Dissertation Guidance and Proofreading
Woodring College of Education
Hello, Woodring College of Education PhD candidate! Congratulations on reaching this stage of your academic journey!
I'm Ryler Dustin, a Western grad, English instructor, and writing consultant. I offer personalized support for your dissertation, including:
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Brainstorming and clarifying your topic based on your conversations with your chair
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Outlining and structuring for efficient drafting
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Tackling hard-to-summarize research, dense or awkward paragraphs, or convoluted syntax
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Proofreading for typos and grammar
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Verifying your citations
Use the button below to tell me what kind of support you're interested in. Or read on to hear about my credentials, discover a few pro tips for efficient drafting, and pinpoint the kind support you need.
Why I Can Help
I hold an MFA and PhD in English, and have taught over forty college courses in English composition, literature, and creative writing. Drawing on this experience, I served as a consultant for students across a range of departments at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and worked as an Academic Writing Advisor for applicants seeking admissions into top medical programs. I've crafted extensive guides and dozens of example essays to help med school applicants create personal narratives, medical research papers, grant applications, and other materials for Ivy League colleges. You can read my full Curriculum Vitae here.
As a former WWU English major, I'm excited to offer my expertise to Woodring students looking to develop or refine their dissertations.
Pro Tips: Three Ways to Save Time
Here are three tips to save time as you draft your dissertation:
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Ensure that your topic and related claims are focused, clear, and approved by your dissertation chair. If you're unsure about your claim or unable to articulate it in a way that feels clear and natural to you, work on this before you get too far into the drafting process. Seek writing support or guidance from your chair so that your essay doesn't need heavy revision later.
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Outline your dissertation and aim for a simple, intuitive structure. The concept of "smooth transitions" has been the scourge of countless academic essays. It's much, much more important that your writing proceeds in an order that is intuitive on the organizational level. If your claims and pieces of data proceed in a way that makes sense on the level of your outline, your readers will be able to follow them and understand how they are related—no clever transitions or overthinking required.
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Remodel the house before working on the wallpaper. While many candidates wait until the final stage of drafting to seek help, most would benefit from early support. This is especially true for the first few chapters, in which much of the "creative" work your dissertation takes place, such as defining your focus. Seek support or a trusted reader during these early stages, then proceed with the rest of your essay on your own. Don't worry about grammar or "sounding good" until the final stage of drafting, when you're done restructuring, revising, and applying more conceptual feedback.
What Kind of Support Makes Sense For You?
If you want someone to proofread your dissertation for grammar, typos, and citation issues, I'm happy to help! However, many candidates can benefit enormously from personalized support earlier in the drafting process. As a writer and editor, I believe that a little work early on can save a lot of time later.
By chatting about where you are in the writing and research process, we can determine cost-effective ways to support your dissertation and save you time.
