At some point in the dissertation journey you have probably heard the saying, “A good dissertation is a done dissertation.  A great dissertation is a published dissertation.  A perfect dissertation is neither.”  This is 100% true, but what does it mean and how do you know when you have what they call a “done dissertation”?  How can it be done if it isn’t perfect? The simple answer is that no one else is expecting your research to change the world, and you should not expect this either. Research needs to be novel and it needs to be valid and reliable, but it does not need to be perfect. A doctoral dissertation needs to contribute new knowledge to the current body of literature and show that you can stand as an independent scholar.  It has to be completed and it has to be novel, but it is not meant to be earth-shattering in any way.  Here are ways to discern when you have what they call a “done dissertation.”

1. Remember to not get lost in your Dissertation Research

What are the parameters of your literature research? The literature is endless.  This is probably where we see students get lost in very, very deep rabbit holes.  Bottomless rabbit holes.  As you know, new literature comes out every day.  This means that your search could actually have no end.  Realistically though, you will have to “cap it” and include everything as of a certain date or you could literally be updating your literature review forever.  “Everything” is a tricky term here as well since there are volumes of books written on some topics. This means you have to set date boundaries around your search yet also set parameters around content. Parameters around content can be controlled by having a strong outline for your literature review, but parameters around what is considered recent is often not as clear or easy.  Most often, “recent” is based on when you defend your dissertation proposal.  However, there are schools or chairs that do want students to re-scan the literature when they complete their conclusion chapter to make sure they are accounting for any scholarly conversations or findings that have occurred since the time of their proposal.  It is best to ask your chair if this is necessary for your conclusion.

2. Assess what you want to accomplish with your Dissertation

What are your career goals? This will likely impact when your dissertation is “good enough.” If you are seeking a career in higher education your “uses” for the dissertation might be different than if you are just wanting to obtain your doctoral degree to advance in your current career or for the title. It is important to consider your career goals and how they impact your dissertation. Some students truly want to improve some area of policy or quality of life. In these cases, they really focus on the “so what” and how to practically use the information to improve some area of quality of life. If you are just after the doctor title or seeking to finish (this is perfectly fine, of course), then this might adjust your idea of “done” or “good enough.” Good enough may look like simply checking the boxes and getting the minimum done. However, we find that many students are very passionate about their topics and have a personal connection to their topics, so good enough is not the goal. In other words, think about what you want to get out of your dissertation. Is your goal to have actionable recommendations? Is it advancing knowledge on a specific topic? Or is just checking all the boxes to finish? We work with people with many different goals in completing their dissertation, and we find that this affects when the dissertation is considered good enough. In other words, we suggest thinking about what you really want to get out of the dissertation and what this means about when it is good enough.

3. Discern your chair/committee’s requirements – done dissertation

Next, we have to recognize that you are not the sole decider of when it is actually good enough. What is your chair/committee looking for?  It is likely that if you start over promising, your chair or committee will reign you back into reality. Your committee wants to keep your study realistic and feasible. If your committee is experienced, they should have a good idea of what is and isn’t within the scope of doctoral research. As your committee will be the ultimate signatories on when you have completed this element of your doctoral journey, you might want to consider having early and direct conversations with them about expectations and what they are looking for in your dissertation.

4. Decide on your timeline

What is your timeline? Timeline matters because some students have the flexibility and finances to take longer to complete their dissertation than others.  As a doctoral student in the dissertation phase, you are often on your own timeline. However, some students are trying to graduate in three or four years and others will take up to ten years or more to graduate. Your timeline might affect the way you approach or define what is good enough. If you are approaching hard deadlines, your quality might be reflective of the pressure that you are under.

5. Focus on the purpose of your Study

Perhaps most importantly, there is definitely a mental aspect here. Perfection often seems unattainable. It seems like something far away and likely very daunting. However, “good” has a different feel to it. It feels like there is an end to the process when you set realistic parameters around what to expect from yourself and what you are proposing to your committee. Therefore, our final advice is to focus on the purpose of your study, what you want from your study, and what your committee expects from your study — these expectations are important for understanding what it will take complete your dissertation and become Dr. You. Remember, a good dissertation is a done dissertation. That doesn’t mean you don’t work hard. Of course, you do! But don’t get stuck on trying to make chapter one perfect and never move on to chapter two. Write a draft of chapter one, then write a first draft of chapter two, and then go back and refine chapter one. Your dissertation will get better as you go back and refine it, but remember to not get lost in your dissertation research, assess what you want to accomplish with your dissertation, discern your chair/committee’s requirements, decide on your timeline, and focus on the purpose of your study. These five aspects will help you to discern when you have a “done dissertation”.