Application: Timeline: Plan for Completing the Dissertation

In Week 1, part of Discussion 1, you estimated the time you might need to complete your Dissertation.  Now at the end of the course, you may find that you have adjusted and revised your estimates and are in a better position to develop a plan for next steps and a timeline for completing your Dissertation.

Using the Dissertation Process Worksheet in MyDR, you will have a good idea of the turnaround time to anticipate each time your chair, committee member, and URR read a document you send them. This will be true, too, of IRB review and other steps along the way. There is no way to rush some parts of this process.

Develop a timeline for your entire Dissertation process, starting with the first item on the SPPA Dissertation Process Worksheet. Although no complicated and long process can be accurate in terms of timing or planning, this is a time to think about contingency plans to use if you encounter snags or delays along the way. What plans can you make to ensure that you stay on track in the event of delays or challenges in your Dissertation process? Why is this important to do and what would happen if you did not have a backup plan? While plans are living documents that adapt and change, the ability to see the process laid out before you in black and white can have an impact on your ability to make progress.

When developing your plan, be specific. Think about when and how you will collect your research, analyze it, and write. Consider the amount of reading that you need for your literature review and the amount of reading required to fully understand your method. Also consider the commitments in your life. Do you work full-time, have a life partner, children, older parents who may require care?  Remember that the rest of the world is not committed to the completion of your Dissertation—this is your personal, and, in many ways, very “selfish” goal. Even so, you will have to make some sacrifices along the way, for example, of the time you wish to spend in other activities.

Consider major milestones in this process and celebrate each of them along the way. Finally, keep that plan nearby and use it to measure your progress to keep you on track. This one assignment will help you see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Submit a brief 1-2 page plan or timeline for completing the Dissertation. In your plan, be sure to include your timetable for completing specific milestones, and when, specifically (e.g., in the evening, on weekends), you will work on your Dissertation.