Writing your doctoral dissertation - part 17 pps

Creating a professional setting 77 University of Pennsylvania Ethnography Conference (Center for Urban Ethnography, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; http:// www.gse.upenn.edu/cue) The University of Pennsylvania convenes an annual conference on ethnography which usually takes place in February or March. At this time in addition to formal plenary sessions, the doctoral students and experienced researchers present “works in progress” and inquiries about data analysis. The sessions are led by respected researchers who, along with the assembled participants, provide useful and friendly feedback. At lunch, in between sessions, at dinner and breakfast, conversations started during sessions are continued. A book of “Abstracts” of paper presentations is published along with this event. National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) (1111 West Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801 USA; http://www.ncte.org) There are three activities sponsored by NCTE which are particularly focused on doctoral students. • At the annual conference (usually held in November), the Doctoral Assembly meets. This is a small group of students from universities across the nation who are typically working on dissertations addressing issues of language, literacy, and/or learning. The group consists mainly of doctoral students, but there is usually at least one person with degree in hand who offers additional information and alternative perspectives not typically available to the students. There is a newsletter which is sponsored by this group. Their informal gatherings enable participants to share general concerns while also creating the opportunity for small group talk about precise research issues. They also network about job prospects at this meeting. Membership of the Doctoral Assembly is approximately $10 per year. • At the NCTE Spring Conference (usually held in March or April), the Ramon Veal Seminar is an all-day conference within a conference. In advance of the seminar, current doctoral students as well as doctoral advisors and current researchers submit brief statements about their research and the issues they would like the group to help them address. There is no separate membership in the Ramon Veal Seminar. Participants do, however, pay for the cost of duplicating the packet of materials delivered in advance of the conference, frequently returning on an annual basis, attending from early on in their doctoral studies and continuing after completing the dissertation. Membership of the NCTE is available with reduced rates for students. Publications include Research in the Teaching of English (RTE), English Education (EE), College Composition and Communication (CCC), Language Arts (LA), English Journal (EJ), and College English (CE). Creating a professional setting 78 • The annual weekend conference in February sponsored by the Research Assembly limits attendance to approximately 150 participants who offer presentations and small group discussions of research projects and processes. In addition to several presentations by well-known researchers, there is also the opportunity for doctoral students to get advice from other doctoral students and experienced researchers at this event. Teacher researcher/teacher conversation groups Growing numbers of experienced teachers are creating “grass roots” groups discussing research. These groups are another useful resource since all participants are working on developing research projects, going through the same academic procedures as doctoral students go through in their dissertation research. Many of these groups are affiliated with local National Writing Project sites. Others are independent, initiated by a group of like-minded professionals who meet in each other’s homes and work towards contributing to the school reform conversations. Many of these have established web sites, making it convenient for researchers to communicate frequently. Addresses are listed below for your convenience: AERA Special Interest Group—Teacher as Researcher c/o American Educational Research Association 1230 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA International Conference on Teacher Research Bishop’s University, School of Education Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada J1M 1V7 Re-Thinking Schools 1001 East Keefe Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53212, USA Rethink@execpc.com There are many opportunities for doctoral students to reach out to others for emotional and academic support. Informal networks are sometimes more influential than the formal ones established at universities. Along with providing additional perspectives, doctoral students travel to conferences, preparing for professional lives as conference attendees and presenters while increasing their familiarity with life in other cities. When you look beyond your dissertation committee, you will discover a rich and enthusiastic mix of new colleagues to meet worldwide. By drawing on the combined expertise of your dissertation committee along with student-colleagues, other university resources, colleagues at professional conferences, and on e-mail, you will have access to a broad range of perspectives which will facilitate the completion of your doctoral dissertation. You will also have the support of professional colleagues, which you may reciprocate. There is a large community of researchers to join. Welcome! Enjoy it! 79 9 Developing a Productive Setting I learned to trust my instincts—to trust my ability to infer what is behind a person’s words, actions, or at least my ability to propose a few possibilities for explaining their words, actions, etc. As I wrote my dissertation, I learned to appreciate the questioner within myself. It helped me move beyond the obvious and to work through the blocks as I investigated and analyzed my data. I also saw how important my goal-setting skills are when I want to complete something. I learned to have a thicker skin when receiving advice from a mentor. I learned to look beyond the logical for anomalies and patterns. I learned pacing and I learned to write succinctly so that the message is clear and powerful to the reader. Most importantly, I learned I am a writer. As a doctoral student, you need consciously to create supportive settings which will contribute to your success. Your own mind-set, along with those of your family and colleagues at work, contributes significantly to your success. Fortunate students find themselves in a community of academically oriented folk, celebrated for their willingness to take on the challenges and the responsibilities of a doctoral program. Part-time students, in particular, are surprised when their announced decision to pursue a doctoral degree is met with little enthusiasm by their friends, colleagues, and family. There may be many reasons for this phenomenon, such