What exactly is a dissertation‪?‬ The Debra Kouda Podcast

Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this post…has anyone ever just had a craving for cookies so you went ahead and made them - even if you hadn’t planned to? Well, it happened to me today. One minute I was writing and the next I was googling the best recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
Soon after the mixer was whirling 🍪.
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Let me tell you - they turned out just the way I dreamed. Not like the ones in the grocery store but puffy and soft on the inside with the nice crunch of the chocolate chips.
And the aroma. I wish I could bottle it up and send it to you through this newsletter because it was heavenly.
The dissertation
Now, onto the question which I know some of you must have. I have mentioned in previous posts that I am working on my dissertation proposal for my Doctorate of Education (EdD). What I realized this past week is that while I am very familiar with the terminology associated with higher education, many people might not be. So, maybe it would help to explain it.
Now, for those of you who are familiar with the term, you most likely associate dissertation with a PhD, or a Doctorate of Philosophy. Of course, there are many types of doctoral degrees, of which the Doctorate of Education happens to be one.
A simple difference between a PhD of Education and an EdD of Education:
A Doctor of Education (EdD) is a professional degree designed for practitioners pursuing educational leadership roles. A PhD in education, on the other hand, is designed to prepare graduates for research and teaching roles.
Now, I will go ahead and explain the dissertation and how I am completing it based on my program at Arizona State University, as it is what I have the most experience with.
I am a part of a 3-year action research program, where you conduct three cycles of research during your time as a student. In case you have never heard of action research, it is a philosophy and methodology of research that:
…seeks transformative change through the simultaneous process of taking action and doing research, which are linked together by critical reflection.
As of the writing of this post, I have finished two cycles of research and my dissertation research is the third.
When you reach the 8th semester (we don’t have summer breaks!) it is time for you to defend your dissertation proposal to your selected committee. The dissertation proposal is essentially a contract you are entering into with your committee about the research that you plan to conduct.
The committee consists of three people (normally) - the chair (head of the committee) and two others.
According to the Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, a dissertation (noun) is defined as:
an extended usually written treatment of a subject
specifically: one submitted for a doctorate
In other words, a long formal piece of writing on one particular subject.
The dissertation proposal I am composing consists of three written chapters:
* The introduction and purpose of the study/research - historical, larger, and local context
* The literature review - the theoretical background for your intended research
* The methodology - the recipe you will use to conduct your research
The dissertation proposal defense is a formal event, and in my case will take place online. I will prepare a 20-minute presentation about my research plan, summarizing my written proposal. The committee would have read my proposal beforehand and come to the defense with questions and/or suggestions which they will ask when my presentation is over.
For my program, there is a second part to the dissertation proposal defense, and that is an oral comprehensive examination. I have two options for this part:
* Receive questions one week before the dissertation defense, allowing time to prepare a response or…
* Questions are asked on the day of the defense, so you are gi