ABDSG Archives

As a subscriber, you'll receive once a month (or a little more often) a succinct article devoted to practical strategies for successfully completing your doctoral dissertation.

We will focus on ways to overcome the inevitable obstacles you'll face along the dissertation marathon including the twin devils of all dissertations: writer's block and procrastination. We'll have periodic interviews with highly productive scholars uncovering the tips and secrets they wish they'd known at the beginning of their own careers. And we'll never forget the special challenges of the isolated, off-campus, working ABD. Our goal is to speed you on your way towards your doctorate and, in the process, to enhance the skills you'll need for a lifetime of academic productivity.

Sample Issues - UPDATED! Now in Reverse order (most recent issues first)

• Working With Your Committee - April 7, 2008
• Using Your Strengths - March 12, 2008
• The Dissertation as Training Bike - February 13, 2008
• Safety Tips for the ABD Hunter-Gatherer - January 13, 2008
• Ask Steven Nash: How Can I Regain My Motivation? - November 24, 2007
• Perform Your Best at Your Orals - October 29, 2007
• Straight Talk About Assembling a Dissertation Committee - October 7, 2007
• Defending Your Dissertation - August 30, 2007
• Where Did the Time Go? - August 1, 2007
• Publishing Your Dissertation: Small Steps to Branding Yourself - July 18, 2007
• Your Dissertation--Albatross or Triumph? - June 19, 2007
• The Three Day Novel, the Two Week Dissertation, and the Un-numbered Days of Life - May 23, 2007
• "How To" Advice on Writing A Dissertation - May 2, 2007
• Draw on Your Intuitive Power to Help You Complete Your Dissertation - March 27, 2007
• Coaching Yourself to Completion - February 27, 2007
• What Your Advisor Wants to See in the Literature Review Section of Your Dissertation - February 1, 2007
• The Heart of Your Dissertation: A Statement of Purpose - January 21, 2007
• Reflections on Writing a Dissertation - January 5, 2007
• Find Your Balance - December 5, 2006
• Preventing Interpersonal Shipwrecks - October 31, 2006
• I am the Great and Powerful Oz - October 1, 2006
• Five Secrets to Add More Time to Your Day - September 6, 2006
• Top Ten Tips for Choosing Your Dissertation Topic - August 8, 2006
• Lessons Learned as an ABD - July 6, 2006
• We're All in the Same Boat - June 12, 2006
• Dispute Your Inner Critic - May 23, 2006
• My Advisor Hates Me! - May 2, 2006
• Don't Throw it Away! - April 17, 2006
• Motivating Yourself Over the Long Haul - Mar 18, 2006
• Taming the Perfectionist as You Complete Your Dissertation - Mar 3, 2006
• Slow Down and Finish Faster, Feb 21, 2006
• A Conceptual Conversation for Developing Your Dissertation Topic, Feb 7, 2006
• Mommy, What is Dessert Tay Sun? Jan 18, 2006
• Writing Like a Dog: How to Find Dynamic Balance in the Dissertation Process, Jan 3, 2006
• Secrets of Building Momentum During the Holidays, Dec 8, 2005
• Dissertation Defeators, November 22, 2005
• Desperately Seeking Sleep, November 2, 2005
• A Cool Strategy for Organizing Complex Ideas, October 6, 2005
• The Power of One Word, July 12, 2005
• "A Dissertation is a Project to Manage" (Or "How To Avoid Dissertation Hell"), June 2, 2005
• Don't Waste the Summer! May 19, 2005
• Sustained Writing Over Time, April 28, 2005
• Technology is Not Your Friend, March 31, 2005
• Addiction: What is it? March 10, 2005
• Writing the Abstract, February 24, 2005
• A 7 day plan to combat procrastination, January 27, 2005
• Choosing Your Dissertation Committee, January 13, 2005
• The Party's Over...Getting Back to Work, December 30, 2004
• 10 tips to Manage Dissertation Anxiety, December 16, 2004
• The Blessings Of Working In An ABD Support Triad, December 1, 2004
• Holiday Survival for ABD's in Stepfamilies, November 18, 2004
• Dissertation Distractions November 4, 2004
• Getting Down to Writing October 7, 2004
• 10 Ways to Relieve Stress & Help you Rejuvenate Yourself August 26, 2004
• Perils of Perfectionism July 22, 2004
• From Academic Sprinter to Marathon Winner July 8, 2004
• The Dissertation as Xtreme Sport June 10, 2004
• Saying Yes to No May 27, 2004
• It's No Big Deal May 13, 2004
• Let Go and Take Hold of your Dissertation and Your Life April 29, 2004
• Literature Review Made Simple Part Two April 1, 2004
• Finding Flow in Writing March 4, 2004
• Where did Everybody Go? Overcoming Dissertation Loneliness February 5, 2004
• Stick to the Story January 15, 2004
• Getting Over the Dissertation Block December 25, 3002
• Power of Risk Taking December 11, 2003
• Literature Review Made Simple, Part I November 27, 2003
• Motherhood & The Dissertation October 30, 2003
• Prenez Courage October 16, 2003
• Ready, Set, Write! October 2, 2003
• Inevitable Ambivalence, September 18, 2003
• Is Fear Affecting Your Writing? September 4, 2003
• Your Personal Success Plan, August 7, 2003
• Working ABD's Coping with Faculty, July 24, 2003
• Working with a Statistics Consultant, July 10, 2003
• The Group Dissertation, June 26, 2003
• Welcome the Gifts of Anger, Complete Your Dissertation, June 12, 2003
• Fear as a Creative Force, May 15, 2003
• Help I think I've gone crazy, May 1, 2003
• But My Husband & Kids Need Me, April 18, 2003
• Steps to Take in Exploring NonAcademic Careers, April 8, 2003
• Co-Researcher Model Yields Great Rewards, March 20, 2003
• The Power of Three, March 6, 2003
• Getting Started & Keeping At It, February 20, 2003
• Coding Qualitative Data, February 6, 2003
• Train Your Mind to Focus, January 23, 2003
• 7 Job Search Tips, January 9, 2003

• Set Yourself Up for Success
• Making a Good Marriage: You and Your Dissertation
• Self Care in the Dissertation Process, Part 1
• Self Care in the Dissertation Process, Part II
• Ben's Note--Facing Prostate Cancer