Doctoral candidates progressing through their dissertation capstone requires not only research and scholarly support, but also engagement towards supporting the doctoral candidate's metamorphosis from a student to a member of the academy, from an agentic social cognitive transformation, from a product developed through the coursework experiences towards a triumphant specialist displaying command over the knowledge base through the display of the dissertation attainment success. The support structure delineated within this discussion reflects the following 10 “C”s: corroborating clarity, championing communication,; championing self-regulation, completing calendar timetables, categorizing priorities, continuous motivation, carrying cognitive load concerns, conquering frustration, cognitive vulnerability, and correcting plagiaristic tendencies.
TopIntroduction
Every academic has successfully progressed through their doctoral studies, towards achieving doctoral candidacy and then overcoming the masochistic hurdle of the doctoral capstone experience. The dreaded dissertation. How do some doctoral candidates successfully complete their dissertation, while so many other doctoral candidates remain embedded in the attained “all but dissertation” status? So many of the doctoral candidates caught in the recursive “all but dissertation status may then either choose to leave the doctoral program of study or are exiled due to the timing deadlines.
The doctoral candidate is excitedly looking towards the ultimate achievement of the doctoral program, around achieving one’s doctoral capstone success and completing all requirements towards earning their doctorate and the official hooding during the graduation walk across the stage. Yet amongst the obvious efforts associated with the process, there are several aspects that can be embedded and highlighted throughout the doctoral capstone dissertation process.
This discussion highlights the doctoral candidate’s successful progression forward. Perhaps this progression is most easily highlighted through the project management mantra, to plan the work and work the plan. The landscape of continuing over the humps and hurdles may be metaphorically reflected as the realistic implicit and explicit insecurities and issues that arise, and that most doctoral candidates come up against. Setting a strong baseline of expectation quite early in the process must be overcome and achieved towards successful completion.
Towards a forward-looking support structure, enhancing the potential for doctoral student success and towards progression to overcome implicit and explicit insecurities or traps that may ensnare the doctoral student and hinder one’s doctoral capstone success, there are ten “C”s that may be clearly articulated as worthy of focus and endeavor to achieve:
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Corroborating Clarity
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Championing Communication
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Championing Self-Regulation
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Completing Calendar Timetables
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Categorizing Priorities
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Continuous Motivation
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Carrying Cognitive Load Concerns
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Conquering Frustration
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Cognitive Vulnerability
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Correcting Plagiaristic Tendencies
Each of these elements must be integrated towards the doctoral candidate’s doctoral capstone success, as the lack of scheduling, deadlines, and external timetable rigor can entangle the doctoral candidate in side journeys that lead the journey astray. Throughout the discussion, an elaboration of each of the ten “C”s will occur, while also offering suggestions towards implementing support structures towards doctoral candidate success during the doctoral capstone journey.