ABD, or “all but dissertation,” is a term used frequently in the US to designate a PhD student who has passed all qualifying degree elements except for the writing, presentation, and defense of the doctoral dissertation. For many students, ABD can stand as both an exciting milestone and a terrifying sinkhole. This is because ABD […]
You’ve done the research, analyzed the data, written the dissertation, and submitted it – now all that’s left is to complete your oral defense (also known as the viva voce, or just the viva). How on earth can you prepare to orally explain to a panel of experts what took you years to research and […]
The dissertation literature review—also known as the thesis literature review, or simply the lit review—is the portion of your dissertation that summarizes and dialogues with the existing research on your topic. If you’re like most of the students I work with, you may feel you need some help with this first and crucial part of […]
Think you’ve hit the finish line when you finally finish your full dissertation draft? Well … not quite. You actually have many more steps before you finally get to call your dissertation journey finished. Here’s a handy infographic of what to expect.
No matter how good your research is, finding an academic job can be challenging. Especially in the wake of pandemic-related hiring freezes and funding cuts, competition for faculty positions and tenure-track roles is fierce. However, there are steps you can take to maximize your competitiveness in the academic job market. In this post, I share […]
Are you wondering whether teaching during your graduate degree is worth the time, stress, and extra work? If so, then the answer is a resounding “yes,” because teaching experience is one important key to success in the academic job market. Most faculty positions are built on three core pillars: research, service, and teaching. Anyone can […]
Peer review is essential. Without peer review, the whole structure of academia would crumble. In this article, you’ll learn: Most credible academic journals and publishers utilize the peer review process to ensure the quality and credibility of their publications (we’ll discuss why in a moment). If you want your work to be out there, you’re […]
As a coach, I’ve noticed that one of the top pain points my students struggle with is finding the right dissertation supervisor. The right dissertation supervisor can be highly motivating and supporting, while a poor one can make the research and writing processes extremely difficult. Most new students look for a dissertation supervisorwho will be […]
Children’s Literature is one of the fastest-growing and most popular fields of graduate study worldwide. Learn More ↗ After all, who wouldn’t want to spend their graduate years diving back into childhood favorites? That’s why I chose to enter this field, way back in 2005, when I began my children’s literature PhD. The thought of […]
If you’re approaching the final weeks of your dissertation writing journey, you may be wondering about the process for approaching and completing your defense. Exactly what happens after you hit the “submit” button, and how soon will you be able to flaunt your new title? You may unaware that there is still some work ahead […]
