Preparation: A Key for Dissertation Success

• Dissertation Self-Efficacy (DSE)– The degree to which one believes that he or she

can successfully complete the dissertation– Factors that influence DSE• Overall confidence• Comfort with research• Relationship with mentor• Ability to focus/commit

– Important to note that everyone in the room is smart enough to complete a dissertation• If you are delayed in completing your dissertation, it is

NOT because you are not bright enough-something else has gotten in the way

– Heppner and Heppner outline a number of common problems that serve as impediments towards students completing their dissertations, and thus lower DSE:

• Lack of Time– Believe it or not, faculty (at least some faculty) are aware

of the short-term process some students engage in when completing class assignments• This is not possible for a dissertation

– For example, the literature review process

– H & H suggest that you schedule time that is to be devoted solely to dissertation work• Figure out what works best for you (I suggest a daily or almost

daily schedule)– Time of day, length of time, etc.

• THIS TIME IS TO BE KEPT SACRED– One thing that holds up students, IMHO, is that the dissertation is really

the only requirement in grad school that does not have clear external constraints

– You must be able to say “no” to other opportunities, obligations, etc.

• Lack of Space– Things you might need to work on your

dissertation:• Computer• Articles/Binders, etc.• For some, quick internet access (e.g., idea pops up and

you want to do a quick lit search)• Notepad, blank paper, etc.

– You need devoted physical space to be able to “spread out,” so to speak

• Lack of support– Do your family and friends understand what you

have gotten yourself into?– H & H encourage that you discuss up front exactly

what this is going to entail• Length of time, commitment of effort, need for privacy,

etc.– This project goes beyond “a big paper.”

– Consider a support group, weekly lunches, etc. with friends and classmates

• Lack of Organization– This can really bleed into many other areas

• For example, wasting part of your allocated time looking for articles that should already be organized

• Being slightly to moderately compulsive is not a bad thing here– You need to organize, articles, notes, emails, books, etc.

• An organizational system for your articles is key– Annotated bibliography– Binders/folders for articles

» I suggest folders/binders for different content areas-you should have too many articles for a single folder

– Electronic reference system could be a plus (e.g., reference manager, end note)

• Label drafts of your documents with the date• Potential to go overboard…

• Psychological Obstacles– All of the following are relatively normal emotions

that are felt by some students, even if toward only some parts of the dissertation:• Anxiety• Procrastination• Depression• Anger• Fear

– Be aware of these thoughts and feelings; be willing to explore reasons behind them• H & H have a nice “cognitive therapy for dissertation-

related negative affect” section.

• The Dreaded “Shoulds”– I should have already gotten started on this– I should have paid closer attention in stats– I should be able to organize myself better

• What-if type thinking can really be a major impediment to large tasks, such as the dissertation.

• Poor Working Relationship with your Advisor– Getting along with your advisor is not necessarily a

prerequisite-can you work together?– What are your advisor’s expectations regarding the

process?• Some are proactive in scheduling meetings, others are

more student-driven• Some are structured in terms of the process from the

student, others are less structured– H & H suggest scheduling regular meetings,

especially early on• Come prepared to these meetings!

– Few things make many of us madder than students not being prepared for their own dissertation meetings

• Lack of Control Over Data– Can be an issue when relying on publically available or

already existing data– Also emerges when dissertation data is collected as part of

a larger project or via an external agency (e.g., community center, counseling agency)

– Potential pitfalls:• PI of the research project decides to cut some or all of your

measures• Crafting your idea around existing measures• Committee members request changes that you cannot

accommodate– Applies to data analysis as well

• Okay to get some help, but you better know what you’re talking about with your committee

Factors Associated with Identifying Your Topic

• Hopefully, many of you already have at least a general idea of your topic area

• Deciding upon the specific nature of a topic is surprisingly hard for some students– In my initial conversations with students their

initial ideas are invariably too broad or too simplistic (e.g., “I want to study depression and eating disorders,” “ I want to see how self esteem impacts alcohol use and alcohol problems”).

