This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
The Necessity of Beginning Early
Misconceptions about graduate student writing ability, the inherent elitism associated with graduate school, concern about the necessity for “originality” in the academy, and lack of awareness of what is involved in locating a workable topic are some of the factors that contribute to difficulties associated with writing a thesis/dissertation. Another is the fact that most graduate students don’t begin even to think about their thesis/dissertation until they have completed their coursework1 and/or passed the necessary exams. Some feel that they are not in a position to consider possible topics before they have immersed themselves in their discipline by taking courses—and, to some extent, this is true. However, it is also a good idea to consider possible topics as soon as possible, keeping alert for potentially useful ideas and texts, and making contact with faculty members involved in relevant research who may point you in the right direction and serve as an advisor.
Discovering a topic is a personal investment that requires intellectual and emotional involvement. If you begin to consider ideas early in your graduate career, you are more likely to “engage” with a topic and find something meaningful to say. The choice of a topic does not usually occur because inspiration, like a bolt of lightening, suddenly strikes, causing you to exclaim, “Aha! Now I have it!” It is more likely to happen when you have been actively seeking possibilities. My experience has taught me that creativity doesn’t strike—it evolves when one has been grappling with a topic for a while, both consciously and unconsciously. You may be thinking about it during the course of a day—in the shower, in the car, while waiting in line at the supermarket—and turning it over in your mind until you find a way to connect with it and make it your own.
If you have devoted significant attention to finding a thesis/dissertation topic, and if you have been mentally tuned in to various possibilities, you will eventually discover a good one. Give yourself enough time and actively pursue the lightening bolt—don’t wait for it to come to you.
Certainly, when I was a graduate student, at least some of the problems I encountered when I began to search for a dissertation topic were related to the fact that I didn’t engage in the process soon enough. I was so caught up in jumping various academic hurdles before I came to the dissertation stage that I didn’t begin to think about a possible topic or a potential advisor until the summer after I passed my exams. Then I spent a lot of unfruitful time fishing around, grabbing at various possibilities, scouting around for a faculty member to be my advisor, becoming anxious enough to consider dropping out altogether, and, eventually, after considerable frustration, coming up with an idea that I was able to develop and finding an advisor to help me do so. Until I finally found the right advisor who was able to provide adequate guidance, I bounced around from idea to idea, and the approach I used was absurdly haphazard and inefficient. In fact, it is amazing that I completed my dissertation at all.