Navigating the Challenges of Dissertation Research: Results from a Survey of PhD and Master’s Graduates

“This grad. school thing is a walk in the park,” said no graduate student, ever — at least no one I’ve ever met. If you find graduate school hard, you’re not alone. It was designed that way. By definition, graduate school — especially doctoral programs — is intended to challenge you to hone your research, analytical, and writing skills to the point where you become an expert scholar in your discipline. In other words, the goal is for you to emerge a capable researcher who can hold your own with other scholars in your field.

So, yeah… the bar is set high for a reason. But that’s not to say that graduate school should be miserable or that you should just “suck it up” — because, if that was the case, would it really be worth it? I don’t think so.

While grad. school isn’t a walk in the park, it should be manageable with the right resources and support in place. Each individual will face challenges and stumbling points along the way; that part is normal. What’s important is to figure out what resources and support are available to you and have them at the ready when you encounter the inevitable hard moments — a toolbox, if you will, with every tool you need to clear your hurdles and keep moving forward.

Recently, I conducted a survey to better understand the challenges that doctoral and master’s degree recipients face during their research process. The results reinforced what I’ve observed in my academic coaching practice: every graduate student’s journey is unique, with different aspects of the research process presenting unique challenges for different individuals.

My hope is that learning more about other people’s struggles helps you normalize your own challenges and shows that every grad student runs into struggles along the way — and that is perfectly okay. You can get through it, and there are a wide range of resources available to support you.

Let’s look at what the survey respondents shared.

Survey Findings

 

The quantitative poll asked participants, totaling 24 adults who had successfully completed a doctoral or master’s degree program, to identify the most difficult stage of their dissertation or thesis research. Here’s what they shared:

  • Deciding on a research topic: 38%
  • Literature review: 29%
  • Methodology: 17%
  • Data analysis and results: 17%
bar graph showing the results of Dr. Katrina Oko-Odoi's research on grad students' challenges with dissertation research
Note. Participants could only select 1 of the above 4 options on the survey. Although these options apply to the majority of academic disciplines, students in the humanities and some social sciences (history, ethnic studies) may have completed a narrative dissertation/thesis that did not involve traditional data analysis.

These results highlight the diversity of challenges faced by graduate students. While choosing a research topic emerged as the most common hurdle, it’s clear that students struggled at various stages of the process.

The wide range of experiences that participants shared rings true with what I’ve discovered as a coach: while there are some common roadblocks in the graduate research process, everyone’s journey is unique, and we all struggle in our own ways.

Insights from Qualitative Responses

 

Several participants’ qualitative responses shed even more light into graduate students’ unique, diverging experiences with the dissertation research process. Here are some themes that stood out.

Navigating the Literature Review

 

One Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) holder shared that the literature review was their most significant challenge:

“Sifting through mountains of research, finding gaps, and connecting everything cohesively took a lot of time and focus. It was tough to not only gather the right sources but also to critically analyze and synthesize them into a clear framework for my study. It often felt like I was drowning in information, going down rabbit holes.”

This sentiment echoes what many students experience during the literature review phase. The sheer volume of information can be overwhelming, and learning to synthesize and critically analyze sources is a dissertation research skill that takes time to develop.

Balancing Thesis/Dissertation Research and Life

 

Juggling research with other responsibilities is another common challenge for graduate students, as a participant who holds a Master’s in Dance Education highlighted, “The hardest part was teaching full time internationally while undertaking my research… The experience taught me a lot about my own self-efficacy.”

Since most graduate students work in some capacity while pursuing their degree, it can be a real struggle to balance professional and research obligations — not to mention one’s personal and family life. This balancing act can be one of the most demanding aspects of the graduate journey.

Overcoming Procrastination and Project Management

 

Other individuals struggled with the sheer magnitude of the project. One PhD in History shared:

“Actually working on the damn thing. It was a HUGE project and I didn’t have the skills to break it down into manageable tasks. I had no idea how to move forward effectively and procrastinated a ton.”

This response highlights a common issue: many students lack the organizational and project management skills needed to effectively handle such a large undertaking and thus struggle to break down their research into smaller, more manageable chunks. Many graduate programs don’t explicitly teach these skills, despite how are crucial they are to successful degree completion.

The Need to Be Proactive 

 

One key takeaway from this survey is how important it is for graduate candidates to proactively create or seek out the specific types of support and resources they need to be successful. Remember, you are your best advocate — don’t wait for someone else’s permission to take action.

An EdD in Educational Leadership said they found success by creating their own writing schedule, “Writing consistently was the challenge! Once I started writing before the kids got up in the morning, I was able to chip away and write the dissertation!”

This approach of creating a personal writing routine is just one example of how students can take initiative in their research process. Another participant, a PhD in Industrial Organizational Psychology, emphasized the importance of building a support network, “I think having a dissertation coach and a trusted editor helps too! The money you invest saves you in the long run from paying the university for extensions.”

Back when I was completing my dissertation, I was in desperate need of accountability to keep me writing and force me to make progress on my chapter drafts. I ended up forming an informal dissertation writing group with three other colleagues, and it made a big difference in my productivity.

