Today's objective was to get back on track with my literature review. The proposal, for those of you reading that don't speak PhD-ese (hi Mom!), is the first portion of the dissertation comprised of my introduction, a review of the extant literature on the relevant concepts and theories I will use to frame my study, and finally, the methods section that details how I will collect my data. The topic of my dissertation is based on these main "burning questions:" How are characters developed on Survivor? How are the characters represented and subsequently perceived?
Perhaps in a later post, I'll address all the nuances implied in these questions, but here, I'm excited to share a theoretical breakthrough I had today using the techniques from my favorite new book!
My lit review will be the longest portion of the proposal and therefore it's the most daunting (although I'm certain when it comes to writing the methods THAT will be the most daunting!). Thankfully, chapter 5 of my wonderful new book is helping a lot! One of the strategies that Foss & Waters offer is going through all of my texts and typing up relevant excerpts that will help me to explain my concepts. I have a feeling I'll be pulling excerpts for the next couple of days, all of which will hopefully be as productive as today. I found a great passage which helped to solidify the theoretical background of my work - basically I found someone to say what I have been clumsily trying to parse together for the last two months. This is a very good thing!
So, thanks to Kavka's (2008) work on reality television and her insight on representation has solidified my research questions. This is really great and truly a breakthrough! I plan on weaving her work into most of my literature review, both chapters, since it touches on many of my concepts.
While today didn't produce the amount of hours I was aiming for, it was productive and a very good day! I got some grading done, I had a great lunch with some fellow 3rd year ABD's and sat through some great presentations by my TV research students.
Today: 3 hours
Tomorrow: 9 hours - it might be a library day!
(No meetings tomorrow, no class... just dissertating!)
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
She beat me to it!
Story of the day:
I sent my program director an email alerting her of my great new find. I told her that Destination Dissertation might be a helpful book for her future advisees and since she's one of my committee members, I wanted to tell her about my new plan of attack. I received an email back from her this morning that said simply "check your mailbox." I went downstairs to the mailroom, checked my box and there was the book! Actually, there were 5 others too, all placed in the mailboxes of my 3rd year colleagues; Dr. Liebler had made it a tradition to give the book to the 3rd year doctoral students. I promptly returned my copy to Amazon.com, clearly the one inscribed by a mentor was more meaningful.
The book inspired me, clearly, but now that I know it has the Dr. Liebler seal of approval!
I sent my program director an email alerting her of my great new find. I told her that Destination Dissertation might be a helpful book for her future advisees and since she's one of my committee members, I wanted to tell her about my new plan of attack. I received an email back from her this morning that said simply "check your mailbox." I went downstairs to the mailroom, checked my box and there was the book! Actually, there were 5 others too, all placed in the mailboxes of my 3rd year colleagues; Dr. Liebler had made it a tradition to give the book to the 3rd year doctoral students. I promptly returned my copy to Amazon.com, clearly the one inscribed by a mentor was more meaningful.
The book inspired me, clearly, but now that I know it has the Dr. Liebler seal of approval!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Renewed sense of dissertating
Today is the first day on my path towards a "Done Dissertation." I bought the book Destination Dissertation: A Traveler's Guide to a Done Dissertation, by Drs. Sonja Foss and William Waters. Let's just say it has really lit a fire under my you-know-what (figure no cursing in the first post - we'll see how long my sailor-mouth can hold out!). I find I'm invigorated and energized with a renewed sense of dissertating. And, yes, that is actually a word. I'm feeling good again about the process and most important, I feel like I can do it!
Poor Greg, he's been on my roller coaster of ups and downs regarding my dissertation. He's comforted me in the darkest of dissertation hours and applauded every mini-success I've had in my academic career so far. He's truly the best cheerleader a doctoral student could have. Yet, despite his sage-like advice, patience, and compassion, I still find myself staring at the blank screen or thinking - just a few more minutes on Facebook and then I'll REALLY get started.
So, after a casual recommendation by my advisor, which was really more of a suggestion because of his interest in travel guides, I bought the aforementioned book - I'm so glad I did!
