Dissertation Resources
Whether you’re just getting started on your dissertation or are close to completion, Stanford offers a variety of resources to support you along the way.
Synchronous Resources
Academic coaching - center for teaching and learning.
For most graduate students, the dissertation is the most extensive writing project they have ever encountered, and in addition, it has unique demands that make it different from other genres of writing. As a result, it may require adapting some of the approaches you’ve used in the past when it comes to planning, managing your time, staying motivated, and navigating other aspects of academic life. Academic Coaches can meet with you (in-person or online) to develop strategies and plans to support your dissertation goals. Some potential coaching topics include:
- Identifying subtasks within the larger project and developing a timeline for completion
- Managing roadblocks and recalibrating your plan
- Creating a sustainable writing routine
- Communicating effectively with your advisor and dissertation committee
- Tracking progress and maintaining motivation
Writing and Speaking Consultations - Hume Center
Graduate students can schedule individual consultations with a Hume tutor and can choose to meet with a Lecturer or a peer Graduate Writing Tutor (in-person or online). Consultation topics may include:
- Brainstorming ideas
- Outlining and planning
- Developing an effective literature review
- Revision strategies
- Organizational strategies
Dissertation Support Group - Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
The Dissertation Support Group is a six-session online group which provides space to vent, meet other people like you, share goals and perspectives on navigating common themes (isolation, motivation, relationships), and learn some helpful coping skills to manage the stress of dissertation writing. This is a supportive graduate student space with the expertise of a Graduate Life Office Dean and a CAPS therapist co-facilitating and sharing skills, resources, and support specific to your situation.
Dissertation Boot Camp - Hume Center
The Dissertation Boot Camp is a free program that provides structure and motivation for graduate students who are wanting to make significant progress on their dissertation or other writing project. Dissertation Boot Camps are offered throughout the academic year and the summer. Interested graduate students can register to attend an in-person bootcamp at the Hume Center or an online bootcamp.
Asynchronous Resources
Starting an effective academic writing group - hume center.
This guide from the Hume Center provides strategies and structures that can be used to start and maintain a writing group. Writing groups can be a great way to integrate structure and accountability throughout the dissertation writing process. Dissertation writers often find it helpful to meet regularly with other graduate students who are also at this stage for the purpose of providing feedback, co-working, and/or setting and monitoring writing goals.
Dissertation Success Curriculum - National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity
Graduate students can access Stanford’s institutional membership to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD), which provides webinars, newsletters, and other resources related to topics such as writing productivity and time management. To access NCFDD’s Dissertation Success Curriculum, first follow the instructions using the link above to activate your Stanford-sponsored membership. Once you have created an account, navigate to the “Resources” section on the homepage, then select “Dissertation Success.” The curriculum includes 12 training modules covering topics such as creating a dissertation plan, understanding writing resistance, and overcoming academic perfectionism. Participants can also join a moderated discussion forum for peer mentoring and tracking writing progress.
Books on Graduate Writing - Stanford Libraries
A number of books related to writing in graduate school and completing a dissertation are available through the Stanford Libraries. A few examples are listed below:
- Demystifying Dissertation Writing: A Streamlined Process from Choice of Topic to Final Text by Peg Boyle Single
- How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing by Paul Silvia
- The Productive Graduate Student Writer: How to Manage Your Time, Processes, and Energy to Write Your Research Proposal, Thesis, and Dissertation and Get Published by Jan Allen
- Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and Finishing your Doctoral Thesis by Joan Bolker
- Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success by Wendy Belcher
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