Demystifying Dissertation Writing

by Single, Peg Boyle

• ISBN13: 9781579223137
• ISBN10: 1579223133
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-10-31
• Publisher: ROUTLEDGE

Summary

Research shows that five strategies correlate with the successful completion of a dissertation: Establishing a consistent writing routine Working with a support group Consulting your advisor Understanding your committee's expectations Setting a realistic and timely schedule Building on these insights, this book is for anyone who needs help in preparing for, organizing, planning, scheduling, and writing the longest sustained writing project they have encountered, particularly if he or she is not receiving sufficient guidance about the process, but also for anyone looking to boost his or her writing productivity. The author uncovers much tacit knowledge, provides advice on working with dissertation advisors and committee members, presents proven techniques for the prewriting and writing stages of the dissertation, sets out a system for keeping on schedule, and advocates enlisting peer support. As Peg Boyle Single states, 'my goal is quite simple and straightforward: for you to experience greater efficiency and enjoyment while writing. If you experience anxiety, blocking, impatience, perfectionism or procrastination when you write, then this system is for you. I want you to be able to complete your writing so that you can move on with the rest of your life.' Few scholars, let alone graduate students, have been taught habits of writing fluency and productivity. The writing skills imparted by this book will not only help the reader through the dissertation writing process, but will serve her or him in whatever career she or he embarks on, given the paramount importance of written communication, especially in the academy. This book presents a system of straightforward and proven techniques that are used by productive writers, and applies them to the dissertation process. In particular, it promotes the concept of writing networks ' whether writing partners or groups ' to ensure that writing does not become an isolated and tortured process, while not hiding the need for persistence and sustained effort. This book is intended for graduate students and their advisers in the social sciences, the humanities, and professional fields. It can further serve as a textbook for either informal writing groups led by students or for formal writing seminars offered by departments or graduate colleges. The techniques described will help new faculty advice their students more effectively and even achieve greater fluency in their own writing.

Author Biography

Peg Boyle Single Is an academic writing coach who works with doctoral students and faculty members, and a consultant who offers workshops on writing and mentoring programs, She has been conducting writing seminars and providing writing coaching for over 15 years, prior to becoming an independent consultant, she was director of the Faculty Mentoring Program and a Research Associate Professor at the University of Vermont

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Foreword	p. xvii
The Single System for Academic Writing	p. 1
Developing Habits of Fluent Writing	p. 4
Using Demystifying Dissertation Writing as a Guide for Writing Groups and Seminars	p. 5
Data on Ph.D. Completion Rates	p. 6
The Single System and Prewriting	p. 13
Keeping Perspective on Your Dissertation Project	p. 19
Choosing a Topic and an Adviser	p. 23
A Set of Constraints	p. 23
Choosing a Dissertation Topic and an Adviser	p. 24
Additional Constraints to Consider	p. 31
Entering the Conversation: Subject Matter	p. 34
Examples of Dissertation Topics	p. 38
Entering the Conversation: Theories and Methods	p. 40
Managing Your Adviser and Your Dissertation Committee Members	p. 42
Group Exercises for Choosing a Topic and an Adviser	p. 47
Interactive Reading and Note Taking	p. 55
Scholarly Reading Is the Foundation of Your Dissertation	p. 56
Reading is A Privilege	p. 58
Collect Notes, Not Articles or Books	p. 58
Interactive Reading in Practice	p. 63
Using A Bibliographic Program to Record Interactive Notes	p. 67
Rules For Recording Quotations	p. 71
Plagiarism And Copyright Infringement	p. 74
Group Exercises for Interactive Reading and Note Taking	p. 76
Citeable Notes	p. 79
Recording Citeable Notes and Building Your Literature Review	p. 81
Group Exercises for Creating Citeable Notes and Identifying Categories	p. 84
Focusing On Focus Statements	p. 87
Useful Focus Statements Are Clear, Concise, And Compelling	p. 87
Elements Of a Useful Focus Statement	p. 89
Providing Useful Feedback	p. 92
Group Exercises That Focus on Focus Statements	p. 93
Transforming A Focus Statement into A One-Page Outline	p. 95
The Role and Elements of The One-Page Outline	p. 97
Formats For the Dissertation	p. 99
Group Exercises That Transform Focus Statements into One-Page Outlines	p. 101
Using The Table of Contents Feature as An Efficiency Tool	p. 107
Long Outline with References	p. 111
Multiple Purposes of The Long Outline	p. 113
Transforming A One-Page Outline Into A Long Outline	p. 116
Inserting Citeable Notes into Your Long Outline	p. 120
Planning And Organizing Your Scholarship and Research	p. 121
Getting A Format Check by Your Graduate College	p. 123
A Group Exercise for Sharing and Reviewing Long Outlines with References	p. 123
Developing A Regular Writing Routine	p. 127
A Regular Writing Routine	p. 128
The Importance of A Designated Writing Space	p. 133
Developing A Writing Network	p. 137
What A Regular Writing Routine Looks Like In Practice	p. 138
Group Exercises for Establishing A Regular Writing Routine	p. 146
Overcoming Writer's Block	p. 149
Perfectionism	p. 150
Procrastination	p. 152
Impatience	p. 157
Depression And Dysphoria	p. 159
Group Exercises For Overcoming Writer's Block	p. 162
The Role Of Revision	p. 165
Revision At the Organizational Level	p. 166
Revision At the Content Level	p. 170
Group Exercises For Revision	p. 176
Epilogue And Enjoying the Journey	p. 179
Elements of Humanities Research	p. 181
Elements of Social Science Research	p. 187
Bibliography	p. 193
Index	p. 197
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