Assignment 2: Interview Doctoral Researchers
Part I:
During this course, you have begun to understand that a dissertation is a multifaceted research project. Possibly you have heard of the term ABD (all but dissertation). There is a sizeable number of doctoral students who have completed their coursework, passed their comprehensive examinations, but never have completed their dissertations.
You may wonder how this might happen. For example, were these students who did not complete their dissertations really scholarly impostors who did not possess sufficient knowledge and skills? What can you do to avoid this?
This assignment requires you to interview two researchers who have completed major research projects or to interview two people who have successfully completed doctoral programs.
Your goal in this assignment is to discover the following:
What assisted your interviewees in completing their major research projects or dissertations? What specific challenges did your interviewees experience? What specific recommendations do your interviewees have for successful completion?
Use the following guidelines as you conduct your interview to help you achieve these two goals:
Select individuals to interview that are not AUO faculty or staff members, as one purpose of this assignment is to broaden your perspectives regarding conducting doctoral research. Each interview should take 30–45 minutes, depending on how responsive your interviewees are. You may conduct your interviews in person or by phone. Prior to meeting your interviewees, develop 10–15 questions you will ask each person. It is important to ask the same questions to each person. The first question or two should probably help you understand the research topic and why the topic was of interest. How long did it take the interviewee from start to finish? What resources were required, such as technology, postage, and other costs? Another important area of information concerns the role of the committee chair and the committee members. Several questions should be asked to help you explore what assisted each person in completing the research or dissertation. Trying to understand the challenges each interviewee faced will also require several questions. As you conduct each interview, you may ask related questions to help you better understand each interviewee’s response, such as: “Could you give me a specific example of what you meant when you said …?” or “Could you provide a little more detail about …?” Toward the end of your interview, ask what recommendations each interviewee could provide to help you be successful in the completion of your dissertation. In order to capture the information from the interview, be prepared to take detailed notes. Some students even request permission to record their interviews so they can replay and listen to them to better understand the information provided by each interviewee.
Collate the information gathered from your interviews. Write a three- to four-page analysis comparing and contrasting the information from the two interviews. Consider the following as you write your paper:
Begin your paper with a brief description of each interviewee’s research or dissertation. If the interviewees want their names to be confidential, then provide a pseudonym for each. Your paper should be an analysis of the interviews, not just a summary of each specific question asked. At the end of your paper, be sure to explain what you have learned from this interview assignment that could be of assistance in your success, and to help you avoid ABD status. Attach your interview questionnaire to the end of your paper.
Part II:
Based on the information gathered during the two interviews and your analysis of the information, you would have gleaned some key concepts or take aways from the interviews.
Once you have posted your interview analysis to the Assignment 3 drop box, use the Discussion Area provided below to discuss those key concepts that you generated through these interviews. Be sure to explain what you have learned from this interview assignment that could be of assistance in your success, and help you avoid becoming an ABD.
Review your peer submissions and respond to a minimum of two posts in a thoughtful manner.