as jealousy, competition, and mystification. People at home or at work may be envious of your ambition. They may wish they had qualities which they ascribe to those who enroll in doctoral programs: intelligence, energy, confidence, time, and money. They may believe you are being selfish. Most frequently, with no idea what it means to be in a doctoral program, they may be reluctant to admit their lack of understanding, and instead convey an attitude of not caring. People look on you differently when you become a doctoral student. This is as true at your workplace as at home. Some consider your being in a doctoral program a wonderful accomplishment; for others it is a threat. Find the ones who will support you. Protect yourself from the others. If few people in your everyday life are enthusiastic about your decision, you need to accept this fact and find settings which offer support, while Developing a productive setting 80 acknowledging the possibility that you might need to go the road alone. If you are dependent on the emotional and/or financial support of others, you will need to attend to this immediately. Some options include: • finding a way to garner support with at least one friend; • resolving to be strong and independent; or • changing your mind, at least temporarily, until you can obtain the support you require. There are a multitude of settings where you can find support. We will focus on you, your family, and your job, starting with you in your role as doctoral student. The Doctoral Student’s Mind-set Because the writing of a dissertation takes so much time, and because it inevitably changes the ways and/or times in which you interact with friends, colleagues, and relatives, a clear decision to commit to the writing of the dissertation is essential. The first crucial ingredient in your success is being personally committed to completing your dissertation. This commitment may take several forms. You may feel a “personal attachment…towards the project,” or have a “personal belief in myself—that what I’m doing is important and good and of value to myself and others,” or you might find that others are “valuing my ideas” or that you have a “passionate desire to know the answer to a research question.” 1 An additional element in the decision is that it will be “worth it.” Those who have gone through the process warn: “Don’t write a thesis unless you’re absolutely sure that you’re ready for the sacrifice it involves;” “It totally takes over your life and interferes with all your choices;” I did not realize “how physically and mentally exhausting it is.” A doctoral student must have a strong positive response to the inquiry “Do I really want it?” In the mind of each doctoral student, the benefits have to exceed the drawbacks. Having a personal commitment, a will to succeed, is necessary, but not sufficient. You will also need the strength to endure the many potential difficulties you will encounter as you progress in writing your dissertation. Along with your personal resolve, you will need effective organization skills, sufficient financial resources, time, and an intellectual inquisitiveness. Some Essential Qualities Being a self-starter and having self-discipline are crucial characteristics of doctoral graduates. After succeeding in courses and examinations at institutionally established times, the doctoral student is required to become virtually an independent learner. Dissertation writing is consistently experienced as an isolating activity. Each person progresses at a different rate, Developing a productive setting 81 studying a different topic, and collaborating with a different doctoral committee. Each student has the responsibility for scheduling independent meetings during professors’ office hours. Concurrent with inventorying your personal qualities, resolve to minimize changes in your life which may influence the progress you make on your dissertation. For example, defer moving to a new geographic setting or accepting more demanding responsibilities at work, to enable you to dedicate your energies to accomplishing this one project. Frequently, students have difficulty in saying “No” to new work opportunities. When this happens, usually the dissertation gets placed on the back-burner while major energy is invested in a new project. Your dissertation will only get written when you make it your number one priority, deferring activities to after you have completed your dissertation. But, you need not become a hermit. Successful doctoral students find ways to balance their dissertation work with other activities. They hop between and among many worlds, but always keep the writing of the dissertation as paramount in their minds, as apparent in their allocation of time. Effective management and organizational skills are essential. Doctoral students and faculty highlighted five essential characteristics of successful students. These are listed below and presented graphically in Figure 9.1. •Be goal-directed. • Organize your time to meet your goal. • Assure your financial resources to meet your goal. • Establish a scholarly attitude to continuing your learning in the process of meeting your goal. • Create a supportive setting to facilitate your achieving your goal. These points offer specific advice which may be useful for your own strategizing. Be goal-directed Know what you want to accomplish. You may choose a pragmatic approach, determining to write an “acceptable dissertation,” or you may choose a more demanding one, aiming to accomplish at least two objectives simultaneously. You may see your dissertation as an opportunity to make a significant contribution to your field, and/or you may view your dissertation as a vehicle which will move your career along, providing a credential with expertise in a particular field. It is important to know what you want to accomplish as you establish the support system essential to achieving your goal. Be sure to keep your goals realistic; start small, if necessary. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Being goal-directed, you are tenacious, dedicated to accomplishing your dream. Keep on working until your dream is achieved. Self-discipline is essential. If you make a commitment to yourself to work on your dissertation every morning from 5 to 7 am, fulfill your promise. “Personal circumstances . you, your family, and your job, starting with you in your role as doctoral student. The Doctoral Student’s Mind-set Because the writing of a dissertation takes so much time, and because it inevitably changes. Figure 9.1. •Be goal-directed. • Organize your time to meet your goal. • Assure your financial resources to meet your goal. • Establish a scholarly attitude to continuing your learning in the. on working until your dream is achieved. Self-discipline is essential. If you make a commitment to yourself to work on your dissertation every morning from 5 to 7 am, fulfill your promise. “Personal