AMERICAN COUNSELING
ASSOCIATION
6101 Stevenson Avenue, Suite 600
Alexandria, VA 22304
www.counseling.org
Copyright © 2017 by the American Counseling Association. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.
American Counseling Association
6101 Stevenson Avenue, Suite 600 | Alexandria, VA 22304
Associate Publisher | Carolyn C. Baker
Digital and Print Development Editor | Nancy Driver
Senior Production Manager | Bonny E. Gaston
Production Coordinator | Karen Thompson
Copy Editor | Lindsey N. Phillips
Cover and text design by Bonny E. Gaston
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Flamez, Brandé, author. | Lenz, A. Stephen, author. | Balkin, Richard S., author.
Title: A counselor's guide to the dissertation process : where to start and how to finish / Brandé Flamez, Lamar University, A. Stephen Lenz, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Richard S. Balkin, University of Louisville, Robert L. Smith, Texas A&M University Corpus Christ.
Description: Alexandria, VA : American Counseling Association, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017003945 | ISBN 9781556203596 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Counseling psychology. | Dissertations, Academic–Authorship. | Research–Methodology.
Classification: LCC BF636 .F553 2017 | DDC 158.3071/1—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017003945
To my children, Evelyn and Braeden. Your laughs, snuggles, and our evening dance parties are some of the best things in life! Always remember I love you more than all the sand on the beach and the stars in the sky.
—Brandé
To Rachel and Hayes.
—Stephen
To Unk and Aunt Marilyn.
—Rick
To all of the professors who are mentoring doctoral students during the journey of completing a dissertation.
And to the many doctoral students who have completed, or are now completing this exciting journey!
—Robert
The journey to becoming a doctor of philosopy (PhD) is life changing. Although students spend countless hours working through the course work and acquiring knowledge along the way, up to 50% of doctoral students nationwide do not complete their dissertations and become “all but dissertation” (ABD). We have heard countless stories from colleagues who felt that they had not received proper support or guidance when it came time to write the dissertation. We have also found that many of our students often say, “I don't know where to start,” “I am not sure I can do this,” or “I just can't seem to sit down and write.” Our motivation to write A Counselor's Guide to the Dissertation Process: Where to Start and How to Finish stems from our personal passion to help students plan, write, and defend a dissertation. Our aim is to provide step-by-step guidance, make the journey to becoming a PhD smoother, and create an experience that is both rewarding and exciting.
When we formulated our vision for this book, we decided we wanted it to be a resource that spoke to our readers. Although there are several useful and comprehensive books that help guide doctoral students, we found that many books did not account for the holistic wellness of students during the writing process; report practices that are consistent with American Psychological Association (APA) standards for conceptual, qualitative, or quantitative works; and include strategies for preparing the completed dissertation for subsequent submission to peer-reviewed journals. Our text includes these components through a lens that is specifically for counselors, counselor educators, and related professionals. Our style of writing is personal and conversational with its straight talk, and we offer practical advice much like a coach talking to someone one-on-one. To enhance learning, we have provided quotations from previous students, a realm of examples specific to the counseling profession, chapter exercises, and a checklist at the end of each chapter, along with additional resources. Our main hope is that this book will help students complete their dissertations.
Graduate faculty working with student research may also find the content beneficial. Regardless of the topic or discipline, the steps for writing a dissertation are much the same. We aim to address the questions that students routinely ask. Our checklist will help students stay on track and not rush to the next dissertation chapter without including major components.
Chapters 1–3 of the book are dedicated to introducing readers to the doctoral program, providing tips for staying well throughout the dissertation process, selecting committee members, and narrowing down the dissertation topic. In Chapters 4–9 of the book, our focus shifts, and we take the reader through all the major components for the dissertation. In addition, these chapters include tables and activities for writing problem statements and research questions, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting results that align with APA guidelines. The book comes to an end by preparing students for their dissertation defense and discussing how they can disseminate their findings and remain active in the profession.
Writing a book is a remarkable journey. This book is a true collaborative effort, and it could not have been accomplished without the support, encouragement, and assistance of many individuals.
