The Center for Writing University Counseling & Consulting Services Professional Development Workshops Planning Your Progress COGS Workshops & Publications Books on Dissertation Writing A Quiet Place to Work Advisors and Mentors Writing & Research Groups Examples of Dissertations Writing Studies Courses Mental Health Assistance Problem Solving Dissertating from a Distance Other Resources for Staying on Track Help with Bibliographies/Citations Research Support at the Libraries Help with Statistics Research with Human Subjects Formatting the Dissertation or Thesis Microsoft Word Classes

The Center for Writing

The Center for Writing isn’t just for undergraduates: they offer consultations and workshops for graduate students about their own work, as well as providing help for faculty and graduate students who teach with writing. They offer writing consultations online and face-to-face, and have multiple locations on campus. They also have a list of online resources for dissertation writers.

University Counseling & Consulting Services

Among other resources, UCCS offers dissertation and thesis support groups for graduate students.

Graduate School Professional Development Workshops

The Graduate School Professional Development Workshops have included workshops on balancing work, life, and graduate school, and writing proposals and grant applications. Find out more information at the Graduate School Career Services page.

Planning Your Progress

Here are some ways you might plan your progress through your dissertation:

• Set up a schedule with your advisor.
• Use the dissertation calculator.
• Set up a schedule with your writing or research group.
• Make a plan with a writing tutor at the Center for Writing.

COGS Workshops & Publications

The Council of Graduate Students (COGS) works with the University to help address the needs of graduate students in the Twin Cities. COGS offers workshops and publications, including the very useful Staying on Course.

Books on Dissertation Writing

The UMN Libraries have several books about writing theses or dissertations.

A Quiet Place to Work

Shhhhhh! The Libraries offer quiet places to work in the carrels at Wilson Library.

Working with Advisors and Mentors

Wondering about your relationship to your advisor or principle investigator?

• Take a look at The Graduate School's mentoring resources page.
• The COGS publication, Staying on Course also has helpful ideas.
• The Rackham Graduate School offers How to Get the Mentoring You Want: A Guide for Students at a Diverse University.

Writing & Research Groups

Do you want to form or join a writing/research group? Here are some resources:

• The Dissertation Calculator can point you to resources about creating dissertation support networks.
• UNC-Chapel Hill has a resource page for writing groups and their mentors.
• The Rackham Graduate School at Michigan has some tips for forming and maintaining writing groups.
• Your graduate program may have research and writing groups led by faculty or students. Ask your fellow students, advisor, committee members, or DGS about these options, or check your program's Web page.
• Some (but not all) of the academic groups registered with the Student Union are research/writing groups.
• Don't forget the dissertation support groups sponsored by UCCS.

Do you want to form a dissertation writing group online?

• First, be sure you know and trust the people in your writing group, and that everyone is in agreement about how the group will operate. (See the Rackham Graduate School guide for more ideas.)
• Then you'll need to choose an electronic forum. Be sure you and your group members understand and are comfortable with the level of privacy and security of any online communication system you choose.
  • Many people have found Google Groups helpful, although it is not endorsed or supported by the University.
  • Another option people have found useful is simply email in conjunction with Skype or FreeWorldDialup (FWD). (Like Google Groups, Skype is not endorsed or supported by the University. For more information, see ADCS's discussion of safe computing practices and Skype)
  • Graduate students who are also staff members can host online meetings on UMConnect. Faculty can also host such meetings.

Examples of Dissertations

What is an acceptable dissertation in your field? How is it organized, and what parts does it have? Your advisor may be the best person with whom to discuss these and related questions. You might also take a look at successful dissertations by people from your program or field in the library's digital dissertation collection. Or look up The Graduate School's Best Dissertation Award winners. Keep in mind that these dissertations were the result of much thought and diligent work over time, just as yours will be.

Writing Studies Courses

Scroll through the Writing Studies Department's course offerings to find detailed information about the following courses, which are offered for credit:

For graduate and undergraduate students:

• WRIT 4561 - Editing and Style for Technical Communicators
• WRIT 4573W - Writing Proposals and Grant Management

For graduate students:

• WRIT 5664 - Science Writing for Popular Audiences
• WRIT 8505 - Professional Practice: The Writing Studies department explains that this course "is specially designed to help graduate students complete a final research project in their degree program and is suitable for students in a variety of graduate majors."

And don't forget about their courses for graduate students who are non-native speakers of English: WRIT 5051 and WRIT 5052.

