Many of you have likely heard of the term "project management" that is often used in industry to describe the steps of managing a project. In fact, you can become certified in project management - a "PMP" certification is in demand in industry because of the value in being able to manage a project from start to finish. In fact, there are many books that you can purchase on Amazon.com or your local bookstore on the topic. Indeed, there are many "best practices" that you can gain through studying these sources. However, if nothing else, I recommend following at least a few project management guidelines - 1) creating a timeline for completion, and 2) envisioning the end of your dissertation before you start writing it. For sure, one of the most common challenges that I perceive for learners, at least in quantitative dissertations, is exactly how the data will be analyzed in SPSS.  For sure, it would be very helpful to create mock data in SPSS, and then examine the process steps as if the data was real. This will help you to understand exactly how you want to analyze your data, and what data you will need to collect. This can be very helpful to help you write your Chapter 3, and it will definitely help you to collect the most appropriate data in the collection phase of the process.  Moreover, this practice will also help your doctoral committee to envision what you have in mind at the prospectus stage, which will allow their guidance to be much more specific and thorough. In summary, although there is no need to become a certified "PMP" during your dissertation process (although that skill is often helpful for industry), following a few best practices of project management will make your dissertation journey quite a lot more enjoyable!

Dr. Daniel J. Smith, MA, MBA, PhD

480-861-8851 (cell)

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