What to do with all the various notes, ideas, literature, and data to ensure the your dissertation and thesis doesn't suffer because you forgot something?

1. Organization for
Dissertations and Theses
We’ll start in just a moment.
www.doctoralnet.com

2. Goal in all doctoral work: Internal consistency

3. Let’s tell our stories
• How do you do it?
What works?
• What doesn’t
work?
• When do things
get confusing?

4. Where do you keep
your ideas?
• Consistency helps
• On the cloud
whenever possible
- Dropbox

5. EndNote or other
bibliographic
software
Use the lower fields
consistently so you
can search and find
ideas later
•Use groups to sort
into themes
•

6. Mind Maps
• But go one better
and note where you
have the ideas- add
reference #s etc.
http://andres.phdstudents.se/?p=177

7. Microsoft Word
WHAT TO DO WHEN WRITING

8. Step 1: Locate All
Your “Stuff”
Challenged by:
•Pdfs everywhere
•Previous writing – has some good
stuff in it

9. Step 2: Layout your
Headings & as many
Sub-Headings as
possible
All on Document
Map or Navigation
pane
Remember some of the sub
headings come from the structure
of the document (those you have)
but others come from the things in
your files
Those develop with step 4

10. Raise your hand if you would like to
take a short time to practice this last
step together during the conference.

11. Step 3: Build Files
for each Heading
and File all Your
Docs in Them
Challenges:
1. Documents too big or complex
may have to be broken down
by cut and paste into several
sub areas and then filed
2. Some docs belong in a couple
of places – don’t worry for now
just place them there.

12. Step 4: Open a file –
open all the docs in it
and proceed to read
1.
2.
3.
Cut and paste the good parts where they belong
Comments for yourself added to the edges
notating where you need to add, change voice etc.
Don’t worry at this point about plagiarism – just
notate what is not yours and will have to be
rewritten

13. Step 5: Making it work together
Highlight everything and change font
1. Get your headings right in the document map – then make Word make your TOC
ONLY AFTER ALL THIS IS DONE….
Begin to read and write it all out in your voice
Read your models – write a section
Read a different model – write that section
Use comments to keep track of things you want to remember later

14. Goal in all doctoral work: Internal consistency

15. Q&A
1.Has it been
helpful?
2.What else do
you still
wonder
about?

16. Upcoming
News/Events
1. Full Toolbox for Doc Students who want to “Stay on Track” … posted
on control panel as you sign in – get it now as it changes the first
week in March
2. Taking names of interested parties for possible writing group with
professorial help starting in March – cost $40 month if we get 5 or
more signed up.