Does anyone read dissertations

More interesting might be the average number of PhD theses that the typical scientist — and reader of Nature — has read from start to finish.

Would it reach even that probably apocryphal benchmark? What we know for sure is that the reading material keeps on coming, with tens of thousands of new theses typed up each year. To what end? Reading back over a thesis can be like opening up a teenage diary: a painful reminder of a younger, more naive self.

The prose is often rough and rambling, the analyses spotted with errors, the methods soundly eclipsed by modern ones. And students in the process of writing a thesis can find themselves in a very dark place indeed: lost in information, overwhelmed by literature, stuck for the next sentence, seduced by procrastination and wondering why on earth they signed up to this torture at all. Two News Features this week reflect on that question. They examine the past, present and future of the PhD thesis and the oral examination that often accompanies it.

In one, three leading scientists — including Francis Collins, director of the US National Institutes of Health — dig out and reread their theses for us, and talk about what they learned. Their musings filmed and available in a series of videos show, reassuringly, that they are just the same as the rest of us. They made mistakes, had moments of self-doubt and considered quitting. Collins actually did quit.

But their stories also reveal how it is important to have the long view in mind. Thumbing through their theses now, they see how much they learned about the scientific process and how to conduct rigorous research. They realize how precious it was to be able to devote themselves to a single piece of original and creative work.

A beautiful dissertation is nothing without a productive track record to support it. It is great to be proud of your work and to create something that is a valuable contribution to your field. That is one of the greatest parts of a graduate education. Remember to keep things in perspective here though: How many other dissertations have revolutionized their fields? How about published, peer-reviewed articles? How many people are going to read your dissertation versus read your published articles?

The dissertation is simply a formal mark showing that you can do research and contribute to the field. Nobody outside of your committee will read it and you will be lucky if they read the whole thing with focused attention for that matter.

So get over being a perfectionist, publish your research in to advance your field, slap that work into your dissertation, and move on. If you really want to revolutionize your field, you need to be working in it, not just completing a dissertation on the subject.

Do they want a perfect document, or do they want a student that finishes in a timely manner and goes on to a productive career whatever that means for you?

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Necessary Necessary. This article was written by Alison Miller, PhD, owner of The Dissertation Coach, a business dedicated to helping doctoral and master's students sucessfully earn their graduate degrees. Please visit thedissertationcoach. Skip to content. Read Other Dissertations.