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xiPrefaceForthepasttwenty-fiveyearsIhavebeenworkingwithdoctoralstudents,guidingtheirevolutiontodoctoralrecipients.Duringthetimeweworktogether,Ibecomeintenselyconsciousoftheirneedtounderstandthecultureoftheuniversityasitimpactsontheirprogress.Concurrently,theyneedtobereceptivetoengaginginatransformative,life-changingexperience,theessenceoflearning.AsIrecallmyowndaysasadoctoralstudent,Irememberbeingatatotallosstounderstandwhatwashappeningtome.Ihavediscoveredthisisnotunique.Mosthavenoideawhatadissertationlookslikeorhowitevolves.Whilemostdoctoralstudentsexpecttodrawontheirearliercollegiateexperiences,nothingintheacademicworldpreparesthemforthecomplexityandintensityinherentinthedoctoralprocess.IhaveidentifiedthecrucialissuestoincludeinWritingYourDissertation:InvisibleRulesforSuccessfrommultiplesources:myexperienceinguidingmorethanseventy-fivedoctoraldissertationstocompletion;morethan200anonymousresponsesbydoctoralstudentsandgraduatestoopen-endedquestionnaires;focusgroupswithdoctoralstudentsandgraduates;andinformalconversationswithcurrentdoctoralstudentsandgraduates,includingsomeofwhomteachindoctoralprogramsacrossthenation.Increasingnumbersofadultsarereceivingdoctoraldegrees(Magner,1999),butitisacultureinwhichmostadmitalackofknowledgeoftherules.Theyfrequentlysearchforexplicitinformationaboutwhatthiscomplex,highlyinteractive,academic,social,andpoliticalprocessinvolves.Accesstoknowledgeablesourcesofinformationislimited,yetessentialforemotionalandintellectualsurvival.Thisbookservesasapracticalguideforstudentstoprogressinplanning,writing,anddefendingtheirdissertations.Whenstudentsseektounderstandtherulesoftheprogram,theyarefrequentlyreferredtotheuniversityBulletinortoldtoseetheiradvisor.Thereislittleexplicitdocumentationofwhatoccursinadoctoralprogram.WhatisparticularlymissingfromthesesourcesisinformationaboutthehumanPrefacexiielement,thesocialinteractionswhicharethehallmarkofdoctoralprograms,andprobablythemostproblematicformostdoctoralstudents.Recognizingtheneedtoaddressthisgap,Ihavedevelopedacomprehensiveguidetomanydimensionsofthedoctoralprocess,particularlyfocusingonthewritingofthedoctoraldissertation.Whiletheprimarygoalinwritingthisbookistohelpcurrentdoctoralstudentstosurviveandflourishintheirprograms,Ihavealsobecomeawareoftheneedtoconsidermajorreformsinthedoctoralprocess.Thishasbeensupportedbyrecentpublications(e.g.:Kennedy,1997;Lovitts,1996;Menand,1996;OlsonandDrew,1998).Forcurrentenrollees,survivalisprobablythekeyissue,butfromalong-termperspective,Ithinkweintheacademicworldneedtoreflectonwhatisexpectedofstudents,andfindwaystocreatemoresupportivesettingsforstudentsandtheacademiccommunity-at-large.WhiletheprimaryaudienceforWritingyourDoctoralDissertationiscurrentstudents,doctoralstudentsmayfinditproductivetosharethisbookwithfriendsandrelatives,helpingthemtounderstandandprovidemoresupportivesettingsincompletingadissertation.Inaddition,graduateshaveimpressedmewiththeirdesire,nowthattheyaredone,tocomparetheirexperienceswithothers,aswellastoobtainaclearersenseofthetotalityoftheexperience.Certainlyfacultywouldbenefitfromunderstandingthestudents’perspectivesaswell.Eachacademicinstitutioncreatesuniquerulesandproceduresforcompletingadoctoraldegree,buttherearemanysimilaritiesacrossinstitutions.WritingyourDoctoralDissertationoffersacombinationofthegeneralrules,alongwithstrategiesforcopingwiththerangeofexperiencesyoumayencounterinyourprogress.Thebookwillprepareyouforsomeofthelikelyhurdles,offeringguidancetoavoidingconflicts,andtoworkingthroughproblemswhichareimpossibletopredictbutwillinevitablyoccur.Ifrequentlyremindyouto“checkwithyouradvisor,”“checkwithyourpeer-supportgroup,”“checkwithyourchair.”Theseindividualsknowyourlocalterrain.Themoreinformationyouhave,themorepreparedyouwillbetoaddresseachoftheissuesinyourprogramandtohandleyouruniqueexperiences.Acasecouldbemadethatdoctoralstudentsarerequiredtobethemostrigorousresearchers.Researchersareresourceful,seekinginformationinawidearrayofsites.Asareaderofthisbook,youarearesearcher.WritingyourDoctoralDissertationsupplementsanymaterialsavailableatyourinstitution.Itcannotsupplantanyinstitutionaldocumentsorexplanatoryrequirements.Readallpublicationsfromyourinstitutionwhichenumeratethestepsintheprocess,aswellasanyacademiccalendarswhichmightoffercluesaboutmandatedactivities(e.g.preliminaryexaminations,matriculationinterviews,oraldefenses)andtheirfrequencyofoccurrence(e.g.onceeachsemester,annually).TheBulletinisagoodstartingpoint,butdon’tstopthere.Lookforbrochures,pamphlets,fliers,bulletinboardnotices,advertisementsincampusnewspapers,andprogramnewsletters.ExplorethematerialsavailableintheGraduateOfficeandtheOfficeoftheDeanofGraduatePrefacexiiiStudies,orlike,whichmightdescribesomeoftherequirements.Inquireaboutprogrammeetings,informalgatherings,andadvisementmaterialswhichmayofferamapofwhattoexpect.Toobtaintheinformationcontainedinthesepages,Ihaveengagedinintensiveresearch,obtainingnumerouslensesonthisphenomenonwhichwecall“goingformydoctorate.”Some250peopleprovidedinformationontheiro