Dissertations and Other Doctoral Student Concerns

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Dissertations and Other Doctoral Student Concerns

• Linda Serra Hagedorn
• Professor and Chair
• Department of Educational Administration and
  Policy

An Address to the EAP Ed.D.s and Ph.D.s to be
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Stages of Becoming

• Stage 1 - Thinking About It
• Stage 2 Qualifying Exam (with oral defense)
• Stage 3- Writing the Proposal
• Stage 4- Getting IRB Approval
• Stage 5- Proposal Defense
• Stage 6- Dissertation research
• Stage 7 Writing, finishing, and defending

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Thinking About it.

• Reality of completing your degree.
• The clear structure of coursework begins to
  diminish and now you're approaching the
  thesis/dissertation stage.
• More defined by you and not your adviser, the
  program, or the department.

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What is a Dissertation?

• Substantial and significant undertaking
• Not so extensive or open-ended that it cannot be
  successfully concluded in a reasonable period of
  time
• Sharply delineated task
• Requires a year or two of full-time productive
  effort
• Introduction to a career of scholarship (not the
  apex)

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Will this make me famous?

• Be realistic in setting your goals.
• Be realistic about the time that you're willing
  to commit to your research project.
• One year or 10?

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Paths to the Permanent A.B.D.

• Too soon adieu
• Leaving the university before the dissertation is
  finished
• Too much enthusiasm, too little focus
• Too hard to please
• Too casual
• Too compulsive

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Qualifying Exam

• Reality hits time
• Research questions
• Pick a dissertation chair
• Each has their own ideas!
• Talk to other students
• Work with your chair to select other committee
  members
• Schedule a time to talk to your chair about the
  qual exam process
• This will help him/her hone the questions

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Qualifying Exam Particulars
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Qual Exams

• Mandatory for all doctoral students (Ed.D. and
  Ph.D.).
• Purpose - to demonstrate the ability to synthesis
  and critique the literature and to exhibit
  competence in the subject area.
• To demonstrates readiness and competence to
  undertake dissertation level research.
• Eligibility
• Have completed all, or are currently enrolled in
  last course(s).
• Minimum GPA 3.25.
• Valid supervisory committee.
• Approved/signed program plan on file.
• Must be registered for at least 3 credits.

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The Quals Process

• Offered during three separate time-spans
• Scheduled by Ms. Angela Rowe.
• Proctored and take place on site.
• 9 hours in duration
• Segmented as three half-days (3hours each) or as
  a full day (6 hours) plus a half day (3 hours).
• Only (2) TWO students may be scheduled each day.
  Exams/dates are scheduled on a first come basis.
• Must register to take the quals at least 3
  weeks prior to the testing date.
• Questions are customized to each student and are
  written by the student committee.
• All exams will be completed on department
  computers.

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The Rules of Quals

• NO notes, books, cell phones, or PDAs.
• Upon completion you will receive a copy of your
  work.
• Pass or fail will be determined after the oral
  defense.
• Each question is graded separately as Pass or
  Fail.
• Graduate School must be notified of all Fails.
  
• The supervisory committee may request a
  re-examination
• Must be approved by the Graduate School.
• At least one semester of additional preparation
  is considered essential before re-examination.
• Fails on 2 attempts will result in dismissal
• Evaluations of the qual examination
• 1. Clarity in written communication.
• 2. Knowledge of the appropriate literature bases
• 3. Analysis, critique, and evaluation of facts
  ideas.
• 4. Mastery of knowledge related to theories,
  constructs, and conceptual frameworks.
• 5. Ability to define and defend a point of view.

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Institutional Research Board (IRB)

• http//irb.ufl.edu/irb02/index.html

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What is a proposal anyway?

• Should consist of the first three chapters of the
  dissertation.
• Statement of the problem/background information
  (Chapter I)
• Review of the literature (Chapter 2),
• Defining of the research methodology (Chapter 3).

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Focus your research very specifically.

• Dissertations focus on a research question (or
  set of related questions)
• Often the researcher finds that what he/she
  originally thought to be a good research project
  turns out to really be a group of research
  projects.
• Do one project for your dissertation and save the
  other projects for later in your career.

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A good proposal has a good title

• Most important words appear toward the beginning
  of the title,
• Title and subtitleInclude key words that will
  help researchers in the future find your work.

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The Research Question

• A good question
• Do adult learners in a rural adult education
  setting have characteristics that are similar to
  adult learners in general ?
• A poor questions
• What are the characteristics of rural adult
  learners in an adult education program? (too
  narrow)

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Choose your methodology wisely

• The Question drives the method
• NOT the other way around
• A qualitative approach should not be undertaken
  SOLELY because of a fear of quantitative research
  and statistics

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Goals of the Doctoral Dissertation Process
(Adapted from Davis Parker)

• Produce independent scientific research.
• Make an addition (contribution) to current
  knowledge.
• 3. Write the research results into the form of a
  doctoral dissertation and make it available to
  the scholarly community.

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Dont drop the ball

• While enrolled in dissertation hours
• Make regular appointments with your chair
• YOU must take the lead on this.
• Turn in sections or chapters as you complete
  them.
• Do not write the entire dissertation and then
  dump it on the Professor

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Dissertation Defense

• Work with your chair
• If you werent ready your chair would not advise
  you to defend.
• Procedures
• Initial greetings
• Executive Session
• 10-15 minute presentation
• Q and A

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Best wishes!

• There is light at the end of the tunnel