Thank you to our families who loved and encouraged us during this process. We appreciate you graciously supporting us during our intense writing sessions. We are thankful for our friends and children for the humor and love they provided throughout this process.
We would like to thank those at the American Counseling Association who helped turn our vision into reality, especially Carolyn Baker, the associate publisher of the American Counseling Association. Your patience, guidance, encouragement, and support are invaluable, and this book would not have been possible without your involvement.
A special thank you to all our students who have been our greatest teachers. The contributions to this text reflect the practices and processes developed in collaboration with you, and they would never have been possible had we not met you. We are deeply grateful for your experiences and allowing us to share in your journey toward completing your dissertations.
Finally, we would like to acknowledge all the students who aspire to finish their dissertations. Your decision to pursue a graduate degree in counseling, counselor education, or some related profession is a gift to the many people who will benefit from your commitment, energy, and professional activities. There will be times when this journey seems impossible, but you can do this. The best way to finish your dissertation is to begin. This is your year; let's get started!
Brandé Flamez, PhD, LPC, NCC, is a licensed professional counselor and clinical professor in the Department of Counseling and Special Populations at Lamar University. Dr. Flamez is also the CEO and founder of the nonprofit SALTworld (Serving and Learning Together), which provides donations and volunteer services to developing countries. Her clinical background includes working with children, adolescents, and families in community-based and private counseling settings. In addition, she helped design an outpatient program for court-referred adolescents. Dr. Flamez is active in the counseling profession. She has served on the American Counseling Association (ACA) Governing Council for the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC), ACA Finance Committee, and ACA Investment Committee, and she has chaired the ACA Publications Committee. She is also the past president of the Association for Humanistic Counselors (AHC) and currently serves as the president of IAMFC, cochairs the AHC Bylaws/Ethics Committee, and is the secretary for AHC.
Dr. Flamez is on the editorial board for The Family Journal. She has presented nationally and internationally and coauthored several book chapters and articles. Dr. Flamez is the coauthor of the assessment textbook Counseling Assessment and Evaluation: Fundamentals of Applied Practice and the coeditor for Diagnosing Children and Adolescents: A Guide for Mental Health Practitioners and the forthcoming book Practical Approaches to Clinical Supervision Across Settings. She is the recipient of numerous national awards, including ACA's 2012 Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Award for a Caring and Humanitarian Person, IAMFC's 2012 Distinguished Mentor Award, ACA's 2014 Kitty Cole Human Rights Award, ACA's 2015 Counselor Educator Advocacy Award, and ACA's 2017 Dr. Judy Lewis Counselors for Social Justice Award.
A. Stephen Lenz, PhD, LPC, is an associate professor and clinical mental health counseling program coordinator at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. His counseling background has been working with children, adolescents, and families in community-based, university, and private counseling settings. His research interests include community-based program evaluation, counseling outcome research, single-case research, instrument development, and holistic approaches to counseling, counselor education, and supervision.
Dr. Lenz is the past president of the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC). He is also an associate editor for research with the Journal of College Counseling, and he served as the editor for the special issue Single-Case Research Design for the Journal of Counseling & Development. He currently serves as an editorial board member for Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation and is a past editorial board member for the Journal of Professional Counseling and Journal for Creativity in Mental Health. Dr. Lenz has authored several peer-review publications and has served on dissertation committees for a number of counseling and counselor education students. He is a recipient of the AARC's 2013 Exemplary Practices Award and ACA's 2014 Best Practice Award for his program evaluation activities within community-based counseling settings.
Richard S. Balkin, PhD, LPC, is a professor and doctoral program coordinator in the Department of Counseling and Human Development at the University of Louisville and a fellow of the ACA. He is the editor for the Journal of Counseling & Development, ACA's flagship journal, and past president for the AARC. His primary research interests include counseling outcomes, research methods, counseling adolescents, and cultural differences in counseling. He is a past recipient of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision's 2011 Counseling Vision and Innovation Award and ACA's 2012 Best Practices Research Award.
Dr. Balkin has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles, books, and book chapters, with the majority being quantitative in nature. He is the author of The Theory and Practice of Assessment in Counseling, Counseling Research: A Practitioner-Scholar Approach, and Relationships in Counseling and the Counselor's Life, and has authored book chapters and articles on research methods.
