ABSTRACT
The committee chairperson is usually a primary source, in this as in other parts of the research process, both of technical help and of information about where to get such assistance. Students have the right to expect this. The chairperson, too, has the burden of deciding when to take on technical assistance consultation directly and when to refer the student elsewhere. To make that decision responsibly, chairpersons need to know and acknowledge their own limitations. They also must be aware of the competencies of other committee members and the strengths of other faculty members who may not be on the committee.
