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AMatthews Writing Pain.pdf (1.16 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

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Writing through the Pain: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Grief, the Doctoral Process, Dissertation Difficulties, and Doctoral Attrition

Matthews, Angela
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1492797371969488

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, Higher Education.
Grief can impair the ability of a person to function productively, and it can prevent doctoral students from completing their degrees. The purpose of this study was to (a) develop a better understanding of the grief process, (b) use writing as a method of understanding my personal grief process, (c) share my experiences of coping with grief and dissertation work to help other doctoral students face challenges in the struggle to complete their degrees, and (d) uncover suggestions to help guide university faculty and staff when offering support to other grieving doctoral students. The researcher examined her personal experiences with grief and dissertation work and then connected those experiences with those of the larger higher education community. The researcher found she needed to (a) allow time for the grieving process without rushing through it or trying to conform to a time frame established by others, (b) frequently assess life and career goals to determine whether doctoral study still fit those goals, (c) research a subject relevant to life after the loss rather than before the loss, (d) utilize a research method appropriate to both her and her study, and (e) utilize support from a variety of sources. This study adds to the limited literature about grief and doctoral attrition and contributes to the existing body of knowledge available to assist grieving doctoral students complete their degrees.
Debra Harmening, PhD (Committee Chair)
Anthony Edgington, PhD (Committee Member)
Christopher Roseman, PhD (Committee Member)
Sandra Faulkner, PhD (Committee Member)
282 p.
Higher Education
Grief; Doctoral Attrition; Dissertation Writing; Therapeutic Writing; Adult Transition Theory; Stages of Grief

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Matthews, A. (2017). Writing through the Pain: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Grief, the Doctoral Process, Dissertation Difficulties, and Doctoral Attrition [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1492797371969488

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Matthews, Angela. Writing through the Pain: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Grief, the Doctoral Process, Dissertation Difficulties, and Doctoral Attrition. 2017. University of Toledo, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1492797371969488.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Matthews, Angela. "Writing through the Pain: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Grief, the Doctoral Process, Dissertation Difficulties, and Doctoral Attrition." Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1492797371969488

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1492797371969488
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© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.