Author Archives: Gustavo

Super advice for aspiring New Testament PhD students

I have been super busy over the past week teaching an intensive Bible Interpretation class (in Lima, Peru of all places).  Thus, I have not been able to make timely updates to this blog. However, I just ran across a … Continue reading

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British or U.S. PhD? That depends on your criteria…

Introduction A question that is often asked in contemplating doctoral studies is, “Which PhD program is better, one from the U.K. (or other dissertation only program) or one from the U.S?  Often, the answers tend to be too simplistic (i.e. … Continue reading

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A biblical studies PhD: An empty academic pursuit?

Introduction Writing a dissertation brings you face to face with quite a bit of scholarly literature (sometimes, when you sleep on your desk like I do, this can be quite literal). As I’ve pored through reams and reams of erudite … Continue reading

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PhD Tips: Note-taking Software for Writing a PhD

Introduction In my previous post on the need for and uses of a bibliographic software, I mentioned that there were three indispensable tools for every researcher: A writing tool A bibliographic tool A note-taking tool NOTE: There may be others … Continue reading

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PhD Tips: 5 Tips for Finding a Dissertation Topic

Introduction In my previous two posts on choosing a dissertation topic, A “Flexible Evolution in Thinking” and “Asking the Right Question,” I wrote about the flexibility inherent in choosing a dissertation topic (you can change your mind along the way) … Continue reading

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The (dreaded) dissertation topic – 2 of 3 – “Asking the right question…”

Introduction In this post I want to help you conceptualize a few things regarding your dissertation topic before you launch into reading tons of books in search of a good thesis. This is the second post of a quick series … Continue reading

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The (dreaded) dissertation topic – 1 of 3 – “A flexible evolution in thinking…”

Introduction During the short time I have worked on my dissertation (16 months of part-time research and counting), there have been few things that have caused me as much worry and doubt as that of choosing a dissertation topic.  How … Continue reading

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PhD Tips: Bibliographic software – A researcher’s dream

Introduction Today I’d like to talk a little about organization as it pertains to your research. One of the most critical tools at your disposal is a so-called bibliographic software (now referred to as Bib Software).  I personally believe it … Continue reading

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The beginning…

Introduction Welcome to this first post on PhD Tips and Dissertation Advice. I decided to start this blog as a way to share some helpful tips for those in the pre- or current stage of a doctoral dissertation. Whether you’re … Continue reading

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