In the fourth episode of the Flexibility in Research & Life series, Dr. Renée Jordan explores the vital role of committee feedback in shaping your dissertation and the importance of being flexible with your approach. In this episode, Dr. Jordan shares her own experience with committee feedback, illustrating how changes and adjustments, when handled flexibly, can lead to clearer, more impactful work.

Key takeaways from this episode include:

• Aligning with Your Committee: Choosing committee members who align with your research goals and can provide meaningful feedback is crucial. Dr. Jordan discusses how her committee's expertise and differing feedback styles shaped her work.
• Managing Feedback Effectively: Not all committee members will read your work the same way. It's important to understand their strengths and how to leverage their feedback effectively. Dr. Jordan shares how she worked with her committee to refine her dissertation through short, actionable presentations—10 slides at a time!
• Turning Feedback Into Clarity: Dr. Jordan recounts a pivotal moment when feedback from her research methodologist led to a breakthrough in how she communicated her findings. The lightbulb moment came when she adjusted her work to make it clear and practical for educators and instructional designers.
• Making Your Work Crystal Clear: One of the goals of your dissertation is to ensure it communicates clearly and effectively. Dr. Jordan encourages PhD candidates to take the time to revise and clarify their work until it’s something others can understand and apply, regardless of their discipline.

This episode emphasizes the importance of flexibility in receiving feedback and adapting your dissertation so that it’s clear, concise, and accessible. The process of refining your work through feedback is an essential part of the academic journey, and Dr. Jordan’s experience highlights how to embrace that process and make it work for you.

Reflection Questions:

1. How do you manage and apply the feedback you receive from your dissertation committee?
2. What steps can you take to ensure your dissertation is clear and accessible to those outside your immediate field?
3. What aspects of your research need further clarification or refinement to ensure they are impactful and meaningful?

Tune in to hear Dr. Renée Jordan’s insights on how to turn committee feedback into crystal-clear, transformative work that will set you up for success in your dissertation and beyond.