If asked what the biggest mistake doctoral candidates make, I would say ignoring the comments or recommendations from their mentors and/or committee members. Mentors and committee members typically do not re-read dissertations or proposals each time they do a review. They keep a checklist or log of all comments or recommendations they have made and check to see that these have been addressed. By not addressing each comment, a candidate risks angering or even insulting a mentor or a committee member.
If you, as a doctoral candidate, do nothing else, keep a log of all comments and recommendations made by your mentor and committee members, and make certain you address each one before you resubmit your proposal or dissertation. If the recommendations or comments are from the dean or formal editor, absolutely do not resubmit until you have addressed each one. Remember, you must obtain signatures from your mentor, both committee members, and the dean before you can graduate. You need these professionals.
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As you proof your proposal or dissertation, right click on each Word red underline for your references, then select “Ignore All.” If you still have names in your reference list with Word red underlines, either you misspelled the name in one of the places, or you do not have that reference mentioned in your text.
If you go through and use “Ignore All” in your references list, you will be able to spot the reverse when you read your text. (Please know, this method is just a time saver. It will not do a complete job of cross checking your references. See older blog post on hints for cross checking references.) One final thought, add authors’ names and the terms you repeatedly use to your Word dictionary. This will save you time. For example, I added Moustakas, Huessrlian, and phenomenological to my Word dictionary. You may not leave a heading of any level with less than two lines at the end of a page.
You may not cut a reference in half at the end of a page. You may not use a contraction. You may not use etc., e.g., or i.e. Use the percent sign for statistical purposes only; use the word in test. Use an ampersand (&) in parenthesis and in references only. Never indent more than .5. Use the same bullets and the same table style throughout. Only use numbers with items that are enumerated. Nothing in color—use grayscale. Do not capitalize the second word after a hyphen. Do not use Jr., III, or Sr. in text; you may use them in the references. Do not consider the word “the” in front of a reference: The Condition of Education is listed by “C” for Condition. Do not put personal communications in references. Anchors of scales take italics. Do not use underlining or quotation marks. The questions are Likert-type scaled with 5 (Very Satisfied), 4 (Satisfied), 3 (Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied), 2 (Dissatisfied), and 1 (Greatly Dissatisfied). See APA 4.21.
See APA 6.12 on the use of the word and versus the symbol &. Join the names in a multiple-author citation in manuscript text with the word and. Join the names with & in parenthetical citations, tables and captions, and the reference list. Doing a search (Edit > Find) can help you quickly find ampersands in your text if you think you have used them incorrectly.
For example: Jones and Smith (2013) conducted a study on the flight of geese. The study was on the flight of geese (Jones & Smith, 2013) 1. Follow the “Six-by-six rule”: Use no more than six words per line and no more than six lines per visual.
2. Apply the “billboard” test to each slide or transparency: “Could people read and understand the information while driving?” 3. Realize that people may forget lists, but they’ll recall images. Just don’t overdo the graphics. 4. Avoid using “chart junk,” fancy shadings and patterns in most drawing software. You’ll create the “Two C” effect—comical and confusing—by trying too hard to jazz up a chart. 5. Think “thin” when deciding on line thickness and “discreet” when picking colors. Reason: Thick lines and garish colors will distract readers. 6. Use the “one” principle: Limit each visual to one idea, one concept, or one point. 7. Put it to the one-minute test: If the audience will need more than 60 seconds to figure it out, it’s too complex. |
AuthorAs your blog hostess, I suppose I should tell you something you would not find on LinkedIn or a curriculum vita, so I shall. I am an animal lover, a semi-professional photographer, a seamstress, and a career student who just happens to have the most amazing teenage granddaughters ever born! My other business is a writing service for children: www.atlantapawpals.com Archives
May 2014
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