A Counselor's Guide to the Dissertation Process

Where to Start and How to Finish

Brandé Flamez, A. Stephen Lenz, Richard S. Balkin, Robert L. Smith

• Publisher: American Counseling Association
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781556203596
• eBook ISBN: 9781119375623
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Professional Development

This engaging book not only offers step-by-step guidance on planning, writing, and defending a dissertation but also helps create a beginning-to-end process that is meaningful, rewarding, and exciting. Each chapter answers commonly asked questions, contains a checklist for each part of the dissertation, provides a summary of key points, and lists additional resources. Topics addressed include tips for staying motivated, time management, and self-care; selecting a dissertation committee and narrowing down the topic; writing a proposal; preparing the literature review; creating the problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions; understanding research methodology and ethics; collecting and analyzing data; presenting results; and best of all—publishing a dissertation.

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Chapter 1
The Doctoral Dissertation

Pursuing an advanced degree is a major life decision. You are embarking on a journey full of learning and growth. Now it is time for you to demonstrate your plan to write and defend an original research study by completing a dissertation. You may be asking yourself, “Why did I sign up for this?” “What have I gotten myself into?” and “Am I smart enough?” (And the answer is yes!) I bet if we went back and looked at how you got here, your friends and family would say you embody the following characteristics: commitment, perseverance, courage, stamina, and a positive attitude.

We begin this chapter by discussing what makes a dissertation so difficult. We discuss how a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in counselor education and supervision (CES) is unique because it provides you with the opportunity to effect positive social change. The remaining part of chapter focuses on getting comfortable with the dissertation process. We break down the major components of a dissertation into 11 steps and provide you with the overall structure of the dissertation. We also discuss the roles and responsibilities to which both you and your committee will be expected to adhere. At the end of the chapter, we invite you to complete exercises, explore previous graduate accomplishments, and formulate dissertation guidelines to help you successfully complete this journey. Every chapter of the book ends with a checklist. We hope that you will work through each checklist so you are prepared to tackle subsequent chapters of this journey.

What Makes a Dissertation So Difficult?

You have probably heard stories by students just like you who have completed a PhD. Included within these stories are comments about the rigor of the process, demands to meet deadlines, and committee member personalities clashing. By design, a doctoral dissertation is challenging. Let's face it. You are trying to obtain the highest degree offered by a university and you may not have a reference point. After all, you have never been down this road before.

Intellectual and Emotional Challenges

Completing a dissertation not only tests your intellectual ability but also brings out emotional and behavioral issues. We call the first challenge the intellectual challenge. Students often ask, “Am I smart enough to complete the dissertation?” Well, the answer is “YES!” You have already proven your intellectual ability by arriving at this point. It is important to keep in mind that completing a dissertation is not a measure of intelligence but perhaps is more about endurance. At some point, you may find that parts of the dissertation process are particularly challenging. You may have to devote more time, ask for help, do additional reading, and learn more about a complex methodology to accomplish your goal. During these times, realize that this is a process and you have the internal and external resources to succeed. We invite you to see times when you may be challenged, questioned, or critiqued as opportunities for growth of knowledge and skills, rather than a sign of inadequacy.

In addition to the intellectual challenge, there are also personal challenges that you may face. The most common emotion we see among doctoral students is anxiety. Many students see the dissertation as a gigantic project and struggle to see how to break down the dissertation into smaller and more manageable parts. If you have unclear goals, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and struggle to figure out where to start. We often see anxiety manifested through procrastination and writer's block.

Writer's Block

Over the years, we have found that students experience writer's block, which is simply the inability to write despite one's desire and ability to do so. If you find that designated writing times are now filled with other activities (e.g., checking Facebook, cleaning, watching television) and you are not making deadlines, chances are you might be experiencing writer's block. We have found that students experience writer's block because of anxiety, fear, interpersonal problems, and institutional issues.

Students often ask us, “Should I write 15 minutes a day? In blocks of time?” The answer is do what works for you. Think about the places and times you are most productive in your writing and then establish a routine. What type of work space do you prefer? What is your writing time like? (What time of day? How long?) What methods do you use to begin your writing? Once you have reflected on what works for you and have established a routine, write regularly. Remember your writing does not have to be polished at this point. Just write and protect your writing time. Schedule your writing time in your planner just as you would a doctor's appointment or other important meetings. We also encourage you to meet with your dissertation chair and create a schedule of deadlines. Most important, remain positive and be your own best support system. We discuss this topic further in the upcoming chapters.

How is a PhD in CES Unique From Other PhD Degrees?

CES doctoral programs prepare you to work as a counselor educator, researcher, supervisor, and an advanced practitioner and clinician in academic and private practice settings. This doctoral program is designed to teach you how to evaluate theory and the practice of counseling through research and prepare you to be a leader and advocate for social change in the counseling profession. Most CES doctoral programs emphasize the five core areas of counseling, supervision, teaching, research and scholarship, and leadership and advocacy. In each of these core areas, you will gain fundamental knowledge that is required for you to graduate with a CES doctoral degree.

CES doctoral programs place a special emphasis on leadership and advocacy by focusing on social change theory and advocacy action planning, which is unique. Throughout the program, you can build your skills not only as a scholar-practitioner but also as a professional advocate who is capable of assuming leadership positions. The 2016 Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Standards (CACREP, 2015) highlight 12 competencies for leadership and advocacy under the heading of professional identity. Thus, many programs require that dissertations have implications for positive social change at the individual, community, or societal level. Some CACREP-accredited CES programs include social change as one of the key indicators in the proposal rubric. Students must satisfy the question, “Does your project have the potential to effect positive s...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• Chapter 1: The Doctoral Dissertation
• Chapter 2: Staying Well Throughout the Dissertation Process
• Appendix A: Example of a Student Wellness Plan
• Chapter 3: Selecting the Dissertation Committee and Narrowing Down the Topic
• Chapter 4: Writing a Proposal
• Appendix B: Example Quantitative Proposal
• Appendix C: Example Qualitative Proposal
• Chapter 5: The Literature Review
• Appendix D: Example of a Literature Review Outline
• Chapter 6: Creating the Problem Statement, Purpose Statement, and Research Questions
• Chapter 7: Research Methodology and Ethics
• Appendix E: Subject Informed Consent
• Appendix F: Subject Assent
• Chapter 8: Collecting and Analyzing Data
• Chapter 9: Presenting and Discussing the Results
• Chapter 10: Preparing for the Defense
• Chapter 11: Disseminating the Project to the Professional Community
• Appendix G: Example Authorship Agreement
• References
• Index
• Technical Support
• End User License Agreement