Jumpstart Your Thesis/Dissertation Conference 2023

Developing a Writing Process that Finishes Dissertations and Theses

Dr. Marcus Meade

Graduate Writing Specialist at UMKC

Why Does Process Matter?

• 15 to 20% of ABD students don't finish (Lovitts 2008)
• 35% of ABD students feel as if coursework did not prepare them for independent research (40 to 42% in the sciences) (Golde and Dore 2001)
• Process-related issues rank highly for L1 and L2 dissertation writers (Rogers, Sawaki, and Baker 2016)

The Writing Process

• Invention

  • planning
  • experimental design
  • secondary/tertiary research
  • outlining
  • pre-writing

• Drafting

  • literally putting words on the page

• Revision

  • reorganization
  • rewriting
  • editing
  • proofreading

Describe Your Process

Describe your writing process as you usually do it

• What does your process entail? What does it look like? How do you do it?
• Where does that process come from? How did it form? Under what conditions? Who/What influenced it?
• Who else is a part of the process?
• How do you feel during different stages of the process?

1. What commonalities exist in your process? What differences?

2. What commonalities exist in the origins of your processes? What differences?

Describe Your Ideal Writing Process

Describe your writing process as it would ideally be for a dissertation/thesis project

• What does it entail? What does it look like?
• Who would be a part of it? In what capacity? How frequently?
• How would you feel about different stages of it? What conditions would need to be in place for you to feel that way?

1. What commonalities exist in our ideal processes? What differences?
2. What obstacles exist to creating this ideal process?
3. How might you go about creating this ideal process?

Lessons We've Learned

Be Intentional

• Develop an explicit process for each phase
• Develop and discuss your process with your advisor/chair and any other support services (GWI, Writing Group, Writing Studio, Library)
• Keep track of how successful your process is
  • Are you meeting your goals?
  • Are you remaining healthy and happy?
• Conditions matter so think about where and when you write

Revise Your Process as Needed

• The process you start with does not need to be the process you end with
• Keep everyone updated if you have a new process

KNOW YOUR PROCESS

Tips

1. People typically think too much about drafting and not enough about invention and revision
2. Have an explicit discussion with readers/advisors/chairs about when, how, and what type of feedback you will receive. Collaborate about what feedback will be useful at different points of the process.
3. USE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU! Students who use the Graduate Writing Initiative, Library, and Writing Studio find it much easier to finish. Don't try to do it alone.
4. Keep track of how long it takes you to perform certain writing tasks (reading and annotating an article, writing 500 words, etc.). It will help you budget time.
5. Schedule not writing, too.

Works Cited

Golde, C. M., & Dore, T. M. (2001). At cross purposes: What the experiences of today's doctoral students reveal about doctoral education. Madison: Wisconsin Center for Education Research.

Lovitts, B. E. (2008). The transition to independent research: Who makes it, who doesn't, and why. The Journal of Higher Education, 79(3), 296-325.

Rogers, P. M., Zawacki, T. M. & Baker, S.E. (2016). Uncovering challenges and pedagogical complications in dissertation writing and supervisory practices: A multimethod study of doctoral students and advisors. In S. Simpson, N. A. Caplan, M. Cox, & T. Phillips, Supporting Graduate Student Writers: Research, Curriculum, & Program Design (pp. 52-77). U of Michigan Press.