Q. What is the difference between a prospectus, a proposal, and dissertation? 

A. The dissertation prospectus is a usually a brief document (20-30 pages) that provides preliminary information about your dissertation research. Depending on the university,thigs even further, some universities refer to first three chapters as the proposal. A dissertation consists of all five chapters and includes data results.  

 

Q. How current should my references be?

A. Most universities require 85-90% of all references to have been published within five years from the date you complete your degree.  For example, if you plan to complete your doctoral degree in 2017, 85-90% of your references should be dated between 2012 and 2017.  Keep this in mind as you conduct your research. Some universities require all references to meet this criterion, while others require 95% of all references be peer-reviewed. You would be wise to clarify this with your mentor or dissertation chair early in the process.

Q. What is the page number requirement for each chapter in a dissertation? 

A. This requirement varies among universities and programs, so be sure to check with your mentor or dissertation chair and read the doctoral manual from your program early in your process.  Generally, you can expect to have at least 100 pages and 100 references in your dissertation. It is always a good idea to check the library at your university take a look at several recent dissertations.  Although these dissertations can serve as a guide, your mentor or dissertation chair will always be your best resource.

Q. Are papers checked for plagiarism?

A. I do run a simple plagiarism scan using Grammarly, but the Turnitin software used by most universities is much more sophisticated and should be used by the client to catch any plagiarism.

Although some people have said that a Turnitin match of less than 10% is acceptable, this varies among institutions. It is essential that you cite all information that is not your own.  My philosophy is: “If in doubt, cite it.” Three words in a row are considered plagiarism.  Plagiarism includes charts, graphs, figures, and photographs.  Permission must be granted by the author for their use. Changing them slightly and trying to pass them off as your own is not acceptable.  When in doubt, simply leave them out of your dissertation.

 

Q: How are dissertation consulting clients charged?

A: Clients must select and pre-pay a block of consulting time in increments of hours. This time is primarily used for me to act as your guide, mentoring and supporting you as you earn your degree. My work is in addition to the work you do with your dissertation chairperson and committee.  I will assist you as you work with your committee, provide email andphonesupport 

when necessary, help you to develop your chapters, assist you with the development or expansion of your literature review, assist you with the development or expansion of your chapters. When clients use up all their pre-paid time, they are expected to purchase another block of time. I log the time I spend on each document and keep the clients informed of the time used and the balance remaining.

 

Q. Any helpful advice you can offer?

A. I believe that the main reasons that a candidate does not make it to completion of his or her doctorate are:

• Not following directions. Following all written directions (in the program manuals, given by the dissertation chair, etc.) is one way to set yourself up for success.

• Not staying committed. Being disorganized or not putting the required time commitment into your dissertation is another reason for non-completion. It is imperative that you make the dissertation your number one priority in order to get it finished. You should plan on setting aside at least 2 hours each day or 14 hours each weekend if you want to complete this degree. This should be sacred time and should take priority over everything else.

 

Other helpful hints:

• Learning APA formatting will also help you in your doctoral endeavor. In addition to the 6th edition APA Manual there are many online resources to answer your APA formatting questions.

• Find a way to save every resource that you use as well as comments made by dissertation committee members.