30. The most obvious suggestion is the one seldom followed. Try to attend one or more defenses
prior to yours. Find out which other students are defending their research and sit in on their
defense. In many departments this is expected of all graduate students. If this is not the case for you, check
with your adviser to see that you can get an invitation to attend some defenses.
At the defense try and keep your focus on the interactions that occur. Does the student seem relaxed? What
strategies does the student use to keep relaxed? How does the student interact with the faculty? Does the
student seem to be able to answer questions well? What would make the situation appear better? What
things should you avoid? You can learn a lot from sitting in on such a meeting.
31. Find opportunities to discuss your research with your friends and colleagues. Listen carefully
to their questions. See if you are able to present your research in a clear and coherent manner. Are
there aspects of your research that are particularly confusing and need further explanation? Are there
things that you forgot to say? Could you change the order of the information presented and have it become
more understandable?
32. I hope you don't try circulating chapters of your dissertation to your committee members
as you are writing them. I find this practice to be most annoying and one that creates considerable
problems for the student. You must work closely with your dissertation director. He/she is the person you
want to please. Develop a strategy with the dissertation director regarding how and when your writing
should be shared. Only after your dissertation director approves of what you have done should you attempt
to share it with the rest of the committee. And by then it's time for the defense. If you prematurely share
sections of your writing with committee members you will probably find yourself in a situation where one
committee member tells you to do one thing and another member says to do something else. What should
you do? The best answer is not to get yourself into such a predicament. The committee meeting (the
defense) allows the concerns of committee members to surface in a dialogical atmosphere where opposing
views can be discussed and resolved.
33. It's important that you have the feeling when entering your defense that you aren't doing it
alone. As was mentioned earlier, your major professor should be seen as an ally to you and "in your
corner" at the defense. Don't forget, if you embarrass yourself at the defense you will also be embarrassing
your dissertation director. So, give both of you a chance to guarantee there is no embarrassment. Meet
together ahead of time and discuss the strategy you should use at the defense. Identify any possible
problems that may occur and discuss ways that they should be dealt with. Try and make the defense
more of a team effort.
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Dissertation/Thesis Guide
34. Don't be defensive at your defense (this sounds confusing!). This is easy to say but sometimes
hard to fulfill. You've just spent a considerable amount of time on your research and there is a
strong tendency for YOU to want to defend everything you've done. However, the committee members
bring a new perspective and may have some very good thoughts to share. Probably the easiest way to deal
with new input is to say something like "Thank you so much for your idea. I will be giving it a lot of
consideration." There, you've managed to diffuse a potentially explosive situation and not backed yourself
or the committee member into a corner. Plus, you've not promised anything. Try and be politically astute
at this time. Don't forget that your ultimate goal is to successfully complete your degree.
35. Probably the most disorganized defense I've attended is the one where the dissertation director
began the meeting by saying, "You've all read the dissertation. What questions do you have for the
student?" What a mess. Questions started to be asked that bounced the student around from one part of the
dissertation to another. There was no semblance of order and the meeting almost lost control due to its lack
of organization. At that time I vowed to protect my students from falling into such a trap by helping them
organize the defense as an educational presentation.
Here's what we do:
I ask the student to prepare a 20-25 minute presentation that reviews the entire study. This is done
through the help of a series of 10-12 large pieces of paper, wall charts, that have been posted
sequentially around the walls of the room. Each piece of paper contains key words regarding each
of the different aspects of the study. Some pieces of paper contain information about the study
setting, questions and methodology. Other pieces of paper present findings and finally there are
those pieces that present the conclusions and implications. By preparing these wall charts ahead of
time the student is able to relax during the presentation and use the pieces of paper as if they were a
road map toward the goal. No matter how nervous you are you can always let the wall charts guide
YOU through your presentation. Lettering is done with a dark marking pen and extra notes are
included in very small printing with a pencil (that no one can really see). We've also tried it with
overhead projected transparencies but it doesn't work as well. With the transparencies they're gone
from view after a few seconds. The wall charts stay up for everyone to see and to help focus
attention.
Following this structured presentation the committee begins to ask questions, but as can be expected the
questions follow along with the wall charts and the whole discussion proceeds in an orderly manner. If
guests are present at the defense, this form of presentation helps them also follow along and understand
exactly what was accomplished through the research.
