SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THE DISSERTATION - 2 REFLECTIONS ON THE PROCESS

Conducting a dissertation study is considered by many faculty advisers and their students as a crucial step in the completion of a doctoral program. The challenging nature of completing the dissertation is illu strated by the numbers of persons who leave their doctoral program wit h ''all but dissertation '' status. Despite the demands of conducting dissertation research, there is much to be learned, both intellectuall y and emotionally, from engaging in the dissertation process. Research ers, early in their careers, often use their doctoral research and/or experiences as a springboard for conducting future research and establ ishing research agendas. Thus, this article sheds light on the critica l variables of a successful dissertation by presenting two advisees' a nd advisers' reflections on the experience. From these reflections, co mmon attributes that may contribute to a successful dissertation are i dentified and discussed.