Robert L. Smith, PhD, NCC, CFT, FPPR, is coordinator of the doctoral program in counselor education and supervision at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. He has chaired close to 100 doctoral dissertations at three universities. He is also the chair of the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. His scholarly record includes more than 100 refereed publications and eight textbooks.
Dr. Smith is an international leader who served as the 63rd president of ACA and past president of IAMFC and the National Career Development Association. He currently serves as executive director of IAMFC. For several years, he taught courses and supervised research in Venezuela and has presented internationally in Nicaragua, England, Ireland, Canada, Malesia, and Singapore. His research emphasis includes theory and practice of addictions counseling, achievement motivation measurement and training, predicting achievement, and an increasing interest in STEM studies. He lives on North Padre Island with his wife Susan and their rescues consisting of two dogs and four cats. They enjoy kayaking, jogging, and walking their four-legged family members.
Pursuing an advanced degree is a major life decision. You are embarking on a journey full of learning and growth. Now it is time for you to demonstrate your plan to write and defend an original research study by completing a dissertation. You may be asking yourself, “Why did I sign up for this?” “What have I gotten myself into?” and “Am I smart enough?” (And the answer is yes!) I bet if we went back and looked at how you got here, your friends and family would say you embody the following characteristics: commitment, perseverance, courage, stamina, and a positive attitude.
We begin this chapter by discussing what makes a dissertation so difficult. We discuss how a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in counselor education and supervision (CES) is unique because it provides you with the opportunity to effect positive social change. The remaining part of chapter focuses on getting comfortable with the dissertation process. We break down the major components of a dissertation into 11 steps and provide you with the overall structure of the dissertation. We also discuss the roles and responsibilities to which both you and your committee will be expected to adhere. At the end of the chapter, we invite you to complete exercises, explore previous graduate accomplishments, and formulate dissertation guidelines to help you successfully complete this journey. Every chapter of the book ends with a checklist. We hope that you will work through each checklist so you are prepared to tackle subsequent chapters of this journey.
You have probably heard stories by students just like you who have completed a PhD. Included within these stories are comments about the rigor of the process, demands to meet deadlines, and committee member personalities clashing. By design, a doctoral dissertation is challenging. Let's face it. You are trying to obtain the highest degree offered by a university and you may not have a reference point. After all, you have never been down this road before.
Completing a dissertation not only tests your intellectual ability but also brings out emotional and behavioral issues. We call the first challenge the intellectual challenge. Students often ask, “Am I smart enough to complete the dissertation?” Well, the answer is “YES!” You have already proven your intellectual ability by arriving at this point. It is important to keep in mind that completing a dissertation is not a measure of intelligence but perhaps is more about endurance. At some point, you may find that parts of the dissertation process are particularly challenging. You may have to devote more time, ask for help, do additional reading, and learn more about a complex methodology to accomplish your goal. During these times, realize that this is a process and you have the internal and external resources to succeed. We invite you to see times when you may be challenged, questioned, or critiqued as opportunities for growth of knowledge and skills, rather than a sign of inadequacy.
In addition to the intellectual challenge, there are also personal challenges that you may face. The most common emotion we see among doctoral students is anxiety. Many students see the dissertation as a gigantic project and struggle to see how to break down the dissertation into smaller and more manageable parts. If you have unclear goals, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and struggle to figure out where to start. We often see anxiety manifested through procrastination and writer's block.
Over the years, we have found that students experience writer's block, which is simply the inability to write despite one's desire and ability to do so. If you find that designated writing times are now filled with other activities (e.g., checking Facebook, cleaning, watching television) and you are not making deadlines, chances are you might be experiencing writer's block. We have found that students experience writer's block because of anxiety, fear, interpersonal problems, and institutional issues.
