ABSTRACT
Once you have submitted your dissertation you may just want to celebrate, sit back and relax for a week or two. But it might also be a good time to start planning some follow-up activities and thinking about what you have learned through the research process. The research and main writing project may be over, but the value of the whole experience far exceeds the immediate academic product. In short, your research is much more than the dissertation. You may, for example, want to write shorter versions of some of the key themes or chapters, perhaps for a blog, student journal, or popular publication. If an organization gave you help, access or placement opportunities you ought perhaps to send them a brief report. Since the whole process will have greatly increased your capabilities as an independent researcher, you could note down some of the key lessons you have learned or capacities you have developed, with a view to letting others (future employers or research grant-givers, for example) know about your skills and experience.
