http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/ Effective ideas and tips for moving from ABD to PhD in a year or less. 2006-03-03T13:51:08-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000361 Tip #12: Draft the proposal as quickly as you can. Then sit on it for a few days. This is a good tip for any part of the dissertation. Always aim to draft as quickly as you can, and then... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-03-03T13:51:08-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000360 Tip #11: Remember to restate and repeat. Your proposal should begin with a statement of what you propose, should follow with relevant examples, and research, and should end with a restatement of your objectives. This form of tell, re-tell is... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-03-01T15:48:58-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000359 Tip #10: Make your proposal easy to read. Focus on making your proposal easy to read and easy to follow. Focus mainly on your conceptual creativity, your methodological rigor, and important, useful content. Keep your writing style clear, direct, and... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-27T13:46:01-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000358 Tip #9: Use short, relevant examples. Examples should illustrate your view point. Build the main points of your argument and then focus on supporting details and facts to bolster them. Be clear and definite. Avoid being abstract, "kitchen sinking" or... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-24T13:44:14-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000357 Tip #8: Outline your methodology. Good methodology means that you have selected the best method to answer your primary research question. The choice of best method will vary by discipline. Methodology refers to the process of collecting, evaluating, and analyzing... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-22T14:41:16-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000356 Tip #7: Pick the best and most relevant citations. A good rule of thumb is to pick the most relevant 3-5 citations for every main point. Relevancy is defined as being some combination of coming from a primary text, being... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-20T13:38:33-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000355 Tip #6: Be comfortable with "selling" your ideas. "Selling" is a bad word in academic circles. But we use it as a quick way of saying "persuading". Your entire proposal (and dissertation) is, essentially, one long persuasive paper. You are... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-17T14:35:53-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000354 Tip #5: Develop a plan for research. You should have at least a basic idea of your question and how you will study it. Try to keep your research as simple as possible. While you want to impress with your... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-15T13:33:27-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000353 Tip #4: Identify your current scholarly position. In any research project, there will be voices for and against your scholarly position. This is expected. It is easier to 'combat' these voices when you are clear on what your scholarly position... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-13T14:31:04-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000352 Tip #3: Consider your past work as a base for the proposal. What other writing, analysis, or research have you completed which you could apply to this proposal? The easiest proposals to work on are those which come from earlier... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-10T14:28:52-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000351 Tip #2: Find an angle to engage your advisor (and future readers). You might begin with a thoughtful question, a relevant anecdote, or a bold statement. Be sure to outline the intellectual problems and include a concise statement of why... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-08T13:26:37-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/developing_the_proposal/index.html#000350 The proposal is probably the most difficult part of writing the dissertation. The next few entries will contain tips to, hopefully, make it easier. Tip #1: Get clear on your project focus, topic, and relevancy. Place your topic within current... Developing the Proposal Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-06T13:22:03-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/writing/index.html#000332 If you know what you want to write, and need a push to get started, consider writing to a timer. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write as fast as you can for the whole 5 minutes on your... Writing Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-03T14:27:22-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/building_momentum/index.html#000331 If you're in a bit of a rut with researching, writing, and researching some more, why not schedule in a couple of hours just to play around with ideas or brainstorm for a while? You might pick out your outfit... Building Momentum Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-02-01T15:04:04-05:00 http://www.completeyourdissertation.com/blog/archives/feedback/index.html#000330 In order to make sure you're on the right path to finish the dissertation as quickly as possible, be sure to elicit and accept regular feedback. You can get regular feedback from your advisor, writing group, a spouse, friend, or... Feedback Dr. Rachna D. Jain 2006-01-30T15:00:55-05:00