dissertation reality

Ethnograph is very easy to use and has already helped me organize my codes immensely. I’m so glad I decided to use data analysis software. Already the process feels much more manageable. Ethnograph’s code tree, in particular, is helping me understand the relationships among the phenomena I’m seeing in my data.

I had an epiphany yesterday about coding. I don’t need to code everything I notice. I need to code things relating to revisions (changes between drafts), revision practices, revision motivators, and revision attitudes. That’s all.

I think it’s unlikely I’ll finish my dissertation by August, considering that I haven’t yet submitted anything to my committee. Ooops. I’ve kind of buried myself in my data, which isn’t a bad thing—it’s just something I failed to take into account when I was thinking about when I might finish my dissertation. So here’s a schedule that I think is reasonable and will allow me to finish by December:

• Code all data by June 1


• Analyze all data and write chapter 5 (analysis) draft and send to my advisor by June 30


• Write chapter 4 (case studies) draft and send to my advisor by July 15


• Write chapter 1 (introduction) draft and send to my advisor by July 31


• Write chapter 3 (methodology) draft and send to my advisor by August 15


• Write chapter 2 (review of lit) draft and send to my advisor by August 31


• Write chapter 6 (conclusion) draft and send to my advisor by September 15


• Revise and submit revisions between September 15 and December

I’m writing the chapters out of order, starting with the analysis of my data (chapter 5) and case studies (chapter 4). I feel like I can’t possibly write the introduction (chapter 1) until I actually know what I’m introducing. And I can write a much more persuasive argument for my methodology (chapter 3) after I’ve actually used it successfully. I want to put off the review of literature (chapter 2) until after I’ve done the bulk of the writing so I can include anything at all relevant to my findings in the review. (Also, I have a 40-page review of literature already written and I’ll pretty much be just updating it for submission.)

links: del.icio.us    technorati