If you don't know me, which is doubtful if you're reading this, then you might think that this is a silly endeavor. "Why don't you just do your work and just get it done?" Well, that is what one might say/think, but the truth of the dissertation is this: it is a lonely experience. It makes you feel things that you never thought you'd feel, and experience frustration in a whole new way. This blog is hopefully a productive answer to these feelings. I doubt that others will track my progress, but knowing that this is out there for people to read helps me feel accountable.
As p. 348 instructs me - have someone else keep you accountable for the time you spend on your dissertation. Therefore, at the end of each entry (which blogging will NOT count for dissertating, since, as Foss & Waters say, I can only account for things that move me forward in my dissertation) I will log the hours I spent that day as well as my goal for the next day. One little tip that I'm going to try is using mini post-its that have the number of hours I want to work in a day and take them down one by one so I can keep track of how many hours I have left. A silly little thing to do, but it's this inane nonsense that gives me a little boost, so we'll see how it goes. Plus, the authors assure me that once I get into my habit of regular writing that I won't need this little reminder. It's a habit only a list maker could love!
Also, a brief shout-out to my Dad who, indirectly, helped me come up with the title of my blog: How's your dissertation? Because, well, he loves to ask and I love to give him my pathetic stare as if to say "why on earth would you ask me that?!" Here, now, is the answer: it's coming along and I invite you all (yeah, Mom!) to join me for the ride. Think of this as a Bridget Jones Diary for the ABD
Today: 1 hour (ugh! pathetic!)
Tomorrow: 6 hours (perhaps a bit ambitious, but let's hope for the best!)
I teach my penultimate class, have FPP (Future Professoriate Program) and a lunch date with some fellow ABD 3rd years.
Poor Greg, he's been on my roller coaster of ups and downs regarding my dissertation. He's comforted me in the darkest of dissertation hours and applauded every mini-success I've had in my academic career so far. He's truly the best cheerleader a doctoral student could have. Yet, despite his sage-like advice, patience, and compassion, I still find myself staring at the blank screen or thinking - just a few more minutes on Facebook and then I'll REALLY get started.
So, after a casual recommendation by my advisor, which was really more of a suggestion because of his interest in travel guides, I bought the aforementioned book - I'm so glad I did!
If you don't know me, which is doubtful if you're reading this, then you might think that this is a silly endeavor. "Why don't you just do your work and just get it done?" Well, that is what one might say/think, but the truth of the dissertation is this: it is a lonely experience. It makes you feel things that you never thought you'd feel, and experience frustration in a whole new way. This blog is hopefully a productive answer to these feelings. I doubt that others will track my progress, but knowing that this is out there for people to read helps me feel accountable.
As p. 348 instructs me - have someone else keep you accountable for the time you spend on your dissertation. Therefore, at the end of each entry (which blogging will NOT count for dissertating, since, as Foss & Waters say, I can only account for things that move me forward in my dissertation) I will log the hours I spent that day as well as my goal for the next day. One little tip that I'm going to try is using mini post-its that have the number of hours I want to work in a day and take them down one by one so I can keep track of how many hours I have left. A silly little thing to do, but it's this inane nonsense that gives me a little boost, so we'll see how it goes. Plus, the authors assure me that once I get into my habit of regular writing that I won't need this little reminder. It's a habit only a list maker could love!
Also, a brief shout-out to my Dad who, indirectly, helped me come up with the title of my blog: How's your dissertation? Because, well, he loves to ask and I love to give him my pathetic stare as if to say "why on earth would you ask me that?!" Here, now, is the answer: it's coming along and I invite you all (yeah, Mom!) to join me for the ride. Think of this as a Bridget Jones Diary for the ABD
Today: 1 hour (ugh! pathetic!)
Tomorrow: 6 hours (perhaps a bit ambitious, but let's hope for the best!)
I teach my penultimate class, have FPP (Future Professoriate Program) and a lunch date with some fellow ABD 3rd years.
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