Dissertation Planner Spreadsheet, PhD Planner and Thesis Tracker: Chapters, Word Count, Writing Log, Committee, Google Sheets Excel

A dissertation planner for PhD and master's students. Chapters and word counts, a daily writing log, your committee, milestones, meetings, literature, data, papers and funding are in one file.

🔗 TRY THE LIVE DEMO before you buy (view only, nothing to install): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dVEwCuU9TqDfQDOFo1lddBMpmjOYg7AAa-28UKvTp3o/edit?gid=397917843

Log each writing session, and it shows your words this week, your streak and the words a day you need to reach your defense date.
It counts the days a draft has been with your chair or committee, and tells you when to send a friendly reminder.

📊 WHAT IT DOES

✓ Chapters: every chapter with its word target and the words in it now. Done %, words to go, the words a day to hit the due date and who has the draft, and for how long.
✓ Writing Log: every session with minutes, words, chapter and task. Words an hour, days written, your writing streak and hours by task follow.
✓ Committee: your chair, members and readers. Drafts waiting with each person, when you last met and what is still open.
✓ Milestones: qualifying exam, proposal, IRB, drafts, format review, defense and final submission, with a warning as each date gets close.
✓ Meetings: what your chair and committee said, the action item and its date, and the next meeting.
✓ Literature: a reading list and literature matrix by theme and chapter, from To read to Cited, with your reading pace.
✓ Data, Publications and Funding: interviews or samples against your target, papers in review with revision dates, and when your funding ends and what to apply for next.
✓ Progress: any month on one page, from words, hours and meetings to the pace you need to reach the defense. Bring it to meetings.

📂 WHAT'S INSIDE: 13 TABS AND 34 CHARTS

✓ Start with these three: Start here, Chapters, Committee
✓ Every day: Home, Writing Log, Milestones, Meetings
✓ The research: Literature, Data, Publications
✓ Money and pace: Funding, Progress, Settings

📝 HOW IT WORKS

1. Open the PDF and click the link to make your own copy in Google Sheets. Or open the Excel file.
2. On Start here, type your defense date, your word target and a daily goal.
3. On Chapters, add your chapters with a word target and the words in them now.
4. After each session, type the minutes and words on Writing Log. Home and Progress fill in by themselves.

📥 WHAT YOU GET

✓ Google Sheets version (the link is in the PDF)
✓ Excel version (.xlsx) for desktop Excel 2016 or newer and Microsoft 365, on Windows or Mac
✓ A filled example to look around, and a blank copy for your own dissertation
✓ A PDF guide: a picture of every tab and your first five minutes, step by step
✓ A video guide for this planner (the link is in the PDF)

💻 GOOD TO KNOW

✓ Works with a free Google account. Nothing to install, no subscription, no monthly app fee.
✓ Formulas are protected, so you can't break anything by accident.
✓ Works for a thesis too: chapters, milestones and word counts are yours to set.
✓ Keep full references in your citation app; the Literature tab is for planning, themes and chapters.
✓ Use IDs on the Data tab, not names. Your raw data stays where your IRB protocol says.
✓ Rename the tasks, literature themes, kinds of data and committee roles on Settings; the dropdowns follow.
✓ Room for 20 chapters, 1,000 writing sessions, 20 committee members, 30 milestones, 200 meetings, 600 sources, 400 data entries, 40 papers and 30 funding sources.
✓ Set it up on a computer in a few minutes. After that, the Google Sheets app works for a quick look at the day on your phone.
✓ The photos show Google Sheets. The Excel file has the same tabs and formulas.
✓ On a Mac? Use free Google Sheets or Excel for Mac.
✓ Free updates for life.

This is a digital download, so nothing is shipped. If anything is unclear after you buy, message me and I'll help you set it up.