt me (e.g., this will never work, this is stupid, I’m such a terrible writer, I’m hungry, where’s my cat), I drop them into my mental “do later” bucket and carry on with my work. I won’t say I’m always successful. Sometimes I have to take a nap. However, this past year, I’ve accomplished much more than I thought I would. That’s progress.

My hope for you

I hope you find some good writing time this winter. If not, I hope you make some time to write, good or not. Writing a few paragraphs is better than writing zero paragraphs. Put your writing time on your calendar. Make a date with yourself. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be done. The world needs your contribution. Please don’t give up.

I wish you all the best for a happy, healthy, productive new year.

Sources

Booton, C. M. (2018). Using rich pictures to verify, contradict, or enhance verbal data. The Qualitative Report, 23(11), 2835-2849. Retrieved from https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol23/iss11/13

Booton, C. M. (2019). Aligning the elements [Desperate Dissertator Series, No. 2]. Portland, OR: Crossline Press. ISBN 978-1099364761.

Booton, C. M. (2019, July 5). R.I.P. Gainful employment rule. Medium. https://medium.com/@carolbooton/r-i-p-gainful-employment-rule-11115f38f33f

Booton, C. M. (2019, March 16). Friends don’t let friends enroll at for-profit colleges. Medium. https://medium.com/@carolbooton/friends-dont-let-friends-enroll-at-for-profit-colleges-4445a70ca12b

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019

Go ahead and plan, dissertators, but don’t get too attached

Navigating our dissertation journey requires a lot of planning. Most of us have massive handbooks, daunting rubrics, and detailed templates to guide us through each document milestone, from concept and proposal through manuscript and defense. However, planning requires a Jedi mind trick I call detaching from outcomes. We are used to planning everything in our lives, from budgets to babies, but we sometimes forget we don’t control what actually happens. Nevertheless, we still need to plan.

Failing to plan (probably) is planning to fail

“Failing to plan is planning to fail” is an aphorism attributed to Benjamin Franklin. In my ruthless pursuit of robust scholarship to support this blogpost, I scanned the “apothegms and proverbs” in the U.S.C. Publishing Company’s 1914 excerpts from Poor Richard’s Almanack. The Almanack is a collection of Franklin’s sayings, written between 1732 and 1738 under the penname of Richard Saunders. For more, click here.

I lost myself in the list of pithy aphorisms but did not find a quote about planning to fail. (It was certainly entertaining reading, though. One of my favorites: “The learned fool writes his nonsense in better language than the unlearned, but still ‘tis nonsense” [Item no. 502]. Ouch.)

Social sciences dissertators, especially those who attend doctoral programs at for-profit online universities, are besieged with rules. These rules help us plan our academic strategy. However, at for-profit universities, learners often don’t get enough guidance from Chairpersons and other mentors. (I say this based on my experience as a former doctoral learner at a for-profit online university and as a current academic editor). Thus, handbooks, rubrics, and templates are essential to the dissertation planning process.

Some examples of planning

Even before I passed my comprehensive exams, I started planning. First, to get a handle on the massive project in front of me, I went through the dissertation handbook and made a list of all the tasks required to complete each milestone document and task, from concept paper through defense and publishing. Next, I identified the subtasks under each document milestone. Finally, I set up an Excel spreadsheet, entered all the tasks, and estimated how many days each task would take.

Here is one of my many timelines.

In the early months, my timing was ridiculously wrong. As each term progressed, I revised my timeline, and eventually, it became quite accurate. Without that timeline, I would not have realized I was on track to run out of time in my program. Crisis averted, thanks to planning.

As an artist, I’m all about visualizing things. I can spend all day visualizing, but not a lot of time getting things done. I’m a dreamer, less of a doer. I know this is my weakness, though, and I mitigate it with planning. Here is one of my many attempts to visualize my research study.

This plan, neatly executed in PowerPoint, was a total pie-in-the-sky dream, a hallucination of a ten-month mixed methods study lacking any basis in reality. Hey, we all start somewhere. Not only did I fail to include turnaround time for my many reviewers but I also assumed I would have little need to revise my writing—because it would naturally be perfect. I was wrong on both counts. My reviewers enjoyed at least fourteen days to return my latest train wreck, sometimes more, and I needed much longer than I anticipated to make the (ridiculous) revisions they demanded.

Detaching from outcomes

I learned a valuable lesson from this iterative process. Submitting and revising, submitting and revising—the seemingly endless cycle eventually drove the arrogance out of me. I learned to write my best work, submit with a realistic amount of hope, and detach from the outcome. I learned not to assume my writing was so stellar, my idea so ground-breaking, my research approach so unique, that they would have to grant me immediate approval, showering me with accolades and dissertation of the year rave reviews. Dream on!

Finally, I realized I had to let go of my unrealistic expectations if I wanted to earn the Ph.D. After I got over feeling personally bludgeoned by the submission and rejection process, I began to hone my detachment skills. This personal improvement effort is now standing me in good stead as I submit queries and receive rejections from agents who could help me publish my first novel.

Showing up for the work

It’s easy to submit once and loftily detach from the outcome. One rejection is tolerable. We’re tough—we can take it—once. However, the persistence to repeatedly take it on the chin and bounce back up to keep fighting separates the professionals from the dilettantes. Thanks to the hammering I received from writing my dissertation, I am now equipped (and mostly willing) to enter my writing into the broader arena and let the universe decide the outcome.

