CONTENTS
(1) Books
(2) Other websites
(3) The top 10 potential pitfalls on the way to the PhD
(1) Books
Primary book recommendation
Miller, Alison B. (2008). Finish Your Dissertation Once and for All! How to Overcome Psychological Barriers, Get Results, and Move on With Your Life. American Psychological Association.
Other books
Bloom, Dale F., Jonathan D. Karp, & Nicholas Cohen. (1998). The Ph.D. Process: A Student's Guide to Graduate School in the Sciences.
Boice, Robert. Professors as Writers.
Burka, Jane B. Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It.
Bolker, Joan. (1998). Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis. Holt.
Feibelman, Peter J. A PhD Is Not Enough: A Guide to Survival in Science.
Fisher, Elizabeth, & Daniel Holtom. (1999). Enjoy Writing Your Science Thesis or Dissertation!: A Step by Step Guide to Planning and Writing Dissertations and Theses for Undergraduate and Graduate Science Students.
Gosling, Patricia A., & Bart D. Noordam. (2006). Mastering Your PhD: Survival and Success in the Doctoral Years and Beyond.
Heiberger, Mary Morris. The Academic Job Search Handbook.
Mayfield Handbook of Technical and Scientific Writing
Peters, Robert L. (1992). Getting What You Came for: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning a Master's or a PhD.
Reis, Richard M. (1997). Tomorrow's Professor: Preparing for Careers in Science and Engineering.
Silva, Paul J. (2007). How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing.
Smith, Robert V. (1998). Graduate Research: A Guide for Students in the Sciences.
Dr. Andy Stapleton's You Tube channel about being a doctoral student
(2) Other websites
American Association of University Professors - Statement on Graduate Students
Mary McKinney PhD, Psychologist and Coach (for graduate students and academics)
National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS)
(3) The top 10 potential pitfalls on the way to the PhD (and more than 10 ways of overcoming them), by Nelson Binggeli
For over 4 years, I have led a support group for Georgia Tech doctoral students who are attempting to complete their dissertations. In this article, I discuss ten of the most common dissertation-related pitfalls that I have seen, as well as many things that can be done to address these problems. The ten pitfalls are: (1) unrealistic expectations; (2) the project is vague; (3) poor time management; (4) a knowledge or skills deficit; (5) problems in relationship with one’s advisor; (6) low self-efficacy; (7) anxiety about the future; (8) losing balance; (9) mental health issues; and (10) procrastination.
1. Unrealistic expectations. It is common to hear that the requirement of a dissertation is to make “a substantial and original contribution to the scholarly literature.” Unfortunately, many students form unrealistically high expectations regarding “how substantial” and “how original.” They may expect their research to represent a completely novel approach or to revolutionize their field. They may envision a research project that would require a team of experienced researchers several years to complete.
The real purpose of a doctoral dissertation is to demonstrate that the student has the competencies to conduct doctoral-level research in their field. These competencies include: (A) a good working knowledge of a relevant body of the scholarly literature; (B) the ability to identify a set of unanswered questions whose answers would provide a meaningful contribution to the literature; (C) the ability to design a logically sound methodology to answer those questions; (D) the ability to collect and analyze the necessary data; and (E) the ability to coherently explain their work in written and oral form. For scientific research, the student should demonstrate the ability to use theory to guide the development research questions, to turn these questions into testable hypotheses, and to design a methodology capable of falsifying those hypotheses.
Many Georgia Tech students believe that they absolutely must either create a working device or to have their hypotheses reach statistical significance. However, the proof of good scientific research does not lie in the results, but in the proper application of the scientific method. For example, the data may fail to support a hypothesis, but if the test of the theory was sound, one has done good scientific research.
To develop realistic expectations, it helps to read dissertations of previous students in the department and to discuss expectations with one’s advisor and peers. Identify a topic that has a realistic probability of success with the resources that are available. Your resources include your knowledge and preparation, the amount of time and money you have, and the availability of advising and consulting. Be cautious about taking on an area that is relatively new, with few established models and methods. Do not become overly ambitious and keep the scope of the dissertation reasonable. Give up grandiosity and perfectionism. Remember: “The best dissertation is a done dissertation.”
2. The project is vague. Many students begin their research without a clear statement of the research questions and well-designed and explicit methodology. They collect data without a guiding framework and then try to make sense of it. The dissertation proposal should provide this framework. Unfortunately, many academic departments do not require students to write a proposal until very late in the game.
My recommendation is to explicitly define the research questions and explicitly describe the methodology as early as possible. Even if your department does not require a formally written proposal, writing one for yourself can be extremely beneficial. Do not just continue to "collect data" without clearly stated hypotheses and defined methods.
