Successful Dissertations

Thoroughly updated to reflect the most recent trends in thesis/dissertation (T/D) preparation and research, the Fourth Edition examines confidentiality and privacy in Internet communications and considers the accuracy and reliability of Internet-reported research ... furnishes a new discussion on qualitative research ... focuses attention on intellectual property issues ... supplies a new section on the appropriate use of animal subjects ... details the historical background of advanced degrees ... and much more.

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This comprehensive manual offers direction for every step of the thesis or dissertation process, from choosing an appropriate topic to adapting the finished work for publication.

A complete, step-by-step, practical overview of the process of writing successful theses and dissertations Every year thousands of graduate students face the daunting–sometimes terrifying– challenge of writing a thesis or dissertation. But most of them have received little or no instruction on doing it well. This book shows them how in ways no other book does. It combines the practical guidance and theoretical understanding students need to complete their theses or dissertations with maximum insight and minimum stress. Drawing on her extensive research and experience advising hundreds of graduate students, Dr. Irene Clark presents a solid overview of the writing process. Clark shows how to apply innovative theories of process and genre and understand the writing process for what it is: your entrance into a conversation with the scholarly community that will determine your success or failure. This book offers useful strategies for each phase of the process, from choosing advisors and identifying topics through writing, revision, and review. Coverage includes • Getting started: overcoming procrastination and writer’s block • Understanding the genre of the thesis or dissertation • Speaking the “language of the academy” • Writing compelling proposals • Developing and revising drafts • Constructing effective literature reviews • Working with tables, graphs, and other visual materials • Working with advisors and dissertation committees • Avoiding inadvertent plagiarism Experience based, theoretically grounded, jargon free, and practical, Writing the Successful Thesis and Dissertation will help you become a more effective writer–and a more meaningful contributor to the scholarly conversation. Preface xi Introduction: Writing a Thesis or Dissertation: An Overview of the Process xix Chapter 1: Getting Started 1 Chapter 2: So What? Discovering Possibilities 17 Chapter 3: The Proposal as an Argument: A Genre Approach to the Proposal 33 Chapter 4: Mapping Texts: The Reading/Writing Connection 63 Chapter 5: Writing and Revising 83 Chapter 6: Writing the Literature Review 103 Chapter 7: Using Visual Materials 125 Chapter 8: The Advisor and Thesis/Dissertation Committee 139 Chapter 9: Working with Grammar and Style 155 Chapter 10: Practical Considerations 175 Index: 193

Are you unsure what your report should look like or how you’ll ever finish it in time? Are you freaking out about starting on an extended piece of writing? Help is here! In this handy little book, you’ll find expert guidance to enable you to produce a successful report or dissertation. With a focus on developing an effective writing style and argument, this book shows you, step-by-step, how to plan and deliver a perfect piece of writing to gain top marks. Open up to find advice on: What makes dissertations and reports distinctive Organising your time and materials Finding the right planning method for you How to structure your writing successfully Writing good sentences, paragraphs, sections and chapters. Read this book and you’re on your way to writing a great report or dissertation! The Student Success series are essential guides for students of all levels. From how to think critically and write great essays to planning your dream career, the Student Success series helps you study smarter and get the best from your time at university. Visit the SAGE Study Skills hub for tips and resources for study success!

Whether looking for guidance on the whole process, needing help with conducting a literature review or interpreting your quantitative and qualitative data, this accessible and empowering guide will take you through the dissertation process and provide all the information you need to make the most of your research project. This edition includes: - new discussions on critical analysis and the use of internet and social media research data - an expanded chapter on quantitative method and a new section on mixed methods research - case studies from a broader range of education and early childhood settings, both formal and informal - an extended range of types of data analysis discussed - updated references and recommended reading suggestions throughout, reflecting changes in legislation - a glossary of key terms - new end-of-chapter reflective tasks - a new companion website providing all checklists and templates in the book as downloadable resources as well as new mind mapping templates, a supervisor record form, sample ethics form, sample letters to research settings, a pre-submission final checklist, research proposal examples and guidance on setting out tables, figures, appendices and managing your endnotes and reference list Successful Dissertations is the essential guide for all undergraduate researchers starting a dissertation project in an Education department.

A practical guide for students undertaking their dissertation, Writing Successful Undergraduate Dissertations in Social Sciences uses a mixture of exercises, strategies, case study material and further reading to give hints and tips on beginning and managing a research project and working with supervisors. Providing an accessible overview of the essential steps in conducting research and writing dissertations, this fully updated edition contains new sections on: • The varied sources of support for students and how to make use of them • The use of modern technologies, and digital platforms in data collection, storage and processing • The important issues relating to ethnographic and feminist research • How to publish through peer review publications or using self-publishing platforms • The General Data Protection Regulation and legal issues relating to collection, storage and use of personal data • The skills that students have acquired through writing dissertations and how those skills could become useful for future career and employability • How students can relate their dissertations to existing theories and concepts in social sciences that relate to their dissertation. Packed with proven practical advice from ‘real-life’ data, case studies and examples, Writing Successful Undergraduate Dissertations in Social Sciences is an essential and dependable starting point and guide for any student beginning their dissertation journey in the social sciences.

How to Design, Write, and Present a Successful Dissertation Proposal, by Elizabeth A. Wentz, is essential reading for any graduate student entering the dissertation process in the social or behavioral sciences. The book addresses the importance of ethical scientific research, developing your curriculum vitae, effective reading and writing, completing a literature review, conceptualizing your research idea, and translating that idea into a realistic research proposal using research methods. The author also offers insight into oral presentations of the completed proposal, and the final chapter presents ideas for next steps after the proposal has been presented. Taking the view that we “learn by doing,” the author provides Quick Tasks, Action Items, and To Do List activities throughout the text that, when combined, develop each piece of your research proposal. Designed primarily for quantitative or mixed methods research dissertations, this book is a valuable start-to-finish resource.

Augmented with a new bibliography and streamlined appendices, the Guide to the Successful Thesis and Dissertation, Fifth Edition views the valuable addition of references to university research libraries and advanced information on websites, online searches, electronic literature, and other modern computer methods as crucial for the successful completion of any T/D. This popular text guide features new references and computer-oriented resources for every stage in the creation of honors and master's theses and dissertations and refers to current T/D statistics, federal regulations, ethical codes, and copyright issues and legalities involved in information gathering and study conduct.