The most efficient way to move forward. Create a semester long strategy to optimize your time and effort, understand and remove obstacles, and meet your research goals.

Land Your Dissertation Topic
There is a difference between productive iteration and simply wasting time circling around and around as you decide on a topic. This lab is for you if you are ready to articulate a researchable topic that is interesting, realistic, and can serve as a stepping stone in your career or consultancy journey.
 

How to Choose your Chair and Committee
Choosing your dissertation Chair and Committee members is one of the most important aspects of the research process and yet, many universities provide little or no guidance in how to do this. I've worked with several students who have had dysfunctional relationships with their Chair and it has derailed their path to graduation. In this lab, learn how to strategically select these important partners in your doctoral program. Leave the lab with a short list of your top choices and a plan for how to approach them.
 

Dissertation Derailers
Dr. Ensign has worked side-by-side with doctoral students and listened to them with the tuned ear of a 20,000+ hour seasoned executive coach. She has worked with students who are on a fast track as well as those whose academic journey was interrupted. She is an expert in the process of earning a doctoral degree and has noted the most common derailers students encounter. In this lab, you'll benefit from lessons learned and avoid falling into these traps yourself.
 

Literature Reviews - Demystified
Literature reviews can be one of the most confusing aspects of research. Learn the three secrets of conducting a literature review that will save you time and headaches. Leave the lab with a toolbox of techniques and an efficient method you can use for Chapter 2 of your dissertation and again and again.
 

A Common Derailer: The Dataset
It is imperative to be thinking about your dataset in parallel to deciding on a dissertation topic and methodology. Too often, students wait until they have defended their proposal and then their research process is derailed by dataset problems costing them extra time and money. In this lab, we cover what you need to know to be proactive in choosing the most appropriate and realistic dataset for your study.
 

Methodological Choices in Qualitative Research: Is my study and dataset best suited for phenomenological research? A case study method? Ethnographic research? Narrative? Grounded Theory? Deciding on a research method that fits your research goals is key. Bring your research topic to this lab and leave confident that you can understand, evaluate, and defend appropriate options for the methodology of your study.
 

APA 7 80/20 Rule Boot Camp
Learning a few of APA's rules will likely cover 80% of your writing needs; for the remaining 20%, you will need to look up APA rules or pay a writing editor to fix for you. In this lab, discover the most common APA rules, commit them to memory through fun exercises, and up-level your writing habits. This investment in yourself will save you unnecessary edits and manuscript iterations and position you as an expert scholar.
 

The Doctoral Journey: Your Personalized Plan and Timeline
Each phase of the doctoral journey is analogous to phases in leading organizations. In this lab, Dr. Ensign unpacks the doctoral journey in a way that allows you to identify skills needed at each phase. You will assess your level of proficiency and interest in each phase and leave the lab with a personalized plan for success that is built around your skills, interests, and life. You will also learn the key aspects of creating a timeline for completion, and have the opportunity to review your proposed timeline with Dr. Ensign and peers in the lab.
 

How to write your QP
At many universities, the qualifying paper (or QP) marks a transition from the coursework phase to the research phase of the degree program. Oftentimes, the goal of the QP is to land on a researchable topic. This is one of the hardest phases and also one of the most important phases of research. The QP can set the tone for the entire project and will have a direct impact on the probability of a student completing their research and graduating. In this lab, learn how to write a QP that will set you up for success. Investing in this now, will payoff tenfold later.
 

How to write your Proposal
The research proposal typically consists of Chapter 1 Background, Chapter 2 Review of Literature, and Chapter 3 Research Methodology. The proposal is a request for approval for the research you intend to conduct, and, if approved it becomes an agreement with your Chair and Committee on what you intend to do. It is important to think ahead to data collection and analysis stages in order to gauge the the probability you'll be able to actually execute the study you are proposing. It is to your advantage to clearly communicate all aspects of how you plan to conduct your study in order to avoid unintended misunderstandings with your Chair and Committee after you are deeply into your research. In this lab, we cover the essential elements of Chapters 1, 2 and 3. If it's been awhile since you've taken a course on how to conduct a literature review or how to describe research methods, this lab will provide you the just in time update you need in order to write a research proposal that fits your university's requirements and is also doable.
 

How to Conduct Your Research: Data Collection and Analysis
After your proposal has been accepted and your IRB application approved, you are ready to begin your research. This lab can be taken concurrently with this stage or can be taken before you get to this stage. This lab teaches the tips and tricks for collecting and analyzing data in a way that leads to a seamless flow into reporting findings in Chapter 4 and discussing findings in Chapter 5. This lab also provides a space for students to experience the exciting epiphanies and aha moments that often come with pushing the boundaries of knowledge during the analysis phase.
 

How to Report and Discuss Your Research Findings
After you have analyzed your data, you will report your findings in Chapter 4 and then discuss them in Chapter 5. These chapters follow certain formats. In this lab, you will learn how to write these chapters and prepare for your final defense.