&sup7;You're looking at the title of this document and thinking, "What does that mean --'Designing a Workable Plan'?" And the answer is, "whatever it takes to help you write your magnum opus with a positive attitude and on schedule." This can include time management, financial planning, effective interaction with an advisor and committee, and management of dissertation activities. Under ideal conditions, you will facilitate your own progress if you can lay out a written plan for your work, much as a professor writes a course syllabus including specific dates and the work planned for those dates. This gives your work a structure that can serve as a guide. Even if unforeseen trouble arises - your own illness or a family member's, a job change, etc. --you will still have a concrete, written plan to return to.

A plan for time management is an excellent starting point, something you can do even as you are refining your proposal. More often than not, students seriously underestimate the amount of time required to complete a thesis or dissertation. You'll find it helpful, therefore, to make specific time estimates of various stages of your work, even if your estimates are subject to change. You may also find it helpful to discuss time management with other degree candidates to grasp more clearly how much time may be required.

First, the gross time estimate:

Page length

Total effective work
months from topic search
to acceptance

Breakdown by work months:

- Topic search & proposal

- Search prior research

- Research & analysis

- Writing, editing, proofing

Elapsed time, allowing for
delays, in full-time work

- from topic search to
acceptance

- from approved proposal
to acceptance

Next, gross time, broken into component parts:

• Refining of dissertation structure (This can include preparation of
  revised proposal and a detailed, chapter-by-chapter outline of your
  dissertation.)
• Further search of the literature for prior research (broken down by
  journals, books, other dissertations, government documents, etc.)
• Research activities (make a list as specific as "preparing instruments"
  and "testing instruments")
• Writing, editing, proofing (each chapter)

The final stage: scheduling activities and assigning dates:

Dates may change, but plan on some major review points that you can schedule ahead with your advisor. Meeting these deadlines will help keep you focused and on schedule.

(Thanks to Davis & Parker)

On to financial planning! Even if you're on a grant, you'll usually have to cover many costs on your own. These can include postage, telephone, copies, data conversion expenses, typing, and so on. Set up a pool of savings so that these costs (which can exceed $1000) will not represent an unpleasant surprise.