Questions about THE question

I thought I'd post on THE question today. It is a topic that has been brought up by a reader and a topic that is particularly important to me right now.

The hard truth about doctoral studies is that at some point you have to do something that enables you to write your dissertation. That something, that you do, has to contribute new information to your scientific community.

This may not seem like such a daunting thing to some of my readers. In fact, I wasn't that concerned about it when I applied. As an undergraduate I participated in a pilot study, doing quite a bit of the research myself (though guided closely by my mentor). In my master's program, I performed a secondary data analysis and I should probably have tried to publish the results as they would have contributed new information. Some people do a secondary data analysis for their dissertation. However, (and yes you can read a giant, capitalized BUT there) from what I've determined so far, it is different at the doctoral level.

It is different because we aren't doing this as part of a master's project, or for a paper. We won't be allowed to just take some data and run some tests on it. Even if the machinations look similar, the underlying foundation has changed. First, a research doctoral student should be asking a specific question that was determined to be important by studying a general topic to the point of absurdity. And, the way that one asks that question, analyzes the data that result from the question, and presents and disseminates the data are all designed by the student. That's why two years of study are required before the PhD-powers-that-be (also known as your committee) let you make the final, absolute, resolute, certain choice of THE question: Your research question. (Some people do it faster, some people do it slower - two years seems to be the average amount of time it takes to be really prepped to ask a good question with a solid foundation....)

If I've learned anything so far, it's that the final product of the published paper is fairly removed from the actual work of the research. The published paper is a pretty representation of the question, which motivated the design, which directed a researcher's attempts to gain entree into their research location, which probably preceded begging for grants, funds, MONEY! to perform the study from a bunch of people using forms that are just short of incomprehensible. And all of that came after reading as much of the literature on the general topic, then on the framework of the type of research, then on the theoretical basis for both, then back again to the literature for the specifics. And it is a long process from the start of that to the end of the dissertation.

However, (there's that giant BUT again) the profs really like us to think about it along the way. So for classes, they say things like, "Pick a question. It doesn't have to be your dissertation question, but pick a question, and show me how you would..." do a critical literature review, contact an expert, perform a concept diagram on the topic, ask the question in a qualitative way, ask the question as a quantitative question.... etc. etc. etc. They want us to practice the thinking of it. Every time we do, we see the problems in our thinking or design and we get closer to THE actual question. Oh, and to add to the joy - the student does this in the full view of her peers.

Regardless of the angst (I use the word with all its associated connotations. It feels just like teenage fretting at times), in the end it works. People get through. Their classes help them hone their skills, their peers help them see the flaws in their thinking, the profs help you negotiate the process and nurses actually get doctorates.

I hope.


So, here are the important points of my above discussion:
1. Very few people (though, some do) know their dissertation question when they walk in the door.
2. Part of the fun of classes with the other people in your cohort is that you get to hear everyone's topics, areas of interest, and questions. You also get to hear them evolve.
3. At some point, someone is going to want to know EXACTLY what you want to ask, research, etc. to get out of school. For once and for all. (These are nurses after all. We're a practical bunch. You start talking about the 7-year program and some kindly prof is going to grab you by your scruff and give you a little shake.)
4. Just remember, once the dissertation is complete, the research isn't supposed to end.... But your "program of research" is a whole 'nother topic.