50% of students in a thesis or dissertation program fail to complete because of difficulties with the writing process. This slideshare identifies the issues and provides strategies supervisors can use to assist students to finish. The main problem is the lack of recognition that graduates need to UNlearn successful term paper strategies to learn the new skills required to undertake a sustained piece of writing.

1. Supporting Graduate Writing
in a Thesis or Dissertation
Robert Runté, PhD
University of Lethbridge, 2018

2. Robert Runté, PhD
• Senior Editor, EssentialEdits.ca
(Lethbridge editing co-op)
• Senior Editor, Five Rivers Publishing
(small Canadian press, based in Ontario)
• Associate Professor, Faculty of Education,
University of Lethbridge (retd)
Presenter: Robert Runté, PhD

3. Background: What’s the Issue?
50% of thesis-route students do not complete
• figures basically same for Masters & PhDs
• rate has not changed in over 50 years
• graduation rates may have improved in some programs by moving to non-
thesis Masters and ‘sandwich’ dissertations for PhDs

4. Background: What’s the Issue?
50% non-completion rate is appalling
Either
• graduate program recruitment/selection process is failing to identify
appropriate candidates
or
• there is a structural problem with supervision

5. Background: What’s the Issue?
85% of those who fail to complete
• dropout after having already successfully completing course work,
proposal acceptance, data collection, and analysis
• fail to complete after 8-9 semesters; often after 8 or 9 years in the
program

6. Background: What’s the Issue?
leaving empty-handed after years in the program is
devastating to students’
• careers
• finances (tuition/foregone earnings)
• self-image

7. Background: Most Cited Causes
• running out of money after multiple years in the program
• running out of energy (burnout) after multiple years in
program
• life events (new baby, new job) prevent completion

8. S.K. Gardner 2008
Students blame faculty; faculty blame students

9. The problem is writing the thesis
• 85% of those who do not complete stumble at writing stage
• none of the research on failure to complete looks at writing as the
problem
• students and supervisors both ASSUME writing is not an issue
• Writing IS the issue because sustained writing is new and different

10. What’s the issue?
Why do students struggle with
writing their thesis/dissertation?

11. Why graduate students
need support for writing
• “writing” at graduate level is not about literacy, but
about writing strategies
• Graduate students have to unlearn successful
undergraduate writing strategies to become
successful thesis writers

12. Sustained Writing
Different Than Undergraduate Writing
Undergraduate Term Paper Sustained Writing
Short length and short duration
• short enough to rehearse, draft,
and manage in head
• short enough to first draft in
one or two nights
Sustained
• too long and complicated to be
kept in head
• too long and complicated to be
complete in single session;
requires minimum of months,
perhaps years

13. Sustained Writing
Different Than Undergraduate Writing
Undergraduate Term Paper Sustained Writing
Low Stakes
• topics assigned by prof; student
commitment to topic remains low
• only one of several assignments for a
course; course just one of several
courses
• marker only audience; little likelihood
of public embarrassment
High Stakes
• grads choose research topics that
matters a great deal to them
• entire degree program at stake; a one
shot deal
• not just advisor and committee;
manuscript to be publically
distributed for everyone to read

14. Sustained Writing
Different Than Undergraduate Writing
Undergraduate Term Paper Sustained Writing
Structure rewards those who are:
• best first draft writers
• capable of churning out multitude of
mindless, superficial papers
• detached and cynical enough to give
prof what s/he wants
Structure rewards those who are:
• best at rewriting
• capable of methodical planning and
execution of single thoughtful project
• obsessed

15. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
Sits down to write just like any other paper . . .
. . .but scale is overwhelming
• too big to know where to start, how all the pieces fit
together
• too big to hold it all in their brain at once – feel stupid when
forget this or that bit that slips out of consciousness

16. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
students seldom see others writing, so assume
(incorrectly) writing just flows easily for everyone else
• they don’t understand it’s torture for everyone
• they don’t understand everyone’s first draft sucks

17. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
compare their first draft with published work of others
(i.e., draft #15) and feel inadequate

18. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
often believe first draft is their thesis
• first draft feels inadequate, so afraid to hand into supervisor
• stall, delay, miss deadlines because know it is still too rough
• Undergraduate experience sets them up to view supervisor
as one-shot marker
• don’t understand that supervisor is there to help with next draft

19. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
OR first draft is done, so they believe they are done
• receive constructive feedback from supervisor as rejection
• feel inadequate, failure, give up, stall out – “I tried, supervisor rejected”
• they don’t understand first draft always first of many
• reject any feedback because they have finished the thesis
• undergraduate experience has not prepared them for multiple drafts
• they’ve finished a complete draft, so why aren’t they done yet?

20. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
first draft is done, so they believe thesis is done
• reject feedback from supervisor as too demanding, unreasonable
standards (jerk!)
• undergraduate experience has not prepared them for revision as a step
• asking for a re-do of undergrad assignment = complete rejection of
paper (it was so bad, letting you try over), or insane professor
– graduate students don’t understand that thesis is inherently different process

21. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
do not understand that first drafts are supposed to be rough
• that one produces rough drafts to seek input/feedback from
supervisor (and committee)
• supervisor is not a marker, but an advisor—there to help, not
judge
• that supervisor’s advice can save hundreds of hours of false starts
and dead ends; the earlier the intervention, the more helpful

22. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
do not understand that first drafts are supposed to be rough
•that one explores, goes deeper, makes
discoveries by writing

23. student experience of thesis is
often. . .wrong
Thesis-writing is a sustained process, requires several
iterations

24. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
having finished first draft, are often extremely resistant to
making suggested changes
• make more work for themselves trying to save current wording
rather than revising or starting over from scratch
• resist any change to their argument, ideas – see suggestions as
supervisor interference rather than helpful advice

25. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
Don’t understand that
re-writing is more than re-wording
student confuses rewording for rewriting
• supervisors advice often requires student to re-conceptualize, not
just reword

26. Rewriting is more than just rewording

27. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
re-writing is more than re-wording
•student frustration increases as repeatedly
resubmits reworded chapters, which
supervisor repeatedly rejects
• student concludes supervisor is impossible to satisfy

28. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
re-writing is more than re-wording
• supervisor frustration increases as repeatedly has
to re-read resubmitted but essentially unchanged
chapters
• concludes student not capable of making required
changes
• concludes will have to fail student (or let student run
out of time)

29. student experience of thesis writing
is often. . .wrong
when a colleague says a student is incapable
(even though they have successfully gotten to
thesis stage)
or a student says a colleague is impossible to
satisfy
usually reflects missing metacognition that

30. Writing problems can be avoided
Supervisors can
•avoid negative evaluations from students
•avoid failing or having students drop out
by simply educating students on the re-writing process
before they start

31. Solving the problem
What supervisors can do

32. Writing problems can be avoided
Before they start writing, explain that sustained writing is
• different than undergraduate writing – that they have to unlearn
old strategies
• an iterative process
• that rewriting often requires reconceptualization and structural
change, not just rewording
• that they are not alone—you are there to support their writing as
much as you supported their research

33. Writing problems can be avoided
Start by having them read:
“Writing Strategies for Theses
and Dissertations”
that explains all these points.
Free 32-page Guide from
EssentialEdits.ca/thesisStrategies.pdf

34. Recognize that there is more to
writing process than writing
angst is a natural part of the process

35. The Nature of Research Writing
A long and difficult enquiry has the character of a venture
which comprehensively engages the self of the enquirer.
Anxiety is frequently the prevailing mood, and confusion,
dead ends, disappointments, lack of inspiration, and lack of
energy combine to generate wretchedness.

36. The Nature of Research Writing
On the other hand, insights occur unexpectedly, ways open
up where there had seemed to be no way, things which had
seemed disparate fall together, and so on.

37. The Nature of Research Writing
Disagreeable experiences probably occupy more of the total
time of the enquiry than agreeable experiences, and on
reflection, it is often hard to believe that their intensity
was less.
• R. K. Elliot "Education and Justification", Proceedings of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great
Britain Vol. XI (July, 1977).

38. Dealing with student
angst
supervisor has to support student
through writing process
• sustained writing NOT a skill students come with;
something we have to consciously & explicitly teach
• each discipline / paradigm has different style / culture
of writing; our responsibility to socialize grad students
into that specific writing culture

39. Dealing with student
angst
supervisor has to support student
throughout writing process
• colleagues who complain about “hand-holding” miss that
there is more to writing process than writing
• learning to manage angst /sustained writing is arguably
key life-skill that writing a thesis teaches
• coaching writing skills is key responsibility of thesis
supervisors (and/or committee members)

40. Dealing with student
angst
organize students into support
groups
fellow grad students
• going through same process: a shared
misery
• going through same process: tips, shared
learning
• reading similar literature – can share insights
• critique groups – can peer-review before advisor/-
committee see; can help interpret advisor advice

41. Dealing with student
angst
if supervisor not comfortable coaching
writing process / time management skills,
etc.:
•appoint a writing coach to thesis committee
(just as one would a stats person, or any other subject expert, etc.)