36. Consider tape recording your defense. Using a small portable recorder, record your entire
presentation and also the questions and comments of the committee members. This helps in two
ways. First, the student has documentation to assist in making suggested changes and corrections in the
dissertation. The student can relax more and listen to what is being said by the committee members. The
tape recorder is taking notes! Second, the student has a permanent record of his/her presentation of the
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Dissertation/Thesis Guide
study. By keeping the paper charts and the tape together, they can be most useful for reviewing the
research in future years when a request is made for a presentation. (Bring out the tape and the pieces of
paper the night before your presentation and you can listen to you make the presentation. What a good way
to review.)
Well that about does it. By following the above suggestions and ideas I hope it will be possible for you to
finish your graduate degree program in a most timely and enjoyable manner. By looking ahead to the
different aspects of this final part of your graduate study it becomes clear that you can do a number of
things to insure your success. Good luck!
37. Oh, I almost forgot. There's one last thing. Get busy and prepare an article or paper that
shares the outcomes of your research. There will be no better time to do this than now. Directly
after your defense is when you know your study the best and you will be in the best position to put your
thinking on paper. If you put this writing task off it will probably never get done. Capitalize on all of the
investment you have made in your research and reap some additional benefit - start writing.
Thinking About Buying a Book?
I have spent time identifying a number of different books that are available to help in writing a
thesis/dissertation. The quality of the books, as can be expected, varies greatly. If you would like to
see a listing of the books I have identified and my reactions to them, please click here.
A Handful of Worthwhile Bookmarks -
If I only had time to visit a single website for help with my thesis I'd probably go directly to the
Thesis Handbook (http://www.tele.sunyit.edu/ThesisHandbook.html) maintained by the
Telecommunications Program at SUNY Institute of Technology. Especially helpful are the accompanying
Thesis Workbook and Frequently Asked Questions where you will find a wealth of clearly written and
helpful information. (Selecting a topic; Developing a search strategy for going after relevant literature:
Deciding which tense to use in your writing; etc.)
An extensive set of hints and ideas on how to improve your dissertation/thesis writing. How To
Write A Dissertation or Bedtime Reading For People Who Do Not Have Time To Sleep
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Dissertation/Thesis Guide
(http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertation.html) lays out suggestion after suggestion in
direct and non-confusing form. A great list to bring out after you've completed the first draft of your
writing, are rather tired of your topic, and you are not sure where to begin your fine tuning.
An excellent website with lots of highly specific information (especially if the focus of your work is
in a scientific or technical area) has been developed by Joe Wolfe at The University of New South
Wales (Australia). How to Write a PhD Thesis (http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/thesis.html)
provides a variety of very useful suggestions on how to get from the beginning to the end of your thesis
project - and survive the process!
Wouldn't it be great if there were a bunch of theses/dissertations available for reading right on the
web? Well, there are some resources you should be aware of that will let you see what the finished
product could look like. First, there is an Experimental Digital Library of M.I.T. Theses
(http://theses.mit.edu/) which includes electronically-submitted theses. Next, you can always purchase a
copy of most US dissertations/theses. These are available from UMI's website - UMI's Online
Dissertation Services (http://www.umi.com/hp/Products/Dissertations.html). The University of
Wisconsin has a site which lists Sites with Full Text Access to Dissertations
(http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/Memorial/elecdiss.htm#fulltext). You should also be aware of
the various Electronic Dissertation/Thesis (ETD) projects that are currently underway. A good access to
this area is via the library at the University of Virginia which has a page dealing with Electronic Theses
and Dissertations in the Humanities (http://etext.virginia.edu/ETD/).
Another website that's worth visiting is maintained by Computer Science & Electrical Engineering
at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and also the Computer Science Department at
Indiana University-Bloomington. How to Be a Good Graduate Student/Advisor
(http://www.cs.indiana.edu/how.2b/how.2b.html) "attempts to raise some issues that are important for
graduate students to be successful and to get as much out of the process as possible, and for advisors who
wish to help their students be successful."
Prof. John W. Chinneck at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada) has created a very practical and
well written webpage on the preparation of your thesis. How to Organize your Thesis
(http://www.sce.carleton.ca/faculty/chinneck/thesis.html) starts with a de***ion of what graduate
research/the graduate thesis is all about and then moves point-by-point through a "generic thesis skeleton".
