Dissertation Coaching

The dissertation journey is meant to transform individuals from students to scholars through a process of experiential learning. Ideally, the process is designed to provide supportive guidance that fosters self-directed advancement in critical thinking abilities, the development of sound research skills, and clear and professional communication within academic and scholarly communities. In reality, sometimes graduate students feel the institutional guidance they receive is inadequate, unclear, or contradictory. When this happens, students can feel lost in a sea of uncertainty. That’s where YouMePhD comes in. 

 

Since 2007, Anna has helped students with a wide range of academic writing issues. As our institutional expertise grew, YouMePhD began to offer graduate students support and guidance through the dissertation process itself. YouMePhD now offers coaching on a wide range of issues related to all aspects of a graduate student’s journey. These issues include:

  How to deal with a lack of

• Clarity
• Linearity
• Alignment

           

The need for pre-research process support

• Outlining
• Idea Generation
• Research Design
• Research Proposals

           

In-depth support for major components of the research

• Literature Reviews
• Methodology
• Data Collection
• Data Analysis

 

Necessary editing and formatting assistance

• Developing a Scholarly Writing Style
• Grammar, Formatting, Transitions
• Citation Requirements – APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian
• Identifying and Avoiding Plagiarism

 

Institutional Insight and Advice

• Navigating the approval process
• Completing your dissertation as quickly as possible
• Responding to criticism
• Managing your relationship with you chair or mentor
• Resolving conflicts between reviewers

 

Managing the Costs of a PhD

• Creating a workflow timeline
• Prioritizing your research tasks
• Knowing when to hire in help (transcriptionists, statisticians, editors)
• Developing strategies to prevent time loss and graduate faster

 

Whatever your needs are as a graduate student, YouMePhD can offer assistance. Let us help make your life easier. The dissertation process may be challenging, but you don’t have to face those challenges alone.

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Academic writing at the graduate level requires a different approach, tone, and skill set than business writing, popular writing, or general correspondence. While business writing is often dynamic and aggressive, academic writing tends to be more reserved and reticent. Popular writers often use hyperbole and exaggeration to make their point, but academic writers are expected to use impartial language, logical reasoning, and documentable evidence to support their assertions. General correspondence tends to be informal and more personal in nature, whereas academic writing should be formal and intellectual in tone. If you lack experience with academic writing, developing a more formal, reserved, and scholarly writing style can be intimidating. Working with an editor can help.

Editing and formatting standards are also higher for graduate students. Graduate students are not only expected to build their research and critical thinking skill sets. They are also expected to write well, understand the rules of their universities’ citation styles, and submit a polished final thesis or dissertation worthy of publication. Complicating the situation even more, academic writing rules are fluid and change from institution to institution. Rules can also change based on academic level or discipline. Confusion about what constitutes scholarly writing at the graduate level and a lack of attention to detail can make it difficult for students to attain good marks or finish projects in a timely manner. A high-quality academic editor can make all the difference between graduate success and graduate frustration.