This brings up the issue of "how valuable is the dissertation...really?" Unlike most in my department, my advisor emplors us to use archival data and not to collect our own data unless we are gunning for hardcore academia. Even then she argues that it not really a big deal what you do. Obviously, this is because collecting data often adds many months, if not a years in some cases. Not too mention the headache of data entry if you have alot of variables. I know for some the dissertation is a "life's work" that follows their long time interests and may even be the start of their academic research for the future. However, for many, including myself, it is simply a valuable learning process in which the actual product wont amount to much, or at least is secondary to what the process taught you. There is no ticker tape parade when its done (although you often think there should be) and it likley that it not many people will read it frankly. I've been rambing and kinda lost my point, I know. I think my point was that i wish some faculty would evolve and be more flexible with the dissertation. i know some faculty push and push their students to do this and do that, collect more participants, etc. I just wish it were simply viewed as a capstone project/paper that allows a the student to move on. I think if people, including faculty, were a little more realistic and humble about what the dissertation really is, we wouldn't have people taking 4-5 years to write them and shooting their careers in the foot because of it. No dissertation is worth that in my opnion, especialy if your are going to be a full time practitioner.