If you are in need of some gentle prodding and a bit of humor to go along with it, check out the
Dead Thesis Society (http://is2.dal.ca/~dts/) - a support group for graduate students. Lots of well
organized information that is moderated by Frank Elgar, a graduate student in Psychology at Dalhousie
University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Not sure of all the administrative steps at your university that are required to successfully complete
a dissertation? Check out this well thought through PowerPoint presentation from Pepperdine
University's Dissertation Support Web Site
(http://moon.pepperdine.edu/gsep/as/dissertation/dissertation-process/index.htm). Everything seems
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Dissertation/Thesis Guide
to be included from a definition of exactly what is a dissertation all the way to when you can start using
the title of "Doctor."
Feeling a bit lonesome in the process of writing your thesis or dissertation? Take a minute to find
out who else has visited this website and read what others have said about this Guide
(http://www.anrecs.msu.edu/dissthes/results.htm) and their own situation. It might just be reassuring!!
And finally, when all else fails, you might want to see what other sites have included, on their
website, a link to this Thesis/Dissertation website. These other sites often have a variety of
additional resources to check out.
Your comments and suggestions for improving and extending this guide would be most welcome. Please
click on the box (below) to send feedback about this website. Thank you!
Joe Levine www.6park.com
menu
Postgraduate Student Resources
General Advice to Postgrads and Supervisors
How to Succeed in Postgraduate Study: A Guide for Students and Supervisors
A comprehensive guide written by Marie desJardins which makes good reading for anyone
contemplating postgraduate study or postgraduate supervision. Adapted to an Australian
context.
Gateway on Research Supervision
This gateway is a worldwide reference source on the practice of research degree
supervision. It links to websites offering information, advice and support useful for new
supervisors, experienced supervisors, policy makers and training personnel in all fields of
study.
Effective Writing
Elements of Style by William Strunk
An excellent and well established guide to writing style, including grammar and
punctuation. Immensely useful for those whose writing style has deteriorated through years
of reading the scientific literature.
Notes on Writing Papers and Theses
A guide to writing scientific papers and theses by Ken Lertzman. It is very comprehensive
and includes both elements of good writing style and structure of scientific reports.
Notes on Structuring a Scientific Paper
A more detailed text on writing a scientific paper, with a strong emphasis on structure --
what does and does not go into introductions, discussions etc.
Guide to Thesis Format
A detailed guide to formatting a thesis, specifically for students in Applied Ecology at the
University of Canberra. It is designed, among other things, to constrain students in
honours, masters and PhD from competing on matters of appearance rather than substance.
Research Theses -- An Examiner's Perpective
Text of a talk given to the University of Canberra Postgraduate on what examiners look for
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Applied Ecology
when marking a thesis.
Internet Technical Writing Course Guide
Analysis
Introductory Statistics for Ecologists
An introduction to de***ive statistics, two-sample comparisons and analysis of variance
using SAS for Windows. Self-evaluation is web-based.
Grantsmanship
Notes on Applying for a Grant
A blow by blow de***ion on how to maximize the probability of success in applying for
grants.
On the Art of Writing Proposals
Advice prepared by Adam Przeworski of New York University and Frank Salomon of the
University of Wisconsin.
Winning Research Grants
Advice prepared by Sylvia S. Bienvenu and Becky Patterson, University of Wisconsin.
Seminars and Conference Presentations
Notes on Presenting a 12 minute Talk
Advice for preparing a short talk at a professional conference, where time is strictly
limited.
Ethical Issues
Guidelines for Responsible Practice in Research
The University of Canberra's Policies on Scientific Ethics, modified from those provided
by the NH&MRC and the AVCC.
Guidelines on Ethics and the Conduct of Research in Protected and other
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Produced by the Australian Science, Technology and Engineering Council (ASTEC).
Uniform Requirements for Manu***s Submitted to Journals
Produced by the International Committee of Medical Journal editors, but of wider utility.
Guidelines for Use of Reptiles and Amphibians in Research
An ethical guide produced jointly by ASIH, the Herpetologists League and SSAR.
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Applied Ecology
Applied Ecology Research Group
University of Canberra, ACT 2601, AUSTRALIA
Telephone: + 61 2 6201 5786 Facsimile: +61 2 6201 5305
Email: director@aerg.canberra.edu.au
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41
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