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THE ALL-BUT-DISSERTATION SURVIVAL GUIDE™ The All-But-Dissertation Survival Guide™ focuses on ways to help its readers more readily overcome the roadblocks that often seem to stand in the way of completing the dissertation. It is read throughout the world. Want to become a coach?New MentorCoach Training Programs launching. Subscribe to our other ezines: INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH A DISSERTATION
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE - January 21, 2007
3. The Heart of Your Dissertation: A Statement of Purpose
by Mary Beth Averill, LICSW, Ph.D.
4. Free workshop for women working on their dissertation
January 21, 2007
A Note from the Editor
Tracy Steen, Ph.D.
A belated Happy New Year! By now we are firmly entrenched within 2007, and I have so far resisted the annual temptation to write a piece on New Year's resolutions. The topic seemed too obvious a choice, seasonal but stale. And after all, the resolution tradition--that of beginning again on January 1 with a fresh, clean slate--seldom brings about a permanent transformation.
If we make them at all, our New Year's resolutions are usually made in the spirit of holiday tradition, and breaking them is practically a tradition in itself. But we can move beyond that tradition by getting serious about making some positive changes in our lives, changes that will move us toward our goal. As I write this note in late January, I'm thinking that it may be a good time to acknowledge resolutions turned into delusions--and it may be a good time to remake those resolutions, this time more resolutely!
If at this point you are ready to opt out on this particular newsletter because you have successfully kept your New Year's resolutions (congratulations!), you might want to consider that we are only one month into the New Year. In no way am I implying that you might weaken over the remaining 11 months (no way!), but absolute perfection is hard to achieve, if not impossible, and there is always room for improvement. If you agree that a renewal of resolve is appropriate, no matter what one's history with previous resolutions, the question becomes how and when to begin….
The answer to the question of when is easy. If you want to effect some positive changes in your life, begin now. Today. Tomorrow never arrives, so fight the urge to procrastinate. And incidentally, it could only be self-defeating to consult a new book on the market that rationalizes procrastination by suggesting that it's simply a form of prioritizing. Can you believe it? You know better! (Should I give out the name of this book and its authors? Mmmm…no. Its message is too devilish. But e-mail me if you really want to know.)
The question of how--how to make and keep a resolution--is also an easy one to answer, but admittedly a harder one to implement. The grand, all-encompassing resolutions that we are inclined to make (e.g., the ever-popular Get Organized) are often too heavy to get off the ground. Our intent is worthy, but how do we do it?
The trick is to break the resolution down into bite-size bits (mini-resolutions) that can be readily accomplished to bring about the larger, more comprehensive goal. For example, your mini-resolutions in support of the larger Get Organized resolution might include something like 1) limiting the time spent on personal e-mail to two ten-minute sessions a day, 2) keeping a day-planner and writing down your daily objectives in detail, and 3) establishing a filing system and using it. Obviously you would need a more extensive list, and one personalized to combat your own particular organization obstacles, but you get the idea. Plan your work, then work your plan. When you keep your mini-resolutions, the grand resolution takes care of itself.
Why make these resolutions at all? In a world that often seems increasingly unstable/dangerous/crazy/absurd (choose one or all), there remains one small piece of the universe within our control, and that is our own self. We can change; we can improve; we can rejuvenate. And we must. If we don't take charge of our lives, life will take charge of us.
But I'm preaching to the choir! You have already taken charge of your life, as evidenced by your ABD status. You didn't simply drift this close to the finish line, you planned and persevered, and that's why you're here. You may need rejuvenating from time to time (and don't we all?), but you are well on your way. Keep tending and improving your own little piece of the universe. Remake those resolutions that haven't worked out, or make new ones. And instead of breaking them, break them down into the mini-resolutions that translate into the major resolutions that can change your life. Make 2007 a great year for you!
If you need a bit of inspiration, our ABDSG archives are a great resource (abdsurvivalguide.com). We cover an extensive range of topics of interest to ABDSG readers, but are always open to suggestions for upcoming newsletters. In fact, we are actively seeking your input, so please let us know what you would like us to cover in the future.
In the meantime, many of the next several newsletters will focus on getting back to basics, beginning in this issue with advice from Dr. Mary Beth Averill on writing a statement of purpose. If you are having trouble getting started on the dissertation, the statement of purpose is a good place to begin. And as Dr. Averill points out, it's a good place to return to when/if you get stuck.
Finally, if this issue's proposal for mini-resolutions in support of a grand resolution resounded with you, take special note of this issue's Inspirational Quote. Lee Iacocca offers a good suggestion for getting started.
Inspirational Quotes
The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making
it happen.
---Lee Iacocca
Success comes to the person who does today what you were thinking about doing
tomorrow.
---Unknown
THE HEART OF YOUR DISSERTATION: A Statement of Purpose
by Mary Beth Averill, LICSW, Ph.D.
Sometimes one of the hardest parts of an enormous project is just getting started. This article addresses that challenge by presenting a discussion of the basic work you need to accomplish to get going on your dissertation research.
Begin by writing a statement of purpose, a clearly articulated, well thought
out statement of purpose in one succinct sentence. If you find yourself stuck
or blocked at any point along the way in your dissertation process, it will
often be helpful to return to your statement of purpose.