Students often ask us, “Should I write 15 minutes a day? In blocks of time?” The answer is do what works for you. Think about the places and times you are most productive in your writing and then establish a routine. What type of work space do you prefer? What is your writing time like? (What time of day? How long?) What methods do you use to begin your writing? Once you have reflected on what works for you and have established a routine, write regularly. Remember your writing does not have to be polished at this point. Just write and protect your writing time. Schedule your writing time in your planner just as you would a doctor's appointment or other important meetings. We also encourage you to meet with your dissertation chair and create a schedule of deadlines. Most important, remain positive and be your own best support system. We discuss this topic further in the upcoming chapters.
CES doctoral programs prepare you to work as a counselor educator, researcher, supervisor, and an advanced practitioner and clinician in academic and private practice settings. This doctoral program is designed to teach you how to evaluate theory and the practice of counseling through research and prepare you to be a leader and advocate for social change in the counseling profession. Most CES doctoral programs emphasize the five core areas of counseling, supervision, teaching, research and scholarship, and leadership and advocacy. In each of these core areas, you will gain fundamental knowledge that is required for you to graduate with a CES doctoral degree.
CES doctoral programs place a special emphasis on leadership and advocacy by focusing on social change theory and advocacy action planning, which is unique. Throughout the program, you can build your skills not only as a scholar-practitioner but also as a professional advocate who is capable of assuming leadership positions. The 2016 Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Standards (CACREP, 2015) highlight 12 competencies for leadership and advocacy under the heading of professional identity. Thus, many programs require that dissertations have implications for positive social change at the individual, community, or societal level. Some CACREP-accredited CES programs include social change as one of the key indicators in the proposal rubric. Students must satisfy the question, “Does your project have the potential to effect positive social change?” In Chapter 11, we discuss how you can positively influence social change by submitting your dissertation research findings to multiple outlets that are well suited to advocate for changes in social policy or practice.
In the following sections, we provide brief descriptions of the steps to follow to complete a dissertation. These steps can vary from university to university, so you will want to check with your dissertation chair and be familiar with the dissertation procedures set forth by the university. Chapters 3–11 highlight each step in greater detail.
Many students have shared that deciding on a topic was one of their biggest challenges. The process of selecting a topic will depend on your professional experiences; the research background of your dissertation chair and members; and your knowledge of the literature, including gaps in the literature. It is important that you consider if the topic is doable in the amount of time and with the budget you have available. Also, consider the following questions: “Does this topic have the potential to make an original and significant contribution to the current body of knowledge?” and “Can a study of this topic effect positive social change?” In Chapter 3, we discuss in detail how to narrow down your topic.
A prospectus is a brief document that provides your potential dissertation chair and members with preliminary information about your dissertation. Essentially, it is a plan for developing your dissertation proposal. A prospectus might include title page, problem statement, purpose statement, significance of the study, background information, theoretical framework that will guide the study, research questions, nature of the study (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods), sources of data, and references. Some universities may require you to submit the prospectus to faculty members before dissertation committee selection.
The selection of your committee is a process that involves assessing what you need and what you are looking for and then meeting with faculty members to learn their interests and expertise. Once you have selected your dissertation chair, you will select committee members. This is usually a joint decision between you and your chair. Also, some universities will appoint members to your committee. In Chapter 3, we walk you through the steps of selecting your dissertation chair and committee members.
Now that you have a committee in place, you will continue working on your dissertation proposal. The dissertation proposal will closely resemble the first chapter, or possibly the first three chapters, of your dissertation. You will submit several drafts in response to the feedback received from your committee. After you have incorporated all suggestions from your committee members and your chair and they agree that your proposal is satisfactory, you schedule a formal dissertation proposal meeting. During this meeting, you defend your proposal. It is important during this stage to find out if your dissertation chair would like you to write in future or past tense. Some universities require you to write in future tense and then go back and edit the chapters to past tense after the study is completed.
Your university's institutional review board (IRB) will determine if the benefits of your study outweigh the risks associated with your participants. Typically, you submit your IRB application after you have successfully defended your dissertation proposal. However, we encourage you to begin working on the IRB application while the faculty is reviewing the dissertation proposal. You will draft the IRB application and submit it to your chair before you submit it to the university's IRB.
After receiving IRB approval, you will conduct your study. In this phase, you will collect and analyze your data and report findings.
