"The idea paper that you send to the professor should
be thought of as a job interview. Present yourself in the best possible light.
If you are uncertain of what goes into an idea paper, study the dissertation
guide and consult the Help with Idea Papers available through the slide
presentations link on my home page ~abramson. Check your spelling and sentence
structure. Make certain your supporting references are current and are
reliable sources. Show that you take pride in your work.
Upon reviewing the submitted idea paper, the professor may
1. Agree to work with you and file the paper as is [highly
unlikely].
2. Agree to pursue the idea further and require
modifications.
3. Explain that this idea is not worth pursuing but agree to
read another idea from you.
4. Respond with an unwillingness to pursue a relationship
any longer.
Options 2 and 3 are the most frequently occurring ones.
Prepare your work carefully and send to a professor with
whom you have established a good working relationship. Remember that you may
work with only one professor at a time. Acknowledge receipt of feedback. If
you decide to move on, have the courtesy to let the professor know.
Probably the most difficult part of the dissertation is
problem definition. This is where you must begin. You may have a topic. You
may have an idea. If you cannot articulate a problem, you have nothing on
which to build.
What are the
characteristics of a dissertation problem?
1. It must be real.
2. It must exist
somewhere (and probably in many places).
3. It must be of
sufficient magnitude to drive a dissertation.
4. It must be
relevant to the program of study.
5. It must be
solvable to some extent in reasonable time.
Non-Dissertation Examples
1. Eradicating adult illiteracy on the continent of Africa.
2. Identifying the causes of computer phobia.
3. Constructing a software tutorial.
4. Designing an instructional process that cannot be measured.
5. Building an airplane from computer-based instructions.
6. Situating a public school inside a public library.
7. Finding exemplary web sites within a specified subject or area
of interest.
8. Comparing sections of a course administered in different
environments.
Sometimes the problem is very real - like adult illiteracy - but
it cannot be solved with a dissertation.
Sometimes the problem is a dream - like putting children into a
highly literate environment like a library - but a plan is not a dissertation.
Sometimes the problem is old - like the question of whether
web-based learning can embody the quality of campus based learning. Most often,
however, the student does not define a problem at all. It is amazing how many
paper cross my desk that propose solutions to problems that have not been
articulated.
Ask yourself: What is the problem? Then ask yourself: So what?
Who cares? If you cannot answer all three questions, what you have is not a
dissertation problem."
The Dissertation is the most important component
of the doctoral process. Completing the required courses is simply preparation
for writing the dissertation. It is never to early to begin the process and the
