Abstract
In this article, we contribute to dialogue about the capstone for most doctoral programs: the dissertation. More specifically, we explore the mentorship between doctoral student and chair and assert that using a nontraditional dissertation format affords more fulfilling relationships for the mentee and mentor. Having recently completed three article dissertations, we aim to further the discussion of doctoral capstone formats based on our experiences through autoethnographic methods and rooted in a relational mentorship framework (Ragins, 2012). We believe that the article dissertation format provided a vehicle for disrupting the typical power structure between dissertation chair and doctoral student by positioning the student as an expert writing for publication and the chair as a coach, learner, and peer-reviewer. Through sharing our co-constructed and personal narratives, we challenge readers to think about the dissertation format and its role in the critical mentoring relationship between doctoral student and dissertation chair.
Recommended Citation
Ferrell, Elizabeth W.; Ensminger, David; and Coleman, Elizabeth
(2019)
"Changing the Doctoral Student-Dissertation Chair Relationship Through the Article Dissertation Format,"
Mid-Western Educational Researcher: Vol. 31:
Iss.
2, Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/mwer/vol31/iss2/3
