How often do you check in with your professor when thinking of ideas for a research project?

As a dissertation professor, chair, and coach I expect and appreciate when students work independently to develop their dissertation topic; however, if/when they go the wrong direction, e.g. a topic that will not likely lead to a “done” dissertation, or when the topic elements (problem, purpose, RQs, method, etc.) are not well understood or aligned, it ends up being more work for both of us if the student goes too far down the wrong road towards the dissertation. As a result, I would prefer to have regular checkpoints with the student to review their dissertation topic for review or revision, as needed, before moving further ahead. These checkpoints can be at regular intervals, or based on milestone deliverables. Either way, I find that students left unsupervised for too long tend to get off track or not make good progress.

Source: https://www.quora.com/How-often-do-you-check-in-with-your-professor-when-thinking-of-ideas-for-a-research-project/answer/Lawrence-Ness-4

For more on this topic, see:

• Lawrence Ness's answer to Do professors help students get ideas for doctorates thesis?

• Lawrence Ness's answer to Is it okay if I haven't decided my research topic when I first meet with a potential PhD advisor?

• Dissertation Topic Selection: A Critical Choice Toward Doctoral Success or Failure

• Developing a Dissertation Research Topic

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