Hi everyone. I came across this post today and wanted to share it here. I know there hasn't been much structure in this group, but would like to find a way to really make it a resource for those of us working on disertation. If you have ideas, please share.
Meanwhile check out this article--thought it had some great ideas & reminders:
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These are great suggestions...to them I would add: Find a few places to your work that have the right feel to them for you personally. Leave home most mornings and go to one of them as your office for the day. Stop at a coffee shop on the way if that is one way to treat yourself, but, stay in your office for the day. For me, I think that I must have tried working in most of the libraries in the state of Connecticut before settling in to two that had very different feels , so I had some choice each day about which one was right for the day. Commit to working on your project at least 2 hours each day during the work week. Sit in front of your computer for those 2 hours, or with your research , and even if no inspiration seems present when you sit down, just sit and try writing what one of my professional writer friends calls his "Barf Draft" ....seems self explanatory. For me, when I would get stuck on how to proceed, I would begin a letter to one of my dearest friends, a letter explaining what I was thinking and doing. that letter inevitably opened the path for me to begin to order my thoughts for the day, and would inevitably devolve into the earliest drafts of each chapter or section. Lastly, remember to welcome the process and the changes that are going on in you during this process. One can't write a dissertation in this field without being changed in significant ways...embrace it and enjoy the ride! And of course, good luck!