It may seem a bit overwhelming to plan so many things ahead of time, but trust me, you’ll thank yourself for doing it. Now we jump ahead to the dissertation phase. More likely than not it’ll be a few years before you get to that point, but it’s not too late to plan. You might be thinking that it’s a bit too soon to bombard your brain with so much information, but it’s not. It also won’t be that painful, as long as you’re not waiting until the last minute. Your topic will change over time, especially once you start getting feedback. You may even change the topic altogether, and that’s okay too.

I had a rough idea of what my topic would be since I signed up to get my PhD. While I was focused on getting the coursework and comps out of the way, I was also creating a plan for my dissertation. I had the population, area, and data that I wanted to look at. We also conducted several literature reviews during the coursework, which I purposely wrote to reference later if it was applicable. Originally, I wanted to study a vulnerable population. In my state, the guidelines are very clear and approvals can take years to obtain, so I went a different route. I figured I would study an invulnerable population in the same area.

Once you have an idea, you will want to see if that work has been done before. The best way to find if your topic is available is to research. Type in key words to the database that is suited to your topic. Then, read any relevant articles that come up. Go to the Future Research section to see what is suggested. Make sure that the article is recent (no more than 3 years old) because new peer-reviewed journal articles are coming out all the time. Side note: When I was writing literature reviews, I had to have physical copies. It made it easier to take notes, highlight important information, list and make sure all authors were referenced, etc. You don’t have to do that– it’s just how I work.

There was a time when I had to really rethink my topic because things just weren’t coming together. It didn’t help that my then-mentor was complete crap. I had requested a mentor change, but was advised against it, despite a ton of proof that this individual was unfit for the position. For years I petitioned for a mentor change, to no avail (that’s another story). It wasn’t until my former mentor was let go that I was assigned to the best person anyone could ask for. I’ll discuss this later, but be sure to be an advocate for yourself. Even if you have sufficient proof, the outcome might not be what you want. Don’t become discouraged if that happens. Keep fighting for you.

Sorry for the tangent. Where was I? Right. Get a head-start by having an idea of what you’d like your dissertation to be about. You can conduct some research, in your own time, by accessing your campus’ library. If you want to work with vulnerable populations, be sure to check into any rules, laws, etc. that will apply. You can also reach out to organizations that are relevant to see what rules they have for things such as data collection (i.e. administering surveys to employees). See if you will need any additional approvals before getting your topic approved, and get everything in writing. I’ll discuss this more later on, but you will also want to make sure that you don’t need any special certifications if you are planning on administering surveys that are not user-created. Even then, user-created surveys often have to go through validity and reliability testing, so keep that in mind.

I kept all of my ideas in a separate notebook. When questions would come up, or an idea that I hadn’t thought of, I’d jot it down. Yes, the notebook looked like quite a mess, but it allowed me to see everything, think about other issues/questions that might come up, and organize my thoughts after. Mind mapping is a great way to get ideas out on paper. That’s all for now. I will get more in-depth with the research process. For now, getting a head-start is the best way to be less stressed and overwhelmed. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions and reach out to organizations when you have questions. I would recommend writing all of them out so you’re not sending a bunch of e-mails back-and-forth. If you have any questions for me, or would like a topic covered, feel free to reach out or comment.

Peace & Love, always!