The Dissertation Journey

This essential guidebook takes readers step-by-step through the dissertation process, with checklists, illustrations, sample forms, and updated coverage of ethics, technology, and the literature review.

How to reach the pinnacle of academic achievement The dissertation is a tough mountain to climb; half of all doctoral students never make it to the top. To overcome the practical, social, and psychological obstacles along the way, you need a knowledgeable guide and the right tools. This comprehensive how-to guide to developing and writing a quality dissertation provides: Expanded and updated coverage of crucial topics such as conducting a literature review, dissertation support groups, and harnessing technology to conduct research Progress tracking tools, sample forms, resource lists, and other user-friendly elements Thoroughly updated and revised chapters with the most current need-to-know information

This book is not a technical manual to help doctoral students through the minutiae of conducting in-depth qualitative or quantitative research. Instead, this how-to manual will focus on the practical aspects of writing and organizing a dissertation, in particular, the psychological and social hurdles that are involved. The author uses a conversational and encouraging tone along with plenty of graphics, quotes, illustrations, and sample forms to guide doctoral students through the process of preparing, writing, and defending their dissertations. Features } checklists, organizing graphics, in-depth list of resources for further inquiry, quotations, illustrations, and other user-friendly elements } full of easily accessible, practical advice that is administered in small bites. } conversational, warm, and personal writing style unique to this genre.

Your dissertation is not a hurdle to jump or a battle to fight; as this handbook makes clear, your dissertation is the first of many destinations on the path of your professional career. Destination Dissertation guides you to the successful completion of your dissertation by framing the process as a stimulating and exciting trip—one that can be completed in fewer than nine months and by following twenty-nine specific steps. Sonja Foss and William Waters—your guides on this trip—explain concrete and efficient processes for completing the parts of the dissertation that tend to cause the most delays: conceptualizing a topic, developing a pre-proposal, writing a literature review, writing a proposal, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the last chapter. This guidebook is crafted for use by students in all disciplines and for both quantitative and qualitative dissertations, and incorporates a wealth of real-life examples from every step of the journey.

Are you about to embark on a research project for the first time? Unsure which data collection methods are right for your study? Don't know where to start? By presenting the reader with a series of key research management questions, this book introduces the novice researcher to a range of research designs and data collection methods. Building an understanding of these choices and how they can impact on the dissertation itself will lead to a more robust and rigorous dissertation study. This book is designed to direct your research choices with informative text and key questions, advice from "virtual supervisors" and reflections from students. Lists of suggested further reading also help to support you on your journey to developing an organised and successful dissertation project. Researchers seeking support on their journey to a successful dissertation will find this book a valuable resource.

This engaging book not only offers step-by-step guidance on planning, writing, and defending a dissertation but also helps create a beginning-to-end process that is meaningful, rewarding, and exciting. Each chapter answers commonly asked questions, contains a checklist for each part of the dissertation, provides a summary of key points, and lists additional resources. Topics addressed include tips for staying motivated, time management, and self-care; selecting a dissertation committee and narrowing down the topic; writing a proposal; preparing the literature review; creating the problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions; understanding research methodology and ethics; collecting and analyzing data; presenting results; and best of all—publishing a dissertation. *Requests for digital versions from the ACA can be found on wiley.com. *To request print copies, please visit the ACA website here. *Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA should be directed to [email protected]

Correction Notice: Corwin Press made an error when printing the cover for this update. MLA 8 should not be included. How to reach the pinnacle of academic achievement The dissertation is a tough mountain to climb; half of all doctoral students never make it to the top. To overcome the practical, social, and psychological obstacles along the way, you need a knowledgeable guide and the right tools. Written in an engaging and motivational style, The Dissertation Journey is a comprehensive how-to guide for graduate students faced with the challenge of developing and writing a quality dissertation. Readers of this new edition will find Expanded and updated coverage of crucial topics such as conducting a literature review, dissertation support groups, and harnessing technology to conduct research Graphics, quotes, illustrations, progress tracking tools, sample forms, a new chapter-ending resources feature, and other user-friendly elements Thoroughly updated and revised chapters with the most current need-to-know information This clear, practical guidebook will make the journey to "doctor" smoother and help you reach your academic goals. "The Dissertation Journey has been a valuable read for more than a decade. Dr. Roberts and Dr. Hyatt bring years of doctoral teaching and dissertation advising experience to this essential book." —Stuart Allen, Professor of Organizational Leadership Robert Morris University "This book contains sound academic research advice in an easy to understand and follow format. The book’s benefits extend beyond the dissertation to any subsequent scholarship that the reader undertakes." —Farzin Madjidi, Associate Dean, Education Division Pepperdine University