"A collection of the first five years of 'Piled Higher and Deeper,' a comic strip about life (or lack thereof) in graduate school, as it originally appeared in Stanford University's 'The Stanford Daily Newspaper' and online at phd.stanford.edu."--Amazon.com.

This engaging and highly regarded book takes readers through the key stages of their PhD research journey, from the initial ideas through to successful completion and publication. It gives helpful guidance on forming research questions, organising ideas, pulling together a final draft, handling the viva and getting published. Each chapter contains a wealth of practical suggestions and tips for readers to try out and adapt to their own research needs and disciplinary style. This text will be essential reading for PhD students and their supervisors in humanities, arts, social sciences, business, law, health and related disciplines.

Are you stuck in your PhD? Is progress imperceptible to the naked eye? You’re feeling overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done and there’s no clear path. The more you worry, the less work you get done; the less work that gets done, the more you worry: it’s a vicious cycle. With the help of this practical book, you’ll take a new approach to your thesis. I’ve coached thousands of PhD students through to the finish line. I also managed to complete my own PhD when it seemed vanishingly unlikely. Some people breeze through their PhD, knowing exactly what they’re doing and never giving their supervisor a moment’s worry. That probably isn’t you. For most of us it’s tough – that’s why relatively few people get to call themselves Doctor. It’s hard, but not impossible. I want to help make it possible for you. I’ll help you understand why you’re stuck and what you can do about it. By the end of the book, you’ll have the clarity and confidence you need to finish your PhD. Together we’ll create an action plan that’s right for you. Each chapter includes activities and downloadable resources. You won’t find anything about theory, methodologies, or epistemologies here. There are plenty of other books on how to write a PhD – this book is on how to finish it. Take a look at the outline below to see what we’ll cover. CONTENTS 1. What’s the Purpose of PhD? Why are you doing a PhD? (I’ll help you remember) What on earth is a thesis, anyway? How can you set some limits and avoid doing too much? 2. Getting Ready to Do Things Differently Forgetting the past and focusing on the future Adopting a growth mindset Overcoming imposter syndrome and defeating your inner critic 3. Making a Plan You’re the project manager! Who’s on your team? What needs to happen and when? Anticipating problems and solving them in advance Breaking everything down into more manageable chunks 4. Working with Your Supervisor What type of supervision do you need? Managing the supervisory relationship Resolving conflict Agreeing plans with your supervisor Soliciting effective feedback 5. Managing Competing Priorities Understanding your circle of control Managing your time effectively Saying no Choosing the best time to write Looking after your health 6. Becoming a More Productive Writer Protecting your writing time Finding the right place to work Improving focus and eliminating distractions Making writing easier for yourself Defeating procrastination 7. Building Routines and Keeping Going Meeting your monkey sidekick Creating startup and shutdown routines Developing good habits Measuring progress Avoiding perfectionism 8. Getting Ready for Submission Thinking about your examiners Breaking down the editing process How much time do you need for editing? Knowing when to stop Your submission checklist

The definitive career guide for grad students, adjuncts, post-docs and anyone else eager to get tenure or turn their Ph.D. into their ideal job Each year tens of thousands of students will, after years of hard work and enormous amounts of money, earn their Ph.D. And each year only a small percentage of them will land a job that justifies and rewards their investment. For every comfortably tenured professor or well-paid former academic, there are countless underpaid and overworked adjuncts, and many more who simply give up in frustration. Those who do make it share an important asset that separates them from the pack: they have a plan. They understand exactly what they need to do to set themselves up for success. They know what really moves the needle in academic job searches, how to avoid the all-too-common mistakes that sink so many of their peers, and how to decide when to point their Ph.D. toward other, non-academic options. Karen Kelsky has made it her mission to help readers join the select few who get the most out of their Ph.D. As a former tenured professor and department head who oversaw numerous academic job searches, she knows from experience exactly what gets an academic applicant a job. And as the creator of the popular and widely respected advice site The Professor is In, she has helped countless Ph.D.’s turn themselves into stronger applicants and land their dream careers. Now, for the first time ever, Karen has poured all her best advice into a single handy guide that addresses the most important issues facing any Ph.D., including: -When, where, and what to publish -Writing a foolproof grant application -Cultivating references and crafting the perfect CV -Acing the job talk and campus interview -Avoiding the adjunct trap -Making the leap to nonacademic work, when the time is right The Professor Is In addresses all of these issues, and many more.

The #2 Wall Street Journal bestseller! Everything you need to finally finish your doctorate Based on decades of experience working with thousands of doctoral candidates at Dissertation Editor, Dr. Allen Roda and Dr. Lauren Saunders deliver a comprehensive yet accessible guide filled with practical advice, illuminating stories, and hard-earned wisdom that will empower you to complete your dissertation and earn your degree. Breaking down the doctoral journey step-by-step, offering invaluable tips and resources along the way, PhDone is an essential tool for any doctoral candidate. Dr. Roda and Dr. Saunders demystify what a successful dissertation entails, detailing how to formulate your abstract, write your introduction, research your topic, and build a literature review. In PhDone, you’ll also learn how to: Choose and construct your methodology (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods) Develop research questions, conduct research, and obtain IRB approval Properly analyze results and formulate conclusions Master the process of revising, editing, and formatting Nail your defense and earn final approval In addition to outlining the technical components of a dissertation, PhDone provides recommendations for maintaining a schedule, establishing a productive workspace, and cultivating a work-life balance—integral to a successful PhD journey. Dr. Roda and Dr. Saunders share anecdotes and guidance on the many hurdles doctoral candidates face beyond writing the dissertation itself, including how to navigate dissertation committees, the potentially challenging advisor-advisee relationship, and more. Wherever you are in your doctoral journey, Dr. Roda and Dr. Saunders offer you the tools you need to conquer academia’s biggest challenge and get PhDone.

This engaging book not only offers step-by-step guidance on planning, writing, and defending a dissertation but also helps create a beginning-to-end process that is meaningful, rewarding, and exciting. Each chapter answers commonly asked questions, contains a checklist for each part of the dissertation, provides a summary of key points, and lists additional resources. Topics addressed include tips for staying motivated, time management, and self-care; selecting a dissertation committee and narrowing down the topic; writing a proposal; preparing the literature review; creating the problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions; understanding research methodology and ethics; collecting and analyzing data; presenting results; and best of all—publishing a dissertation. *Requests for digital versions from the ACA can be found on wiley.com. *To request print copies, please visit the ACA website here. *Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA should be directed to [email protected]

Grad school isn’t easy. It’s even less easy when you’re also managing a second job, a family, or depression—or when you are a first-generation student, or if you come from an underrepresented group or a lower socioeconomic-status background. Grad students are overworked, overstressed, and over it. Most grad school advice books focus on the professional side: finding funding, managing research and teaching, and applying for academic jobs. But students today face a difficult job market. Only a handful will obtain coveted tenure-track professorships, so they need alternative career prep. Plus, grad school is only one part of your life. And with an average age of 33 years, today’s students are juggling far more than school. That’s where this book comes in. It will help you keep up a personal life, make the most of your time, and prepare for your career—whether in academia or beyond. This pragmatic book explains how to persevere through the grad school long haul, covering challenges both on and off campus. It shares candid, specific advice on personal finances, mental health, setting your own learning and career goals, maintaining friendships and relationships, and more. Peppy, sensible, and smart, Grad School Life points out the pitfalls of academia and helps you build the life you want. With fresh insights, concrete suggestions and exercises, and helpful lists of resources, this book gives grad students a new roadmap for not only surviving but thriving—both in school and in the real world.