In the dissertation phase, your mentor and your committee are extremely important. A smooth, collegial, and professional working relationship with your committee is essential to your success. One way to ensure this kind of relationship is in place is to discuss with your mentor and your committee some reasonable guidelines and expectations while you are writing your dissertation. Meeting all deadlines and being present and prepared for all conference calls are excellent ways to acknowledge and respect that, in addition to the fact that you are busy, your committee is also quite busy and has many other obligations. Accepting responsibility for completion of your dissertation, and recognizing that your mentor and committee will primarily provide you guidance, are also both necessary to successfully complete your degree.

Your academic advisor is another great resource. Your academic advisor can assist you with policy and process related questions, as well as help you troubleshoot any challenges that may arise.

If you would like to tap into the expertise of other scholars or if you want to use editing help for your dissertation (again, this is not an option for those working on comprehensive responses), you can go outside of Capella University. Once you are working on your dissertation, you will become quite familiar with the scholars in your field, and you may want to contact them. While doing so is not necessary, and it is your choice, getting unofficial input from other scholars can be beneficial. If you choose those who may be intrigued by your dissertation topic, you will have a greater chance of succeeding in enlisting their input. Being prepared and having some specific ideas/problems you want to discuss is also necessary.

Don't forget about the support of friends and family. Because the comprehensive exam and dissertation phases of your doctoral program are so intensive, be prepared to step aside and ask others to step in to help with some of your responsibilities outside of your Capella program.