Customer Reviews

Dissertations And Theses from Start to Finish: Psychology And Related Fields

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book made the entire dissertation and thesis writing process clear and easy to follow. It is well laid out, allowing the reader to construct their ideas in a logical sequence, with one segment adding on to the next. I also enjoyed the honest observations made by the authors, and this aspect gave me much needed insight as to how to approach faculty and professors about my dissertation and thesis without becoming a burden upon their time and resources. It's also a wonderful general guide for people interested in how to plan, execute, and complete any scientific research. I would highly recommend this book to any student who needs to strengthen their knowledge base about the thesis and dissertation writing process.

For a current graduate student, this book is a easy to follow necessity for someone who is involved in a dissertation! The chapters contain step by step guide that has made the dissertation process more managable and even FUN!

As someone who works privately with students, helping them with dissertations and theses, I highly recommend this book. My doctorate is in Education, and I wish that this book had been available when I was doing my dissertation. Now, when students call me in regard to assistance with their dissertation or thesis, I recommend that they buy this book and use it as an ongoing reference. As the title states, this book takes students through every step of the dissertation or thesis process, from proposal to completion. It is one of the most comprehensive guides that I have come across in recent years.

A book for the student considering doctoral degree and who does not understand the process. Not very helpful for those who are understand process but would like an indepth reference showing the differences between abstracts, conclusions, etc.; qualitative vs. quantitative research papers. Also, updates from authors such as Huth would be more helpful, as well as from Journal editors.

I read this before beginning my own dissertation, and have recommended it to many others. The primary value I got from it was as a motivator to get started - often one of the most difficult steps in writing a dissertation. The information contained in this book will not replace a good mentor, but can be a supplement to a mediocre one.

If you know absolutely nothing about how to conduct and analyze empirical research, then you have found the perfect book. The only problem is this--if you know so little, you also have no business writing a doctoral dissertation, which means this book isn't for you.

Some of the authors' mind-blowing advice: "Develop scientific hypotheses," "Plan for the unexpected," "operationalize your variables," "summarize your findings."

For undergraduate psychology majors, this book provides a helpful introduction to the basics of research. But this is absolutely NOT the book to write a clear, compelling, innovative dissertation.

This book is an excellent guide for planning, preparing, and writing a thesis or dissertation. I am a dean of a small college and we use it as a required textbook for all our doctoral candidates.

This is great for some helpful overall tips and such. It WILL NOT tell you anything that a good adviser/mentor doesn't already know!

No doubt when you first enter graduate school you are excited, but the excitement soon wears off when you find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of work your dissertation or thesis has in store for you. Your approach and methodology to your topic is laid out for you in a simple "start to finish" way in this book. The text is quite readable and isn't overburdened with polysyllabic words requiring a dictionary. The second edition is up to date and takes into consideration that we are no longer writing our dissertations and theses solely from dusty library stacks. For example information is given as to how to evaluate Internet information and effective ways to Google.

CHAPTERS:

Chapter 1. What Are Theses and Dissertations and Why Write a Book About Them?

Chapter 2. Starting Out: Assessing Your Preparation for the Task Ahead

Chapter 3. Time and Trouble Management

Chapter 4. Finding Topics and Faculty Collaborators

Chapter 5. Formulating and Communicating Your Plans: An Overview of the Proposal

Chapter 6. Reviewing the Literature

Chapter 7. Research Methodology and Ethics

Chapter 8. Measurement

Chapter 9. Selecting the Appropriate Statistics

Chapter 10. Collecting, Managing, and Analyzing the Data

Chapter 11. Presenting the Results

Chapter 12. Discussing the Results

Chapter 13. Managing Committee Meetings: Proposal and Oral Defense

Chapter 14. Presenting Your Project to the World


I'd recommend that when you receive your copy of this book that you take the time to sit down and read it from cover to cover. More than likely you'll be spending a few years working on a project and I feel taking the time to get a general overview of what you will be facing is an excellent investment. One other book you may wish to consider is the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association." In the back of the book is an excellent index and an expanded list of references, some of which you may wish to explore. This is an excellent book for anyone who will be working on a dissertation or thesis and comes with a high recommendation.

As I enter the unknown world of writing my doctoral dissertation, I have found much comfort in this book. The book is not a tutorial on how to write your dissertation or thesis, rather it is a book on how to arrange your daily life as well as to alleviate any myths you may have about the process. The book has alot of good tips and checklists to help you ensure you are on the right path and you know what to expect.