- Joined
- Feb 10, 2012
- Messages
- 352
- Reaction score
- 3
What are your experiences with the Dissertation and Oral Defense? I have completed three MS degrees and Theses but the Dissertation process is very labor intensive with vagueness and confusions during the process. The MS Theses process was more collaborative and student friendly than the Doctoral Dissertation process. I hate to be critical about this process but to some extent it is a humbling or negative experience and there seems to be some limits of the process that almost parallels verbal abuse or even verbal bullying by committee members and/or faculty. One of my committee members spend a good thirty minutes during a review of verbiage of a specific use of a word I used. At one point I was told my literature review was too long to the point of not having a narrow focus. I shortened my literature review, so at another meeting I was informed that the literature review needs to be more broadly based.
The mental gymnastics or "Mind Rape" that happens during this process...Is it really necessary? I've worked on this for some two-three years and my proposal is officially approved but now I have a new faculty member engaged in the process who believes I should look at a different research topic and he wants me to change my title and develop a different survey with different questions.
Has anybody given up at this point in time....you almost need to have an attorney representing you and a Judge presiding during these meetings with Dissertation Committee members. Does being a Dissertation Committee member allow these individuals too much power so they feel it is their right to be rude and obnoxious?
The mental gymnastics or "Mind Rape" that happens during this process...Is it really necessary? I've worked on this for some two-three years and my proposal is officially approved but now I have a new faculty member engaged in the process who believes I should look at a different research topic and he wants me to change my title and develop a different survey with different questions.
Has anybody given up at this point in time....you almost need to have an attorney representing you and a Judge presiding during these meetings with Dissertation Committee members. Does being a Dissertation Committee member allow these individuals too much power so they feel it is their right to be rude and obnoxious?