Six Steps to Research.....

This is a really great resource as you begin doing your research.  It is only a little more than 4-minutes long, but gets right to the point.  I really like the example of baseball as the research topic.  Great topic, but far too big.  If your research is going to be about baseball, research is all about asking the question to yourself, "What specifically about baseball do I want to know?"  This starts focusing your thoughts on what you need to explore.  Remember, research can be nebulous, and daunting, but the more focused you can make it the better you will be - and the more it will make sense.  Take a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuul8hBip8

Step 1           Explore
Step 2           Identify
Step 3           Gather
Step 4           Create
Step 5           Share
Step 6           Reflect

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Dr. B

Your topic and you.....your new best friend!

Its the big "R"! The research component of the dissertation is fascinating, isn't it? What is research? Why do it? Why is it relevant?

I think the majority of new doctoral students (I was once one too) do not understand the concept of research and its impact on a dissertation. Well, my friends, I am here to tell you that research is key to dissertation completion. Without good research skills you are dead in the water. Dissertations are built on research. Get searching! Get on the net - get to the library - get reading.

Put yourself in the mindset that your potential dissertation topic has, most likely, been covered 300-times over. What about Special Education floats your boat? What about Inclusion does it for you? Everyone wants to write about these topics, and much is already out there, but what about it hasn't been touched yet? The trick in research is choosing a topic (in a broad sense) and then finding the most current research to help narrow things down to a very specific focus and direction. Research is supposed to guide you in your journey - help you deduce what has been done and where there are gaps. The gaps are what you want to identify - this makes your case for topic relevance, and packs a pretty hard punch selling your topic to your dissertation chair.

Let's face it - education is all about research, data, currency, relevance and trends. Be a trend setter, not a trend follower. Set the bar high, and do your research to determine if your topic has merit, or if your book will be another something that sits on a library shelf. The old joke with dissertations is that you can place a $20.00 bill in your bound dissertation on the library bookshelf and then go back in ten years to get it back. I was thrilled the first time someone contacted me to use my interview protocol for their research. Obviously they would have found my $20.00, but it certainly felt great to be recognized in someone's doctoral research.

Pitfall of research - how do you discern what is quality information and what is garbage?
Stay tuned!

Writing.....and more writing!

Do you love to write? If your answer is "no", my kind advice would be for you to learn to love it! And quick!

Writing is an art, and writing a dissertation is a state of mind. The dissertation is the pinnacle of the academic experience. Only a few have been able to complete one. It takes energy, drive, motivation, persistence, a good attitude, and sound writing. It isn't easy. If it were, everyone would have a doctorate.

You'll need energy for those all-nighters when you are bargaining with your eyelids to stay open. You'll need the drive, motivation and persistence to keep you moving forward - a couple of pages a day at least. The good attitude keeps your eye on the final prize, and, of course, the sound writing limits the "red ink revisions".

Keep at it!