| Q: |
Is the TA-DA!™ difficult to install? |
A: |
TA-DA!™ was designed to be easy to install
and easy to use. We know that you are more interested in
completing your thesis or dissertation than dealing with
a technically complex product.
TA-DA!™ CD is a simple “plug
and play” software product. Just insert the CD-ROM
into your CD drive and begin using TA-DA!™.
TA-DA! Online installation takes a couple of steps because it requires Authorware Web Player, which you may not have on the computer you are using. For complete instructions on getting TA-DA! Online up and running on your computer, click here.
No matter which version you choose, you won't waste your time learning how to use
the software. It is as simple to operate this resource tool as it is to read any ebook. |
| Q: |
Will TA-DA!™ run on my computer? |
A: |
At this time, TA-DA!™ runs only on Windows-based
PCs.
The CD version will not run on VISTA.
However, the new online version of TA-DA!™ should
run on any Windows computer without any problems.
To ensure that TA-DA!™ works
with your computer, please read the minimum PC requirements
listed on the Technical
Overview page.
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Q: |
How can I set up
my calendar if I do not live in the United States and have
a different date setting in my country? |
A: |
You may need to change your Region and Language
Option in Windows. By default, the U.K. and many other international
versions of Windows display dates as
day/month/year instead of month/day/year commonly used in the
U.S.
To set up your calendar correctly for your country, in
Windows go into:
1. Control Panel
2. Region and Language Options
3. Regional Options tab
4. Select English (U.S.)
Of course, you will probably
want to change the setting back once you exit the program
so your other applications continue to function as they would
normally. |
| Q: |
I'm getting an "Access is denied" error when I try to launch TA-DA! Online. |
| A: |
Click here for specific installation instructions. |
| Q: |
When I try to save the calendar to my hard drive, the system asks what kind of program it is to be opened with. |
| A: |
The filename must be saved with a ".dat" file extension. In the title bar of the Save dialog, Vista says to specify the filename (.dat) and path. So, if for example you want to save the file as "MyCalendar", use the filename "MyCalendar.dat". When you do that, you shouldn't be asked what program to use to open it. If you still get that message, just pick the program called Notepad.
When I do so, Vista doesn't ask me what program to use to open it. But if the user should get that message, just have him/her pick Notepad. |
| |
|
| Q: |
What’s the best way to get started? |
| A: |
One of the best things you can do is set a
hard deadline for completing your thesis or dissertation. That’s
one of the TA-DA!™ resource tool's first steps. Try out this step now for free.
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| Q: |
What are some of the practical obstacles to finishing my
thesis or dissertation? |
| A: |
When working on your thesis or dissertation, there are many
critical deadlines, and you must follow a specific sequence
of events. This is true both for writing and for defending
the thesis or dissertation. For example, in writing you will have specific formats to follow (such as margins, font size, type of paper, headers, footers, even where to place your name and degree), as well as university-specific criteria for deadlines and signatures you need to obtain. To get your degree, you must follow each procedure even if you write the best dissertation.
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| Q: |
What are some of the political obstacles to completing my
thesis or dissertation? |
| A: |
You need to be aware of how to communicate
with your advisor and your committee members. They have expectations
for how
you should prepare for meetings. There is etiquette to
follow during the defense of your thesis or dissertation.
Here are
some questions we address in the TA-DA!™ program:
- If I disagree
with a committee member's comments, what is the proper
way to handle it so they don't refuse to sign off
on my work?
- Should I have my advisor/committee review my thesis or dissertation chapter
by chapter or should I wait until I finish?
- Is it important to attend department social
functions?
These issues have
nothing to do with how smart you are, but everything
to do with whether you finish your degree or not.
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| Q: |
What does All But Done (ABD) mean? |
| A: |
ABD is the status of a graduate student who
has completed the coursework and qualifying exams (the structured
portion) for his or her degree, but who has not completed his
or her thesis
or
dissertation. The term typically abbreviates "All But Dissertation," but
more generically means "All But Done" where being "done" requires
having completed a doctoral dissertation or a master's thesis.
ABD is a difficult phase for most graduate students. It is an unstructured time, where the student is left to himself or herself to research and write, with very little accountability on a day-to-day basis. During the ABD phase, a graduate student must find his or her own motivation. Some people refer to ABD as "all but dead" because of the frustration, procrastination, and lack of progress. Students sometimes even avoid their advisors for fear of being asked, "How is it going? Making any progress?"
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| Q: |
Does TA-DA!™ help students write a better thesis or dissertation? |
| A: |
Our goal is not to produce a "better" or "perfect" product. Our goal is to help graduate students complete their product. Our motto is, "A good dissertation is a done dissertation, and a good thesis is a done thesis." Graduate students often get stuck because they worry so much about the quality of their work, that they can't make any progress towards completing it. This inertia in turn frustrates academic advisors, who cannot help a student with quality because there's nothing to review. Ta-Da™! helps students write their thesis or dissertation and get done. We help them overcome the procrastination, frustration, motivation, and organization obstacles, so the student and their advisor can focus on the academic innovation.
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| Q: |
How does TA-DA!™ help me finish my thesis
or dissertation? |
| A: |
TA-DA! Thesis and Dissertation
Accomplished™ is a comprehensive resource tool available
on CD-ROM and is designed to help students from A to Z in
planning and executing a thesis or dissertation in an effective
manner.
TA-DA!™ systematically addresses and helps you overcome the
four main roadblocks graduate students face on the road to
getting done:
- Learning how to navigate through the thesis or dissertation
program
- Understanding how to approach the unstructured portion
of the program
- Finding comprehensive help (in one place)
- Creating an effective plan of action
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|
| Q: |
I am a good writer and have a very supportive
advisor. How can TA-DA!™ help me? |
| A: |
While most thesis and dissertation resource
tools focus on writing, TA-DA!™ is designed to be flexible
in order to focus on your individual needs. Even the best
writers usually need help in completing a large project researched
and written over an extended period of time.
TA-DA!™ helps you develop a workable timeline, choose a viable
topic, choose a supportive advisor (if still needed), a good
committee, understand how to evaluate research done on the
internet, prepare for your defense, shows you how to take
care of yourself under stress, and much more.
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| Q: |
I am sick of writing a thesis! Can TA-DA!™ help me? |
| A: |
Yes, there is more to completing your thesis
or dissertation than just writing. In fact, the need to take
a break from writing now and then is perfectly normal. In
the meantime, there are a variety of other tasks you can work
on completing until you are emotionally ready to start writing
again.
TA-DA!™ offers you specific solutions and steps to take for
those times when you are "sick and tired" of writing.
Remember, it is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when.
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| Q: |
I’ve already begun my thesis or dissertation
work. Can TA-DA!™ still help me? |
| A: |
Yes, TA-DA!™ is organized to provide you immediate
access to the information and resources you need regardless
of where in the thesis/dissertation process you currently
are. TA-DA!™ can help if you're working on your dissertation
abstract, looking for a dissertation topic, honing your thesis
defense, or just looking for help in getting started on thesis
writing. Our goal is to take the pain and frustration out
of the entire process and make your graduate life simpler,
straightforward, and even fun.
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| Q: |
I am just starting my graduate program. Should
I wait until I am
in the writing phase to purchase TA-DA!™? |
| A: |
Definitely not. TA-DA!™ provides advice to
students on how to start thinking and exploring their thesis
or dissertation from the very first day of graduate school.
It is never too early to start planning to get done. TA-DA!
™can help you shorten your path to completion, making your
degree program more efficient and saving you both time and
money in the process.
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