Once your IRB applications (GSU IRB and/or your employer) are approved, you can start data collection for your dissertation.
If you plan to graduate in the spring semester, you should complete the draft dissertation manuscript by the end of fall semester.
Once you complete writing the manuscript, use the 🔗Manuscript Checklist (including general checklist and chapter-specific checklist) to ensure your manuscript is in order.
Include your IRB outcome letter as one of the appendices of your dissertation manuscript.
Make sure the page numbers are accurate in Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures. See tutorial on how to format tables: 🔗https://youtu.be/kvfa178ZAXo
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Follow the college's 🔗Guide to Creating Your Dissertation - College of Education & Human Development (gsu.edu)
You will work with your dissertation chair to revise the dissertation manuscript to get it ready for the review by the dissertation committee. Send the manuscript to me first for review. I will evaluate whether it requires revisions or if it is ready for the committee. Your manuscript must adhere to 🔗APA 7th edition guidelines. Multiple revisions may be necessary based on my feedback. As you revise the manuscript, follow 🔗the tutorial to use Track Changes in Word. Expect a two-week turnaround time from me for each version of the manuscript. Do NOT proceed to Step 7 until I notify you that your manuscript is ready for the committee. Follow the instructions in the 🔗Manuscript Checklist for your manuscript submission.
A. If you submit the revised manuscript, you need to submit three documents:
B. If you submit the manuscript for the first time, you only need to submit two documents:
After I notify you that the manuscript is ready for the committee, you send it to all your committee members, with a scheduling tool (e.g., 🔗https://www.when2meet.com, 🔗Doodle or others) to start scheduling your dissertation defense. Make sure to 🔗adhere to all key dates. Schedule a 2-hour block for your dissertation defense. Per the university policy, prospectus must be presented in person. (more details in Step 8).
I am unavailable in the mornings; the earliest time I am available for the prospectus presentation is after 12 p.m.
Once the dissertation defense date and time are finalized, you fill out the 🔗Dissertation Defense Announcement Form and send it to me for signature. Per university policy, you must defend the dissertation in person.Â
In the section of Abstract on dissertation defense announcement form, make sure the methods section uses past tense, add dissertation findings, and implications for your dissertation study. Here are examples of 🔗Structured Abstract.
Watch the 🔗tutorial video of Fill Out Announcement Form. Make sure you have correct information on the announcement form.
I will sign the Dissertation Defense Announcement Form. You do not need the entire committee's signature before proceeding to Step 12.
To obtain the department chair's signature on the announcement form, send (1) my signed dissertation defense announcement form, and (2) your dissertation manuscript to Damien Lawrence (🔗dlawrence@gsu.edu) (cc me). He will conduct a review to be sure the form looks correct, and then send them to our department chair Jennifer Esposito (🔗jesposito@gsu.edu).
Damien Lawrence (🔗dlawrence@gsu.edu) will help you get the rest of the signatures. Meanwhile you keep an eye on the college announcement via email about your dissertation defense, and start preparing for your dissertation defense. If you don't hear anything two weeks after your submission to Damien, feel free to follow up with Damien (cc me) via email.
Once your dissertation defense is publicly announced in the college, send out a calendar invite to all committee members to ensure your dissertation defense is on everyone's calendar. Your calendar invite should include date and location, and attached a copy of your dissertation manuscript.Â
Three days before your dissertation defense, send out an email reminder to all committee members of the date, time, location, and the most updated version of your dissertation manuscript.
The presentation session of your dissertation defense is about 20-30 minutes. In your dissertation presentation, focus on Chapter 4 Methods and Chapter 5 Discussion, because you have presented Chapters 1 (Introduction), 2 (Literature Review), and 3 (Methods) in your prospectus presentation.
Bring one copy of the printed Acceptance Page (page 1 of your dissertation) to the dissertation defense and give it to your dissertation chair.
After presenting your dissertation, you will answer questions from the dissertation committee.
The dissertation committee deliberates on the students' dissertation manuscript, presentation, and answers, and decides whether the student meets the expectations. The committee may request revisions.
You may be asked by the committee to revise the dissertation before the committee approves your dissertation.