At this point, you most likely have completed the first three chapters, particularly if they were a requirement for your dissertation proposal. Now you must write the remaining two chapters. If you know writing is not a strong point, it is important for you to access university resources. Many universities have a writing center. You may also want to consider hiring an outside editor to review your dissertation. It is important to remember that your chair's role is not to serve as your editor.
After you have revised several drafts of your dissertation, your dissertation chair will let you know when you are ready to defend. During the oral defense, you will present your full dissertation. In Chapter 10, we discuss in detail what an oral defense is and how you can prepare before, during, and after.
After you successfully defend your dissertation, you will need to complete all the necessary paperwork to prepare for graduation. Chapter 10 provides a more detailed discussion of the additional paperwork requirements.
This is the step you have been waiting for. Now you can celebrate your accomplishments. In Chapter 10, we also discuss the importance of taking care of yourself after this long journey.
Now it's time to share your knowledge and research findings to effect social change. Chapter 11 provides various outlets of where you can disseminate your dissertation findings.
The structure of a dissertation can vary among academic programs. However, most counseling programs have similar formats with slight variations often based on the design of the study. Figure 1.1 illustrates the overall structure of a dissertation.
Figure 1.1 Dissertation Structure
The components of a dissertation include the following:
We discuss each major component in more detail in the following paragraphs.
The title page includes the dissertation title; author; previous degrees, including the university and year in which they were received; the degree requirements that the dissertation fulfills; and the graduation date (see Figure 1.2). The title should include key terms from your study and not exceed 15–20 words.
Figure 1.2 Example Title Page
The committee approval page includes the defense date and the original signatures from your committee members and the dean. This page indicates that you have met the university's standards for graduation and your dissertation has been approved.
The copyright appears on the page immediately following the title page. The copyright page should include your name and copyright date and is centered (left to right and top to bottom) in the middle of the page. The following is an example:
Copyright © 2016 by Evelyn McDevitt
Even though you technically own the copyright to your dissertation under copyright law, you can obtain greater protection by submitting a formal registration. Many CES programs require you to submit your doctoral study to ProQuest (see Chapter 10). ProQuest offers the option of applying for copyright. We encourage you to file the application for copyright because this will help protect your work and will document the completion of your dissertation.
The abstract is a concise summary of your dissertation and can include the research problem, significance, research questions, research design, results, recommendation for future research, and a statement on the implications of positive social change. In general, citations should be avoided in the abstract and the length should not exceed a page. Please check with the university and department for the specific requirements of what to include in the abstract.
The dedication section is usually optional. There are several types of dedications, and how this is written will depend on you and the persons to whom you are dedicating the work.
The acknowledgments page, which is also optional, gives credit to all the individuals and groups who assisted you in this journey. Typically, this includes your committee members, other faculty, colleagues, family, and friends (see Chapter 10).
Your table of contents is an outline of your dissertation and should be comprehensive in nature. The table of contents includes a title page, committee signature page, copyright, abstract, dedication (optional), acknowledgments (optional), list of tables and figures, Chapters 1–5 (the introduction, literature review, method, results, and discussion), references, and appendixes. You will want to include all headings and subheadings exactly as they appear in the text. Make sure to follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.; American Psychological Association [APA], 2010) guidelines for your chapter headings. For more information, see page 62 in the APA Publication Manual (APA, 2010). Figure 1.3 provides an example of how you would organize your table of contents based on the heading levels.
Figure 1.3 Example Table of Contents Based on the Heading Levels
You will be required to make a separate list of all the tables and figures you use throughout your dissertation. The list should include the number and full name of the table or figure that appears in the text. It is important to note that APA does not use the words chart, illustration, or graph. For more information on how to format tables and figures, see Chapter 5 in the APA Publication Manual (APA, 2010).
The introduction describes the topic of study and why this topic needs to be addressed. The introduction should draw the attention of the reader and, in many cases, describe the social implications of the study. This chapter should include background information summarizing the literature related to the scope of the study and identify the gap within the published research. You will also want to include why the study is needed (i.e., its relevance and potential implications). Background information is followed by a problem statement, purpose statement, significance of the study, research questions, theoretical perspective, methodology, basic definition of terms, assumptions, delimitations, limitations, and a summary. In the summary, you will also preview the next chapter for the reader. In Chapter 4 of A Counselor's Guide to the Dissertation Process, we review each of these components.
