Theses and Dissertations : A Guide to Planning, Research, and Writing

by R. Murray Thomas

• ISBN13: 9781412951159
• ISBN10: 1412951151
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-08-03
• Publisher: Corwin Pr

Summary

"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." a??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." a??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!

Table of Contents

Preface	p. viii
About the Authors	p. xi
The Nature of Theses and Dissertations	p. 1
Functions of Theses and Dissertations	p. 1
Academic Disciplines	p. 3
The Book's Structure	p. 5
Preparing the Way	p. 9
Sources of Guidance	p. 11
Academic Advisors	p. 11
Your Supervising Committee	p. 17
Your Fellow Graduate Students	p. 21
Experts Outside Your Department	p. 21
You Yourself	p. 22
The Professional Literature	p. 23
Planning Checklist	p. 24
Searching the Literature	p. 26
Functions of Literature Reviews	p. 27
Efficient Ways of Searching the Literature	p. 31
Searching the World Wide Web	p. 43
Errors of Judgment	p. 46
Planning Checklist	p. 50
Choosing and Defining Research Topics	p. 53
Sources and Types of Research Problems	p. 55
Sources and Kinds of Problems	p. 56
How to Distinguish a Good Topic From a Bad One	p. 65
Planning Checklist	p. 69
Building and Adapting Theories	p. 70
The Need for a New Theory	p. 71
Building a Classificatory Theory	p. 73
Building an Explanatory Theory	p. 76
Adapting and Revising Theories	p. 84
Planning Checklist	p. 85
Stating the Problem and Its Rationale	p. 86
Stating Your Research Problem	p. 86
Defining Key Terms	p. 89
Providing a Rationale	p. 93
Planning Checklist	p. 98
Collecting Information	p. 99
Types of Research Methods and Sources of Information	p. 101
Specifying the Desired Data	p. 102
General Research Methods	p. 103
Matching Methods to Research Questions	p. 151
Planning Checklist	p. 153
Data-Collection Techniques and Instruments	p. 154
Observations	p. 154
Content Analyses	p. 158
Interviews	p. 169
Questionnaires	p. 175
Tests	p. 179
Planning Checklist	p. 183
Things That Go Wrong	p. 185
Shattered Expectations	p. 186
Uncooperative Participants	p. 186
Negative Results	p. 187
The Meaning of "Enough Subjects"	p. 189
Nothing Short of Perfect	p. 191
Organizing Information	p. 193
Classification Patterns	p. 195
Some Examples of Classification Schemes	p. 196
Key Features of Classification Schemes: Implications and Applications	p. 203
Planning Checklist	p. 215
Summarizing Information Verbally, Numerically, and Graphically	p. 216
Narrative Summaries	p. 216
Statistical Summaries	p. 226
Tabular and Graphic Summaries	p. 243
Planning Checklist	p. 254
Interpreting the Results	p. 257
Modes of Interpretation	p. 259
Meanings Denoted by Types of Guide Questions	p. 262
Conclusion	p. 276
Planning Checklist	p. 277
Presenting the Finished Product	p. 279
Writing the Final Version	p. 281
Fulfilling Requirements and Preferences	p. 281
Creating a Readable Document	p. 285
Planning Checklist	p. 299
Mounting a Persuasive Defense	p. 300
The Question of Validity	p. 301
The Question of Significance	p. 304
Who's in Charge?	p. 305
The Intrusive Advisor	p. 306
Insisting on a Different Approach	p. 306
Professorial Debates	p. 307
Proper Proofreading	p. 308
Reaching a Wider Audience	p. 309
A Variety of Publishing Opportunities	p. 309
Further Guides to Publishing	p. 322
Planning Checklist	p. 323
Outline of a Dissertation Proposal	p. 325
References	p. 330
Index	p. 335
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