Designed for PhD students who have completed their coursework and are working on their dissertation proposals.
The proposal process is often opaque, confusing, and sometimes contradictory. This workshop will help students navigate the process and prepare them to produce a proposal that will set the foundation for a successful dissertation.
Outcomes
Students will learn
How to move from broad topic to a researchable question
Software tools to assist with the dissertation writing process
How to review the literature and identify gaps
How to find and collect data
How to organize and present your dissertation proposal
Framework
Four Questions that Shape Research
The workshop organization is built around four essential research questions.
WHO
Who is the audience for your research?
Will it be undertaken and presented in a manner that is understandable to your audience?
WHY
What purpose does your inquiry serve?
Why should others care about your research? What difference will your inquiry and results make?
WHAT
What is your central hypothesis or proposition, or argument?
What knowledge claims do you expect your research to support? What questions do you hope to answer?
HOW
How do you expect to conduct your inquiry?
How will you organize your inquiry (research design)? What tools do you need to answer your major questions (methodology)?
Curriculum
Four-Week Program
Tools of the Trade
How to Organize your Dissertation Process
- Citation Management tools
- Obtaining IRB approval
- Writing tips and tricks
From Topic to Question
Literature Reviews and Creating a Researchable Question
- Creating a Literature Map
- Identifying Gaps in the Literature
- Learning how to synthesize rather than summarize
From Question to Study Design
Answering your Question
- Creating Conceptual Models
- Identifying Sources of Data
- Operationalizing Variables
Preparing the Proposal
- Elements of the Proposal
- Forming your committee
- Mastering your Elevator Pitch
About the Instructor
J. Rosie Tighe, PhD
J. Rosie Tighe, PhD has two decades' experience in academic research and writing. For the past several years, she taught research design to PhD students in urban studies and affiliated social science disciplines and served as the primary advisor to several students who are now professors.
Ready to get started?
Contact me to discuss scheduling options and pricing. Discounts offered to programs who enrol multiple students.
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