Theses and Dissertations
A Guide to Planning, Research, and Writing
- R. Murray Thomas - University of California, Santa Barbara (Emeritus)
- Dale L. Brubaker - University of North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina
"This text moves beyond simplistic 'procedures to follow' to in-depth discussions of stages in the research process, providing strong reference points and examples for students embarking on the disciplined inquiry of thesis and dissertation research. A valuable text for proposal writing classes, faculty members who direct dissertations and theses, and students throughout the research process."
—Betty J. Alford, Chair of Secondary Education and Educational Leadership
Stephen F. Austin State University
"Graduate students will be in debt to professors Thomas and Brubaker for providing a long-overdue guide to the rite of passage known as theses and dissertations. This book is realistic, clear, and refreshingly sensitive to what students need to know."
—Seymour B. Sarason, Professor of Psychology Emeritus
Yale University
Take the anxiety out of preparing your thesis or dissertation!
This revised classic helps graduate students approach the thesis or dissertation writing process with confidence, offering updated references and new information on Internet searches, narrative summaries, plagiarism, and Internet publishing options. The authors help readers stay on track by providing checklists and multiple examples as they progress through five critical stages:
- Preparation
- Selecting research topics
- Collecting and organizing information
- Interpreting the results
- The final presentation
With thorough guidelines for evaluating research options, this indispensable resource helps make the writing process a satisfying and rewarding one!
"Coming generations of graduate students will be in debt to Professors Thomas and Brubaker for providing a long-overdue guide to the rite of passage known as theses and dissertations. This book is realistic, clear, and refreshingly sensitive to what the student needs to know. Why such a comprehensive and helpful book has not been written before is mystifying."
"Too many students complete their thesis or dissertation and say, 'If I had only known X.' Thomas and Brubaker have provided the book that will help all such students. The clear exposition, the recognition of problems, the multiple perspectives, and the advice coming from years of experience make this an essential book for those considering or completing theses and dissertations. The checklists, breadth of coverage, and attention to details provide readers (both students and advisors) with an excellent resource."
"Moves beyond simplistic discussions of 'procedures to follow' that are commonly found in dissertation or thesis guides to in-depth discussions of stages in the research process that provide strong reference points and examples for students as they embark on the disciplined inquiry of thesis and dissertation research. This book is a valuable text for proposal writing classes, faculty members who direct dissertations and theses, and students throughout the research process."
"A top pick for any basic college-level collection catering to graduate students, this book is sure to be a popular, often-consulted, and practical reference."
A very helpful guide to planning, researching and writing. This book will be a most helpful aid in structuring and planning research at thesis and dissertation level.
Accessible and well organised, with guidance on avoiding pitfalls.
A clear and considered guide to thesis and dissertation writing. I introduced this recently within a reading session, students found it to be informative and useful.
I really liked the layout of this book. The structure takes the reader through the complete process of completing a dissertation. The checklists are very helpful for the reader. The section on research methods was very good.
This book would be an useful addition to any student writing a dissertation as part of the PGCE primary course. Very informative and gives a good guide to those who are not confident when structuring research based dissertation.
Great guide for educational research. Covers all the stages and gives advice on how to avoid pitfalls.
Very accessible book for a broad range of research areas. Excellent examples and case studies.