Dissertation Tips

1. Think about your advisor and committee.

• oChoose an advisor and committee thoughtfully. Will your advisor have valuable input for your topic? Will the committee challenge you and help you to grow?

2. Speak with your advisor constantly.

• oDevelop a relationship with your advisor. Communicate and meet regularly.

3. Set deadlines.

• oCreate research and drafting schedules with your advisor.

4. Develop discipline.

• oStick to the schedule you create by developing healthy writing habits.

5. Find a writing space.

• oFind a comfortable space either on campus or at home where you can be productive.

6. Brainstorm research and methods.

• oThink intentionally about how you will research your topic and what questions you are asking.

7. Use citation managers.

• oEndNote, Mendeley, and Zotero are the most common managers. They keep track of your citations and annotations.

8. Find research in multiple places.

• oWith your advisor’s help, look for research in books, articles, websites, and other databases.

9. Structure the dissertation.

• oInclude an introduction, a literature review, a methods section, the actual chapters, and a conclusion.

10. Get as much feedback as possible.

• oLook at other dissertations, submit drafts to your advisor and other readers, and use the Writing Center.