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University of Pennsylvania Ethnography Conference
(Center for Urban Ethnography, Graduate School of Education, University of
Pennsylvania, 3700 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; http://
www.gse.upenn.edu/cue)
The University of Pennsylvania convenes an annual conference on
ethnography which usually takes place in February or March. At this time in
addition to formal plenary sessions, the doctoral students and experienced
researchers present “works in progress” and inquiries about data analysis. The
sessions are led by respected researchers who, along with the assembled
participants, provide useful and friendly feedback. At lunch, in between sessions,
at dinner and breakfast, conversations started during sessions are continued. A
book of “Abstracts” of paper presentations is published along with this event.
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
(1111 West Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801 USA; )
There are three activities sponsored by NCTE which are particularly
focused on doctoral students.

• At the annual conference (usually held in November), the Doctoral Assembly
meets. This is a small group of students from universities across the nation
who are typically working on dissertations addressing issues of language,
literacy, and/or learning. The group consists mainly of doctoral students, but
there is usually at least one person with degree in hand who offers additional
information and alternative perspectives not typically available to the students.
There is a newsletter which is sponsored by this group. Their informal
gatherings enable participants to share general concerns while also creating
the opportunity for small group talk about precise research issues. They also
network about job prospects at this meeting. Membership of the Doctoral
Assembly is approximately $10 per year.
• At the NCTE Spring Conference (usually held in March or April), the

Ramon Veal Seminar is an all-day conference within a conference. In
advance of the seminar, current doctoral students as well as doctoral
advisors and current researchers submit brief statements about their
research and the issues they would like the group to help them address.
There is no separate membership in the Ramon Veal Seminar. Participants
do, however, pay for the cost of duplicating the packet of materials
delivered in advance of the conference, frequently returning on an annual
basis, attending from early on in their doctoral studies and continuing after
completing the dissertation. Membership of the NCTE is available with
reduced rates for students. Publications include Research in the Teaching
of English (RTE), English Education (EE), College Composition and
Communication (CCC), Language Arts (LA), English Journal (EJ), and
College English (CE).
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• The annual weekend conference in February sponsored by the Research
Assembly limits attendance to approximately 150 participants who offer
presentations and small group discussions of research projects and
processes. In addition to several presentations by well-known researchers,
there is also the opportunity for doctoral students to get advice from other
doctoral students and experienced researchers at this event.
Teacher researcher/teacher conversation groups
Growing numbers of experienced teachers are creating “grass roots” groups
discussing research. These groups are another useful resource since all participants
are working on developing research projects, going through the same academic
procedures as doctoral students go through in their dissertation research. Many of
these groups are affiliated with local National Writing Project sites. Others are
independent, initiated by a group of like-minded professionals who meet in each
other’s homes and work towards contributing to the school reform conversations.
Many of these have established web sites, making it convenient for researchers to

communicate frequently. Addresses are listed below for your convenience:
AERA Special Interest Group—Teacher as Researcher
c/o American Educational Research Association
1230 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
International Conference on Teacher Research
Bishop’s University, School of Education
Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada J1M 1V7
Re-Thinking Schools
1001 East Keefe Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53212, USA

There are many opportunities for doctoral students to reach out to others for
emotional and academic support. Informal networks are sometimes more influential
than the formal ones established at universities. Along with providing additional
perspectives, doctoral students travel to conferences, preparing for professional
lives as conference attendees and presenters while increasing their familiarity with
life in other cities. When you look beyond your dissertation committee, you will
discover a rich and enthusiastic mix of new colleagues to meet worldwide.
By drawing on the combined expertise of your dissertation committee along
with student-colleagues, other university resources, colleagues at professional
conferences, and on e-mail, you will have access to a broad range of perspectives
which will facilitate the completion of your doctoral dissertation. You will also
have the support of professional colleagues, which you may reciprocate. There is
a large community of researchers to join. Welcome! Enjoy it!

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9 Developing a Productive Setting


I learned to trust my instincts—to trust my ability to infer what is behind a

person’s words, actions, or at least my ability to propose a few possibilities for
explaining their words, actions, etc.
As I wrote my dissertation, I learned to appreciate the questioner within myself.
It helped me move beyond the obvious and to work through the blocks as I
investigated and analyzed my data. I also saw how important my goal-setting
skills are when I want to complete something. I learned to have a thicker skin
when receiving advice from a mentor. I learned to look beyond the logical for
anomalies and patterns. I learned pacing and I learned to write succinctly so
that the message is clear and powerful to the reader. Most importantly, I learned
I am a writer.