Not quite sure how to begin with your statement? Consider the following examples:
*The purpose of this research is to describe the niches of non disease-producing
fungi that live inside Douglas fir needles.
*The purpose of this series of experiments is to compare the effects of drugs
A and B in reducing or eliminating the growth of disease-producing E. coli.
*The purpose of this participant observation study is to describe the patterns
of social interactions of people who take part in pick-up basketball games.
*The purpose of this longitudinal study is to document the challenges to development
of food coops in New England over a 5 year period.
Everything follows from your statement of purpose.
*When you are searching for literature and reading documents for your literature
review, you will refer to your statement of purpose to decide what basic information
and theory you need to give your readers so that they will understand the
context and vocabulary for your study's findings. You can also use your statement
of purpose to help you choose what to leave out of your literature review
because it doesn't fit your study's purpose directly enough.
*As you do the preliminary reading for your literature review, you may find
yourself revising your statement of purpose to make it more specific or more
general. For example, there may be already be plenty of research on internal
fungi in evergreen conifers, so you may change your topic to look at a deciduous
conifer such as larch.
*The purpose of your study should drive your choice of methods. Rather than
starting with the idea of doing an experiment, a historical review, or quantitative
survey research and then refining your purpose, you need to consider the purpose
of your research and ask yourself what methods are best suited to get publishable
results. Of course, as you begin a pilot project, you may find that while
the purpose of your research is fine theoretically, it's not practical to
accomplish in the amount of time you have or with the population you intended,
so you may have to revise your study purpose. For example, maybe it's more
practical to look at the development of food coops in Massachusetts than in
all of New England.
*When you report your results, you may find that you have more data than you
can reasonably report. Your study purpose will help you focus on what is pertinent
to the dissertation and what was interesting but more suited to reporting
in another paper. For example, you may end up with a lot of data on the demographics
of people who participate in pick-up basketball. If you feel that is interesting
enough to publish, but not really germane to your dissertation, you may decide
to publish it elsewhere and refer to it briefly in your dissertation.
*Finally, when you discuss your findings, you will once again refer to your
statement of purpose. How well was your purpose met? How have your data added
to the existing volume of knowledge on your topic? What limitations of your
study became clear and what recommendations do you have to present for someone
who might want to take the next step on this research path with a statement
of purpose modified from yours? For example, having completed your comparison
of current medications for treating E. coli infections, you may have some
recommendations about what other types of drugs should be explored.
Final thoughts: Write your statement of purpose at the beginning of your
study. Think about it while you work on your study and while you do menial
chores. Dream about it. Play with it. Expand it. Narrow it. Refine it. Don't
leave it for later.
Mary Beth Averill, a writing coach for over 18 years, has an MSW, and a Ph.D. in biology. You can email her at writeonmba@aol.com with your questions or comments or visit her web site at www.writeonmba.com.
Free workshop for ABDSG readers
Take A Bite out of Discouragement!
A Telephone Group For Women Anywhere
To Provide Connection
Companionship And
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PREVIEW SESSION
February 5, 2007
12:00 p.m. EST
Four Registered Sessions in February and March
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GROUP LEADERS:
YEHUDIT L. YOSEF, M.S.W., LIFE COACH
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Come join us on a telephone bridge line for a free four-session group
we are offering to a small group of women living anywhere and feeling
isolated in their surroundings. This is a unique opportunity to make an enormous
positive difference in your life and the lives of others.
Completing the dissertation can be a lonely process. The stress of balancing
family, fiscal, and academic responsibilities can take a heavy toll on women
and their families. The purpose of our group is to bring together women from
all over the world for mutual support.
Be prepared: we like to use visualizations and playful exercises to
make the group dynamic and meaningful. We hope you will join us in
creating a safe place to build a new community!
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
YEHUDIT AT:
yehudit@dynamicsolutionsforwomen.com
Dr. TRACY STEEN, Editor, ABDSG
Tracy Steen, Ph.D. , is a clinical psychologist and dissertation
coach in Philadelphia, PA. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan
and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in positive psychology at the University
of Pennsylvania. Dr. Steen draws on her research background in positive psychology
in her coaching work with writers, helping them to remove internal obstacles
so they can find more engagement and flow in their work. You can contact Dr.
Steen with questions about this newsletter or about coaching in general at
tracy@mentorcoach.com. You can
also visit her website at www.tracysteen.com
YOUR OWN COACH
If you are considering whether to get your own coach to help you
reach your academic goals, send any email to the following: ben16-76471@autocontactor.com
BEN DEAN, Publisher, ABDSG
Ben holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.
He began writing the ABDSG in 1997. Over the years, the ABDSG has provided
thousands of hours of pro bono coaching and teleworkshops to ABDs all over
the world. Ben is also the founder of MentorCoach (www.MentorCoach.com),
a virtual university focused on training accomplished helping professionals
to become extraordinary coaches. Finally you must subscribe to the Coaching
Toward Happiness eNewsletter! It's on applying the new science of
Positive Psychology to your work and life (131,000 readers). Ben lives in
suburban Maryland with his wife, Janice, their two children, and Norman, their
Norwegian dwarf bunny. They all love coaching from the beach!
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