3. Poor time management. To complete a dissertation, one has to develop the skills of a good project manager. Many students reach the dissertation stage without having had to develop these skills or to use them to the extent that is necessary. These skills include the ability to strategically plan a multifaceted project over the course of months or even years. Too many students work without a plan that includes a master outline, timelines for the completion of major tasks, and specific weekly and daily action plans. Another danger involves not scheduling regular times when one should be working on the dissertation or allowing other demands to encroach on the time set aside for the dissertation. My recommendations are:
(a) Get organized. Have a place where you can keep all of the materials for your dissertation. Develop a good filing system. Consider using an organization notebook (a binder) where you can keep your outlines and to-do-lists. Keep careful and systematic records of your work, particularly the design and results of your experiments.
(b) Set appropriate priorities. In the year before graduation, your dissertation must be your number one priority. You must be able to have sufficient time and energy to work on it. Typically, you should be working on it at least 30 hours a week, but often more is necessary.
(c) Approach the dissertation like it is a job. It helps to have regularly scheduled work hours and work on it nearly every day. It is a big mistake to think that you have to wait until you feel inspired and motivated in order to work. Be jealous and ruthless in protecting your dissertation time. Eliminate distractions and time wasters. Reward yourself with timed breaks.
4. A knowledge or skills deficit. Sometimes obstacles can be caused by a lack of knowledge or a specific skill. For example, some students try to proceed without a sufficient familiarity with the relevant scholarly literature, and then have difficulty conceptualizing meaningful research questions whose answers would advance the literature. Other students may not have a sufficient understanding of the methodologies that can be employed to answer their research questions. Some students may have under-developed writing skills. If these are obstacles for you, it helps to identify what they are and then develop a plan for remediating them.
5. Problems in relationship with one’s advisor. It is not uncommon for students to have problems in their relationship with their advisor. Some student may feel that they do not get enough attention from their advisor, while others may feel micromanaged by theirs. Other students may have a generally positive relationship with their advisor, but are unsure how to get the most out of the relationship. Some students err by falling into a passive or dependent role, expecting that the advisor will help to provide them with direction.
Whatever the case may be, managing the relationship with the advisor requires students to be assertive and diplomatic. This sometimes can require a considerable amount of thought and skill. I recommend to students that prior to meeting with their advisor, that they identify their priorities for the meeting for both addressing the research as well as strengthening their working relationship with their advisor. In contrast to taking on a dependent role, it is helpful to view oneself as the captain of the dissertation, and one’s advisor (and committee) as consultants. If a student continues to experience problems despite their best efforts, it can be helpful to consult with a counselor to develop a fresh perspective on the situation and strategies that may be useful.
6. Low self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is the belief that one has the ability to attain a certain goal. Perhaps the most common source of low self-efficacy for graduate students is caused by distorted negative beliefs they have about their own abilities. One may address this problem through the techniques of cognitive therapy, which involve challenging and modifying distorted negative self-appraisals.
Low self-efficacy can also arise because students haven’t accomplished things that would help them justify higher self-efficacy. Usually this occurs because they have avoided attempting new things due to a fear of failure. This may be overcome by ending avoidance and engaging in actions that are likely to develop skills and bring a sense of accomplishment.
7. Anxiety about the future. Sometimes students are uncertain and anxious about what they will do after graduation. Sometimes the anxiety is related to low self-efficacy, and sometimes it is because students have uncertainty regarding what will be a good fit for their values, interests, and abilities. This uncertainty and anxiety can cause students to delay graduation. When this is occurring, it is critical to identify and address the sources of these feelings. Career counseling may be helpful.
8. Losing balance. It is easy for students to allow the demands of the dissertation to cause them to neglect other areas of their life, including their relationships, their hobbies, and their health. If life gets out of balance for too long, it can take an emotional toll and lead to burn out and decreased productivity.
9. Mental health issues: The dissertation phase is stressful for many, if not most, doctoral students, and this stress can take a toll on mental health. Surveys of graduate students have found high rates of emotional distress. For example, in a 2004 study of graduate students at the University of California Berkeley, 45% reported experiencing a serious emotional or stress-related problem that affected their well-being and/or academic performance in the prior year. About 25% of the students reported having been so depressed at some point in the previous year that it was difficult to function. When mental health is compromised, it is advisable to seek a consultation with a mental health professional.
10. Procrastination: Procrastination may be the leading cause of doctoral students’ stress. The longer one procrastinates, the worse it gets. While procrastination is sometimes the result of poor time management, it often is ultimately a strategy to avoiding something. Often, what is being avoided are negative emotions such as frustration, discouragement, and anxiety. When this is the case, it is essential to identify and address the underlying reasons for the avoidance.
Resources
The best single guide I have found to overcoming the obstacles discussed in this article is the book Finish your dissertation once and for all, by Allison Miller. It has chapters that address the traps of negative thinking and low self-efficacy, time management, managing one’s relationship with one’s advisor, the writing process, and self-care.