Art Therapy - Chicago: Dissertation

If you feel like:

• Everyone else is further along!
• I'm starting over or moving backwards 
• I have no idea how to start

Then, you're feeling like everyone else at dissertation time!

Poster of Kuhlthau's Information Search Process: Art by Katelyn Caraveo in collaboration with Frances Brady. Produced by Adler University.

Rutgers School of Communication and Information. (2020). Carol Kuhlthau: Information Search Process. https://wp.comminfo.rutgers.edu/ckuhlthau/information-search-process/

Congratulations! You're ready to start working on your dissertation! Feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to start is pretty much how everyone feels at first.

1. Determine a topic. You might already have a general idea or a broad starting goal. That's ok for now.
2. Literature -  Get a feel for what literature has been written already on this topic. Remember, at this stage, you're just looking for ideas. Pay attention to:
   • What sparks your interest? Why? (There might be different aspects that interest you - don't worry about how to make connections yet - you're just getting a feel for things right now)
   • What are most of the articles focusing on? What are the trends? Where are the gaps?
   • What isn't interesting to you? Why not?
3. Get support! Talk to people:
   • Faculty members (your seminar instructor and those you might want to serve on your committee)
   • Frances
     • Finding resources (books, articles, etc.)
     • Your topic (get a feel for what others in this specific field have done)
   • Center for Learning and Teaching
     • Structuring thoughts and concepts coherently

I highly recommend you check out the "Entering the Scholarly Conversation" Library Guide (link in the box to the right) to learn more about the first two steps. And I can't stress enough to make an appointment with me - find my scheduling page in the box to the right.