Writing Your Doctoral Dissertation

✍ Scribed by Rita S. Brause

• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 165
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Increasing numbers of adults are enroling in doctoral programmes, but their earlier college lives often do not prepare them for the rules of the academic game. Many have no idea what a dissertation looks like, how it gets that way, or what options are available to them.This book is a practical guide for students who need help in progressing from the decision to write a dissertation to the planning, writing and defending of it. It includes samples of proposals and dissertations that have been accepted and data drawn from a number of sources, including focus groups with doctoral students and graduates and responses to an open-ended questionnaire from doctoral students across the United States.

✦ Table of Contents

Back Cover......Page 1
Preface......Page 2
Acknowledgments......Page 6
1 - Comparing a Dissertation to a Long Term Paper......Page 8
2 - Jumping through Hoops, Going on a Journey - Personal Metaphors for the Process......Page 16
3 - The Stages in Writing a Dissertation - An Overview......Page 22
4 - Pithy Insights and Suggestions for Success......Page 34
5 - Identifying Your Dissertation Topic and Your Research Questions......Page 40
6 - Forming Your Dissertation Committee......Page 51
7 - Roles and Responsibilities of Dissertation Committees......Page 59
8 - Creating a Professional Setting - Student-colleagues and Other Important Resources......Page 73
9 - Developing a Productive Setting......Page 82
10 - Writing Your Dissertation Proposal While Designing Your Dissertation Research......Page 97
11 - Conducting Your Study......Page 111
12 - Analyzing and Interpreting Your Data......Page 116
13 - Presenting Your Findings - Drafting and Editing Your Dissertation......Page 126
14 - Defending Your Dissertation - Preparing for Orals......Page 133
Appendix A - Doctoral Students' Experiences: Expectations of Doctoral Studies......Page 143
Appendix B - Suggested Reading on the Doctoral Dissertation......Page 152
Appendix C - Suggested Reading on the Academic World......Page 153
Appendix D - Suggested Reading on Research Methodology......Page 155
Appendix E - Sample Checklist of Activities......Page 156
References......Page 158
Index......Page 160