Statistics Help for Students
This is an AMAZING site for dissertators messing about with stats. Sometimes you just want a quick review of how to do ANOVA, or you're not sure if you have all the correct steps for doing a logistical regression. And sometimes, statistics is just not your strong suit, but you need to do some statistical analyses.
This website is a life-saver.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
All the world’s a stage …. Guidelines for Dissertators from the Theatre.
These are guiding principles that Anne Bogart, director of the SITI theatre company uses. They underpin the discipline of stage craft and lead performers toward excellence in the practice of their craft as well as in the way they share that with an audience.
I think it applies as much to the craft of scholarship. So … I’ve borrowed it, and added my interpretation of it in the context of writing a dissertation.
All additional interpretations to these principles from the perspective of dissertators are welcome. So please comment away!
TURN UP. Be fully present and committed within yourself when doing all things. Turn up for your dissertation. When you sit down to work on your dissertation, it and only it exists. Put aside all else for the time you have committed to writing.
PAY ATTENTION. Observe. Listen. Be mindful of your actions and words. Details are important. Observe yourself going off on tangents, or getting distracted and gently bring yourself back to your work. Listen to your body’s subtle signals and take breaks so it can support you better in the long haul of writing. This is reflection in action and it works powerfully to give you energy to write for extended periods of time.
TELL THE TRUTH. See yourself clearly. Understand your strengths and weaknesses. Do not compromise doing what is right. Do not underestimate who you are and what you can do. Set goals and be ready to accept doing more, less, or different to what you intended at the beginning. See your writing habits clearly; know who you are as a writer. More reflection in action.
DO NOT BE ATTACHED TO THE RESULTS. Take a risk. Try things. Push your boundaries. And accept that this means falling down sometimes as you explore, discover, and learn. Accept that there will be revisions, and changes, and re-writes. And do not beat yourself up because you did not meet your goals. Do not give up setting goals; the very act of goal setting establishes intention and direction.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Hsst! Snake Fighting Your Dissertation Defence!
FAQ:The “Snake Fight” Portion Of Your Thesis Defense.
BY Luke Burns
Q: Do I have to kill the snake?
A: University guidelines state that you have to “defeat” the snake. There are many ways to accomplish this. Lots of students choose to wrestle the snake. Some construct decoys and elaborate traps to confuse and then ensnare the snake. One student brought a flute and played a song to lull the snake to sleep. Then he threw the snake out a window.
Q: Does everyone fight the same snake?
A: No. You will fight one of the many snakes that are kept on campus by the facilities department.
Q: Are the snakes big?
A: We have lots of different snakes. The quality of your work determines which snake you will fight. The better your thesis is, the smaller the snake will be.
Q: Does my thesis adviser pick the snake?
A: No. Your adviser just tells the guy who picks the snakes how good your thesis was.
Q: What does it mean if I get a small snake that is also very strong?
A: Snake-picking is not an exact science. The size of the snake is the main factor. The snake may be very strong, or it may be very weak. It may be of Asian, African, or South American origin. It may constrict its victims and then swallow them whole, or it may use venom to blind and/or paralyze its prey. You shouldn’t read too much into these other characteristics. Although if you get a poisonous snake, it often means that there was a problem with the formatting of your bibliography.
Q: When and where do I fight the snake? Does the school have some kind of pit or arena for snake fights?
A: You fight the snake in the room you have reserved for your defense. The fight generally starts after you have finished answering questions about your thesis. However, the snake will be lurking in the room the whole time and it can strike at any point. If the snake attacks prematurely it’s obviously better to defeat it and get back to the rest of your defense as quickly as possible.
Q: Would someone who wrote a bad thesis and defeated a large snake get the same grade as someone who wrote a good thesis and defeated a small snake?
A: Yes.
Q: So then couldn’t you just fight a snake in lieu of actually writing a thesis?
A: Technically, yes. But in that case the snake would be very big. Very big, indeed.
Q: Could the snake kill me?
A: That almost never happens. But if you’re worried, just make sure that you write a good thesis.
Q: Why do I have to do this?
A: Snake fighting is one of the great traditions of higher education. It may seem somewhat antiquated and silly, like the robes we wear at graduation, but fighting a snake is an important part of the history and culture of every reputable university. Almost everyone with an advanced degree has gone through this process. Notable figures such as John Foster Dulles, Philip Roth, and Doris Kearns Goodwin (to name but a few) have all had to defeat at least one snake in single combat.