Mental Health Assistance

UMN-Twin Cities:

• Mental health resources specifically for graduate students
• General student mental health resources
• Programs and classes at Boynton Health Service

UM-Duluth Counseling Services

Problem Solving

The Graduate School offers problem solving ideas, including the helpful tips and resources.

Dissertating from a Distance

If you no longer spend much time on campus, watch this space for ideas and resources that may be particularly helpful:

• Video Seminars from the University of Georgia Graduate School: Although some of the information is directed specifically at UGA students, these videos are a great resource for those who can't make it to professional development seminars here at UMN. Among the videos is Dissertation Therapy: Finding Ways to Complete Your Graduate Program. Can't play a video? The UGA page provides links to video players if you need to download them.
• All-But Dissertation Survival Guide: A monthly e-newsletter for dissertation writers. Not affiliated with UMN.
• PhinisheD: Billed as "a discussion and support group for those trying to finish their dissertations and theses, and those who have been there," this site has loads of resources. Includes a virtual retreat section in the forums (requires log on). Not affiliated with UMN.
• Also remember these ideas mentioned earlier on this page:
  • The Center for Writing offers online writing consultations; you might ask them to help you develop a writing schedule.
  • You might form an online writing group with people you know and trust to discuss your work.
  • Mary McKinney's Successful Academic E-Newsletter: Advice for graduate students and new faculty from a dissertation coach who's also a clinical psychologist. Not affiliated with UMN.

Other Resources for Staying on Track

• The Center for Teaching and Learning: CTL has helped many graduate students find balance in their very busy lives as scholars and teachers, especially through their teaching consultations.
• Mary McKinney, Ph.D.'s Successful Academic newsletter. Dr. McKinney is an adjunct professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and a clinical psychologist.
• Slimtimer.com: Slimtimer offers a free program to help you keep track of the time you spend on tasks. (Slimtimer is not endorsed or supported by the University.)
• Boynton Health Service: Boynton offers many services that may benefit graduate students, including massage, financial counseling services, and classes in their Stress Managment (Comfort Zone) series.
• The online Dissertation Proposal Workshop: Provided by the Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley, this workshop is bursting with advice and ideas about writing research and grant proposals.
• "Practical Advice for Writing Your Dissertation, Book, or Article" by Liena Vayzma: No matter what your field, you may find useful information in this article, published in the American Historical Association's online journal, Preview.
• The Graduate School’s Information for Current Students page and the Graduate Writer's Nexus

Help with Bibliographies and Citations

Are you citing sources using MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago, or another commonly used style?

• The Libraries offer Refworks to make citing sources and maintaining a bibliography easier. Refworks is free to students, and the Libraries also offer workshops to help you learn how to use it; see their Style Manuals & Citation Guide page
• Another option for managing your bibliography is free software available at zotero.org. Zotero is a production of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University.
• If you prefer, you can find out about purchasing reference management software such as Procite or Endnote through the ADCS software pages.
• Looking for a workshop? Check The Center for Writing's workshop schedule for their introduction to APA style.
• You'll find a handy checklist for APA style as well as other helpful information in Developing Your Publications in APA Style, provided by The Center for Research on Developmental Education and Urban Literacy (CRDEUL).

Research Support at the Libraries

The Libraries offer several workshops for researchers. They also provide specialized subject guides for library research.

Help with Statistics

Need help with statistics? Here are some campus resources:

• Statistical Consulting Clinic

  Free statistical help for graduate student researchers enrolled in the College of Food Agriculture and Natural Resources (CFANS), the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), the College of Biological Sciences (CBS), the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), and for others associated with the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. Other options are also available.

• Statistical Software Help

  The experts at Academic and Distributed Computing Services (ADCS) offer a statistical software helpline and classes, along with other statistics-related services.

Research with Human Subjects

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews research involving human subjects, and provides guidelines, including their page, What Every Researcher Needs to Know.

Formatting Your Dissertation

For most students, the days of being terrified about correct dissertation and thesis formatting should be over: The Graduate School's formatting guidelines for the dissertation and master's thesis are simple and easy to follow in Microsoft Word. Tip: If you follow the formatting guidelines but are still worried about whether your margins are correct, you may stop by the Graduate School's Student Services office to have them checked before you officially submit your dissertation.

Microsoft Word Training

For a small fee, ADCS offers training classes on Microsoft Word that can help you become more efficient with the program. See especially their class, “Formatting Faster with Styles."

Questions or suggestions? Let us know, please.