Page 73 - DISSERTATION AND THESIS HANDBOOK 2017 -2020

SOME FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE

There is no single set of steps that will guarantee that the thesis process will be smooth
or trouble-free. There are, however, several guiding principles that should help.

ALWAYS MEET DEADLINES.
It is perhaps obvious to say that deadlines should be met, but evidence indicates that
one of the most common reasons candidates have problems completing thesis is poor
time management.

Candidates should remember that certain critical parts of the thesis process are not
under their control. For example, a draft handed in to a committee member for review
will not always be returned within a reasonable time period. If the draft was handed to
the committee member shortly before Graduate School deadlines for completion, it is
quite likely that the thesis oral examination cannot be scheduled in time to meet this
deadline. The most reasonable way to avoid this sort of problem is to allow more than
enough time for each step in the thesis process.

COMPLETE THE THESIS PROPOSAL EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
This is a similar point to the first, but it is presented separately, because the thesis
proposal has proven to be one of the major obstacles to completing the thesis. Too
many candidates wait far too long to defend their thesis proposal.

WHEN IN DOUBT, ASK
There are many regulations and rules that govern the thesis process. While this
handbook should help a candidate understand how these rules are applied, it will still
often be the case that the candidate will be confused about how a specific rule applies
in his or her specific case. The best way to avoid problems of this type is to ask those
whose job it is to monitor and implement the rules. As mentioned several times, the
primary resource in the thesis for the candidate is the Dissertation Advisory
Committee Chair; this person should always be
contacted if questions arise. The Advisor/Chair
should be able to assist the candidate, at least, to
get information or help needed from appropriate
persons.

The following section outlines the thesis
process in Organizational
Communication.

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