Newsletter: Completing a Dissertation

Dissertation Strategies Newsletter

2005

Volume 33, Number 1

This newsletter is a publication of The Academic Research Group, Inc..
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Assertiveness=PhD.! by Diane Kennedy
Remember the old saying "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" when it comes to your dissertation. What I'd like you to consider today are the ways in which you can be a "squeaky" doctoral candidate- the one of your advisor's many advisees who "gets the grease".

The Impact on a Dissertation

Why is this important? You must make yourself known and heard, and stand out in the crowd if you want to complete your dissertation. The dissertation-writing process simply cannot proceed smoothly- or proceed at all- without the cooperation of your advisor.
YOU can have control over your advisor’s interest in and commitment to your project.
YOU can be finished with your dissertation this year, while other candidates are still at the Proposal stage!
Below are some suggestions for getting the help to which you are entitled:

Understand that you have a right to responsive advisement and timely review of your work.
Your advisor may feel overworked and underpaid, but s/he still has an ethical and legal responsibility to do the job.
Learn to be assertive in dealing with your advisor. Don’t accept long waits for an appointment or his/her unfulfilled promises to "get back" to you.
Make it clear to your advisor from day one that you have a set time frame for completing your dissertation. Ask "What do I have to do to complete this dissertation by December of next year?"
Be specific about your needs.
Recognize that assertiveness requires substance. Present your advisor with documentation of your work on a regular basis. Send drafts of pre-proposals and proposals and literature reviews as you complete them.
Use your assertiveness to motivate your advisor. Provide him or her with good reasons to cooperate with you. Let your advisor know that you will be very easy to deal with as long as you get timely and specific help, and receive the advisement to which you are entitled, but that you will be Big Trouble if you don’t.
State your terms. Tell your advisor that you expect: detailed answers to your questions; a specific timetable for submission of chapters; in-person and/or telephone meetings when YOU feel it necessary; prompt, written feedback to your submissions.
Don’t fall into the guilty trap. Don’t let your advisor make you feel you are a burden. Remind your advisor that you want nothing more- or less- than the support, direction and advice they are being paid to provide.

Diane Kennedy has guided hundreds of doctoral candidates over the last 36 years.
Please contact her for more information on how we can help YOU!

Email: diane@dissertations.com
For additional free tips and advice on dissertation writing, visit our website at
dissertations.com
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