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Wednesdays - 1:30 PM
MU 107
Dissertation Writing Seminar
Williams, Carolyn
This seminar is designed for students who are well launched on their dissertations. My aim is to keep you on track to complete a dissertation chapter over the course of Spring 2025, but also to offer a forum in which we discuss forms of dissertations -- and work to improve our writing and our writing processes. No topic related to writing will be off the table.
Students will circulate at least two significant pieces of writing to their peers: a chunk of 10-20 pages (or more) some time before Spring Break, and a draft chapter before the end of the semester.
If you could submit your dissertation proposal to me before the semester starts (at the email address above), I would be grateful. If your proposal no longer seems current to you, please submit it anyway (just to me) and explain what has changed. No doubt you’ll repeat part of this information in our first meeting (when we do introductions), but it would still help for me to have it ahead of time so that I can begin to think about it.
Please also indicate to me by January 15, 2025, if you have writing already ready for feedback (and therefore you wouldn’t mind “going” as a workshop subject early in the semester).
We will read a few dissertation abstracts and first book chapters. Additional readings will be assigned as the need arises and the spirit moves. I have a few in mind that have to do some with style and some with time management. I promise not to overburden you with these! (I can always describe some helpful readings that you won’t be required to read.) Most of our work together will take place in a workshop format, with the focus on your writing.
Students must be willing to offer thoughtful, constructive feedback to one another on a weekly basis. I will give some tips about this, and we will discuss this together. Each time you submit your writing, you may also suggest (if you wish) what kind of feedback you would find most useful (anything from an overview of your argument’s structure and sequence to suggestions for better terminology or re-wording).
All writing must be uploaded onto our CANVAS site by Friday noon (before our Wednesday class) in order to give colleagues enough time to read and think about your drafts.
Jan. 22: Introductions of ourselves. Then: What is a dissertation? How long is a chapter?
The remainder of the syllabus will be determined after this first meeting.