Why Are These Challenges So Prevalent?

A female dissertation researcher sits alone in a lecture hall with her head down, looking defeated

It’s easy to look at these results and point fingers at graduate programs for not doing enough, but the reality is more complex. Many faculty members are overworked, balancing teaching and committee responsibilities, their own research agendas, and the supervision of multiple students.

There’s also a lack of consistency across programs and departments in the program’s structure and resources offered to students — which isn’t surprising when you consider the diverse range of doctoral and master’s programs offered in the U.S. and elsewhere. Some programs offer detailed dissertation roadmaps, workshops, and one-on-one support, while others leave students to navigate the process largely on their own.

In my own experience as a PhD student, I found that there were ample resources for writing and researching at a basic level, but little practical guidance was available on managing a large, independent research project. My professors and advisor made dissertation writing sound like this mysterious, secret process that we had to figure out on our own.

This experience is echoed by one of the survey respondents, a PhD in History, “I didn’t have the skills to break [the project] down into manageable tasks. I had no idea how to move forward effectively and procrastinated a ton.” This participant explained that it was only after completing their PhD and receiving career coaching did they learn strategies that would have helped during the dissertation process.

Gaps in Graduate Programs

 

The survey’s combined quantitative and qualitative responses point to several areas where graduate programs may be underserving their students.

  • Structured Project Management Support: A common thread in the responses was the need for better project management skills. Graduate programs tend to leave the research execution almost completely in the hands of each individual student. Unfortunately, many candidates receive little guidance or instruction on practical methods for managing large research initiatives. This can lead to procrastination, burnout, and unnecessary delays in completing the thesis or dissertation.
  • Lack of Specialized Support for Research Design and Data Analysis: Many students struggle with the technical aspects of dissertation research, especially when it comes to methodology and data analysis. While programs sometimes offer courses and seminars in this area, they aren’t always tailored to the specific needs of individual students, and hands-on support can be hard to come by. I’ve witnessed notable disparities in the support programs provide students, with some assigning a methodologist to serve on every dissertation committee, and others failing to offer students any resources for the data analysis process. As one respondent mentioned, “Finding technical support to assist with analysis and proper framing of the findings was a significant hurdle.”
  • Mental Health and Self-Efficacy Resources: Maintaining mental health and overall well-being during graduate school is the most concerning and pressing struggle for many students. Researchers including Murguía Burton and Cao (2022) and SenthilKumar et al. (2023) illuminated the mounting challenges with mental health in graduate school and called for more support from institutions, suggesting specific solutions aimed at improving graduate students’ mental wellbeing.
    • It’s extremely important not to underestimate the emotional and psychological challenges of being in a graduate program and completing research at this level. One graduate who completed their Master’s while teaching full-time internationally mentioned that the experience taught them a lot about their own self-efficacy. The sheer pressure of balancing life, work, and the demands of a thesis or dissertation can take a serious toll on students’ mental health and it’s imperative for graduate programs to offer comprehensive resources to support them. Institutions like the University of Michigan’s Rackham Graduate School offer comprehensive mental health initiatives that can serve as models for other programs seeking to better support their graduate student population.

The Importance of Seeking External Support

 

A common thread in many of the participants’ stories is the need for external support and proactive self-management. At the risk of repeating myself, it’s so important as a graduate student to advocate for yourself. Don’t wait for someone to offer you solutions; actively seek them out.

In my work with graduate students, I encourage them to form relationships with peers, mentors, and even professional experts like coaches, statisticians, and editors who can offer the specialized support that many graduate programs are unable to provide. Whether it’s help with literature review organization, data analysis, or simply managing the workload, don’t be afraid to seek out the guidance and resources you need.

As someone who has gone through the process myself, I know how isolating it can feel. But you truly don’t have to go through it alone. What’s important is that you recognize when you need help and that you seek it out early.

The challenges of writing a thesis or dissertation are not a reflection of your abilities — they are a natural part of the process. With the right support, you can accomplish your big, audacious academic goals.

What Do You Need to be Successful?

 

The results of my survey underscore the diverse challenges that graduate students encounter in their research journeys. While some struggle with selecting a research topic, other students find data analysis or writing consistency to be their biggest hurdles.

More than anything, the diversity of graduate candidates’ experiences highlights the need for each individual to find personalized support and strategies that work for them. This might involve seeking out mentors, joining peer support groups, or working with a dissertation coach.

Remember, your graduate journey is unique, and it’s okay to seek help beyond what your program provides.

Have you encountered other challenges with thesis or dissertation research that I didn’t cover here? I’d love to hear about your experiences. Drop a comment below or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Keep Writing!

 

References

Murguía Burton, Z. F., & Cao, X. E. (2022). Navigating mental health challenges in graduate school. Nature Reviews Materials7, 421–423. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-022-00444-x

SenthilKumar, G., Mathieu, N. M., Freed, J. K., Sigmund, C. D., & Gutterman, D. D. (2023). Addressing the decline in graduate students’ mental well-being. American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology325(4), H882–H887. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00466.2023 

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