The literature review is an exhaustive, up-to-date summation of research that you have read and reviewed to understand the problem under investigation. This section can include 30–50 references, mostly from peer-reviewed journals. It is hard to estimate the length of this chapter because it may vary depending on the specific topic being investigated and the design of the study, but Chapter 2 typically ranges from 25 to 60 pages. The literature review includes a discussion of the study's theoretical and conceptual framework and key variables and concepts, and it might include a historical overview of the problem and current trends. You will describe how other researchers have approached this problem and justify your rationale for the selection of variables. You will review the strengths and weaknesses of the previous studies, provide a critique of any controversial methodological analytics, and describe what needs to be studied. Because you are presenting information drawn from other researchers, you will use citations extensively in this chapter. It is important to note that you will want to avoid the overuse of direct quotations. In Chapter 5 of this book, we discuss the literature review in detail.
Chapter 3 presents a detailed discussion of specific steps that were involved to conduct the study, including data collection. This section will vary depending on the design (i.e., whether it is a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods study). This chapter includes an introduction, description of the research design, sample, population, instrumentation, data collection procedures, data analysis, and limitations because of the design of the study, and summary. Chapter 7 of A Counselor's Guide to the Dissertation Process discusses the specific research methodologies and addresses ethical considerations of conducting research.
This chapter includes an introduction, data collection procedures, data analysis, and findings of the study. You provide readers with information regarding response rate and demographics. In Chapter 4, the emphasis is on the findings, which are reported in tables and figures. Chapter 9 of this book presents more detailed descriptions of this chapter of the dissertation.
This chapter includes a discussion, implications, limitations, suggestions for further research, and a conclusion. In this chapter, you provide a brief overview of the entire study. In the discussion section, you explain how your findings relate to the purpose of your study and to the findings of previous research on the topic. Under the implications section, you will describe the potential impact of positive social change. In the conclusion section, you provide your thoughts about the study, the findings, and the overall conclusions. Conclusions in this chapter differ from those in the fourth chapter of the dissertation because they are broader in scope and are drawn from the data analysis, previous research on the topic, and your own observations as a researcher.
The reference list contains information that supports the relevance of your study and what has been published regarding your topic. You want to identify significant authors and the major journals recognized in your field. You will also be expected to reference primary sources (original articles or books) and avoid popular press opinion articles. The reference list should only include the works cited in your dissertation. In the past, you may have been asked to prepare a bibliography, which cites works for further reading. However, in the dissertation, you will only include a reference list and not a bibliography. Chapters 6 and 7 (pp. 169–224) in the APA Publication Manual (APA, 2010) address how to cite various references. A completed dissertation usually contains 60 to 100 entries.
As you begin writing your dissertation, you may come across important material that is too lengthy to include within the text. An example could be the inclusion of the 2016 CACREP Standards (CACREP, 2015). Rather than placing this within the text, you would put this in the appendix. You will want to place items in the appendixes in the order in which they appear in the text. See pages 38–39 in the APA Publication Manual (APA, 2010) on how to format appendixes. Also, remember to obtain permission for anything included in the appendix.
Although not common, some universities require students to submit a curriculum vita (CV) at the end of their dissertations. The CV is formatted in a basic outline form such as a resume or full-sentence form. If you are required to submit a CV, be selective of the information you chose to include because most universities limit students to one or two pages.
Many students have asked us, “What is the difference between a doctoral student and a doctoral candidate?” The first 2 years of your program are devoted to completing required course work. During this stage, you are referred to as doctoral student or PhD student. Upon the successful completion of course work and comprehensive exams, the student becomes known as a doctoral candidate. At this stage, the student is ready to start the dissertation project and the majority of his or her time will be devoted to research and completing the dissertation. It is the doctoral candidate's responsibility to select a dissertation chair and, with the chair, identify committee members. It is also the doctoral candidate's responsibility to follow the timelines set forth by the committee and university, attend meetings with committee members, and submit all forms in proper sequence to the appropriate offices at the university.
