Synopses & Reviews
Surviving Your Dissertation is an ideal book for individuals on initial training courses, providing an overview of the research process, from the literature review through to writing it up. The all-important steps of defining the problem and choosing an appropriate methodology are clearly written, offering a framework which, if followed, would avoid many of the common difficulties experienced by trainees. --School Psychology International Kjell Erik Rudestam and Rae R. Newton cover the problems and difficulties of successfully completing a doctoral dissertation with honesty and a sense of humor in Surviving Your Dissertation. . . . The authors write from the position of the ideal mentor, presenting the issues doctoral students would like their chairpersons to discuss with them yet rarely have done. . . . Although there are several related handbooks on the market, few combine the complexities of dealing simultaneously with content and process. Surviving Your Dissertation provides a readable, comprehensive guide to maximized success for doctoral students. --The Library Quarterly Would this book be useful to doctoral students in accounting? My answer is a qualified yes. . . . Students who read and absorb the content of these chapters will be able to construct better proposals and dissertations with less wasted time and effort--both their time and effort and that of their advisors. --The Accounting Review I was somewhat skeptical when I first heard the topic of this book. Is there really that much to say about dissertations that can apply to a wide variety of fields? My skepticism vanished when I saw this book. I was tremendously impressed. The author was very clever in consideringall of the issues that might pop up in performing a dissertation. Also, the writing is excellent, and the organization is generally first-rate. --Robert L. Greene, Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University The authors include material that most other books ordinarily miss, such as learning how to write, discovering one''s learning style, criteria for choosing statistical consultants, and tips for using computers. . . . This book is a must for graduate students for whom thoughts of planning and completing a doctoral dissertation are accompanied by feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, and dread. This book is also a must for doctoral advisors who have long wished for a compendium of down-to-earth wisdom about the dissertation process that could help students get the most out of their doctoral experience. --Craig L. Frisby, Department of Psychology, University of Florida A useful update. It includes contemporary developments regarding computer technology and some aspects of preparing/writing qualitative reports. I like the extent to which the authors organized chapters in their book corresponding to the chapter/section headings found in the conventional dissertations. --Bruce A. Thyer, School of Social Work, The University of Georgia This is a useful book for a new graduate student who needs to start thinking about doing a thesis or dissertation at the earliest possible time. I would recommend it this way as a personal purchase. I would also think it might be useful as a supplement to a methods course. I would describe the book as a systematic treatment of the process of doing a thesis or dissertation. --Alan C. Acock, Human Development and Family Services, Oregon StateUniversity An extremely useful guide in assisting me to mentor my graduate students. . . . A wonderful resource for any student beginning a serious research project. --Judy Stevens-Long, Department of Liberal Studies, University of Washington This is a very readable, well-organized, and comprehensive guide to the dissertation process in the behavioral and social sciences. I will recommend it to all of my graduate students as essential reading both in the beginning and throughout the process of completing the dissertation. Unique for this type of guide is the integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches as well as the chapters on writing and computer software. The guide is especially good in discussing the logic of the dissertation argument and the presentation of quantitative results. --John Landsverk, School of Social Work, San Diego State University Successful completion of a thesis or dissertation is a unique challenge which need not be as painful if one reads and implements Surviving Your Dissertation prior to undertaking the effort. The book contains a great deal of wisdom about a broad array of issues that can be potential pitfalls. Surviving Your Dissertation is what it claims to be, i.e., a survival kit for those contemplating doing a dissertation or thesis. Utilization of the ideas and methods incorporated in it will save one many hours of frustration and non-productive effort. It is an invaluable tool to be incorporated in classes on research and research methodologies. --Joseph E. Havranek, Ed.D., CRC, Bowling Green State University This book provides a lot of useful and necessary information for all marketing doctoral candidates. It can be equally valuableto young faculty members who are just becoming involved in doctoral programs and need to provide structure so they can project successfully from their own experiences. I am certainly recommending the book to my colleagues and graduate students. . . . --Journal of Marketing Research The dissertation can often seem like an overwhelming and insurmountable obstacle to obtaining that advanced degree--unless you have a handy, comprehensive guide to help you survive the process. Surviving Your Dissertation offers students the perfect guide for preparing the best dissertation. Using examples from a wide range of disciplines, Kjell Erik Rudestam and Rae R. Newton provide readers with expert advice on the entire dissertation process: selecting a suitable topic, conducting a review of the literature, building an argument, presenting the material, presenting
Synopsis
"The book is an excellent addition to those already available in the area and provides a very practical guide that students can pick up and use for reference throughout their dissertation process."
ESCalate (a Higher Education Academy Network publication)
Like the previous editions of this bestselling text,
Surviving Your Dissertation: A Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process, Third Edition offers readers guidance that other dissertation guides often miss, from ways to improve one's writing, to identifying one's learning preferences, to dealing with emotional blocks. Using examples from a wide range of disciplines, the authors give readers expert advice on the entire dissertation process: selecting a suitable topic; conducting a literature review; managing data overload; building an argument; presenting the material, data, and results; and working with faculty committees. The entire text has been updated and fresh examples have been added to it. This edition features an up-to-the-minute discussion of online research and the use of software packages. The authors have expanded their coverage of qualitative work, and added information about the use of mixed methods to the book. These updates and more make the
Third Edition of
Surviving Your Dissertation a must have resource for graduate students.
Key Features ofthe ThirdEdition: - Walks readers through the dissertation process as an ideal mentor would.
- Devotes more attention to qualitative work, and touches upon mixed methods.
- Discusses online library resources and completing one's dissertation via the Internet.
- Features new material on the use of graphics.
- Includes information about informed consent forms.
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