I admit, receiving rejection after rejection is disheartening. However, all those rejections are evidence that I’m in the game. I’m not on the sidelines. I’m showing up for my work. I’m learning that it doesn’t matter how discouraged I feel sometimes; all that matters is doing the work. I consciously try to compartmentalize my discouragement so I can get on with the business of writing. Feeling disappointed is only useful if it spurs me toward positive action.

Letting go of perfection

A component of detaching from outcomes is a need to let go of perfectionism. Perfectionism stifles creativity; moreover, perfectionism can hinder realistic planning, thereby bringing our forward momentum to a standstill. I have a perfection monster screaming inside me at times. I’ve learned to acknowledge my desire to be perfect, laugh at the monster, and move on.

Writers rarely write perfect first drafts. The first drafts of my dissertation milestone papers were wretched on multiple levels: scholarship, methodology, APA style, grammar . . . you name it, I butchered it. After my dissertation was approved and published, I found myriad grammar errors. I discovered I had typed a shocking number of my dois wrong because I didn’t know then that I could copy and paste them from the pdf files I was citing. Sheesh. Talk about humiliating.

Now I know to focus on making progress rather than bludgeoning myself with the impossible goal of achieving perfection. Hey, we are all human, by nature imperfect. If we already know everything, what’s the point of doing research or sharing what we’ve discovered with the world?

Summary

I encourage you to honor your dissertation journey by making a plan and showing up for your writing. Practice detaching from your desire to achieve perfection. Perfectionism is a waste of your precious life energy. Instead, submit your best, learn from your mistakes, keep writing, and let go of outcomes. The life lessons we learn from the tedious, frustrating dissertation journey may not be evident while we struggle to reach the finish line, but I promise, you will reap the benefits for the rest of your writing career.

Sources

Franklin, B. (1914). Poor Richard’s Almanack (pdf version). Waterloo, IA: U.S.C. Publishing Company. Available through Google Books: https://www.google.com
/books/edition/Poor_Richard_s_Almanack/o6lJAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 (Original work published 1732–1738)

May 30, 2019

Available now: Aligning the Elements

Dissertators often struggle to align the main elements of their research projects. This print or Kindle book offers suggestions from Dr. Carol’s own experience and reveals how other dissertators have aligned their research elements successfully and earned their doctorates.

Learn more

What is this mysterious thing called alignment?

“The term alignment refers to the logical progression of ideas between the structural elements of the dissertation. When our Chair and committee members talk about achieving alignment, they are referring to the logical progression from the introduction, to the problem statement, to the purpose statement, to the research questions and hypotheses (if we have a quantitative study), and finally to the methodology. Lack of alignment between dissertation elements is possibly the most common reason a dissertation proposal fails to receive approval.”

“The first time I heard the term alignment in relation to my dissertation, I was working on my concept paper (the precursor to the proposal), which had just been rejected by the graduate school reviewers. The biggest problem they identified was that the elements of my paper weren’t aligned. I was confounded. What elements? What alignment? Is that like when Mars aligns with Mercury?”
—Dr. Carol, Aligning the Elements, p. 4

How to align the elements of your dissertation proposal [infographic]

Are you confounded by the challenge of aligning the elements of your dissertation?

In simple language, I explain the basics of aligning the dissertation elements and answer all the questions you were afraid to ask your Chairperson:

What is this mysterious “alignment” thing?
What are the elements that need aligning?
How do I align my problem, purpose, and research questions?
How do I align my methodology and methods?
How do I align my assumptions, limitations, delimitations?
How have successful dissertators aligned their elements?

Download a PowerPoint slide show about aligning the elements of your dissertation

Alignment is possible and you can do it

This brief guide will help you corral your dissertation elements into a logical order. First, we’ll identify the elements we need to align. You are familiar with many of the culprits: The problem, purpose, and research questions are a few. Along the way, I show you what others have done to succeed and offer you some tips from my own experience as a dissertation editor and former dissertator.

Writing in a friendly, nonscholarly manner, I demystify the challenges of aligning the research elements. You will learn that alignment is a fascinating logic puzzle. This small yet powerful book will help you align your elements and achieve your dream of earning your Ph.D.

About the author

Carol M. Booton earned her Ph.D. in the social sciences. Since 2013, Dr. Carol has edited hundreds of dissertation proposals and manuscripts. In the Desperate Dissertator Series, Dr. Carol helps dissertators avoid the mistakes she (and many other dissertators) have made as they struggle to get approvals and finish their dissertations. Aligning the Elements is the second book of the series.

Learn more

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Books and resources

Aligning the Elements

In the second book of the Desperate Dissertator Series, I dig into a common problem dissertators face when preparing their proposals: aligning the elements of the dissertation. The elements of the dissertation usually include the problem statement, the purpose statement, the research questions, the theoretical framework, and the methodology and methods. Aligning these elements means ensuring they logically flow from one to the next. Lack of alignment is possibly the main reason proposals are not approved. In this book, I offer some tips to help you align the elements and show what other dissertators have done to succeed (it could be easier than you think).

Print version USD $15.99
Kindle version USD $7.99

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. Writing 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 small yet powerful 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