You will work closely through all phases of your dissertation project with your dissertation chair, also known as the committee chair or dissertation adviser in some departments. You will meet regularly with your chair to determine when your dissertation proposal is ready for review. The chair is responsible for providing guidance and direction, monitoring and maintaining the academic standards of the university (e.g., content, research ethics), and overseeing the dissertation's contributions to the counseling profession. The chair will determine whether your proposal and dissertation are ready to advance to the next process and will monitor your progress from start to finish. The chair is also responsible for conducting the proposal and dissertation defense.
After you have selected your dissertation chair, you will work in collaboration with him or her to select your committee members. A committee usually consists of three to five members, including the dissertation chair. Individuals who hold a doctoral degree from accredited universities are often allowed to serve on a committee. However, some universities specify whether the committee member must be part of the department, outside of the department but still within the university, or an external (nonuniversity) member. Some universities require only three committee members, and the third member is assigned to the student. Thus, it is important to find out the process at your university. Regardless of the process, we recommend that you search for members with a range of expertise. For example, you will want members who are knowledgeable about the content of your topic and the methodology you plan to use. A committee member works in collaboration with the chair to advise the doctoral candidate based on his or her expertise (e.g., content, methodology). Committee members are also responsible for evaluating the student's proposal, final dissertation, and oral defense. In Chapter 3 of this book, we discuss the roles of committee members and the selection process in more detail.
All students who conduct research studies that involve interviewing, testing, treating, surveying, or manipulating human participants or gathering archival data on human participants are required to have approval from the university's IRB before conducting any research. The IRB's responsibility is to review the student's application and make sure that the proposed research study complies with ethical standards. The IRB evaluates that the proposed data collection minimizes or eliminates risks to the participant. Chapter 7 of this book includes a more thorough discussion of the role of the IRB and ethics in research.
Complete the graduate school accomplishments and disappointments activity. Create a list of dissertation guidelines and print them out. Become familiar with the dissertation process at your university. Gather any forms or guides your university may have that describe the dissertation process. Complete the following exercises:Step 1: Think of your accomplishments in graduate school. Now think of the immediate feelings that accompanied the accomplishments and what sort of self-talk those feelings provoked. Take a moment to list at least three accomplishments and the feelings associated with each in the space provided.
| Graduate School Accomplishments | Feeling Associated With Each Accomplishment |
| 1. _____________________________ | _____________________________ |
| 2. _____________________________ | _____________________________ |
| 3. _____________________________ | _____________________________ |
Step 2: Now reflect on any disappointments you have encountered in graduate school. List at least three disappointments and the feelings associated with each in the space provided.
| Graduate School Disappointments | Feeling Associated With Each Disappointment |
| 1. _____________________________ | _____________________________ |
| 2. _____________________________ | _____________________________ |
| 3. _____________________________ | _____________________________ |
Step 3: Look at the feelings you listed under accomplishments and disappointments and compare the two columns. Under accomplishments, you may have listed feelings such as excited, proud, and happy. Under disappointments, you may have listed feelings such as frustrated, unhappy, and embarrassed. The lesson is that when people succeed, they are more optimistic about their competence and have a mind-set that is open to change, whereas when they are disappointed and believe that they have “failed,” they are defensive and less open to change.
Step 4: Now that you have reflected on your accomplishments, discover how you can continue to be successful. For each accomplishment, answer the following questions:
Accomplishment 1:
Accomplishment 2:
Accomplishment 3:
Step 5: Now list your disappointments and answer the following questions:
Disappointment 1:
Disappointment 2:
Disappointment 3:
After completing this stage of the exercise, we hope that you realize that you have the resources, strengths, knowledge, and potential to resolve your own problems. By focusing on the problems, we often lose sight of the strengths and resources that we possess. It is important to remember your strengths and how you can put them to work in solving any future problems that may arise during the dissertation process. Before you embark on your dissertation, let's create some dissertation guidelines.
Step 6: Think of five guidelines that would help improve the process of your dissertation journey. Examples might include “I will take care of myself during the dissertation process” and “I will embrace challenges that come my way.” We encourage you to print out these guidelines and put them in a place where you can see them daily.