The Dissertation Process

DISSERTATION NINJAS. Dissertation Ninjas, founded by Dr. Faye Taylor is a unique approach to providing assistance with writing your dissertation. We offer video-taped presentations on almost everything you need to know to complete your dissertation from beginning to end and personalized consultations to make certain you can apply the information to your study.

Many students have trouble with dissertation because they are poorly prepared to design a study. They simply do not think through their entire design before they begin or they don’t know enough about their design to describe it adequately. They think they can learn as they go and that sets them up for failure from the beginning.

A good study starts with understanding exactly what you want to know and how you intend to answer your questions. Completing a dissertation requires you to understand the purpose of each component and how those components fit together to provide a defensible study.

The problems most students encounter come from one of two sources (1) failure to develop a logical design that will answer their question and (2) inability to describe the design they have chosen using doctoral level writing skills. Hiring a coach to help you “fix” the problems can be time consuming, frustrating, and expensive. For some students, it’s like trying to remodel a house that has been poorly built. It’s easier to tear it down and begin again than to try to find and fix all the flaws. And, that’s exactly what many committee will require. It just makes more sense to do it correctly the first time.

Dissertation Ninjas was designed for clients who want to do their dissertation well and are willing to invest their time learning what they need to know to do it right the first time. We begin by establishing a solid foundation of knowledge about the dissertation process. We believe in getting students started planning for their dissertations as early in their doctoral program as possible. The first series of videos advise you on how to manage this demanding task, how to set yourself up for success, how to select the best topic for you, how to plan for your study design, and other important topics. We explain the role of each professional you will encounter along the way and how to use the professional expertise of others to help you design your study. These presentations can be extremely helpful at any stage of the process, but the more you know before you begin, the easier your task will be, and the smoother and quicker it will go.

Once you are ready to begin your study, our videos take you step by step through each component of

the prospectus/proposal. We explain the purpose of each section of your dissertation, what is included in each section, and how the sections fit together to develop your design and explain the logic undergirding your study.

Three presentations focus on the process of conducting, outlining, and writing your review of literature. Thirteen presentations are provided to help you develop a prospectus that is complete, logical, and focused. These presentations include instruction to assure your format and written presentation are acceptable and advise you on how to use the expertise of others to assist you with reflection and editing. This will allow you to provide your committee with a solid framework for your study, and your committee can focus on a substantive evaluation of your design. .

Once you have your committee’s approval of your prospectus, completing your proposal should simply be a matter of finalizing your design and making sure it is complete. Then, we provide a presentation on the dissertation proposal defense: how to plan and present a convincing argument for the feasibility and viability of your study and deliver a presentation that is complete and professional.

Our DN coaches are available throughout the design development process to answer your questions and provide assistance.

Next, we take you through the process of submitting an application for certification of your study by your Institutional Review Board. We explain the purpose of IRB review and how to provide the committee with all the information they need to certify your study. We explain the legal requirements for informed consent and how to design a written informed consent form that protects both your subjects and you as a researcher.

Then we focus on how to present your results and the discussion, conclusions, and recommendations of your study. We provide sample outlines for ways to present you results and a general overview of what to include in each of your final chapters. At this point, you should have completed the

instructional videos and may want more one-on-one time with your DN coach to create the best presentation for your study.

Finally, we provide a video presentation on how to prepare and deliver your final defense. We explain the difference in the proposal defense and dissertation defense and provide you with tips on how to prepare to answer the questions posed by your committee with the competence, confidence, and Zen-like calm of a ninja… a Dissertation Ninja.

Dissertation Ninjas was designed for both students and instructors who advise students in the dissertation process. It is not a one-size-fits all approach.

Our primary goal is to provide you with the knowledge you need to develop a credible dissertation or prepare yourself to help others complete their dissertations.

Access to the video library and our coaching is available with membership only, but you may attend recorded or live presentations at the rates listed below for non-members. Our program is designed to give members a blueprint to avoid the need for extensive and costly coaching. We provide 3 coaching sessions per month to answer questions, discuss issues, and provide direction, but we do not “teach” via coaching sessions.

FAYE TAYLOR, Ed.D. Faye Porter Taylor received her bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University, her master’s and education specialist degrees from Austin Peay State, and her doctorate from Tennessee State University.

Dr. Taylor retired from K-12 education in 2003. She was a teacher and principal in Robertson County from 1972 until 1982, when she became the Director of Elementary Education at the Tennessee Department of Education. She returned to Robertson County in 1987 and served as principal of Greenbrier Middle School until 1993 when she became the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Robertson County school system. In 2001, Dr. Taylor was appointed State Commissioner of Education by Governor Don Sundquist. Upon leaving office in 2003, Dr. Taylor became a consultant for the Education Leaders Council in Washington, DC and became CEO of that organization in 2005. She became an adjunct professor at Argosy University in 2008 and retired as a full-time associate professor and chair of the Department of Arts and Sciences and Department of Education in March of 2018. For ten years, Dr. Taylor specialized in research methodologies and advanced writing. She has helped over 100 students complete conduct doctoral dissertations and has served as a consultant to numerous dissertation committees. Upon her retirement, Dr. Taylor began the development of Dissertation Ninjas to provide doctoral students with the instruction and guidance they need to complete dissertations that meet the standards of doctoral level research. Dr. Taylor also has had extensive experience as a speaker, trainer, and teacher both in schools and at the state and national levels.