Q: This whole snake thing is just a metaphor, right?
A: I assure you, the snakes are very real.
A: University guidelines state that you have to “defeat” the snake. There are many ways to accomplish this. Lots of students choose to wrestle the snake. Some construct decoys and elaborate traps to confuse and then ensnare the snake. One student brought a flute and played a song to lull the snake to sleep. Then he threw the snake out a window.
Q: Does everyone fight the same snake?
A: No. You will fight one of the many snakes that are kept on campus by the facilities department.
Q: Are the snakes big?
A: We have lots of different snakes. The quality of your work determines which snake you will fight. The better your thesis is, the smaller the snake will be.
Q: Does my thesis adviser pick the snake?
A: No. Your adviser just tells the guy who picks the snakes how good your thesis was.
Q: What does it mean if I get a small snake that is also very strong?
A: Snake-picking is not an exact science. The size of the snake is the main factor. The snake may be very strong, or it may be very weak. It may be of Asian, African, or South American origin. It may constrict its victims and then swallow them whole, or it may use venom to blind and/or paralyze its prey. You shouldn’t read too much into these other characteristics. Although if you get a poisonous snake, it often means that there was a problem with the formatting of your bibliography.
Q: When and where do I fight the snake? Does the school have some kind of pit or arena for snake fights?
A: You fight the snake in the room you have reserved for your defense. The fight generally starts after you have finished answering questions about your thesis. However, the snake will be lurking in the room the whole time and it can strike at any point. If the snake attacks prematurely it’s obviously better to defeat it and get back to the rest of your defense as quickly as possible.
Q: Would someone who wrote a bad thesis and defeated a large snake get the same grade as someone who wrote a good thesis and defeated a small snake?
A: Yes.
Q: So then couldn’t you just fight a snake in lieu of actually writing a thesis?
A: Technically, yes. But in that case the snake would be very big. Very big, indeed.
Q: Could the snake kill me?
A: That almost never happens. But if you’re worried, just make sure that you write a good thesis.
Q: Why do I have to do this?
A: Snake fighting is one of the great traditions of higher education. It may seem somewhat antiquated and silly, like the robes we wear at graduation, but fighting a snake is an important part of the history and culture of every reputable university. Almost everyone with an advanced degree has gone through this process. Notable figures such as John Foster Dulles, Philip Roth, and Doris Kearns Goodwin (to name but a few) have all had to defeat at least one snake in single combat.
Q: This whole snake thing is just a metaphor, right?
A: I assure you, the snakes are very real.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Summer Boot Camp 2012 ... last day!
What?!! It's over? ....
Phew.... I made it.
On Day 2, the five days ahead of us stretched out. Day 4 ... time began sprinting.
And suddenly we find ourselves at the end of this glorious week at Grove House.
We're sorry it's over. But it's a good stopping place.
(notice we're not talking about endings ... because this goes on).
We're ready to decompress over the weekend, easing back into messy reality with our multiple roles and responsibilities, unpredictability, and, always, a little chaos at the edges. But we hope with the strategies we've gleaned through the practice and reflection this week, and through the exchange of insights and ideas in break-time and reflection conversations, we are equipped to re-enter our lives with new patterns of action for getting work done.
Phew.... I made it.
On Day 2, the five days ahead of us stretched out. Day 4 ... time began sprinting.
And suddenly we find ourselves at the end of this glorious week at Grove House.
We're sorry it's over. But it's a good stopping place.
(notice we're not talking about endings ... because this goes on).
We're ready to decompress over the weekend, easing back into messy reality with our multiple roles and responsibilities, unpredictability, and, always, a little chaos at the edges. But we hope with the strategies we've gleaned through the practice and reflection this week, and through the exchange of insights and ideas in break-time and reflection conversations, we are equipped to re-enter our lives with new patterns of action for getting work done.
Lessons learned:
be kind to yourself
write in small chunks
stop
.... and breathe
keep writing
take breaks
laugh a lot
talk about your work
eat beautiful colourful food
keep writing
reflect and sharpen your practice
find your full-throated scholarly voice
keep writing...
THANK YOU TO OUR FABULOUS GROVE HOUSE CREW!!
for the nutritious, delicious food
so beautifully made and presented
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