Thesis Support

Just wanted to try to get things moving on dissertation ideas, problems, solutions, whatever.
There are 5 members here. How many are actively pursuing dissertations now. How far along are you? What can you share?

Bob

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Amanda Wilson on October 14, 2010 at 3:54pm

Well, my thesis is not a requirement of my degree, it's an option. I wouldn't have chosen to do it just be doing something for a grade. It's funny because this is exactly what I'm talking about in my paper. Assessments (and a thesis is an assessment) should never be one more thing to get done just for the sake of doing it. If it doesn't matter, there's no point in pursuing it. I'm sorry that we seem to not agree on this very basic educational value. I'll seek elsewhere for thesis support. I hope your students don't lose their motivation to follow their interests from this advice. Take care.

Permalink Reply by Bob Zenhausern on October 15, 2010 at 6:43am

Amanda,

It is easy to say you would do a difficult dissertation if it is not a requirement, but an option.
I taught in a doctoral program in Psychology where most of the students were not interested in research, but in clinical practice. They could not get their degree and practice their profession unless they completed the dissertation. They had no choice. The most common degree was the ABD, all but dissertation.

I directed about 100 MA and Ph.D. dissertations all of them scientifically valid and many published. Many students came to me with ideas that involved complex testing or rare populations and I discouraged these. This may be the area of most interest, but there are many important questions that can be completed within the 7 years the degree must be completed.

Save the more interesting areas for after the degree.