42. Dealing with student
angst
if supervisor not comfortable coaching writing
/ time management skills, etc.,
send student to
• university writing centre for free tutoring
• support group for critiques swaps
• private tutors/coaches/editors (e.g., Editors
Association of Canada has Ethical Guidelines for
thesis editing)

43. Student strategies for
dealing with angst
Have students identify their individual issues,
then post motivational sayings above their
work stations
corny, but we are addressing subconscious here
(works for about 50% of students)

44. If their issue is keeping to deadlines:
• post the deadline
DUE 3:30 PM FRIDAY
NO Extensions! No Alternative!
(okay to make up fake deadlines for procrastinators)

45. Slogans for
coping with deadline panic / perfectionism
SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING
(Better to make a few major points than fail everything)

46. Slogans for
coping with deadline panic
IT IS A MANAGEABLE TASK
Just need enough for next meeting to keep going.

47. Slogans to
stop perfectionism / obsessive rewriting
DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT
Think of typical [rival paradigm]* thesis.
*(insert own prejudices about rival programs here)
==================================================================================
Much of the thesis is really good,
so occasional weaker bit is okay.

48. Slogans to
stop obsessive rewriting / perfectionism
Give the committee something
to tell you to fix
=
=================================================================================
Doesn't even have to be good.
Get degree, then publish good stuff later.

49. Slogans for
when a student is stuck/indecisive on wording:
WHAT AM I TRYING TO SAY?
If I can tell [spouse/parent/friend] in an hour,
I can type it up in four hours.
If I can’t decide which of two approaches is best,
it is because either will do.

50. Slogans to
keep thesis within practical limits
KISS:
Keep It Simple Stupid
=
=====================================================================================
KEEP IT BRIEF! Think minimalist.
=====================================================================================
Start with MOST important points, add others later as time
permits.
=====================================================================================
Leave something for rest of your career!

51. Addressing writing process
Recognize that
blank-page
syndrome
writer’s block, and
procrastination,
are universal Staring at the screen so long it stares back

52. Addressing writing
process
Students seldom see others
writing, so assume everyone else’s
writing proceeds fluently,
smoothly, efficiently
Students’ undergraduate
experiences may have been that
writing process was relatively
straight forward.
Students therefore experience
blank-page syndrome, writer’s
block, and procrastination as
• new
• personal failure: not applying
themselves enough
• personal failure: now reached
the limits of their ability
• terrifying

53. Addressing blank-page
syndrome
Natalie Goldberg style
warm-up exercises
Writing Down the Bones:
Freeing the Writer Within
(Helps about 30% of thesis writers)

54. Addressing blank-page
syndrome
• students input data, quotations, references as they go, using Word’s
outline function (on view menu)
• when starting a new section, dump raw material into Word file:
suddenly page no longer blank—now requires ‘editing’ rather than
‘writing’
• use John Morley’s Academic Phrasebank to write transitions between
points in outline (http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/)
• Microsoft Word practically writes the paper for them

55. Addressing writer’s block
stop on the clock. . .
. . .not on a block

56. Addressing writer’s block
Can’t expect output
without input
•read in field (but not
obsessively! ) 
•bounce ideas off grad
support group
The simple way to avoid
the stomach-churning
agony of having to
finishing your thesis: read
another book—repeat as
necessary.
—Matt Groening

57. Addressing
procrastination
have them view NFB short:
Getting Started
• know when to force
themselves to grind away at
problem areas
• and know when to recharge
themselves

58. Most important thing. . .
• validate that writing is hard
• validate that writing a thesis/dissertation is different
• will require time to master these new skills
• validate that the purpose of doing a thesis is to learn new skills
-the process of doing a thesis is more important than the product
-learning to undertake and complete sustained piece of writing is as challenging
and rewarding as mastering research techniques, and a useful life-long skill
• validate that they can be successful if they understand the need for
new skills, and put the effort into mastering them
-

59. forewarned is forearmed
Free 32 page Guide for
Graduate Students
EssentialEdits.ca/ThesisStrategies.pdf

60. EssentialEdits.ca Dr.Runte@gmail.com
• Available to speak to your grad
class or grad student support
group
• Available for consultations with
or about students who are
stalled writing their thesis or
dissertation
• Available for coaching faculty
writing