Tag: doctoral thesis (dissertation)

Life Gets in the Way: Writing Gaps in April and May

I feel I have gotten very little writing done toward my doctoral thesis in the last few weeks, and after being asked about it again by a great encourager of me remaining focused on finishing my PhD, I decided I needed to write a brief check-in on my happenings. April and May have been quite troubling as I try to write my research and finish this degree.

Let’s see, where to start? I think I need to go back to the very beginning of April, when I was away at the Networked Learning Conference in the Netherlands. Fine, and well-planned. The jet-lag and cell-phone issues while there took a few days to overcome, though when I was finally getting back into a routine by the middle of the next week–it hit. We had a flood in the apartment on April 11.

The pipe displaced itself from the toilet, and while we were home and while we were able to get the super to turn off the water within 5-10 minutes or so, there was enough water that came out and spread into the apartment that the wood floor was ruined. Completely ruined. Even with the water extraction company sent by the insurance company 4 hours later setting up fans and a large dehumidifier that then ran for the next 6-7 days, the water under the wooden floor tiles loosened the glue holding them down (as well as causing many of them to buckle and split) so it would have to be replaced.

So, where does that leave my story that began with my conference on April 1? Yes, the equipment in the apartment was finally removed on April 17. What a mess.

With all of the rugs gone (sent to the rug cleaner to try to ultimately save them; at least the flood water was clean!!), and the wood now making noise wherever we step, we then had to navigate between our insurance and the building insurance, with their finally taking another two weeks to agree on who will pay for all this. You see, we also had to have 3 estimates in the process, with samples seen, while this all took place, with the decisions as to which color to switch to. We chose the one that is closest to what we have. You see, there was such extensive wood floor damage that tiles could not just be replaced as they would not match — it all has to go.

Just lovely, the entire floor has to go, which means we have to move a lot of things (even though, thankfully, the furniture was not damaged much). As one of the bookshelf / desktop units had some water get under it, and this piece really being a composite of 5 separate parts that had been built and added onto over the years (taking an entire wall and including two desks, a file cabinet, 3 cupboards, lots of bookshelves, and several lighting units), it would be removed. Alas, it could not be reassembled easily at all, so out it all went. Yes, that meant we needed to purchase new desks (both on order) and have new bookshelves designed (also currently being  built), which all takes time. And disruption . . . don’t forget about the disruption in routine (i.e., time for writing).

Lots of time.

Did I mention that 14 months ago I also bought tickets to see Wagner’s The Ring (16 hours of opera over 4 days) at the Metropolitan Opera, the week starting May 5 and ending May 12?

So here, a week later, the floor replacement is beginning tomorrow, and while that should be usable just after Memorial Day, the desks and shelves will arrive 1-2 weeks later. Yes, things should finally be back to normal around the first week of June.

First week of June, and here it is I am trying to write and finish my data analysis!

I think writing this post has helped me to better understand where all my time (and energy, emotional navigation, and money) has gone over the past 2 months. Suffice it to say I have had to take a few vacation days here and there to manage all this, for otherwise I work full-time, though thinking about it and sharing it a bit more widely here helps me to close one episode, if you will, and begin to again focus on another — my thesis.

Life does get in the way while engaging in the years of non-stop work toward a doctorate, though for me the lesson is that I only have so much energy, and sometimes it has to be directed toward immediate problems at hand. That is not bad, it is simply healthy. Of course, as the wheel turns, we do have to make our ways back to our other commitments, chiefly among them is my thesis.

With that said, I have this afternoon and several days in the coming week dedicated to my studies. In many ways, that is a welcome home.

Video of My Research Seminar

I am happy to share the video of my recent Research Seminar presentation, where I discussed my doctoral thesis research in progress.

If you ever want to get feedback and suggestions about your own research I cannot recommend this sort of opportunity highly enough. In many ways, this came at just the right time, as it forced me to try to make sense of all my work in a way that is understandable by a larger audience (outside of my supervisors and immediate colleagues). Wonderful opportunity, especially while writing up, to help clarify the thoughts as this was the first time I have publicly discussed my work from beginning to end.

Besides looking like Mr. Potato Head in the video (which I fully expected), I am happy with the results.

Research Seminar this Wednesday!

I am presenting my doctoral thesis research in progress at my department’s Seminar Series. I often attend the Department of Educational Research seminars from a distance, though this will be the first time I have presented at one.

While this has been a great opportunity to help me focus my writing and make some solid progress, the most interesting thing for me will be that this is the first time I will discuss my research holistically. Thus far, I have only spoken with other people about various elements of it; this will be a glimpse at the entire study.

I wonder what this experience is like for others? If you engaged in doctoral research, what was your experience like the first time you presented your study for feedback and comment?

To the Literature . . . Get Thee to the Literature!

Borrowing a not-so-clever allusion to Hamlet from the Great Bard himself, yet without the anger and other baggage he brings (!!), I am now turning my attention to writing the draft chapter of my literature review and conceptual framework. I set myself another ambitious goal, this time to have this section drafted in two weeks. Hey, what better way to celebrate Leap Year than by planning a tangible deliverable for February 29!

I am coming off the efforts of submitting my chapter 1 draft to my supervisors very late last night (or early this morning, depending on how you see the time), so am on a high of diving into my writing with full gusto. While I am writing these sections now even though I am long-finished with my data collection may confuse some educationalists, but there is indeed a method to my process (though that is for a future discussion). Since starting seems to be the hardest part of a thesis, no reason to slow down at this point.

Suffice it to say I will now bridge the literature to my area of inquiry, and have something to submit for review in two weeks. Hey, I can do that!

Why is there not a single Doctoral Thesis outline or structure?

After working with the transcription for my doctoral thesis, I have found creating the structural outline for the entire write-up to be the greatest challenge.

Now, don’t shake your head wondering why I am considering this. Indeed, we always need an intro, and some literature, methods, data analysis, and the like. The trick I have found, least for those of us working on a doctoral thesis or doctoral dissertation, is to determine the structure of this given that we are conducting original research.

There is the main issue–this is ORIGINAL research. Why (or how?!) can my work follow the same structure as somebody else’s? Yes, we somehow need to address some of the same things, but our research designs and personal interests and writing skills all come into play. Nobody (I hope!) would confuse a randomized control trial with an autoethnographic inquiry, so why (or how?) should they look or be structured the same? My research engages in narrative inquiry (with a healthy dose of actor-network theory), and as my interpretation will be presented alongside the analysis itself (at least in some places), the thinking about using a cookie-cutter approach to chapters and sections vanishes. For those of us who relish in the originality while still wanting to follow a map, this part of the process can certainly cause some concern.

I take 2 mg of klonopin a day. 1 mg I take in the morning and 1 mg before bed. I have been told by doctor that I have severe panic attack.

While an Introduction usually precedes Data Collection, consider that there is not only a single way to organize all of this. Some of these elements, such as the researcher’s ontological stance, disciplinary frame where the research is situated, and significance–to name only a few–can be placed in different locations, as needed. At times they may not even need to be isolated (or even mentioned); again, it depends on your work . . . and original work means there is no standard outline that works best for everybody; you have to make it up yourself.

BTW, don’t forget to be prepared to explain why you did so!