Choose Your Own Dissertation

<center> **Choose Your Own Adventure- It's Your PhD!**</center> <center> Swipe right for YES! Sign me up for academia! </center> <center> Swipe left for Nope- I'm not about uncertainty and adventures. </center> <center> *Disclaimer: There is no guarantee that an employer will swipe right for you.</center> <center> [[Begin]]</center> <center> (use the arrows on the left side to navigate) </center>

[[So you need to publish.]]

[[OK! So you'll need to know what type of job you want after the PhD]]

[[Great! The dissertation process is an opportunity to explore what a hybrid career can mean.]]

Great! No need to make decisions now, but as you progress ask yourself: - What types of work do I find most enjoyable? - Do I like reading, making, or communicating to others? (Or all three?) - What types of working conditions do I thrive in? - Who have I met who inspires me? - What type of work/life balance do I want to maintain? [[Start by talking to graduates who pursued a similar path in your field.]]

[[And teach.]]

[[And participate in some departmental and/or university service.]]

[[But that doesn't mean your dissertation has to fit into a narrow box!]]

[[What does your dream dissertation look like?]]

To help you imagine, here are some examples of dissertations that are beyond the traditional monograph: <html><a href="http://theresisters.org">The Resisters</a></html> An alternate reality game based on archival research designed by Alexandrina Agloro and teen co-designers about social movement history in Providence, RI. <html><a href="http://mappingartsproject.org/miami/">Mapping Arts Miami</a></html> An interactive map that charts Miami’s cultural arts history from the 1920s through the 1950s created by Laura Stein Pardo. <html><a href="http://spinweaveandcut.blogspot.com/2014/10/unflattening-harvard-upress.html">Unflattening</a></html> A graphic novel illustrated by Nick Sousanis about the ways humans construct knowledge. <html><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Linden-Documentary-Project/580941935299089">Linden Documentary Project</a></html> Melissa Crum worked with Linden McKinley STEM Academy in Columbus, Ohio towards a both a more traditional research dissertation in arts education as well as the Linden Documentary Project to create a documentary with students at the school.

[[What do you want to learn/experience from your dissertation process?]]

[[Start by talking to graduates who pursued a similar path in your field.]] What skills did they find helpful? How did they design their project? [[Remember]]

It may make sense to start with a community partner, lab, or NGO to collaborate with, because this will necessitate "real world" problem solving skills and show that you can design research that answers or addresses certain institutional needs. [[What does your dream dissertation look like?]]

The dissertation is something you should be excited about! Don't sacrifice your interest for sake of skill-building. Remember, you will need to love this project today, tomorrow, next month, next year, and possibly the year about that. Choose something that matters to you. So- [[What does your dream dissertation look like?]]

[[I want it to be over as soon as possible so I can get back into the real world.]] [[I have so many questions about the world! This is an opportunity to pursue one in-depth.]] [[I want to explore new skills- maybe even find something that will become important in my future professional life.]] [[I want to meet interesting people in jobs I could potentially pursue.]]

Then choose your dissertation topic wisely. Consider your methodology. Select a project where the data collection process is as streamlined as possible. With these thoughtful constraints, [[What does your dream dissertation look like?]]

What matters to you? What are your passions? [[What does your dream dissertation look like?]]

What matters to you? What are your passions? Try out some new skills- maybe that one additional outside of class project that you just didn't have time for during your coursework. It's okay if you decide you don't like it or want to spend more time on that skill or idea. [[What does your dream dissertation look like?]]

Then you need a dissertation that will put you in the world! Plan to partner with an organization, lab, or NGO that will give you exposure to the kinds of people and jobs you're looking for. [[What does your dream dissertation look like?]]

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Congratulations! You've decided to earn your PhD. It will be a fulfilling adventure, full of highs and lows. You're going to need a dissertation as the culminating masterpiece of your degree. An important question to ask yourself early in this process (and this answer can change often): <center style="padding:1em; border: 1px solid white;"> WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF YOUR DISSERTATION? </center> [[I want a tenure-track academic job!]] [[I want industry training for a non-academic career!]] [[I'm intrigued by an academic job, but want to incorporate a more hybrid approach.]] [[I just love learning, so I'm figuring the rest out.]]