Powerful Proposals: Advice from Jennifer Powers

POWERFUL PROPOSALS: ADVICE FROM THE OTHER SIDE!!!

Proposal:

• CLARIFY EXPECTATIONS. Find out EXACTLY what your advisor(s) want from you in terms of a proposal for your dissertation—DON’T ASSUME.

• GO ALL OUT. Your goal is for your proposal, normally considered chapters 1-3 of your dissertation, to be AS CLOSE TO DISSERTATION READY AS POSSIBLE. This is especially important regarding your REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.

• USE YOUR ADVISOR! Have him or her go over your proposal BEFORE you send it to the other members! Get good advice about what to add/leave out.

• EMAIL IS YOUR FRIEND. Give your committee members at LEAST a week to go over your proposal. That means, EMAIL it to them with a thorough email introduction.

Defense:

• PLAN AHEAD. Know WHEN you need to do your proposal defense; start the email campaign early to get all of your committee members on board! As you know, it’s difficult to get busy people all together in the same room at the same time, so give yourself plenty of time! Sign up for a MEETING ROOM for your proposal with the help of your main advisor.

• COME PREPARED: Make sure you have your laptop OR some paper on which to take COPIOUS notes from your committee about suggestions for fixing your proposal and turning it into your dissertation! If possible, organize your notes in some easy-to-read way, such as creating sections for notes over each chapter of your proposal. That way, when your committee gives you comments, you can write notes on those comments in the appropriate place. Provide page numbers for yourself whenever you can! This can help you find the area they were talking about much easier.

• ASK QUESTIONS. Come ready with some SPECIFIC questions for your committee members, utilizing their specific area of expertise!

• BRING THE PAPERWORK FOR YOUR COMMITTEE TO SIGN! You need to fill out the appropriate form, have them sign it, and then submit it along with a copy of your proposal to the department head, etc. to sign before it can make its way to the Graduate Office!!

• MAKE CHANGES/REVISIONS/ETC. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Yes, you will probably be told to ADD stuff you didn’t anticipate. You want to make additions and fixes while they’re still fresh in your mind AND your main advisor’s mind. Get those changes to him/her ASAP for comments. That way, you’ll know if you’re on the right track!!!