I finished my first draft of my dissertation at about 2AM. Currently, I'm pretty happy with it. I feel that I followed the template, guides, and rubric to the best of my ability; however, we will see what my committee chair says in his review of it in the next week. From here on out, that will be the primary state of things: my committee will send me recommendations and I will send them revisions until they are satisfied.
When we reach that point, my chair sends it to the University Research Reviewer (URR) who will likely ask for my supporting information (questionnaire responses, transcripts, and code book) which is not included in the actual dissertation to make certain that I conducted my research properly and ethically. Again, I will be sent any requests for changes and will need to revise and resubmit (first to my committee again, and later to the URR when my committee agrees that I met the URR's requests). Note that this paper currently has 101 pages of actual writing on the topic (and will likely have more by the end) with an additional 65 pages of appendices, references, title pages, abstract, and table of contents. Anyone from the university is allowed up to 10 business days to review and send me suggestions every time I send them a draft.
Once the study is approved, we then repeat the process with what is called a Form and Style review. I am fairly confident that I should pass that quickly; however, I will also need to present a defense of my dissertation before a university panel (that at least includes my committee and the URR) on a group call (not even a video conference). Again, I'm less concerned about my presentation than I am the paper itself.
Only after all of that will it go to the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) for final approval. It is possible that the CAO will require more changes before approval, but it is unlikely. With CAO approval, I will receive my degree and have my study published.
My chair was quite impressed with what I have completed in the two weeks since our last meeting (when I was still analyzing my data). He is confident that we should be through the first couple of phases of the review process by August and that I be Dr. Marks before the end of the year.
When we reach that point, my chair sends it to the University Research Reviewer (URR) who will likely ask for my supporting information (questionnaire responses, transcripts, and code book) which is not included in the actual dissertation to make certain that I conducted my research properly and ethically. Again, I will be sent any requests for changes and will need to revise and resubmit (first to my committee again, and later to the URR when my committee agrees that I met the URR's requests). Note that this paper currently has 101 pages of actual writing on the topic (and will likely have more by the end) with an additional 65 pages of appendices, references, title pages, abstract, and table of contents. Anyone from the university is allowed up to 10 business days to review and send me suggestions every time I send them a draft.
Once the study is approved, we then repeat the process with what is called a Form and Style review. I am fairly confident that I should pass that quickly; however, I will also need to present a defense of my dissertation before a university panel (that at least includes my committee and the URR) on a group call (not even a video conference). Again, I'm less concerned about my presentation than I am the paper itself.
Only after all of that will it go to the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) for final approval. It is possible that the CAO will require more changes before approval, but it is unlikely. With CAO approval, I will receive my degree and have my study published.
My chair was quite impressed with what I have completed in the two weeks since our last meeting (when I was still analyzing my data). He is confident that we should be through the first couple of phases of the review process by August and that I be Dr. Marks before the end of the year.
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