• Students often experience a range of emotions when trying to develop a topic– Excitement at the prospect of doing the study– Fear/doubt about selecting a topic that is worthwhile and

interesting– Pressure to select something and get on with it

• It’s very important to balance such emotions when putting your dissertation together– Important to recognize that research is generally a building

process• That is, most researchers build on previous research in relatively small

increments– My examples– Major “breakthroughs” often occur only after many considerably smaller steps

– Keep this in mind when thinking about your topic• To get hung up on “it’s never been done before.”

• Thinking about mediation or moderation can often be useful avenue

• Addressing the foreclosure issue– Some students have difficulty committing to a

topic• Do not want to “give up” other interests• Avoidance mechanism• Thought of a 1-2 year commitment

• Importance of honesty regarding your research abilities– Even among the brightest students, natural

variability exists regarding research skills

– I suggest not engaging in a design if you have not had prior experience with such a design (with some exceptions, of course)• For example, a RCT if you have no RCT experience

– Also consider your professional goals• If you are thinking about a research career, then

extending yourself may be a more reasonable decision– But, avoid the “I just want to graduate/finish comments”

– Statistical experience and ability• Do you have the experience to conduct complex

analyses, or the ability to learn the necessary techniques?

– Be honest with your advisor-have conversations

• In general, how closely does your topic match your advisor’s area of expertise?– In general, the closer the better• Benefits in getting started, unanswered research

questions, addressing concerns from other faculty members, etc.– Example, alcohol measurement issue; college drinking topic

• If you are of the “the dissertation is simply a hurdle” mindset, then doing something that is clearly in your advisor’s area may be especially warranted

• Similarly, do you already have an existing line of research?– HUGE advantages to programmatic research

• Potential for skill acquisition– Use the dissertation, in part, as a learning tool– In general, I place this lower on the “selecting a

dissertation topic” continuum• Link with professional goals– Helpful to match dissertation topic with nature of

desired job• For example, college counseling center issues if desire

to work in such a setting• Health psychology issues if hospital is desired

• Personal passion– Important to be interested in your topic-you’ll be

bed-mates for a year or two– If too passionate, though, objectivity can be

compromised• Keep in mind that you have to be able to deal with

results that are in direct opposition to your hypothesis

• Responding to Societal Needs– Can be helpful for funding

• Time considerations– The projects need to be “do-able”

• Specifics on narrowing your research topic– READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ• Crucial to be well-versed in your area• Impossible to determine what is going to spark your

research topic– My example

– Don’t be afraid to talk to experts about your ideas– Think about how theory will guide your ideas• Advisors will always be asking how the idea links to theory

(we’re not epidemiologists!)– Can your idea be tested?• One of the first things I’ll ask students is “how are you

going to measure it?”

The Funnel

• Perhaps the most useful scientific writing heuristic I’ve ever seen

• Common errors in writing involve:– Being too broad and including irrelevant

information– Not having a clear direction in one’s writing (i.e.,

“telling the story”)– Moving back and forth between broad and narrow

topics

• A funnel starts broad, ends narrow, and only includes things that fit inside its parameters– Great tool for thinking about introductions and

literature reviews– Examples (my research and others’ ideas)

• Helpful to link idea of the funnel with chapter outlines– I encourage students to outline all chapters

The Overview

• Analogous to a journal article introduction– Engage the reader– Build a rationale– Discuss implications– State purpose– List hypotheses

• Engaging the reader– First and second paragraphs are important• Students often get stuck here

– Think about how you can get your reader’s attention• Statistics• Dramatic Stories• Easily understood intro to a topic (what H & H call

“Philosophical Pondering”– Critique examples

• Begin establishing a rationale– Glimpse of the relevant literature

• Theoretical background• Prior studies and lack thereof• Need for the topic (e.g., health implications)

• Discuss implications– Also related to establishing a rationale– How will results for the study provide positive impact

• Lead into purpose of the study, hypotheses, etc. • Also important to define relevant terms (e.g.,

“social norms,” “protective behavioral strategies”)