Overcoming Procrastination and Writer's Block with Rachna Jain, Psyc.D.

Procrastination and writer’s block can be major impediments to the completion of dissertations. This workshop will discuss reasons why people procrastinate, the two main types of procrastination, strategies for overcoming each type, and braking out of the cycle of perfectionism. It will also discuss reasons for writer’s block, and solutions for breaking through writer’s block. In short, this workshop will help you overcome procrastination and to break though writer’s block.

• Materials: Modified Lecture Notes
  • Methods To Overcome Procrastination (Adobe PDF)
  • Strategies for Overcoming Writers Block (Adobe PDF)

Preparing A Dissertation Proposal with Christine Feak

One of the goals in writing a dissertation proposal is to demonstrate that you have a viable dissertation topic and a plan for accomplishing your stated goals. This workshop will cover the essential parts of a well-constructed proposal as well as address some issues of language and organization for the different sections.

• Materials: The facilitator declined to post workshop materials online. If you would like a copy of the handout, please stop by the Office of Graduate Recruitment, Retention and Diversity at 2122 Lee Building on Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm or send your on/off-campus address to retention@gradschool.umd.edu.

Strategies for Building An Argument with Shirley Logan, Ph.D. and Leigh Ryan, Ph.D.

This interactive workshop will explore an approach to developing and supporting arguments across academic disciplines by applying Stephen Toulmin's model of claim, data, and warrant to participants' current research interests.

• Materials: The facilitator declined to post workshop materials online. If you would like a copy of the handout, please stop by the Office of Graduate Recruitment, Retention and Diversity at 2122 Lee Building on Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm or send your on/off-campus address to retention@gradschool.umd.edu.

Strategies for An Effective and Comprehensive Literature Review with Christine Feak

Writing a review of the relevant literature is a key component of many kinds of research texts. Although the role and purpose of the literature review may vary somewhat depending on whether it forms part of a research article, dissertation proposal, research grant application, or the dissertation itself, it always remains a complicated task. Its complexity derives from an interlocking need to find and assess reading resources, make connections among them, relate them to your research topic, and provide a coherent written accounting. In this interactive workshop, the presenter will demonstrate a number of strategies that model a viable approach to the complex literature review task including critical text analysis, citation analysis, and rhetorical choice analysis. Although the literature review can be a daunting task, there is a silver lining; students typically emerge from the process as experts in their chosen fields of specialization.

• Materials: The facilitator declined to post workshop materials online. If you would like a copy of the handout, please stop by the Office of Graduate Recruitment, Retention and Diversity at 2122 Lee Building on Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm or send your on/off-campus address to retention@gradschool.umd.edu.

Strategies for Preparing The Results and Discussion Sections of the Dissertation with Christine Feak

This important workshop will provide a review of the goals of both the results and discussion sections of the dissertation by organizing, writing and integrating both sections efficiently and effectively.  The workshop leader will provide useful and transition statements, location statements, linking as-clauses and some useful expressions for results.  She will also highlight ways to present: significant data in a table or chart; statements of results - both positive and negative; interesting or surprising findings; and transition statements.  In addition, the leader will give participants a detailed presentation of the contents of the discussion section.

• Materials: The facilitator declined to post workshop materials online. If you would like a copy of the handout, please stop by the Office of Graduate Recruitment, Retention and Diversity at 2122 Lee Building on Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm or send your on/off-campus address to retention@gradschool.umd.edu.

Using the Dissertation As The Backdrop for Publications- Books and Journal Articles with Christine Feak

This important, interactive workshop will provide guidance for transitioning the dissertation into journal articles or books. The workshop leader will provide methods for maximizing the number of publications from a typical dissertation. A focus of the workshop will be preparing articles for journal submission and book submission. Strategies for writing, and models of successful writing, will be presented.

• Materials:
  • Fulbright U.S. Student Program Announcement Flyer
  • Workshop - The facilitator declined to post workshop materials online. If you would like a copy of the handout, please stop by the Office of Graduate Recruitment, Retention and Diversity at 2122 Lee Building on Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm or send your on/off-campus address to retention@gradschool.umd.edu.

• 02.02.07: Applying for and Obtaining National Scholarships and Fellowships - Part II with Camille Stillwell, Ed.D.
• 02.09.07: Preparing a Winning Dissertation Proposal - 13 Essential Ingredients with Wendy Y. Carter, Ph.D.
• 02.16.07: Proposal Writing Roundtable with Wendy Y. Carter, Ph.D. and Johnetta Davis, Ph.D.
• 02.23.07: Conducting a Literature Review with Christine B. Feak
• 03.02.07: Literature Review Roundtable with Tita Chico, Ph.D. and Joan Payne, Ph.D.
• 03.09.07: Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: How to Start, Revise, and Finish Your Doctoral Dissertation with Joan Bolker
• 03.16.07: Dissertation Writing Roundtable
• 03.30.07 Writing for Publication with Christine B. Feak

• 09.08.06: Applying for National Scholarships and Fellowships
• 11.06.06: Developing a Teaching Philosophy and Creating a Teaching Portfolio
• 11.10.06: Conducting an Academic Job Searc
• 12.01.06: Presenting at Professional Meetings in the Arts and Humanities

Spring 2006

• 02.24.06: Considerations for Selecting Your PostDoc 03.10.2006: Getting Organized for Your Thesis/Dissertation
• 03.31.06: Maintaining a Strong Relationship with Your Advisor to Get the Thesis/Dissertation Done
• 04.07.06: Working toward Publication While in Graduate School without Sacrificing Progress on the Dissertation

• 10.15.05: Presenting at Professional Meetings
• 12.02.05: Completing Your Dissertation