Dissertation resources

Resources to help with  planning and completing the dissertation phase.
See also: Writing Resources

• RD Resources
• Proposal   &  onwards
• Workflow
• Editing
• Books

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Dissertation Handbook, Forms & Inventories

Dissertation Resources folder on Populi - Log into Populi to access these dissertation documents in files, organized by cohort. Including:

• Dissertation Handbook
• Dissertation Inventory
• Dissertation Proposal Planning Guide
• Dissertation Rubric
• Dissertation Template (Word)
• Individual Fillable Dissertation Forms

Individual Dissertation Paperwork Folders are created for each student at the start of the 3rd academic year.

The Proposal & Foundations

Writing Thesis and Dissertation Proposals - For proposal writers in all disciplines, from Penn State’s Graduate Writing Center.
Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation- a lonstanding online document on thinking about the project, writing the proposal, completing the project, and defending it, by S. Joseph Levine of Michigan State University.

Dissertation Timelines

• Dissertation Calculator    - Get a timeline of research and writing milestones based on your start and end date, with a listing of what percentage of time should be dedicated to each step.  Developed by the University of Minnesota.

Create or join Communities of Support

• Dissertation Boot Camp   -    A guide with resources to creating a dissertation boot camp    from UNC Chapel Hill’s Writing Center. This also contains links to many valuable  handouts, articles and tools.
• PhinisheD  -    a forum for people working on theses and dissertations. You will need to create an account to view posts, and a moderator must approve your registration before you can access them. Once you do have access, though, check out the posts in response to   frequently asked questions    on managing your dissertation, advisor, and life.

Tips for self-editing

Three major editing foci :

• The big picture: does the manuscript hold together as a cohesive whole that meets all requirements?
• The content details: does each section of the manuscript contain correct information and hold together grammatically and stylistically?
• The format details:  does every section adhere to  the style guides  and have correct punctuations and formatting?

When you are immersed in a project, when attempting to self edit it can be easy to overlook things, as the brain will frequently trick itself into seeing what  was intended instead of what is.

To reorient:

• Change the format (font/font size, print vs screen), do you see different things?
• Edit sections you are long done with, to come at it "cold."
• Pretend you are the reviewer and your manuscript is from    someone esle. What do you notice?
• Read aloud manuscript sections :
  • Get a feel for the actual rhythm of the work, and identify clunky places that  likely need editing. If you have a hard time reading it aloud, someone else might just have a hard time reading it.
  • Slow down going through the page and notice details that might not stand out when reading silently.
• Listen to a recording of sections of manuscript being read aloud 
  • Listening engages other parts of our brains that can catch things our sight will not.
  • Though they often mis-pronounce things, using a screen reader to read your manuscript to you could be helpful.

Articles and resources with further self editing tips.

•  Developing Self-Editing Skills from Walden University
• Reject Your Own Manuscript! Why Self-Editing is Critical from Enago Academy
• Self-Editing Strategies: Revision from Walden University
• Self-Editing Strategies: Proofreading from Walden University

Hire a Proffessional Editor

When your dissertation contents are complete, a professional editor is the best way to ensure that all the formatting is correct.

• This article details some of the considerations when hiring an editor, as does this article from edit 911.

Freelance editor directory:

• https://www.servicescape.com/editors/english/psychology

Online Editing Firms:

• https://wordvice.com/research-academic-editing-services/
• https://www.scribendi.com/service/dissertation_thesis_proposal_editing
• https://eliteediting.com/academic/
• https://www.scribbr.com/proofreading-editing/dissertation-editing-service/

A Concise Guide to Writing a Thesis or Dissertation Educational Research and Beyond, 2nd edition By Halyna M. Kornuta & Ron W. Germaine
Assigned in PSY700, start planning for your dissertation from the start. Paperback ISBN: 9780367174583

The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success by Lawrence A. Machi; Brenda T. McEvoy A thorough compendium on conducting the literature review, with diagrams. ISBN-13: 978-1506336244

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 7th Edition, Spiral Bound The spiral bound version is recommended for reference use, as it will lie flat, has color coded tabs and is optimally organized for ease of use as a reference. ISBN: 9781433832178

Many of the resources are from    gwc.gsrc.ucla.edu/Resources/Proposing-Writing-and-Filing-Your-Thesis-and-Dissertation

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