As a doctoral student, you need consciously to create supportive settings
which will contribute to your success. Your own mind-set, along with those
of your family and colleagues at work, contributes significantly to your
success. Fortunate students find themselves in a community of academically
oriented folk, celebrated for their willingness to take on the challenges and
the responsibilities of a doctoral program.
Part-time students, in particular, are surprised when their announced
decision to pursue a doctoral degree is met with little enthusiasm by their
friends, colleagues, and family. There may be many reasons for this
phenomenon, such as jealousy, competition, and mystification. People at
home or at work may be envious of your ambition. They may wish they had
qualities which they ascribe to those who enroll in doctoral programs:
intelligence, energy, confidence, time, and money. They may believe you are
being selfish. Most frequently, with no idea what it means to be in a doctoral
program, they may be reluctant to admit their lack of understanding, and
instead convey an attitude of not caring.
People look on you differently when you become a doctoral student. This
is as true at your workplace as at home. Some consider your being in a
doctoral program a wonderful accomplishment; for others it is a threat. Find

the ones who will support you. Protect yourself from the others.
If few people in your everyday life are enthusiastic about your decision,
you need to accept this fact and find settings which offer support, while
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80
acknowledging the possibility that you might need to go the road alone. If
you are dependent on the emotional and/or financial support of others, you
will need to attend to this immediately. Some options include:

• finding a way to garner support with at least one friend;
• resolving to be strong and independent; or
• changing your mind, at least temporarily, until you can obtain the support
you require.

There are a multitude of settings where you can find support. We will focus
on you, your family, and your job, starting with you in your role as doctoral
student.
The Doctoral Student’s Mind-set
Because the writing of a dissertation takes so much time, and because it inevitably
changes the ways and/or times in which you interact with friends, colleagues, and
relatives, a clear decision to commit to the writing of the dissertation is essential.
The first crucial ingredient in your success is being personally committed to
completing your dissertation. This commitment may take several forms. You may
feel a “personal attachment…towards the project,” or have a “personal belief in
myself—that what I’m doing is important and good and of value to myself and
others,” or you might find that others are “valuing my ideas” or that you have a
“passionate desire to know the answer to a research question.”
1
An additional element in the decision is that it will be “worth it.” Those
who have gone through the process warn: “Don’t write a thesis unless you’re

absolutely sure that you’re ready for the sacrifice it involves;” “It totally takes
over your life and interferes with all your choices;” I did not realize “how
physically and mentally exhausting it is.” A doctoral student must have a
strong positive response to the inquiry “Do I really want it?” In the mind of
each doctoral student, the benefits have to exceed the drawbacks.
Having a personal commitment, a will to succeed, is necessary, but not
sufficient. You will also need the strength to endure the many potential
difficulties you will encounter as you progress in writing your dissertation.
Along with your personal resolve, you will need effective organization skills,
sufficient financial resources, time, and an intellectual inquisitiveness.
Some Essential Qualities
Being a self-starter and having self-discipline are crucial characteristics of
doctoral graduates. After succeeding in courses and examinations at
institutionally established times, the doctoral student is required to become
virtually an independent learner. Dissertation writing is consistently
experienced as an isolating activity. Each person progresses at a different rate,
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81
studying a different topic, and collaborating with a different doctoral
committee. Each student has the responsibility for scheduling independent
meetings during professors’ office hours.
Concurrent with inventorying your personal qualities, resolve to minimize
changes in your life which may influence the progress you make on your
dissertation. For example, defer moving to a new geographic setting or accepting
more demanding responsibilities at work, to enable you to dedicate your energies
to accomplishing this one project. Frequently, students have difficulty in saying
“No” to new work opportunities. When this happens, usually the dissertation gets
placed on the back-burner while major energy is invested in a new project.
Your dissertation will only get written when you make it your number one
priority, deferring activities to after you have completed your dissertation.

But, you need not become a hermit. Successful doctoral students find ways
to balance their dissertation work with other activities. They hop between and
among many worlds, but always keep the writing of the dissertation as
paramount in their minds, as apparent in their allocation of time.
Effective management and organizational skills are essential. Doctoral
students and faculty highlighted five essential characteristics of successful
students. These are listed below and presented graphically in Figure 9.1.

•Be goal-directed.
• Organize your time to meet your goal.
• Assure your financial resources to meet your goal.
• Establish a scholarly attitude to continuing your learning in the process of
meeting your goal.
• Create a supportive setting to facilitate your achieving your goal.

These points offer specific advice which may be useful for your own
strategizing.
Be goal-directed
Know what you want to accomplish. You may choose a pragmatic approach,
determining to write an “acceptable dissertation,” or you may choose a more
demanding one, aiming to accomplish at least two objectives simultaneously. You
may see your dissertation as an opportunity to make a significant contribution to
your field, and/or you may view your dissertation as a vehicle which will move
your career along, providing a credential with expertise in a particular field. It is
important to know what you want to accomplish as you establish the support
system essential to achieving your goal. Be sure to keep your goals realistic; start
small, if necessary. Don’t set yourself up for failure.
Being goal-directed, you are tenacious, dedicated to accomplishing your
dream. Keep on working until your dream is achieved. Self-discipline is
essential. If you make a commitment to yourself to work on your dissertation

every morning from 5 to 7 am, fulfill your promise. “Personal circumstances