Here I am Sunday afternoon, sipping on my third cup of coffee looking at a blank page. I have all the articles read, highlighted, and analyzed, but I do not know what to do next. Am I suffering form a writer’s block or am I confused of what I should do next? Even the fine tunes of Pandora can’t help me focus. I find myself distracted, discouraged and isolated. I ask myself: “What do I do with all this information? What is a literature review and how can I write one? Where do I start and how should I write my proposal?” My fears are beginning to solidify, as I am staring at this blank page, realizing that my proposal is due at the end of the semester.
We have all been there or we will at some point hit that wall, so what do we do and how can we overcome these barriers?
Here are some important steps:
- Set up a time with a librarian to help you navigate through the different databases and learn the tools that can help you find the articles you need.
- Spend some time thinking about your topic and what the research says.
- Define the problem that you want to solve.
- Create and outline that will help you navigate through all the information you are collecting.
- Summarize your articles and create a reference page where you can add references as you find new articles.
- Work on defining your Statement Problem by looking at what has been studied and identifying the missing links.
- Find a support group that will help discuss your dissertation and give you insight on your topic.
These are some small steps that can help you align your thoughts as you enter the writing process.
As I am writing my proposal and literature review, I see how this can impact our lives. In the past few months, I have been more isolated, loosing some friends along the way because I can’t commit to long weekend trips, weddings, and dinners...That is normal! As we move forward in our program, we will have to make difficult decisions and we might loose friends, miss engagements, and spend our holiday season in front of a computer. We need to find support groups and develop discussion sessions to help each other through this process. We chose this field and we are determined to succeed, so it is up to us to look at our path and help each other along the way.
The Business Psychology Society of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology is hosting the first Dissertation Discussion Group on Monday, September 27th, 2010 from 5pm-6pm in the Merchandise Mart room 1313.
This is open to anyone in the Business Psychology Doctoral Program. The format will be open forum and we will share resources, tools, coping strategies, and insightful information about the process.
I hope to see you and I look forward to hearing your insight.
Kortney Peagram
