Help, I need advice

Ross Woods, 2020, minor revisions, '21-22

I see several problems here:

1. The first is the stress and anxiety if causes.
2. The research board didn’t approve the prospectus, although the committee has already approved it.
3. A committee member seems to have changed his/her mind and now disagrees with the chairperson.
4. What are the rules about title lengths? About names on the title page?

Do not quit

Step away from it for a day to let your feelings cool, and then go back to it. Remember your goal of completing your degree. Learn what you can from the experience and keep making progress.

Facts

Check the facts. Your institution’s style guide might have a guideline on the length of titles. For example, APA once required that titles be no more than twelve words, but it no longer does so. It will also have a rule about names on the title page.

The research board

The research board is also a gatekeeper, and you will be unable to get any further without its approval. Meet with your chairperson and discuss the feedback from the research board. He might even act as your advocate to the research board to resolve the problem.

You might be able to make a conference call with both your chairperson and the research board member to iron out all the changes that they want. It will probably save a lot of time and frustration, and they might be willing to compromise or come to some other kind of agreement. You will almost certainly find the discussion about program expectations very enlightening.

Other committee members

Start with your chairperson to coordinate feedback from other committee members. He is part academic instructor and part project manager, and has an essential role for keeping the project on track and managing stakeholder expectations. He is in an excellent position to take the lead and smoothe things over. He might even help you to decide which comments are necessary to address and which are not.

Even if the other committee member has good reasons for his/her views, it needs to be resolved earlier. The disagreement could have even more serious consequences if it surfaces much later in the dissertation process.

Changes

Be willing to make changes if necessary; it is part of the road to finishing a doctorate. You might have to re-write everything, even getting another IRB ethics approval. Just learn what you can from the experience and keep making progress.

A wider look at frustrating delays

Students frequently complain about delays during their dissertations. In private institutions, any delay means that students must pay for each extra semester. They are angry if supervisors or administrators cause the delays, and the idea that the university only does it to make more money out of students comes up quite often. The reasons are various:

1. Chairs normally view their role in supervision from a very different prespective from students, and misunderstandings are common. Many have little or no training in research supervision.
2. Some chairs are perhaps a little lazy. In schools that allow students to hire editors, the editors do much of the hard work, for which students must pay extra. Some students feel that the expense is essential to passing, but incur extra debt. Some chairs do as little as possible, with some doing nearly nothing.
3. Chairs sometimes seem to change their minds between meetings with students. Perhaps they forget what they said last time, look at the student's work afresh, and come up with different responses.
4. Some chairs are very sympathetic to the students' position and try to minimize changes that others might think are necessary.
5. To what extent are supervisors doing research vicariously through their students? In some cases, it is almost a necessity (e.g. working together in a research team), while other supervisors take the attitude, It's the student's research and I'm just here as a guide.
6. The chair might sense that something is not quite right in the research, but can't quite identify it.
7. The students' work is not as good as they think it is, and needs improvement to bring it up to acceptable standard.
1. Something essential is wrong with the topic as it is conceived, and the supervisor cannot help you. For example, some students adamantly try to cover two separate topics (instead of choosing just one) and their work is doomed.
2. Something else is wrong in the document you submitted and none of the attempts to fix it are working.
8. Some chairs are replaced for no apparent reason, but institutions sometimes have little option, such as supervisors who die. Getting a new chairperson is stressful for the student and causes considerable delay. The delay is even longer if the student must approach candidate supervisors to get their commitment, or it the new supervisor disagrees with the previous supervisor.
9. Some parts of the university disagree with each other, e.g. a chair and the research board, two members of the supervisory committee, the supervisory committee and the ethics board.

If you are frustrated with the chairperson of your committee, you’re not alone; this happens quite a lot. Some committees simply don't give any advice or give inconsistent advice, and a replacement chair is necessary. (Even if students don't need help, good support results in a better dissertation with less frustration.)

Having said that, some chairs help students right through the dissertation process. Many students have a good experience and get through the whole dissertation in minimum time.

__________

With thanks to:
A. V. Hεnry, A. Jιlεs-Chαrlεs, C. Crαwfοrd-Bαylεs, E. W. Bεαslεy, H. Hιcks, H. Guαdαlupε, J. B. Rοbιnsοn, K. Chαnεy, L. E. Tαylοr, M. Stεvεns, N. A. Prιcε, S. L. Fοlch, S. Prunεdα-Hεrnαndεz, S. Fοstεr, T. Mcgοvεrn, and T. Robιnsοn-Dαvιs.