There are many milestones throughout the process of earning a Ph.D. One of the most significant is becoming “ABD” which is academic shorthand for “all but dissertation.” This stage is also sometimes referred to as PhD.abd.

A dissertation is a complex document with many moving parts. Several theories and concepts are likely to inform the argument you make in your dissertation, which will draw on many ideas to support the viability of your hypothesis. The conceptual framework is an essential part of your dissertation, one that will shape the focus of your research. 

For most graduate students, the dissertation proposal is a huge milestone on the journey to completing a doctorate. The proposal serves as an in-depth exploration of the question that is the driving force of your research. Writing the proposal offers an opportunity to expand upon the initial ideas explored in the dissertation prospectus at length, and also to set the stage for the research you’ll be completing in your dissertation project. 

For most doctoral candidates, the dissertation defense is the light at the end of the tunnel, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. After years of hard work and sacrifice, a matter of hours stands between you and the title you will hold for the rest of your life. By this point in your doctoral journey, the path ahead should be clear, right? Not so fast. 

Writing a dissertation is an emotional journey as well as a scholarly one. Thousands of people have navigated the treacherous path of the doctoral student and chronicled their journey.

But these aren’t the old days of lengthy journal entries (plus, who wants to write more after they’ve forced themselves to write all day?). This is 2020, and today, we make memes.

The Purpose of the Study is perhaps the single most important sentence in your dissertation. In conjunction with the Problem Statement, it guides the focus of your research. Your research questions, methodology, and data analysis are all guided by the purpose of the study.

The road to earning a Ph.D. is long and arduous, but you probably didn’t walk it alone. Though writing a dissertation can feel like a solitary pursuit, when you look back on it you’ll see there are many people who supported you along the way. The dissertation acknowledgements page is a great place to thank those who helped you on your Ph.D. journey. Here are some people you may want to include.

There are as many reasons for not completing a dissertation as there are people who live with the regret of not pushing through. In this article, you’ll find our tips for avoiding permanent All But Dissertation status and finishing your degree.